Altuve Homers, Clanton's Brain Blows Over, A WOOO! Way To Enter Memorial Day

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Two lifelong Houston sports guys named Adam, raised by Earl Nolan,
multed by the magnificent roller coaster ride that is Houston
Sports chill Lage down for the only homegrown afternoon team

(00:31):
is Talking your Teams.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Adam Clinton and Adam Wexler are the A teams.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
And just like that, it's a Friday edition of the
show Sports Talk seven ninety x ac Cole Thompson with
you taking you into the long holiday weekend. I hope
you guys have a lot of fantastic plans for the
next not just two but three days. And if not, well,
you know, maybe that'll be okay too. I'm not here
to judge, but uh wex I am here to judge

(01:05):
the Seattle manners.

Speaker 4 (01:07):
They are absolute frauds. I knew it. I said it yesterday.
I said as much.

Speaker 3 (01:11):
I knew the Astros would sweep them, and they're already
off to a great start. That's exactly what I said
on yesterday's program. Don't you remember when I guaranteed the
Astros sweeping them in four games?

Speaker 5 (01:21):
Yeah, I said something about feeling good and you said, oh,
so you're guaranteeing a sweep.

Speaker 4 (01:24):
I remember I was sitting right here.

Speaker 3 (01:27):
Look, every time they do this, it actually just makes
me more mad.

Speaker 4 (01:31):
Why can't they do it all the time? Off with
this winning? But I can't. I can't stop. You can't
in this month.

Speaker 3 (01:42):
Just stop one night you're gonna put up nine and
not have people like me who are knee jerk not
made for baseball sports fans and not say something about
it all this time.

Speaker 4 (01:53):
Well, this is different. I mean, I know you. You
can't change how you're made. I can't. So if you
say you're not made for baseball, I guess it will
never change. Technically they have not built. Well.

Speaker 5 (02:02):
I don't really want to use what they've got going
for them because when they say it, it's a positive,
like we're built for this. When you say it is
insert the word not right in front of it by
hashtag not. Really don't really feel like it carries the
same positivity that the teams don't usually put out slogans,
marketing campaigns, hashtags expressing not gonna happen, or it's not

(02:24):
our year, or it was fun while it lasted, or
maybe next year or not anyone but us.

Speaker 3 (02:30):
What about there's always next year? Wouldn't that be the
most depressing hashtag ever to start a season. Those other teams,
the Rockies that this year, and it would be totally appropriate.

Speaker 5 (02:39):
There's other teams that are already laid claim to that,
and they've been using it for years. The Rockies are
a good example. The White Sox are another example. It
didn't I didn't know it at the time, but it
could have been the Orioles slogan heading into this year.
There's always next year, but it's just a bad situation.
So for those teams, it's a good situation for the Astros,
an opportunity to be in first place after the weekend.

(03:01):
All he had to do was win every game. Well,
he can't win every game if you don't win the
first one, and they did last night. Got a good
enough effort from Lance mccullors. But beyond the numbers, there
were definitely some signs that we had not seen and
in any of his three previous starts, hopefully a sign
of things to come. Got them into the fifth inning.

(03:22):
The Astros had already started two shows some signs of
life offensively a two home run game from Jose al
Tuove and in each swing that produced a long ball.
The early wasn't any doubt that the ball was gonna
leave the yard. Smashed one to left center. It snuck
just over the yellow line and into and onto the concourse.
The other one an al two a special, smashed into

(03:43):
the fans sitting enjoying baseball game and in the Crawford boxes.
They also scored five other runs that weren't driven in
by Jose Altuve. He actually had another run driven in
in a different bat, three different bats from their number
three hitter, you know, the run producer. Yes, we're They
scored runs off of them, the sack fly which turned
a what could have been a kind of disappointing basses

(04:06):
loaded situation, but they found a way to get runs
out of it without blowing the game open. But they
didn't blow their opportunity to score those runs and to
get back what Lance had given up during the first
and second inning single runs allowed there. And then they
played add on. They were able to use a kind
of a different set of bullpen arms, obviously in relative
or in reference to what the score was at the time,

(04:29):
but they threw seven shutout innings between mccullors and the
bullpen arms that followed him down to nothing. Other team
didn't score of the final seven innings. You put a
nine spot out there, and you head into the holiday
weekend with a win.

Speaker 3 (04:42):
Well, in, all of those home runs you mentioned by
the Astros were infinitely more real and better than that
little league crap that Dylan Moore hit off the wall.

Speaker 5 (04:51):
He little league crap. Yes, absolutely murdered the baseball as
he did, barely made it over that fake yellow line.
It was right at the edge of the field. That's
not exactly a short porch or a short homer or
a gift homer.

Speaker 4 (05:07):
They weren't as impressive as the Astros.

Speaker 3 (05:09):
He absolutely, none of minutes, none of that was as
impressive as any of the Astros home runs.

Speaker 4 (05:15):
Yes, none of the two.

Speaker 5 (05:16):
It's just those two, right, I guess he just had
the one, right, Well, Dylan just hit the one, and
you know, Jose hit hit two of his own.

Speaker 4 (05:24):
I'm talking about his versus all of the Astros.

Speaker 5 (05:28):
Yep, that's all of them, all three versus all of
the as. Yeah, the hardest hit ball among those three
homers was his one oh seven point nine. The furthest
hit ball of those homers was his. However, it's not
hard you hit it, it's how far it goes yeah exit.
Wait Wait a minute, Wait a minute, wait, I just
said yeah, nice enough to say yeah, Dylan Moore his

(05:50):
which is wild. Dylan Moore is not playing good baseball
and hasn't played good baseball for the Mariners pretty much
for his entire time there seven, I think. But he's
done his eighth home run this season. He's hit a
lot of home runs, So for who he is and
what he's done in his career with them against Houston,
he's made a lot of plays against them, and he
usually finds his way into the lineup. They actually, in
my opinion, caught a break. We don't know what Julio

(06:12):
Rodriguez would have done, nor do we know about his
availability for today, but back spasms took him out of
the original lineup, so they shuffled it a little bit.

Speaker 4 (06:20):
We'll see if he is available.

Speaker 5 (06:22):
Saturday's starter, Brian wu is probably still going to make
his start. And you think, well, why wouldn't he was
healthy when he got to Houston. Well, he got hit
by a foul ball in their dugout during the game
and want to go back underneath and get it checked out.
But after the game, the Seattle media indicated that they
thought it wasn't anything of great significance, which is great.
That's the last thing anyone wants to see is a

(06:43):
player getting hit and hurt when they're not even in
the game, or if they are in the game. But nonetheless,
it's a good way to start a ten game homestand
their longest home stand of the season, two teams from
their own division getting it started. Four against the Mariners,
two against the Athletics. They have the off day before
the Athletic series begins. It's only a two gamer and
then the final four against the Rays, so hopefully a

(07:05):
little payback and back to what we opened with. Yeah,
yesterday I said I felt good about this series, and
I described why.

Speaker 4 (07:13):
Location, location, location. The Astros are.

Speaker 5 (07:16):
Pretty darn good when they're playing at dyke In Park,
and it's much more pronounced than it's been in recent
years and especially lately. Remember they opened the season with
back to back series at dyke And Park. They won two,
they lost four, and since then they basically don't lose anything,
certainly don't lose any series, having taken care of everybody
who's come into town since then, including a sweep of Toronto,

(07:40):
not necessarily blowing them away with three and four game sweeps,
although four game sweep is a possibility here. But the
Astroids have won thirteen of their last seventeen at home
and trying to make more this weekend.

Speaker 3 (07:52):
Yeah, look, you did mention the home versus I mean,
this is it's actually the exact opposite of what they
were doing in twenty three, where they could just they
could not win at home to save their lives, and
they were, you know, much better baseball team.

Speaker 4 (08:07):
Top to bottom record wise, all that stuff.

Speaker 3 (08:09):
I mean, they had to sneak up and win the
division on the final day of the season, as I recall.
But it's just it was a different feeling all season long,
even though they were kind of clawing their way back
from behind the whole time. This is, look, I'll take
what I can get right now. And there is a
tendency in my opinion, when you get either outright bad

(08:33):
news or seemingly bad news like the Astros probably got
yesterday with Renel Blanco. I mean, there's no, it's not
definitive publicly yet.

Speaker 5 (08:41):
Yeah, the first opinion said it looks like Renault should
be back in ten or eleven days, just needs to
skip a start. So they're seeking a second opinion to
see if they can find someone who thinks it's bad.

Speaker 3 (08:51):
Or they're seeking a second opinion with somebody that says, yeah,
you can pitch in five days.

Speaker 5 (08:56):
Yeah, it's really really the second opinion. We know how
this goes. We've been around a little bit, especially with
sports medicine.

Speaker 4 (09:03):
You might get a better one.

Speaker 5 (09:04):
You might get somebody who thinks there's a different approach
to whatever the specifics of the injury are. But it's
pretty unlikely one's gonna say, oh, this is this is bad,
and the other one's gonna say, wrong, not bad, You're fine,
everything's cool.

Speaker 4 (09:17):
Thanks for asking me.

Speaker 5 (09:19):
I don't turn about that quack you asked for the
first opinion. Ada know what he's doing. I'm not sure
what he was looking at. Where your glasses upside down?
With it somebody else's prescription? Do you forget to turn
the light on with the imaging machine? Come on, now,
this guy's fine, it's cool. He's give him a couple
of days. No, probably not, No, I don't think.

Speaker 3 (09:37):
But so what I was saying is I think there's
a there's a tendency for you know, the players around
and just the organization to kind of get into a malaise, you.

Speaker 5 (09:50):
Really think so I do sometimes, Well, especially let's take
the specifics instead of hypothetical. They've seen you know, Righetti
have a fluke injury, but a lengthy one they've I've
seen was an Eski within the last ten days need
to be gone for the season. And now they've got
are the third. So in a stretch of ten to
fifteen days, they've seen two guys go down. Don't have
a full diagnosis. Bottom line is they've got five people

(10:11):
pitchers in the starting rotation. When the year begins, three
are down, the third one goes down. Can you give
you a malaise for this team?

Speaker 3 (10:19):
No, I'm saying that was a nice encouraging example of
the opposite last night. What I'm saying is, and allow
me to use a very flawed example. But we all
know what happened in twenty nineteen, and then we know
what happened after the season with well.

Speaker 4 (10:34):
What happened in twenty nineteen that you're referencing, well, let
me get to it.

Speaker 3 (10:38):
So twenty nineteen they have the you know, absolute heartbreaker
loss in seven games where only the road teams won
in every single game of the series and they lose
the World Series with the most stacked team ever in
the history of Major League Baseball. Then the scandal breaks,
Then we have COVID and we find out like one
start into the season that justin Verlanders going on on

(11:00):
the showf with Tommy John and I we both know that.
The reason I say it's flawed is because every time
we talked about anything, and to this day, anytime we
talk about anything statistical related to that season, we almost
just throw it out the window because all of Major
League Baseball was going through this weird time. But I
just felt like, even with all of that and everything else,

(11:22):
the talent the Astros had should have made them a
better than just to game over five hundred or whatever
they ended up being in those sixty games.

Speaker 5 (11:30):
Yeah, they finished twenty nine and thirty one. The reason
you should absolutely throw that out from any relevant historical
perspective conversation is because you didn't play a major league season.
It's different than all the other sports. Are you gonna
call it an NFL season? Sixty games in sixty games
into a major League Baseball season is just over one

(11:51):
third of it. So you're playing a say your side.
I got a seventeen game season in the NFL. After
a third of your games have been played, I guess
the third quarter of the fifth game or something like that.

Speaker 4 (12:02):
Let's give them six games.

Speaker 6 (12:02):
You love this.

Speaker 5 (12:03):
So six games have been played and you're three and three.
We have got to we need to go back to
the drawing board. We're three and three. No possibility of
finishing eight and three the rest of the season, finishing
eleven and six, because there's no season. Last year's Astros
were twenty two and twenty eight at fifty games sixty
game mark. There were twenty six and thirty four, three

(12:25):
games worse than the covid Astros when they ended the
season at twenty nine and thirty one. You were saying then,
very memorably, Oh.

Speaker 4 (12:34):
I don't even want them to go in the playoffs.
It's stupid.

Speaker 5 (12:36):
I don't even want them there. They don't belong there.
They're not good. I don't want any part of it. Well,
I just wanted to start over there. The twenty six
and thirty four twenty twenty four Houston Astros were clearly
not headed to the playoffs either. They certainly weren't inside
the playoff picture. If we decided to cut the season
off on June second, But then they won sixty two
more times the rest of the year against just thirty

(12:58):
nine losses the same year, the same team. A couple
of changes, made a couple of injuries they had to endure.

Speaker 3 (13:05):
But this is why I always make fun of Seattle
when they're putting up the banner in May.

Speaker 4 (13:09):
They do this every year.

Speaker 3 (13:10):
Maybe this year will be different, but allow me to
be skeptical until further notice, because they do this all
the time that it's not. Last year wasn't even the
first year they did that. I very vividly remember.

Speaker 5 (13:24):
Their one game ahead of last year's pace today.

Speaker 4 (13:28):
And they don't. Wouldn't you say they're a way better
team this year, seemingly.

Speaker 5 (13:31):
Uh surprisingly, They're pitching through injuries has held up pretty well.
They were in first place this year. Offense couldn't have
been much worse last year. It was worse last week.
They were two and a half games up going into
play today. There were three games up last year, and
as we famously know, they increased that lead to as
many as ten games. And know what happened, Well, they

(13:53):
already weren't in first place by August It.

Speaker 3 (13:56):
Was so great to watch that meltdown again, and maybe
this year will be just as satisfying, but I kind
of doubt it, given the given us.

Speaker 5 (14:03):
A lot of good stuff there with the Astros happy
to be discussing them with you this afternoon, one more
game into the Western Conference Finals. After last night's activity,
we'll switch it over to the other side here tonight.
A couple of interesting thoughts put out there by some
of those that cover the NFL, specifically related to the
Texans and their immediate future, the twenty twenty five season

(14:24):
and their long term future. We'll touch on both of
those things. We're now an hour out from being joined
by Josh Reddick. He could be known as a former
Houston Astro, could be known as Rick Flair fan, could
be known as Astros TV analysts for Space City Home Network.
Tonight he will be known as Astros Radio Analysts. You'll
hear him here on Sports Talk seven to ninety. He
is in for Sparky for the weekend. His first game

(14:46):
last night alongside Robert Ford. Well, it was a win,
and of course today is Friday, so signature segment time
coming up at four point thirty. The A Team Friday Draft.
We're also fifteen minutes out from the Friday edition of
Best of X.

Speaker 1 (15:01):
The eight on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 4 (15:06):
Get Down, Get Down, Get Down, twenty one past. I'm
Jim Rome. He used to play this. I don't know
if he still does the jungle.

Speaker 7 (15:18):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (15:18):
We used to listen to the x R four t
I crew play this for him and then he turned
his mic on and talk.

Speaker 4 (15:24):
Did you ever see one of those cars? I've seen one? Yes,
what's it called? What was the brand? I don't remember?
I mean that was the model. That was the model?

Speaker 3 (15:33):
Oh Man Mayor Corps, That's what it was. It was German, right,
sounds like a great guess. All right, it is the
a team Sports Talk seven wex We can't have too
much fun.

Speaker 4 (15:48):
We can't have too much it was.

Speaker 5 (15:50):
It's a a version of a European vehicle, but made
by a local to the States manufacturer, which was what Ford.

Speaker 4 (16:00):
Okay, all right, good to know. When did they stop
making them?

Speaker 8 (16:06):
Uh?

Speaker 4 (16:06):
Probably right around the time, maybe, but earlier.

Speaker 5 (16:09):
Actually it was only made for five years, done before
the nineties.

Speaker 3 (16:13):
All right, Well, may it rest in a junkyard wherever
it is? All right, So Astros get the win. Last
night over the Seattle Mariners first of four games, a
ginormous homestand you got the A's coming in after this series.
Let's just say, for the sake of argument, I won't
go I won't get greedy. I won't say a sweep,
and I won't even say a split. Let's just say

(16:34):
the Astros somehow win three out of four, which would
be fantastic. I think they would be very happy with that.
And then you've got the A's. Are the A's like
we keep I keep joking about the Mariners eventually relinquishing
this latest edition of their May Division lead. Are the
A's like competitive or are they just kind of a

(16:56):
cute story this year.

Speaker 4 (16:57):
They're gripping. They're gripping.

Speaker 5 (16:59):
They're gonna lose their tenth straight game tonight, so they
are fat, fading fast. They're making moves to say, look,
we already see what's coming.

Speaker 4 (17:06):
We don't have pitching.

Speaker 5 (17:08):
Two of the players we thought we're cornerstone players aren't
having the same type of years, Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler.
They're probably going to end up having okay years, but
they have not gotten off to the remarkable starts that
they finished last year with so they aren't winning, and
they brought up their first baseman prospect already a couple
of weeks ago. They're reportedly bringing up another prospect for

(17:31):
this weekend series. They're just kind of hoping that they
would be in it. Like I said, I do think
they're gonna be. They're more competitive, that's pretty obvious, even
this nine game losing streak. It's the reason they're under
five hundred. But they're now twenty two to twenty nine.
Nine games ago there were two games above five hundred.
They just can't win anymore, and two hundred and ninety
one runs allowed only the Rockies.

Speaker 4 (17:55):
Thinks that is a small number.

Speaker 3 (17:56):
But it's taken a seven game winning streak, including a
sweet of the Dodgers, and a nine game losing streak
for the Angels and Athletics to flip flop in basically
a little over a week.

Speaker 5 (18:09):
Right, they're both pretenders and the Angels are just in
a nice groove. The division is exactly what it should be,
the Astros and Mariners fighting for first place. The Rangers
are probably better than the Angels, and technically slightly because
they've played two more games and gone five hundred in
those games they are and then the Angels and a's
wrap things up. That's your division.

Speaker 4 (18:28):
Well, the Angels are also home. I mean the Athletics
are also homeless.

Speaker 5 (18:31):
Well, these homeless Rays are in quite dire straits like
they are.

Speaker 4 (18:36):
They're three games.

Speaker 3 (18:36):
If you're a good baseball team, you'll still find some way.

Speaker 4 (18:40):
I mean, it's not like the Rays.

Speaker 3 (18:41):
They don't have a winning record, but I don't look
at the even though they have similar records here, I
just don't look at the Rays in the and the
Athletics the same.

Speaker 9 (18:50):
I do like the young players that are in whatever
you want to call the Athletics Sacramento, former Oakland, future
Las Vegas.

Speaker 4 (18:58):
They have some good young players, but they're.

Speaker 5 (19:00):
Homeless matters though they're eight and seventeen in their non
home that's the worst record in the American League. It's
not that surprising. It's a hitter haven, just like Tampa is.
And if you can't build your team like that to
take advantage of it, or whether the schedule is giving
you day games which is really making your pitching look bad,
well I'm happy to see it because it will mean,
like most years, the only time we're talking about the

(19:22):
A's is if they're playing the Astros or if the
Astros need some help late in the season. It looks
like they're on their way to another season, just like
that two game series coming up that minute Made Park
Tuesday and Wednesday.

Speaker 3 (19:34):
And Mason Miller is the kid that's freaking amazing for them. Correct, Yep,
their closer. Does he get does he get trade?

Speaker 4 (19:41):
This year?

Speaker 5 (19:41):
He'll probably be one of the biggest names discussed, and
I would think it makes sense for them to move it.
I think it would have made sense for them to
have considered moving him last year. I'm not sure that
they will because they did. Actually, they saw something in
Rooker and they paid him and they have. It's a
lot of money for the A's, Yeah, but it's super

(20:01):
team friendly, and I would wonder if they might be
able to get another couple of players in that very
same boat, which is why I think these minor leaguers
or prospects I should say, are with them now, So
maybe that's an opportunity. He's had a couple of poor outings,
so his numbers aren't quite as sparkling as they were
in the past, but the peripherals are all still there.

(20:22):
Thirty one k's and sixteen innings. He's an artist with
the strikeouts.

Speaker 3 (20:26):
I bring it up because they're next. I know that
we've got a long way to go in the Seattle series,
but it is the first time that'll be playing the
A's and it is on this I don't want to
say it's a monumental homestand, but it's a from the
scope aspect, it is.

Speaker 4 (20:39):
I mean, it's the biggest one they're going to have.

Speaker 5 (20:40):
They play the way they've been playing at home. That
means they're going to beat the Mariners three out of four.
That means they're going to sweep the A's in two,
and they're going to take three out of four in
the final series against the Race. All of a sudden,
you just won eight games on a ten game homestand
because they win their home series. If you do that,
says that's the only way to it, at the very
very very least, win your home series.

Speaker 3 (20:58):
If you do that, especially given who you're playing in
the first series right now, how.

Speaker 4 (21:02):
About given who you're throwing Well, that's.

Speaker 3 (21:05):
I know, and that's why I feel greedy even saying this,
But just say, just for the sake of arguments, that
you brought up that stretch, and that would be how
it would go in a theoretical and well beautiful world.

Speaker 4 (21:15):
They're in first place. After that.

Speaker 3 (21:17):
They're in first place no matter what happens after they
get done with the Mariners, don't you think, Yeah, if.

Speaker 5 (21:21):
They win eight out of their next ten, including two
of their next three at least against the Mariners, yeah,
I would think they're in first place because they I
don't really care where they are on the standing so
much now. I just like them to start indicating, no, pleax,
we're not a five hundred team. I know we've been
a five hundred team the whole year. Oh they're two
games above five, another one game under. Oh they won
one in ear all, they lost one a row. At

(21:43):
some point, you got to string these wins together. I
pointed it out from Dana Brown throughout the year. Last year,
when they were at seven and nineteen and twelve and
twenty four and twenty four and thirty six, he was
constantly saying things Wednesday mornings at nine thirty, when he
made his weekly visit on The Sean Salisbury Show, We're
about I feel it, it's coming. We're gonna roll off
seven wins in a row. We're gonna win eleven out

(22:04):
of thirteen. We're gonna put one of those streaks together.
And he's saying the same thing about that this team,
at some point, it's in his mind, it's gonna happen.
And if they're who they want to be. I'm not
gonna say who he think they are, because I don't
know that they are that then that's what's gonna happen,
and that's what's gonna catapult them into either first place
or on a path that says, Okay, now you're trending

(22:25):
towards eighty seven wins.

Speaker 4 (22:26):
Now you're trending towards ninety wins.

Speaker 5 (22:28):
Now you're trending towards being one of the teams that
looks like they're among the top six or seven in
the American League. They clearly aren't that yet, and they're
gonna try to get there. Giving the ball to Ryan
Gusto tonight, giving the ball to Colton Gordon on Sunday.
Not sure when Brandon Walter is going to pitch again,
but he probably will start again for the Astros. Same
thing with aj Bluebaugh, because none of the three people

(22:51):
who have exited the Astros starting rotation, are gonna throw
another pitch for this team for minimum?

Speaker 4 (22:56):
I would guess of four weeks.

Speaker 5 (22:58):
Well, that leaves you with three healthy starters, and one
of them was last night's starter, Lance mccullors.

Speaker 4 (23:03):
So he's not available for a while.

Speaker 5 (23:05):
He will make his next turn in the rotation, as
will Fromber who goes Saturday, and Hunter Brown, who should.
I would imagine there's no reason to take him off
his schedule because he's got the built in additional off day.

Speaker 3 (23:17):
He'll pitch on Tuesday to open up the athletic series.
I wish he was in this series though, against the Mariners.

Speaker 4 (23:23):
I mean, I understand what you mean.

Speaker 3 (23:24):
I just I wish I would have seen that. I
like throwing our best against the current best. So they
threw their third best and one by seven. Boom touche.

Speaker 4 (23:34):
All right. Best of X is coming up next.

Speaker 3 (23:38):
I'm going to preface this by saying, hey, I don't
know if WEX is bringing anything specific to this segment.

Speaker 4 (23:44):
That's fine.

Speaker 3 (23:45):
What I'm going to bring to this is not necessarily
a good thing, but it's somewhat of the breaking news variety,
and it's very very very very late breaking news, as
in single digit minutes since this happened.

Speaker 4 (23:58):
So we'll tell you about that next.

Speaker 1 (24:02):
The eighteen on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 6 (24:09):
Did you all see this?

Speaker 1 (24:10):
We should were putting out between five and six to posts.

Speaker 5 (24:13):
Four hundred people were arrested for things that they said
on social media.

Speaker 1 (24:17):
History repeats itself.

Speaker 4 (24:19):
Type and you'll succeed.

Speaker 1 (24:22):
Never doubt that you're the.

Speaker 4 (24:23):
One who post. No one will believe you're the best
of it.

Speaker 5 (24:29):
Nothing's gonna ever top you know you're the best other
posting every single day.

Speaker 4 (24:36):
You know you're the best of breaking.

Speaker 1 (24:40):
The entire internet.

Speaker 4 (24:47):
All right, it is the best of X. Now I
this again.

Speaker 3 (24:51):
I need to preface this by saying this is not
a good thing, but it's certainly got my attention. N
EESN is the original account the Northeastern Sports Network.

Speaker 4 (25:06):
Yeah, it's yeah.

Speaker 3 (25:08):
Is that what you refer to it as? All your
friends know what you're talking about when you say nesson.

Speaker 4 (25:12):
If I had any yes, that's they would know. You
have friends. Stop being so dowurs holiday weeks you and
kind of cool.

Speaker 3 (25:20):
Remember yesterday when I was like, he's my friend today exactly.
It's an inside joke, all right, So mlbond Fox people
have it it's very inside.

Speaker 4 (25:30):
Alex Bregman left the game. Did you see this?

Speaker 5 (25:33):
No, we did have the game on a little while ago,
but to flipped it onto something else. So they have
the lone day game in Major League Baseball, trying their
best to handle.

Speaker 4 (25:42):
The Baltimore Orioles are the Red Sox today.

Speaker 3 (25:44):
Well, Baltimore was up to oh and then they cut
that lead in half. And as he's been doing all
season long, particularly in his new home ballpark, which still
hurts to even say, he looks disgusting in Red Sox gear.
I'm never ever gonna like it. I mean, he hit
a bullet to left field. I believe it hit off
the lower portion of the monster, actually about halfway up

(26:06):
now that I'm looking at the replay, it bounced before
the wall, yes, but it still hit the wall. He
didn't make it to the wall. I was I was
looking at the wrong aspect of the replay. I'm doing
this on live radio here. So he comes around first,
does the patented Alex Bregnan, WHOA, I better come back
and make it just a single. And as soon as
he gets to first base, he looks exactly directly towards

(26:29):
the dugout and says, I need to come I need
you to come out here, and it doesn't take him long.
After hunching over for a few seconds, he's limping around
and he leaves. Now, I don't it didn't look like
a hamstring to me because of the way he pulled up.
It looks like a groin to me. That's that's my
doctor on the radio on site diagnosis. Doctor on the
scene was Alex. He didn't get looked at on the

(26:50):
field at all.

Speaker 5 (26:50):
The manager actually was the first one to come out there,
and he just walked off the field. He put his
helmet down in the manner that every athlete and whatever is. Yeah,
he knew, he knew that it was a significant injury
from a time standpoint, not necessarily that he won't heal,
but it is an injury that's gonna you know, Yes,
absolutely would would likely be the case. Or you're usually
an athlete's not playing it safe or playing it well.

(27:12):
I better take he wasn't even evaluated on the field.

Speaker 4 (27:15):
You just and look walked off. Again.

Speaker 3 (27:17):
This keeps coming into play because every time we talk
about him, and you mentioned he's slightly cooled off this month.
I mean, he's never going to keep up the toward
pace that he started the season with. But what do
we say, even when he was doing that, they're not
that good record wise.

Speaker 4 (27:33):
Yeah, well one has nothing to do with the other. No,
but if he like I mean, for example.

Speaker 5 (27:39):
They're not losing because they spent too much money on him,
per se. Yeah, and so they don't have money to
fill in the gap.

Speaker 3 (27:44):
But like, the Cubs are ten games over five hundred,
and you absolutely point to that and say, well, look,
if they didn't have Kyle Tucker, I don't know if
they'd be ten games over five hundred. It's easy to
say that too, even though that's not necessarily.

Speaker 5 (27:54):
Both doing the same thing. Guess why one team's better
than the other.

Speaker 3 (27:57):
Because he has a better team. Yeah right, I'm just
that's the point I was making. See, we're saying the
same thing again, we're not. So I look at this
and I'm like, well, there's six games back. They're a
game under five hundred coming into this game, but they're
currently losing to the Orioles, as you mentioned, And now
one of your best players, who again isn't entirely responsible

(28:19):
for anything good or bad, is going to be on
the shelf for a while I never in all of
the scenarios I would imagine about Alex Bregman, you know,
and why it would be good for the Astros to
maybe move on for him, especially from a monetary standpoint,
I never thought injuries would actually factor in, as stupid

(28:40):
as that sounds, because he had a lot of them
over the last several years, including last year where he
was playing with the gremlins in his elbow. But you know,
famously his quad kept him from producing like anything a
few seasons back, and I just I never thought that
would be what it was at this advanced age. I
just thought his numbers would naturally decline healthier.

Speaker 4 (29:00):
Otherwise.

Speaker 5 (29:01):
Yeah, he's had some things that have ailed him, but
other than the twenty twenty one season where he's still
got four hundred abs. But it was basically like Kyle
last year he played in ninety one games. He missed
a huge chunk of the season. He hasn't missed a
chunk of any of his other seasons, you know, missing
sixteen games again. Now he can semantically decide, well, was
that a chunk or not? Wex right not to me?
That means he you know, he had this and he

(29:22):
had that and there was some time he needed away,
and we know what happened at the end of the season.
You know, could he play every day? He probably shouldn't
be playing every day. He needs a little rest because
he swung the bat a bunch today and his elbow hurts.
But you know this, probably, I would say, pretty amateur doctor,
confidently he's gonna miss more games this year than he
missed in any of the last three years, because all

(29:42):
that it takes is missing three weeks. If he misses
three weeks, he's gonna miss more than probably those nineteen
games or seventeen games. Excuse me that he missed last
year for the Astros, and he's obviously a year older.
It's not a huge concern from the way it was
put together his deal. They're not like, oh my god,
what are we going to do in year six of
this deal? There's only there's already only zero more years
left in his deal.

Speaker 3 (30:03):
That's true, But I do you think it's too early
to ask?

Speaker 4 (30:07):
No, it's not.

Speaker 5 (30:08):
If this is a much more significant injury and his
recovery takes a long time, or he reinjures his leg,
if it's a groin or a hamstring, and all of
a sudden, Alex Bregman had fifty awesome games this year
and another thirty where he was just trying to contribute.

Speaker 4 (30:23):
He won't not dit I mean, why don't you just
take their forty million?

Speaker 5 (30:27):
I mean, what are you going to get as another
year older following an injury from some other team? That
puts you in a better situation financially, Because hitting free
agency again in a year certainly is appealing. I would
think to him if he goes toffee or just taking
there's eighty million dollars on the table. If he wants it,
he can take the first forty after this year, he

(30:48):
can take the next forty family on eighty million. Well,
right now, he's got a secondary mouth to feed. Pretty young,
they can probably handle it.

Speaker 4 (30:55):
On FOT.

Speaker 3 (30:56):
You think Knock is eating him out of house and home.
Yet he's not quite a teenager.

Speaker 4 (30:59):
He's still very definitely not a teenage.

Speaker 3 (31:02):
But you know what, I've got a near seven year
old that's eating us out of house and home.

Speaker 4 (31:05):
At the house.

Speaker 5 (31:06):
One other item for Best of X, because it doesn't
really require a whole lot of time. We've got the
Eastern Conference Finals coming your way this evening. We know
what happened in Eastern Conference Finals Game one. The moment
arguably the moment of this entire postseason with the comeback,
and then the moment itself was the shot at the buzzer.

(31:27):
Many thought it was a three point attempt, many more
thought it was missed, but then off the back of
the rim and down through the twine a selly, a
choke signal, a Reggie Miller moment, and then overtime because
it was correctly sessed as a two. You've probably seen
her because they've been in the playoffs now for very
third round. His girlfriend who's been with him for a

(31:50):
long time, Jay Jones. She took to Instagram. That's a
social media platform, so it fits here.

Speaker 4 (31:55):
On Best of X.

Speaker 5 (31:56):
Posted a couple of pictures of her on scene at MSG.
I've got a lot of comments, but oh this is great.
You look great, what a sign, what a great time
You're in New York? Da da da, But it's her
caption that was very clever and very much on point.
Finally got to see the ball drop in NYC. Very
well known for the Ryan Seacrest version of the Dick

(32:19):
Clark New Year's Rock and Eve and the Massive ball
that drops in New York City. It's just about everybody watches. Yeah,
but it was a very clever caption.

Speaker 4 (32:29):
Yeah simple. I don't need to read you all the comments.

Speaker 5 (32:32):
Most of them are about her individually, not so much
about the shot or anything else.

Speaker 4 (32:36):
But are there any that you can read?

Speaker 5 (32:38):
I could read all of them. I don't find them
all that compelling. I just explained why this caption is
the go. That's the best caption I've seen in a while.
You're great, you look great, You're stunning. You're just as
hot as that shot, you know, buch stuff like that.

Speaker 1 (32:52):
All right.

Speaker 3 (32:54):
By the way, I'm not excited about the rest of
the Western Conference Finals.

Speaker 5 (32:59):
The game can excite you regardless. That's what we saw
with the Eastern Conference Finals Game one. We have not
seen that in either of the games. If you have
no rooting interest, if you're a little despondent that your
team isn't in it, if you kind of checked out,
the games themselves to me can always bring you back.

Speaker 4 (33:15):
But they have.

Speaker 5 (33:16):
It takes something the nets and knicks or the pacers
and knicks, provided that the Timberwolves in Thunder so far
have not.

Speaker 3 (33:24):
They've provided one thing a lot of free throws for
one person.

Speaker 5 (33:28):
Yes, a lot of lopsided second halfs that the free
throws absolutely made the difference. You know, I do actually
want to address that so we can address it properly.

Speaker 4 (33:36):
We'll do that.

Speaker 1 (33:36):
Next the age on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 3 (33:54):
It is the eight teams foor SOX seven ninety is
the two o'clock hour winds down and we will get
to our simulcast coming up at the top of the
hour on Space City Home Network. We've got a lot
still in store for you here on a Friday edition
of the program, including a Josh Reddick appearance via the
phone line in the next hour. Chandler Rome will be
on with us per usual in the five o'clock hour,

(34:16):
and we'll get you into a holiday weekend the best
way we know. How you mentioned you wanted to talk
about the free throw Mergent. That's what his new nickname is.
I mean, I'm sure he's fine with it. He's the MVP,
and his team is up two to zero with not
really a whole lot of competition so far in the
Western Conference finals. And as you mentioned, Shay gilges Alexander's

(34:38):
free throw count final tally. If you will probably had
very little to do with the final outcome.

Speaker 5 (34:46):
Well, it had everything to do with the final outcome,
and it's not necessarily because he took fifteen shots at
the free throw line. It had everything to do with
the outcome in both games. Because it's getting to the Timberwolves,
the manner in which this series being officiated, and we've
now seen six different officials two games. They have different
set of officials for both games, and we'll see I'm

(35:08):
sure more of the same coming from the next group
that they get in game three and four and if
there are any other games, and they're new to it.
Because Minnesota didn't play Oklahoma City in the last round,
Denver got used to it, and I think Denver actually
dealt with it fairly well. Find it kind of interesting
that last night you had you know, Mike Malone on
the network and being asked about, you know, how do

(35:29):
you defend him?

Speaker 4 (35:30):
What do you do?

Speaker 5 (35:31):
He's very familiar with it with the Nuggets Thunder matchups
over the last couple of seasons, and he was essentially,
i think, trying to give an answer without saying the
obvious answer, which he ended up saying, anyway, you can't
and that's really not what the NBA should be about,
and it is, and it was it was close to
that with James Harden and then they said, you're right,

(35:52):
there's no way to defend him, so we're just going
to let them foul him without calling it. And they
haven't gotten to that point with SGA. I mean, the
flagrant that came Jade McDaniel's way after review was just
the you know, this is where they are. They're so
frustrated by being unable to play NBA caliber, top level defense,
which they've played in the postseason, they've played throughout the season.

(36:15):
They actually, while not being made up quite like Houston,
when they decide correctly to take Rudy Gobert off the floor,
then they have pretty much what you'd want to defend
the Oklahoma City Thunder, especially on the perimeter, because Walker
and Reed and Evincenzo and Aunt and McDaniels and even
Julius Randall, they can provide them the ability to do

(36:36):
whatever it is they want. If they want to keep
one player liking Amn Thompson on Steph like McDaniels on Shay,
well they really can't. They don't have to, but they can,
but over and over and over every trip down the floor,
he's getting a call, and now we're at three fouls
in the quarter, and now we're in the bonus, and
now we can't touch him, and now he can do
whatever he wants and he's the one creating the contact

(36:57):
and we're not allowed to beat him to the spot.
There's no way to win the matchup anymore, and it's
gotten to them clearly. It's affecting them on the other
end of the court. Mentally. They've lost games one and two. Physically,
there's no reason for them to be beaten the way
that they are, but mentally they've been taken out of
this series. In the second half of both games, They've
shot the ball incredibly poorly.

Speaker 4 (37:18):
They've literally been blown.

Speaker 5 (37:19):
Out in the second half of both of these games,
outscored by thirty in game one, and they were outscored
by fourteen in the third quarter of last night's game.
But fourth quarter obviously is a little bit hard to
measure because it's already over and they're not playing really
to the final whistle. They get so frustrated, and part
of it is it's we make the analogy. I made
it yesterday, I'll make it again today. You're standing in

(37:42):
there and you don't even care who the umpire is
because you already know Glavin and Maddox and Smoltz are
getting an extra five inches off the plate. It's unfair.
Your pitcher isn't getting it, but they are. You have
to deal with it, and the Timberwolves are not dealing
with it very well, and they shouldn't have to.

Speaker 3 (37:58):
Yep, yep, you know you mentioned something that's key here.
The NBA did address this situation in that not only
did they decide, well, we're just not going to give
Harden those fouls, they took it a step further. They
started changing the rules on how offensive players could try

(38:20):
to draw fouls. And until they start doing that with
Shay Gil just Alexander, who does not do the same
things that James Harden did, James Harden might like try
to do the what did they call it, the up
and under move? The rip through? Yeah, the rip through.
That's the exact term I was trying to think of.
They tried to curtail that in addition to really I

(38:40):
think tightening up how much an offensive player is allowed
to quote unnaturally kick out their legs like Reggie Miller
would have had like half of his freeze or three
pointers rescinded because he did that every time, trying to
also draw a foul on top of hitting the three.
But Shay gilges Alexander, which you have point it out

(39:00):
many many times, he will actually foul the defender in
order to get a foul call. It's the damnest thing
I've ever seen in my life. And I don't unless
the NBA does step in in some way, this isn't
gonna happen. This is gonna stop happening anytime soon. He's
like a puppy.

Speaker 4 (39:18):
Still.

Speaker 5 (39:19):
Yeah, I'm hopeful that and it's it's gonna be even
worse when they do make the correction the officials, and
it just happens to be in Game three, and it
just happens to be on Minnesota's home floor, and it
just happens to lead to the series going to at
least a fifth game because then it makes it more
a sixth.

Speaker 3 (39:35):
So well, can't yet, Yeah, I know, but I'm just
saying what to say. Go back, and they win those
two and it's completely officiated differently.

Speaker 5 (39:42):
And it's I don't know that I'm not definitely not
gonna sit here and say I've been watching this game
super closely to say it's being officiated a certain way,
but I have been watching his particular plays very very closely.
They're not winning and losing the series only for this reason.
They clearly are have played significantly better, and you could
we could have wiped way that entire conversation and said
this simple thing. They had a chance to win Game

(40:04):
one into the second half because Julius Randall was awesome.
They had almost no chance to win Game two because
Julius Randall didn't show up. And I'm not personally attacking him,
but his numbers obviously indicated it was a much rougher
night for him in Game two, going two for eleven
with six points after a monster game in Game one
in a year.

Speaker 3 (40:22):
Where he and Karl Anthony Towns are both in their
respective win winn final.

Speaker 4 (40:27):
Rare that it works out like that.

Speaker 5 (40:29):
Get to the top of the hour here and dive
in on something that was interesting to get these football
conversations going here in the off season.

Speaker 4 (40:36):
One that relates to your quarterback, CJ. Stroud. We'll start
the three o'clock hour with that.

Speaker 1 (40:42):
The A team on Sports Talk seven ninety two. Lifelong
Houston sports guys named Adham talking your team was.

Speaker 2 (40:55):
Adam Clinton and Adam Wesler.

Speaker 3 (40:58):
Are It is a Friday edition of the A Team
and a Friday edition going into a holiday weekend. We
hope you guys have all your plans in a row,

(41:19):
your plans in order, I should say, welcome in if
you're just now tuning in on the Space City home
network simulcast, and welcome back if you've been listening over
the last hour or so on Sports Talk seven ninety
wext and ac with you on a Friday edition of
the show along with Carl Thompson. As we've talked a
lot of Astros baseball. You saw it last night or

(41:39):
you heard it right here. He saw the Astros absolutely
throttling the Seattle Mariners, and the opener of this four
game set very very encouraging, especially in light of what
had happened coming in both on the field and of
course the news that just doesn't seem that great around
Renel Blanco. Although we have not gotten the definitive final
say yet, because of course they want another say, not

(42:02):
just the first one wex, they want the dreaded second opinion.
I'm sorry, but when you put second opinion and elbow
inflammation together. It's like the worst peanut butter and jelly ever,
but they always seem to go together.

Speaker 4 (42:17):
Yeah, they need to.

Speaker 5 (42:18):
Probably it's probably something that requires an even more qualified expert.

Speaker 4 (42:25):
And I don't want to demean the first opinion, but there's.

Speaker 5 (42:28):
Probably enough there that they want to be certain that
a they know what they have, which is to a
certain extent, because as you've heard many times, with elbows
and other surgeries that pitchers have had, they have diagnosed
the issue and they go in knowing we actually might
find additional issues there. We might actually go in and

(42:49):
now find out we need to do either more or
something different. So I think they want to get to
a point where they have even more information about exactly
what they should do to correct this. What I would
guess this is a fairly significant time problem. I don't
know the extent of the injury or the need which
surgery might be required, if any, But yes, I'm making
a wild assumption that we are weeks away, at a

(43:11):
bare minimum, from seeing Renelle Blanco pitch for the Astros.
I don't expect a new information on that. Last night's
nine to Win was appealing to many, myself included, because
it's literally I think it's really really exactly what I
keep saying about this offense. I don't expect them to
be great. I don't expect this every night, but you

(43:32):
gotta make those innings happen the way they did last night.
They scored in the third, the fourth, of fifth, and
the sixth and put nine runs on the board. The
opportunities to score were there, not always, almost never actually
with less than two outs, but the opportunities to score
arose with two outs, with one out, with whatever, and
you gotta make it happen. You've got to get that

(43:53):
key hit. You've got to push that ball beyond the
first baseman like Mauricio du Bond did to bring that
run home. You've got to, you know, beat out a
double play ball when they don't feeld it cleanly at
third base. You've got to hit a sacrifice fly like
Jose Altuvey did with less than two outs and a
runner on third, and when Jake Myers and Cam Smith
are table setting, you got to bring those runs home

(44:15):
and dubon that ball that he hit that I mentioned
that shot past the first baseman was step one. Well,
then the second two out hit with the runners in
scoring position followed, and Jeremy Panna drove both runs home
with his triple, his five hundredth hit.

Speaker 4 (44:29):
What a great hit.

Speaker 5 (44:31):
Thankfully he got the ball back. It was obviously in play,
so it should have stayed in play at least to
get it back to the Astros dugout, but it was
tossed into the stands. He did get it back, and
the fans and he had a little interaction there. But yeah,
those are the things that send you to the winning column.
It seems so simple, it seems so obvious, but it's
what has kept this team who's hitting non run scoring

(44:53):
hitting has rapidly risen up the American League charts and
really the major league charts. They're they're top fifteen hitting team.
They're not a top fifteen offense because they're not scoring
the runs that should be equal to what they're doing.
They're getting guys on base. They are doing a little
bit better with there at bats. The beginning of the
game against Kirby, it was the twenty twenty four Astros. Hey, man,

(45:15):
you know what pitch I like any pitch he throws.
I mean, I was watching the game with my daughter
last night, and she was cognizant of Lance mccullor's pitch
count two and three innings into the game and the
speed with which the game was not going. And we
were doing the same thing with Kirby. Man, he's only
thrown sixteen pitches and he's already almost out of the
second inning because the Astros are swinging at every pitch now.

(45:37):
He throws a ton of strikes. And this is about
as extreme as you can get. Lance mccullors and his
outrageous movement on all of his pitches. He struggles to
throw a lot of strikes, or at least close enough
pitches that the opponents are going to swing at, because
if they swing at him, they end up out of
the zone.

Speaker 4 (45:52):
You might as well just take them.

Speaker 5 (45:53):
They're usually not good hitters pitches, they're balls, for crying
out loud, And George Kirby does walk batters. He throws
strikes even in his return to the mound. But it
was a big, big difference as the game war on.
It's why they were able to get to them when
they did. It's why they were able to score those
runs with all of those two out hits. You know,
they had three hits with runners in scoring position. The

(46:14):
Mariners had two and had one more opportunity, but the
Astros got the hits that drove in those runs. They
obviously hit the ball over the fence twice to the
one time for the Mariners, and any of their last
other than the Jacob de Grom game, probably pretty much
any of their last ten to twelve fourteen games. Most
of May you could have had offensive outbursts like this one.

(46:36):
They just haven't gotten that hit. Their slug is down,
the run scoring is down. Pretty much everything about their
offense in May is top ten.

Speaker 3 (46:44):
This is going back several seasons though, when the lineup
was on paper much stronger, but the same the fact
would remain. They're getting guys on base, they're just not
always coming home. It was the most frustrating part of
honestly the twenty twenty three season, I think because that
was a game. It was a series of benches with
the Rangers, and yeah, the Astros did come up with

(47:05):
some clutch hits, most of them coming in Arlington.

Speaker 5 (47:08):
Yeah, Jose Bray and Jose al Tuova probably the two biggest,
which is crazy to say for different reasons, but you
know what I mean.

Speaker 3 (47:15):
That whole regular season. You, unfortunately more than anyone other
than my wife, had to deal with me because I
was like, this is this is driving me insane. This
team is so much better than this, and the proof
is on the base paths. It's not just hey, look
at this lineup. They should have more guys on base. No,
they're getting on base, they're just not getting that hit

(47:37):
you're talking about. And last night was like, well, I
mean the owner of the Eagles would have likened it
to something.

Speaker 4 (47:45):
Let's just put it that way.

Speaker 5 (47:46):
Yeah, I evn't had a lot of games where they've
scored more than eight runs, and maybe there are more
on the horizon. Every game during the Rays series and
the close out of their previous series, multi homer game,
multi homer game, they had another one team wide obviously
was an individual also, but you know they've now started
to string a couple of those together. We're not quite

(48:06):
as embarrassing with the home run ball. They're ops in
twenty twenty three, since you brought it up. With runners
in scoring position was elite. There was one team better
than them, the awful current Baltimore Orioles. With many of
the same players. They were second major in the majors
in OPS last year, pretty clearly, they were significantly worse.

Speaker 4 (48:26):
They were middle of the pack.

Speaker 5 (48:27):
They were fourteenth and OPS with runners in scoring position,
which is worse than what they.

Speaker 4 (48:32):
Are this year. That's crazy too.

Speaker 5 (48:34):
They have some of them have hit well with runners
in scoring position. If it wasn't for some of the
other of them, they'd be probably top six. They're tenth
in OPS with the runners in scoring position. Peretta's has
been very good, and a few others have been pretty good.

Speaker 3 (48:50):
Two guys that stick out in a roster or a
lineup of many that probably stick out in this very
area that we're discussing right now, though for different reasons,
are probably Christian Walker and Jordon Alvarez.

Speaker 5 (49:02):
Agreed well, no question Alvarez is having the worst stretch
of his career, and now he's missed nineteen twenty nineteen
consecutive games. Tonight will be twenty. I think we've seen
a permanent switch to the lineup two of them. Jeremy
Panne is obviously going to bat lead off the rest
of the year, barring health, and I think he Isaka
Perettis is probably locked in at the two hole. I

(49:22):
think Christian Walker is locked out of batting cleanup anymore.
They made that switch couple of days ago. Yeiner's been
in the four hole. He had two hits yesterday, also
two strikeouts. Walker had a hit later in the game,
also two strikeouts. So he's still looking up at.

Speaker 3 (49:37):
Two hundred, provided he comes back and he's healthy, and
that's what it was, and he's right now because he's
got whatever's wrong with his hand fixed. What's your new
lineup after those two?

Speaker 5 (49:48):
It's pretty tough to not have yord On batting one,
two or three, because he should be your best hitter.
But initially I would probably just slot him in at
four and bump the others down. Payna, Perettis, Altwo, ve Alvarez,
he as Walker, and whoever else is playing that day.

Speaker 3 (50:03):
Clearly, Jake, I just hate how many times it feels
like it happens every season that Okay, here's the stretch
where they don't have yourd On.

Speaker 5 (50:11):
I know it's not every season. Their fortunes have remained unchanged.
There are one game over with him, there are one
game over without him.

Speaker 4 (50:18):
That's a very good point.

Speaker 3 (50:19):
I just feel like, especially in a series like this,
with it like we're talking about piecemealing together a rotation
with Fromber still coming in this series. But other than that,
you know, you're trying to figure out who's starting games
because Hunter Brown's it's not his turn yet in a
four game series against the Mariners. Meanwhile, even though there

(50:39):
guys like George Kirby last night, I thought, given what
he was coming back from and how long he had
been out and all that, I thought you pitched pretty
well until the very end.

Speaker 4 (50:49):
I think it's just the game just caught up to him.
He's still dominant.

Speaker 5 (50:52):
I don't know how many times this has happened this
year for Joe Aspata, with all the changes he's needed
to make with the lineup, and technically Yaners catching and
Carteen is the DH tonight. Otherwise, the batting order is
the same last night and today. Same nine guys that
were in the lineup yesterday are the same nine in
the same spots today. And I'll continue saying it because

(51:17):
every day it happens, it seems more and more true.
Brendan Rodgers is not needed on this team. Mauricio got
two hits out of the nine spot, the best spot
in the order for the Astros, and in the majors,
and as long as he does that, there's no reason
to take him out of the lineup, certainly not for
Brendan Rodgers. Now, if you're gonna get Altuve a day
over there, and you're you know, when Jordon comes back,

(51:37):
all those things are still in play. I just don't
think Brendan Rodgers. Not only I don't think he's in play.
I think he when they need to make a roster move,
and they will when Jordon comes back. It won't surprise
me if that move is what it is. He has
no positional flexibility and just hasn't been very good offensive,
least here for his bat he plays a perfectly competent

(51:58):
second base. He's above average fielder, but not a Gold
Glove caliber player anymore. But he's probably in my opinion,
that's that's what I would do. I'm not running the team,
but I am right now.

Speaker 3 (52:08):
Yeah, well obviously, all right, here's I'm getting distracted here
by various baseball related text messages. But let's switch to
football when we come back. Where are you slotting CJ.
Stroud in the pantheon of NFL quarterbacks. It's actually the
first of a couple of NFL themed conversations segments we

(52:31):
will have.

Speaker 4 (52:32):
We have moved Josh Reddick to the four o'clock hour.

Speaker 1 (52:37):
The eight on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 3 (52:50):
It is the A team Sports Talk seven ninety Space
City Home Network. I still can't. I mean I can.
I'm having like fifty different conversations right now. I'm having
conversations about Alex Bregman. I'm having conversations about the Astros,
I'm having conversations about russell Mania going back to Vegas,
and I'm having a show with you. I'm very, very

(53:10):
busy on a Friday. I've got a lot of irons
in the fire right now. There's twenty other hours in
the day for all those other things. Once you just lock,
you need to be more more tress that my add
can handle all this right now. You know, I give
you credit credit when you do this. You'll sit over there,
You'll have your IFBN from your TV day so that
you can hear the show.

Speaker 4 (53:30):
You'll be and this is textan season.

Speaker 3 (53:31):
For the most part, You'll be listening to the Miko's
press conference, which is during our show or leading up
to it. Some days it kind of just depends, or
some other press conference that'll be in another ear. You'll
have something on your laptop on one of your eighty
five thousand tabs you have open, and you'll still be
keeping track of whatever drafts or stone cold locks or

(53:53):
whatever else we've got going on.

Speaker 4 (53:54):
Oh and doing the show too. All those things are
show All those things are show related. This is show related.

Speaker 3 (54:00):
What if I had to take time off again to
go back to Vegas, wouldn't you like to know that
that could affect the show? Yes, April, you have no
idea April twenty twenty, maybe late March. I don't announce
the date. No, but it's not gonna be in New Orleans.
It just did very very well in Vegas. Who knew?
I just uh this this whole thing with We were

(54:21):
talking about this a little bit during the break before
we get to the CJ stuff, the Alex Bregman injury
and the fact that I thought, just looking at it again,
being the eyeball doctor that I was, I'm like, God,
it's definitely growing, totally growing, just because of the way
he was moving. And I've seen groin injuries before in
baseball specifically and at singles like we saw George Springer

(54:44):
in the outfield. Oh you knew it was a hamstring,
just the way he's moving around after during all that
kind of stuff, I did not see quad. And that's
what the Red Sox have apparently released as far as
just a very preliminary information. But if it's the same quad,
it was his right quad here correct, that kept him
out of so much action, maybe fifty to fifty. If

(55:07):
it is, I would that would be a red flag.
If I'm the Red Sox, I think.

Speaker 5 (55:12):
I mean, any quad injury, it's it's difficult to not
have a reinjury. That's what you have to be most
concerned with, not so the severity of it. I mean,
we have no idea what the severity is. They've just
said that that's what it is. Could be a week,
could be two weeks. But the susceptibility to reinjury is
something of great concern with that injury. So that's something

(55:33):
that they will have to deal with.

Speaker 3 (55:34):
I just feel like I remember that being basically the
thing that kept him out of It's just an inortate
amount of games because he was always rehabbing it and
then it just wasn't responding, and it was it was
this whole It was like an odyssey.

Speaker 4 (55:48):
Yeah, peretis in the lineup today for the Astros. They're good.
That's so mean.

Speaker 5 (55:53):
Well, I mean, at some point I'd find paying attention
to him and looking at how he's playing, and I
like him personally. He's got a nice family, all that's great.
But at some point I know everybody was was falling
in love with the idea, like every couple of weeks, maybe, hey,
maybe don't close the.

Speaker 4 (56:13):
Door just yet. Internal conversations.

Speaker 5 (56:17):
Hey man, he doesn't have a contract with anybody else yet,
so maybe. But when the Astros manager got him a
standing ovation before the season was even over, so thus
before his contract I had run out last year at

(56:37):
minute made Park to take him out during the game.
I think even then we all knew what that was,
and the Astros were kind of saying it without saying it,
the idea that he was going to play.

Speaker 4 (56:49):
He moved on.

Speaker 5 (56:50):
He found a better deal, a much better deal for
his future, especially where he is in his career, and
I'm okay with the Astros. Not going to that level
today doesn't change it because I've already said that. I
think that the big, much bigger decision this off season
was taking you know, their lumps earlier in hopes of
landing better later. You're taking your lumps this year for

(57:14):
not having Kyle Tucker on the twenty twenty five Astros.

Speaker 4 (57:16):
So hopefully later Cam Smith can be that.

Speaker 5 (57:19):
That's funny now the right fielder replacement for him.

Speaker 3 (57:23):
I really wanted him to come through last night. He
was one of the few guys that I felt like
there wasn't that.

Speaker 4 (57:30):
The moment space twice scored twice.

Speaker 3 (57:31):
Yeah, I know, but there was where you could have
actually piled on more. He had at least one opportunity.
It all ran together. There was so many runs last night.
I'm not used to this, not here in twenty twenty five,
all right, So that's it sucks for him, but you're right,
I have.

Speaker 4 (57:48):
Effectively put him in the rearview mirror.

Speaker 3 (57:50):
I'm not concentrating too much on Alex Bregman, but I
just think it's interesting. That is the injury that they
are not hinting at. That's the information they are they're
giving right now up there in Boston. Okay, where do
you rank CJ. Stroud in the pantheon of the NFL quarterbacks?

Speaker 4 (58:09):
Is he a top ten guy? Wex Well, for one, year.

Speaker 5 (58:12):
I really only care about what is he in twenty
twenty five this upcoming season. I don't know if that's
the specifics to the list, but I assume that it is.
That's all that really matters. Doesn't really have much to
do with contract, doesn't really have much to do with
age or future.

Speaker 4 (58:24):
That has to do with the upcoming season.

Speaker 5 (58:26):
And I have I do know where he was put
on the list, because I've grabbed that link and put
it in our rundown. But I didn't really look over
the list intentionally because when I think about it, I'm
just looking at what these other teams have and how
they've built their teams around that quarterback, and that's how
I'm kind of slotting them in. And I think it's
totally reasonable and I absolutely would agree with anybody that
puts you know, the you know, the elite quarterbacks in

(58:48):
the AFC, and they're the top three. They play for
the top three teams. They are the quarterbacks for the
three teams the Texans continue to try to catch, and
in back to back years with CJ, they've come up short.
You know, the Bill's quarterback Josh Allen Lamar Jackson with
Baltimore and Pat Mahomes with Kansas City, they're clearly ahead
of CJ. So the best CJ can be is four.
Jalen Hurts and in my opinion, Jaden Daniels the two

(59:11):
conference title quarterbacks from last year. Okay, that's four and five. Well,
now CJ's best is six. I don't think CJ is
a better NFL quarterback than Joe Burrow. So now he's
bumped back to seven, and we're starting to get to
the point where, okay, let me make sure I really
believe this other quarterback is better for this upcoming season,
or maybe he's in a better situation for this upcoming season,

(59:34):
and that probably would mean Jared Goff has to be
on the list ahead of c J.

Speaker 4 (59:38):
Strouded coming off of a great year.

Speaker 5 (59:40):
Maybe there's a small concern because their offense is going
to be different.

Speaker 4 (59:45):
Ben Johnson isn't there.

Speaker 5 (59:46):
They've lost other coaches also, and their makeup will be
a little bit different with who they have. But some
of the other quarterbacks that could have been in that
same boat, like the Vikings won fourteen games, but their
quarterback situation isn't better. It's certainly not going to put
you AJ McCarthy there, there's nobody left in the NFC
East to consider that with. I don't think Matt Stafford's

(01:00:06):
in that boat that I would say is better than him.
But now we're getting to the group where CJ belongs
and we're already right at the back of the top ten.

Speaker 4 (01:00:13):
Everybody you've mentioned, everybody you've mentioned is well ahead of
him on this list.

Speaker 3 (01:00:19):
I say, his top twelve quarterback aren't gonna well, I'm
and look, some of these I agree with. I mean,
it's pro football focused, so it's but any list would
be subjective, right if moss.

Speaker 5 (01:00:29):
Is supposedly less subjective because they're normally take their data
and say this is what it spits out.

Speaker 3 (01:00:37):
Okay, I'm glad you said that, because if it was
strictly based on that, I still have a problem with
Joe Burrow being number two on this whole list.

Speaker 5 (01:00:45):
And that's very very much makes my point, like, come on, man,
we would never do that with our eyeballs, which is
why these lists may spur conversation. But you've got to
do better than that. And that's why I don't really
it's bible it with what.

Speaker 3 (01:01:00):
It's worse than that, because when you read the blurb
the first sentence, The only real knock on Joe Burrow
is that he hasn't entered a season at full strength
in years. No, that's not the only real knock on him,
because if you're gonna give him health or lack thereof
is an excuse, that's fine.

Speaker 4 (01:01:16):
But that's good for what one of the years. Okay,
But I can make that same argument for Jaden Daniels
being at number six.

Speaker 3 (01:01:23):
Well, yeah, that's another conversation altogether. But just because it's
the first thing that jumped out on, Like, if you
want to put Pat Mahomes number one, fine, I'm not
gonna really argue with you, because of all the active quarterbacks,
his resume is better than anybody out there, and he
has the Texans number, so we start right there. But
he has a lot of other teams numbers two. But

(01:01:44):
Joe Burrow being number two is I just feel like
it could be wrong.

Speaker 4 (01:01:51):
Him going to.

Speaker 3 (01:01:52):
The Super Bowl like so early in his career is
affording him a super pass.

Speaker 5 (01:02:00):
Well again to who made this list, burrows ninety three
point five passing grade and ninety five point two overall
grade over the past three seasons is number one among
all quarterbacks. That's their data. That's what they're saying. What
you're saying is why we're here. Okay, that's why we
have to analyze this stuff. That's why we actually have
to watch the games and watch him lead his team

(01:02:21):
back because they're defense stinks or make a mistake late
and they don't win, or not complete the late drive,
or start off the season poorly. All those things factor.
And I'm not really so concerned that he's two. I
think we would both agree though he is ahead of CJ,
which is amber. I'm just trying to get to where
CJ belongs.

Speaker 4 (01:02:40):
Yeah, and that's fine.

Speaker 3 (01:02:41):
And this is going to carry over into the second
segment though, because you're talking about how this is primarily
numbers based, data based, Okay, but then their numbers exactly.

Speaker 4 (01:02:52):
But it's not even about that.

Speaker 3 (01:02:53):
It's when you're reading the synopsis under each name, which
is presumably also based on these numbers numbers. Then they
just had such a lazy take on CJ. When we
actually reveal to you all the way down where they
have him on this list, which we'll do next segment.

Speaker 1 (01:03:13):
The eighteen on Sports Talk seven ninety o.

Speaker 5 (01:03:18):
Well after three thirty here on the eighteen quick update
on some of what is to come. Josh Reddick will
now join us at four o'clock in advance of his
evening's work. He will be on the radio call with
Robert Ford right here on Sports Talk seven ninety from
Dyke and Park for Astros Mariners Game two five o'clock
our visit with Chandler Rome, also from Dyke and Park.
Got tickets to give away to both the Psychedelic Furs

(01:03:41):
and the Big Three, as we did yesterday. We'll do
that in the final segment of the show just before
six o'clock and signature segment time on a Friday brings
us at this time of year, the Friday A Team
Draft or the eighteen Friday Draft, and we do that
at four thirty a weekend approaches. We will not be
with you live on the air on Monday afternoon as
it is Memorial Day weekend. We've got a Memorial Day

(01:04:05):
four pack. We'll make four selections each and ask for
your guidance on whose four pack is the best. We'll
explain what that means when we get to four thirty.
We'll also give you the results of the initial A
Team Friday Draft last Friday when we draft wing sauce
slash flavors.

Speaker 4 (01:04:24):
We'll get to that.

Speaker 5 (01:04:25):
Like I said, in about an hour, we were discussing,
as you head into OTA's training camp and the upcoming
twenty twenty five NFL season, where do you believe CJ.
Stroud should slot in among the thirty two NFL starting quarterbacks?
And I think we clearly agreed on maybe seven names,
and we're looking at a PFF list with their specific

(01:04:47):
analytics behind it. Now they grade quarterbacks, which is essentially
what they're going by. You know, the four quarterbacks in
the AFC on their list are actually one through four,
but Burrow added to the three quarterbacks for the teams
ahead of the Texans one through four. You take the
two conference finalists in the NFC, and how you have
Daniels and Hurts, you take Jared Goff and that's really

(01:05:08):
for me where I definitively said, okay. After that, you
know CJ's in the discussion with Matt Stafford. We didn't
bring up the name Justin Herbert yet because I don't
think he's in the conversation with Herbert, because I think
he's ahead of Herbert, so that would make Herbert behind him.
To me quite clearly, and then maybe Jordan Love and

(01:05:29):
Baker Mayfield I think would be it for me.

Speaker 4 (01:05:33):
Who else I would consider?

Speaker 5 (01:05:35):
If CJ isn't immediately next in line, well at number eight.

Speaker 3 (01:05:40):
Need I need to go ahead and real quickly tell
you guys what the tiers are before we get to
any other rankings up, just because it gives you an
idea of how they put this together. Tier one is
the elites, and it is full of exactly four quarterbacks.
Tier two is known as high end starters.

Speaker 5 (01:05:59):
By the way, Tier one elite quarterbacks includes a quarterback
with no Super bowls or appearances, another quarterback with no
Super bowls or appearances, and a quarterback has been to
the Super Bowl once and lost.

Speaker 4 (01:06:11):
And Pat Mahomes.

Speaker 5 (01:06:14):
He's not those other three as in, Jalen Hurts isn't there,
He's won a Super Bowl and been twice. Matt Stafford
isn't there, he's won a Super Bowl. Jared Goff isn't there,
he's been in the Super Bowl.

Speaker 3 (01:06:24):
You could see how I have issues with this thing.
So Tier two high end Starters, which involves or which
includes one, two, three, four more quarterbacks. Tier three a
solid starters who have flashed high end play that has
exactly three and I'd say two of them are gonna

(01:06:48):
blow you away and Tier three B solid starters, but
they need more help.

Speaker 4 (01:06:55):
That ding ding ding ding ding.

Speaker 5 (01:06:58):
Where do you think CJ's tier is? Where does it
sound like CJ. Stroud fits in? So read it again,
solid starters, but they need more help dot dot dot,
especially on the offensive line.

Speaker 4 (01:07:10):
If we're talking about the Houston Texans, actually tier none
of that.

Speaker 3 (01:07:14):
I don't have a problem with that necessarily other than
maybe the rankings just overall. But if you want to
describe that tier, he would definitely fit into a tier
that is described such as that.

Speaker 5 (01:07:26):
But when he starts into the tier perfectly and nearly
every other quarterback doesn't, right.

Speaker 3 (01:07:32):
That's number one, number two, Well, actually that's number two.
This is number one. I don't like again, laziness. There's
no other way to put it. When when you write
the following about CJ. Stroud, he represents the cautionary tale
for Jaden Daniels, a stellar rookie season followed by a

(01:07:57):
sophomore slump. If they nothing else, I still have just
a huge problem with that.

Speaker 5 (01:08:05):
You have to go into these PFF write ups with
the knowledge that they're not really using any eyeball analysis,
especially with what they write. They are taking his twenty
twenty three season and here are the passing grade, and
here's his overall grade. And then they're taking his twenty
twenty four season. Here's his passing grade, and here's his

(01:08:25):
overall grade. Your one was his freshman year, your two
was his sophomore year. They went down significantly. It would
equate numerically to a slump.

Speaker 4 (01:08:34):
And that is it.

Speaker 3 (01:08:34):
They probably love the Big Bang theory and that's happened.
That's all they're doing, basically. But that's so dumb.

Speaker 5 (01:08:40):
It's why ever, it's why nobody should live and die
with anything that it's okay to use it. This is
like the Charles Barkley NBA argument, like he's so anti
analytics because it doesn't understand just it's part of it.
They're just giving you more information. You don't you don't
have to fall in love with only this information.

Speaker 3 (01:08:58):
But you also don't have to say constantly, yeah, we
don't have any rings, so it doesn't matter what you say.
You know what you can though, right, Yeah, well that's different.
He beat both the other guys on the set. I
just but I just look, if you're if you're just
gonna say sophomore slump, I can't respect you.

Speaker 5 (01:09:14):
But that's not what they're saying. They're saying of his numbers,
they're worse. That's it. They're not saying he looked indecisive,
he didn't have his feet set, he was concerned about
getting hit. If they wrote that, we wouldn't be reading
a KFF article because I.

Speaker 4 (01:09:30):
Don't work like that.

Speaker 3 (01:09:30):
Yeah, but my point is if they had done this
based on his rookie season, then they would just would
have said he's awesome, he's he's top five elite.

Speaker 4 (01:09:37):
They did well, That's what's so stupid about this. That's
what I'm trying to say.

Speaker 5 (01:09:41):
Well, now we're actually saying the same thing. It's I
don't want us to We haven't even read you the
list listeners for a very specific reason.

Speaker 4 (01:09:51):
It's not that important to go.

Speaker 5 (01:09:52):
We're telling you what goes into their system, they're grading
and even not going deep into what they're doing. But
I'm just trying to point out what it's going to
take for him to help take this team to a
level they have not yet reached.

Speaker 4 (01:10:05):
Correct. But here's the problem.

Speaker 3 (01:10:07):
In the same paragraph, they actually make themselves look even
dumber because they write this after taking just thirty nine
sacks as a rookie. That number ballooned to sixty three
in twenty twenty four. A problem that must be addressed
moving forward. And I actually omitted the sentence before that.
One glaring issue remains his pressure to sacrate. Well, it's

(01:10:30):
just his sophomore slump. It just came out of nowhere.
He's got a really bad pressure to sacrate. Like, come on, man,
you can't just say sophomore slump and then in the
same paragraph point to something that's clearly out of his
control most plays when he snaps the ball.

Speaker 4 (01:10:43):
I don't think you can also say flash potential and
then say Geno Smith, who's going on to age thirty three,
flashed Potential's.

Speaker 3 (01:10:50):
Several spots ahead of CJS number sees that's ridiculous. But
and I get it, Like what you're saying, I'm not
this isn't at you. Well, it's just so stupid.

Speaker 5 (01:11:00):
It's because only like there's not we're not about to say, well,
let's see who wrote this and see where they're coming
from and try to book them on the show, because
it would be pointless.

Speaker 4 (01:11:09):
Well, but I think they don't.

Speaker 5 (01:11:10):
Really, they're not analyzing the game, right, They're analyzing only
here's what we use to create our numbers. And even
when they're writing it, if a real writer wrote this,
he would include what you're so bent out of shape about,
and rightfully so. His pressure to sacrate balloon Comma because
his offensive line play, offensive line coach, offensive coordinator produced

(01:11:31):
one of the most miserably disjointed seasons in probably their
franchise's history. Week but they don't write that we haven't
went their air for well, we haven't even gotten to the.

Speaker 3 (01:11:40):
Injuries that contributed to that. And I just I don't know,
it just feel I feel like it's lazy. But the
problem is there's other people that said the same thing,
and I'm talking about the sophomore slump. I really that
gets me going, all right, we'll continue next time.

Speaker 1 (01:11:54):
The age on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 3 (01:12:04):
Well, apparently during the break someone informed us that they
really enjoy it when I snap.

Speaker 4 (01:12:11):
That's so stupid.

Speaker 3 (01:12:12):
WEX grabs the grenade string and said, not so fast.

Speaker 5 (01:12:17):
It happens. Is that how we sound and look on TV? Yeah,
no question about it. Well, maybe it's not how we
really look. Some of us are very very pasty, hoping
that training camp gets here soon so I can get
some sun, get some color in my face, which will
come soon enough. So it comes down to this and
kind of wrap up this. Where do you think CJ
sits as the season begins? Would I would basically just say, Okay,

(01:12:41):
here are the guys I think are better than him
as the season starts. The guys that I would if
I was putting a team together, if I could pick
a quarterback for this team, the only guys that I
would have ahead of him. And he ranks fourteenth on
PFF's list, and I just don't think there's thirteen quarterbacks
I would prefer to have here in Houston above him.
I think I'll just go back to those same with
Jared Goff being the maybe at seven, and that's it.

(01:13:04):
I'm not putting Justin Herbert here above CJ. You mentioned
a couple of the other names that land on this
PFF list ahead of him, Gino Smith, Brock Purdy, Jordan Love,
and Baker Mayfield. I think Mayfield's actually the next most
likely for me because I actually see him for what
he is instead of bringing all the other nonsense into
the conference. I don't think people really realize the football

(01:13:26):
he's played with Tampa and early early in his career
with Cleveland, Baker Mayfield. I'm not picking him over CJ.
And Baker versus CJ was really fun the first time.
I hope it's equally as fun Monday night football in
Week two for the Texans home opener when they get
together this season.

Speaker 4 (01:13:44):
But there's a reason.

Speaker 5 (01:13:45):
Why they've been a playoff team, and I don't know
that their roster is awesome, but he's played really, really
good football.

Speaker 6 (01:13:52):
Now.

Speaker 5 (01:13:52):
They were the only team to lose at home in
wild Card weekend this past year. But Baker Mayfield, for
those that aren't aware, he led the league in interceptions
last year, had sixteen regular season interceptions. He counteracted that
by throwing forty one freaking touchdown passes. He completed seventy
one plus percent of his throws. I don't really care

(01:14:15):
if he's dumping it off or he's extending plays. He's
throwing to the right to person. He produced a QB
rating of one oh six eight, and like I said,
he put the ball in the end zone to a
receiver who could catch it forty one times last year.

Speaker 4 (01:14:29):
He's really really pretty good. He's a really good quarterback
that year.

Speaker 5 (01:14:33):
And that's like I said, I think Goff, Stroud, Mayfield
are the seven, eight nine.

Speaker 4 (01:14:38):
You can choose the order.

Speaker 5 (01:14:40):
I'll put CJ seven and I'll keep those other six,
two nfcs and four AFC's ahead of them.

Speaker 4 (01:14:45):
But that's it. And I throw one other name in there.

Speaker 5 (01:14:47):
Of course, Dak Prescott will throw him in for what
I throw him in, at least in that ten spot.
I think Dak Dak Prescott is the most misconstrued quarterback
in the NFL.

Speaker 4 (01:14:56):
I truly believe that, and it pains me to say that.

Speaker 9 (01:14:58):
But when you get a guy that's averaging over fourth
passing yards per season, thirty five touchdowns per season, a
touchdown to interception ratio four to one, and because he
plays for the Cowboys, and it's the Cowboys fault, because
it's the Cowboys, not Dak Prescott, that you can't get
past the divisional round.

Speaker 4 (01:15:13):
People say all the time.

Speaker 9 (01:15:14):
We want to replace Dak, we want to replace Dak,
we want to replace Dak.

Speaker 4 (01:15:18):
Well with who who was coming in to give you
better results?

Speaker 5 (01:15:21):
They're clearly the team is telling them you need to
hold you know, quit wasting your breath.

Speaker 4 (01:15:27):
That's why they re up with him. There is no
one to go and make them better.

Speaker 5 (01:15:30):
They would just be doing things differently and you know,
basically hoping they were going to be better. He gets
knocked for obvious reasons. I don't quite agree that he's
not the reason they're losing, but the bottom line is
they are. If it was a if we didn't have
an NFL postseason, if it didn't exist, if there was
no Super Bowl, there was no playoffs, well we'd all
be sad. But Dak Prescott would be in the top

(01:15:50):
six because this regular season quarterback play is pretty good usually.
You know, the last three years that he was the
starter where he was healthy, they won twelve games three
secutive seasons with him doing what he does. And then
they got to the postseason and for many reasons, they
got clobbered. You know, the way the Packers beat them.
Their defense was obviously terrible that day, but so was

(01:16:10):
Dak early in the game. Then he produced a bunch
of hollow numbers late in the game to make it
look a little bit better. I wouldn't put Dak Prescott
ahead of CJ. I would put him exactly where I
had him, which is in that next group ten eleven,
twelve thirteen. So where Cole had him probably wouldn't be
too far off for me either.

Speaker 4 (01:16:27):
But we don't care about what's going on in Dallas
that it's even you. I know, Well, why didn't you
play the intro? Because it's not for cold, it's for you.

Speaker 3 (01:16:35):
Why is it only for me? If it comes up
on the show, then we are your home. He doesn't
say who has to bring it up?

Speaker 5 (01:16:42):
I know, But like I will be in thirty eight minutes,
the sole judge and juror for the A team draft,
I am again here.

Speaker 4 (01:16:49):
It seems targeted and entirely affair. It's for you only. Fine,
I'm gonna start making my own imaging up for you.
Go ahead, there is a new open for the draft.
I have is wet blanket again.

Speaker 5 (01:16:58):
If I didn't tell you that I'm made the new
open for the draft today, I think you'd be able
to tell that I made the new open for the
draft today.

Speaker 4 (01:17:04):
When you hear it, you'll know why why because you
sang it. No, I didn't sing. It's not a parody song.

Speaker 3 (01:17:08):
Okay, here's one more thing about this whole discussion before
I really just run my wal my head into a
brick wall during the next commercial. Sure, I really don't
want this season's offensive line to have any of these
similarities to last season, because then we're really gonna start

(01:17:29):
hearing the lazy narratives.

Speaker 4 (01:17:31):
As it pertains to CJ.

Speaker 5 (01:17:33):
Stroud when they start saying he's, oh man, he had
a junior slump, you know that very famous saying.

Speaker 3 (01:17:39):
Well, whatever the whatever the equivalent to that would be,
and I don't even know what that is.

Speaker 5 (01:17:45):
The equivalent of his third year is poor, is what
people will say, is huh, I guess we were wrong.

Speaker 4 (01:17:51):
I guess he isn't good.

Speaker 3 (01:17:53):
I mean, can you honestly watch him play last year
and really think that he just slum that much?

Speaker 9 (01:18:01):
There were games I will say that there were games
that if you look back, games are plays games, so
entire games or CJ just didn't look good. The Detroit
game in the second half is one that I will
continue the second half half the game, but still it's
a game.

Speaker 4 (01:18:15):
No, it's a half of the game. It happened in
the game.

Speaker 3 (01:18:18):
I mean it was when they're proving my point exactly.

Speaker 5 (01:18:23):
The second half of the New York Chets game in
the game is as much as is. This is very
hard to guess at and it's all we can do
until they go out there and play, finishing thirty first
as a line in run block win rate, finishing twenty
second as a line in past block win rate. With
lesser names, but a new OC and a new offensive

(01:18:43):
line coach who was here last year but not in
that role, they're probably, if you were betting, going to
produce better figures in both categories this season.

Speaker 3 (01:18:54):
And here's the deal. And I'm not trying to dress
this up. I'm not trying to put I'm not trying
to put lipstick on a pig.

Speaker 4 (01:19:01):
Like is that really it's a pig? Like who's fooled
without think.

Speaker 3 (01:19:05):
He's the one that said that, But it's funnier when
he says anything would. But I just feel like I
feel like I've had more than one person you know
about this reach out to me and say, it's not
necessarily about the players. It is about the scheme and
the players that fit said scheme. Now that might seem
like a very lipstick on a pig way of saying

(01:19:26):
the offensive line is gonna be better in twenty twenty five.

Speaker 4 (01:19:29):
But I don't care at this point.

Speaker 3 (01:19:31):
I just want it to be better so that he
can do and be who I think he actually is
not this BS almost almost said it.

Speaker 5 (01:19:38):
He's gonna be there, fourteenth best quarterback in the NFL.

Speaker 3 (01:19:41):
It's gonna be awesome when they win a super Bowl
with him. Just Joe Burrow doesn't even make the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (01:19:46):
Yeah, I said it.

Speaker 5 (01:19:47):
Just ahead of Kyler, Trevor, Dak and Tua. Those are
the quarterbacks that also share that tier with him.

Speaker 4 (01:19:55):
They need help.

Speaker 5 (01:19:56):
Three B solid starters, but they need more help. That's
what that group makes up. Four o'clock hour brings us
a visit from Josh Reddick, the radio analyst Tonight's TV
analysts throughout the season on Space City Home Network. Obviously
a former Astro and the originator on the baseball side
with the Astros during this golden.

Speaker 4 (01:20:15):
Era of Whoooo. He joins us.

Speaker 1 (01:20:19):
Next the a team on Sports Talk seven ninety two
lifelong Houston sports guys named Adham Talking Your Team's.

Speaker 2 (01:20:35):
Adam Clinton and Adam Wexler are the eighteen.

Speaker 5 (01:20:42):
Four o'clock here on the eight team halfway point for
us and now within three hours of Astros Baseball, We
of course have the Astros on Deck show coming your
way at six six point thirty we turn it over
to the network side, and tonight that means Robert Ford
on the play by play and Josh Reddick in the
booth with him on the analyst's I'd see sparks a
couple of days off TV side, also with a couple

(01:21:03):
of days off for them. Josh Reddick joins us here
on the A team from dyke In Park, where he
played none of his career was called Minute Made Park
at that point in his career here with the Astros
from twenty seventeen to twenty twenty.

Speaker 4 (01:21:15):
I've had a chance to.

Speaker 5 (01:21:16):
Catch up with you a couple times over the last
couple of years and with this year's team, and we'll
just take you to last night's game, Josh. Those two
home runs hit by al Tuve were the ones that
those in the radio booth enjoy the most, and that
they were pretty obviously, very very well hit. The second
of the two going into the Crawford boxes. That's the
Jose al Tuove swing that you and everybody else has

(01:21:37):
been grown accustomed to. How easy do you think it
is for him or anybody for that matter, to find
it when they're kind of struggling as he was before
last night.

Speaker 8 (01:21:47):
Well, it's probably a whole lot easier for him to
find it the most people on this planet, considering who
we're talking about that, you know, and then that guy's
his slumps are very short, and considering everybody else's slump,
like al Twove going in like a five for twenty
as a slump, whereas somebody like myself would have been
in like a three for thirty best.

Speaker 4 (01:22:05):
Considered a slump.

Speaker 8 (01:22:06):
So how two Bay slumps are a lot different than ours.
But he's probably the better one that can figure it out.
And you know, he's also a guy, you know who
could go three for thirty and then turn around and
turning put out there an eighteen for twenty two series,
so he can he can definitely turn everything around very
very quickly, and we've seen that in the past, so
it's definitely in there. He's just you know, he's not
young anymore. He's you know, he's in the thirty five now,

(01:22:27):
so it might take it a little bit longer to
get things going nowadays. And that's just how it works.

Speaker 5 (01:22:31):
No one thing that you certainly will be familiar with.
And heard it from Lance mccullors last night when he
was asked about Jose. And we talked to some of
the newer players each year when they're getting to know
Jose Hayden w was Nesky for example this year, and
they just talk about who he is every single day.
You'd never know what he's going through or how well
he's playing, or the other side of it. And that's

(01:22:53):
essentially how he helps lead this team. How does he
manage to do That's.

Speaker 8 (01:22:59):
Just he's a quiet He's just like you said, like
they say, he's just even killed every day, doesn't matter
what's going on. Team could be ten game win streak,
ten game loop street, he could be raking, he could
be not hitting. He's gonna be happy every day, come
in and cheer everybody up. He just brings smiles all around.
He just brings a bunch of positive injury energy to
this team. And that's even before he steps on the field.
So what he does in that clubhouse and in that

(01:23:19):
batting cage for this team is unheard of. When you're
talking about how much he keeps everybody in a.

Speaker 3 (01:23:25):
Good mood, it's funny because we were, you know, seeing
Lance mccullors talk about his latest outing as he tries
to work his way back and a guy that's been
so integral to just this winning era of Astros baseball.
But one of the things he mentioned is he was
glad he never has had to face off against Jose Altuve.
Do you ever think about how you're glad you don't

(01:23:46):
have to face off against a guy like Hunter Brown.
I know he's not pitching during the series, and I
told Wex, I'm very upset that we don't get to
see one of our best I know Fromer is gonna
pitch in this series. But the other one of our
best against this this Seattle team. When you're trying to
get the lead.

Speaker 4 (01:24:01):
In the division.

Speaker 8 (01:24:02):
Yeah, I mean you think about facing the guy like
a Tuov. You know I faced him many many years
before he got all this power that he developed over time,
So it was a little easier back then. But what
he's turned into with the power threat that made him
that much more dangerous. But you're going against guys like
Hunter Brown are never an easy night. You pretty much
have to chalk it up and say, hey, you know
he's gonna get He's gonna punch your ticket at least once,
So you gotta be you got to accept that early,

(01:24:24):
before you even step in the box. You just got
to accept that fact, and it's just gonna happen. So
you just hope you get a mistake. Guys like that
make very minimal mistakes, and if he does, you cannot
miss it because that's probably the only one your whole
line is going to get. So when when he makes mistakes,
and guys like that tend to make to say, but
you know, everybody throws too damn hard. Now, I couldn't
handle hardly ninety percent of the league. Everybody's pumping ninety

(01:24:46):
seven to ninety eight. Now, it's just it's just too
much of a different league for me to get back
in there.

Speaker 4 (01:24:49):
No, I don't blame you at all.

Speaker 3 (01:24:50):
It's it's much it's much more comfortable to watch it
from our side of things. We're talking to Josh Reddick
here on Sports Talk seven ninety and I'm glad you
brought that up because I didn't intend to bring us
up to you and you're obviously not a former pitcher,
But do you think that the pitch clock has any
inkling of an effect on why we're seeing maybe an
uptick in Tommy John's situations league wide, not just with

(01:25:14):
the Astros.

Speaker 8 (01:25:15):
Well, it's hard to say no, because I mean, what
else has really changed in this game to make something
like that a factor? So I think it has. I
think it definitely has been. Maybe not the main issue,
but it's definitely got some blame to point a finger
at when you're talking about it, because obviously people are
so used to taking their time, and pitchers importantly to
get that little rest and that extra breather in there,

(01:25:37):
so that to speed them up. For guys who won't
even train for this, you know, we were a couple
of years into this thing now, but nobody's body was
really trained to work like that. We were also focused
on having plenty of time between everything that our body
clocks have just learned that, so to learn something so
fast and so new could take major adjustments. And I
think we're seeing it take its toll here a little
bit as the pitch clock develops.

Speaker 1 (01:25:58):
More and more.

Speaker 4 (01:25:59):
With Josh here.

Speaker 5 (01:26:00):
One of the things you got to see from the
booth last night is the work being done by cam
Smith and right field. Your position here with the Astros,
the position you play the majority of your major league
career and a position he never played at all before.
They said, oh yeah, you're a major leaguer, let's send
you out to right field. And he made it played
last night running into foul territory, sprinting to it and

(01:26:21):
making it look like he's been there. I know how
difficult that is. I think a lot of people have
tried to explain it. What have you seen from him
that makes it look like, well, he's been doing it
for a lot longer than he actually has.

Speaker 8 (01:26:34):
You know, he's a first he's a natural athlete. When
you look at the kid and how well put together
he is as a human, that definitely helps because he's
got all the natural athlete talent in the world to
make those moves. And you know, we see it more
and more every year. You know, these infielders, you just
as long as they can swing the ball, you can
throw them in the outfield. Apparently it's not that hard,
but the way he's doing it is fantastic. And the
thing that sticks out to me, his route running ability

(01:26:57):
is fantastic. You look at the ball last night down
the line. Guys didn't have that tendency to kind of
banana route it towards the find the wall first and
come in where he's more direct, and then I think
it was an inning or two later he ran into
the gap and write center and really ran down a
ball that was well hit. That could have been, you know,
a little bit of a worry factor because they had
some guys on end up been in the inning and
could have you know, provided the Marigers at the beginning,

(01:27:19):
but took one turn straight back diagonal route, didn't you know,
wear away from his route running Everything was very tight
and compact running towards the ball and then went directly
to it. So that's the big thing. Going directly to
the baseball. It's huge because it doesn't matter how fast
you are, but if you're taking bad routes, that can
definitely make you lose a step or two. And he's
doing a fantastic job of that.

Speaker 5 (01:27:39):
Does it pain you at all to say what you
just said, because now Jose's out there doing it like
he's been there, and cam you're saying, well, they're making it.
I guess it's not that hard. It is that hard,
isn't it?

Speaker 8 (01:27:49):
It's very I mean, outfield is definitely the easiest position.
I think but for me and you know, and it
makes all the sense in the world if you've got
places for a guy that can get out there and
make you the average. And that was what I talked
about with al Twov, like, this was obviously something that
needed to be done, because it's not just that like
ol two Bay just wasn't that good at first base
and or second base, and that was just statistical, statistical facts.

(01:28:12):
So to keep his bat in the lineup is obviously
the right choice. And you throw him out there, and
you can pick your poison with those guys because you
have strikeout guys and then you have.

Speaker 4 (01:28:20):
Your flat ball guys.

Speaker 8 (01:28:20):
So picking your poison with when to put him out there.
And as long as they're making the standard average plays
anything better than that, you're going to be happy with.
You're not expecting these guys to make the phenomenal five
star web gyms, but you know, as long as they're
making everything and playing everything and getting the back in
as quickly as possible, then they're doing their job.

Speaker 3 (01:28:37):
I do like the fact that you referred to it
as route running, because it looks like Cam Smith could
suit up for the Texans this year if he wanted to.

Speaker 8 (01:28:45):
He probably mixed it an outside linebacker for a couple
of games and be just signed big dude. So as
the Zenzo put them together, they make a formert opponent
on the football field.

Speaker 5 (01:28:57):
Ohio State and Florida State, for those two very very
good football programs, We'll see if maybe there's some of
that in their future. I'm sure the Texans would would
love to have them. I want to bring you into
something that comes up on our show all the time
specific to your team. In twenty nineteen, my co host here, Adam,
I I'm also Adam. He can't believe to this day
still that that team is not a World Series chance.

Speaker 4 (01:29:20):
It hurts my heart. Josh, it just kills me.

Speaker 6 (01:29:23):
It keeps me up at nights.

Speaker 8 (01:29:25):
It hurts mine too. Don't worry, I.

Speaker 4 (01:29:27):
Mean I really don't. I'm not worried.

Speaker 3 (01:29:28):
I'm not blowing smoke because you're on the phone with us.
That's the best team to not win a title. It
really is, Oh, without.

Speaker 8 (01:29:34):
A doubt, without a doubt, the best baseball team probably
on paper, to never win a title. Agree, and as
much as we should have done, as much as we
should have won, there's one thing we learned about baseball.
It doesn't matter who you are as long as you're
the hot team at the right time.

Speaker 3 (01:29:48):
I think, how I know that this is factual and
I'm taking my emotions out of it is I just
I vividly recall watching on the broadcast whatever they were
calling Space City Home Network at the time.

Speaker 4 (01:29:59):
You know, they would have like.

Speaker 3 (01:30:00):
Graphics up and it was like, here's the twenty seven Yankees,
here's you know, like the ninety eight Yankee, and here's
the Astros leading that category whatever. It was some insane
numbers you guys were putting up both offensively and pitching wise.
You had the top two vote getters for the Cy
Young that year, like Garrett Cole was awesome and didn't
win it.

Speaker 8 (01:30:22):
You knew it just crazy, right, You think, if anything,
that should have been a co Co cy Young during
that season. But yeah, when when you look at that
team from top to bottom, I mean, oh, I mean
we just we get to hit Carlos Kray I think
hitting seventh in that World Series. So that just shows
you the depth that the lineup really really had. And
not only that, just the depth we had all around.

(01:30:42):
You know, we just had guys that could get the
job done, whether it was a starting job or somebody
that could come off the bench and get it done.
We were just we were just stacked. But you know
when you got guys like Strasburg that through the way
he did, and you know guys that had timely hitting,
that's just just how roles we can lose sleep over
it all. We want through right now, can't you. But
you know I'm with you, there should be another gold
banner up there between those two.

Speaker 3 (01:31:04):
Before I ask you a ridiculously non baseball question, did
you ever just look around the clubhouse when you were
on that team and be like, this is ridiculous.

Speaker 1 (01:31:12):
Oh, without a doubt, all.

Speaker 8 (01:31:14):
The time, all the time you look over there, you
got you know, justin Burnley, you got Garrett Cole, We
pick up a guy like Zach Greenkey, and then you
look to your left, you know you got Springer Brantley,
and then too your right, Al Tuve, you know the
infield stout. You know, all those guys we just had
just looking around, just superstars surrounding a whole club out
the whole clubhouse. So not only just not only were

(01:31:34):
we would, but I think we all understood how lucky
we were and how fortunate we were to have such
a good team for so many years and even continuing
after my time here, this team is just continue to
stay very competitive and obviously done what they've done in
the past, so they they've been we've all been very
blessed and very lucky to be around this organization.

Speaker 4 (01:31:52):
Absolutely.

Speaker 3 (01:31:52):
Uh, before we let you go, I do I do
lament that we couldn't touch base in Vegas at the
you know, our playground, at the adult children that we are.
I'm sure by now you are aware that it's coming
back to Vegas.

Speaker 4 (01:32:06):
We're talking about WrestleMania. Are you gonna go again next year?

Speaker 8 (01:32:10):
Uh, there'll be a tough task to run by the wife.
I mean, there was a grind to get to that one.
But we'll see. I'll definitely throw it out there and like, look, baby,
you know I didn't take her this time, so maybe
I can convince her to make the trip with me
this time.

Speaker 4 (01:32:23):
To the mind. Yeah, are the boys into this?

Speaker 8 (01:32:27):
No, they haven't been introduced to it really at all.
My wife's not into it that much either. She just
goes to tolerate it. And I think to, you know,
check out guys with huge muscles and baby oil on
which you know, I get I understand that nothing wrong
with that for them to be a part of. But
they'll get there. We'll get there.

Speaker 3 (01:32:44):
So it sounds like me and Josh Reddick are going
back to Vegas together to check out guys with huge
muscles and baby oil.

Speaker 8 (01:32:52):
Yeah, that's that's all we want to see outside of
the you know, the wives. We've got to keep the
wives happy, man sometimes, all.

Speaker 3 (01:32:58):
Right, Josh, Well, we appreciate the time. Good luck this
weekend in the series and the rest of the season,
and we'll have to catch up against.

Speaker 4 (01:33:03):
Som yep, so good Thanks.

Speaker 3 (01:33:06):
Guys, awesome Josh Reddick here on Sports Talk seven ninety
Astros and Mariners, Game two of a four game set
coming up tonight here on Space City Home Network in
Sports Talks seven.

Speaker 1 (01:33:15):
Ninety The eight on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 3 (01:33:25):
Thanks again to Josh Reddick for joining us last segment.

Speaker 4 (01:33:30):
He'd be a good guy to draft with.

Speaker 5 (01:33:31):
By the way, Well, for sure, I'm sure you have
some good ideas. He's got to boys. Like we mentioned,
it's too Twins, Mavin Ryder and I'm sure they be
up for whatever is coming on Monday. For those that
have a chance to get together with people and not work.
We will do the same out at the ballpark by
the way, this afternoon. Jordan Alvarez running the bases, taking

(01:33:55):
balls in the outfield's fee.

Speaker 3 (01:33:58):
Not the running so much as the glove work. I
mean that is the same hand, is it not. I
guess it's not. Well, yeah, no, I guess it is.

Speaker 4 (01:34:06):
I don't know. I lost track. Look, you can't even
get mad at me. I don't know. I'm not mad.
I'm not mad. I don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:34:11):
I'm not even mad. It's actually amazing, Like I can't
keep track with all these injuries. I feel like just
the Astros alone are a mass unit. I mean with
the ones they brought into the season, the new ones.
There's always gonna be new ones every year. It's just
the nature of one hundred and sixty two game campaign
and then keeping track of which side of which body
it is, you know. Like that's why I asked you

(01:34:31):
earlier about Alex Bregman with the quad injury. Is it
the same one, Because if it's the same one that
it was affected here in Houston, I know the Red
Sox would probably like to take a look into that.

Speaker 4 (01:34:43):
If that's the case.

Speaker 5 (01:34:44):
Maybe so could have mentioned this yesterday as it was
his first day back, just because you're you know, you're
broken up about it. Pedro Leone, one of the players
that was hurt during spring training and has not yet
made his way back to the field, made his way
back to the field yesterday for the first time. He
was optioned or transferred to the their Coast League team
in Florida, their rookie League team, got in a game yesterday,

(01:35:06):
Homer in his final at bat. Don't know what their
plans are for him in you know, ten to fifteen,
twenty days or so when he might be available. I'm
sure he'll be playing for the Space Cowboys, but he's
someone that provides a little bit different look if needed.

Speaker 4 (01:35:21):
In the outfield.

Speaker 5 (01:35:22):
They have currently five players who've been on the injured
list since the beginning of the season. Includes those three
pitchers JP Frantz, Luis Garcia, Christian Xavier and then Leon
and Trammel. The other outfielder who was hurt during camp Araghetty,
Alvarez and was Nesky, along with Ronel Blanco. The four
other players also on the IL currently, Blanco we don't

(01:35:45):
know about for sure. Arag Getty probably can return in
late June, maybe early July with the ramp up period
necessary and Jordan Alvarez is weird not sure when, but
probably we're getting close to the end of his time missed.
But it's basically gonna amount to about a month. It's
been out of action since the third Tonight will be

(01:36:07):
game twenty that yard On Alvarez has missed.

Speaker 4 (01:36:11):
Again on the IL. He didn't play in every game
prior to.

Speaker 3 (01:36:14):
All Right, it's tantalizing when you see I mean, I
always refer to him as a specimen because that's what
he is.

Speaker 4 (01:36:22):
You see a guy like that and you're just like, Okay.

Speaker 3 (01:36:24):
It's almost like the unofficial clock has started the countdown
to when he's back in the lineup. But again, he
has to be the guy that we know, not this
version this year, who's he has to have been hurt
this same Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:36:35):
The only thing that stands out when you glance over,
or maybe two things that stand out when you glance
over how Joe spot has put his team out there
over the course of the season. You know who's played where,
what the team record is in those situations. And again,
this is really not very sick. You would never base
anything on this It does stand out though. When Jose
Al Tube has been the left fielder, the starting left fielder,

(01:36:56):
the Astros are nine games over. They're eighteen and nine.
When he's the starting left fielder and ord On Alvarez
has been healthy, well, Jordon's basically been the DH they're
seven games over in that situation at fifteen and eight.
And now that Mauricio Dubon has been playing a little
bit more at second base, they're five games over when
he plays second, starts at second, and they're well under

(01:37:16):
five hundred when.

Speaker 4 (01:37:17):
Anybody else does.

Speaker 5 (01:37:19):
This is the team they're probably going to be once
Jordon Alvarez returns, He's going to DH, Orsio is going
to play second, and Jose Al Tube is going to
be in left field. I wouldn't say every single game,
but the great majority of the games moving forward, and
hopefully these numbers they've produced up until this point as
a team will will continue, because at some point you

(01:37:40):
got to push further past five hundred. They've pushed two
games past five hundred. They played Game fifty last night,
fifty one to two to three. Close out this series.
They're opening game of the second series on this home
stand against the A's will put him at fifty four
on pace. Guy will enjoy Wednesday's show after that game.

(01:38:01):
That will be exactly one third of the way through
the season.

Speaker 4 (01:38:04):
You love this stuff. I just think math is helpful,
especially in baseball.

Speaker 3 (01:38:08):
I needs it a lot things I never uttered in
high school or college. I think math is helpful, and
I look, there's a lot of math involved in what
I do.

Speaker 4 (01:38:18):
For a living.

Speaker 3 (01:38:18):
But I was the guy that was like, I'm never
ever ever going to use this, and I'm telling my
teachers in high school, listen, I'm gonna work in sports.

Speaker 5 (01:38:28):
What kind of math are we doing here? Addition, subtraction, division,
and multiplication.

Speaker 3 (01:38:34):
Not long form algebra that no one ever uses unless
they're like a I don't even know engineer, some sort
of scientists. When do you use the Pythagorean theorem?

Speaker 5 (01:38:45):
I'll finish the math conversation with this. You can come
to bat in the inning with or is that geometry?
Nobody out, one person out, two people out, or the
inning's over. So you've got three different situations zero outs,
one out or two outs. What percentage of the Astros
runs that have scored this year have come with two outs?

Speaker 3 (01:39:03):
It's got to be overwhelmingly the most whatever the number is,
because it's forty five. That's eight of the nine runs
last night we're scored with two outs. Yeah, but I
feel like that is a real thing in sports inspec
you know, obviously in Major League Baseball, because how many
times have the Astros given up some soul crushing home

(01:39:24):
run or stupid hit that's a bloop that bleeds through
and drives in two runs with two outs, when you
could have put the stupid guy away and it would
have been no.

Speaker 5 (01:39:34):
Biceball is mental mental for the pitcher, I've almost gotten
out of this, or I've got to bear down the hitter.
This is it, man, this is our chance. I'm our
last hope. There are two outs. We can't strand these runners,
and you know you're you're tensing up, or you're unable
to overcome it.

Speaker 4 (01:39:51):
You don't meet the moment, or you do.

Speaker 3 (01:39:52):
By the way, Dubin nails last night with the bases loaded.

Speaker 5 (01:39:58):
A little surprised that he didn't go longer, needed only
eleven pitches of it. I'm not mistaken to get out
of that. But I think Joe managed his way through
the you know, the rest of the fifth weekend.

Speaker 4 (01:40:11):
Oh, I'm not saying who he used.

Speaker 5 (01:40:13):
I was just surprised that he went to Okert to
start the sixth I don't really know that I had
much to do with who was up, and it was
really Oker.

Speaker 4 (01:40:20):
It's been so good this year.

Speaker 5 (01:40:21):
He had a rough err outing in Tampa before he
closed out the series to help out for us, but
then he was unbelievable last night. Three swinging strikeouts in
the sixth inning. You know, King did what he does
in the seventh, and then they were able to finish
the game without meeting two pitchers. They were able to
get Caleb Ort to get through those two innings. And

(01:40:42):
I brought it up at the beginning of the year
when Ort and Whitley were unhealthy and unable to be
a part of the opening day roster. Hard to beat
this bullpen, the way that they've been able to put
it together, and all the other angst we have about
who they traded away, who they didn't sign, what their
starting rotation is now turned into with the injuries, they
put together a pretty awesome bullpen. And I don't think

(01:41:03):
it was an accident. With the type of arms, the
specific assets that these particular pitchers possess or it's a
hard thrower. You know, Okurt when healthy, has a couple
of big time plus pitches. They were believers in what
they saw from Brian King last season as a major leaguer,

(01:41:24):
and they should be because he's now replicated it this year.
And I think the games pitched number of games pitched
by Brallion Hater and maybe King and Okurt are a
little high for some people's liking. But as this season
unfolds fifty games in, I don't feel like these guys
are getting overworked at all. I think he's been masterful
with his use of them, and I think they've been

(01:41:45):
so much more efficient, so many fewer games where they're
going to the tenth of the eleventh, Oh, we got
to throw Hater out for another inning because we've burned
through everybody else. I think, from a bullpen standpoint, hard
to imagine the season unfolding any more brilliantly, and it
has through the first fifty.

Speaker 3 (01:42:01):
I mean, I can't I keep thinking about how so
much more further behind the eight ball they were just
this time last year. And you mentioned it that the
ten games lead in the division. I don't know what's
more impressive last year. The fact that the Astros came
all the way back, or the fact that the Mariners

(01:42:21):
craped the bed the way they did last year, I
just a push, don't.

Speaker 4 (01:42:26):
I can't.

Speaker 3 (01:42:26):
I'm sorry. I don't know if I if I had
to make a choice, I don't know that I could.
I'll go with the Astros.

Speaker 4 (01:42:31):
I guess.

Speaker 5 (01:42:31):
Yeah, fifty games into the season last year, they they
weren't good. They did not have a good record, they
weren't playing great baseball. They had kind of started that
post twelve and twenty four stretch, you know. Fifty games
into the season, they were twenty two and twenty eight.
They just lost a series to the.

Speaker 3 (01:42:47):
Angels, and they still had Kyle Tucker for a few
more days before his three month vacation.

Speaker 5 (01:42:54):
Yeah, and at that point in their season, they had
a healthy Justin Verlander currently this seasons do not.

Speaker 3 (01:43:01):
Was Alex Bregman hitting above two hundred this time last
year he was hitting above two hundred.

Speaker 5 (01:43:05):
Yes, barely, Uh not gonna look, I'm just gonna go
with yes.

Speaker 7 (01:43:10):
I bet.

Speaker 4 (01:43:11):
I'm not sure on that. I'm not even kidding.

Speaker 3 (01:43:13):
It was because it was it was his by far
worst start in the Nastros uniform like it was. It
was so much worse than any of the other quote
slow starts he had had. I don't know that he
was hitting above two hundred right now.

Speaker 5 (01:43:27):
He was hitting below two hundred for three days after April.

Speaker 4 (01:43:33):
And this was one of them. Not it's one of them.
I'm just kidding, all right.

Speaker 3 (01:43:37):
We'll continue with our signature segment coming up next.

Speaker 4 (01:43:43):
It's the A Team Draft.

Speaker 3 (01:43:44):
We do this every single Friday this time of the calendar,
and it is a holiday theme, a four pack if
you will.

Speaker 4 (01:43:51):
We'll explain when we come back.

Speaker 1 (01:43:55):

Speaker 5 (01:44:05):
Signature segment time here on a Friday, and as we
began last week, we continue with our annual summertime tradition
here on the A Team with the eighteam Friday Draft,
hopefully something timely, certainly something interesting, and definitely something you
guys can.

Speaker 4 (01:44:22):
Help participate in.

Speaker 5 (01:44:24):
Last week, as we recap where things stand in a
season long, summer season long tally. Our first Friday draft,
we were drafting best wing, sauce, best flavor, and it
was in my opinion, very close vote. If all three
of us got at least twenty nine percent of the
voting public's nods. I think that's fairly close, but with

(01:44:48):
thirty seven percent of the vote, Buffalo, lemon, pepper, garlic, palm,
and firehouse was the winner. Those are the choices of coal,
my three of Mega hoabiniro, Chipotle, barbecue, and spicy garlic.
A couple of spots back at thirty four percent, AC
couple spots back at twenty nine percent, Bolo Hot, honeystitrs,
and spicy barbering.

Speaker 4 (01:45:11):
We do have a little bit.

Speaker 5 (01:45:12):
Of something that will probably pop up from time to
time with our categories food and drink. We will be
going with food and drink again this week weekend. We'll
hopefully get some time away from work time to spend
with a family and friends Memorial Day weekend, So we're
going with a Memorial Day four pack. We'll make four

(01:45:32):
selections a piece. Each one of us will choose the
must haves, the necessaries, the parts of your Memorial Day enjoyment,
a food, a drink, an activity or game, and your
location to enjoy, celebrate, have fun. Last week AC began,

(01:45:56):
Cole was second. I was third in our snake draft,
So bump everybody up a spot. Cole will go first.
I will go second to Clinton, you go third.

Speaker 7 (01:46:05):
May.

Speaker 4 (01:46:05):
Yeah, for us today, Cole a cult classic, a must
have something that everybody wants to pop top off of.
Go ahead and give me ice cold beer. Yeah, it's
pretty simple.

Speaker 5 (01:46:14):
And we did kind of have a feeling this might
be heavily slanted towards the person who had the first pick.
It's a random selection last week and we just rotate through.
I think it's a very good first choice. Not that
you needed my endorsement. I think it made a whole
lot of sense to go that route. And again, you're
not beholden to follow along with the selections of the
person in front of you. You can take whatever you want,

(01:46:35):
whatever order that you would like, food, drink, location at
location location.

Speaker 4 (01:46:45):
I am a game, right? Is it activity or a game?

Speaker 5 (01:46:50):
It kind of felt like it allow you for more options.
A loose umbrella, Yes, a very loose umbrella in that
beer has been selected. It's a very pot popular top choice.
I'm going to take the location and my Memorial Day
celebration will be, of course, at the beach.

Speaker 3 (01:47:10):
Okay, well, you guys have taken two of the most
obvious and I get two picks here, So I'm gonna
go with I mean, this is a lot of things
can be put on this place, but I'll go with
the typical burgers on the grill because.

Speaker 5 (01:47:31):
Poorly cooked, burned, bad meat, burgers, bad buns. He probably
left the condiments out all afternoon in the blazing sun.

Speaker 4 (01:47:41):
But please feel free to enjoy them.

Speaker 3 (01:47:43):
I'm not Chuck Schumer, so you get that joke, by
the way.

Speaker 4 (01:47:48):
Some of you do.

Speaker 3 (01:47:48):
Some of you others are sports fans like WEX, so yeah,
I'll do burgers on the grill.

Speaker 5 (01:47:54):
I feel like they've got with with with what RFK
is involved in.

Speaker 4 (01:47:58):
That's not very maha.

Speaker 5 (01:47:59):
I just feels like he would be associated with any
kind of food related commentary that I just make.

Speaker 3 (01:48:04):
Well, that's the thing that these are beat they're not.
Now listen, you know what goes with turkey burgers?

Speaker 4 (01:48:09):
All right? What's your second pick? You know the three
letter grocery store that I adore.

Speaker 5 (01:48:13):
You think you have to have beyond meat burgers, Well,
I'll write that down.

Speaker 3 (01:48:16):
I'm telling you right now, if you haven't tried the
salmon Berger's there, they're they're already made.

Speaker 4 (01:48:21):
They're very good. I may get one on them around here.
They're very good.

Speaker 3 (01:48:24):
All right, pick two for you. Yeah, I'm gonna give
the food to secure. I Now I thought about this.
I'm biased because of well, you know, everybody's biased about everything.
It's it's normal. You pick the beach. The next obvious
thing is a pool, and I love my pool.

Speaker 5 (01:48:43):
It's definitely a concern because I basically would think most
people view them as the same.

Speaker 4 (01:48:48):
So I took a pick that you.

Speaker 3 (01:48:49):
Want basically very less sandy.

Speaker 5 (01:48:52):
Presumably you might have a little kids beach at your pool,
like a little area where not my beach, not my
beer call. All right, so you got burgers by the pool? Now, yes,
and it doesn't I mean, we don't need an in
but it doesn't have to be your pool. It's just
a pool, the community pool, the neighborhood pool, community other pools,

(01:49:13):
well only in the kiddie pool.

Speaker 4 (01:49:14):
Why is this so warm in here? So all of
our listeners are now coming to as pools. It's I
like it a lot. Shout out to Chris Campbell.

Speaker 5 (01:49:22):
I'm going to grill at the beach, or you're already there,
you might as well well, trying to I know what
the other items are going to be. These are I'm
gonna grill some of the other items, but we got
I know, it's a little tough to make it all
happen the way you want it, because you're not handling
this overnight perfectly.

Speaker 3 (01:49:42):
But we're having barbecue. I like that ribs, you name.
It's why I'm doing this.

Speaker 4 (01:49:48):
This part of the commentary is open ended.

Speaker 5 (01:49:50):
We can, yes, you name the sausage, the ribs, the Brisket's.

Speaker 4 (01:49:54):
All going to think about doing combo. See he he.

Speaker 9 (01:49:57):
He may end up winning this because if he's getting
all the barbecues. All right, you got two spots. He
has two strong picks so far. Well, you just have beer.

Speaker 4 (01:50:03):
Yeah, I have beer. But guess what I'm gonna enjoy.

Speaker 5 (01:50:05):
I'm gonna pass on my other three selections and see
how things go.

Speaker 4 (01:50:09):
And draft beer for the other three. All right, I
got beer.

Speaker 5 (01:50:12):
I'm gonna take cold beerna take ice cold beer, and
then I'm gonna take refreshing ice cold beer.

Speaker 4 (01:50:18):
I think. Listen, they're all great picks. They're all gonna
work for me.

Speaker 9 (01:50:21):
I'm gonna enjoy my beer, will enjoying a nice stay
out on the lake, which.

Speaker 4 (01:50:26):
Is what I'm gonna be doing tomorrow.

Speaker 9 (01:50:27):
Anyways, So I'm gonna be going out on the lake
enjoying an ice cold beer. And while I'm out on
the lake, I'm gonna be having a fun activity on
said lake.

Speaker 4 (01:50:34):
I'm gonna be going too big out on the lake.

Speaker 9 (01:50:36):
So go ahead and go have me my wife, my
sister in law, my brother, a couple of friends, all
out there riding on the back of a two flying
fifty feet in the ear as I'm going seventy five
miles an hour on Lake Conro.

Speaker 4 (01:50:48):
You can go ahead look out for me. Does that'll
be me?

Speaker 5 (01:50:50):
Make the turn tighter? No, watch this, watch them fly,
do it, do it exactly.

Speaker 9 (01:50:55):
So I got two big on the lake with ice
cold beer come my way.

Speaker 5 (01:50:58):
Very good stuff. This sounds like a lot of fun,
sounds like a good afternoon or weekend. It does, matter
of fact, I will I have to wash it down
with something. Got my food in hand, I got my location.
I think we'll hold it over. We're gonna have to
make a couple of selections. On the other side, we

(01:51:20):
were making four of them each location, food, drink, and
game or activity. I'll get you one more pick here.
I'm at the beach right, Yeah, clearly playing beach game.
That's my activity, is Kenny Loggins playing definitely well, neither
of the top gun games are being played. We're not

(01:51:40):
playing football.

Speaker 3 (01:51:41):
You're not gonna put your leather jacket on and then
get on your motorcycle after.

Speaker 4 (01:51:45):
What are you doing out of that movie?

Speaker 3 (01:51:49):
I've believable plot of the whole thing in a in
a movie full of fighter jets, and it was so
close to her pennies bar, it was like.

Speaker 5 (01:51:59):
Right outside first one. It's very believable. Now, if you
don't mind, I'm gonna take a shower.

Speaker 4 (01:52:03):
I do mind. I'm hungry.

Speaker 3 (01:52:04):
Hey, I gotta go. Kelly McGillis won't stop eating grapes.
I gotta go over to her place, all right, since
we're going to break immediately after my game selection, which
means you'll have to remember what kind of negative commentary
we were planning on making, because we don't have any
time for you to make it. Here, me and my peeps,
you guys are invited.

Speaker 5 (01:52:25):
We're gonna be playing cornhole more coming up next here
on the eighteen Great Game.

Speaker 1 (01:52:31):
The A Team on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 5 (01:52:38):
Wrap on the Friday Team eighteen Friday Draft.

Speaker 4 (01:52:41):
Wexay see and Cole here with you. It is holiday weekend.

Speaker 5 (01:52:44):
Hopefully you guys get a chance to enjoy it family
and friends Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and workless Monday. That's our plan.
Astros will be working throughout until Monday. It's an off
day on Monday. Finally done with these seventeen consecutive days
with base ball. Got to win yesterday with LANCEM. Coulors Junior,
and we'll try to do the same tonight with Ryan Gusto.

(01:53:06):
I made my third selection Friday, a team draft of
more Day four pack, food, drink, game activity and location
ac your final two picks to go along with enjoying
undercooked burgers and an algae ridden pool.

Speaker 4 (01:53:24):
What are you trying to do to me? Make you lose?
I mean we're not even voting yet, not even voting yet.

Speaker 5 (01:53:29):
But remember those of you who unfortunately may have missed
some of this segment, we will have that podcast for
you and post it out on social media and the
vote will be open in extra twenty four hours this
weekend because we won't be back till Tuesday.

Speaker 3 (01:53:41):
So you're at the beach where there's already been a
shark attack, okay, and just stepped on a jellyfish too.
That's smart. You know, there's a way to get rid
of the pain.

Speaker 5 (01:53:50):
I am familiar with that. What are you going with
burgers and pool? What needs to be added to it?

Speaker 3 (01:53:54):
Well, I saw your cornhole, and I also thought about
strip poker, because you know.

Speaker 5 (01:53:59):
Do you want to be a part of the freaking
Matt Thomas show montage of awful things to say on
sports radio?

Speaker 4 (01:54:05):
Well, I was gonna say. I saw you was going
to whole.

Speaker 5 (01:54:10):
Break to decide what you were going to say, and
I mean, my ears are open permanently. I thought about
strip poker. Oh my gosh, what a party. Well I
would win.

Speaker 3 (01:54:22):
I mean, I'm at the pool and there's burgers and
now there's hot chicks and they're not you know.

Speaker 5 (01:54:28):
I mean, all right, well I'm writing it down. So
you're at the pool enjoying your burger with people whose
clothes are coming off as you play poker.

Speaker 4 (01:54:41):
What will you be drinking? You know what? Screws? It's
like a Yellowstone. I don't care. Yeah, Beth is involved,
for sure.

Speaker 5 (01:54:49):
Beth couldn't believe what she was seeing quite honestly, but
it was happening.

Speaker 3 (01:54:52):
She probably had something to say about it too. She's
not the one demense words. Here you go and you're
gonna laugh at the as well. Cole h two, Oh
got it? Because you just the the projection and the
you're just trying and have ice with your water. You're like,
you're like myke Gundy, You're trying to be downgrade my draft.

(01:55:15):
What are you drinking?

Speaker 4 (01:55:16):
Gentleman jack? Oh? Okay, how would you like me to
describe that?

Speaker 7 (01:55:23):
Right?

Speaker 4 (01:55:23):
Cholcohol jack? Cocktail? It's the drink.

Speaker 5 (01:55:27):
It's no, it's a drink. It's an actual drink. Okay,
I'm trying. I mean, I'm expanding the gentleman's jack. It's
a very popular Memorial Day.

Speaker 3 (01:55:36):
It was suggested, and I was thinking, well, I can
just really lean into this whole thing. I mean, everybody's
already playing strip poker.

Speaker 5 (01:55:43):
Well, now that beer and gentleman jack is off the
table for me, I probably don't even have a table.

Speaker 4 (01:55:49):
I'm at the beach in the sand anyway.

Speaker 5 (01:55:52):
Now, I'll relate my judges duties here just for the
sake of what do I actually get with this selection?
I'm taking Seltzer's ranch water, et cetera. Is that one category?
Just call it Seltzer, Finelzer Seltzer.

Speaker 4 (01:56:09):
That's fine, all right, we'll go with that.

Speaker 3 (01:56:11):
So you took Teresa's pick, So I left the people
that aren't involved in the draft, the people who complain
and hit us up on social media and say, huh,
I guess nobody likes Margarita's Okay, great, not coming to
your party?

Speaker 8 (01:56:24):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (01:56:24):
Are you bringing manander? Are you bringing the tequila? Are
you bringing this simple syrup? Are you bringing?

Speaker 7 (01:56:30):
Two?

Speaker 3 (01:56:31):
Lists?

Speaker 4 (01:56:31):
Are complete coal? Yours is not. See I want to
go down this path. I thought about it for a minute. Well,
you can't have strip poker. I can't, and that's unfortunate.
But I am gonna have tubing. And then what do
you want to do at the end of tubing when
you can see your pants fly off? And then it's
the exact same think of strip poker. Both of you
guys are trying to get their clothes off.

Speaker 3 (01:56:47):
All right, what it's Memorial Day, man, it's all about
And I'm gonna call my.

Speaker 9 (01:56:53):
Friends at Big City Wings and now I'm gonna go
ask them to bring me some crawfish for a good
for a good.

Speaker 4 (01:56:59):
Nine ninety nine due. That's these are easier.

Speaker 9 (01:57:01):
We crawfish boil to close out my day on the
lake with some ice cold beer.

Speaker 4 (01:57:06):
This is an eclectic mix of lists here trying to.

Speaker 5 (01:57:10):
Have a good time. I think that's a smart way
to play it. I do appreciate the the nods our
good friends. By the way, yesterday crawfish Thursdays over at
Big City Wings two pounds for nine to ninety nine.
So in advance of your Memorial Day, hopefully took.

Speaker 4 (01:57:25):
Care of that one. Loaded on up with the crawfish.

Speaker 5 (01:57:27):
All right, Well, those lists will be posted along with
the audio of this extremely entertaining segment and a half,
and you guys will have the vote open for you
all the way through until Tuesday.

Speaker 4 (01:57:39):
Don't call it. Comeback.

Speaker 5 (01:57:40):
See what happens cold one week one. We'll see what
happens this week. We'll see very good, very very very good.

Speaker 4 (01:57:49):
Start.

Speaker 5 (01:57:49):
Yeah, boring, I get it. Even at the beach they
are in bikinis. At least, right that's a public beach.
The private pool party is different.

Speaker 4 (01:57:56):
That's true.

Speaker 5 (01:57:57):
We do have time, though, to work in a phone
call here right before we hit the top of the hour.
Here we're talking obviously a lot about the astros that
they get set for game two of this four game
set with the Seattle Mariners, a nine to two win
last night, Brent with us here on the A team,
appreciate your patients, Brent, as we tried to help celebrate
the weekend holiday.

Speaker 4 (01:58:13):
What do you have for us this afternoon?

Speaker 7 (01:58:15):
I was going, guys and A. It's the best ANA
program I've ever been a part of. I just want
to let y'all know y'all got something great going on.
There's a couple of things. The lesson Adams said something
about most runs come with two outs, and man, I
don't think there's any kind of a mental mumbo jumble
going on there. I think that's just a statistical probability.
It takes time to get runners around the bases and

(01:58:37):
where Tom comes out. So I think that's where that
fact comes from.

Speaker 5 (01:58:41):
Yeah, I mean this. I'm glad you pointed it out.
It does seem obvious in hindsight or those who are
listening at the time. It should be like there's nobody
on base a lot of times with well, no out,
you're you're leading off the inning, you know, with one out,
maybe a couple of two outs, maybe maybe the bases. Well,
it makes perfect sense. So it's well worth the.

Speaker 7 (01:59:01):
Arm injury thing from earlier hour or so ago. I
think one color mentioned the slider, and I get it,
but they've been throwing the funky pitches for a long time.
It's got to be the speed man, because I mean,
in the eighties, the average fastball speed was in the eighties,
and now in the twenties it's like ninety five. I mean,

(01:59:21):
that's got to be wearing down from arms. And and
I know you mentioned Survivor of Surviva bias, and I
get that because Nolan Ryan, right, there's a fast picture
back then, but you didn't see all the other ones
that fell out. So I think it's got to be
the velocity that that's killing them. If we could pin
down one pitcher or the other, that's that's hurting all

(01:59:41):
these players. What does the league do about that? Do
they put a speed limit on the baseball or do
they give teams like the roster strength to allow pitchers
to do two winnings.

Speaker 5 (01:59:55):
I'll tell you what, Brent, you're making me think of
how they can go reverse balls they send to Yankee
Stadium for the Yankees to play with goldis what they're
gonna put on these baseballs. Per Brent, they're gonna put
a governor on the baseballs. There's only so fast they
can be thrown. Whatch you really did, Brent is point
out what should be obvious, But until I think I
hear it and everybody else here's maybe they don't realize it.

Speaker 4 (02:00:18):
So I appreciate you for this.

Speaker 5 (02:00:20):
Look at how many different factors we're putting out there.
It isn't probably just the pitch clock or just the
speed with which these pitchers are now. I mean there's
relievers specifically, Hey man, I want you to throw one
hundred and three for eleven pitches this afternoon and then
do it again in a couple of days. And I
absolutely think there's a lot to that with where things
are with Major League Baseball and then the injuries that

(02:00:41):
go with it.

Speaker 3 (02:00:41):
But there's only one thing that's been introduced in recent years,
and lesser Brent didn't bring that up.

Speaker 5 (02:00:46):
Oh no, no, no, No, one thing that's been introduced.
Pitchers pitching at this speed is where we're headed. We're
also head to do our Football at five segment with
Chandler Rome next here on the A Team, The A Team.

Speaker 1 (02:01:01):
On Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 2 (02:01:02):
Ninety Adam Clinton and Adam Wexler are d A team.

Speaker 3 (02:01:12):
It is the five o'clock hour here on the A
Team Sports Talk seven ninety Space City Home Network. Normally
we'd be talking football at five, but on Fridays we
talk to the one and only Chandler Rome of the Athletic.
He joins us to talk all things Astros and MLB.
Game one in the books, Game two just minutes away, basically,

(02:01:33):
and you've already been in the clubhouse today. The most
interesting thing you saw in the Astros clubhouse, Chandler Rome.

Speaker 10 (02:01:40):
There was a period of about five minutes where I
was the only human being standing in there.

Speaker 6 (02:01:45):
So that was probably the most interesting thing.

Speaker 4 (02:01:47):
I saw, no players or anything, not even staff.

Speaker 10 (02:01:51):
Correct, I was literally the only human being inside the clubhouse.

Speaker 4 (02:01:55):
Did you play DJ?

Speaker 6 (02:01:57):
I didn't know.

Speaker 10 (02:01:57):
I know that was a big I guess like that
stopped being a story when half the TV media stopped
showing up because that was the only story they could
find in spring training about who the DJ was going
to be. But there was actual I did find out
a top the spencer Arigedtty for a little bit.

Speaker 6 (02:02:12):
He was out of his cast.

Speaker 10 (02:02:14):
He was happily scrolling on his phone with his injured
right thumb, so the thumb is usable. Joe Spot had
been told us afterward that he's going to go next
week get the thumb imaged again to make sure everything
looks good, and then if that, if he clears that hurt,
he could start throwing a baseball maybe next week. Again,

(02:02:34):
not close to off the mound or anything, so that's
to play catch build up that way. But a light
beginning to appear at the end of the tunnel for
Spencer Araghedy.

Speaker 5 (02:02:44):
Is the light beginning to appear at the end of
the tunnel for number forty four.

Speaker 10 (02:02:51):
Well, that was also a hilarious little thing today. They
constructed this thing that we could all watch Jordan Alvarez
running the bases and in case you forgot, he's on
the il with a hand injury, nothing in his lower half,
nothing with his legs or anything, but he ran the
basis today for everyone to watch. There was no substantial update,

(02:03:12):
like I mean, it just you know, taking it one
day at a time. He feels better, they'll, you know,
Joe Spot has seen to indicate that he probably they
they're trending toward not sending him on a rehab assignment.

Speaker 6 (02:03:26):
When he's ready to go.

Speaker 10 (02:03:27):
But again, that could all change if he's not back,
you know, maybe in the next three or four days,
and they're gonna have to maybe rethink that. But I
think the thought is right now that he won't need
a rehab assignment. But you know, it's just kind of
status quo there. I mean, we haven't seen him hit outdoors,
we haven't seen him hit on the field. He's hit
off the pitching machine in the cages. According to the team officials.

(02:03:48):
He took some fly balls in the outfield today. But
I mean, other than that, it's just kind of status quo.

Speaker 5 (02:03:53):
We probably have another week to interview you on this
particular question with his arrival back in the lineup not
in but what would you think would make the most
sense if all bodies were healthy for this Astros lineup
for Joe a spotted to run out there when Alvarez returns,
say one through six.

Speaker 10 (02:04:12):
Well, Jeremy Penia and Essoc Paradis are hitting so well
first and second. But I don't think he can. I
don't think he can mess with that at the moment.
You know, Jose Altuve is I mean, he had two
homers last night as a three hole, but before that
he had not been hitting well. I think Altuve has
shown that he's probably the most amenable to moving around.

(02:04:35):
But I think you could see a situation where maybe,
you know, Jordan gets cleanup. I don't know if he'd
want a left hand I don't know if he'd want
a left handed bat higher in the lineup at that point,
but you could see, you know, Paania paradus. I don't
think they're gonna mess with that Paenia Paradus thing at
the top. So you see Pania paradus, Altuve, Alvarez, Diez

(02:04:55):
or Walker, maybe Diez than Walker. Then that there's Walker
down a little bit gives Joe the flexibility to swap
him up to uh maybe the five hole if and
when he turns it around. So I would think Jordon
maybe slots into that cleanup spot, but don't hold me
to that.

Speaker 5 (02:05:10):
Yeah, it's certainly something to consider. It does appear that
for the time being, with no Jordon, then four and
five will remain a Jainer Diaz and Christian Walker. Walker
no longer batting forth with jose Al Tuvay, and we
talked to Josh Reddick earlier. Obviously was teammates with him.
We know what he's all about. Talking about Jose. You know,
any given day he's got a smile on his face.

(02:05:32):
But we all know, and you talked to him again
last night, he's not been very happy with what he
has been unable to produce for this team. Can you
describe it kind of the way he described it to
you and the way you've seen it over the years
of what makes him feel like he's got it going
at the plate again?

Speaker 10 (02:05:48):
Well, with this specific slump, I mean it's been prett
obvious he's been hitting the ball on the ground way
too much. His ground ball rate was about fifty five percent,
and I mean, while he's still got some pretty good
sprint speeds also getting up there, and I mean it's
just not he's been rolling over a lot of ground balls.
Joe Spotty even said last night, you know, you even
saw when he thought the two swings that were not

(02:06:10):
home run swings that Joe Spotta kind of saw that
made him think that Al two Bay was turning the corner,
he got inside a ball and hit a ball to
the right side to the opposite field for a sack fly.
And then there was a pitch that got in on him,
but he was able to hit it to shortstop, and
it was a hard ground ball to shortstop.

Speaker 4 (02:06:26):
J C.

Speaker 10 (02:06:26):
Crawford made a nice play, but in the past that
had been like a rollover ground ball to third base
that was easy for the third baseman to get. So
there were little signs. And obviously he's got to get
the ball in the air a little more. He's got
to elevate the ball. He said that last night, that
that he's been working on, you know, elevating the ball,
getting the ball in the air. And you know, you
saw it last night. He hit two missiles. He hit
another sackfly to right field. So again it's a slow process.

(02:06:51):
But al two Ve is like the last guy I
would really dramatically worry about because I mean, I think,
as we've all said, like we talk about the minute
we start talking about Jose al Tuve like maybe declining
or maybe like not going well, he's gonna he's gonna
go crazy this Mariner series, and we're all gonna look
stupid because numbers are gonna be fine.

Speaker 3 (02:07:12):
Talking to Chandler Roam of the Athletic Here on Sports
Talk seven ninety Space City Home Network, we were talking
to Josh Reddick earlier about cam Smith simply because they
both played right field, and uh, just your thoughts on him.
I know he came up with, uh, you know, some
some runners on base last night. Just where he's at
right now? I feel like I ask you about him

(02:07:33):
every single time we have you on. But it's it's
just a fascinating subplot to the twenty twenty five Astro season.
Where you think he's at right now and what you're
seeing from him lately.

Speaker 10 (02:07:42):
Yeah, it's it's it's been odd because like he it's
certainly not that he's been a standout, but he's not
been bad either.

Speaker 6 (02:07:50):
He's just been kind of average.

Speaker 10 (02:07:51):
And I think that they would have probably taken that
like out of spring training, given the circumstances that he
had faced with, you know, ever, hardly playing in the
minor leagues, you know, not playing in Triple A, playing
like five games in Double A. Like to come up
here and hold your own to be a league average
hitter around the league average hitter is perfectly acceptable. He's

(02:08:12):
been excellent in right field, one of you know. I
think I looked at the DRS leaderboard this morning. I
believe he's the fourth best right fielder in baseball according
to Defensive Run Safe, So the defense has been elite.
I mean, obviously when he gets on the basis he
can recab it. They just had to make a lot
of adjustments with him, with his approach, with his swing,
with how quickly he gets his loads started in his swing.

(02:08:33):
So they knew that this was going to be a
process and they were gonna have to, you know, really
help him along and ingration and major league life and.

Speaker 6 (02:08:43):
It again, it's not as if he's been bad, but.

Speaker 10 (02:08:46):
There there does there is going to become a little dilemma, like,
you know, what is best for this roster construction? Is
it best to play him every day? Do they if
they go out at the deadline and get a left
handed hitting out field, or if they find a left
handed hitting outfield or on waivers or something that someone
that can come in and help them out. Is it
better that he's a platoon guy with a left handed bat,

(02:09:09):
or is it better that goes triple A and plays
every day. So I think they're still honestly contemplating that,
like if he should if he needs to go down
and play some more player day, But right now he
is playing well enough to be in the lineup every day,
so they're gonna keep it as is.

Speaker 4 (02:09:24):
A couple of things on the roster.

Speaker 5 (02:09:26):
If, if and when jord On Alvarez returns, and again
we any other injury could change the decision on that.

Speaker 4 (02:09:32):
For sure.

Speaker 5 (02:09:32):
They obviously have a third catcher right now, because I
see his name on the roster.

Speaker 4 (02:09:36):
I haven't seen him play any baseball.

Speaker 5 (02:09:37):
It's been here since the fifth of the month, and
Brendan Rodgers appears to not be a very popular option
for Joe spot at a pencil in at second base?
Do you think the days are numbered for Rogers here,
especially with Dubon hitting a little bit better and otherwise,
is it fairly obvious if and when you'ord On returns
they'll just go back to two catchers.

Speaker 10 (02:09:57):
Yeah, I think Seysar Salazar has taken it for TI.
When when Jordan Alvarez does return, Uh, the Rogers thing,
it wouldn't make much sense to me that you know,
as recently as like two weeks ago, they could have
cut him and or optioned him and like gotten his
salary off the books and everything like. It would be
kind of foolish to discard him like two weeks after.

(02:10:19):
You could have just cut him and saved a bunch
of money. So I don't think his roster spots in peril. Again,
things could change. My read on it is that's the case.
He has not performed well obviously, like we've talked on
here at nauseam, Like the underlying metrics look great, the
results do not look great, and the results are what

(02:10:40):
matters here. So yeah, I think Dubon's gonna get a
little bit more of an extended run. I'm not saying
he's gonna play second base every day. I think I'll
two Vey'll get some run. I think Brendan Rodgers will
get to start every now and then too, But I
think Dubon maybe the guy that plays a little bit
more regularly at second. But as of this moment, I
don't think Rogers his roster spot is in true peril.

Speaker 4 (02:11:01):
Is Renelle Blanco the new Kyle Tucker?

Speaker 6 (02:11:06):
God? What does that mean?

Speaker 5 (02:11:08):
Uh? You know, just just the just got hurt. They're
getting a second opinion. They haven't told us much about
it yet, but I imagine they'll somewhat be forced to
go when the negative news arrives.

Speaker 10 (02:11:21):
There was a there was a fun exchange today. So
I mean, just to make Joe's life easier, Like we're
just like, can you just tell us when he's getting
the second opinion so we don't have to ask you
about this every day? And he told us that sometime.
I think he may actually be getting it in the
next couple of days. And so he said he's going
to see the doctor. And I asked, well, what doctor is.

Speaker 6 (02:11:40):
He going to see? And he said, I know the name,
and I said, can you share that name?

Speaker 10 (02:11:43):
And he said he could not, So he's going to
see some doctor who knows. But I presume he has
a medical license. And I presume that that second opinion
will be rendered and we will hear about it in
expeditious fashion and it will be clear and concise, and
everyone will be and everyone will be satisfied with What is.

Speaker 3 (02:12:00):
I like that you assume he has a medical license,
but you're not gonna You're not gonna put your name
on it.

Speaker 5 (02:12:04):
I wish Joe would have said he's going to see
doctor Nick Riviera to see how many people would understand
that joke.

Speaker 6 (02:12:12):
I don't.

Speaker 10 (02:12:13):
I think I may know what that joke is, but
I don't want to say it on air.

Speaker 5 (02:12:16):
All right, he's a character on the symptoms, kind of
a quack. Okay, okay, Lance mccullors. Obviously you talked to
him as well last night. What did you think stood
out about his night's work, And it sounded like he
was he did things that he had been hoping he
would be able to do, whether it was with a
certain pitch that went well or finishing off a few
more hitters than he had in the past.

Speaker 10 (02:12:38):
Yeah, just another positive Golding blocker. I thought he looke
pretty good last night. Obviously, he's got to get the
efficiency under control. Getting needing forty six pitches to get
his first six outs was kind of that kind of
spelled doom, like you knew he wasn't gonna get deep
in the game because he threw that many pitches in
two winnings.

Speaker 6 (02:12:56):
But I mean he.

Speaker 10 (02:12:57):
Got I think he got fifteen whiffs. No, he got
fourteen wiffs last night after getting fifteen total in.

Speaker 6 (02:13:04):
His first three starts.

Speaker 10 (02:13:05):
The slider looked excellent, The curveball was a really good
out pitch to a couple to couple of their lefties.
He barely used the sinker last night. I think he
only threw ten fastballs. The last fastball he threw the
last pitch of the game was ninety four point three
miles an hour, which again is encouraging that on his
ninety first pitch he can reach back and get ninety five.
That means like the stuff is holding, So again another

(02:13:28):
good building block for him. I think he would have
loved to finish the fifth inning. And I think the
fifth inning kind of demonstrated kind of the the thin
line and the fit just that little game he has
to make. He got cal Raley in an O two
count gave ended up giving up a single. After he
got back to three TOWO he got Randy rose Reina
and an O two count gave.

Speaker 6 (02:13:47):
Up a single and that ended.

Speaker 10 (02:13:48):
So he's a pitch away from these two pitches away
from getting out of that fifth inning. So you know,
it's the balance is fascinating. I wrote about this last
night and I asked Joe Spot about it. You know,
Lance is like Lance's importance has only grown in the
last forty eight hours.

Speaker 6 (02:14:05):
To this rotation.

Speaker 10 (02:14:05):
Like he's gonna have to get them deeper into games
because like they can't ask the bullpen to cover as
many outs as they did last night. Every time out
and then when you've got Ryan Gusto going tonight, you've
got Colton Gordon go on Sunday. Like that kind of
lends you to believe that the bullpen is going to
be taxed a little bit. So mccullors is going to

(02:14:26):
be really important going forward, and I think they're going
to have to have a balance of you know, pushing
him and seeing reading his pitch shapes and how he
is balancing that with the need to win games, because
you know, you can't just let Lance like experiment or
like like do things like that and put the result
of a game in jeopardy. So it'll be an interesting

(02:14:47):
balance for them. But the Lance is certainly trending in
the right direction. And uh looked looked very good last
night against a lineup that had been hitting pretty well
coming into us.

Speaker 3 (02:14:56):
Good stuff as always each and every week here on
the eight Team with Chandler Roam of the Athletic You
got one more thing.

Speaker 5 (02:15:02):
Yeah, I just wanted to ask you about your thoughts
on the new seating system for the college football playoffs.
You win, you get ranked, and this are your seats.
No more auto buys, et cetera.

Speaker 10 (02:15:13):
Yeah, I think it's good that Boise State doesn't get
a buye or did did they get a bye last
which like no name mid major teams got a buy
last year.

Speaker 5 (02:15:22):
I mean they're not mid major. But Arizona State was
advanced as a four seed without needing to play their
opening game in Boise State, I believe was the three.

Speaker 10 (02:15:31):
Okay, so yeah that was Yeah, they don't know they
play an actual schedule or pay money to get into
a good conference and play an actual schedule and.

Speaker 4 (02:15:39):
Then you never disappoint sir.

Speaker 6 (02:15:43):
Yeah, that's my thought on it.

Speaker 10 (02:15:45):
Like I think, if you play, I think you should
be rewarded for a good regular season and a good
schedule and that should get you a buye if you
win the best conferences in the country and if you
play a good schedule.

Speaker 6 (02:15:56):
So that's my thought. I think it's pretty common sense.

Speaker 4 (02:15:58):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (02:15:59):
Well, after just year after year of having to work
on Memorial Day, you have been rewarded with an off
day this year.

Speaker 4 (02:16:05):
Chandler, the baseball gods love me, and so do we.

Speaker 3 (02:16:10):
Chandler Rome here on the eighteen Sports Talk seven ninety
Space City home Network.

Speaker 1 (02:16:17):

Speaker 5 (02:16:29):
Back with you here, on the eighteen great visit with
Chandler Rome. We had a great visit with Josh Reddick earlier.
If you want to catch you either of those, you
know what to do. Fire up the IR radio app.
You are already subscribing to the eighteen podcast. Yes you
already have Sports Talk seven ninety number one on your presets. Yes, well,
I hope so, because it's very easy to find those
interviews there.

Speaker 4 (02:16:48):
The entire show.

Speaker 5 (02:16:49):
Our thoughts about a Memorial Day four pack that was
the subject or category for our Friday a team draft,
so you can check that out. Also, side of things,
I haven't spent a whole lot of time on what's
going to happen tonight in the Eastern Conference, Knicks and
Pacers getting to the other Knicks trying to not head
to Indiana down two they lost with in that Yeah,

(02:17:12):
I was super entertaining.

Speaker 4 (02:17:13):
It was honestly.

Speaker 5 (02:17:14):
The game was really really close until Brunston picked up
his first foul on the fifth foul in the fourth quarter.
He went to the bench and the next immediately went
on a ten er run, built a double figure lead,
which turned into a fantastic memorable finish as they pace
as a race to seventeen point fourth quarter deficit. We
had the ball drop shot and the overtime victory after

(02:17:35):
two kind of bad misses on threes from Jalen Brunton
and Karl Anthony Towns on the final possession for the Knicks.
So one thirty eight, one to thirty five overtime win
for the Pacers. They tried to take two games to
none lead. Saw a list that indicated the most game
tying or go ahead field goals, final five seconds of

(02:17:55):
the fourth quarter or overtime in the playoffs since nineteen
ninety seven. I wasn't really surprised in the names that
were on the list. Other than Chris Middleton, He's had
four of them, Oh my gosh, Kobe Bryant with four,
Tyre's Halliburton with four, three of them in this postseason,
Reggie Miller with five.

Speaker 4 (02:18:16):
Reggie Miller's looking good.

Speaker 5 (02:18:18):
Does he pass it to the man and it's good?
Lebron James has eight. So of course, with only that
information on the graphic, I had to put the Wexel
research team.

Speaker 4 (02:18:29):
To work that time. They did something.

Speaker 5 (02:18:30):
It's pretty obvious there's some difference in these postseason players.
If you were to guess how many postseason games do
you think Tyre's Halliburton is played. He's hit four game
tying shots or go ahead field goals in his postseason career.
How many games do you think he's played in his
postseason career?

Speaker 4 (02:18:49):
What years this for him? Can I have that hint
at least?

Speaker 7 (02:18:52):
Well?

Speaker 5 (02:18:52):
He started off killing it in Sacramento and they said,
we hate winning, so we're going to trade him for
the Facers.

Speaker 3 (02:18:56):
Completely forgotten he played in Sacramento. Isn't that crazy?

Speaker 4 (02:18:59):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (02:19:00):
This will conclude his seventh excuse me, sixth NBA season.
Five five NBA seasons started in twenty twenty, so fifty.
This is his second postseason. This night will be only
his twenty seventh postseason game.

Speaker 3 (02:19:20):
Wow, I thought he played in the postseason way more.
That's why I kind of like did rough math in
my head.

Speaker 5 (02:19:25):
And he's hit four of these shots game winners or
game tying shots in the final five seconds of the
fourth quarter overtime four times in twenty six games.

Speaker 3 (02:19:35):
The percentage is there are pretty high, it's very high.
Twenty seven games he's hit four of.

Speaker 5 (02:19:39):
These twenty six sixty seven is tonight Reggie's got his
five Reggie's played in a few more postseason games, one
hundred and forty four of them, whom goes to dynamite Kobe,
like Tyrese has four, he did it in two hundred
and twenty games.

Speaker 4 (02:19:54):
Yeah, that's you know what about that.

Speaker 3 (02:19:57):
I would have guessed a much mo much higher amount
of the shots for Kobe.

Speaker 4 (02:20:03):
I want sure I feel that more in the regular season.
It's probably very very very very high.

Speaker 3 (02:20:07):
Well, when you're airballing threes in the playoffs against the
Jazz before Phil gets there.

Speaker 5 (02:20:11):
And Lebron James's eight came in two hundred and ninety
two playoff games. So it's great to see the list,
but there's definitely context there. I don't know that ty
Reese is gonna, you know, double this over his next
twenty six games and reach Lebron's level.

Speaker 4 (02:20:27):
He probably won't. Well, they have to be competitive.

Speaker 3 (02:20:30):
They and honestly, that's one other NBA he's gonna have
zero because they're blowing them out by thirty.

Speaker 5 (02:20:35):
And if you didn't see this one, this is a
pretty good indicator of what they're doing to teams this season,
both postseason and regular season. Their win last night gave
him seventy eight wins in ninety five games.

Speaker 4 (02:20:47):
This year, there's.

Speaker 5 (02:20:48):
Seventy eight and seventeen sixty of those seventy eight wins
by double digit.

Speaker 3 (02:20:54):
To me, and I know I'm going to get all
sorts of degreef from you and everybody listening. Yes, I'm sorry,
Like I don't remember the Warriors doing this, like getting
doing that in the regular season because you've got your
death lineup and you're playing the Bobcats, you know what
I mean. Like that's one thing. It's I guess impressive
if you're into that sort of thing. I mean, we

(02:21:16):
all know all too well about regular season prowess here
in Houston and then failing in the postseason James Harden,
But I don't remember them boat racing teams like this
in the postseason at all. Matter of fact, Well, I've
gone at length about how lucky they have been for
the injuries sustained to other players that are key for

(02:21:37):
their opponents all the way towards pretty much all their titles,
Houston included.

Speaker 4 (02:21:42):
But there was just more competition.

Speaker 5 (02:21:44):
So the year before the seventy three win season, the
sixty seven win.

Speaker 4 (02:21:49):
Season twenty sixteen.

Speaker 5 (02:21:52):
The twenty seventeen playoffs sixteen seventeen, Oh, sixteen seventeen. They
lost a playoff game that year, just the one yeah,
so three sweeps and in the series against the Blazers
one game decided by less than ten, and the series
against the Jazz, no games decided by less than ten,
and the series against the Spurs one game decided by

(02:22:14):
less than ten.

Speaker 4 (02:22:15):
And in the finals against the Cavs, obviously they lost
their best team. They lost one game. Their sixty seven
win season was their best team. And that's why I
went to that team.

Speaker 5 (02:22:23):
They I do think you would actually see similarities to
what I just mentioned about the Thunder.

Speaker 3 (02:22:29):
And the whole seventy three win season. Again, I am
just so it makes me mad that they won more
one more game than the Bulls because they just want
and it's so funny, like I know, it's different eras
and all that kind of stuff. The Bulls would have
destroyed that team if you're playing under nineties rules with

(02:22:49):
hand checking and all. That's why they're so much more impressive.
They put up seventy two wins when you could hand
check Michael Jordan, when you could do things that you
would never be I mean.

Speaker 5 (02:22:59):
You could decapitate players. Basically the Pistons did. Yep, you
could argue that's why he didn't win more. But and
again I'm not I'm not strictly trying to take away
from the Warriors, but like it's when when my progenity
is coaching sixty of the games, Like, I'm sorry, this

(02:23:21):
is why I don't think Steve Kurr is one of
the greatest all time coaches.

Speaker 4 (02:23:23):
Like everybody wants me to believe.

Speaker 5 (02:23:25):
Those two years in the postseason they won those titles
in seventeen and eighteen, they obviously won eight to zero
in their eight series the Warriors. The Warriors lost six
games in those eight playoff series, h half of them
to Houston.

Speaker 4 (02:23:40):
I mean, I rest my case. They were so good
in case we should have rings. You and me should
have rings. Well, I should have ring.

Speaker 1 (02:23:48):
You weren't working then.

Speaker 4 (02:23:48):
I wasn't not for the Rockets. Oh, I was just working,
just pulling a paycheck somewhere.

Speaker 3 (02:23:52):
And then I wasn't working after the season was over
because I'd already gotten fired from this place because of
some jackass.

Speaker 5 (02:23:57):
Will have tickets to give away to the Psychedelic Fers
coming up in the final segment of the show in
case you missed its next. As you guys know, loyal
listeners of the show, things that are said normally during
that segment, that's what we ask you about so we
can get you set up with those tickets.

Speaker 4 (02:24:11):
So in case you missed it is.

Speaker 1 (02:24:12):
Next the ad on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 5 (02:24:21):
A bunch of stuff. Undoubtedly we've missed it. It's Friday,
after all. Anything sometimes goes, sometimes it's missed. In case
you missed it has arrived. What do we have today?

Speaker 9 (02:24:30):
Cole Congratulations to anybody out there that's looking to buy
their next Texas jersey because numbers are out based off
of NFL.

Speaker 4 (02:24:40):
Jersey dot com. Kaylen buck In no longer bowl wear
number twenty one. He's switched on over to number two. CJ.
Gardner Johnson's gonna wear number twenty three.

Speaker 6 (02:24:48):
EJ.

Speaker 9 (02:24:48):
Speed, the linebacker from Indianapolis, is wear number forty five.
Ladarius Henderson is switching numbers from seventy eight to now
seventy three. Forty three is not gonna be worn by
a Jacob Johnson. Number ninety is gonna worn by Sheldon Rankins.
He's not gonna be back in number ninety eight once again.
Number eleven is gonna be worn by Traymont Smith. Jake
Ander's gonna wear number sixteen, and I believe Elijah Hussey

(02:25:12):
is gonna wear number thirty six.

Speaker 4 (02:25:14):
Oh and out one more. They've gotten rid of Larrmy
Tunzel's number seventy six. Somebody else is wearing it this year.

Speaker 5 (02:25:22):
Zach Thomas, Yeah, Zach Thomas was a part of the
team last year. They added him from the Patriots. He's
probably not gonna wear number seventy eight for the Texans
this coming year, even though he currently has it.

Speaker 4 (02:25:37):
Huzzy. Is he destined for injured reserve this year?

Speaker 5 (02:25:43):
I think practice squad coming off of a fairly significant
post season injury. I believe in the one of the
All Star Games or get together.

Speaker 4 (02:25:53):
That's right.

Speaker 9 (02:25:53):
Yeah, that's gonna be a guy that probably ends up
on the NFI list and you're banking on him to
be back.

Speaker 4 (02:25:58):
Yeah, because he was out there at Rookie Mini Caamp.

Speaker 5 (02:26:01):
Obviously I had some intel on Ladarius Henderson also, since
he was at rookie Minni camp wearing number seventy three
that you just mentioned.

Speaker 4 (02:26:08):
It's now number three.

Speaker 5 (02:26:10):
Third different number that second year player Kayln Bullock has
worn because he also at rookie Mini caamp a year
ago he wore forty one and over the course of
time leading up to the season switched to twenty one,
which he obviously wore during the season. And now he said,
thank you God, Robert Woods is gone. I can take
number two.

Speaker 7 (02:26:29):
This.

Speaker 3 (02:26:30):
I do want to bring something up and this isn't
a shot at any local team whatsoever. But I did
not like it that Jalen Green switched his number like
after year one.

Speaker 4 (02:26:41):
What about Jabari Smith Junior? Same thing.

Speaker 3 (02:26:43):
I didn't like any I don't like that it like
these guys are rookies, they get their number, especially in
the NBA, that's unheard of.

Speaker 4 (02:26:49):
Most of the time you get a number, you basically
keep it. Two guys just did in a span of
back to back years. Right now. Would you like it
more if you got a refund for the jersey? Yes?

Speaker 3 (02:26:58):
Okay, So that's the whole point. These jerseys are not
like cheaps you go and get one for your kid.

Speaker 5 (02:27:03):
And there are a lot of times where teams have
in fact offered that, if I'm not mistaken, there are
and not for the reasons they've offered it. With other
players who run a foul of the law or now
playing elsewhere, that they put a jersey swap program in place.

Speaker 4 (02:27:19):
What else do we have?

Speaker 5 (02:27:19):
So?

Speaker 9 (02:27:20):
Remember how Alex Bregman left the game against the Multimore
Orioles earlier today, If you missed it, he hit the
ball and he ran to first and he knew before
he arrived at first there was something wrong with his leg,
kind of pulled up, immediately signaled to the bench.

Speaker 5 (02:27:34):
Alex Korra came out as he started already walking himself
off the field, kind of tossed his helmet aside, like
he knew something had happened before the trainer even got
out there. He was already on his way back into
the dugout left the game.

Speaker 4 (02:27:46):
The team said it was a quad injury. What do
we have now?

Speaker 10 (02:27:50):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (02:27:50):
Do you remember how he was arguing with Raffy Devers
on who was going to be playing third base even
if it doesn't matter Raffi Devers had dead because if
it didn't matter that he left the game.

Speaker 4 (02:27:58):
File score nineteen to five.

Speaker 9 (02:27:59):
As the Boston Red Sox have two long balls from
number eleven, including in a career high eight RBI day.

Speaker 4 (02:28:07):
A grand slam a thirteen run.

Speaker 9 (02:28:09):
Eighth inning to secure a double digit victory in a
double header, as Baltimore and Boston will take the field
at fen Away later on this afternoon.

Speaker 5 (02:28:17):
I'm glad you brought that up because when we were
talking about it earlier, I meant to get to that.
We were talking about the Red Sox and the winning
or losing or where they kind of stand. And Alex
Bragman's obviously been a huge part of it. But A
braw another former member of the Astros organization, has been really,
really good and their best offensive player has been catching
grief from everybody outside the organization the entire season. Devers

(02:28:41):
has been phenomenal offensively all season.

Speaker 3 (02:28:46):
Line, I'm not playing out of position Devers. He's been great.
He's been awesome and obviously was again today.

Speaker 9 (02:28:53):
Yeah, four hits to major league leading forty seven RBIs.

Speaker 4 (02:28:56):
After today he hit his seventh career Grand.

Speaker 9 (02:28:59):
Slam and his second in a stay span to bring.

Speaker 4 (02:29:02):
Us total to monty. He'll get his old position back
for a while too, apparently. Okay, what else do we have?

Speaker 9 (02:29:08):
So remember how I talked about last week when brock
perty signed. That's gonna be the baseline whenever C. J.
Stroud is into conversations for negotiation, we have another guy
that's going to be going into negotiations that will set
the standard for Will Anderson. Aiden Hudgson of the Detroit
Lions has been clear to return to practice full He
recovered from that nasty leg injury that cost him most
of a season that probably would have been a Defensive

(02:29:30):
Player of the Year. Yes, campaign, he is going to
be getting paid a bucket load this offseason. They are
trying to get a deal done before the start of
training camp.

Speaker 4 (02:29:39):
Okay, I love Will Anderson Junior. We all do.

Speaker 3 (02:29:43):
When fully healthy Aiden Hutchinson still is a better football player.

Speaker 4 (02:29:47):
Fully healthy Aiden Hodgson is the top five pass rusher.

Speaker 3 (02:29:50):
So then is this strictly based on scale and it
doesn't matter or will that still factor into how.

Speaker 5 (02:29:56):
Much Will Hutchinson gets his deal done this year, which
I think Cole's indicating correctly that they will get together
and make it happen. I think the lines have set
up some of the other deals they've made so they'd
be in position to make this deal happen. He's gonna
get X years for X dollars. And when will Anderson
signs his deal. If it is next off season, he'll
get X plus years or.

Speaker 4 (02:30:18):
Maybe the same years, but he'll get more money. That's
what I was asking. He will get more money. It's
a timing thing.

Speaker 3 (02:30:23):
It's just based on a timing. It's not based on
he's better.

Speaker 4 (02:30:26):
Now.

Speaker 5 (02:30:26):
Did you actually hear the question that was asked? And
more to the point, the answer that Aida Hutchinson gave
when he said, yeah, I'm clear to play. Yeah, Like
I watched him say it, and I don't know if
there's much to it. I'm kind of shocked that he's ready, yes.

Speaker 9 (02:30:43):
The way that they said, I'm rolling with the boys,
and I feel like that I'm back to being myself because.

Speaker 4 (02:30:47):
It was late in the year. Was it not well
of the season?

Speaker 5 (02:30:50):
It's mair for that. It just didn't seem like his
timeline and clear to play like I don't.

Speaker 4 (02:30:57):
He's not.

Speaker 5 (02:30:57):
They're not doing anything. They're not he's not even Yeah,
so it's probably nothing, But I mean, the NFL loves
having their best players on the field, and hopefully we
might call it a nothing burger. Some might call it
that one more thing.

Speaker 9 (02:31:12):
Yeah, you may call in the free throw merchant. Whatever,
it doesn't matter, say Jills, Alexander had a career night
for himself thirty eight points in a dominating win over
the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Speaker 4 (02:31:22):
They're up to.

Speaker 9 (02:31:22):
Nothing, have an opportunity to go to Minneapolis and close
out this in two games to guarantee them spot in
the in the NBA Finals.

Speaker 3 (02:31:29):
I hope and I know this. I'm not this is
totally retorted like rafel Stone. I'm not saying he needs
to build a team to beat the Thunder like Daryl
used to openly say, I'm building the team to beat
the Warriors.

Speaker 4 (02:31:41):
But like they're in.

Speaker 3 (02:31:42):
They're it in both conferences, and I think you already
have a baseline cores that can compete with them, at
least defensively to where it's actually competitive. And I don't
think you've seen anybody, and this includes Denver. I know,
I just they just got done playing seven games. But
you need to improve this Rockets team, but not take

(02:32:04):
away defensively from what they do, because they're the only team,
in my opinion, out there that can even start to
approach hanging with the Thunder as they become the monster
they're already becoming.

Speaker 5 (02:32:17):
Yeah, pretty remarkable postseason I don't think you'd have anyone
arguing against that, saying he hasn't been great and he's
done it while going from a thirty seven point five
percent three point shooter in the regular season in his
thirteen postseason game so far this year twenty eight.

Speaker 4 (02:32:33):
Point one, he has been awful shooting threes. And you get.

Speaker 5 (02:32:39):
He averaged nine point six free throws per game this postseason,
up from the eight point eight he's earned it.

Speaker 3 (02:32:46):
Regular I ever want to hear about you don't get
him in the postseason. It you only don't get him
in the postseason if your name is James.

Speaker 5 (02:32:51):
Harden another international Most valuable Player national.

Speaker 3 (02:32:56):
Basket on the continent when you're born. Sorry, those are
the rules. Dylan Brooks is not going to be some
international MVP. He's also never getting the MVP.

Speaker 5 (02:33:04):
We will give you the opportunity and when tickets next
put a rap on the show. Get your set for
Astros on deck here as we continue on the eighteen.

Speaker 1 (02:33:12):

Speaker 5 (02:33:25):
Let's get you some Summer of Fun concert tickets here
on the A team Psychedelic Firs are playing on July twelfth.
House of Blues tickets are actually on sale now ticketmaster
dot com wi your chance to win them from us here,
our listeners, you guys come first. We appreciate you being
with us each and every day all throughout these years,
right here on this program and earlier this afternoon.

Speaker 4 (02:33:46):
Well, if you were listening, you will know.

Speaker 5 (02:33:48):
The answer to this question. Actually the last segment. If
you were listening, you know the answer to this question.
Seven one three two one two five seven nineties and
the number you dial to be a winner and share
with Cole the answer to this question. One of the
Houston Texans players that we talked about that's changing his
number is changing his number two, the number two for
the upcoming season. Who is that player? Very simple question,

(02:34:10):
very simple answer. If you know anybody on the Texans,
you're now eligible to guest, you can guess that player.
My hint to you, it's not c. J. Stroud and
it's not Will Anderson. What Texans player is changing his
number for the upcoming season. He will be number two
mentioned that last segment, along with a bunch of other
number jersey changes for the upcoming season. You know the answer.

(02:34:31):
You call us seven one three two one two five
seven ninety and Cole will get you hooked up to
go see the Furs coming up on July twelfth at
the House of Blues. Little concert going on this weekend tomorrow.

Speaker 4 (02:34:44):
As a matter of fact, that's not a concert, that's
a whole festival.

Speaker 5 (02:34:47):
Buzzfest, one of the crowning events and achievements here with
the iHeartRadio family ninety four to five, the buzz putting
on a fantastic show each and every year, and the
lineup it's a one to say the least, and it
should close out with an absolute bang.

Speaker 4 (02:35:04):
Well final two acts performing.

Speaker 3 (02:35:06):
So Chevelle is like one of Blummer's favorite artists ever hit.

Speaker 5 (02:35:11):
So I'm on the social media plan a little bit
of that at the Homestead.

Speaker 4 (02:35:15):
Yes, he's that was his walk up music.

Speaker 3 (02:35:18):
But I and I So Manson comes to town this
past September and I'm like, god, he never disappoints. And
I post a video and immediately just flooded with comments,
Well he disappointed this.

Speaker 4 (02:35:30):
One time when he was drunk.

Speaker 3 (02:35:32):
I'm like, dude, he's a rock star first of all,
like ticking up your skin. And secondly, I mean, what
concert have you not gone to before? Where at least
one of the artists. You saw was in a diva
and you know, showed up late and all that. I'm
not saying that's what's gonna happen here. It is a
very tight schedule to keep. It's like, shut up, man,
you just people just want to complain, just to complain.
I can't wait. In fact, I'm working. I'm working this

(02:35:55):
right now. I say I'm working this. I plan on
if you want to join me, I plan on being
in the pit when Manson set starts tomorrow night.

Speaker 5 (02:36:04):
So you anticipate music off of his latest release.

Speaker 4 (02:36:10):
Well do you know what he remade just a couple
months ago.

Speaker 5 (02:36:12):
I heard two people at the station yesterday and well
you were one of them not only talking about this,
but actually playing this music. One of our fearless leaders
on our programming side, Callum Reid, and you were reminiscing
about some of your favorite moments in the Manson performance catalog.

Speaker 3 (02:36:31):
I was telling him that, you know his renew He's
got several remakes, and one of them is his newest
is in the Air Tonight by Phil Collins.

Speaker 4 (02:36:39):
Is that Sacrifice of the Mass is not a remake?
I don't think so.

Speaker 5 (02:36:43):
As sick as the Secrets within also original music.

Speaker 4 (02:36:46):
Reading some of his titles of his songs. That's get that.

Speaker 5 (02:36:49):
Would belgious, that would be sacrilegious. Yeah, that's that's the
sixth cut off or fifth cut off his new album.

Speaker 4 (02:36:55):
Yeah, I'm not a huge fan. Will you play us
out with that?

Speaker 3 (02:37:00):
What does that mean to play us out in the show? No,
but like there's certain songs that I just don't think
you should.

Speaker 5 (02:37:05):
Not if you understand that's cut three, cut three.

Speaker 4 (02:37:09):
Bill O'Reilly kind of guy anyway, probably wants to meet
me in purgatory.

Speaker 3 (02:37:16):
This is why we can't have nice things on a
Friday and a final segment.

Speaker 4 (02:37:21):
But I don't mind this one.

Speaker 3 (02:37:23):
It's like my fit because that song's been remade a
million times and uh, this is actually one that I
didn't mind.

Speaker 5 (02:37:29):
No, good lineup as usual, hopefully really entertaining afternoon for sure, and.

Speaker 3 (02:37:35):
Yes, shout out to Pod who are some of the
nicest guys on the planet. And they, by the way,
they'll they'll absolutely rock awesome. It's uh, it's gonna be fun.
I'm gonna hydrate though.

Speaker 5 (02:37:46):
It's gonna will reconvene on Monday at Tuesday. On Tuesday,
I was already getting there Tuesday for in advance of
the first of two games against the Athletics.

Speaker 6 (02:37:57):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (02:37:58):
The Astros are two and a half games out after
their win last night over the Mariners. They've got three
more games against the Mariners. And I don't think the
Astros ever made it official, but Colton Gordon's going to
start Sunday from Berveldz starts tomorrow. Ryan Gusto starts tonight
and the lineup remains unchanged from yesterday. The same lineup
to put nine runs on the board and has played very,

(02:38:20):
very good baseball here in Houston. Yesterday I said I
felt good about the series. Did not commit to a
sweep though it was projected on me as if I had,
But feeling good means I think they win a series.
I did not change my opinion after they won the
opening game of the series. I believe we will hit
you on Tuesday with three wins at a minimum this
weekend from your Astros.

Speaker 3 (02:38:41):
That means they're getting to which front end starter I mean,
I don't.

Speaker 5 (02:38:46):
Connestly I said it last year and it didn't seem
right at the time. I think Brian wu is their
best starter and he's scheduled to go Saturday.

Speaker 3 (02:38:53):
They they play well against Castillo, and he's not what
he used to be either.

Speaker 4 (02:38:59):
He's he slipped.

Speaker 5 (02:39:00):
He's a little bit like Lance in that you should
not have this much movement on some of your pitches.
But I think he harnesses enough of his pitches that
he throws a lot of strikes. And that's what's different.
That's what Lance is working towards. But he's whether or
not his numbers are. They're really good. They're not unbelievable
this year.

Speaker 3 (02:39:18):
You remember though, when they made that trade, everybody's like,
oh my gosh.

Speaker 5 (02:39:21):
Well it was even worse when they not long after
extended him. I'm like, come on, man, come on, Reds and.

Speaker 4 (02:39:28):
Then keep a good player.

Speaker 3 (02:39:29):
And then Scott's servis is like, I'll show you how
to screw all this up. Here comes Robbie Ray and
then what happened nuke.

Speaker 5 (02:39:36):
Well, hopefully sometime in the very near future we'll see
that from Yrd on Alvarez.

Speaker 4 (02:39:41):
Don't forget.

Speaker 5 (02:39:41):
You can hit us up on the social media at
Sports Talk seven ninety and get your votes in on
who put together the best Memorial Day four pack? Is
This weekend approaches That was the subject of.

Speaker 4 (02:39:51):
The Yeah, who wants to play some strip pokes? Has
it been posted yet? Yeah, it's already yup. Well, can
you give us a quick vote?

Speaker 5 (02:39:57):
Tally mister, I'm going to win again and every single
one we ever do. You are undefeated all time, you
have the best all time record.

Speaker 9 (02:40:05):
Yeah, I'm up forty five percent. Watch is at twenty
seven percent ace. He's a twenty eight percent over. He
has one. He's got it all right. We'll hit you
back on Tuesday. Enjoy your weekends day stafe and happy,
and we got astros on deck from the ballpark. Dan
Matthews has that for you

Speaker 1 (02:40:19):
Next the eight on Sports Talk seven ninety

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