September 4, 2025 • 20 mins
Chicago White Sox Director of Player Personnel Gene Watson joins the show with only a few weeks remaining in the MLB regular season.
Can the red-hot Giants, Rangers or Rays crash the MLB playoff picture? Which pitching staff does Gene trust among the contenders entering October?
Can the red-hot Giants, Rangers or Rays crash the MLB playoff picture? Which pitching staff does Gene trust among the contenders entering October?
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Time to talk baseball with a good friend. Geene Watson
from Chicago White Talks Front office gin. I need something.
I need you to explain something to me. You've been
in the business with Major League Baseball.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
What forty years? Forty plus years now, is that right?
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Thirty six years? Thirty six years? Okay, all right, so
explain this to me. The Padres get swept at home
by the Orioles. The Dodgers have dropped the first two
games in Pittsburgh, probably going to get swept because Schemes
is pitching tonight for the Pirates. The Mariners have been
on the skids of late. Some of the other teams
(00:41):
around baseball also have been skidding.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
As I thought we were past the dog days.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Explain this time of year, first week in September and
how teams are trying to fight through all this to
push through that wall and get to the finish line.
The Blue Jays are another team we can throw in
there that's been kind of up and down of late.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
You know, Craig, it's really it's not who you play,
it's when you play them. And every team and these
are major league players they've got, they're very talented players.
They've got great coaching staffs, they've got tremendous game planning,
and of a twenty six man roster, there are times
where teams are just not clicking on all cylinders, be
(01:23):
it injuries, performance, there could be things going on in
the clubhouse, it could be travel, and it's just it's
a unique sport. It's not like any other sport, and
that there is a psychology to it, and there's a
rhythm to the season. And you know, I give two
instances in two thousand and one when I was advancing
the Yankees and they were getting crushed in September and
(01:44):
won the World Series. And in two thousand and three
when we had a horrific August and early September in Miami.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
And we ended up winning the World Series.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
So you know, it's a race to the finish line,
and then once you get there, you take a breath,
you reset, and then you try to you know, get
your team in order to win eleven games and hopefully,
you know, these teams will get things in going. But
I'm with you, it's been crazy the way that the
season has gone this year.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yeah, I give you no.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
And Tigers have dropped seven of their last ten. Now
they still have a comfortable lead in the division. They're
up ten on Kansas City, but with regard to the
wild card, and that's where I wanted to go next
with this. So the Yankees and Red Sox are in
pretty solid shape right now. The Mariners, who have skidded
of late, still have a game and a half edge
on the Rangers, who had won six in a row,
(02:31):
but now they've dropped two in a row, and the
Royals are two and a half back, And all of
a sudden, the Rays who've won six in a row
in nine of ten are two and a half back,
and even the Guardians are three back. It sounds like
this thing is still up for grabs, at least for
the number three wildcard spot.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Well, and when you get into the final seven games,
the things that you have to do, let's just start
with Cleveland, Tampa and Kansas City. You know, when you
get into to or guy in those final seven games
and say you're two or three out, you've got to
manage every inning of every game a little bit differently.
You've got to think about bringing uh starters out of
the bullpen on their pen days. You've got to think
(03:10):
about you know, guys, that you may be strong side
of platoons or or guys maybe playing with injuries that
they wouldn't normally play now they've got to play, and
that ends up taxing you once you get into the playoffs.
And so uh, it's just, uh, it's going to be
a dogfight. And I would say, you know, it's probably
gonna end up like it is right now if you
(03:32):
if you put a gun to my head. But but
but anything can happen to Schedules are not easy for
any of these teams down the stretch, and so it's
going to be really interesting to see how it plays out.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
What's going on with the Rangers.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
You when you were on last week with Cam when
I was making my security this route to uh to Columbus, Uh,
you mentioned, you know, obviously because of the injuries were
one thing, and losing Nathan Vivaldi was it was another thing,
and that you just weren't hitting all of a sudden, the.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Kind of hitting again.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Look like Jock Peterson got a wake up call and
if they had won those last two games against the Diamondbacks,
they would actually be sitting in the third wild card
spot now.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
But what are you seeing from the Rangers here late
in the season. Again, I just think it's a sense
of urgency. I think they realize that, you know, they've
got arguably the best manager in the history of the
game of baseball leading the way they've they've kind of
underachieved this point throughout the season, and they're just clicking
on all cylinders. When you got Cody Freeman, who was
called up from Round Rock, getting game winning hits, you
(04:31):
know you're you're playing at a different level, and they've
just I think they felt like, you know, we've kind
of underperformed at this point. But the sense of urgency
is there because they're making such a strong push. But again,
you know, the injuries have really taken their toll, and
you know, I do they get the grown back, who knows?
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Do they get seeker back? Who knows?
Speaker 3 (04:50):
If they could get those guys back, they got a
chance to be, you.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Know, there to the end.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
But I really with the schedules the way they are,
I think it's going to be difficult for there could
be a swing from where the Wild Cards are right now.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Talking baseball with Geen Watson here on thirteen hundred of
the Zone, let me bring up another team, another team
that you are really well acquainted with with the front office.
You know their front office, you know all the front offices,
but you know this front office very very well.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
And I'm talking about the Giants.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
The Giants were long considered to be dead and dead
in the water. They've won nine of ten, they're back
above five hundred. They look like they've gotten pretty feisty.
They were kind of mixing it up there with the Rockies,
but there are four back of the Mets now. It
would take a push for them to try to reach
that wildcard spot there. But they've hopped past Cincinnati and
(05:44):
some of those younger guys because everybody thought the Giants
had waved the white flag when they made all those
trades at the deadline and unloaded a lot of players.
But all of a sudden, several other younger guys are
starting to hit and Endeavors is playing well.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
It speaks to two things.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
When when they got to the deadline and and and
this is where the teams that do what they did
then make the right decision at the right time. I
know it's not, you know, popular to the fans, and
it's not popular in the media, but when you've got
great baseball, people like Buster Posey and Zach Man Assin
Junior and John Barr at the Home of the Giants.
(06:21):
These guys have just been around the block so many
times that they that they're they're just gonna make the
right decision. And I think that what they believed at
the deadline when they made those deals is, look, do.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
We have a team that can hang in this thing? Absolutely?
Speaker 3 (06:36):
But but are we gonna beat you know, the Padres
in October? Are we gonna beat the Dodgers in October?
Who are in our division? Do we have a chance
to beat the Phillies in our division?
Speaker 2 (06:45):
You know?
Speaker 3 (06:46):
If we win all of those, can we beat the
Red Sox, the Blue Jays, er Yankees? And I think
that they look at themselves in the mirror and said no.
And so they looked at their team, and they look
at the youth of the team and the core of
their team, and they said, here's an opportunity to take
our pieces and go multiply and get more impact, to
blend in with these younger players. And look what it's doing.
(07:06):
They're playing great as the team right now, and that
ceiling of that roster is only going to get better.
In twenty twenty six, and twenty twenty seven, and so
it's a very very difficult decision to make to the
fans and to the media, but they certainly did the
right thing and it's playing out.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
On the field.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Answer this question for me, and I think I know
the answer to it. But if you had to pick
between one of these two concerns, and I'll tell you
why I'm asking you this question here in a couple
of minutes, But if you had to pick between one
of two concerns, one of the concerns being shaky starting
pitching at this time of year, the other being wildly inconsistent.
(07:47):
One night, the pitching's good and the hitting is completely absent.
The next night, the hitting's good and the pitchers can't
get anybody out.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Which is the bigger concern for your.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Team, It's definitely the pitching, because you can't you can't
fake it.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
You can't fake it in September, and you certainly can't.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
You cannot keep taxing your bullpens, and I don't think
I've ever seen a season where bullpens have been taxed
the way they are this year. And we'll see the
residual of that next year. I mean, there's gonna be
a lot of relievers that get sixty five seventy plus
appearances this year on winning teams and you see the
residual of that in their performance the following season. And
(08:28):
I just don't think one you can do that to
your bullpen for a long period of time, which is
where I believe the industry is missing the psychology of
the way we're focusing on starting pitching and just saying, oh,
just you know, look at starting pitching differently. I don't
believe that at all. But I just think you tax
your pin too many times. It's just going to catch
(08:50):
up with you over time, and your rotation is not
going to be ready to go in October when you
need it the most. Whereas if you're not hitting, you know,
it's heart hitting October anyway. And if you look at
October baseball, and I would, I would, I would challenge
fans to like, start tonight on September third, and watch
the remaining games and then watch how it goes in October.
(09:12):
You know, first and second, nobody out last night in
our game versus the Twins. They don't bunt, They're bunning
in October. Every time you see more hitting runs, you
don't see runners trying to score from second base on
a ball to left field down three runs, because that
run means so much more in October, and so October
baseball is just a different brand of baseball. So the
(09:33):
hitting aspect of you can maneuver, you can't maneuver around
bad starting pitching.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Here's the reason why I'm asking it.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
I looked at that National League West race between the
Dodgers and the Padres. The Dodgers had been the ones
that had been wildly inconsistent. They're they're starting pitching. It had
a streak cup I think, eleven straight games of going
at least five innings until last night when em at Chian,
who was pressed in the service because Showy with Tony
wasn't feeling well. He's well enough to uh swing the bat,
(10:00):
but not not to go out and take a mound turn.
And they get shut out by the Pirates. And Skens
wasn't pitching last night. He's pitching to night. So they
they've had trouble scored, but the night before they scored
six runs, but they gave up nine off of that.
Then I contrast that a team like the Padres, who
(10:21):
have been struggling with mound performances at the start last night, Uh,
they yesterday afternoon. That last night Jackson holiday at a
home run. Colin Cowser, Kobe Mayo, and Alex Jackson all
hit home runs. And now the Padres, I would think,
and you correct me if I'm wrong, are better suited
to have to deal with the struggles of a starting rotation,
(10:45):
because clearly they've got the best bullpen in all of baseball.
But still, I would imagine has to be a concern
of late NESSA Cortez has looked great on some nights
and then he didn't have it last night.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Yeah, but what you can't do is you can't go
into October and be down for nothing in the third.
It doesn't matter matter how good your bullpen is. Like
when you're matching up against the rotation that the Dodgers
bring out, you have to be your starter has to
be on his game from pitch one. And the other
thing is is like when you when you're facing a
rotation like that, the offense knows, hey, it's got to
(11:19):
we gotta get runs when we can get them, and
so it begins to put a lot of pressure on
the offense as well. But you know, I will forever
say there's no substitute for good starting pitching. If you
can acquire, you know, three starting pitchers that are you know.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Stuff is stuff is an indication of success. A success
is an indication of innings.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
And if you can get three starting pitchers with two
hundred plus innings and a lock down bullpen, you can
beat anybody. And I think when you look at those
Giants teams in ten, twelve, and fourteen, I think if
you look at those teams, that would speak to that.
So I just I truly believe that it begins and
ends with starting pitching in a rotation.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
There are some folks who don't realize the rare nature
of certain elements in a game, like, for example, a
lot of folks don't, you know, don't realize that there
have been far more no hitters pitched in baseball than
guys who have hit for the cycle. So that's that's
a rarity. Another rarity was last night, Mason Miller had
(12:17):
an immaculate inning when he struck out Jeremiah Jackson, Ryan
Mountcastle and Emmanuel Revere on nine pitches in the eighth,
but Gino every one of those pitches, all nine were
sliders as a hitter. You've seen him do that with sliders.
You know, the regular fans going to say, won't they
(12:38):
know it's coming. It's one thing to know it, it's
another thing to be able to be able to hit
it if it's in the zone or lay off of
it if it looks like it's going to be in
the zone and drops out of the zone right.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Well, and what you begin to do is, you know,
coming into the game, Mason Miller is going to use
his slider. I mean, like when you show up, you
know he's using it forty four percent of the time.
And so now when he starts off with it, and
I mean it's it's the top of the scale slider,
and so when he starts off with it, he gets ahead.
Now you're thinking, okay, now is he going to throw
(13:09):
it again? And you know, you start you know, because
the mantra in the major leagues sit on the heater,
sit on the fastball. But when you have a guy
that throws his slider almost to get equally as much
as a sports teamer, now now you start to outthink yourself.
And when when it works like it did for him
last night, it's an unhittable pitch, and and those are
(13:31):
so so rare not to have a pitch fouled off
or our a guy go up and take two.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Pitches that are balls.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
But certainly one of the true talents at the majorgue
level for the closer position. And that's why you know
the Padres paid such a price for him.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
I've got the monitor on the Brewers and the Phillies
and they've split two games. They have the two best
records in the National League. Are a I know the
record might say that, are they the two best team
the National League?
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Be? Are they the two best teams of Major League
Baseball right now?
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I think there's some I think there's some benefit uh
to being in that division and and the rest of
the divisions not being as good. I mean, what Atlanta
has done this year struggled, and where Miami's at uh
in their their rebuild right now, I think lends to
the Phillies having a little bit of advantage. They're both very,
very talent teams. They play the game a little bit differently,
(14:27):
where Milwaukee's you know, Bonds still hit and run, put
the game in motion, kind of an old school approach
that has.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Become They're kind of America's team right now.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Everybody loves them, where the Phillies are kind of you
know mashers.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Uh, they're going to hit the home runs. Uh? Are
they the two best motown the team in October?
Speaker 3 (14:46):
I mean, I've got the Phillies, you know, winning the
World Series and getting to the World Series. So uh,
their their roster certainly speaks to being good in October.
But but the but the National League West will have
something to say about it when October.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
I want to ask you one other thing and in
get your philosophy on this, because you've seen guys with
careers that then start to wane and then they fight
to try to get back. The guy I'm referring to
his Billy Hamilton, last played with your ball club was
a White Sox a couple of years ago.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Cubs signed him today.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
How difficult is it for a guy who's got all
that service time, who's played really well at a high level,
but in recent years, between the injuries and other elements,
wound up being out of the game, and now he's
back in there for him to be effective, to be
able to be a contributor to a Cubs team that's
leading the wildcard picture in the National League.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
I think that's what it is.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
I think that they're looking at their roster saying, you know,
because Billy's he's never been able to hit.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
I mean, it's been a twenty bat, thirty bat his
entire career.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
He's always been a very good defender, more recovery speed
than pure instincts and actions and breaks and routes in
the outfield. But you know, it's a weapon. You know,
you get up a base hit in the eighth and
you need somebody to steal a bag. And they may
believe that this is a guy that can help him,
you know, get to the finish line. I don't believe
(16:12):
he'd be eligible for the playoffs at this point, but
in order to help you get to the finish line,
I think it's something that they're considering.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
And he's a wonderful, wonderful.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Guy, and so you know he's going to be glued
to any team that in October let's trying to win.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Hey, a bonus questioning here only because I know this
is another organization you know very well, and following out
you have a lot of admiration for him. The race
they were left for dead and now all of a sudden,
look at him. Here, here they come, and they've got
they've won eight of their last ten, and they're, you know,
trying to get there within two and a half games
(16:47):
of being able to get that third wildcard spot.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Do they have a legitimate shot to get there? Yes,
they do.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
And what I would say is, I just left there
after three days.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
And I had no idea what an amazing.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Atmosphere venue that Steinbernner Field for the Tampa Bay Rays
is an absolute perfect fit. Their end game is as
good as anybody in baseball, and it's a completely different
dynamic than Sacramento. They've got really really good, young, talented
players that are trying to play for some things for
(17:23):
next year. Junior Caminaro is arguably one of the best
third basement in the game. Carson Williams is one of
the best defensive Sharks stops in the game. Chandler Simpson
is Kenny Lofton, a bigger, stronger, and probably faster than
Kenny Lofton. And so they've got young guys they play
great in that ballpark. And Kevin Cash is one of
(17:44):
the best managers in the game of baseball, and he's
got these guys believing that they have a chance to
do this, and just for the fans, keep an eye
on a right hander named Shane boss b a Z
out of the Houston area.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
It looks like Daryl Kyle.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
I mean, this guy is got elite, elite stuff, top
of the rotation stuff, and he's going to be a
mainstay at the top of that rotation for a long time.
And so Adrian Houser's been outstanding for them since he
came over from US at the deadline. So they've got
everything clicking right now. They've got Cleveland coming in this weekend.
If they could pull two up three out of Cleveland
(18:19):
in that ballpark, they're going to be in business and
be in this thing down the stretch and really a
fun team to watch in a fun environment.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Can you imagine Gino if they get into that wildcard
spot and they're say, hosting the Astros in a wildcard
game at Steinbrenner Field.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
It's it's unique.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
I mean, it's not the Steinberner Field that was there
when I covered the Florida State League for ten years
back in the late nineties early two thousands. They've done
a tremendous job of building decks and sky clubs and
they pretens outside and the music and the end game
and the way they go about during the game. It's
a very very close venue where the fans can really
(18:59):
get on the player and everybody can hear it, and
they that plays to their advantage.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
I would say in.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Twenty twenty six, if you can get to Steinberger Field
to see a Raise game, it's it's kind of a
unique setting and they've made the most of it, but
you know, I think it'd be a tremendous environment.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
For a playoff game. Where are you this weekend, Atlanta?
Speaker 3 (19:21):
And I'm headed back to Houston Sunday in Chicago Wednesday
to go see the fighting.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Irish and the Texas ain't m Maggie. So okay, that answered.
My next question is when's the next Notre Dame game
you got on the schedule?
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Okay, very good, Hey, listen, enjoy the weekend. I appreciate
the conversation again, and we'll look forward to next week.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Oh, Greig, thanks so much. All right.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
That is Geene Watson from the Chicago White Sox front office.
And by the way, Geno is from Temple and he's
a huge Texas high school football fan and he's a
huge Longhorn.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Fan, but the love of his life is Notre Dame.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
All right, we have more coming up when we're gonna
hear more from Steve's Arkesian when we continue on thirteen
under the Zone
Time to talk baseball with a good friend. Geene Watson
from Chicago White Talks Front office gin. I need something.
I need you to explain something to me. You've been
in the business with Major League Baseball.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
What forty years? Forty plus years now, is that right?
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Thirty six years? Thirty six years? Okay, all right, so
explain this to me. The Padres get swept at home
by the Orioles. The Dodgers have dropped the first two
games in Pittsburgh, probably going to get swept because Schemes
is pitching tonight for the Pirates. The Mariners have been
on the skids of late. Some of the other teams
(00:41):
around baseball also have been skidding.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
As I thought we were past the dog days.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Explain this time of year, first week in September and
how teams are trying to fight through all this to
push through that wall and get to the finish line.
The Blue Jays are another team we can throw in
there that's been kind of up and down of late.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
You know, Craig, it's really it's not who you play,
it's when you play them. And every team and these
are major league players they've got, they're very talented players.
They've got great coaching staffs, they've got tremendous game planning,
and of a twenty six man roster, there are times
where teams are just not clicking on all cylinders, be
(01:23):
it injuries, performance, there could be things going on in
the clubhouse, it could be travel, and it's just it's
a unique sport. It's not like any other sport, and
that there is a psychology to it, and there's a
rhythm to the season. And you know, I give two
instances in two thousand and one when I was advancing
the Yankees and they were getting crushed in September and
(01:44):
won the World Series. And in two thousand and three
when we had a horrific August and early September in Miami.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
And we ended up winning the World Series.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
So you know, it's a race to the finish line,
and then once you get there, you take a breath,
you reset, and then you try to you know, get
your team in order to win eleven games and hopefully,
you know, these teams will get things in going. But
I'm with you, it's been crazy the way that the
season has gone this year.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yeah, I give you no.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
And Tigers have dropped seven of their last ten. Now
they still have a comfortable lead in the division. They're
up ten on Kansas City, but with regard to the
wild card, and that's where I wanted to go next
with this. So the Yankees and Red Sox are in
pretty solid shape right now. The Mariners, who have skidded
of late, still have a game and a half edge
on the Rangers, who had won six in a row,
(02:31):
but now they've dropped two in a row, and the
Royals are two and a half back, And all of
a sudden, the Rays who've won six in a row
in nine of ten are two and a half back,
and even the Guardians are three back. It sounds like
this thing is still up for grabs, at least for
the number three wildcard spot.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Well, and when you get into the final seven games,
the things that you have to do, let's just start
with Cleveland, Tampa and Kansas City. You know, when you
get into to or guy in those final seven games
and say you're two or three out, you've got to
manage every inning of every game a little bit differently.
You've got to think about bringing uh starters out of
the bullpen on their pen days. You've got to think
(03:10):
about you know, guys, that you may be strong side
of platoons or or guys maybe playing with injuries that
they wouldn't normally play now they've got to play, and
that ends up taxing you once you get into the playoffs.
And so uh, it's just, uh, it's going to be
a dogfight. And I would say, you know, it's probably
gonna end up like it is right now if you
(03:32):
if you put a gun to my head. But but
but anything can happen to Schedules are not easy for
any of these teams down the stretch, and so it's
going to be really interesting to see how it plays out.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
What's going on with the Rangers.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
You when you were on last week with Cam when
I was making my security this route to uh to Columbus, Uh,
you mentioned, you know, obviously because of the injuries were
one thing, and losing Nathan Vivaldi was it was another thing,
and that you just weren't hitting all of a sudden, the.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Kind of hitting again.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Look like Jock Peterson got a wake up call and
if they had won those last two games against the Diamondbacks,
they would actually be sitting in the third wild card
spot now.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
But what are you seeing from the Rangers here late
in the season. Again, I just think it's a sense
of urgency. I think they realize that, you know, they've
got arguably the best manager in the history of the
game of baseball leading the way they've they've kind of
underachieved this point throughout the season, and they're just clicking
on all cylinders. When you got Cody Freeman, who was
called up from Round Rock, getting game winning hits, you
(04:31):
know you're you're playing at a different level, and they've
just I think they felt like, you know, we've kind
of underperformed at this point. But the sense of urgency
is there because they're making such a strong push. But again,
you know, the injuries have really taken their toll, and
you know, I do they get the grown back, who knows?
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Do they get seeker back? Who knows?
Speaker 3 (04:50):
If they could get those guys back, they got a
chance to be, you.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Know, there to the end.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
But I really with the schedules the way they are,
I think it's going to be difficult for there could
be a swing from where the Wild Cards are right now.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Talking baseball with Geen Watson here on thirteen hundred of
the Zone, let me bring up another team, another team
that you are really well acquainted with with the front office.
You know their front office, you know all the front offices,
but you know this front office very very well.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
And I'm talking about the Giants.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
The Giants were long considered to be dead and dead
in the water. They've won nine of ten, they're back
above five hundred. They look like they've gotten pretty feisty.
They were kind of mixing it up there with the Rockies,
but there are four back of the Mets now. It
would take a push for them to try to reach
that wildcard spot there. But they've hopped past Cincinnati and
(05:44):
some of those younger guys because everybody thought the Giants
had waved the white flag when they made all those
trades at the deadline and unloaded a lot of players.
But all of a sudden, several other younger guys are
starting to hit and Endeavors is playing well.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
It speaks to two things.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
When when they got to the deadline and and and
this is where the teams that do what they did
then make the right decision at the right time. I
know it's not, you know, popular to the fans, and
it's not popular in the media, but when you've got
great baseball, people like Buster Posey and Zach Man Assin
Junior and John Barr at the Home of the Giants.
(06:21):
These guys have just been around the block so many
times that they that they're they're just gonna make the
right decision. And I think that what they believed at
the deadline when they made those deals is, look, do.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
We have a team that can hang in this thing? Absolutely?
Speaker 3 (06:36):
But but are we gonna beat you know, the Padres
in October? Are we gonna beat the Dodgers in October?
Who are in our division? Do we have a chance
to beat the Phillies in our division?
Speaker 2 (06:45):
You know?
Speaker 3 (06:46):
If we win all of those, can we beat the
Red Sox, the Blue Jays, er Yankees? And I think
that they look at themselves in the mirror and said no.
And so they looked at their team, and they look
at the youth of the team and the core of
their team, and they said, here's an opportunity to take
our pieces and go multiply and get more impact, to
blend in with these younger players. And look what it's doing.
(07:06):
They're playing great as the team right now, and that
ceiling of that roster is only going to get better.
In twenty twenty six, and twenty twenty seven, and so
it's a very very difficult decision to make to the
fans and to the media, but they certainly did the
right thing and it's playing out.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
On the field.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Answer this question for me, and I think I know
the answer to it. But if you had to pick
between one of these two concerns, and I'll tell you
why I'm asking you this question here in a couple
of minutes, But if you had to pick between one
of two concerns, one of the concerns being shaky starting
pitching at this time of year, the other being wildly inconsistent.
(07:47):
One night, the pitching's good and the hitting is completely absent.
The next night, the hitting's good and the pitchers can't
get anybody out.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Which is the bigger concern for your.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Team, It's definitely the pitching, because you can't you can't
fake it.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
You can't fake it in September, and you certainly can't.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
You cannot keep taxing your bullpens, and I don't think
I've ever seen a season where bullpens have been taxed
the way they are this year. And we'll see the
residual of that next year. I mean, there's gonna be
a lot of relievers that get sixty five seventy plus
appearances this year on winning teams and you see the
residual of that in their performance the following season. And
(08:28):
I just don't think one you can do that to
your bullpen for a long period of time, which is
where I believe the industry is missing the psychology of
the way we're focusing on starting pitching and just saying, oh,
just you know, look at starting pitching differently. I don't
believe that at all. But I just think you tax
your pin too many times. It's just going to catch
(08:50):
up with you over time, and your rotation is not
going to be ready to go in October when you
need it the most. Whereas if you're not hitting, you know,
it's heart hitting October anyway. And if you look at
October baseball, and I would, I would, I would challenge
fans to like, start tonight on September third, and watch
the remaining games and then watch how it goes in October.
(09:12):
You know, first and second, nobody out last night in
our game versus the Twins. They don't bunt, They're bunning
in October. Every time you see more hitting runs, you
don't see runners trying to score from second base on
a ball to left field down three runs, because that
run means so much more in October, and so October
baseball is just a different brand of baseball. So the
(09:33):
hitting aspect of you can maneuver, you can't maneuver around
bad starting pitching.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Here's the reason why I'm asking it.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
I looked at that National League West race between the
Dodgers and the Padres. The Dodgers had been the ones
that had been wildly inconsistent. They're they're starting pitching. It had
a streak cup I think, eleven straight games of going
at least five innings until last night when em at Chian,
who was pressed in the service because Showy with Tony
wasn't feeling well. He's well enough to uh swing the bat,
(10:00):
but not not to go out and take a mound turn.
And they get shut out by the Pirates. And Skens
wasn't pitching last night. He's pitching to night. So they
they've had trouble scored, but the night before they scored
six runs, but they gave up nine off of that.
Then I contrast that a team like the Padres, who
(10:21):
have been struggling with mound performances at the start last night, Uh,
they yesterday afternoon. That last night Jackson holiday at a
home run. Colin Cowser, Kobe Mayo, and Alex Jackson all
hit home runs. And now the Padres, I would think,
and you correct me if I'm wrong, are better suited
to have to deal with the struggles of a starting rotation,
(10:45):
because clearly they've got the best bullpen in all of baseball.
But still, I would imagine has to be a concern
of late NESSA Cortez has looked great on some nights
and then he didn't have it last night.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Yeah, but what you can't do is you can't go
into October and be down for nothing in the third.
It doesn't matter matter how good your bullpen is. Like
when you're matching up against the rotation that the Dodgers
bring out, you have to be your starter has to
be on his game from pitch one. And the other
thing is is like when you when you're facing a
rotation like that, the offense knows, hey, it's got to
(11:19):
we gotta get runs when we can get them, and
so it begins to put a lot of pressure on
the offense as well. But you know, I will forever
say there's no substitute for good starting pitching. If you
can acquire, you know, three starting pitchers that are you know.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Stuff is stuff is an indication of success. A success
is an indication of innings.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
And if you can get three starting pitchers with two
hundred plus innings and a lock down bullpen, you can
beat anybody. And I think when you look at those
Giants teams in ten, twelve, and fourteen, I think if
you look at those teams, that would speak to that.
So I just I truly believe that it begins and
ends with starting pitching in a rotation.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
There are some folks who don't realize the rare nature
of certain elements in a game, like, for example, a
lot of folks don't, you know, don't realize that there
have been far more no hitters pitched in baseball than
guys who have hit for the cycle. So that's that's
a rarity. Another rarity was last night, Mason Miller had
(12:17):
an immaculate inning when he struck out Jeremiah Jackson, Ryan
Mountcastle and Emmanuel Revere on nine pitches in the eighth,
but Gino every one of those pitches, all nine were
sliders as a hitter. You've seen him do that with sliders.
You know, the regular fans going to say, won't they
(12:38):
know it's coming. It's one thing to know it, it's
another thing to be able to be able to hit
it if it's in the zone or lay off of
it if it looks like it's going to be in
the zone and drops out of the zone right.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Well, and what you begin to do is, you know,
coming into the game, Mason Miller is going to use
his slider. I mean, like when you show up, you
know he's using it forty four percent of the time.
And so now when he starts off with it, and
I mean it's it's the top of the scale slider,
and so when he starts off with it, he gets ahead.
Now you're thinking, okay, now is he going to throw
(13:09):
it again? And you know, you start you know, because
the mantra in the major leagues sit on the heater,
sit on the fastball. But when you have a guy
that throws his slider almost to get equally as much
as a sports teamer, now now you start to outthink yourself.
And when when it works like it did for him
last night, it's an unhittable pitch, and and those are
(13:31):
so so rare not to have a pitch fouled off
or our a guy go up and take two.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Pitches that are balls.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
But certainly one of the true talents at the majorgue
level for the closer position. And that's why you know
the Padres paid such a price for him.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
I've got the monitor on the Brewers and the Phillies
and they've split two games. They have the two best
records in the National League. Are a I know the
record might say that, are they the two best team
the National League?
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Be? Are they the two best teams of Major League
Baseball right now?
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I think there's some I think there's some benefit uh
to being in that division and and the rest of
the divisions not being as good. I mean, what Atlanta
has done this year struggled, and where Miami's at uh
in their their rebuild right now, I think lends to
the Phillies having a little bit of advantage. They're both very,
very talent teams. They play the game a little bit differently,
(14:27):
where Milwaukee's you know, Bonds still hit and run, put
the game in motion, kind of an old school approach
that has.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Become They're kind of America's team right now.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Everybody loves them, where the Phillies are kind of you
know mashers.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Uh, they're going to hit the home runs. Uh? Are
they the two best motown the team in October?
Speaker 3 (14:46):
I mean, I've got the Phillies, you know, winning the
World Series and getting to the World Series. So uh,
their their roster certainly speaks to being good in October.
But but the but the National League West will have
something to say about it when October.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
I want to ask you one other thing and in
get your philosophy on this, because you've seen guys with
careers that then start to wane and then they fight
to try to get back. The guy I'm referring to
his Billy Hamilton, last played with your ball club was
a White Sox a couple of years ago.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Cubs signed him today.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
How difficult is it for a guy who's got all
that service time, who's played really well at a high level,
but in recent years, between the injuries and other elements,
wound up being out of the game, and now he's
back in there for him to be effective, to be
able to be a contributor to a Cubs team that's
leading the wildcard picture in the National League.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
I think that's what it is.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
I think that they're looking at their roster saying, you know,
because Billy's he's never been able to hit.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
I mean, it's been a twenty bat, thirty bat his
entire career.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
He's always been a very good defender, more recovery speed
than pure instincts and actions and breaks and routes in
the outfield. But you know, it's a weapon. You know,
you get up a base hit in the eighth and
you need somebody to steal a bag. And they may
believe that this is a guy that can help him,
you know, get to the finish line. I don't believe
(16:12):
he'd be eligible for the playoffs at this point, but
in order to help you get to the finish line,
I think it's something that they're considering.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
And he's a wonderful, wonderful.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Guy, and so you know he's going to be glued
to any team that in October let's trying to win.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Hey, a bonus questioning here only because I know this
is another organization you know very well, and following out
you have a lot of admiration for him. The race
they were left for dead and now all of a sudden,
look at him. Here, here they come, and they've got
they've won eight of their last ten, and they're, you know,
trying to get there within two and a half games
(16:47):
of being able to get that third wildcard spot.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Do they have a legitimate shot to get there? Yes,
they do.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
And what I would say is, I just left there
after three days.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
And I had no idea what an amazing.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Atmosphere venue that Steinbernner Field for the Tampa Bay Rays
is an absolute perfect fit. Their end game is as
good as anybody in baseball, and it's a completely different
dynamic than Sacramento. They've got really really good, young, talented
players that are trying to play for some things for
(17:23):
next year. Junior Caminaro is arguably one of the best
third basement in the game. Carson Williams is one of
the best defensive Sharks stops in the game. Chandler Simpson
is Kenny Lofton, a bigger, stronger, and probably faster than
Kenny Lofton. And so they've got young guys they play
great in that ballpark. And Kevin Cash is one of
(17:44):
the best managers in the game of baseball, and he's
got these guys believing that they have a chance to
do this, and just for the fans, keep an eye
on a right hander named Shane boss b a Z
out of the Houston area.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
It looks like Daryl Kyle.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
I mean, this guy is got elite, elite stuff, top
of the rotation stuff, and he's going to be a
mainstay at the top of that rotation for a long time.
And so Adrian Houser's been outstanding for them since he
came over from US at the deadline. So they've got
everything clicking right now. They've got Cleveland coming in this weekend.
If they could pull two up three out of Cleveland
(18:19):
in that ballpark, they're going to be in business and
be in this thing down the stretch and really a
fun team to watch in a fun environment.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Can you imagine Gino if they get into that wildcard
spot and they're say, hosting the Astros in a wildcard
game at Steinbrenner Field.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
It's it's unique.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
I mean, it's not the Steinberner Field that was there
when I covered the Florida State League for ten years
back in the late nineties early two thousands. They've done
a tremendous job of building decks and sky clubs and
they pretens outside and the music and the end game
and the way they go about during the game. It's
a very very close venue where the fans can really
(18:59):
get on the player and everybody can hear it, and
they that plays to their advantage.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
I would say in.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Twenty twenty six, if you can get to Steinberger Field
to see a Raise game, it's it's kind of a
unique setting and they've made the most of it, but
you know, I think it'd be a tremendous environment.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
For a playoff game. Where are you this weekend, Atlanta?
Speaker 3 (19:21):
And I'm headed back to Houston Sunday in Chicago Wednesday
to go see the fighting.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Irish and the Texas ain't m Maggie. So okay, that answered.
My next question is when's the next Notre Dame game
you got on the schedule?
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Okay, very good, Hey, listen, enjoy the weekend. I appreciate
the conversation again, and we'll look forward to next week.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Oh, Greig, thanks so much. All right.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
That is Geene Watson from the Chicago White Sox front office.
And by the way, Geno is from Temple and he's
a huge Texas high school football fan and he's a
huge Longhorn.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Fan, but the love of his life is Notre Dame.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
All right, we have more coming up when we're gonna
hear more from Steve's Arkesian when we continue on thirteen
under the Zone
Popular Podcasts
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com