Chicago White Sox Director of Player Personnel Gene Watson joins for his weekly baseball chat, starting with the viral story of Brewers manager Pat Murphy’s “pocket pancakes” and why snacks are part of baseball lore. From there, Gene breaks down the hottest teams in the league, the Brewers’ clean style of play, the Padres’ bold roster moves, and the Dodgers’ ups and downs. Plus, deep dives on tight division races, wild card battles, and which clubs have the depth to make an October run.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, continue on a Friday afternoon here on sports manwo
AM thirteen under the Zone, and it's time for a
weekly conversation, our weekly baseball conversation with a good friend,
director player personnel for the Chicago White Sox, Gene Watson,
who joins us. Now, GENO, how's life, How's things going?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Hi, guys? Good to actually see you guys.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
How about that? It's good. Good to have you with us.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Okay, I have to start with something, and this is
eventually leading to something substantial, but I have to start
with this.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
There was a story today.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
And you know several of the parties involved with this
type of thing, but there's a story today on ESPN
about the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, Pat Murphy, and
now he has these strange eating habits. Now you have
people very very close to you, very well regarded national name,
(00:54):
national names who affectually refer to you s snax. But
but I don't think you can hold a candle to
what this guy is doing. So Murphy goes viral in
a recent interview for pulling a pancake out of his
uniform pocket and taking a bite, and he shared it
with the reporters. He detailed different ways that he shoves
(01:16):
food into his pockets to snack on in the dugout.
They asked him, you know what all do you put
in there? He said, waffles, pancakes, pizza. Somebody said, how
do you do pizza without staining your uniform? He said, well,
if it's cold pizza, you folded up like a sandwich.
He said, you know what I mean, you can eat
it during the game and then when wear a hoodie.
I have the pocket right here and it's full of crumbs.
(01:39):
So he has all this stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
So now the.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Brewers are going to sell Murph's Pocket Pancakes an American
Family Field during Sunday games for the rest of the season,
starting with this weekend series against the Mets, where you
can get a ball four pocket pack that features four
pocket pancakes and a choice of maple syrup or strawberry
(02:01):
compo for four ninety nine. They also have a double
Chicken in Pancakes pocket pack seven ninety nine includes two
pancakes stuffed with a chicken tender each and top with
chopped bacon and a maple syrup drizzle.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
My question to you about this gino is.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
It if anybody was playing better than the Milwaukee Brewers
right now in the field, it might make sense for
them to do someone with the Brewers as hot as
they are right now. This is kind of adds to
the intrigue and the attraction of the Milwaukee Brewers these days,
doesn't it.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
They really play clean baseball and that that's kind of
their identity.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
They do a great job of player development wise.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
I would slow down on the hea cold out do
me on the snacks because I got my I got
my nickname Snacks because I had a Snickers bar melt
in my back pocket during a game while I was
on the mound.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
So I but Murph and I have a lot of
fun with each other.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
You know, he was the head coach at Notre Dame
in nineteen eighty eight when I was a freshman at
Saint Edwards, and they actually did that Southern Tour every
year where they would come in and play Saint Mary's, Texas, Lutheran,
Saint Edwards Southwestern, and we actually upset them. And so
while we don't know each other well, I make sure
that he hears about that loss at least once a month,
(03:18):
and he proclaims that the worst loss of his career.
But you know the Brewers are just they have a
great identity. They probably play the cleanest baseball in all
of Major League Baseball, which is a testimony to their
player development system.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
They teach the game right.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
They don't have guys come to the major league level
and are surprised by anything that happens, any situations. They
work on bunning, they're sticklers on defense, cutting hitting, cut
off men, base running. They do all the little things right,
and that's a testimony of their player development, the way
they go about things, and it's playing out on the
field with a great identity.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
To Booth, I met Pat Murphy when he was coaching
Arizona State when they play Texas, and then it's funny
how baseball works, Gino, because all of the conversation seemed
to be at the time when Craig Counsel left the
Brewers to go to the Cubs was all about Craig
(04:14):
Counsel and the type of manager he was and the
type of player he'd been and all this sort of stuff.
And Murphy was kind of the forgotten man about that deal.
But he's made his own mark with this team, hasn't.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
He He really has.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
And there are people that tell you that it was
long overdue for him to get an opportunity to be
a major league manager. But it also speaks to you, know,
this is and forever be a player's game, and if
you have talented players, you got a chance to be
very successful if you can, if you can win them
over and show them, you know, hold them accountable, you
(04:46):
have a chance to be successful. And I think you
can look back over history guys like Joe Tory, guys
like Tony LaRussa, guys like Bobby Cox who were in
places that didn't have a lot of success and they
went to other places and had great play and they
ended up being Hall of Fame managers. So it will
forever be a player's game. But winning the room and
holding the players accountable is a big part of it,
(05:09):
and Murphy is certainly very good at that.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
The Brewers have seventy wins, are the first team to
get to seventy this season. And then after that you
just have a whole group of teams that kind of
are beaten up on one another and hanging around, and
that includes the Cubs who won sixty six, the Dodgers
who won sixty six, Phillies have won sixty five Podres
have won sixty four. They're only two back of La
(05:31):
It's as closest they've been since June Mets at sixty
three wins. Even the Reds have been vastly improved. They
even though they dropped their last two games of the
Pittsburgh series, and who wouldn't lose to Paul Skins these days?
But they're sixty and fifty six. But how do you
see the National League rolling along right now? What's really
striking you other than what Milwaukee is doing?
Speaker 2 (05:53):
I really don't see much movement in the National League.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
I think it kind of is going to be what
it's going to be, short of a team just really
running out of gas with their pitching or taking on
a lot of injuries. You know, it's really really hard
to make up a lot of games when when somebody's
gonna win every night, you got three teams in front
of you. In the case of the Reds, they're three
(06:17):
games out, like somebody's going to win every night, So
they've really got to play like seven to fifty baseball
the rest of the way to even have a chance
to get which is a really really hard thing to do.
But because there's no second waiver wire trade deadline now
and no waiver wire trades. You know your team is
(06:37):
who it is short of what you have in your system,
and the teams that are all in the playoffs right
now from a National league standpoint have really strong systems.
Short of San Diego, who Aj Peler went out and
built a super team. I mean he did an unbelievable
job of really pushing all in with his minor league
system at the deadline, understanding how close they were last year,
(06:58):
what their window is going to be twenty five and
twenty six, and really pushing all in to do that.
But the way it kind of sits today in the
National League, I would be surprised if there were many
changes to that.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Let me get you to expand on San Diego a
little bit because of the deals they made to really
strengthen the back of the bullpen was major. I thought
of what they did and it's helped them push to
get close to LA And they do have two series
left with the Dodgers, which could be really telling as well.
But how about what Peller has done with this Padres
(07:29):
team truly amazing.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
I mean, Leo Devreze was the one guy that AJ
was not going to come off of and he eventually
came off of him and made that trade for Mason Miller.
And I think it's not that you were so close
last year. It's that you don't really have a lot
of depth at the Triple A level and so you're
ensuring yourself with your volume at the major league level now.
(07:54):
You know, getting guys to buy into what their roles
are is a very important thing because you've got guys
that have been set in certain roles late in the
game and those bullpens, and so getting that buy in
from those guys is going to be important. You know,
the bringing in Ryano heard from Baltimore when you have
Gavin Sheets, getting that buy in on Okay, now you're
playing playing time might not be what it was, but
(08:18):
you're here to win. We're here to win. That buy
in is going to be very very important. But nobody
ensured themselves from from running out of gas or injury
or you know, than the Padres did at the deadline, no.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
On the other end of that could be the Dodgers,
who still have the lead, but it's down to two
games and most people in the LA area seem to
be pointing the finger. And I don't think this is
completely fair because the bullpen let it get away the
other day. But they haven't been scoring runs of late,
and most folks seem to be pointing the finger at
one person, Mookie Betts. He's batting two thirty six right now.
(08:54):
He's had some real struggles and and even folks may
not realize this. Shoe Ao Toddi. He has been struggling
quite a bit in striking out more. He's down to
two seventy sixties days. You know, Freddie Freeman is starting
to swing the bat better, and they did get Max
Munsey back, which is helping a lot. And Will Smith
is actually leading the National League and hitting. But they've
(09:15):
been so inconsistent at the plate of late, and then
they've had the hot and cold as well, trying to
get somebody to finish things out in the bullpen.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
How about your take on the Dodgers.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
Well, you know, arguably the most talented team in the
National League. Health has been a concern from them for them.
You know, most of the season, they've had a lot
of injuries. They still have a number of guys on
the il. They're just not going to push the panic button.
And you know, I think you saw the level of
intensity that existed in the last series between them and
(09:45):
the Padres. You got two more to go. And I
say this all the time, but it really is true.
When you're that good, you almost wish the season away.
You just want to get to October. You want to
stay healthy, you want to get to October. And even
when the rhythm is not going well within the lineup offensively,
you know you're gonna find your way eventually. And so
(10:07):
there's no panic in LA. And they're certainly one of
the best teams in the National League, and they'll be
a strong contender in October.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
In the East, the Phillies and Mets continue to do
the dose dough of who gets hot and who doesn't
get hot, and and the Mets have been roaring, and
then they dropped eight of ten, and the Phillies have
been going. And now they're five and five and Philly
with a two and a half game league.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
What do you see from these two right now?
Speaker 4 (10:29):
Well, it's shocking with the Mets the way they've played,
but they are still a very good team. They've got
a three game lead on the Reds and the wild card.
I just I think the Phillies are so talented. You know,
we talked about Milwaukee, We've talked about San Diego and
the Dodgers, but I just I think the Phillies really
are the team to beat when it comes into October.
(10:51):
And you know that that division has been kind of
surprised when you look what the Braves have done this year.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
But to me, the Phillies still the team to be.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
And the Mets have got to get their offense going
and get Soto going, and get some of those younger
hitters going, and if they do, they'll they'll hang on
to that last wildcart spot.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Talking baseball with Team Watson here on thirteen under the Zone.
Let's jump to the americae leg and start in the West.
Astro's still leading the division, but it's a game and
a half on the Mariners, who've been hotter of late.
The Rangers had it going for a while and they
cooled off a little bit, but they still took two
or three from the Yankees. They're four and a half
back and would be a wild card team right now.
About your thoughts in the West.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Arguably one of the toughest divisions in baseball, and people
don't give that division enough credit, and the job that
the Astros have done is truly incredible. I just think
that down the stretch, Seattle's pitching is going to win out.
They've got an incredibly talented rotation. They've got some very
good arms that they can bring up from the minor leagues.
Adding Naylor and Eugenios Warrez to the roster was huge
(11:53):
for them. I know Naylor had the injury. They don't
think it's going to be too serious, but it just
feels like the time is right for Seattle. I kind
of used Seattle and the Phillies, as I've said before,
to kind of sleepers to reach the World Series.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
But a very very competitive division.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
Houston's going to have to really go down the stretch
with their pitching and get health out of their pitching,
get innings out of their pitching, and score a lot
of runs. I think Alvarez is going to be back
sooner than later. That's going to be a huge boast
to that lineup. And so but this is this division,
I mean, and for you know, the Angels, for the
struggles they've had, you know, they just kind of keep
(12:31):
their head above water. And Oakland's probably been the bigger
surprise in that division with the talent that they have.
I think everybody felt like this might be a little
bit of a push for them this year after the
second day half that they had last year. I think
the ballpark might be a distraction for them out in Sacramento.
But but truly one of the more talented divisions in
baseball top to bottom. I just feel like Seattle's twenty
(12:54):
six man roster and the depth they have on their
forty man is going to pull them through.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
With the end, the Guardians have managed to pull to
within a game and a half of the third wildcard spot,
within six of the Tigers, who who have skipped a
little bit but are still you know, cruising a little
bit in the American League Center.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
How about those two.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
It's amazing.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
I mean I talked to aj Hinch last week and
the thing that I told him was, look, just think
about where you were this time last year, and they
had you know, they came into Chicago in September and
you know it's like, Hey, for for all the season
has been this year, you'll take two steps forward next year.
And they went on a complete run the rest of
the way, made the playoffs and went run on the playoffs,
(13:39):
and so that's the thing that I conveyed to him
last week, was like, just remember where you were last
year and your team is better now, So you know,
it's just sometimes, you know, you just get just things
just aren't clicking on all cylmers and they've been through
a rough patch. The thing you don't want to happen
is to go through that rough patch in mid September,
late September and then have to turn it back on
(14:01):
in October.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
I know in two thousand and three, we lost.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
Like eight out of ten in early September and every
night we lost, the Phillies loss and we ended up
winning the World Series in Miami. And so you never
know when these rough patches are gonna come. They just
happen to be going through it right now. But they
have a very, very talented team that will definitely be
in the playoffs in October. The Cleveland Indians, It's just
(14:24):
incredible what they do. Nobody ever gives them enough credit,
Nobody ever talks about them. They know who they are,
they have an identity, they have a process in the
way they draft players and signed players internationally. They have
a tremendous minor league system, and they just keep winning.
And it's truly incredible the way they go about it,
and kudos to their front office for their processes. And
(14:47):
they're still in this thing. They're not going away, and
they have a chance for the trades. They may they
have a chance to stay in this thing to the end.
But I still believe that the Tigers are the class.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Of the division.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Here's an interesting question for you.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Are the Yankees going to be able to hold on
to the third wild card right now that they've dropped
six of their last ten. Uh, they're in third place
in the division standings behind the Blue Jays and the
Red Sox are six and a half back. What what
shot do they have right now?
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Well, they've they've got to get the offense going. One
the identity is is more of you know, the home
run in that ballpark. Uh. They did a tremendous job
of improving that bullpen they have. They have arguably one
of the most talented late inning bullpens in the game. Again,
what's your role? Who who's going to be the defined
role when you have four closers. That's something still to
(15:40):
be decided. Devin Williams has had very good stretches, but
has struggled at times as well as well. But you know,
they the identity of the offense and and and playing
better defenses is certainly important.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
And you know the Jash Chisholm mistakes in Miami.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
I kind of understand where he was coming from on
the base, running where he had played there before, understood
the instincts of the player.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
It just didn't work out for him in that instance.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
But little things like that keep happening for them, and
if they can clean those things up, they're gonna be fine.
They have a super talented team, but the identity of
the offense has won something that's got to come to
the forefront and they got to continue to bitch.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Well does the road find you again here in the
coming days and weeks.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
I'm gonna pick up the Red Sox in Houston on Tuesday,
and then I'm gonna take Boston back to Boston and
I'll go Boston, Portland, Raleigh, Durham, Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
How about that one?
Speaker 3 (16:35):
I like it?
Speaker 1 (16:35):
O caase Geen Watson from the Chicago White Sox, the
player personnel director Gene. I appreciate the time as always,
have a great weekend. Thanks for doing have a great weekend. Yeah,
that's Gene Watson.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
All right.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
We have more coming up when we continue on thirteen
under the zone
Well, continue on a Friday afternoon here on sports manwo
AM thirteen under the Zone, and it's time for a
weekly conversation, our weekly baseball conversation with a good friend,
director player personnel for the Chicago White Sox, Gene Watson,
who joins us. Now, GENO, how's life, How's things going?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Hi, guys? Good to actually see you guys.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
How about that? It's good. Good to have you with us.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Okay, I have to start with something, and this is
eventually leading to something substantial, but I have to start
with this.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
There was a story today.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
And you know several of the parties involved with this
type of thing, but there's a story today on ESPN
about the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, Pat Murphy, and
now he has these strange eating habits. Now you have
people very very close to you, very well regarded national name,
(00:54):
national names who affectually refer to you s snax. But
but I don't think you can hold a candle to
what this guy is doing. So Murphy goes viral in
a recent interview for pulling a pancake out of his
uniform pocket and taking a bite, and he shared it
with the reporters. He detailed different ways that he shoves
(01:16):
food into his pockets to snack on in the dugout.
They asked him, you know what all do you put
in there? He said, waffles, pancakes, pizza. Somebody said, how
do you do pizza without staining your uniform? He said, well,
if it's cold pizza, you folded up like a sandwich.
He said, you know what I mean, you can eat
it during the game and then when wear a hoodie.
I have the pocket right here and it's full of crumbs.
(01:39):
So he has all this stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
So now the.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Brewers are going to sell Murph's Pocket Pancakes an American
Family Field during Sunday games for the rest of the season,
starting with this weekend series against the Mets, where you
can get a ball four pocket pack that features four
pocket pancakes and a choice of maple syrup or strawberry
(02:01):
compo for four ninety nine. They also have a double
Chicken in Pancakes pocket pack seven ninety nine includes two
pancakes stuffed with a chicken tender each and top with
chopped bacon and a maple syrup drizzle.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
My question to you about this gino is.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
It if anybody was playing better than the Milwaukee Brewers
right now in the field, it might make sense for
them to do someone with the Brewers as hot as
they are right now. This is kind of adds to
the intrigue and the attraction of the Milwaukee Brewers these days,
doesn't it.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
They really play clean baseball and that that's kind of
their identity.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
They do a great job of player development wise.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
I would slow down on the hea cold out do
me on the snacks because I got my I got
my nickname Snacks because I had a Snickers bar melt
in my back pocket during a game while I was
on the mound.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
So I but Murph and I have a lot of
fun with each other.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
You know, he was the head coach at Notre Dame
in nineteen eighty eight when I was a freshman at
Saint Edwards, and they actually did that Southern Tour every
year where they would come in and play Saint Mary's, Texas, Lutheran,
Saint Edwards Southwestern, and we actually upset them. And so
while we don't know each other well, I make sure
that he hears about that loss at least once a month,
(03:18):
and he proclaims that the worst loss of his career.
But you know the Brewers are just they have a
great identity. They probably play the cleanest baseball in all
of Major League Baseball, which is a testimony to their
player development system.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
They teach the game right.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
They don't have guys come to the major league level
and are surprised by anything that happens, any situations. They
work on bunning, they're sticklers on defense, cutting hitting, cut
off men, base running. They do all the little things right,
and that's a testimony of their player development, the way
they go about things, and it's playing out on the
field with a great identity.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
To Booth, I met Pat Murphy when he was coaching
Arizona State when they play Texas, and then it's funny
how baseball works, Gino, because all of the conversation seemed
to be at the time when Craig Counsel left the
Brewers to go to the Cubs was all about Craig
(04:14):
Counsel and the type of manager he was and the
type of player he'd been and all this sort of stuff.
And Murphy was kind of the forgotten man about that deal.
But he's made his own mark with this team, hasn't.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
He He really has.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
And there are people that tell you that it was
long overdue for him to get an opportunity to be
a major league manager. But it also speaks to you, know,
this is and forever be a player's game, and if
you have talented players, you got a chance to be
very successful if you can, if you can win them
over and show them, you know, hold them accountable, you
(04:46):
have a chance to be successful. And I think you
can look back over history guys like Joe Tory, guys
like Tony LaRussa, guys like Bobby Cox who were in
places that didn't have a lot of success and they
went to other places and had great play and they
ended up being Hall of Fame managers. So it will
forever be a player's game. But winning the room and
holding the players accountable is a big part of it,
(05:09):
and Murphy is certainly very good at that.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
The Brewers have seventy wins, are the first team to
get to seventy this season. And then after that you
just have a whole group of teams that kind of
are beaten up on one another and hanging around, and
that includes the Cubs who won sixty six, the Dodgers
who won sixty six, Phillies have won sixty five Podres
have won sixty four. They're only two back of La
(05:31):
It's as closest they've been since June Mets at sixty
three wins. Even the Reds have been vastly improved. They
even though they dropped their last two games of the
Pittsburgh series, and who wouldn't lose to Paul Skins these days?
But they're sixty and fifty six. But how do you
see the National League rolling along right now? What's really
striking you other than what Milwaukee is doing?
Speaker 2 (05:53):
I really don't see much movement in the National League.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
I think it kind of is going to be what
it's going to be, short of a team just really
running out of gas with their pitching or taking on
a lot of injuries. You know, it's really really hard
to make up a lot of games when when somebody's
gonna win every night, you got three teams in front
of you. In the case of the Reds, they're three
(06:17):
games out, like somebody's going to win every night, So
they've really got to play like seven to fifty baseball
the rest of the way to even have a chance
to get which is a really really hard thing to do.
But because there's no second waiver wire trade deadline now
and no waiver wire trades. You know your team is
(06:37):
who it is short of what you have in your system,
and the teams that are all in the playoffs right
now from a National league standpoint have really strong systems.
Short of San Diego, who Aj Peler went out and
built a super team. I mean he did an unbelievable
job of really pushing all in with his minor league
system at the deadline, understanding how close they were last year,
(06:58):
what their window is going to be twenty five and
twenty six, and really pushing all in to do that.
But the way it kind of sits today in the
National League, I would be surprised if there were many
changes to that.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Let me get you to expand on San Diego a
little bit because of the deals they made to really
strengthen the back of the bullpen was major. I thought
of what they did and it's helped them push to
get close to LA And they do have two series
left with the Dodgers, which could be really telling as well.
But how about what Peller has done with this Padres
(07:29):
team truly amazing.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
I mean, Leo Devreze was the one guy that AJ
was not going to come off of and he eventually
came off of him and made that trade for Mason Miller.
And I think it's not that you were so close
last year. It's that you don't really have a lot
of depth at the Triple A level and so you're
ensuring yourself with your volume at the major league level now.
(07:54):
You know, getting guys to buy into what their roles
are is a very important thing because you've got guys
that have been set in certain roles late in the
game and those bullpens, and so getting that buy in
from those guys is going to be important. You know,
the bringing in Ryano heard from Baltimore when you have
Gavin Sheets, getting that buy in on Okay, now you're
playing playing time might not be what it was, but
(08:18):
you're here to win. We're here to win. That buy
in is going to be very very important. But nobody
ensured themselves from from running out of gas or injury
or you know, than the Padres did at the deadline, no.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
On the other end of that could be the Dodgers,
who still have the lead, but it's down to two
games and most people in the LA area seem to
be pointing the finger. And I don't think this is
completely fair because the bullpen let it get away the
other day. But they haven't been scoring runs of late,
and most folks seem to be pointing the finger at
one person, Mookie Betts. He's batting two thirty six right now.
(08:54):
He's had some real struggles and and even folks may
not realize this. Shoe Ao Toddi. He has been struggling
quite a bit in striking out more. He's down to
two seventy sixties days. You know, Freddie Freeman is starting
to swing the bat better, and they did get Max
Munsey back, which is helping a lot. And Will Smith
is actually leading the National League and hitting. But they've
(09:15):
been so inconsistent at the plate of late, and then
they've had the hot and cold as well, trying to
get somebody to finish things out in the bullpen.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
How about your take on the Dodgers.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
Well, you know, arguably the most talented team in the
National League. Health has been a concern from them for them.
You know, most of the season, they've had a lot
of injuries. They still have a number of guys on
the il. They're just not going to push the panic button.
And you know, I think you saw the level of
intensity that existed in the last series between them and
(09:45):
the Padres. You got two more to go. And I
say this all the time, but it really is true.
When you're that good, you almost wish the season away.
You just want to get to October. You want to
stay healthy, you want to get to October. And even
when the rhythm is not going well within the lineup offensively,
you know you're gonna find your way eventually. And so
(10:07):
there's no panic in LA. And they're certainly one of
the best teams in the National League, and they'll be
a strong contender in October.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
In the East, the Phillies and Mets continue to do
the dose dough of who gets hot and who doesn't
get hot, and and the Mets have been roaring, and
then they dropped eight of ten, and the Phillies have
been going. And now they're five and five and Philly
with a two and a half game league.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
What do you see from these two right now?
Speaker 4 (10:29):
Well, it's shocking with the Mets the way they've played,
but they are still a very good team. They've got
a three game lead on the Reds and the wild card.
I just I think the Phillies are so talented. You know,
we talked about Milwaukee, We've talked about San Diego and
the Dodgers, but I just I think the Phillies really
are the team to beat when it comes into October.
(10:51):
And you know that that division has been kind of
surprised when you look what the Braves have done this year.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
But to me, the Phillies still the team to be.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
And the Mets have got to get their offense going
and get Soto going, and get some of those younger
hitters going, and if they do, they'll they'll hang on
to that last wildcart spot.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Talking baseball with Team Watson here on thirteen under the Zone.
Let's jump to the americae leg and start in the West.
Astro's still leading the division, but it's a game and
a half on the Mariners, who've been hotter of late.
The Rangers had it going for a while and they
cooled off a little bit, but they still took two
or three from the Yankees. They're four and a half
back and would be a wild card team right now.
About your thoughts in the West.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Arguably one of the toughest divisions in baseball, and people
don't give that division enough credit, and the job that
the Astros have done is truly incredible. I just think
that down the stretch, Seattle's pitching is going to win out.
They've got an incredibly talented rotation. They've got some very
good arms that they can bring up from the minor leagues.
Adding Naylor and Eugenios Warrez to the roster was huge
(11:53):
for them. I know Naylor had the injury. They don't
think it's going to be too serious, but it just
feels like the time is right for Seattle. I kind
of used Seattle and the Phillies, as I've said before,
to kind of sleepers to reach the World Series.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
But a very very competitive division.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
Houston's going to have to really go down the stretch
with their pitching and get health out of their pitching,
get innings out of their pitching, and score a lot
of runs. I think Alvarez is going to be back
sooner than later. That's going to be a huge boast
to that lineup. And so but this is this division,
I mean, and for you know, the Angels, for the
struggles they've had, you know, they just kind of keep
(12:31):
their head above water. And Oakland's probably been the bigger
surprise in that division with the talent that they have.
I think everybody felt like this might be a little
bit of a push for them this year after the
second day half that they had last year. I think
the ballpark might be a distraction for them out in Sacramento.
But but truly one of the more talented divisions in
baseball top to bottom. I just feel like Seattle's twenty
(12:54):
six man roster and the depth they have on their
forty man is going to pull them through.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
With the end, the Guardians have managed to pull to
within a game and a half of the third wildcard spot,
within six of the Tigers, who who have skipped a
little bit but are still you know, cruising a little
bit in the American League Center.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
How about those two.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
It's amazing.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
I mean I talked to aj Hinch last week and
the thing that I told him was, look, just think
about where you were this time last year, and they
had you know, they came into Chicago in September and
you know it's like, Hey, for for all the season
has been this year, you'll take two steps forward next year.
And they went on a complete run the rest of
the way, made the playoffs and went run on the playoffs,
(13:39):
and so that's the thing that I conveyed to him
last week, was like, just remember where you were last
year and your team is better now, So you know,
it's just sometimes, you know, you just get just things
just aren't clicking on all cylmers and they've been through
a rough patch. The thing you don't want to happen
is to go through that rough patch in mid September,
late September and then have to turn it back on
(14:01):
in October.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
I know in two thousand and three, we lost.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
Like eight out of ten in early September and every
night we lost, the Phillies loss and we ended up
winning the World Series in Miami. And so you never
know when these rough patches are gonna come. They just
happen to be going through it right now. But they
have a very, very talented team that will definitely be
in the playoffs in October. The Cleveland Indians, It's just
(14:24):
incredible what they do. Nobody ever gives them enough credit,
Nobody ever talks about them. They know who they are,
they have an identity, they have a process in the
way they draft players and signed players internationally. They have
a tremendous minor league system, and they just keep winning.
And it's truly incredible the way they go about it,
and kudos to their front office for their processes. And
(14:47):
they're still in this thing. They're not going away, and
they have a chance for the trades. They may they
have a chance to stay in this thing to the end.
But I still believe that the Tigers are the class.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Of the division.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Here's an interesting question for you.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Are the Yankees going to be able to hold on
to the third wild card right now that they've dropped
six of their last ten. Uh, they're in third place
in the division standings behind the Blue Jays and the
Red Sox are six and a half back. What what
shot do they have right now?
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Well, they've they've got to get the offense going. One
the identity is is more of you know, the home
run in that ballpark. Uh. They did a tremendous job
of improving that bullpen they have. They have arguably one
of the most talented late inning bullpens in the game. Again,
what's your role? Who who's going to be the defined
role when you have four closers. That's something still to
(15:40):
be decided. Devin Williams has had very good stretches, but
has struggled at times as well as well. But you know,
they the identity of the offense and and and playing
better defenses is certainly important.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
And you know the Jash Chisholm mistakes in Miami.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
I kind of understand where he was coming from on
the base, running where he had played there before, understood
the instincts of the player.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
It just didn't work out for him in that instance.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
But little things like that keep happening for them, and
if they can clean those things up, they're gonna be fine.
They have a super talented team, but the identity of
the offense has won something that's got to come to
the forefront and they got to continue to bitch.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Well does the road find you again here in the
coming days and weeks.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
I'm gonna pick up the Red Sox in Houston on Tuesday,
and then I'm gonna take Boston back to Boston and
I'll go Boston, Portland, Raleigh, Durham, Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
How about that one?
Speaker 3 (16:35):
I like it?
Speaker 1 (16:35):
O caase Geen Watson from the Chicago White Sox, the
player personnel director Gene. I appreciate the time as always,
have a great weekend. Thanks for doing have a great weekend. Yeah,
that's Gene Watson.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
All right.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
We have more coming up when we continue on thirteen
under the zone
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