August 25, 2020 • 38 mins
It's The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard and Rob Parker! Chris and Rob explain that while LeBron James has been extremely impressive during the first round of the NBA Playoffs, the title of Best Player in the World is still up for grabs. The guys also explain why NBA fans owe Kyrie Irving an apology after he correctly predicted that returning to play this season could distract from the social justice movement that's been sweeping the country. Plus, JR Gamble from TheShadowLeague.com swings by to help address the biggest stories in baseball in the latest edition of Foul or Fair.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcasts. Be sure
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(00:26):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. It is the I Couple.
I am Chris, he is Rob. We're coming to you
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Visit Geico dot com for free rate quote. We will
have our man JR. Gamble, senior editor for the Shadow
(00:48):
League dot Com, joining us for foul or fair our
baseball talk at the bottom of the hour. That's always
a lot of fun to keep it locked for that.
But we are going to return to the NBA and
we're going to return to the court now. Last night,
the Los Angeles Lakers dismantled the Portland Trailblazers, and to
(01:12):
be quite honest, they put him in the casket. This
series is over, and if there was any doubt that
it was over, Damian Lillard has a sprained Rob you
as a sprained right knee, and he is out for
Game five tomorrow night. So this is over. And all
(01:33):
those people, and there were many not on the odd couple,
not on the odd couple, not even Rob Parker right
went down that road. What did I say, Chris, Portland
will not beat the Lakers. Yeah, it just it was.
It was an epitome of prisoner of the moment. And
as great as Damian Lillard was playing, he's not a
(01:54):
match for Lebron James and Anthony Davis. Come on, what
did I said? What did I say about? What did
I call of Potland trail Blazers. It's like a box
of cracker jacks, Chris. But at the when you get
to the bottom, there's no prize. There never is a prize.
Last year in the Western Conference Finals there was a sweep.
There was no prize. Stop. They're a nice team, They're
(02:17):
a good team. He's a great player, Chris. Stop, you
know what I think? Robe with them? I now remember
go back to twenty fourteen and Golden State with Steph Curry,
Clay Thompson, David Lee, andre A Guadala, Daymond Green coming off.
Remember remember Davidly Andrew Bogan. They were a nice team
(02:39):
right right second round. You know nobody. I remember talking
me and PJ Carl Listen More being at their training
camp the first year with Steve Kerr and we were like, look,
they've gone as far as they can go. Mark Jackson
got into the second round. That's who they are. Steve
Kirk can't take him any further. And they had good
(03:00):
players at every position, but just the feeling was they're
not good enough. And Steve Kerr came in there, put
in the perfect offense for that group and the rest
is history. Honestly, Rob, Now, I'm not saying it would
lead to a championship. And I think Terry Stotts has
done a very good job there in Port. That's undeniable.
He's done a very good job there. But I do
(03:21):
think they've run their course with him, I think, and
I don't know who the coach is, but I think
a coach you're only going so far with two small
ball dominant jump shooting guards who do most of your scoring.
Now again, you would have said that about Golden State,
(03:42):
but what they incorporate movement Steph Clay. They don't dominate
the ball they don't overdribble, none of that. I think
if they can find a coach who could get some
type of motion offense. And really, because they got talent,
rob Usef nurkicch is nice assign Whiteside is Gary Trent
Junior has played well in the bubble, you don't if
(04:04):
they keep him. There's a lot of talent, there's no doubt,
but just not enough. I mean, I just think people
got you remember everybody, Oh that was the upset special,
don't you remember? It was not only picked him to
go to the finals. I believe he had to broom
out after Game one. I remember right he was. He
(04:25):
was brooming the studio at Turners and and it wasn't
to clean up the dirt on the floor. He really
had the Game one. I mean, people get carried away.
You know. I don't have a problem with outside of
the box once in a while and looking to do something,
But I just I just never bought into it. You
(04:46):
didn't buy into him, and and I'm not surprised where
they are. It's the same thing all the people jumped
off of Milwaukee with Orlando because they won Game one. Chris,
do you remember that if anybody did that, and I
and people, but anybody thought they were in trouble in
that series. They lost games. And what's happened the last
(05:09):
three games? I win exactly, They've done my elation exactly exactly,
and they lost one game. This is this is sports?
When did we become this thing where where every every
series Christian has to be a sweep in order for
a team to be good. Well, I'm gonna say this, Rob,
I do think that you and I obviously to a
(05:32):
lesser degree. But all the debate shows, the daily debate shows,
the twenty four hours sports talk radio. You know, like
we we talk up because it's that's the job. We
talk up every game and so you know, it happens
every year in the playoffs, there's this feeling you have
to fight it off, but there's this feeling that whoever
(05:55):
won the last game series? Yes, it really is. And um,
back in the day, you know, when every game went
on TV and you didn't have you know, the commentators
debating about every you know, possession and and and all
that stuff. It was different. But yeah, you had to
wait for the paper to come out the next yep,
(06:18):
so there wasn't all of that. You were waiting for
the paper ten hours later. Am I right? Well? Speaking
of delivering paper, get it? Delivering nice? I was a
paper boy, Yeah, I was too. I was too uh
in de Moine, I will believe it or not, it's unbelievable.
I have my own route. You threw the De Moines
Register paper. Yep, the De Moine Register I threw. I
(06:41):
threw a local paper, the Long Island Press, which was
an afternoon paper in Jamaica. Queen's Chris. The newspaper was
on Jamaica Avenue and and Linden Boulevard, on the Merrick Boulevard,
Merrick and Merrick and Jamaica Avenue. That's what the paper was.
Drive by every day on the swift pick. You have
to pick it up and all that. Well, um delivering
(07:06):
Lebron James delivered last night thirty points, ten assists. Here's
the amazing thing. Robbed twelve shots. Thirty points on twelve shots.
You wouldn't get You can't get any more efficient than that. No, no,
not that you know. And it sparked this discussion. Is
Lebron still the best player in the world. Now here's
what I'll say. He's not playing the best right now?
(07:30):
As great as he was last night. The best the
guys who were playing the best basketball right now I
believe are Luca don Chic and Donovan Mitchell. In Utah,
they're playing the best both of them. Obviously, Dallas is
tied to two with the Clippers, but they're at the
underdog and they're given a favorite, a championship favorite. All
(07:51):
they want their second best player. Right Utah is leading
Denver in Game five by nine. Right now, and remember
Utah lost Game one and overtime. Remember that lost Game
one and overtime. This this could have been the worst
straight That's incredible because Denver's a talented team. Remember Kenny
(08:12):
Smith said Denver or Dallas for a championship, so he
had he held Denver and highest team and they could
wind up other than the overtime win Chris in Game
one they got swept. Yep, no doubt that'd be shocking
for them and throughout the NBA. But so I think
those who are playing the best right now. But look,
let's keep it real. You're not becoming the best player
(08:34):
in the world on a month in the bubble. Okay.
The unusual suspects, Yannis James harden Uh Kawhi Leonard Lebron.
I would say right now, Lebron's playing the best. Now.
Some would argue Yannis, but I think Yannis's lack of
a jumper, and I think it's gonna become a factor
as the playoffs progressed. Like teams if they can box
(08:57):
in the lane, which they can and off those straight
line drives, he's nullified a lot later in games if
they don't play a lot of close games. But when
they do, you if you notice they don't go to Yannis,
they don't avoid him, but they go to ball movement
because Yannis doesn't really have the moves like you know,
(09:19):
you're not. He's not like got this great turnaround Jay
from the post. He doesn't have to pull up. Jay's
not a great three point shooter. They just go to
ball movement and whoever gets the shot gets the shot,
and that I think is a problem for them. And
so I would say Lebron is playing the best in
the world right now, the best player in the world
(09:39):
to me, though, it's going to be determined over the
next month month month. In the half, it doesn't have
to win the championship. But let's see Lebron against Houston.
Let's see him against Kauhai and Paul George. Let's see
Yannis against Toronto, and you know, Sawing and so forth.
How they play in those series will determine who's still
the best player in the world. Yeah, it gets hard
(10:00):
to do it. In the first round. I mean, Portland
came into the playoffs Chris giving up the most points
per game, one hundred and twenty three points a game
as the average, which is just basically barely any defense
if right, Mattador defense, Right, You're just trying to get
the ball so you can score again exactly, like all right, yeah,
all right, go ahead, score, We're gonna score two. So
(10:24):
so yeah, that that's a big issue. And the other
problem I still have with Lebron, even with some of
the Gordy numbers and the things that he's done, is
all the misfree throws, which which really hurts. They've been
lucky because they haven't come Chris in the game. But
down the road, you know, in those big moments, it's
the difference between Lebron going hard or taking taking a shot,
(10:46):
you know what I mean in the paint where you
might get filed at the rim and having a stand
up there to make free throws and passing the ball
to somebody else because he doesn't want to be there.
Would you would you kind of give me a little
of that well, whether or not, you know, obviously that's
up for debate, whether he avoids the line. But the
fact is, even if he goes all the way to
(11:06):
the hole and gets found, he still got to go
make those free throws. I'm not one to think he
avoids the line. There are those not just saying Scott
earlier this week, just the same thing. Yeah, yeah, And
so I'm saying all the time. I mean, he goes
up there sometimes and takes his time to make him
sometimes he'll miss them. But the fact is he's not
all the I mean he's far from automatic. Yeah no, no no, no.
(11:28):
If he gets to the line late right right, it's
it's scary, it really is, because not only does he
miss like okay, you're gonna miss one of what, sometimes
he'll miss both, like like in the game one was
it when he yeah it miss for the row the
two of them. H so so yeah, and then the
competition to me just wasn't up to par really, So
(11:51):
I don't know how to gauge where Lebron really is
because of Portland, Chris Um. So, you know, Jannis, obviously
it looks like I shouldn't say obviously. I guess there's
story that's gonna win the Defensive Player of the Year.
Did you see that? Yeah, he was my vote. I
voted him obviously for him too. And we've we've seen
(12:14):
the numbers from the UH voted from a lot of
the writers and it looks like he could be the
MVP as well. He's gonna Yeah, so when you look
at those things right there, I don't know if it's
not Yannis. I hear your point about him, but I'm
not so sure Lebron because of the competition. I'm not
saying that Orlando some juggernaut or whatever the worst than Portland.
(12:37):
You gotta admit that. I don't know because Portland gave
up the most points. I'm just saying that, any you know,
Um So, I'm not I'm not there yet. I want
to see as he goes further on in the playoffs
before I could really feel that way. And even if
he I mean, like I said, it's not gonna be
determined in the first round of the playoffs. No, You've
(12:59):
got it like I said, what's he gonna do against Houston,
what's he gonna do against the Clippers? If that's who
they meet in the conference finals? And saw on it
so for and I'm not saying you have to win.
I mean, he was clearly the best player in the
world many of those years they lost the Golden State.
So it's not that you gotta win, but let's see
how you play. But you hit it on the head.
(13:19):
The free throw shooting could become a major problem for
the Lakers. Even last night when they absolutely lit the
place on fire. They shot fifty six percent from the floor,
they hit seventeen threes, forty four percent from three. They
only shot sixty seven percent from the free throw line,
and that was not a small samples out twenty of thirty.
(13:41):
They're the worst free throw shooting team in the Bubble
at sixty seven percent, and it's not an aberration. They
were twenty eighth of the thirty teams during the regular season,
so now they shot better, they were seventy three percent,
but that still is bad for an NBA team. So
that is something that could be a problem. And Anthony
(14:02):
Davis has been a great free throw shoot. He's eighty
five percent for the years, you know. But yeah, like
you said, he missed those two. I think it was
Game one against Portland. He's missed some you know in Betune.
Very unusual because it makes a really good yes, right,
is on these big moments, what's he gonna do? So
(14:22):
those are still question marks for the Lakers, But this
series is O. You would agree, this series, especially without Lillard.
I thought maybe if Lillard's healthy and normally could have
pushed me. I agree. I agree, Like he goes off
and goes off one night, you know what I mean,
and then yeah, knowing that it's over, that they can't
win three in a row or whatever, but yeah, I
(14:45):
would be stunned if they won the game. Yeah, yeah,
all right? Eight seven seven ninety nine on fix eight
seven seven nine nine six sixty three sixty nine. Is
the best player in the world still up for grabs?
Is it Lebron? Who is the best player in the world?
And we'll take their team deeper in the playoffs. You're
turned away and we'll continue the conversation with you. Next
(15:06):
is christ and Rob the Eye couple. Fox Sports Radio.
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports
Radio dot com and within the iHeart Radio app. Search
f SR to listen live. Eight seven seven ninety nine
on Fox is a telephone number eight seven seven nine
sixty three sixty nine. You're turning away in is Lebron
(15:28):
James showing us that he is still the best player
in the world Today? All right, let's kick it off
with Andrew and California. You're on the eye couple of
Fox Sports Radio. What you got what's going on? Christ
and Rob? How are you guys doing today? Great? Gray?
How are you? I'm doing good? Thanks for asking. So,
I personally do not think it is up for grabs.
(15:50):
Last year, you could have made the case that Lebron
was falling off the throne with that god awful season,
But I think I don't even think it's really quite
close is now, to be quite honest with you, and
to be honest, you look at this particular series. Yeah,
Portland ain't the best competition in the world for the Lakers.
We knew this was coming. But the reason why I'd
(16:11):
say Lebron is still gonna be up there, not not
just due to his play, but due to the fact
that I feel like there are guys on the Bucks
and the Clippers that are holding both be honest and
Kawhi back. You look at Lebron and Anthony Davis. You
can consistently count on Anthony Davis to put up twenty
five and twelve a night. But you're looking at Paul George.
(16:31):
You're looking at Chris Middleton. You know, Paul George out
here calling himself playoff feet. Everybody's out here, you know,
saying a whole bunch of other names, pete, playoffs, play
off pee wee exactly. Now, you're right, yeah, I mean
that I've seen I've seen pandemics pe you know, the
(16:54):
list goes on or not. But you I mean, and
you look at the at Kawhi series for example, why
is going on? Kawhi is doing Kawhi. We knew that
he was gonna get right. But you know what, I
will say this about Kawhi. Here's the thing about Kawhi.
Will say he has not been the defender that he
used to be. I think maybe, look, he's a little older. Obviously,
(17:18):
his knee I'm not saying he's got knee issues right now,
but you know he's had knee issues, and I think
he's got the burden of carrying the offense, which he
never had in San Antonio. Well, unless Paul George shows
up and then he can he doesn't have to count. Yeah,
but but you know he's still gotta give him, you know,
he gives him his twenty eight and nine. I'm not
(17:39):
get that. I'm just saying he play makes a lot
of the plays too. If you watch you know, so,
I just it's natural. Um, but ye would you admit though, Robbie,
at least in this series, he has not been and
really throughout the season because he hasn't had to really
show it in the regular season. But now you would
like to see it against Luca, and he hadn't really
been that that's opera that he used to be. Yeah,
(18:01):
I think is uh definitely you could say that, and
we'll see how this thing plays out as time goes on.
But I definitely agree with that. How about Marty in Kentucky.
You're on the odd couple of Fox Sports. What's up, Marty?
What's up? Fellas? That's great talking to you tonight, no doubt.
What's up man, Chris? I love your take with Sportman.
(18:24):
It's timber coaching change, yep. It's nothing against what's going
on there. Sometimes a change and a tweek it's just right. Yeah,
remember we saw it in Toronto. Dwayne Casey was doing
a great job, but another level. Dwane Casey is a
great coach, but the tweeks matter. Y tweaks over at
(18:47):
Dallas when they were when they managed to seat the
super team in Miami. He organized the defense right beat
that team. So was a coach, but their post doesn't
mean he did a bad job. There's another one that
a coach was moved out. Rick Carlos was a coach
of the Pistons Crystal Bore, Larry Brown showed up, and
(19:10):
Larry Brown showed up and the championship names too, right,
but Rick Carlo a name. Rick wind up winning his
own championship and and validating him, you know, his whole
coaching career. But they thought they needed somebody else to
get that group over the hump, and that's why they
made it the change, right and it worked. Yeah, no,
that's true. But go ahead, Marty, right, is Mary with
(19:33):
this the best player in the world. I say it's
definitely up for grabs. I mean, Kauhai has won two
finals MVPs he's got a chance to win two championship.
Row is a different team than being the first player
to do that with three teams, and Lebron has a chance.
There's the same, So it's you know, they definitely say
it's up for grabs. And I do believe the Clippers
(19:55):
are in a situation that Golden State while still healthy,
we're in last here in the first round. With the Clippers,
they've had their eyes open. So tonight there should be
talking on defense. There should be guys fighting through screens.
There should be guys committed to be mentally telling. Like
Doc Riggers said, he's called them at right right time,
no doubt, no doubt they need it because they've been lilligagging. Yea,
(20:19):
if they know sands or butts about it. If they
win tonight, then they can get where they need to go.
And and and most a lot of people, at least
we did. I think. Then you pick them in six
as well. I picked them in five. Okay, so I
picked them in six, So I thought they'd lose a couple,
all right, Rafael in Brazil, you're in the eye couple
of Fox Sports Radio. Why brother, Hi, Hi, everybody? You
(20:42):
sound great from Brazil. We're in Brazil. That's a big country.
Is there a suburban California called Brazil or something like that. No,
it's the second time. I mean, I'm from that. I'm
from real. I've been the Wheel, very nice. I had
(21:02):
a great shot there, I'm sure. But but but I
don't live there anymore. I mean I'm in the country
right now. Okay, ah, you live here, all right, I
got so go ahead, though, go ahead. Look the bats
play in the world is Kawhile Leonard Man. He's awesome.
He played at his own pace and even though he
(21:23):
broke he broke my heart and he left Toronto. It's
weird when when he's playing it looks like the defender
is soft because I don't know, sometimes it's weird. I'm like, man,
that that dude couldn't couldn't get a little bit closer
to try to contest the shot or something like that.
(21:43):
But then another angle shows that he a little bump
with this shoulder, and the guy just goes away. Here. Man,
he's so strong, he's just he's got the leap. You know,
he's athletic, and he you know, he's got the whole package.
And about the defense, about his defense. I think he's
(22:05):
not defend at the same level because he doesn't want to,
you know, fight through all those screens and you know,
he's always managing minutes and all of that, and you know,
the defense up the Clippers, they switch a lot. I
don't know if that's and they need to stop that
because we are Daniels saying, yeah, what what good is
(22:29):
it to have two great perimeter defenders if I'm not
doing all the time? Right? And and then then that
winding up on Broughting the guy who has the basketball
and has the only the only shot to beat you. Yeah,
that was the guy. So so I agree with that.
All right, Fouler Fair coming up next with our man JR. Gamble.
But first, Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk
(22:50):
lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at
Fox Sports Radio dot Com and within the iHeartRadio app
search f s R to listen live. That ball is
it was a big week in the Big League. Who's
is it foul or is it fair? And now here's
(23:14):
the odd couple with Shadow League dot Com MLB insider JR. Gamble.
That's right, I'm back on the airs twice in one segment.
That's how we do it here on the Odd Couple,
and again we are doing Fouler fair. At the segment,
we discussed some of the biggest stories around the diamond.
In order to do that, we got to get a
baseball expert, not Rob Parker because he's just a Hall
(23:35):
of Fame voter hasn't really followed the sporting years. Yeah,
I'm not. I need to watch a game and catch up.
So we bring in our man from the Shadow League
dot Com, JR gamble Ja. How are you feeling? What's up? Fellas?
The only thing hotter than the odd Couple right now
is Lucas and Mookie bet Wow. Hey, that's a good call.
(23:55):
That's a good call. That's right now. You know this
segment works. I got three baseball stories. The guy's got
to decide if the statement I give at the end
is foul or fair. So let's get started, guys. Story
number one, Jay, I'm starting with you over the weekend.
White Sox first baseman Josea. Bray, You hit a home
run in four consecutive plate appearances and a total of
six in the series. As a team, the White Sox
(24:18):
have hit thirty homers in their last nine games, but
even still, the White Sox are just in third place
in the AL Central. So here's the question is if
foul or fair to say the Chicago even with all
that power, is destined to miss the playoffs. You get
a homer, and you get a homer foul, that is
a foul ball. I love to use the Oprah and
(24:40):
she was from Chicago. Okay, the White Sox actually have
one of the more balanced teams in baseball, and the
only two and a half games behind Minnesota and tied
with Cleveland for second. Play games are in action, I
believe right now. Obviously they have a slew of matches
from a Bray Kim Anderson at the top, Lloyd menez
(25:01):
Luis Robert the twenty two year old future star, but
the pitching solid. Right now, they have the six low
RM baseball fellers three point seventy nine, right behind Oakland, Dallas, Kaiko,
Geo Gonzalez. They're veterans, they won't kill you down the stretch.
They've played in high pressure games. They can help tutor
the young arms. It seems will be working because people
(25:21):
didn't expect much to the White Sox, but we know
they're gonna hit a ton of home run in the
sixty game season, and if they're pitching can hold steady
and keep surrendering below one four runs per game, They're
a team that second in ops. I believe to the
Yankees definitely has a shot to even make a run
at the division. I'm with JR. I think it's foul
(25:45):
to discount the White Sox. There were people before the
season that liked the team, and you're right. I get
all the power and third place, but don't forget they're
playing NBA NHL rules sixteen teams rate the playoffs. If
this was the the old situation, the old format, Chris
and Jr. Then maybe not they wouldn't make it. But
(26:08):
I think they have a shot to make it. I
really do. I think the White Sox up for real.
I love to line up and I think they're going
to make the playoffs. I'm with you, guys, this is foul.
That is a foul. Look they're in the top ten
and hitting and pitching. It's not like they're pitching is horrible.
Not they're They're hitting is better, but their pitching is solid.
(26:28):
As JR. Said, And even if they hadn't expanded the playoffs,
I believe they're sixth right now in the in the
in the league, and so they still would be in
the hunt even if they, you know, hadn't expanded the playoffs,
but certainly with it expand it, there's no question they
are not destined to be on the outside looking in segments.
(26:50):
Less fun when you guys all agree, So we move on.
Sorry about that talking story number two. With the trade
deadline fast approaching, everyone is starting to one who's gonna
be the biggest name to get dealton So far, multiple
media always have speculated that Indians picture Mike Clevenger could
be that guy. Now he's currently away from the team
after he broke that COVID protocol caused a little mutey
(27:12):
in the locker room, but he is one of the
best young pitchers in the game. So Jr. Is if
foul or fair to say that the Indians will be
making a mistake if they decide to trade Clevenger. Fair.
We spoke about this on the Inside the Parker podcast
a while back. Clevenger is way too good to trade him.
(27:33):
We agree that he and police Act were wrong, you know,
for breaking the rules going out and then lying to
teammates about it. They've been demoted in the middle of
what is basically halfway through a Pennant chase. Its entire
teach twenty seasons different ovid has changed everything. Whatever happens
to me this season is basically a watch fellas none
of the other teammates contracted it and Clevenger's paying his
(27:56):
dudes and humiliation and inactivity. Pitching is the key to
accession baseball, and when you have a guy who's blocked
ming for a team with the second lowest RARA and baseball,
then you find a way to keep him and definitely
just start with a clean slate next year when everything
is back to normal, hopefully. I'm with JR. This is fair.
(28:18):
Clevenger is too good of a talent on the mound
for them to give off. I mean, they're trying to win.
They're not they're not running away, they're not selling everything,
and you know they're trying to win now, So you
gotta keep Clevenger unless the entire locker room is just
against him because he lied to his teammates and everything,
(28:38):
and even then you still gotta really think about it. Right,
But I don't even think they're gonna think about trade.
I think he's got probably a better chance of signing
an extension than he does of getting sent elsewhere. I
think it's fair controversial time. They're in second place in
(29:00):
the Central. They're still winning. They didn't fall off the
face of the earth because of Clevenger and play sack.
But but the bottom line is, if you make a
trade like that, it's not like you're not gonna get anything.
He might have lost the distrust with the Indians, but
he's valuable, so you might wind up getting something. And
(29:21):
they just have so much pitching with that organization that
I think the Indians couldn't make that move. I think
players really were hurt because he lied to them, you know,
after the whole scenario and with the COVID thing. And
remember they had a picture on that staff who almost
died a year ago, you know what I mean, because
he had his own illness and his immune system is compromised.
(29:45):
So I think that's why they hurt so much by this,
because of what could have happened. Well, Rob said it fair,
but it's it wasn't a clean sweep, so it's still
a good segment, all right. Dollar fair in the Cup
And then you guys both said fair. We both said fair.
Oh wow, the question you got complicated? Guys, got food confused?
(30:07):
Fouler fair with the Shadow League dot COM's JR gamble
on the odd couple. Last question, guys. Albert Pooholes drove
in is two thousand and eighty seventh run on Monday,
moving ahead of A Rod for second place on Major
League Baseball's all time RBI list. Now, Pooles was widely
regarded as one of the best hitters ever when he
played in Saint Louis, but since he moved on to
(30:29):
the Angels, he's faded into almost obscurity. And I'm sure
playing with Mike Trout probably is not helping things for him.
So Jr. At this point, is it foul or fair
to say that Albert Pooholes has become almost underrated? Fair?
That's a fair ball. Unfortunately, Albert Pooholes, one of the
(30:50):
greatest Latin lords in history of baseball, will also go
down as the most underrated player of all time, right
up there with Dick Allen, the great Dick Allen. It's
not like he's been totally ignored. He's a ten time
All Star, three time I believe MVP he flexed his
muscle on what two World City Stages and one twice.
(31:10):
But as foot Hools look compiling these incredible numbers, many
of which came during the steroid error, so Homer's he
was hitting became, I guess, the values in the eyes
of fans. So as he moved out of that error,
he kept hit his dinners and moving up the Homer list,
but it has much less impact now. I mean, when
he's done, he could have seven hundred homers and who
(31:32):
knows how many records will hold. Unfortunately, he was first
outshined by Barry Bonds and Griffly Chris, those guys, and
then Hollywood guys like a Rod and Jeter Rob and
then he went to play with the modern day Roy
Hobbes as Mention and Mike Trout. So yes, Footholes will
be historically undervalued as a player hitter and Champ sort
(31:52):
of liked how Black thought of the roosts in hip hop.
The numbers are too ridiculous, underrated. Second all time on
the RBI list, could finish with seven hundred home runs.
He might be out of sight from the standpoint of
the Angels can't make the playoffs and he's an older player,
(32:16):
but his numbers will wind up being as good as
anybody's numbers, So I'm not gonna say that now he's
almost underrated. People know who this guy is. And yes,
if he's not on that stage like he was with
the Cardinals when they will win in and won a
championship and all that and got to the playoffs, I
get it. He might not be out front, but he
(32:37):
is not underrated by any stretch of the imagination when
you just look at his numbers. I'm kind of confused
on what each answer would mean at this point, but
I'm gonna say foul this is aloe because there's no
doubt that. Look, let's just face it. For the last decade,
(32:58):
Albert Poohost has been mediocre and maybe it better. I
shouldn't go that he's been better than mediocre, but he
hasn't been great. His decade long career with the Angels
has not been Hall of Fame worthy. And were this
is ten years now now, he was as good as
we've ever seen in Saint Louis. Bad, hit for average,
(33:22):
hit for power, did it all? But you mentioned that JR.
I mean, and I'm not saying he was on steroids,
but my goodness, the circumstantial evidence because he was a
behemoth in Saint Louis. As soon as he goes to LA,
he becomes he falls off. He's made one All Star
team in the last ten years. So the issue is
(33:45):
when people you're right, Rob, his numbers are undeniable. I mean,
it's just incredible. But here's the thing. The other players
with those types of numbers, Albert Poojost is not going
to be viewed in that class. A Rod Barry Vaughn's,
Willie Mays, Hank Aaron We're not going to view him
(34:06):
in that class, you know. And it was all in
the first ten twelve years of his career, but after
that he has been and he wasn't at old either.
He was like thirty one thirty two when he went
to the Angels, and dude just fell off the map.
He's at two fifty seven since he's been with LA.
So look, he's gonna be a Hall of Famer's an
(34:26):
all time great and all that. But it's a strange
situation because he's been he hasn't been great for a
decade now, and everything he did that was otherworldly happened,
you know, more than ten years ago. Scalar Fair Jr.
Great stuff as always wether we appreciate it. That is
(34:47):
Fouler Fair keep it locked. This the eye couple Christ
and Rod Fox Sports Radio. Fox Sports Radio has the
best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of
our shows at Fox sports Radio dot com and within
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is the couple Chris and Rob usc Chris is in
(35:07):
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(35:28):
com today to start your job fast. Getting his own
autos Own Rob. I only got a brief moment here,
but I know you wanted to say something about Kyrie
Irving as it relates to you know, some players bringing
up the prospect. You know, I don't think either one
of us thinks it's gonna happen, but you never know.
We'll see. But bringing up at least the prospect that
(35:49):
they never should have gone down to the bubble and
they should consider boycotting and things like that. That's a
topic of conversation among some players. And you want to
say something about Kyrie, just just that. I think Chris,
both of us, we understood what Kyrie was saying at
the time about going down to the bubble, taking focus
(36:11):
away from what the movement that was happening, the demonstrations
of protest, everything that was happening in the country, and
whether or not that was the right time to do
it and stop what was going on, stop the movement.
And a lot of people attack Kyrie. Ah hen he
heard he don't, he don't, he can't play, so he
(36:32):
don't want nobody else to play. I just I thought
that that was ill advised. I said, and that Kyrie,
whether you agreed or disagreed, I think he made a
valid point at that time, Chris, And now as we
look at what's happened and what's going on, and the
(36:54):
same stuff continues to happen in this country, unarmed black
men are being killed by wife lease. Kywe had a point.
I hope people will just stop jumping on people listen
to what they have to say. They banted to bring
in all the earth is flat and Christmas isn't a holiday,
and all this other stuff. You know what I mean,
(37:15):
to try to discredit him, who looks discredited? Now, I
don't think it's Kyrie no look. And like you said,
you and I both thought. I actually applauded him for
thinking this way outside right. And like I said, I
have long felt and still do that black athletes should
(37:37):
use their platform to help African American people because they
are the most beloved, well connected, wealthiest African Americans buying
large in the country, and they're necessary. They're needed like
no one else, no other African Americans in society. We're
(37:57):
all needed, of course, But I mean, you can't replace
Lebron James, you can't replace Patrick Mahomes, Cam Newton and
guys like that. So I'm glad that he was thinking
that way, whether you agree with the boycott idea or not.
But has it distracted I think it has distracted a
little bit. I mean, Black Lives Matter in the protests
(38:19):
were certainly more in the news before the bubble. I'm
not mad at the players are doing it, but I
don't think that's I think that's undeniable. All Right, we
got an hour left. It's the odd couple, Christ and Rob.
You know what to do, keep it locked,
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcasts. Be sure
to catch us live every weekday from seven pm to
ten pm Eastern four to seven pm Pacific, or Fox
Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd Couple
at Fox Sports Radio dot com or stream us live
every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching f s R.
(00:26):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. It is the I Couple.
I am Chris, he is Rob. We're coming to you
live from the Geico Fox Sports Radio studios. Fifteen minutes
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Visit Geico dot com for free rate quote. We will
have our man JR. Gamble, senior editor for the Shadow
(00:48):
League dot Com, joining us for foul or fair our
baseball talk at the bottom of the hour. That's always
a lot of fun to keep it locked for that.
But we are going to return to the NBA and
we're going to return to the court now. Last night,
the Los Angeles Lakers dismantled the Portland Trailblazers, and to
(01:12):
be quite honest, they put him in the casket. This
series is over, and if there was any doubt that
it was over, Damian Lillard has a sprained Rob you
as a sprained right knee, and he is out for
Game five tomorrow night. So this is over. And all
(01:33):
those people, and there were many not on the odd couple,
not on the odd couple, not even Rob Parker right
went down that road. What did I say, Chris, Portland
will not beat the Lakers. Yeah, it just it was.
It was an epitome of prisoner of the moment. And
as great as Damian Lillard was playing, he's not a
(01:54):
match for Lebron James and Anthony Davis. Come on, what
did I said? What did I say about? What did
I call of Potland trail Blazers. It's like a box
of cracker jacks, Chris. But at the when you get
to the bottom, there's no prize. There never is a prize.
Last year in the Western Conference Finals there was a sweep.
There was no prize. Stop. They're a nice team, They're
(02:17):
a good team. He's a great player, Chris. Stop, you
know what I think? Robe with them? I now remember
go back to twenty fourteen and Golden State with Steph Curry,
Clay Thompson, David Lee, andre A Guadala, Daymond Green coming off.
Remember remember Davidly Andrew Bogan. They were a nice team
(02:39):
right right second round. You know nobody. I remember talking
me and PJ Carl Listen More being at their training
camp the first year with Steve Kerr and we were like, look,
they've gone as far as they can go. Mark Jackson
got into the second round. That's who they are. Steve
Kirk can't take him any further. And they had good
(03:00):
players at every position, but just the feeling was they're
not good enough. And Steve Kerr came in there, put
in the perfect offense for that group and the rest
is history. Honestly, Rob, Now, I'm not saying it would
lead to a championship. And I think Terry Stotts has
done a very good job there in Port. That's undeniable.
He's done a very good job there. But I do
(03:21):
think they've run their course with him, I think, and
I don't know who the coach is, but I think
a coach you're only going so far with two small
ball dominant jump shooting guards who do most of your scoring.
Now again, you would have said that about Golden State,
(03:42):
but what they incorporate movement Steph Clay. They don't dominate
the ball they don't overdribble, none of that. I think
if they can find a coach who could get some
type of motion offense. And really, because they got talent,
rob Usef nurkicch is nice assign Whiteside is Gary Trent
Junior has played well in the bubble, you don't if
(04:04):
they keep him. There's a lot of talent, there's no doubt,
but just not enough. I mean, I just think people
got you remember everybody, Oh that was the upset special,
don't you remember? It was not only picked him to
go to the finals. I believe he had to broom
out after Game one. I remember right he was. He
(04:25):
was brooming the studio at Turners and and it wasn't
to clean up the dirt on the floor. He really
had the Game one. I mean, people get carried away.
You know. I don't have a problem with outside of
the box once in a while and looking to do something,
But I just I just never bought into it. You
(04:46):
didn't buy into him, and and I'm not surprised where
they are. It's the same thing all the people jumped
off of Milwaukee with Orlando because they won Game one. Chris,
do you remember that if anybody did that, and I
and people, but anybody thought they were in trouble in
that series. They lost games. And what's happened the last
(05:09):
three games? I win exactly, They've done my elation exactly exactly,
and they lost one game. This is this is sports?
When did we become this thing where where every every
series Christian has to be a sweep in order for
a team to be good. Well, I'm gonna say this, Rob,
I do think that you and I obviously to a
(05:32):
lesser degree. But all the debate shows, the daily debate shows,
the twenty four hours sports talk radio. You know, like
we we talk up because it's that's the job. We
talk up every game and so you know, it happens
every year in the playoffs, there's this feeling you have
to fight it off, but there's this feeling that whoever
(05:55):
won the last game series? Yes, it really is. And um,
back in the day, you know, when every game went
on TV and you didn't have you know, the commentators
debating about every you know, possession and and and all
that stuff. It was different. But yeah, you had to
wait for the paper to come out the next yep,
(06:18):
so there wasn't all of that. You were waiting for
the paper ten hours later. Am I right? Well? Speaking
of delivering paper, get it? Delivering nice? I was a
paper boy, Yeah, I was too. I was too uh
in de Moine, I will believe it or not, it's unbelievable.
I have my own route. You threw the De Moines
Register paper. Yep, the De Moine Register I threw. I
(06:41):
threw a local paper, the Long Island Press, which was
an afternoon paper in Jamaica. Queen's Chris. The newspaper was
on Jamaica Avenue and and Linden Boulevard, on the Merrick Boulevard,
Merrick and Merrick and Jamaica Avenue. That's what the paper was.
Drive by every day on the swift pick. You have
to pick it up and all that. Well, um delivering
(07:06):
Lebron James delivered last night thirty points, ten assists. Here's
the amazing thing. Robbed twelve shots. Thirty points on twelve shots.
You wouldn't get You can't get any more efficient than that. No, no,
not that you know. And it sparked this discussion. Is
Lebron still the best player in the world. Now here's
what I'll say. He's not playing the best right now?
(07:30):
As great as he was last night. The best the
guys who were playing the best basketball right now I
believe are Luca don Chic and Donovan Mitchell. In Utah,
they're playing the best both of them. Obviously, Dallas is
tied to two with the Clippers, but they're at the
underdog and they're given a favorite, a championship favorite. All
(07:51):
they want their second best player. Right Utah is leading
Denver in Game five by nine. Right now, and remember
Utah lost Game one and overtime. Remember that lost Game
one and overtime. This this could have been the worst
straight That's incredible because Denver's a talented team. Remember Kenny
(08:12):
Smith said Denver or Dallas for a championship, so he
had he held Denver and highest team and they could
wind up other than the overtime win Chris in Game
one they got swept. Yep, no doubt that'd be shocking
for them and throughout the NBA. But so I think
those who are playing the best right now. But look,
let's keep it real. You're not becoming the best player
(08:34):
in the world on a month in the bubble. Okay.
The unusual suspects, Yannis James harden Uh Kawhi Leonard Lebron.
I would say right now, Lebron's playing the best. Now.
Some would argue Yannis, but I think Yannis's lack of
a jumper, and I think it's gonna become a factor
as the playoffs progressed. Like teams if they can box
(08:57):
in the lane, which they can and off those straight
line drives, he's nullified a lot later in games if
they don't play a lot of close games. But when
they do, you if you notice they don't go to Yannis,
they don't avoid him, but they go to ball movement
because Yannis doesn't really have the moves like you know,
(09:19):
you're not. He's not like got this great turnaround Jay
from the post. He doesn't have to pull up. Jay's
not a great three point shooter. They just go to
ball movement and whoever gets the shot gets the shot,
and that I think is a problem for them. And
so I would say Lebron is playing the best in
the world right now, the best player in the world
(09:39):
to me, though, it's going to be determined over the
next month month month. In the half, it doesn't have
to win the championship. But let's see Lebron against Houston.
Let's see him against Kauhai and Paul George. Let's see
Yannis against Toronto, and you know, Sawing and so forth.
How they play in those series will determine who's still
the best player in the world. Yeah, it gets hard
(10:00):
to do it. In the first round. I mean, Portland
came into the playoffs Chris giving up the most points
per game, one hundred and twenty three points a game
as the average, which is just basically barely any defense
if right, Mattador defense, Right, You're just trying to get
the ball so you can score again exactly, like all right, yeah,
all right, go ahead, score, We're gonna score two. So
(10:24):
so yeah, that that's a big issue. And the other
problem I still have with Lebron, even with some of
the Gordy numbers and the things that he's done, is
all the misfree throws, which which really hurts. They've been
lucky because they haven't come Chris in the game. But
down the road, you know, in those big moments, it's
the difference between Lebron going hard or taking taking a shot,
(10:46):
you know what I mean in the paint where you
might get filed at the rim and having a stand
up there to make free throws and passing the ball
to somebody else because he doesn't want to be there.
Would you would you kind of give me a little
of that well, whether or not, you know, obviously that's
up for debate, whether he avoids the line. But the
fact is, even if he goes all the way to
(11:06):
the hole and gets found, he still got to go
make those free throws. I'm not one to think he
avoids the line. There are those not just saying Scott
earlier this week, just the same thing. Yeah, yeah, And
so I'm saying all the time. I mean, he goes
up there sometimes and takes his time to make him
sometimes he'll miss them. But the fact is he's not
all the I mean he's far from automatic. Yeah no, no no, no.
(11:28):
If he gets to the line late right right, it's
it's scary, it really is, because not only does he
miss like okay, you're gonna miss one of what, sometimes
he'll miss both, like like in the game one was
it when he yeah it miss for the row the
two of them. H so so yeah, and then the
competition to me just wasn't up to par really, So
(11:51):
I don't know how to gauge where Lebron really is
because of Portland, Chris Um. So, you know, Jannis, obviously
it looks like I shouldn't say obviously. I guess there's
story that's gonna win the Defensive Player of the Year.
Did you see that? Yeah, he was my vote. I
voted him obviously for him too. And we've we've seen
(12:14):
the numbers from the UH voted from a lot of
the writers and it looks like he could be the
MVP as well. He's gonna Yeah, so when you look
at those things right there, I don't know if it's
not Yannis. I hear your point about him, but I'm
not so sure Lebron because of the competition. I'm not
saying that Orlando some juggernaut or whatever the worst than Portland.
(12:37):
You gotta admit that. I don't know because Portland gave
up the most points. I'm just saying that, any you know,
Um So, I'm not I'm not there yet. I want
to see as he goes further on in the playoffs
before I could really feel that way. And even if
he I mean, like I said, it's not gonna be
determined in the first round of the playoffs. No, You've
(12:59):
got it like I said, what's he gonna do against Houston,
what's he gonna do against the Clippers? If that's who
they meet in the conference finals? And saw on it
so for and I'm not saying you have to win.
I mean, he was clearly the best player in the
world many of those years they lost the Golden State.
So it's not that you gotta win, but let's see
how you play. But you hit it on the head.
(13:19):
The free throw shooting could become a major problem for
the Lakers. Even last night when they absolutely lit the
place on fire. They shot fifty six percent from the floor,
they hit seventeen threes, forty four percent from three. They
only shot sixty seven percent from the free throw line,
and that was not a small samples out twenty of thirty.
(13:41):
They're the worst free throw shooting team in the Bubble
at sixty seven percent, and it's not an aberration. They
were twenty eighth of the thirty teams during the regular season,
so now they shot better, they were seventy three percent,
but that still is bad for an NBA team. So
that is something that could be a problem. And Anthony
(14:02):
Davis has been a great free throw shoot. He's eighty
five percent for the years, you know. But yeah, like
you said, he missed those two. I think it was
Game one against Portland. He's missed some you know in Betune.
Very unusual because it makes a really good yes, right,
is on these big moments, what's he gonna do? So
(14:22):
those are still question marks for the Lakers, But this
series is O. You would agree, this series, especially without Lillard.
I thought maybe if Lillard's healthy and normally could have
pushed me. I agree. I agree, Like he goes off
and goes off one night, you know what I mean,
and then yeah, knowing that it's over, that they can't
win three in a row or whatever, but yeah, I
(14:45):
would be stunned if they won the game. Yeah, yeah,
all right? Eight seven seven ninety nine on fix eight
seven seven nine nine six sixty three sixty nine. Is
the best player in the world still up for grabs?
Is it Lebron? Who is the best player in the world?
And we'll take their team deeper in the playoffs. You're
turned away and we'll continue the conversation with you. Next
(15:06):
is christ and Rob the Eye couple. Fox Sports Radio.
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports
Radio dot com and within the iHeart Radio app. Search
f SR to listen live. Eight seven seven ninety nine
on Fox is a telephone number eight seven seven nine
sixty three sixty nine. You're turning away in is Lebron
(15:28):
James showing us that he is still the best player
in the world Today? All right, let's kick it off
with Andrew and California. You're on the eye couple of
Fox Sports Radio. What you got what's going on? Christ
and Rob? How are you guys doing today? Great? Gray?
How are you? I'm doing good? Thanks for asking. So,
I personally do not think it is up for grabs.
(15:50):
Last year, you could have made the case that Lebron
was falling off the throne with that god awful season,
But I think I don't even think it's really quite
close is now, to be quite honest with you, and
to be honest, you look at this particular series. Yeah,
Portland ain't the best competition in the world for the Lakers.
We knew this was coming. But the reason why I'd
(16:11):
say Lebron is still gonna be up there, not not
just due to his play, but due to the fact
that I feel like there are guys on the Bucks
and the Clippers that are holding both be honest and
Kawhi back. You look at Lebron and Anthony Davis. You
can consistently count on Anthony Davis to put up twenty
five and twelve a night. But you're looking at Paul George.
(16:31):
You're looking at Chris Middleton. You know, Paul George out
here calling himself playoff feet. Everybody's out here, you know,
saying a whole bunch of other names, pete, playoffs, play
off pee wee exactly. Now, you're right, yeah, I mean
that I've seen I've seen pandemics pe you know, the
(16:54):
list goes on or not. But you I mean, and
you look at the at Kawhi series for example, why
is going on? Kawhi is doing Kawhi. We knew that
he was gonna get right. But you know what, I
will say this about Kawhi. Here's the thing about Kawhi.
Will say he has not been the defender that he
used to be. I think maybe, look, he's a little older. Obviously,
(17:18):
his knee I'm not saying he's got knee issues right now,
but you know he's had knee issues, and I think
he's got the burden of carrying the offense, which he
never had in San Antonio. Well, unless Paul George shows
up and then he can he doesn't have to count. Yeah,
but but you know he's still gotta give him, you know,
he gives him his twenty eight and nine. I'm not
(17:39):
get that. I'm just saying he play makes a lot
of the plays too. If you watch you know, so,
I just it's natural. Um, but ye would you admit though, Robbie,
at least in this series, he has not been and
really throughout the season because he hasn't had to really
show it in the regular season. But now you would
like to see it against Luca, and he hadn't really
been that that's opera that he used to be. Yeah,
(18:01):
I think is uh definitely you could say that, and
we'll see how this thing plays out as time goes on.
But I definitely agree with that. How about Marty in Kentucky.
You're on the odd couple of Fox Sports. What's up, Marty?
What's up? Fellas? That's great talking to you tonight, no doubt.
What's up man, Chris? I love your take with Sportman.
(18:24):
It's timber coaching change, yep. It's nothing against what's going
on there. Sometimes a change and a tweek it's just right. Yeah,
remember we saw it in Toronto. Dwayne Casey was doing
a great job, but another level. Dwane Casey is a
great coach, but the tweeks matter. Y tweaks over at
(18:47):
Dallas when they were when they managed to seat the
super team in Miami. He organized the defense right beat
that team. So was a coach, but their post doesn't
mean he did a bad job. There's another one that
a coach was moved out. Rick Carlos was a coach
of the Pistons Crystal Bore, Larry Brown showed up, and
(19:10):
Larry Brown showed up and the championship names too, right,
but Rick Carlo a name. Rick wind up winning his
own championship and and validating him, you know, his whole
coaching career. But they thought they needed somebody else to
get that group over the hump, and that's why they
made it the change, right and it worked. Yeah, no,
that's true. But go ahead, Marty, right, is Mary with
(19:33):
this the best player in the world. I say it's
definitely up for grabs. I mean, Kauhai has won two
finals MVPs he's got a chance to win two championship.
Row is a different team than being the first player
to do that with three teams, and Lebron has a chance.
There's the same, So it's you know, they definitely say
it's up for grabs. And I do believe the Clippers
(19:55):
are in a situation that Golden State while still healthy,
we're in last here in the first round. With the Clippers,
they've had their eyes open. So tonight there should be
talking on defense. There should be guys fighting through screens.
There should be guys committed to be mentally telling. Like
Doc Riggers said, he's called them at right right time,
no doubt, no doubt they need it because they've been lilligagging. Yea,
(20:19):
if they know sands or butts about it. If they
win tonight, then they can get where they need to go.
And and and most a lot of people, at least
we did. I think. Then you pick them in six
as well. I picked them in five. Okay, so I
picked them in six, So I thought they'd lose a couple,
all right, Rafael in Brazil, you're in the eye couple
of Fox Sports Radio. Why brother, Hi, Hi, everybody? You
(20:42):
sound great from Brazil. We're in Brazil. That's a big country.
Is there a suburban California called Brazil or something like that. No,
it's the second time. I mean, I'm from that. I'm
from real. I've been the Wheel, very nice. I had
(21:02):
a great shot there, I'm sure. But but but I
don't live there anymore. I mean I'm in the country
right now. Okay, ah, you live here, all right, I
got so go ahead, though, go ahead. Look the bats
play in the world is Kawhile Leonard Man. He's awesome.
He played at his own pace and even though he
(21:23):
broke he broke my heart and he left Toronto. It's
weird when when he's playing it looks like the defender
is soft because I don't know, sometimes it's weird. I'm like, man,
that that dude couldn't couldn't get a little bit closer
to try to contest the shot or something like that.
(21:43):
But then another angle shows that he a little bump
with this shoulder, and the guy just goes away. Here. Man,
he's so strong, he's just he's got the leap. You know,
he's athletic, and he you know, he's got the whole package.
And about the defense, about his defense. I think he's
(22:05):
not defend at the same level because he doesn't want to,
you know, fight through all those screens and you know,
he's always managing minutes and all of that, and you know,
the defense up the Clippers, they switch a lot. I
don't know if that's and they need to stop that
because we are Daniels saying, yeah, what what good is
(22:29):
it to have two great perimeter defenders if I'm not
doing all the time? Right? And and then then that
winding up on Broughting the guy who has the basketball
and has the only the only shot to beat you. Yeah,
that was the guy. So so I agree with that.
All right, Fouler Fair coming up next with our man JR. Gamble.
But first, Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk
(22:50):
lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at
Fox Sports Radio dot Com and within the iHeartRadio app
search f s R to listen live. That ball is
it was a big week in the Big League. Who's
is it foul or is it fair? And now here's
(23:14):
the odd couple with Shadow League dot Com MLB insider JR. Gamble.
That's right, I'm back on the airs twice in one segment.
That's how we do it here on the Odd Couple,
and again we are doing Fouler fair. At the segment,
we discussed some of the biggest stories around the diamond.
In order to do that, we got to get a
baseball expert, not Rob Parker because he's just a Hall
(23:35):
of Fame voter hasn't really followed the sporting years. Yeah,
I'm not. I need to watch a game and catch up.
So we bring in our man from the Shadow League
dot Com, JR gamble Ja. How are you feeling? What's up? Fellas?
The only thing hotter than the odd Couple right now
is Lucas and Mookie bet Wow. Hey, that's a good call.
(23:55):
That's a good call. That's right now. You know this
segment works. I got three baseball stories. The guy's got
to decide if the statement I give at the end
is foul or fair. So let's get started, guys. Story
number one, Jay, I'm starting with you over the weekend.
White Sox first baseman Josea. Bray, You hit a home
run in four consecutive plate appearances and a total of
six in the series. As a team, the White Sox
(24:18):
have hit thirty homers in their last nine games, but
even still, the White Sox are just in third place
in the AL Central. So here's the question is if
foul or fair to say the Chicago even with all
that power, is destined to miss the playoffs. You get
a homer, and you get a homer foul, that is
a foul ball. I love to use the Oprah and
(24:40):
she was from Chicago. Okay, the White Sox actually have
one of the more balanced teams in baseball, and the
only two and a half games behind Minnesota and tied
with Cleveland for second. Play games are in action, I
believe right now. Obviously they have a slew of matches
from a Bray Kim Anderson at the top, Lloyd menez
(25:01):
Luis Robert the twenty two year old future star, but
the pitching solid. Right now, they have the six low
RM baseball fellers three point seventy nine, right behind Oakland, Dallas, Kaiko,
Geo Gonzalez. They're veterans, they won't kill you down the stretch.
They've played in high pressure games. They can help tutor
the young arms. It seems will be working because people
(25:21):
didn't expect much to the White Sox, but we know
they're gonna hit a ton of home run in the
sixty game season, and if they're pitching can hold steady
and keep surrendering below one four runs per game, They're
a team that second in ops. I believe to the
Yankees definitely has a shot to even make a run
at the division. I'm with JR. I think it's foul
(25:45):
to discount the White Sox. There were people before the
season that liked the team, and you're right. I get
all the power and third place, but don't forget they're
playing NBA NHL rules sixteen teams rate the playoffs. If
this was the the old situation, the old format, Chris
and Jr. Then maybe not they wouldn't make it. But
(26:08):
I think they have a shot to make it. I
really do. I think the White Sox up for real.
I love to line up and I think they're going
to make the playoffs. I'm with you, guys, this is foul.
That is a foul. Look they're in the top ten
and hitting and pitching. It's not like they're pitching is horrible.
Not they're They're hitting is better, but their pitching is solid.
(26:28):
As JR. Said, And even if they hadn't expanded the playoffs,
I believe they're sixth right now in the in the
in the league, and so they still would be in
the hunt even if they, you know, hadn't expanded the playoffs,
but certainly with it expand it, there's no question they
are not destined to be on the outside looking in segments.
(26:50):
Less fun when you guys all agree, So we move on.
Sorry about that talking story number two. With the trade
deadline fast approaching, everyone is starting to one who's gonna
be the biggest name to get dealton So far, multiple
media always have speculated that Indians picture Mike Clevenger could
be that guy. Now he's currently away from the team
after he broke that COVID protocol caused a little mutey
(27:12):
in the locker room, but he is one of the
best young pitchers in the game. So Jr. Is if
foul or fair to say that the Indians will be
making a mistake if they decide to trade Clevenger. Fair.
We spoke about this on the Inside the Parker podcast
a while back. Clevenger is way too good to trade him.
(27:33):
We agree that he and police Act were wrong, you know,
for breaking the rules going out and then lying to
teammates about it. They've been demoted in the middle of
what is basically halfway through a Pennant chase. Its entire
teach twenty seasons different ovid has changed everything. Whatever happens
to me this season is basically a watch fellas none
of the other teammates contracted it and Clevenger's paying his
(27:56):
dudes and humiliation and inactivity. Pitching is the key to
accession baseball, and when you have a guy who's blocked
ming for a team with the second lowest RARA and baseball,
then you find a way to keep him and definitely
just start with a clean slate next year when everything
is back to normal, hopefully. I'm with JR. This is fair.
(28:18):
Clevenger is too good of a talent on the mound
for them to give off. I mean, they're trying to win.
They're not they're not running away, they're not selling everything,
and you know they're trying to win now, So you
gotta keep Clevenger unless the entire locker room is just
against him because he lied to his teammates and everything,
(28:38):
and even then you still gotta really think about it. Right,
But I don't even think they're gonna think about trade.
I think he's got probably a better chance of signing
an extension than he does of getting sent elsewhere. I
think it's fair controversial time. They're in second place in
(29:00):
the Central. They're still winning. They didn't fall off the
face of the earth because of Clevenger and play sack.
But but the bottom line is, if you make a
trade like that, it's not like you're not gonna get anything.
He might have lost the distrust with the Indians, but
he's valuable, so you might wind up getting something. And
(29:21):
they just have so much pitching with that organization that
I think the Indians couldn't make that move. I think
players really were hurt because he lied to them, you know,
after the whole scenario and with the COVID thing. And
remember they had a picture on that staff who almost
died a year ago, you know what I mean, because
he had his own illness and his immune system is compromised.
(29:45):
So I think that's why they hurt so much by this,
because of what could have happened. Well, Rob said it fair,
but it's it wasn't a clean sweep, so it's still
a good segment, all right. Dollar fair in the Cup
And then you guys both said fair. We both said fair.
Oh wow, the question you got complicated? Guys, got food confused?
(30:07):
Fouler fair with the Shadow League dot COM's JR gamble
on the odd couple. Last question, guys. Albert Pooholes drove
in is two thousand and eighty seventh run on Monday,
moving ahead of A Rod for second place on Major
League Baseball's all time RBI list. Now, Pooles was widely
regarded as one of the best hitters ever when he
played in Saint Louis, but since he moved on to
(30:29):
the Angels, he's faded into almost obscurity. And I'm sure
playing with Mike Trout probably is not helping things for him.
So Jr. At this point, is it foul or fair
to say that Albert Pooholes has become almost underrated? Fair?
That's a fair ball. Unfortunately, Albert Pooholes, one of the
(30:50):
greatest Latin lords in history of baseball, will also go
down as the most underrated player of all time, right
up there with Dick Allen, the great Dick Allen. It's
not like he's been totally ignored. He's a ten time
All Star, three time I believe MVP he flexed his
muscle on what two World City Stages and one twice.
(31:10):
But as foot Hools look compiling these incredible numbers, many
of which came during the steroid error, so Homer's he
was hitting became, I guess, the values in the eyes
of fans. So as he moved out of that error,
he kept hit his dinners and moving up the Homer list,
but it has much less impact now. I mean, when
he's done, he could have seven hundred homers and who
(31:32):
knows how many records will hold. Unfortunately, he was first
outshined by Barry Bonds and Griffly Chris, those guys, and
then Hollywood guys like a Rod and Jeter Rob and
then he went to play with the modern day Roy
Hobbes as Mention and Mike Trout. So yes, Footholes will
be historically undervalued as a player hitter and Champ sort
(31:52):
of liked how Black thought of the roosts in hip hop.
The numbers are too ridiculous, underrated. Second all time on
the RBI list, could finish with seven hundred home runs.
He might be out of sight from the standpoint of
the Angels can't make the playoffs and he's an older player,
(32:16):
but his numbers will wind up being as good as
anybody's numbers, So I'm not gonna say that now he's
almost underrated. People know who this guy is. And yes,
if he's not on that stage like he was with
the Cardinals when they will win in and won a
championship and all that and got to the playoffs, I
get it. He might not be out front, but he
(32:37):
is not underrated by any stretch of the imagination when
you just look at his numbers. I'm kind of confused
on what each answer would mean at this point, but
I'm gonna say foul this is aloe because there's no
doubt that. Look, let's just face it. For the last decade,
(32:58):
Albert Poohost has been mediocre and maybe it better. I
shouldn't go that he's been better than mediocre, but he
hasn't been great. His decade long career with the Angels
has not been Hall of Fame worthy. And were this
is ten years now now, he was as good as
we've ever seen in Saint Louis. Bad, hit for average,
(33:22):
hit for power, did it all? But you mentioned that JR.
I mean, and I'm not saying he was on steroids,
but my goodness, the circumstantial evidence because he was a
behemoth in Saint Louis. As soon as he goes to LA,
he becomes he falls off. He's made one All Star
team in the last ten years. So the issue is
(33:45):
when people you're right, Rob, his numbers are undeniable. I mean,
it's just incredible. But here's the thing. The other players
with those types of numbers, Albert Poojost is not going
to be viewed in that class. A Rod Barry Vaughn's,
Willie Mays, Hank Aaron We're not going to view him
(34:06):
in that class, you know. And it was all in
the first ten twelve years of his career, but after
that he has been and he wasn't at old either.
He was like thirty one thirty two when he went
to the Angels, and dude just fell off the map.
He's at two fifty seven since he's been with LA.
So look, he's gonna be a Hall of Famer's an
(34:26):
all time great and all that. But it's a strange
situation because he's been he hasn't been great for a
decade now, and everything he did that was otherworldly happened,
you know, more than ten years ago. Scalar Fair Jr.
Great stuff as always wether we appreciate it. That is
(34:47):
Fouler Fair keep it locked. This the eye couple Christ
and Rod Fox Sports Radio. Fox Sports Radio has the
best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of
our shows at Fox sports Radio dot com and within
the iHeart Radio search f SR to listen live. It
is the couple Chris and Rob usc Chris is in
(35:07):
his bag the funk. We brought to you by autos Own.
It's got more ways for you to get what you
need when you need it. All those owners got free
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(35:28):
com today to start your job fast. Getting his own
autos Own Rob. I only got a brief moment here,
but I know you wanted to say something about Kyrie
Irving as it relates to you know, some players bringing
up the prospect. You know, I don't think either one
of us thinks it's gonna happen, but you never know.
We'll see. But bringing up at least the prospect that
(35:49):
they never should have gone down to the bubble and
they should consider boycotting and things like that. That's a
topic of conversation among some players. And you want to
say something about Kyrie, just just that. I think Chris,
both of us, we understood what Kyrie was saying at
the time about going down to the bubble, taking focus
(36:11):
away from what the movement that was happening, the demonstrations
of protest, everything that was happening in the country, and
whether or not that was the right time to do
it and stop what was going on, stop the movement.
And a lot of people attack Kyrie. Ah hen he
heard he don't, he don't, he can't play, so he
(36:32):
don't want nobody else to play. I just I thought
that that was ill advised. I said, and that Kyrie,
whether you agreed or disagreed, I think he made a
valid point at that time, Chris, And now as we
look at what's happened and what's going on, and the
(36:54):
same stuff continues to happen in this country, unarmed black
men are being killed by wife lease. Kywe had a point.
I hope people will just stop jumping on people listen
to what they have to say. They banted to bring
in all the earth is flat and Christmas isn't a holiday,
and all this other stuff. You know what I mean,
(37:15):
to try to discredit him, who looks discredited? Now, I
don't think it's Kyrie no look. And like you said,
you and I both thought. I actually applauded him for
thinking this way outside right. And like I said, I
have long felt and still do that black athletes should
(37:37):
use their platform to help African American people because they
are the most beloved, well connected, wealthiest African Americans buying
large in the country, and they're necessary. They're needed like
no one else, no other African Americans in society. We're
(37:57):
all needed, of course, But I mean, you can't replace
Lebron James, you can't replace Patrick Mahomes, Cam Newton and
guys like that. So I'm glad that he was thinking
that way, whether you agree with the boycott idea or not.
But has it distracted I think it has distracted a
little bit. I mean, Black Lives Matter in the protests
(38:19):
were certainly more in the news before the bubble. I'm
not mad at the players are doing it, but I
don't think that's I think that's undeniable. All Right, we
got an hour left. It's the odd couple, Christ and Rob.
You know what to do, keep it locked,
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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