July 12, 2023 • 36 mins
Mike Harmon and Olden Polynice update you on the 93rd MLB All-Star Game. They debated the Spurs' shutting down Victor Wembanyama for the remainder of NBA summer league. And longtime MLB Insider Jon Paul Morosi joins the All-Star party!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
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Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Greetings and welcome in
hour two of the program. On a beautiful All Star Tuesday,
stars are out all over, big defensive plays, as Kevin
Wyer just chronicled in his update, some big flies. You
had instant replay going back to overturn a home run
(00:46):
earlier in the game. But all the stars are out
and this is one of those where we kind of
exhale in the sports calendar a little bit. There's a
lot going on. Women's World Cup is coming up, We've
got Summer League action. We'll get to that in just
a moment. All of these things swirling about and we're
getting close. You can feel it in the air. We're
getting even though it's hot and humid and miserable all
(01:08):
over the place. From a weather perspective, we're getting that
much closer to training camps opening in the National Football
League and then obviously the collegiate athletes getting back on campus.
Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about my alma mater yet.
I am not ducking it. We will get to the
Northwestern Pat Fitzgerald firing and my myriad thoughts that I
(01:29):
could probably do two hour monologue. I don't know other
than a cup of water. I don't think I need
to take a break with most of that, olden. We're
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(01:50):
should be three to two, two outs top of eight.
As we roll through on the All Star Game, but
we'd be remissed. As we watch a little bit of
Summer League. We got Washington and San Antonio getting after it.
Congratulations to Greg Popovich. Looks like you're gonna looks like
you're gonna retire. Hey, you know what, you guys win
(02:10):
the lottery and you get the French big men. Who's
long been a Spurs fan because of Tony Park. It's
all like nonsense to me. Some of these the way
guys fall in the draft. Hey, Nikola Jokicz, here's a
picture of him as a kid wearing a Nuggets jersey. Hey,
where's he get drafted to Lebron James? He grew up
in Ohio. Guess what Cleveland? But I digress. But Popovich
(02:33):
signs his extension. Why Victor wemmin Yama comes to town.
Everybody excited. They had that big event which looked like
a massive success. I know we had Cavino and Rich
out there as part of the festivities for this NBA
Colm in Las Vegas, all the luminaries. It's always good
to see Kareem Abdul Jabbar holding court and talking to
the youngsters and talking about the game and evolution of
(02:56):
the game and all. And then everybody following to try
to get a glimpse of Victor wen Minyama, even if
he was just walking around the facility like the pied piper,
walking them through Olden so on Friday, an uneven game
two for thirteen from the field, conditioning wise questions. You
know a lot of folks saying they were holding their breath.
We were talking about a little bit earlier. When you
(03:16):
get to big men and you've got Nikola Jokic, well,
sturdy tree trunks under him, so and he jumps all
of about eh, maybe an inch and a half. I
take this, take the over under at one and a half. Well,
you know what, getting up high. But the idea being,
you've got the game, you've got the body, you've grown
(03:37):
into it. Whatever with whm Minyama, he becomes the next
big Man Tour, wondering what that body's going to look
like in five years. But in the interim on some
of the moves, both as an offensive player and as
a defender, I get worried about the pins. I get
worried about the ankles. I get worried about I'm just
that guy. I worry about that because I love the
(03:57):
big men. I missed the big men in the NBA.
We're talking about a little bit last last hour. So
I'd love to see the rise of the big man again.
And it's not just because you're sitting here, just that's
the basketball I grew up on. I want those Patrick
ewings in the paint and the achem. Elijah wants to
be back in vogue. But I watched when Byama in
game one, all right, first time, maybe a little bit
(04:20):
of jitters, maybe a bit of the hey, welcome to
the NBA moment, because you know, you're getting everybody's best
effort right that you know, and everything that you do
that can be criticized is going to be highlight material.
Then the second game comes back with twenty seven points
and then they say, Vegas Blackjack dealer style, I'm out
and he's operations shut down until we get back to camp.
(04:41):
We gave you a little bit of a teaser trailer,
we gave you a taste, but now we take it away.
Enjoy the rest of your summer league.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Oh yeah, And they bet I have stopped it right
there at that twenty seven point game. And again, I've
been very critical of Victor when Panama, not because of
him who he is. It's more so of the hype,
you know, because I'm not buying the hype. It just
so happens that it's him. It would have been anybody else.
(05:10):
I would have been the same way. So right now
he's the target.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
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Speaker 3 (05:25):
I've seen this movie before. I've seen it. I saw
it last year Cheded Holgram who ended up getting hurt
because why he played in the Summer League game and
mister Lebron James drove and he made contact with Cheded
Holgram and that was d n broke his foot because
his body's not ready for that. I've seen it in
(05:47):
Bowl Bowl who I watched play aau basketball, high school
basketball and college basketball who had the similar style, you know,
shot blocking long seven to three plus handling the ball,
shooting threes, all that. Suff I've seen this movie. I
even saw it back in the days with Ralph Sampson.
I've seen this movie before. I'm not buying it. Just
(06:11):
like everybody said, who don't get, you know, all crazy
because he had one bad game, Well, don't get so
crazy because he had one good game. It works both ways.
And at the end of the day, it's still Summer League.
Ninety percent of these guys, ninety five percent are not
even gonna be in the league. And so to me,
(06:33):
I'm not buying any of this. If he was, if
he was shook for that first game in the summer League.
How's he gonna be opening night in a regular game.
How's he gonna be when it's Joker or Embiid or
Yannis or Anthony Davis. And so to me, I'm not
criticizing the kid. I'm just saying the I'm criticizing more
(06:54):
the media that's hyping it up or whomever is hyping
it up, like he's the greatest. Who made that stupid statement,
He's the greatest, the greatest, all y'all are. All these
guys need to shut up and return whatever money they're
being paid. Okay, but that was an absurd statement to make.
(07:16):
Not when Kareem abdul Jabal came out of high school,
not when Lebron James came out of high school and
played Kobe Bryant, all these guys. You cannot make that staatement.
He's the greatest talent ever. Stop it with that. That oh, that,
oh that peed me off.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Well, but the games are today, the players are today,
and we want next, we want.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
But they can't make everybody statement.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Sure that well, but that's how they get paid. That's why,
that's why I'm only gonna I'm gonna get decent bucks
here because I don't say such asonine things. That's that's
the key to a too common job.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
He ever generational, I'm like, whose generation.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
That's That's a very fine question. Look, I'm excited to
see what he becomes. Right, that was all we talked
about heading into the draft, getting excitable. And we see
his numbers, and we see the highlights in his game,
playing overseas and all of that, and it gets people excitable,
and that's always good. Right to actually have a guy
that you gravitate to in the draft. It's excited. I mean,
(08:20):
it's much different than my guy, Bull Bull, who went
forty fourth overall.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
I'll give you a staty.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
We celebrated Bull Bull on this show more than ever.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
He almost had as many falling down on the ground
as he did rebounds.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
That is true.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
It's like I turned around, he was on the ground.
Every time I turned around, he was on the ground.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Oh, I mean it's worked for Anthony Davis for a decade.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
No embiid and beads the king well, and b goes
down at every moment.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Every bit of contact. No, that's true, But to your point,
and I agree with you, Like the generational. This is
the guy and maybe it develops. History has shown us
that is a very rare, rarefied piece to happen. Now
he goes to the right spot, right where they've got
big men to help develop him, and certainly David Robinson.
(09:06):
Tim Duncan, I mean Tim Duncan posed for a photo
holding what was the last time you saw him when
he was actually involved in a basketball operation?
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Okay, do people realize how great Tim Duncan was.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
I don't think they do.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
I played against him a David Robinson ring, so it's like,
but these guys were physically fit. You could see it.
David Robinson had muscle on top of muscle. Tim Duncan,
you would call him the prototype. Yah, David Robinson coming out,
Tim Duncan was a freaking beast. You were not moving him.
(09:40):
And so to me, this kid weighs one hundred and
eighty eight pounds and all of a sudden, he's generational. Listen.
I remember when Tracy McGrady came out of high school.
I remember when Jermaine O'Neil came out of high school.
They were long, lanky guys. It took them three four
years to develop. So I'm not saying that Womanama may
(10:02):
not is not going to become a very good player eventually.
But you're not gonna make that stupid statement right now
saying that because I expect him to come out and
average thirty next year. He has to. That's what's gonna
make him generational to me. He has to come out
and average thirty point two or thirty point three, beat
Jordan's record and do it every single year. Then I'll
(10:26):
say he's generational. Until then, shut the hell up. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
The problem, though, Olden is the show is tonight, So
I mean you've either got to call him a bust
in the moment or you got to say he's the
greatest thing ever.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Well, that's why I've been talking well tempered.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
And I saw the other day.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
What I said the other day with Jason. Hey, he'll
be lucky to be better than Sean Bradley.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
There you go see there. Now that's that's a hot
take that'll get and Justin confirms him. Sorry, I was traveling,
I was at airport.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
But I'm sticking with that.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
But yeah, with you women, Yellow, it's the curiosity of it.
Everybody looks for the big Bowl take, and I love
a hot take as much as anybody. I don't throw
a lot of them out there because I think most
of them are just we're throwing stuff against the Waltz
because you want to get a couple of clicks along
the way, and I'm just not that guy. But when
we look at Victor Wimanyelma and the tape and the
(11:20):
video and all that, and you mentioned bull Bull, So
what I was talking about going into the draft, like
you already have this guy who's kind of the same,
same guy, and now he's the one of the big
men still floating out in free agency. Is he a
Phoenix sun? Is he getting a member of the Lakers?
You know he look at because he's cheap, right, And
(11:40):
so he's a guy that you're wondering if you could
still develop him into something more. I mean, he was
solid in spurts with Orlando, but like we do with
everything regular season anymore, it's like, all right, take it
with a grain of salt, because they weren't playing for anything.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
Yeah, I get all that. I'm gonna say something right quick,
I coach au and remember specific one summer we get
this kid, right, they were sitting there watching the video
and they say, he's the next Carmelo Anthony and we
know how great.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
And another guy who liked him duncan. I don't think
people respect what he.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Was great play. So I'm like, okay, I'm looking at
the video. I'm like, and I said to the guys
in the room, you know how easy it is to
put a damn highlight reel together of all your top plays.
You're not going to put all your bad plays.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
I think that would be a better marketing. Of course,
this is this is my worst Yeah, right, Hey, what
what's your biggest floor? Right, what's your biggest flaw? You
know what, I care too much.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
I like that. I might have to tell some people
to do that. But the point was, when I got
him in practice, I was like, this kid is horrible.
So I'm saying myself, I don't want to watch highlights.
I've watched a lot of Victors games, and so that's
the one thing I always noticed, like guys would sign
(13:00):
destroyed him. They would destroy him. Kenny Lofton Jr. Who's
on the end of Memphis Grizzlies bench, he got some
power up. He beat Yama down, and so to me,
I watched a lot of those games, I watched when
he played in the French League against the upper echelon
teams and players. It was a big difference than what
(13:22):
they were showing us here, of course, and so to
me that's why. And then the league is, of course,
you know, the league's great at creating stars. We create
stars as opposed to allow them to do it organically.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Again, we want it now. It's a microwave society, polities.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Let him be.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
There's no marinating here.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
That boy will not succeed, not the way everybody have
him a like.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Look, the other part is how many games? How many
minutes are you gonna play? Because this team is not
gonna be any good, So why are.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
They going to make the playoffs? Drinking his own kool aide,
of course he has to please Pop. Got that money.
Pop's chilling. He got five years now, Pop's chilling. I
got pop thisop won't finish that contract.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Welcome back in Fox Sports Radio. We are sweating kimberl
right down National League three to two, Julio Rodriguez, they're
(14:31):
in Seattle only appropriate with two outs a two two count.
He could be the hero of the day. Runner on first.
I love that Olden as the fan of the game,
is jumping up and down in his seat, rocking back
and forth. And he gave big yeah, big exhales with
(14:52):
every pitch he gave him.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
He did give him a cookie that he took. So
he gave him an opportunity. Hey, we're brought to you
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count bottom of the ninth, kimberl On Rodriguez.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Up.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
You can't. You can't draw it up any better. This
is what you want to read. Nicely done. There you
go put that out there, hot take theater with Olden
Pollen here all right, after the game, we'll get John
Palmerrosi at some point in the proceedings here as we
flow through, he draws another walk. So two runners on
(15:36):
three two score. As we said, as we flow through
you know, you can talk about being part of the
AAU world, and certainly this last week a lot of
attention on the summer League, but also on Lebron James
coaching in the AAU world. And one of the things
that you know, me as the outside outsider looking in
(15:57):
you knows as you and others finish your playing careers
and start looking towards, you know, coaching potentially as a run.
How hard is that, based on the level of achievement
of your career, to push that aside and see the
player for who they are versus what you wanted to
because that was always the criticism, like with Bird, Isaiah
(16:17):
Magic and others when they stepped into the coaching box,
that there was that divide that they couldn't cross. How
hard is that?
Speaker 3 (16:24):
It's very difficult for a lot of guys, especially the
guys you mentioned, because with that greatness, you expect everybody
to be great, and so at the same time it
doesn't always work out that way. So the good coaches
are able to see each individual player for who they
are and coach them accordingly. I'm not going to coach
player A the same way I coach player B. I
(16:46):
don't care how it is because they both they two
different guys and so to me, you got to be
able to manage. That's what made Phil Jackson so good.
He was able to manage fifteen egos. And so in
the AAU world, it's all all stars. You get the
best play from this high school, the best way for
(17:07):
this high school, you put them together. So Lebron, you know,
seeing him out there as kind of cool, but you know,
it is what it is. It's it's not rocket science.
It's just you got the best players on the teams.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
So yeah, he was working alongside Rajon.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
Promised you he went out or whomever went out and
got all the best players that they were able to get.
You know, I think it's like three states you can
you can get you know, based on border states where
you can get your players from. So he went out
and get most of the players from California, Nevada and
what other state and Arizona and put them on the team.
(17:47):
So that's what they're doing right now. But what was
striking to me was the fact that Lebron looked like
he was about six y three standing at all these
high school kids.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Now, you know, it's it's one of those things We've
talked talked about in the media world for a long time,
the embellishment of height. Shaquill one is a whale of
a man, right he And I don't mean that in
the pejorative. I just mean he is a big man.
But it's always just been the question, is he really
seven three? Is he seven foot?
Speaker 5 (18:17):
Chris?
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Look, I'm tall, I'm tall. I'm sure this could be
so all you guys are giants to me when I
sit next to you, everybody, I need to boost this chair.
I'm seven feet. He was at least two inches taller
than me. Game over, he was at least two inches
tall to me. So I put him at seven two
seven three. He's huge. So, but that was always the
how much are they cushioning on some of these guys
(18:40):
to create myth like they're wringling brothers.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Guys he did guys didn't do it up, They did
it down. They always like they did less, Like Kevin.
Kevin Durant is like seven to two, okay, but he's
walking around saying he's six eleven.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
You're not saying, well, but what's your seven feet? The
expectations change, right, Uh?
Speaker 3 (19:03):
Yeah, And so a lot of those guys don't want
to be labeled as a seven foot of because all
he thinks they're gonna ask him to play in the post.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Well that's a big I mean, we watch it in football, right,
the difference. Hey, a guy might be five ten, five
eleven as a quarterback, but if he's not six feet
we're looking at him differently. Yeah, right, the height becomes
a slight there, and certainly to your point, you'd be
looking to play into the low post. So so as you, uh,
we're gonna get John Paul Barrossi on here in just
a second, as the All Star Game has come to
(19:32):
a conclusion. Even with the sweating, sweating it out, it's
something we've always appreciated here on the show. Old and
Uh talking a lot of baseball. When closers, you know,
they make you sweat out victories, they get the job done, right,
Kimberl certainly ken Lee Jansen for years here in Los Angeles,
where you'd watch and be like, all right, here we
(19:54):
go again. But he'd finish the job. But it was
never easy, which meant you know, your heart got a
little bit of a workout if you were a fan.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
There was a time, man, guys completed their games. What
happened to those days?
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Well, right, prosper we watched that with great regularities.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
This guy's a picture three four innings now and that's
it as a starting pitcher man. Bob Gibson is rolling
grave right now.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Yeah. It is a different world than you and I
grew up in. And every once in a while, when
we do actually have a complete game, we look at.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Each other and stunts like what he finished?
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Cam, I get a guy gives me for seven. I'm
applauding him.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
When I think it's a Dave Robinson one inning, Oh
the no hitter. No, you get the guy for one inning,
and then you bring in the next guy.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
You know you want to play, play that and have
your fun with bullpen management. Let's talk to an expert
on the subject matter as we bring in our guy.
John Paulo Morosi joins us each and every week on
the program Jason Smith Show with Me. Mike Harmon here,
No Jason Tonight, Olden Polonies in his stead. He's a
michigan Er. He's on the MLB Network, NHL Network, you
(21:12):
name it, you find it. He's our guy at John
Morosi on Twitter. J O an m O r os
Hi leave out the h because Mom said so we
were sweating kimberl there for a minute, JP, but he
got the job.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
Johns Well, Mike and Olden. Good evening, And first of all,
hold a thrill to be able to speak with you.
I'm from Michigan, as Mike Mitchett, so I remember well
your years with the Pistons. You were always a great
Piston in that time. So always love watching him play.
And thanks for representing Detroit that way to thank you
so much.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Thank you, JP. But a dome. If you're gonna introduce
this man, you never forget the Harvard University.
Speaker 6 (21:52):
Never.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
That should always be first.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
No, no, But see, sometimes that becomes a pejorative. As
JP knows right, if you where the CV of your schooling,
some bulks in our business will try to shame you.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
Listen.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
Well, here's the thing, Olden. Here's what I've learned in
my career is that the first, the first time that
in the course of a segment that I like screw
up a simple map question or or something like that,
then that immediately becomes the next re spots. Wait a minute,
where'd you go to college? As a result, I was
trying to leave that out of it, because I can
(22:28):
only embarrass myself by doing that.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I understand, all right, So JP the All Star Game
now in the rear view mirror. Other than the fact
that we didn't get the classic looks of everybody wearing
their uniform, what was the take there in Seattle other
than everybody begging show Hey to come play with them.
Speaker 5 (22:46):
Yeah, I certainly think that's going to be a big
storyline now as we enter the second half, what show's
future is. But I thought it was a great ballgame.
You've got a three to two final and obviously some
moments during the course of it. The home run review
was a bit of a controversy for a moment, but
I think by and large it's a great storyline. And
this is one of those moments too, where Elias Diaz
(23:09):
becomes the hero. He's a great story. He's from Venezuela.
He actually represents Colombia internationally in the World Baseball class
again a hunter of his late father who was Colombian.
So he's just an amazing story. He was able to
have his career go from Pittsburgh to now Colorado and
here he is hitting a pinch hit, go ahead home
run late in an All Star game, and now we're
(23:31):
all going to know his name, which is pretty cool.
It's just I think, overall, I want to credit the
way that on the TV side, our colleagues at Fox.
I think just being able to interview the players during
the game. This is a great night in the course
of the year for baseball in our country to take
center stage. And when you have that opportunity, tell as
(23:54):
many stories, peel back the curtain as much as you
can help casual fans learn more about these great players.
And all by the way, you've got a great three
to two game to win, down to the last strike,
you had Julio Rodriguez bat in the ninth inning. A
lot of the things you hope to see we saw tonight.
Speaker 7 (24:13):
Hey, it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller.
Would mean a lot to have you joined us on
our weekly auditory journey.
Speaker 6 (24:19):
You're asking, what in God's name is the Fifth Hour.
Speaker 7 (24:22):
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Speaker 6 (24:27):
Why should you listen?
Speaker 7 (24:29):
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Sports and more.
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Every week, explore some amazing facts about human nature and more.
Listen to the Fifth Hour with Ben Maller on the
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Speaker 6 (24:40):
Podcast or wherever you get your podcast JAP.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
I've been arguing over he with Mike for a while
now about this. It's an All Star game. You know
your best players, your top players, your most exciting guys.
Ellie Dela Cruz. Yeah, now I'm you know, I'm the
guy that's he should have been Manfred should have done
something to get him in there. Okay, do you agree
(25:07):
or disagree?
Speaker 5 (25:08):
I agree? I agree because to me right now, Olden,
he is one of the most unique talents that we've
got in the sport. And I realized that he just
arrived basically at the beginning of June. And yet and
you go back and think about twenty twelve, and that
was the year when at different intervals of that year
(25:30):
you had Machado, Harper, and Trout all basically arriving to
stay during that season, and they all made the All
Star Game in Kansas City. And I still remember those photos,
the three of them. They were all I think they
were all still nineteen at the time. Maybe one of
them had turned twenty but they were all basically teenagers,
and they were all in the All Star Game. And
(25:52):
so for me, Ellie is someone that I want to
see more of, Olden. He's doing things on the field
that just no one else. And basically he stole the
base that he sole in Milwaukee. When he stole home
that was like something that the best athlete in Little
League does because he's just smarter and faster and stronger
(26:12):
than everybody else. On the throwback of the picture, well
he does that in the major leagues. That doesn't happen.
And so for me, you're right, this should be the
showcase of the superlatives. If he had been called up
two weeks prior, maybe he gets there. But I agree
with you, Olden that somehow, some way I wanted to
(26:33):
see him in this game. I wanted to see what
his cleats would have looked like. I wanted to see
what his glove would have looked like. This is the
night for all the stuff about the code and how
you're supposed to dress for a baseball game. It all
goes out the window and you can wear whatever you
want to wear. And I would love to have seen
what Ellie daylor Cruz's style would have been tonight.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
So JP as we flow out of the All Star Game,
everybody takes a brook either. We've got some injuries that
are a big deal. I was lamenting the fact that
I can't have nice things with Robert having a nice
year of the White Sox but then getting hurt. But
the White Sox gonna be They're gonna be sellers, all right.
Lucas Giolito announced he's going through a divorce. He may
(27:16):
be divorcing from the team as well in this process.
Is no one Arnauto going to get traded.
Speaker 5 (27:22):
I don't think Arnaudo will. It's a great question. The
Saint Louis Cardinals need to make a move. They probably
need to make multiple moves. And if it's me, if
I was going to advise them as to how they
should handle things, you've got to call up the teams
that have controllable pitching, and you've got to move your
(27:42):
one of your younger bats, whether it's Gorman or Donovan
to that team. I don't see Arnauto moving. He's a
future Hall of Fame where you've got him under contract.
Gold Schmidt may be a little more realistic. He has
a no trade clause. I'm guessing he'd be pretty choosy
about where he goes if they ever came to that.
(28:03):
But the Cardinals, they have to look at what their
twenty twenty four rotation is going to look like. And
you've got Adam wayn Wright who's going to retire, and
Jack Flaher who's a free agent, and Jordan Montgomery who's
a free agent, and a lot of questions, a lot
of questions. So unless you want to rebuild through free
agency in the offseason, which is really hard to do,
(28:25):
you'd better make some trades right now. And they've got
an abundance of right now position players to move. And
of course, one of the great ironies Mike and Olden
than that during the course of All Star Week Zach Gallon,
who starts the game tonight. He's a former Cardinals prospect.
We saw last night at the derby and again tonight
the last Garcia and Randi e ros Arena, former Cardinals
(28:46):
minor league teammates. They have not properly evaluated, in my opinion,
the talent they have within, and that is their recipe
for disaster and one reason why even though I think
Arnado stays Mike, They've got to make a lot of
moves to be more competitive next year.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
Hey JP, I know you're big on the international game. Yeah,
you know. I have a step son right now that
plays baseball, sixteen years old. Stud Okay, he's got you know, Ellie,
I think Eli del Cruz.
Speaker 5 (29:18):
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
So but my point is, and we always joke about this,
you know, from the international standpoint, because like you know,
he's like, I gotta go to school. I gotta do
when these guys are playing and doing that aspect of international,
do they pot take in school or do they just
play baseball?
Speaker 5 (29:37):
That's a great question. And so basically, and I'm glad
you asked it because it's important for us as as
American sports fans to have an appreciation for the pathway
that that these players go through to get to an
All Star Game or just get to the major leagues period.
I'll tell you one quick story and then I'll answer
(29:57):
the big part of the question. Victor Martin. And there's
a multiple time All Star who played in a lot
of games like the one tonight. He told me once
that when when the last scout came to see him
when he was a teenager and he signed with the
then Cleveland Indians now Cleveland Guardians. That he was afraid
that if he didn't sign that contract that everybody in
(30:19):
his town had said, it's going to be too late
for you, and they're going to say that you're too
old and at that time old, and he was seventeen seventeen.
And so that is when a lot of international kids
from Venezuela and the Dominican and they signed at sixteen,
seventeen becomes quote unquote too old. And then we start
to wonder about the equality of opportunity between if you're
(30:43):
not ready at sixteen or seventeen to get on a
plane and go to a different country. After you've played
at the Academy and the Dominican often for a year,
then your opportunity fades. And then you compare that to
someone who's played for three seasons of UCLA. It's a
different life experience. And so, to answer your question, when
they sign at sixteen, a great many of them have
(31:05):
not completed high school. I think most organizations have. I
don't know if it's necessarily a ged equivalency or some
form of school. There's also cultural education that helps the
young players be able to speak English and navigate life
in America when they show up and they're playing in
the minor leagues at eighteen. But it's a challenge, and
(31:25):
I think that's why I always try to remember at
nights like this that every story, every player's on the field,
has a unique story, and unless you really spend a
lot of time in the Dominican in Venezuela, in Mexico
and a lot of the communities, it's hard to really
understand all they went through and the pressure of being
(31:47):
the breadwinner of your family when you're sixteen years old.
And that to me, I'm glad you asked the question,
and it's why it's so important for us as people
who are part of the baseball community to make sure
that we're helping that we realized that people around the
world go through a lot to pursue their dream to
come to our country and play, and they deserve our
(32:07):
respect in return.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
The best there is our buddy, John Paul Morosi. Find
him on Twitter at John Morosi j O n m
RSI a michigan Er MLB Network. Check it all out there,
my guy. Thanks for stopping down with us. Enjoy the
quick respite of the All Star break, and then get
ready for the trade deadline. Look forward to talking to
(32:28):
you again next.
Speaker 5 (32:29):
Great Michael Olden was a pleasure speaking with both of you,
and thank you and older for all the great memories
there back in the day.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
Really appreciate Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
There you go, John palm Morosi, I mean, is he
not the best? He's the best going and that international
question as we watch baseball's changing face year to year. Yeah,
important stuff to think about the process of guys getting
to Major League Baseball.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern pm Pacific.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Welcome back in Fox Sports Radio Jason Smith Show with
Me Mike Harmon, No Jason Tonight Olden polonies in his
stead reminder were brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Progressive
makes buddling easy and affordable. Get a multi policy discount
by combining your motorcycle, RV, boat, ATV and more all
your protection. One play is bundle and save at Progressive
dot Com. Now something I we as you asked John
(33:25):
Paul Morosi about the changing face of Major League Baseball,
International Play School and how it all comes together in
the process. Just impressive the hero of the day, Elias Diez. Right,
here's his story. This is off of CBS Sports. They
put this up about an hour ago. Sign with the
Pirates for twenty thousand dollars out of Venezuela. Spent most
(33:50):
of his career as a backup. He was non tendered
in twenty nineteen, signed a minor league deal with Colorado
in twenty twenty, and now is the hero for the
ultra rare National League victory in the All Star Game,
their first since twenty twelve. First Rockies player to win
(34:11):
All Star MVP, first catcher in Rockies history to be
named an All Star, which is amazing because you did
have Charles Johnson there for a minute back in the day.
But just a fantastic story. But the dollar amount is
what stands out, Yeah, right, because we always hear about
the big bonus babies. This guy got a few million,
(34:32):
this guy got this, and now we talk about nil
right in college athletes and everything else and the money
that's flowing. But you think about the pursuit of the dream,
and twenty thousand dollars is no insignificant amount of money
at all, But on a relative basis, you think about
what we always pass around as numbers in our sporting universe.
(34:54):
But then you start thinking about the baseball universe, which
is a much different landscape because it's not the United States.
Speaker 3 (35:02):
Oh definitely, And that's why I love baseball. It's so pure.
I didn't like when they brought in the timer and
all that, because I always said that baseball is the
purest game there is. You know, when it started, starts,
when it ends, it ends. And so to me seeing
hearing a story like that is amazing. And you know,
we were sitting here and I watched the home run.
I was like, who is this guy? And now I know?
(35:22):
And so it's kind of cool, you know, for catcher
to win MVP, you know, and his story is what
this is all about. Again, That's why I was like,
you know, who should have been in there?
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Well, the self celebration of the game. And when you've
got a team like the Rockies, they are twenty three
games under five hundred five, yeah, and this is always
the argument, should they have a representative? Well there you go.
That made the season, which was otherwise miserable and dismal
as they await for the return of Russell Wilson to
(35:55):
the grid.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
Eyon.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Hey, reminder, we're brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Progressive
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of in line with you know, some of the excellence
that we've seen playing play out in the All Star
(36:17):
Game in recent years, but National League actually winning one,
actually having I know it's you celebrated. You wonder what
leads into all that dominance, but for one year and
Craig Kimberrel closed it out. Whenever you can have a
guy who's been such a mainstay of the show show
up as well, it's huge, All right, Olden and Mike
(36:37):
with you here coming up next. Yeah, it's time to
finally do it. We're talking Northwestern pazing and next steps
on Fox
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
ten pm to two am Eastern seven to eleven pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for
The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon at Foxsports Radio
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Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Greetings and welcome in
hour two of the program. On a beautiful All Star Tuesday,
stars are out all over, big defensive plays, as Kevin
Wyer just chronicled in his update, some big flies. You
had instant replay going back to overturn a home run
(00:46):
earlier in the game. But all the stars are out
and this is one of those where we kind of
exhale in the sports calendar a little bit. There's a
lot going on. Women's World Cup is coming up, We've
got Summer League action. We'll get to that in just
a moment. All of these things swirling about and we're
getting close. You can feel it in the air. We're
getting even though it's hot and humid and miserable all
(01:08):
over the place. From a weather perspective, we're getting that
much closer to training camps opening in the National Football
League and then obviously the collegiate athletes getting back on campus.
Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about my alma mater yet.
I am not ducking it. We will get to the
Northwestern Pat Fitzgerald firing and my myriad thoughts that I
(01:29):
could probably do two hour monologue. I don't know other
than a cup of water. I don't think I need
to take a break with most of that, olden. We're
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(01:50):
should be three to two, two outs top of eight.
As we roll through on the All Star Game, but
we'd be remissed. As we watch a little bit of
Summer League. We got Washington and San Antonio getting after it.
Congratulations to Greg Popovich. Looks like you're gonna looks like
you're gonna retire. Hey, you know what, you guys win
(02:10):
the lottery and you get the French big men. Who's
long been a Spurs fan because of Tony Park. It's
all like nonsense to me. Some of these the way
guys fall in the draft. Hey, Nikola Jokicz, here's a
picture of him as a kid wearing a Nuggets jersey. Hey,
where's he get drafted to Lebron James? He grew up
in Ohio. Guess what Cleveland? But I digress. But Popovich
(02:33):
signs his extension. Why Victor wemmin Yama comes to town.
Everybody excited. They had that big event which looked like
a massive success. I know we had Cavino and Rich
out there as part of the festivities for this NBA
Colm in Las Vegas, all the luminaries. It's always good
to see Kareem Abdul Jabbar holding court and talking to
the youngsters and talking about the game and evolution of
(02:56):
the game and all. And then everybody following to try
to get a glimpse of Victor wen Minyama, even if
he was just walking around the facility like the pied piper,
walking them through Olden so on Friday, an uneven game
two for thirteen from the field, conditioning wise questions. You
know a lot of folks saying they were holding their breath.
We were talking about a little bit earlier. When you
(03:16):
get to big men and you've got Nikola Jokic, well,
sturdy tree trunks under him, so and he jumps all
of about eh, maybe an inch and a half. I
take this, take the over under at one and a half. Well,
you know what, getting up high. But the idea being,
you've got the game, you've got the body, you've grown
(03:37):
into it. Whatever with whm Minyama, he becomes the next
big Man Tour, wondering what that body's going to look
like in five years. But in the interim on some
of the moves, both as an offensive player and as
a defender, I get worried about the pins. I get
worried about the ankles. I get worried about I'm just
that guy. I worry about that because I love the
(03:57):
big men. I missed the big men in the NBA.
We're talking about a little bit last last hour. So
I'd love to see the rise of the big man again.
And it's not just because you're sitting here, just that's
the basketball I grew up on. I want those Patrick
ewings in the paint and the achem. Elijah wants to
be back in vogue. But I watched when Byama in
game one, all right, first time, maybe a little bit
(04:20):
of jitters, maybe a bit of the hey, welcome to
the NBA moment, because you know, you're getting everybody's best
effort right that you know, and everything that you do
that can be criticized is going to be highlight material.
Then the second game comes back with twenty seven points
and then they say, Vegas Blackjack dealer style, I'm out
and he's operations shut down until we get back to camp.
(04:41):
We gave you a little bit of a teaser trailer,
we gave you a taste, but now we take it away.
Enjoy the rest of your summer league.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Oh yeah, And they bet I have stopped it right
there at that twenty seven point game. And again, I've
been very critical of Victor when Panama, not because of
him who he is. It's more so of the hype,
you know, because I'm not buying the hype. It just
so happens that it's him. It would have been anybody else.
(05:10):
I would have been the same way. So right now
he's the target.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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listen live.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
I've seen this movie before. I've seen it. I saw
it last year Cheded Holgram who ended up getting hurt
because why he played in the Summer League game and
mister Lebron James drove and he made contact with Cheded
Holgram and that was d n broke his foot because
his body's not ready for that. I've seen it in
(05:47):
Bowl Bowl who I watched play aau basketball, high school
basketball and college basketball who had the similar style, you know,
shot blocking long seven to three plus handling the ball,
shooting threes, all that. Suff I've seen this movie. I
even saw it back in the days with Ralph Sampson.
I've seen this movie before. I'm not buying it. Just
(06:11):
like everybody said, who don't get, you know, all crazy
because he had one bad game, Well, don't get so
crazy because he had one good game. It works both ways.
And at the end of the day, it's still Summer League.
Ninety percent of these guys, ninety five percent are not
even gonna be in the league. And so to me,
(06:33):
I'm not buying any of this. If he was, if
he was shook for that first game in the summer League.
How's he gonna be opening night in a regular game.
How's he gonna be when it's Joker or Embiid or
Yannis or Anthony Davis. And so to me, I'm not
criticizing the kid. I'm just saying the I'm criticizing more
(06:54):
the media that's hyping it up or whomever is hyping
it up, like he's the greatest. Who made that stupid statement,
He's the greatest, the greatest, all y'all are. All these
guys need to shut up and return whatever money they're
being paid. Okay, but that was an absurd statement to make.
(07:16):
Not when Kareem abdul Jabal came out of high school,
not when Lebron James came out of high school and
played Kobe Bryant, all these guys. You cannot make that staatement.
He's the greatest talent ever. Stop it with that. That oh, that,
oh that peed me off.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Well, but the games are today, the players are today,
and we want next, we want.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
But they can't make everybody statement.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Sure that well, but that's how they get paid. That's why,
that's why I'm only gonna I'm gonna get decent bucks
here because I don't say such asonine things. That's that's
the key to a too common job.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
He ever generational, I'm like, whose generation.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
That's That's a very fine question. Look, I'm excited to
see what he becomes. Right, that was all we talked
about heading into the draft, getting excitable. And we see
his numbers, and we see the highlights in his game,
playing overseas and all of that, and it gets people excitable,
and that's always good. Right to actually have a guy
that you gravitate to in the draft. It's excited. I mean,
(08:20):
it's much different than my guy, Bull Bull, who went
forty fourth overall.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
I'll give you a staty.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
We celebrated Bull Bull on this show more than ever.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
He almost had as many falling down on the ground
as he did rebounds.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
That is true.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
It's like I turned around, he was on the ground.
Every time I turned around, he was on the ground.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Oh, I mean it's worked for Anthony Davis for a decade.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
No embiid and beads the king well, and b goes
down at every moment.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Every bit of contact. No, that's true, But to your point,
and I agree with you, Like the generational. This is
the guy and maybe it develops. History has shown us
that is a very rare, rarefied piece to happen. Now
he goes to the right spot, right where they've got
big men to help develop him, and certainly David Robinson.
(09:06):
Tim Duncan, I mean Tim Duncan posed for a photo
holding what was the last time you saw him when
he was actually involved in a basketball operation?
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Okay, do people realize how great Tim Duncan was.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
I don't think they do.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
I played against him a David Robinson ring, so it's like,
but these guys were physically fit. You could see it.
David Robinson had muscle on top of muscle. Tim Duncan,
you would call him the prototype. Yah, David Robinson coming out,
Tim Duncan was a freaking beast. You were not moving him.
(09:40):
And so to me, this kid weighs one hundred and
eighty eight pounds and all of a sudden, he's generational. Listen.
I remember when Tracy McGrady came out of high school.
I remember when Jermaine O'Neil came out of high school.
They were long, lanky guys. It took them three four
years to develop. So I'm not saying that Womanama may
(10:02):
not is not going to become a very good player eventually.
But you're not gonna make that stupid statement right now
saying that because I expect him to come out and
average thirty next year. He has to. That's what's gonna
make him generational to me. He has to come out
and average thirty point two or thirty point three, beat
Jordan's record and do it every single year. Then I'll
(10:26):
say he's generational. Until then, shut the hell up. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
The problem, though, Olden is the show is tonight, So
I mean you've either got to call him a bust
in the moment or you got to say he's the
greatest thing ever.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Well, that's why I've been talking well tempered.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
And I saw the other day.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
What I said the other day with Jason. Hey, he'll
be lucky to be better than Sean Bradley.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
There you go see there. Now that's that's a hot
take that'll get and Justin confirms him. Sorry, I was traveling,
I was at airport.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
But I'm sticking with that.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
But yeah, with you women, Yellow, it's the curiosity of it.
Everybody looks for the big Bowl take, and I love
a hot take as much as anybody. I don't throw
a lot of them out there because I think most
of them are just we're throwing stuff against the Waltz
because you want to get a couple of clicks along
the way, and I'm just not that guy. But when
we look at Victor Wimanyelma and the tape and the
(11:20):
video and all that, and you mentioned bull Bull, So
what I was talking about going into the draft, like
you already have this guy who's kind of the same,
same guy, and now he's the one of the big
men still floating out in free agency. Is he a
Phoenix sun? Is he getting a member of the Lakers?
You know he look at because he's cheap, right, And
(11:40):
so he's a guy that you're wondering if you could
still develop him into something more. I mean, he was
solid in spurts with Orlando, but like we do with
everything regular season anymore, it's like, all right, take it
with a grain of salt, because they weren't playing for anything.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
Yeah, I get all that. I'm gonna say something right quick,
I coach au and remember specific one summer we get
this kid, right, they were sitting there watching the video
and they say, he's the next Carmelo Anthony and we
know how great.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
And another guy who liked him duncan. I don't think
people respect what he.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Was great play. So I'm like, okay, I'm looking at
the video. I'm like, and I said to the guys
in the room, you know how easy it is to
put a damn highlight reel together of all your top plays.
You're not going to put all your bad plays.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
I think that would be a better marketing. Of course,
this is this is my worst Yeah, right, Hey, what
what's your biggest floor? Right, what's your biggest flaw? You
know what, I care too much.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
I like that. I might have to tell some people
to do that. But the point was, when I got
him in practice, I was like, this kid is horrible.
So I'm saying myself, I don't want to watch highlights.
I've watched a lot of Victors games, and so that's
the one thing I always noticed, like guys would sign
(13:00):
destroyed him. They would destroy him. Kenny Lofton Jr. Who's
on the end of Memphis Grizzlies bench, he got some
power up. He beat Yama down, and so to me,
I watched a lot of those games, I watched when
he played in the French League against the upper echelon
teams and players. It was a big difference than what
(13:22):
they were showing us here, of course, and so to
me that's why. And then the league is, of course,
you know, the league's great at creating stars. We create
stars as opposed to allow them to do it organically.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Again, we want it now. It's a microwave society, polities.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Let him be.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
There's no marinating here.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
That boy will not succeed, not the way everybody have
him a like.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Look, the other part is how many games? How many
minutes are you gonna play? Because this team is not
gonna be any good, So why are.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
They going to make the playoffs? Drinking his own kool aide,
of course he has to please Pop. Got that money.
Pop's chilling. He got five years now, Pop's chilling. I
got pop thisop won't finish that contract.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Welcome back in Fox Sports Radio. We are sweating kimberl
right down National League three to two, Julio Rodriguez, they're
(14:31):
in Seattle only appropriate with two outs a two two count.
He could be the hero of the day. Runner on first.
I love that Olden as the fan of the game,
is jumping up and down in his seat, rocking back
and forth. And he gave big yeah, big exhales with
(14:52):
every pitch he gave him.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
He did give him a cookie that he took. So
he gave him an opportunity. Hey, we're brought to you
by Progressive Insurance. Progressive. It's buddling easy and affordable. Get
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count bottom of the ninth, kimberl On Rodriguez.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Up.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
You can't. You can't draw it up any better. This
is what you want to read. Nicely done. There you
go put that out there, hot take theater with Olden
Pollen here all right, after the game, we'll get John
Palmerrosi at some point in the proceedings here as we
flow through, he draws another walk. So two runners on
(15:36):
three two score. As we said, as we flow through
you know, you can talk about being part of the
AAU world, and certainly this last week a lot of
attention on the summer League, but also on Lebron James
coaching in the AAU world. And one of the things
that you know, me as the outside outsider looking in
(15:57):
you knows as you and others finish your playing careers
and start looking towards, you know, coaching potentially as a run.
How hard is that, based on the level of achievement
of your career, to push that aside and see the
player for who they are versus what you wanted to
because that was always the criticism, like with Bird, Isaiah
(16:17):
Magic and others when they stepped into the coaching box,
that there was that divide that they couldn't cross. How
hard is that?
Speaker 3 (16:24):
It's very difficult for a lot of guys, especially the
guys you mentioned, because with that greatness, you expect everybody
to be great, and so at the same time it
doesn't always work out that way. So the good coaches
are able to see each individual player for who they
are and coach them accordingly. I'm not going to coach
player A the same way I coach player B. I
(16:46):
don't care how it is because they both they two
different guys and so to me, you got to be
able to manage. That's what made Phil Jackson so good.
He was able to manage fifteen egos. And so in
the AAU world, it's all all stars. You get the
best play from this high school, the best way for
(17:07):
this high school, you put them together. So Lebron, you know,
seeing him out there as kind of cool, but you know,
it is what it is. It's it's not rocket science.
It's just you got the best players on the teams.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
So yeah, he was working alongside Rajon.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
Promised you he went out or whomever went out and
got all the best players that they were able to get.
You know, I think it's like three states you can
you can get you know, based on border states where
you can get your players from. So he went out
and get most of the players from California, Nevada and
what other state and Arizona and put them on the team.
(17:47):
So that's what they're doing right now. But what was
striking to me was the fact that Lebron looked like
he was about six y three standing at all these
high school kids.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Now, you know, it's it's one of those things We've
talked talked about in the media world for a long time,
the embellishment of height. Shaquill one is a whale of
a man, right he And I don't mean that in
the pejorative. I just mean he is a big man.
But it's always just been the question, is he really
seven three? Is he seven foot?
Speaker 5 (18:17):
Chris?
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Look, I'm tall, I'm tall. I'm sure this could be
so all you guys are giants to me when I
sit next to you, everybody, I need to boost this chair.
I'm seven feet. He was at least two inches taller
than me. Game over, he was at least two inches
tall to me. So I put him at seven two
seven three. He's huge. So, but that was always the
how much are they cushioning on some of these guys
(18:40):
to create myth like they're wringling brothers.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Guys he did guys didn't do it up, They did
it down. They always like they did less, Like Kevin.
Kevin Durant is like seven to two, okay, but he's
walking around saying he's six eleven.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
You're not saying, well, but what's your seven feet? The
expectations change, right, Uh?
Speaker 3 (19:03):
Yeah, And so a lot of those guys don't want
to be labeled as a seven foot of because all
he thinks they're gonna ask him to play in the post.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Well that's a big I mean, we watch it in football, right,
the difference. Hey, a guy might be five ten, five
eleven as a quarterback, but if he's not six feet
we're looking at him differently. Yeah, right, the height becomes
a slight there, and certainly to your point, you'd be
looking to play into the low post. So so as you, uh,
we're gonna get John Paul Barrossi on here in just
a second, as the All Star Game has come to
(19:32):
a conclusion. Even with the sweating, sweating it out, it's
something we've always appreciated here on the show. Old and
Uh talking a lot of baseball. When closers, you know,
they make you sweat out victories, they get the job done, right,
Kimberl certainly ken Lee Jansen for years here in Los Angeles,
where you'd watch and be like, all right, here we
(19:54):
go again. But he'd finish the job. But it was
never easy, which meant you know, your heart got a
little bit of a workout if you were a fan.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
There was a time, man, guys completed their games. What
happened to those days?
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Well, right, prosper we watched that with great regularities.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
This guy's a picture three four innings now and that's
it as a starting pitcher man. Bob Gibson is rolling
grave right now.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Yeah. It is a different world than you and I
grew up in. And every once in a while, when
we do actually have a complete game, we look at.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Each other and stunts like what he finished?
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Cam, I get a guy gives me for seven. I'm
applauding him.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
When I think it's a Dave Robinson one inning, Oh
the no hitter. No, you get the guy for one inning,
and then you bring in the next guy.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
You know you want to play, play that and have
your fun with bullpen management. Let's talk to an expert
on the subject matter as we bring in our guy.
John Paulo Morosi joins us each and every week on
the program Jason Smith Show with Me. Mike Harmon here,
No Jason Tonight, Olden Polonies in his stead. He's a
michigan Er. He's on the MLB Network, NHL Network, you
(21:12):
name it, you find it. He's our guy at John
Morosi on Twitter. J O an m O r os
Hi leave out the h because Mom said so we
were sweating kimberl there for a minute, JP, but he
got the job.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
Johns Well, Mike and Olden. Good evening, And first of all,
hold a thrill to be able to speak with you.
I'm from Michigan, as Mike Mitchett, so I remember well
your years with the Pistons. You were always a great
Piston in that time. So always love watching him play.
And thanks for representing Detroit that way to thank you
so much.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Thank you, JP. But a dome. If you're gonna introduce
this man, you never forget the Harvard University.
Speaker 6 (21:52):
Never.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
That should always be first.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
No, no, But see, sometimes that becomes a pejorative. As
JP knows right, if you where the CV of your schooling,
some bulks in our business will try to shame you.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
Listen.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
Well, here's the thing, Olden. Here's what I've learned in
my career is that the first, the first time that
in the course of a segment that I like screw
up a simple map question or or something like that,
then that immediately becomes the next re spots. Wait a minute,
where'd you go to college? As a result, I was
trying to leave that out of it, because I can
(22:28):
only embarrass myself by doing that.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I understand, all right, So JP the All Star Game
now in the rear view mirror. Other than the fact
that we didn't get the classic looks of everybody wearing
their uniform, what was the take there in Seattle other
than everybody begging show Hey to come play with them.
Speaker 5 (22:46):
Yeah, I certainly think that's going to be a big
storyline now as we enter the second half, what show's
future is. But I thought it was a great ballgame.
You've got a three to two final and obviously some
moments during the course of it. The home run review
was a bit of a controversy for a moment, but
I think by and large it's a great storyline. And
this is one of those moments too, where Elias Diaz
(23:09):
becomes the hero. He's a great story. He's from Venezuela.
He actually represents Colombia internationally in the World Baseball class
again a hunter of his late father who was Colombian.
So he's just an amazing story. He was able to
have his career go from Pittsburgh to now Colorado and
here he is hitting a pinch hit, go ahead home
run late in an All Star game, and now we're
(23:31):
all going to know his name, which is pretty cool.
It's just I think, overall, I want to credit the
way that on the TV side, our colleagues at Fox.
I think just being able to interview the players during
the game. This is a great night in the course
of the year for baseball in our country to take
center stage. And when you have that opportunity, tell as
(23:54):
many stories, peel back the curtain as much as you
can help casual fans learn more about these great players.
And all by the way, you've got a great three
to two game to win, down to the last strike,
you had Julio Rodriguez bat in the ninth inning. A
lot of the things you hope to see we saw tonight.
Speaker 7 (24:13):
Hey, it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller.
Would mean a lot to have you joined us on
our weekly auditory journey.
Speaker 6 (24:19):
You're asking, what in God's name is the Fifth Hour.
Speaker 7 (24:22):
I'll tell you it's a spin off of it Ben
Mather Show, a cult hit overnights on FSR.
Speaker 6 (24:27):
Why should you listen?
Speaker 7 (24:29):
Picture if you will, a world where we chat with
captains of industry in media.
Speaker 6 (24:32):
Sports and more.
Speaker 7 (24:33):
Every week, explore some amazing facts about human nature and more.
Listen to the Fifth Hour with Ben Maller on the
iHeartRadio app, Apple.
Speaker 6 (24:40):
Podcast or wherever you get your podcast JAP.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
I've been arguing over he with Mike for a while
now about this. It's an All Star game. You know
your best players, your top players, your most exciting guys.
Ellie Dela Cruz. Yeah, now I'm you know, I'm the
guy that's he should have been Manfred should have done
something to get him in there. Okay, do you agree
(25:07):
or disagree?
Speaker 5 (25:08):
I agree? I agree because to me right now, Olden,
he is one of the most unique talents that we've
got in the sport. And I realized that he just
arrived basically at the beginning of June. And yet and
you go back and think about twenty twelve, and that
was the year when at different intervals of that year
(25:30):
you had Machado, Harper, and Trout all basically arriving to
stay during that season, and they all made the All
Star Game in Kansas City. And I still remember those photos,
the three of them. They were all I think they
were all still nineteen at the time. Maybe one of
them had turned twenty but they were all basically teenagers,
and they were all in the All Star Game. And
(25:52):
so for me, Ellie is someone that I want to
see more of, Olden. He's doing things on the field
that just no one else. And basically he stole the
base that he sole in Milwaukee. When he stole home
that was like something that the best athlete in Little
League does because he's just smarter and faster and stronger
(26:12):
than everybody else. On the throwback of the picture, well
he does that in the major leagues. That doesn't happen.
And so for me, you're right, this should be the
showcase of the superlatives. If he had been called up
two weeks prior, maybe he gets there. But I agree
with you, Olden that somehow, some way I wanted to
(26:33):
see him in this game. I wanted to see what
his cleats would have looked like. I wanted to see
what his glove would have looked like. This is the
night for all the stuff about the code and how
you're supposed to dress for a baseball game. It all
goes out the window and you can wear whatever you
want to wear. And I would love to have seen
what Ellie daylor Cruz's style would have been tonight.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
So JP as we flow out of the All Star Game,
everybody takes a brook either. We've got some injuries that
are a big deal. I was lamenting the fact that
I can't have nice things with Robert having a nice
year of the White Sox but then getting hurt. But
the White Sox gonna be They're gonna be sellers, all right.
Lucas Giolito announced he's going through a divorce. He may
(27:16):
be divorcing from the team as well in this process.
Is no one Arnauto going to get traded.
Speaker 5 (27:22):
I don't think Arnaudo will. It's a great question. The
Saint Louis Cardinals need to make a move. They probably
need to make multiple moves. And if it's me, if
I was going to advise them as to how they
should handle things, you've got to call up the teams
that have controllable pitching, and you've got to move your
(27:42):
one of your younger bats, whether it's Gorman or Donovan
to that team. I don't see Arnauto moving. He's a
future Hall of Fame where you've got him under contract.
Gold Schmidt may be a little more realistic. He has
a no trade clause. I'm guessing he'd be pretty choosy
about where he goes if they ever came to that.
(28:03):
But the Cardinals, they have to look at what their
twenty twenty four rotation is going to look like. And
you've got Adam wayn Wright who's going to retire, and
Jack Flaher who's a free agent, and Jordan Montgomery who's
a free agent, and a lot of questions, a lot
of questions. So unless you want to rebuild through free
agency in the offseason, which is really hard to do,
(28:25):
you'd better make some trades right now. And they've got
an abundance of right now position players to move. And
of course, one of the great ironies Mike and Olden
than that during the course of All Star Week Zach Gallon,
who starts the game tonight. He's a former Cardinals prospect.
We saw last night at the derby and again tonight
the last Garcia and Randi e ros Arena, former Cardinals
(28:46):
minor league teammates. They have not properly evaluated, in my opinion,
the talent they have within, and that is their recipe
for disaster and one reason why even though I think
Arnado stays Mike, They've got to make a lot of
moves to be more competitive next year.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
Hey JP, I know you're big on the international game. Yeah,
you know. I have a step son right now that
plays baseball, sixteen years old. Stud Okay, he's got you know, Ellie,
I think Eli del Cruz.
Speaker 5 (29:18):
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
So but my point is, and we always joke about this,
you know, from the international standpoint, because like you know,
he's like, I gotta go to school. I gotta do
when these guys are playing and doing that aspect of international,
do they pot take in school or do they just
play baseball?
Speaker 5 (29:37):
That's a great question. And so basically, and I'm glad
you asked it because it's important for us as as
American sports fans to have an appreciation for the pathway
that that these players go through to get to an
All Star Game or just get to the major leagues period.
I'll tell you one quick story and then I'll answer
(29:57):
the big part of the question. Victor Martin. And there's
a multiple time All Star who played in a lot
of games like the one tonight. He told me once
that when when the last scout came to see him
when he was a teenager and he signed with the
then Cleveland Indians now Cleveland Guardians. That he was afraid
that if he didn't sign that contract that everybody in
(30:19):
his town had said, it's going to be too late
for you, and they're going to say that you're too
old and at that time old, and he was seventeen seventeen.
And so that is when a lot of international kids
from Venezuela and the Dominican and they signed at sixteen,
seventeen becomes quote unquote too old. And then we start
to wonder about the equality of opportunity between if you're
(30:43):
not ready at sixteen or seventeen to get on a
plane and go to a different country. After you've played
at the Academy and the Dominican often for a year,
then your opportunity fades. And then you compare that to
someone who's played for three seasons of UCLA. It's a
different life experience. And so, to answer your question, when
they sign at sixteen, a great many of them have
(31:05):
not completed high school. I think most organizations have. I
don't know if it's necessarily a ged equivalency or some
form of school. There's also cultural education that helps the
young players be able to speak English and navigate life
in America when they show up and they're playing in
the minor leagues at eighteen. But it's a challenge, and
(31:25):
I think that's why I always try to remember at
nights like this that every story, every player's on the field,
has a unique story, and unless you really spend a
lot of time in the Dominican in Venezuela, in Mexico
and a lot of the communities, it's hard to really
understand all they went through and the pressure of being
(31:47):
the breadwinner of your family when you're sixteen years old.
And that to me, I'm glad you asked the question,
and it's why it's so important for us as people
who are part of the baseball community to make sure
that we're helping that we realized that people around the
world go through a lot to pursue their dream to
come to our country and play, and they deserve our
(32:07):
respect in return.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
The best there is our buddy, John Paul Morosi. Find
him on Twitter at John Morosi j O n m
RSI a michigan Er MLB Network. Check it all out there,
my guy. Thanks for stopping down with us. Enjoy the
quick respite of the All Star break, and then get
ready for the trade deadline. Look forward to talking to
(32:28):
you again next.
Speaker 5 (32:29):
Great Michael Olden was a pleasure speaking with both of you,
and thank you and older for all the great memories
there back in the day.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
Really appreciate Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
There you go, John palm Morosi, I mean, is he
not the best? He's the best going and that international
question as we watch baseball's changing face year to year. Yeah,
important stuff to think about the process of guys getting
to Major League Baseball.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern pm Pacific.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Welcome back in Fox Sports Radio Jason Smith Show with
Me Mike Harmon, No Jason Tonight Olden polonies in his
stead reminder were brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Progressive
makes buddling easy and affordable. Get a multi policy discount
by combining your motorcycle, RV, boat, ATV and more all
your protection. One play is bundle and save at Progressive
dot Com. Now something I we as you asked John
(33:25):
Paul Morosi about the changing face of Major League Baseball,
International Play School and how it all comes together in
the process. Just impressive the hero of the day, Elias Diez. Right,
here's his story. This is off of CBS Sports. They
put this up about an hour ago. Sign with the
Pirates for twenty thousand dollars out of Venezuela. Spent most
(33:50):
of his career as a backup. He was non tendered
in twenty nineteen, signed a minor league deal with Colorado
in twenty twenty, and now is the hero for the
ultra rare National League victory in the All Star Game,
their first since twenty twelve. First Rockies player to win
(34:11):
All Star MVP, first catcher in Rockies history to be
named an All Star, which is amazing because you did
have Charles Johnson there for a minute back in the day.
But just a fantastic story. But the dollar amount is
what stands out, Yeah, right, because we always hear about
the big bonus babies. This guy got a few million,
(34:32):
this guy got this, and now we talk about nil
right in college athletes and everything else and the money
that's flowing. But you think about the pursuit of the dream,
and twenty thousand dollars is no insignificant amount of money
at all, But on a relative basis, you think about
what we always pass around as numbers in our sporting universe.
(34:54):
But then you start thinking about the baseball universe, which
is a much different landscape because it's not the United States.
Speaker 3 (35:02):
Oh definitely, And that's why I love baseball. It's so pure.
I didn't like when they brought in the timer and
all that, because I always said that baseball is the
purest game there is. You know, when it started, starts,
when it ends, it ends. And so to me seeing
hearing a story like that is amazing. And you know,
we were sitting here and I watched the home run.
I was like, who is this guy? And now I know?
(35:22):
And so it's kind of cool, you know, for catcher
to win MVP, you know, and his story is what
this is all about. Again, That's why I was like,
you know, who should have been in there?
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Well, the self celebration of the game. And when you've
got a team like the Rockies, they are twenty three
games under five hundred five, yeah, and this is always
the argument, should they have a representative? Well there you go.
That made the season, which was otherwise miserable and dismal
as they await for the return of Russell Wilson to
(35:55):
the grid.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
Eyon.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Hey, reminder, we're brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Progressive
makes bundling easy and affordable. You get a multi policy
discount by combining your motorcycle, RV, boat, ATV and more,
all your protection of one plays bundle and save at
Progressive dot com. But a three to two game kind
of in line with you know, some of the excellence
that we've seen playing play out in the All Star
(36:17):
Game in recent years, but National League actually winning one,
actually having I know it's you celebrated. You wonder what
leads into all that dominance, but for one year and
Craig Kimberrel closed it out. Whenever you can have a
guy who's been such a mainstay of the show show
up as well, it's huge, All right, Olden and Mike
(36:37):
with you here coming up next. Yeah, it's time to
finally do it. We're talking Northwestern pazing and next steps
on Fox
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Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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