2291 - Let's grade these Rookies so far

Take 10 with Tim – May 16, 2025 – 9:30/8:30 am

1.The next crop of kids have arrived – Your thoughts on projections for the rest of the season (AB, HR, SB)
a.Jordan Lawlar (IF, AZ)
b.Moises Ballesteros (C, CHC)
c.Matthew Lugo (3B/OF, LAA)
d.Dalton Rushing (C/OF, LAD)

2.Let’s grade the following Rookies hitters (A through F) and discuss whether they are a growth stock, need to back down, or not what we thought.
1)Dylan Crews (Was, OF) – 148 AB, 5 HR, 11 SB, .189 BA, 44K/8BB
2)Kristian Campbell (Bos, 2B) – 142 AB, 5 HR, 2 SB, .246 BA, 45K/20BB
3)Jacob Wilson (ATH, SS) – 164 AB, 5 HR, 2 SB, .354 BA, 9K/7BB
4)Trey Sweeney (Det, SS) - 139 AB, 5 HR, 2 SB, .266 BA, 34K/14BB
5)Cam Smith (Hou, OF) – 98 AB, 3 HR, 1 SB, .214 BA, 34K/12BB
6)Jasson Dominguez (NYY, OF) – 125 AB, 5 HR, 3 SB, .240 BA, 44K/16 BB
7)Chandler Simpson (TB, OF) – 82 AB, 0 HR, 7 SB, .268 BA, 10K/4BB

3.Let’s grade the following pitchers (A through F) and discuss whether they are a growth stock, need to back down, or not what we thought.
1)Will Warren (NYY) – 41.0 IP, 2 wins, 4.61 ERA, 50K/17BB
2)Shane Smith (CHW) – 43.1 IP, 1 win, 2.08 ERA, 38K/15BB
3)Jackson Jobe (Det) – 33.1 IP, 3 wins, 4.32 ERA, 27K/20BB
4)Roki Sasaki (LAD) – 34.1 IP, 1 win, 4.72 ERA, 24K/22BB
5)Chase Dollander (Col) – 34.0 IP, 2 wins, 6.88 ERA, 32K/16BB – he does have 2 out of the Rockies 7 wins (Grade on a curve?)

4.After 35 years, Rob Manfred removed Pete Rose from the permanently ineligible list, allowing him to be considered for the Hall of Fame.
a.How did you feel about this decision? We will have a discussion for a bit.
b.Do you think he gets in?

5.Aaron Nola – Yikes. He never threw very hard, but his four-seamer is off a mile per hour and it’s getting destroyed (.611 SLG). Start, sit or drop?
a.Here are some other pitchers that are struggling. Same question.
i.Sandy Alcantara – 8.10 ERA, 1.637 WHIP
ii.Dustin May – 4.08 ERA, 1.24 WHIP. Not awful, but last four outings, he’s been terrible, pitching to a 6.35 ERA
iii.Luis Severino – 4.70 ERA, 1.32 WHIP

6.Patrick Corbin looked like he was playing out the string after signing that great contract with Washington. He went unowned in most leagues. This year, he’s been a different guy. Pitching for Texas, he’s won three games and posting a 3.35 ERA. However, he’s not striking out many (7 K/9) and his xERA is 4.52.
a.You can’t sell high (maybe you can), but what do you do here? Keep starting him every week? Pick and choose based on matchups? Something else?

7.Are the Phillies starting to use Jordan Romano as part of a close committee? Do you trust him after how he’s lookd this season?

8.One more question that might come up tonight. We have plenty with what I’ve written.

9.What one hitter are you targeting for this weekend’s FAAB?

10.What one pitcher are you targeting for this weekend’s FAAB?

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Greeney Society takes us everyone at for twelve and welk
into Fantasy Baseball Live. Today is the sixteenth of May,
about nine thirty in the morning. As always him here
with my good buddy, mister Tim McCleod.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Tim How's life life is absolutely awesome, Rich, You couldn't
couldn't be much better? And how can it be any
better when you're giving yourself a rim shot before we
even get on the air, Like, does it get any
better than that?

Speaker 1 (00:44):
That is true? So I was tem Tim reminded me
of a post somewhere that I think he did it
multiple times.

Speaker 3 (00:51):
It was so.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
Brilliant that he deserves a pre rim shot. So here
it is Tim. So Tim at the Hannor House had
his worst outing. I mean, he's been terrible. This has
a bit. It was brutal. Tim wrote, what did you write,
mister McLeod.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
Uh hook line and stinker?

Speaker 1 (01:12):
There you go, absolutely brilliant houk line and stinker was
just a great, great uh headline that.

Speaker 3 (01:21):
I mean.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
He's not been good, Tim, It's not been good this season.
I think he overperformed last year. Not good this year.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Well, he actually enters the record books as a result
of that performance because I believe he is the only
pitcher in the history of baseball. Okay, and this is
going all the way back to I'll have allowed eleven
runs in two starts.

Speaker 4 (01:44):
In the same year.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Oh really wow?

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Yeah, eleven earned runs in two starts. Almost a month
to the day since that first stinker came up, came
up with another one that was the equivalent. I think
it's the only time it's happened and major league history.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
So I still have him on a team. And after
I saw the stinker. Uh, before you write it, I've
got Oh, dear god, I hope I didn't start him,
and I think I think, I think he went against
the Phillies and I'm thinking I remember thinking about that,
deciding I'm not going to start him. Fortunately he was
on my bench.

Speaker 4 (02:20):
So good for you. Congratulate, congratulations. You are still in
the hunt for her and with my.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
Friend there you go. So it might not have been
the case of the first eleven runs that he gave
up earlier this season, but it's it might be time
to move on from him.

Speaker 4 (02:35):
Ah, yes, well he's on the I l.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
Yeah, so I think there's there's some issues there.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
Yeah, we're gonna talk about another guy that another yikes,
and that is Aaron Nolan, some other guys that are
performing poorly. We're gonna spend a lot of time talking
about kids because that's the fun part to talk about.
And then we're gonna talk about Pete Rose and what
went on there. So that might take some time to
work through because it could get a little dicey in

(03:09):
terms of what it all means and how it happened
and why it happened and all that kind of stuff.
But so it's just everybody knows the Sunday Show is.
We've been doing it for fifteen years. It is waiver wire, pickups,
closure reports, what's happening currently in games, and some guy
gets hurt, Who's to pick up? The Friday Show is

(03:30):
more and it's a special we can talk about anything
we want and different topics and it's whatever floats my
boat because I put the notes together so.

Speaker 2 (03:40):
Well, your vote is, your vote is floating real well
this week, Rich I love them. It's going to be
it's going to be a fun show.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
A lot of it is just like you know, like
the whole big part of it, like these following rookies,
you know, or they gross stocks and we need to
back down. It was all about Dylan Cruise. You look
down and you see five from runs eleven solen bases
in a below the Mendoza line, and go, I mean,
is that good?

Speaker 3 (04:06):
It's like, you know, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
It depends if you need stolen bases, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (04:11):
That's right, yeah, or if you're if you're hurting in
batting average. So we're going to talk about all that
kind of stuff. But the first question is just the
next crop of the kids have arrived. That kind of
snuck up almost a little bit, Timmy, because I had
not heard Jordan Lawler was going to be promoted, but
I think it was Monday he got called up. What
are your thoughts projections for the rest of the season.

(04:32):
Let's just talk about surprised that he's going to get
the calls, you're going to get playing time, et cetera,
et cetera.

Speaker 2 (04:39):
Well, I think the problem with Lawlor is pretty much
as we identified in past podcasts.

Speaker 4 (04:46):
Playing time.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
Okay, apparently they're going to play him a second, third, shortstop, catcher,
relief pitcher, an outfielder. Okay, they're going to move them
all They're going to move them all over the place,
and as a result of that, like, you're not going
to take unless he's heard, kid Jel Martey out of
the lineup. Okay, you're not going to take their leading

(05:09):
home run hitter Suarez out of the lineup on a
regular basis. So he's going to be moving all over
the place. He's definitely warranting of the call up. He
was just tearing it up at Triple A. There was
nothing left there for him really. But I think when
you're projecting for the rest of the season, I looked
at two hundred and seventy five at bats. I think

(05:30):
a full time player you'd be looking at about four hundred.
So I went at a little bit more than fifty
percent of the potential at bats and nine homers, nine
stolen bases. I don't think he can project him to
be a full time player because unless somebody's hurt, he's
going to be all over the place, and it's going
to be a challenge for him as a young player.

Speaker 4 (05:52):
I think.

Speaker 1 (05:53):
So if you're like in a twelve team league, this
is a guy that you're going to go break the
bank this weekend and fab to.

Speaker 5 (06:01):
No.

Speaker 2 (06:02):
Okay, in a fifteen team league, you're going to spend
a bit more. The one thing that will come into
play and I think could prove to be very handy
when you get to August September. His lawler by then
should be qualifying at multiple positions. Okay, So even if
he's not playing full time heading down the stretch, a

(06:25):
player that's eligible at multi multiple positions who does have
both home run and speed potential could work out very
well for you as people are rested down the stretch
or injuries.

Speaker 4 (06:37):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
Yeah, yeah, he could be a very very valuable player
and even twelve team leagues. Okay, in the last month
to two months of the season, somebody gets hurt, well,
if somebody gets hurt anywhere on your team, as a
replacement player, he could be the equivalent to a Dylan

(06:57):
Moore type if he has second, third, and outfield eligibility.
That becomes valuable off your bed when you're struggling the
last month.

Speaker 1 (07:05):
He did not play outfield in the minor leagues. Are
they saying he's gonna be playing the outfield in Arizona?

Speaker 4 (07:11):
I believe, I believe.

Speaker 2 (07:13):
So yeah, let me just go to my hyper fast
computer here and see what see what positions they said
he would be because Okay.

Speaker 1 (07:26):
I always thought center field would be the perfect spot
for him, but I've been waiting for him to appear there,
and according to Baseball Reference, he has not played the outfield.

Speaker 4 (07:34):
Last I looked second in short, you're definitely there.

Speaker 1 (07:39):
Yeah, second, short, and third. He's also played some third
base in the minor league. So yeah, okay, Well that's
Jordan Lawler's good to Moys's bellastereos, he's also been tearing
it up and one of our Patreon members, Marty pe, congratulations,
your guys up. I think he's only played one game
with Zho for four it's only one game. Does he
get enough playing time too?

Speaker 2 (08:02):
I think as a second catcher in deeper leagues, yes,
but I think he's going to be Yeah, they have
two catchers in Chicago that they're playing. Well, okay, so
he's not gonna, you know, unless somebody stumbles. I don't
think he's going to be taking a job away there.

(08:24):
There's d h time. But I've got him down for
only one hundred and fifty at bats with seven homers
on two stolen bases.

Speaker 1 (08:33):
Well that's disappointing because that cat can really play. And again,
I liked Miguel Emayah for this season. I like Moyses
Bella Sterio's long term. Now he's not a catcher. They
would be smart just put him at designated hitter and
call it a day. But you typically don't want to
do that with a twenty two year old. But that

(08:56):
guy isn't really That guy has got a just power
and he can really hit. That's a good baseball player.

Speaker 2 (09:03):
Well, you know, Carson Kelly's on fire, he's playing extremely well,
and so is Miguel Amaya. They're not going to take
either one of those two, you know what I mean,
One of those two are not going to triple A.
So right, right now, they've got Philosteros in at d H.
But what happens when Ian half returns? Okay, you know

(09:24):
they've you know, Suzuki and Tuck, Kyle Tucker and Pete
Crow Armstrong are not going anywhere, right so when Hap comes,
when Hap comes back, then all of a sudden, Suzuki
probably goes back to d H more often. Then you
got Bia Steros. Does he you know, does he stay up?

(09:46):
Does he become one of a platoon group of three catchers.
I'm just I'd just be very careful.

Speaker 3 (09:52):
Yep.

Speaker 1 (09:52):
I think a really good point.

Speaker 3 (09:55):
Ye yeah.

Speaker 2 (09:56):
I love the kid, I love the skills, but Chicago's
in to win it, and there could be a squeeze there, right.

Speaker 1 (10:04):
Matthew Lugo kind of former Boston Red Sox traded for God,
I think if Stevez, if I re called back last
season at the deadline, I wrote up all every one
of the trades who got moved, but I can't remember
exactly who he got traded for. He got called up
earlier this week, is already has two home runs. I mean,

(10:26):
there's definitely some opportunity from the play out in Los Angeles.
Matthew Logo, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (10:32):
I have some concern with Matthew Lugo. My immediate thoughts
are on Logo is either either play him okay, or
send him back to Triple A. And you know, you
say the two home runs, Yeah, he does have two
home runs. But when I look at you know, he
got called up me eight. He didn't play the first game, okay,

(10:55):
didn't play the second game, okay, So we're looking at
of the since then, there have been five games.

Speaker 4 (11:05):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (11:06):
Of the five games he's pinch hit in two he's
played three and What's funny is you talk about the
two home runs. The two games that he pinch hit
are the two games he hit the home runs in,
which is I'm just I'm just concerned that about the
playing time. Like, I don't know what the Angels are doing,

(11:28):
but they brought the kid up wof spot.

Speaker 1 (11:33):
When you've got a team that good, I mean, you know,
you can't just bring up kids and play them.

Speaker 2 (11:39):
And you get a future Hall of Famer Anthony Rendom
back in September and then will push over the top
or off the edge. I'll let you pick the one.
But again, it's just a situation. I have no idea
what the Angels are going to do with this kid.
But if they're not going to play them, get them
back to Triple A, that would be you know, I'm

(12:00):
going to mention him this week with the caveats that
I just brought up.

Speaker 4 (12:04):
I have no idea what they're going to do with him.
Not eight clue Richard every.

Speaker 1 (12:09):
First of all, call out to Major League Baseball. Boo
a major League Baseball. Not many games yesterday, I've been
a lot of very light schedules on Thursday.

Speaker 3 (12:20):
Only one late game and that was stupid it was.

Speaker 1 (12:25):
The Dodgers in athletics, and everybody hit except for Michael CONFORDO.
So Dalton Rushing got three Dalton Rushing got three hits.
So but it was his first game.

Speaker 4 (12:38):
It was Bablehead night for Otani and he got two
home runs.

Speaker 1 (12:41):
Oh wasn't Bobblehead night for him? I think they want
fifteen fifteen to three?

Speaker 3 (12:46):
So uh but anyway, eventually, oh.

Speaker 1 (12:50):
Nineteen is that what it ended up being? So I
turned it off at eleven to two or something like that.

Speaker 2 (12:57):
Okay, yeah, they put in uh uh, they put in
a positional player okay to pitch at the end, and
he struck out O TOWNI and they threw the ball.

Speaker 4 (13:14):
He threw the ball and he does a keeper for
that's a keeper for him. Who was it that?

Speaker 2 (13:19):
Who was it that shoe parda pitch? Yeah, and he
struck out, struck out about third or three three runs?

Speaker 1 (13:26):
All right, enough enough on your love, So let's let's talk.

Speaker 4 (13:31):
Let's talk talk for the league in league leading home runs.

Speaker 1 (13:36):
I need a need a snoring uh.

Speaker 4 (13:39):
Here?

Speaker 1 (13:40):
Now, So what about Fulton Rushing? Is he going to
get enough playing time? I?

Speaker 2 (13:48):
I think I think he will, and I think the
reason reasons behind it are the fact that, uh, the
Dodgers cut their longest tenured player, believe it at Austin
Barnes to make room for him. Okay, so Dalton Rushing
will be working with because he's the number two catcher there. Okay,

(14:11):
so he is going to be spelling Will Smith. So
he's going to get at bats there. I figure one hundred,
two hundred and fifty at bats at catcher, plus you'll
probably get another hundred at bats in the outfield. So
I of the four the players we've listed today, he
would be He would be number number two on my list,

(14:31):
a solid number two, right up there with Lawlor. I
think he could hit twelve home runs, two hundred and
fifty at bats, steal a couple of bases. But with
Austin Barnes gone, Yeah, Rushing is he's not up. This
isn't a we'll see you in a week and send
you We'll see you for a week and send you down.
The Dodgers have committed it to him for the balance

(14:52):
of the season, and he'll get the blame time as
a second catcher and fourth outfielder.

Speaker 1 (14:57):
So three out of four of these guys are very famous.
Well respect the top twenty five prospects of the game,
but none of them have, you know, the a path
to having impact potential for your fantasy team.

Speaker 2 (15:14):
I would agree with that, except as a number two catcher,
I think Don't and Rushing will be a definite upgrade,
and as a super sub type player down the stretch,
I think Lawler is the same thing. The other two
I have big, big concerns with, and all four of
them I think will be over overpaid for. Okay, come

(15:34):
Sunday night and on waiver wear bits, let's take.

Speaker 1 (15:42):
What's that?

Speaker 4 (15:42):
No, No, go ahead, No, no, I was just going
to say, I would just be I would be a
little cautious.

Speaker 2 (15:49):
I wouldn't be spending twenty five percent of my fab
on any of these guys, right right?

Speaker 1 (15:55):
Can I Can I go to commercial break now?

Speaker 2 (15:57):
No?

Speaker 5 (16:00):
Okay, take a break and we come back. Tim was
done rambling and clearly not.

Speaker 2 (16:08):
Hey, I've had three coffees this morning. Okay, I've That's
like giving a five year old kisses and saying have
had or okay, wow, you.

Speaker 1 (16:18):
Just you talk to the entire commercial break. It's unbelievable.

Speaker 5 (16:22):
I'll never be able to find the uh that's not
look at the time here, jeez, oh my goodness. Uh,
tim all the noise you're hearing outside is there's peepe,
there's landscapers. Uh putting rebuilding my backyard as we speak,
so putting in sod.

Speaker 2 (16:41):
And neighbors are lined up looking at adis again there.

Speaker 1 (16:46):
Is uh yeah, no, no, that was that was That
was hunter who fixed the boat. Okay, this is a whole,
This is a this is a different crew that's coming
to do it. So, so it's funny. I so we're
getting landscaping lights, you know that kind of shoot up
in the air that highlight the trees. I'm thinking the
better of a timer on them otherwise, otherwise it's going

(17:08):
to come run into the window. So I talked to
the contractor. I said, hey, you got timers on these things, right,
so I could turn them off at a reasonable time.
And they do so, so that's good.

Speaker 2 (17:20):
Yes, there's nothing nothing more enjoyable than waking up at
four o'clock in the morning to your lot being floodled.

Speaker 1 (17:26):
Right exactly exactly, tell me, let's talk. Let's grade out
some of these rookie rookie hitters. So kind of a
through f failing grades A you know, probably a C
and F. I'm gonna get to crazy kind of stuff.
But first, as Dylan Cruise Hunter, what's that?

Speaker 4 (17:45):
I was that was pretty tough on these guys rich there, Yeah, there's.

Speaker 1 (17:50):
I only see I only see one A in here, so's.

Speaker 4 (17:55):
You only I've only got one A and I've got
no b's.

Speaker 1 (17:59):
Okay, Well, Dyll Cruise one hundred forty eight at bats
fIF This was as of the before yesterday's games, five
from runs, eleven solar bases, a one eighty nine batting average,
and a pretty ugly forty four to eight strikeout the
walk ratio.

Speaker 3 (18:13):
Dylan Cruz, I'm giving him a C.

Speaker 2 (18:18):
Okay, would be a D except for the eleven stolen basis.
He's off to a slow start, but he's definitely picked
it up.

Speaker 4 (18:26):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (18:26):
And as far as gross stock, yeah, he's definitely a
gros stock for me.

Speaker 4 (18:31):
What say you?

Speaker 2 (18:32):
So?

Speaker 1 (18:33):
I think see as well in growth stock. I think
if I was having the parent teacher conference, if he
was coming in and I was grading his performance, his
parents are sitting there, I'd go, what we Why is
he striking out so much? Why is all of a
sudden he is expanding the strike zone and why is
he chasing so much? Get back to the player that

(18:54):
he's always been. But uh, speed and powers there, But
I mean you got to you got to hit better.
Timmy is not getting on base enough to score runs.

Speaker 2 (19:04):
Yeah, there's only room for so many Kyle Schwarvers in
the league, and Dylan Cruz should not be trying to
fit into that group.

Speaker 1 (19:13):
Christian Campbell Boston Red Sox second base, one hundred and
forty two at bats five and runs, two stolen bas
It's pretty interesting. Same amount of bats less fantasy production
than Dylan Cruz. A lot of people don't know that,
but he is hitting two forty six forty five strikeouts
won more than Dylan Cruz at but twenty walks.

Speaker 3 (19:33):
Kristin Campbell, I'm giving him a c.

Speaker 2 (19:38):
Again. Gross Stock is there. The past three weeks have
been a little bit again young players adjustment period. The
past three weeks haven't been really good for christ and Campbell.
But he's going to be a very, very good player.
The Socks believe in him. I don't have any reason
to think that we're not going to see better things
of Campbell moving forward.

Speaker 1 (20:00):
Challenge trade Dylan Cruz for Christian Campbell the rest of
the season.

Speaker 3 (20:04):
Who would you like to have?

Speaker 2 (20:08):
Uh, probably Dylan Cruise because I think Cruise could end
up with thirty plus stolen bases and that. Yeah, I'll
live with the You know, the one eighty nine batting
average is in the rear view mirror, Okay. I I
don't think we're going to see a one eighty nine

(20:29):
batting average over the next four and a half months.

Speaker 4 (20:32):
So I would go Cruise. But I like Campbell a lot,
I really do.

Speaker 1 (20:36):
I would go Cruise, and I don't think it's actually close.

Speaker 4 (20:40):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (20:42):
Uh So I mean this, he's got way more speed.
And let's see what it's expected batting averages here. It's
a two sixty one expected batting average. So because he hits,
he hits the ball reasonably hard. He's got a terrible babbitt,
which is he's just getting a little bit unlucky. There's
too many strikeouts, which doesn't make sense, and he's chasing

(21:04):
too much. But I think the bat speed is there.
The speed is there. I think it's I think he's
just adjusting.

Speaker 4 (21:10):
Tim Yeah, they're all young players and that's what they do.

Speaker 1 (21:15):
Believe it or not. My only a Camelans Jacob Wilson Athletics.

Speaker 2 (21:19):
That's on the same page.

Speaker 1 (21:22):
I think he is the leading candidate for Rookie of
the Year. And who had that on their Bengo cart
Five home runs, two stolen bases, a three fifty four
batting average. I think everybody thought he'd hit nine strikeouts
and seven walks. I mean, that is Lewis a rise level.
I mean, this is a guy that just makes incredible contact.
But again, I thought he'd be a ten to fifteen

(21:45):
home run guy at eight to ten stolen base gun.
You know, maybe a little bit richer on the home runs,
but I thought he'd hit So he's he's doing what
I thought he'd do, probably more of an exaggerated kind
of level. But he's been really good.

Speaker 2 (22:00):
Yeah, I think he's exactly what we thought he'd be.
He's just simply better than we thought he'd be. Yeah,
you know what I mean, especially with the batting average. Yeah,
you know, if you look at the home runs and
stolen bases, you're you know, your preseason prognosticating is I
think right, you're looking at you know, fifteen to twenty

(22:20):
home runs, ten stolen bases, but man ninth stracos seven walks. Yeah,
you're right that that is elite, and he's for that
reason he's my only A in this group.

Speaker 1 (22:33):
Yeah. His average ex of velocity and hard hit rates
are five percentile on the league, and his sprint speed
is thirty eight percentile. So yes, all of that is
playing out. I don't see twenty home runs, but I
think I think he's like a ten, ten, twelve, twelve guy.
But his whiff rate and strikeout rate is one hundred
percent on the league. Nobody makes better contact than he

(22:56):
does well.

Speaker 2 (22:57):
And my guess is that three fifty four batting averages
expected batting averages probably three, three, ten, three ten.

Speaker 1 (23:06):
Okay, yeah, but you're your point is well taken. It's
a it's a three.

Speaker 3 (23:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (23:12):
Yeah. And he's hitting at the top of the order
in uh uh soccer Oakland and yeah, everything everything, everything's
working out.

Speaker 1 (23:23):
We would you say, Sacro what was that against Sacro.

Speaker 2 (23:26):
Sack Soccer Oakland?

Speaker 1 (23:28):
Yeah, Las Vegas, though, I don't no.

Speaker 4 (23:35):
No, I'm not going to gamble on that.

Speaker 1 (23:37):
Oh jeez, I gotta get back over to the console.

Speaker 4 (23:41):
I deserve. There we go, There we go.

Speaker 3 (23:45):
Detroit.

Speaker 1 (23:46):
The Troit Tiger shortstop one hundred and thirty nine at bats.
Five's two stolen base, a lot of five of them
runs here, two sixty six batting average, a lot more
strikeouts than both, actually less strikeouts thirty four strikeouts and
fourteen walks trace And I'm interested to see what you
have here.

Speaker 3 (24:02):
I have a d really.

Speaker 4 (24:05):
I think he's yeah. I think he's just been okay.

Speaker 2 (24:09):
And my problem with grating Trey Tray Sweeney to some
extent it is I don't trust a J. Hinch, Not
one bit do I trust a J.

Speaker 4 (24:19):
Hinch.

Speaker 2 (24:21):
You know, Vierling and Meadows are both going to be returning.
They've already said that. Verling, okay, is going to play
some center field and the third base. Okay, he's finishing
up his rehab. Meadows is looking at his rehabs commencing shortly. Okay,
you get those two guys back in the lineup, and

(24:43):
Hay Bias it's playing great right now, you know, off
the charts good. So where does Bias gets at bats
when Verling's at third base?

Speaker 4 (24:54):
Okay? And the outfield center field.

Speaker 2 (24:56):
As a matter of fact, for Burling and Meadows is
is not too far from moving back into the lineup.
I just don't trust Detroit to give Sweeney the playing
time moving forward, so maybe that that's influencing my DA.
I'll give a C for now, but a D for
the short term future, and I have concerned playing time.

Speaker 1 (25:18):
I thought your grading was for future as opposed to pass,
because I mean, he's he's had a better he's had
a better first six weeks of the season than Cruise
and Campbell flat out. I mean that doesn't well, maybe
not Cruise with a stolen basis. So I would think
it's at least to see maybe a B for Tray Sweeney.

(25:38):
But going forward, I kind of agree with you. It's
going to get crowded in Detroit.

Speaker 4 (25:44):
Yeah, and I don't know what aj Hinch is going
to do. I don't have a clue.

Speaker 2 (25:48):
So you know, if you can find somebody right now,
you know, in a redraft league who really loves Tray Sweeney,
I'd probably look at moving him.

Speaker 3 (25:57):
Camp Smith.

Speaker 1 (25:59):
You sin astras ninety eight a baut three hund runs,
one solar base two fourteen thirty four strikeouts and twelve walks.
I'm gonna go first here. It's it's at least the D.
It might be an F.

Speaker 2 (26:12):
Yeah, I got him at a d Yeah, he's in
thirteen games so far in May, he's been out of
the lineup for six. Yep, he's not playing full time.
If that continues, they should send him back down.

Speaker 1 (26:24):
Yeah, he's not been good tim.

Speaker 2 (26:27):
No, and again he's a young player, and when you're
playing basically every other day, I don't think that modes
well for his short term, you know, the ability short
term to pick up the pace, because you know, if
he has a good game, is he's sitting the next one.

Speaker 4 (26:48):
That's I see too much of that, and that bothers me.

Speaker 2 (26:51):
I think if a player, especially a young player, has
a good game, keep him in there for a couple
of days, see if they can build on that. Quite
often it just schemes like, oh, well he had a
good game, we'll send him tomorrow. Anyways, That to me,
that makes no sense whatsoever.

Speaker 4 (27:06):
None.

Speaker 1 (27:06):
Yeah, it's uh, I mean, look, he looks so good
in spring training and what's the regular season start. It's
it's a lot harder to just as Jason Dominga is
five hor runs, three solo basis to forty batting average,
a lot of strikeouts at forty four.

Speaker 3 (27:22):
Jason Domingas He's a D for me.

Speaker 4 (27:26):
D for me as well moving forward.

Speaker 2 (27:31):
Yeah, there's a ton of potential there and he's gonna
play every day. But I think when you look at
those five home runs, you got to remember the three
of them were in one game.

Speaker 4 (27:41):
Yeah, you take that one game.

Speaker 1 (27:44):
Your Haino Suarez at four in one game, so they
look like he's.

Speaker 2 (27:48):
Got twelve or thirteen. He's got twelve or thirteen now,
so yeah, yeah, I want to see more than three
homers every second month.

Speaker 1 (27:58):
Yeah, that's fair. He's been disappointed. I thought he'd be
a lot better than that, and he's got good players
around him. Let's see if he can get it going
here the last three quarters of the season. Chandler Simpson,
I just do this and I first of all, I
didn't realize he had eighty two at bats. That's impressive
that the Rays have played him that much. No home runs,

(28:19):
which we do, seven stolen bases, two sixty eight batting
average since strecouts, four walks. It's pretty damn good.

Speaker 4 (28:26):
So yeah, I gave him a C. Okay, I.

Speaker 2 (28:33):
Exactly anyway, Yeah, I've legraph would be a favorite of mine, probably,
but no, when with Simpson, what concerns me there is.
He's pretty much exactly his advertised Okay, he'll slap the
ball or out any runs, okay, But he's not running

(28:54):
as much as I thought he would okay.

Speaker 4 (28:57):
And I don't know if.

Speaker 2 (28:58):
That's something that's a Simpson oriented or it's something that's
coming from Rocobuldli Okay, But for.

Speaker 4 (29:06):
Him to hold value in mixed leagues, he has to.

Speaker 2 (29:09):
Be a fifty sixty stolen base type, okay, because that's
all you're going to get in a batting average. Okay,
you're not getting you know, you might get run score,
but you're not getting home runs RBIs. And then the
past three games he's got five hits. That's a good thing,
but he's got no stolen bases. So I wonder if
Baldelli's holding him back he's got to run.

Speaker 1 (29:32):
It could be just circumstantial. I mean, the fact that
he's getting base and he's I mean, he's in the
ninety percentile on sprinsby. This guy can steal bases. So
I think it's with rate is ninety fifth percent of
strakeout rate ninety First, this is a this is a
slap and go hitter with zero power, no power at all.

(29:52):
I think you could look, he could steal ten bases
in a week ten And also, yeah, you haven't a
different opinion.

Speaker 4 (30:01):
Yeah, exactly, Yeah, No. I I like the player. I
like what he brings to the game.

Speaker 2 (30:05):
I'm just a bit concern because he hasn't been running
as much as I thought he would. And like you said,
that could change him one week and shut him up
real quick.

Speaker 1 (30:16):
Yeah, just like Gunner Henderson is shutting you up, by
the way.

Speaker 4 (30:20):
Yeah, yeah, well, what's Gunner done this week?

Speaker 1 (30:25):
He's up there two seventy A couple more home runs
this week. I think he's got five or six home
runs now, okay to Friday.

Speaker 4 (30:38):
Yes, all of our listeners can thank me for that trashing.
He was listening to.

Speaker 1 (30:42):
Sixty eight batting average, a three to eleven old race percentage,
six home runs, and three solemn bases. So after missing,
after missing the first part of the season with a
ninety five point four exit velocity, come on the clown,
come on?

Speaker 4 (30:59):
Yeah? Yeah, to double yet?

Speaker 3 (31:02):
Wow, let's see.

Speaker 1 (31:06):
I mean, I look even my wife when when the
Orioles lost her second double hitter in a week, she went,
wait a minute, didn't they just lose a bubble? I'm like, yes,
it's like really really bad.

Speaker 2 (31:21):
As Yo would say, it's all over again, right, It's.

Speaker 1 (31:25):
Like yeah, I mean my wife is you know, she's
a fan, but I mean the fact that she's she's
even recognizing the putrid, putridness of the team. That's that's
not good. Let's let's create some Let's create some pictures here,
Will Warren, he leads, uh, he leads the pictures at
least in well, think of a strikeouts. That's how I

(31:47):
sorted them by forty one in pitch two wins, four
point six fifty strikeouts and seventeen walks. What what grade
you got here?

Speaker 2 (31:55):
I got him at a C with potential over the
next four months be a B. He's somebody I'm going
to be recommending as a buy in the waiver wire
this week. The past two games have been a little
bit better, and I think he's settling down a little bit.
I think the four to sixty one year right is
going to come down. So I'm still in on Will

(32:16):
Warren in a fairly big way. And New York needs
them in that rotation. They they need the arm. So
I'm okay with wil Warren, even with the slocals start it's.

Speaker 1 (32:27):
A number four starter. I mean, that's that's the probably
can do a little bit better than that, but it's
it's not bad. Shane Smith has been fantastic forty three
to a third innings pitch. He's only got one win,
which is pretty remarkable. Two point zero eight ear eight,
thirty eight strikeouts and fifteen walks. I want you to
give the grade on his performance not so far, not
the grade of playing on the second worst team in

(32:49):
baseball and going to get five wins.

Speaker 4 (32:51):
At the end of the Yeah, I'm giving him. I'm
giving him a B.

Speaker 3 (32:56):
Yeah, I agree.

Speaker 1 (32:57):
I think you can argue. Akay, I mean, given that
he's he has one win, that's pretty good for the
White Sox.

Speaker 2 (33:04):
So if it was a Rocky, it would be one
seventh of your total team production in the department. Yeah.
The only reason I didn't give him an A is
a one win and wins there a team stat and
let's face if the White Sox have a horrible team,
their bullpen is not good. Uh yeah, maybe we should
be applauding one win and I shouldn't be downgrading him

(33:27):
to a B because of it.

Speaker 1 (33:28):
Yeah, for sure, But he's he's been very I mean
the stuff's been really good, and I mean, let's hope
the White Sox can get some uh get some hitters
at some point in the next couple of years and
not waste some of this this good young pitching they
seem to be uh bringing up. I'm really curious what
you're going to say here, because I know you have
Jackson job on eight of your six team so uh yeah,

(33:53):
thirty three and a third innings, three wins, four point
three to two ear eight, twenty seventh break out to
twenty walks.

Speaker 2 (34:03):
Yeah, I think the walks are coming down. I'm giving
him a bee and gross stock. I think there are
better days ahead and very good ones. And the fact
that he's playing on a World Series type contending team,
the Detroit Tigers, doesn't hurt his cause in the Winds department. Yeah,
you take a look at that four thirty two EARRA
and you compare it to Shane Smith. Okay, with the

(34:25):
two eighty ARRA and Joe best three wins.

Speaker 4 (34:28):
Smith is one.

Speaker 2 (34:29):
Hey, wins are a category they count. I like Jackson
Joe Bilot moving forward.

Speaker 1 (34:34):
Yeah, I'm gonna give him a c there for his performance,
but definitely going forward. I think that it's definitely a
gross stock. It to be interesting to see how long
he pitches, though. Will they start to slow him down
a little bit?

Speaker 5 (34:49):
Yeah, I.

Speaker 2 (34:51):
Think at some point in time he might miss a
starter or two. But I don't say the Tigers are
in it to win it, so I think they they
need Jackson drive on an everyday basis. So I don't
think he's going to be like middle of August, oh,
we're shutting him down for the balance of the year.

Speaker 4 (35:07):
I don't see a j ch doing that, you know.

Speaker 1 (35:10):
Yeah, I like the Tigers. I mean they It was
funny because we were all in on them in twenty
twenty three, and like so many of these teams have
they they have that one year where they they perform
really well and then also they drop back. But the Tigers,
you know, they had a tough first half of the
season last year and then they just really to tour

(35:31):
through in the second half and then through the playoffs
and they just seem to be on their way.

Speaker 4 (35:37):
Yeah, they they do.

Speaker 2 (35:38):
And you know, hey, they're getting Parker metals back and
uh Scooble is is all world.

Speaker 4 (35:45):
He's the best pitcher in the game. Did you see
the stunt he pulled with Bregman. Did you catch that clip?

Speaker 2 (35:51):
No?

Speaker 1 (35:51):
Watch games?

Speaker 4 (35:53):
No, he was.

Speaker 2 (35:55):
He was yelling at Bregman at third third to get
his attention, and I guess Bregman has been hitting him
fairly card okay, So he's standing on the bench and
he's yelling at Britain. Bregman swing at the first pitch.
It's a strike. It's going to be a strike when
he gets back out there, And sure enough, he grooved
one on his first pitch, and Bregman had a little

(36:16):
smirk on his face and s Google had us swe
It was pretty It was pretty funny, it really was.
And then Breakman turned around and go to hit him
off him on the next pitch. I think so they
were having some fun, which is it's good for the
game to see things like that.

Speaker 1 (36:29):
I'm going first on this next one. Rookie Sasaki thirty
four and a third innings pitch, one win, four point
seven to e or a twenty four strikeouts and twenty
two walks. And as our good friend Tim Weber has
been saying he's hurt, I don't think he'll make it
a half a season.

Speaker 3 (36:44):
I'm giving him an.

Speaker 4 (36:45):
F I gave him an ee.

Speaker 1 (36:50):
Okay, we're on the same page, so do they and
do they give ease?

Speaker 3 (36:55):
And in Canada, if we have F we go abc
D and.

Speaker 2 (36:59):
Then F oh, I think we go right down to
about L. Okay capital L and you engrave it on
your forehead.

Speaker 1 (37:09):
Okay, I thought he'd be a lot better, Timmy. I
mean I bought into the hype. He's got great stuff
and maybe it's just the fact that his his elbow
has been barking and he's not been able to get
control of it. And Tim Weber was right the whole
time that hey, this guy might be good, but buyer
beware of this season.

Speaker 2 (37:31):
Well, he's on the il right now with a shoulder injury,
a right shoulder impinchment. Okay, I don't think. I don't
think he's been healthy all year, to be honest with you.
And when I start looking at the future, yeah, it's

(37:51):
the I think the Dodgers are going to have to
be careful. You. Look, I was concerned hitting into the
season because of the workload in Japan or lock thereof.
I think he only broke the hundred inning mark once. Okay,
there are some red flags there and we're seeing them
come to the four right now, and I think that, Hey,

(38:13):
the stuff's great, But again, I don't know about the arm.

Speaker 1 (38:20):
Yeah, I mean it's I mean I think if if,
if we if we find out he's going under Tommy
John surgery here in the next six weeks. I don't
think anybody would be surprised he's going to miss the
rest of the season and next I do not I
would not be shocked if that happens, because the Dodgers
have a history of signing guys that have Tommy John surgery.

(38:41):
That's there, Yella is littered, littered with it, honestly.

Speaker 2 (38:45):
Yeah, well you know it is the current shoulder in Benjaumin.
Is it a result of him modifying some way his
his delivery to take pressure off his forearm?

Speaker 4 (38:56):
You know what I mean? It's right, yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2 (38:58):
We we we don't know, but I think it's a
question we can ask. And yeah, I wouldn't be shocked
if we see Tommy John.

Speaker 4 (39:08):
In his future.

Speaker 3 (39:09):
I agree. This excellent.

Speaker 1 (39:11):
This ex the last and final one. It's it's I
think it's kind of interesting because it's Chase Dolander thirty
four and EAMs pitch six eighty eight e or a
thirty two strikeouts and sixteen walks. That obviously is not
a good grade. But what's funny is he's got two
wins and the Rockies have seven, So that's two out
of the seven wins Chase Dolander has and he's only

(39:34):
pitch what six or seven games? So at some point
you do have to give whatever grade we give him.
You got to give him kudos for the two wins.

Speaker 2 (39:43):
Yeah, I gave him a navy because he's everything we've
come to expect from a Rocky starter. Okay, how can
you do any better than numbers of that of that
ilk Right now, he's going to a clock on his wall. Okay,
it's it's a countdown clock until free agency.

Speaker 4 (40:00):
Okay, and.

Speaker 3 (40:02):
What can you what can you say?

Speaker 2 (40:04):
He is exactly what we expect from a young Rocky starter,
right and E are around six, close to seven, but hey,
he's got two in the seven wins. Yeah, it's again,
you know what we mentioned the you know, the concerns
about Rocky starters. How many of sixty? I mean, well,

(40:25):
he's doing exactly what we sort of expected him to do, right.

Speaker 3 (40:30):
Yeah, it's you know, looking at the base off money.

Speaker 1 (40:32):
He throws hard I mean it's ninety seven and a
half miles an hour, but it's expected ERA is six
twenty one, so his stuff's getting hit hard. It's ninety
seven and a half miles an hour. He's got a
slug of six forty six point fifty one.

Speaker 4 (40:49):
Wow, that's good if you're a hitter, that's good.

Speaker 1 (40:53):
I mean his curveball, which I mean, I mean, I
guess we have to. Yeah, he's as I always thought,
it is more of a slider, but it's got it
rated as a curveball. Nobody's hitting it. It's got a
thirty three percent wiffy. That's a great pitch. But I
mean he's got to figure out what's why his four seamers.
So Flatt's got good back spin on it, so it

(41:14):
should not be getting hit as hard.

Speaker 3 (41:16):
As it is.

Speaker 4 (41:17):
Yeah, I think there's one more than one dance there,
of course.

Speaker 3 (41:23):
Well let's take a look at it.

Speaker 1 (41:25):
Let's take a look at the home away games here. Okay,
So for some reason, Baseball Savon only has the whip
so I don't know why, but they don't have any
Oh yeah, I'm sorry, they do have an era. You
ready for this?

Speaker 4 (41:41):
Okay?

Speaker 1 (41:43):
Era at home eight sixty six era away four ninety six.

Speaker 4 (41:49):
That clock's chicken clock sickon.

Speaker 1 (41:51):
Oddly enough to his two wins are at home.

Speaker 2 (41:54):
So those must have been the two games, the two
games when the Rockies off and showed up, and they
were fourteen to nine wins, right something.

Speaker 1 (42:04):
So he's been much better away than he had than
he has been at home, Timmy, Let's take a break,
get back and talk Pete Rose. Really really fun discussion, Timmy.

(42:26):
I really enjoyed that, as did I.

Speaker 2 (42:30):
I thought I thought we'd we'd have fun with the
with the grading system and yeah, I'm hey, god, i'd
be I'd be a teacher.

Speaker 4 (42:39):
Most students and parents would hate probably, yeah rich.

Speaker 1 (42:43):
Plus the students would probably not get your dopey dad humor.

Speaker 4 (42:47):
So yeah, I'm not going to score points there, No,
definitely not.

Speaker 1 (42:53):
We're going to switch gears here and talk about the
move that Rob man for me, and I'm just going
to read the sentence I wrote here and it opened
up the discussions this. After thirty five years, Manford removed
Pete Rose from the permanently ineligible lists, allowing him to
be considered for the Hall of Fame. I simply asked

(43:14):
how do you feel about the decision, and why don't
you give me your impressions. Maybe you don't care, maybe
you do care.

Speaker 3 (43:22):
What do you think?

Speaker 2 (43:24):
Well, I think it's very nice of Rob man for
to decide that once a person is dead, they're no
longer a threat to the game of baseball. Yeah, I
think that's very astudio Rob. It's probably one of the
better decisions he's ever made. His commissioner.

Speaker 4 (43:40):
Okay, that.

Speaker 1 (43:45):
Was very funny to him. I'm gonna give you a
rim shot.

Speaker 4 (43:51):
Does it make a whole lot of difference? No, Pete Rose,
he gambled. Okay.

Speaker 2 (43:59):
There's a lot of things Pete Rose did. Okay, and
yes he was he was an amazing hitter. Okay, he
holds all sorts of records to prove it. But at
the end of the day, he gambled. He lied about it,
then he admitted to it. He spent time poking the

(44:22):
bear every Cooperstown inauguration in a day by setting up
boosts and signing autographs outside.

Speaker 4 (44:30):
No, I.

Speaker 2 (44:33):
Think Rob Manford is basically the only thing I like
about this decision doesn't involve Pete Rose, involved shoeless Joe Jackson,
who I believe should be in the Hall of Fame,
and I think will be enshrined as such as far
as Pete Rose give him a plaque honor his accomplishments
to the game. But as far as a plaque that

(44:56):
enshrines him in the Hall of Fame, I don't think
it will ever happen.

Speaker 1 (45:00):
Yeah, I agree with you there. Let me give my thoughts.
So at first, I don't really care about players that
get into the Hall of Fame. I think it's it
can be very political. And I mean you go there
and it's just the one room that's you know that
they're honored that they're in the Hall of Fame, and
they get they get to say they're a Hall of
Fame player. But there's Pete Roses all over the Hall

(45:21):
of Fame.

Speaker 3 (45:22):
I mean, so, but it's just.

Speaker 1 (45:27):
And yeah, yeah, yeah, so. But the more I thought
about it, I mean I'm really I'm really really between
two positions. Because he did. I mean, it is a rule,
and at some point, as a society we have to
follow rules. It just seems like the rules have gone
out for everything. I mean, it seems like anything goes.

(45:48):
I mean, there is like no rules for it. You know,
it's like you can do whatever you want, which I
don't know, I mean, don't get that rules at some point.

Speaker 2 (45:57):
Well, I know when I first started doing the podcasting
with either were all sorts of rules, and they've just
gone all over the window over the years. So I.

Speaker 4 (46:08):
I mean, yeah, I mean I do think that.

Speaker 1 (46:14):
I mean I do think that. I mean, why have
rules if eventually they will they will be allowed to
uh to be broken. And then I sit there and think, well,
gambling is just such a part of society and such
a part of baseball now that maybe the rule is
antiquated and needs to be changed. And does this make

(46:37):
it okay for players to now bet on baseball? I
mean they're no longer banned. I mean, I don't know
how much. How much do they contribute to an MLB's
bottom line? A huge amounts.

Speaker 2 (46:53):
There's how much advertising money is generated from gambling sites.

Speaker 4 (46:58):
Yeah, but I I.

Speaker 2 (47:02):
Still think at that point in time, in the game
and lose a no gambling world, especially gambling on your
own sport. Okay, especially uh with the circumstances that we're
in play at that point in time.

Speaker 5 (47:20):
And and.

Speaker 4 (47:22):
Let's face it, Pete Rose agreed to it, Okay.

Speaker 5 (47:26):
And.

Speaker 1 (47:28):
Well all of all players.

Speaker 4 (47:32):
Yeah, I have a hard.

Speaker 2 (47:33):
Time looking at major League Baseball's position as far. It's
very hypocritical. Okay, we'll take them, we'll take the money.

Speaker 4 (47:43):
But.

Speaker 1 (47:46):
It's hypocritical. And we've talked about this before and it
just seems like, well, this just kind of goes along
with it. Well, okay, now we'll take the most famous
case of Pete Rose and we'll we'll just okay, now
he's that, he's no longer a threat. We'll just let
it in. And it just it all feels like it's
all going to no one gives a shit, like to

(48:07):
do whatever the hell you want, just don't get caught.

Speaker 2 (48:11):
Yeah, well I was gonna say, yeah, hey, you're not.
Nobody is doing anything wrong until they get caught, right,
isn't that the way of the world.

Speaker 4 (48:20):
Yeah, hey, I can speed.

Speaker 2 (48:22):
I'm not doing it anything wrong till the coup pulls
me over and gives me a two hundred dollars ticket.
Then I'm doing something wrong, right right?

Speaker 5 (48:28):
Right?

Speaker 4 (48:29):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (48:29):
Yeah? Do we determine what's wrong? Do the players this
major League Baseball? Major League Baseball basically wash their hands
of this and have now passed it on to the
eligible voters to make that decision.

Speaker 4 (48:41):
Right.

Speaker 2 (48:42):
So if you look at Rob Manfred, you could say
it's sort of a part of the expression chicken shits
sort of way out, you know what I mean, It's like, yeah,
it's easy way out.

Speaker 3 (48:51):
And I don't know.

Speaker 2 (48:53):
I like I said, I think we should celebrate his accomplishments,
but I think what he did should bar him from
having a plaque and being enshrined in the hall where I'm.

Speaker 1 (49:09):
At, That's kind of where my head is as well.

Speaker 4 (49:13):
I'm with you.

Speaker 1 (49:14):
I don't think he will be voted in shoeless Joe Jackson. Maybe,
I don't know. I mean, there's been so much time
between that event and what happened.

Speaker 4 (49:25):
Yeah, yeah, there's been so much time.

Speaker 2 (49:29):
But you know, all of the implicated players said Jackson
was never president at the meeting with the gamblers. His
record that year, he was the only player that hit
a home run in that World Series. He batted three
seventy five in me in that World Series. I honestly
don't believe that he was guilty of what he was

(49:55):
charged with. Now, how do you defend that except through
going over with you know, some of his teammates said
they only mentioned him in the hopes of gaining more
credibility with the gamblers, is one point that was made.
I don't think he was involved. That's just my personal opinion.
I think he's I think he's worthy of consideration based

(50:15):
on a lot of speculation that courts found that I'm
not guilty. Okay legally so yeah, again, we're going back
more than one hundred years ago. But I really personally
don't believe he was guilty as charged. Then that should change.
That's yeah, that's just my thoughts.

Speaker 1 (50:35):
The last thing I like to talk about just I'll
talk about this because this is a very icy discussion
I'm going to bring up, but not discussion, just a
statement is why now? Why is this going on now?
And so the stream of events, this has been well reported.
President of the United States Donald Trump has always believed

(50:57):
that Pete rushould be in the Hall of Fame. I
guess he's a Pete fan. I don't know why. It's
Pete Rose fan. So he used to a social media avenue,
he tweeted out, Pete Rose needs to be in the
Hall of Fame. It's but also reported that well, first
of all, we know what happens when the President of
the United States tweets something out, you have to respond

(51:19):
or you're dead. That's just the way it is. You
can look at it, and I'm not being political here.
That's you've got to respond one way or the other.
It will not go away, so you've got to say something.

Speaker 2 (51:32):
So it's a Major League Baseball's response.

Speaker 1 (51:36):
This is Major League Baseball's response because the owners, I mean,
I have this one very good authority basically went to
him and said, yeah, make this go away.

Speaker 2 (51:46):
You can't.

Speaker 3 (51:48):
There.

Speaker 1 (51:49):
There is something that's out there that allows Major League
Baseball to be a monopoly, and if that goes away,
major League Baseball is going to have serious financial problems.
And because I mean it's free agency, the whole structure
of salaries will have to be disbanded, etc.

Speaker 3 (52:07):
Etc.

Speaker 1 (52:10):
All of that stuff goes away. So if you're one
of the owners, and my understanding is Maul two owners
went to him and said, you got to make this
go away. Go talk to the president. He's a reasonable guy.
Go talk to him. Well, you know Donald Trump, you
know this is what he does, this is how he operates.
He knows about the monopolistic thing. So Manford goes in

(52:32):
with this hanging over his head. He knows what needs
to get done, and my guess is he agrees to
it because he has a pretty good sense that the
writers will never vote Pete Rose into the Hall of Fame.
So I'm guessing it was a high game of chicken. Hey,
we will allow will stop the ban on Pete Rose,

(52:54):
and we'll let the voters see what they say. And
knowing that the voters probably you will not elect him men.
So I'm guessing that's how the calculus worked out in
Rob Manford's mind. But I don't think you have much
of an option. I mean, that's like so many people
out there today, whether they're countries or businesses. I mean,
this is what we're seeing all over the place, and

(53:15):
it's happening. It just happened to baseball.

Speaker 2 (53:19):
Yeah, and.

Speaker 4 (53:22):
It's probably the lesser of a whole bunch of evils.

Speaker 3 (53:28):
You can.

Speaker 1 (53:30):
And you can sit there and say, well Manford should
man up, and Tim Cook. Tim Cook should man up
with Apple and the president of certain countries. You know,
at some point, you know, you got you gotta cut
a deal or otherwise you know, you know, Rob Manford's
going to get fired. Because if the government takes away

(53:50):
this thing. So it's all of this calculus that's going
on all around the world trying to figure out how
we deal with the United States at the moment. And
and I think this is just it just hit baseball.
And I think it was fascinating because we know so
much about it, we know the history of Pete Rose,
and within an instance it was resolved. I mean, it

(54:12):
just you know, immediately it just goes away. Now, the
people who are supporters of Donald Trump said, well, this
is exactly why we hired them. Okay, that's great. The
detractors of Donald Trump go, this is what we We
can't have this. You know, everybody's cow telling to him.
But it just depends on your perspective. And I'm not
here to give you my perspective. I'm just here to

(54:32):
tell you this is what happened, and it's pretty fascinating.

Speaker 4 (54:38):
That it is.

Speaker 1 (54:40):
Send me to take a final break. I've got to
get out and talk to the UH to the contractors outside.
So I'm going to get your picks and then we'll
get out of here. Okay, the foremant foremant Denis wants

(55:04):
to talk to me. So it's never a good sign
and so it's never a good sign.

Speaker 4 (55:08):
So tell me which hit are you bring?

Speaker 3 (55:10):
Bring?

Speaker 2 (55:10):
Bring you bring your checkbook for your meeting? It works, right,
What hitter are you targeting.

Speaker 1 (55:18):
For this weekend? And what picture are you targeting?

Speaker 2 (55:21):
Okay, hitter Dalton rushing thirty percent rosters at CBS as
a number two catcher.

Speaker 4 (55:27):
Okay. I think he's going to be somebody you're gonna
want on your team for the balance of the year.

Speaker 1 (55:36):
And your picture.

Speaker 4 (55:38):
I'm rushing out to get him, by the way, that's
my lastly.

Speaker 3 (55:45):
Pity.

Speaker 1 (55:46):
That was actually pretty good.

Speaker 3 (55:47):
I'll give you that.

Speaker 1 (55:48):
That's me right.

Speaker 4 (55:48):
Who's your picture picture? Okay?

Speaker 2 (55:52):
You would never guess this one in a million years.
I I don't even know if I believe this one.
But in Texas, Sewn Armstrong is now up to two saves,
and those two saves are the last two saves that
have occurred I believe in the Texas Rangers organization. He's
rostered to the tune of one percent at CBS, which

(56:15):
means he's probably not listed as a player at ESPN,
but he's got the last two saves coming out of Texas,
and right now it looks like Luke Luke Jackson is
a thing of the past, and it's a at the worst,
a committee situation, I would say, And sure, Sewan Armstrong
for those looking for saves, is probably can generate some

(56:37):
interest this weekend.

Speaker 1 (56:38):
I'm sure he will. We'll see if he really has
the job. This is so so frustrated. I don't want
to talk about it because it just yeah.

Speaker 4 (56:50):
I was start of being quiet in mind my own business,
expecting a rant. But I gotta I gotta take it
the high road.

Speaker 1 (56:56):
I got take it, take my check book outside and
then figure out what's going Tell me you be well,
my friend, we'll talk. We'll talk to you on Sunday.

Speaker 4 (57:04):
Do you say very well, We'll look at you on Sunday.