October 24, 2025 • 55 mins
A juggernaut from Hollywood meets a nation’s heartbeat under a closed roof. We break down Dodgers vs Blue Jays from every angle: the tactical edges, the noise under the dome, and the human details that tilt a World Series. Our panel calls the series with conviction—some see LA’s depth ending it in five, others ride Toronto’s underdog momentum to a seventh-game win—and we explain exactly what would have to happen on the mound and in the sixth through eighth innings for either script to play out.
We get candid about managers. Dave Roberts earns credit for more than payroll—buy-in, role clarity, and handling stars through a six-man rotation. Terry Francona remains the gold standard of culture and adaptability, while Kevin Cash proves how far elite process can carry a smaller payroll. That leadership debate threads through game management: fast hooks, pinch-hit timing, and managing leverage with traffic on the bases.
Time zones and TV ratings matter, but the math shifts when an entire country rallies behind one team. We talk start times, customs, and travel fatigue, then weigh how Toronto’s dome and crowd can create a pressure chamber if the Jays score early. LA can still quiet any park with one crooked inning, yet there’s a different urgency when a city expects to be here versus a nation that hasn’t celebrated a title since the early 90s.
We also look ahead. The Dodgers’ machine seems built for annual runs, but Toronto’s path—smart additions, a healthy core, and a tighter American League—may keep them in the chase next year. Finally, we pick where we’d sit for this series: LA’s star-studded seats or Toronto’s chest-thumping roar inside the dome.
If you’re into smart baseball talk with strong opinions and real stakes, hit play now. Then subscribe, share with a friend, and drop your pick in the comments—Dodgers in five or Jays in seven?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_02 (04:32):
Welcome everybody to another episode of the Ride Home
Rants podcast.
This is as always your host,Mike Bonham.
I got a great and another annualepisode for us today.
We are going to be talking aboutthe World Series that is going
to be airing uh today, uh, forwhen the show airs, but when
we're recording it, it's acouple days away.
(04:53):
So I got a panel of guests hereto talk about everything that's
going to be happening and makingour predictions and everything
like that for the World Series.
I'm going to let them introducethemselves and gentlemen, I need
the answers to these twoquestions along with your name
today.
First question uh when you're ina restroom in public, like work,
a restaurant, a stadium, etc.,do you prefer to have paper
(05:16):
towels to dry your hands afteruh washing them or an air hand
dryer?
And if you could be a familypet, which would you be a rabbit
or a goldfish?
SPEAKER_01 (05:27):
And TJ, we're gonna start with you.
How are we doing?
SPEAKER_00 (05:30):
Uh TJ Lett, I'm glad to be back.
Um, if I'm in a restaurant in apublic place, I'm preferring
paper towels because I can goquicker.
I'm trying to get in and get outof it.
So I hit that as hit that acouple of times, wipe the hands,
toss it, and go.
So uh give me the paper towelsover the hand dryer where I have
to sit there and actually kindof run my hands across it.
Um, but yeah, if I wanted to beuh pet, this is actually funny.
(05:54):
In second grade, my neighbor hada goldfish, and uh they teach me
how to feed it and stuff, I endup killing the goldfish.
So let's be playing with it andwhatnot.
And so I guess I'll be a rabbit.
SPEAKER_02 (06:09):
Absolutely, after that, definitely be a rabbit on
that one.
And but uh Tony, let's go to younext.
SPEAKER_04 (06:16):
Hi everyone, my name's Tony Bogan, and if I was
in a public restroom, I like touse the paper towels, but I
would not object to using theair dryers either.
And as far as uh a pet, I wouldpick a rabbit.
I pick a rabbit.
You know, I get to eat grass andjust be in the fields all day
(06:40):
and hopefully not get run overby some car.
SPEAKER_02 (06:44):
Okay.
And last but not least on thepanel, we have everybody's
favorite manager of the podcast,Fitty.
SPEAKER_03 (06:52):
Hi, everybody.
You know me, I'm Fitty.
Um, if I'm in a public restroom,I I prefer paper towels, even
though you have to use like amillion of them to dry your
hands because one just doesn'tdo it, and they're also like
three inches big.
And I'm like, well, how do youdry your hands with a three-inch
like paper towel?
So I'm using a hundred of them.
Um, I also like them because youcan grab the door handle as well
(07:15):
after, because that door handleis so gross from people just
grabbing it when they don't washor dry their hands.
So I like it for that reason.
And if I had pick a family petuh between a rabbit and a
goldfish, I'm probably gonnapick a rabbit because I'm in a
cage, I'm secure, I don't haveto worry about a car hitting me
or like an animal that huntsrabbits.
(07:36):
So I would like that.
I feel like a goldfish is in atiny bowl and it just swims to
nowhere.
Um, so you just are swimming tonowhere in your life.
Um, so I just feel like therabbit would just have a better
quality of life.
SPEAKER_02 (07:50):
I got deep on that one for that answer to that one
there, Freddy.
Uh, with the goldfish swimmingto nowhere.
Uh, but the Easterone.
Uh for me, I am um I'm a papertowel guy.
Um the the blowers, I just don'tfeel like they dry your hands.
Let's let's just call it what itis.
I mean, I feel like I'm alwayswiping them on my pants or
(08:11):
anything like that afterwardsbecause I feel like they're
still wet.
Um and family pet.
I don't have to go rabbit onthis one.
Um just get the jump around.
I mean, who doesn't who doesn'tlike to do that?
And you know, I mean unpopularopinion being a former
competitive swimmer, not being auh a goldfish.
(08:34):
Uh but um yeah, you know, I justI I don't know.
I just I like rabbits.
Um I've been known to be a veryhairy person as it is with the
the big beard and everythinglike that.
So we're that's that's the onlything making this decision for
me right now, is is that thatright there.
Uh but we're not here to talkabout that.
We're here to talk about theWorld Series and uh everything
(08:57):
going on with that, with theDodgers uh taking on the Blue
Jays this year.
And TJ, uh, what is yourprediction with how this series
will go with the Dodgers and theBlue Jays?
Uh, who is your winner and howmany games?
SPEAKER_00 (09:11):
Yeah, um, I'm gonna, you know, ride the bandwagon
here.
I think it's gonna be Dodgersand five.
Um it's just Toronto is expendedso much energy just to get to
this point where the Dodgershave had not even had a road
bump.
You know, I I just I reallybelieve that with the superpower
(09:33):
that they are in the rest thatthey've had, the proper rest,
they got all their guys, theirpitchers are healthy.
I don't think this is gonna be avery competitive series.
Um, so I'll say Dodgers andfive.
Okay.
Biddy, what about you?
SPEAKER_03 (09:47):
I'm actually gonna agree with TJ on that.
I'm gonna say the Dodgers andfive.
I do think the Blue Jays willsneak one at home.
Um, but I just think with theDodgers rest, their depth, um,
you know, it they're justplaying really good.
And I'm not a Dodgers fan.
And anyone's listening to thisannual show.
I usually pick pick against theDodgers, but I'm just gonna say
(10:08):
the Dodgers just are too good.
And you know, Blue Jays are anice Cinderella story, but the
the AL was also like weak.
Like your traditional powersgot, you know, weakened.
I would say this year, therewasn't no super front runner,
you know, the central was superweak as well.
So I don't know if the Dodgerswere really like ever challenged
(10:31):
by someone like the or sorry,the Blue Jays were ever
challenged by someone like theDodgers firepower.
So I'm gonna go with the Dodgersin five.
SPEAKER_04 (10:38):
Okay.
Tony, round us out.
I will say this.
Uh, the last time the Dodgersfaced like off, uh a favorite
faced off against a Canadianadjacent team, they lost in
seven to when the Astros lost tothe Nationals, formerly known as
the Expos.
And I am gonna go the other waywith the Blue Bas to win the
(11:03):
series in seven.
And here's why although theDodgers are a great team, I will
definitely put respect on them.
Showheil Tani's a great two-wayplayer.
The Dodgers have had plenty ofrest, and they really haven't
gotten challenged at all.
Toronto, you're playing inToronto.
Seattle took the first two gamesin Toronto, and guess what?
(11:26):
They didn't win the series.
I see Toronto taking at leastone at home, possibly taking one
in LA as well, if not two, andfinishing it off at their in
their home stadium like they didin 1993.
But do we see a Joe Carter?
SPEAKER_02 (11:46):
Okay.
Um I've been going back andforth on this one.
Um Dodgers have the rest, theyhave the depth, they have the
you know the money andeverything like that that we've
been talking about with uh theMLB and everything like that.
I just think I think Torontowith what they've had to go
(12:09):
through, yes, they've had atougher road, they've battled
more, but I think they're builtto play those types of games.
And they're built to to go afterit like they did with the
Seattle series, uh, to get here.
I got uh the Blue Jays takingthis one.
I think it goes seven games, umjust like just like it did with
(12:33):
the Seattle, and they just weardown uh the Dodgers to to take
this series.
That's my pick.
I just just from what I've seenout of Toronto, it's it's hard
to bet against them.
And it's it's hard for me toroot for anybody coming from a
Canadian uh team.
Um but that that's my pick here.
(12:56):
Uh Tony, the stay with you here.
Uh, where does the Dodgersmanager David Robinson or
Roberts uh rank in the MOB inthe rankings of top managers, in
your opinion?
SPEAKER_04 (13:09):
I would have to say he's probably top two and he's
not number two.
I'd say he's pretty solidbecause you've got a pitching
core that is great.
Their pitching core isincredible.
Not gonna talk down on that.
They've got really good hitters.
Having Shoheo timing backpitching after missing, well,
(13:32):
not being able to pitch lastyear.
We saw what he did last yearanyways, is a big help.
And if the Dodgers win, thenit's a great, you know, a great
send-off for a Dodger legend inClayton Kershaw.
220 some odd major leaguevictories, including a win in
his final start at Seattle.
(13:54):
So there are some connectionsthere.
And another factoid that I foundout Jose Arena will be a World
Series champion either way.
Because he played for the BlueJays, had a short stint with
them, he had a short stint withthe Dodgers, so either way he
gets a ring.
SPEAKER_02 (14:13):
That's yeah.
That's very true.
Uh Penny, what about you on thisquestion now?
SPEAKER_03 (14:19):
Yeah, um I I was not a Dave Roberts fan, um, even
though they, you know, untilthey really they won last year.
So if it was if Terry, if TerryFrancona didn't come back into
the MLB this year, I would sayit's probably clear-cut.
Dave Roberts is probably numberone, but I still give the edge
to Francona because he took twoteams to the World Series, um,
(14:43):
you know, with Boston and theand the Guardians.
So I still give him the nodbecause he also has now taken um
the Reds back to the playoffsthis year, as we as we all knew
in the NL.
So I'd still say Francona'sprobably one.
Roberts is probably two.
Bruce Bochi getting fired, youknow, has also elevated uh Dave
(15:04):
Roberts in that sense.
But you know, you could make theargument too could Dave Roberts
do what um the guy from therace, Kevin Cash, has done with
that team if he didn't have thattype of money.
So I always like to throw cashin there as a top manager
because he does the most withleast.
So I'd be curious to see like ifRoberts could do what he did
(15:26):
with such a low payroll, becauseI'm pretty sure though, most
managers in the MLB could havethe Dodgers playing at the level
they're at uh with the talentaround them.
You gotta always remember, too,when you're a coach or a
manager, it's not always so muchthe X's and O's, as people have
always said, right?
It's always your Jimmies andJoes.
And if you're just more talentedthan people, sometimes the best
thing to do is just not screw itup.
(15:48):
So I feel like Dave Robertshasn't also screwed it up.
So um, but I would say he'sprobably top three.
I still give Frank Kona that,and arguably you can make the
him and cash comparison basedoff the different standards they
had.
So that's kind of where I'm at.
SPEAKER_02 (16:03):
Yeah, I'm I'm with you on that one.
I got Frank Kona up there justbecause he's taken two different
teams uh to the playoffs anddeep runs and into the World
Series with uh Boston and uhCleveland.
Um, I gotta say the onlydifference was mine is I got
Roberts above cash.
Um just for the for the fact, Imean, yeah, they've both done
(16:25):
more with less, but I I I givethe nod to Roberts now, given
with the Dodgers uh roster andtheir payroll, hell I could go
in there and manage that teamand take them to a World Series.
I mean, just like you said,don't screw it up.
And I think he doesn't screw itup very well.
Uh so TJ, what about you?
SPEAKER_00 (16:45):
I don't know what what do you want in a manager,
right?
A guy that can lead your squadto the championships year in and
year out.
If payroll was the only thing,it'd be the Yankees would be
there year in and year out, theMets would be in the playoffs
right now, and the Padres wouldbe in the playoffs right now,
(17:07):
and they aren't.
So eventually we have to givethe nod to the person that is
keeping his guys playing the waythat they should, not the way
that on paper they're supposedto.
Um he's done it year in and yearout.
We keep talking about theDodgers and the excuses that we
have about payroll, and it'svery valid.
But eventually you have amanager that takes high-paying
(17:29):
players and all the ego thatcomes with it and tells them
this is the culture that wedemand and we are going to play
this way, and I'm gonna use youthis way.
Hey, can you imagine telling anace we are part of a six-man
rotation?
And he's done that to fourdifferent aces.
And they're all sitting therelike, okay, as long as we're
gonna go win a World Series thisway.
So his managerial style is thefact that kind of like you said
(17:52):
about don't screw it up, buthe's gotten all of his guys to
buy in.
And the guys who haven't boughtin or the guys that pro are you
know prolifically hurt are gone.
They say, okay, then don't thendon't play here.
You know, go somewhere else andbe hurt, or go somewhere else
and complain.
He takes the right, he takes theright great players and makes it
into a great championship teamyear in and year out.
(18:12):
So to me, right now, he's numberone, and I, you know, and he's
got the the paper trail to proveit.
SPEAKER_02 (18:17):
Yeah, I mean, it it's a it's a solid top three
with managers in the MOB rightnow.
Um, I can't argue any one way.
Um, he's definitely up there.
He he does all the right things.
Um, but TJ, uh, does this WorldSeries match up between a team
from another country in the BlueJays and a team on the West
Coast, the Dodgers, hurt the MOBwith interest in TV ratings and
(18:43):
such.
Uh, do you think it does ordoesn't?
I mean, with the dynamic andjust with people like us here on
the East Coast?
SPEAKER_00 (18:51):
Um, a little, but not much, because it makes up
for it with the fact that all ofCanada is going to be watching.
So now you add in that aspect ofit to where you have a whole
country invested into one teamand that'll take over the people
in the United States who, youknow, ah, I don't have the
interest in the Dodgers, uh, Ihaven't heard of the, I haven't
heard of any of these players onthe Blue Jays, you know.
(19:12):
So I think it'll um it willbalance itself out that way.
Um and everybody loves a goodunderdog story.
So if by chance the Blue Jaysmake this series competitive,
you're gonna have a lot ofpeople rooting against the
Dodgers.
And you're gonna have a lot ofpeople tuning in and say, I I
just want to see, I just I wantto see Dodger fans cry.
Like, you know, those thosethose those fans might tune in.
(19:35):
So but I just think the factthat it's a whole country is
gonna balance it out.
SPEAKER_02 (19:38):
Yeah, I'm one of those fans.
That that's part of that's partof the reasons why I'm I'm
rooting and I picked the BlueJays, is just because I just
want to see Dodgers fans cry,just for what they've done.
That's that's where I'm at inlife right now.
Like, but yeah, so then Vinny,what about you?
SPEAKER_03 (19:56):
Um, I know we like we talked about this a couple
years ago when like the Rangersplayed the Diamondbacks with the
different time zones and andbeing down there.
And I know we talked about alittle bit last year's show with
the Yankees going across thecountry to play the Dodgers.
I I don't know if necessarily TVratings will be hurt, but what I
(20:18):
do know is that like when you'rebacktracking across the country
from the east coast to the westcoast, but you're playing these
games in LA at a at an um 8 a.m.
or 8 p.m.
pitch, but it's 5 p.m.
there.
I don't know if the ratings aregonna get skewed over there or
not, or the deliverance of thegame because you're gonna have
people still at work.
(20:40):
And I don't know how fair it isfor the people in that west
coast time zone.
Um, you know, and then thepeople on the east coast, you
know, you may watch it, you maynot, but to TJ's point, you
might have the whole country ofCanada watching it, like how the
Raptors were when they won theirchampionship in basketball.
But I just don't know from atime standpoint of the games,
(21:02):
like, is it gonna help or hurtthe ratings, especially with
people in the not 8 p.m.
or 7 p.m.
time zone, like at 5 p.m.?
Because think about it like thisif they were putting a game on
at 5 p.m., like here in the eastcoast, what is everybody what
are most people doing?
Coaching sports, covering games,getting home from work, you're
(21:23):
not on the TV, you're mostlikely streaming it or listening
to it.
Right, right.
So I think that might balanceinto the into the problems on
the West Coast time frame.
Um, but I think the ratings willprobably be similar to maybe
last year's.
I don't think they'll be as lowas the Diamondbacks and Rangers
were a couple years ago.
(21:44):
True.
All right, Tony, what about you?
SPEAKER_04 (21:46):
I would say that eight is that perfect sweet spot
because you start it any lateroutside of Canada.
You're gonna lose that be goingto bed at 10, 11 o'clock,
twelve.
Starting at any later than eighto'clock is a no-go.
And it shouldn't run in anyweather because Toronto has a
(22:07):
dome.
So that helps.
But I think there will be a lotmore people watching, especially
when Toronto's carrying a wholecountry on their backs.
Just like 2019.
Do you think anybody thought theRaptors were gonna beat the
Warriors?
Hell no.
Right, right, right.
Raptors went out and did it inOakland, you know.
(22:28):
In six games.
So I think that it's gonna beit's gonna be a higher rated
World Series, especially ifToronto can make a run.
And even Koean fans will havesome interest in it, because
there are four former guardians.
There's oh yeah.
And I'm blanking on it.
(22:50):
Naylor.
No, Andres Jimenez.
Jimenez, Andres Jimenez.
SPEAKER_00 (22:54):
Yeah, Naylor's on Seattle.
SPEAKER_04 (22:55):
Four former Guardians.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Sorry, yeah, yeah.
My bad.
So, in a way, it'd be kind of awin for Cleveland.
It would be, yeah, yeah.
And Bieber got traded at thedeadline to Toronto.
He started game seven.
SPEAKER_02 (23:14):
TJ, you you're talking to a pirate span here.
You want to talk about playersleaving the team and getting
better?
Let's talk about that.
Like, I there's just everybodyon the Yankees, the Dodgers, and
the um Red Sox.
Game for Pittsburgh.
Let's just just talk about that.
SPEAKER_00 (23:34):
Just grew up in Pittsburgh and then hit puberty
and went somewhere else, huh?
SPEAKER_02 (23:38):
Yeah.
Yeah.
So me for this with the ratingson this game, though, I I I
bounce back and forth on it.
I don't think it'll hurt it,kind of like when it was uh
Texas and the Diamondbacksplaying.
Um mainly because you know, I'mI'm such an old man and routine
(24:01):
oriented.
Like you start the games later.
I mean, 9:30, I'm I'm laying inbed.
I'm not gonna lie to you guyshere.
I'm an old man at this point.
If I don't have any shows oranything like that, I you know,
like I'm I'm getting ready forbed, mainly because I'm up at 5
a.m.
every morning.
So, you know, that that that'swhere I'm at with that.
Uh, and I know there's a lot ofpeople like that, but I also
(24:22):
know too, you know, the WestCoast time frame, you know, you
like he said, you're starting at5 p.m.
Like people are still at work,they're gonna be riding home,
they're probably be listening toit or streaming it somehow,
somewhere.
But I I just don't I think theTV ratings um will take a
millisecond minor fucking hit onthis one because I just don't
(24:47):
think that you know it's justit's it's it the games I know
they've shortened it with thetime clock and that, but you
know, baseball games can goforever.
Sure.
Uh look at the one game thatwent what like 15 innings with
extra innings.
SPEAKER_00 (25:01):
I mean, so you get into situations like in the
middle of the night.
I was like, I'm right.
SPEAKER_02 (25:07):
You know what I mean?
Like, I mean, like the you youstill have those instances where
that can't happen, right?
SPEAKER_03 (25:14):
So and you gotta think though, too, because it's
the world series, there's gonnabe more commercial breaks and
they're gonna be longercommercial breaks.
Yeah, but it'sn't yourtraditional non-pitch clock game
that's three hours plus that,but you still gotta consider
that there's probably in realtime, I'm gonna say probably
(25:34):
another 20 to 30 minutes ofadvertisements will be in there
as well, instead of there beinga two-minute commercial break
and maybe like a 220 commercialbreak, right?
And you don't think 20 secondsadds up, they do that every
commercial break, though.
And you are probably you know,to 11 or 11:30.
I think the other thing though,I want to throw out there, Mike,
(25:56):
and and to TJ and Tony, the onething we also didn't talk about
um with like the advantage andthe rest and all that is that
the the Blue Jays have to againthough fly to the West Coast for
the second series in a row.
Yeah, so you are switching youare switching three time zones
(26:17):
for a consecutive series thatyou just went seven games for,
going back and forth, right?
Like you're going, you're flyingback and forth, so really you're
switching time zones like sixdifferent times.
Um, now you have to do it again.
And then the other thing is too,I don't know if people realize
this, but every time one ofthose teams flies to Canada or
(26:38):
the United States, they have togo through border security.
SPEAKER_02 (26:41):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (26:42):
So that also does add on to your travel time.
And it also adds into yourlogistics because, of course,
like anybody going to adifferent country, whether
you're on vacation or that, likeyou have to have your passports,
you have to have yourdocumentation, you have to have
your work per permits if you'renot a US citizen.
Like you have to go through allof that.
And and also you're just you'resaying that to the the blue jays
(27:05):
again, like, hey, you have to dothis, but then to the Dodgers,
you have to do this.
But again, the time zone thing,I think, is probably more
worrisome for them, like flyingback again and losing three
hours every time they have to goto the West Coast, right?
Right, and you've been doing itfor two weeks, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (27:24):
Yeah, yeah.
Um time zone is just that that'sthat sucks for all the West
Coast teams.
I mean, having to lose thosethree hours going to the to the
West Coast, and you know, thenyou add in customs into
everything like that too, aswell.
SPEAKER_00 (27:40):
So I think it brings me normal airports, right?
Let alone, let alone travel inthe country, right?
SPEAKER_02 (27:46):
Yeah, that's yeah.
I mean, flying normally sucksanymore.
Um, and you add all that intothere.
Uh, but uh Tony, that's gonnayou this kind of brings us right
into the next uh topic here, butit's the home field advantage in
this game.
Like who has it?
Does it matter?
And you know, is it is it reallya thing right now?
SPEAKER_04 (28:05):
Uh in a way, yes, and no.
Like as we saw in the SeattleToronto series, it was just so
evenly matched.
Like when Seattle, when YaniosSuarez hit that huge homer in
game five, that electrified thehell out of the crowd.
But then you had Toronto whenthat series went back to
Toronto.
Obviously, when you're going tothe six, Canadian crowds are
(28:29):
very passionate.
As we saw when the Raptorshosted the NBA finals.
I wonder if there'll be anyappearances from Drake at any
point in the series.
SPEAKER_00 (28:41):
He knows there's cameras, right?
SPEAKER_02 (28:43):
Absolutely.
What about you?
SPEAKER_03 (28:45):
You kind of touched on it there a little bit, but
yeah, I I think that theadvantage would be for Toronto
to play at home because again,you're not switching the time
zones.
Now you're asking the Dodgerswho really haven't had to have
do the travel of the Blue Jays.
Again, the the kind of the BlueJays are accustomed to going
through customs, and thenthey're, you know, they're used
(29:06):
to switching the time zone, theyjust did it.
But to ask the Dodgers to dothat, um, you know, might be a
little bit harder.
And then the fact that the thethe Blue Jays play in a dome, I
think is an advantage becausethere's no weather, there's no
wind, there's no potential rainor humidity or whatever there
may be out in LA going on, Ithink that's advantage Toronto,
(29:26):
and then also for the fact thatyou're playing for all of Canada
as well, because like right,they don't have football, and
people in LA also are right inthe middle of football season
and basketball season hasstarted, and hockey has started.
So you have like the Kings andthe you know, and hockey and the
(29:46):
Lakers and the Clippers, and youhave the Rams and the the
Chargers and then everybody elsewho they chair for there, where
like Canada really only has youknow the the Maple Leafs and the
Raptors and and the Blue Jays,but they're very passionate
about that because reallythey're not known to be a
country that produceshigh-quality baseball or
(30:08):
basketball outside of that oneyear, so they're really a hockey
fan base, but I think they'll begalvanized by this um and and
really like bring the noise kindof like Tony said.
So I think home field is moreimportant to the Blue Jays.
I do think that crowd will bemore um raucous than what's
going on in LA.
SPEAKER_02 (30:30):
Gotcha.
TJ, what about you?
SPEAKER_00 (30:32):
Yeah, I really do think that the home field
advantage will be a factor here.
But I'll give it to LA.
I think that they can quiet acrowd really quick.
But if they don't, if thatToronto crowd gets behind their
team and those guys score early,which they've scored early in
(30:53):
pretty much every game thatthey've played so far, that
crowd's gonna make it, but it'sgonna make LA realize like,
okay, we have to win, you know,and they're gonna get you know
real tight and they're good atplaying late, but I mean, that
Toronto crowd is gonna besomething different.
Even it was already loud in theALCS.
Now they got a World Series gameand they know how important it
(31:13):
is and they know they have toslay the dragon.
That's gonna be crazy.
Um, I just don't see, and maybeI'm sorry to all LA baseball
fans, I don't think they reallyappreciate a World Series as
much as they did maybe theprevious handful of years.
It's just, you know, you just gotoo many times that you're like,
(31:35):
you expect to be there and youexpect to win instead of Toronto
sitting there thinking, like,this is the glory of all things
sports.
So I think that you do get allof those sports, the people that
are, you know, basketball fans,like, no, like, hey, it's time
for us to get up behind the BlueJays for at least two weeks, and
then we'll go to basketballseason, or then we'll go to
hockey season.
And so it's gonna be, I thinkthat home field advantage is
really gonna help them if theypull this out.
SPEAKER_04 (31:56):
Imagine if uh they lost that last day and New York
had that home field advantage.
And that's even then, it'spretty technically tied.
SPEAKER_00 (32:04):
Yeah, yeah, that's a good point.
SPEAKER_02 (32:06):
Yeah, I I think the Canadian fans and Toronto fans
are built different in thatthey'll find a way to root for
uh hockey the Raptors and theBlue Jays all in the same day.
(32:27):
Like I feel like they'll do theyhave that type of energy and
that stigma to them, and theyjust they love their teams uh
more than anything.
I I they they get behind them,and it's gonna be a rocking
crowd there in Toronto, andthat's definitely gonna play a
factor um against the Dodgers.
(32:50):
Like you said, the Dodgers quieta crowd, but I don't think
they're gonna be able to quietthis Toronto crowd like they
have been uh coming through thisplayoff run that they had.
It's it's they're just Torontofans are just built different to
that.
I would give them the edge uh inthe home field advantage.
(33:11):
But guys, we talked about thislast year uh with three people
that were all three of you wereon last year, uh, both you, TJ,
Tony.
Uh we had Bill Stoy on last yearand Fitty.
Uh, we talked about uh theYankees or the Dodgers being
built to return uh in the 2025year to the World Series.
(33:33):
We see that the Dodgers didthat.
So out of these two teams for2026, uh Dodgers or the Blue
Jays, who is built to return TJto start with you?
SPEAKER_01 (33:43):
Oh boy.
SPEAKER_00 (33:45):
Um I'm gonna cheat.
I'm saying both of them becauseum I know I I the Dodgers are so
just when you think they can'tadd anybody else, they add
somebody else.
So you know Skeens is goingthere or New York.
Don't you put those evils outinto the world.
SPEAKER_02 (34:05):
You don't say that thing, you don't say that on my
show.
Skeens is gonna die inPittsburgh.
That's what, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (34:12):
That was his losing record.
Yeah, don't care.
Don't care.
It's it's it's amazing.
You just don't even know whatplayers are still available
until the Dodgers go through theoffseason.
Like, I didn't even know thatguy was just it's it's amazing.
So I they're gonna be so they'regonna be.
Right around NLCS for the nexthowever long the deferred money
(34:36):
goes.
Um, but here's the thing: Toronto picked up pieces this (34:36):
undefined
year.
It was one of the first timesToronto really went out and
said, let's go get players.
Now they didn't spend the moneylike other teams might have
spent, like big, big time money,but they went out and got
pieces.
They got Santander, they gotShane Bieber, they went out and
made moves.
And I think now they're gonnaget a taste of this World
Series, and they're not a teamto necessarily go out and start
(34:58):
selling.
And you forget Boba Sheet washurt for the last bit of the
year, and they were still doingwell.
So I think that they're gonna beas as much of a gauntlet as the
AL East is.
Um, you know, one of them isgood for the wild card, so
they'll always have a chance tokind of bake their way through.
So I'm I'm gonna say both.
SPEAKER_02 (35:18):
Okay.
Uh Pitty, what about you?
SPEAKER_03 (35:23):
You know, this is hard.
Um, because the Dodgers can justkeep spending right as well and
keep adding.
But I'm gonna say it's probablythe Blue Jays.
And the reason is if anythingwas taught to us this this year,
was that like the AL is not asstrong as the NL.
Um, and it's more wide open,right?
(35:45):
Because if you look at like theNL, you got the big money
Padres, the big money Mets, youwould expect the Giants with
Buster Posey and uh Vitellogetting hired today to be a lot
better.
You know, you you expect moreout of that.
You know, Francona's then backwith, you know, he's back now
with the Reds coming off theplayoff appearance.
(36:05):
The Brewers are always reallygood.
So you expect probably more outof the NL.
I would say it's probably theBlue Jays because like the
Yankees were disappointing, thethe Red Sox were disappointing,
the Central is just, and I'm aGuardians fan, but it's just so
bad.
Like it's so bad that you'regonna have three teams with
three to four teams with alosing record every year, and
(36:27):
somebody who wins 85 games andthen gets smoked in the
playoffs.
Like it's not a real feasible,you know, league like the NL is
that they're just gonna havethese top heavy dominant teams.
I just think it's more wideopen.
Um, maybe the Orioles will bebetter, maybe, of course, the
the Rays will always compete.
(36:47):
But I don't know if the Dodgershave the sorry, I don't know if
like the Tigers and theGuardians have the firepower to
really knock out um the BlueJays next year.
So I'm gonna just say it's theBlue Jays just because of the AL
just being way a weaker weakerleague in baseball than the NL.
SPEAKER_02 (37:05):
Gotcha.
Tony, what about you?
SPEAKER_04 (37:07):
I would have to go with the Dodgers, and I think
it's because the AL is so weakand Cleveland's huge historic
comeback, notwithstanding the ALis kind of weak, you know.
And taking that comeback, Tigersprobably win divisions like 88
games, and they probably don'tdo any better, you know, in the
(37:30):
playoffs.
Um but I will say the Dodgers,because they just have that
cohesive input.
You still got you still gotMookie Betts, you still got
Shohei in his prime, you've gotYamamoto, the pitcher.
I mean, yes, you're losingClayton Kershaw, a legend, but
at the end of it, he got hurt alot at the end of his career.
(37:53):
Like, like I say, he's still alegend.
He the reality is he did getinjured a lot.
I think the Dodgers, as much asthey are, they could pick up
more, a couple more pieces hereand there.
Like I could see them and notI'm not saying major pieces.
It doesn't matter.
(38:13):
How big the puzzle gotta be.
I'm thinking maybe they go afteruh Justin Verlander, give him a
proper swan song.
I mean, since he pitched for theGiants, screw it.
Maybe he goes on the Dodgers,they somehow win a ring.
Verlander decides, you knowwhat?
I may be sure three hernt wins,but I got another World Series
(38:35):
title riding off in the sunset.
SPEAKER_02 (38:38):
Yeah, it's just with with the Dodgers' money.
I'm I'm prone to say that theyare built to repeat year after
year after year.
But what the Blue Jays did thisyear in showing people that you
can add pieces, it doesn't haveto be big pieces.
(39:00):
You had the right pieces to yourpuzzle, and you can make it to a
World Series.
I like the way they did it.
Uh, they didn't spend a ton ofmoney, they found the right guys
that built into that culture towant to play and want to compete
for a championship.
But I think I gotta go Torontoon this one uh for that reason
(39:25):
alone.
Uh, because the Dodgers, likeeveryone I'm saying, hell, a
monkey could go in there andmanage that team and they can
make it to the World Series.
Yeah.
With all the talent andeverything they have.
And so but I like what I thinkmore teams are gonna take the
(39:45):
blueprint that Toronto did andtry to implement that to make a
deep run in these playoffs here.
Um so here next, here Tony, whenthe playoffs first started, who
was your World Seriesprediction?
SPEAKER_04 (40:05):
Uh I would say Seattle.
Yes, Cleveland had an incrediblehistoric run, but you know,
sometimes the hotter the streak,the faster the flame comes.
SPEAKER_02 (40:16):
Yeah.
unknown (40:17):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (40:17):
Fiddy, what about you?
SPEAKER_03 (40:20):
I I was thinking it was it was, I mean, the Dodgers
had a pretty good chance.
I I was really thinking it washonestly gonna probably be a
rematch of the Dodgers andYankees.
I just thought the Yankees couldouthit everyone and score more
than everyone, even if thepitching was, you know, somewhat
even subpar.
Um, so I thought it was gonna belike the Yankees and Dodgers.
(40:42):
I I did.
That was my prediction.
SPEAKER_02 (40:44):
Gotcha.
TJ, what about you?
SPEAKER_00 (40:45):
Yeah, I the Dodgers for sure.
I've I've never really waveredoff of them.
Um, but the American League wasso goofy because I was I would
have said the Tigers, but theyhad such a catastrophic fall in
September that I was like,they're they're done.
There's they're not, and I can'tbelieve they even made it
through Cleveland.
But um, that's when I said,okay, well, who's the next best
(41:07):
team to sustain the playoff run?
And it was the Mariners becausethe Yankees, as much as they
have firepower, they're such ahit or miss team and they don't
play fundamentally sound.
If the right team caught them,they weren't going to be able to
escape.
So, and that's exactly whathappened.
So I would have said theMariners, um, I would have said
Mariners and um uh Dodgers.
(41:30):
I definitely wouldn't have saidToronto.
I that would have been my lastone, honestly.
SPEAKER_02 (41:34):
Yeah.
I didn't have Toronto and he wassniffing anything near the the
World Series uh when theseplayoffs first started.
I really thought the Marinerswere gonna make the make the
World Series to me.
I mean, got the big dumper justraking the ball um all over the
yard.
I mean, for what he was able todo as a catcher is just
(41:55):
astronomical.
So I had them and and I had theDodgers too as well.
It uh it almost came true.
I'll tell you the Mariners madea uh a hell of a run there late.
I I was rooting for them reallyuh to make it just for what they
were able to do.
But yeah, the Blue Jays weren'teven on my radar.
I thought they were gonna getbounced in the first round.
Um couple I got two morequestions here that we can get
(42:17):
through here into the show.
And uh TJ, um which city is thispotential title more important
to?
Uh is it Los Angeles or is itToronto and why?
SPEAKER_01 (42:32):
Oh goodness.
SPEAKER_00 (42:34):
Um the easy answer is Toronto.
Um, I I don't think LA, youknow, the way last year ended,
it didn't seem like it was likelife or death for them to win
the World Series last year.
It didn't seem they knew thejuggernaut that New York was,
(42:55):
but it just didn't seem like, mygoodness, like that was
everything we always wanted.
It was kind of again, weexpected to be there.
We have a culture of excellence.
We have a culture that says ifwe spend this money, we are
going to win, and there's noother way about it.
And there's something to be saidabout that because if they lose,
it is catastrophic.
Right.
(43:16):
But if Toronto were to win this,you know, Tony brought up since
1993, I mean, that's a longdrought.
And again, it's I just you lookat it, you call it Toronto, but
it's Canada.
It's literally Canada.
And and I really believe that ifthey win, their adoration is
(43:37):
gonna be widespread.
Not even just Canada, but allthe other smaller markets, all
the other, it just for the restof MLB, it really will feel like
wow, somebody took the Dodgersdown in a way that they weren't
supposed to.
It's gonna mean a lot for theMLB.
So, you know, I just thinkToronto as a whole, the city,
yeah, you're gonna see that.
You're gonna see how achampionship should be
celebrated, and you're gonna seehow a league can be elevated
(44:00):
through an underdog story comingto fruition.
Gotcha.
Biddy, what about you?
SPEAKER_03 (44:05):
I'm gonna say it's Toronto too, because again, like
you you have the Maple Leavesand the Raptors, but the odds
the Raptors really ever win achampionship beginner probably
slim to none.
The maple leaves live on theirhistory, right?
They didn't they're I mean,they're the most the most
historic NHL franchise, but thatthey haven't been relevant in
that sense in a long time.
So I think it it is for forToronto because you're playing
(44:27):
for the country.
You know, again, LA, you havetwo football teams, two
basketball teams, you have ahockey team.
You know, you you're the home ofthe stars, right?
Like celebrities and musicpeople, like the Dodgers winning
or losing is not bringing, Ithink, a huge like influx of
money and interest to LA.
I think Toronto's getting moremoney because of number one,
(44:49):
they're the biggest city inCanada, like they're our version
of New York City, but there'salso more people will go there
because not probably not a lotof people have been there.
They're like, oh, okay, Torontosounds cool, and everybody
always says it's like a nicecity to visit, anyways.
You know, I never really heardanybody go, Wow, I want to go to
Los Angeles and have vacation.
Like so, I think, although thetraffic in Toronto's pretty
(45:13):
crappy, believe me.
But I think from like theoverall, I want to go there, I
want to visit.
This seems cool.
I got the whole country behindme.
This is the only thing we have.
I think it's more meaningful tothem because again, and in LA,
they lose and it flips right tothe Rams, right?
Or the Chargers or hockey orwhat's Luka doing, or what's
(45:37):
going on with Kawhi, or hey,this new movie's being made.
You know what I mean?
Like they have so much morethere that it doesn't matter if
if the Dodgers win the WorldSeries or not for the city, it
means everything to Toronto andthe country of Canada.
SPEAKER_02 (45:51):
Yeah, a thousand percent on that one.
Tony Randall said on this one.
SPEAKER_04 (45:56):
I say it would mean a lot more to Toronto because
the last time that the Blue Jayswon a World Series, like I think
all of us were alive.
I think all of us were alive thelast time the Jays won the
series.
SPEAKER_03 (46:09):
TJ wasn't, and I was TJ wasn't, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (46:11):
I wasn't, I was, I was just I was just a thought.
I was just a thought.
SPEAKER_04 (46:15):
I was won.
Okay, like three-fourths of us.
Yeah.
But um honestly, it would meanmore to Toronto because they're
carrying the whole country ontheir backs, just like the just
like when the Raptors won theirseries against the Warriors.
It's like that big underdogstory against the super
(46:37):
favorite, like Toronto beatingGolden State, who people thought
Golden State was just gonnathree Pete to their way to a
title, especially having KevinDurant.
It's just like these underdogstories come in like 2017 before
Houston cheated their way totheir title.
2019's everywhere.
(46:57):
A former Canadian team formerlyknown as the Expos.
I don't tell anyone in Montreal.
I said that.
The team formerly known as theExpos, the Nationals beating
Houston in 2019.
And then you got this underdogstory with the Blue Jays
hopefully beating the Dodgers.
So it would mean a lot to Canadabecause you know Toronto is not
(47:20):
no disrespect to any of theother cities, but Toronto is the
baseball team that representsjust like they did in the NBA.
In hockey, you've got Montreal,you've got Edmonton, you've got
Winnipeg, Vancouver.
So if a team in Canada loses inthe Stanley Cup, it's not that
big of a deal.
Or even in the CFL, though.
(47:41):
I looked it up real quick.
Dargo's my 5-13th this year.
It's not that big of a deal, butthem winning the World Series is
a huge deal.
SPEAKER_02 (47:53):
Yeah, it's it's no contest for me.
It it's Toronto.
Um, just you know, being onebeing a small market and being
able to beat the juggernaut thatis the Dodgers, and two, I just
I don't think anyone in LA givesa shit about championships
anymore.
Like Bitty was saying, there'sso much more going on there that
(48:16):
this is just a blip on theradar.
It's just it's and they showedit last year.
They beat the Yankees, and itwas just like, Oh, yay, another
cool another ring.
Hey, thank you for another ringand another banner in our
stadium.
That's oh yay.
Who like it's just you're gonnasee the city of Toronto lose its
(48:40):
ever-loving mind if they win aWorld Series, and I'm here for
it.
I want to see this happen.
I love it.
I want it all.
I I want to see it happen.
I root for underdogs in everysingle event, no matter what.
I'm a pirates fan for Christ'ssake.
Like, let's talk about rootingfor the habitual underdog, it's
(49:00):
it's them.
Um, but yeah, I I want to see Iwant to see them do it just to
see how the how long the partygoes after they win the oh yeah,
win the world series.
That that's more my interest inthat, too, as well.
Uh, and lastly, here guys, uh,kind of a little bit of a fun
one uh to end it here.
Um, and which stadium would youpersonally rather sit in to
(49:24):
watch this World Series game, LAor Toronto?
Tony, let's start with you.
SPEAKER_04 (49:29):
I say Toronto simply because you've got a hotel.
So I can basically spend a nightat a hotel room, wake up, watch
the game outside, even if eventhough it's far, and you got a
steakhouse too.
Yeah, steakhouse as well.
So there's more amenities perse.
(49:49):
So I'd I'd say Toronto.
SPEAKER_02 (49:51):
Okay.
Betty, what about you?
SPEAKER_03 (49:54):
Well, I I've never been to LA.
I've been to Toronto and Istayed a couple blocks from um
the stadium when I was there foran event uh about a year and a
half ago.
So I mean, like Toronto wascool.
Like, I think seeing it a gamethere would be cool because
again, like the luxury of likeyou could park and then walk to
the game.
Um, you know, with LA, you know,I think it would be it would be
(50:19):
cool if you could seecelebrities there.
I think that would just be acool thing, like, oh, hey,
there's Matthew Stafford, orhey, there's like Ryan Gosling,
or you know what I mean?
Like there's some whoever bigfamous person there.
But I think that if you'retalking like game day
atmosphere, I think Torontowould be cool because they'll
probably shut the whole citydown for the games.
And I know I read on, I think itwas ESPN today, that they've
(50:42):
moved like the Raptors times oftheir games, they've moved the
Maple Leafs times of their gamesto accommodate um the Blue Jays
game.
So I think that the cityatmosphere, the the party,
whatever the festivities partwould make it just even a better
atmosphere inside the uh insidethe dome.
So I would say Toronto.
SPEAKER_00 (51:02):
Gotcha.
DJ, what about you?
Does that tell you everythingyou need to know?
Them moving start times of othersports to say, hey, and I bet
you none of those other sportsare complaining about it.
Because they know as soon as thechip probably asked for it.
Yep.
And as soon as the championshipcomes to somebody in your city,
there's more eyes on you.
There's so if there's one thatcomes to um baseball, there's
(51:25):
gonna be more eyes on theirbasketball team.
So it just it it all, I mean,that tells you everything.
Um, I would rather go toToronto.
I number one, I think the crowdjust I might be soft, but the
people will be nicer, peoplewill be more fun to be around.
You know, I think that theywould embrace baseball people
and baseball fans and just wantto have a great time watching a
great sport versus like LA,like, ah man, you're getting a
(51:49):
little close to me, man.
It's like, oh, you type of dudethat uh you know rubs your hands
on your pants when you'reeating, huh?
Like, I feel like I get thattype of treatment in LA.
Um I just I I don't do wellaround these, those types of
people, man.
Um, but just inside a dome, youknow it's gotta be loud.
You know people are gonna bemoving, you know that you're
(52:10):
gonna feel it, you know, thetension of every pitch, um,
versus, you know, you're notgonna see people's like uh late.
Watch game one.
Watch how many empty seats arebehind home plate when they
start the game.
Because getting there is like,it's I'm telling you, it's gonna
be I don't know.
(52:31):
It's it is just a difference inthese two franchises.
So give me, I'll take my ride toToronto.
It's a lot shorter, too.
A lot shorter ride.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (52:40):
Toronto for the dome aspect of it for me.
One, you don't have to worryabout, oh, is it gonna rain?
Am I gonna be sitting in this?
Do I need to bring the poncho?
Do I need to bring this?
Do I need to do that?
You know, you don't have toworry about that there.
Um and just the feel that likeyou probably feel that stadium
(53:00):
rocking in your chest when whenit gets going.
And every sports fan wants tofeel that when you're at a game.
That's the that's the one of thereasons we go to games is to
just have that experience there,and I think you're gonna get a
whole hell of a lot more of thatin Toronto than you do in LA.
And yeah, the star aspect ofthat, I didn't even think of
(53:21):
that, is cool.
Like, you just sit down and likeis is that De Niro sitting here
like in the next room, like youknow what I mean?
Like, that'd be cool.
But I I'm not there to seecelebrities, I'm there to watch
a baseball game.
And Toronto, you're gonna getthe true baseball feel.
Uh there.
So for me, yeah.
(53:43):
I and yeah, it's a much quickerride here from Ohio than it is
to LA.
Uh, so I am taking that all day,every day.
And with that all being said,that is actually going to do it
for our annual World Seriesshow.
Uh, looking forward to see howour predictions come true with
this panel of guests.
Again, I want to thank TJ, Tony,and Fiddy for being on here with
(54:05):
me and getting to talkeverything baseball and the
World Series.
And as always, if you enjoyedthe show, be a friend, tell a
friend.
If you didn't, tell themanyways, because they might like
it just because you didn't.
That's gonna do it for me, and Iwill see y'all next week.
Welcome everybody to another episode of the Ride Home
Rants podcast.
This is as always your host,Mike Bonham.
I got a great and another annualepisode for us today.
We are going to be talking aboutthe World Series that is going
to be airing uh today, uh, forwhen the show airs, but when
we're recording it, it's acouple days away.
(04:53):
So I got a panel of guests hereto talk about everything that's
going to be happening and makingour predictions and everything
like that for the World Series.
I'm going to let them introducethemselves and gentlemen, I need
the answers to these twoquestions along with your name
today.
First question uh when you're ina restroom in public, like work,
a restaurant, a stadium, etc.,do you prefer to have paper
(05:16):
towels to dry your hands afteruh washing them or an air hand
dryer?
And if you could be a familypet, which would you be a rabbit
or a goldfish?
SPEAKER_01 (05:27):
And TJ, we're gonna start with you.
How are we doing?
SPEAKER_00 (05:30):
Uh TJ Lett, I'm glad to be back.
Um, if I'm in a restaurant in apublic place, I'm preferring
paper towels because I can goquicker.
I'm trying to get in and get outof it.
So I hit that as hit that acouple of times, wipe the hands,
toss it, and go.
So uh give me the paper towelsover the hand dryer where I have
to sit there and actually kindof run my hands across it.
Um, but yeah, if I wanted to beuh pet, this is actually funny.
(05:54):
In second grade, my neighbor hada goldfish, and uh they teach me
how to feed it and stuff, I endup killing the goldfish.
So let's be playing with it andwhatnot.
And so I guess I'll be a rabbit.
SPEAKER_02 (06:09):
Absolutely, after that, definitely be a rabbit on
that one.
And but uh Tony, let's go to younext.
SPEAKER_04 (06:16):
Hi everyone, my name's Tony Bogan, and if I was
in a public restroom, I like touse the paper towels, but I
would not object to using theair dryers either.
And as far as uh a pet, I wouldpick a rabbit.
I pick a rabbit.
You know, I get to eat grass andjust be in the fields all day
(06:40):
and hopefully not get run overby some car.
SPEAKER_02 (06:44):
Okay.
And last but not least on thepanel, we have everybody's
favorite manager of the podcast,Fitty.
SPEAKER_03 (06:52):
Hi, everybody.
You know me, I'm Fitty.
Um, if I'm in a public restroom,I I prefer paper towels, even
though you have to use like amillion of them to dry your
hands because one just doesn'tdo it, and they're also like
three inches big.
And I'm like, well, how do youdry your hands with a three-inch
like paper towel?
So I'm using a hundred of them.
Um, I also like them because youcan grab the door handle as well
(07:15):
after, because that door handleis so gross from people just
grabbing it when they don't washor dry their hands.
So I like it for that reason.
And if I had pick a family petuh between a rabbit and a
goldfish, I'm probably gonnapick a rabbit because I'm in a
cage, I'm secure, I don't haveto worry about a car hitting me
or like an animal that huntsrabbits.
(07:36):
So I would like that.
I feel like a goldfish is in atiny bowl and it just swims to
nowhere.
Um, so you just are swimming tonowhere in your life.
Um, so I just feel like therabbit would just have a better
quality of life.
SPEAKER_02 (07:50):
I got deep on that one for that answer to that one
there, Freddy.
Uh, with the goldfish swimmingto nowhere.
Uh, but the Easterone.
Uh for me, I am um I'm a papertowel guy.
Um the the blowers, I just don'tfeel like they dry your hands.
Let's let's just call it what itis.
I mean, I feel like I'm alwayswiping them on my pants or
(08:11):
anything like that afterwardsbecause I feel like they're
still wet.
Um and family pet.
I don't have to go rabbit onthis one.
Um just get the jump around.
I mean, who doesn't who doesn'tlike to do that?
And you know, I mean unpopularopinion being a former
competitive swimmer, not being auh a goldfish.
(08:34):
Uh but um yeah, you know, I justI I don't know.
I just I like rabbits.
Um I've been known to be a veryhairy person as it is with the
the big beard and everythinglike that.
So we're that's that's the onlything making this decision for
me right now, is is that thatright there.
Uh but we're not here to talkabout that.
We're here to talk about theWorld Series and uh everything
(08:57):
going on with that, with theDodgers uh taking on the Blue
Jays this year.
And TJ, uh, what is yourprediction with how this series
will go with the Dodgers and theBlue Jays?
Uh, who is your winner and howmany games?
SPEAKER_00 (09:11):
Yeah, um, I'm gonna, you know, ride the bandwagon
here.
I think it's gonna be Dodgersand five.
Um it's just Toronto is expendedso much energy just to get to
this point where the Dodgershave had not even had a road
bump.
You know, I I just I reallybelieve that with the superpower
(09:33):
that they are in the rest thatthey've had, the proper rest,
they got all their guys, theirpitchers are healthy.
I don't think this is gonna be avery competitive series.
Um, so I'll say Dodgers andfive.
Okay.
Biddy, what about you?
SPEAKER_03 (09:47):
I'm actually gonna agree with TJ on that.
I'm gonna say the Dodgers andfive.
I do think the Blue Jays willsneak one at home.
Um, but I just think with theDodgers rest, their depth, um,
you know, it they're justplaying really good.
And I'm not a Dodgers fan.
And anyone's listening to thisannual show.
I usually pick pick against theDodgers, but I'm just gonna say
(10:08):
the Dodgers just are too good.
And you know, Blue Jays are anice Cinderella story, but the
the AL was also like weak.
Like your traditional powersgot, you know, weakened.
I would say this year, therewasn't no super front runner,
you know, the central was superweak as well.
So I don't know if the Dodgerswere really like ever challenged
(10:31):
by someone like the or sorry,the Blue Jays were ever
challenged by someone like theDodgers firepower.
So I'm gonna go with the Dodgersin five.
SPEAKER_04 (10:38):
Okay.
Tony, round us out.
I will say this.
Uh, the last time the Dodgersfaced like off, uh a favorite
faced off against a Canadianadjacent team, they lost in
seven to when the Astros lost tothe Nationals, formerly known as
the Expos.
And I am gonna go the other waywith the Blue Bas to win the
(11:03):
series in seven.
And here's why although theDodgers are a great team, I will
definitely put respect on them.
Showheil Tani's a great two-wayplayer.
The Dodgers have had plenty ofrest, and they really haven't
gotten challenged at all.
Toronto, you're playing inToronto.
Seattle took the first two gamesin Toronto, and guess what?
(11:26):
They didn't win the series.
I see Toronto taking at leastone at home, possibly taking one
in LA as well, if not two, andfinishing it off at their in
their home stadium like they didin 1993.
But do we see a Joe Carter?
SPEAKER_02 (11:46):
Okay.
Um I've been going back andforth on this one.
Um Dodgers have the rest, theyhave the depth, they have the
you know the money andeverything like that that we've
been talking about with uh theMLB and everything like that.
I just think I think Torontowith what they've had to go
(12:09):
through, yes, they've had atougher road, they've battled
more, but I think they're builtto play those types of games.
And they're built to to go afterit like they did with the
Seattle series, uh, to get here.
I got uh the Blue Jays takingthis one.
I think it goes seven games, umjust like just like it did with
(12:33):
the Seattle, and they just weardown uh the Dodgers to to take
this series.
That's my pick.
I just just from what I've seenout of Toronto, it's it's hard
to bet against them.
And it's it's hard for me toroot for anybody coming from a
Canadian uh team.
Um but that that's my pick here.
(12:56):
Uh Tony, the stay with you here.
Uh, where does the Dodgersmanager David Robinson or
Roberts uh rank in the MOB inthe rankings of top managers, in
your opinion?
SPEAKER_04 (13:09):
I would have to say he's probably top two and he's
not number two.
I'd say he's pretty solidbecause you've got a pitching
core that is great.
Their pitching core isincredible.
Not gonna talk down on that.
They've got really good hitters.
Having Shoheo timing backpitching after missing, well,
(13:32):
not being able to pitch lastyear.
We saw what he did last yearanyways, is a big help.
And if the Dodgers win, thenit's a great, you know, a great
send-off for a Dodger legend inClayton Kershaw.
220 some odd major leaguevictories, including a win in
his final start at Seattle.
(13:54):
So there are some connectionsthere.
And another factoid that I foundout Jose Arena will be a World
Series champion either way.
Because he played for the BlueJays, had a short stint with
them, he had a short stint withthe Dodgers, so either way he
gets a ring.
SPEAKER_02 (14:13):
That's yeah.
That's very true.
Uh Penny, what about you on thisquestion now?
SPEAKER_03 (14:19):
Yeah, um I I was not a Dave Roberts fan, um, even
though they, you know, untilthey really they won last year.
So if it was if Terry, if TerryFrancona didn't come back into
the MLB this year, I would sayit's probably clear-cut.
Dave Roberts is probably numberone, but I still give the edge
to Francona because he took twoteams to the World Series, um,
(14:43):
you know, with Boston and theand the Guardians.
So I still give him the nodbecause he also has now taken um
the Reds back to the playoffsthis year, as we as we all knew
in the NL.
So I'd still say Francona'sprobably one.
Roberts is probably two.
Bruce Bochi getting fired, youknow, has also elevated uh Dave
(15:04):
Roberts in that sense.
But you know, you could make theargument too could Dave Roberts
do what um the guy from therace, Kevin Cash, has done with
that team if he didn't have thattype of money.
So I always like to throw cashin there as a top manager
because he does the most withleast.
So I'd be curious to see like ifRoberts could do what he did
(15:26):
with such a low payroll, becauseI'm pretty sure though, most
managers in the MLB could havethe Dodgers playing at the level
they're at uh with the talentaround them.
You gotta always remember, too,when you're a coach or a
manager, it's not always so muchthe X's and O's, as people have
always said, right?
It's always your Jimmies andJoes.
And if you're just more talentedthan people, sometimes the best
thing to do is just not screw itup.
(15:48):
So I feel like Dave Robertshasn't also screwed it up.
So um, but I would say he'sprobably top three.
I still give Frank Kona that,and arguably you can make the
him and cash comparison basedoff the different standards they
had.
So that's kind of where I'm at.
SPEAKER_02 (16:03):
Yeah, I'm I'm with you on that one.
I got Frank Kona up there justbecause he's taken two different
teams uh to the playoffs anddeep runs and into the World
Series with uh Boston and uhCleveland.
Um, I gotta say the onlydifference was mine is I got
Roberts above cash.
Um just for the for the fact, Imean, yeah, they've both done
(16:25):
more with less, but I I I givethe nod to Roberts now, given
with the Dodgers uh roster andtheir payroll, hell I could go
in there and manage that teamand take them to a World Series.
I mean, just like you said,don't screw it up.
And I think he doesn't screw itup very well.
Uh so TJ, what about you?
SPEAKER_00 (16:45):
I don't know what what do you want in a manager,
right?
A guy that can lead your squadto the championships year in and
year out.
If payroll was the only thing,it'd be the Yankees would be
there year in and year out, theMets would be in the playoffs
right now, and the Padres wouldbe in the playoffs right now,
(17:07):
and they aren't.
So eventually we have to givethe nod to the person that is
keeping his guys playing the waythat they should, not the way
that on paper they're supposedto.
Um he's done it year in and yearout.
We keep talking about theDodgers and the excuses that we
have about payroll, and it'svery valid.
But eventually you have amanager that takes high-paying
(17:29):
players and all the ego thatcomes with it and tells them
this is the culture that wedemand and we are going to play
this way, and I'm gonna use youthis way.
Hey, can you imagine telling anace we are part of a six-man
rotation?
And he's done that to fourdifferent aces.
And they're all sitting therelike, okay, as long as we're
gonna go win a World Series thisway.
So his managerial style is thefact that kind of like you said
(17:52):
about don't screw it up, buthe's gotten all of his guys to
buy in.
And the guys who haven't boughtin or the guys that pro are you
know prolifically hurt are gone.
They say, okay, then don't thendon't play here.
You know, go somewhere else andbe hurt, or go somewhere else
and complain.
He takes the right, he takes theright great players and makes it
into a great championship teamyear in and year out.
(18:12):
So to me, right now, he's numberone, and I, you know, and he's
got the the paper trail to proveit.
SPEAKER_02 (18:17):
Yeah, I mean, it it's a it's a solid top three
with managers in the MOB rightnow.
Um, I can't argue any one way.
Um, he's definitely up there.
He he does all the right things.
Um, but TJ, uh, does this WorldSeries match up between a team
from another country in the BlueJays and a team on the West
Coast, the Dodgers, hurt the MOBwith interest in TV ratings and
(18:43):
such.
Uh, do you think it does ordoesn't?
I mean, with the dynamic andjust with people like us here on
the East Coast?
SPEAKER_00 (18:51):
Um, a little, but not much, because it makes up
for it with the fact that all ofCanada is going to be watching.
So now you add in that aspect ofit to where you have a whole
country invested into one teamand that'll take over the people
in the United States who, youknow, ah, I don't have the
interest in the Dodgers, uh, Ihaven't heard of the, I haven't
heard of any of these players onthe Blue Jays, you know.
(19:12):
So I think it'll um it willbalance itself out that way.
Um and everybody loves a goodunderdog story.
So if by chance the Blue Jaysmake this series competitive,
you're gonna have a lot ofpeople rooting against the
Dodgers.
And you're gonna have a lot ofpeople tuning in and say, I I
just want to see, I just I wantto see Dodger fans cry.
Like, you know, those thosethose those fans might tune in.
(19:35):
So but I just think the factthat it's a whole country is
gonna balance it out.
SPEAKER_02 (19:38):
Yeah, I'm one of those fans.
That that's part of that's partof the reasons why I'm I'm
rooting and I picked the BlueJays, is just because I just
want to see Dodgers fans cry,just for what they've done.
That's that's where I'm at inlife right now.
Like, but yeah, so then Vinny,what about you?
SPEAKER_03 (19:56):
Um, I know we like we talked about this a couple
years ago when like the Rangersplayed the Diamondbacks with the
different time zones and andbeing down there.
And I know we talked about alittle bit last year's show with
the Yankees going across thecountry to play the Dodgers.
I I don't know if necessarily TVratings will be hurt, but what I
(20:18):
do know is that like when you'rebacktracking across the country
from the east coast to the westcoast, but you're playing these
games in LA at a at an um 8 a.m.
or 8 p.m.
pitch, but it's 5 p.m.
there.
I don't know if the ratings aregonna get skewed over there or
not, or the deliverance of thegame because you're gonna have
people still at work.
(20:40):
And I don't know how fair it isfor the people in that west
coast time zone.
Um, you know, and then thepeople on the east coast, you
know, you may watch it, you maynot, but to TJ's point, you
might have the whole country ofCanada watching it, like how the
Raptors were when they won theirchampionship in basketball.
But I just don't know from atime standpoint of the games,
(21:02):
like, is it gonna help or hurtthe ratings, especially with
people in the not 8 p.m.
or 7 p.m.
time zone, like at 5 p.m.?
Because think about it like thisif they were putting a game on
at 5 p.m., like here in the eastcoast, what is everybody what
are most people doing?
Coaching sports, covering games,getting home from work, you're
(21:23):
not on the TV, you're mostlikely streaming it or listening
to it.
Right, right.
So I think that might balanceinto the into the problems on
the West Coast time frame.
Um, but I think the ratings willprobably be similar to maybe
last year's.
I don't think they'll be as lowas the Diamondbacks and Rangers
were a couple years ago.
(21:44):
True.
All right, Tony, what about you?
SPEAKER_04 (21:46):
I would say that eight is that perfect sweet spot
because you start it any lateroutside of Canada.
You're gonna lose that be goingto bed at 10, 11 o'clock,
twelve.
Starting at any later than eighto'clock is a no-go.
And it shouldn't run in anyweather because Toronto has a
(22:07):
dome.
So that helps.
But I think there will be a lotmore people watching, especially
when Toronto's carrying a wholecountry on their backs.
Just like 2019.
Do you think anybody thought theRaptors were gonna beat the
Warriors?
Hell no.
Right, right, right.
Raptors went out and did it inOakland, you know.
(22:28):
In six games.
So I think that it's gonna beit's gonna be a higher rated
World Series, especially ifToronto can make a run.
And even Koean fans will havesome interest in it, because
there are four former guardians.
There's oh yeah.
And I'm blanking on it.
(22:50):
Naylor.
No, Andres Jimenez.
Jimenez, Andres Jimenez.
SPEAKER_00 (22:54):
Yeah, Naylor's on Seattle.
SPEAKER_04 (22:55):
Four former Guardians.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Sorry, yeah, yeah.
My bad.
So, in a way, it'd be kind of awin for Cleveland.
It would be, yeah, yeah.
And Bieber got traded at thedeadline to Toronto.
He started game seven.
SPEAKER_02 (23:14):
TJ, you you're talking to a pirate span here.
You want to talk about playersleaving the team and getting
better?
Let's talk about that.
Like, I there's just everybodyon the Yankees, the Dodgers, and
the um Red Sox.
Game for Pittsburgh.
Let's just just talk about that.
SPEAKER_00 (23:34):
Just grew up in Pittsburgh and then hit puberty
and went somewhere else, huh?
SPEAKER_02 (23:38):
Yeah.
Yeah.
So me for this with the ratingson this game, though, I I I
bounce back and forth on it.
I don't think it'll hurt it,kind of like when it was uh
Texas and the Diamondbacksplaying.
Um mainly because you know, I'mI'm such an old man and routine
(24:01):
oriented.
Like you start the games later.
I mean, 9:30, I'm I'm laying inbed.
I'm not gonna lie to you guyshere.
I'm an old man at this point.
If I don't have any shows oranything like that, I you know,
like I'm I'm getting ready forbed, mainly because I'm up at 5
a.m.
every morning.
So, you know, that that that'swhere I'm at with that.
Uh, and I know there's a lot ofpeople like that, but I also
(24:22):
know too, you know, the WestCoast time frame, you know, you
like he said, you're starting at5 p.m.
Like people are still at work,they're gonna be riding home,
they're probably be listening toit or streaming it somehow,
somewhere.
But I I just don't I think theTV ratings um will take a
millisecond minor fucking hit onthis one because I just don't
(24:47):
think that you know it's justit's it's it the games I know
they've shortened it with thetime clock and that, but you
know, baseball games can goforever.
Sure.
Uh look at the one game thatwent what like 15 innings with
extra innings.
SPEAKER_00 (25:01):
I mean, so you get into situations like in the
middle of the night.
I was like, I'm right.
SPEAKER_02 (25:07):
You know what I mean?
Like, I mean, like the you youstill have those instances where
that can't happen, right?
SPEAKER_03 (25:14):
So and you gotta think though, too, because it's
the world series, there's gonnabe more commercial breaks and
they're gonna be longercommercial breaks.
Yeah, but it'sn't yourtraditional non-pitch clock game
that's three hours plus that,but you still gotta consider
that there's probably in realtime, I'm gonna say probably
(25:34):
another 20 to 30 minutes ofadvertisements will be in there
as well, instead of there beinga two-minute commercial break
and maybe like a 220 commercialbreak, right?
And you don't think 20 secondsadds up, they do that every
commercial break, though.
And you are probably you know,to 11 or 11:30.
I think the other thing though,I want to throw out there, Mike,
(25:56):
and and to TJ and Tony, the onething we also didn't talk about
um with like the advantage andthe rest and all that is that
the the Blue Jays have to againthough fly to the West Coast for
the second series in a row.
Yeah, so you are switching youare switching three time zones
(26:17):
for a consecutive series thatyou just went seven games for,
going back and forth, right?
Like you're going, you're flyingback and forth, so really you're
switching time zones like sixdifferent times.
Um, now you have to do it again.
And then the other thing is too,I don't know if people realize
this, but every time one ofthose teams flies to Canada or
(26:38):
the United States, they have togo through border security.
SPEAKER_02 (26:41):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (26:42):
So that also does add on to your travel time.
And it also adds into yourlogistics because, of course,
like anybody going to adifferent country, whether
you're on vacation or that, likeyou have to have your passports,
you have to have yourdocumentation, you have to have
your work per permits if you'renot a US citizen.
Like you have to go through allof that.
And and also you're just you'resaying that to the the blue jays
(27:05):
again, like, hey, you have to dothis, but then to the Dodgers,
you have to do this.
But again, the time zone thing,I think, is probably more
worrisome for them, like flyingback again and losing three
hours every time they have to goto the West Coast, right?
Right, and you've been doing itfor two weeks, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (27:24):
Yeah, yeah.
Um time zone is just that that'sthat sucks for all the West
Coast teams.
I mean, having to lose thosethree hours going to the to the
West Coast, and you know, thenyou add in customs into
everything like that too, aswell.
SPEAKER_00 (27:40):
So I think it brings me normal airports, right?
Let alone, let alone travel inthe country, right?
SPEAKER_02 (27:46):
Yeah, that's yeah.
I mean, flying normally sucksanymore.
Um, and you add all that intothere.
Uh, but uh Tony, that's gonnayou this kind of brings us right
into the next uh topic here, butit's the home field advantage in
this game.
Like who has it?
Does it matter?
And you know, is it is it reallya thing right now?
SPEAKER_04 (28:05):
Uh in a way, yes, and no.
Like as we saw in the SeattleToronto series, it was just so
evenly matched.
Like when Seattle, when YaniosSuarez hit that huge homer in
game five, that electrified thehell out of the crowd.
But then you had Toronto whenthat series went back to
Toronto.
Obviously, when you're going tothe six, Canadian crowds are
(28:29):
very passionate.
As we saw when the Raptorshosted the NBA finals.
I wonder if there'll be anyappearances from Drake at any
point in the series.
SPEAKER_00 (28:41):
He knows there's cameras, right?
SPEAKER_02 (28:43):
Absolutely.
What about you?
SPEAKER_03 (28:45):
You kind of touched on it there a little bit, but
yeah, I I think that theadvantage would be for Toronto
to play at home because again,you're not switching the time
zones.
Now you're asking the Dodgerswho really haven't had to have
do the travel of the Blue Jays.
Again, the the kind of the BlueJays are accustomed to going
through customs, and thenthey're, you know, they're used
(29:06):
to switching the time zone, theyjust did it.
But to ask the Dodgers to dothat, um, you know, might be a
little bit harder.
And then the fact that the thethe Blue Jays play in a dome, I
think is an advantage becausethere's no weather, there's no
wind, there's no potential rainor humidity or whatever there
may be out in LA going on, Ithink that's advantage Toronto,
(29:26):
and then also for the fact thatyou're playing for all of Canada
as well, because like right,they don't have football, and
people in LA also are right inthe middle of football season
and basketball season hasstarted, and hockey has started.
So you have like the Kings andthe you know, and hockey and the
(29:46):
Lakers and the Clippers, and youhave the Rams and the the
Chargers and then everybody elsewho they chair for there, where
like Canada really only has youknow the the Maple Leafs and the
Raptors and and the Blue Jays,but they're very passionate
about that because reallythey're not known to be a
country that produceshigh-quality baseball or
(30:08):
basketball outside of that oneyear, so they're really a hockey
fan base, but I think they'll begalvanized by this um and and
really like bring the noise kindof like Tony said.
So I think home field is moreimportant to the Blue Jays.
I do think that crowd will bemore um raucous than what's
going on in LA.
SPEAKER_02 (30:30):
Gotcha.
TJ, what about you?
SPEAKER_00 (30:32):
Yeah, I really do think that the home field
advantage will be a factor here.
But I'll give it to LA.
I think that they can quiet acrowd really quick.
But if they don't, if thatToronto crowd gets behind their
team and those guys score early,which they've scored early in
(30:53):
pretty much every game thatthey've played so far, that
crowd's gonna make it, but it'sgonna make LA realize like,
okay, we have to win, you know,and they're gonna get you know
real tight and they're good atplaying late, but I mean, that
Toronto crowd is gonna besomething different.
Even it was already loud in theALCS.
Now they got a World Series gameand they know how important it
(31:13):
is and they know they have toslay the dragon.
That's gonna be crazy.
Um, I just don't see, and maybeI'm sorry to all LA baseball
fans, I don't think they reallyappreciate a World Series as
much as they did maybe theprevious handful of years.
It's just, you know, you just gotoo many times that you're like,
(31:35):
you expect to be there and youexpect to win instead of Toronto
sitting there thinking, like,this is the glory of all things
sports.
So I think that you do get allof those sports, the people that
are, you know, basketball fans,like, no, like, hey, it's time
for us to get up behind the BlueJays for at least two weeks, and
then we'll go to basketballseason, or then we'll go to
hockey season.
And so it's gonna be, I thinkthat home field advantage is
really gonna help them if theypull this out.
SPEAKER_04 (31:56):
Imagine if uh they lost that last day and New York
had that home field advantage.
And that's even then, it'spretty technically tied.
SPEAKER_00 (32:04):
Yeah, yeah, that's a good point.
SPEAKER_02 (32:06):
Yeah, I I think the Canadian fans and Toronto fans
are built different in thatthey'll find a way to root for
uh hockey the Raptors and theBlue Jays all in the same day.
(32:27):
Like I feel like they'll do theyhave that type of energy and
that stigma to them, and theyjust they love their teams uh
more than anything.
I I they they get behind them,and it's gonna be a rocking
crowd there in Toronto, andthat's definitely gonna play a
factor um against the Dodgers.
(32:50):
Like you said, the Dodgers quieta crowd, but I don't think
they're gonna be able to quietthis Toronto crowd like they
have been uh coming through thisplayoff run that they had.
It's it's they're just Torontofans are just built different to
that.
I would give them the edge uh inthe home field advantage.
(33:11):
But guys, we talked about thislast year uh with three people
that were all three of you wereon last year, uh, both you, TJ,
Tony.
Uh we had Bill Stoy on last yearand Fitty.
Uh, we talked about uh theYankees or the Dodgers being
built to return uh in the 2025year to the World Series.
(33:33):
We see that the Dodgers didthat.
So out of these two teams for2026, uh Dodgers or the Blue
Jays, who is built to return TJto start with you?
SPEAKER_01 (33:43):
Oh boy.
SPEAKER_00 (33:45):
Um I'm gonna cheat.
I'm saying both of them becauseum I know I I the Dodgers are so
just when you think they can'tadd anybody else, they add
somebody else.
So you know Skeens is goingthere or New York.
Don't you put those evils outinto the world.
SPEAKER_02 (34:05):
You don't say that thing, you don't say that on my
show.
Skeens is gonna die inPittsburgh.
That's what, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (34:12):
That was his losing record.
Yeah, don't care.
Don't care.
It's it's it's amazing.
You just don't even know whatplayers are still available
until the Dodgers go through theoffseason.
Like, I didn't even know thatguy was just it's it's amazing.
So I they're gonna be so they'regonna be.
Right around NLCS for the nexthowever long the deferred money
(34:36):
goes.
Um, but here's the thing: Toronto picked up pieces this (34:36):
undefined
year.
It was one of the first timesToronto really went out and
said, let's go get players.
Now they didn't spend the moneylike other teams might have
spent, like big, big time money,but they went out and got
pieces.
They got Santander, they gotShane Bieber, they went out and
made moves.
And I think now they're gonnaget a taste of this World
Series, and they're not a teamto necessarily go out and start
(34:58):
selling.
And you forget Boba Sheet washurt for the last bit of the
year, and they were still doingwell.
So I think that they're gonna beas as much of a gauntlet as the
AL East is.
Um, you know, one of them isgood for the wild card, so
they'll always have a chance tokind of bake their way through.
So I'm I'm gonna say both.
SPEAKER_02 (35:18):
Okay.
Uh Pitty, what about you?
SPEAKER_03 (35:23):
You know, this is hard.
Um, because the Dodgers can justkeep spending right as well and
keep adding.
But I'm gonna say it's probablythe Blue Jays.
And the reason is if anythingwas taught to us this this year,
was that like the AL is not asstrong as the NL.
Um, and it's more wide open,right?
(35:45):
Because if you look at like theNL, you got the big money
Padres, the big money Mets, youwould expect the Giants with
Buster Posey and uh Vitellogetting hired today to be a lot
better.
You know, you you expect moreout of that.
You know, Francona's then backwith, you know, he's back now
with the Reds coming off theplayoff appearance.
(36:05):
The Brewers are always reallygood.
So you expect probably more outof the NL.
I would say it's probably theBlue Jays because like the
Yankees were disappointing, thethe Red Sox were disappointing,
the Central is just, and I'm aGuardians fan, but it's just so
bad.
Like it's so bad that you'regonna have three teams with
three to four teams with alosing record every year, and
(36:27):
somebody who wins 85 games andthen gets smoked in the
playoffs.
Like it's not a real feasible,you know, league like the NL is
that they're just gonna havethese top heavy dominant teams.
I just think it's more wideopen.
Um, maybe the Orioles will bebetter, maybe, of course, the
the Rays will always compete.
(36:47):
But I don't know if the Dodgershave the sorry, I don't know if
like the Tigers and theGuardians have the firepower to
really knock out um the BlueJays next year.
So I'm gonna just say it's theBlue Jays just because of the AL
just being way a weaker weakerleague in baseball than the NL.
SPEAKER_02 (37:05):
Gotcha.
Tony, what about you?
SPEAKER_04 (37:07):
I would have to go with the Dodgers, and I think
it's because the AL is so weakand Cleveland's huge historic
comeback, notwithstanding the ALis kind of weak, you know.
And taking that comeback, Tigersprobably win divisions like 88
games, and they probably don'tdo any better, you know, in the
(37:30):
playoffs.
Um but I will say the Dodgers,because they just have that
cohesive input.
You still got you still gotMookie Betts, you still got
Shohei in his prime, you've gotYamamoto, the pitcher.
I mean, yes, you're losingClayton Kershaw, a legend, but
at the end of it, he got hurt alot at the end of his career.
(37:53):
Like, like I say, he's still alegend.
He the reality is he did getinjured a lot.
I think the Dodgers, as much asthey are, they could pick up
more, a couple more pieces hereand there.
Like I could see them and notI'm not saying major pieces.
It doesn't matter.
(38:13):
How big the puzzle gotta be.
I'm thinking maybe they go afteruh Justin Verlander, give him a
proper swan song.
I mean, since he pitched for theGiants, screw it.
Maybe he goes on the Dodgers,they somehow win a ring.
Verlander decides, you knowwhat?
I may be sure three hernt wins,but I got another World Series
(38:35):
title riding off in the sunset.
SPEAKER_02 (38:38):
Yeah, it's just with with the Dodgers' money.
I'm I'm prone to say that theyare built to repeat year after
year after year.
But what the Blue Jays did thisyear in showing people that you
can add pieces, it doesn't haveto be big pieces.
(39:00):
You had the right pieces to yourpuzzle, and you can make it to a
World Series.
I like the way they did it.
Uh, they didn't spend a ton ofmoney, they found the right guys
that built into that culture towant to play and want to compete
for a championship.
But I think I gotta go Torontoon this one uh for that reason
(39:25):
alone.
Uh, because the Dodgers, likeeveryone I'm saying, hell, a
monkey could go in there andmanage that team and they can
make it to the World Series.
Yeah.
With all the talent andeverything they have.
And so but I like what I thinkmore teams are gonna take the
(39:45):
blueprint that Toronto did andtry to implement that to make a
deep run in these playoffs here.
Um so here next, here Tony, whenthe playoffs first started, who
was your World Seriesprediction?
SPEAKER_04 (40:05):
Uh I would say Seattle.
Yes, Cleveland had an incrediblehistoric run, but you know,
sometimes the hotter the streak,the faster the flame comes.
SPEAKER_02 (40:16):
Yeah.
unknown (40:17):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (40:17):
Fiddy, what about you?
SPEAKER_03 (40:20):
I I was thinking it was it was, I mean, the Dodgers
had a pretty good chance.
I I was really thinking it washonestly gonna probably be a
rematch of the Dodgers andYankees.
I just thought the Yankees couldouthit everyone and score more
than everyone, even if thepitching was, you know, somewhat
even subpar.
Um, so I thought it was gonna belike the Yankees and Dodgers.
(40:42):
I I did.
That was my prediction.
SPEAKER_02 (40:44):
Gotcha.
TJ, what about you?
SPEAKER_00 (40:45):
Yeah, I the Dodgers for sure.
I've I've never really waveredoff of them.
Um, but the American League wasso goofy because I was I would
have said the Tigers, but theyhad such a catastrophic fall in
September that I was like,they're they're done.
There's they're not, and I can'tbelieve they even made it
through Cleveland.
But um, that's when I said,okay, well, who's the next best
(41:07):
team to sustain the playoff run?
And it was the Mariners becausethe Yankees, as much as they
have firepower, they're such ahit or miss team and they don't
play fundamentally sound.
If the right team caught them,they weren't going to be able to
escape.
So, and that's exactly whathappened.
So I would have said theMariners, um, I would have said
Mariners and um uh Dodgers.
(41:30):
I definitely wouldn't have saidToronto.
I that would have been my lastone, honestly.
SPEAKER_02 (41:34):
Yeah.
I didn't have Toronto and he wassniffing anything near the the
World Series uh when theseplayoffs first started.
I really thought the Marinerswere gonna make the make the
World Series to me.
I mean, got the big dumper justraking the ball um all over the
yard.
I mean, for what he was able todo as a catcher is just
(41:55):
astronomical.
So I had them and and I had theDodgers too as well.
It uh it almost came true.
I'll tell you the Mariners madea uh a hell of a run there late.
I I was rooting for them reallyuh to make it just for what they
were able to do.
But yeah, the Blue Jays weren'teven on my radar.
I thought they were gonna getbounced in the first round.
Um couple I got two morequestions here that we can get
(42:17):
through here into the show.
And uh TJ, um which city is thispotential title more important
to?
Uh is it Los Angeles or is itToronto and why?
SPEAKER_01 (42:32):
Oh goodness.
SPEAKER_00 (42:34):
Um the easy answer is Toronto.
Um, I I don't think LA, youknow, the way last year ended,
it didn't seem like it was likelife or death for them to win
the World Series last year.
It didn't seem they knew thejuggernaut that New York was,
(42:55):
but it just didn't seem like, mygoodness, like that was
everything we always wanted.
It was kind of again, weexpected to be there.
We have a culture of excellence.
We have a culture that says ifwe spend this money, we are
going to win, and there's noother way about it.
And there's something to be saidabout that because if they lose,
it is catastrophic.
Right.
(43:16):
But if Toronto were to win this,you know, Tony brought up since
1993, I mean, that's a longdrought.
And again, it's I just you lookat it, you call it Toronto, but
it's Canada.
It's literally Canada.
And and I really believe that ifthey win, their adoration is
(43:37):
gonna be widespread.
Not even just Canada, but allthe other smaller markets, all
the other, it just for the restof MLB, it really will feel like
wow, somebody took the Dodgersdown in a way that they weren't
supposed to.
It's gonna mean a lot for theMLB.
So, you know, I just thinkToronto as a whole, the city,
yeah, you're gonna see that.
You're gonna see how achampionship should be
celebrated, and you're gonna seehow a league can be elevated
(44:00):
through an underdog story comingto fruition.
Gotcha.
Biddy, what about you?
SPEAKER_03 (44:05):
I'm gonna say it's Toronto too, because again, like
you you have the Maple Leavesand the Raptors, but the odds
the Raptors really ever win achampionship beginner probably
slim to none.
The maple leaves live on theirhistory, right?
They didn't they're I mean,they're the most the most
historic NHL franchise, but thatthey haven't been relevant in
that sense in a long time.
So I think it it is for forToronto because you're playing
(44:27):
for the country.
You know, again, LA, you havetwo football teams, two
basketball teams, you have ahockey team.
You know, you you're the home ofthe stars, right?
Like celebrities and musicpeople, like the Dodgers winning
or losing is not bringing, Ithink, a huge like influx of
money and interest to LA.
I think Toronto's getting moremoney because of number one,
(44:49):
they're the biggest city inCanada, like they're our version
of New York City, but there'salso more people will go there
because not probably not a lotof people have been there.
They're like, oh, okay, Torontosounds cool, and everybody
always says it's like a nicecity to visit, anyways.
You know, I never really heardanybody go, Wow, I want to go to
Los Angeles and have vacation.
Like so, I think, although thetraffic in Toronto's pretty
(45:13):
crappy, believe me.
But I think from like theoverall, I want to go there, I
want to visit.
This seems cool.
I got the whole country behindme.
This is the only thing we have.
I think it's more meaningful tothem because again, and in LA,
they lose and it flips right tothe Rams, right?
Or the Chargers or hockey orwhat's Luka doing, or what's
(45:37):
going on with Kawhi, or hey,this new movie's being made.
You know what I mean?
Like they have so much morethere that it doesn't matter if
if the Dodgers win the WorldSeries or not for the city, it
means everything to Toronto andthe country of Canada.
SPEAKER_02 (45:51):
Yeah, a thousand percent on that one.
Tony Randall said on this one.
SPEAKER_04 (45:56):
I say it would mean a lot more to Toronto because
the last time that the Blue Jayswon a World Series, like I think
all of us were alive.
I think all of us were alive thelast time the Jays won the
series.
SPEAKER_03 (46:09):
TJ wasn't, and I was TJ wasn't, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (46:11):
I wasn't, I was, I was just I was just a thought.
I was just a thought.
SPEAKER_04 (46:15):
I was won.
Okay, like three-fourths of us.
Yeah.
But um honestly, it would meanmore to Toronto because they're
carrying the whole country ontheir backs, just like the just
like when the Raptors won theirseries against the Warriors.
It's like that big underdogstory against the super
(46:37):
favorite, like Toronto beatingGolden State, who people thought
Golden State was just gonnathree Pete to their way to a
title, especially having KevinDurant.
It's just like these underdogstories come in like 2017 before
Houston cheated their way totheir title.
2019's everywhere.
(46:57):
A former Canadian team formerlyknown as the Expos.
I don't tell anyone in Montreal.
I said that.
The team formerly known as theExpos, the Nationals beating
Houston in 2019.
And then you got this underdogstory with the Blue Jays
hopefully beating the Dodgers.
So it would mean a lot to Canadabecause you know Toronto is not
(47:20):
no disrespect to any of theother cities, but Toronto is the
baseball team that representsjust like they did in the NBA.
In hockey, you've got Montreal,you've got Edmonton, you've got
Winnipeg, Vancouver.
So if a team in Canada loses inthe Stanley Cup, it's not that
big of a deal.
Or even in the CFL, though.
(47:41):
I looked it up real quick.
Dargo's my 5-13th this year.
It's not that big of a deal, butthem winning the World Series is
a huge deal.
SPEAKER_02 (47:53):
Yeah, it's it's no contest for me.
It it's Toronto.
Um, just you know, being onebeing a small market and being
able to beat the juggernaut thatis the Dodgers, and two, I just
I don't think anyone in LA givesa shit about championships
anymore.
Like Bitty was saying, there'sso much more going on there that
(48:16):
this is just a blip on theradar.
It's just it's and they showedit last year.
They beat the Yankees, and itwas just like, Oh, yay, another
cool another ring.
Hey, thank you for another ringand another banner in our
stadium.
That's oh yay.
Who like it's just you're gonnasee the city of Toronto lose its
(48:40):
ever-loving mind if they win aWorld Series, and I'm here for
it.
I want to see this happen.
I love it.
I want it all.
I I want to see it happen.
I root for underdogs in everysingle event, no matter what.
I'm a pirates fan for Christ'ssake.
Like, let's talk about rootingfor the habitual underdog, it's
(49:00):
it's them.
Um, but yeah, I I want to see Iwant to see them do it just to
see how the how long the partygoes after they win the oh yeah,
win the world series.
That that's more my interest inthat, too, as well.
Uh, and lastly, here guys, uh,kind of a little bit of a fun
one uh to end it here.
Um, and which stadium would youpersonally rather sit in to
(49:24):
watch this World Series game, LAor Toronto?
Tony, let's start with you.
SPEAKER_04 (49:29):
I say Toronto simply because you've got a hotel.
So I can basically spend a nightat a hotel room, wake up, watch
the game outside, even if eventhough it's far, and you got a
steakhouse too.
Yeah, steakhouse as well.
So there's more amenities perse.
(49:49):
So I'd I'd say Toronto.
SPEAKER_02 (49:51):
Okay.
Betty, what about you?
SPEAKER_03 (49:54):
Well, I I've never been to LA.
I've been to Toronto and Istayed a couple blocks from um
the stadium when I was there foran event uh about a year and a
half ago.
So I mean, like Toronto wascool.
Like, I think seeing it a gamethere would be cool because
again, like the luxury of likeyou could park and then walk to
the game.
Um, you know, with LA, you know,I think it would be it would be
(50:19):
cool if you could seecelebrities there.
I think that would just be acool thing, like, oh, hey,
there's Matthew Stafford, orhey, there's like Ryan Gosling,
or you know what I mean?
Like there's some whoever bigfamous person there.
But I think that if you'retalking like game day
atmosphere, I think Torontowould be cool because they'll
probably shut the whole citydown for the games.
And I know I read on, I think itwas ESPN today, that they've
(50:42):
moved like the Raptors times oftheir games, they've moved the
Maple Leafs times of their gamesto accommodate um the Blue Jays
game.
So I think that the cityatmosphere, the the party,
whatever the festivities partwould make it just even a better
atmosphere inside the uh insidethe dome.
So I would say Toronto.
SPEAKER_00 (51:02):
Gotcha.
DJ, what about you?
Does that tell you everythingyou need to know?
Them moving start times of othersports to say, hey, and I bet
you none of those other sportsare complaining about it.
Because they know as soon as thechip probably asked for it.
Yep.
And as soon as the championshipcomes to somebody in your city,
there's more eyes on you.
There's so if there's one thatcomes to um baseball, there's
(51:25):
gonna be more eyes on theirbasketball team.
So it just it it all, I mean,that tells you everything.
Um, I would rather go toToronto.
I number one, I think the crowdjust I might be soft, but the
people will be nicer, peoplewill be more fun to be around.
You know, I think that theywould embrace baseball people
and baseball fans and just wantto have a great time watching a
great sport versus like LA,like, ah man, you're getting a
(51:49):
little close to me, man.
It's like, oh, you type of dudethat uh you know rubs your hands
on your pants when you'reeating, huh?
Like, I feel like I get thattype of treatment in LA.
Um I just I I don't do wellaround these, those types of
people, man.
Um, but just inside a dome, youknow it's gotta be loud.
You know people are gonna bemoving, you know that you're
(52:10):
gonna feel it, you know, thetension of every pitch, um,
versus, you know, you're notgonna see people's like uh late.
Watch game one.
Watch how many empty seats arebehind home plate when they
start the game.
Because getting there is like,it's I'm telling you, it's gonna
be I don't know.
(52:31):
It's it is just a difference inthese two franchises.
So give me, I'll take my ride toToronto.
It's a lot shorter, too.
A lot shorter ride.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (52:40):
Toronto for the dome aspect of it for me.
One, you don't have to worryabout, oh, is it gonna rain?
Am I gonna be sitting in this?
Do I need to bring the poncho?
Do I need to bring this?
Do I need to do that?
You know, you don't have toworry about that there.
Um and just the feel that likeyou probably feel that stadium
(53:00):
rocking in your chest when whenit gets going.
And every sports fan wants tofeel that when you're at a game.
That's the that's the one of thereasons we go to games is to
just have that experience there,and I think you're gonna get a
whole hell of a lot more of thatin Toronto than you do in LA.
And yeah, the star aspect ofthat, I didn't even think of
(53:21):
that, is cool.
Like, you just sit down and likeis is that De Niro sitting here
like in the next room, like youknow what I mean?
Like, that'd be cool.
But I I'm not there to seecelebrities, I'm there to watch
a baseball game.
And Toronto, you're gonna getthe true baseball feel.
Uh there.
So for me, yeah.
(53:43):
I and yeah, it's a much quickerride here from Ohio than it is
to LA.
Uh, so I am taking that all day,every day.
And with that all being said,that is actually going to do it
for our annual World Seriesshow.
Uh, looking forward to see howour predictions come true with
this panel of guests.
Again, I want to thank TJ, Tony,and Fiddy for being on here with
(54:05):
me and getting to talkeverything baseball and the
World Series.
And as always, if you enjoyedthe show, be a friend, tell a
friend.
If you didn't, tell themanyways, because they might like
it just because you didn't.
That's gonna do it for me, and Iwill see y'all next week.
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