Did you know the MLB Draft was going on!? Luke Arcaini does! He gives you all the info for your Phillies' draft picks in the Daily Ticket open with Sean Brace. They also talk Phillies ending their pre-All-Star break west coast trip with a win in San Diego, Home Run Derby favorites, and more.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Number one on your car radio preset hand a new
and improved iheard radio w D A S and w
D two seven Bring d Philadelphia is Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
The Gambler.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Swung on line towards left center field, long run Merril,
he won't get it. It's a base head. It goes
to the wall. Harper is in the score and J.
T Romuto delivers the two out RBI double in.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
The Phillies have a two.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
To one lead, Swinging a live ride left center field.
Marshall on the run of the gap is there, He's
got it, and Matt Strom gets the save as the
Padres put two ont of the ninth but do not score,
and the Phillies will head to the break in first
place in the National League East after a two to
one win here over San Diego.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Oh courtesy of the fine folks. So we're at Philadelphia,
Phillies A radio network. Scott Ranski on the call, and
you heard him, that's right. The Phillies. They avoided the
sweep in both West Coast series in the getaway games,
if you will, versus the Giants and the Padres, and
(01:39):
now they head into a much deserve break Sitting atop
the standings for now. One thing we learned yesterday during
the broadcast the Mets, I did at least the Mets
and Phillies have exchanged first place ten times now ten
times in the NL East throughout the course of sixty
games so far. That's pretty damn core. Excuse me a
little bit more than sixty eight. We're sixty percent into
(02:02):
the season, halfway through, if you will. But bottom line
is this, we have a lot to discuss, a lot
to look back on, and we got ourselves a nice
little hiatus well filled with the home run derby and
some other odds and ends football season inching closer. I
dialed it up this past weekend while I was down
(02:24):
at the beach as much as possible with the great
Phil Steel Magazine, just reading up on all the conferences,
trying to find those in and gyms, the value plays,
the quarterbacks. They're gonna be coming out of nowhere, a
lot to discuss this week. We're gonna be tackling it all.
I promise you that Sam Ousti's gonna join us at
four o'clock. We'll talk about Cooper Flag. The big story
from the weekend. I tweaked from Keith POMPEII. The first
(02:47):
thing I read this morning that got my blood absolutely
boiling from the seventy six ers and hopefully Sam's gonna
pour some cold water on that and calm me down.
But Luke Arcandy right from the jump here on a Monday,
and of course Luke and a lot to discuss with
the Phillies hopefully had a great weekend. But man, you
heard it. Great way to end that three game series.
(03:09):
My heart was pumping. I did not think they were
coming away with that victory yesterday in Game three, and
of course, you know, the leadoff hitter gets on through
a matsround walk. If I'm not mistaken, he was able
to get out of it. But I I just had
no I didn't have good vibes. Let's put it that way,
that they were gonna win that game. So here we
are off into the All Star break, cooler head to prevail,
(03:32):
and I mean, my goodness, they're second and National League
batting average second in the NL and OBP fifth and
slugging third team in EER life. Is good for the Phillies,
right We should feel good right now?
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Correct, absolutely, everybody should absolutely feel good about the Phillies
right now. They're fourteen games over five hundred, they have
a lead of the NL East, and no, after a
first half of no Bryce Harper for a month, no
Aaron Nola for months, losing your best reliever for basically
(04:06):
the entire season, your two biggest offseason acquisitions being bad,
really really bad, they still walk away with a pretty
good first half. Like there's obviously they have their things
that they need to work on and they need to
(04:28):
get better at, and they need to improve. But you know,
fourteen games over five hundred, when you have dealt with
some injuries, and you've dealt with some guys that have
gone out for a month, and you have a bad bullpen,
and you know, there's still fourteen games over five hundred,
they're still leading the division, and it seems like this
team is going to get a lot better here in
(04:48):
a few weeks.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
I do agree with you on that one. Yeah, look,
we'll find out what's going to take place July thirty first,
at your closer here as we're sitting July fourteenth, of course,
the trade deadline. A lot of those names. You know,
one thing that I've come to know over the years
is that like if you have a name, and if
you have somebody that you potentially want a team to
(05:11):
trade for, and you throw that name out there, they
could be Mickey Manno reincarnated and know there's gonna be
plenty Oh these thanks, So you got a couple of guys. Yeah,
Bucks is playing well right now. A couple of players
out there that we've been discussing in the last few
weeks as far as to keep our eyes on. Garcia
had two home runs. I want to say over the weekend,
(05:32):
there's some players that are doing some things right now
that we've all been discussing as potential targets for All
Star Break or for the trade deadline. The only thing
that and we're a little all over placed on a
Monday to get this party started, that's all right. The
only thing that was hitting me a little bit more
over the weekend as I was looking at some of
those potential targets and the teams that they're playing for. Look,
there's a lot of teams that are still in this
(05:53):
there's a lot of teams that are in this wild
card hunt right now. So you look at the Rangers,
would the Rangers really want to move a player that's
that's that's helped them win a World Series. That's helped them,
you know, with the power as I said, has come
on strong. The Twins are a little bit different. They're
down in the standings, but still the Central is up
(06:13):
for grabs, if I'm not mistaken. So where are you
at right when that conversation comes up? Because July thirty first,
right around the corner, a lot of teams are gonna
have this difficult decisions to be made here.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Yeah, so we are about, you know, four days away
from I always say I think the ten games from
the All Star Break to the trade deadline are the
most important games for everyone season because you know, it's
a team like the Cleveland Guardians who sit at forty
six and forty nine on the year.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
They're twelve games out of the division.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Right, it doesn't look great, but they could come out
of the All Star Break. They could win nine in
a row and all of a sudden, there's six games
over five hundred and they're in second place in that division.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Right.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
You have a team.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Going down here, sort of like the Saint Louis Cardinals
right there, five games over five hundred. They're six and
a half games out of the NL Central. They could
come out of the break, they could lose ten games
in a row and all of a sudden they're five
games under five hundred, eleven games out of the central. Like,
this is a time now where you really have to
(07:16):
hope that the teams that the players you want play
for lose a lot of their next games up until
the trade deadline, especially those friends teams like I said,
the Guardians, the Twins, the Cardinals, even a team like
you know, the San Francisco Giants, who I don't they
won't sell, but like that's a team that if they win,
(07:38):
you know, eight out of their next ten before the deadline,
it could go a lot heavier than they would have
if if they lose, you know, seven out of their
next nine. So these next games are important. Yeah, But
like you said, there's a lot, a ton of fringe
teams right now. And it's funny because you know, the
biggest rumors that the Phillies have been linked to so
(07:59):
far are two of the biggest fringe teams in the
Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Guardians.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Guardians is definitely one that popped up out over the
week in a little bit more smoke and fire, let's
just put it that way. Your thoughts on anything that
is happening there. Would you put a little bit more
stock in the rumors with the Guardians than anything?
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Yeah, yeah, I think so.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
I think the whole big report for mac gilb about
the Philly's really eyeing up the Al Central, I think
there's a lot of truth to that. You know, there's
a lot of good relievers in the Al Central. There's
a lot of good bats in the Al Central, specifically
on those two teams. And I don't think, listen, I
(08:42):
think this is going to be Dave Dombrowski's biggest deadline yet.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
Granted that bar.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Is not that high, so it you know, it might
not be some huge monster. Get five different stars in
here kind of a few days there at the end
of July, But you know, if Emmanuel Klock's on the table,
Dave den Browse's gonna check in, If Johan Duranz on
the table, I believe Dave den Browse's gonna check in.
(09:08):
If if the price for Byron Buxton is an insane
I think he's gonna check in. Like there's a lot
of teams in that Ale Central, specifically the Twins in
the Guardians. That was really the big report there it
seems like a lot of those guys could be on
the table. Uh. I do know the Phillies have have
sent some scouts, like he said, out to really.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Watch those specific teams.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Griffin Jackson another guy on the Twins that they've been
interested in. They're going to get bullpen help, they know
they need it.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
I know.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
The Phillies have have picked ten players so far in
this draft. Nine of them have been pitchers, eight of
them have been from college. They've picked just one position
player so far.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Yeah, they haven't.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
They haven't made a first round selection of a pitcher
from college since Aaron Nola and all and all of
a sudden, eight of eight of their ten first picks
in this draft have been college pitchers. So it almost
seems like a bit like I've just been completely shocked.
Every time I get a new update, it's just the
Phillies have selected.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
Another college pitcher.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
No, nine percent of those guys aren't going to be
on this team, you know, this year. But listen, there's
not one hundred percent rule out that they're not going
to try and maybe elevate the gauge would thing obviously
their first round selection yesterday. But we'll get into that more.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Yeah, we'll talk a little bit more about the draft
a little bit later, because that's definitely a name that's
hot in the timeline right now. But to your point,
I was doing radio when Aaron Nola was drafted, and
Ruben Tomorrow specifically went down there and targeted him because
it was a guy that you thought would be able
to come up to the ranks pretty quickly, and he
did do exactly that. He was a workhorse with LSU
(10:53):
and he's been exactly that with the Phillies. We'll talk
a little bit more about the second half. We'll talk
about Aaron Nola as well. Got to get a painter
update from Luke Arcaney. A lot to discuss, but again,
this team right here, right now, I think it's important
for us to almost, you know, show some love. Right like,
this team, fourteen games above five hundred first place, have
(11:15):
been went through a little bit of a lull, maybe
two lulls throughout the course of the whole first half.
One that was serious at the end of April, and
then from that point on they ate the gas pedal
and figured things out. We're gonna show some love and
throw some flowers at some players directions, but again two
and four on the West Coast swing break coming at
(11:35):
the right time. They had a thirteen to nothing blowout
in the final game against San Francisco, which everybody enjoyed watching.
We all did that, and then you saw yesterday like
this team can go ahead and grind with the best
of them in a two to one ball game I
think was the final score. So you know, we have
our wish list. The Dodgers are the Dodgers, and they're
(11:56):
leaking oil. That's a team that has been struggling right
now as of late. And they went through a lull
last year as well, probably everyone does.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Sixty two game season, it was the first time the
Dodgers all seven in a row in ten years.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
Like, and and they're.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Supposed to be one of the best teams ever told everyone,
everybody goes through lass.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
You know, it's it's a long season.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
I couldn't even count on one hand how times I
said on this show in April and May and June
it's a long season, very very very long season. It
is crazy that we're already ninety something games into this
season is absolutely bizarre.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
But yeah, no, I mean, you got to give them
their flowers.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Man, and like, I know, I understand the Max Kepler
situation is frustrating. I understand the rematch situation is frustrating.
I understand the bullpen is frustrating. I understand this offense
is frustrating.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
But I just.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Named a lot of different things that are extremely frustrating.
And it feels like they've been going on all season
and they're fourteen games over five hundred at the All
Star break with the lead in the division, like they're
they're still playing good baseball. And yes, I know the losses,
like this West Coast trip was not great, that that
ending in San Francisco was one of the wildest things
(13:11):
I've ever seen to a baseball game, But let's go
baseball team. This is a team that can win a
World Series. Obviously, they need to add at the deadline,
but this is a team that has the bones and
has the you know, foundation so far to eventually go
on and compete in the postseason and hopefully won a
World Series.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Win the division right now, and draft Kings might just
want thirty five Mets plus one oh five. We'll talk
about some of those other divisions potentially up for grabs.
We will also get into a little bit of the
app little home run derby action Man Chris.
Speaker 4 (13:46):
Burma home run Derby has has never been the same.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Yeah, since we lost that's and and the issue is
it's does youngins? That was the issue. They listened to
all those youngins, Luke, all those gen z ers. They
were like, I had not And then now what with
that being said some similar similar I know we had
(14:13):
a little bit of a situation where Christopher Sanchez getting
the short end of the stick as far as the
All Star Game is concerned. And I'm bringing it up
because there were some funny comments, specifically Castiano saying, what
is this the Savannah bananas? I thought it was good.
I'm gonna play the other side though, Luke, I'm gonna
play the other side. It is an exhibition game. Why
(14:35):
should why should we care? Why should it? Like, Okay,
he got his money, the Phillies made him right, paid
his money. Why should we care? Why is this a
big deal? Because at the end of the day, it's
about entertainment. They tried to make the All Star Game
a bigger deal. They tried to Budzeelie got ridic ridiculed
for it and potentially most likely deserved it. Right, I
(14:57):
kind of dug it.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
I was.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
I was a different I was on the outside looking
in as far as home field being decided because of
an All Star Game. But I liked it. You gave
me something to tune into.
Speaker 5 (15:09):
But that's why it mattered. Okay, it mattered then. Now
it doesn't matter, all right. So now what you're doing
is you're giving me a television show. And you got
this kid a Milwaukee who's got a who just absolutely
tears it up with a heater. All right, he's well
above the league average with mph is on his fastball. Yeah,
(15:30):
that's the guy I want to see in there. Let's
get everyone that pops.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
The mid at one O one, one o two, make
them a part of this All Star Game. That's more
of a reason for us to watch. With all love
and respect to a guy like Christopher Sanchez who's been incredible.
But if I'm talking about a reason to tune in
and not here in Philadelphia, not our guys, but to
some other average Joe out there that you know what,
I'm trying to fire up the MLB All Star Game somewhat. Well, Now,
(15:58):
we got this flame thrower who just came up, has
pitched in five starts and yeah, we're sending him to
Atlanta pretty All Star Game. There's at least something there, right, Like,
we can't have it both ways. Either it's an exhibition
who cares? Or we need to go back and make
this game actually mean something.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
So here's what here's where I will take that other side.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
If you turn on the All Star Game, you don't
you don't need to always watch the players that deserve
it the most. You want to watch the most electric players. Yes,
but if you're if that's how you're going to decide,
if you're going to put a guy like Miserowski in
(16:40):
who has thrown five starts ever in his Major League
Baseball career, Zach Wheeler has more career plea, more career
complete games than Jacob Miserowski has career starts.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
You need to.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Take away the either bonuses or the contract stipulations. Christopher
Sanchez can't have a contract stipulation for him to make
the All Star Game and then get absolutely screwed and
not get in the game, because then he loses out
on money and that guy has earned his money. And
(17:19):
luckily the Phillies are a class actization and they still
gave him his bonus that he would have made. The
other side to this is if you're going to treat
the All Star Game like this, all Star appearances cannot
have an effect when you eventually try to get into
the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
And I'm not.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Saying Christopher Sanchez is ever going to be a Hall
of Famer, right, but if he throws fourteen seasons with
an ERA under three to five, right under four, and
he makes the All Star Game twice, people use and
it's not the end all be all, but people take
(17:57):
all stars into account when they're get these Hall of
Fame guys, right Right, If you have a guy with
similar stats for another guy and you know they have
the same fame.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
I guess that would be the word.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
And one of them has fourteen All Stars and the
other one has two. Guess who the guy's voting for.
He's voting for the guy that has fourteen All Stars
and not too they need to take away any sort
of meaning in the.
Speaker 4 (18:23):
Long run for it.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Listen, I want to watch the most electric players in
the league on Tuesday night. I completely understand that. Excited
to watch Misarrawski pitch. I've watched every single one of
his starts so far, and it's awesome, right, but this
can't have a financial impact on the players. And yes,
Christopher Sanchez is fine with money. I understand that he's
(18:46):
not scraping the bottom of the barrel for money right now.
But this guy, part of his contract that he signed
one of the biggest steals in baseball. His contract, it's
an absolute steal. One of his stipulations is if he
missed the All Star Game, he gets a bonus from
the Phillies.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
He deserves to be in the All Star Game, and he's.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Not well, said Luke Carcaney. That was a great answer
across the board. I tip my cap to you, sir.
If we're giving flowers out to the Phillies, you've been
doing a great job covering him up with the Phillies
and MLB for us here on the Gambler all season long.
I give you flowers. I lay the love down for you, sir. Also,
cousin Nikki checking embraces back back again. You damn right
(19:27):
feels good. I wit you nice And oh you want
to talk about a man who lit it up in
the first half major League Baseball coverage, This guy Colby Marshio. Yeah, man,
that see He's all over the freaking place, every single
radio outlet, every I'm gonna turn on Baseball tonight and
Colby Marcio is gonna be on my television screen screaming
(19:51):
about some sort of It will probably be a cal
Raley home run. That's what it's going to be. It's
gonna be exactly this, you're gonna I'm gonna turn on
the ESPN and here's gonna be Kobe Marshy all yelling
at my television screen because the big number went yard
yet again. We will talk about cal Raley coming up
(20:13):
in just a second, because there is a lot good bite,
a lot to talk about with mister Rawley and the
first half. But back over, Oh, he wants to know
who I have went into home run Derby. Well, Kobe,
that's what we call a tee, sir, I will give
you my all star are my home run Derby pick.
And I want to give a shout out to Jared Smith,
(20:33):
who has an unbelievable breakdown. I retweeted it. I'm talking
about if you were going to wager on tonight's home
run Derby, you must read his threat. It is the
breakdown of all breakdowns with the guys that are throwing
the pitches to him. Who it is? It could be
(20:55):
a translator. There's somebody that's a translator. That's the pitcher
tonight own the ball to the hitter. You got guys
that are normal BP pitchers. Look, if you're going to
wager on it, trust me, this is well worth the time.
We'll read through it a little bit later in this hour.
But Luke's staying with the Phillies. One player, if you would,
(21:16):
from the first half, that has the Phillies currently in
first place, that has the Phillies fourteen games above five hundred,
that you gotta feel pretty damn good about the way
things have resulted so far here throughout the course of
this season. One player that you want to shine the
light on if I may. Who is it?
Speaker 4 (21:33):
Yeah, So I'm gonna go with a guy in the
bullpen in Tanner Banks.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
You know, not the flashiest name. Not you know some
some big stars. He's not an All stars. He's a
guy that was traded from the worst team in the
history of baseball last year at the trade deadline and
was supposed to be a mop up guy for the Phillies,
and after Jose Alvarado went down with the suspension, He's
(22:00):
turned into arguably the most trustworthy lefty they have in
the bullpen this season. I think matt Strom has been
up and down. I'm still like not out on mattch
Strom at all. I think he's fine. But there was
going through a stretch where it felt like every time
matt Strom came into a game, I mean even yesterday
that that last game in San Diego, it gets a
(22:20):
little iffy, gets a little little.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
Afty in there. He makes you hold your breath for
a minute.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Tanner Banks has been a major light for them this
year because this bullpen would be in shambles if they
didn't have if match, if matt Strom was their only
lefty and their bull out after Jose Alvarado went down,
it would be even worse than it already is. So
(22:46):
that that was mine for the bullpen. I did have
one more as well. I'm gonna get Brandon Marsham Flowers
as well, because Brandon marsh started off the season. I believe,
oh for thirty four got sent down to Triple A.
He had the injury. I still think it was, you
know a little bit of half he was kind of hurt.
Speaker 4 (23:08):
Half he needed a reset, and he's just.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Kind of been really really good since he's come back
from that assignment. Last thirty days, he's hitting over too eighty.
Brandon marsh On this season, he hit three twenty four
in June, he hit two ninety eight in May, and
he's hitting two sixty seven right now in July through
like thirty at bats. But that guy had a batting
(23:34):
average at one point this season. I gotta go back
and find it really quick. At one point this season,
Match Strawn before he went on the eye had Brandon
marsh apologies had a three eighty seven OPS.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
It was the worst OPS in all of baseball.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Give us the average, what's an average OPS.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Around the high sixes. By early sevens, he had an
OPS plus around I believe it was twenty five. League
average is one hundred. That is, the average OPS plus
is one hundred. He was around twenty five. It was
(24:15):
a brutal start, and this could have gone really really bad,
yes for him. I think this is a situation where
they could have sent him down and had him ride
it out in the minors for a while, and he
came back up and he just tore it up. So
I want to give some Flowers to brand marsh as well,
because I think in a season where the Phillies have
really struggled in their outfield, like last season and the
(24:38):
season before, he's been a guy that has really been
a spark and and and he's set really nice into
that nine hole.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
Even on days where they have.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Guys like like Rojas and marsh On in the lineup,
They've kept March in that nine hole because he's really
getting comfortable as almost that like second leadoff hitter.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
So I wanted to give him this.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
I like you, you're right. Going back to the beginning
of the season, it was a strug or yeah, him
in Boom Boom too. Bom was struggling. Boom took the
heater off of the ribs on Saturday, And I hopefully
he's much better. And I'm sure that if you take
a look around Fred's tavern over the next couple of days,
you might see him stumbling in there or around that corner,
(25:23):
possibly with a beautiful girl next to him too. I'm
just saying, just saying, that's that's what the word is. Anyways,
Fred's still rocking. It's where I was all weekend. Great times.
With that, I would like to take the reins and
lay the love for jt Romuto. And first of all,
we know talking about another player who's turned it around,
(25:45):
struggling at the beginning season. Last thirty games, three thirty
nine average, ten rbi, thirty nine hits, really putting it together.
If you missed yesterday's game.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Swung on line towards left center, be a long run, Merril,
he won't get it. It's a base hit, It goes
to the wall. Harper is in the score and J.
T Romuto delivers the two out RBI double in the
Phillies have a two to one lead.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
JT obviously comes through in the clutch Yesterday gets the
job done. But we often talk about on this show,
and I'm pretty sure every show, every podcast that talks
Phillies Baseball about how amazing this pitching staff is. The
starters are unbelievable. They're able to get to the seventh inning.
Ranger Suarez, Debt tax is in a quality start. Oh
(26:31):
my god, Zach Wheeler, what the list goes on and
on and on. Mckabel comes up, he looks great. Yeah,
there's there's one common denominator and it's JT behind the plate.
I get it. Pitchers are gonna make the pitches, no
doubt about it. But there's something about that familiarity that
these guys have, knowing what they're going to get from
JT behind the plate, And it was hitting me before
(26:53):
he came through in the clutch. I think I was
thinking about this on Saturday, just talking about, you know,
things we were gonna get into, and I was like,
you know what, like how important it is to have
that backbone of the operation at that catching position. You know,
you look at the Mets and Francisco Lindor really runs
the show up there, no offense butts about it. He
is the guy like It's just it's a different vibe
(27:15):
with the Phillies. JT. Is that dude, JT. I would
imagine Police's that clubhouse. I think he is probably the
big uncle, the big brother, whatever you want to say
that everybody looks at and and if I may, he
has a Darren Dalton vibe, right, And I know Kruck
has said that on the broadcast as well. And that's
(27:35):
that old school catcher mentality. We're here, lunch pale, let's
do the dirty work, let's get the job done, and
let's get the victory and ride on this pitching staff
has been incredible. JT has been the starting catcher all
season long, and as I said, has been coming around
with his bat as of late. Came through in the
clutch yesterday. If I'm giving flowers to somebody for the
first half, it's JT. Realmuto.
Speaker 4 (27:57):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
I love it, and I think one of my biggest
things going into this offseason obviously the big three free
agents for the Phillies Schwarber, Ranger, JT. Schwarber in mind,
in my mind, isn't no doubt they are going to
bring him back.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
Ranger.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
I don't know. I I it'd be really hard to
watch that guy walk out of this clubhouse, just because
how much he said he wants to pitch for the
Phillies his entire career.
Speaker 4 (28:25):
And I haven't even got into his stats.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Let me pause you there for a second. Will it
be harder to watch him walk out or harder for
the Phillies to resign him? Because I think it's really
tough for the Phillies to be able to resign him.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
It's it's going to be very tough for the Phillies
to ressign him.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
But that third guy that everyone kind of forgets about this.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
Offseason, is is JT Realmuto eat the free agent after
this season? And you know it's there's a lot more
complaining I.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
Would say in phil about JT.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
And there is praise for JT, and I understand he's
He's not the JT was.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Five years ago.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Listen, there's nobody on this team that's as good as
they were five years ago other than Zach Wheeler and
Kyle Schwarber. That's probably it, and then Ranger Sanchez that
that's probably the end of that list period. J C.
Realmuto is a guy for me that I think the
Phillies have to gauge that market. And I know a
(29:28):
lot of people will say, well, obviously Schwarber's won Rangers,
JT's three. JT's got a really strong connection with this
pitching staff man. And if that's a guy that you
can get to come to come back on a cheap
contract and keep him in this building and not play
him as much, if they can truly commit to going
(29:50):
and getting a backup catcher this offseason and and not
necessarily running in you know, half and half split.
Speaker 4 (29:58):
With the two catchers.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
But if JT is willing a little less money to
come back to Philadelphia, mainly on like a two year
deal and almost sort of ride this out with Zach
Wheeler because obviously we know we are only has this season,
twenty twenty six and twenty twenty seven left. He's he's
set it multiple times. If they can find a way
(30:20):
to get JT back in this clubhouse for next season
and you improve this lineup to where j eighth in
a lineup like this, I think it's worth the money. Man, Like,
he's just too valuable for this pitching staff, and I'm
happy that you're giving him his flowers because even though
you know, he's not the player he was four or
five years ago when they re signed him after the
(30:42):
huge re Signed JT campaign, he's still just extremely, extremely.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Valuable to Oh yeah, you know, look, you don't see
the hashtag, you know, b cib all that often these days,
no doubt about it. I'm with you. But at the
end of the day, he's still pretty damn good, you know.
And oh, by the way, the best catcher in baseball
has about a bazillion home runs right now, so there's
not much you can do about what Roley's doing up there.
Speaker 4 (31:07):
No matter how JT is playing, j C could have
one thousand O pa', He's still not the best.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:14):
The big dumper.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Yeah, the big Dumper's got control of that one. We're
gonna get into the big dumper. A couple more on
the Phillies. Give credit to Drew Smith over at the
Liberty Line. Clicked on his first half summary and one
thing that made me like, wait, really are the Phillies
good on defense? Luke third fewest errors in the league.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
Yeah, yeah they are. Yeah. They have their.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Moments where it's like you almost hear the circus that
you know, it's like, wait, what in the league.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
They're the most boneheaded defensive groups sometimes I would say
they make plays look like like a little leaguer could
make it sometimes, But they are by far they are
an above average defensive team this year. And I mean
a lot of that has to do with Trey. He's
played way better defense this year.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
The the the the.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Rise in out bones defense this year has been incredible. Yes,
obviously we know we have from Stott Harper, Martin center
has been bad, Martian left has been really good, Max
Kepler plays a very good left field and Nick n
stats in defensively don't always look bad because to log
(32:26):
negative stats, you actually have to be able to get
to the ball and he and you know he's not
the best tracker in the league.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
But yeah, no, this is definitely an improvement defensively from
where they've been in the past season.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
All right. Yeah, and last but not least, putting a
bow on the Phillies here first half. The other one
that made me like, whoa really pause was the fewest
i L days in the NL. That's interesting because you
think about some of the players that have been on
the i L, specifically Aaron Nola, Like, you know, that's
a running tally. It hasn't stopped. So fewest I L
(32:59):
days in the National League, and you know those are
a surprise, that's.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
True because the Dodgers have thrown like thirteen pitchers on
the IL this year.
Speaker 4 (33:08):
That's very surprising.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
You know, you just look at it from those are
the types of deals that when they go your way,
you know, when the ball bounces your way, when you
don't get bit by the injury bug. And I would
even say, like, yeah, every team does have the Phillies
been bit by the injury bug, Like would I say
yes to that. No, I guess not you, Aaron Nola.
You had Harper obviously, two big pieces there. But other
(33:32):
than that, have they been bit by the injury bug?
Speaker 5 (33:35):
No?
Speaker 2 (33:35):
I guess I would say probably not, even though as
I said, those are two big time names.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
With that being said, all right, let's keep it moving.
Let's talk a little MLB as a whole here, and
I want to get I sent Luke a few questions,
three questions regarding the first half from the standpoint of
around Major League Baseball. So let me get the terminology
correct right here. The first half story line that caught
(34:01):
you by surprise, Luke Carcaney. First half storyline, Major League Baseball,
that caught you by surprise.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
I'm gonna give two American League games their flowers here.
The Detroit Tigers. I expected the Detroit Tigers to be good.
I did not expect the Detroit Tigers to be the
best team in baseball at the All Star break.
Speaker 4 (34:20):
They are.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
The best team in baseball. Is not the Dodgers. It
is not the Phillies or the Mets. It is not
the Yankees, it is not anybody else. It is the
Detroit Tigers. They've played unbelievable baseball this year obviously, led
their lineup has just been awesome. They just have so
many threats and look at it. You know, they don't
(34:42):
have the highest run differential. It's at eighty seven right now,
so you know it's I believe.
Speaker 4 (34:49):
It's third or fourth in the league. But they've just
had so many cool storylines this year.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
Obviously, the resurgence of Hobby baias He's he's now starting
in the All Our Game after what looked like one
of the worst contracts in a while in baseball. Riley
Greens had a great year, Spencer Torkelsen's had a great year.
Glaber Torres is starting in the All Star Game after
leaving the Yankees. They've just they've just had a ton
(35:17):
of contributions. Scoobale obviously leading the way in thattation. The
other American League team that just absolutely caught everybody by
surprise this year is the Houston Ashers. Nobody thought the
Ashers were going to win that division. They lost Kyle Tucker,
(35:38):
Jordan Alvarez has been hurt for mainly the entire season,
and they're somehow they said, I believe they have the
second best record in the American League. They've they've just
played fantastic baseball. I mean, we saw them when we
went down to Houston. I think we know wasn't pretty
(35:58):
when we went down there.
Speaker 4 (36:00):
But they are.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
Fifty six and forty sixteen games over five hundred. They're
thirty three and.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
Nineteen at home.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
They have a fifty six run differential in the positive.
They've just gotten incredible contributions this year. Jeremy Paine has
had an awesome year for them, hitting three twenty two.
Eastac Paradis obviously came back in that Kyle Tucker trade.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
Jose Altuve out in left field.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
It hasn't been great defensively, but he's still having a
pretty good year at the plate. They've just been getting
a ton of contributions this year for a team that
I actually had them finishing third in the in that division.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
I had the Rangers winning that division. This year. Just
not a great year for the Rangers.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
But this Ashers team is just once you think maybe
you've finally killed the Astros, finally you don't have to
see him again.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
They're right back.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
After losing Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman in the same offseason.
Speaker 2 (36:55):
Yeah, I want to give Mark hevery junior his love.
I don't know if he had him winning the division
or not, but I was pushing that fucked to him
on a show and He's like, no, man, I still
think the Ashers are gonna be damn good this year.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
I believe me and Mark were both on the Rangers.
We both like the Rangers that division.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
But all right, for me, just again storyline that caught
me by surprise. You know, I was trying to get
cute with it with show hey, because the numbers what
he's been doing so far in this first half are
I think the three players in the history of Major
League Baseball have put up the numbers that he has.
And yet it's real quiet. I know, I know he's
gonna be MVP, understood, But and then now adding with
(37:34):
the pitching stuff like that. So I'm gonna skip that.
Let's go to the teams. So the biggest storyline surprise
for me, I'm gonna go to the Al East. And
it's just the fact that the Blue Jays are in
first place at the break here and won ten straight.
And this is a team that I have hoped that
would turn it on. Young guns. You know, some of
these great old school players that I came up with,
(37:56):
and this is their offspring, right and they're balling up
there and it's you know, the potential glore and oh,
by the way, in Toronto, something just you know different
about Canadian baseball whatever. But at the end of the day,
that division and it's always the Yankees. It's always the
Yankees of the Rays with a sprinkle of the Red Sox.
So something new, and I know the Orioles were there.
(38:18):
We're gonna talk about the Oels in just second. But
bottom line is it's something new and they have come
on strong in the last two to three weeks. Could
it be a collapse, anything as possible over the second
half of the season. We'll see what happens. But yeah,
the number one storyline that caught me by surprise the
Toronto Blue Jays on top of the Al East right
now as we speak. All right, keep it moving here,
(38:39):
first half, player, let's big dumper off it here. Lay
it to love for the big dumper. You go first.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
I mean, he was one shy of breaking the all
time baseball record held by Barry Bonds for most home
runs before an All Star break.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
I don't know how much more I have to.
Speaker 1 (38:55):
Say, while being unbelievable behind the plate, and you know
he's having such a good season that a guy with
a twelve hundred OPS isn't a lock to win.
Speaker 4 (39:10):
The MVP right now.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
It's it's it's unbelievable what he's doing as a catcher.
Speaker 4 (39:16):
He's hitting, he's he's.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
Not even hitting over two sixty. That's the funniest part.
He's hitting fifty nine. Granted, we only use batting average
for our agenda. Everybody knows that that's fine. One oh
one one OPS six thirty four, slug percentage of four
to eight war at the All Star break, one hundred
and five strikeouts, thirty eight home runs, eighty two RBIs sean,
(39:42):
he's on pace for seventy homers and one hundred and
fifty RBIs. It's just like, we've never seen a season
like this, especially from a catcher. It is unbelievable that
that guy goes out there, puts nine innings on his
knees for one hundred and sixty two games or however
(40:02):
many games he's played, and he's still hitting like this.
The catcher is not a hitting position anymore. If you
go down and you look at the ops of catchers.
I think the next guy behind him is like two
hundred and fifty points.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
Lower, Like it is bizarre what he is doing.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
I will say once we do get on the derby note,
I have an unfortunate stat for any big dumper lovers
tonight as far as the Derby boree.
Speaker 2 (40:29):
If they're watching this show, they're big dumper lovers. Ladies
and gentlemen.
Speaker 6 (40:34):
Come on down on the stretch and the two to
two on the way swinging a well hit ball deep
the left field, and Grandma get up the right. Brendon
Mustard in his grand Salami time cow rally with his
third Grand Slam of the season, puts this game away.
Speaker 2 (40:52):
Yeah, that was on Friday night when they beat the
Detroit Tigers. His thirty seventh and you just heard his
thirty eighth home run, well three victory. He went hitless
in the next two games. He is within one of
Barry Bonds's all time Major League record for homers before
he alll started breaking pretty sure. Luke already said that
his eighth multi homer game this season. And folks, he
(41:14):
is the catcher. That's the biggest part of this. He's
the catcher man. You know how much work he has
to do to compete on defense and then step out
to the dish and they know what's coming. Yet he
still continues to hit home runs. He hit ten home
runs in March, in April twelve and May eleven in
June five. In July, leads the league thirty eight and
(41:38):
eighty two. His previous career highs thirty four home runs
and one hundred ibi eyes both were set last year.
And if you're keeping count at home, he's outpacing those numbers.
Spatting average two fifty nine, twenty seven points higher than
this previous high, on base three seventy six sixty sixty
four points higher. Slugging this dude's doing at all. It's
(42:00):
the Big Dumper, but he's not gonna win tonight though.
Speaker 4 (42:05):
No, he's not really quick on the Big Dumper.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
Note he was actually just named the starting catcher for
Team USA and the World Baseball comes about that just
announced one minute ago.
Speaker 4 (42:16):
Nice, we like shout out to the Big Dumper. Would
you like me to get to the unfortunate Big Dumper Saturday?
Speaker 2 (42:20):
You want to wait some, We're gonna wait because we're
gonna give our picks at the end. Here all right, Finally, finally,
most disappointing team. I'll go first. Hear me out. It's
really easy to say the Orioles. It's really easy to
say the Rangers. You have one that did get my
interest up a little bit earlier when you sent that.
And I'm not saying that you're wrong on the Orioles
(42:40):
because I'm right there with you. You know, I'm sick of
the Pittsburgh Pirates. I'm just sick of that. Added to
you know, the woe is me and we're not gonna
spend money. Dude. You got an unbelievable ballpark. Pittsburgh fans
are loyal, you got great fan base there. You know,
I know his hand in hand, I get it. But
(43:02):
let's not you know, burry the lead here. You got
one of the most explosive pitchers we've ever seen take
the field. Paul Skimes is just a monster out there,
and what he continues to do every fifth day when
he gets the ball is shut down the opponent and
he gets zero run support. They have average. The Pirates
(43:24):
have averaged over three point three five runs in his
fourteen starts. There was even a game where the Pirates
score three runs. Are fewer for three straight starts for
Paul Schemes. You want to talk about what he's doing
right now? Were you just brought up e R plus?
He's got a two thirteen E R plus which is
one correct, you know, And now we're talking about, well,
(43:48):
what can they get if we trade him the Dodgers?
Can they load up? Like no, that can't be part
of the conversation when he's only got forty starts in
a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform. Do something about it, make it work,
and damn it. O'Neill Cruz has been a disappointment. Who's
going to win tonight, but he's been a major disappointment
(44:09):
for the Pittsburgh Pipe. I'm just sick of it. Man,
do something. It wasn't that long ago that Three Rivers
Stadium was a place that you went and you lost
with Andy Van slight patrol and center field DoD sluck,
Doug dray back. The list goes jim Lyn just fucking
some eaters in the dugout. Can the Pirates return to glory? Please?
(44:31):
Come on. They're disappointing and they're the most disappointing team
first half for me in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
Yeah, I'm gonna kind of go with too just really quick.
Speaker 4 (44:42):
The Orioles.
Speaker 1 (44:43):
I mean, I'm just start to get annoyed now talking
about the Orioles, so I don't really even want to
talk about him for that long.
Speaker 4 (44:50):
It's just been extremely disappointing.
Speaker 1 (44:52):
Their pitching staff is horrible, their lineup's been underachieving. They
have one guy who's really been hitting great this year
and he's going to be traded in fourteen days, and
that's Ryan O'Hearn. Just been an unbelievably disappointing team, really
really really just bad baseball.
Speaker 4 (45:11):
But my big one was the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Speaker 1 (45:15):
I thought the Diamondbacks, I said multiple times on this show.
I thought the Diamondbacks could give the Dodgers a run
for their money in that NL West. I didn't think
they were gonna win it. Obviously, the Dodgers are probably
going to win that division. But if there's one team
I thought in that division that could hang with the
Dodgers other than the Padres as well, I think we
all know the Padres just always play, you know, above
(45:38):
five hundred baseball was.
Speaker 4 (45:40):
The Arizona Diamonds, and they've just been a disappointment.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
They're forty seven and fifty. They're eleven games out of
the division. They're under five hundred at home, they have
a plus five run differential, and they've just been a
disappointment as far as e er. Let's go down there,
darters really quick. Corbin Burns only got the tour sixty
(46:04):
four innings. He's obviously out now. He was he was
pitching well before he went out. Speaking Meryl Kelly is
a three to three. He's been pretty good. Ryan Nelson
has been a disappointment. Brandon Fott has been an unbelievable disappointment. Yeah,
five to one six A. Zach Gallon has a five
to four zero era A for them. Eduardo Rodriguez had
(46:27):
a five ninety four before he went out. It's just
been a disappointment. Their bullpen has been bad, and that's
just been a team that hasn't been able to hang.
They haven't got the power. They've only really had, you know,
hitting aspect from it. It's really from Katel Marte, Eugenio
(46:49):
Suarez and Corbyn Carroll. They've they've got pretty good seasons
from Peven Smith, Josh Naylor. Geraldo Perdomo had a better
first half than he did the second half.
Speaker 4 (47:02):
It's just not good. They're just not playing good baseball.
Speaker 1 (47:05):
That's a team that seems like it's going to sell
a lot of people think Zach Gallen could be on
the movie. Probably the best power bat available seems to
be Eugenio Suarez. They're not trading Caatel Marte. They're not
trading Corby Carroll, obviously, but it did see I believe
I saw a report where they are looking to potentially
maybe move one of their outfielders, whether that's Randall Kritchick
(47:29):
who they signed in the off season, Lords Courriele Thomas
one of those guys. But just been a disappointing season
from the Diamondbacks all around. I thought they were gonna
have a way better record by now, and it's it's
just been a big disappointment.
Speaker 2 (47:41):
All right, Luke Arcany right there all things major League
Baseball and Phillies. You can find them over at Crossing
broad and make sure you're checking out everything he has
on socials. Finally, let's go ahead and hit this if
we can, because ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the
home run derby make it turn this evening down in Atlanta,
(48:02):
and I gotta give a huge shout out to Jared Smith,
who went into a monster breakdown last night where he
analyzed the field, specifically talking about who will be the
pitcher for the selected hitter in the home run derby,
and yes, it's pretty damn important. Jared's all over it.
He says, the rules allowed just forty pitches or three
(48:24):
minutes in the first round and twenty seven pitches two
minutes in the semis and the finals, so the quality
of pitches scene is a vital element to success. He
analyzes the field like nobody else. O'Neill Cruz, he goes
into it. It's a Pirate's assistant coach and translator. Also
throws pregame batting practice. Pirates manager Don Kelly quoted, he's
(48:45):
our best BP guy and I know he's going to
groove it in there for him. Close quote. Bottom line
is O'Neil Cruz, who has been a major disappointment, who
could very well have the skills to be an MVP candidate.
Eight hits the ball like a rocket, I think, if
I'm not mistaken, a stack cast. Since they've been taking
(49:07):
the score of that in the last five six years.
He's got two of the hardest hit balls ever ever
recorded both home runs of course there, So I'm rolling
with my guy, O'Neil Cruz. It just feels like this
would be you know, you get his boys over there.
I don't know what country he represents, but you know
they're all gonna be there, and the towels because they
support their own right everybody does you remember Alec Bohm
(49:30):
was in it with Bryce Harper was in there with
the Water. Everybody's supporting their guys. So I like O'Neil Cruz.
Give me O'Neil Cruz tonight plus three forty and Jared
Smith once again, before you hit sin on your wages,
just read his breakdown. He does a great job. He
has a couple of players that he likes versus other
players that he's gonna stay away from. DraftKings a ton
(49:51):
to choose from. So check that out. O'Neil Cruz plus
three forty. Let's go. Where's O'Neil Cruse. Do you know
I can look it up O'Neil Cruse.
Speaker 4 (50:05):
O'Neil Cruz was.
Speaker 2 (50:07):
Born a minute. Yeah, so the DR, so whoever is
representing the DR gonna be helping him out. O'Neill cruise
with the cowl, the gatorade, the breaks. I love it, man,
I love the home run derb. We always have, always will.
I'll even take you back further. There used to be
a old school home run derby. I'm talking with the
greats like Mickey manno versus, like Joe DiMaggio or you know,
(50:31):
I'm talking. And it was black and white and you
would just watch it and it was so dry. But
they would go out there and it was like the
one camera angle. I used to watch the hell out
of that home run derby. Great, great, great throwback there,
good memory if I may. But bottom line is it's
a lot of fun. Let's go tonight. Who you got, Luke.
Speaker 1 (50:49):
I am going to roll with guy who was originally
not even supposed to be in the game or in
the competition, in front of the home crowd to right
field into the right field stands.
Speaker 4 (51:02):
Give me Matt Olson plus eight hundred.
Speaker 1 (51:04):
He's the only guy in the derby that has done
it before. He's the only he's the only one with experience.
I like Matt Olson tonight plus eight hundred.
Speaker 4 (51:14):
One more guy.
Speaker 1 (51:15):
I am gonna give some love to Junior Kamanara at
plus twelve hundred as well.
Speaker 2 (51:19):
Oh, you're a long shot lover. You're a long shot lover.
Speaker 4 (51:22):
That shirt player. Yeah, what's life's too short to?
Speaker 2 (51:25):
You're seduced by the juice. As some would say.
Speaker 4 (51:28):
Boring, It is boring the bet favorites. I'm the favorites.
Better give me that. But yeah, those will probably be
my two guys tonight. I like that. I am excited though,
because I.
Speaker 1 (51:40):
Think some balls are going to be flying in the
chop house tonight down in Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (51:45):
Let's do it Your Home Run Derby was a nineteen
sixty television show is held in Wrigley Field and La.
I remember Wrigley and I used to catch Obviously I
wasn't live back then, but I caught the replays. Man,
I just love that stuff. It was so dry, just
do going out there hitting home runs, you know, three up,
next guy out or three outs, boom, next guy up.
(52:05):
And I would do I think the full nine innings
in thirty minutes that that aired twenty six episode. It's
pretty good stuff there, all right, keeping it moving quickly.
Give me cliff notes on the draft. And I got
a nugget that people probably didn't pay attention to from
last night's Major League Baseball Draft, Philly's first round pick
seems like a maniac. What are your thoughts?
Speaker 1 (52:24):
Oh, he's an absolute psychopath, absolute psychopaths. Name's Gage would Obviously,
if you guys don't know him, you probably know him
from the nineteen strikeout no hitter in the College World
Series against Murray State in an elimination game.
Speaker 4 (52:41):
He ended Murray State's magical run.
Speaker 1 (52:43):
Nobody thought they were gonna even come close to the
College World Series. He got interviewed after that game and said,
you know what's going through your mind right now? You
just threw a nineteen strikeout no hitter. He goes, I
shouldn't have hit the guy. That's all he said. He said,
that's all I got. I shouldn't have hit the guy.
He hit one batter in the game. If he did
not hit the batter, it would have been a perfect game.
(53:06):
After throwing a nineteen strikeout no hitter in the College
World Series, all he cared about was that he hit
the guy. The dude's an absolute maniac. He's just insane.
His fastball is very legit. He was up to ninety
eight is one hundred and thirteenth pitch in that game
was a ninety eight point six mile.
Speaker 4 (53:27):
An hour fastball in college. This kid's got juice.
Speaker 1 (53:32):
And you know, this is a situation where I don't
think it's you know, a lock, and it doesn't seem
like it's extremely likely. But there's a reason they took
a lot of college pitchers for a reason.
Speaker 4 (53:44):
You know, the bullpen's not great.
Speaker 1 (53:47):
They don't have a ton of pitching depth down in
their farm system.
Speaker 4 (53:51):
Hostly.
Speaker 1 (53:51):
One of the reasons I think they're going so college
heavy right now is because I think they're tired of
trading prospects for bullpen pieces.
Speaker 4 (53:58):
They've done it so.
Speaker 1 (53:59):
Much now, and I think they're starting to try and
find guys that can make an impact sooner rather than later.
They made ten picks so far, eight of them were
college pitchers. One was a shortstop from New Jersey. He
was one of the other ones I believe in the
ninth round, and then they took a high school pitcher
(54:20):
in there.
Speaker 4 (54:20):
But their first tricks, I really really liked it.
Speaker 2 (54:23):
This all right, great stuff from Luke. The only other
thing I would add from last night to Major League
Baseball Draft. Corona, California becomes the first high school of
three players picked in the top fifty of the same draft.
Corona High School, located in Riverside County in southern California,
made MLB history yesterday. Corona's right hand pitcher Saturnada sixth overall.
(54:43):
Billy Carlson was the tenth pick overall, and there was
another gentleman I want to say, that was thirty second pick.
So the top three and the top fifty unbelievable. And
if you're wondering, well man, that high school must have
ripped it up. They went twenty eight and three, were
dominate all season long. Upset law to that great Saint
John Bosco School in the California Interschalactic Federation Southern Section
(55:08):
semi final. Down goes Corona with the hot bet of talent. Anyways,
good stuff, Luke. Can't thank you enough for joining me
here on a Monday.
Speaker 4 (55:21):
You'll continue to.
Speaker 2 (55:22):
Read you at Crossing broad following you off things. Socials
enjoy the home run derby. All right, there he is
Luca or Katie on the Gambler Street. All right, sam
Os is gonna join me on the other side. Great
first hour of discussion. If you heard anything you want
(55:43):
to get a take off, please get involved with the conversation.
At fox Pho. Gambler at Fox Pho Gambler on socials
me personally at Seawan Underscore Brace and we are streaming
on all things socials, including YouTube. So go ahead and subscribe,
hit that button, mash it, smash it, whatever you want
to do, get just get involved as we are alive
three to six Monday through Friday right here with the
(56:04):
Daily Ticket. Other side, Sam Ostr's gonna join me. Cooper Flag. Yeah,
we're gonna talk about his Summer League debut. He played
two games, one was definitely at a little bit better
than the other. A Keith Poppey Sixers tweet that got
my blood boiling at about seven am this morning, trendon Wafford.
I need to learn more about mister Wafford because the
(56:25):
only thing that keeps throwing my way is him and Max.
He were boys well before the NBA, the Sixers and
of course the Brooklyn Nets where both players emerged on
the scene. So I need a little bit more about
Trend and Waffer and what the expectation is there. And
apparently the Sixers are currently being built to absorb the
(56:45):
absence of Star Center Joel Embiid, Is that true? Sam
Ostry's gonna join me on the other side. We got
a lot to discuss. Also, want to squeeze this in.
I never ever, ever, ever in this job, in this world,
we of it, but me specifically here in the media world,
I never wish ill on any b I really do
(57:06):
mean that. There's maybe one or two guys like Howard Eskin.
I was like, you know, like dude, go go who Oh,
by the way, was trying to get a gig here,
I think, but anyways, that's for another day. He's just
a complete loser. But you know, very rarely will I
root against anybody in the media world to lose a job.
Fox fs one cup bait on a number of shows
(57:29):
just about an hour ago. I am not lying to
you when I tell you I was on vacation Friday morning.
I caught this show for the first time. I set
you know, the remote wasn't the same. I'm not trying
to hit buttons. I got my two month old in
my lap. I'm just watching what's on TV and it
(57:50):
was breakfast Ball, and I wrote down on my phone
when I get back to work on Monday, my goodness,
I can't wait to talk about this show. It just
got canceled. So I don't know if I'm gonna go
into great detail about what I saw on Friday. I
don't think it was specifically to that show on Friday,
(58:11):
but it was embarrassing. It was really embarrassing to sit
there and watch and know that these people over there
getting good, good money, paid good money to do this
on TV, national TV, and this is what you're giving me.
So I want to tip my cap to the powers
that be over at FS one for pulling the plug,
because I know that they were right behind Craig Carton
(58:32):
in that cast, including the kid from Chicago, Danny Parkins.
I want to say Perkins, whatever his name is, who
left a pretty good gig as far as radio is concerned. Again,
I never root for this stuff, but you know, when
we're all out there competing for opportunities and this is
what you're throwing out there on television, it's frustrating. If
I had hair, i'd pull it out. I'll give you
a couple more thoughts on that. We got a lot
(58:53):
to get to though. Sam Austria on the other side,
don't go any more of this. The Gambler
Number one on your car radio preset hand a new
and improved iheard radio w D A S and w
D two seven Bring d Philadelphia is Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
The Gambler.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Swung on line towards left center field, long run Merril,
he won't get it. It's a base head. It goes
to the wall. Harper is in the score and J.
T Romuto delivers the two out RBI double in.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
The Phillies have a two.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
To one lead, Swinging a live ride left center field.
Marshall on the run of the gap is there, He's
got it, and Matt Strom gets the save as the
Padres put two ont of the ninth but do not score,
and the Phillies will head to the break in first
place in the National League East after a two to
one win here over San Diego.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Oh courtesy of the fine folks. So we're at Philadelphia,
Phillies A radio network. Scott Ranski on the call, and
you heard him, that's right. The Phillies. They avoided the
sweep in both West Coast series in the getaway games,
if you will, versus the Giants and the Padres, and
(01:39):
now they head into a much deserve break Sitting atop
the standings for now. One thing we learned yesterday during
the broadcast the Mets, I did at least the Mets
and Phillies have exchanged first place ten times now ten
times in the NL East throughout the course of sixty
games so far. That's pretty damn core. Excuse me a
little bit more than sixty eight. We're sixty percent into
(02:02):
the season, halfway through, if you will. But bottom line
is this, we have a lot to discuss, a lot
to look back on, and we got ourselves a nice
little hiatus well filled with the home run derby and
some other odds and ends football season inching closer. I
dialed it up this past weekend while I was down
(02:24):
at the beach as much as possible with the great
Phil Steel Magazine, just reading up on all the conferences,
trying to find those in and gyms, the value plays,
the quarterbacks. They're gonna be coming out of nowhere, a
lot to discuss this week. We're gonna be tackling it all.
I promise you that Sam Ousti's gonna join us at
four o'clock. We'll talk about Cooper Flag. The big story
from the weekend. I tweaked from Keith POMPEII. The first
(02:47):
thing I read this morning that got my blood absolutely
boiling from the seventy six ers and hopefully Sam's gonna
pour some cold water on that and calm me down.
But Luke Arcandy right from the jump here on a Monday,
and of course Luke and a lot to discuss with
the Phillies hopefully had a great weekend. But man, you
heard it. Great way to end that three game series.
(03:09):
My heart was pumping. I did not think they were
coming away with that victory yesterday in Game three, and
of course, you know, the leadoff hitter gets on through
a matsround walk. If I'm not mistaken, he was able
to get out of it. But I I just had
no I didn't have good vibes. Let's put it that way,
that they were gonna win that game. So here we
are off into the All Star break, cooler head to prevail,
(03:32):
and I mean, my goodness, they're second and National League
batting average second in the NL and OBP fifth and
slugging third team in EER life. Is good for the Phillies,
right We should feel good right now?
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Correct, absolutely, everybody should absolutely feel good about the Phillies
right now. They're fourteen games over five hundred, they have
a lead of the NL East, and no, after a
first half of no Bryce Harper for a month, no
Aaron Nola for months, losing your best reliever for basically
(04:06):
the entire season, your two biggest offseason acquisitions being bad,
really really bad, they still walk away with a pretty
good first half. Like there's obviously they have their things
that they need to work on and they need to
(04:28):
get better at, and they need to improve. But you know,
fourteen games over five hundred, when you have dealt with
some injuries, and you've dealt with some guys that have
gone out for a month, and you have a bad bullpen,
and you know, there's still fourteen games over five hundred,
they're still leading the division, and it seems like this
team is going to get a lot better here in
(04:48):
a few weeks.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
I do agree with you on that one. Yeah, look,
we'll find out what's going to take place July thirty first,
at your closer here as we're sitting July fourteenth, of course,
the trade deadline. A lot of those names. You know,
one thing that I've come to know over the years
is that like if you have a name, and if
you have somebody that you potentially want a team to
(05:11):
trade for, and you throw that name out there, they
could be Mickey Manno reincarnated and know there's gonna be
plenty Oh these thanks, So you got a couple of guys. Yeah,
Bucks is playing well right now. A couple of players
out there that we've been discussing in the last few
weeks as far as to keep our eyes on. Garcia
had two home runs. I want to say over the weekend,
(05:32):
there's some players that are doing some things right now
that we've all been discussing as potential targets for All
Star Break or for the trade deadline. The only thing
that and we're a little all over placed on a
Monday to get this party started, that's all right. The
only thing that was hitting me a little bit more
over the weekend as I was looking at some of
those potential targets and the teams that they're playing for. Look,
there's a lot of teams that are still in this
(05:53):
there's a lot of teams that are in this wild
card hunt right now. So you look at the Rangers,
would the Rangers really want to move a player that's
that's that's helped them win a World Series. That's helped them,
you know, with the power as I said, has come
on strong. The Twins are a little bit different. They're
down in the standings, but still the Central is up
(06:13):
for grabs, if I'm not mistaken. So where are you
at right when that conversation comes up? Because July thirty first,
right around the corner, a lot of teams are gonna
have this difficult decisions to be made here.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Yeah, so we are about, you know, four days away
from I always say I think the ten games from
the All Star Break to the trade deadline are the
most important games for everyone season because you know, it's
a team like the Cleveland Guardians who sit at forty
six and forty nine on the year.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
They're twelve games out of the division.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Right, it doesn't look great, but they could come out
of the All Star Break. They could win nine in
a row and all of a sudden, there's six games
over five hundred and they're in second place in that division.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Right.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
You have a team.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Going down here, sort of like the Saint Louis Cardinals
right there, five games over five hundred. They're six and
a half games out of the NL Central. They could
come out of the break, they could lose ten games
in a row and all of a sudden they're five
games under five hundred, eleven games out of the central. Like,
this is a time now where you really have to
(07:16):
hope that the teams that the players you want play
for lose a lot of their next games up until
the trade deadline, especially those friends teams like I said,
the Guardians, the Twins, the Cardinals, even a team like
you know, the San Francisco Giants, who I don't they
won't sell, but like that's a team that if they win,
(07:38):
you know, eight out of their next ten before the deadline,
it could go a lot heavier than they would have
if if they lose, you know, seven out of their
next nine. So these next games are important. Yeah, But
like you said, there's a lot, a ton of fringe
teams right now. And it's funny because you know, the
biggest rumors that the Phillies have been linked to so
(07:59):
far are two of the biggest fringe teams in the
Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Guardians.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Guardians is definitely one that popped up out over the
week in a little bit more smoke and fire, let's
just put it that way. Your thoughts on anything that
is happening there. Would you put a little bit more
stock in the rumors with the Guardians than anything?
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Yeah, yeah, I think so.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
I think the whole big report for mac gilb about
the Philly's really eyeing up the Al Central, I think
there's a lot of truth to that. You know, there's
a lot of good relievers in the Al Central. There's
a lot of good bats in the Al Central, specifically
on those two teams. And I don't think, listen, I
(08:42):
think this is going to be Dave Dombrowski's biggest deadline yet.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
Granted that bar.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Is not that high, so it you know, it might
not be some huge monster. Get five different stars in
here kind of a few days there at the end
of July, But you know, if Emmanuel Klock's on the table,
Dave den Browse's gonna check in, If Johan Duranz on
the table, I believe Dave den Browse's gonna check in.
(09:08):
If if the price for Byron Buxton is an insane
I think he's gonna check in. Like there's a lot
of teams in that Ale Central, specifically the Twins in
the Guardians. That was really the big report there it
seems like a lot of those guys could be on
the table. Uh. I do know the Phillies have have
sent some scouts, like he said, out to really.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Watch those specific teams.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Griffin Jackson another guy on the Twins that they've been
interested in. They're going to get bullpen help, they know
they need it.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
I know.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
The Phillies have have picked ten players so far in
this draft. Nine of them have been pitchers, eight of
them have been from college. They've picked just one position
player so far.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Yeah, they haven't.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
They haven't made a first round selection of a pitcher
from college since Aaron Nola and all and all of
a sudden, eight of eight of their ten first picks
in this draft have been college pitchers. So it almost
seems like a bit like I've just been completely shocked.
Every time I get a new update, it's just the
Phillies have selected.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
Another college pitcher.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
No, nine percent of those guys aren't going to be
on this team, you know, this year. But listen, there's
not one hundred percent rule out that they're not going
to try and maybe elevate the gauge would thing obviously
their first round selection yesterday. But we'll get into that more.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Yeah, we'll talk a little bit more about the draft
a little bit later, because that's definitely a name that's
hot in the timeline right now. But to your point,
I was doing radio when Aaron Nola was drafted, and
Ruben Tomorrow specifically went down there and targeted him because
it was a guy that you thought would be able
to come up to the ranks pretty quickly, and he
did do exactly that. He was a workhorse with LSU
(10:53):
and he's been exactly that with the Phillies. We'll talk
a little bit more about the second half. We'll talk
about Aaron Nola as well. Got to get a painter
update from Luke Arcaney. A lot to discuss, but again,
this team right here, right now, I think it's important
for us to almost, you know, show some love. Right like,
this team, fourteen games above five hundred first place, have
(11:15):
been went through a little bit of a lull, maybe
two lulls throughout the course of the whole first half.
One that was serious at the end of April, and
then from that point on they ate the gas pedal
and figured things out. We're gonna show some love and
throw some flowers at some players directions, but again two
and four on the West Coast swing break coming at
(11:35):
the right time. They had a thirteen to nothing blowout
in the final game against San Francisco, which everybody enjoyed watching.
We all did that, and then you saw yesterday like
this team can go ahead and grind with the best
of them in a two to one ball game I
think was the final score. So you know, we have
our wish list. The Dodgers are the Dodgers, and they're
(11:56):
leaking oil. That's a team that has been struggling right
now as of late. And they went through a lull
last year as well, probably everyone does.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Sixty two game season, it was the first time the
Dodgers all seven in a row in ten years.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
Like, and and they're.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Supposed to be one of the best teams ever told everyone,
everybody goes through lass.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
You know, it's it's a long season.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
I couldn't even count on one hand how times I
said on this show in April and May and June
it's a long season, very very very long season. It
is crazy that we're already ninety something games into this
season is absolutely bizarre.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
But yeah, no, I mean, you got to give them
their flowers.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Man, and like, I know, I understand the Max Kepler
situation is frustrating. I understand the rematch situation is frustrating.
I understand the bullpen is frustrating. I understand this offense
is frustrating.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
But I just.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Named a lot of different things that are extremely frustrating.
And it feels like they've been going on all season
and they're fourteen games over five hundred at the All
Star break with the lead in the division, like they're
they're still playing good baseball. And yes, I know the losses,
like this West Coast trip was not great, that that
ending in San Francisco was one of the wildest things
(13:11):
I've ever seen to a baseball game, But let's go
baseball team. This is a team that can win a
World Series. Obviously, they need to add at the deadline,
but this is a team that has the bones and
has the you know, foundation so far to eventually go
on and compete in the postseason and hopefully won a
World Series.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Win the division right now, and draft Kings might just
want thirty five Mets plus one oh five. We'll talk
about some of those other divisions potentially up for grabs.
We will also get into a little bit of the
app little home run derby action Man Chris.
Speaker 4 (13:46):
Burma home run Derby has has never been the same.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Yeah, since we lost that's and and the issue is
it's does youngins? That was the issue. They listened to
all those youngins, Luke, all those gen z ers. They
were like, I had not And then now what with
that being said some similar similar I know we had
(14:13):
a little bit of a situation where Christopher Sanchez getting
the short end of the stick as far as the
All Star Game is concerned. And I'm bringing it up
because there were some funny comments, specifically Castiano saying, what
is this the Savannah bananas? I thought it was good.
I'm gonna play the other side though, Luke, I'm gonna
play the other side. It is an exhibition game. Why
(14:35):
should why should we care? Why should it? Like, Okay,
he got his money, the Phillies made him right, paid
his money. Why should we care? Why is this a
big deal? Because at the end of the day, it's
about entertainment. They tried to make the All Star Game
a bigger deal. They tried to Budzeelie got ridic ridiculed
for it and potentially most likely deserved it. Right, I
(14:57):
kind of dug it.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
I was.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
I was a different I was on the outside looking
in as far as home field being decided because of
an All Star Game. But I liked it. You gave
me something to tune into.
Speaker 5 (15:09):
But that's why it mattered. Okay, it mattered then. Now
it doesn't matter, all right. So now what you're doing
is you're giving me a television show. And you got
this kid a Milwaukee who's got a who just absolutely
tears it up with a heater. All right, he's well
above the league average with mph is on his fastball. Yeah,
(15:30):
that's the guy I want to see in there. Let's
get everyone that pops.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
The mid at one O one, one o two, make
them a part of this All Star Game. That's more
of a reason for us to watch. With all love
and respect to a guy like Christopher Sanchez who's been incredible.
But if I'm talking about a reason to tune in
and not here in Philadelphia, not our guys, but to
some other average Joe out there that you know what,
I'm trying to fire up the MLB All Star Game somewhat. Well, Now,
(15:58):
we got this flame thrower who just came up, has
pitched in five starts and yeah, we're sending him to
Atlanta pretty All Star Game. There's at least something there, right, Like,
we can't have it both ways. Either it's an exhibition
who cares? Or we need to go back and make
this game actually mean something.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
So here's what here's where I will take that other side.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
If you turn on the All Star Game, you don't
you don't need to always watch the players that deserve
it the most. You want to watch the most electric players. Yes,
but if you're if that's how you're going to decide,
if you're going to put a guy like Miserowski in
(16:40):
who has thrown five starts ever in his Major League
Baseball career, Zach Wheeler has more career plea, more career
complete games than Jacob Miserowski has career starts.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
You need to.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Take away the either bonuses or the contract stipulations. Christopher
Sanchez can't have a contract stipulation for him to make
the All Star Game and then get absolutely screwed and
not get in the game, because then he loses out
on money and that guy has earned his money. And
(17:19):
luckily the Phillies are a class actization and they still
gave him his bonus that he would have made. The
other side to this is if you're going to treat
the All Star Game like this, all Star appearances cannot
have an effect when you eventually try to get into
the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
And I'm not.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Saying Christopher Sanchez is ever going to be a Hall
of Famer, right, but if he throws fourteen seasons with
an ERA under three to five, right under four, and
he makes the All Star Game twice, people use and
it's not the end all be all, but people take
(17:57):
all stars into account when they're get these Hall of
Fame guys, right Right, If you have a guy with
similar stats for another guy and you know they have
the same fame.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
I guess that would be the word.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
And one of them has fourteen All Stars and the
other one has two. Guess who the guy's voting for.
He's voting for the guy that has fourteen All Stars
and not too they need to take away any sort
of meaning in the.
Speaker 4 (18:23):
Long run for it.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Listen, I want to watch the most electric players in
the league on Tuesday night. I completely understand that. Excited
to watch Misarrawski pitch. I've watched every single one of
his starts so far, and it's awesome, right, but this
can't have a financial impact on the players. And yes,
Christopher Sanchez is fine with money. I understand that he's
(18:46):
not scraping the bottom of the barrel for money right now.
But this guy, part of his contract that he signed
one of the biggest steals in baseball. His contract, it's
an absolute steal. One of his stipulations is if he
missed the All Star Game, he gets a bonus from
the Phillies.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
He deserves to be in the All Star Game, and he's.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Not well, said Luke Carcaney. That was a great answer
across the board. I tip my cap to you, sir.
If we're giving flowers out to the Phillies, you've been
doing a great job covering him up with the Phillies
and MLB for us here on the Gambler all season long.
I give you flowers. I lay the love down for you, sir. Also,
cousin Nikki checking embraces back back again. You damn right
(19:27):
feels good. I wit you nice And oh you want
to talk about a man who lit it up in
the first half major League Baseball coverage, This guy Colby Marshio. Yeah, man,
that see He's all over the freaking place, every single
radio outlet, every I'm gonna turn on Baseball tonight and
Colby Marcio is gonna be on my television screen screaming
(19:51):
about some sort of It will probably be a cal
Raley home run. That's what it's going to be. It's
gonna be exactly this, you're gonna I'm gonna turn on
the ESPN and here's gonna be Kobe Marshy all yelling
at my television screen because the big number went yard
yet again. We will talk about cal Raley coming up
(20:13):
in just a second, because there is a lot good bite,
a lot to talk about with mister Rawley and the
first half. But back over, Oh, he wants to know
who I have went into home run Derby. Well, Kobe,
that's what we call a tee, sir, I will give
you my all star are my home run Derby pick.
And I want to give a shout out to Jared Smith,
(20:33):
who has an unbelievable breakdown. I retweeted it. I'm talking
about if you were going to wager on tonight's home
run Derby, you must read his threat. It is the
breakdown of all breakdowns with the guys that are throwing
the pitches to him. Who it is? It could be
(20:55):
a translator. There's somebody that's a translator. That's the pitcher
tonight own the ball to the hitter. You got guys
that are normal BP pitchers. Look, if you're going to
wager on it, trust me, this is well worth the time.
We'll read through it a little bit later in this hour.
But Luke's staying with the Phillies. One player, if you would,
(21:16):
from the first half, that has the Phillies currently in
first place, that has the Phillies fourteen games above five hundred,
that you gotta feel pretty damn good about the way
things have resulted so far here throughout the course of
this season. One player that you want to shine the
light on if I may. Who is it?
Speaker 4 (21:33):
Yeah, So I'm gonna go with a guy in the
bullpen in Tanner Banks.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
You know, not the flashiest name. Not you know some
some big stars. He's not an All stars. He's a
guy that was traded from the worst team in the
history of baseball last year at the trade deadline and
was supposed to be a mop up guy for the Phillies,
and after Jose Alvarado went down with the suspension, He's
(22:00):
turned into arguably the most trustworthy lefty they have in
the bullpen this season. I think matt Strom has been
up and down. I'm still like not out on mattch
Strom at all. I think he's fine. But there was
going through a stretch where it felt like every time
matt Strom came into a game, I mean even yesterday
that that last game in San Diego, it gets a
(22:20):
little iffy, gets a little little.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
Afty in there. He makes you hold your breath for
a minute.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Tanner Banks has been a major light for them this
year because this bullpen would be in shambles if they
didn't have if match, if matt Strom was their only
lefty and their bull out after Jose Alvarado went down,
it would be even worse than it already is. So
(22:46):
that that was mine for the bullpen. I did have
one more as well. I'm gonna get Brandon Marsham Flowers
as well, because Brandon marsh started off the season. I believe,
oh for thirty four got sent down to Triple A.
He had the injury. I still think it was, you
know a little bit of half he was kind of hurt.
Speaker 4 (23:08):
Half he needed a reset, and he's just.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Kind of been really really good since he's come back
from that assignment. Last thirty days, he's hitting over too eighty.
Brandon marsh On this season, he hit three twenty four
in June, he hit two ninety eight in May, and
he's hitting two sixty seven right now in July through
like thirty at bats. But that guy had a batting
(23:34):
average at one point this season. I gotta go back
and find it really quick. At one point this season,
Match Strawn before he went on the eye had Brandon
marsh apologies had a three eighty seven OPS.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
It was the worst OPS in all of baseball.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Give us the average, what's an average OPS.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Around the high sixes. By early sevens, he had an
OPS plus around I believe it was twenty five. League
average is one hundred. That is, the average OPS plus
is one hundred. He was around twenty five. It was
(24:15):
a brutal start, and this could have gone really really bad,
yes for him. I think this is a situation where
they could have sent him down and had him ride
it out in the minors for a while, and he
came back up and he just tore it up. So
I want to give some Flowers to brand marsh as well,
because I think in a season where the Phillies have
really struggled in their outfield, like last season and the
(24:38):
season before, he's been a guy that has really been
a spark and and and he's set really nice into
that nine hole.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
Even on days where they have.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Guys like like Rojas and marsh On in the lineup,
They've kept March in that nine hole because he's really
getting comfortable as almost that like second leadoff hitter.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
So I wanted to give him this.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
I like you, you're right. Going back to the beginning
of the season, it was a strug or yeah, him
in Boom Boom too. Bom was struggling. Boom took the
heater off of the ribs on Saturday, And I hopefully
he's much better. And I'm sure that if you take
a look around Fred's tavern over the next couple of days,
you might see him stumbling in there or around that corner,
(25:23):
possibly with a beautiful girl next to him too. I'm
just saying, just saying, that's that's what the word is. Anyways,
Fred's still rocking. It's where I was all weekend. Great times.
With that, I would like to take the reins and
lay the love for jt Romuto. And first of all,
we know talking about another player who's turned it around,
(25:45):
struggling at the beginning season. Last thirty games, three thirty
nine average, ten rbi, thirty nine hits, really putting it together.
If you missed yesterday's game.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Swung on line towards left center, be a long run, Merril,
he won't get it. It's a base hit, It goes
to the wall. Harper is in the score and J.
T Romuto delivers the two out RBI double in the
Phillies have a two to one lead.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
JT obviously comes through in the clutch Yesterday gets the
job done. But we often talk about on this show,
and I'm pretty sure every show, every podcast that talks
Phillies Baseball about how amazing this pitching staff is. The
starters are unbelievable. They're able to get to the seventh inning.
Ranger Suarez, Debt tax is in a quality start. Oh
(26:31):
my god, Zach Wheeler, what the list goes on and
on and on. Mckabel comes up, he looks great. Yeah,
there's there's one common denominator and it's JT behind the plate.
I get it. Pitchers are gonna make the pitches, no
doubt about it. But there's something about that familiarity that
these guys have, knowing what they're going to get from
JT behind the plate, And it was hitting me before
(26:53):
he came through in the clutch. I think I was
thinking about this on Saturday, just talking about, you know,
things we were gonna get into, and I was like,
you know what, like how important it is to have
that backbone of the operation at that catching position. You know,
you look at the Mets and Francisco Lindor really runs
the show up there, no offense butts about it. He
is the guy like It's just it's a different vibe
(27:15):
with the Phillies. JT. Is that dude, JT. I would
imagine Police's that clubhouse. I think he is probably the
big uncle, the big brother, whatever you want to say
that everybody looks at and and if I may, he
has a Darren Dalton vibe, right, And I know Kruck
has said that on the broadcast as well. And that's
(27:35):
that old school catcher mentality. We're here, lunch pale, let's
do the dirty work, let's get the job done, and
let's get the victory and ride on this pitching staff
has been incredible. JT has been the starting catcher all
season long, and as I said, has been coming around
with his bat as of late. Came through in the
clutch yesterday. If I'm giving flowers to somebody for the
first half, it's JT. Realmuto.
Speaker 4 (27:57):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
I love it, and I think one of my biggest
things going into this offseason obviously the big three free
agents for the Phillies Schwarber, Ranger, JT. Schwarber in mind,
in my mind, isn't no doubt they are going to
bring him back.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
Ranger.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
I don't know. I I it'd be really hard to
watch that guy walk out of this clubhouse, just because
how much he said he wants to pitch for the
Phillies his entire career.
Speaker 4 (28:25):
And I haven't even got into his stats.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Let me pause you there for a second. Will it
be harder to watch him walk out or harder for
the Phillies to resign him? Because I think it's really
tough for the Phillies to be able to resign him.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
It's it's going to be very tough for the Phillies
to ressign him.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
But that third guy that everyone kind of forgets about this.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
Offseason, is is JT Realmuto eat the free agent after
this season? And you know it's there's a lot more
complaining I.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
Would say in phil about JT.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
And there is praise for JT, and I understand he's
He's not the JT was.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Five years ago.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Listen, there's nobody on this team that's as good as
they were five years ago other than Zach Wheeler and
Kyle Schwarber. That's probably it, and then Ranger Sanchez that
that's probably the end of that list period. J C.
Realmuto is a guy for me that I think the
Phillies have to gauge that market. And I know a
(29:28):
lot of people will say, well, obviously Schwarber's won Rangers,
JT's three. JT's got a really strong connection with this
pitching staff man. And if that's a guy that you
can get to come to come back on a cheap
contract and keep him in this building and not play
him as much, if they can truly commit to going
(29:50):
and getting a backup catcher this offseason and and not
necessarily running in you know, half and half split.
Speaker 4 (29:58):
With the two catchers.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
But if JT is willing a little less money to
come back to Philadelphia, mainly on like a two year
deal and almost sort of ride this out with Zach
Wheeler because obviously we know we are only has this season,
twenty twenty six and twenty twenty seven left. He's he's
set it multiple times. If they can find a way
(30:20):
to get JT back in this clubhouse for next season
and you improve this lineup to where j eighth in
a lineup like this, I think it's worth the money. Man, Like,
he's just too valuable for this pitching staff, and I'm
happy that you're giving him his flowers because even though
you know, he's not the player he was four or
five years ago when they re signed him after the
(30:42):
huge re Signed JT campaign, he's still just extremely, extremely.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Valuable to Oh yeah, you know, look, you don't see
the hashtag, you know, b cib all that often these days,
no doubt about it. I'm with you. But at the
end of the day, he's still pretty damn good, you know.
And oh, by the way, the best catcher in baseball
has about a bazillion home runs right now, so there's
not much you can do about what Roley's doing up there.
Speaker 4 (31:07):
No matter how JT is playing, j C could have
one thousand O pa', He's still not the best.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:14):
The big dumper.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Yeah, the big Dumper's got control of that one. We're
gonna get into the big dumper. A couple more on
the Phillies. Give credit to Drew Smith over at the
Liberty Line. Clicked on his first half summary and one
thing that made me like, wait, really are the Phillies
good on defense? Luke third fewest errors in the league.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
Yeah, yeah they are. Yeah. They have their.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Moments where it's like you almost hear the circus that
you know, it's like, wait, what in the league.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
They're the most boneheaded defensive groups sometimes I would say
they make plays look like like a little leaguer could
make it sometimes, But they are by far they are
an above average defensive team this year. And I mean
a lot of that has to do with Trey. He's
played way better defense this year.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
The the the the.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Rise in out bones defense this year has been incredible. Yes,
obviously we know we have from Stott Harper, Martin center
has been bad, Martian left has been really good, Max
Kepler plays a very good left field and Nick n
stats in defensively don't always look bad because to log
(32:26):
negative stats, you actually have to be able to get
to the ball and he and you know he's not
the best tracker in the league.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
But yeah, no, this is definitely an improvement defensively from
where they've been in the past season.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
All right. Yeah, and last but not least, putting a
bow on the Phillies here first half. The other one
that made me like, whoa really pause was the fewest
i L days in the NL. That's interesting because you
think about some of the players that have been on
the i L, specifically Aaron Nola, Like, you know, that's
a running tally. It hasn't stopped. So fewest I L
(32:59):
days in the National League, and you know those are
a surprise, that's.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
True because the Dodgers have thrown like thirteen pitchers on
the IL this year.
Speaker 4 (33:08):
That's very surprising.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
You know, you just look at it from those are
the types of deals that when they go your way,
you know, when the ball bounces your way, when you
don't get bit by the injury bug. And I would
even say, like, yeah, every team does have the Phillies
been bit by the injury bug, Like would I say
yes to that. No, I guess not you, Aaron Nola.
You had Harper obviously, two big pieces there. But other
(33:32):
than that, have they been bit by the injury bug?
Speaker 5 (33:35):
No?
Speaker 2 (33:35):
I guess I would say probably not, even though as
I said, those are two big time names.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
With that being said, all right, let's keep it moving.
Let's talk a little MLB as a whole here, and
I want to get I sent Luke a few questions,
three questions regarding the first half from the standpoint of
around Major League Baseball. So let me get the terminology
correct right here. The first half story line that caught
(34:01):
you by surprise, Luke Carcaney. First half storyline, Major League Baseball,
that caught you by surprise.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
I'm gonna give two American League games their flowers here.
The Detroit Tigers. I expected the Detroit Tigers to be good.
I did not expect the Detroit Tigers to be the
best team in baseball at the All Star break.
Speaker 4 (34:20):
They are.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
The best team in baseball. Is not the Dodgers. It
is not the Phillies or the Mets. It is not
the Yankees, it is not anybody else. It is the
Detroit Tigers. They've played unbelievable baseball this year obviously, led
their lineup has just been awesome. They just have so
many threats and look at it. You know, they don't
(34:42):
have the highest run differential. It's at eighty seven right now,
so you know it's I believe.
Speaker 4 (34:49):
It's third or fourth in the league. But they've just
had so many cool storylines this year.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
Obviously, the resurgence of Hobby baias He's he's now starting
in the All Our Game after what looked like one
of the worst contracts in a while in baseball. Riley
Greens had a great year, Spencer Torkelsen's had a great year.
Glaber Torres is starting in the All Star Game after
leaving the Yankees. They've just they've just had a ton
(35:17):
of contributions. Scoobale obviously leading the way in thattation. The
other American League team that just absolutely caught everybody by
surprise this year is the Houston Ashers. Nobody thought the
Ashers were going to win that division. They lost Kyle Tucker,
(35:38):
Jordan Alvarez has been hurt for mainly the entire season,
and they're somehow they said, I believe they have the
second best record in the American League. They've they've just
played fantastic baseball. I mean, we saw them when we
went down to Houston. I think we know wasn't pretty
(35:58):
when we went down there.
Speaker 4 (36:00):
But they are.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
Fifty six and forty sixteen games over five hundred. They're
thirty three and.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
Nineteen at home.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
They have a fifty six run differential in the positive.
They've just gotten incredible contributions this year. Jeremy Paine has
had an awesome year for them, hitting three twenty two.
Eastac Paradis obviously came back in that Kyle Tucker trade.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
Jose Altuve out in left field.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
It hasn't been great defensively, but he's still having a
pretty good year at the plate. They've just been getting
a ton of contributions this year for a team that
I actually had them finishing third in the in that division.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
I had the Rangers winning that division. This year. Just
not a great year for the Rangers.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
But this Ashers team is just once you think maybe
you've finally killed the Astros, finally you don't have to
see him again.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
They're right back.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
After losing Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman in the same offseason.
Speaker 2 (36:55):
Yeah, I want to give Mark hevery junior his love.
I don't know if he had him winning the division
or not, but I was pushing that fucked to him
on a show and He's like, no, man, I still
think the Ashers are gonna be damn good this year.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
I believe me and Mark were both on the Rangers.
We both like the Rangers that division.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
But all right, for me, just again storyline that caught
me by surprise. You know, I was trying to get
cute with it with show hey, because the numbers what
he's been doing so far in this first half are
I think the three players in the history of Major
League Baseball have put up the numbers that he has.
And yet it's real quiet. I know, I know he's
gonna be MVP, understood, But and then now adding with
(37:34):
the pitching stuff like that. So I'm gonna skip that.
Let's go to the teams. So the biggest storyline surprise
for me, I'm gonna go to the Al East. And
it's just the fact that the Blue Jays are in
first place at the break here and won ten straight.
And this is a team that I have hoped that
would turn it on. Young guns. You know, some of
these great old school players that I came up with,
(37:56):
and this is their offspring, right and they're balling up
there and it's you know, the potential glore and oh,
by the way, in Toronto, something just you know different
about Canadian baseball whatever. But at the end of the day,
that division and it's always the Yankees. It's always the
Yankees of the Rays with a sprinkle of the Red Sox.
So something new, and I know the Orioles were there.
(38:18):
We're gonna talk about the Oels in just second. But
bottom line is it's something new and they have come
on strong in the last two to three weeks. Could
it be a collapse, anything as possible over the second
half of the season. We'll see what happens. But yeah,
the number one storyline that caught me by surprise the
Toronto Blue Jays on top of the Al East right
now as we speak. All right, keep it moving here,
(38:39):
first half, player, let's big dumper off it here. Lay
it to love for the big dumper. You go first.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
I mean, he was one shy of breaking the all
time baseball record held by Barry Bonds for most home
runs before an All Star break.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
I don't know how much more I have to.
Speaker 1 (38:55):
Say, while being unbelievable behind the plate, and you know
he's having such a good season that a guy with
a twelve hundred OPS isn't a lock to win.
Speaker 4 (39:10):
The MVP right now.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
It's it's it's unbelievable what he's doing as a catcher.
Speaker 4 (39:16):
He's hitting, he's he's.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
Not even hitting over two sixty. That's the funniest part.
He's hitting fifty nine. Granted, we only use batting average
for our agenda. Everybody knows that that's fine. One oh
one one OPS six thirty four, slug percentage of four
to eight war at the All Star break, one hundred
and five strikeouts, thirty eight home runs, eighty two RBIs sean,
(39:42):
he's on pace for seventy homers and one hundred and
fifty RBIs. It's just like, we've never seen a season
like this, especially from a catcher. It is unbelievable that
that guy goes out there, puts nine innings on his
knees for one hundred and sixty two games or however
(40:02):
many games he's played, and he's still hitting like this.
The catcher is not a hitting position anymore. If you
go down and you look at the ops of catchers.
I think the next guy behind him is like two
hundred and fifty points.
Speaker 4 (40:17):
Lower, Like it is bizarre what he is doing.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
I will say once we do get on the derby note,
I have an unfortunate stat for any big dumper lovers
tonight as far as the Derby boree.
Speaker 2 (40:29):
If they're watching this show, they're big dumper lovers. Ladies
and gentlemen.
Speaker 6 (40:34):
Come on down on the stretch and the two to
two on the way swinging a well hit ball deep
the left field, and Grandma get up the right. Brendon
Mustard in his grand Salami time cow rally with his
third Grand Slam of the season, puts this game away.
Speaker 2 (40:52):
Yeah, that was on Friday night when they beat the
Detroit Tigers. His thirty seventh and you just heard his
thirty eighth home run, well three victory. He went hitless
in the next two games. He is within one of
Barry Bonds's all time Major League record for homers before
he alll started breaking pretty sure. Luke already said that
his eighth multi homer game this season. And folks, he
(41:14):
is the catcher. That's the biggest part of this. He's
the catcher man. You know how much work he has
to do to compete on defense and then step out
to the dish and they know what's coming. Yet he
still continues to hit home runs. He hit ten home
runs in March, in April twelve and May eleven in
June five. In July, leads the league thirty eight and
(41:38):
eighty two. His previous career highs thirty four home runs
and one hundred ibi eyes both were set last year.
And if you're keeping count at home, he's outpacing those numbers.
Spatting average two fifty nine, twenty seven points higher than
this previous high, on base three seventy six sixty sixty
four points higher. Slugging this dude's doing at all. It's
(42:00):
the Big Dumper, but he's not gonna win tonight though.
Speaker 4 (42:05):
No, he's not really quick on the Big Dumper.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
Note he was actually just named the starting catcher for
Team USA and the World Baseball comes about that just
announced one minute ago.
Speaker 4 (42:16):
Nice, we like shout out to the Big Dumper. Would
you like me to get to the unfortunate Big Dumper Saturday?
Speaker 2 (42:20):
You want to wait some, We're gonna wait because we're
gonna give our picks at the end. Here all right, Finally, finally,
most disappointing team. I'll go first. Hear me out. It's
really easy to say the Orioles. It's really easy to
say the Rangers. You have one that did get my
interest up a little bit earlier when you sent that.
And I'm not saying that you're wrong on the Orioles
(42:40):
because I'm right there with you. You know, I'm sick of
the Pittsburgh Pirates. I'm just sick of that. Added to
you know, the woe is me and we're not gonna
spend money. Dude. You got an unbelievable ballpark. Pittsburgh fans
are loyal, you got great fan base there. You know,
I know his hand in hand, I get it. But
(43:02):
let's not you know, burry the lead here. You got
one of the most explosive pitchers we've ever seen take
the field. Paul Skimes is just a monster out there,
and what he continues to do every fifth day when
he gets the ball is shut down the opponent and
he gets zero run support. They have average. The Pirates
(43:24):
have averaged over three point three five runs in his
fourteen starts. There was even a game where the Pirates
score three runs. Are fewer for three straight starts for
Paul Schemes. You want to talk about what he's doing
right now? Were you just brought up e R plus?
He's got a two thirteen E R plus which is
one correct, you know, And now we're talking about, well,
(43:48):
what can they get if we trade him the Dodgers?
Can they load up? Like no, that can't be part
of the conversation when he's only got forty starts in
a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform. Do something about it, make it work,
and damn it. O'Neill Cruz has been a disappointment. Who's
going to win tonight, but he's been a major disappointment
(44:09):
for the Pittsburgh Pipe. I'm just sick of it. Man,
do something. It wasn't that long ago that Three Rivers
Stadium was a place that you went and you lost
with Andy Van slight patrol and center field DoD sluck,
Doug dray back. The list goes jim Lyn just fucking
some eaters in the dugout. Can the Pirates return to glory? Please?
(44:31):
Come on. They're disappointing and they're the most disappointing team
first half for me in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
Yeah, I'm gonna kind of go with too just really quick.
Speaker 4 (44:42):
The Orioles.
Speaker 1 (44:43):
I mean, I'm just start to get annoyed now talking
about the Orioles, so I don't really even want to
talk about him for that long.
Speaker 4 (44:50):
It's just been extremely disappointing.
Speaker 1 (44:52):
Their pitching staff is horrible, their lineup's been underachieving. They
have one guy who's really been hitting great this year
and he's going to be traded in fourteen days, and
that's Ryan O'Hearn. Just been an unbelievably disappointing team, really
really really just bad baseball.
Speaker 4 (45:11):
But my big one was the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Speaker 1 (45:15):
I thought the Diamondbacks, I said multiple times on this show.
I thought the Diamondbacks could give the Dodgers a run
for their money in that NL West. I didn't think
they were gonna win it. Obviously, the Dodgers are probably
going to win that division. But if there's one team
I thought in that division that could hang with the
Dodgers other than the Padres as well, I think we
all know the Padres just always play, you know, above
(45:38):
five hundred baseball was.
Speaker 4 (45:40):
The Arizona Diamonds, and they've just been a disappointment.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
They're forty seven and fifty. They're eleven games out of
the division. They're under five hundred at home, they have
a plus five run differential, and they've just been a
disappointment as far as e er. Let's go down there,
darters really quick. Corbin Burns only got the tour sixty
(46:04):
four innings. He's obviously out now. He was he was
pitching well before he went out. Speaking Meryl Kelly is
a three to three. He's been pretty good. Ryan Nelson
has been a disappointment. Brandon Fott has been an unbelievable disappointment. Yeah,
five to one six A. Zach Gallon has a five
to four zero era A for them. Eduardo Rodriguez had
(46:27):
a five ninety four before he went out. It's just
been a disappointment. Their bullpen has been bad, and that's
just been a team that hasn't been able to hang.
They haven't got the power. They've only really had, you know,
hitting aspect from it. It's really from Katel Marte, Eugenio
(46:49):
Suarez and Corbyn Carroll. They've they've got pretty good seasons
from Peven Smith, Josh Naylor. Geraldo Perdomo had a better
first half than he did the second half.
Speaker 4 (47:02):
It's just not good. They're just not playing good baseball.
Speaker 1 (47:05):
That's a team that seems like it's going to sell
a lot of people think Zach Gallen could be on
the movie. Probably the best power bat available seems to
be Eugenio Suarez. They're not trading Caatel Marte. They're not
trading Corby Carroll, obviously, but it did see I believe
I saw a report where they are looking to potentially
maybe move one of their outfielders, whether that's Randall Kritchick
(47:29):
who they signed in the off season, Lords Courriele Thomas
one of those guys. But just been a disappointing season
from the Diamondbacks all around. I thought they were gonna
have a way better record by now, and it's it's
just been a big disappointment.
Speaker 2 (47:41):
All right, Luke Arcany right there all things major League
Baseball and Phillies. You can find them over at Crossing
broad and make sure you're checking out everything he has
on socials. Finally, let's go ahead and hit this if
we can, because ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the
home run derby make it turn this evening down in Atlanta,
(48:02):
and I gotta give a huge shout out to Jared Smith,
who went into a monster breakdown last night where he
analyzed the field, specifically talking about who will be the
pitcher for the selected hitter in the home run derby,
and yes, it's pretty damn important. Jared's all over it.
He says, the rules allowed just forty pitches or three
(48:24):
minutes in the first round and twenty seven pitches two
minutes in the semis and the finals, so the quality
of pitches scene is a vital element to success. He
analyzes the field like nobody else. O'Neill Cruz, he goes
into it. It's a Pirate's assistant coach and translator. Also
throws pregame batting practice. Pirates manager Don Kelly quoted, he's
(48:45):
our best BP guy and I know he's going to
groove it in there for him. Close quote. Bottom line
is O'Neil Cruz, who has been a major disappointment, who
could very well have the skills to be an MVP candidate.
Eight hits the ball like a rocket, I think, if
I'm not mistaken, a stack cast. Since they've been taking
(49:07):
the score of that in the last five six years.
He's got two of the hardest hit balls ever ever
recorded both home runs of course there, So I'm rolling
with my guy, O'Neil Cruz. It just feels like this
would be you know, you get his boys over there.
I don't know what country he represents, but you know
they're all gonna be there, and the towels because they
support their own right everybody does you remember Alec Bohm
(49:30):
was in it with Bryce Harper was in there with
the Water. Everybody's supporting their guys. So I like O'Neil Cruz.
Give me O'Neil Cruz tonight plus three forty and Jared
Smith once again, before you hit sin on your wages,
just read his breakdown. He does a great job. He
has a couple of players that he likes versus other
players that he's gonna stay away from. DraftKings a ton
(49:51):
to choose from. So check that out. O'Neil Cruz plus
three forty. Let's go. Where's O'Neil Cruse. Do you know
I can look it up O'Neil Cruse.
Speaker 4 (50:05):
O'Neil Cruz was.
Speaker 2 (50:07):
Born a minute. Yeah, so the DR, so whoever is
representing the DR gonna be helping him out. O'Neill cruise
with the cowl, the gatorade, the breaks. I love it, man,
I love the home run derb. We always have, always will.
I'll even take you back further. There used to be
a old school home run derby. I'm talking with the
greats like Mickey manno versus, like Joe DiMaggio or you know,
(50:31):
I'm talking. And it was black and white and you
would just watch it and it was so dry. But
they would go out there and it was like the
one camera angle. I used to watch the hell out
of that home run derby. Great, great, great throwback there,
good memory if I may. But bottom line is it's
a lot of fun. Let's go tonight. Who you got, Luke.
Speaker 1 (50:49):
I am going to roll with guy who was originally
not even supposed to be in the game or in
the competition, in front of the home crowd to right
field into the right field stands.
Speaker 4 (51:02):
Give me Matt Olson plus eight hundred.
Speaker 1 (51:04):
He's the only guy in the derby that has done
it before. He's the only he's the only one with experience.
I like Matt Olson tonight plus eight hundred.
Speaker 4 (51:14):
One more guy.
Speaker 1 (51:15):
I am gonna give some love to Junior Kamanara at
plus twelve hundred as well.
Speaker 2 (51:19):
Oh, you're a long shot lover. You're a long shot lover.
Speaker 4 (51:22):
That shirt player. Yeah, what's life's too short to?
Speaker 2 (51:25):
You're seduced by the juice. As some would say.
Speaker 4 (51:28):
Boring, It is boring the bet favorites. I'm the favorites.
Better give me that. But yeah, those will probably be
my two guys tonight. I like that. I am excited though,
because I.
Speaker 1 (51:40):
Think some balls are going to be flying in the
chop house tonight down in Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (51:45):
Let's do it Your Home Run Derby was a nineteen
sixty television show is held in Wrigley Field and La.
I remember Wrigley and I used to catch Obviously I
wasn't live back then, but I caught the replays. Man,
I just love that stuff. It was so dry, just
do going out there hitting home runs, you know, three up,
next guy out or three outs, boom, next guy up.
(52:05):
And I would do I think the full nine innings
in thirty minutes that that aired twenty six episode. It's
pretty good stuff there, all right, keeping it moving quickly.
Give me cliff notes on the draft. And I got
a nugget that people probably didn't pay attention to from
last night's Major League Baseball Draft, Philly's first round pick
seems like a maniac. What are your thoughts?
Speaker 1 (52:24):
Oh, he's an absolute psychopath, absolute psychopaths. Name's Gage would Obviously,
if you guys don't know him, you probably know him
from the nineteen strikeout no hitter in the College World
Series against Murray State in an elimination game.
Speaker 4 (52:41):
He ended Murray State's magical run.
Speaker 1 (52:43):
Nobody thought they were gonna even come close to the
College World Series. He got interviewed after that game and said,
you know what's going through your mind right now? You
just threw a nineteen strikeout no hitter. He goes, I
shouldn't have hit the guy. That's all he said. He said,
that's all I got. I shouldn't have hit the guy.
He hit one batter in the game. If he did
not hit the batter, it would have been a perfect game.
(53:06):
After throwing a nineteen strikeout no hitter in the College
World Series, all he cared about was that he hit
the guy. The dude's an absolute maniac. He's just insane.
His fastball is very legit. He was up to ninety
eight is one hundred and thirteenth pitch in that game
was a ninety eight point six mile.
Speaker 4 (53:27):
An hour fastball in college. This kid's got juice.
Speaker 1 (53:32):
And you know, this is a situation where I don't
think it's you know, a lock, and it doesn't seem
like it's extremely likely. But there's a reason they took
a lot of college pitchers for a reason.
Speaker 4 (53:44):
You know, the bullpen's not great.
Speaker 1 (53:47):
They don't have a ton of pitching depth down in
their farm system.
Speaker 4 (53:51):
Hostly.
Speaker 1 (53:51):
One of the reasons I think they're going so college
heavy right now is because I think they're tired of
trading prospects for bullpen pieces.
Speaker 4 (53:58):
They've done it so.
Speaker 1 (53:59):
Much now, and I think they're starting to try and
find guys that can make an impact sooner rather than later.
They made ten picks so far, eight of them were
college pitchers. One was a shortstop from New Jersey. He
was one of the other ones I believe in the
ninth round, and then they took a high school pitcher
(54:20):
in there.
Speaker 4 (54:20):
But their first tricks, I really really liked it.
Speaker 2 (54:23):
This all right, great stuff from Luke. The only other
thing I would add from last night to Major League
Baseball Draft. Corona, California becomes the first high school of
three players picked in the top fifty of the same draft.
Corona High School, located in Riverside County in southern California,
made MLB history yesterday. Corona's right hand pitcher Saturnada sixth overall.
(54:43):
Billy Carlson was the tenth pick overall, and there was
another gentleman I want to say, that was thirty second pick.
So the top three and the top fifty unbelievable. And
if you're wondering, well man, that high school must have
ripped it up. They went twenty eight and three, were
dominate all season long. Upset law to that great Saint
John Bosco School in the California Interschalactic Federation Southern Section
(55:08):
semi final. Down goes Corona with the hot bet of talent. Anyways,
good stuff, Luke. Can't thank you enough for joining me
here on a Monday.
Speaker 4 (55:21):
You'll continue to.
Speaker 2 (55:22):
Read you at Crossing broad following you off things. Socials
enjoy the home run derby. All right, there he is
Luca or Katie on the Gambler Street. All right, sam
Os is gonna join me on the other side. Great
first hour of discussion. If you heard anything you want
(55:43):
to get a take off, please get involved with the conversation.
At fox Pho. Gambler at Fox Pho Gambler on socials
me personally at Seawan Underscore Brace and we are streaming
on all things socials, including YouTube. So go ahead and subscribe,
hit that button, mash it, smash it, whatever you want
to do, get just get involved as we are alive
three to six Monday through Friday right here with the
(56:04):
Daily Ticket. Other side, Sam Ostr's gonna join me. Cooper Flag. Yeah,
we're gonna talk about his Summer League debut. He played
two games, one was definitely at a little bit better
than the other. A Keith Poppey Sixers tweet that got
my blood boiling at about seven am this morning, trendon Wafford.
I need to learn more about mister Wafford because the
(56:25):
only thing that keeps throwing my way is him and Max.
He were boys well before the NBA, the Sixers and
of course the Brooklyn Nets where both players emerged on
the scene. So I need a little bit more about
Trend and Waffer and what the expectation is there. And
apparently the Sixers are currently being built to absorb the
(56:45):
absence of Star Center Joel Embiid, Is that true? Sam
Ostry's gonna join me on the other side. We got
a lot to discuss. Also, want to squeeze this in.
I never ever, ever, ever in this job, in this world,
we of it, but me specifically here in the media world,
I never wish ill on any b I really do
(57:06):
mean that. There's maybe one or two guys like Howard Eskin.
I was like, you know, like dude, go go who Oh,
by the way, was trying to get a gig here,
I think, but anyways, that's for another day. He's just
a complete loser. But you know, very rarely will I
root against anybody in the media world to lose a job.
Fox fs one cup bait on a number of shows
(57:29):
just about an hour ago. I am not lying to
you when I tell you I was on vacation Friday morning.
I caught this show for the first time. I set
you know, the remote wasn't the same. I'm not trying
to hit buttons. I got my two month old in
my lap. I'm just watching what's on TV and it
(57:50):
was breakfast Ball, and I wrote down on my phone
when I get back to work on Monday, my goodness,
I can't wait to talk about this show. It just
got canceled. So I don't know if I'm gonna go
into great detail about what I saw on Friday. I
don't think it was specifically to that show on Friday,
(58:11):
but it was embarrassing. It was really embarrassing to sit
there and watch and know that these people over there
getting good, good money, paid good money to do this
on TV, national TV, and this is what you're giving me.
So I want to tip my cap to the powers
that be over at FS one for pulling the plug,
because I know that they were right behind Craig Carton
(58:32):
in that cast, including the kid from Chicago, Danny Parkins.
I want to say Perkins, whatever his name is, who
left a pretty good gig as far as radio is concerned. Again,
I never root for this stuff, but you know, when
we're all out there competing for opportunities and this is
what you're throwing out there on television, it's frustrating. If
I had hair, i'd pull it out. I'll give you
a couple more thoughts on that. We got a lot
(58:53):
to get to though. Sam Austria on the other side,
don't go any more of this. The Gambler
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