October 31, 2018 • 34 mins
Doug raises some questions about Jimmy Butler sitting out games for the Timberwolves and who’s really calling the shots. He talks to Rams WR Josh Reynolds about catching 2 TD passes in a win over the Packers. Plus new Angels manager Brad Asmus joins the show to discuss Mike Trout and his future with the team as wells as using Shohei Ohtani as a DH while he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug gott
Leap Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every
weekday from three to six pm Eastern Time that's twelve
to three Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local
station for the Doug Gottlieb Show at Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
I Heart Radio app by searching fs are. This is
(00:21):
the best of the Doug got Leave Show on Fox
Sports Radio. Boom, What Up America, Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox
Sports Radio, coming to you from the beautiful sunny area
of Los Angeles, California. Welcome in, man. Do we have
(00:41):
a jam back show for you? Danny Cannell is going
to join us as uh. We'll break down the college
football rankings. First college football rankings for the Collegeball Playoff
came out last night. Plus get you ready for l
s U welcoming in Alabama Rams wide receiver Josh Reynolds.
Next hour, third and final hour of the show. Greg
Osel from NFL Films will join us as well. Brad
(01:03):
Osmus He's the new Angels skipper. He's the former Mariners.
Excuse me, former Mariners? Why does the Mariners former Tigers skipper. Uh,
he will join us, a brilliant, brilliant mind, former catcher
in the National Football League. Um, I want to get
to levy On bell still no showing. This is a
day after the trade deadline expired, and a little bit
(01:26):
of what levy On is doing is, uh, does kind
of correlate to the Jimmy Butler thing, does kind of
correlate to the haha Clinton Dick's being traded. It is
not what you say, it is what you do. And
we can read tea leaves right, like even if you
go back to earlier this week when Cleveland fired Todd
(01:48):
Haley and fired Hugh Jackson, and and Cleveland didn't necessarily
hide the fact that they had head coaching and assistant
coaching dysfunction. But you know, you can sit here and
tell us who you like and who you don't like.
But we can we read the tea leaves on that one.
(02:09):
And everyone saw hard Knocks said like, hey, those two
are not going to work together. It's funny because cal
Herd used the clip of Hugh Jackson talking to his
assistant coaches and assistant coaches not wanting to give days off,
and Hugh Jackson saying, hey, that's great, but this is
my team. When it's your team, you can do what
(02:30):
you want. I've been told by let me go through
my texture one too, three four, four different NFL front
office people that it happens in their shop exact same conversation.
So I texted back, what's different. He's like, read the
body They're all like read the body language. Look at
(02:51):
those two guys. You just look at him like, well,
that isn't working. You can do this when you're on
a couple's date. You can ask them how you guys doing. Oh,
we're great, We're so happy, kids are great. And then
you just you watch their interaction. Are they holding hands,
sitting close to each other, do they make eye contact?
You know, do their sender? Do their stories kind of
(03:12):
line up? If not? They can both be kind of
private subcontractors in the game of life. He does his thing,
she does her thing. They're just co parenting. You can
your spidy senses can tell you something's up. I had
friends in the NBA last year, like, dude, spotty senses say,
(03:33):
Jimmy Butler, that crew does not get along. I mentioned
it on this show several times, like that team something wrong.
I remember they were the only team to lose to
the Grizzlies at home in in two thousand eighteen. Did
you know that the Minnesota timber Wolves, with all their stuff,
they were the only team the Grizzlies were trying to
(03:53):
lose games? The only game they couldn't lose on the
road last year since after January one was the Minnesotember
and my spidy senses as well as some help from
other guys spidy sensing around like, well, I don't know
what it is, but that ain't working Jimmy Butler sitting
out tonight. Of course, even how the message related was
the Timberwolves idea? Was it? His idea is he's gonna
be traded? Like the whole thing. Like, guys, get your
(04:15):
stories straight before you presented to the world, because otherwise,
once you don't have your story straight and you start
stuttering and stammering, you know, getting the story Stade reminds
me and you guys, um music. You've flown internationally or
you've just flown to Hawaii's that the only place you've
gone to? That in Mexico? Okay, so it's not really
the same ramos have you've flown truly internationally to Europe
(04:38):
or anything that would be a negative. Dug. You guys
gonna need to get out more. Um when when you
fly the you know what you know, an airline has
never never crashed, right like l lal has never been
you know nothing, as as many attacks as there have
been on uh my fellow Jewish people would there's never
been one with l all. And they interview you when
(05:01):
you're standing in line, and they don't necessarily ask you,
like about your religious background or about anything. They just
they just kind of talk to you and have a
conversation with you, and they're waiting for you to stutter
and stammer and not quite have your like they're correct,
and you get nervous. But there's a certain level of
nervousness that's normal, and there's a certain level of nervousness
that's covering up things. There's also a certain level of
(05:23):
being smooth, and so that's what they that's what they're doing.
They're kind of interrogating you without you knowing they're interrogating you.
And so when the Timberwolves don't quite have their story together,
like well, who who decided that Jimmy was gonna sit tonight. Uh,
it was our decision, their decision, mutual decision. Like that
doesn't make any sense. The same is true with with
(05:45):
the Browns. Right when Hugh Jackson said like, Hey, I'm
gonna take over a play calling, I'm gonna take over
more of the offense, and like you know, Todd Hayley
was like, wait what You could read their body language.
You could understand timbool was dysfunctional. And frankly I told
(06:06):
you this with with Pittsburgh that there was whether it's
a lack of communication or an inability to get your
story straight. When Levy on Bell when he didn't show
up after training camp was over and he was expected
to be there in his entire offensive line ripped him,
which never happens in professional sports, especially in the NFL,
(06:29):
ever players are always united. There was something amiss there.
And then there was the well, maybe he'll set to
week ten, and then you go back a couple of
weeks ago, he's gonna come back after week eight when
their inability to get kind of the story straight, story together,
and then you look at at Levy on Bell first
seven games last season, he got twenty nine touches, he
(06:54):
averaged a point three yards from scrimmage four point four
yards attach only four touchdowns from scrimmage, whereas James Conner
fewer touches twenty two point six thirty one point seven
yards per game, so more yards per game five point
eight that's over a yard almost a yard and a
(07:14):
half more per touch. Additionally, last year through first seven games,
Ben Roethlisberger not a successful nine touchdowns, eight interceptions, complete
percentage seven point five yards attempt. Now fourteen touchdowns, seven
interceptions two thousand, two hundred uh ninety yards already. That's
(07:36):
that's over sixty more yards per game passing, a higher
completion percentage, and more yards per tempt. So Big Bend
is on pace to throw more TVs, more yards, a
better completion percentage, and a higher yards per attempt. Everybody
talking about when Levan Bell sat out it will be
like Emmett Smith two point o. I don't know if
you guys remember EMT Smith, in the middle of his career,
(07:57):
decided to he wanted a bigger contract from Jerry Jones
sat the first two games. It was a disaster. Jerry
caved in, Jerry gave a big deal. There was something
wrong with Levy on story that it didn't. Uh, you know,
he told guys he's going to be back. Then all
of a sudden he wasn't. Back Then it was ten games,
then maybe he was eight games. Then all of us
(08:18):
were left assuming that he was just waiting to the
trade deadline. We expired because he didn't want to show
up if he signed that franchise tender. He be the
Levy on Bell thing. He sat there and said, hey,
if you don't want to pay me, find somebody who
can be as productive. And they're like, okay, we got
a guy. He makes a quarter of the money that
you make. He played in the city of Pittsburgh in college,
(08:41):
and oh yeah, by the way, he's a cancer survivor
who's as or more productive in every single way. And
oh yeah, by the way, Ben Roethlisberger and more productive
without you. Granted, it did not happen in a vacuum.
The schedule was probably more difficult last year than it
has been this year. Two games against the Browns. Of course,
there was that disaster against the Jags last year, like
all that stuff we know, But the point is that
(09:04):
he dared him find somebody better who will do it
for less. They did, And now of a sudden, he's
back to stuttering and stammering, and he's not there. He's
not showing up. You know something, Once I saw and
read the comments of all of those offensive lineman, I
(09:25):
knew something was up. It's it's just like the Green
Bay Packers made what I think would be a really
odd move. Ha ha, Clinton Dix, who they would have
had to reinvest in in the off season. If you
know anything about the Packers Ted Thompson style, who's the
old GM not kicked up stairs? Who drafted hawklnd Dix?
Their style has always been draft guys, resigned guys, build
(09:46):
from within, build with your draft picks, and considering hawklands
as a starter, pretty good player. And had they simply
not resigned him and he signed somewhere else, they would
have gotten a compensatory pick, and instead d they traded
him away yesterday. Again, something else is up. Be sure
to catch live editions of The Doug dot Leap Show
(10:07):
weekdays at noon eastern three pm Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio and the I Heart Radio app. The Rams lose
Cooper Cup to a concussion and um or excuse me,
Cuber up to the knee injury right and people thought
it was a lot worse than it's actually end up being,
and you started going like, oh, there goes the Rams.
This is the kind of thing, dream season, potential undefeated season,
(10:28):
there it goes. But there is a next man up,
uh kind of philosophy in the NFL. And who's having
a better season to display that than our next guest
name is Josh Byols. He's a wide receiver for the
l A Rams who stepped in quite nicely two touchdown
catches in the Ram victory over the Green Bay Packers
(10:49):
at the l A Coliseum. He joins us on the
Doug gott Lap Show. What, Josh, thanks so much for
taking time. Happy Halloween to you. What what's that like
to like, you know, personally, we know Cooper Cooper's a
great dude. He goes down, and I think Rams fans
everywhere and you know, fantasy fans, football fans like oh,
Rams are gonna so to see a teammate go down,
(11:10):
and yet no, you're gonna get more opportunities. Yeah, I
do appreciate you having me and uh yeah, basically, you
know you just gotta stay ready, you know, uh, you
know all the techniques and uh and and fundamentals to
your you know, to your position that you gotta fell
in for. And I mean if you know that, and uh,
(11:34):
you know you don't have to relearn it, you know
you're learning it. You know the the priority plays that week,
you know you'll be able to play fast. So you
know that's what I was able to do. All the
guys packed me up on it, and uh, you know,
we got some We've got some great completions. What's that?
What's that like though? To be lining up and holy hell,
(11:56):
it's the l A Coliseum. I'm I'm now one of
the go to you guys for the Rams against the
Green Bay Packers. That was the game that everybody's watching. Like, look,
you've been in the league. This is not your first rodeo.
But to have that sort of presence in this type
of games, what are those emotions like for you? H man?
They were up and down. But you know, being being
(12:19):
a ball player, you're trying not to trying not to
soak in uh and reflect on emotions and stuff. You just, uh,
you know, you kind of rely on your ability and
and uh, like I said, the fundamentals and techniques and
stuff for the plays and and all that so you know,
it definitely was an emotional time. You know, it was
awesome being able to contribute, I mean contribute like that
(12:42):
for a team win and and uh, you know, taking
that one week at a time. You know, I were
focused on the Saints. What I didn't even look at
what were your touchdown celebrations? Do you what do you
even do? I didn't do that. There isn't nothing. You know,
I'm more of a I'm more of a you know,
act like I've been there kind of guy. You know,
(13:03):
did you did you have a plan? Did you have
a plan and you just choked because at the moment
or you really like I'm just gonna because you're laughing
underneath your breath, it sounds like you wanted you said like, look,
if I scored a touchdown, I'm gonna do this, and
then you're like, oh my god, I scored a touchdown?
What do I do with the football? I really didn't
have anything planned. It was it was kind of I
was kind of going into it like, you know, if
(13:24):
I do get me a little touchdown, and uh, you know,
it's whatever whatever comes to it comes to mind at
that at that moment. You know, at that moment, nothing
came to mind. Let's go celebrate with my teammates and
and in fairness, like this has been a long time,
even in college, like Christian Kirk kind of overshadowed, like
you were a very highly touted guy, Like I know
enough about A and M football, it's where you guys
(13:46):
had a ton of dudes, but you were always a
guy that had to kind of wait your turn for
the spotlight. Is that is that a fair assessment of
like what's happened to you in the NFL is not
terribly dissimilar to what happened at A and M. Right, Yeah, correct,
And that's why, you know, a lot a lot of
people ask me, you know, how how much how do
I you know, cope with you know, you know, not
(14:06):
getting the Monto reps and then coming in having a
fill in. You know, it's it's it's kind of the
same thing that I was. I was doing A and
L aside from you know, having to come in off
the bench. You know, it's just you know, I just
wasn't that guy. But you know, whenever my my name
was called to make some plays, you know I was,
I was able to make some plays. That's a sign
(14:26):
of a true professional Josh Reynolds joining us in the
Doug Gotlip Show Fox Sports Radio. Um, I think that
what happens Sunday, and you tell me if I'm wrong.
This was the big question mark for this team was
how you guys would handle adversity right because um, because
look you have the big names and and Dominican come
over and in Marcus Peters come over and keep to lead,
(14:50):
come over, and there's some big name, big personalities, and like,
look when things are going good and you're dominating teams
and you're blowing them out like you did, you know,
the Raiders to start the season of the Chargers. Like
it's easy to be a good teammate. You get down
to nothing and now of a sudden, sometimes some teams
there starts to be the finger pointing, how did you
guys get this thing back going the right way when
(15:10):
the offense was struggling early on. Uh, that just shows
you know that that's just one, uh, one example of
how close we are as an offense, as as a team. Um,
because you know, through all the adversity, all the all
the three and ounces and stuff, we you know nobody panic,
you know, no nobody on the team panic nobody on
the coach and staff panic. Then you know we uh,
(15:33):
we basically strapped our boots up and made some adjustments
and I started executing them and and that's when we
started getting the ball, getting the ball going, And that's
when our offense started started moving. Now did you haven't?
Did you go to Todd Gurley's Halloween party? I did?
Now did you have an invite before you became a
(15:53):
starter or did all astten? Did they give you that?
Did you give you that last second? Like, oh hey, Josh, Josh, listen,
now that you're playing and catching touch that beast, you
can cud of my party. M Luckily my lockers right
right right on the other side of here, So he
had no children, nothing invite people before before I got
named to started And what did you wear? What'd you
(16:13):
what'd you wear? I was? I was a lion tamer
and like at a at a carnival. Yeah, would you
have a whip? Yeah? My girlfriend was a one. I
like that. I like that you had the whip. He
had the whip going. Of course, of course, who had
who had the best outfit? Oh man, it might it
(16:37):
might have been a tie between between uh Jared and
Tyler Higbie was Malibu mos one one. Yeah, and he
tweeted out, don't be hating. What was what was Tyler Higbee? Uh?
He's uh what was about? Get right? Oh? You gotfiery
(17:04):
the chef with the diners and dives. Yeah, with the
with the blonde air, the go to That's that's pretty
that's that's pretty pretty strong stuff. Uh you are And
look you're a Texas kid, Texas High School, John Jay
and of course Tyler Community College for a and m.
How so call life Trenia. Oh man, it's awesome, you know,
(17:24):
coming up, coming up with the humidity, you know, coming
out here, I don't know, have to deal with any
of that is just perfect, perfect seventy seven agree weather,
you know, great cool breeze. That's awesome. Yeah. It also
helps when you're winning, though, too, right, Like it's all
that stuff is awesome, but it's a lot better when
there's all those dubs and and nothing by the el
cam in it exactly exactly. Okay, So now you got
(17:47):
and this is a really tough stretch of the season.
Saints then Seahawks, then Chiefs, then on the road to
Lions and Bears, and you tell me this is your
second year in the league. Is it different when you
guys come in to somebody's building than it was last
year when no one really knew what to expect from
McVeigh and from golf. Yeah, that's definitely a lot different,
(18:09):
you know, a lot more different because you know, not
that we're you know, we're the top team. Everybody's trying
to beat. You know, every every team every week is
going to come with that with that chip on the shoulder,
that age to knock the number one team off. So
you know, we we always have to treat each week
the same. You know, it doesn't matter who we're playing. Uh,
you know, each week has to be the same in
(18:31):
our preparation and fundamentals. All Right, what do you do
with the two touchdown balls? Oh? Man, I didn't even
get that. I didn't even get it. You didn't you
don't have you don't have your your touchdown football's uh,
don't like this is this is I know you got
one last year, but the two in one game in
(18:52):
a big game. You you you see you did choke,
That's true. You had I'm sure you had a whole
celebration planned and a whole like you got shell was
and in back in your apartment, and you completely choked.
That's what that's really what. I didn't choke, and that
didn't you know, I didn't get the ball, didn't get
my good picture for the dance. You know. Yeah, it
was it was. It was a fast time, you know,
(19:13):
fast time it does. It does happen really fast. Did
you know that that Gurly was gonna go down? Everybody
thought Gurley was going to go in the end zone.
He goes to. You guys are up to. Girly goes down.
It celebrated as a team first play. Did you know
that's what was supposed to happen? Ah, yes, I did.
We Uh, we we go over a situational situational ball
(19:34):
just about every week. So and then uh, and then
we talked about it before and before the the before
the ball is snapped in the huddle, and and so
everybody was on the same page. And uh, you know,
Todd being the situational mastery is uh got down and
we was able to secure the win. See. I just thought,
and I understand that the game was over. I just
(19:54):
thought you also could have scored a touchdown and go
up eight kick a field gold extra point of nine
and the game's over there too. But yeah, yeah, an
it's any any's anything you could do to keep number
twelve from from being able to go down there and
you know, get a drive. You know, that's that's what
that's what we were thinking. Fair enough. You you that's
(20:14):
your first time seeing twelve in person? What what's that
like to watch man history Man, That's that's awesome. It's
just just seeing a great, you know, one of the
great play. It's that's something that you always, you know,
you always wish for as a kid. And then being
able to play on the same field him, you know,
it's awesome and catch two touchdown passes and get the way. Josh,
(20:36):
congrats on the dub best of luck against the Saints.
Thanks for joining us, Thank you, Thank you, Duck Josh
Reynolds joining us in The Doug Gotlap Show here on
Fox Sports. Be sure to catch live editions. So The
Doug got Leap Show weekdays at noon Eastern three pm
Pacific and now the morning show on Fox Sports Ones
called First Things First. Nick Wright is one of the stars.
(20:57):
He said this about the Cowboys after the trade deadline.
Jerry's decided on dec like you're the reason I was
leaning forward to hear what you wanted to say about
the Marii Cooper thing. Was the best argument for overpaying
for a Mariy Cooper, which they did by giving up
a first round pick, especially when you see what other
guys that the deadline went for thirds and fourths and seventh.
(21:18):
The best argument was we got to find out about
the quarterback. You're paying a premium because you want to
find out if you got the quarterback. And Jerry's done
decided about the quarterback. Jerry has decided Dak Prescott. He
said it, He's proven it to me. I I don't
need more information about Dak. He's the only person who
doesn't need more information about Dak. But he's also the
(21:39):
only vote that counts. He's the only the There might
be a board of directors, but it's five people, and
Jerry's got three of the votes the first round pick
because because he all not only does he think that
he's got his quarterback, because he thinks he's got his quarterback,
he thinks they win the division. So okay, so Jerry
saying we're three and four, but what we are, in
his eyes, is not a quarterback away. We're a number
(22:02):
one wide receiver away. Um, I'm gonna disagree here just
because he hasn't if he had made his decision. UM,
I don't know how you make a decision when you've
lost three of your last five games. So when you're
three and four on the season, your quarterback hasn't played
well much of the year. I think what this does
is it eliminates excuses from the coaching staff and eliminates
(22:23):
excuses from the quarterback. Uh. And that yeah has some
issues in the offensive line. Sure, they also remember fired
their offensive line coach. So if you think making a
trade mid season and overpaying for Amari Cooper and firing
your offensive line coach in the exact same week, is
(22:43):
uh is a sign that you're stable at quarterback, that
you know what you have. I must be reading a
different set of tea leaves than Nick writes reading. I
think he's disappointed with the offense, and I don't. I
think you don't know. If it's we that they didn't
replace Dak that's a problem. That the offensive lines not
as good as it used to be, that's a problem,
And that the quarterback play isn't as profound as it
(23:05):
should be. That's a problem. Like, look right now, Dak
Dak Prescott is the third best quarterback in the NFL,
excuse me, third best quarterback in the NFC East. Their
best that's behind Alex Smith. And if you think that's
good enough for Jerry Jones, especially Jerry Jones in which
he has to pay him after this season a huge
contract extension, I'm gonna beg to differ. I think this
(23:29):
is the ultimate in Hey, we're gonna go out and
overspend on a wide receiver because we think we have
a franchise quarterback, but we won't know until we see
them all play together. That makes sense. I just I don't.
I don't feel like it's a known he's a I
think if you know anything, you know he doesn't have
it and you've got to cover up for it by
(23:49):
going out and getting better players. But I I think
reasonable minds have told me in the NFL, you're only
gonna know if you give him a real number one
ride receiver, you give them running game, and you fix
the offensive line. And they've tried to address two of
those three, and they already think they have the running game,
especially if they have the offensive line fixed. So take
(24:10):
that for what it's worth. Fox Sports Radio has the
best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of
our shows at Fox sports Radio dot com and within
the I Heart Radio app search f s R to
listen live. The Angels haven't been able to figure it out,
and you're replacing the longest tenure manager in Major League
Baseball is a huge undertaking. Brat austin Us is the
(24:33):
club's seventeen manager, and he's kind of have to spend
some time this year on the Doug Gottlip Show on
Fox Sports Radio. Brad, I know it's been a whirlwind, um,
but I guess this means you passed the written test,
right I did? I didn't. I haven't got my result,
but I must have done. Yeah. Yeah. So for people
who just who didn't know, like the Angels apparently gave
out a written test, can you like what was on
(24:54):
the test? You know what? Uh, quantitative probably it's like
that some baseball stuff. But you know, it wasn't really
a test. I wouldn't describe it that way. It was
actually more they gave you some questions ahead of time
and gave you time to kind of go through them
(25:15):
and answer them, and then they were just talking points later.
Because you know, they went back to those questions, but
it wasn't really like a test that you took and
hand it in and make great it. How much different
are you now than from when you were managing the Tigers.
Uh well, I definitely. I think to me experiences us
assets and the game of baseball and the experience of
(25:37):
managing Detroit. I just don't I don't see how it
can't be a benefit to me because you experienced situations,
whether it's dealing with people in the clubhouse or dealing
with the media, and uh, now instead of uh, instead
of having to think about them or maybe we're acting poor,
poorly to him, Uh, you've already gone through them, and
(25:59):
you can you can go back in your memory banks
say all right, this is how I reacted the last
time this arose. I didn't like what I did, or
I did like what I did to make an adjustment,
hopefully in the new gig with the Angel. Yeah, and
then there is this similarity. I mean, when you came
in the two thousand thirteen Tigers were so loaded, I mean, man,
I mean the roster, and then obviously Dombrowski and the
(26:19):
some of the assets started to kind of go elsewhere.
But you're replacing Jim Leland, who's a legend in the game,
and now you're replacing a Mike Sosha, who's a legend
in the game and a legend in Anaheim. What's that
like to walk into a clubhouse or to walk into
a front office where this guy has been there for
almost two decades. What's what's that like to replace those
type of people. Um, you know, they're both great managers. Uh,
(26:43):
and so so streaming extremely well. My year's uh special
assistant with the Angels. Uh this past season. Uh. It
texted me when I when I got hired, texting congratulations.
And Jim Wowen and I are still good friends. I
used him as a resource because I was a new
manager the managerial position when I took over for him. Uh.
(27:03):
And they all have experiences, Uh, they have stories, and
uh they can they can give me advice. Uh. So
I will and I haven't probably continue to lean on
those types of people because, like, like we were just
talking about experiences as a and a huge asset, and
those guys have a huge chunk of experience between the
two of them. So I'm not worried about coming in
there and trying to be Mike Social or replace Mike Socia.
(27:27):
I think I've been around enough. I've been around baseball
and nothing and been around a lot of good players,
good managers that uh I hope I'm smart enough to
not try and beat them. All right, So how long
before you get after you got the job, did you
talk with Mike trout Um? Well, actually Trouty texted me. Uh, Mike,
(27:47):
I think it was before it was announced. Quite frankly,
it's been trying to play before it was public. So
I have talked to him. I talked to him and
Albert handful of guys already. Um, still have to go
to the rest of the roster. I'll get I'll touch
base with every single woman. I don't want. Nobody cares
about the rest of those guys. We care about trout
and pull us in no time. That's all we care.
(28:08):
So I guess I guess the question. The question becomes like, look,
I go to Angel games. Anybody who watches, he's as
close to the perfect players you're gonna get, and I
one because he doesn't want to get better, and he
does get better, and when healthy, he's the best player
in baseball. Plus he plays hard every day, like you
can't get any better. But there is this thought that
(28:29):
at some point, like Jersey Kid with Philly roots, like
he's gonna try and go home. How do you how
do you convince him, hey, this is the best place
for you to be. Well, I don't, I'm not sure.
I'm not sure yet. I gotta get in the club.
Off him, certainly, you know, watching him, you know, could
(28:50):
you ask for a better complete package as a player
and a person? And he goes about his business the
right way as you know. I was a wait in commodity.
You were talking about Croudy and how everyone likes him
and that, I mean, that's the amazing thing. Everybody likes him.
I challenge you to find someone who doesn't like them. No,
I don't. I don't know anybody. And to get a
guy like that, you couldn't ask for that. I don't
(29:13):
think there's a manager ever in the history of the
game that would would say other than I would love
to manage my job because you don't have to. Um.
What about Otani? Obviously, the the the arm issue, the
elbow issue, keeps him from pitching this upcoming year. What
do you what should we expect? I mean, I know,
it's very very early on Brad Austin's new skipper of
(29:34):
the l A Angels, joining us on the Doug Gallup
Show on Fox Sports Radio. What are reasonable expectations after what,
in spots was a spectacular rookie year in spite of
the injury. Well, we're kind of territory in territory with
a guy that's gonna d h while recovering from Tommy
John surgery. And I think, well, we'll from medical standpoint,
(29:56):
we're gonna have to play a little bit safe and
every part of the season and make sure he's absolutely
read because we don't want to do anything to endanger
him returning to pick and too in point in point myself,
that's gonna be probably at the forefront of all decision making.
And uh, but he's a he's an exceptional talent. And
I saw him in spring training when I was with
(30:16):
the Angels down there and tempy, and the thing that
stood out from an offensive perspective is just the law
power he was hitting. You know, I had Miguel Cabrera
who had as much power as anyone in the opposite
field in Detroit, and and showy he rivals Maybe with
that type of power. I mean, it's it's unbelievable. In
(30:38):
batting practice. The first few days I saw, I didn't
and I almost didn't believe it. And then obviously the
pitching speaks for herself. When he's healthy, you know, he's
nineties five to a hundred with a nasty slide. Nati
split The thing that people, I don't think realizes how
fast this guy is. This guy when he bakes, when
(30:58):
he wakes, when he was high, and when he breaks dride,
he would probably be a wide receiver in the NFL.
And this guy floats when he when he breaks God,
he can goble up ground as quick as anyone. No,
he's an he's amazing, amazing. Town Bred Austin is joining
us on The Doug Gotlip Show on Fox Sports Radio. Um,
you've had this job before. Everyone knows you're a bright guy.
(31:19):
You've you've hit all the you know, you're an incredible
fielding catcher. I mean, one of the one of the
best defensive catchers in the game when you were playing.
And now you you've been a part of front offices
like you check all these different boxes, and but the
experience in the game and the experience as a manager
you bring a lot to the table. Well, we just
watched the World Series, and not just in Los Angeles,
(31:40):
but not nationally. Dave Roberts catching a lot of heat
because the assumption is, hey, he's going by the analytics,
he's going by the book. He's not going as much
by his gut. What do you think what's your stole
second opportunity to manage? What do you think your style
is going to be in terms of your your your
percentage of use of analytics as opposed to this vast
(32:01):
array of personal experience you have both on and off
the field. Well, I would hope it to blend. I
will I will say that there's a lot more information
that's going to be available in this stint as a
manager analytically canoe Um. Now, the Tigers is done an
excellent job of since I left building up that that department,
I know Alics done a really good job and there
(32:22):
that was a target of his when he was hired. Um,
but there's gonna be a lot more available to me.
So in that sense, I would definitely use it more. Um,
but I still think there is some there's got to
be a monocle of uh taking human element into account.
When making decisions at times, you know, uh, you know
if I think A J. Hinch rightfully got a lot
(32:42):
of credit a couple of years ago for blending the
two when he was making decisions in the World Series.
All right, so would you have taken rich hell out?
That's really what I want to ask you. Uh, that's
the thing we didn't. We didn't have a conversation. I
don't know the nature of the conversation, but I've been
there when a picture. He doesn't so much say take
me out, but he's letting you know, I'm reaping the
(33:03):
end of my rope. And if you reaping end, if
you feel like he's telling you I'm reaching end of
my rope, bet are too early than too late? I mean,
listen that that's a that's a philosophy that so many
people have in all of sports, obviously. And and here's
a guy that traditionally does not have great pitching stamina, right,
even if he just struck out Nunez uh the very
last hitter. Um. And apparently the conversation was, hey, you
(33:26):
keep an eye, I mean when you think. And and
if you watch that conversation, he'll handed him the ball
almost before he got there, so it wasn't so we
might actually be overreacting. But I think he's fascinating on
how little people pay attention to managing and many times
in the regular season, and how we pay almost too
much attention to it in the postseason. Is that a
Is that a fair assessment? Oh, there's no questions. Plans
(33:47):
on the microscope get bigger and bigger in the postseason,
and then of course the will serious it's about it
sharply focuses you as it possibly can be on every
single decision, pitch move whatever, you know, you know, any
aspect of the games to play it. So, but that's
part of it. That's I mean, that's part of the
you know, if you're gonna be a good team and
you make the playoffs, and even for in some cities,
(34:10):
even if you get the medio continue, the manager's gonna
you know, he's going to be the guy that's gonna
have to answer the questions and uh, that's just the
nature of managing in baseball now, especially with with social media.
Well listen, welcome to Southern California. Thanks so much for
spending some time with us, and we wish you nothing
but the best in the off season, hopefully loading up
on some pitching and some health in that in that
(34:32):
pitching staff. Thanks for being our guest on Fox Sports Radio, Brat,
all right, Thanks, do you appreciate it? Alright? Brat. Austin's
joining us in the doug Otlip Show here on
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug gott
Leap Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every
weekday from three to six pm Eastern Time that's twelve
to three Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local
station for the Doug Gottlieb Show at Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
I Heart Radio app by searching fs are. This is
(00:21):
the best of the Doug got Leave Show on Fox
Sports Radio. Boom, What Up America, Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox
Sports Radio, coming to you from the beautiful sunny area
of Los Angeles, California. Welcome in, man. Do we have
(00:41):
a jam back show for you? Danny Cannell is going
to join us as uh. We'll break down the college
football rankings. First college football rankings for the Collegeball Playoff
came out last night. Plus get you ready for l
s U welcoming in Alabama Rams wide receiver Josh Reynolds.
Next hour, third and final hour of the show. Greg
Osel from NFL Films will join us as well. Brad
(01:03):
Osmus He's the new Angels skipper. He's the former Mariners.
Excuse me, former Mariners? Why does the Mariners former Tigers skipper. Uh,
he will join us, a brilliant, brilliant mind, former catcher
in the National Football League. Um, I want to get
to levy On bell still no showing. This is a
day after the trade deadline expired, and a little bit
(01:26):
of what levy On is doing is, uh, does kind
of correlate to the Jimmy Butler thing, does kind of
correlate to the haha Clinton Dick's being traded. It is
not what you say, it is what you do. And
we can read tea leaves right, like even if you
go back to earlier this week when Cleveland fired Todd
(01:48):
Haley and fired Hugh Jackson, and and Cleveland didn't necessarily
hide the fact that they had head coaching and assistant
coaching dysfunction. But you know, you can sit here and
tell us who you like and who you don't like.
But we can we read the tea leaves on that one.
(02:09):
And everyone saw hard Knocks said like, hey, those two
are not going to work together. It's funny because cal
Herd used the clip of Hugh Jackson talking to his
assistant coaches and assistant coaches not wanting to give days off,
and Hugh Jackson saying, hey, that's great, but this is
my team. When it's your team, you can do what
(02:30):
you want. I've been told by let me go through
my texture one too, three four, four different NFL front
office people that it happens in their shop exact same conversation.
So I texted back, what's different. He's like, read the
body They're all like read the body language. Look at
(02:51):
those two guys. You just look at him like, well,
that isn't working. You can do this when you're on
a couple's date. You can ask them how you guys doing. Oh,
we're great, We're so happy, kids are great. And then
you just you watch their interaction. Are they holding hands,
sitting close to each other, do they make eye contact?
You know, do their sender? Do their stories kind of
(03:12):
line up? If not? They can both be kind of
private subcontractors in the game of life. He does his thing,
she does her thing. They're just co parenting. You can
your spidy senses can tell you something's up. I had
friends in the NBA last year, like, dude, spotty senses say,
(03:33):
Jimmy Butler, that crew does not get along. I mentioned
it on this show several times, like that team something wrong.
I remember they were the only team to lose to
the Grizzlies at home in in two thousand eighteen. Did
you know that the Minnesota timber Wolves, with all their stuff,
they were the only team the Grizzlies were trying to
(03:53):
lose games? The only game they couldn't lose on the
road last year since after January one was the Minnesotember
and my spidy senses as well as some help from
other guys spidy sensing around like, well, I don't know
what it is, but that ain't working Jimmy Butler sitting
out tonight. Of course, even how the message related was
the Timberwolves idea? Was it? His idea is he's gonna
be traded? Like the whole thing. Like, guys, get your
(04:15):
stories straight before you presented to the world, because otherwise,
once you don't have your story straight and you start
stuttering and stammering, you know, getting the story Stade reminds
me and you guys, um music. You've flown internationally or
you've just flown to Hawaii's that the only place you've
gone to? That in Mexico? Okay, so it's not really
the same ramos have you've flown truly internationally to Europe
(04:38):
or anything that would be a negative. Dug. You guys
gonna need to get out more. Um when when you
fly the you know what you know, an airline has
never never crashed, right like l lal has never been
you know nothing, as as many attacks as there have
been on uh my fellow Jewish people would there's never
been one with l all. And they interview you when
(05:01):
you're standing in line, and they don't necessarily ask you,
like about your religious background or about anything. They just
they just kind of talk to you and have a
conversation with you, and they're waiting for you to stutter
and stammer and not quite have your like they're correct,
and you get nervous. But there's a certain level of
nervousness that's normal, and there's a certain level of nervousness
that's covering up things. There's also a certain level of
(05:23):
being smooth, and so that's what they that's what they're doing.
They're kind of interrogating you without you knowing they're interrogating you.
And so when the Timberwolves don't quite have their story together,
like well, who who decided that Jimmy was gonna sit tonight. Uh,
it was our decision, their decision, mutual decision. Like that
doesn't make any sense. The same is true with with
(05:45):
the Browns. Right when Hugh Jackson said like, Hey, I'm
gonna take over a play calling, I'm gonna take over
more of the offense, and like you know, Todd Hayley
was like, wait what You could read their body language.
You could understand timbool was dysfunctional. And frankly I told
(06:06):
you this with with Pittsburgh that there was whether it's
a lack of communication or an inability to get your
story straight. When Levy on Bell when he didn't show
up after training camp was over and he was expected
to be there in his entire offensive line ripped him,
which never happens in professional sports, especially in the NFL,
(06:29):
ever players are always united. There was something amiss there.
And then there was the well, maybe he'll set to
week ten, and then you go back a couple of
weeks ago, he's gonna come back after week eight when
their inability to get kind of the story straight, story together,
and then you look at at Levy on Bell first
seven games last season, he got twenty nine touches, he
(06:54):
averaged a point three yards from scrimmage four point four
yards attach only four touchdowns from scrimmage, whereas James Conner
fewer touches twenty two point six thirty one point seven
yards per game, so more yards per game five point
eight that's over a yard almost a yard and a
(07:14):
half more per touch. Additionally, last year through first seven games,
Ben Roethlisberger not a successful nine touchdowns, eight interceptions, complete
percentage seven point five yards attempt. Now fourteen touchdowns, seven
interceptions two thousand, two hundred uh ninety yards already. That's
(07:36):
that's over sixty more yards per game passing, a higher
completion percentage, and more yards per tempt. So Big Bend
is on pace to throw more TVs, more yards, a
better completion percentage, and a higher yards per attempt. Everybody
talking about when Levan Bell sat out it will be
like Emmett Smith two point o. I don't know if
you guys remember EMT Smith, in the middle of his career,
(07:57):
decided to he wanted a bigger contract from Jerry Jones
sat the first two games. It was a disaster. Jerry
caved in, Jerry gave a big deal. There was something
wrong with Levy on story that it didn't. Uh, you know,
he told guys he's going to be back. Then all
of a sudden he wasn't. Back Then it was ten games,
then maybe he was eight games. Then all of us
(08:18):
were left assuming that he was just waiting to the
trade deadline. We expired because he didn't want to show
up if he signed that franchise tender. He be the
Levy on Bell thing. He sat there and said, hey,
if you don't want to pay me, find somebody who
can be as productive. And they're like, okay, we got
a guy. He makes a quarter of the money that
you make. He played in the city of Pittsburgh in college,
(08:41):
and oh yeah, by the way, he's a cancer survivor
who's as or more productive in every single way. And
oh yeah, by the way, Ben Roethlisberger and more productive
without you. Granted, it did not happen in a vacuum.
The schedule was probably more difficult last year than it
has been this year. Two games against the Browns. Of course,
there was that disaster against the Jags last year, like
all that stuff we know, But the point is that
(09:04):
he dared him find somebody better who will do it
for less. They did, And now of a sudden, he's
back to stuttering and stammering, and he's not there. He's
not showing up. You know something, Once I saw and
read the comments of all of those offensive lineman, I
(09:25):
knew something was up. It's it's just like the Green
Bay Packers made what I think would be a really
odd move. Ha ha, Clinton Dix, who they would have
had to reinvest in in the off season. If you
know anything about the Packers Ted Thompson style, who's the
old GM not kicked up stairs? Who drafted hawklnd Dix?
Their style has always been draft guys, resigned guys, build
(09:46):
from within, build with your draft picks, and considering hawklands
as a starter, pretty good player. And had they simply
not resigned him and he signed somewhere else, they would
have gotten a compensatory pick, and instead d they traded
him away yesterday. Again, something else is up. Be sure
to catch live editions of The Doug dot Leap Show
(10:07):
weekdays at noon eastern three pm Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio and the I Heart Radio app. The Rams lose
Cooper Cup to a concussion and um or excuse me,
Cuber up to the knee injury right and people thought
it was a lot worse than it's actually end up being,
and you started going like, oh, there goes the Rams.
This is the kind of thing, dream season, potential undefeated season,
(10:28):
there it goes. But there is a next man up,
uh kind of philosophy in the NFL. And who's having
a better season to display that than our next guest
name is Josh Byols. He's a wide receiver for the
l A Rams who stepped in quite nicely two touchdown
catches in the Ram victory over the Green Bay Packers
(10:49):
at the l A Coliseum. He joins us on the
Doug gott Lap Show. What, Josh, thanks so much for
taking time. Happy Halloween to you. What what's that like
to like, you know, personally, we know Cooper Cooper's a
great dude. He goes down, and I think Rams fans
everywhere and you know, fantasy fans, football fans like oh,
Rams are gonna so to see a teammate go down,
(11:10):
and yet no, you're gonna get more opportunities. Yeah, I
do appreciate you having me and uh yeah, basically, you
know you just gotta stay ready, you know, uh, you
know all the techniques and uh and and fundamentals to
your you know, to your position that you gotta fell
in for. And I mean if you know that, and uh,
(11:34):
you know you don't have to relearn it, you know
you're learning it. You know the the priority plays that week,
you know you'll be able to play fast. So you
know that's what I was able to do. All the
guys packed me up on it, and uh, you know,
we got some We've got some great completions. What's that?
What's that like though? To be lining up and holy hell,
(11:56):
it's the l A Coliseum. I'm I'm now one of
the go to you guys for the Rams against the
Green Bay Packers. That was the game that everybody's watching. Like, look,
you've been in the league. This is not your first rodeo.
But to have that sort of presence in this type
of games, what are those emotions like for you? H man?
They were up and down. But you know, being being
(12:19):
a ball player, you're trying not to trying not to
soak in uh and reflect on emotions and stuff. You just, uh,
you know, you kind of rely on your ability and
and uh, like I said, the fundamentals and techniques and
stuff for the plays and and all that so you know,
it definitely was an emotional time. You know, it was
awesome being able to contribute, I mean contribute like that
(12:42):
for a team win and and uh, you know, taking
that one week at a time. You know, I were
focused on the Saints. What I didn't even look at
what were your touchdown celebrations? Do you what do you
even do? I didn't do that. There isn't nothing. You know,
I'm more of a I'm more of a you know,
act like I've been there kind of guy. You know,
(13:03):
did you did you have a plan? Did you have
a plan and you just choked because at the moment
or you really like I'm just gonna because you're laughing
underneath your breath, it sounds like you wanted you said like, look,
if I scored a touchdown, I'm gonna do this, and
then you're like, oh my god, I scored a touchdown?
What do I do with the football? I really didn't
have anything planned. It was it was kind of I
was kind of going into it like, you know, if
(13:24):
I do get me a little touchdown, and uh, you know,
it's whatever whatever comes to it comes to mind at
that at that moment. You know, at that moment, nothing
came to mind. Let's go celebrate with my teammates and
and in fairness, like this has been a long time,
even in college, like Christian Kirk kind of overshadowed, like
you were a very highly touted guy, Like I know
enough about A and M football, it's where you guys
(13:46):
had a ton of dudes, but you were always a
guy that had to kind of wait your turn for
the spotlight. Is that is that a fair assessment of
like what's happened to you in the NFL is not
terribly dissimilar to what happened at A and M. Right, Yeah, correct,
And that's why, you know, a lot a lot of
people ask me, you know, how how much how do
I you know, cope with you know, you know, not
(14:06):
getting the Monto reps and then coming in having a
fill in. You know, it's it's it's kind of the
same thing that I was. I was doing A and
L aside from you know, having to come in off
the bench. You know, it's just you know, I just
wasn't that guy. But you know, whenever my my name
was called to make some plays, you know I was,
I was able to make some plays. That's a sign
(14:26):
of a true professional Josh Reynolds joining us in the
Doug Gotlip Show Fox Sports Radio. Um, I think that
what happens Sunday, and you tell me if I'm wrong.
This was the big question mark for this team was
how you guys would handle adversity right because um, because
look you have the big names and and Dominican come
over and in Marcus Peters come over and keep to lead,
(14:50):
come over, and there's some big name, big personalities, and like,
look when things are going good and you're dominating teams
and you're blowing them out like you did, you know,
the Raiders to start the season of the Chargers. Like
it's easy to be a good teammate. You get down
to nothing and now of a sudden, sometimes some teams
there starts to be the finger pointing, how did you
guys get this thing back going the right way when
(15:10):
the offense was struggling early on. Uh, that just shows
you know that that's just one, uh, one example of
how close we are as an offense, as as a team. Um,
because you know, through all the adversity, all the all
the three and ounces and stuff, we you know nobody panic,
you know, no nobody on the team panic nobody on
the coach and staff panic. Then you know we uh,
(15:33):
we basically strapped our boots up and made some adjustments
and I started executing them and and that's when we
started getting the ball, getting the ball going, And that's
when our offense started started moving. Now did you haven't?
Did you go to Todd Gurley's Halloween party? I did?
Now did you have an invite before you became a
(15:53):
starter or did all astten? Did they give you that?
Did you give you that last second? Like, oh hey, Josh, Josh, listen,
now that you're playing and catching touch that beast, you
can cud of my party. M Luckily my lockers right
right right on the other side of here, So he
had no children, nothing invite people before before I got
named to started And what did you wear? What'd you
(16:13):
what'd you wear? I was? I was a lion tamer
and like at a at a carnival. Yeah, would you
have a whip? Yeah? My girlfriend was a one. I
like that. I like that you had the whip. He
had the whip going. Of course, of course, who had
who had the best outfit? Oh man, it might it
(16:37):
might have been a tie between between uh Jared and
Tyler Higbie was Malibu mos one one. Yeah, and he
tweeted out, don't be hating. What was what was Tyler Higbee? Uh?
He's uh what was about? Get right? Oh? You gotfiery
(17:04):
the chef with the diners and dives. Yeah, with the
with the blonde air, the go to That's that's pretty
that's that's pretty pretty strong stuff. Uh you are And
look you're a Texas kid, Texas High School, John Jay
and of course Tyler Community College for a and m.
How so call life Trenia. Oh man, it's awesome, you know,
(17:24):
coming up, coming up with the humidity, you know, coming
out here, I don't know, have to deal with any
of that is just perfect, perfect seventy seven agree weather,
you know, great cool breeze. That's awesome. Yeah. It also
helps when you're winning, though, too, right, Like it's all
that stuff is awesome, but it's a lot better when
there's all those dubs and and nothing by the el
cam in it exactly exactly. Okay, So now you got
(17:47):
and this is a really tough stretch of the season.
Saints then Seahawks, then Chiefs, then on the road to
Lions and Bears, and you tell me this is your
second year in the league. Is it different when you
guys come in to somebody's building than it was last
year when no one really knew what to expect from
McVeigh and from golf. Yeah, that's definitely a lot different,
(18:09):
you know, a lot more different because you know, not
that we're you know, we're the top team. Everybody's trying
to beat. You know, every every team every week is
going to come with that with that chip on the shoulder,
that age to knock the number one team off. So
you know, we we always have to treat each week
the same. You know, it doesn't matter who we're playing. Uh,
you know, each week has to be the same in
(18:31):
our preparation and fundamentals. All Right, what do you do
with the two touchdown balls? Oh? Man, I didn't even
get that. I didn't even get it. You didn't you
don't have you don't have your your touchdown football's uh,
don't like this is this is I know you got
one last year, but the two in one game in
(18:52):
a big game. You you you see you did choke,
That's true. You had I'm sure you had a whole
celebration planned and a whole like you got shell was
and in back in your apartment, and you completely choked.
That's what that's really what. I didn't choke, and that
didn't you know, I didn't get the ball, didn't get
my good picture for the dance. You know. Yeah, it
was it was. It was a fast time, you know,
(19:13):
fast time it does. It does happen really fast. Did
you know that that Gurly was gonna go down? Everybody
thought Gurley was going to go in the end zone.
He goes to. You guys are up to. Girly goes down.
It celebrated as a team first play. Did you know
that's what was supposed to happen? Ah, yes, I did.
We Uh, we we go over a situational situational ball
(19:34):
just about every week. So and then uh, and then
we talked about it before and before the the before
the ball is snapped in the huddle, and and so
everybody was on the same page. And uh, you know,
Todd being the situational mastery is uh got down and
we was able to secure the win. See. I just thought,
and I understand that the game was over. I just
(19:54):
thought you also could have scored a touchdown and go
up eight kick a field gold extra point of nine
and the game's over there too. But yeah, yeah, an
it's any any's anything you could do to keep number
twelve from from being able to go down there and
you know, get a drive. You know, that's that's what
that's what we were thinking. Fair enough. You you that's
(20:14):
your first time seeing twelve in person? What what's that
like to watch man history Man, That's that's awesome. It's
just just seeing a great, you know, one of the
great play. It's that's something that you always, you know,
you always wish for as a kid. And then being
able to play on the same field him, you know,
it's awesome and catch two touchdown passes and get the way. Josh,
(20:36):
congrats on the dub best of luck against the Saints.
Thanks for joining us, Thank you, Thank you, Duck Josh
Reynolds joining us in The Doug Gotlap Show here on
Fox Sports. Be sure to catch live editions. So The
Doug got Leap Show weekdays at noon Eastern three pm
Pacific and now the morning show on Fox Sports Ones
called First Things First. Nick Wright is one of the stars.
(20:57):
He said this about the Cowboys after the trade deadline.
Jerry's decided on dec like you're the reason I was
leaning forward to hear what you wanted to say about
the Marii Cooper thing. Was the best argument for overpaying
for a Mariy Cooper, which they did by giving up
a first round pick, especially when you see what other
guys that the deadline went for thirds and fourths and seventh.
(21:18):
The best argument was we got to find out about
the quarterback. You're paying a premium because you want to
find out if you got the quarterback. And Jerry's done
decided about the quarterback. Jerry has decided Dak Prescott. He
said it, He's proven it to me. I I don't
need more information about Dak. He's the only person who
doesn't need more information about Dak. But he's also the
(21:39):
only vote that counts. He's the only the There might
be a board of directors, but it's five people, and
Jerry's got three of the votes the first round pick
because because he all not only does he think that
he's got his quarterback, because he thinks he's got his quarterback,
he thinks they win the division. So okay, so Jerry
saying we're three and four, but what we are, in
his eyes, is not a quarterback away. We're a number
(22:02):
one wide receiver away. Um, I'm gonna disagree here just
because he hasn't if he had made his decision. UM,
I don't know how you make a decision when you've
lost three of your last five games. So when you're
three and four on the season, your quarterback hasn't played
well much of the year. I think what this does
is it eliminates excuses from the coaching staff and eliminates
(22:23):
excuses from the quarterback. Uh. And that yeah has some
issues in the offensive line. Sure, they also remember fired
their offensive line coach. So if you think making a
trade mid season and overpaying for Amari Cooper and firing
your offensive line coach in the exact same week, is
(22:43):
uh is a sign that you're stable at quarterback, that
you know what you have. I must be reading a
different set of tea leaves than Nick writes reading. I
think he's disappointed with the offense, and I don't. I
think you don't know. If it's we that they didn't
replace Dak that's a problem. That the offensive lines not
as good as it used to be, that's a problem,
And that the quarterback play isn't as profound as it
(23:05):
should be. That's a problem. Like, look right now, Dak
Dak Prescott is the third best quarterback in the NFL,
excuse me, third best quarterback in the NFC East. Their
best that's behind Alex Smith. And if you think that's
good enough for Jerry Jones, especially Jerry Jones in which
he has to pay him after this season a huge
contract extension, I'm gonna beg to differ. I think this
(23:29):
is the ultimate in Hey, we're gonna go out and
overspend on a wide receiver because we think we have
a franchise quarterback, but we won't know until we see
them all play together. That makes sense. I just I don't.
I don't feel like it's a known he's a I
think if you know anything, you know he doesn't have
it and you've got to cover up for it by
(23:49):
going out and getting better players. But I I think
reasonable minds have told me in the NFL, you're only
gonna know if you give him a real number one
ride receiver, you give them running game, and you fix
the offensive line. And they've tried to address two of
those three, and they already think they have the running game,
especially if they have the offensive line fixed. So take
(24:10):
that for what it's worth. Fox Sports Radio has the
best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of
our shows at Fox sports Radio dot com and within
the I Heart Radio app search f s R to
listen live. The Angels haven't been able to figure it out,
and you're replacing the longest tenure manager in Major League
Baseball is a huge undertaking. Brat austin Us is the
(24:33):
club's seventeen manager, and he's kind of have to spend
some time this year on the Doug Gottlip Show on
Fox Sports Radio. Brad, I know it's been a whirlwind, um,
but I guess this means you passed the written test,
right I did? I didn't. I haven't got my result,
but I must have done. Yeah. Yeah. So for people
who just who didn't know, like the Angels apparently gave
out a written test, can you like what was on
(24:54):
the test? You know what? Uh, quantitative probably it's like
that some baseball stuff. But you know, it wasn't really
a test. I wouldn't describe it that way. It was
actually more they gave you some questions ahead of time
and gave you time to kind of go through them
(25:15):
and answer them, and then they were just talking points later.
Because you know, they went back to those questions, but
it wasn't really like a test that you took and
hand it in and make great it. How much different
are you now than from when you were managing the Tigers.
Uh well, I definitely. I think to me experiences us
assets and the game of baseball and the experience of
(25:37):
managing Detroit. I just don't I don't see how it
can't be a benefit to me because you experienced situations,
whether it's dealing with people in the clubhouse or dealing
with the media, and uh, now instead of uh, instead
of having to think about them or maybe we're acting poor,
poorly to him, Uh, you've already gone through them, and
(25:59):
you can you can go back in your memory banks
say all right, this is how I reacted the last
time this arose. I didn't like what I did, or
I did like what I did to make an adjustment,
hopefully in the new gig with the Angel. Yeah, and
then there is this similarity. I mean, when you came
in the two thousand thirteen Tigers were so loaded, I mean, man,
I mean the roster, and then obviously Dombrowski and the
(26:19):
some of the assets started to kind of go elsewhere.
But you're replacing Jim Leland, who's a legend in the game,
and now you're replacing a Mike Sosha, who's a legend
in the game and a legend in Anaheim. What's that
like to walk into a clubhouse or to walk into
a front office where this guy has been there for
almost two decades. What's what's that like to replace those
type of people. Um, you know, they're both great managers. Uh,
(26:43):
and so so streaming extremely well. My year's uh special
assistant with the Angels. Uh this past season. Uh. It
texted me when I when I got hired, texting congratulations.
And Jim Wowen and I are still good friends. I
used him as a resource because I was a new
manager the managerial position when I took over for him. Uh.
(27:03):
And they all have experiences, Uh, they have stories, and
uh they can they can give me advice. Uh. So
I will and I haven't probably continue to lean on
those types of people because, like, like we were just
talking about experiences as a and a huge asset, and
those guys have a huge chunk of experience between the
two of them. So I'm not worried about coming in
there and trying to be Mike Social or replace Mike Socia.
(27:27):
I think I've been around enough. I've been around baseball
and nothing and been around a lot of good players,
good managers that uh I hope I'm smart enough to
not try and beat them. All right, So how long
before you get after you got the job, did you
talk with Mike trout Um? Well, actually Trouty texted me. Uh, Mike,
(27:47):
I think it was before it was announced. Quite frankly,
it's been trying to play before it was public. So
I have talked to him. I talked to him and
Albert handful of guys already. Um, still have to go
to the rest of the roster. I'll get I'll touch
base with every single woman. I don't want. Nobody cares
about the rest of those guys. We care about trout
and pull us in no time. That's all we care.
(28:08):
So I guess I guess the question. The question becomes like, look,
I go to Angel games. Anybody who watches, he's as
close to the perfect players you're gonna get, and I
one because he doesn't want to get better, and he
does get better, and when healthy, he's the best player
in baseball. Plus he plays hard every day, like you
can't get any better. But there is this thought that
(28:29):
at some point, like Jersey Kid with Philly roots, like
he's gonna try and go home. How do you how
do you convince him, hey, this is the best place
for you to be. Well, I don't, I'm not sure.
I'm not sure yet. I gotta get in the club.
Off him, certainly, you know, watching him, you know, could
(28:50):
you ask for a better complete package as a player
and a person? And he goes about his business the
right way as you know. I was a wait in commodity.
You were talking about Croudy and how everyone likes him
and that, I mean, that's the amazing thing. Everybody likes him.
I challenge you to find someone who doesn't like them. No,
I don't. I don't know anybody. And to get a
guy like that, you couldn't ask for that. I don't
(29:13):
think there's a manager ever in the history of the
game that would would say other than I would love
to manage my job because you don't have to. Um.
What about Otani? Obviously, the the the arm issue, the
elbow issue, keeps him from pitching this upcoming year. What
do you what should we expect? I mean, I know,
it's very very early on Brad Austin's new skipper of
(29:34):
the l A Angels, joining us on the Doug Gallup
Show on Fox Sports Radio. What are reasonable expectations after what,
in spots was a spectacular rookie year in spite of
the injury. Well, we're kind of territory in territory with
a guy that's gonna d h while recovering from Tommy
John surgery. And I think, well, we'll from medical standpoint,
(29:56):
we're gonna have to play a little bit safe and
every part of the season and make sure he's absolutely
read because we don't want to do anything to endanger
him returning to pick and too in point in point myself,
that's gonna be probably at the forefront of all decision making.
And uh, but he's a he's an exceptional talent. And
I saw him in spring training when I was with
(30:16):
the Angels down there and tempy, and the thing that
stood out from an offensive perspective is just the law
power he was hitting. You know, I had Miguel Cabrera
who had as much power as anyone in the opposite
field in Detroit, and and showy he rivals Maybe with
that type of power. I mean, it's it's unbelievable. In
(30:38):
batting practice. The first few days I saw, I didn't
and I almost didn't believe it. And then obviously the
pitching speaks for herself. When he's healthy, you know, he's
nineties five to a hundred with a nasty slide. Nati
split The thing that people, I don't think realizes how
fast this guy is. This guy when he bakes, when
(30:58):
he wakes, when he was high, and when he breaks dride,
he would probably be a wide receiver in the NFL.
And this guy floats when he when he breaks God,
he can goble up ground as quick as anyone. No,
he's an he's amazing, amazing. Town Bred Austin is joining
us on The Doug Gotlip Show on Fox Sports Radio. Um,
you've had this job before. Everyone knows you're a bright guy.
(31:19):
You've you've hit all the you know, you're an incredible
fielding catcher. I mean, one of the one of the
best defensive catchers in the game when you were playing.
And now you you've been a part of front offices
like you check all these different boxes, and but the
experience in the game and the experience as a manager
you bring a lot to the table. Well, we just
watched the World Series, and not just in Los Angeles,
(31:40):
but not nationally. Dave Roberts catching a lot of heat
because the assumption is, hey, he's going by the analytics,
he's going by the book. He's not going as much
by his gut. What do you think what's your stole
second opportunity to manage? What do you think your style
is going to be in terms of your your your
percentage of use of analytics as opposed to this vast
(32:01):
array of personal experience you have both on and off
the field. Well, I would hope it to blend. I
will I will say that there's a lot more information
that's going to be available in this stint as a
manager analytically canoe Um. Now, the Tigers is done an
excellent job of since I left building up that that department,
I know Alics done a really good job and there
(32:22):
that was a target of his when he was hired. Um,
but there's gonna be a lot more available to me.
So in that sense, I would definitely use it more. Um,
but I still think there is some there's got to
be a monocle of uh taking human element into account.
When making decisions at times, you know, uh, you know
if I think A J. Hinch rightfully got a lot
(32:42):
of credit a couple of years ago for blending the
two when he was making decisions in the World Series.
All right, so would you have taken rich hell out?
That's really what I want to ask you. Uh, that's
the thing we didn't. We didn't have a conversation. I
don't know the nature of the conversation, but I've been
there when a picture. He doesn't so much say take
me out, but he's letting you know, I'm reaping the
(33:03):
end of my rope. And if you reaping end, if
you feel like he's telling you I'm reaching end of
my rope, bet are too early than too late? I mean,
listen that that's a that's a philosophy that so many
people have in all of sports, obviously. And and here's
a guy that traditionally does not have great pitching stamina, right,
even if he just struck out Nunez uh the very
last hitter. Um. And apparently the conversation was, hey, you
(33:26):
keep an eye, I mean when you think. And and
if you watch that conversation, he'll handed him the ball
almost before he got there, so it wasn't so we
might actually be overreacting. But I think he's fascinating on
how little people pay attention to managing and many times
in the regular season, and how we pay almost too
much attention to it in the postseason. Is that a
Is that a fair assessment? Oh, there's no questions. Plans
(33:47):
on the microscope get bigger and bigger in the postseason,
and then of course the will serious it's about it
sharply focuses you as it possibly can be on every
single decision, pitch move whatever, you know, you know, any
aspect of the games to play it. So, but that's
part of it. That's I mean, that's part of the
you know, if you're gonna be a good team and
you make the playoffs, and even for in some cities,
(34:10):
even if you get the medio continue, the manager's gonna
you know, he's going to be the guy that's gonna
have to answer the questions and uh, that's just the
nature of managing in baseball now, especially with with social media.
Well listen, welcome to Southern California. Thanks so much for
spending some time with us, and we wish you nothing
but the best in the off season, hopefully loading up
on some pitching and some health in that in that
(34:32):
pitching staff. Thanks for being our guest on Fox Sports Radio, Brat,
all right, Thanks, do you appreciate it? Alright? Brat. Austin's
joining us in the doug Otlip Show here on
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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