September 30, 2024 • 15 mins
Unable to wrap up their last regular season series against the Guardians yesterday due to the rain inclement in Cleveland, the Astros come out on top winning both games Friday and Saturday, therefore stepping into the postseason a bit more comfortable ending the season with a few good wins. Looking ahead, tomorrow the Astros kickoff their Wild Card series against the Detroit Tigers in a set of three afternoon games. Steve joins and shares his thoughts as the Astros roll into the Wild Card games along with a few things to be mindful of as the Tigers alike the Astros, look pretty solid heading into the postseason.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
The Shawn Salisbury Show continued.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
These parks, Astro's broadcaster joins us as he does every
single Monday. I mean it's got to be the highlight
of your week, huh, Steve, I mean think about it
just for you and I can conversing on a Monday.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Well, what's better than that?
Speaker 3 (00:18):
How long do I get to think about it?
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Eight seconds?
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Dude?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Just like riding the bull?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Okay, I would say this is my second favorite part
of every week.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
What's the first?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Well?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
That's hey, we also had to I mean, you know,
because I don't want to get ahead of myself. But
let me you know, they say you still take it
one game at a time. I know all you guys
got to do that, but I don't have to take
it one game at a time. I can look ahead,
and I'm looking ahead to when we win the World
Series and you're in there.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Can we get yeah, see.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
How far ahead I'm looking, Steve? I could why not?
Nice kaleidoscope? So when we get there, can we get
possible shorts? I mean the shorts?
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Uh? What overalls? No shirt?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
One of the straps undone and dangling and Timberland.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Boot Timberland boots. Oh, that's the Tims are the final.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Touchdow I did have on the short overall people in
the know called that.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
A that's exactly what it's called.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
But don't you think the Tims? The Tims like would
no socks really add to the end of it?
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Though? If you can, you go Tim's maybe.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Are you trying to embarrass me?
Speaker 1 (01:35):
No?
Speaker 3 (01:36):
No?
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Why would are you kid me?
Speaker 2 (01:38):
You're the only guy I though that could pull it
off and and probably turn it into a fashion connoisseur.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Now are you kidding me? But think about the Tims?
Can you think about Yeah? No doubt there you will. Okay,
I got from my grandpaty, I got ahead of us.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I already got us in the World Series. Now that's
a good start. But let's back up to Steve.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Overall all the years you've been doing this.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
I don't know if satisfying is the right word, but
everything they've been through, where does this rank regular season
for you?
Speaker 1 (02:07):
And how it ended?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
I think satisfying is a good word. I was maybe
surprised after starting twelve and twenty four that they were
able to get back into it so quickly. But it
takes two to tango, right, I mean the Mariners collapsed,
you know, Minnesota Twins collapsed and allowed Detroit to get in.
So they can say the same thing. Is like it
takes two. You got to get hot and you got
to do a lot, a lot of good things. But
(02:32):
you know, Danas said it a lot, and he's probably
he probably says it to you too. Is like you
looked at the team and you knew they weren't this bad.
You knew they're a good team. They've got a lot
of talent. But I think I'm most surprised, Sean the
ground that they made up while Tucker was gone. He
was going for over three months, and they were still
(02:52):
able to play such a good brand of baseball and
turn it around. Pitchy, I didn't see that coming. With
Hunter and Arragetty the way they threw the first six
weeks to the season. I wasn't so sure that the
rotation was going to be consistent enough to get this done.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
And here they.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Are very strength. Yeah, no doubt about it, Steven. If
they go on and win this whole thing, man alive
what to be able to overcome all that and still
go But I, unlike us, they I still think that
they believed they could hence why they're here. And with
that in mind, and you mentioned Kyle Tucker and the
resilience of this team to do to win like they did.
(03:31):
But and we'll get to Jordon's health in a second.
If they had to go two or three series without Jordon,
and hopefully they don't have to go any of that,
can they win a World Series without him.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
In the lineup?
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:43):
I think so, I mean, do you do you're right?
Pitch right?
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Yeah, you got to pitch well, you know, and you're hoping.
I don't know, you know, I'm not sure on Jordon.
And he's going to take batting practice today at the ballpark,
you know, face live hitters and do some things test
where he's at. So if you're losing for one series,
you're losing for two series whatever, you just got to
make sure he gets back and you don't have to
(04:08):
have any more setbacks with him. But you got to
be a lot of good teams, you know, and it
starts with the Detroit Tigers, and you're always going to
be miles better with jord On in there. So you're
just crossing your fingers right now, but not sure where
he is. Can they win with that? Him. I will
say yes because of what they did without Talker Tucker.
(04:30):
If you remember he was on a forty home run
pace this year. Yes, when he went down and he
was in the conversation. Is one of the top five
MVP candidates probably you know at the time of that injury.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Yeah, and you could never count.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
I mean with the resiliences team shown, I mean, they've
proven that they deserve at least that respect to say, yeah,
we can win it if we don't have yord On
Steve Sparks for his weekly visit here, mondays at eight
thirty Steve this, I hate short series unless you go
win the first two. But going into him, I hate
him because one bloop single here, one bad inning there
(05:06):
can put you in a buying and then you lose
one and you're already in a chase mode. In Detroit's
pitching staff is pretty good. In the guys school, the
guy they're running out there first is as good as
areas in the league right now. So with that in mind,
tell me about your thoughts on the dangerous part of
a three game series and how quickly you got to
lock in.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
It's very dangerous. You do have to lock in the
Astros have way more experience of being able to lock
in early is very important. And I think Detroit has
one player, maybe two players that have postseason experience Matt
Beerling who's at the Phillies. There might be another one
in there, but the Astros have loads of experience so
(05:45):
to be able to lock in. Like you mentioned, I
think it's not going to take nearly as much time
to feel the energy and to calm yourself in to
play your best baseball. So the Astros who have played
one hundred and three postseason games and fifteen have a
lot of those guys still on this roster and know
how to get it done. From Raval Does, by the way,
(06:06):
last couple of months, when you're talking to a pitching matchup,
yep has better numbers than Trek School. Not to say
that he's better than Trek School. Trek Scubel is going
to win the Triple Crown and he's going to be
the cy Young Award winner, But the last two months
from rival Does has better numbers.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
It's a it's phenomenal what what he has done and
proven that he is the ace of this staff. And
those two, you know, good chance to offset each other
with that Steve you mentioned about these are the experience
is experience? In postseason you get asked and I think
I know your answer, but maybe some don't. Is it overrated?
(06:43):
Or can you go in where you're like, man, I'm
not really worry you know how sometimes naive teams kind
of go in and they play looser. Is is there
anything said to with experience? Sometimes you can you can
press too hard because you're expected to win.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Son, You remember when you're growing up and you were
wondering if you had what it took inside to play
at the NFL level.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
You just always kind of wondered until you got a
chance to do it.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
And it's the same way with baseball players in like,
you know, you might be in high school, you might
be in college, and you want, man if I could
just play Pro Bowl, But when you're in the minor leagues,
you always have that maybe a little bit of doubt.
You're always wondering, can I play it at the major
league level? And do I have what's inside me to
be able to relax and do those things when I'm
(07:31):
on TV and playing in front of so many people.
And then it's the playoffs that's another level. Can you
slow your heart rate down when you know everybody's watching you.
Who expected the Tigers to be in the playoffs? This,
you're nobody, So they they probably couldn't even imagine this
in July. They couldn't. They were sellers at the deadline.
(07:54):
So now they're thrust into this and they come in
with quite a bit of confidence, but there's going to
be a little at a doubt. They're playing the Astros.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Who.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Are kind of the Yankees of the playoffs in the
last ten years. You know, they intimidate people. I think
I think they walk in there and they've got a
little strut to them and m I think it's a
little intimidating. So there's a lot of guys that aren't
sure on how they're going to be able to handle this,
and I think it's going to take a little bit
(08:24):
to adjust. And in a three game maybe a two
game series, you don't have a whole lot of time
to do that.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Yeah, Steven, to me make a great point because when
I you know, you're getting recruited out of high school
and everybody's telling you you belong and then when I
went to USC, my very first practice to fall on
my nobody left school early, like in January like they
do now, mid season senior year, and then goes in
spring practice. I remember the first practice might fall Marcus
Allen and Chip Banks and Joey Browner. I mean the
list goes on and on. Bruce Matthews, great players.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
You're in Awe.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Yeah, dude, you get under center. I think, Sean, don't
screw this up. You were highly recruited the rest of it.
But you still wonder if you if you belong. Yeah,
you don't. No, No, you overload your your head. There's
clutter everywhere because you're like, you want to fit in,
you want to impress them, you want to make sure
you belong. But you still, regardless of where you come from,
you still have that doubt that do I belong? So
(09:15):
with that, Steve, and that's a phenomenal point by you.
You mentioned all these playoff games the Asas have played
in uh these last seven or so years now eight years.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Is is there something too that you are that.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Tired does start to wear you out? Or is that
is a new energy kicking in the postseason? It is
playing too many of these over experiments to the point
where you're just beat down after all these years of
playing in postseason baseball.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
I think you see it more in the following spring training,
in the first couple of months of the season, and
guys will go down. We saw Christian Javier and Louis
curtenty and we see guys fall by the wayside, and
you know, you're you're crushing your fingers that they're back,
you know, somewhere past the dead or the break next year.
But the guys that made it to this point, I
(10:03):
think it looks to me like everybody's really healthy right
other than you know, your doll we talked about that,
but you know, the pitchers got a little bit of
rest here towards the end. There are some lopsided games
in the first two weeks of September. If you look
at it where you're able to give a bray you
a four day break that he needed badly. You know,
(10:26):
just some guys got some rest that they needed. Uh So,
the guys that they have in consideration beyond the rosters,
I feel like they're in pretty good shape. I didn't
pitch yesterday because of the rain out. Get an off
day to day. They can go up there and play cats,
get off the feet as quickly as possible and rest
up and get ready. But I like the experience, especially,
(10:47):
you know, three games. It's a crapshoot with this, with
this short series, but when you're trying to adjust quickly,
and the only game I ever pitched it in the
playoffs in my entire career. I was thirty nine years old,
but it was still a kne knocker. Yeah, it doesn't
matter who you are. It's an adjustment. You're thinking about
(11:08):
how many people are watching you and how close that
camera is to your face. I mean, you know that
you're in the spotlight, so it takes a little adjustment.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Steve, is there anything to the fact AJ Hinch being
I know they play him during the regular season half,
but is there any any advantage to a guy who
knows and I know that there's change, but he knows
a lot of these guys, any advantage at all, or
just that he that he's hovering because we know how
good a manager is, that he knows his team well
and how to pitch him.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
I think, I mean it played him plenty of times
a lot, Yeah you know, yeah, I think it's like
twenty six times since AJ left, So I don't think
there's a whole lot of surprises. He's been pitching like
Game seven in the World Series, or he's been managing
like Game seven in the World Series for almost two
months now. A lot of openers, a lot of bullpen usage.
(11:59):
We know that match ups and it's easy to probably
scout from the other side. All Right, he's going to
bring in Horton to face this, pocket, He's going to
bring in will vest to face this. I mean, you
can figure things out pretty easily and anticipate what's going
to happen. One thing I look at matchups wise, they're
(12:19):
two best hitters. Riley Green and Carry Carpenter are lefties
that don't hit lefties well, the Astros probably, I'm not
for sure about this. I know one of them from
ber Valdez and you say Kakuchi or lefties, and that's
that's a big advantage for the Astros.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
I believe, Hey, Steve, is there any I look around
the playoff baseball the way they're pitching. I'm not talking
about reputation or the money they make. The way they're
pitching is are Valdez, Brown and Kokuchi as good as
any one two three going into the playoffs?
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Right now? With the way they're pitching.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
I think, so, I do you know what the once
you punch, the duo of Valdez and Brown stacks up
better than anybody. You look at the numbers, look at
the second half of the season, and that's what you
got to look at. You don't look at the whole
season right now. Who's hot? Who's hot? When you get
into the dance and Fromber and Hunter Brown are as
(13:16):
hot as anybody going in. Kakuchi's been fantastic. They're nine
and the one in the games that he pitched and
the game that they lost, he gave up nowhere and
runs in six innings. So uh, I like the swing
and miss I like the I like the experience. I
like the astros one, two, three that they're going with.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Okay, in the perfect world, Giz set the lineup for me,
everybody's healthy, said, I mean, I'm talking about batting order.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
I want to know what you'd do.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
I don't know, it's kind of it's kind of hard.
So I think I think he'd like the Kartini janer
Diez combo at catcher in first base. I'm not sure.
I'm not Let's see. Yeah, I think that's probably it.
Singleton probably sits against Scooball. Then you go out two
bight second, Payne short pregnant at third centerfield. I'm sure
(14:06):
is Myers. Myers. If I was him today, I would
be practicing bunting. You know, you're get in the situation
and you're playing one and two run games. Uh, small
ball a little bit towards the end of at your
bottom of your lineup. I don't know. I don't know this.
The status is you're done. So Hayward's going to be
a part of this. I'm not sure he's going to
(14:28):
match up with Scooble, so probably the writing with Dubon
and of course Tucker, who gets righty's and lefties equally well.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Right.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
So that's that's my lineup. Caroten, he's been a beast.
I mean, think of like a one five ops plus
or something and you're thinking he's going to be your
backup catcher. He ends up being an offensive weapon.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
It's pretty good, formidable as it gets man, get all healthy,
it's going to be a blast. And what a pitching
matchup we have in game one. Cannot wait to see it.
Steve awesome stuff and we look forward to catching up
with you next Monday and hopefully one series in the
bag and working on another one. So look forward to
my man, and thanks for the good insight. As always,
(15:09):
in another hell of a regular season, we appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
You got it, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Thanks, that's the great Steve Sparks come back and discuss
Sports Talk seven ninety Astro is getting raided.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Tee it up three day games in a row.
The Shawn Salisbury Show continued.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
These parks, Astro's broadcaster joins us as he does every
single Monday. I mean it's got to be the highlight
of your week, huh, Steve, I mean think about it
just for you and I can conversing on a Monday.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Well, what's better than that?
Speaker 3 (00:18):
How long do I get to think about it?
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Eight seconds?
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Dude?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Just like riding the bull?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Okay, I would say this is my second favorite part
of every week.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
What's the first?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Well?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
That's hey, we also had to I mean, you know,
because I don't want to get ahead of myself. But
let me you know, they say you still take it
one game at a time. I know all you guys
got to do that, but I don't have to take
it one game at a time. I can look ahead,
and I'm looking ahead to when we win the World
Series and you're in there.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Can we get yeah, see.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
How far ahead I'm looking, Steve? I could why not?
Nice kaleidoscope? So when we get there, can we get
possible shorts? I mean the shorts?
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Uh? What overalls? No shirt?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
One of the straps undone and dangling and Timberland.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Boot Timberland boots. Oh, that's the Tims are the final.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Touchdow I did have on the short overall people in
the know called that.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
A that's exactly what it's called.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
But don't you think the Tims? The Tims like would
no socks really add to the end of it?
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Though? If you can, you go Tim's maybe.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Are you trying to embarrass me?
Speaker 1 (01:35):
No?
Speaker 3 (01:36):
No?
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Why would are you kid me?
Speaker 2 (01:38):
You're the only guy I though that could pull it
off and and probably turn it into a fashion connoisseur.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Now are you kidding me? But think about the Tims?
Can you think about Yeah? No doubt there you will. Okay,
I got from my grandpaty, I got ahead of us.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I already got us in the World Series. Now that's
a good start. But let's back up to Steve.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Overall all the years you've been doing this.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
I don't know if satisfying is the right word, but
everything they've been through, where does this rank regular season
for you?
Speaker 1 (02:07):
And how it ended?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
I think satisfying is a good word. I was maybe
surprised after starting twelve and twenty four that they were
able to get back into it so quickly. But it
takes two to tango, right, I mean the Mariners collapsed,
you know, Minnesota Twins collapsed and allowed Detroit to get in.
So they can say the same thing. Is like it
takes two. You got to get hot and you got
to do a lot, a lot of good things. But
(02:32):
you know, Danas said it a lot, and he's probably
he probably says it to you too. Is like you
looked at the team and you knew they weren't this bad.
You knew they're a good team. They've got a lot
of talent. But I think I'm most surprised, Sean the
ground that they made up while Tucker was gone. He
was going for over three months, and they were still
(02:52):
able to play such a good brand of baseball and
turn it around. Pitchy, I didn't see that coming. With
Hunter and Arragetty the way they threw the first six
weeks to the season. I wasn't so sure that the
rotation was going to be consistent enough to get this done.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
And here they.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Are very strength. Yeah, no doubt about it, Steven. If
they go on and win this whole thing, man alive
what to be able to overcome all that and still
go But I, unlike us, they I still think that
they believed they could hence why they're here. And with
that in mind, and you mentioned Kyle Tucker and the
resilience of this team to do to win like they did.
(03:31):
But and we'll get to Jordon's health in a second.
If they had to go two or three series without Jordon,
and hopefully they don't have to go any of that,
can they win a World Series without him.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
In the lineup?
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:43):
I think so, I mean, do you do you're right?
Pitch right?
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Yeah, you got to pitch well, you know, and you're hoping.
I don't know, you know, I'm not sure on Jordon.
And he's going to take batting practice today at the ballpark,
you know, face live hitters and do some things test
where he's at. So if you're losing for one series,
you're losing for two series whatever, you just got to
make sure he gets back and you don't have to
(04:08):
have any more setbacks with him. But you got to
be a lot of good teams, you know, and it
starts with the Detroit Tigers, and you're always going to
be miles better with jord On in there. So you're
just crossing your fingers right now, but not sure where
he is. Can they win with that? Him. I will
say yes because of what they did without Talker Tucker.
(04:30):
If you remember he was on a forty home run
pace this year. Yes, when he went down and he
was in the conversation. Is one of the top five
MVP candidates probably you know at the time of that injury.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Yeah, and you could never count.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
I mean with the resiliences team shown, I mean, they've
proven that they deserve at least that respect to say, yeah,
we can win it if we don't have yord On
Steve Sparks for his weekly visit here, mondays at eight
thirty Steve this, I hate short series unless you go
win the first two. But going into him, I hate
him because one bloop single here, one bad inning there
(05:06):
can put you in a buying and then you lose
one and you're already in a chase mode. In Detroit's
pitching staff is pretty good. In the guys school, the
guy they're running out there first is as good as
areas in the league right now. So with that in mind,
tell me about your thoughts on the dangerous part of
a three game series and how quickly you got to
lock in.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
It's very dangerous. You do have to lock in the
Astros have way more experience of being able to lock
in early is very important. And I think Detroit has
one player, maybe two players that have postseason experience Matt
Beerling who's at the Phillies. There might be another one
in there, but the Astros have loads of experience so
(05:45):
to be able to lock in. Like you mentioned, I
think it's not going to take nearly as much time
to feel the energy and to calm yourself in to
play your best baseball. So the Astros who have played
one hundred and three postseason games and fifteen have a
lot of those guys still on this roster and know
how to get it done. From Raval Does, by the way,
(06:06):
last couple of months, when you're talking to a pitching matchup,
yep has better numbers than Trek School. Not to say
that he's better than Trek School. Trek Scubel is going
to win the Triple Crown and he's going to be
the cy Young Award winner, But the last two months
from rival Does has better numbers.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
It's a it's phenomenal what what he has done and
proven that he is the ace of this staff. And
those two, you know, good chance to offset each other
with that Steve you mentioned about these are the experience
is experience? In postseason you get asked and I think
I know your answer, but maybe some don't. Is it overrated?
(06:43):
Or can you go in where you're like, man, I'm
not really worry you know how sometimes naive teams kind
of go in and they play looser. Is is there
anything said to with experience? Sometimes you can you can
press too hard because you're expected to win.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Son, You remember when you're growing up and you were
wondering if you had what it took inside to play
at the NFL level.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
You just always kind of wondered until you got a
chance to do it.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
And it's the same way with baseball players in like,
you know, you might be in high school, you might
be in college, and you want, man if I could
just play Pro Bowl, But when you're in the minor leagues,
you always have that maybe a little bit of doubt.
You're always wondering, can I play it at the major
league level? And do I have what's inside me to
be able to relax and do those things when I'm
(07:31):
on TV and playing in front of so many people.
And then it's the playoffs that's another level. Can you
slow your heart rate down when you know everybody's watching you.
Who expected the Tigers to be in the playoffs? This,
you're nobody, So they they probably couldn't even imagine this
in July. They couldn't. They were sellers at the deadline.
(07:54):
So now they're thrust into this and they come in
with quite a bit of confidence, but there's going to
be a little at a doubt. They're playing the Astros.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Who.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Are kind of the Yankees of the playoffs in the
last ten years. You know, they intimidate people. I think
I think they walk in there and they've got a
little strut to them and m I think it's a
little intimidating. So there's a lot of guys that aren't
sure on how they're going to be able to handle this,
and I think it's going to take a little bit
(08:24):
to adjust. And in a three game maybe a two
game series, you don't have a whole lot of time
to do that.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Yeah, Steven, to me make a great point because when
I you know, you're getting recruited out of high school
and everybody's telling you you belong and then when I
went to USC, my very first practice to fall on
my nobody left school early, like in January like they
do now, mid season senior year, and then goes in
spring practice. I remember the first practice might fall Marcus
Allen and Chip Banks and Joey Browner. I mean the
list goes on and on. Bruce Matthews, great players.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
You're in Awe.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Yeah, dude, you get under center. I think, Sean, don't
screw this up. You were highly recruited the rest of it.
But you still wonder if you if you belong. Yeah,
you don't. No, No, you overload your your head. There's
clutter everywhere because you're like, you want to fit in,
you want to impress them, you want to make sure
you belong. But you still, regardless of where you come from,
you still have that doubt that do I belong? So
(09:15):
with that, Steve, and that's a phenomenal point by you.
You mentioned all these playoff games the Asas have played
in uh these last seven or so years now eight years.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Is is there something too that you are that.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Tired does start to wear you out? Or is that
is a new energy kicking in the postseason? It is
playing too many of these over experiments to the point
where you're just beat down after all these years of
playing in postseason baseball.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
I think you see it more in the following spring training,
in the first couple of months of the season, and
guys will go down. We saw Christian Javier and Louis
curtenty and we see guys fall by the wayside, and
you know, you're you're crushing your fingers that they're back,
you know, somewhere past the dead or the break next year.
But the guys that made it to this point, I
(10:03):
think it looks to me like everybody's really healthy right
other than you know, your doll we talked about that,
but you know, the pitchers got a little bit of
rest here towards the end. There are some lopsided games
in the first two weeks of September. If you look
at it where you're able to give a bray you
a four day break that he needed badly. You know,
(10:26):
just some guys got some rest that they needed. Uh So,
the guys that they have in consideration beyond the rosters,
I feel like they're in pretty good shape. I didn't
pitch yesterday because of the rain out. Get an off
day to day. They can go up there and play cats,
get off the feet as quickly as possible and rest
up and get ready. But I like the experience, especially,
(10:47):
you know, three games. It's a crapshoot with this, with
this short series, but when you're trying to adjust quickly,
and the only game I ever pitched it in the
playoffs in my entire career. I was thirty nine years old,
but it was still a kne knocker. Yeah, it doesn't
matter who you are. It's an adjustment. You're thinking about
(11:08):
how many people are watching you and how close that
camera is to your face. I mean, you know that
you're in the spotlight, so it takes a little adjustment.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Steve, is there anything to the fact AJ Hinch being
I know they play him during the regular season half,
but is there any any advantage to a guy who
knows and I know that there's change, but he knows
a lot of these guys, any advantage at all, or
just that he that he's hovering because we know how
good a manager is, that he knows his team well
and how to pitch him.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
I think, I mean it played him plenty of times
a lot, Yeah you know, yeah, I think it's like
twenty six times since AJ left, So I don't think
there's a whole lot of surprises. He's been pitching like
Game seven in the World Series, or he's been managing
like Game seven in the World Series for almost two
months now. A lot of openers, a lot of bullpen usage.
(11:59):
We know that match ups and it's easy to probably
scout from the other side. All Right, he's going to
bring in Horton to face this, pocket, He's going to
bring in will vest to face this. I mean, you
can figure things out pretty easily and anticipate what's going
to happen. One thing I look at matchups wise, they're
(12:19):
two best hitters. Riley Green and Carry Carpenter are lefties
that don't hit lefties well, the Astros probably, I'm not
for sure about this. I know one of them from
ber Valdez and you say Kakuchi or lefties, and that's
that's a big advantage for the Astros.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
I believe, Hey, Steve, is there any I look around
the playoff baseball the way they're pitching. I'm not talking
about reputation or the money they make. The way they're
pitching is are Valdez, Brown and Kokuchi as good as
any one two three going into the playoffs?
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Right now? With the way they're pitching.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
I think, so, I do you know what the once
you punch, the duo of Valdez and Brown stacks up
better than anybody. You look at the numbers, look at
the second half of the season, and that's what you
got to look at. You don't look at the whole
season right now. Who's hot? Who's hot? When you get
into the dance and Fromber and Hunter Brown are as
(13:16):
hot as anybody going in. Kakuchi's been fantastic. They're nine
and the one in the games that he pitched and
the game that they lost, he gave up nowhere and
runs in six innings. So uh, I like the swing
and miss I like the I like the experience. I
like the astros one, two, three that they're going with.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Okay, in the perfect world, Giz set the lineup for me,
everybody's healthy, said, I mean, I'm talking about batting order.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
I want to know what you'd do.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
I don't know, it's kind of it's kind of hard.
So I think I think he'd like the Kartini janer
Diez combo at catcher in first base. I'm not sure.
I'm not Let's see. Yeah, I think that's probably it.
Singleton probably sits against Scooball. Then you go out two
bight second, Payne short pregnant at third centerfield. I'm sure
(14:06):
is Myers. Myers. If I was him today, I would
be practicing bunting. You know, you're get in the situation
and you're playing one and two run games. Uh, small
ball a little bit towards the end of at your
bottom of your lineup. I don't know. I don't know this.
The status is you're done. So Hayward's going to be
a part of this. I'm not sure he's going to
(14:28):
match up with Scooble, so probably the writing with Dubon
and of course Tucker, who gets righty's and lefties equally well.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Right.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
So that's that's my lineup. Caroten, he's been a beast.
I mean, think of like a one five ops plus
or something and you're thinking he's going to be your
backup catcher. He ends up being an offensive weapon.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
It's pretty good, formidable as it gets man, get all healthy,
it's going to be a blast. And what a pitching
matchup we have in game one. Cannot wait to see it.
Steve awesome stuff and we look forward to catching up
with you next Monday and hopefully one series in the
bag and working on another one. So look forward to
my man, and thanks for the good insight. As always,
(15:09):
in another hell of a regular season, we appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
You got it, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Thanks, that's the great Steve Sparks come back and discuss
Sports Talk seven ninety Astro is getting raided.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Tee it up three day games in a row.
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