Astros Bats still cant find a groove?? Astros' Joe Espada & Hayden Wesneski Join the Show

Astros Bats still cant find a groove?? Astros' Joe Espada & Hayden Wesneski Join the Show

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
But yes, it was the sounds of silence for the
majority of the game off the bats of the Houston Astros.
They lose eight to three to the Cardinals and the
series opener yesterday, and that's one of the things we're
going to be talking about on the program. Here with
you until two o'clock. Hell out Ros Viria with you again.
Matt Thomas out sick. I hope he's okay. Has he

(00:21):
been hospitalized? What's the latest on Matt Thomas as well
being well?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
He posted on Facebook? Uh, oh, well, natural Facebook, he's
doing okay. His wife got him a home IV so,
oh my v she's taking care of him.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
That sounds serious.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, I mean he's well enough to still post stuff
on social media.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
That's true. That's good.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
He said. His fever still is not broken. My goodness.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
All right, Well, Matt Thomas still sick. I woke up
stuffy with a sore throat. So we'll see how far
I can make it through this show. It could be
the Chris Gordy Show by the end of this, Cordy,
So I hope you're ready for that.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
You stay away from me, man, Yeah, I know. I
don't know what's going on. Sometimes the allergies when that
that pollen and all that crown ups get in the air.
The other day when I got my car, it was
a fine tint of yellow all over the car.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
Yeah, it feels like it came like two or three
times this year too.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
I don't even know what's going on out.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
There, but bumblebees all over outside my house.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
You know, you know that bees are having sex with
each other. At least that's my understanding.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Where are the showers, dart dark April showers bring May flowers?
Are we supposed to be getting a lot of rain?

Speaker 1 (01:27):
I don't know, maybe not this year. I'm not sure
what's going on out there, but uh, hopefully Matt Thomas
gets rested up and he's ready for you folks tomorrow.
But he is out, So Chris Gordy is hanging out again.
Thank you for that.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
It was a lock. By the way, the Astros would
lose last night. Do you know why?

Speaker 3 (01:42):
Uh?

Speaker 1 (01:42):
Because from ber Valdez was pitching no remembers. Okay, I'm
just knning. Sonny Gray is very good.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
The Astros. What did I tell you yesterday? They don't
win in a row. They have not won back to
back games all year long. So when they want on Sunday,
they were gonna lose today. Now, if they win tomorrow,
if they win tonight, lock it in, they will loose
them on.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
No, I'm not locking it in because if I want
them to win the American League West, at some point,
they're gonna have to uh win, maybe sweep a series.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
I don't know that'd be cool. We'll understand this from
two different perspectives. From an Astros fan perspective, yes, you
are right, I'm talking from a simple betting perspective. Okay,
if you're a bettor, the Astros have not won two
games in a row yet.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
Well, I'm saying that they're due to win two games
in a row. Well, thankfully. Look Fromber has been up
and down so far this season. I mean, you're talking
about how the Astros haven't won two in a row.
Farmer hasn't pitched two good games in a row. He
started off with that brilliant start against the Mets, seven
innings of shut out ball. Then he got touched up
by the Giants. He actually kind of settled in into

(02:46):
that start, but still gave up five runs. Then he
was spectacular against Seattle, and then yesterday he has one
of his worst starts in his career. Gave up more
extra base hits than he ever has. Four innings pitched
ten count them, ten hits, six earned runs, only three strikeouts.
Balance of the season four fifty era not a disaster.

(03:09):
But you talk about the up and down season of
the Astros, it's been the up and down season of Fromber.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah. And when that thing became, when when Neot bar
single and it was four, when it was four to
nothing to fourth, I kind of was like, you know what,
I'm going to keep it on the TV. But I'm not.
I'm not locked in like I want about my business,
doing stuff around the house and stuff. Because it was
like I just had zero faith that the way this
offense is so inconsistent right now that they were going

(03:35):
to get back into that game down for nothing.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
Yeah, because I end up watching, you know, sometimes the
Rockets and Astros on the same So I got multiple
TVs in my living room. They went to TV two
at at about five oh, it was time for the
Astros to get moved to TV two.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
I do the iHeart thing too. I pull and I'll
walk around the house and I'll listen because Robert and
Steve are great, but I love that. It's just hard
when Astros still trail five nothing, still looking for their
first or their second hit of the game.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
You know, it's like, oh ah, yeah, I mean, look,
Sonny Gray is really good. It was supposed to be
a pitcher's duel going into the game. It was like
even odds on both sides, and then unfortunately you got
the Frommer that unravels. I remember at least it wasn't
the was it opening day or was some other time
talking with Adam Wexler, and he said something that I
agreed with at the time, where it's like people talk

(04:21):
about good Frommer and bad Frombert, but it's been good
Frommer really for a couple of years and really settled
into the year last year, but it's crept back up
to good from Er bad Fromber so far this year.

Speaker 2 (04:31):
Well, and this is the tough part of being in
a contract year too, is I talked about the Swish
on a day in earlier. You know, it's it's that thing.
I've talked about this with Bregman last year when he
got off to such the cold start, I was like, well,
maybe this works in the Astro's favor for contract wise,
But it's like, Okay, if he has a bad year, yeah,
maybe you can get Fromber on a cheaper deal and

(04:52):
he stays. But do you want that guy coming off
a bad year to sign him to a multi year deal.
And the flip side, if he has an awesome year
this year, well he's gonna be the honest picture hitting
the free agent market and there's no way you get
him back. So it's that it's that damned if you do,
damned if you don't. I think I think the way
they what if Fromer say't spring training, that they really
hadn't had much discussions. Yeah, I think I think the

(05:13):
team made the decision, Look, we'll take one more year Fromber,
we'll move on. Mm hmm.

Speaker 1 (05:17):
I think so too, because uh, well kind of a
little bit because of what we've been seeing here, and
because he's thirty one years old and some other team
is how old was Max Freed when he got signed?
Was that eight year deal he got from the Yankees?
I think I think he's thirty Okay, he just turned
thirty one. I'm pulling it up, and I think he
got an eight year deal from the Yankees. So I

(05:39):
don't think Frommer's gonna get quite in in that.

Speaker 2 (05:42):
Yeah, eight eight.

Speaker 1 (05:44):
Years, two hundred and eighteen for Max Freed from the Yankees.
I don't think, uh, Fromer's not gonna quite get that
because he is already thirty one, and you know the
track record. While it has been very good, it has
also been a little bit of ups and it's I
just think the Astros are in no way, shape or

(06:04):
form going to get into that market.

Speaker 2 (06:06):
Yeah. Well, it's just again like I think, if the
Astros are going to do anything this season and make
some noise in the postseason, like they need Fromber to
be good. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (06:17):
Absolutely, he's gonna have to shape up. But thankfully you
got who I mean. I've been calling him your co ace.
If Fromer is going to continue to be up and down,
we'll continue to evaluate. He's going to be your ace.
So you want somebody on the hill to be a stopper.
That's what you have in Hunter Brown today as the
Astros will be in action again another six forty five
pm start. It'll be him against Eric Fetti. He was

(06:39):
one of the hot names of the trade deadline last year.

Speaker 2 (06:41):
Yeah, yeah, and he's been He's been pretty good so far.

Speaker 1 (06:44):
Too this season, so Astros bets. Last night it was
a three run shot from Jeremy Pania and then it
was not a whole lot. So we were waiting for
this breakout. We thought maybe he was coming with the Angels.
A little bit of a disappointment there, but the good
news is is Torpedo Dubon a thing to last night.

(07:06):
She's got his average up to one eighty two. Torpedo
Dubon on a two game hit streaks and switching to
the Torpedo bat.

Speaker 2 (07:13):
He also had as a base running gaff got out
a third.

Speaker 1 (07:18):
Oh well he went yeah, he went on contact, was
out too at the play I can't remember, and got
thrown out at third base. Could have, as Todd Callis said,
he could have kind of gone went around the other
side of the bag to try to avoid getting tagged.
But yeah, that was unfortunate. Didn't end up matter. And
McCormick had an actual caught stealing. Yes, he was caught stealing.

(07:40):
That was It was a pretty close he was. He
was hanging on the bag. Then he was like, come on,
challenge it.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
Like they get caught stealing, they go challenge Joe. That
was a terrible decision.

Speaker 1 (07:55):
Come get your gear, pal, come back into the duckhouse.

Speaker 2 (07:57):
But you see the look on z face. Yeah, I'm
I'm barely getting plenty of time as it is.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
I mean this in the most lovingly way possible. Chaz
is such a goober. Like I love Chas mccartott, but
he but like, go Chazz, get your ass of the dugout.
Come on, buddy, you were out. It's all good now.

Speaker 2 (08:16):
On the flipside, camp Smith went over four, so he's
you know again.

Speaker 1 (08:19):
Oh great, thanks for bringing that up. Okay, so we
gotta we are gonna go through the line and we're
gonna talk about the offense that has been struggling. We're
gonna talk about Farmer Valdez, how you guys feeling about
that loss last night. We also have other stuff to
get to. Of course, the the Rockets are gonna be
firing up playoff action this weekend, but a big game
tonight if you want to find out who their opponent

(08:41):
is gonna be. It's a Grizzlies and Warriors taking each
other on. We got some college football stuff to get
to as well, NFL Draft anything you want to get
to as well. Phone lines are open at seven one
three two one two five seven ninety. If you'd like
to get in seven one three two one two five
seven ninety, you can also send tweets to at Chris
Gordy and me as well at sports r V. It

(09:02):
is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross without Matt Thomas
with you until two o'clock and we'll be back after
this short break ten nineteen and the am you are
on Sports Talk seven ninety ros V real with you
Chris Gordy as well. Matt Thomas is out sick. You
want to get in, you can seven one three two
one two five seven ninety is the phone number. Matt's

(09:26):
been out sick. I woke up with a sore throat.
So hopefully we'll be able to make it through here
or it's gonna be the JK Show.

Speaker 2 (09:32):
I think for four hours.

Speaker 1 (09:33):
You get ready, pal, all Hilltoppers talk coming up Sports
Talk seven ninety For four hours.

Speaker 2 (09:38):
I can only give you like thirty minutes to Bailly Zappion.

Speaker 1 (09:40):
That's it, okay, Bailey ZAPPI is that the Hilltopper goat
who was the king of the who's in the like
the Hilltopper Hall of Fame? Who's the most famous Hilltopper
athletes throughout the years.

Speaker 2 (09:51):
I don't.

Speaker 4 (09:52):
The only one is Bailey Zappion. And there was a
guy that went he went to the seventy six ers.
He was like he was supposed to place embiid and
he played like two points and then he just got
to the G League.

Speaker 2 (10:02):
So he's only the guy that we know, all right.

Speaker 1 (10:04):
And then it's you.

Speaker 2 (10:04):
You're a third.

Speaker 1 (10:05):
I guess we'll put you on the Mount Rational, on
the Mount rushmore.

Speaker 2 (10:07):
JK.

Speaker 1 (10:08):
Appreciate you, all right. Chris Gordy is here. Like I said,
you guys can get in at seven one three two
point two five seven ninety. Astros lose last night to
the Saint Louis Cardinals. Back in action tonight, six forty
five pm, First pitch. Slight favorites are your Houston Astros
at a minus one twenty five to try to get
back into this one or to get back into this
series and hopefully in another series victory, because they got

(10:31):
one over the weekend. They were one five eighth inning
lead away. If they didn't blow that one against the Mariners,
they would have won another series, and they would have
at that point won every series except for getting swept
by the Giants, but they lose again. We're sitting here
at seven to nine, sixteen games in the season. That
is the tenth of the way mark, and so far,

(10:55):
I don't know how any other way we could put
this disappointing, especially with the bats. Pitching has been pretty good.
They're leading the entire majors in strikeouts as well. But
the bats, the bats, the bats, the bats has been
the storyline the first few weeks.

Speaker 2 (11:08):
Yeah, and I think the biggest issue is it's it's
guys that are supposed to be pulling their weight or
not pulling their weight right now. You know, that's that's
it's this. It was the same story last April when
the Bregman's and the Tuckers were slow to get going
in al Tuove and this year, I mean, l two
v is kind of cool and off lately, but he's
one at least an oh for tenth streets. But he

(11:29):
started off so strong. You know, the average is still
to eighty eight, but esak your two hole hitters to
sixty two, had the three home run weekend. But you
know what he goes over yesterday, Jordan Alvarez is betting
two twenty two. I mean Where's where's the pop? Is
that bad? It's not great on base percentage three thirty

(11:52):
eight ops six point fifty three. You got too many
guys in this lineup in the six hundreds and ops.

Speaker 1 (11:59):
Yeah, and we will talk about with Astros manager Joe
Spotty coming up. They have been facing some tough pitching.
I mean, Sunny Gray is very good, but at some
point you're gonna want to see it a little bit better.
And you got it over the weekend for a little
bit there, but just not consistent enough. And you can
just go down the list. Basically what you did right
there is you just went down the entire Astros lineup

(12:20):
and just talked about everybody that is struggling. And we
used to at least be able to bank on well.
Hose al Tuvay is doing his part. He's carrying the
load and he's gone over for the last few games.
And Jake Myers wasn't even a line up yesterday and
he came into the game late when this thing was over,
and Jordan Alvarez and I think Christian Walker got replaced
in the game or I'm sorry al Tuove and he's

(12:43):
been Look, you're not expecting a whole lot from him anyways.
But even the guys that you had were that got
off the hot starts have cooled off, and it's basically
everyone right now is struggling at the bat.

Speaker 2 (12:53):
Well. What's interesting, too, is you think about the two
the last opponent you just saw, the angel As of yesterday,
we're leading all the baseball and home runs, and now
you're playing the Cardinals, who lead all of baseball in
batting average. As a team, they're hitting two eighty seven.
I know batting average isn't end all be all, but
like it's just compounded that you're facing the team that

(13:16):
you know has the best hitting average in the league
and you have what eighth or ninth worst in all
of baseball. Yeah, so.

Speaker 1 (13:25):
I also, okay, we'll go with the positives. The pitching
has been pretty good and the defense I saw them
put it on the graphic like the outs above average
leaders in all of baseball or the Houston Astros. So
at least the defense has been pretty good.

Speaker 2 (13:36):
Yeah, go with that. Yeah. I brought that up yesterday.
How tu Vane and camp Smith had been fine in
the outfield that haven't been been good?

Speaker 5 (13:42):
Is there?

Speaker 1 (13:43):
Jake Myers has been running everything down. Christian Walker honestly
has already made a handful of plays that I don't
think get made by any first basement that was on
the roster. Sorry, John Singleton, but no disrespect to you.
We're wishing you the best with the Syracuse Metts and.

Speaker 2 (13:57):
The good news about tonight. But it makes me a
little nervous harder. Brown has three starts so far, six innings,
two earned runs, six innings, two earn runs, six innings,
zero runs. Don't they feel like he's gonna do for real? Hey? No,
that's how baseball baseball games.

Speaker 1 (14:13):
He's new for a no hitter. Come on, man, he's
been giving up hits this whole time. Do for a
no hitter. That's the way I'm reading it. All right,
Let's I do think they win tonight. Let's see how
this goes. It is the president of the Cam Smith
Fan Club Israel here on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (14:29):
How's it going, Israel? It's going?

Speaker 6 (14:32):
Good?

Speaker 3 (14:32):
Man?

Speaker 2 (14:33):
Is your last name Smith? Be honest? Hey, this is
a thing. Bro.

Speaker 6 (14:38):
Uh, he's my brother, my people. There's nothing I can
support my process.

Speaker 2 (14:44):
Absolutely. I support him too.

Speaker 6 (14:47):
Okay, Well that's good.

Speaker 2 (14:48):
I'm not saying that you don't.

Speaker 6 (14:49):
But look hey and Gordy, Yes though deether day when
I got out the pool and I said that he's
gonna be a doesn't matter, he's gonna be working out
of here. Then the first thing, he was out for
four he is what they didn't get him. He supposed
to be actually down in the minors. But see he
got so much talent that he the third, you know,
the third to make it to the league. So everybody
watching them, it's like they really want them to feel

(15:10):
but to be Yeah, but in their heart they want
him to fail and go back because how did he
come up?

Speaker 2 (15:15):
And himself nobody.

Speaker 6 (15:18):
Okay, well okay, but the other guys who was there
before him, why the ones who been been there for
years and they ain't producing Andody well bro well, first
of all, I think they're gonna be just like last
year was the same thing. Me and you had this
discussion with when they got Cakuchi. I don't think Kokuchi

(15:40):
and he he turned around eventually, eventually, eventually, you may
he made you a believer, and then they started off
like twelve and twenty four last year, and I think
they right there there is not like they can games
back like they came back from last year. But I
understand it's rady.

Speaker 2 (15:53):
You gotta do it, but you know this is the
home of the stroke.

Speaker 3 (15:56):
Show him some love too.

Speaker 6 (15:58):
I mean, I'm sure they listening.

Speaker 3 (16:00):
It's out some boys.

Speaker 1 (16:01):
Staying man a thank you, Israel, appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (16:04):
Show them some love. Seven and nine is better than
where you were at this point last year.

Speaker 1 (16:09):
That's good. They've been off to slow starts. Basically every
year I saw a tweet I can't remember, unfortunately, I
would like to credit whoever put it out. But basically
the last several years it's been seven and nine has
been like three, three or four of the times in
the last five six years they've started this. So I'm
not super worried. Of course, we could always say it's early.
It is the middle of April. They are going to
be fine. The bats are going to turn. I know

(16:30):
that they are. You have too many longtime major league
track records to back this up. And the good news
is you did get that three run bomb out of
Jeremy Pania, and he's while the average necessarily hasn't been there,
you've had the power and also tracking well, I think
Gordy for your bet, you and i's bet I think

(16:50):
was it a lunch bet? Twenty and a half home
runs for Jeremy Panye, You're looking good Yep, he's on Pace. Yeah,
but I don't care about that. He's on Pace for
thirty great. I want them knowin games, Well, it'd be
nice if they won games. You tried to do his
part Frommervel does not so much, So we'll talk about
it with Joe Spotta coming up. He'll be on uh,

(17:13):
the Matt Toma Show with Rosz coming up at twelve
thirty for the regular Tuesday visit didn't even mention. Hayden
wes Nesky will also be joining us coming up at
one thirty pm here on a Sports Talk seven ninety.
So we're your home for your astros.

Speaker 2 (17:25):
We're home.

Speaker 1 (17:26):
We're your home for the hard hitting, great interviews. Also,
it will be Dana Brown tomorrow morning at nine thirty
on the Sean Salisbury Show. So we're talking some strows.
We can also go to some rockets. We got, as
I said, college football stuff to get to as well,
and anything you want seven one three two one two
five seven ninety is the phone number. Seven one three
two one two five seven ninety. Back after the short

(17:47):
bottom of the hour break here on Sports Talk seven
ninety ten thirty one in the spoil Stalk seven nine
it Ros Viria with you, Chris Gordy with you as well.

Speaker 2 (18:01):
We get the news at noon. That'll be at noon.

Speaker 1 (18:03):
We've got Joe Espada coming up at twelve thirty. We
will have Gut Feelings at eleven thirty as well. It
is a jam pack show. We'll have Adam Wetser joining
at one o'clock. Matt Thomas is out, Chris Gordy is
hanging out. I do appreciate him. Seven one three two
one two five seven ninety is your phone number seven

(18:23):
one three two one two five seven ninety And Gordy,
I need your full breakdown of page Bukers going number
one in the twenty twenty five WNBA draft.

Speaker 2 (18:32):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (18:32):
First off, it's Becker's oh whatever, I just read it
as Buchers. I guess I'm I'm out of touch with
you whatever.

Speaker 2 (18:39):
She is one of the best players to come through
Yukon and that's saying something because you caught had some
great ones.

Speaker 7 (18:45):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (18:45):
But the big story you're missing here, Ross is that
LSU for the first time in twenty years head back
to back first round picks in the WNBA draft.

Speaker 1 (18:52):
Wow, shout out huge, A huge tip of the cap
to that program. They didn't make the final four in
Texas beat there at Well.

Speaker 2 (19:00):
And then Hayley van Liffe, who started her current Louisville played.

Speaker 1 (19:05):
Go to like seven colleges.

Speaker 2 (19:06):
She played a year at LSU and then just finished
this past year at TCU. She got drafted in the
first round to Chicago, where uh, what's her face? Is
the LSU girl from two years ago? They got in
the fight with Angel Rees and she tweeted, you know,
let's run this thing back because they were teammates two
years Agh.

Speaker 1 (19:24):
Okay, that's great, all right, And that concludes the w
NB A portion of our conversation here on sports Dock
seventy ninety and the Matt Thomas w.

Speaker 2 (19:33):
NBA breakdown with Ross. We'll throw it over to Jonathan.

Speaker 1 (19:36):
You know way more than I than you need to
know about LSU women's basketball. You're you're a sick human being.
I support winners, their winner, Well not this year. Well,
I mean, what was it? Elite eight? Still, that's true.
No matter what, no matter what your crazed coach does,
you're gonna support her as well, and that's okay.

Speaker 2 (19:52):
She's she's in the category of the Sabans and the
Belichicks and hard ass, but they win.

Speaker 1 (19:58):
So we really appreciate her and her being rude to
all kinds of media members.

Speaker 2 (20:03):
But anyways, well, maybe you do your job right, maybe
you won't have to get called.

Speaker 1 (20:06):
It wasn't it was not out of line with that
reporter said.

Speaker 2 (20:09):
I think it was.

Speaker 1 (20:10):
I know you think it was. All right, Grizzlies and
Warriors tonight.

Speaker 2 (20:14):
At twelve thirty. Let me know how that works out.

Speaker 1 (20:16):
Yeah, your team is really sucking ass right now. Not
what the reporter said at all. All they said was
you're eliminating in the Elite eight last two years. And
then there was who knows where the question was gonna
go because I don't even remember her name whatever. That
crappy overrated LSU coaches was got all upset with the
reporter and cut them off.

Speaker 2 (20:35):
You're talking about Kim Molk Kim winning coaches of all time.

Speaker 1 (20:39):
I'm just kidding.

Speaker 2 (20:40):
Was like the suits and stuff.

Speaker 1 (20:42):
Yes, she wears the extremely loud suits for whatever reason.
I'm sorry, she's marching in a Martigo operator at all times.

Speaker 2 (20:49):
Independent women expressing themselves.

Speaker 1 (20:51):
She always wants to look like a like a drum major.
We appreciate her, but no, I think there's ways to
ask questions.

Speaker 2 (20:57):
Look, I'm cool with trying to train people because they're
so untrained media out there these days with bloggers.

Speaker 1 (21:04):
He wasn't trying to train she was. She was being upset.

Speaker 2 (21:07):
She was doing it in a koy way. Nah, she's
being a winked at him.

Speaker 1 (21:11):
She's being a poor loser.

Speaker 2 (21:12):
Yeah, well you got to throw in a wink.

Speaker 1 (21:14):
It's like when you say something mean to your your
spouse or something, you throw on a wink in there
and make it a little better.

Speaker 2 (21:19):
I'm trying to think of a way to do, like
what if you done that to Dusty Baker? Dust is
the second straight year you guys have lost in the
American Elite Championships.

Speaker 1 (21:25):
Yeah, why can't you start a question like that.

Speaker 2 (21:26):
Because it's it's it's a negative connotation, like if you're
quite the.

Speaker 1 (21:30):
One thousand percent, people start questions that way.

Speaker 2 (21:33):
Get to your question.

Speaker 1 (21:34):
You don't think anybody started with the asking Kelvin Samson's
you guys have been eliminated in the final four multiple times. Now,
what does that feel like that you're going.

Speaker 2 (21:43):
To put a sour? It starts off the question with
a sour.

Speaker 1 (21:46):
Is not all sunshine and flowers? Kim Moulky, Sorry you
lost on up to it. You can get asked a
question about that every you.

Speaker 2 (21:55):
Try to, like do it historically, be like it's been
like try that went to Texans, to Miko, this team
has never been to an AFC Another year gone of
not getting to an AFC title game. I bet, I
bet it's after they lose.

Speaker 1 (22:09):
Yeah, I bet if we go to that press conference
of Tamiko Ryan, somebody did ask a question about being
eliminated in the second round multiple times. There's probably and nah,
I don't remember him getting all mad at people. Yeah,
Kim Molchy was out on line. I don't care what
you say.

Speaker 2 (22:21):
L at you, Homer, I think you phrased that differently
the moments after they just walked just loss.

Speaker 1 (22:27):
Well, sorry, sorry that Kim Molke can't face reality all right?

Speaker 2 (22:31):
Anyways, what were we talking about? She wins championships? Yeah, no,
good for her. Dick Schaeffer can't come through year.

Speaker 1 (22:36):
Oh my god, here we go.

Speaker 2 (22:38):
She should win it.

Speaker 1 (22:39):
She's making like six million dollars a year. She should
win every year.

Speaker 2 (22:44):
Down Staley and Old. What's the face that you caught?
Are still pretty?

Speaker 5 (22:47):
You know?

Speaker 8 (22:48):
I am?

Speaker 2 (22:48):
I dude. That guys.

Speaker 1 (22:50):
That guy just wins everything, all right. Anyways, I really
wasn't trying to spend six minutes talking about Kim Moulky.
But here we are on the show Grizzlies and Warriors tonight.
The line has moved up, Gordy. It was six and
a half when we were talking about it yesterday, seven
and a half points now the Golden State Warriors. Let's
go Grizzlies. I don't care what you say. I don't

(23:10):
care what Adam Klant was trying to argue. I want
the Warriors. No, I do not want the Warriors. I
do not want Steph Curry splashing in ten threes against
the Rockets in the playoffs like he has in the
years past. And most importantly, I will continue to argue this,
I'm not really scared of the Warriors as a team.
I'm scared Draymond's gonna go Draymond and try to knock
somebody out for six weeks. He's got a screw loose,

(23:33):
he is unhinged. He steps in between those lines and
people get hurt. We've seen it time and time again,
especially in the playoffs. In the playoffs, he has Rake
Nikola jokicch in the face, Lebron in the face, and
James Harden in the face, and he likes to kick people.
So I don't want Draymond Green anywhere any of the
season Rockets team.

Speaker 2 (23:52):
I'm just saying, yeah, I just don't I don't want to.
I just don't want to face that team period. Yeah,
they've done too much playoff experience. And again, you know,
whether you believe in a mantra playoff experience matters. That
team's got way too much playoff experience. The Rockets have
very little. I don't want I don't want to face

(24:13):
that team. So I had a guy calling me from Dallas.

Speaker 4 (24:15):
I'm my old friends from college and he knows that
sports Talk Houston and he's he asked me, he was like, so,
what does the city Houston think about, you know, talking
about the standings. And I was like, I don't know
why everybody's so scared at Golden State, Like I think
everybody in the city is traumatized.

Speaker 2 (24:28):
Yeah, it's trauma.

Speaker 1 (24:29):
You're maybe maybe you're too young when they were losing
to them in the finals in twenty fifteen. What were
you like, twelve years old? Yeah, I'll remember it took
really Yeah, you were picking your nose watching Dragon Ball
z JK. All right, So no, I'm just kidding it. Yeah,
I think it's just years of that. They lost him
in what fifth was it fifteen eighteen or was it

(24:49):
sixteen actually eighteen nineteen. It was just too much. Man,
We're losing the Warriors every single year. And the most painful,
really to me as an adult, the most painful Houston
in sports memory probably somewhere one two is twenty nineteen
World Series in twenty eighteen excuse me, Rockets Western Conference
Finals that and it's always the Warriors, man, it has

(25:13):
always been Klay Thompson. It's always been Steph Curry. I
feel like, actually Klay Thompson probably had more big clutch
moments against the Rockets than maybe Steph Curry did in
those eras. But yes, it is a different Rockets team.
Klay Thompson was oh deadly brutal. So yeah, it is
a different era in a way because there's not a
single Rocket that was on that team in twenty nineteen
the last time that they played. So I understand that

(25:36):
it's a better team in some respects, especially defensively. It's
a more physical team for sure. You've got good wing defenders.

Speaker 2 (25:43):
They added Jimmy freaking Butler at the deadline like it's
Steph Curry, Jimmy Butley Butler. Andrew Wiggins, who's quietly averaging
almost eighteen points a game, Jonathan Kaminga who's beaten the
a couple of times. Well, Brandon pon Jens has really
been coming on playing well too. By the way, they
are twenty one and eight in their last twenty nine games.
The Warriors are well.

Speaker 1 (26:05):
You tell tell Adam Clanton. He said he's not scared.
He said he wants the Warriors. Careful what you wish for, man, Well,
we'll see. Think they're gonna get the Warriors. So we're
gonna find out whether we want it or not. It's
they're playing at home tonight, right, Yeah, the Golden State
Wars are playing at home. They're up by I mean
they're fair, they're up, yeah, grizzly seven and a half.
It would take a miracle for them to win tonight.
So we'll see what happens. They're gonna face off. It's

(26:26):
gonna be a tough, hard fought series. Honestly, I'm going
to pick the Rockets to win. I'll be curious.

Speaker 2 (26:32):
Grizzlies lost five in a row to finish season? Did they?

Speaker 5 (26:36):
No?

Speaker 2 (26:36):
I thought they.

Speaker 1 (26:37):
I thought they won a couple they No, they didn't
lose five in a row to close the season.

Speaker 2 (26:41):
I'm looking at April sixth through the fourteenth. They lost
to the Sixers, the Spurs, the Cleveland LA, and Denver.

Speaker 3 (26:55):
M.

Speaker 1 (26:57):
No, are you looking at twenty five? You're looking to
wrong season. I'll look at it last season. Okay, Sorry,
I didn't think that happened. They did go on it
when they fired their coach. They went in a four
game losing streak, but they they cracked together. Yes, why
would you send me the last year's schedule? Just in case, man,
you wanted to go back and look at the look
at the previous days.

Speaker 2 (27:18):
That's still again. I I'd to credit my buddy in Memphis.
He said, if you if y'all play us, you'll destroy this.
Y'all win four maybe five.

Speaker 1 (27:25):
Okay, I'm gonna hopeful. I'm hoping for the Grizzlies, but
they're not an easy out either, but they at least
fired their coach and have been the thing that the
season has been unraveling to an extent.

Speaker 2 (27:37):
Because here's where I can already envision playoff game. Shengoon
at the rim goes up nothing, no file contact for
days with Raymond, no call. That's gonna run it the
other way. Steph Curry a wide open from three buckets.

Speaker 1 (27:52):
I hope he gets tossed from at least one game.
Please please let it happen. Well, it will be happening
on Sunday, likely against the Golden State Warriors at the
Toyota Center. We'll have it for you here on a
sports Talk seven ninety or news radio seven forty KTRH.
I mentioned this yesterday. We're that time of year no
matter what, just look for seven forty or seven ninety.
You'll be set finding the astros of the Rockets. We're

(28:16):
your home for teams in the playoffs and teams who
were who have won championships here at Sports Talks.

Speaker 2 (28:23):
That's true. Of the three major teams in town, we've
got the two that won titles. That's right.

Speaker 1 (28:28):
Where are your home of winners? We are coming. I
thought last year was argue oh was that your cow?

Speaker 2 (28:34):
That key?

Speaker 1 (28:34):
I picked it up on it?

Speaker 2 (28:35):
Callum Hanna. The other day, We're like, we really thought
we were gonna win it all last year, Like did you?
We didn't think that. We thought you had a chance. Maybe,
but like Joe Mixon thought he was.

Speaker 1 (28:44):
Wasn't he the one that was talking about I'm not
going to the Pro Bowl because I'm gonna be in
the Super Bowl? Like, okay, Joe, that didn't work out.
That's okay. I guess they could have had a shot
if they'd have gotten I don't know, three more pick
sixes every game. All Right, we're gonna take a quick
break here on The Matt Thomas Show with Ross. You
want to get in you can. Phone lines are open
and available seven one three two one two five seven ninety.

(29:05):
Do you side with Adam Klinn? Do you want the
Golden State Warriors? Are we running scared? I'm terrified. I
don't want the Golden State Warriors?

Speaker 2 (29:12):
What do you think?

Speaker 1 (29:13):
Seven one three two one two five seven ninety is
the phone number? Seven one three two one two five
seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (29:21):
Our number one of.

Speaker 1 (29:22):
The Matt Thomas Show with Ross continues on here on
Sports Talk seven ninety without Matt Thomas. He's out sick.
So you know what's Send the man some well wishes
at sports MT on Twitter. I'm sure it'll make him
feel a lot better hex interacting with you folks, and
I'm sure he's missing hanging out with you, so go
ahead and send him a nice get well soon at

(29:43):
sports MT. I'm sure that will make him feel good.
He'pfully he'll be back tomorrow. Unfortunately, uh, he's been running
a fever and got an IVY to his home as well,
which he said is very clutch. But hopefully he feels
better and we'll be back on air with us tomorrow.
Ross Via Real here with you though, Chris Gordy with
you as well. We got Gut Feelings coming up at

(30:04):
eleven thirty. We've got Joe Spotta coming up at twelve thirty.
We've got you at seven one three two one two
five seven ninety seven one three two one two five
seven ninety And there is something, Gordy, we were talking
about earlier that I used to think was one of
the highest honors in sports that I think is getting
a little cheapened as we go on and on through

(30:25):
the years.

Speaker 2 (30:27):
Retiring jerseys.

Speaker 1 (30:29):
That is correct.

Speaker 2 (30:32):
It seems like, yes, we have come, it's come a
little bit. We retire anybody's jerseys. I mean Texas retired
Kevin Durant's jes Jay whoa program legend.

Speaker 1 (30:43):
I get why they did that. Well, first of all,
he won Naysmith National College Player of the Year. I
think he swept every National Player of the Year award.
He went number two. Greg Oden should have not been
taken number one, So suck at Greg Ogden. But also
when you have recruits come through the building and you
look up in the rafters and you see Kevin Durant
on there, that's big. So that's why they did it.

Speaker 2 (31:02):
And they were like, we're trying to build this new
Moody Center, we could use a little donation mister Durant. Yeah,
absolutely sure.

Speaker 1 (31:08):
Kevin Durant's been close with the program. He is definitely
the headliner of all the players who have come through
there recently.

Speaker 2 (31:14):
That's like Tyron Matthew donate money to LSU's locker room
or something. I think that's like to the weight room.
I think it's called the Tyron Matthew weight Room.

Speaker 1 (31:24):
Yeah, everybody's gotta have fifty inch LCD screens, folks. So
let's go ahead and get the donations up those the college.

Speaker 2 (31:31):
Herman started that at a UT they had the digital
name plate at the top. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (31:36):
The most opulent and ridiculous thing in college sports to
me is those high end locker rooms. I mean, come on, dude,
locker room. Yeah, like what do you oh? Yeah, exactly,
You've got like some fifty inch screen like you're watching
the Oppenheimer or something like that with surround sound. It's
a year in your locker. You're there to change and
chat it up.

Speaker 2 (31:54):
With some guys. Well, the point of all this you
were trying to get to is that the University of
Colorado has announced they will be retiring Shador Sanders is
number two and Travis Hunter's number twelve greatest players to
ever play at Colorado MM.

Speaker 1 (32:12):
As somebody pointed out on Twitter, Cordel Stewart. His number
is not retired. They finished in the in the top
ten twice, won two Bowl games with Colorado. His number
is not retired.

Speaker 2 (32:25):
What's funny is if you had asked me before this
name who's the greatest Colorado Buffalo of all time? Probably
would go Cordell Stewart.

Speaker 1 (32:33):
Right, uh, Cordel Stewart, definitely, it's the first one that
would come to my Mason Crosby, Rashaan Salam maybe for
those older Yeah, I'm going with Mason Crosby. Wasn't he
a Colorado Buffalo?

Speaker 2 (32:47):
I don't think so, I don't know. Yeah he was, Yes,
the kicker. Yes, that's who comes to your mind.

Speaker 1 (32:52):
So I'm sorry, I would retire Mason Crosby number before
h sharudor Sanders. What were their records as what the
what was the record the last two years? I think
it's just for the Colorado Buffaloes.

Speaker 2 (33:05):
It was like thirteen and twelve or something like that.
They were for real, they went thirteen and twelve.

Speaker 1 (33:10):
Then okay, yeah, first of all, he started off his
career at Jackson State with his dad. They went four
and seven and nine and four. So yes, thirteen and eleven, yeah, eleven,
four and eight. I'm sorry, I think he didn't play
one of them. Yeah, he was four and seven as
a starter, and nine and then then nine and four.

Speaker 4 (33:27):
The years are still for carrad of State said, thirteen
and twelve, zero conference championships and ninety three YouTube videos.

Speaker 1 (33:34):
Yeah, that's pretty good.

Speaker 2 (33:35):
I mean you can be a great player, but you
don't need to have your jersey retire Like that's that's
reserved for the best of the best. And I think
in college you can't even really you can't even retire
the number be able to Yeah, they got like three
people retired of the jersey, but you can't retire the number. Hmm.

Speaker 1 (33:54):
Okay, Ajor League Baseball you can.

Speaker 2 (33:56):
Oh, they've college said we forgot Eric the enemy, Eric
the Enemy Colorado legend. Okay, well, Joel Joel Klatt who
got sacked like a million times against time.

Speaker 1 (34:09):
I mean, at least at least Travis Hnner. What's Joel Clatt? Yeah,
at least Travis Hnner won the high Hunter won the Heisman,
So I can kind of get behind that.

Speaker 2 (34:17):
Yeah, but Shadoor Sanders, do you think Colorado by the
scenes are like, we're thinking of retiring Travis Hutter is
like my son.

Speaker 1 (34:27):
There, Yeah exactly. It was probably written in his contract
extension that he just signed because there ain't no Travis
Hutter without Yeah, that's actually not bad. What about Shiloh?
Is Shiloh getting his number retired?

Speaker 2 (34:44):
Well, there's this big there's this big hubbub now with
the news that came up Friday with the Saints, with
Derek Carr being like he's going to miss the season,
that there's been a lot of buzz that the Saints
are trending towards taking Shador Sanders ninth overall, and apparently
Lou Riddick tweeted something like that ninth pick is getting
really addressing, and Dion quote tweeted with the eyeball emojis.

(35:07):
So it's kind of like it's starting to be kind
of understood that the Saints are gonna take Shador ninth.
And wasn't that the whole thing that Dion said, like
whoever takes Chador has to take Shiloh.

Speaker 1 (35:17):
Yeah, it can't be understood that you're taking anybody ninth
though there's eight people picking in front of you.

Speaker 2 (35:22):
Okay, but it sounds like nobody's gonna take Shandor.

Speaker 1 (35:24):
Yeah, it sounds like this is a smoke screen from
the agents and everybody's trying to drum up some market.

Speaker 2 (35:29):
I don't know, said, he talked to multiple teams who
said Chador's like forty one forty two on their big board.

Speaker 1 (35:37):
Yeah, but now the owners can get involved. I mean,
when there's a certain quarterback prospects, and then the owners
get involved. Something's gonna have to happen.

Speaker 2 (35:45):
Back to I will say, go back a couple of
years ago when Lamar Jackson got into what the last
pick of the first round. I remember some people saying
they had him like fiftieth on their big boards, so
that was a mistake. Well, yeah, and it was a mistake.
He fell to the bottom of the first round. But
it's worked out for the Baltimore Ravens. I'm just saying, like, yeah,
that's sometimes they miss on the evaluations a lot of times.

Speaker 1 (36:07):
I feel like Jim Mersey made the Colts made Chris
Ballard draft Anthony Richardson.

Speaker 2 (36:14):
So you got that storyline with Shador and Travis Hunter
getting their jerseys retired at Colorado. April nineteenth will be
the jersey retirement ahead of their spring practice or whatever.
But did you see what Travis Hunter said yesterday? I
did not. He is never playing football again if he
can't play both wide receiver and cornerback in whatever. You're

(36:36):
a liar. He said, it's never playing football again. Because
I've been doing it my whole life. I feel like
I could dominate on each side of them.

Speaker 1 (36:43):
What day is shut show bum mass up. There's in
just no way.

Speaker 2 (36:46):
Now.

Speaker 1 (36:46):
I think I think he will play both, but I
think it'll be limited snaps. I don't know if he's
gonna be. Look, first of all, wide receiver money is
way bigger than corner money. If you look at the
deals at guys like Jamar Chase and Justin Jefferson are
getting and relative to like a Derek Stingley deal.

Speaker 2 (37:00):
Yeah, look at Nico Collins versus Daring Stanley. Yeah yeah,
so well what are they?

Speaker 1 (37:05):
They're probably pretty comparable, right, but but Nico Collins deserve
Nico Collins is a bargain. Derek Stingley was also later.
But anyways, I think he should probably financially stay a
wide receiver. But people think that he's he is a
better cornerback than he is a wide receiver, even though
he's a really good wide receiver. So my guess would
be he plays the majority of cornerback snaps and then

(37:28):
a sprinkling of wide receiver snaps.

Speaker 2 (37:29):
If I had to guess, just at this point, I
think whatever team takes him and who's drafted number two overall.

Speaker 1 (37:37):
Uh Titans are one, is the Giants are two or
the Giants three, I should remember, Okay, that's right. Yeah,
and then the Giants are third.

Speaker 2 (37:45):
Yeah, So I mean it's it's kind of most of
the mock drafts right now are going cam Ward number
one to Tennessee, Travis Hunter number two Cleveland.

Speaker 1 (37:54):
Yeah, or Abdual Carter up in there.

Speaker 2 (37:56):
If he gets to Cleveland, the Browns say you're only
playing corner or you're only playing receiver. He's gonna hold out.

Speaker 1 (38:03):
Yeah, I think they're going to know if you drafted
number two, you already know that he what he wants.
You're gonna tell him he's gonna play those snaps and
then he will maybe his rookie year and maybe his
first couple of years, and then I feel like he'll
move to one side of the ball eventually.

Speaker 2 (38:18):
You think that could work though, like shoheo tani.

Speaker 1 (38:21):
I mean, I think football is completely different. There's a
reason they stopped doing it in like the nineteen fifties
because you just get tired out.

Speaker 2 (38:28):
There was a reason they used to do it. Yeah,
it were so good, you could play both ways. Well.

Speaker 1 (38:31):
The reason they did it also is because guys they
couldn't afford to pay everyone. They're like Uh, we're gonna
give you one contract. You gonna play both sides of
the ball. You'd be like you'd be out there like
Jim Thorpe everything. Yeah, punting, kicking, offense, defense and coaching. Yeah,
he'll hire one guy to do five things back in
the day. Now you have somebody who's just literally a
long snapper. It's a little bit different.

Speaker 2 (38:52):
What any more? Jim Thorpe's.

Speaker 1 (38:55):
Bring that Jim thup. Uh the sac and Fox track,
tell you something, man in the car last. We'll take
Jim Thorp my team any day. Yeah, I tell you what.
All right, we're gonna take quick break here. That's our
number one of the Matt Thomas Show. Chris Gordy is
hanging out, Matt Thomas is out sick. We're talking about anything.
You want to get to. Seven one three two one

(39:15):
two five seven ninety is the phone number. Seven one
three two one two five seven ninety The Matt Thomas
Show with Ross. Our number two begins next, our number
two of the Matt Thomas Show with us without Matt Thomas.
He is out sick. He should be back tomorrow. We

(39:37):
will be well. That is to be determined. I suppose
in full but hopefully he is fine and feeling better.
We'll get it, you know what. I'll text him right now,
how are you feeling, Matt? Okay, Well, we'll find out
how Matt Thomas is feeling. We'll give you live updates
as we can. We'll also give you lives live news updates.
Coming up with the news at noon. We will also
have Astro's manager Joe A. Spotta joining us at twelve thirty.

(40:01):
Hayden Wesnsky, the Houston product, pitching well for the Houston Astros.
He is coming up at one thirty as well. We
also got gut feelings. What kind of predictions you want
to make? What are you feeling in your gut? That
comes up at eleven thirty seven one three two point
two five seven ninety is your phone number if you
would like to get in seven to one three two

(40:21):
one two five seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (40:23):
We've been talking some Astros.

Speaker 1 (40:24):
We's also been talking a little bit about the Rockets
and me at least hoping and praying and wishing that
the Golden State Warriors will not be the astru be
the Rockets opponent in their first round series. It's great,
isn't it? Kind of crazy? That we're at this point
that it's gonna there's there. We play eighty two games,
then this one playing game is gonna determine the seeding

(40:47):
and then you can play those eighty two games. If
you're the Warriors or the Grizzlies and you lose two
games and you're completely out of the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (40:56):
Like uh call it the Astros last year. Yes, the
that's even worse.

Speaker 1 (41:01):
You won your division, and you won your division in
one hundred and sixty two game season and you're out
in two games because Tarrek Scooble is too good and
then aj Hinch waves his black magic wand with all
the bullpen matchups that he does, and then you lose
and you're out of that game. That's tough, or completely
out of the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (41:19):
A big news. Schooble is still very good. I think
he pitched a seven and he shut out yesterday.

Speaker 1 (41:24):
I got some more news for you. Did you know
I was looking this up the other day? I was
I was putting in a flexer tendon surgery. People who
have had the same surgery that Lance mccullor's junior has.
One of them, Trek Scooble. So Lance mccullor's junior. He's
going to be pitching like Trek Scooble when he comes back,
because basically what I'm trying.

Speaker 2 (41:41):
To tell you bounce her back. Huh.

Speaker 1 (41:43):
Yeah, Well, we're hoping the Astros might need it, especially
depending on what chicks out with this rotation. Although Ryan
Gusto was pretty solid on Saturday, it was a four innings,
a three run ball.

Speaker 2 (41:51):
He could be better. We mentioned it. The Astros are are.
They're gonna be doing a watch party next Friday night
at Carbok in the Mirror Garden, and that's the series
against the Royals. That's the series that they're hoping to get.
Let's mcclors and You're back.

Speaker 1 (42:09):
Could happen. He's supposed to pitch again. I believe this
weekend is it for? Is he back on the Hooks
or is he back with the Space Cowboys.

Speaker 2 (42:16):
I can't recall. I think they go with Whoever's yeah.

Speaker 1 (42:18):
Whoever's home or close. He pitched with the Hooks, but
it was in Frisco, but at least as close to
home as they can get. Yeah, So I don't remember
where he is kind of doesn't matter. So last Caller's
junior back in action this weekend. Hopefully he gets closer
and closer. He keeps jumping these hurdles or checking off
these boxes, whatever you want to say. It's happening, and
so far there have not been any setbacks. Hopefully that

(42:40):
continues to be the case. Seven one three two, pint
two five seven nine of the phone number. As I said,
if you'd like to get in, George in West University
is holding patiently. What's up, George?

Speaker 6 (42:51):
Hey?

Speaker 9 (42:52):
So, uh, I just want to mention on the playoffs,
the baseball playoffs. Yeah, it's ridiculous that the division winner
doesn't get the first round by and he never should
have added that third wildcard.

Speaker 5 (43:01):
I think winning the division.

Speaker 9 (43:03):
The rewards should be a bye and it's ridiculous how
they expanded. But anyway, after you kind of beat the
topic of LSU women's basketball to death, I wanted to
make sure we beat the topic of Colorado football to death.
And in your list of famous players from there, you
might have left out the most famous of all, a
guy named Byron White, who was an All American, multi

(43:26):
time All Pro in the NFL, led the league in
rushing a couple of times, led the league in return yardage,
and then even more famously, after his playing career, he
became a lawyer and became a justice of the Supreme Court.

Speaker 2 (43:38):
So he's really a hero.

Speaker 9 (43:40):
For Colorado's and really kind of a remarkable figure in
you know, American sports and American public life.

Speaker 2 (43:48):
So I just wanted to.

Speaker 1 (43:48):
Mention that, Hm, okay, thank you. Yeah, I'm really he
penned to sense in both Miranda versus Arizona and Rovis's
versus Way. We'll be breaking down those cases in full
this segment, George, alright, take care of thanks, Okay, just
all right. Well, yeah, I was just pulling him up.
So okay, well, if you say most famous of all,
I hadn't heard him. Actually, maybe Byron White sounds somewhat familiar,

(44:11):
not as a sportsman, but I guess as a Supreme
Court justice. Are believe it or not, Byron White coming
up at two fifty today here on Sports Talk seven
ninety folks, okay, or maybe it's not your thoughts on
Byron White? And should he have his number retired by
the Colorado Buffaloes.

Speaker 2 (44:27):
Cordy, I'm gonna say I'm for that.

Speaker 1 (44:30):
Sure, Okay, Yeah, that's what I wanted to hear, okay,
thank you for getting in with that most famous Colorado
Buffaloes and Byron White. Apparently that is quite a life though.
I mean, look, you're a dominant college football player and
then you go on to be a Supreme Court justice.
Good for you. Wishing to the Bells. Also graduated from
Yale Law School. Not bad well, as it says here

(44:51):
on Wikipedia. He matriculated at Yale Law School. Played for
the Detroit Lions as well in nineteen forty and nineteen
forty one. All right, any seven one three two one
two five seven ninety is the phone number if you
want to get in seven one three two one two
five seven ninety mentioned we will have Hayden Wesnesky later
on in the show.

Speaker 2 (45:11):
Hunter Brown on the Hill. Are we calling him now?

Speaker 1 (45:14):
This will be a fluid list, but if you lost
the day before and you want to see this name
and the probable pictures, we're going Hunter Brown right now
is the number one name, the hot name for the
Houston Astros. I believe, Yeah, I'm excited. Look the pitching
staff I think is fine. I just we need this
offense to come around. That's the bottom line, Christian Walker.

Speaker 2 (45:35):
I don't know what's going on with him, how he
has been this great hitter his whole career and what
are they just cursed with the first base position? Like
they signed Jose Brady was their first big acquisition at
first base and it turned out to be a bust,
and out here are Christian Walker made him more the
highest paid first baseman all of baseball and so far

(45:56):
not great.

Speaker 1 (45:57):
Yeah, I'm not saying it's gonna happen, but it'd be
funny to me if it did happen to where you
sign a in his well more mid thirties for Christian Walker,
more late thirties for Jose A. Bray, to these free
agent contracts, to where you're paying them their thirty four
to thirty five, thirty six age years and beyond, and
yet you refuse to do that for a guy like

(46:19):
Alex Bregman, but then you do it for these guys.
But then also, maybe this is a point in Jim
Crane's favor, is like, Okay, yeah, you say I shouldn't
do it, and I am, but look what happens when
I did. I did sign somebody into their late thirties,
and Jose Bray was a disaster and We'll see what
happens with Christian Walker. I think he's gonna be completely fine.
But if it does happen, I think that'll be a
little bit ironic to me that there is this hard

(46:41):
lined philosophy to not sign guys into the thirties unless
they're already in their thirties, then that's when you do it.

Speaker 2 (46:47):
It might be did Juli Guriel lead them with a
curse when he left?

Speaker 1 (46:53):
Oh, the curse of the Julie, the curse of the
Pinya he.

Speaker 2 (46:56):
Put, I put the Yeah, I put the pineapple curse
on he did?

Speaker 1 (47:00):
He bury a pineapple under first base, and now it's
been cursing the people of Houston or anybody who stands
over there now or no, he had to do it
at the plate.

Speaker 2 (47:07):
It is wild. Yeah, this we can't can't get a
good first hitting Usually didn't didn't you really first basement here?

Speaker 1 (47:13):
Didn't you only break camp with a team? Was it
the Padres?

Speaker 2 (47:16):
Yeah? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (47:18):
Is he playing much over there? Dude's like a it's
funny that we're talking about this guy. We don't want
to sign these these first basemen who are old. He's
forty one, he's hitting one thirty for the Padres'll be
here this weekend. People were talking about how great he
was at the Royals. He hit two forty one six
thirty five. Ohps, not very good.

Speaker 2 (47:38):
On Sunday for the Padres, went one for three, scored
a run, drove in a run, and worked a walk.

Speaker 1 (47:43):
M he's yeah, but he's not hitting well, It's fine.
Uh at two games before that, I'm glad we could
stamp that out one for five with a run, scored
in an RBI. And he was playing in the playoffs
and didn't he have like a he had like a
big hit or a home run or something in the
playoffs and people were like, oh.

Speaker 2 (48:00):
Look at that. Should have kept Julie. And he ended
up hitting one to ninety of the playoffs. Is it
the Royals for a little bit?

Speaker 1 (48:06):
Yeah, that was last year.

Speaker 2 (48:08):
Okay, do you know he's got more RBIs than Christian
Walker right now? Christian Walker's betting four.

Speaker 5 (48:16):
Hole every night.

Speaker 2 (48:16):
You don't have to bring that a prime position to
drive in.

Speaker 1 (48:19):
All right, Well, let's bet on who's gonna be hitting
better by the end of the season. It's fine, I know, Oh,
he's got three how many does Christian Walker? Christian Walker
has two runs about it, inn Are you serious?

Speaker 5 (48:28):
Yes?

Speaker 1 (48:29):
You can't get twupop flies to get a guy on
third base home, I guess nobody's getting on base, so
nobody's got that is embarrassing too.

Speaker 2 (48:36):
It was getting on base for like the first week
of the season.

Speaker 1 (48:38):
Yeah, and now he's he's uh, well, I'm gonna say
falling back to earth. He's on a in a bit
of a run.

Speaker 2 (48:45):
It's early twenty strikeouts for Christian Walker so far. Dude.

Speaker 1 (48:49):
At least his walk numbers are coming way up. He
didn't walk for like the first week and a half
or year. Straight games with two walks, that's good, that's
good getting on base, let's go. He's working some walks.

Speaker 2 (49:00):
But only eight hits so far in April.

Speaker 1 (49:02):
Yeah, he was pacing with like his worst wifth percentage
and worse walk percentages of his career. But at least
he's doing a lot better now, so he's gonna turn
things around. He also did, as we have mentioned, he's
had the had a lot of the hard hit contact.
So I still think he's gonna be fine. But it's
like coming out here every day, every single day, coming
on these airwaves, bets are gonna be fine, this is

(49:24):
gonna turn, it's gonna be okay, it's gonna get better,
and it did get better over the weekend, but we
didn't really get to talk about it, so it almost
doesn't feel real, at least for the purposes of talking
on this show. So so a real offensive explosion from
the Bats tonight would really help me out mentally from
having to continue to say this, especially for the second

(49:45):
year in a row for how long that they were
just in a huge rut collectively as a team for
last year. Credit to them for getting out of it.
Credit to all them also for getting lucky and having
the Mariners completely collapse.

Speaker 2 (49:58):
But this doesn't feel good. Astros are ninth in baseball.
In lob fire the hitding coaches. Everyone says, of course,
I don't want that to happen.

Speaker 1 (50:11):
They do pretty nobody says fire the hitting coach when
they score fourteen runs on Friday, Right, that's always funny?
All right, Dara, even check where the t ops number is?

Speaker 2 (50:20):
Right now? No, I'd rather not.

Speaker 1 (50:22):
Okay, we're gonna take another break here on The Matt
Thomas Show with Ross. The bats will turn. When will
that be? We don't know gut feelings are coming up
at eleven thirty. We also have Joe Aspota to talk
with as well on at twelve thirty. Come ou up
here on the program. You can get in as well
at seven one three two, one two five seven ninety

(50:42):
seven one three, two, one two five seven ninety topics
we will not be discussing today. One that is on
why do you have this on? Give me the remote, Gordy, Jesus,
there's got to be something else.

Speaker 2 (50:55):
Gordy has the worst take on tack it around. Could
a good draft make the Cowboys the playoffs? I'm Stephen A. Smith.
Play the heads, folks. He's a Cowboys apologist, so he's
probably like, yes, I absolutely believe the Cowboys if they
have a great draft, will be in the playoffs.

Speaker 1 (51:13):
No, he hates the Cowboys. Steven A does'. He's the
big Eagles fan.

Speaker 2 (51:17):
No draft could save this Cowboys team. Jamie Jones is
running the program.

Speaker 1 (51:22):
Bottom line, all right, thank you appreciate it, Steven A
good God?

Speaker 2 (51:27):
All right? That is average at best. Every quarterback in
this draft is better than.

Speaker 1 (51:31):
I'm rather to put this documentary on about Bobby Knight
or what else is on here? We go Fast Money,
Best of Family Feud, oh Feeble World Basketball. I'm actually
putting that on all right. Look, worst take is we're
not gonna be talking about what's on that show right
now here on Sports Suck seven ninety the Matt Thomas Show.

Speaker 2 (51:47):
I would think they would talk about like the sports
of the day, like row, NBA playoffs or.

Speaker 1 (51:52):
This is where you and I get it. Actually, you
know like we do. I just don't get in on Thursdays.

Speaker 2 (51:57):
I get it.

Speaker 1 (51:58):
You know, we have data here right when we talk
about certain topics when certain like when they're big astros days.
I'm gonna be honest with you folks. When they're big
astros days and games and then the playoffs, our ratings
go up. We're the astro station. So what happens during
those days? We talk majority of astros because we know
that that's what people are tuning in for. So I
understand that they have a situation where they have numbers

(52:19):
as well. When we talk Lakers, when we talk Cowboys,
and when we talk Lebron James, it seems that our
interest is up and our ratings are up, and the
clips of those go more viral, we get more impressions. Boom,
boom boom. We got to keep going to that.

Speaker 2 (52:32):
Well.

Speaker 1 (52:33):
But it's just like when you beat something over the
head every single day. We don't do that at this station.
Certain stations might. We don't talk astros every single day
when they're not in season. We're talking rockets, we're talking Texans,
we're talking about anything that's going on in the world
of sports. We don't pigeonhole ourselves. But clearly they do
that at ESPN, and it is just over the top,

(52:54):
and it's just becoming a running joke with every single
media outlet or comedy like it's on s and now
everyone knows that's what they're doing.

Speaker 2 (53:01):
That's the playbook. Here's the tough part with them, though,
what are they all like? What's the big argument about WNBA?
WNBA doesn't get enough love. We'll talk about enough. If
we talk more about it, that'll get more love, if
people will appreciate it. But then on those shows they
don't do it. Yeah, go now, let's bring up Lebron again,
Lebron versus MJ. Let's debate that.

Speaker 1 (53:20):
That is definitely it's an interesting thing. If you if
they let's say they switched to we all NBWNBA format,
then yeah, interest will go up to some degree, but
there are going to be people who are never going
to be interested in the WNBA. And here in Houston,
we don't have a team. I don't watch a whole
lot NBWNBA. That's cool if they're putting on coverage about it,

(53:42):
but it just doesn't really interest me. So it is
it is true to where and not even the WNBA.
If they want to talk Shay Gilgess, Alexander in the
Oklahoma City Thunder and how great they are, there is
going to be some tune out factor because we as
the sports consuming public, have shown them via their data

(54:02):
that we like when they scream at each other, we
like when they get mad, We like when Shaq and
Chuck are are threatening to fight each other. Rather than
giving you any kind of basketball knowledge where they can't
pronounce anybody as anybody's name on the Houston Rockets, and
they can't, they're naming guys who aren't even active as
players who are going to be a key factor in
the games tonight. Just where we're going, I've probably in

(54:25):
general as a society, we could put this not only
in the sportsphere, but we talk about you know, talk
about the people that you know who are teachers and
how teaching has changed and how they just pass everybody,
and then the society is just.

Speaker 2 (54:36):
When's the last time they talked about baseball? Though on
first take.

Speaker 1 (54:40):
I don't know. I don't watch it enough. I just
put on the MLB network, so MLB Now is on.
But also, yeah, I imagine that Steven A. Smith and
his will house isn't a whole lot about baseball. I
don't know if he's going to be breaking down the's
what's the ops plus a Kyle Tucker and the reverberations
of the trade that they made with the Houston Astros
and we'll he signed a long term deal, and also

(55:02):
how much interest is there nationally with that. If you
say Lebron James to one hundred people on the street,
you're gonna get more of reaction than if you say
Alex Bregman to one hundred people on the street. So
to an extent, like I said, I get it why
they're doing what they're doing, but I think there's a
difference between giving the people what they want and what
gets a reaction and running things into the ground. And

(55:23):
I think they're just closer to the latter.

Speaker 2 (55:25):
Lowest common denominator, that's what they're going for.

Speaker 1 (55:27):
We're not bringing you the lowest common denominator here, folks.
We don't do that at Sports Talk seven ninety. You
want to get in, you want to talk about anything
we can seven one three two one two five seven
ninety seven one three two one two five seven ninety
Should the Astros, let's just do this. Should the Astros
fire their hitting coaches? Is Joe A Spotta hurting this team?

Speaker 2 (55:49):
I would say to ever since he was highed, I
don't know if a spot is right for the job. Yeah,
that's it, That's what they would be.

Speaker 1 (55:55):
We actually thought about this, uh like conceiving a segment
that we would do with Max.

Speaker 2 (56:00):
Dude, my god, Dusty Baker dirty.

Speaker 1 (56:02):
No, Actually I think we did talk about this on air.
We would call it worst Take, and then Matt and
I for a full segment would just pretend that we
were on one of these loud Yeah.

Speaker 2 (56:10):
We would do Houston.

Speaker 1 (56:11):
We would do it Houston sports style, but we would
do it with the Houston Rockets and the Houston Astros
and talk about that and just like massive gross overreactions
and I bet you we'd get like the most calls,
in the most tweets and stuff like that. So, like
I said, I get it, it's just not just not
my style. I just can't if if you hear me
yelling and angry about something on these airways, it's genuine

(56:33):
and true.

Speaker 2 (56:34):
It's real.

Speaker 1 (56:34):
Like I'm yelling about how I do not want the
Golden State Warriors. Please I did somebody somebody just post this.
The John Hollinger who is with the Athletic now he picked.

Speaker 2 (56:45):
He was with ESPN then he was in the Grizzlies
front office. Right yeah, with the Athletic, he picked one.
I'm in Thompson as his defensive player of the year.
Ooh okay, he says, in terms of defensive roles, Thompson
is actually two players. He guards the opponent's best perimeter
scorer on many nights, but he also doubles as an

(57:06):
elite rim protector as well. Love it.

Speaker 1 (57:12):
I think he's gotten there's a couple of people who
he's gotten votes and he's gotten notice.

Speaker 2 (57:16):
For his three point six percent block grate was higher
than that of Draymond Green, Zubak, Jared Allen, Gannis. Only
six players in the entire league played at least two
thousand minutes and block shots at a higher rate than Thompson,
which is amazing because on the other side, he was
shutting down the perimeter at the same time.

Speaker 1 (57:36):
Yeah, as primary defender, holding opponents to a forty point
six percent field goal percentage lowest mark.

Speaker 2 (57:43):
In like that, the NBA is quickness right that he's
able to he's defending you out of the perimeter and
then he's getting to the rim very quickly to block
a shot. He just does everything.

Speaker 1 (57:54):
He's lengthy, he's smart, he positions himself well, he does
a good job of not fallon and he also has
this really really good ability to not bite on pump fakes.
It's like he's he's like he's a poker player reading
your face and he's not bite. Now, occasionally he does
get got by pump fakes. That happens, especially guys who

(58:15):
are like the best in the business at him, like
the Luka Doncic's and guys like that who are just
gonna pump fake seventy six times. It does happen, But
for the most part, it's it's really interesting to watch
how disciplined he is on those fakes and ball fakes
and and he just reads things well. He just has
a defensive instinct that you cannot teach. He's got it.

(58:37):
Whatever it is, he can just he's like, he's just can't.
He's like a free safety. He knows where the ball
is going, he knows what everybody else is doing before
they do it. He's in the right places at the
right time. Like you said, the rim protection, the weak
side help blocks that he's able to get as well.
He just does everything. Man's He's so extremely valuable to

(59:00):
this team. And in his second year, blossoming is into
somebody who well, I don't think he's gonna win Defensive
Player of the Year. He's been in that conversation and
I think it could be coming for him in the
next few years.

Speaker 2 (59:12):
We do speak of NBA a little update, chums just drop.
Damian Lillard will miss the start of the NBA Playoffs.
Game one of their first round against the Pacers is
Saturday with the Blood Cloths blood clott He has made
significant progress though, and there's optimism for his clearance at
some point in the playoffs. So when the Rockets gets

(59:32):
to the NBA Finals versus the Bucks, Damian Lillard could
be back.

Speaker 1 (59:36):
I don't think it would be the Bucks, by the way,
I did. We were talking about you had we had
those odds from bed online. It was forty five to
one of the Rockets. I saw eighty to one some places.
And let's you say, I have a good friend in
Louisiana who was able to.

Speaker 2 (59:52):
Help me get a little get a little.

Speaker 1 (59:54):
Taste on that eighty to one Rockets. Yeah, twenty bucks,
I win sixteen hundred. The only thing that has to
happen is the Rockets that I had like forty Yeah,
it was forty five we were.

Speaker 2 (01:00:05):
Looking at Sorry, I still got out of that too.

Speaker 1 (01:00:08):
So all that means is, if if if we live
in eighty one multiverses that start after like the playoffs start,
if the Rockets can win in just one of them,
I've got good value.

Speaker 2 (01:00:18):
Let's go Rockets. Come on, baby. If I told you
you could have one or the other. The Rockets get
to the finals but lose, or they will get the
number one pick in this draft, what would you rather.

Speaker 1 (01:00:31):
Would if it's only one or the other, I'd probably
take then that's a good question. Actually, I'd probably take
the number one pick.

Speaker 2 (01:00:42):
I might take the fun losing the fun like for them.
I would take the Yeah, they have not been to
the NBA Championship since Hakeem was suiting up.

Speaker 1 (01:00:48):
Yeah, I don't know that Cooper Flag is a future superstar,
but I think at the very least he's a future
very good in place.

Speaker 2 (01:00:55):
You want to win it all. But that how fun
of a run would that be? If this team went
on a run that made it to the NBA Final,
that'd be crushing. That means you would be knocking off.
That means they probably hopefully somebody does your dirty work
for you and knocks off the Thunder.

Speaker 1 (01:01:06):
It would be you would mean you knock off the
Thunder somewhere long. Somebody on Twitter brought it up to me,
and it would be kind of like that. Remember the
seventeen Astros they went to like they went through all
the big name teams. It was like the What, the
Red Sox, the Yankees, and then they beat the Dodgers.
So it would be like that. You would beat the Warriors,
then you would beat the Lakers, presumably if they don't
lose to the Timberwolves. Then you would beat probably the

(01:01:28):
Thunder and then the Celtics are calves.

Speaker 2 (01:01:32):
Maybe eighty to one is about right, much like much
like the seventeen Astros, we went, oh, they're ahead of schedule.

Speaker 1 (01:01:39):
Yeah, look at this, and then they won it all
but also seven game basketball series less quite fright. I
will always say this, they were not better than the
seventeen Dodgers, the seventeen Astros. The nineteen Astros were better
than the nineteen Nationals, and they lost that. I feel
like that happens more in baseball than say, basketball, barring injury.
All right, we gotta take a quick break here.

Speaker 2 (01:01:59):
Go ahead. I was just gonna say, what if you
had moments throughout this playoffs, or like at the end
of a game Dylan Brooks had a bit hit big shot,
and another game it's Fred van Vliet hits a big shot.
Like they've got so many guys, somebody different could step
up every night. Hm, we go, oh, remember that game
seven against the thunder We had the Alpi Shingoon game.
I remember that where you dropped forty five, dropped forty

(01:02:21):
five on chet Holmward's head. That'd be incredible.

Speaker 1 (01:02:23):
All right, we're gonna dream about that or maybe you
know what was that a gut feeling prediction from Chris Cordy.

Speaker 2 (01:02:27):
It could have been.

Speaker 1 (01:02:29):
What are you feeling in your gut? Do you have
a prediction you want to make about something happening in
the future. You're not really just putting your name on.
It's like, you know what, I got a gut feeling
about this. I got one about Lance McCullers Junior. I
will get to that coming up. You have one you
can seven one three two one two five seven ninety
seven one three two one two five seven ninety What

(01:02:52):
you have feeling in your gut?

Speaker 2 (01:02:54):
Gut feelings? Coming up next here on Sports Talk seven
ninety thow a peeler. Wasn't that Tooma?

Speaker 7 (01:03:02):
You'll they got a gut healing?

Speaker 10 (01:03:04):
This is their gut feeling on the Matt Thomas Show.

Speaker 1 (01:03:14):
All right, what are you feeling in your gut? It
is time for the Tuesday Staples segment. Here on The
Matt Thomas Show with Ross. You can get in seven
to one three two one two five seven ninety seven
one three two one two five seven ninety is the

(01:03:35):
number if you'd like to make a prediction and get
in first Up on this segment, we look at what
happened last week and I'm actually trying to find Yeah,
I got some lists of I'm trying to find the
last gut feeling we had from you, Gordy. Looks like
it's been I haven't written down anything for you in
a long time, at least since deep into last year,

(01:03:57):
so maybe you haven't been around for Tuesdays.

Speaker 2 (01:03:59):
Perhaps I've been to you. It's a real hot take,
right literally football season. I think I had one.

Speaker 1 (01:04:05):
I think you did too, but I didn't write it down.
I have to go back to twenty twenty three to
find something from you. And it's about Dana Holgerson. So
what did I say? Okay, well I called let me see. Yeah, yeah,
you had that right. This week is the last game
for coach Holgerson versus UCF. Was that probably about right?

(01:04:25):
And then you said the next coach for U of
h oh I'm sorry. You said Jeff Trailer will be
the next coach at U of H or Texas A
and m ooh man.

Speaker 2 (01:04:34):
I was all aboard the Jeff Trailer bandwagon and then
they kind of fell off last year at UH.

Speaker 1 (01:04:39):
It's funny how that happens with coaches, right, Like one
year you're hot and the next year not. You might
as well take every opportunity you can. Bobby Slowick.

Speaker 2 (01:04:45):
He is still the head coach at UTSA. Yeah, he
came off of twenty one and twenty two. He came
off of twelve and two, eleven and three, and then
nine and four and then seven and six last year. O.

Speaker 1 (01:05:00):
All right, well, let's look at last week. Matt Thomas
said the Rockets will win their first round series under
seven games. He says zero astros will participate in the WBC.
That's just that's not happening. Aaron Judge already announces captain
Captain America for the WBC team next year.

Speaker 2 (01:05:18):
So what so they announced the captain before they announced
any of the rest of the team.

Speaker 1 (01:05:22):
Yeah, I don't know. I don't know how that works.
I'm not really paying attention. I guess I'll watch a
little bit of the WBC. I don't get really big
into it, but these players love it. They love representing
their country. Josel Twovey said, broken thumb be damned. I
would guess he's gonna be representing Venezuela. I'm WBC.

Speaker 2 (01:05:36):
I'm sure Cubs outfield or Kyle Tucker will be in there. Yeah.
Boston Red Sox Star Basement Alex Bregmant will be referenced
to hopefully be in the mix. Maybe not Cubs closer
Ryan Presley this time around, but.

Speaker 1 (01:05:47):
He was America's closer. Hopefully he can. Hopefully he can
be back, although yeah, I haven't even looked at it.

Speaker 2 (01:05:54):
Can we get Cam Smith in the box?

Speaker 1 (01:05:55):
I don't think he's gonna. I don't think he's gonna
make the cut. Unfortunately, how is Ryan Presley doing with? Okay,
good for Ryan Presley, we got the job done. Cubs
closer Ryan Presley.

Speaker 2 (01:06:12):
Good for him to keep an eye on him for
fantasy purposes. Got four saves already?

Speaker 1 (01:06:16):
What, Oh, don't tell me he's turned his whole season
around now that he's somewhere else.

Speaker 2 (01:06:22):
Already pitched in eight games this year, eight innings, pitched
three earned runs.

Speaker 1 (01:06:28):
Yeah, it looks like he's been giving up some hard
hit contact. His field independent pitching is super high. Six
point one six that should be about ERA. If you
have a six one six ERA.

Speaker 2 (01:06:35):
That's not good.

Speaker 1 (01:06:36):
Yeah, eleven hits, so maybe he's been exactly getting Yes,
that's the Ryan Presley that we know and love. All right, Well,
I said The Rockets will also win their first round series. No,
matter the opponent, and I went against Matt. I said
multiple astros will play in the WBC. Jonathan made a prediction.
He said the Rockets first round series will go seven

(01:06:58):
games and the Houston Rocket will win. I will make
a further prediction for today. By the way, if you
want to get in with a gut feeling, seven one
three two one two five seven ninety is your phone number?
Seven one three two one two five seven ninety. I'm
gonna start it off. Rockets will play the Golden State Warriors.

Speaker 2 (01:07:20):
Oh God, really, really a gut feeling? You're really going
on a limb of that one. I'm not done. Okay.

Speaker 1 (01:07:28):
They will defeat the Golden State Warriors.

Speaker 2 (01:07:34):
In seven games. God, I don't want this thing to
go seven. We're gonna have to sweat that thing out.

Speaker 1 (01:07:41):
We have to really sweat it out. God, and that
means a lot of pre and post games.

Speaker 2 (01:07:45):
Shove it. I don't think they win. I like I
can win at home in seven ten, But God, that's
just how about this for a gut feeling? Okay? It
is the Warriors versus Rockets in the first round. Warriors
win one of those first two at Tota Center. Okay,
I don't like it. I don't like it.

Speaker 1 (01:08:01):
I don't want it to am My writing is down.
Is this on the record for you? Okay? Fine, I
don't want that.

Speaker 2 (01:08:08):
To happen, but it feels like that would happen.

Speaker 1 (01:08:10):
Maybe I should say, maybe I should just man up
and say Rockets in five.

Speaker 2 (01:08:13):
And then you'd have to go to Golden State and win.
You'd have to win one. There go, Grizzlies, come on,
beat these jerks tonight.

Speaker 1 (01:08:25):
Astros win Hunter Brown seven innings, a two run ball.

Speaker 2 (01:08:30):
This is a prediction for night. Seven innings, two runs. Okay,
he's only gone six at all three starts this year.
You think you go seven tonight against Yes, the best
hitting team in baseball average wise, Yes, Okay, what's up?
Bring it? Brown is scared? Cardinals are pesky. They put
up some good at batsas.

Speaker 1 (01:08:46):
Yeah, n Brown's about to strike them all out. What's up, Jonathan?

Speaker 2 (01:08:51):
What do you got?

Speaker 4 (01:08:52):
I'm gonna take my look on the NFL draft, and
I'm okay, I have a gut feeling right now, keep
seeing should do it. They're in the top fifteen or
in like top ten, and in Ashton genty and a
lot of these drafts are nowhere close to the top fifteen.
I'm happy, so I my gut feeling is that Ashton
genty is going to be top fifteen.

Speaker 2 (01:09:12):
I can't take the team. I'm not gonna do all
that ahead of Shador.

Speaker 1 (01:09:15):
Uh huh you're having them ahead of Shador.

Speaker 2 (01:09:18):
No, I have, yes, I have.

Speaker 4 (01:09:20):
I think As will get picked before Shador does in
the top fifteen, both getting top fifteen as well, and
in uh Travis Hunter will go top five.

Speaker 1 (01:09:30):
Yeah, Travis Hunter. He's most people having two or three.
That's not the biggest. But we'll write it down for you. Jonathan,
I three, I had all right, right, No, that's fine, fine,
say top three.

Speaker 2 (01:09:41):
You said you said the Golden State was going to win,
so that.

Speaker 1 (01:09:44):
Yeah, I said that in the Ashton the Rockets is
that time of years shots and Rockets, the Rockets are
going to beat them in seven?

Speaker 2 (01:09:51):
That was there as mydendum. Okay, fine, Now if they're
only if they made him in five? Is that does
that still count of the gut feeling I got. It's
a gun feeling. It's a gut feeling half loss. I
said they're gonna win. This is my gut feeling. That's
what I'm feeling. Gud feelings are fluid.

Speaker 1 (01:10:07):
To Gordy, you can come back next week and you
canna have a different gut feeling. I'm just saying, all right,
I got one more for me. In a couple of weeks,
Lance mccullor's junior will make his Astro's debut, first time

(01:10:28):
pitching for them since twenty twenty two. He will go
four innings and he will give up two earned runs,
and the Astros will win the game.

Speaker 2 (01:10:41):
M that last part made may be tough. Bullpen's gonna
hold it down.

Speaker 1 (01:10:46):
Bennett suess is, it's Benett sus a season, baby, Let's go.

Speaker 2 (01:10:52):
What's up? What do you think? I do like the
I do like I do think that's he goes four
innings when he gets back here feels about right.

Speaker 1 (01:11:01):
Yeah, he's in rack it up though, walks here and
there and some of these rehab starts, and that's kind
of lands with Colors Junior.

Speaker 2 (01:11:06):
But that'll be a win. That'll be a win if
he comes back to the big league club. Look, he
has not put on an Astro's uniform on and taken
the mount since you know, as the Phillies World Series
November twenty two.

Speaker 1 (01:11:18):
So all right, any more gut Felix, I had one of.

Speaker 2 (01:11:23):
The draft that that that he triggered, Oh, I want
to I want to say the Titans will trade out
of the first pick. This whole that's that everybody their
brother is locked in. Camboard is going number one overall
the Titans. And I'm starting to think in this what
happens every year with the draft that like what we're
hearing two weeks out never holds firm.

Speaker 1 (01:11:45):
That's correct, Okay, go with the Campboard.

Speaker 2 (01:11:49):
Does the Titans do not select the number one pick.
They trade out of the number.

Speaker 1 (01:11:53):
One Titans do not take the note you know you can.

Speaker 2 (01:11:55):
You don't think they need a quarterback. You know it's
been a year and changes.

Speaker 1 (01:11:58):
I got your gut feelings, so you can give us
a guy feelings for like the next two years?

Speaker 2 (01:12:02):
Is on is cam Ward Like the next is he
Kenny Pickett? Is this the twenty twenty two and everyone
rte that down.

Speaker 1 (01:12:07):
Cam Ward is a bus. It's a gud feeling.

Speaker 2 (01:12:09):
He could be told you to it. Yeah, put to
put me down for cam Warden. It was good. It's
a bus. By the way, I just saw he signed
with under Armour. If he will go number one overall,
he would be the first quarterback to do that since
Cam Newton.

Speaker 1 (01:12:21):
Hey, should that be like a sign that maybe he
is a bus because Nick he doesn't want anything to
do with him.

Speaker 2 (01:12:26):
Could be and he'd be like, oh, Nike doesn't want
to end.

Speaker 1 (01:12:28):
But also, I mean that happened with Steph Curry and
he was okay, but I digress. Okay, you got a
gut feeling those you on hold, We will get you
in the next segment. I promise you want to get
in with your gut feelings seven one three two one
two five seven ninety A prediction you want to make
seven one three two one two five seven ninety More
gut feelings coming up next.

Speaker 2 (01:12:49):
We've got Joe A.

Speaker 1 (01:12:50):
Spotta coming up at twelve thirty here on Sports Talk
seven ninety and then Matt Thomas Show with Ross Astro's
manager Joe Aspota coming up at twelve thirty. Hayden Wesnsky
coming up at one thirty here on Sports Talk seven
ninety Your home for your Houston Astros. They lose yesterday

(01:13:12):
to the Saint Louis Cardinals eight to three, get down
eight to nothing, so that was real fun yesterday. And
well they go to look to bounce back trying to
win the series with a Hunter Brown start today and
a Ronette Blanco start tomorrow. That will be a day

(01:13:33):
game on Wednesday, twelve fifteen. First pitch tonight is six
forty five. As I said here on Sports Talk seven ninety,
your home for your stros it's Hunter Brown Day. We'll
talk about it. As I said with Joe Spotta, come
on up at twelve thirty. So you got your backs
against the wall looking to bounce back in a series.
Not the worst thing to have Hunter Brown on the hill.

(01:13:54):
Oh and I just noticed that we just got a
phone call in.

Speaker 2 (01:13:56):
All right, we can do some gut feelings. Let's roll it.

Speaker 1 (01:13:58):
You want to get in with your gut feelings, you
still can. We did him in the last segment. Seven
one three two one two five is seven ninety Is
your phone number? Seven one three two one two five
seven ninety? Yeah, go ahead, you can. You can play
that gentleman, tom Yo. They got a gut feeling.

Speaker 11 (01:14:13):
This is their gut feeling on the Matt Thomas Show.

Speaker 1 (01:14:16):
With Rass here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Staved in
Los Angeles, what's your gut feeling.

Speaker 12 (01:14:26):
I just wanted to point out that last week I
had a gut feeling that camp Smith would hit his
first home run in the Angeles Series, and he.

Speaker 2 (01:14:32):
Did that Friday.

Speaker 1 (01:14:33):
Many blessings thanks to you. If you want to, can
you predict every astro to hit three home runs in
the next week?

Speaker 12 (01:14:39):
Well yeah, I need You're gone to be on that
list as ill responsible. But my gut feeling, uh for
today is that Aman Thompson will win the Defensive Player
of the Year. I think there's some real juice behind it.
So yeah, that's my gut feeling.

Speaker 1 (01:14:56):
Okay, thank you, Steven. I mean I've seen a few
of them. Media members have come out and have Amen
Thompson a top their ballot. I just don't think it's
going to be enough. I think who's the favorite. Then
it's got to be Draymond Green.

Speaker 2 (01:15:11):
I think of a week ago.

Speaker 1 (01:15:13):
Yeah, once Victor wimbin Yama went down, it was kind
of a free for all. I guess it's look, I
guess I haven't been watching that much Golden State Warriors.

Speaker 2 (01:15:23):
Back in Fruorary, he was plus twelve thousand. Then Wemby
got hurt and he got he imparted the plus thirty
five hundred. Going into March, he was plus five thousand,
and by the end of March he was minus one
ten and currently minus four fifty.

Speaker 1 (01:15:40):
Yeah, as of a week ago, Amen Thompson, not even
on these odds that I'm looking at. Yeah, Evan Mobley,
Lou Dort, Dyson Daniels, Jared Jackson, Junior, Shake, Gilges, Alexander So.

Speaker 2 (01:15:51):
Yeah, one sports book has Draymond is the favorite. Bovada
has Evan Mobley is the favorite. Dyson Daniels seems to
get more love than Amen, but Evan Mobley, Yeah, it
sounds like it's the runner up favorite.

Speaker 1 (01:16:09):
Who's going to be the bride's maid? Or you mean
after Draymond? I thought Draymond? Was he your favorite?

Speaker 2 (01:16:14):
That was one sports book. All these others I'm looking
at all have mobiley really? Okay? Wells Five days ago too,
we did a no brainer Evan Mobley Defensive Player of
the Year.

Speaker 1 (01:16:26):
That would be Evan Mobley. Who was taking winning the draft?
What what number?

Speaker 2 (01:16:32):
They all they all know he was taking number three.

Speaker 1 (01:16:35):
He was taking number three and twenty twenty one, who
was taking number two and twenty two?

Speaker 2 (01:16:38):
Right after Jalen Yes, that is all all his drafts
just mesh in on one.

Speaker 1 (01:16:43):
Hey, can I find that article that I wrote for
our website where I was saying Jalen Green over Evan
Mobley and go ahead and delete that. No, or the
jury is still out right. I'm feeling good.

Speaker 2 (01:16:52):
I mean, Jalen Green just had his ball out. But
the other three picks of the top four that year
have all been all have all made the All Star Game.
Kid Cuttingham number one, Evan Mobley three, and Scottie Barnes four.
All you need is to Green to go in this
run right now? Yeah? Now, Scottie Barn's won Rookie of
the Year that year, right, wouldn't he?

Speaker 1 (01:17:08):
You know what, I'm gonna actually write this since we're
still doing gut feelings. I've had this. Uh, I'm glad
we brought it up. Jalen Green thirty plus points in
the first game. I think he's.

Speaker 2 (01:17:22):
Been he now he's been a playoff moment.

Speaker 1 (01:17:25):
It's not only that. I think this week off is
really gonna help him. He's played all these games, he's
on this long start streak. He's been holding his wrist,
he's been kind of gimping around. I think this extra
week off is really going to inject some life into him.
I I really think that Jalen Green is going to
show up and show out in these playoffs. I truly
believe that. What's up gud feeling.

Speaker 2 (01:17:46):
I feel like the seventh pick of that draft shuts
him down thin minga. Hmmm, no, that's not happening.

Speaker 1 (01:17:52):
That is Butler might be a different story.

Speaker 2 (01:17:54):
But that is pretty wild, though, kid cutting it. The
funniest thing is Baris the sixteenth pick of that draft
was also so it all star Alprin Shangoon. Hmm, that's crazy.
If you went back that night and I said, yeah,
Ross great draft picks with this she Gun guy sixteenth
and Jalen Green two. What if I told you four
years from now Shan Gun will be an All Star

(01:18:15):
and Jalen Green won't. Hmm. Pretty crazy. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:18:20):
But I think, like I said, Jalen Green had his
best offensive season. I think the points per game numbers
aren't there, especially because he was only playing like fifteen
minutes in the last couple of games. But as far
as free throw percentage field goal percentage, well it went
down a little bit. But three point percentage highest of

(01:18:41):
his career. So I'm feeling pretty good about our friend
Jalen Green. Hopefully he can make an All Star team.
You average twenty plus points per game, not hyper efficiently,
but not super inefficient. He could get there. He could
get to. My dream for him is twenty five plus
points per game and efficiently. And I do think with

(01:19:03):
this extra time off, he's gonna have a big game
game number one. You heard it here first on Gut Feelings,
the man Thomas.

Speaker 2 (01:19:10):
Show What's Up? I like it. I like that.

Speaker 1 (01:19:14):
I think it's gonna happen no matter who they're playing,
even if it is gonna be the Golden State Warriors.
They play the Memphis Grizzlies tonight line still holding seven
and a half points.

Speaker 2 (01:19:23):
Yea, what if it's on your game one of this series.
Jalen Green goes off for thirty but Steph Curry drops
forty five.

Speaker 1 (01:19:30):
Stop that's not gonna happen. So I just we are
Team Grizz tonight, Go Grizz. Yeah, let's see. I'm just
kind of looking the last game of the season, Curry
had thirty six. He had that horrible three point game
against the Rockets, for sure, even with that three point game.
In the month of April, He's averaging twenty nine points

(01:19:52):
per game.

Speaker 2 (01:19:52):
That's insane.

Speaker 1 (01:19:54):
Just the greatest shooter to ever walk the planet and
probably the biggest sports talking gas that I ever had.
I just wasn't sure he was gonna be athletic enough
to be effective in the NBA, and I was wrong,
very wrong. Still got to the basket very very well,
Still was good enough, finished like a lot of tough
layups as well, one of the I would say underrated

(01:20:16):
tough layup finishers really in NBA history. Because of how
much we talk about his shooting, he did have other
skills that Steph Curry. He could get to the basket
and finish tough layups all the time. But anyways, we're
gonna take quick break here on the Matt Thomas Show.
Coming up next, what is happening with the Sports News?

Speaker 2 (01:20:37):
Twelve oh one?

Speaker 1 (01:20:39):
Now you're on Sports Talk Steven Nighty into our number
three of the Matt Thomas Show. We got a lot
of stuff going on. We have coming up at one thirty,
it will be Hayden Wesnsky.

Speaker 2 (01:20:52):
Coming up at.

Speaker 1 (01:20:52):
Twelve thirty it will be Astro's manager Joe Aspota. Adam
Wexer will be joining us coming up at one o'clock
as well.

Speaker 2 (01:21:01):
Right now, Chris Gordy is joining me.

Speaker 1 (01:21:03):
You can get in on anything you would like to
at seven one three two one two five seven ninety
seven one three two one two five seven ninety But
now we have to recap all the top sports news
items of the day in a segment we call the
News at Noon.

Speaker 2 (01:21:23):
All right, on to the News at Noon here, Chris Gordy.

Speaker 1 (01:21:26):
There is a lot of stuff going on in the
world of sports, but here in Houston, we are focused
on those Houston Astros who took the l yesterday in
Saint Louis.

Speaker 2 (01:21:37):
Like they're wasted that starting pitching staff.

Speaker 10 (01:21:39):
This was driven to the left, a long way back on
it goes Bekorviick and it'll watch it fly.

Speaker 2 (01:21:47):
Second hold bite of the season for Aeronauto. This third
extra base hit and it's eight nothing Saint Louis.

Speaker 1 (01:21:56):
That sounds about what you would think a eight nothing
solo run.

Speaker 2 (01:22:00):
Call would sound like.

Speaker 1 (01:22:01):
From Steve Sparks Sonny Gray seven innings, pitch, just three hits,
no earned runs, one walk, four strikeouts. He was spectacular
against the Astros lineup from ber Valdez less than spectacular
four innings, pitch ten hits, seven runs, six of them,
earned just one walk, but just three strikeouts for him

(01:22:25):
on the season, it has been up and down for
Im Gordy. He now has a four point five zero
ERA on the year.

Speaker 2 (01:22:33):
Yeah, it's a contract year.

Speaker 1 (01:22:36):
He's gonna have to do better than that, I would think, so,
I would imagine that his agents think that he has
to have a better year than that. Bat's quiet again
for the Houston Astros. As I mentioned, Sonny Gray was
very good. Uh, you did get at the end of
the game, the Jeremy Penial home run. The good news
is Jeremy Penia with three home runs on the season.
The bad news still just hitting two seven with a

(01:22:58):
six sixty seven ops. The bats at large quiet. Here
are the guys that went over for the Astros. Jose
al tuve Isak Paradis, Jordon Alvarez, least Christian Walker got
a hit, but some of your heavy hitters, including Cam
Smith or you're hoping he's going to develop and do
a heavy hitter Cam Smith going over as well. Bats

(01:23:19):
continue to be quiet for the Astros as of right now.
In terms of team ops. The Houston Astros are twenty
third in baseball, twenty third behind the Seattle Mariners, ahead
of the Texas Rangers. Nowhere to go but up. They
were thirtieth, so they've gone up to twenty third.

Speaker 2 (01:23:40):
I do I do think there isn't some encouragement for
Brian McTaggart's sweet where he says Astros record in the
last six seasons after sixteen games. Twenty twenty, they were
seven and nine. Twenty twenty one, they were seven to nine.
Twenty twenty two, they were seven to nine.

Speaker 1 (01:23:55):
Won the World Series.

Speaker 2 (01:23:56):
Twenty twenty three, they were seven and nine. Last year
five and eleven, and this year seven and nine.

Speaker 1 (01:24:03):
Okay, you know what I'm gonna I'm gonna start the
conversation with Joe A spotted with that.

Speaker 2 (01:24:08):
Maybe that'll be encouraging. Skip the last five times you
started seven to nine, you went on to play for
an American League championship series. So you gotta be encouraged.
At least it could be better. You got to start.

Speaker 1 (01:24:18):
I don't know if I'm gonna go. You gotta be encouraged, but.

Speaker 2 (01:24:21):
We'll fill it. Last year noo, right, I got out
it with Joe Aspota.

Speaker 1 (01:24:26):
As we know, it's early, and it's always it's early
with baseball, whether it's good or bad. But I like
it better when you get when the team starts out,
I don't know, uh, ten and six, and you get
to say it's early and let's not get ahead of
ourselves as opposed as seven and nine.

Speaker 2 (01:24:40):
The Yankees, like the last decade, they come out of
the gates all hot in April, getting everybody all fired up,
crushing bombs, and then that's trule in the postseason. It
did play for a World Series last year, but that's
the first one.

Speaker 1 (01:24:51):
And then in twenty twenty two where they were like
the hottest team and they were they were like challenging
the Seattle Mariners for most wins in a season.

Speaker 2 (01:24:59):
Everybody was on the Yankee high and then.

Speaker 1 (01:25:01):
They completely got cut collapsed down the stretch. Then then
they said we want Houston, got them the Alcs and
got swept.

Speaker 2 (01:25:09):
You know what, you just made me feel a lot better,
Thank you, Gordy.

Speaker 1 (01:25:11):
Let's go elsewhere on the news at noon here on
Sports Talk seven to ninety. Of course we have been
talking about this year Houston ash I mean Houston Rockets.
Here we go Houston Rockets playing on Sunday. Who will
they be hosting in a game one at the Toyota
Center on Sunday? It will be either of the Grizzlies
and Warriors. First matchup tonight it is the Atlanta Hawks

(01:25:32):
versus the Orlando Magic.

Speaker 2 (01:25:34):
You're interest one to ten in that one, Chris Cordy,
I'm gonna say it too.

Speaker 1 (01:25:37):
Okay, it's a two Orlando favored by five and a half.
Wishing all those teams the best. How about this the
seven to eight playing games in the East. If you
have a forty win team and a forty one win
team in the West, it's two forty eight win teams.
These teams almost won fifty games, and they're the seven
and eight teams. Grizzlies holding as seven and a half

(01:25:58):
point dogs against the Goalden State Warriors. Do the Grizzlies
have a shot?

Speaker 2 (01:26:04):
They have a shot. But to your point, I mean,
that's what this thing was. Remember the Rockets forty and
forty one last year and missed the playoff game by
five games or the play in game? Yes, so yeah,
I mean he just goes to show you they probably
should have been a playing team last year. If they
had played in the East, they would have been. But
as far as the matchups tonight, yeah, Hawk's magic is

(01:26:26):
not getting anybody all riled up and excited that. That's
one of those like you're at like an airport bar
tonight or something. You passed by a TV and go,
oh Hawks winning. Oh okay, cool, it's cool. Yeah, you
keep it on sting. Yeah, kind of close out. Oh yeah,
Hawks are winning. Apollo going off, good for him? Yeah. Yeah.
Grizzlies words, and I talking to my buddy who's close

(01:26:49):
with the Memphis Grizzlies. He says they got no chance.

Speaker 1 (01:26:53):
No chance, Okay, I would like to hear that. Well,
I'm gonna tell you probably has no chance because because
Damian Lillar continue used to be out, the Milwaukee Bucks
will not start the playoffs with Damian Lillard. According to
Sham Shirania, he of course has been out with those
blood clot issues, sidelined since March eighteenth. He is making

(01:27:14):
significant progress, the report says, but he has yet to
be cleared to resume full basketball activities. I think the
Bucks are I mean, right now, they're the five seed.
They're gonna be taking on the Pacers in a first
round series. They're obviously well behind the Cavaliers and Celtics
to meet at full strength Without Dame Lillard, could well
see them lose in the first round of the East.

Speaker 2 (01:27:37):
Yeah, and we'll see. I mean that. What's gonna happen
with these teams ross in the playoffs with no coaches
like the teams that have fired their coaches, like.

Speaker 1 (01:27:45):
Well, they have interims, I get it. It's interim season, baby.
Seems weird, all right. Elsewhere in the news we talked
about this earlier as well as generated much conversation. The
Colorado Buffaloes are retiring.

Speaker 2 (01:28:05):
You, Doug. Yeah, they're retiring the jerseys one Shardor Sanders
and Travis Hunter. I mean, anytime you can get together
and celebrate.

Speaker 1 (01:28:16):
I told you got a sore throat that's hitting me.

Speaker 2 (01:28:18):
A historic season like they had this past year.

Speaker 1 (01:28:20):
I got some hot tea calling my name as soon
as we get to break my gosh, all right, yeah, sure,
Shador Sanders getting his number retired in Travis Hunter. Apparently
there are some Colorado Buffalo fans upset Cordell Stewart and
others who are Colorado Buffalo's legends.

Speaker 2 (01:28:35):
Cordell should be pissed.

Speaker 1 (01:28:37):
Yeah, Look like I said, Travis Hunter, I get it. Look,
dude's about to be a top five Picky won the Heisman,
you went Heisman, you can get your jersey retired. I
think that is definitely I mean above board. But Shouldur Sanders?

Speaker 2 (01:28:49):
Well, who could forget the epic game we saw these
guys last time on the field. Remember the Alamo getting
blown out by thirty at the Alamo Dome by BYU.

Speaker 1 (01:28:57):
I mean, hey, weren't they talking about it trash before
that game too? Okay, I'm bringing our full squad.

Speaker 2 (01:29:03):
Yeah, not trying to hate, but you went nine and
four and lost the Aliba Bowl, Like, what what are
we celebrating there? A great playoffs? Look, next thing they'll
announced Travis Hunter is getting a statue outside the stadium.

Speaker 1 (01:29:15):
Well, he might do that again. When when you win
the Heisman, you can do whatever. I feel like they
can name the stadium after if you win the Heisman.
That's that's a that's a huge, massive honor. It's it is,
But Shador Sanders.

Speaker 2 (01:29:25):
It's a little hollow. And I'll say this about l
s U. When Joe Burrow wins the Heisman, they go
undefeated and win the national championship. It just rings a
little bit different than Jayden Daniels winning the Heisman, was
a special player, was the best player college football.

Speaker 1 (01:29:37):
But what they go nine and four that year? I mean, yeah,
but it's just it just it doesn't how many heismans
as LSU have the program.

Speaker 2 (01:29:45):
Three?

Speaker 1 (01:29:46):
Yeah, so that's all like it's it's it's huge. It's
just it's I think Texas stole only has two. Is
it's still Ricky and uh Ricky and Earl?

Speaker 2 (01:29:55):
I think so? Yeah, quin yours didn't quite get it.

Speaker 1 (01:29:58):
Down, Quene, Well, the next one's coming up. I'll tell
you who the betting favorite is.

Speaker 2 (01:30:01):
Yes, you do tell you right now, arch Manning get them.

Speaker 1 (01:30:05):
We'll see.

Speaker 2 (01:30:07):
They just had that little transfer from Stanford yesterday and
the portal Okay, Stanford's leading wide receiver I think from
last year. That's good.

Speaker 1 (01:30:14):
Whoever that guy is, love that guy, wishing him the best.
All right, let's keep it moving on the news at
noon elsewhere you have Mason I'm sorry, excuse me, Sidney
Crosby voted most complete player by his peers. Your thoughts great,
don't I know? All right, let's go talk SEC spring

(01:30:34):
games now. I don't get down that path. Oh no,
I don't really want to talk who's who's even? How
many teams are having a spring game? Is Georgia having
a Spring games? The Florida did?

Speaker 2 (01:30:41):
Florida had or Georgia had theirs last weekend? Didn't even
know there were no nothing came out of it.

Speaker 1 (01:30:47):
MM Texas, they did not.

Speaker 2 (01:30:51):
They're gonna have a fan fest thing this weekend. Okay?

Speaker 1 (01:30:56):
Uh Houston Texans and the latest mel Kuiper mock draft.
I I'm gonna get his name wrong, the wide receiver
out of Arizona State. Yeah to Terror McMillan. I thought
a lot of people had him as the number one
wide receiver on their board.

Speaker 2 (01:31:15):
So I've seen you where who goes ahead of them?

Speaker 1 (01:31:18):
They have a Mecca Egbuka going above him, which I've
seen him further down on boards, and I don't know.
I guess mel Kuiper is really well.

Speaker 2 (01:31:26):
Travis Outter, do you consider him the number one wide
receiver in this draft?

Speaker 1 (01:31:30):
I guess Matthew Golden going twelfth overall. McMillan, A lot
of people have as the number one wide receiver on
their board. They this mel Kuiper Mack has him going
as the third wide receiver to the Houston Texas.

Speaker 2 (01:31:49):
Absolutely. All right, there you go. That is your news.

Speaker 1 (01:31:52):
At noon here on Sports Talk seven ninety, we are
going to take a quick break. As I mentioned, we
got Joe Spotta coming up at twelve. Anything you want
to get to you can get to as well. At
seven one three two, one two five. At seven ninety
seven seven one three, two one two five seven ninety
Hayden Wesneski had one thirty Joe Spotty coming up at
twelve thirty. Here on The Matt Thomas Show with Ross

(01:32:15):
Welcome back to the Matt Thomas Show. Ros Vy Real
with you, Matt Thomas with you tomorrow. He is out today,
said he's feeling better. He tweeted out earlier, breaking news
for the first time in five days. I don't have
a fever. Now I'm going to take a nap. Who says,

(01:32:37):
please usend too. Sports Talk seven ninety and Sports RV
appreciate you, Matt.

Speaker 2 (01:32:41):
Hope you feel better. There are certain lines that you
know pop culture that just kind of like they ruin
you because every time you hear it, like every time
I hear somebody say something about their wife, I always
hear my wife, okay, Borat, Yes, and when whenever somebody's
like I have a fever, come.

Speaker 1 (01:33:00):
On, somebody did tweet that actually.

Speaker 2 (01:33:05):
Is the only prescription more cowbell.

Speaker 1 (01:33:07):
That's what we appreciate, mister ratt At Mister Ratcliffe replying
to that tweet to Matt Thomas saying you need more
cow bell?

Speaker 2 (01:33:14):
So he does. Are there any other ones like that.

Speaker 1 (01:33:18):
Something like, I'm sure there are hundreds.

Speaker 2 (01:33:22):
M I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:33:25):
Of course, none of them are popping right now. We
have we have a problem. I an eagle didn't say
that in the in the final four?

Speaker 2 (01:33:32):
Did he is? Anybody?

Speaker 5 (01:33:33):
No?

Speaker 2 (01:33:34):
Has anybody ever been like, uh, I want the truth?

Speaker 1 (01:33:38):
I was, well, I'll tell you this. Every time I
watch golf on TV, Like when in that playoff hole
Rory hit his approach shot, I just went somebody's closer.
I do that every time I'm watching golf and that happens.

Speaker 2 (01:33:50):
I do that.

Speaker 1 (01:33:51):
I can't It's like it's it's just a response. I
can't help it. I get no control over it.

Speaker 2 (01:33:55):
But try telling anybody you have a fever and see
you know, okay, you know I'm gonna walk around everyone
and see I have a fever and see how many
Cowbell remarks I have we gonna do a scientific experiment
here on Sports Talk seven ninety It is the greatest,
one of the greatest SNL sketches ever.

Speaker 1 (01:34:11):
Yes, it was also, God, what at this point twenty
seven years ago? Was that like ninety seven ninety eight
in neighborhood?

Speaker 2 (01:34:17):
Was it early? Was it early two thousands? Yes, okay,
I'll take you where Allen was on SNL. Oh, God,
can can you know what we're while we're doing? Just
I just don't get it.

Speaker 1 (01:34:26):
Jimmy Kimmel, his whole ex existence, all he ever did
on SNL was just laugh. Yeah, I'm sorry, Jimmy Fallon,
not Jimmy Kimmel, whatever, Jimmy, Yeah, April eight, two thousand,
So it was not ninety eight, it was two thousand.
I'm sorry. Okay, so it's still twenty five years ago.
What Jimmy Fallon, why is he like all he does

(01:34:47):
is just giggle the whole time. He does that on
all the all the interviews that he does on his
late night what is it whatever late night show.

Speaker 2 (01:34:54):
He's on the late night show sucked. Now, I'm sorry, Like,
and maybe this is his old man to me growing up,
he's never made a good movieman, And I get it.
For the older crowd, they're gonna be like, nobody was
better than Carson, but like Letto and Letterman were awesome,
you'll hold them that standard to these guys nowadays. These
guys can't No, I can't hold a candle, honest.

Speaker 1 (01:35:15):
They don't even really watch him. And maybe that is
the indictment, but I don't really care to watch any
of those shows, so I can't really comment on how
good or not they are. But when it's I'm trying
to find like a what was it? What is Jimmy
Fallon's best movie?

Speaker 2 (01:35:31):
Taxi with Queen Latifa, Taxi with Queen Latifa, Fever Pitch
with Drew Barrymore.

Speaker 1 (01:35:38):
Yeah, Okay that was twenty years ago and that movie sucked.
This is this is what I'm getting at. Jimmy Fallon
is one of the most inexplicable Hollywood careers I can
think of. He's good at he's not, No, he's not.

Speaker 2 (01:35:51):
Impressions they're okay.

Speaker 1 (01:35:55):
I feel like there there are like thousands of people
more talented than Jimmy Fallon that you'd be on TV.

Speaker 2 (01:36:00):
I agree with you, of that.

Speaker 1 (01:36:01):
Thank you, Thank you, Jonathan, I appreciate. To me, Conan
was the peak, you know, I'm gonna I'm gonna write
that down. Conan was good. He wasn't the peak to me,
because sometimes he was things would fall flat. Now especially
that's the nature of these programs, right, you have to
write a full monologue every day, like the you know,
a comedian, he will take a year or two to
write an hour of comedy. They have to write five

(01:36:23):
to ten minutes of comedy every single day. Hard. They
do have a team of writers. They had really good
teams of writers, and I felt like a lot of lettermans,
a lot of Leno stuff fell flat too. If you
go back in the day and just really think like
they had the classic bits, but a lot of times
they would get no laughs, you know, like Conan would
be getting no laughs and then he would just start
playing strings on his h his belt loop. Right, nobody's laughing.

(01:36:46):
Let me dance with my belt loops.

Speaker 2 (01:36:48):
Go watch go watch a Kimmel, Colbert or Fallon monologue
to I don't really laugh. Count how many times you laugh? Okay,
they're the most obvious jokes ever.

Speaker 1 (01:36:57):
So you're telling me to spend my time watching something
extremely unfunny. I think wonna have to pass, but I'll
see what I go. I'll try my best.

Speaker 2 (01:37:04):
I remember one of the Leno jokes because I used
to we saw these joke about Letto. How you know
some of those were bad. The monologue.

Speaker 1 (01:37:10):
I used to like The Daily Show back in the
day and Colbert Report. But it's like everything is just.

Speaker 2 (01:37:15):
Leto really capitalized. He had a lot of OJ jokes,
a lot of Clinton Joe.

Speaker 1 (01:37:19):
Yeah, whoever's in whoever's in, uh, George W. Bush, whoever
is in office. You just make fun.

Speaker 2 (01:37:23):
He had some uh he had some joke one to
night about Kim Kardashian and it was a full moon
or something, but I don't remember that.

Speaker 1 (01:37:31):
And then he's now he's getting beat up by mobsters.

Speaker 2 (01:37:34):
Uh Leno.

Speaker 1 (01:37:36):
Yeah, he's tried to didn't he try to say? Fell
Oh yeah, yeah, I just found down the hill. Yeah, dude,
you look like you you owe ten thousand dollars to
Joe Peshi and Goodfellas.

Speaker 2 (01:37:48):
Out of me. That's one, folks. But fell off a bike.

Speaker 1 (01:37:52):
Yeah, that's exactly.

Speaker 2 (01:37:53):
He's somebody.

Speaker 1 (01:37:53):
He fell off a bike and he looks like he's
got like a pipe imprints on his arms, like he's
getting beaten with a lead pipe.

Speaker 2 (01:38:01):
Dude.

Speaker 1 (01:38:01):
Come on, nobody's buying that on a rake. Yeah, exactly,
all right. Anyways, Matt tom A Show with Ross continues
here on Sports Talk seven to ninety. Joe Aspota coming
up in a few minutes. Chris Cordy is here. You
can get in at seven one three, two one two
five seven ninety. So a number of things we are
going to address, kind of with Joe Spot. I think,

(01:38:21):
of course, we can always preach and still will preach
that it is early there after they lose yesterday, and
you got a Hunter Brown on the mount today looking
for a bounce back for the Strows, and I think
one of the you know, we still kind of searching
around for these silver linings. Now that the Astros lost
by five yesterday, they're back into the negative and run differential.
But it's still a situation where I think as the

(01:38:45):
season goes along, it's gonna be a very very winnable
American League West for the Shrows. So the fact that
you're struggling, sure, but still very gonna be very much
in the race for the American League West down the stretch,
So I'm feeling good about that. But don't look now,
by the way we mentioned this yesterday, actually Mariners have
won four in a row.

Speaker 2 (01:39:04):
Yeah, I mean they because they're they're talented enough they
shouldn't have. The pitching staff is so good. They added
was it the trade deadline they got Randy Roserena last year? Yes? Yeah,
I mean that was supposed to help their offense just
a little bit. Marror's a good team, I think. I think,
just by virtue of how this thing is gonna go,

(01:39:25):
it feels like it will be a three horse race
between the Rangers, Mariners, and Astros, I think the Angels
will fall away. But they are still the als leading
Angels at this moment.

Speaker 1 (01:39:37):
Yeah, I'm with you. I don't think that that's gonna
last extremely long. They're six ten right now. Do they
make any effort to win more games this year?

Speaker 2 (01:39:47):
Well, they didn't.

Speaker 1 (01:39:48):
They hand out like the three biggest contracts in team
history or something like that over the offseason, signing a
bunch of dudes, so at least they're kind of trying
to spend some money.

Speaker 2 (01:39:57):
But Brett Brooker's awesome, although he's only one eight right now, Yes,
Jacob Wilson, Tyler Soderstrom has six home runs for the
A's right now, and then the uh and then the Marators.
I mean, Julio Rodriguez slow to get going again, batting
two ten, but he's got a couple of homers. Cal
Rawley's got a couple of homers. So really it's about

(01:40:19):
I look around in his I look around his division, say,
I think the Rangers still have the best offense. Yeah,
probably like best lineup. Yeah, I'd have to look at
what's going on with him.

Speaker 1 (01:40:31):
As far as pitching wise, I think Nathan Valdi wasn't
great the last time he went out. Yeah, so hopefully
he can go back to earth. But if you take
care of what's in fun of you. As as we're
gonna talk about with Joe Spotty coming up here, it's
it's a very winnable division, so.

Speaker 2 (01:40:46):
Things can thinks all seasons. Yeah, but it's early, didn't
we say we can keep saying it's early till the
end of the month.

Speaker 1 (01:40:53):
Yeah, I think we can keep saying it's early for
a while. But it's like we've been doing this every year,
Like you mentioned Joe's I mean, Brian mc Taggart bringing
up all the bad records to start the season the
last several years. It's like, yeah, they got off to
a slow start again. It's like, it'd be cool just
for one year to have like a ten and two start.
We're talking about how this team is gonna marched world

(01:41:15):
towards a World Series and we're feeling all good about
how great they are. Just once, it's all I'm asking for. Well,
fortunately might have to be next year. All Right, we're
gonna take quick break here on The Matt tom Show
with Ross jo Aspada is coming up next. So don't
go anywhere, and also, don't be somebody that is neglecting

(01:41:36):
to take care of their taxes. It is taxing the irs.
Have you received a letter from them? Do you owe
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Are you like tax days pass? I'm fine, No, no, no.
The irs will find you if you owe money. They
will find you if you're one of the people who
they think they need to come after. Because they're aggressively
going after independent contractors, companies that use independent contractors, small

(01:42:00):
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Speaker 16 (01:44:04):
It's a Matt Thomas show with Ross on Sports Talk
seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (01:44:25):
Astro's manager Joe Aespotta should be joining us momentarily here
on a Sports Talk seven ninety. Astros lose eight to
three to the Saint Louis Cardinals yesterday. They will be
taking them on again at six forty five pm. First
pitch here on Sports Talk seven ninety your home for
your Houston Astros Hunter Brown on the hill against Eric Fetti,

(01:44:50):
whose name we heard a lot during the trade deadline
last year. And then tomorrow it will be Renel Blanco
going up against Stephen Mattz and when he was young
en up and coming with the Mets way back in
the day, he's been with the Cardinals for the last
couple of years. As solid start to the year two
point three to one e er uh so far early

(01:45:11):
in the season. So hopefully the Astros, after losing yesterday,
can bounce back get another series win.

Speaker 2 (01:45:15):
They've been able to do that most of the time
this year.

Speaker 1 (01:45:18):
You add it all up, though, they're seven to nine
because one of the series they did lose was that
sweet at the hand of the hands of the Giants.

Speaker 2 (01:45:24):
Did they officially announce Blancos going tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (01:45:27):
Okay, I saw it. I saw it on ESPN, But
ESPN is notoriously the day. Yeah, they're notoriously unreliable with
starting pitchers, so maybe I shouldn't have gone to that.

Speaker 2 (01:45:37):
Well, I just remember as a Sunday it was still
up in the air.

Speaker 1 (01:45:42):
Okay, Well, guess what, there is a man we can
talk to about it when he gets on. That would
be Joe Aspada. Should be here momentarily. Hopefully we'll get
him on here as we'll continue to be talks shows here.

Speaker 2 (01:45:54):
Twenty hours ago he got I don't know what they
I don't know. I don't know why they were why
that was kind of up for question.

Speaker 1 (01:46:03):
But yeah, I'm not exactly sure either. So sounds like
we're all good to go, though hopefully he can be okay.
So far in the season, Renel Blanco won in one with.

Speaker 2 (01:46:13):
A six point nine four ERA.

Speaker 1 (01:46:16):
We talked about this as far as like before the
season he was due for a little bit of regression
depending on who you look at, some numbers eer not
always the most reliable indicator of how good a pitcher
has been, and there was gonna be some regression but
this feels like a little bit too much of a correction.
Hopefully Renel Blanco can turn it around, because otherwise, even
with Spencer Arraghetti going down with the broken thumb, Ryan

(01:46:36):
Gusto was solid enough there on Saturday. Still feeling pretty
good about their rotation. And I'm really intrigued to see
what happens with Lance mccullor's junior. That to me is
one of the great question marks. Where are we in
a year from now? What are we going to be
talking about do were we gonna say, Yeah, he came back
from a for a few starts and he got hurt again.
Oh well, it's Lance mccullor's junior, that's what we've seen

(01:46:57):
from him, Or we're gonna hear some eight Renaissance story
to where he had and went through all these trials
into relations and he went through these injuries and all
these setbacks and he came back and he had a
really good twenty twenty five or perhaps somewhere in between
in between.

Speaker 2 (01:47:15):
Yeah, I don't know, man, I this this pitching staff
is like I saw Colton Gordon I think goes tonight
for sugar Land. He is next man up. Apparently with
Dana Brown said over the weekend that if they needed
a spot starter at this point because Ryan Gusto I
think as of right now is part of the rotation

(01:47:35):
though right like he was, yes, I think right now
took that spot. So this will be interesting to see
how they handle you the next couple of weeks. He
got an off day Thursday next week. I believe you
play every single day next week or no, you get
another Thursday off, So at least they have the built
in off day that will continue.

Speaker 1 (01:47:55):
I think right after that though, there's I think there's
a pocket of games where they don't have a day
off for a while.

Speaker 2 (01:47:59):
Right after that, if if you have the schedule popped up, Yeah,
those are just always tough, man, because it's like you
got to dive right back into this thing and or
you know, it's like if any starter struggles at all,
you got to go to the bullpen. It just puts,
it puts everything, you know, it just throws everything off.
Like you just it's a lot harder to get through,

(01:48:21):
you know, get their a season. When when you burn
a starter burns out early, you got to go to
the bullpen, and then you don't have a day off
for multiple, you know, a week plus. It's just tough.

Speaker 1 (01:48:29):
Yeah, we have Forrest Whitley into rehab right now. Caleb
ort is scheduled to play for or to pitch for
Triple A sugar Land. That would be today and tomorrow,
so they want to use him back to back day.
So sounds like he should be coming back very soon.
And you got Sean Dubin starting a rehab assignment with
Triple A sugar Land this weekend, so should be able

(01:48:50):
to get some guys back, especially we've been talking about
the bullpen and which guys are going to go to
and trying to figure out who the who the sixth
seventh inning guys are if a starter does get chased
early in games. But the good news is those names,
while they're not all a bunch of lockdown guys who
are going to come in and get one, two, three
every single inning, at least they are options there. There

(01:49:12):
are people that Joe'spota can possibly turn to and at
some point can turn into reliable relievers.

Speaker 2 (01:49:18):
Force Whitley that we got updated him yesterday. He will
throw an inning plus tomorrow today, Tuesday tomorrow for Ti
BLA sugar Land and after that could be ready to
rejoin the major league club, so his rehap's going going well.
And then Caleb Ort he is going to go back
to back Tuesday and Wednesday, so tonight and tomorrow and

(01:49:39):
then we'll kind of see where he's at. And then
Sean Dubin he threw a live VP yesterday. He will
join Triple A this weekend. So they're all kind of staggered,
Like Force Whitley sounds like he's about ready to come
back up. Caleb Ort is right behind him, and then
Sean Dubin expected to join Triple A this weekend, and

(01:50:01):
then he'll be another option. So you know, look, you
Logan van why making the most of his opportunity. He'll
probably be the first guy sent down. I think you
really got to consider Louis Contreras. I think so, you know,
it's I don't know, he's he's been okay. Last night,
he goes two innings, he gives up the one runoff
three hits, but you know his is at nine. They

(01:50:21):
were just asking him to eat it. Hey, look man,
we're we're down by a bunch. Can you just go
eat up some innings for us? And both he and
Bennett Susa did that Bennett Sussa was a nice showing
for him yesterday and is there on the season. So
but yeah, Contreras seems like the logan van Why and
Louise Canterrast seemed like the most obvious candidates to go
back down if Forrest Whitley comes back up this week

(01:50:42):
and Caleb Bord comes back up, Yeah, that that makes sense.

Speaker 1 (01:50:47):
I mean we're just talking about we you know this
this bullpen man, It's it's quite the mismatch once you
get out of Josh Hater and Brian to Bray, you.

Speaker 2 (01:50:55):
And some guys that are pitching lights out, and you
got other ones that are struggling.

Speaker 1 (01:51:01):
Struggling like our good friend Taylor Scott.

Speaker 2 (01:51:05):
Yes, it's not been the best twenty twenty five for Taylor.

Speaker 1 (01:51:08):
It wasn't really the best end of twenty twenty four
for him. He was really good to start the season,
really played an important role for the Astros and trying
to be in a guy who was, i mean absolute
nails for them.

Speaker 2 (01:51:19):
For stretch last year. Was your most reliable reliever.

Speaker 1 (01:51:22):
Yes, with totally stretch and for a long stretch, for
too long of a stretch, I mean Josh Hayterer and
Brian and Brave you go out of the gates. Bad
are poorly, but Brian and Bray really really turned into
form as the season went along. I want to say,
like after the first month of the season, his ERA
was under three, so he was pretty good. He was
able to turn it around after a rough start. But
up and down for Josh Hater. But he's been really good.

(01:51:44):
He's been He has been your best reliever as of
this moment in terms of guys open.

Speaker 2 (01:51:48):
Four relievers within the era sub one twenty.

Speaker 1 (01:51:52):
Okay, can you name them? I'm gonna go Josh Hater one,
Bennett SUSA.

Speaker 2 (01:51:58):
Bennett SUSA too as any era of zero small sample
size three to third innings.

Speaker 1 (01:52:05):
Okay, Logan Van why you know he's that?

Speaker 2 (01:52:09):
Sorry? Never mind all right? Who else?

Speaker 5 (01:52:11):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (01:52:11):
Is waited?

Speaker 1 (01:52:11):
Don't state it's Rafael Montero's one?

Speaker 2 (01:52:15):
Steven Oker? Okay is one? It's one seven seventeen. Uh
uh the other one? Go ahead? Brian King?

Speaker 1 (01:52:23):
Oh yeah, Brian King, I should not played this year
and he of zero Brian King Man, Brian King, the
greatest of nowhere.

Speaker 2 (01:52:31):
McNeese state state stand up.

Speaker 1 (01:52:33):
Yeah, we appreciate him and we had him on leash
last year and he was talking about McNee state and
places to eat in Lake Charles. I am out reaching
out to the astros PR department. They are letting Joe
Spotta know it is time for his time for his interview,
so hopefully we can get him pretty soon. Actually, what
we're gonna go ahead and do is we'll take a
break now and hopefully here from Joaspata when we come back.

(01:52:56):
So we're gonna go ahead and do that. Take it
a little bit early just in case spot A calls soon,
so we'll be able to have the full conversation with him.
So quick break here on the Matt Thomas Show with
Raws and Sports Talk seven ardy. Hopefully back with Ashrow's
manager Joe SPOTTAM stream Honus five.

Speaker 2 (01:53:11):
The Rockets are backward.

Speaker 16 (01:53:14):
One state, actually two stations to hear it all one
Sports Talk seven ninety and seven forty Am.

Speaker 2 (01:53:22):
Jill's good to be back in the playoffs.

Speaker 10 (01:53:24):
Home for Rockets playoff basketball Now to dry Why Sports
Talk seven ninety from the Honda Clearlink dot com TRAFFICCA.

Speaker 17 (01:53:35):
All right, if you're coming in from Humble or Kingwood
on the East X Freeway, about a twenty minute right
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And speaking of whales, back to former whale Matt Thomas, I'll.

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Be back to my girlish weight of two eighty six
on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (01:58:01):
Still patiently awaiting to hear back from JOE'SPATA could be
possibly tied up. That's okay, things happen. Hope everything's all right.
Hoping there's no breaking news of any setbacks or anything
like that with the team.

Speaker 2 (01:58:15):
Did any other fly ball Just.

Speaker 1 (01:58:19):
Hope not at least that now BP is not for
a little while, I don't think, but you never know,
workouts or guys could be getting loose and hopefully, you
know what, just hope everything's okay. Maybe he uh, maybe
it's just a long line wherever he's grabbing lunch. I
don't know where one does grab lunch in Saint Louis.

Speaker 2 (01:58:35):
Maybe they made a massive trade and we'll find out
about it.

Speaker 1 (01:58:38):
Ooh, huge blockbuster, your trade with breaking news. He probably
wouldn't join us if that did happen, but that's okay.
Here on Sports Talk seven ninety, what is happening?

Speaker 2 (01:58:47):
What is tied up? Joe Spotta?

Speaker 1 (01:58:49):
We will find out, hopefully sooner rather than later. Here
on Sports Talk seven ninety, we are scheduled to have
Waydon Wesneski coming up at one thirty. We'll also have
Adam Wexer taking over the baton from Chris Gordy. But yes,
calling in right now. Actually, your Astros skipper Joe a
spotted joining us here on a Sports Talk seven ninety

(01:59:09):
as here at does every week on Tuesdays, normally at
twelve thirty, a few minutes late, but that is okay.
We are happy for his time. Nobody got hit on
a thumb in a freak accident or anything. Joe's everybody okay.

Speaker 3 (01:59:20):
Over there, Yeah, yeah, everybody's okay. Just had a little
family issue.

Speaker 1 (01:59:24):
I needed to Okay, Well, I hope everything's all right.
All right, let's go ahead and talk about well with
the team yesterday obviously not going the way that you wanted.
Been a little bit of an up and down season
of course, as we know. I saw this from Brian McTaggart.
Did you know that you guys have started seven and
nine now five out of the last six years for

(01:59:47):
those going to the ALCS. So, I mean, it's not
the worst moment ever.

Speaker 3 (01:59:52):
There you go, there you go. I'll take gut, you know,
and you mean you said it. You know, it's kind
of be a little up and down. Uh you know, uh,
the first two weeks of the season. Uh, you know,
it's been kind of a struggle finding consistency on on
on a few few areas of our of our game.
But you know, for the most part, I've been pleased.

Speaker 2 (02:00:13):
You know, we are.

Speaker 3 (02:00:16):
Getting some pretty good pitching, you know, offensively, some up
and downs. I feel like we're doing some good things
out the plate. We're finding a way to get on
base by walking, something that we didn't do well last year.
I think we are right now, like five fifth in
the league in walk great, seeing a ton of pitches,

(02:00:36):
we just haven't been able to really capitalize on those
on those innings when we find a lot of people
on base. So we'll compute to keep grinding and we'll
find a way to.

Speaker 2 (02:00:46):
Get through this. Yeah, it's funny.

Speaker 1 (02:00:49):
It's been up and down to the extent where you
guys have won two games in a row and Fromer,
who pitched for you last night, has kind of been
that guy up and down.

Speaker 2 (02:00:56):
What what is happening to him.

Speaker 1 (02:00:59):
Especially in a start like last night where he's giving
up more extra base hits than he ever has in
a start.

Speaker 2 (02:01:05):
You know what?

Speaker 3 (02:01:05):
I think you know, yes, yesterday it's something that we
you know, it's we don't get to see Valdez have
nice like die very often. You know. I just found
his pitches were up in the zone, sinker, not really
down in inducing the ground balls. Early in the game.
It did, but you know, kind of third fourth inning
stuff starting to stay up. He's breaking ball. Usually he

(02:01:27):
varies that pitch with two strikes, get swinging missus. He
wasn't getting the wits that he normally I normally are
then he normally gets. So you know he'll he'll get
he'll put this behind him and get We'll get ready
for the next one.

Speaker 2 (02:01:40):
Skiff. We talk about your your pitching, and you know
how good it's been, particularly in the in the bullpen
as well so far this year. But you look at
the opponents your face, I mean the Angels, Uh, coming
out of this weekend, I think we're leading baseball in
home runs hit. And then you go to this series
with the Cardinals, who lead all of baseball in batting average,
and I just watching that team last night for the
first time this year, Like, they just put up such good,

(02:02:02):
hard at bats it's hard to get out. So that, yeah,
in that lineup, you know, is that what we can
expect more of that these next couple of games.

Speaker 3 (02:02:09):
Yeah, And you know they have a pretty good balance lineup.
They got some left these righty steak and platoon. You know,
they have some guys with the bench that do come
in and give your quality at bats. They got back
to both skills. They do have some speed. So it's
not an easy lineup to navigate. So we need to
make our adjustments and and win this one with.

Speaker 2 (02:02:28):
This with today, I was out, you know, it was
out of spring training, early in camp and that you know,
when pitchers and catchers report, and I know and I
saw you guys work on it every day, the catch
the catchers with Victor and yan Air, you know, throwing
balls to first, throwing balls a second, throw balls a third.
It seems like this year those teams are being a
little bit more aggressive on you guys and taking bases.

(02:02:48):
Is that? I mean, obviously you guys see it. What
can you do to counterbalance that other than just continue
to work with your catchers on timing and being record,
you know, the recognition of guys on base and when
they're you know, looking like they're going to steal.

Speaker 3 (02:03:02):
Yeah, but you know what, it will take more than
just the catchers throwing guys out. We need we need
an opportunity our pitchers need to give us you know
a little better more more time for those guys to
throw people out. We need to do a better job
interrupting the running game, you know, not asking for us
to leap the league and cock stealing, but we need
to you know, reduce the amount of stone based attempts

(02:03:25):
that we are getting early this year, and we we
are highlighting that we were trying to make some adjustments.
I think the last couple of games have been better
picking the guys, you know that we know they're going
to run. The council are going to run. Asking our
pitchers to hold the ball some sly steps, you know,
they're also the element of the clock is also something
that teams are using. We need to do a better

(02:03:46):
job of using the clock to time our picks to
first or inside moves and such such as things.

Speaker 2 (02:03:52):
Talking with manager Joe spot and skip all. You know,
one of the biggest storylines throughout spring training, of course,
is oh my gosh, Al Tuve and left and what's
that going to look like? Small sample size for the
first few weeks, but man, i'd see you guys are
one of the better teams defensively in those defensive metrics,
and so far, so good with Altuve left and camp
Smith and right. I feel like both those guys have

(02:04:12):
been doing their job.

Speaker 3 (02:04:14):
Yeah, they'd be, they'd be working their through after off man.
Credit to them. You know, I think we you know,
we we work really hard this off season to consider
making these moves and and you know, we did it
thinking about the sacrifices that some of these players were
going to have to make moving positions, and and Altuve
has been such a pro. And and you know, it's

(02:04:35):
only been two weeks. We've got a lot of room,
a lot of room to grow as at a club.
But you know, so far, we're finding ourselves in the
top five and the defensive matrix. And credit goes to
our players and our coaches that are agreed to getting
these players ready to play.

Speaker 1 (02:04:49):
Yeah, and Joe, I think we've talked about this before.
I am the president of the Jake Myers Fan Club.
I think he also deserves some credit. I mean, what
makes him so good to you out there in center field?
Is it just the reads, the jumps and just everything,
the speed.

Speaker 3 (02:05:03):
Everything, you know, he gets too jumps, his perception off
the ball, off the bat is excellent. Something that we
also seen of Jake this year. He's been actually more
of a leader on the outfield. Having two inexperienced outfielders
next to him to he's left and right, So he's
been taking more charge moving those guys. Uh, you know,
be more vocal, you know, moving those guys. We counts

(02:05:27):
and and we we you know, we need to give
Jake Myers some credit of the the development of both
all two A and Ken Smith in Essenso also in
the outfield, a lot of credit goes to Jake. He's
really taking charge out there in the outfield.

Speaker 2 (02:05:41):
Skip I saw the obviously, the torpedo bats became a
big topic a couple of weeks ago across the league.
I saw Mauricio Dubond pregame on Sunday in the clubhouse
and he was showing us as torpedo bat. He was
all excited about it, and sure enough a hit on Sunday,
two hits last night. Is there? Is it? Is it
just happenstance or is this thing maybe working for Doobie?

Speaker 3 (02:06:03):
I think he's working for Dewey. But let's not take
you know, anything away from his ability to get the
barrel to the ball. You know, he's he knows how
to do that. So you know, maybe some credit. He
really likes the bat, so maybe some credit to the bat.
He sees he feels like he's getting you know, the
right part of the bar the barrel on the ball,
and he feels like the boy's jumping a little bit

(02:06:23):
more off his bat and and you know, anything that
you can that you can use to, you know, build confidence.
This guys, you're willing to use that, and so far
this is working out for for Dubon Astros.

Speaker 2 (02:06:36):
Manager Joe A.

Speaker 1 (02:06:37):
Spotta was this here on Sports Talk seven ninety State
of the Rotation as it is right now. Ryan Gusta
with a pretty solid start for you on Saturday and
is tab to start again. How you feeling about where
you are there? And also Lance mccullor's junior where we're
feeling about his progress.

Speaker 3 (02:06:57):
Lance McCulloch junior feeling really good about his progres with
he'll make a start this weekend with our Double A
club and that goes well. He's knocking on the door.
He's making his first major league start in a couple
of years. So I'm really happy for him, thrilled about
where he's at right now. He's level of confidence is
you know, over the roof right now, So I feel

(02:07:18):
really good about that. And we still gave us a
pretty good start, you know, right now, we are talking,
we're talking things through. I also like the way he
has to come and solidify our pen. But you know,
he's that arm that can be used in a hybrid
role where he can give you starts, he can come
in and give you some multiple innings out of the bullpen.
But he did a really nice shot and he's first

(02:07:40):
start with us.

Speaker 1 (02:07:41):
And on Laspa Colors Junior, what have your conversations been
like with him? Because I remember, like, for example, when
when Charlie Morton first came to Houston, he had had
major injuries and he talked about being injury prone and
being you know, that's a term that I don't really like,
and it was something that's kind of mentally in the
back of his mind and we all kind of feel

(02:08:01):
like that. With lancemcullors junior, he's unfortunately had these setbacks.
But now Charlie Morton's been healthy every year since he
first got here. So wanting that for Lance mccullor's junior,
I'm just curious what your conversations have been like that
in the approach of the organization as well.

Speaker 3 (02:08:17):
You know what I want to start. I think the
biggest part of lands Station right now, where he's at,
is his state of mind. He is in a really
good place. He is He's worked really hard to accept
the fact that his injuries has been part of his career.
He is, he understands the changes he had to make

(02:08:40):
to his routine. He you know, he's a man of
faith where he put everything in the hands of God,
and I feel like moving forward, he is in a
place where, you know, Joe, I know where I'm at.
I'm getting a second chance. I'm going to make the
best out of the second chance, you know, he said, Joe,
You know, I'm the team. These organizations have given me

(02:09:02):
so much that I'm willing to give back whatever it
takes for me to get back on the mount And
he's doing that. And when your mind is in the
right place, I think your heart follows, and that's where
lands is. And once we get him back and we
get him going, I think he could be a big
peace for us because when he's healthy, he's a really
good pitcher.

Speaker 1 (02:09:22):
All right, Joe spot I was here on Sports Talk
seven ninety Thanks for the time, Joe, And well, when
you need to bounce back win not bad to have
Hunter Brown on the mountain.

Speaker 3 (02:09:30):
That's right, that's right, that's right, Fellas. We have him
on the mound, and he's ready to go. He knows,
you know the importance of these games. Getting getting this
game today maybe when we're serious tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (02:09:41):
All right, thanks a lot. I appreciate the time.

Speaker 1 (02:09:42):
We'll talk to you.

Speaker 2 (02:09:43):
Down the road.

Speaker 5 (02:09:44):
All right, fellas, take care, Thanks Jip.

Speaker 2 (02:09:46):
Thank you all. There you go. Brown, What three appearances
so far? That's your six innings at all of them
two runs scored, two runs or.

Speaker 1 (02:09:54):
Less at allso three God feelings, I said it, seven
innings a two run ball, let's go. I'm ready for it.
Joe Spotta is ready for it as well. All right,
quick break here on Sports Talk seven ninety Ross View
Real with you, Chris. Gordy is gonna be passing the
baton to Adam Wexler. Appreciate you hanging out, Gordy. Thank
you for the time. As always, Adam Wexler is coming up.

(02:10:15):
We're gonna talk stros, rockets all that good stuff with him.
We also have Hayden wes Nesky coming up at one thirty.
Anything you want to get to, you want to react
to anything Joe spot had to say as well. Phone
lines open and available for you. Seven one three two
one two five seven ninety seven one three two one
two five seven ninety hour number four of The Matt

(02:10:36):
Thomas Show with Ross coming up next, our number four
of the Matt Thomas Show with Ross, without Matt Thomas,
Chris Gordy hanging out for the majority. But now we've
brought in the closer. We've brought in the big righty.
He's ready to go warm open, warmed up on the block.

(02:10:58):
That's true. Wait a minute, you're a close in and opener.
This is very confusing. He's double dipping here on Sports
Talk seven ninety. You'll be on the eight team coming
up two to six here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
For my purposes, I'm leaving it too so to me,
you're the closer, all right, That's what I'm saying. Adam
Wexler is here. Matt Thomas remains out sick. You could
get in at seven one three, two one two five, seven.

Speaker 2 (02:11:19):
Ninety if you'd like.

Speaker 1 (02:11:20):
Jonathan Allen has been here the whole show, and well,
we've been talking about a number of different things. Thanks
Joe Spotted for joining us in the last segment. We've
been talking a lot of astros. We'll get to some
rockets and some playoff matchup stuff as well, especially after
I got yelled at by your partner yesterday about how
much he wants the Golden State Warriors. We definitely will
have to discuss that. But yesterday the Astros, we're down

(02:11:43):
eight to nothing, and that was really demoralizing. At least
Jeremy Pania hit a three run home run at the
end to make it look a little bit better.

Speaker 14 (02:11:50):
Yeah, I guess the scoreboard looked a little bit better,
but those were run differential those that were looking at
the game throughout or listening to it here on Sports
Talk seven ninety. We're not fooled. A five run loss
is not a good loss either. A game where you
put very very little pressure on Sunny Gray and just
really couldn't get anything going on a night where your
ace could not get guys from crushing baseball so they

(02:12:14):
didn't hit the ball over the fence all evening. But
ton of hard hit contact offer Fromber, a ton of
traffic off of him, a very unfromber like appearance, you know,
pushing towards career worsts and hits aloud and runs aloud
and only able to get twelve outs. The only good
news I think for the ongoing days, even though they
have a day off Thursday, you didn't really have to

(02:12:35):
use anybody else to get the final twelve outs Ben
at SUSA and Louis Contreras. We're able to get those,
and you move into today with Hunter Brown.

Speaker 1 (02:12:43):
Yeah, shout out to my dog Louis Contreras. I don't
know how long he is for this roster. Kyle Bort
and Forest Woodley should be joining shortly, but we appreciate
you for your service. But yeah, we mentioned that with
Joe Spotta, kind of the last thing, like, hey, you
need to win, you need to feel good about yourself.
Hunter Brown not bad guy to have out there on
the hill, but they are going. We gets a pretty
good Cardinals offense, but they have been number one in

(02:13:05):
batting average, number two in tam ops so far early
going in the season, so still could be pretty tough.
Vegas does slightly favor the Astros at a minus one
thirty plus one ten for our friends over in Saint Louis.

Speaker 14 (02:13:17):
That means what we think it means. Hunter Brown's awesome
and Vegas realizes that. And when he goes out there,
it almost doesn't matter what the other team has, and
the Vegas, let's say, feels good about the Astros' chances
to win.

Speaker 1 (02:13:30):
I don't blame him, do they speaking of what the
Cardinals have, would you say they have the best half
Dutch half Japanese American born in Major League Baseball player.

Speaker 14 (02:13:38):
Ever, if this show we're doing right here was an
addition of family feud, it couldn't even be a category.
One hundred people surveys top one answer on the board,
there aren't There's not a second.

Speaker 1 (02:13:53):
Aard Bar gotta be the only one. It's just fun
to say. I also don't like when he gets multiple hits,
but but I mean Nolan Arnatto with the home run
in this Cardinals offense really tough, and we keep saying, like, Okay,
they've been going up against some tough pitching because Sunny
Gray was really good yesterday. But in theory, the Saint
Louis Cardinals are supposed to be going against some tough

(02:14:14):
pitching as well. You can still get hits against tough pitching,
and the Astros offense has not done that.

Speaker 14 (02:14:18):
Yeah, that's the other side of it, the Cardinals or
the Yeah, the Cardinals offense might have been going up
against tough pitching, but they're really really good and so
they were able to do it. When the Astros go
against insert name of pitcher they're still bringing their terrible
offense every day. It doesn't it has not mattered enough
who's going against them, because they're being very consistently unattractive

(02:14:39):
as an offense. Two great days on Friday and Sunday
at home against the Angels do not mask their roughly
daily inability to put a bunch of hits together. They
had a bunch of big innings too, which is nice
in those two blowout games offensively, a five run second
in the Sunday finale and two big innings back to
back in the Friday night game. Those are the usually
the signs of well that that means he got a hit,

(02:15:00):
and this guy kept the train roll, and this guy
got an extra base hit. And it did happen in
those two games. But there's been thirteen others it's and
it's been extremely rare, and obviously it did not happen yet.

Speaker 1 (02:15:10):
Yeah, it's not the It hasn't been a lot of it.
Even in kind of those games you got a Grand Slam,
you got some three run homers or at least one
three run home run. So it's been some of.

Speaker 14 (02:15:18):
The executive hitters reach base and that anyway you hit
the Grand Slam, that's that means.

Speaker 1 (02:15:23):
So that just hasn't been It feels like that has
been one of the hallmarks of this this Astro's offense.
And of course a lot of the names has changed,
a lot of the faces have changed. And that's the
reason for a lot of this was that it wasn't
always the home run. It was, as you said, that
keeping it going, the passing of the baton is always
the word that was used. Get on base somehow, some way,
and just keep that train rolling. And we just have

(02:15:44):
not seen that pretty much.

Speaker 14 (02:15:46):
All anytime the last couple of years where we would
have come in here, taken phone calls or posts on
social media, and man, what the Astros have got to
get it going? At the bottom of their lineup is
no good. Their lineup isn't long anymore. They get to
the bottom and it's just automatic outs. It doesn't matter
this year. It's the top of the order, one through four.
Not a rookie, not a rookie, Not a rookie, Not

(02:16:06):
a rookie. Those guys have got a hit. Those guys
have to do much much more than what they're doing.
Jose Altuve's quick start is fading quickly, you know, Eastak
Perettis by far, even including al Tuove, has been the
most consistent of these four players. He's usually finding a
way at least to reach base or you know, he's
hit well in both at home and on the road.
Nobody else can really say that. And then you get

(02:16:27):
to three and four, your run producers. They've both gotten
off to bad seasons, and they both have a track
record that this is this major League baseball hitting thing
isn't new to them. You know, it is to Yan
Or it is to Jeremy Panna, so to speak, a
second and third year full time player, anybody else you
want to look at. It is the top four. The
top four in the Astros lineup has been very, very

(02:16:49):
poor to start the season.

Speaker 1 (02:16:50):
I was shocked Gordy brought this up earlier. I didn't
realize Christian Walker only has two runs batted in.

Speaker 14 (02:16:56):
He's knocked in a teammate once all year. He hit
him so off around the bases on his homer, He's
knocked in a teammate only once. We're gonna play game
seventeen today.

Speaker 2 (02:17:05):
How is that possible?

Speaker 14 (02:17:07):
How he's gotten a few hits with bases empty, and
he's gotten a lot of outs with the bases full
or partially full of teammates. He's been bad. I mean,
I don't know any other way to say it. I'm
not trying to pile on the guy. The numbers are
what they are, and he has at least shifted from
looking bad in his at bats and striking out a ton,
probably through the first ten or so games.

Speaker 2 (02:17:28):
His at bats look better.

Speaker 14 (02:17:30):
He is drawing walks, he's swinging at more strikes because
he's forcing pitchers to throw strikes. He's not going out
of the zone quite as much, but we're still not
seeing the necessary results in order to produce runs.

Speaker 1 (02:17:40):
Yeah, that's at least if you go by the numbers.
Early on him, he was not walking at all, and
he was whiffing a ton. To me, maybe that means
he's pressing swing in a little bit too much. But
as you mentioned, the walks have been coming. He was
on a four game streak of two walks a game,
didn't get one yesterday, but eight walks in the last
five games.

Speaker 2 (02:17:59):
That's at least.

Speaker 1 (02:18:00):
We can feel like that's a step in the right direction.

Speaker 14 (02:18:02):
A step in the right direction from is at bats.
And you know, something we can discuss here on the
show today with me sitting in this particular seat when
it's not occupied by its usual inhabitants. Jordon Alvarez's results
still aren't good. Jordon Alvarez's process probably is just fine,
especially last night. Again, he's just crushing baseballs into gloves

(02:18:25):
twice last night. He had the hardest hit ball in
the game last night. His bat speed is better than
it was a year ago, but the results have not
been there. He, like most of his teammates, have had
a little bit of an issue coming through when the
opportunity is presented. And that's where Christian Walker's probably in
the biggest spot, you know, thirteen at bats this year
with runners in scoring position, He's got two hits. He's

(02:18:47):
hitting one fifty four. It's just not happening enough. And
as is always the case, it seems like to me,
maybe you feel like otherwise, And we can certainly look
at the numbers. Jin Or thirteen at bats, Barrett is twelve,
pain You thirteen all two of a sixteen, Myers and
Walker thirteen with runners in scoring position, Alvarez eight. Always,

(02:19:08):
I mean, it's not that it always works out that way,
because teams are doing things intentionally when certain spots in
the order come. He has walked four times with runners
in scoring position. He's gotten hit three times. But everybody
else on the team basically that plays every day, has
been in a situation to hit with runners in scoring
position more often than your biggest hitter.

Speaker 1 (02:19:30):
I'm glad you brought that up by yrd On It
made me bring up. His page has average x velocities
up from last year. XBA is looking decent, but it's
below his career numbers. Uh yeah, our good friend ex
Woe Bacon, he's looking pretty good.

Speaker 14 (02:19:46):
Can you can you help the listeners out with that?

Speaker 2 (02:19:48):
I don't remember it.

Speaker 1 (02:19:49):
It's expected waited on base average, and then I can't
remember what the con is.

Speaker 14 (02:19:57):
I honestly, i've heard you know, wOBA and and all those,
not the Bacon. I haven't heard about the Bacon too much.
Very it's even deeper into the advanced numbers.

Speaker 1 (02:20:06):
Well, just to let you know, his ex Will Bacon
is looking good, so we're hopefully gonna be okay, Like I.

Speaker 14 (02:20:11):
Feel like today's the kind of day. Eric Fetti's a
good not great pitcher.

Speaker 1 (02:20:15):
Another one. When contact is made, that's where the con comes.

Speaker 14 (02:20:18):
Okay, I feel like I want to say he hits
one over the fence today. He maybe like we're gonna
see some of the more three hundred and seventy five
ninety four hundred and fifteen foot shots from jord On
at some point. And it just feels like the way
he finished the home stand the way he started yesterday
and got a bat off, which I found interesting. Uh,

(02:20:40):
maybe today's day, but it doesn't mean to be stepped out.

Speaker 1 (02:20:43):
So for like, I don't know the twentieth show in
a row because after the fourteen inning game, we didn't
do shows.

Speaker 2 (02:20:49):
It was the weekend.

Speaker 1 (02:20:50):
So I will say the bats will turn, things will improve.

Speaker 2 (02:20:54):
Will continue to say it at some point.

Speaker 14 (02:20:56):
And they won't be where they are this we you
talked about it. I think before the season began, when
I was on here with you, where to expect them
to be this year? I don't expect them in the
bottom ten, which is where they are, and I don't
expect them in the top ten, but they should be
in the middle of the pack at worst. Even with
an unproven group. There's too many guys that are proven
that likely will come back to that at some point.

(02:21:17):
So an offense that scores somewhere in the top fifteen,
a team with an OPS hopefully close to the top twelve.
That's a reasonable expectation. But it also means for the
final one hundred and forty six games they're going to
be significantly better than this sixteen game sample size.

Speaker 1 (02:21:36):
You're saying the stocks are down, but by now I
got you here, I'm not trying to make a fortune.

Speaker 2 (02:21:41):
Try to make some money.

Speaker 14 (02:21:43):
Not trying to again, I don't expect it to go
through the roof where I'm buying low and selling super high.
I'm going to sell when it's higher.

Speaker 1 (02:21:49):
Okay, the bear market for the astros, here comes the bull.

Speaker 2 (02:21:53):
That's what adamant.

Speaker 1 (02:21:53):
Should I write you down for gut feeling ord on
Alvaiz home run tonight? It is a gut feeling Tuesday
on the Matt Thomas Show, you can write it down. Sure,
all right, We're gonna take a quick break here. That
is Adam Wexer. He is graciously hanging out for an
extra hour with me today with Matt Thomas out. You
want to join, you can seven one three two one
two five seven ninety is the phone number we got.

(02:22:13):
Hayden Wesnsky coming up at one thirty and you at
seven one three, two, one two five seven. Hayden Wesnisky,
Astro's pitcher and home grown Houston product, coming up in
the next segment here on a Sports Talk seven ninety

(02:22:36):
cy Fair High School? Did he each? Was I thinking
to somebody else? Was there somebody else that's also transferred
high school? There's all these size in these creeks, and
it's very confusing. See cy Fair through and through. I
can't believe that's the keys. Good for him, also a
Sam Houston State Bearcat and also has been pretty solid
career high ten strikeouts on Sunday for Hayden Wasznsky. He
will join us coming up in the next segment here

(02:22:58):
on Sports Talk seven ninety. That was the voice of
Adam wex Er. He is here hanging out in the
place of Matt Thomas. He should be back tomorrow. We
think at least he gave us the update on Twitter
his fever has broken. Thank you Matt for the breaking
news there, folks. Uh So hopefully he'll be back tomorrow.
He's been out sick and I've been kind of sick,

(02:23:18):
so you might have to be coming in for me.

Speaker 2 (02:23:20):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (02:23:20):
I need to wipe this down. Wex, I don't know
appreciate that. I don't know if you're moving over here
or is, but we're gonna do. I'm gonna try to
get a full wipe down.

Speaker 2 (02:23:27):
For you, I think, and everything. O there, just make
sure you clean it up all right. Thank you. You didn't
have to snitch on me, JK.

Speaker 1 (02:23:32):
I said, I haven't been feeling well, man, Come on.

Speaker 2 (02:23:34):
Yes I was. I said I wasn't feeling good.

Speaker 14 (02:23:36):
I mean, the first person is usually the one who
wins when they say I can't come in today. The
second one's a little more difficult.

Speaker 2 (02:23:41):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:23:42):
I got a tough through it, but I'm feeling fine.
There's just a few coughing fits here and there. I'm
gonna make it. We're gonna make it all right. We
got Hayden Weisiness coming up. As I said, we've been
talking a little bit of astros. You guys can get
in if you'd like seven one three two one two
five seven ninety seven one three two one two five
seven ninety So, as I mentioned, I was talking about
this with your co host yesterday.

Speaker 2 (02:24:02):
I imagine you guys got.

Speaker 1 (02:24:04):
Into it somewhat or I remember him talking to you
about the Scott Foster thing and him being called in
and Tony Brothers or whatever as the fixers. But anyways,
regardless of all that, just as the on floor matchups.

Speaker 2 (02:24:19):
How much of a.

Speaker 1 (02:24:20):
Rooting interest do you have in Grizzlies Warriors tonight? From
a Houston Rockets perspective.

Speaker 14 (02:24:25):
I think it's pretty significant. Even though they have the
same record, and everybody in the West other than Okay
See essentially has the same record. There's only a four
game difference between two and eight. Did a little bit
of extremely important four years worth of NBA playing tournament history?

Speaker 5 (02:24:40):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (02:24:40):
I love that.

Speaker 14 (02:24:40):
Earlier today the works reports team in NBA history in
the play in tournament. The only team that's oh for
three is Golden State, Okay. They've played three times one year,
losing both games. I didn't know that they have never won.
To play a tournament game, they are favored to win.
They are at home and home teams in the seven
eight game our six wins and two losses. It's pretty

(02:25:03):
normal for the team in the seventh spot to win.
All four Western Conference seven to eight games have been
decided by six points or less. In the four years,
we've had to play in Toronto, one game going overtime,
So I would expect and I would have expected it
before I gave you the data that Memphis would be
able to put up a fight. Remember it was not
that long ago these two teams met and Steph he

(02:25:25):
was pretty good in that game. Do you recall how
he performed against Memphis earlier this month?

Speaker 1 (02:25:30):
Was that when he dropped fifty two.

Speaker 14 (02:25:32):
He had a fifty two point game on April Fool's
Day in Memphis. So that was even a road game.
But the Grizzlies or the Warriors have been pretty much
the same team home and road.

Speaker 2 (02:25:41):
This year. He was awesome.

Speaker 14 (02:25:43):
He was totally completely unstoppable, and the Warriors gave up
one hundred and twenty five points to the Grizzlies. They
needed him to continue scoring, they needed him to be
on fire. He hit twelve threes in that game, and
then three games later he hit one shot. Because the
Rockets know how to defend and actually care about it,
That's why I think Memphis is not a good bet
to beat them, because they just try to outscore you.

(02:26:05):
Look what happened to them when they played Minnesota the
final week of the season, they gave up fifty two
points in the third quarter. For whatever reasons, they fired
their head coach. They certainly don't play any They don't
play defense the way you need to. And maybe you
can turn on the switch and play differently. You have
Jaron Jackson Junior. But in terms of the result and
who comes to Houston starting Sunday for their best of seven,

(02:26:26):
I think there's a pretty significant difference between these two teams.
It's nice that the Rockets know for a fact they
can beat the Butler Curry Warriors.

Speaker 2 (02:26:34):
They just did it.

Speaker 14 (02:26:35):
But they also played them five times, lost three times,
were down by thirty one points in the first half
of one of those pre Butler games. And even though
the Rockets have changed personnel, coaching staff, and essentially everything,
the history between the Rockets and the Curry Warriors and
they're still the Curry Warriors. It's just not very good.
And now you're going to try to beat them four times.
You've beaten them two times in five years. You're gonna

(02:26:57):
try to beat them four times in two weeks. Playing
Memphis is different. Memphis is no to me. They're no
different than Houston in terms of playoff experience, playoff excellence,
expecting them to win. They're back down at the bottom
of the standings for a reason. Again, even though there's
not a ton of difference, they're they're not as good
as Golden State.

Speaker 1 (02:27:16):
Yeah, I mean, I totally agree with all that, and
you didn't even mention, like I think it kind of
sounds like I'm joking, but I'm not. The Number one
reason I don't want the Warriors to face the Rockets
is I don't want Draymond to injure somebody, Like remember
when he raked James Harden in the face. He's done
it to Nikola Jokic, He's done it to Lebron James.
He's done it to Sabonis. He's done to death on Sabonis.

(02:27:39):
He's kicked Steven Adams in the nuts. He goes with
a flying elbow to Alprin shin Gun on shing Goun.
Honestly should have been suspended for five games.

Speaker 2 (02:27:47):
That that was.

Speaker 1 (02:27:48):
One hundred percent completely intentional. In my mind, he isn't
suspended for even a minute. He wasn't even he wasn't
even kicked out of the game. Literally, ask Adam Silver
go up to the basket, what happens.

Speaker 2 (02:27:59):
You're elbow lock out, your arms go up. He was
not going to the basket.

Speaker 1 (02:28:03):
That was an intentional flying elbow to the face of
Alprin Shongoon would be. He had been pushing and shoving
and joying with all game. I mean, you put it
all together. This this guy is, he's a scumbag.

Speaker 2 (02:28:14):
I mean, you could argue he should be out of
the league.

Speaker 1 (02:28:16):
And I'm seriously maybe I'm overreacting, but I'm like definitely
afraid somebody's gonna get hurt.

Speaker 14 (02:28:22):
Yeah, might turn into where you both teams lose a player.
It could turn into a physical altercation type of sinewr.

Speaker 1 (02:28:29):
Up some who that was the two players he had
like locked up their elbows and then fell to the
ground like that. But Kevin Love could get his shoulder separated.

Speaker 14 (02:28:36):
How many players deep are you into this conversations with him?
You haven't even mentioned Rudy Gobert yet.

Speaker 2 (02:28:41):
No, I haven't.

Speaker 14 (02:28:42):
You're headlocking the guy. He's trying to capitate the the Uh,
all right, we need it. We need to have a
conference call. We need to get Draymond on the phone.
Let's get Joe Dumars before he works for the Pelicans
and get him in here. Let's get our discipline committee here. Adam,
if you have some time, could you join us?

Speaker 2 (02:28:58):
All right?

Speaker 14 (02:28:58):
Who has the file?

Speaker 1 (02:29:00):
I know it's heavy.

Speaker 2 (02:29:01):
Does somebody have the willbarrow?

Speaker 14 (02:29:02):
Does somebody have the cart that we use to wheel
in the still using paper? File and Draymond Green?

Speaker 2 (02:29:08):
So we can say it's a terabyt thumbs stick now.

Speaker 14 (02:29:10):
Yes, so we can discuss all the history as we
decide what his on court future will hold. I'd make
one note about Memphis, even though I'm not giving a
ton of respect to their postseasons. They've made the postseason
three times with Jahn Morant one one of those four series.
He's been really good in the postseason. He's been significantly

(02:29:31):
better in the postseason than in the regular season. Awful
shooter in the regular season, thirty six percent from deep
in the postseason, twenty two and a half points per
game in the regular season, twenty seven in his nineteen
game postseason history. I don't know that it will be
elevated again, but his history says when the brightest lights
are on and he's not suspended, he's been very good.

Speaker 1 (02:29:53):
Yeah, he's gonna be problematic, and I think even though
the Rockets have a lot of good perimeter defenders, he
can still get his against the Rocket. He just his quickness,
his zero to twenty, then zero to fifty, then zero
to anything with John Moran is extremely fast and extremely
hard to defend.

Speaker 14 (02:30:08):
So at no point when he has the basketball, do
you feel like, does he feel like you've stopped him
on his way to the basket. You might think that
you always ten feet out. I cut him off. We
double teamed his ability to get to the basket, get
up and over you. NBA just released their top ten
regular season plays of the year, and there were technically
more than ten, but he was in there three times.

Speaker 1 (02:30:31):
That's pretty good, Dad, Jaron Jackson, junior guy. I think
is a matchup problem for the Rockets too, But all right.

Speaker 14 (02:30:35):
Jalen also made an appearance with his dunk over k Cunningham.

Speaker 2 (02:30:38):
Oh, that's good. I liked it.

Speaker 14 (02:30:40):
Had some staying power. That was during the first two
weeks of the season.

Speaker 1 (02:30:44):
That would be the same Jalen Green. That is the
only top four pick in the twenty one draft to
not make an all start appearance.

Speaker 14 (02:30:51):
Yeah, he's no Franz Wagner. Well, who is all right,
We're gonna take quick break here.

Speaker 1 (02:30:55):
When we come back, Hayden was Nesky Astros starting pitcher
and Houston Product will be joining us here on Sports
Talk seven. Hinty, Adam Wexler is here hanging out, Matt
Thomas is out sick. My name is Ross Virial, and
we'll be back with Hayden wasn't escy. The Matt Thomas
Show with Ross continues here on Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 2 (02:31:16):
Ninety ros Vy Aria with you.

Speaker 1 (02:31:20):
Matt Thomas is out sick, Adam Wexer joining and right
now we're also pleased to be joined by Hayden Weznsky
Astros starting pitcher, Houston Product as well. Hayden, I think
this is now we're becoming good friends.

Speaker 3 (02:31:34):
Now.

Speaker 1 (02:31:34):
I talk to you at Fanfast, we had you at
spring training, now we have you on the show. Appreciate
you joining us. Just overall, how are things settling for
you and Houston as part of the Astros. I mean,
I know your head had to be spending at some point.
It's got to be pretty cool. And now pitching well
with a good start on Sunday as well.

Speaker 5 (02:31:52):
Oh man, how's it going?

Speaker 2 (02:31:53):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (02:31:53):
At this point, I'm coming on here all the time.

Speaker 2 (02:31:56):
No, we're gonna send you a paycheck now, I.

Speaker 23 (02:32:00):
Wouldn't mind that and be honest with you, but no,
it's been going well. Things have flowed down. I'm handling
it better. You just don't know how things are gonna go,
you know, with with being in your hometown and and
uh seeing people and and and just just trying to
get your feet underneath you. And at the end of
the day, you got throw strikes and figure out how

(02:32:20):
to win ball games. So, uh, trying to make that
to the forefront of everything. I know that's kind of
a generic answer, but that's the honest truth on on
how to stay around. And so it's just it's it's
nice to get your feet feet underneath you and to
be to be honest with you, just get comfortable in
the spot you're at right.

Speaker 14 (02:32:39):
No question, and one way to do that. And I'm curious, uh,
you know, when I go to the game, especially with
the starting pitchers or when we're watching on TV, I
try to pay attention to what the other starter is
not throwing that day, Where are they sitting on the bench,
who are they sitting with, what is being discussed if
I can discern it and so as you get your
feet underneath you within being a new teammate during games

(02:33:00):
where you're not starting, are you sitting with Hunter? Are
you sitting with whom are you sitting with? As as
you walk through the game kind of watching what unfolds
and how has that helped you?

Speaker 23 (02:33:10):
Well, I haven't had this question before. This is a
this is a big one. You don't realize. I mean,
I spend a lot of time on the bench watching games,
and so yeah, the hunter Hunters, one of them, Ryan Gusteau,
who's who's starting right now, who who's moved to the
starting rotation. I hang out with him sometimes a lot
of times the starters hang out with the starters. But

(02:33:31):
like you you have, the astros are a different team
and they're very comfortable. So I kind of move around
and try to talk to guys like Jake Myers, the
guys that are playing, I necessarily try to I don't
try to talk to them unless they're talking to me
kind of thing, because they take it more serious and
they're doing they're doing their job right, so I don't
want to get in the way.

Speaker 5 (02:33:51):
Ultimately, but.

Speaker 23 (02:33:55):
Al Tuve does a really good job of going around
the bend kind of talking to everybody. I know that's
kind of a weird thing, but he has to perform.
And then he's not only doing that, he's also coming
and talking to the starting pictures and then other guys
and talking about hitting to the guys that are playing,
and he's just he's just facilitating and it's a cool.

Speaker 5 (02:34:15):
Thing to watch.

Speaker 23 (02:34:16):
But yeah, for the most part, the starting pictures stay
with the starting pictures. But I try to move around
and talk to different guys. But at the end of
the day, I don't want to get in their way.
I know they're trying to they're trying to perform. So
I'm still trying to figure out who who wants to
talk and be distracted while they're playing, and who wants
to take you very very serious and just don't talk
to me while I'm playing and I'll talk to you

(02:34:36):
after the game kind of thing.

Speaker 14 (02:34:37):
Well, Hayden, when you bring up Altuve like that, I
have to ask, and we know, have you seen anything
like it? And how nice is it?

Speaker 5 (02:34:43):
That?

Speaker 14 (02:34:43):
Just his attitude, his overall pleasant demeanor, the fact that
he clearly loves coming to the ballpark, playing every day,
being the leader, being the teammate. It matters, doesn't it?

Speaker 5 (02:34:54):
Oh onered percent.

Speaker 23 (02:34:55):
I've said this before and I'll keep leaning on it
is you guys don't realize that the human aspect in.

Speaker 5 (02:35:03):
Baseball is a big deal.

Speaker 23 (02:35:05):
Having good people around you and being a nice teammate
or having good teammates with you is incredible because we're
around each other so much, and like, it's not like
football or basketball where like you get a few days
off in between your games, or we're with each other
all the time.

Speaker 5 (02:35:22):
We travel together all the time.

Speaker 23 (02:35:23):
We're together for what one hundred and sixty two out
of one hundred and eighty days, and it's like we
spend so much time.

Speaker 5 (02:35:30):
Together that yeah, we're gonna get tired of each other.

Speaker 23 (02:35:33):
But you also have to realize that the we're gonna
see the human part a lot more than we're gonna
see the baseball part, even though we watch a lot
of baseball. And so having someone like too on your team,
especially the guy that's leading the charge, is it's incredible.
It just makes you play comfortable, be comfortable, be yourself,

(02:35:53):
and it's just it's coming from a genuine play Ultimately,
it's coming from a genuine place too. That's the biggest
thing is that the the guys on the Astros are
they're they're great people, they're genuine people, and they're themselves right,
and that's a hard thing to do in this day
and age, and so yeah, it's a really cool thing
to see.

Speaker 5 (02:36:10):
And yeah, he just enjoys.

Speaker 23 (02:36:12):
Baseball, speaking about on two Bay and that's that's not
that's a sometimes you can you can get war down
when you play for so long, and he.

Speaker 5 (02:36:20):
Just hasn't hasn't come to him. It hasn't warre him down.

Speaker 1 (02:36:23):
Hayden was an esky with us here on Sports Talk
seven ninety so, three starts into the season, how would
you assess the way that you've been pitching. Of course,
we know the ten strikeouts there on Sunday, also the
three solo shots overall, and you mentioned about adding the
curve ball. How have you been feeling about that as well?

Speaker 23 (02:36:41):
Uh, it starts have been feeling good. I feel good
about him really giving up a few homers. I mean
that that happens, but I really need to limit that
a little bit. But Uh, other than that, I feel
like it's the ball's coming out good. I'm putting the ball,
I'm throwing a bunch of strikes, which I really I
really like. The punchouts are by product of just me
throwing well, I don't really necessarily I'm not I'm not

(02:37:02):
shooting for ten punchouts fifteen punch outs, but they're not
to have at the end of the day, right, and
it makes it easier on everybody. But not the assessment
of how I'm pitching. I mean, other than the first start,
like an inning or two in the first start, everything's
gone pretty well. I mean I wish we could. I mean,
we can always want to take a few pitches away

(02:37:23):
during each start, but overall, I mean, I'm giving our
chance to our team a chance to win. And that's
ultimately the reason the like, that's ultimately the goal as
the starting pitchers, to keep your team in it and
give them a chance to win every day. And just again,
quality starts. You can't you can't go wrong with the
quality start.

Speaker 14 (02:37:42):
I gave you a big, big compliment yesterday on our program,
although as I explained it to it might not sound
this way. Justin Verlander was here and a lot of
people thought he and Hunter Brown throw the ball the
same way, same way they release the ball, their mechanics
and things like that. So it's already a comparison to
that from a physical nature and his process, but from

(02:38:03):
an actual results standpoint is where I made the comparison
between Justin Verlander and you, especially off of this last start.
Your stuff clearly was very good, again as it has
been throughout much of this season, and you were punching
guys out and you had them off balance, and you
weren't in trouble during really any of your innings. You
gave up a couple of what turned out to be
meaningless solo homers, which was basically a hallmark of his career,

(02:38:26):
certainly here in Houston. He was near the league lead
and homers allowed most of his time here, but he
was crushing it, winning Cy Young's and helping this team
be great. Is there something that you take out of
any starts where you pitch the way you did. You
obviously don't want to give up the homers, but you
didn't put your team in a bad spot. You were
able to give him six innings and you clearly had
good stuff.

Speaker 23 (02:38:46):
Yeah, oh yeah, there's the homers. I'm they are what
they are, you know, they get paid to they win.
They're good right, there's I'm always there's like saying a
couple saying like, there's this saying in baseball where solo
homers don't kill you unless you give up six of them.
So it's like we just keep it is what it is, right,

(02:39:08):
I think with the solo homers, yeah, they suck, but
it's one of those things where they score, they get
their run, and it's not really a whole lot of
like stressful endings.

Speaker 16 (02:39:19):
You know.

Speaker 23 (02:39:19):
It's where you have a homer and you face the
next three guys and you're done. So there's not a
whole lot of stress on you. There's one it's one
pitch that you missed, you messed up on. And yeah,
I've seen Verlandrew do that. I don't know if I
would compare myself to him, but uh.

Speaker 5 (02:39:37):
He yeah, that's what it's part of it.

Speaker 23 (02:39:39):
Garrett Cole does it too, right, It's just it's the
nature of the business. As a starting pitcher, you're gonna
give up a little bit of homers and a little
bit of runs. And so, yeah, I don't think I
punched as many guys out as Verlander.

Speaker 5 (02:39:51):
More. I feel like I pitched more to contact than
he does. But it just so happened the.

Speaker 23 (02:39:56):
Other day that, Yeah, it was a Verlander like performance
when it comes to just how they or runs in
the amount of punchouts that I had.

Speaker 5 (02:40:02):
But I wouldn't say that's just I don't know if
that's gonna happen the rest of the year. If it does, great, but.

Speaker 23 (02:40:08):
Yeah, the last three outings, I mean, I have given
up a homer or so, so that kind of I
don't love that. But we're working on either it will
clean it up a little bit and hopefully we'll limit
the damage.

Speaker 1 (02:40:19):
Well, Verlander like performance sounds good. Just don't do anything
like Spencer Arraghetti in the pregame. Have you ever seen
anything like that?

Speaker 23 (02:40:27):
Man, I was pitching that day, so I really didn't.
I didn't see it. I didn't I didn't really hear
about it, and so I didn't know what happened. I
heard him come in and he was in he was
in street clothes, and I'm like getting ready to go pitching.

Speaker 2 (02:40:45):
What happened to him?

Speaker 5 (02:40:46):
Like what is going on?

Speaker 23 (02:40:47):
Why are you Because you never see guys like during
the day when the street closed, Like that's never good.

Speaker 5 (02:40:51):
And you're like, Okay, I don't know what's going on.

Speaker 23 (02:40:53):
So I go and pitch and afterwards I go and
you forget about it, and then all of a sudden
someone brings up his name and go, oh, yeah, what
happened to him? And dude, I haven't heard of it.
If an incident like that ever happening. I talking to
the guys that have been around longer, Dave never heard
of that incident ever happening. I think he had a

(02:41:14):
what I've heard is he had a ball in his hand,
and I think that's what screwed it, Like he squished
his hand. I think if he wouldn't have the ball
in his hand as well and it didn't get if
it didn't get like sandwiched, I don't think he would
have been a big deal.

Speaker 5 (02:41:29):
I don't think anything would have happened.

Speaker 23 (02:41:30):
But man, I've never heard anything like that, and that's
just pure bad luck.

Speaker 5 (02:41:34):
And I'm hoping for a speed recovered.

Speaker 23 (02:41:36):
But that it just sucks because then you got to
build back up after your bone heels and there's just
little things that you just don't you forget about, and
he's just just because of.

Speaker 5 (02:41:46):
Something being in the exact wrong spot.

Speaker 2 (02:41:50):
Sucks.

Speaker 5 (02:41:50):
It just it really like it hurts hurts our season.

Speaker 1 (02:41:54):
Yeah, so if you're ever gonna be out there in BP,
just make sure you're wearing a helmet and gloves on
both hands.

Speaker 5 (02:41:59):
That's gonna be hard to throw a baseball.

Speaker 1 (02:42:02):
I feel like you can figure it out. You'll be good. Hayden,
thanks to the time, man. Appreciate it and we'll talk
to you down the road.

Speaker 5 (02:42:08):
I appreciate you, guys.

Speaker 2 (02:42:09):
Thank you all right, thank you.

Speaker 1 (02:42:10):
Hayden was an esky here on a Sports Talk seven ninety.
Good stuff with him as always, and good to hear
him and good to see his early success here in
a Houston Astros uniform.

Speaker 2 (02:42:21):
Final segment of The Matt Thomas Show with.

Speaker 1 (02:42:25):
Ross Matt Thomas out sick, Adam Wood start hanging out.
Appreciate him, Chris Cordy hanging out. Appreciate him. Jak Allen
has been here the whole time. Appreciate him. We've been
talking some astros, we've been talking some rockets. Thanks to Hayden.
Was an esky for joining us in the last segment.
We need them to stay healthy. And I didn't hear

(02:42:48):
I had heard that Spencer Arraghetti was out there and
he was covering his head from a ball I didn't
know he had a baseball in his hand. That makes sense, yep,
that it got squeezed up against it.

Speaker 14 (02:42:58):
And yeah, guys could take a hit by pitch on
their hand or fingers when they're holding the bat, and
so the finger gets crushed between the oncoming baseball and
the bat. In this situation, it's it's kind of a
similar thing. Although if he's not holding a ball, I
think his his fingers are just kind of in a
different position if they were, say, just on his head,
because that's how Spencer described he ball was coming. He

(02:43:21):
put his hands on his head to protect his his
dome and had a baseball in his hand.

Speaker 1 (02:43:26):
Come on, man, it's like when I smashed your hand
thumb in the car door. It's because it's getting smashed
against the the other part of the door.

Speaker 14 (02:43:33):
It's been a while since you've done that, right, I
think in the in the days since the remote keyfobs, yeah,
I think people are doing it a little less than
ever before, probably hopefully.

Speaker 2 (02:43:44):
It's just it's just.

Speaker 14 (02:43:45):
One more way to kind of keep things out of
the way for you. M Yeah, the more you can
do remote automatic not have to fiddle you know which
key is it I gotta find that, and then I
forgot the keys are in the door, or even like
you might also have the second advantage that some of
us here don't. They're not always other people relying on

(02:44:05):
you to help them get in the car or take
them where.

Speaker 2 (02:44:07):
They need to go.

Speaker 1 (02:44:08):
I don't have to pick up children.

Speaker 14 (02:44:10):
Hold their stuff for them, or you know, get them
extra food, or clean up after them in the back
seat because they made a mess back there.

Speaker 2 (02:44:16):
You're not doing that anymore, not even doing it in
a while.

Speaker 14 (02:44:18):
I haven't slammed.

Speaker 1 (02:44:20):
It makes me feel old. You still is it? Your
Instagram still has a picture of you with your young kids?
It's my Facebook page. Okay, Facebook changed that.

Speaker 14 (02:44:27):
We went to a h Dynamo game, so I had
a picture with the original Houston Diesel the mascot. Oh,
when both of my kids were in my arms, so
they are obviously quite little.

Speaker 1 (02:44:37):
Did they change up the diesel?

Speaker 14 (02:44:38):
No, we just are our ability to interview Astros players
on the show. We had Hunter Brown on here a
couple of weeks ago, and we talked at length about
his nickname Diesel.

Speaker 1 (02:44:48):
That is okay, so he is it Diesel or is
it the Diesel? I think it's because I've heard the diesel.
The diesel's probably more more appropriate. It sounds right, Okay,
just got to make sure we get that. Yeah, it's Hunter.
Are getting an explanation from the astros. Joe Spotta met
with the media and he said, I don't even know
what really happened. And then a couple days later when

(02:45:08):
the team's back in Houston speaking to Spencer himself, but
I think we just got some more information from Hayden.

Speaker 2 (02:45:14):
Wasn't nesk.

Speaker 1 (02:45:15):
We're finally piecing this together, the freak accident.

Speaker 14 (02:45:17):
Why are we gonna find out who hit it? Yeah,
that's another thing. And how do we blame? I gotta
tell you, I'm absolutely blown away. You asked them the
perfect question. Have you ever seen that happen more? We've
been at the ballpark hundreds of times during BP. They're
always out there and people are always How come this
doesn't happen all the time.

Speaker 1 (02:45:34):
I think about that, because, yes, we're out there normally,
so Joe Aspota for seven o'clock game, he'll speak at
four o'clock, so we're out there, somebody's taking VP and
then yes, they're guys out there stretching. There's guys out there.
I'm like, what, this just doesn't seem safe for anybody,
say at home. The Astros are the first team onto
the field. They'll start working in the outfield pretty much

(02:45:55):
everybody stretching, getting loose. Then they'll the cage will get
rolled out and these sessions of bet will be underway,
so most of the players on the right side of
the field Astros bullpen and to the base or to
the foul lines. It's all Astros as they're taking early
the first VP. That's usually when the other team, the Angels,
are the last team in. Then they'll start milling out

(02:46:15):
of the dugouts. Guy will be in shorts and T shirts.
They'll get their runs in, they'll start getting loose. Then
maybe a few guys will start playing catch in the outfield.
But before the Astros are to their starters in the
batting cage, the entire other team is on the field
in the outfield, the very short porch in front of
their own bullpen, you know, playing catch, getting loose, stretching,

(02:46:35):
all those things. There's maybe one or two of their
teammates helping, one or two of their ancillary baseball people
helping with recognition of a ball coming that way. But
it's remarkable because then the teams just flip and it's
the other team doing that to them. And to think
that nobody's getting hit catching a ball off a bounce
or you know, getting hit in the back like I'm shocked. Yeah,

(02:46:58):
me too, that's pretty crazy.

Speaker 2 (02:46:59):
It's never happened.

Speaker 1 (02:47:00):
But unfortunately Righetti down Ryan Gusto is still supposed to
stay on schedule even with the day off on Thursday.
I think probably because maybe if this happened in like
June or July and guys are stretched out and they
were more apt to put a guy's out there for
ninety hundred pitches, maybe they would take Gusto out of
the starting rotation at least with these days off.

Speaker 2 (02:47:18):
But they're not gonna do that. He gets too early
on Yeah.

Speaker 14 (02:47:20):
He pitches Saturday, and he doesn't go again until Friday,
so he gets an additional day. He threw seventy two pitches,
so he's probably pretty close to being stretched out since
he arrived in Houston as a stretched out pitcher when
spring training ended.

Speaker 1 (02:47:32):
Yeah, and hopefully at some point Lance mccullors Junior gonna factor.

Speaker 14 (02:47:39):
In Dani's talking about this weekend's start in Midland with
corpus As possibly his last rehab appearance.

Speaker 1 (02:47:47):
Was it sixty one pitches last time he was.

Speaker 14 (02:47:48):
Out yep four innings, so four updowns. He probably throws
seventy to eighty if all things go well in this one,
and then would probably be limited if he pitches in
whatever end of April series they mark him for, maybe
Kansas City.

Speaker 1 (02:48:02):
I think his average fastball velocity was around ninety three
when last time he pitched in twenty twenty two, twenty
twenty one, maybe, so it was around ninety one. I
think that ninety one point four or something like that.

Speaker 14 (02:48:13):
Every pitcher's gonna have different things they need to do
to get guys out. I mean this past Saturday, I
guess it was the Anderson start. Did he throw a
pitch over ninety one miles an hour the whole day?
Ninety two ninety three.

Speaker 2 (02:48:25):
Now he did pretty good.

Speaker 14 (02:48:26):
But he can he gets guys out. I mean, Lance
pitches very differently, clearly, yes, but his best pitches. He
sets up his fastball with his best pitches, which are
his other pitches.

Speaker 1 (02:48:37):
All right, So you're making me feel better, Okay, We're
gonna be fine, that's what colors Junior.

Speaker 14 (02:48:41):
Mid nineties fastball also isn't bad. It's not not unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (02:48:46):
WEX. Thanks for hanging out. Appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (02:48:47):
Appreciate you coming on early. Thanks to Chris Gordy for
hanging out for the first few hours of this show.
Thanks to Hayden was Nesky, Thanks to Joe Aspata. Thanks
all of you for listening, calling, tweeting, getting involved in
the show. I do appreciate it. Thanks Jonathan Allen producing
as well. Coming up next from two to six. It
is the A team with Adam Weser and Adam Clinton.

(02:49:08):
You don't have to go anywhere. Then later on Astro's
First Pitch six forty five pm here on Sports Talk
seveninety