Astros Take The Series vs Red Sox’s! Astros Take Back The AL West Leading by 1 Game

Astros Take The Series vs Red Sox’s! Astros Take Back The AL West Leading by 1 Game

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Jesus is The Matt Thomas Show with Ross ten oh
one in h Town? What's happening in Bruns Timers, Hello,
and welcome to a Thursday edition of The Matt Thomas
Show with Ross without Matt Thomas.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Astro take two out of three for the Red Sox.

Speaker 3 (00:30):
What a tonight? Four to one?

Speaker 1 (00:35):
Well, the Red Sox are shipping back up to Boston
taking these l's all right. I assume they are actually
don't even know where the hell they are going. It
doesn't matter.

Speaker 3 (00:45):
I don't care.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
They came into Houston and they lost two out of
three on a day. Gordy, where you get the news
that Josh haters seeking a second opinion? And when you
hear Joe spot is like, I'm giving him some space.
That doesn't normally mean you're gonna be back in a
couple of days. We will discuss shortly. Chris, Gordy is

(01:06):
hanging out. My name is Ros Virial. You're listening to
The Matt Thomas Show with Ross without Matt Thomas. He
is out today, he is out tomorrow as well. I
don't even remember what he's doing. Probably volleyball, daddy, Okay,
it's always volleyball dad stuff.

Speaker 3 (01:22):
That's okay.

Speaker 4 (01:23):
He like posts yesterday, my daughter's back at school. Some
of your starts events like immediately out of town volleyball.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
She take one day of classes and now you check
her out of school for volleyball.

Speaker 4 (01:34):
That is like real senioritis. Like, man, well, she's got
a schollarie.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
She don't care. That's true. She's like, y'all can shut
y'all bump asses up. I'm going to Rhode Island. We're
all good.

Speaker 4 (01:45):
There's college kids these days are like, I'm shocked. Do
you know how prevalent online classes are now for colleges.

Speaker 3 (01:51):
I would soon even have to go to campus.

Speaker 1 (01:53):
Do you remember Johnny? It was a big deal that
Johnny Manzel was taking online classes because he everywhere because
the Aggie is like, for the first time since John
David Crowe had a football star on campus and they
and they were like all swarming him and it was
distracting everybody, and like Revelle is barking or whatever, and so,
uh class, ye, that's true. Uh So he was like,

(02:17):
I gotta take online classes. I'm getting swarm by people
too much on campus. Hey went back in my day
when Vince Young was on campus, I respectfully took a
grainy picture on my Nokia phone and went about my day.

Speaker 4 (02:28):
Anyways, can I give you a quick speaking of the
Big Twelve? Yes, I just saw this just pass Russ Dellinger.
The Big twelve eight's voted fifteen to one to solidified
existing game management policy related to the throwing of items
onto the playing surface. The team will receive warnings for
the first two violations in a game before fifteen yard
penalties begin.

Speaker 3 (02:47):
So Texas Tech tortillas. Uh oh, gonna be a penaltias
count tortillas?

Speaker 1 (02:52):
Okay?

Speaker 4 (02:53):
Uh Deli says the move most impacts Texas Tech, whose
fans hold a tradition of tossing tortillas onto the field,
most notably during opening kickoff. The policy will allow for
tortillas to be thrown at opening kickoff, but will result
in a warning, and beginning with the third incident, will
result in penalties.

Speaker 1 (03:10):
Okay, I thought there was a Texas Longhorns fan joking
here somewhere. Well, then we're too hot down they were
throwing bottles onto the field.

Speaker 3 (03:18):
Well do you.

Speaker 4 (03:19):
Want to interviewed the head of SEC officiating and he basically,
I mean, he basically confirms yeah, they overturned the call
because Texas fans third.

Speaker 3 (03:28):
Stuff on the field.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
Well, if it works, it works, all right anyways, all right,
so Chris Cordy is here. You can already tell he's
interrupted with a big twelve college football item, like two
seconds into the ship.

Speaker 4 (03:39):
Tortillas on the field is a penalty, that's pretty big,
all right, breaking news.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
Tortillas on the field no longer ago, but you can
still throw batteries at opposing fans and conduct yourselves like
idiots raiders fans, So we appreciate you for doing that.
I understand. There's not a whole lot else to do
in Lebbock. Okay, we got a lot of stuff to
get to. Of course, we're going to talk about the Astros.
You got the text in a joint practice with the
Carolina Panthers right now. We'll get some updates there. Anything

(04:05):
you guys want to get to. Of course, it is
open line as always at seven one three two one
two five seven ninety seven one three two one two
five seven ninety You can send tweets to at sports
RV and at Chris Gordy as well, and well, Jonathan
Allen is here hanging out, so we appreciate him. Gordy's
hanging out till noon. We will have Adam Clinton coming

(04:26):
up at one o'clock. I will flow fly solo at
twelve o'clock. Jonathan Allen will bring us the news at noon.
At twelve o'clock, Jonathan Allen will bring us the news
at noon. This is me show prepping on air, and
we're still gonna have a good show tomorrow, by the way.
Brian bogus Sevic ten to noon here on Sports Talk
seven ninety and the Mount Toma Show with Ross looking.

Speaker 3 (04:47):
Forward to that. Don't want to be too hyperbolic here,
Uh oh, Ross.

Speaker 4 (04:51):
But can we say that was one of the most
important wins of the season for the Asters. Yes, just
in terms of hyperbolic, just in terms of feeling good
about yourself. You're getting your ass beat fourteen to one
the night before, Hotter Brown on the mound, like if
you lose that game yesterday, I mean, we're going into
an off day feeling not Doomsday, but like, oh my god,

(05:12):
this thing has gone off the rails. They've lost another
they lost another series. Josh Haterer's done all this kind
of stuff. At least you come out last night going Okay,
on a night you only had four hits to fight
a way to win four to one, seas He'll be okay.

Speaker 1 (05:27):
It was good and Hunter Brown I had tweeted after
the game that he in my postgame tenth inning show
tweet that he was dominant, and that's really not accurate.
He he was good. He was giving up some hits,
he walked three guys, he had a buck, but he
got a couple of double plays. He wasn't getting the
swing and miss like he normally does. Just four strikeouts,

(05:48):
but overall, I mean, that's what a good pitcher and
an ace can do. Where you're having trouble locating, you're
walking guys and you're getting guys on base, but would
you find a way? And Hunter Brown was able to
find a way. Six and two thirds innings, just one
earned run given up, and the new look high leverage
eighth and ninth for the Astros Gord he been at

(06:11):
sousa four outs, taking over in the seventh and then
taking care of the eighth, and then O'Brien abray you
with his first save of the season taking care of
business in the ninth.

Speaker 3 (06:21):
Well back to Hunter Brown real quick. He got that
all elusive tenth win.

Speaker 4 (06:25):
Do you know that Hunter Brown won his ninth game
on July second up in Colorado. He has been chasing
that tenth win ever since, and gosh, he's had a
couple where he was in line for the win and
then it gets take you.

Speaker 3 (06:40):
Know, pulling the rug out from under him.

Speaker 4 (06:42):
But finally gets the uh I mean, shoot the one
up in Boston, Remember that that Friday night in Boston
where it was he goes seven innings and that stupid
sack fly that ties the game. I mean they were
winning one. Nothing could have gotten it there. But he
gets his tenth win. He's now ten and five, and
good for him. His last couple, he had that stretch

(07:02):
of three games where was a little shaky, not dominant
Hunter Brown. Last couple of games have been looking more
like regular Hunter Brown.

Speaker 1 (07:10):
Yes, he's looking like he's rounding a little bit better
in to form. And we'd like to see the same
thing from Farm Berveldez the next time. He is out.
But the Astros get to win, thankfully, the Baltimore Orioles.
They were up three to one in the ninth. I'm
literally in the middle of doing the tenth inning show,
like breaking down the game and then looking at the
box score, I paused with dead silence when I saw

(07:32):
that the game was tied up by the Orioles in
the ninth inning.

Speaker 3 (07:37):
Watch it. You're not gonna believe.

Speaker 1 (07:39):
This is what was three to one, Yes, three to
one in the in the ninth.

Speaker 3 (07:43):
And they blow it. But luckily they get it done
next thank god.

Speaker 1 (07:47):
They came back. And you know it was I think
they walked it off in the bottom of the night whatever. Yeah,
but then the next bottom of the frame that was great.
So Orioles do get to win over the Mariners. So
you are having your at one game ahead of the
Seattle Mariners right now. And this is where I mean
it's it's one of those things where if the Astros now,

(08:10):
of course we can blame injuries, and they continue to
pile up, and I will say that my belief in
the Astros ability to win the American League. Pennant was
certainly shaken with the Josh Hater news that he's seeking
a second opinion and talking about giving him space and
all this other stuff like that. It's going to be
more than a couple of weeks for Joe Spotted to
mention that to me means it's gonna be maybe even

(08:31):
a couple of months, but that's just speculation on my
part anyways, not barring further injury. If the Astros don't
get this done, it is on them. They have seven
games left with the Orioles, seven games left with the Angels,
three apiece with the Rockies in the A's. They have
to get this done. They have the twenty seventh most

(08:54):
difficult schedule remaining in baseball with a four to eighty
opponent win percentage. Seattle's at four ninety three, that is
twenty first, so they have a one game lead. They
have to They have the softer schedule. You have three
games head to head at the end of September with
the Seattle Mariners. If you're gonna get this done, you're
gonna have to take care of it yourself. Yeah, I mean,
I mean, it's all in front of you, is what

(09:15):
I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (09:16):
Sure, sure, I mean, But that's the thing is, like,
you know, how many times this season have we seen
it's like the Astros play a good team and it's
like they get up for him and then you know,
the crappier team. Sometimes it feels like they don't play
with as much urgency, and to your point, the Josh
Hater news, how does this change the trajectory down the stretch.

(09:36):
I will say, though Roussin's the Josh Hater injury happened.
Look at Bennett sus in the last two times out.
It's like he upped his game. It's like he was
he is throwing this frisbee sliders. Dude, He's like, this is.

Speaker 4 (09:48):
My time to shine. Brian Obrayu slides into the closer role, I'll.

Speaker 1 (09:51):
Step up right. So I'm feeling okay about Brian A.
Bray You being the closer. The loss of Josh Hater
isn't necessarily about the closer's role. It's about the the
actual depth that you lose. Because your two most reliable
guys all season long have been Brian obray You and
Josh Hater. You lose one of those. Bennett Sue's the
next man up for sure. But then, I mean, Caleb

(10:12):
Board has been good. We had him on yesterday on
the Matt Thomas Show with Ross and he I think
last seven times out has been scoreless, So that's good.
But you don't have people with the extended Major league
track records that Brian Obray, you and Josh Hanter had
and look at I mean you almost wish the Hater
thing would have happened about three weeks ago, prior to

(10:34):
the trade deadline. Yeah, how about not at all?

Speaker 4 (10:36):
But look at Mason Miller goes to the pods for peanuts.
I mean, there were all these closers kind of available.

Speaker 1 (10:42):
Right, there would have been more urgency. But yeah, Mason
Miller went for like a hole though. But the ashows
wouldn't got in that. But I understand what you're saying.

Speaker 4 (10:48):
Like Brown even mentioned it prior to the trade deadline
whenever talking about what do you want to add? And
he goes, you know, we wouldn't mind add another right
handed relief, right handed reliever, and well they weren't able
to do that. Well, there's a right handed lever on
the market that a lot of people keep talking about.
We'll talk about him. How are you feeling about the Astros?
Good news they get to win. Bad news? Sounds like

(11:11):
Josh Hater is gonna miss extended time. Seven one three
two one two five seven ninety is the phone number
here on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross seven one
three two one two five seven ninety. We got Brian
McTaggart coming up at eleven o'clock. We'll be talking about
the Astros and more and taking your calls on the
show at seven one three, two one two five seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (11:33):
So this song is.

Speaker 3 (11:34):
The origin.

Speaker 1 (11:37):
Of the dirty water I don't know what we you
call it catch phrase?

Speaker 3 (11:43):
Now?

Speaker 1 (11:43):
Did they play this during the games or only.

Speaker 3 (11:45):
After victory plus after wins? Because I wasn't familiar being
a Fenway are all Sandels from nineteen sixty six, I
heard the song, yeah, but I I did not know
the history. It was the mid nineties. The Bruins started
playing it when the Boston Bruins won the game. They

(12:06):
would play this.

Speaker 4 (12:06):
After the Bruins win, and I think around ninety six
ninety seven the Red Sox started doing the same thing.
So then when the Red Sox started going on the
runs of you know, playing for World Series and stuff,
this was like, fully, oh Tommy, you're not gonna believe
the Socks won and they played dirty Wada.

Speaker 3 (12:27):
Okay, I think they even said this, fine, I guess
they said. Liverpool f C started playing it as well
in twenty nineteen because the club is owned by Fenway
Sports Group. Boston people taking their stuff over to the UK.

Speaker 1 (12:44):
HM, and you figure a Beatles song would make more sense.
Weren't they all big believer Liverpool fans? Were they Everton fans?
I don't even know what's that line they say of
Boston You're my home. That's that's why they play in
this song. Yeah, okay, I miss.

Speaker 3 (12:56):
And it's literally about the dirty water in the river.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
Yeah, we got a dirty ass we have in Ballstan. Yeah,
great song, guys, It's tough, it's fine, it's catchy enough,
I guess, but there you go a little dirty water
as the Astros flush the dirty water, the Boston Red
Sox especially. That's the beauty of baseball. There's no scoring
on aggregate. It doesn't matter. One day you can lose

(13:22):
by thirteen and the next day you lose you win
by three. They all count the same in the standings.
Astros get the victory. They have won three of their
last four. If you have not heard, sounds like it's
going to be bad news on Josh Hater. They're awaiting
a second opinion, which usually means the first opinions.

Speaker 3 (13:41):
I think this is what you do as an astrosay.
Now you expect the worst, hope for the best. So
if we go in with the.

Speaker 4 (13:47):
Mentality Josh Hater's done, yes, maybe we're surprised by you
know what, there's the chances back to the playoffs.

Speaker 1 (13:54):
You know, I hope. So, I mean that was my
reason for optimism yesterday, because there's two months left and
unless it's something season ending, two months from now would
be October fourteenth, and hopefully they would still be in
the playoffs, and then we would go from there.

Speaker 3 (14:09):
But can I give you a feeling great, a hypothetical.
Oh boy, here we go. What what do you want?

Speaker 4 (14:14):
I started seeing this in my mind. We got loist car,
see you coming back? Got JP Francis pitching. Well, if
I'm Dana Brown, I go over to Triple A. I go, hey, Lance,
let's chat Lance mccolors. Uh huh, Lance, I'd like to
put you in the mindset of an eighth ninth inning
guy where you're just gonna come out and throw flames.

Speaker 3 (14:36):
Do what you do?

Speaker 1 (14:37):
Uh huh.

Speaker 3 (14:38):
Now, the colors we could slide to the back end
of the bullpous.

Speaker 1 (14:41):
So you want a guy who throws ninety one miles
an hour and walks everybody when he goes out there,
it flakes. Okay, Well, he's maybe just the curve ball.
Focused on the curve, he can up the velocity. And
this is the thing now, the Lance mccullors junior. You're
not the first person to float this up. And I've
been disagreeing with Matt for years about this for two reasons.
Number one, he makes eighteen million dollars a year, so

(15:01):
long term, if it's short term, that makes sense, right,
So long term this season, putting a long term in
the bullpen doesn't make sense for a guy making eighteen
million dollars, just fiscally, not that did they always make
decisions based on that, but they often do. Josea. Bray
who says hello, but anyways, uh, But also just as
a practical matter, like he works himself. And if you

(15:24):
got two guys on base and you get Lance mc
colors junior coming in, how are you feeling. I feeling
like he's about that he needs to like walk the
first two guys to settle into an inning, right, so
that it just it doesn't fit that way for me.
But also it's like you've got to figure something out
for him if he's going to continue to be on
this roster.

Speaker 4 (15:41):
I'm just thinking, like, you're starting to get a lot
of your starting arms back. I mean, keeping mind Brandon
Walter was pitching really well. If he comes back, that's
another arm you have. And I'm just like, I start
to look at mccolors and go, Bro, there's not a
lot of spots here left, but we're one hand short
on the back end. What if you just just for
the rest of the season, Land put yourself into one

(16:01):
inning mentality and we want you to go out and
dominate that one inning.

Speaker 1 (16:04):
Yeah, I just think I think he's gonna get every opportunity.

Speaker 3 (16:10):
He's gonna go to Hell. You go to JP first
with Louis Garcia and ask them.

Speaker 1 (16:14):
Yeah, Luis Garci has come out of the bullpen and
been good.

Speaker 3 (16:18):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (16:19):
So, I mean he he is kind of used to
that role and I don't know if they're thinking of
using him in that way again.

Speaker 4 (16:24):
Last night, but Dana two weeks in a row with
Sean Salisbury says, yeah, we we just want to see
more velocity from Like they're basically saying they don't think
he's throwing big league velocity. Huh, But he's getting out,
he's pitching innings, he's been so effective at triple A level.

Speaker 3 (16:38):
I just like, all right, I mean it is you can't.

Speaker 1 (16:41):
Come up and do that for an inning and sometimes yeah,
we'll see. I wonder where he's gonna fit in with
the puzzle pieces. Same thing for JP France. I've been
saying he looks long for a to be a space cowboy.
Have we gotten any update on Brandan Walter, who I
feel like is kind of a wild card in all
this as well?

Speaker 3 (16:58):
Well, that's what I said. Walter was pitching well okay before.

Speaker 1 (17:01):
And uh, I just mean now with the elbow elbow inflammation,
he's out with We got uh we got like a
round of updates on Monday. I'll go and look those up.
But let's get to a couple of phone calls. We
got appreciate you guys getting in seven one three two
one two five seven ninety. Is the phone number seven
one three two five seven ninety on the Matt Thomas
Show with Ross with Matt Thomas out until Monday, John,

(17:22):
your next stuff? What's up? Hey, guys, Good morning, how
y'all doing great?

Speaker 3 (17:27):
What's up?

Speaker 1 (17:28):
Well?

Speaker 5 (17:28):
I got an idea man, desperate times called for desperate measures,
and sometimes you got to think outside of the box
a little bit, and uh, because we've never seen anything
like this before with with the rash of injury injuries
that we've had. So I absolutely and you kind of
stole my thunder just a little bit with the last

(17:49):
comment that you were made about talking about making some
of these starters into back into the bullpen guys.

Speaker 6 (17:55):
But uh, the guy that I saw.

Speaker 5 (17:58):
Come in the other day and really looked sharp and
was throwing flames out the bullpen with blueball, how about
him in the back end in a leverage spot.

Speaker 6 (18:09):
We got forty one games or so left to kind.

Speaker 5 (18:14):
Of audition for that. And I'm not saying necessarily he
needs to be the closer, but man, how about a
setup man? How about a seventh inning guy? I mean,
he looked fantastic. And I'll hang up and listen to
your commients, But what do you think?

Speaker 1 (18:27):
All right? John, thank you. I thought you were gonna
say you didn't say something as crazy as Steve did yesterday,
who was advocating for Billy Wagner to come out of
retirement and pitch for the Astros. I will say it's
not crazy. I will say generally day and while he
has come out of the bullpen for the Astros kind

(18:49):
of in a I'm gonna keep I'm gonna keep pumping
the headliner thing. I'm going I'm going down with the ship.
They have an opener and then headliner. I'm going with
the headliner role for aj blue Ball, and he has
come out of the bullpens some excuse me in triple A.
I just don't know what if they're gonna feel like
they want to go to that well, but anything's on

(19:11):
the table, especially in playoffs, So depending on what they
look at and what they like, I'm gonna guess they're
not gonna want an unproven rookie who has been rounding
into form. I think he was picture of the week
for either PCL for this or for the Space Cowboys.
I'm not sure recently after being Picture of the Month
in July, so he has been rounding into form. I'm

(19:33):
gonna say that's not crazy, but I'm gonna say it's
probably unlikely.

Speaker 3 (19:37):
The uh. By the way, the Brandon Walter update from
what was this eight eleven so a couple of days ago.
He still coming back from that elbow inflammation through a
twenty pitch side. Okay, over the weekend at the Complex
in Florida.

Speaker 1 (19:51):
Twenty pitch side is good. Yeah, that means yeah, I
thought that. Look, you hear elbow information. You think the
dude is about headed for Tommy John So.

Speaker 3 (19:58):
I would think he's nearing a rehab start.

Speaker 1 (20:02):
That that sounds like it. And then look and if
you end up with too many starters, then you do
have you do end up with bullpen options.

Speaker 3 (20:09):
Well, this is the decision.

Speaker 4 (20:10):
Playoffs is and again like or, I'm not even sneaking playoffs.
I'm just thinking, like, down the stretch of this season,
if if I start to get these guys back healthy,
if Lois Garcia gets back, or JP Frantz gets back,
Hey Brandon Walter gets back, were now this logjam of
too many and mccolors, you have a logjam of too
many starters, And I just Dana Brown, I think it's
worth sitting down and having a conversation going aj blue Ball,

(20:32):
would you like to contribute to our big league club
in some way? I have a perfect opportunity. No it's
not as a starter, but as a bullpen guy.

Speaker 3 (20:39):
I have.

Speaker 1 (20:43):
I have a wild not necessarily a wild card point,
but a point. And we'll get to it after the
break a point two to give you to why I
think Lance mccullors Junior will definitely stay in the rotation.
I'll give that to you when we come back. Those
of you on hold, who will get to you, Matthew,
you or next anyone else want to get in seven

(21:04):
one three two one two five seven ninety seven one
three two one two five seven ninety We'll get to
that next. We've got Brian McTaggert coming up at eleven o'clock.
It is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross here on
Sports Talk seven ninety. Welcome back to the Matt Thomas

(21:29):
Show with Ross Without Matt Thomas. He is out today
and tomorrow. Gordy hanging out right now. We got Brian
McTaggert coming up at eleven o'clock. I just don't get it.
At eleven thirty Jam packed show, folks, and Jonathan Allen
with his rendition or addition of news at noon. That
will be at noon here on Sports Talk seven ninety.

(21:50):
Phone lines open at seven one three two one two
five seven ninety seven one three two one two five
seven ninety So I will I was talking about my
point of why I think Lance pecullors Junior will stay
in the rotation for as long as possible a couple
of reasons. As I mentioned, he's making a lot of money,
he has a lot of history with this team, and

(22:11):
I understand we could say that doesn't matter, and maybe
it doesn't matter to you or me if we want
him on this team. However, do you believe the reports
that Hector Norris was kept on this team so he
could get ten years of service time.

Speaker 3 (22:30):
I mean it looks that way. But here's my question.
If he goes out the other night and pitches well,
does he you know, does he immediately get defaid?

Speaker 1 (22:42):
What does jo Aspota always do with his players? He
is a player's manager. He goes down with the players,
whether it be jose A Bray, you or whoever, when
they're backs against the wall, they aren't pitching well, they
aren't playing well. He shows confidence and a lot of
times the confidence is rewarded. Sometimes it is not. But
I think I'm not gonna say there would be a

(23:03):
full on uproar mutiny if all of a sudden, Lance
mccullor's junior was squeezed out of the rotation for like
Jason Alexander or Brandon Walter. But I think the way
that things operate, and with Joe Aspota being such a
player's manager, that mccullor's is going to have to go
out there and like continue to get shelled. It's gonna
take something desperate for him to not get the shot

(23:24):
when he come if and when he comes back.

Speaker 3 (23:26):
For mccullors, you mean, yes, I just I.

Speaker 4 (23:31):
Look if he comes back and he like can only
go like he gets pulled again in the second inning
or third inning, I just I gotta look at a lance.
Let's let's hit the reset button this offseason.

Speaker 1 (23:43):
M M. But you can get another blister.

Speaker 4 (23:46):
Now, Let's have you throw just an inning at a time.
Let's have you be the bullpen guy. I know you
don't want to do it. I give you a guarantee
we will go into spring training, you will be part
of this rotation and all that.

Speaker 3 (23:56):
You'll be a starter again.

Speaker 4 (23:57):
But for this season, where we are mid September, I
think it's foolish to think you're gonna work your way
back into a five six inning starter going.

Speaker 3 (24:07):
Into the postseas.

Speaker 1 (24:08):
It's been a very very weird season for him getting hurt,
coming back and then that horrible start against the Reds.
Then he had a couple of quality starts in a row,
then the.

Speaker 3 (24:18):
Weird incredible outing against the Dodgers, very good against Yeah
lights mccolors.

Speaker 1 (24:23):
Yes, like we've seen those flashes. They're in there somewhere.
But then too often he's walking guys and he getting tattooed,
and so it is interesting to me. There's a range
of outcomes of one outcome as he comes back and
he's great, I don't know how likely that is, but
there's also an outcome where he comes back and he's terrible,

(24:45):
And I don't know, does that mean they completely let
him go. I don't think that would happen. I think
he would just go back to the iel. I think
this blister is a good thing to where you can
continue to say that's recurring, because we've seen blisters from
guys and I'm not saying it's not legitimate with that's
Percaulers Junior. But you can go back, you can kind
of lean back on that. If he comes out here

(25:06):
and he throws two and a third and gives up
seven runs, and he can just go back on with
another blister issue and then that'll be that. So I
don't know it'll be. One of the things is I
love about sports is is we can try to sit
in front of these microphones and predict how things are
going to go, but we don't know, so we'll see
what happens with that. I just I don't feel like

(25:29):
it's gonna be a bullpen thing for him. It just,
for a number of reason doesn't make sense. But if
it did happen, I would welcome it.

Speaker 4 (25:36):
But do whatever you can, but talk about this realistically,
like we got too many cooks in the kitchen. Yeah,
if everybody keeps coming back and getting healthy here.

Speaker 1 (25:43):
Well, Jason Alexander would be a kind even though he's
been good the last couple of times out and that'd
be difficult. The reality is that he is a journeyman
and you literally picked him up awful waivers from the
A's earlier this year.

Speaker 3 (25:55):
He ask him to be a one inning guy.

Speaker 1 (25:57):
I don't think so.

Speaker 3 (25:59):
It would be.

Speaker 1 (25:59):
To any candidates for the bullpen, I would start the
list with Louis Garcia. Yeah, if you have that many
good starters. Even though I like Louis Garcia as a starter,
I think long term I'd feel more confident about him
than say, Jason Alexander, but he's been good the last
couple of times. Everything is so touch and go. And
this is the beauty in the curse of baseball, is it?

(26:19):
Sample sizes can be so small. The worst pitcher in
the world, and while we've seen it happen against the Astros,
can can go out there and deal six innings of
one run ball.

Speaker 4 (26:29):
Well, and you think about it. The postseason roster is
so limited. I mean, didn't they Verlinder didn't make the
postseason Russ.

Speaker 1 (26:35):
He didn't deserve to. But I don't know. It'll be man,
there's a lot of moving parts.

Speaker 7 (26:40):
Right.

Speaker 4 (26:40):
Well, you're right, Luis Garcia, let me just update you.
Four and two third innings last night. Six hits, one run,
one walk, six strikeouts.

Speaker 1 (26:49):
How many pitches does it say? I gotta look for it,
But okay, I mean that's that is effective.

Speaker 3 (26:56):
I mean that is seventy seven pitches, fifty two of
them for I mean, he's doing his thing.

Speaker 1 (27:03):
Yeah, That's what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (27:05):
But data keeps going. We got to see more velocity.
I'm like, he's getting.

Speaker 1 (27:08):
Out, well he want I don't know, man, they were.

Speaker 4 (27:10):
Like, you're gonna go for him throwing forward two like
get into fifth inning in these Triple A games, to
come up and go our one inning at a time.

Speaker 1 (27:16):
I'm gonna tell you what we're discussing right now has
been discussed over and over and over again with all
the coaches and management to figure out how to where
everybody's gonna go. So I'm sure they have a clearer
picture of it than we do.

Speaker 3 (27:27):
Jeff bag all those meetings.

Speaker 1 (27:28):
Uh No, he's on the broadcast helping Matthew like his insight.
Yes see, you guys, good insight. I will agree with that.
Matthew here next up on the Mad Time A show
with Ross.

Speaker 8 (27:40):
What's going on, guys. I just want to make a
couple of points and just kind of remind everyone. You know,
obviously the Josh Hader news is, you know, is not
good news. But you know, the twenty seventeen Astros with
you know, Ken Ken Joles struggled as our closer in
the twenty seventeen year old series and we had to
have starters when the bullpen and get out. You know,

(28:01):
Colin mceue got some important outs, obviously, Charlie freaking Morton
got some really important outs, and the twenty twenty three
Rangers with I think it was Jordan Montgomery. They like
a starter in the bullpen that he got some important outs.
And those are two teams that won World Series without
a bona fide closer. And so with all of these

(28:21):
abundance of starters that we have, like you know, Brandon Walter,
Lewis Garcia, you know, those could be two guys that
could go throw two innings. That kind of negates the
need for you know, it's like six or seventh, eight
to eighth inning guy, and to hand the ball to
a bread who upbraidon kind of reminds me of like
prime Lance mccolers, where it's like that first guy kind

(28:45):
of needs to get on base for him to hit
that second gear and be like okay, I need just
you know, and just to really start getting out and
throwing one hundred miles an hour. But I just wanted
to make those couple of points because you know, Brandon Walter,
Luis Garcia, France. I mean, you guys are talking about LANCEA.
Mccollers the way I was going right now. I don't

(29:06):
know if he makes the postseason roster, but you know,
you never know. And of course Alexander but yeah. I
mean I think a bray You is also a pretty
good closer, Like he could be a great closer. It's
just the matter of getting to him. And I'm just
my whole point is is we have the arms to
be able to hand the ball to him, kind of
what a Spotty was saying about whenever he was talking

(29:27):
to his bullpen of like, hey, it's up to you guys.
It was up to you guys to hand the ball
to Hater. It's going to be up to you guys again.
And I just think we have the arms to do
it that are coming back.

Speaker 4 (29:38):
Yeah, I think they think so highly of Bennett Susa.
I think they're oh yeah, they almost think they're interchangeable.
Like there may be because think of those ross playoff game,
You're the top of the order is coming up in
the eighth. I'm going to Brian, Brian to bray you
in the eighth, and I'm going Bennett Susa on the
knife because don't you want you want your more effective

(29:59):
guy facing the better hitters.

Speaker 1 (30:01):
Yeah, so either way, I agree with you, they're interchangeable.
And I'm I'm not necessarily if the playoffs, if we
waved the magic wand and the Ashros were in the
playoffs today, I would feel way more confident. It's about
getting to the playoffs. It's about five because you have
to kind of trial these guys, right Lance mccullors Junior,
he could come back and pitch lights out. He could,
but I don't know that he's going to same thing

(30:23):
with you know, you mentioned JP Franz, Luis Garcia and
Brandon Walter. Who does you know guys Brandon Walter doesn't
have like a major major league track record, so you
got to kind of throw these guys out there, and
they're working through kind of rehabbing at the major league level,
which they've talked about as well. So it's it's touch
and go for me more than more in the regular

(30:45):
season of trying to figure all this out and how
the pieces fit together. Than if we could just magically
teleport to the playoffs, I would feel a lot more
at ease. So it's kind of figuring out how all
the pieces fit together before getting to that and getting
into the playoffs first, which of course the Astros haven't done.

Speaker 3 (31:02):
When w't we.

Speaker 4 (31:02):
Come back, I'm We're gonna run through a quick hypothetical
all thanks being cool everybody's healthy and back. Well, we'll
set it. Let's just say the Astros doing the walk
cart series. We're gonna set the Astros car pitching staff.
Jordan's back right, Well, we're just doing okay pitching. Okay,
I got him as a lefty reliever. You gotta get creative.
Probably done.

Speaker 1 (31:21):
Hey man, he's throwing balls like ninety five miles an
hour from left field before. Yeah, we'll put Chazz on
that offers. Yes, well, all right, we'll trial Chazz out there.
All right. Seven one three two two five seven ninety
is the phone number if you want to get in
seven one three two one two five seven ninety. You
can send tweets at sports RV and at Chris Cordy
and also I would appreciate a follow on my Instagram

(31:42):
at sports RV. I'm trying to build that up. I'm
eleven away from eleven hundred. All right, we're gonna take
quick break. We got Brian Taggert coming up at eleven o'clock.
We'll talk about a lot of that, with a lot
of this with him then, and we also have somebody
on the fold. We'll get to on the hold. We'll
get to next to your on Sports Talk seven IBI
Show with Ross. All Right, a lot of question marks

(32:09):
remain with the Houston Astros, a lot of fun stuff
to talk about. We'll get to some of that with
Brian mctagg coming up at eleven o'clock as well. Here
on The Matt tom Show with Ross seven one three
two one two five seven ninety The Phone number seven
one three two one two five seven ninety. Astros beat
the Boston Red Sox yesterday and stay one game ahead

(32:31):
or not stay? They gain a game on the Mariners
because they lost to the Baltimore Orioles, and they will
play the Orioles again today. Is that an afternoon getaway game? Yes?
It is? Ooh that's at noon. Let's go on MLB Network.
All right, live updates as we go along. Here on
the Matt Thomas Show with Ross.

Speaker 3 (32:49):
You ready for my exercise?

Speaker 1 (32:51):
Yes?

Speaker 3 (32:52):
O can we go?

Speaker 1 (32:53):
Ross?

Speaker 3 (32:54):
We were scud about it, but I'm ready. We are
setting the table. Let mele some ma wants to be
a million show music.

Speaker 1 (33:03):
Well, no, it's the Matt Thomas Show. We got to
play something from nineteen seventy six, so the match game
or something.

Speaker 3 (33:08):
The Astro is set there. Wild Card Series roster last year.

Speaker 1 (33:12):
Okay, get us the who wants to be a Millionaire music?
If you could Jonathan see you in there. I don't know,
camera's are not working, can't see if he's there.

Speaker 4 (33:22):
Ahead, So you don't have to follow this model. But okay,
this was the model the Astros set for the Wildcard
series last year. It was five starters, six bullpen guys.

Speaker 3 (33:34):
Okay, as we know, that's.

Speaker 4 (33:36):
Interchangeable one of your starters because it's such a short series.

Speaker 1 (33:39):
Guy, this is actually turning up the intensity.

Speaker 3 (33:41):
One of your starters could could theoretically be a bullpen
guy in a Wildcard series. But we're just sitting the
table here. So here's who we need. Ross. We got
eleven arms.

Speaker 4 (33:52):
I need five starters and six bullpen arms for a
hypothetical Wildcard Slash Alds series.

Speaker 1 (33:59):
Okay, we'll begin with the starters.

Speaker 3 (34:03):
Okay, I think the front end.

Speaker 4 (34:06):
We're just talking this out, Okay, Okay, so give me
your first starter, first starter, Hunter Brown.

Speaker 3 (34:11):
Okay, so pencilin Hunter Brown. Give me your second.

Speaker 1 (34:14):
Star from Valdez to the lefty.

Speaker 4 (34:17):
So those are basically your your one thousand and two
thousand dollars questions, Like you got the easy.

Speaker 3 (34:23):
You're right right, I see you working. Okay, we go
to our ten thousand dollars question. Huh, who's your third
star SPA? You know right now it's Christian Xavier. Christian
Javier on Javier.

Speaker 1 (34:34):
You know, the guy with the World Series no hitter.

Speaker 4 (34:36):
Guy hit one of your most expensive pictures on the
roster right now? Yeah, getting paid very well. Okay, so
Christian Javier at number three, wonderful.

Speaker 3 (34:46):
I need two more starters.

Speaker 1 (34:49):
Spencer Raghedy easy.

Speaker 3 (34:50):
Pieza will go Spencer Arroghedtty four.

Speaker 1 (34:53):
Now you don't normally you don't use five starters in
the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (34:57):
So this guy can also be a bullpen guy. Hey,
Luis Garcia, So we're going Luis Garcia swing starter slash
long relief.

Speaker 1 (35:05):
Let's go.

Speaker 3 (35:06):
What's up?

Speaker 4 (35:06):
So now I need six bullpen arms. Okay, Bray you SUSA,
Brian A bre You and Bennett's Sussa are two?

Speaker 1 (35:15):
I need uh, Steven Oker, We.

Speaker 4 (35:18):
Will go Steven Oker. That's three. I need three more
McNee states own Brian King.

Speaker 3 (35:27):
Do we trust?

Speaker 1 (35:28):
He was on the wild card roster last year, so
I've already got two Lefty, sure, yeah, I will put
Brian King in.

Speaker 4 (35:33):
There, Brian King takes a spot. We only have spots
for two more pitchers. Now, let me remind you, Ross, huh.
We have Jason Alexander. Yes, it's been a nice starter
for you. We have Brandon Walter. He's been a nice
starter for you.

Speaker 1 (35:45):
Okay, let me put Caleb Ord in there because he's
been pitching well and he's a righty.

Speaker 4 (35:49):
Go Caleb Ort. So you only have one more spot again.
Let me let me set the table.

Speaker 3 (35:55):
We have Jason.

Speaker 4 (35:55):
Alexander, Yes, we have Brandon Walter. We have Colton Gordon
and Sean Dubin. I'm just including them in the mix
because they're on the active Ross.

Speaker 1 (36:06):
Sean Dubin kind of a rock.

Speaker 3 (36:08):
And then we have Lance mcculler's junior as well.

Speaker 1 (36:12):
All Right, I got a name for you, Josh Hater.

Speaker 3 (36:16):
Okay, Josh kidding.

Speaker 1 (36:19):
I'm just kidding.

Speaker 3 (36:21):
I will take them where. You can phone Jonathan if
you'd like to ask him.

Speaker 1 (36:25):
No, I'm I'm certainly not phoning Johns.

Speaker 3 (36:27):
You can't ask the audience.

Speaker 1 (36:28):
Uh, Nick Hernandez, No, I'm just kidding. I'm gonna go
with Brandon Walter if he's he's Brandon Walter available in.

Speaker 4 (36:34):
The scenarios, Brandon Walter rounds out your pitching staff so
that I.

Speaker 1 (36:39):
Can go Brandon Walter. I could go Sean Dubin.

Speaker 3 (36:43):
Oh, and then this realm JP Frantz would also be available. Yeah,
I just don't know what he is yet.

Speaker 1 (36:49):
Right, I'm gonna go with with Uh what did I
say first? You said Walter? I'm gonna go with brand
and Walter.

Speaker 4 (37:00):
So poor Jason Alexander, who just went back to back
six innings of one run ball for you.

Speaker 1 (37:06):
Well, we'll bring you back for Seinfeld Night next year.
Appreciate it?

Speaker 5 (37:10):
All right?

Speaker 3 (37:11):
That's it? Kill the music, Javid.

Speaker 1 (37:12):
Ah, Wow, how stressful. Honestly that sounds good.

Speaker 3 (37:16):
Lance mccullor's junior. Not on your postseason.

Speaker 1 (37:20):
Uh No, he could pitch his way onto it where
we would put him, pencil him in as a Right now,
I mean, we'll see what Araghetty does. I have confidence
in Aragedtty. And maybe it's just because he's such a
great interview and I like him and I'm just being
personally biased, but I could turn around. He's very smart. Yeah, good,
good from that standpoint, but five walks is unacceptable. But

(37:42):
he knows that, so he'll get better and then we'll
go from there. So I mean, you lay all that out.
The good news is you have as good as a
one to two punch as anyone in baseball. So maybe
the one that compete with you is is probably not
even gonna make the playoffs, that being the Texas Rangers
with Evaldi into grom So you're gonna have as good
as a one to two punch as anybody in the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (38:03):
Right, But you also had that last year and and.

Speaker 1 (38:06):
You were out in two games. I get it too.
So yeah, anything that say, hey, play with baseball, baby,
anything canna happen. You can lose it. You can get
swept four games by the A's who suck.

Speaker 4 (38:15):
That's why these next few weeks are so big for
Hobby and Arraghetty. You just want to see them round
into form.

Speaker 1 (38:21):
And see that's the thing. It's it's one of those
things like, hey, we don't have time for people to
round in the form. You're one game up in the West,
so you got to get into form quickly. Sot me
be very interesting.

Speaker 4 (38:29):
Catch twenty two is like you can't not have them
not of course, like you gotta throw them out there.
And if they're bad, you kind of have to just
deal with it because they have to get their innings
under them. Absolutely, It's almost like they're coming out of
spring training and just getting their legs under them. So
so yeah, have it. Yeah, that's uh, that's some tough.
So you're telling me that's an Astros postseason roster with

(38:50):
no Sean Dubin.

Speaker 3 (38:51):
Colton Gordon.

Speaker 1 (38:52):
I mean, doesn't that sound.

Speaker 4 (38:54):
France, Lance mccullors junior or Jason Alexander. If Jason Alexander
Key's pitching this way, he's gonna to earn a spot.

Speaker 1 (39:03):
I mean, we'll see. Literally, look, I like Jason Alexander,
but we have to be realistic. He was off the
scrap heat from the A's But also, I mean, look,
a lot of those guys that I named him Bullpen,
we were kind off scrap heat. The Astros certainly work
wonders with pitching, We've seen that before. But you start
with the established guys Valdez and Brown. I think Javier

(39:23):
rag Getty is gonna be a good three to four
how whatever order you want to put him in, depending
on how they're looking in the next couple of months.
And also, I have some bad news for you. Guys
can still get hurt. We got two months left, guys
can still get hurt. So we'll see we can't assume
full health. And then that that could honestly not in
a not that it's a good thing, but a silver
lining would be it makes the picture a little bit

(39:45):
clearer for the Astros than what to do going forward.
All right, we're gonna take quick break here on the
Matt Thomas Show with Ross without Matt Thomas. That is
Chris Gordy, I am Ross via real. Brian McTaggart is
joining us. Next. You can get in as well on
the phones if you'd like, at some point at seven
one three two one two five seven ninety. But we'll
pose some of these questions and more and more astros

(40:07):
talk coming up with Brian McTaggart of astros dot com.
Next here on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross as
we head into our number two eleven one in the am.
Here on a Sports Talk seven ninety Matt Thomas Show
with Ross without Matt Thomas. Chris Gordy along with me,
Ros Viria with you as well, and right now, after

(40:30):
a heavy first hour of astro's discussion, please to be
joined by someone who actually knows what you're talking about
with the Astros, Brian McTaggart Astros dot com, MLB dot
com as well, Brian, A nice win by the Astros yesterday,
But let's get down to what is the biggest topic
going on with the astros. Josh Hater. We got the
news yesterday that he's seeking a second opinion. We generally

(40:55):
understand that that means the first opinion probably wasn't good.
We got a preview of Brian to bray you and
Bennett SUSA taking over the leverage spots last night. Just uh,
in your eyes, how big of a blow is this
for the astros and the the body language or just
what you can kind of read about how severe it

(41:15):
could be for Josh Hater. Yeah.

Speaker 9 (41:19):
Well, the fact that you know, a couple of days ago,
Joe spot A call it a punch in the gut,
and then yesterday, you know, obviously they're waiting on the
second opinion, and you know he says he wants to
give Josh space to see the doctors. So yeah, you're right,
I mean, second opinion is never good. Rarely does it
seem like do they come back and say, hey, second opinion,
he'll be good to go here, you know, in the

(41:40):
fifteen days are up. Joe even said it's going to
be longer than the fifteen days, which will take him,
you know, probably into September, because you know, you're gonna
have to start building up a little bit, uh, you know,
with a you know, throw a couple of bullpens and whatnot.
So it doesn't sound very good. I mean, we'll wait
for the prognosis tomorrow. But I felt that they were
probably already reliever short, you know, after the trade down.

Speaker 1 (42:00):
I know they looked at trying to get a reliever.
It just felt they could have used one more.

Speaker 9 (42:04):
And now losing Hater, Uh yeah, I mean a bray
you can close, SUSA can close, but you know, now
you're a little bit more limited in how you get
the ball to the ninth inning.

Speaker 6 (42:13):
Uh.

Speaker 9 (42:13):
The perfect formula would be what happened last night. Your
started go six and two thirty seven seven, and then
you only have six seven outs to cover. But we
all know that's not gonna happen every night. So they're
in a tough spot.

Speaker 1 (42:23):
And you know, we'll see what the news is. Maybe
we'll find out tomorrow about Hater where where do you
think they go to kind of shore this up. You
do have a lot of arms coming back. Do you
think guys like Luis Garcia, who's been in the bullpen before,
would be an option? Do you think they would try
to pick somebody off the scrap heap? We keep getting
inundated with Ryan Press the questions here.

Speaker 9 (42:44):
Yeah, that'sed around about Presley, and I get the idea
that they're not completely interested in that. I mean, I
think it would have happened already, you know, if if
they if it was gonna work out. You know, he
and Dana Brown didn't exactly leave on the best of terms.
So I don't know if that, you know, if that uh,
you know, hangs out over their head as well. But
I think if it probably was going to be an option,
he'd be here already. But uh, you know, they did

(43:04):
get Dela Santo's sort of you know, off the scrap heap,
like you said, and his you know, his first adding
was okay. So I don't know, They're just gonna have
to piece this together the best you can. Yeah, they
get some starters back, they can move some guys to
the bullpen. I think Walter Stuff would play well in
the bullpen out of the left side, you know, deceptive
three quarter armslot left side. They you know, Joe spot

(43:25):
It pretty much admitted that when aj blueball went back
down that that he could be an option for a
you know, a bullpen starter role sort of a hybrid
to come back up. So I think we'll see two
or three guys who can start, who can relieve, and
they're just gonna have to try to patch it together
the best they can. That they're just you know, Brian King,
you know, struggle a little bit giving up the long ball.

(43:45):
So if they can get him back back and form
like he pitched the first you know, half of the season,
that that would help as well. But it's just every
day it's just going to be a chess match for
Joe Spot playing the matchups and and maybe throwing a
guy two winnings and uh and then how to get
that ball to eighth and ninth in them.

Speaker 4 (44:02):
It is interesting, Brian, as this team starts to get healthy,
they bring you know, Christian Havre and Spencer Araghetti are
back on this team and they're trying to work into
establishing themselves back into the rotation and both last outing
for both were better. And then you've got Jason Alexander
who's had a couple of good starts again for this team,
Brandon Walter working his way back.

Speaker 3 (44:23):
We'll see if he gets closer to a rehab start.

Speaker 4 (44:25):
We know Luis Garcia had another good outing last night
for for Triple A as he rehabs, and we know
mcculors is getting closer. I bring all this up to say,
if the math maths here, Brian and these guys all
start to get healthy and they truly are with the
void of Josh hater you, does Dana Brown have a
conversation with somebody to say, hey, I need one. There's

(44:46):
not enough rotation spots here. Do one of you guys
take on a bullpen mentality here? Is that maybe some
of those conversations going on behind the scenes.

Speaker 1 (44:56):
Oh yeah, I mean I think they they'll have to.

Speaker 9 (44:58):
I mean, if they and that's a great problem for them,
the had if they can get all those guys back,
if they get Garcia back in, mccolors in France, and
Walter and you know you have seven eight starters. Now, yeah,
they're gonna have to put a couple of those guys
in the pen. I think they would all be willing
to do it pretty much. Like I said, they've already
sort of had that discussion with blue Ball, and they
might have had it with a couple others so far.
And you know, we've seen this team in the past

(45:20):
put starters in the penn late in the season and playoffs,
and you know a lot of teams have done that
as well. When you get to the playoffs, you're gonna
use pretty much three starters, four at the most, so
you're gonna have some extra arms in the bullpen. So man,
they just got to do what they can to try
to get to the playoffs, and I think they'll be
in a lot.

Speaker 1 (45:37):
Better shape when they get there.

Speaker 9 (45:38):
But certainly I think they have to win the games
at Hunter Brown or fromber Start. They just feels like
they need to win every one of those games and
then hope that Javier and Arraghetty continue to get better.
I mean, Javier was better than I thought he was
gonna be as Velos there and I think he'll be fine.
Arraghetty's last start was better than his first. So those

(45:59):
are all positive things if you're the Astros.

Speaker 1 (46:01):
Brian McTaggart with us here on Sports Talk seven ninety
and name we haven't mentioned much, Uh, Lance Paculler's junior.
I just feel like we talk about him, and I
feel like I can see it playing out in so
many different ways with him. What what is your kind
of gut feeling on him coming back and how he
fits into the puzzle? Boy, that is a really good question. Ross.

(46:25):
I I don't know.

Speaker 9 (46:26):
I mean, I uh, it's uh, this whole thing is
really weird.

Speaker 1 (46:29):
Being out a couple of weeks.

Speaker 9 (46:30):
With a blister now and you know, back on the
mound Friday night Sugarland making a rehab start. Yeah, yeah,
I mean if he goes out there, he can get
people out.

Speaker 1 (46:39):
You give him another shot in rotation.

Speaker 9 (46:40):
Have they had that discussion with Lance of you know,
maybe putting him in the bullpen and that being said,
I mean, he's you know, he's he's you know, maxing
out at ninety two ninety two point five miles an
hour at this point, So they're gonna have to, you know,
make a tough decision.

Speaker 1 (46:53):
I'm not sure where he fits right now.

Speaker 9 (46:56):
I know he wants the ball and he wants to compete,
but especially to get some these other guys back, and
you know, but you know he's got a shot. If
he goes out there and pitch as well and stays healthy,
I think we'll get another shot in the big leagues.
But he's gonna have to come up here and get
people out because they got a quarter of the season
left and they're in a dog fight here with a
really good Mariners team, So they're just gonna have to
put their best foot forward and put their best arms

(47:17):
out there.

Speaker 3 (47:18):
Brian, Let's talk a little bit about the offense. Man.

Speaker 4 (47:21):
It feels like every time I see something disparaging about
either jan Ar Diez or Christian Walker, they make me
look stupid that night and go off. And last night
it was jan or Diez with with two hits in
the big home run, but on a night well he
had just four hits. I mean, the two home runs
were as big as you can get, but I just
I'm looking for more consistency. And I hate to harp

(47:43):
on this guy, but Hazy Sanchez. You know, they had
some hits, a bunch of doubles when he first got
up here with the Astros. But we're working on going
on almost a week without a hit for him. Do
you continue to bat him two hole top of that
top of that lineup. If he continues to not hit here.
Oh no, I don't think Joe will either.

Speaker 9 (48:02):
I mean I think he's in a zero for twelve yeah,
in the last you know, six seven games or so.
But yeah, I mean I think the lineup is long enough.
Now you have enough options to where if a guy
struggle to move him down. We've seen camp camp Smith
everywhere in this lineup, from first to you know, ninth
and so uh. You know now with Urias Uh, you know,
Chaz has swinging it a little bit better against left handers,

(48:25):
so you have you have some more options from the
left side. And with Korea as well that you know
you can move things around him. He gives care at
the day off yesterday, and and you know, you feel
comfortable if you know you got solid options to put
out there at third base. So U Joe, He's not
gonna be the same lineup every day. And if a
guy's strugglings, he's already shown he's not afraid to move

(48:45):
him down to him out of the lineup, and that's
gonna be easier to do over the last quarter of
the season. But yeah, you traded hay Sus Sanchez for
a reason. You wanted an impact left handed bat. He
was that the first week. He hasn't been so much
in the last week, but uh, you know, we we've seen.

Speaker 1 (49:00):
Yander be really streaky this year.

Speaker 9 (49:02):
Walker got going, but still he's a little bit streaky.
Even even Jose Al Tube has been streaky. So it's
going to happen, and you know, they're going to keep
running Sanchez out there and see if he can make
an impact.

Speaker 1 (49:12):
Continuing with Brian McTaggart and keeping on the injury front.
Jord On Alvarez, I feel like we've asked you about
him basically since May. At this point, he's going to
take live VP this weekend. They said that sounds good.
I'm gonna ask you, how crazy would you call me?
One to ten if if I said I think that

(49:32):
he's maybe managing pain on something that he needs an
off season procedure for, yeah, I wouldn't doubt it.

Speaker 9 (49:42):
I mean, we've been told on numerous times he's pain free.

Speaker 1 (49:45):
I mean the okay, the.

Speaker 9 (49:48):
Bone, I mean, I think Dana Brown said at the
other day he's pain free. The fracture has been healed
for a couple of months now, So you know, I'm
not sure what the issue is. It's it's hard to
say if he's gonna need surgery out because I really
don't know what's wrong with him other than hand inflammation.

Speaker 1 (50:04):
What's causing the hand inflammation, we don't know.

Speaker 9 (50:06):
So, but you know, he's dealt with hand problems for
so long now that you would think that if there
is a solution where they can do surgery, then they
probably should explore it and do it, just because this
seems to have been lingering in his career now for
ever since he came up.

Speaker 1 (50:21):
Really he's had these hand inflammation problems. But who knows.

Speaker 9 (50:25):
I mean, the fact he's taking live VP's a really
good sign. That's a big increase in velocity, you know,
against pictures down in West Palm Beach and the next
step would be would be a REACB.

Speaker 1 (50:35):
So maybe there is a light at the end of
the tunnel. Who knows. Yeah, So before we get you out, Brian,
just ask you in general, this this hater thing going down.
Obviously they can kind of manage it, but in your eyes,
how much does this affect your feeling of the Astros
to not just win the American League West, but to
win American League Pennant.

Speaker 9 (50:57):
I think it's a big blow to both, you know,
one of the you lose one of the best closers
in the league. Yeah, I mean that's really gonna hamper
hamper your bullpen. Like you said, a Bray you can close,
that's fine, but you know now how you're gonna get
the ball to or Bray You and a Susai and
King and all that. You're just taking a huge piece
of your arsenal out. And we've seen him pitch an
inning in the third, we've seen him pitch two innings

(51:17):
like he did Friday night. You don't have that guy now,
and so yeah, I mean I think it's gonna make
it that much more difficult to fight off the Mariners
who are playing really, really good baseball since the trade deadline,
and and we get to the playoffs, you.

Speaker 1 (51:29):
Know, the bullpen use is magnified.

Speaker 9 (51:31):
And being able to have a guy to shut down
in shortened games and get those last three outs as
Uh is huge. And so if he is out, that's
just that's that's a big weapon that they that Joe
Spottle won't have.

Speaker 1 (51:44):
But we'll have to find ways to overcome it, all right,
One more question once you got over atros dot com,
uh that we can check out.

Speaker 9 (51:53):
Yeah, well, we have a story posted last night from
Luis Garcia's rehab start in his sugar land and sort
of a story on the pitching last night. I mean
Hunter Brown went away from his fastball, his best pitch
went curveball heavy against you know, a Red Sox lineup.

Speaker 1 (52:07):
He was seen for the second time in two weeks.

Speaker 9 (52:09):
And then also in that article a little bit about
the bullpen usage post Josh Hayter. But also this weekend,
check out a cool story Spencer Arraghetty's players weekend. So
players are gonna be front and center, and Spencer Arraghetty
loves to put together legos and we'll have a story
more on that in the newsletter, which we'll hit your
inbox Ross on Saturday, So look out for that.

Speaker 1 (52:29):
Hell yeah, that's what I'm talking about. Brian, all right,
appreciate the time, man. We'll talk to you down the road,
all right, see you all right, thank you. There you go.
Brian McTaggart Astros dot com, MLB dot Com covering the
Astros like nobody's bisness. I'm gonna take quick break here
on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross Without Matt Thomas,
you want to react to anything he said? How you feeling?

(52:50):
I'm gonna say before the game yesterday, hearing the Josh
hater not news, but hearing that he's getting a second
opinion and just not encouraging words. It's shaking my confidence
in the asstros As to a level that's maybe as
low as it's been all year. But I still think
they can win the American League. Pennant, how are you
feeling about It's seven one three two one two five

(53:13):
seven ninety is the phone number. Seven one three two
one two five seven ninety. We'll talk about that and
more as we continue in our number two, The Matt
Thomas Show with Ross here on Sports Talk seven ninety
thanks to Brian McTaggert joining the show every week Thursdays

(53:33):
at eleven o'clock. We have I just don't get it
coming up at eleven thirty on the show.

Speaker 10 (53:40):
And.

Speaker 1 (53:42):
My phone is transcribing what I'm saying right now. Sorry,
all right? Anyways, seven one three two one two five
seven ninety is the phone number if you'd like to
get in. Seven one three two one two five seven ninety.
It is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross without Matt
Thomas with Chris Gordy will have the News at noon,
coming up with Jonathan Allen at noon, and well, Chris

(54:05):
Gordy will rejoin us at some point very soon.

Speaker 3 (54:09):
Here.

Speaker 1 (54:09):
We've been talking a lot about the Astros, and there
are just so many It's I always describe one hundred
and sixty two game seasons as each their own story.
There's the Ebbs, There's a Flows, There's always seems to
be certainly one of the go to trumps of this
Astros run is some horrible series in the middle of

(54:31):
the year where they get swept by the A's or
the Orioles or whatever, some bad team and things don't
go their way and everybody's like ripping their hair out
and getting all upset, and I think I would chalk
that hopefully, hopefully the only time that happens the rest
of this year would be the four game sweep suffered
at the hands of the of the Oakland A's, where

(54:54):
Nick Kurtz is having one of the greatest games in
the history of baseball literally against you, and really from
the beginning of this season, it was it's going to
be pitching pitching, pitching, pitching, and the guys can't hit
enough now post trade deadline, it's like, we got to
figure out what the heck is going on with these pitchers.

(55:15):
And I'm feeling more confident, especially if you're able to
get yord On Alvarez back. And I understand you have
to take it with a grain of salt, but the
fact that he's taking live BP this weekend is encouraging.
It's August fourteenth, so I don't know exactly what that
means as far as a timeline. Dana Brown is, as
Brian mctager was telling us last segment, is saying that

(55:37):
yord On is pain free, and then it's basically we
have to go off.

Speaker 3 (55:42):
It's like, does he have any pain?

Speaker 1 (55:44):
Now?

Speaker 3 (55:45):
Is the Uh so it's still fractured. Oh, fractures here?

Speaker 1 (55:49):
So what is it?

Speaker 4 (55:49):
It's inflammation, But like this is the freaking circle you
run into with inflammation. It's like, I think Sewan asked
Dana about it yesterday. It was like, yeah, it's just
about it's it's not about how we feel. Because he
go out there and swing the bad, he feels great,
everything's fine. It's about how he feels tomorrow and the
next day, oh, the information, the well, how are you

(56:11):
ever gonna get this wrangled? If every day he does something,
in the next day it's inflamed. I mean, it's like, Okay,
we're just gonna play him every other day, Like I don't.

Speaker 1 (56:19):
That's why I just kind of have the it's just
just a gut feeling wild hair that it's some sort
of thing that he may need a procedure for, and
they're trying to figure out how many weeks can he
credibly give them at the end of the regular season
and then hopefully into the playoffs, which they're big favorites
to make the playoffs, but it is no guarantee at

(56:41):
this point. I think last I looked at I had
like ninety percent playoff odds or something like that. So
it's looking good and hopefully the Orioles continue to do
their thing against the Mariners, but not against the Astros
this weekend. But it's just it's just crazy because we're
running ot of time. It I know, two months, I mean,
are like six week left basically of the season.

Speaker 4 (57:03):
Can we send him to like a witch doctor or
something like, Hey, every time he swings the bat his
hand he gets inflames witch doctor.

Speaker 1 (57:10):
Hmm, okay, do whatever he can. Put a voodoo X on,
some kind of experimental, you know, holistic healings something like that,
get his chakras all aligned and whatnot. Hang some dreamcatchers
over his h over his bed. I don't know what
we need to do, but I will.

Speaker 4 (57:27):
Say, can you learn to swing it back with an
inflamed hand? Maybe that's what we need to work on.

Speaker 1 (57:32):
I'm gonna make a statement. You tell me how. I
don't think it's that bold. They they're not winning, They're
not getting to the World Series without your on Alvarez
in the lineup.

Speaker 4 (57:42):
I mean it's Seasus say that, But I don't know, man,
Like if what if Christian Walker wakes up in the
postseason suddenly starts playing like Christian Walker Year's past, like
other guys can elevate? Yes, they can't. That's like Seawan
asked me this morning. You know, is this a World
Series team? I said, well, you can't say, like the
Dodge a World Series team, But will they win it?
I mean, you know, it's about who gets hot in

(58:04):
the playoffs, like that's the best team doesn't about.

Speaker 1 (58:08):
That's true, the best team doesn't always win the best.

Speaker 4 (58:10):
Yeah, they lost the night to the Braves into the Nationals.
Were two teams that just got on a heater.

Speaker 1 (58:19):
I don't think the I don't think the Astros in
twenty one were better than those Braves. There was a
miracle they made the World Series. Remember every time the
starter went out, except for like Frommer with that one
game of eight run what was it eight? I'm sorry,
eight innings one run ball in Boston, Like every start
almost was a disaster for the Astros in that playoff run.

(58:39):
It was a miracle they even made the World Series.
But in twenty nineteen, of course they were. They were
the best team in baseball. The Braves they.

Speaker 3 (58:45):
Left for dead before the trade deadline and then they
got hot.

Speaker 1 (58:48):
They got hot too. But I don't think like I
don't think that was like some injustice that they lost
that series like it was in twenty nineteen. It's the
way I'm saying it. But if we look at American
League rosters, I think they can compete with anyone. Honestly, honestly,
do the Mariners have the best Do they have the
best roster in the American League top to bottom lineup

(59:11):
plus pitching plus bullpen, I think it's arguable. I think
it's certainly arguable. But the hater thing is really, like
I said, it's shaken me more. Not that if as
an isolated incident, not that it would have shaken me
that much, but when you pile it up with the

(59:32):
uncertainty of your on Alvarez, who I still think is
gonna come back. I'm just saying I'm not feeling the
vibes are not good right now, but the vibes can turn,
you know how they would turn. Keep winning games, get
yourd on back, get some of these starting pitchers round
it in a form. There is absolutely a world where
I'm feeling like the Astros are American League favorites. I'm

(59:56):
looking at that. We're Mariner's roster. That's pretty damn strong roster.

Speaker 4 (01:00:00):
Okay, yes, the games are not played on paper. They
don't have I mean, Polonko, Julio Rosarina, and Cal Rawley.

Speaker 3 (01:00:11):
Who are the other hitters? Are you put a fear
in you?

Speaker 1 (01:00:14):
I mean, Josh Naylor is really good, and you hit
Asarez is gonna He's gonna get up at some point. Yeah,
he's not doing anything for them right now. He's been terrible,
but I think he will run for them. I don't
think so. Oh he's got one. Okay, he's got one.
There you go, that's crazy. What did he have at
the deadline? Uh oh yeah, he was hitting a million

(01:00:35):
of thirty six or something stupid. Yeah, so he goes
back home walls. It's yeah, it is more difficult I
guess in Peco than it hit it out in the
desert the ball.

Speaker 4 (01:00:43):
He had thirty six home runs in Arizona and then
he comes to comes back to Seattle and he's got one.

Speaker 1 (01:00:52):
Yeah, they're they're lineup. Let's see a Rosa rain at
Riley Rodriguez, Soarez, Naylor, Polonco. Mitch Garver's not having a
great season, but he has some history of being a
decent hitter.

Speaker 4 (01:01:06):
Suarez has five hits in twelve games as a matriner.
Not exactly what you the the massive trade deadline.

Speaker 3 (01:01:15):
Thirty seven homers on the year. Yeah, get thirty six
in Arizona. He's got one in Seattle.

Speaker 1 (01:01:20):
Yeah. See, we don't need that turning around. We need
that to continue. That's all I'm saying. I'm just concerned.
Good news is you have the weaker schedule in front
of you. You have a one game cushion. Not much
of a cushion, but hey, it's at least something, and
you need to go and win this. Uh when when
this American League West?

Speaker 3 (01:01:42):
Please?

Speaker 1 (01:01:43):
All right, we're gonna take quick break here on the
Matt Thomas Show with Ross. We have other things to
get to as well. The Texans are in a joint
practice or we're in a joint practice with the Carolina Panthers.
We can talk about that. We've been talking some shrows.
We have some college football notes that I know mister
Chris Gordy is really wanting to get to. But oh wait,

(01:02:04):
I forgot Coming up next, what don't you get something?
You don't understand something that's happening, And maybe it's popular,
maybe it's not, but you just don't get it. Seven
one three two one two five seven ninety is the
phone number? Seven one three two one two five seven ninety.
I just don't get it? Coming up next here on
The Matt tom Show with Ross. Bangers only on AI

(01:02:35):
Songs On The Matt Thomas Show with Ross, What don't
you understand that you see is going around and you
just don't get it? Seven one three two one two
five seven ninety seven one three, two one two five
seven ninety I'm gonna start. I understand the astros are

(01:02:59):
short on relief help, but I just don't get why
everybody continues to bring up Ryan Presley. He was dfaed
on July thirty first, that was at this point two
weeks ago. They're anywhere from fifteen to seventeen teams in

(01:03:20):
playoff races. None of them have thought to tender his services.
He's thirty six years old. This fan base hated Ryan Presley.
They hated Ryan Presley when he was here. And you
can't sell me as much on Oh get him back
here in Houston, and they're gonna wave their magic pitching
wand and they fixed pictures. Well, he was a picture

(01:03:43):
that was here, and when he was here, there were
people that were unhappy with his results. Every metric that
you can look at has been horrible for him all year.
And I appreciate Ryan Presley, and he was nails in
the playoffs, But I just don't get why so many
people continue to bring up over and over and over again,
bringing back Ryan Presley.

Speaker 3 (01:04:03):
It's familiarity.

Speaker 4 (01:04:05):
It's we know what we know, right, so like we
think of good times it's why we still have people nostalgia. Yeah,
people were still chatting. I mean, I'll want to get
Springer back. We get Springer back. I mean it's like
they just now the Kraa thing may actually end up working.
Right right now, it's working and it looks very good at.

Speaker 1 (01:04:23):
Least he's like thirty one.

Speaker 4 (01:04:24):
But the people that just become obsessed with the x Astros,
it's like, look when they when they leave, they leave
for a reason, or or when they move on, they
move on for a reason. And so I would just
use his evidence. He look at out the Hector Nearis
reunion worked out.

Speaker 1 (01:04:39):
We need a thirty six year old right handed reliever
who used to be good with the Astros. Yeah, we
had one. His name is Hector Aisy.

Speaker 4 (01:04:46):
I mean there were people angry when the I think
when the Rangers at the Dayline traded deadline trader for PHILM.

Speaker 3 (01:04:51):
Maton, we should have gotten Maton.

Speaker 4 (01:04:53):
Like, stop, you only like him because he was an
Astro before.

Speaker 3 (01:04:56):
That's the only reason you like him.

Speaker 1 (01:04:58):
We do love nostalgia here in America. Chris Gordy, what don't.

Speaker 4 (01:05:03):
You get well, I got one. It's on the college
football front. I saw this last night, even Lane Kiffin
got involved with a little bit. I'm gonna take you
over to Auburn, Alabama. As Hugh Freeze is in a
He's in a tough spot over there, trying to get
things right.

Speaker 1 (01:05:18):
He's got any more sanctions breathing down his nick.

Speaker 3 (01:05:20):
Ers hasn't texted any prostitutes lately either.

Speaker 4 (01:05:23):
But but but there was all this stuff last year
about who's calling the plays, Hugh Freeze calling the plays?
Is he delegating and all this with this offseason, they
brought in Derek Knicks from Ole Miss to help kind of,
to help out. He also brought in Kent Austin, another
former play caller, to help out.

Speaker 3 (01:05:42):
Well.

Speaker 4 (01:05:43):
Justin Hockinson, who covers Auburn, tweet this out last night
since we spoke with Derek Knicks and Ken Austin yesterday.
For Auburn this year, Derek Knicks will handle first down
strategy slash play calling what. Ken Austin will handle third
down strategy slash play calling what? And as Hugh free said,
as the guy said, if you Freeze, the head coach

(01:06:04):
has the authority to overrule anything we say or do.
Oh my god, so am I to understand that Derek
Nicks will be making play calls on first down, Hugh
Freeze will call place on second down and get Austin
with Cole plays on third down.

Speaker 1 (01:06:18):
I mean, I guess when you break it down, I mean,
that's how guys break down their play sheets down in distance.
So it kind of makes sense.

Speaker 3 (01:06:28):
But this cannot be a free could overrule time.

Speaker 1 (01:06:34):
This is a bad idea. Have they not heard the
phrase too many cooks in the kitchen? Yes? So for that,
I just don't get it. I don't get that either.
That wow, that that makes no sense. Seven one three
two one two five seven einety. If you want to
give us something, you just don't get seven one three
two one two five seven Aunty Jonathan Allen. I'm gonna

(01:06:55):
be honest, Jonathan. The camera's not working so I can't
see you, so it's kind of out ofside, out of mind.
I keep forgetting your hair. How's it going? It's no problem.

Speaker 11 (01:07:03):
I just don't get Because Michael Porter Junior had came
out addressing the gambling issues with sports, and now that
I'm getting older, it wasn't this bad. And obviously they've
been pushing it, especially these media like ESPN. You know
Draft Kings. You know, I'm not understanding why Vegas and
all these other people that want to go into this

(01:07:25):
game and business don't put a cap on what you
can put down for these bets because I feel like,
I know it's it's a lot more it's a lot
more complex than what I'm saying it, But I feel
like that would solve a lot of issues.

Speaker 1 (01:07:39):
Then you like how Michael Porter Jr.

Speaker 11 (01:07:41):
Was Quoting saying, you can put tenth k down down
with your friends and you know, vote for my under
and they'll go.

Speaker 1 (01:07:48):
They'll get money that way.

Speaker 11 (01:07:49):
If you put a cap on like five hundred dollars
for each bet, you can't go past that. I put
that will solve a lot of issues and won't be
such a big convincing pursuit like persuading impact on the
at least the data themselves.

Speaker 3 (01:08:01):
I think a lot of prop bets that do have
limits a lot of a lot of problems.

Speaker 1 (01:08:04):
They do have caps, especially like Super Bowl ones that
they make up because you know, you can get inside
information on how long the anthem is gonna be gaalor
Gatorade color. You can you can't just go and bet
a hunter G's on it. So, yeah, they do cap
a lot of those bets. And this is the problem
with what Michael Porter Junior said. Yeah, uh, he says,
think about it. If you get all your homies rich
by telling them, yo, bet ten thousand on my under

(01:08:26):
this one game. Guess what's gonna happen if if these websites,
gambling websites, they have guardrails in place, If if they
automatically get ten under bets on Johnte Porter, it's gonna
send out five flags all across the company, and they're
gonna tell other sports books as well.

Speaker 4 (01:08:46):
It's like the bait was it the Alabama baseball coach? Yeah,
remember was betting on like because he knew his starter
wasn't gonna go, or something like, hey, what's this bet
they're when're in over An, Illinois, somebody just put a
ton on Alabama baseball.

Speaker 1 (01:09:01):
If you even put two Let's say you put two
dollars parlays all Saturday and Sunday on football, and then
all of a sudden you're betting ten thousand dollars, that's
also a red flag. So I understand what Michael Porter's saying,
but unless you're walking into a casino with a lot
of cash, and even then, depending on certain times, you
try to bet more than ten thousand dollars. If you

(01:09:21):
bet like a thousand or two thousand dollars, it's not
necessarily gonna send up red flags, but it's your guys
are gonna keep getting caught like they are. So yeah,
it doesn't make any sense. But yeah, the reason why
they don't they don't put certain amount of caps on
that is because they want to win money and they
want to and generally they do. And if you win, ah, oh,

(01:09:45):
they're gonna come get you if you try to win
the casino, or they're gonna cut you off. Honestly, it's
the biggest bet you ever made. That's a great question.
I want to say. I definitely bet on Texas to
win the championship against USC. I did two hundred dollars
Texas plus seven and a half, and then I think
I did another one hundred dollars on the money line,

(01:10:08):
and that was like twelve twenty years ago. At this point,
that was like three hundred bucks on one game. I
don't know that I've ever put more than that on
one game. I've done one hundred dollars two hundred dollar
bets and stuff like that, but I don't normally do
more than that on one game. Now I'll play I'll
tell you this, I'll do a slate of Sunday games
and I'll put one hundred and fifty here, Like if
I'm in Vegas. I've had, you know, five hundred or

(01:10:28):
more on the line at one point, but not on
a single wager.

Speaker 3 (01:10:32):
Oh you mentioned, uh Texas and championship. Yes, I've got another.
I just don't get it. Oh God, here we go.
What don't you get?

Speaker 4 (01:10:41):
Ralph Russo, longtime AP writer writes for The Athletic Now,
wrote a piece this week ross is Texas the new Alabama?

Speaker 3 (01:10:52):
We're basically you know, they're the new model?

Speaker 1 (01:10:55):
Right Another?

Speaker 3 (01:10:58):
Look, one thing missing here fellas championships. Alabama won championships.

Speaker 4 (01:11:06):
So no, this is not the new Alabama until they
win a championship.

Speaker 1 (01:11:11):
I gotta I gotta tell you, I don't think there
is going to be any new Alabama with a twelve
team playoff, so many different portal and the portal and
nil money getting spent by everyone and keeping up with
those Joneses, and the fact that quite frankly, you have
to get lucky at some points to win championships. I mean,

(01:11:31):
how many times you know, rooting all those years agains
to Alabama, how many times they were down and all
this crazy stuff would happen like you have given when
they didnt.

Speaker 3 (01:11:39):
Even play for the SEC was stolen?

Speaker 1 (01:11:41):
Yeah, exactly, so, I mean it can happen. But now
when you gotta win, you know, you gotta win your
champ Conference championship game to get a buye and then
you have to even from there win like three more games.
There's too much luck involved for for somebody to go
on a dynastic run like that, I believe.

Speaker 3 (01:11:57):
Yeah, so Ralph Russo, I just don't get it.

Speaker 1 (01:12:00):
All right, We're gonna take quick break, JP. We see
you on hold? Anybody else you want to get in?
Seven one three two one two five seven ninety seven
one three two one two five seven ninety What does
don't you get? We'll get to that next here on
the Matt Thomas Show with Ross. All right, something you

(01:12:24):
just don't get You got time to get in still
if you like seven one three two one two five
seven ninety seven one three two one two five seven
ninety JP and Humble, what don't you get.

Speaker 6 (01:12:36):
Well, I'm gonna preface my what don't I get statement
by something you actually said before the last break, not
this break, but the last break. Okay, so you said
good news is good news is Astros are have a
favorable schedule coming up. My point is, I'm not so
sure that's good news for me based on the way

(01:12:59):
the As those have played the lower caliber teams, teams
with losing records. I think, to be honest with your asso,
I think I would rather them play teams who have
winning records going into these last few weeks, because they
tend to rise to the occasion to play the better
teams and play better that have losing records. And so

(01:13:22):
that's my point. I don't get it. Why can't these
guys who get paid millions of dollars rise to the
occasion keep themselves in the button say, guys, we can't
let off the gas here. We got to go out
and beat Das. We've got to go out and beat
the Orioles. It's almost like they have this mental lapse up. Okay,
we can chill now, it's all right. We got these

(01:13:42):
teams coming up. We can take it easy. Just do
our thing. Get a couple of easy wins and we're
good to go. I would much rather see them play
teams with winning records that are doing well right now
than to have them play these teams that they're favored against.
And that's what I just don't get.

Speaker 1 (01:14:00):
Okay, yeah, JP, thank you. Now it's actually changed recently
because they won the series against Boston. They were and
there must be some team that they've played recently that
is flipping between five hundred ball.

Speaker 4 (01:14:16):
Well, Mia, because Miami is still a terrible team, but
they were streaking a little bit when you took you
out of three against them. The Nationals are a bad team.
You took you out of three against them.

Speaker 1 (01:14:27):
Yes, Now they got swiped by the A's.

Speaker 3 (01:14:30):
Yeah, that was bad.

Speaker 1 (01:14:31):
That was bad.

Speaker 4 (01:14:31):
But the A's again, were playing good baseball at that time.
So over the course of a season, you're going to
run into a bad team that happens to be playing
great ball at that time.

Speaker 1 (01:14:40):
They're thirty five and twenty seven against teams above five hundred,
and they are thirty three and twenty six against teams
that are below five hundred. It's basically about the same. Yeah,
And like I said, somebody must have just recent one
of their opponents must have flipped because the numbers were
much more recently, as in they were taking care of

(01:15:02):
business against below five hundred teams. So I understand that's
kind of how we feel. I also will say a
lot of that is because a loss against the Rockies
or the A's feels like double the loss against a
really good team. So I understand that's kind of a
narrative and it's fun to talk about. But as a
practical matter, as an actual on the field practical matter,
would you rather than play four games against Thea's or

(01:15:25):
four games against the Tigers? Be one hundred percent honest
with yourself and practical. I would rather than play four
games against Thea's, right, I mean, come on, so I
get I will say I get it because it feels
bad when they it feels much worse when they lose

(01:15:46):
to bad teams. But overall, you would rather face that.
Would you rather than play the Rockies four times? Or
I don't know, the Blue Jays. I would rather than
play the Rockies, And it's not even close. So AnyWho,
I get that you don't get it, But I don't
get that you don't get it. You know what I'm saying? No, yeah,

(01:16:06):
I did.

Speaker 4 (01:16:07):
I don't get callers or fans that make general there's
too many games in baseball to make general assertions like
we always lose to the bad teams. No, you don't
actually look at the statistical now.

Speaker 1 (01:16:23):
If you actually bring up the numbers.

Speaker 4 (01:16:26):
It was like the caller on the post game on
Sunday who told me cam Smith had the biggest game
of the biggest hit of the day and.

Speaker 3 (01:16:34):
Goes, you take that one hit away.

Speaker 4 (01:16:35):
He's been clueless, yes, but we just ignored ye had
the biggest hit.

Speaker 1 (01:16:40):
People take away things like, for example, yeah, Josh Hater
gets ten saves in a row, he's great, he gets
one blown, saying what the hell he always blows these games?

Speaker 4 (01:16:49):
You know, people make those assertions, and I just I
don't get it, Like that's not yeah, that's being dumb, right,
we know, like people.

Speaker 1 (01:16:56):
Like oh, Joe Spatacas in this game. Wait a minute,
they had eighteen people at one point on the IL
and they're in first place. He gets zero credit for
any of the wins and all the blame for the losses. Correct.

Speaker 3 (01:17:09):
That was one I don't get. Yesterday they had Sean
Salzberg show I had a caller who was just hating
on a spot up.

Speaker 1 (01:17:15):
They rail on him when they win. You want him
to do when they win the baseball game? They won
the game? Oh what that idiot, Joe Spota. They won
the game, and especially on Monday, they were down Brian King,
Brian Obray, you and Josh hater and they won the game.

(01:17:37):
Don't get me started on that. I've actually been, I mean,
will peel the curtain back. I've been actually been, like,
I need to stop railing on these idiots. It's number one,
I don't want to give them the attention, but number two,
it's like it's just exhausting. It's exhausting for me. I
don't know if it's exhausting for the listeners, but I
just these people. I don't get them.

Speaker 3 (01:17:58):
Oh wait, let me go to our Facebook page.

Speaker 1 (01:18:00):
Oh please, don't, please don't. Actually, I'm gonna get angry.
You know what if you want to get me up.
Joe Horton, Oh god, Joe Horton. Now, when I was
watching Bay's ball to ninety us Kameel would never stand
for the use. Well, if you'd like to know what
Joe Horton said, What did Joe Horton say.

Speaker 4 (01:18:17):
On our first post yesterday, he posted, Dana Brown needs
to go.

Speaker 1 (01:18:22):
Oh my god, these.

Speaker 4 (01:18:24):
Are the same people that a few weeks ago were celebrating.
I gotta give Data his prompts. What a great job
he did to trade deadline. Joe on a separate post
posted yesterday, Dana Brown needs to be dismissed.

Speaker 3 (01:18:37):
Why he has single handedly destroyed a championship team.

Speaker 1 (01:18:42):
Oh my god.

Speaker 3 (01:18:42):
I was at the game last night.

Speaker 4 (01:18:44):
And the Astros looked like a Triple A ball club
all the while Bregman was having his way with us.

Speaker 3 (01:18:52):
Joe, did you watch last night's game that flipped?

Speaker 4 (01:18:56):
The Astros didn't look like a Triple A team and
Bregman did not have his way with you.

Speaker 3 (01:18:59):
So it's just so reactionary.

Speaker 1 (01:19:03):
Yeah, I know, and I don't. We have thousands of listeners,
thousands of followers, and I don't want to harp on
the one or two Joe Horton's of the world. I'm
really trying to be better about that, but it's I'm
gonna tell you, folks, just.

Speaker 3 (01:19:17):
Be smarter as a fake card. Just be smarter as
a fan.

Speaker 4 (01:19:20):
You can you can be angry and say last night's
game didn't go, well, here's why.

Speaker 3 (01:19:25):
But you can't.

Speaker 4 (01:19:26):
Celebrate the man two weeks ago and go what a
great job he did at the trade that line, and
then two weeks later go, he's a dumb ass.

Speaker 3 (01:19:32):
You don't know what he's doing.

Speaker 1 (01:19:33):
I would just I would implore people to think before
they speak, but I know that that's asking too much.
Last year, Astros against teams below five hundred forty seven
and thirty teams above five hundred, forty one and forty three,
so seventeen games above five hundred to two games under.
This year it is closer, but still at the end
of the day, like I said, I'll go ahead and

(01:19:55):
do some more digging and figure out whose the heck
is flipping from from five hundred ball. I think it's they,
it's the Rangers. Maybe did are kind of throwing these
things off, But anyways, you'd rather play bad teams. Come on,
let's be serious, all right? Well anything? Uh you know what, GORDI,
I was going to use the second half of this
segment to let you get out of any sort of

(01:20:17):
college football notes you wanted to get to. Besides Texas
being the new Alabama. Yeah, that was really the one.
I I what was the Texas Tech. Note, Oh, the
Big twelve banning throwing things onto the field. This does
include tortillas under this umbrella.

Speaker 4 (01:20:30):
Yes, Big twelve eight's voted this week to solidify an
existing game management policy regarding to throwing items on the
playing surface. A team will receive a warning for the
first two violations in a game.

Speaker 1 (01:20:43):
Two that's a lot of warning before.

Speaker 4 (01:20:45):
Fifteen yard penalties could begin. The move impacts Texas Tech,
whose fans hold a tradition of throwing tortillas onto the field,
most notably at opening kickoff or during opening kickoff. The
policy will allow for tortillas to be thrown, but will
result at a warning. A third inch incident could result
in a penalty.

Speaker 1 (01:21:06):
So the one team that voted against us, I'm imagine
the one program was probably Texas Tech.

Speaker 4 (01:21:10):
Right, well so, and so basically the thing is they
throw the tortilla. So every home game they're going to
get a warning right out of the gates.

Speaker 1 (01:21:17):
I don't know when did they throw them when they
get touchdowns or what us at opening kickoff? They do
it at kickoff and then what else?

Speaker 3 (01:21:23):
I mean, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:21:24):
He's ridiculous. Red rated me either, I've never been to
a game there, and I don't plan on going because
I heard when I was at school at Texas I
heard horror stories from everyone who ever went over there
about how they treat opposing You didn't.

Speaker 4 (01:21:35):
Hear, though, They're getting all the hot recruits now, like
that's the place to be, that's the place to pick.

Speaker 1 (01:21:41):
My favorite is Matt Thomas's son being a hypocrite. He's
been talking trash to me about Manchester City just paying
for players, and now he's defending Texas Tech.

Speaker 4 (01:21:50):
I would just hope some of these kids, these seventeen
year olds that are all committing to Texas Tech, these
big five star o linemen and stuff, make a trip
there first before you say yesterday.

Speaker 3 (01:22:00):
All right, you're gonna because what's gonna happen. You're gonna
get there. You're gonna go.

Speaker 1 (01:22:04):
It's going to Hey. They their Walmart got upgraded to
a super Walmart recently, so things are going good in Lubbock.
All right, quick break here, Gordy, thanks for hanging out. Yeah,
appreciate you. Gordy hanging out for the two hours he
has done. I am flying solo for an hour until
one of the atoms I think it's Clinton Today comes
in at one o'clock. So you guys want to come
in co host for a couple of minutes, you can
do that. Seven one three two one two five seven

(01:22:26):
ninety is the phone number. Seven one three two one
two five seven ninety. Coming up next, we have the
News at noon to begin hour number three of the
Matt Thommas Show with Ross is The Matt Thomas Show
with Ross.

Speaker 2 (01:22:50):
Three one and that's Gammer detail I field and you
can't test that one.

Speaker 1 (01:22:54):
Goodbye.

Speaker 2 (01:22:55):
The fifth leadoff over of the season for Jeremy payin
you and the Astros her up one to nothing, number
thirteen on the year.

Speaker 1 (01:23:07):
It's by Bueler and that's Wax in the left field.

Speaker 2 (01:23:10):
That's a base hit racing around third al two V
he will score in the second base goes Kartini Yner
Diaz an RBI single and it's two nothing. Astro's one

(01:23:35):
another breaking ball that's bang Dan Hello center field and
you can't test that one. Goodbye off the community leaders
signs for Yer and the Astros lead is four to
one on the two run.

Speaker 12 (01:23:48):
Last Sida add second with Salas at first.

Speaker 1 (01:24:00):
Four to one, Astros hind three.

Speaker 2 (01:24:02):
Two t struck it out on the slider down in
the Way and Bryan Obriano kicks up his curse save
of the year.

Speaker 1 (01:24:09):
Astros take two out.

Speaker 2 (01:24:10):
Of three for the Red Sox win a tonight four
to one. The hits keep coming and the Astros keep winning,
winners of three of their last four. Ross VI real
with you on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross No

(01:24:31):
Matt Thomas, he is out. I am solo right now.

Speaker 1 (01:24:34):
You can get in at seven one three, two, one
two five seven ninety if you'd like.

Speaker 3 (01:24:38):
Two.

Speaker 1 (01:24:38):
Will be joined by Adam Planton coming up at one o'clock.
But right now it is time for Jonathan Allen to
give us all the top news of the day. We
call it the News at Noon. All right, j K,
how are you feeling. I haven't talked to you much,
like I said, our camera's not working so I don't
see you. And uh, but how's your Thursday going, Jonathan?

(01:25:01):
Are you having a good week? This is a good
visit Thursday. Chime to you know it back here trying
to make su Yeah. Man hasn't been barking anything at
you today, so that's good. You get a couple of
days off of that you're welcome. You also get days
off of believe it or not, you're welcome for that.
That's right. Sorry, guys, it's a lot over here, but
let's get to this. We have a lot of prizes left.
Maybe we can come up with something to do tomorrow.

Speaker 11 (01:25:22):
You know, we do have prizes though, we do have uh,
especially because we didn't have a lot of winners because
that's today, so we can.

Speaker 1 (01:25:28):
Okay, So I'll have to train you on a game
we play. Maybe I'll do it with Brian Bogu Svic
Will bog you know, he's very smart. Two lane Brian
Begacevic with us tend to noon tomorrow here on a
Sports Talk seven arty. Anyways, Jonathan, what's all the top
sports news items? Oh the day?

Speaker 11 (01:25:43):
Well, as I've just heard ashtros Do take down Red
Sox in a three game series, staying strong and fighting
for that number one spot just one game ahead of
the man is as they play the Orals.

Speaker 1 (01:25:52):
Right now, right and twelve o'clock. Oh yeah, start right now,
you talk. I'm gonna put it on the TV.

Speaker 11 (01:25:57):
All right, put that on so makes sure you guys go,
hey that game right now. We got to make sure
they lose.

Speaker 1 (01:26:02):
Oh my god, this lineup they have is pretty good.
It's all right.

Speaker 11 (01:26:05):
I'm as well as that win, we do have bad
news as well. If you haven't heard, Josh Hater does
need a second opinion, the il curse of these Astros
and as Spottish challenges do not stop.

Speaker 1 (01:26:17):
And I don't, I don't know what to say.

Speaker 11 (01:26:19):
And this is every other week we come on the
show and something is horrible happening.

Speaker 1 (01:26:23):
It feels like the baseball gods don't want the Astros
to win the twenty twenty five World Series. You a
man now as far as major pieces, Josh Hater being
one of them, your on Alvarez as well, I mean,
Estoc Paradus, but they still have enough pieces, you feel like,
but it just feels like it continues to get chipped
away with this latest Josh Hater injury. Are the baseball

(01:26:47):
gods cursing the Astros?

Speaker 11 (01:26:49):
And I want to say that cursing him, but then
they keep blessing with these good rehabs because aluis Garcia.

Speaker 1 (01:26:54):
I'm reading this on Astro's.

Speaker 11 (01:26:55):
Future last two rehab starts. Dude's got thirteen k's to ip.
I don't, I don't know, look at this guy, we're
I want to I want to be. I want to be,
but I'm very, very hopeful. I feel like we can
do this.

Speaker 1 (01:27:10):
Eight and two thirds innings, pitch just one run, giving
up thirteen strikeouts for Luis Garcia. We'll see what happens
if he comes back into the fold. Yeah, things can
round in the form and we'll see what happens on
the second opinion on Josh Hater. Hopefully it's just like
a couple of months and good things at an elbow. Right,
it's just shoulder, so I mean, yeah, but shoulder can
be bad too, And honestly, shoulder can be I don't

(01:27:31):
want to call it a death nail, but like torn
laborum surgery and stuff, laboral tear surgery or rotator cuff
surgery depending.

Speaker 3 (01:27:40):
I guess.

Speaker 1 (01:27:40):
I guess I had to brush up on my recent
history of shoulder injuries. But at least back in mad Day,
they could be I don't want to say career enders,
but certainly limiting the effectiveness of pitchers long term. So
we'll see what happens on there. We have to await news.
Maybe we'll get some more clarity in the next couple
of days. Bottom line, Joe spot is saying he's giving

(01:28:03):
Josh Haters space on the diagnosis and saying it's going
to be more than a couple of weeks. Not encouraging
news for your Houston Astros. What else you got in
the news at noon, Jonathan.

Speaker 11 (01:28:14):
Let's have some good news right now with going to
our the Texans and they had the joint practice with
the Panthers today and usually when we get audio from
Demico Irins, it's kind of bad, it's kind of you know, negative,
but he had a lot of good things to say
about this practice, and you know, just sit back and
listen to what you had to say.

Speaker 13 (01:28:32):
Deafis practice that the league got the productive work games.
What we sent out suit on low size robidy school art.
But they're working together, we are able to get out
of it what we expected, right, the chance to go
against different teams, different players, and it was really good
work for us offensive, we had defense and a special
teams right because it works with us all three phases we.

Speaker 14 (01:28:53):
Got better today.

Speaker 13 (01:28:55):
We approved and that's what we sent out to get
a joint practice, improved game and that's what we did
it today. So thankful to Dave and the scenes for
coming down working out.

Speaker 1 (01:29:06):
You're decent, all right, you know, it was kind of
hard to hear some of that, But Tomko Ryan's coach
speak working hard, getting better, going against different schemes, improving.
That's basically Demico Ryan stuff that you would expect him
to say a big head coach, but he's a coach speak.
He's the coach speak king.

Speaker 11 (01:29:25):
I feel like if it was going to be real
negative and we had something, he would be saying we
need more work, we got to do this, this and this,
But instead had that more vague of that positivity in
there that the glass half pool, you would say, more
so than you know saying that is doing this, we
got fixed station, this and that, and maybe as time
goes to this early in the preseason it might be

(01:29:47):
a little more detailed.

Speaker 1 (01:29:48):
But I feel like this is good.

Speaker 11 (01:29:49):
You know, we have people over there, Adam Wexler, Cole
Thompson that ye practice and giving details about the practice
how Strid was doing. It looks pretty good to me.
I don't want to go to right here. Okay, good,
unless you want to talk. I can get them SATs,
but no, it's okay, But I'm hopeful I know, we
have these injuries with Seeded Gardner and all this other stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:30:11):
But he was walking apparently out there.

Speaker 3 (01:30:13):
See.

Speaker 11 (01:30:13):
Okay, So what was the exact injury report that happened
to him, because I've.

Speaker 1 (01:30:17):
Seen they didn't really say because they say they don't
have to give injury reports during camp. Mmm, so they're
they're not saying, and the reports have been that they're
hopeful that he's going to be ready for week number one.
Do you want me to bring you some news at noon? Yeah?
Are you aware of Brian Flores's lawsuit against the NFL.

(01:30:37):
That's the Dolphine head coach. He's the former Dolphins head coach.
His civil suit claims that Brian Flores and other black
coaches face discrimination. Oh wait, he is, okay, and a
federal court appeals court ruled Thursday they found insurmountable flaws
with a league arbitration process that would permit Commissioner Roger

(01:30:58):
Goodell to serve as arbitrator. So they're going to be
able to go ahead with the lawsuit against teams the
Denver Broncos, the New York Giants, and the Youth Exist. Huh,

(01:31:22):
So we will see what happens. I have some thoughts
on this, but we got to get to a break
here on a Sportstock seven ninety, the Matt Thomas Show
with Ross, So that'll be interesting to see how that
plays out. Brian Flores's lawsuit going forward against the NFL.
But we're talking about the Texans and training camp, or

(01:31:43):
not training camp, but the joint practice that they had
to day. Of course, the Astros Josh Hater going down,
How will things shake out with the pitching? What the
heck is going on with yourd On Alvarez. Anything you
guys want to get to in the world of sports
or beyond seven one three two one two five, seven
ninety is your phone number seven to one, three two
one two five at seven ninety. It is the Matt
Thomas Show with Ross Without Matt Thomas. Get Adam Clanton

(01:32:06):
joining at one o'clock and we'll continue talking about whatever
you guys want to get to until then. Here on
Sports Talk seven ninety, your home for your Houston Astros.
Astros one game ahead of the Seattle Mariners. How are
we feeling? Mariners and Orioles on MLB Network right now?

(01:32:29):
Bottom of the first Orioles just got a runner on
so that's good. Say it with me. Let's go O's
Ross via real with you back here on the Matt
Thomas Show with Ross Phone lines open and available at
seven one three two one two five seven ninety seven
one three two one two five seven ninety You can

(01:32:51):
also send tweets to at sports RV and you know what,
follow me on Instagram if you don't mind, I would
appreciate it. At Sports r V there. So we've been
talking some about the Texans and the joint practice that
they had with the Carolina Panthers. A couple of college
football items that we have gotten to as well. I
didn't know Chris Gordy bring it to the table that

(01:33:13):
there was an athletic article written by what was that
guy's name, Ralph Russo. Is Texas college Football's new Alabama. No,
we have to win at least one championship, probably two
or three before we get to that. But I don't
think there's gonna be a Saban like dynasty ever. Again,
First of all, Nick Saban is one of the greatest

(01:33:34):
coaches of all time. You need that. You need that.
They also, I will say, I don't want to say
they got lucky, but you need things to go your right,
go your way right. Luck is preparation meeting opportunity, as
some would say. And they are a very well prepared team,
very good team, a lot of talented players. But they

(01:33:56):
didn't win the ch the College Football Championship every single year,
but they won a lot of them and in some
of those games, in some of those situations, in some
of those seasons to even get into the playoffs, a
lot of things went their way. And also you only
needed to win two playoff games to advance and win

(01:34:16):
the national Championship it used to be. And when when
it was a BCS era, you only had to win
one game. Of course, you had to get into that game.
So you were one of the better teams in football.
But on any given Saturday, we should say anything can happen,
like Notre Dame was in the College Football Championship game
and earlier that year they lost to Northern Illinois. So

(01:34:37):
you have to kind of swerve some bad luck, and
you get more opportunities in a twelve game playoff for
for bad luck or things to not go your way,
or for even a better team to not win. So
I just don't think it's gonna be. It's gonna be
really hard to pile up a bunch of championships. I
would say to put it into for example football or

(01:35:00):
NFL terms, twelve teams make the playoffs or now it's fourteen,
and you don't normally have back to back Super Bowl
champions because it's very hard. And the nature of the
football is that in any given Sunday, any guineas even Saturday,
nature of it. But it'd be nice to get one
for me as a Longhorn fan, because well, I know

(01:35:23):
that gives a many of you joy who are whatever
it may be, Aggie Sooner, Cougar, Texas, Tech, Baylor, whatever,
to laugh at the Longhorns, and they haven't been successful
since the two thousand and five season, twenty freaking years ago.
I look at those highlights. It makes me feel so
old that the shoulder pads are huge, the uniforms look cheaper,

(01:35:49):
the the video is grainy, and it's just like, no,
it doesn't feel like this was that long ago, but
it looks like how in the nineteen nineties you're watching
nineteen seventies football where they're all going down, said Hutt,
and they got like one bar on the face mask.
It's not good but anyways, No, Texas is not the
new Alabama. But hopefully I just want one championship before

(01:36:12):
I die. I just want one more speak of did
you hear that has so much to ask for? Ahead?
Did you see that?

Speaker 11 (01:36:17):
Speaking of Texas, did you just see the report of
arch Manning struggling against his own defense?

Speaker 1 (01:36:22):
I did not see that. Thanks for bringing it up. Well,
Texas is supposed to have a really good defense. Where
did you see that? That's why I didn't want to Okay,
you didn't find it was on Twitter. You were following
a bunch of Texas haters on Twitter like it was something.
I'm not super worried about it. I do have reservations

(01:36:44):
of of people thinking that Arch Manning is just going
to come in and light the world on fire. Maybe,
And I've talked to a lot of Texas fans about
this is in I would say in general, I am
not the type of fan. There are certain types of
long Horns fans, and I understand that they draw the
ire of many of you who are like, we're the
biggest batts on the planet. We're gonna win every game

(01:37:06):
we play, and you're like, bro, you haven't won a
Championship since two thousand and five. Where is all this
arrogance coming from? So I understand if we were doing
a Thursday, I just don't get it. I wouldn't be
saying that about people who hate Longhorn fans. I get
it because they walk amongst us. I'm just not that
type of fan in general with anything. And I don't

(01:37:27):
even know who I mean. I was feeling like the
Longhorns and oh five ish were pretty unstoppable. But usc
people forget Now, you don't know this, Jonathan, because you
were in on January fourth, two thousand and six. How
old were you January fourth, two thousand and six? I
was three, okay, so did you know that before? Okay?

(01:37:47):
And so of course it was different. It was just
a BCS game. It was one game. So the season ended.
The Big twelve Championship was like first week of December.
I was there, by the way. It was at NRG Stadium.
They crushed Colorado like seventy to three. Oh God, Joel
poor Joel Klatt got like five concussions in that game.
He was getting destroyed, so that I was feeling pretty

(01:38:07):
good about that. I was at that game. I was
taking picture. I got taking grainy pictures with my Nokia
phone back in the day. But that entire month of
the build up of the game, basically, USC was back
to back college football championships and they were anointing them.
They were already crowned as the greatest team of all time.

(01:38:31):
It wasn't a matter of how much Texas is gonna lose.
It wasn't if Texas were gonna lose, about how much
they were gonna lose to USC in that Rose Bowl
home game, which it didn't turn out to be that way.
It was like sixty percent longhorned fans. People say, if
not more home game, back to back champions Matt Lionard
Heisman winner. At that point, Reggie Bush had won the Heisman.

(01:38:52):
It was all about how unstoppable the USC was. ESPN
did a series, Jonathan, they were doing it on Sports Center,
like every week, let's put us two thousand and five
USC against the greatest teams in football history. They were like,
how would this USC team fare against the nineteen forty

(01:39:13):
three Army team with the four horsemen at running back? Well,
let's break this down. They were all about one hundred
and seventy six pounds in nineteen forty, So I think
the USC has the advantage here. They were putting them
up against two thousand and one Miami. They were putting
them up against I don't even know, like nineteen seventies
Oklahoma Sooner teams, like New Rockney, Notre Dame teams. They

(01:39:37):
were literally doing a series where they were breaking it down.
It was like Mark May and Lee Corso, whoever of
how the two thousand and five US, the unstoppable machine
that was the two thousand and five USC team, how
they would fare against every great college team in history,
and generally they were just picking USC.

Speaker 11 (01:39:58):
Isn't that kind of funny? USC and ten both had
the same downfall of like drought. No, it's not funny. No,
it's not funny at all, Johns. But no, since yeah,
I mean since those moments.

Speaker 1 (01:40:09):
Now, Texas made the championship again in two thousand and nine,
and then Marcel Darius ripped Colt McCoy's shoulder off its bone. Basically, Okay,
that didn't really happen, but he Marcel Darius hits Colt
McCoy knocks him out of the game as they got
a three and out, and then they were driving towards
a touchdown, and I will maintain till my death because
you can't prove me wrong that if Cold McCoy stays

(01:40:31):
in that game, the Texas Longhorns would have won that
game and taken the championship away against Nick from Nick Saban.
But anyways, Yeah, it hasn't been going great for both
programs since. But Texas did make the final. Were they
in the final? They were in the final four right
of the last two years. They lost to Ohio State

(01:40:52):
last year and then the year before. I was there
at the Sugar Bowl when they lost to Washington.

Speaker 3 (01:40:57):
Yes, I did.

Speaker 1 (01:40:59):
Thanks for bringing it up. Yeah, it's hilarious.

Speaker 3 (01:41:01):
That was a bad one.

Speaker 1 (01:41:02):
I'm sorry, I'm not I don't remember that one. Yeah,
I remember too. Anyways, what was I taught? What was
I trying to get to? Yeah, so it was supposed
to be the USC was like the most unstoppable team
in the history of sport. And then they're like, how
I get affair against the two thousand and one Miami Hurricanes. Well,
they didn't beat the two thousand and five Long Horns.
So I just I'm not that type of fan that

(01:41:25):
that goes crazy and over the top and I has
for I guess this whole discussion started with me having
reservations about arch Manning because multiple times he was put
in games over Quinn Eewrs and he never went and
won the job. Now we could just go ahead and
sweep that under the rug and say it's Steve Sarkisian
showing loyalty to Quinn Yours. I don't know that's how,

(01:41:47):
that's how, that's how coaches are. Yes, I understand, and
quin Yours was certainly a representation of getting him to
come back to Ohio State was a big coup, and
getting him to come back to Texas and getting him
uh in the fold and part of this Steve Sarkisian
led Texas renaissance. You can't have that without Quinn Eyewers.

(01:42:09):
So I understand perhaps just saying well, coach was showing loyalty,
But if would he do that at the expense of
winning a national championship If arch Banning was a ready
I don't think so. But a whole nother offseason he
is a richert sophomore. We'll see what happens, and I'm
excited and well, big test coming up Week one for
the Longhorns. Against Ohio State, the number one team in

(01:42:31):
the country, an underdog against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Okay,
I didn't mean to spend a whole segment on the Longhorns.
I apologize to you in advance. We can talk about
anything you want to get to. We were gonna talk
to college football. We got some NFL stuff to get
to as well. You guys can get in. Phone lines open.
We're talking some mastros. Josh Hater doesn't sound good. How
we feeling? How would you configure the starting rotation, especially

(01:42:55):
with guys coming back. Seven one three, two two five,
seven ninety is the phone number if you'd like to
get in. Seven one three, two one two five seven ninety.
It is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross without Matt
Thomas with you until two o'clock. Hey, it's Matt. We'll
remind you that if your trees are not looking their
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(01:43:18):
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(01:43:38):
seven ninety sent you to the best place to get
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six nine nine two six sixty three twelve thirty three
on the PM here on Sports Talk seven ninety Bros.
Vie Real with you The Matt Thomas Show with Ross

(01:44:02):
without Matt Thomas. He will be back Monday. He is
in Austin. Has Cordy brought up? Yeah, you get the
welcome to.

Speaker 3 (01:44:09):
What is she?

Speaker 1 (01:44:10):
She's a senior now in high school. I guess his daughter,
Carly Division one volleyball player. Congratulations to her that first
day of school yesterday and then today, I don't know,
a couple of days off from volleyball, so whatever. Good
Wishing them all the best in Austin, Texas, which is
not the town that it used to be. But that's
a different discussion for a different time. Phone lines open

(01:44:32):
at seven to one three. What was that Oh what Austin.
I loved Austin. Oh you did?

Speaker 11 (01:44:39):
Oh you go down to Texas Relays. I dropped the
Batona National TV.

Speaker 1 (01:44:44):
Oh man, Yeah, I'm sorry. Yeah, you had some good
times in Texas Relays. But yeah, we can always tell
when we lived in Austin, when it was Texas Relays,
we could, Yeah, you get you could. Oh yeah, you
know what it is, Texas Relay's weekend. Huh all right, cool,
it's all good. Uh. Anyways, welcome back to the Matt

(01:45:11):
tab Show with the Ross Jonathan Allen Ross view real
with you as well. And as I said, the phone
lines are open at seven one three two one two
five seven. I don't have Adam Weser coming up in
a moment. But Eddie wanted to get into the phone line.
So let's Eddie. Let's let Eddie go. What's up? Eddie
looks up? Guys. I know I'm relate to this segment.

Speaker 10 (01:45:31):
Love the segment's already passed. But I don't get Jordan's
been out for three months, but his hand was never broken,
Like you get how many bats per per game?

Speaker 1 (01:45:42):
No, they said there was a fracture. There was a fracture.

Speaker 10 (01:45:45):
Oh, there was a fracture. Okay, and how long does
the fractures does he take the heel where? Man, I'm
sure he's said he said some pain.

Speaker 1 (01:45:54):
Yeah, I don't know. It's mostly a mystery. It's but
the thing is he's had multiple setbacks, is what I think.
So they talked about there being a fracture, then there was,
he was at the Florida Complex League. Then his hands
swoll up on him. Then they did imaging. They said
the fracture is healing and the pain is from something else.

(01:46:14):
Then he said, basically through an interpreter, that they he
kind of needs surgery, but where they the injury is
in the hand, he can't get surgery. And then now
Dana Brown is saying publicly that he's pain free and
he's going to start live BP this weekend. He was
doing BP, which I guess is just some coach doing

(01:46:35):
soft toss. Now live BP is where people are throwing
him actual, full velocity pitches. That's supposed to happen to
him weekend this weekend, and obviously that'll be more strained
on his hands and more of a test to see
how he's feeling after that.

Speaker 10 (01:46:49):
Well, hopefully he gets through it because I mean, come on, man,
he's like a big old elephant. He gets a splinter
on his foot and he can't seem to go forward,
you know.

Speaker 1 (01:46:55):
But anyway, then you need your hands to you need
your hands to swing a bat, is my understanding of physiology.

Speaker 10 (01:47:02):
I mean, I know, but still it just seems like,
come on, they do a little pain.

Speaker 6 (01:47:06):
We need him really bad right now.

Speaker 10 (01:47:08):
But we'll see what happens and hopefully the past we'll
get something from him this next few weeks or so.
But uh, all right, guys, I have a good day.

Speaker 1 (01:47:15):
All right, appreciate you, EDDI. Yeah, Well, the problem is
you're damned if you do. You damned if you don't.
We can all sit here, you know, kicking our feet
up on our recliners and saying, eh, what it was,
Why doesn't he just play a little hand pain whatever?
But then what happens, and what happened initially in the injury,
is that he was playing through the pain, and then

(01:47:36):
it made it worse. And then then the other side
would be wah, why did you tell them you had
any pain? All you're gonna do is make it worse.
Why would you play to the pain. So he's damned
if he does, damned if he doesn't. I continue with
my gut feeling is that they it just kick just
feels like this is something that he can manage the

(01:47:58):
pain and play with it a little bit, but there's
a procedure that's needed that will knock him out for
the season, and they don't want to lose him for
the season now. Just a gut feeling just reading some
of the comments and whether this has been played out,
and the fact that if you recall when the Astros
won the World Series in twenty twenty two, that Martin

(01:48:20):
Maldonado was playing with a sports hernia and a broken hand,
And of course, well, we hope that you run when
he comes back, hits better than Martin Maldonado. But we'll see.
He could very well. This weekend. We could hear, well
he's taken LIVEVP, he had a setback, he's out for
the year. It could happen. It wouldn't be the craziest

(01:48:40):
thing ever, It wouldn't be all that shocking. But man,
he's only played twenty nine games this year, and when
he's right, he's one of the most feared hitters in baseball.
I believe he's still the Astros' all time career at
OPS plus OPS plus one hundred is league average. He's

(01:49:02):
got a one sixty two career OPS plus. It's pretty good.
That's amazing being that far above league average for this
long and this lineup becomes that much more dangerous and
lengthy with him in it. I mean think we kind
of keep daydreaming about what this lineup would be with
Jordan Alvarez back in it, oh Man, Penya, Correa, Pena

(01:49:28):
probably like Penia Altuve, jord On Korea, Walker Diaz, and
then Cam Smith, Jesus Sanchez, who am I missing? Like
you're talking about going seven to eight deep in a lineup,
and then if you can get these pictures right, and
then if the bullpen can kind of be shored up

(01:49:49):
by some of these starters going into the bullpen come
playoff time and mixing and matching and figure things out. Brian,
I bray you is your closer. If I just say
that that's not a bad thing, you just lose the
depth with losing Josh Hater that you are already kind
of sketch on in terms of guys who are super reliable,
come late, late and close as far as long term

(01:50:13):
major League track records. Bennettuza has been very good, Steven
Okert for spells has been very good, Brian King for
spells has been very good. But who is really reliable
that you can truly, truly rely on. I guess we're
gonna find out. Only one way to know, and that's
to watch the games and see how they unfold. Astro's
one game ahead of the Mariners. Right now, that game

(01:50:34):
is at the end of the second Mariners and Orioles.
They are knotted up in a nothing nothing tie, But
getting yourord On back would be huge. I remain optimistic
because if this were something that he has just has
no chance of coming back from, then why are they
walking it this way, Why are they playing it this way?
Why is he even swinging a bat at all? So
they obviously have some hope that he can contribute this year.

(01:50:58):
So I'm gonna keep that same hope with the Astros
organization that overall, I know we've had some issues with
the injuries over the years, but overall been pretty good
organization in the last ten years or so here in Houston.
So we'll see what happens. I don't know. I can't
predict the future, but I'm hoping he gets in some
hacks this weekend, maybe gets a day of rest feels good.

(01:51:22):
Who knows that means just some more live VP or
a rehab start for a couple of games, and then
hopefully in a couple of weeks back on the major
league roster because they need him not just for the playoffs,
they need him for the American League West. You know,
a month ago, when Astros are seven games up, I
was feeling like, hey, everybody, take your time, We're all good. Nope,

(01:51:44):
Mariners made some big moves. They've got a very lengthy lineup,
very good pitching, and arguably the best roster in the
American League right now. So we'll see how it plays out.
All right, quick break here on the Matt Thomas Show
with Ross. You want to get in talk about anything
I said or getting into anything you one two seven
one three two one two five seven ninety is the
phone number seven one three two one two five seven ninety.

(01:52:07):
We've got Adam Clanton joining at one o'clock. It is
the Matt Thomas Show with Ross without Matt Thomas with
you until two pm here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
The fans is here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Thanks Craig,

(01:52:28):
I'll give you a little Matt Thomas show lore, Jonathan.
That that's from the very first batch of Matt Thomas
show liners. Who was that saying that? That was Craig Bizio?
Who's that? I'm just playing, Jonathan?

Speaker 3 (01:52:46):
Are you playing? See?

Speaker 1 (01:52:47):
I can't see you on video, so I can't see
three thousand and sixty hits. One of the astros greats,
all time greats. Some certainly on the Mountain Rushmore. I
don't know if where people put him ahead of Bagwell
or al two of A or whatever, but anyways, also
had his struggles in the playoffs. But yeah, that was

(01:53:08):
that's been that is That liner has been airing since
twenty ten. Craig Bigio, the timeless. I can't think, guys,
I would be eight up when that was. All right,
just just just everybody, right, we get it. You're younger
than us, okay, guys said whatever?

Speaker 3 (01:53:25):
All right? You know what why?

Speaker 1 (01:53:26):
I want Jonathan to shut his bomb ass up. So
if you want to get in seven one three two
one two five seven ninety is the phone number seven
one three two one two five seven ninety. You can
also send tweets at sports ivery and you can follow
me on Instagram if you would like. I really would
appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (01:53:41):
All right.

Speaker 1 (01:53:41):
So I was kind of scanning the news wires and
I saw this story. Indiana's Lewis Moore gets initial court
win over the NC double A A judge on Wednesday
granting a temporary restraining order allowing Indiana safety Lewis More
to practice with the Hoosiers. Okay, you say, what is
the issue. He started games at both Ole Mess and Indiana,

(01:54:05):
and he recently filed a lawsuit in the NC Double
A against the NC DOUBLEA, arguing that his three years
at Navarro Junior College should not count against his eligibility.
Now for years for years correct a junior college. If
let's say you played two at JUCO, that means you
only have two left right, Yes, that's how it went. Yes,

(01:54:26):
that's how it went. So he is challenging that in court,
citing potential losses in earnings from nil deals and attended
Navara College, played football there, was red shirted and injured,
and then played a couple of years at IU, went
to Ole Mess and now but Kevin apparently he's back

(01:54:47):
at IU. So he is trying to argue in front
of a court that the JUCO years don't count as eligibility.
Can I have a comment on this case? Go ahead.
This is our official resident NCA double A athlete. This
is why we I do want your perspective on this,
but go ahead and talk about that long.

Speaker 11 (01:55:04):
So through the circuit, you meet a lot of JUCO athletes,
and that's just in any sport you play, instabla and
a lot of them they'll have this saying, as you know,
you're a JUCO like survivor. You know, they have a
phrase for it, like you made it out of JUCO.
You know it was a big college. Is a phrase
you can't say on air. I forgot No, I just
forgot that if I remember, it.

Speaker 1 (01:55:23):
Was like something really bad.

Speaker 3 (01:55:26):
No.

Speaker 11 (01:55:26):
But the thing about it, and this is just my
perspective being d one, that's a privilege you get and
you make and you earn because that's what you wear.
The caliber of people that go into JUCO either they
have bad grades, yeah they are the student athletes, or
they need to prove themselves yeah, or they're just not
They're just not at the caliber athlete they were supposed

(01:55:47):
to be. But that's why they took those two years
to go to JUCO and hopefully for the best you
get picked up. And that's what the transit portal was
originally for, is get those people out of there and
go to the you know, because they only do two years.

Speaker 1 (01:55:56):
You can only do two years in JUCO.

Speaker 11 (01:55:57):
Right, Oh okay, you can't really, you can only get
an associates at JUCO. So any community college you go
to you can only get this.

Speaker 1 (01:56:04):
Well, how come listen, it said this guy I thought
played three years.

Speaker 11 (01:56:06):
He probably had as you're right, you're right, he had
a racial And so what I don't understand now with
this new age of people.

Speaker 1 (01:56:12):
They're saying they missed out. Well, that's because you didn't
put the work in.

Speaker 11 (01:56:16):
Now you're saying all people that are already that they don't
deserve that are like you know, no, no, if you
are a student athlete, you got the grades and you
went D one because you have to be at least
above a two point oh GPS.

Speaker 1 (01:56:26):
So it's not fair to get two years at JUCO
and then four years at D one. It's not fair
of the guys that got D one.

Speaker 11 (01:56:31):
I get you, and then we don't, and then so
that then it leaves the people that are nineteen eighteen
that got d one. This dude's twenty four, exactly your
versus twenty six twenty seven year olds on the courtfield.

Speaker 1 (01:56:43):
Took a team full of BYU players.

Speaker 11 (01:56:45):
And that's my point because I had the rights against
grown BYU people that were twenty eight with kids.

Speaker 3 (01:56:50):
So it's not fair.

Speaker 1 (01:56:51):
So yeah, it's not fair. When you're running for your kids,
you're gonna have a little extra jukes exactly, you know,
so I gotta put food on the table. No, okay,
huh okay. So he won this court call, or apparently
that won, but it won a temporary restraining order that
he is allowed to play. And this is getting challenged

(01:57:12):
in courts. But I say all that to bring this up,
and it kind of might initially sound like a stupid question,
but how long is the NCAA going to continue to
operate like this? And that's the thing they were telling
us because I got I went to go ahead. I
was gonna teck, you had twenty twenty right when COVID
was hitting. And what they were saying is, all right,

(01:57:34):
since this COVID thing is, we're gonna give those seniors
and juniors twenty nineteen twenty eighteen class A year extibility
because COVID ruined their last two years, right, and they
were supposed to end it, but then this transportal nil
got out of hand and all that. Okay, we'll give
another year.

Speaker 11 (01:57:50):
Oh the income in freshmen, Okay, yeah, because they don't
get the high school years because they didn't have get
their high speeds, get recruited, and it should have been ended.

Speaker 1 (01:57:57):
But now it's snowballing.

Speaker 11 (01:57:59):
It's just snow balling, snowballing, snow balling where people think
they deserve this, this, this and that because the other
person got it.

Speaker 1 (01:58:05):
Yeah, yeah, but it's all to me. It's like the
NC double A is just they're losing case after case
after case. I literally just put I put in Google
lawsuits versus NC Double A, and I have a laundry
list of these these lawsuits and they've lost basically all
of them. They lost the big Obandon case, which was

(01:58:25):
Namage image and likeness. They lost a case versus Tennessee
and Virginia from last year where the NC DOUBLEA agreed
to stop enforcing transfer rules right. They lost a case
the Allston decision, which was education related benefits. Violating antitrust

(01:58:47):
laws to where you can pay players. Now, they lost
another one where they had to give two point eight
billion dollars in a in a in a settlement. Is
the nc in ten years is the NCAA still going
to be operating the way that they are? Hey, they
keep losing all these lawsuits and they don't have a
leg to stand on. It's a house of cards of

(01:59:08):
this whole we are nonprofit, tax free, taking in these
billions of dollars in revenues. Every lawsuit I look up
they're getting. They none of this can hold up in court,
and what they try to argue, and I think, I
really think it's snowball. It's because of how they gave
so much. If they never if they never would have

(01:59:30):
gave the extra years to the twenty nineteen class and
twenty eighteen class and the people that are coming in
out of high school, if they just let it at
that one year, whoever was in college at that twenty
twenty year and left it at that, this wouldn't have
happened for ZBA. But because you give all these kids
these opportunities for extra extra money, and then nil really
did hit after twenty twenty one It's like, okay, now

(01:59:51):
it's money and legal matters involved, right, Yeah, but Title
nine like employ employment status, Like how I wonder how
they can continue to aren't there cases that are pending
like that. College football athletes are are basically employees. I
think about think about how much more valuable that some

(02:00:12):
certain and especially individual players. How much more valuable did
Johnny Manziel make the entire Texas a and m athletic program.
It was hundreds of millions donations pouring in when he
was there, and like rebuilding parts of the stadium, getting
more money for all kind of funding. Getting how much
money did you make, Kevin someone? Yeah, it's so these

(02:00:36):
college athletes are generating so much more money, especially the
star players. Now the guy who's like getting the ninetieth
scholarship is not, but that's how it goes. The guy
on the fifty third man on the roster or the
NFL team doesn't make as much as CJ. Stroud or whoever.
So I don't know, man, I just continued to be

(02:00:59):
fascinated by how this NC doublea house of cards continues,
and the problem is it all went downhill when the
TV money started coming in the nineteen seventies, that's when
it should have been the loss of amateur status, but
the NC DOUBLEA tried to keep to have their cake
and eat it too, and then this has just been
a broken system basically ever since you've had the under
the table payments. Now they're trying to regulate nil payments

(02:01:22):
and now it's just all hell is broken loose because
of not handling things properly for years and years and
years and just trying to keep the money rolling in.
But anyways, it just interesting to me, like every time
I look up, it feels like every couple of months,
the NC DOUBLEA is losing some judgment or losing some
court case. Good question. How much are they losing in

(02:01:45):
legal fees? Do they get new lawyers? They're like, brother,
you just lost this five lawsuits in a row without
five hundred million. You know what I'm saying, Hey, when
your football coach is one and six, you fire them.
When your lawyers are one in ten, is it time
to move on? Man? I don't know. Interesting to me.
We're gonna take a quick break here on the Matt
Thomas Show with Ross. We're talking about that. We've been

(02:02:08):
talking a lot of astros text and stuff you want
to get into, we can well, Adam Clinton be here
on time. Find out next hour number four, The Matt
Thomas Show with Ross is coming at you next. Oh
my gosh, he's here, folks, I'm in the on Deck show.
You already have vacation mode. He's wearing a shirt with
like he's got palm trees on his shirt. I like it.

(02:02:28):
You sure what happened? See Matt Thomas would make funny
for that shirt. I'm not gonna do that. I think
it's on my shirt.

Speaker 15 (02:02:33):
Have you ever noticed that for someone who makes fun
of people for so many other things?

Speaker 1 (02:02:38):
Okay, let's not you don't even want to deep deep
dive into his brain, but go ahead. Well, okay, you
get left their adapter here, you get ready, maybe as
Chris Gordy was there. Okay, Hi, welcome into the Matt
Thomas Show with Ross Without Matt Thomas. Adam Clanton is
hanging out. Appreciate Gordy hanging out for a couple of
hours before we'll have Brian mctagger conversation if you missed

(02:02:59):
it coming up at one point thirty. We're with you
until two o'clock. We've been talking NCAA. We've been talking
some Texans, of course, with the joint practices. Jonathan m
Alexander just his gut feeling the way he saw it
about an even practice between the Panthers and the Texans,
and he thinks that actually bodes well for the Panthers
who might have a good season. But anyways, of course,

(02:03:20):
we're also going to talk about the Houston Astros, who
are now one game ahead of the Seattle Mariners, and
they're knotted up at nothing, nothing, nil nil, and the
bottom of the fourth. Oh, it's nothing nothing. This is
the most boring game ever. I would never watch this
base hit. Oh come on, baby, there we go two
runners on, one out, first and third for the Baltimore Orioles.

(02:03:43):
Will keep you updated as we go along. Anyway, Sorry,
but go ahead with your psychoanalysis of Matt Thomas.

Speaker 15 (02:03:48):
Well, oh well, I've got a couple of things I
started and then yeah. So, first of all, Matt Thomas
for someone who just absolutely destroys people on the daily
for a variety of reasons, let's face it, he is
he is our favorite dirty uncle.

Speaker 1 (02:04:04):
Matt Thomas. He is the dirty uncle.

Speaker 3 (02:04:06):
Agree with that?

Speaker 15 (02:04:07):
A Sports Talk seven ninety but man, he's always, you know,
making fun of people, and he has something to say
about what I am wearing virtually every day, virtually every day.
That's a very chick thing to do. I can't believe
you're wearing that.

Speaker 1 (02:04:23):
That's basically what he's doing. Well, I'll just say it's
part of his charm. It's part of his stick. It's
certainly part of his stick and part of his charm.
I'll just leave it at that. It's fine, it's fine.
Glad you're here. Clinton, I'm glad to be here.

Speaker 3 (02:04:35):
You know what.

Speaker 15 (02:04:36):
I was thinking about this on the way in because occasionally,
just kidding all the time, Matt Thomas is out, so
you have to have somebody fell in with you. And
I don't blame you one big because you know, that's
just the way it goes when you work with a
diva like him.

Speaker 1 (02:04:47):
Nobody wants to hear me monologue for four hours. Like myself.
I like you solo. I think you don't get it.
Often there's always Matt there. Yeah, that's true. No, you're
a good listen You're an easy listen that way, you know,
But you're not easy listening. Oh, I think that's a compliment.
I'll take that, appreciate it.

Speaker 15 (02:05:04):
I'm not like, you know, Hollan Oates or something, but no,
like I was like thinking about the hierarchy of like
sports Talk seven ninety and the turnover that's happened over
the years, because you and I have been here for
a long, long long time. Would you say the longest
you have? Well, not longer than Matt right, or were
you here before Matt if you count me being a floater,

(02:05:25):
I've been. I've been continuously here at iHeartMedia Houston the
longest if you count Matt coming back. He came back
in January.

Speaker 1 (02:05:32):
I was officially made full time in February, but it
was already ten, yes, twenty ten, but the it was
already in place, And I've been here continuously since two
thousand and nine. You're a package deal though, you two,
and I know it, at least your names on the market.
You trying to get out, Well I had to beg
and plead, but anyway, that only took like twenty years.
Yeah it's fine, but but yeah, no, I was like,

(02:05:55):
you know, I'm probably I'm probably.

Speaker 15 (02:05:58):
Closest to Matt because i've him and wex. It's kind
of like a because people don't know how long Wex
and I have known each other.

Speaker 1 (02:06:07):
Like I was in intern with Wex back to Morse
Medio Mixed Men or under Wex.

Speaker 15 (02:06:11):
I guess I should say an intern in Wex's department.
Uh when I started, you know, in broadcasting, and that
was over at Channel two. But uh, yeah, him and
Matt I've probably you know, there's there's guys in this
town that I've known that long. But it's like, but
Ross and I, we don't hang out all the time
because you live in town and now I'm a family guy.

Speaker 1 (02:06:33):
You know the birds.

Speaker 15 (02:06:34):
Yeah, I know, but uh, but like you're one of
those people and you have these in your life where
it's like I could not see you for ten years, yes,
and then we would get together and we wouldn't miss
a beat. It would be like a swimming conversation.

Speaker 1 (02:06:48):
We don't. We don't. We disagree on a lot of
stuff having nothing to do with sports.

Speaker 15 (02:06:51):
Yeah, but it's like there's always been right, and that's
proof that America still works.

Speaker 1 (02:06:57):
Right there, I'm right here, you go, matter what you think. Actually,
we're making you put a dollar in the jar every
time you do that.

Speaker 15 (02:07:04):
Every time I do that, Okay, so what have you
been talking about the death of Josh Hater?

Speaker 1 (02:07:08):
What's been going on today? Yeah, how we feeling? So
I would say, okay, obviously they won yesterday. If I
tell you your closer went from Josh Hater to Brian
and Bred, you said, Okay, Brian and Break, you can
close it out. He's gotten saves. Benettuza's got some saves
as well. Doesn't necessarily have the same major league track record.
But I just feel like at some point, with the

(02:07:29):
way that the hits keep coming, I'm not gonna say
they're not gonna win the AO West, and they're not
gonna win by the way Orioles on the board one nothing,
let's go. Oh, I'm not gonna say they're not gonna
win the West. I'm just gonna say I went from
even a couple of weeks ago, being like they should
be favorites to win the American League Pennant to now like,

(02:07:51):
I'm not so sure.

Speaker 15 (02:07:51):
Well, it's they've taken a blow. A couple of things
you mentioned there. I'll go backwards.

Speaker 1 (02:07:55):
First of all, just yesterday my co host said the
Ashers are still winning the West. For what it's worth,
I agree.

Speaker 15 (02:08:00):
And then secondly, I may or may not a touch
base with both the Hater and the SUSA households last night,
and it's I didn't find out anything, but I was
you know, I loved that SUSA got that spot last
night because I'm with you, Like with Brian a bray You,
it's just the the you're just moving, You're moving the.

Speaker 1 (02:08:21):
Domino down nex but you have fewer dominoes. But it's
the man, Like, No, how many teams have a Brian
a bray You that you can do that with? Yeah,
and so like he he's not Josh Hater, but he
was here before Josh Hater doing Josh Hater things. Does
that make sense? Yeah? But and also I would say
you could interchange I would imagine based on matchups left
hand handedness with the SUSA the left he Brad you

(02:08:43):
the righty depending on pockets of the lineup, and they
might be switched up.

Speaker 5 (02:08:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:08:47):
Yeah, dude, that that's SUSA was throwing freakin' Frisbee sliders.
One man, Susa. That's my dude.

Speaker 15 (02:08:53):
We are both true well we meaning all three of us, Yeah,
the true lefties. So we had him on the show
as probably a month ago now, maybe more In that
conversation came up and I think I I mentioned the
fact that you were also a left hander here at
the station, and he's like, we we We started talking
about how left handed people are discriminated against, especially when

(02:09:13):
it comes to spiral binders, scissors, spiral desks at school.

Speaker 1 (02:09:18):
Yeah, even literally computer mouse. Frankly, we should have nobody
makes a left handed computer mouse is bs.

Speaker 15 (02:09:25):
Frankly, we should have our steering well on the other
side of the car here in America like Britain.

Speaker 1 (02:09:30):
In Britain, yes, only we would drive on the right
side of the road. Yes, n teeth, yep, yes we do.
We use toothpaste here. But no, I think Bennett Sussa
is gonna be you were talking. I heard you a
little bit earlier talking about Okay, we're gonna see who's
that guy is. If it's Okred, if it's it's not
Sean Dubin, Oh my goodness, gracious, have been great all
year though. Yeah, and then he gave up meat balls

(02:09:52):
the other night stand. Well, kayleb Borts was bad to
start the season and he's been good, so it's kind
of Brian King is Jekyll and High too. He's been
giving up some home runs, including in the same series.
He'll give up the game winning home run.

Speaker 15 (02:10:04):
In Saturday's game against the Yankees, and then he'll lock
down the series the following day.

Speaker 1 (02:10:09):
And interesting enough, I believe Brian King has a reverse
platoons plus. I think he's actually better against righties than lefties. Yeah,
I was.

Speaker 15 (02:10:15):
Looking at the numbers the other night. I think it
was I think they were doing that last night. Yeah so,
I don't remember what it was, but you've.

Speaker 1 (02:10:20):
Got tools in the toolbox, but you're missing one of your.

Speaker 15 (02:10:23):
Go tos with Josh Hater for if you're Joe Aspota.
Did you enjoy all the flyouts by Bregman last night?
I was like, that's more like it. That's the guy
we knew and loved. Yeah, so, and can we And
I've got you know, my buddy Larry is always texting
me about this. A couple other people have sent this
my way. It's not happening. It's not gonna happen. If
it were going to happen, it would have happened already.

(02:10:43):
Righty's not coming back. I was gonna finish your sentence.
Come on, I don't think so either.

Speaker 1 (02:10:47):
We talked about it with Brian McTaggart, and I was,
I was kind of, we have to just kind of
logically go through this. He was DFAD on July thirty. First,
we're on August fourteenth. Nobody's retenderness, so serviss. There's seventeen
Ish teams in playoff races, and the Astros is not
the only ones that need pitching right now, and every
team could use a leverage reliever. If you know that.

(02:11:09):
Then has signed Ryan Presley. Yeah, and if you go,
don't look at a stackcast page unless you want to see.
For those of you who don't know, Red to Dark
Red is very good. It's a lot of sky blue
on there. It's a homicide scene, that's what it is.
It's not good. Look, it's weird because I was just
about to say about a bray you. You know, don't
forget there was three guys after from ber Valdez in

(02:11:31):
Game six against the Phillies that close that thing down
and clinch the World Series. We appreciate you.

Speaker 15 (02:11:36):
Hector neris egone, you know, ten years in one day.
It was enough, yes, and then and Ryan Presley was
the other side of that, and a Bray you was
in the middle.

Speaker 1 (02:11:46):
There's a reason that only a bray you still here.
It makes me laugh that people are like, get rid
of Hector Nerrius, thirty six year old was only good
a couple of years ago. Get there, Get Ryan Presley
the thirty six year old that was good a couple
of years ago.

Speaker 15 (02:11:57):
I mean, it's one of those where we thank you
for your service, but you're not gonna go get Justin
Verlander right now to round out your rotation for the
same reason his numbers suck.

Speaker 1 (02:12:05):
Jim Crane might try to find a way. He's petitioning
the league. It's for a new trade deadline. If he
wants to be a coach. I'm down, man. I don't
want him pitching good. He coached up Hunter Brown.

Speaker 3 (02:12:16):
Well, let me think about it.

Speaker 15 (02:12:18):
Justin Verlander can tell you a lot of things that
other guys won't be able to because of his experience.
Justin Verlander can't do those things anymore. That's the difference. Yeah,
and it happens everybody. Father's time is undefeated. Undefeated, He's
gonna get us all he's.

Speaker 1 (02:12:30):
Gonna get you. I know, man, I'm having a good day,
so I hope it's not all. I'm sorry, meet. I
hope you make it through the day as well.

Speaker 14 (02:12:35):
Adam.

Speaker 1 (02:12:36):
It's certainly at least at two o'clock. All right, Time
for a quick break here here on the west Loop.
That means a lot on the show with Ross without Matt,
with Adam Clinton. You guys want to get in. We're
talking through strolls. We'll talk about anything. I imagine we'll
get off the rails soon enough. Here I'm talking about
Buoi Knights in a while, you know, let's bring it up.
Let's go, Let's tell John. Has Jonathan finally seen it?

(02:12:58):
Bugie Knights? Was that? Oh my gosh? Next segment here
nineteen ninety seven? Great film, great well action? What perfectly cast?
Nineteen ninety seven? Yep, right, Burt Reynolds Academy Award, winning
Bert Academy Award. He was one, and Mark was nominated. Okay,
but he didn't win it. Somebody was better. It's okay. Well,

(02:13:18):
he's a big, bright, shining star about a.

Speaker 15 (02:13:21):
Roller girl and Amber Waves should have been nominated too.
Just say you're my mom and then you can be
my mom. I'm nominating Julianne Moore for something in that role.

Speaker 1 (02:13:31):
The best line in the movie That was from an
actual Uh see you, this is you're the worst.

Speaker 7 (02:13:38):
I know.

Speaker 1 (02:13:38):
I'm taking a break. I'm not taking the bait. I'm
taking a break. Adam Clanton is here. We're here till
two o'clock. You guys want to get in, you can't
seven one three, two one two five seven ninety The
Matt Thomas Show with Ross with you till two o'clock,
The favorite time you go, You make the magic happen,
the magic of all reals, Baseball, the game, his bot, Orioles,

(02:14:07):
wrong man ship, All day's gotten luscow baby.

Speaker 16 (02:14:15):
Oh well, Mariners are in business. They got to run
around second, No out a. It's Mitch Garver. He's not
gonna comfort unless it's the Astros. I can't stand Mitch.
I've noticed this giant get his stupido switch patch on
their jerseys. Hey let's hear this curl chorus.

Speaker 1 (02:14:37):
This is very like nineteen seventies eighties. This started as
Orioles Magic, but like a discount Elton John it was
pretty horrible, and it has morphed into like a grocery
store jingle from the sevenies. Once you get rid of
the guy, Yeah, don't let that guy sing solo anymore,
you're back in the day. Krueger is the store where
it costs less to get more like it's that that

(02:14:58):
sounds vaguely familiar. Yeah, it's probably in the late eighties.
Maybe it's the same composer.

Speaker 3 (02:15:02):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (02:15:02):
All right, there you go myself. Let folks go, Orioles go.
They are leading the Mariners three to nothing right now. Uh,
you know what, how about the Orioles. Well, no, it's
a day game. They're not going to be tired when
they get into town anyways, even though it goes like
fifteen innings. So you know what, just just win the game.
Just win, baby.

Speaker 15 (02:15:20):
Tell you how funny it would be if all of
those Jabbronis who were on social media the other night bragging,
this is what the Mariners do every year.

Speaker 1 (02:15:31):
Oh yes, they're so Why are they so cocky?

Speaker 15 (02:15:34):
That is the most I mean when we tell we
joke and we say the term poverty franchise, you know,
like you can say that to pretty much anybody that
you're playing at one point or another. But genuinely, what
have the Mariners ever effing done in their lives?

Speaker 1 (02:15:48):
Nothing? And you had two of the most generational players
of the nineties, Mitch Garver struck out, actually had three.
I told you wouldn't do anything, you wouldn't play in
the Astros. I wasn't even looking, and I knew that
would happen. You have the big unit, you had Griffy,
you had Meets, you a Rod, Yeah you Hady, It's true.

Speaker 15 (02:16:06):
You had a Rod and you have what the show
for it nothing and now your best player is known
as big Dumper.

Speaker 1 (02:16:13):
So appropriate. I mean they suck. Well, they are only
one game back at the Astois right now before the record.

Speaker 15 (02:16:21):
You know me with all my list of hate, I
was hating Josh Naylor when he was in Cleveland, so
I was way ahead of the curve.

Speaker 1 (02:16:26):
Why the hell would one Why would one spend energy
on hating Josh Naylor the Cleveland.

Speaker 15 (02:16:32):
Guardian because back then he was in the postseason with
the Guardians, and uh, he was just he's not a
likable guy.

Speaker 1 (02:16:39):
Okay. But now he's on a division rival. I hate
him even more. Okay, So you can, I mean, you
can hate him now again.

Speaker 5 (02:16:46):
I can.

Speaker 1 (02:16:47):
That's not and I just don't get I mean, you
can lobby. You don't need my author anybody, you don't
need my authorization to hate anything because you hate enough.

Speaker 15 (02:16:55):
But okay, JP Crawford another guy who never does anything
unless it's again it's the Astros.

Speaker 1 (02:17:00):
He's a square. He's like one hundred and thirty five pounds,
and then against the Astros he gets like five infield hits.
He was one of the reasons they were leading that
game Game one. I'll tell you what.

Speaker 15 (02:17:09):
Speaking of like our relationship and all of the relationships
I have with my co workers here at seven ninety,
I'll tell.

Speaker 1 (02:17:15):
You what there is who told you upper deck? Yeah,
but it was not It wasn't just that you said it.
It was that it happened.

Speaker 15 (02:17:23):
And the reaction of you, I almost got like, you know,
you're sometimes in a car collision and you have to
call Makarram injury lawyers by the way, you know, because
you're you've been injured.

Speaker 1 (02:17:33):
Yeah, because your neck or your bat whatever. Huh.

Speaker 15 (02:17:36):
I thought I was gonna feel like I was in
a car accident the next day because Ross he literally
grabbed my.

Speaker 1 (02:17:42):
Like he grabbed me by the neck. I started shaking
me like like happy Gilmore is Caddy. Yes, that's exactly. Yeah,
That's what I felt like. And I didn't even I
wasn't even mad. It was great. I'll always remember that,
man like I would.

Speaker 15 (02:17:56):
I remember I was with my buddy David at my
house watching all eight teen innings of Game three.

Speaker 1 (02:18:01):
Uh huh.

Speaker 15 (02:18:01):
You know I know where I was and who I
was with for all these awesome places in Houston sports memory.
So you know, like I was standing in the hallway
with Gordie when Kyle Tucker caught the final out and
then we went onto the field. The only two people
from Sports Talk seven ninety they got to uh, I think,
well until later then you got out there.

Speaker 1 (02:18:20):
I was out there almost like the initial wave, which
really was in the initial wave, they a bunch of
field that as final out you were, Well, you weren't
there with us in line waiting. I was in line waiting.

Speaker 3 (02:18:31):
It was me and.

Speaker 1 (02:18:35):
Joe Tyler Soto. I think, Okay, that Anaheim Angels fan
that he is, Yes, one of the many the myriad
former producers here at Sports Talk seven ninety. I said,
there was turnover. Yes, there is very high turnover. We're
happy you're here, Jonathan. All right. Yeah. Anyways, so how
how how we feel in it? I guess does you
sound like you feel like pretty confident. Like I said,

(02:18:57):
first of all, everything's ebbs and flows. You get the
news that Josh going to be out probably for a
significant amount of time, and I'm just not feeling as
confident as I was previously getting that news because I
was kind of optimistic that it wasn't gonna be something
that's gonna remove him from the roster for the season.
But it kind of feels like it's trending in that
my lack of optimism about his situation specifically is far more.

Speaker 15 (02:19:24):
Pointed towards next season and beyond than this year. Does
that make sense because of what we just talked about.
I mean, your roster is what it is now, including
your bullpen, and you have a bray you and you
have some guys that have, you know, looked good that
I think you can spell him because you have hater.
Believe me, that's the only reason I'm saying this. My

(02:19:46):
concern is it's not as elbow in a weird way,
I almost wish it were. No, no, no, let me
let me explain explain. If it's a rotator cuff just
for this too, that's not a one year thing. That's oh,
he's not gonna come back and throw ninety eight anymore,
he's gonna throw like ninety four. He's gonna throw ninety three,
like his velocity's gonna be affected. Yeah, And it's not

(02:20:08):
gonna necessarily be one of those things either where you
can say, all right, he's ready to go.

Speaker 1 (02:20:12):
He just it's almost like a hamstring. There's no.

Speaker 15 (02:20:16):
Real definitive timeline because everybody's different. It's his rotator cuff.
It's legit, the first step to making the pitches he's
needing to make. And you just gave him how much money?
And this is gonna be going into year three. I
don't feel good. I don't know anything. Like I said,
I was not told anything last night. It was more

(02:20:38):
of a good vibes exchange type situation.

Speaker 1 (02:20:41):
I think when we get the uh, I mean when
you hear When I saw the quotes Joe spill I
was like, yeah, I needed to give him some space.
I mean, that's not okay, okay, glad you brought that up.

Speaker 15 (02:20:53):
We all by now on August fourteenth of twenty twenty five,
especially this year, we all speak Joey.

Speaker 1 (02:21:00):
We a spot of ease. We have been able to
translate what he's saying. Dana Brown too, because Dana Brown
and Joe Spot to have this thing they do where
it's like coded optimism. Yes, it's giving you a little
bit of hope. Even if you got to read between
the lines, neither one of them are doing.

Speaker 3 (02:21:22):
Wait what.

Speaker 1 (02:21:24):
Are you talking this on air or not?

Speaker 7 (02:21:26):
No?

Speaker 11 (02:21:27):
He did, Okay, okay, no, no, no, no, because this
is this is the direct he wanted me to say
in your ear. But if you guys want he said, Okay,
we're talking, we let us say break Jonathan Okay, well
then he can get on air.

Speaker 1 (02:21:42):
Okay, look, look Jonathan, you don't Okay, Jonathan's talking. I'm
very yes, but uh no, Jonathan, Brian Olima is off air.
Call it does it doesn't need to interrupt a segment
in my ear. I'm sorry, I'm very I am horrible
taking I f b I completely too. It completely stops
my train of thought. Yeah, I'm the same mom. So yeah,

(02:22:05):
we're gonna break in like thirty seconds and we can
talk about it. Sorry, Okay, I don't know what I
was saying. I don't know either.

Speaker 3 (02:22:10):
It's fine.

Speaker 1 (02:22:10):
Shout out Brian a Lima. He I think he really
loved all the pictures that you were posting, and everybody
was posting of their children in the first aid school.
It went over swimmingly with him, Okay, after I responded,
all right, we're gonna know you were Wait, well, you
were talking about twenty twenty two. Apparently our memory was off.
I don't know. Uh, you were the first one on
on the field with with Gordy. Gordy and I were

(02:22:31):
waiting to go onto the field after the final out.
I was on the field in twenty twenty two. No, no,
I know everybody was out there eventually. What I'm saying
was in line and I was in line for the
final out. Why was in line waiting for the final hours?
Where were you when you were stopped? What do you
I was probably behind you, maybe, I don't know. There
was a long line, yeah, but definitely myself and I
believe Tyler's Soto and maybe Michael Conner. Maybe eventually we

(02:22:55):
all wound up out there. I don't know, because that
night I got hammered drunk at the rooftop where we
were broadcasting and doing a postgame. What was the hotel?

Speaker 3 (02:23:03):
I remember?

Speaker 1 (02:23:03):
No free plugs, That's true. Nice deck out there, yeah,
you like the deck a lot, well, it's it's a
great place. It's a nice scenic view. If you will
quick break here on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross
and Jonathan Allen is here and Adam Klant is here,
but Matt Thomas is not here. Funny how that works
with you until two o'clock. We'll be back here in

(02:23:25):
just a second. Hate everything everything. I'd hate him if
you played for any other franchise. That is so lame.

Speaker 17 (02:23:34):
It just doesn't do anything for me. I hate it
because because it sucked. I hate the Lakers and the Jazz.
I probably hate you, probably hate you. You think I
hate the Texas the biggest showed in the entire sports world.

Speaker 1 (02:23:45):
It sucked. He's been drinking the hater rate again with
all the sports hate that I can muster, and now
more of what Adam hates. But that's just me. It's
a classic. That's from the proper gentleman.

Speaker 3 (02:24:05):
You know that.

Speaker 15 (02:24:06):
No one time I hosted the morning show here with
this other guy, and that was one of the segments we.

Speaker 1 (02:24:12):
Did well, you know occasionally. You know what I don't
hate when we were allowed to do it. I don't
hate that the Orios are winning five nothing and the
rain and it's pouring rain and it's let's get to
the end of the fence so we can call the game.
But seriously, like you said, we're looking at the screen
right now, it's not just it's pouring like the rain
drops you can see in the field of view. Come on,
come on call this. Let's get the third anyway, Yeah,

(02:24:35):
we need the third out and we need this game called.

Speaker 15 (02:24:37):
You know, last night it was uh I believe it
was three to one, and then they tied it and
then they got walked off. Anyway, I'm just not like
Wex and I completely are on Here's here's a shocking revelation.
Wex and I are on completely different sides of things
on something. He is like bullish on the Mariners, and

(02:24:59):
I'm telling him.

Speaker 7 (02:25:00):
Why not?

Speaker 1 (02:25:01):
They always do this, dude, They do this every year.
It doesn't matter. Last year's team has nothing to do
with this, did this three years ago, it doesn't matter.
Business group of guys. Yeah, okay, and then what you
added Josh Naylor And okay, great, Josh. He started he
hadn't done anything, he hadn't done anything yet, and he
didn't do anything when Seattle had him the first time,

(02:25:23):
and they traded him and then they trade it back
for him. Okay, I'm just saying, like you're you're trying
to convince me that they're going to win the next
ten World Series in a row because they I'm gonna
guarantee you what you said, I'm gonna guarantee you. And
Wex said that was t you. Neither of us said that.
All I'm saying is they're a threat. They're yeah, they're

(02:25:43):
They're a huge threat. Getting the Orioles taken two out
of three of them from them. Right now, your best
hitter has the best the worst broken hand of all time.
You just lost your closer. Oh look man, right, it
looks like the rain let up actually a little bit. No,
actually it hasn't. It looks like the Orioles. Come on, man,
runners on the corners. Where are the outs? Oh there

(02:26:05):
it is duh. Yeah, it looks it looks like Dan
Wilson wants this game postponed. But I think the Orioles
are trying to get the third out. Yeah it is.
It is right, It is a full on down.

Speaker 15 (02:26:16):
Although right now the Mariners are having a mound meeting
and Josh Naylor's fat. In case you're wondering he's still fat,
and it's it's not like you're not seeing the downpour
that you were seeing like two minutes ago.

Speaker 1 (02:26:26):
So I yeah, get this. I'm with you, man, call
it one more out and call it. Let's get over
the episode of the Office when they're doing the CPR
to uh staying alive by the beg's Oh, Kevin can't
get it and he just goes call it. That's what
they should do with this game right now. Hopefully. Come on, now,
well we did the hate intro. Is there anything else

(02:26:48):
you want to talk about that you hate?

Speaker 7 (02:26:49):
Uh?

Speaker 1 (02:26:49):
No, I'm good, Okay, I'm trying to be a better
person these days.

Speaker 7 (02:26:53):
You know what.

Speaker 1 (02:26:55):
Grow That's all we can do. All you can do
is try to be better than you were yesterday. Sometimes
I want to be worse. Christian and Lamark go ahead.

Speaker 7 (02:27:07):
Spiller real and Adam Clinton. Hey, Jonathan, I mean just
wanted to basically come Jonathan can say hello, my apologies,
do my apologies. It's just it's been three months since
I called this station. But still though a couple of

(02:27:27):
things I want to get off my chest. First of all,
I think, as Astro stands, we need to stop relying
on other teams to do our dirty work and just
make sure that the Astros do theirs, because I would
rather basically listen to anything else other than that Orioles
Magic jingle that y'all just played. I mean, I can think, yeah,

(02:27:49):
I could probably think of five worser jingles that y'all
grew up with that were probably worser than that. But
the main thing I want to talk about is, with
the anticipation deepening inside of me about the Rockets regular
season schedule about to be released, I just gotta act
s ask how many games do you think the Rockets

(02:28:11):
will get on these new platforms that are gonna be,
you know, showcasing this team?

Speaker 1 (02:28:16):
Because we all know the.

Speaker 7 (02:28:18):
Rockets got the first game on NBC on Channel two
in particular, coming up on October twenty first against the Thunder.
But how many games do you think they'll get on
national TV overall?

Speaker 1 (02:28:29):
With this newfound interest? What's the typical? Like, what's all
the Lakers probably get? Like twenty five? Well, that's what
I was gonna say.

Speaker 15 (02:28:37):
What's the what's the norm for the top TV drawing
teams even if they're clearly not top teams?

Speaker 5 (02:28:42):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (02:28:43):
I would say probably probably I'm gonna so if that's
the case, and the you know, I think this has
something to do with it, because now there's more mouse
defeat though, right, Amazon Prime, NBC ABC still right.

Speaker 15 (02:28:59):
Yep, ESPN, ABC is still a thing. Unfortunately, like they'll
have the NBA Finals, so we'll still be stuck with
Mike Breen.

Speaker 1 (02:29:07):
I'm not as high on him as everybody else. He's fine,
He's just not Mars. He just okay, it's so what well,
then stop living in the past.

Speaker 3 (02:29:17):
The game.

Speaker 1 (02:29:18):
Kevin Harlan. Kevin Harlan's not better than Mike Breen. Yes, bestball.
I don't think he's better than he's better than Mike
Breen and everything. What are you talking about?

Speaker 15 (02:29:27):
What's the most Hey, what's the most unique call from
Mike Breen in the history of his career? You can't
name one because it's vanilla ice cream the whole thing. Yeah,
he said bang a million times.

Speaker 1 (02:29:37):
And what's the most unique thing. Kevin Harlan is funnier,
but he's got a distinctive voice the building right like,
and he just comes up with that stuff on the fight.
Here's a flamethrower. Brain can't do that. And I know
what you're gonna say. Well, what was Mars's signature phrase?

Speaker 3 (02:29:54):
Yeah?

Speaker 15 (02:29:54):
He also had a spectacular move by Michael Jordan.

Speaker 1 (02:29:57):
He had a down town and shot a facial when
you exactly that was not good? That was very good.
What are you talking about? His signature line was about
to bite you in the back. He also didn't say block,
he said rejected. He had signature phrase whatever. Mike Brain's
like being He's terrible. He's not terrible.

Speaker 6 (02:30:16):
He is.

Speaker 1 (02:30:16):
You're so wrong.

Speaker 15 (02:30:17):
Let me tell you something, anyway, what else do you
Mike Breen, Doris Burke, and Dick Jefferson was the worst.

Speaker 1 (02:30:25):
It was not great. Ever, Mike Breen, you could argue,
is lost as fastball. He's not as energetic as he
used franky, Oh my god, how fast you're We'll see
you're wrong. Zach Greenky threw like one hundred. He's in
nineteen seventy five, and Zach Greenky threw in the high
nineties and up to one hundred. Absolutely, all I know
is that Mike Brain's not that great. All right, anyways,

(02:30:45):
And everybody agree we're into the sixth inning. That's not true.
We're into the sixth inning. On Baltimore versus uh Seattle.

Speaker 15 (02:30:53):
I'll tell you, I'm very excited about uh my boy
Noah Eagle getting some run on these new streaming services.

Speaker 1 (02:31:01):
You don't like Noah no I call him nepotism Eagle.
Why because he's also good like his dad. He's pretty good. Yeah,
he's right. I mean, I'm never mind. I'm not even
gonna argue with you. Are you gonna call him a
nepo baby?

Speaker 3 (02:31:14):
He's not.

Speaker 1 (02:31:16):
I mean, if if I'll give you that, you know.

Speaker 15 (02:31:20):
His he's clearly got in because of his dad's influence
somewhat or his whatever.

Speaker 1 (02:31:25):
But like you've got to still do the job, absolutely,
but you also got to get an opportunity. Larry and Dallison,
you're next up.

Speaker 14 (02:31:34):
Well, I'll tell you why, guys. All that I have
to say to Houston fans is that we just need
to R E L A X relax. Okay, Jake Myers,
Jake Myers hopefully is gonna be back same. I don't know.

(02:31:59):
I don't know what the look how it is on him,
but thank goodness, when he was coming up, people were
asking and telling Astro's management and Dusty Baker to get
rid of Jack Myners.

Speaker 1 (02:32:16):
Well, you know what, You're right, but I was in
the Jake I founded the Jake Myers fan club area,
and I stayed steadfast president.

Speaker 14 (02:32:22):
That's holy ross. And you know what, Dusty Baker was
a manager that won over two thousand games as a
major league manager. And he didn't win over two thousand
games by being stupid.

Speaker 1 (02:32:36):
Uh not true, asked some of the fans. Some people
say he soiled his diaper out there.

Speaker 14 (02:32:43):
Well, the record, the records, and uh, you know, I
mean I can't wait for Jack to get back.

Speaker 7 (02:32:54):
Uh.

Speaker 6 (02:32:56):
Yes.

Speaker 14 (02:32:56):
And as far as the pitching, his concern bray being
where he is. I watched him last night and I
watched uh the other fellows.

Speaker 1 (02:33:07):
That that.

Speaker 14 (02:33:11):
Susan and Sis has been you know, I mean, we
just needed to give him some time to just really
set himself up. I mean, you know, the hell out
of four batters, he struck three out of four batters out. Yes,
there's a lot of good things about Sissa, and there's

(02:33:32):
a lot of good things about her. Bray You, there
are some things about her bray You in the past
that you know with with heav you scratching your head,
going God almighty, He's gonna give up. He's gonna give
up another hit.

Speaker 1 (02:33:50):
Because we have to go to break and we are
up against it, so we will react to everything he
had to say when we come back one and sixty
six eight six eighty six. You're listening to the Jungle
get down forty nine past. I'm Jim Rome. Welcome back

(02:34:16):
Southern California. One one hundred and sixty three six eight
six eighty six. They have put the tarp on the
field in Baltimore, b More. How are you feeling right now?
Five nil O's Let's go O's h town watching the scoreboard,

(02:34:40):
trying to desperately get that half game on their off day,
and the O's were doing them a favor. They were
doing them a solid.

Speaker 15 (02:34:48):
Alvin fade that music out, man, can't hnder myself think, Alvin,
fade the music down, thank you. The O's were trying
to do the Astros a favor. And then mother Nature
said nay, started pouring down rain in b More. All

(02:35:13):
the crackheads are going under the freeway to take shelter.
It's like the wire out there, a five to nothing
lead looking solid in the sixth inning, and then oh,
the tarp goes on the field.

Speaker 1 (02:35:27):
Oh h town. That sucks for you. You were hoping
to get a half game on your off day instead,
Mother nature had different plans. And the Mariners are still alive.
They could still win this thing. I don't think it's
gonna happen. Jimothy, you know, does he even do terrestrial

(02:35:47):
radio anymore? Or is it all web? I have zero clue.
I don't know, but I used to be sure you
would know. Many moons ago, I was an everyday listener.
You were absolutely. I didn't know you were that big
of a clone. I mean I listened to sports. Put
it this way, I listened to sports radio every day, okay,
and I will listening to him. I certainly wasn't a
Colin Cowherd fan. I like the Jim Rump Show for sure.

(02:36:08):
A Colin Cowherd on breaks, well, you could you could
talk about how USC was gonna trash Texas and they
had no chance. He's an idiot.

Speaker 7 (02:36:16):
You know.

Speaker 15 (02:36:16):
It hurts my heart that one of my best buddies
in this business is his producer.

Speaker 1 (02:36:21):
I'm not gonna name names because I don't know. We
could figure it out. It's Matt Thomas. His name dropped
him several times. Yeah, but like he's a good dude.
He's from Houston. Yes, he he used to produce Jane
Moore's show. Yes, and by produce, I mean right the
whole thing.

Speaker 7 (02:36:40):
It was.

Speaker 1 (02:36:40):
It was an interesting time. I love Jay Jay's If
you would have told me that Jay, who was married
to Nicky Cox, would then divorce Nicky Cox. Now he's
with Genie Bus marry Genie Buss, Geene. That's a genius move,
by the way, of course it is. I wonder if
they signed it pro Absolutely I would, and she was

(02:37:01):
the one pushing it. Still, you get to live the
lifestyle for a while. What's your favorite Jmore role? None,
you don't like him, I mean, what's okay? Tell me
what his Give me his three best roles. He was
that one dude in Jere McGuire, Bob Sugar. He was
Bob Sugar. What are his other two most iconic roles?
Not King of New York. What was the movie he
was in with Christopher Walking because he does a great

(02:37:23):
Christopher Walking impression. Yes he does. I can't remember what
it was called True Romance. I think he's in that one.
I've seen True Romance. I don't remember him in true romance.
But when he used to he do you remember when
he used to fill in for Jim Rome. It was hilarious.
He would do like Carl's junior commercial impressions. Right, I'm
not I mean, look, I'm not gonna say the guys
you're just talentless.

Speaker 15 (02:37:44):
You just everybody here at seven ninety like has a
bad taste in their mouth because of the whole show thing.

Speaker 1 (02:37:49):
No, that's not true. I told you to name me
three iconic roles. You couldn't even do it. I name too. Yeah, exactly,
sixty's out of past a grade because he's not like
a star, he's a character. I mean, he's fine, it's
all right. That's like asking, Uh, I don't even know.

(02:38:10):
I don't even know. We always talk about I've been
kind of doing this with Matt. We talk about tear
tears like, of course we call Jessica al but Tier one, yeah,
still absolutely ating like a fine wine. Jmore. Tier three
of actors and comedians, maybe even Tier four. Have you
seen his stand up before?

Speaker 3 (02:38:28):
Yes?

Speaker 1 (02:38:28):
At the improv say, I did see.

Speaker 14 (02:38:33):
He's all right?

Speaker 1 (02:38:34):
Tier three? What you got him? Tier one? You're pitt
You are such an elitist. You know that about everything about.
What are you talking about? Think I have taste? I
didn't think I have taste. That's something an elitist would say.
Just enjoy it, man, I don't enjoy it. It's a
stand up act. If he's not bombing, then it's probably
gonna be Okay, that's fine. So it's pizza to you.

(02:38:58):
M No, pizza could be very too. Pizza tier one.
Even bad pizza is tier three. Though pizza can shift it.
It's a tear shifter. You're such an elitist. What am
I elitists about? Well, apparently pizza. I'm sitting here in
jeans and a T shirt hanging out. You know what.
That's what an elitist would do.

Speaker 15 (02:39:18):
They would dress in jeans and a T shirt and
judge everything else that's not good enough.

Speaker 1 (02:39:21):
I'm not judging anyone or anything. It's okay, elitist. From now,
I said I liked your shirt. Does that make me
an elitist? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (02:39:27):
But it was.

Speaker 1 (02:39:27):
It was a sideways compliment.

Speaker 7 (02:39:28):
No, I like it.

Speaker 1 (02:39:29):
It's a nice it's a nice shirt. But when I
talk about that right now, okay, well, what's the problem.
You're being an elitist. I don't think you're right. I
don't because I don't like j Moore. Okay, I you
just said you did. Now you're saying sorry, no, I
said I don't. I don't hate him. I am indifferent. Okay,
what's he doing now? Is he still doing stand up?

(02:39:50):
I don't know. I could text him and ask him, well, yeah,
he was Bob Sugar thirty years ago, and it's really
you should say something. That's my favorite line when he's
firing him at the at the restaurant. Yeah, he did
a good job as a role. I mean it was
okay for that, for sure, it was. It was very
James Woods of him. How confused are the prize horse
right now? By the way, I don't know they can
come back. You're you're doing Jim Rome impressions for three

(02:40:15):
minutes and then we're talking about Jay Moore and Bob Sugar.
Prize horses are pissed right now. Well, prize wars are pissed.
They wanted their free stuff. We call them prize pigs.
By the way, twenty two year old Jonathan are you
twenty three now? Jonathan?

Speaker 5 (02:40:29):
Right?

Speaker 1 (02:40:29):
Happy birthday? It's his birthday? Yeah, it was Monday or Sunday, Monday.
It was Monday, and you went ahead and told him
on Thursday. Great job. That's something I said something two
days ago. I think this is Tuesday now. He was
keeping it low key. Oh, he doesn't like any attention.
He doesn't like the attention of how old he's old.
Now you're old and crusty. Man, you're twenty three. Shoot
my knees for like that. But y'all like, what fifty five?

Speaker 3 (02:40:51):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (02:40:51):
Wow, I just turned three five yesterday. Appreciate you. He
just asked if if we were fifty five. I mean,
I know something old now, But god, man, that's something
somebody young would say. Okay, look, let's see j Moore
Jade show only lasted like not even a year. So
clearly Premiere Radio Networks didn't think he was that great

(02:41:13):
radio show. That's not how good of an actor he
was so great. If he was so hilarious, he would
have lasted longer on the show.

Speaker 15 (02:41:18):
I'm rating rate Wex's mood just based on the facial
expression he's making on one to ten.

Speaker 1 (02:41:23):
I mean, it looks like he's got resting. Wex's face
looks normal to me. All Right, we're gonna take a
quick break here, on Sports Talk seven ninety. Adam Clann,
thank you for hanging out. You're welcome. Chris Gordy, thanks
for hanging out. Oh, we never replayed. Brian McTaggart. You
can catch on the podcast sports Talk seveny dot com.
Adam Weser is coming up. They call it the A Team.

(02:41:44):
That's next here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Brian Bogus
SVIC tomorrow ten to noon here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
The mat Time, The Show with Ross