Astros Spring Training Weekend Recap, NFL Combine Prospects Outlook, Rockets Lose To Kings, UH Takes Down Cincinnati

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Salisbury.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Hot, Okay, let's do this. Shawn Salisbury.

Speaker 3 (00:12):
To usc truth, longtime friend, Shawn Salisbury.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Brian Lima, go Lobos. This is the Shawn Salsbury Show.

Speaker 4 (00:22):
What's going on?

Speaker 5 (00:22):
Buddy?

Speaker 4 (00:23):
What are we doing?

Speaker 5 (00:24):
Great?

Speaker 4 (00:24):
Good morning? How you doing?

Speaker 1 (00:26):
Until I got no complaints? I mean, you know, look,
you know, we we pretty much had it all this weekend.
We had you know we do on Mondays on the
A Team, the good, bad, and the ugly, I mean,
really Houston sports landscape. This weekend, we pretty much had
it all. You could probably say. The good is Kelvin
Sampson and his crew winning their second straight Big Twelve

(00:47):
championship as they are going to close out the regular
season this week, including tonight at home against Kansas and
then Saturday is going to close out the regular season
up at Baylor and then they all head to Kansas City.
The bad was the absolute egg laid by the Rockets
and what they tried to do on Saturday night just

(01:11):
couldn't get over the hump against the Sacramento Kings. And
then I wouldn't really necessarily say it was ugly. I
would actually say another good we finally got see Jose
al two vay out and left field and actually get
some action yesterday.

Speaker 6 (01:25):
Yeah, I think they all fall into that category. The
Rockets have played fantastic basketball this year, and then they've
had a couple of lulls, but that's understood an eighty
two game season, let alone with a team that's littered
with a lot of young players that are still learning
how to win. Now what forty one wins?

Speaker 4 (01:41):
Last year?

Speaker 6 (01:42):
They played five hundred basketball and they are learning how
to win. And their coach has done a fantastic job.
U Docas is teaching them along the way. And you know,
you got to get over the suffering and you got
to get over the good stuff too and keep moving
until the end. As far as Jose al Twov, I
don't think the al two bight thing is going to
be that big a deal.

Speaker 4 (01:58):
I just don't.

Speaker 6 (02:00):
The one thing is as a whole, you're gonna run
on their arms. That's we've discussed that on this show.
There's no doubt until they prove they can throw somebody out.
That's a bottom third. As far as the hose goes,
the fire hose is gonna I don't think we're worried
about you know, Vlad Guerrero Senior or you know, Dewey
Evans or Roberto Clemente with outfield arms, but they'll defend

(02:21):
good enough in Al two Vay and left field.

Speaker 4 (02:23):
Listen, the guy is.

Speaker 6 (02:24):
I love a guy who basically volunteers and wants to
do it like he's five, you know, gets excited at Christmas,
and I think he'll do it just fine. I wouldn't
anticipate a gold Glove. But when's the last time you thought,
oh my gosh, that we have the most dominant left
fielder in baseball. It's been a minute since they've had,
you know, since they've had that. So they're gonna lose
on the arms. Their defense will still be fine with

(02:44):
myers and center. But I don't think it's some big
detriment because oz al two VA's shorter playing left field,
he's athletic, and he's got good hand eye coordination.

Speaker 4 (02:52):
It's the bats that I worry about.

Speaker 6 (02:54):
And then obviously the goodest Calvin Sampson's team they are.

Speaker 4 (02:57):
We know they'll defend this year.

Speaker 6 (02:59):
They can knock down shots, and I think under pressure,
the ability to knock down shots is this tournament moves along.
They go take care of Kansas, which is a different
team than they have been in the last few years
under Bill self, and they're just different this year, which
means advantage and especially at home. They already took care
of them in Allen Fieldhouse. I fully expect obviously a
one seed. I believe they win out these next two games.

(03:20):
They're a one seed and then they got to go
and they'll defend. The thing I like about this team
they can win in the nineties and can win in
the fifties, and so yes, you got them all.

Speaker 4 (03:29):
I think they can do it all.

Speaker 6 (03:31):
The key for them will be well health, and they're healthy,
but the ability to make sure that you're knocking down
those shots inside of six seven minutes when you're in
you know, the sweet sixteen in Elite eight. This is
when I look around, there's not a team at the top.
The SEC is tough, and they're brutal and brutally good
should I say, and it's it's a great conference, but
they're battle tested as well Houston is, and they can

(03:52):
handle anybody in the country. I fully expect them to
be a team that the oddsmakers love during the tournament.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
It seems like they already do. And I mean you
brought up about the difference with this team as opposed
to the previous Kelvin Samson teams. I mean, you know, Sean,
a couple of weeks ago, I was there at Fertita
Center for Space City Saturday, and as I was walking in,
of course the game day crew, Seth Greenberg, Jay Billis
and everybody, and I was overhearing Seth Greenberg is, I'm
heading down the setup for the show. Say, the team

(04:23):
that probably during Kelvin Samson's tenure is compared to is
the twenty twenty one team, the team that made it
all the way to the Final four. And he said,
this team is better. And for the reasons that you
brought up about Emmanuel Sharp, LJ. Cryer, Milos Uzanne. I mean,
guys that can spot up and shoot. I mean that
has been a little bit of an issue with U

(04:44):
of H during Kelvin Samson's time, that in health. I
mean last year you look at it with Jamal shed
and you're thinking yourself, this team has a chance to
make a run, and then he goes down with the
ankle and Juwan Roberts's hurts and you just ran out
of gas. Frankly against Duke in the sweet sixteen. But
that's the difference with this team. It's a reason why
all these guys came back. It's a reason why Juwan

(05:06):
Roberts said, I'm not finished playing. It's you know, LJ. Cryer,
same deal of saying, I want a shot at this thing,
and I think that this team has a chance to
do it.

Speaker 4 (05:15):
I'm right there with you.

Speaker 6 (05:17):
For me, it's the I here's the things I always
know about Kelvin Sampson's team. One is, if you're a
player and you don't want to play defense, you're you're
gonna sit two. If there's no effort. You never have
to worry about that battle test that they are going to.
I say this often, but it doesn't happen often in
I say pro sports, but in college sports either. Maybe
more in college because there's a little more commitment on

(05:37):
the defensive end as an overall team usually, but you
don't get a lot of open looks and you play
the or second chance points. When you play the Cougars,
you just don't balls on the floor. Stars dive the
balls on the backboards, they crash. They'll go to the
offensive glass and do that too. But you are all
you are gonna have to work forty minutes minimum up
and down the floor. So you better be battle tested,

(05:58):
one thing. But you better be conditioned. And that's the
one thing about it. And they will roll them in
and they defend you and they can test every shot,
which is tough to get, you know, for six straight
games in a tournament to win the whole thing for
them to me. And they've got long range jump shooters.
Now they've got guys who can knock down and take
over a game beyond the three and beat you outside
as well as banging the ball inside, like you had
mentioned about Roberts and this entire team. But they've got

(06:22):
some moxie shooting the basketball. If they knock down shots,
this team will be in the final four with a
chance to win the whole thing.

Speaker 4 (06:29):
I do.

Speaker 6 (06:29):
I think this team looks a little different on the
perimeter to me, not that they haven't had good perimeter players,
but you know, when you get full health for the
most part, and you've got guys that can one night,
it's one guy one night, it's the next. That's when
the Rockets at their best, when three or four different
nights you got the Shengun one night then you've got
a Men Thompson the next and Jalen Green the next.
This team has that ability too, especially scoring wise, but

(06:52):
they'll get guys in double figures. But you've got to
work on the backboards and you've got to create that.
You've got to make some do some great things off
the ball, because they're contestant at all passes, shots, entry passes.
I love the Cougars this year and every year I
may say this, but I have this little different feeling
about their ability to shoot the ball. And I know
in the SEC they beat up on each other immensely

(07:12):
this year. So I'm curious to see what a great
basketball conference has become, how they go through this tournament
and when the seatings come around and after the you know,
the conference championships, where it goes if battle tested, and
I don't know how, you know, I don't know how
much it applies to basketball. I really don't look at
a guy like Tom Mizzo's Michigan State team early in
the season. We want, you know, they'll be hanging around.

(07:34):
Sometimes they'll be highly ranked, but they'll lose a couple
at some you know, on a Navy ship in San
Diego in a game or they'll lose something in at
saying what happened? And then right around now they start
beating you into submission, and they are always physical and
they lay last, and he's a great tournament coach. Well,
the question for the SEC this year, which is the
last couple of years they've played really good basketball is

(07:56):
and I don't know the answer, Dan, I don't know
the answer of you know, the how does is it
like football where men they've been beat up, they've been there,
a physical team and they practice hard every day and
by December their legs are gone. I don't know how
that's gonna apply to the SEC, or quite frankly, any
of the teams that can get up and down the
court in college basketball. I know this though. One thing
you're not gonna you will never ever have the upper

(08:19):
hand on University Houston is overall defense, overall shot contesting
and conditioning. And you know this. In baseball, if you
play defense and pitch, you got a chance. In football,
if you get after the quarterback and place defense and
have a really good front seven, you got a chance.
In basketball, while we love scoring, if you have great
guard play and you can test shots and defend you'll

(08:41):
have a chance to get there. Then it's gonna come
down as my star hit more shots than yours in
the final four in a big arena that has different sitelines.
That's what you got to ask yourself and we'll go
find out.

Speaker 1 (08:53):
Yeah, we had your buddy brad Nessler on with us,
was on the TV. Oh, he's the best. He is awesome.
You know, got to know him when I was in Atlanta.
He lives in Atlanta, and you know the station I
used to work at, he was a huge listener and
he'd dropped by the studio every once in a while.
So no, I'm absolutely in that same choir with you
on this. But he was talking about, you know, with

(09:14):
you of h is, they don't necessarily have a ton
of size, but they've got a lot of length just
across the board is something that really helps them out.
And it's funny too, you know you mentioning tom Izzo.
I've said this numerous times. It seems like Michigan State,
when they are highly ranked, that's when they don't perform
well in the tournament. But maybe you know, they go

(09:35):
through the regular season and they get a win here
or there. You know, a good quad win quad one win,
and it gets them into the tournament. It seems like
the most dangerous tom Izzo teams are the ones that
are like eight, nine seeds and you're kind of like.

Speaker 4 (09:49):
No doubt, no doubt, they're they're they're, they're okay.

Speaker 1 (09:51):
But then you know, then then they get to the
second round and they and they knock off a number one,
and you're just like, all right, here they go again.
And then sure enough you look up and oh, hey,
they're in the final four yet again.

Speaker 6 (10:02):
Around conference, you know, around December, you know, the tournaments,
and they come in they start big Mondays and you're
doing that in January conference play and they'll beat a few,
but there you're right hovering around the fourteenth, fifteenth, eighteenth
ranked team. Right then they'll just now, there are those
times when they come into the season their top fourteen,
don't misunderstand, but you know, when they're hovering around right now,
they're top ten. I think they are eight going into
the weekend. You know, I know they're top ten, but

(10:24):
you know, and we know one thing, they're going to
be physical. They're a lot like in truth when it
comes to defending and getting the to the basket. Meaning
getting to the glass and rebounding. They're a lot like
Michigan State Houston Is. I mean, there's there's a lot
of similarities. And I got news for it. They'll win
mutters too. They'll win a fifty eight, fifty four, fifty six,
fifty two games. But you are right, is Tho's team,

(10:45):
It's like, huh okay, they're fourteenth, and then they're twelfth,
and then they just they beat a top five team
late in the season before the conference championship, and then
they roll into to March and here we are and
Tom ISO's team.

Speaker 4 (10:59):
Get like you said's three seed, six seed.

Speaker 6 (11:01):
And even when you're right, when they're an eight or
nine seed, you can rest assured you're not eliminating them
in the first round.

Speaker 4 (11:06):
Usually.

Speaker 6 (11:07):
I mean, if I don't know what the Betty odds
dad are. Since since has been the coach in the
tournament and they've been a let's say a five seed
or worse, right, I will bet you they don't do
a whole lot of losing early in a tournament in
the past. I'm talking about when they're a lower seed.
Now there's upsets and maybe my metrotron, but from the
eye test it feels like that when you just kind

(11:28):
of sleep on it. There they're the oh, by the
way team, and then you say, yeah, oh, by the way,
But that's a grit like a Bill Self or a
Kelvin Sampson or with Krzyzewski in the day, or you know,
Roy Williams and this guy Izzo's in that category where
they just they're coaching, saves you games during the season
and you're like, oh, I got to go against Iszoh
you're gonna have a fist fight when you play his team,

(11:48):
so and then I just get that's exactly right. And
and maybe two because it's going to be a while
and and and that's who he and and you know him.
He's hard on them in practice, but they're they're not
sensitive when it comes to getting beat or being offended
or worrying about what other teams or people or rankings
are saying about them. Dangerous team inside the top ten
depending on the sea, but they are a dangerous team

(12:09):
come tournament time because of him.

Speaker 4 (12:11):
And you know they're gonna beat you up on a glass.

Speaker 2 (12:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (12:15):
And John Rosstein, who does a great job covering college
basketball for CBS Sports, he put out a tweet the
other day that said January February is oh April. So
that just kind of shows you what the reputation is there.
And it's funny too. You know, we can have this
conversation a little bit as the show goes along. The
reputation that you just threw out for the SEC, Now,
that's what for years we've been saying about the Big Ten.

(12:37):
Is Purdue, yep, Indiana, all of those teams yep.

Speaker 4 (12:42):
Yep, yep.

Speaker 1 (12:42):
I mean, just physical brand of basketball. And you wonder
if that translates all the way throughout the tournament. So
we'll see on that. But yeah, the Koog's gonna be
taking on Kansas tonight and seven forty five over on
our sister station, KPRC nine fifty. That's where the call
can be found.

Speaker 7 (12:59):
You.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
I mean, you know before we had to break here, Sean,
I mean, if you are looking for local sports today
here on our station, I got great news for you.

Speaker 4 (13:09):
You got plenty of it.

Speaker 1 (13:10):
So, uh, the Matt Thomas Show gonna work, not even
a half show today. You know, for all of the
belly aching that Matt and Ross do about us on
the A team, how much we work. I mean, you
know you and Brian, you guys are grinders no matter what.
You guys post four hours every single day.

Speaker 6 (13:26):
Yeah, we don't have a We don't have the luxury
because we play mini games in like a different continent
in the morning, you know, like a pre like like
a spring training game, like when the World Baseball Classic?
Was it that we got a couple of those. It's
like five years ago, like two of them early in
the morning.

Speaker 4 (13:43):
Whatever.

Speaker 6 (13:44):
Might you know a game that was like, wow, they're
playing it live. It might have been on esp I
can't remember what it was. But no, yeah, we got
to post every morning. But because they don't have I
don't think the Astros are our first pitches at seven
o five am today.

Speaker 4 (13:56):
We don't.

Speaker 6 (13:57):
We don't get that. We don't get that luxury. So
four hours, four hours is four hours log in time. Brother,
But you know what, why wouldn't we who's counting?

Speaker 4 (14:04):
That's it.

Speaker 1 (14:05):
That's it for sure. Astros in Marlin spring training action
today right here on Sports Talk seven ninety coming your
way at eleven fifty five and then Rockets launch Pad
Ross will be on that at six o'clock to lead
you up to Rockets and Thunder. Also here on Sports
Talk seven ninety today, we've gone through astros, rockets, U

(14:26):
of h a lot of different topics that are for
you there if you want to get in on the
phone line seven one three two one two five, seven
ninety and Sean, I'm gonna go ahead and put this
on your radar right now at seven thirty today, we
are calling upon draft Sanna because I bring this up
because the NFL scouting combine is done in Indy and

(14:47):
we've got our lists and hopefully he's checking it twice
of players that we hope are in Texan's Liberty White, Deep,
Steel Blue and battle Red when it's all said and
done over the three days of the NFL Draft coming
up next month, so we had all of the position
groups go through work. We will get into that a
little bit later on as the show moves along. But

(15:08):
coming up next, something I talked about on Saturday in
regards to the outfield. We talked about Jose Altuve, but
one of the concerns I don't think it's being talked
about enough. That's next right here on the Sean Salisbury Show.
Dan Matthews in for Brian Alima. He Sean Salisbury Triple
E and Manuel Elmore will continue next right here.

Speaker 4 (15:26):
Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 2 (15:27):
Ninety more Sean Salisbury on Sports Talk seven ninety Rockets
Play and Real Texans Talk.

Speaker 1 (15:38):
Jose Altuve out there in left field, gets a catch
right against the wall and also to a ball that
went through the wickets there for Luis ki Orme there
at shortstop, and then al Tuove had to come in
throw it home, skips away from Victor Caratini. So al
Tuove given an error on that. But it's also a
ball too that you'd hope that care team he could

(16:01):
corral in front of him. I mean, the run is
probably gonna score anyway, but still, at the same time,
at least a couple of chances to be tested out
there in the outfield. And Sean, for everything we talked
about there in the first segment, how about another bit
of major Astros news over the weekend. Lance McCullers throwing
live BP on Saturday in what he calls a major

(16:25):
step forward in his return back to the mound. I mean, look,
this is a guy that hasn't thrown a meaningful baseball
on a mound in over a couple of years, and
Neely touches ninety five in that appearance on the mound
on a backfield there in West Palm Beach.

Speaker 6 (16:41):
Yeah, my things I was talking last week is today
and tomorrow.

Speaker 4 (16:46):
I want to know how his body feels.

Speaker 5 (16:48):
That.

Speaker 4 (16:48):
That's for me.

Speaker 6 (16:49):
Obviously, when you're touching ninety five with that hook he's
got in the way he can throw off speed stuff
is a tremendous advantage in getting through that and throwing
live VP. I'm anxious to see now the next the today, tomorrow,
how's body recovers, you know, go on Saturday, because to me,
it wasn't getting through this because they wouldn't have thrown
him out there to do that if they all didn't

(17:10):
feel like he was equipped and ready to go for
that scenario. But the recovery, how quick is the recovery?
Is his arm or is his body sore or tired today?
Tired's one thing as long as there's no structural stuff.
But I'm curious to see if they say, okay, boom,
what's next and if everything stays on schedule, that guess
is what I'm talking about. For me, That's that's what

(17:31):
I want to know. I want to know how he
recovers after doing what he did. And as they start
to lengthen him and stuff as they go through spring
training obviously, but to me, that's the big deal. Wasn't
that he got through it. It's how he's going to recover
after it. And I'm anxious to see how that what
that response is the next couple of days.

Speaker 1 (17:48):
Yeah, that's seemingly been the issue with mccullors, and not
only him, I mean Luis Garcia as well. I mean,
you know, we thought last year that Garcia was trending
towards maybe September, he was gonna get back on the
mound for the Astros, and then it was, h oh,
there's a snag and we've got to shut him down.
And that's what we're hoping is not the case with mccullors.
But through twenty pitches again, like I said, with this fastball,

(18:11):
nearly hitting ninety five, also mixing in his curve, sinker
and change up in the live BP, and according to
Brian mctaggarts, his rehab program calls for him to throw
at least three live BP sessions before he's able to
get into a greape Fruit League action here sometime this month.

(18:32):
But it's also too I think the Astros and mccullors
both have done a good job of letting us know, like, hey,
no matter how good it goes in West Palm Beach,
he's starting off the season in Sugarland. And I think
that a lot of people at first are like, oh,
of course, I mean that's where it starts and we
know where this ends. But I mean, again, Sean, like

(18:53):
I said, he hasn't thrown a meaningful baseball in two years.
I mean to expect that this guy is just going
to jump right back in and be the starter that
he had been previous to the flexor tendon injury. I
mean before that, you know Tommy John surgery. I mean
it's I don't think it's it's it's realistic to think

(19:14):
that he's going to just hop right back in. There's
got to be a ramp up, there's got to be
a build up. And it's also too you need all
those things to make sure that he doesn't have a
prolonged absence.

Speaker 4 (19:25):
Again.

Speaker 6 (19:26):
Yeah, his a couple of things to this is one
he absolutely should start.

Speaker 5 (19:31):
In the minor leagues.

Speaker 6 (19:32):
Well, you got to see him, and I think that
he obviously wants to be a starter. The question is,
what do they think is he a starter? I know
what we've heard said, but depending on this rehab and
how he gets back and strength and that strengthens this
where what is the future, the near future and the
distant future for Lance mc colors. Is it in the bullpen?

(19:52):
Is it as a starting pitcher? I know where he
wants to be and I think we all do and
know that if he's at his best, that's what we're
going to get as him as a starting pitcher. So
that's one. But yes, go down, get work, get confidence.
Even though he's been in the league a while, that
confidence had to be shaken. You know, you're worried. When
was there another injury to happen? Am I ready? No
matter what happens. Haven't been a guy who've been through
two major knee surgeries. You go back out there even see, yeah,

(20:15):
have rehabbed my butt off, I'm ready to go.

Speaker 4 (20:17):
You're still not sure.

Speaker 6 (20:18):
You just aren't until you put your foot in the
ground and then there's pressure coming at you and you've
got to make the throw under the rest and you
take a shot to the lower half and say, okay,
my knee can survive this. After two major knee surgeries
and reconstruction. Well, the same goes for a pitcher. And
the thing when people say, when I say, well, I
want to see how his body feels after, you know,
twenty pitches, and people say, come on, it's twenty pitches.

(20:39):
But I get that, But I don't care how hard.
I've said this on this show. Always the intensity. You
can train for a year straight, throwing baseballs on the
side with your buddies in Scottsdale or in Houston or
in Florida, playing catch, getting yourself going during the off season.
You can swing the bat a thousand times in the
off season. The intensity changes when you're around the fellows.

(21:00):
It just does. So if he threw twenty, you know,
twenty pitches in a bullpen session with a catcher and
the bullpen coach and through those just as hard as
he did in the live batting practice session, his body's
going to feel different. I'm just telling you it is
because there's a certain intensity that goes with And you say,
how can you train all off season? As it called,

(21:20):
throw a thousand, thousands of balls in the off season
to make sure your arm's ready to go, Because the
truth is you shouldn't be getting to spring training or
training camp as a player to get in shape, you
should be in shape, and you get there, then it's
just the normal reps and ramp up that everybody goes through. Pitchers,
especially quarterbacks, same way. But the ball weighs the same
in the in training camp as it does are in
spring training as it does during the regular you know,

(21:42):
regular training camp for us and put my football ways
the same on the off season or during the season. Well,
every time you go to training camp, no matter how
many balls I throw, how hard I train, you put
gear on and it's a live seven on seven or
a live team drill or live blitz pick up. At
the end of that first day or second day, you're
you feel like your arm wants to fall off and
you gotta put ice on it and go do it again.
So after all the rehab, now twenty pitches, we say,

(22:04):
what's twenty pitches, but the intensity is almost doubled from
your hardcore bullpen session to batting practice for ego, pride
and just its different use of the body.

Speaker 4 (22:13):
It just is. So that's what I mean by recovery.

Speaker 6 (22:16):
So I'm anxious to see where Lance mccolors comes out
on this. If Lance mcclors is the Lance mccolors that
you'd saw back and you saw back in What's seventeen
and that guy, the Houston Astros, depth just got better
and deeper and it's going to make a world of difference.
But we're gonna find out who he is because we
can talk about it. But we've seen the movie, and
after two years we got to see a different movie.

(22:37):
This has got to be a different version, same wrapper,
but a different version of it.

Speaker 4 (22:41):
And here we are.

Speaker 1 (22:43):
Well, I mean, you know, and you can't say it
any better myself. Where live reps cannot be beaten. I mean,
live reps are the only way that you improve in
any sport. I mean, you know, you can have somebody
trying to come back on the basketball floor and they can,
you know, shoot as they can shoot every single basketball
on the rack a thousand times.

Speaker 4 (23:03):
But then it's all right.

Speaker 1 (23:04):
You know, you've got people closing out on you, or
you know, if you're a guy that plays down low,
you know, if players, you know, elbows and everything coming
at you that you're trying to be able to get
back into that shape, and I mean, that's that's the
only way you can and you can't do that for
the time.

Speaker 6 (23:22):
And you can't no matter what you do. It didn't
mean inter No matter what you do, you cannot. You
can't mirror that.

Speaker 4 (23:29):
You can't. It's still not the same.

Speaker 6 (23:31):
Well, we're talking about that intensity from off season to
practice and then practice to games. There's a there's another
leg just like preseason, regular season, postseason. There's a different
intensity there just is. So you you can't. And I'm like, Dan,
I tell you go go train for a month and
run it. And say, let's say and run a four
hundred You're training to run four hundred meter and you

(23:52):
go running on your own and man, you got your
your wife clocking you, and you're like, man, my best time.
And you've been running for six months to getting and
then all of a sudden, I put two of our
buddies in there and say race is on for a
hundred bucks in a four hundred meter. You're gonna be
more sore after one four hundred meter dead sprint then
you will have been for six weeks of training or

(24:13):
eight weeks of training, or you just are why the
body reacts to that tense and it does, and it's
like sometimes that reacts like damn, and you'll be sore
the next day. You say, how can I ran one
four hundred meter? I've been training for six months. It's
the intensity. Now, If I said that and nobody was
out there, same thing. And it applies to pitching, it
applies to sports. The second it's different. The body responds differently.

(24:37):
For some it's really good under pressure, for others it isn't.
That's what we're going to see with Lancema Colors. Which
one will it be for him?

Speaker 5 (24:44):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (24:45):
I think for that scenario you just threw out for me,
my white my right quadrus up just tightened up right there, So.

Speaker 4 (24:51):
There you go.

Speaker 1 (24:52):
I'm gonna do some I'm gonna do some stretching here
better than.

Speaker 6 (24:55):
The hammy right, just don't go handy, don't get a hammy.

Speaker 4 (24:59):
Hammies are. Hammies are tough.

Speaker 1 (25:00):
But for whatever reason, I always, I guess it was
whatever way I ran is the quadricep was always my issue.

Speaker 6 (25:07):
For that Sarah, quad guy, gotcha, I'm a quad quad guy?

Speaker 4 (25:11):
Yeah, got yah?

Speaker 1 (25:11):
Yeah quad. It never had issues with the hammies. It
was also it was always the quadriceps and h I
found that out in the Astros media Softball game a
couple of years ago, so you know, trying trying to
be able to bounce back from that and.

Speaker 4 (25:25):
Have been able to for the most part.

Speaker 1 (25:27):
But you know, one of the things you mentioned right there,
and we were going to get into because most of
the concern with this with the Astros is out in
the outfield. So I want to carry that over to
the next segment because again it's something I talked about
this weekend and even though there was a positive step
forward in this regard, I think that it is something
that still is going to be a constant talking point

(25:49):
for us with the Astros this year. So we'll talk
about that on the other side. Again, if you want
to get in on the phone lines, you can do so.
SEB one three two one two five seven ninety. Once again,
that's sub one three two one two five seven ninety.
He's Sean Salisbury. I'm Dan Matthews in for Brian Lima,
Triple E Emmanuel Elmore. It is a Sean Salisbury show,
Sport's Talk seven ninety.

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Speaker 4 (28:16):
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Speaker 2 (28:19):
The Shawn Salisbury Show continued.

Speaker 1 (28:23):
A game that is predicated on failure, that is the
game of baseball. And the Astros back on the field today.
They're gonna be out in Jupiter, taken on the Marlins.
It's gonna be fromber Valdez on the mound after Renel
Blanco goes a couple of innings yesterday, giving up two
unearned runs in a four to three loss to the Nationals.

(28:43):
But you know, I mean, we both know this to
Sean that the results themselves on the scoreboard don't necessarily matter.
You're looking at the individual performances on the field. And
one of the individual performances yesterday was a couple of
runs batted in by Jake Myers and a guy who
hadn't recorded a single solitary hits up until yesterday's game.

(29:06):
And speaking of going two for three, well that's exactly
what he did to put his spring training batting average
up to a robust one eighty two now with a
four thirty two ops.

Speaker 6 (29:17):
Once again, the weakness is not going to be I'd
worry more about outfield production at the plate right now
than I would al two vays defense and left field.
I'm not al two veays defense is going to be
just fine.

Speaker 4 (29:28):
He'll he'll survive it.

Speaker 6 (29:29):
When I hear people talk about, well, what about balls
up against the fence, that he's got a rob for
home runs? What three times a year you run into that,
it ain't gonna happen in Crawford boxes anyway, or in
Fenway Park. So I mean, let's let's be real that
you may have a chance to take three of them
down during the season that just barely go over and
you get up. But this guy's a you know, we
should be applauding his you know, ability to move around

(29:52):
and to it. He'll be fine. I'm not worried about it.
I'm not worried about his height. The measurables to me
and sports are overrated anyway. There's certain a few things
you can't measure, and you know, unfortunately that for some
but high baseball IQ and you know, big heart, I'll
take that over a guy who looks the part every
day but doesn't give you the same action. So I'm
not worried about that. I'm worried about what you're talking about.

(30:13):
Jake get his first hit, that's great, but sustaining what
one hundred and forty five to one hundred and fifty
games in center field and the right field position production
and obviously without two v playing left field, your bat's
going to be fine. It's the center and right field
position I'm concerned about. On offense, you know they couldn't.
They had trouble as a team driving in runners in
scoring position last week, which is something in the past

(30:34):
when they've been getting where they want to go, has
not been a big problem for the Astros. Obviously, we
know pitching and defense does matter, but people get paid
to rake and unfortunately right now that outfield, while the
arms may not be strong, defense will be fine. It'll
be it'll survive, and Jake's a really good center fielder
with a pop gun arm.

Speaker 4 (30:53):
It's going to come down to how they produce the plate.
Who is it going to be.

Speaker 6 (30:56):
Are we going to rotate all year long with lineups
or are you gonna find guys that can produce all offensively.
Seven eight nine got to take care of their business.
And it is Chas McCormick, Chas McCormick two years ago
or last year trying to pull everything. And is Jake
Myers ever gonna be a guy that can you know, uh,
north of two fifty And so the production part is
a concern. You can't have those, sans Altuve, those other

(31:19):
two positions can't go the season constantly patuning hoping that
we find somebody that can hit. They are gonna they're
not gonna win the games they want to win. If
the infield's the only thing we're doing producing wise at
the plate, you're gonna have to get some production later
in the lineup, sans al Tuove has said, because he'll
be at the top of it. But the Jake, we
know he can defend Canny, can he be counted on

(31:41):
for one hundred and fifty games.

Speaker 4 (31:43):
To be a productive player at the plate.

Speaker 6 (31:46):
They're going to need it because it because there's a
lot of good teams that there are three that got
good pitching staffs in this division alone, Dan and the
American League's pretty brutal to get through. I mean, you
know there's it's gonna be one of those competitive years,
and I don't think it's not going to be up
to major league standards at the plate, in center and
right field unless that gets changed.

Speaker 1 (32:06):
Well, I mean it goes beyond to the outfield. I mean,
because you talked about the production of the infield, and yeah,
you can pretty much count on Perretis, you can count
on Christian Walker. Both of those guys off to a
good start here during the spring. And I mean at
second base if that's Brendan Rodgers or if it's Mauricio Dubon,
But those aren't necessarily the guys I'm talking about. It's

(32:27):
the guy that was the ALCS and World Series MVP
for you a couple of years ago and seemingly has
just been a guy with the bat at the plate
the last couple of years. I mean twenty twenty three,
it was hey, where's the power with Jeremy Pania? And
then last year it was hey, where's the consistency with
Jeremy Pania. So those are all things that you have

(32:48):
to concern yourself with when it comes to this Astros lineup.

Speaker 6 (32:51):
And Dan he struggled late in the season defensively, which
was shocking to me. You know, he had some struggles defensively,
so the consistency goes now, whether that's the bad effect
and the glove or what have you, or just it
was a you know, an aberration of a run. And
talking to him when we were at the ask the
you know, the baseball fest, the Astros fest there at

(33:12):
Dyke And Park, there was a different look and as
I felt like, even though he's what year three for
he's a it felt like he had a little more
veteran in him and it's going to be incumbent upon
him to do it because my question is this, if
he struggles at the plate. Now he's had last year
he started hot and then struggle, But if he struggles
at the plate and the and the the numbers are

(33:34):
similar to what we've seen regular season wise, because he
was a monster his rookie year in the postseason. If
that happens, will there be people and we can discuss
this next Dan. Will there be people and I love Panya,
but will they start to question if he's the long
term answer if he doesn't produce at the plate. Take
away from how we felt about him and all this
stuff in the past and the m v P and

(33:54):
A LCS and this in the World Series, is is his?

Speaker 5 (33:58):
Well? His?

Speaker 6 (33:59):
Is this year like a Saturday moving day Augusta. Does
he got to play better to ensure that he's the future?
Or is that already just etched in stone O locked
and we're just gonna deal with it either way? Will
he be good enough the defense? He'll fix that. Will
he be consistent enough at the plate to warn it
He's gonna have to have his best year regular season
this year considering what's going on the outfit. As you mentioned,

(34:19):
I'm anxious to see where Jeremy Payne goes in, what
the patience level is for the fan base here on
Jeremy Payne's bat BINGO.

Speaker 4 (34:28):
That's a segue.

Speaker 1 (34:29):
We'll continue that next right here on the Seawn Salisbury Show.
He's Shawn Salisbury t and Matthews in for Brian Olima,
Triple Emmanuel Elmore as we will close out the six
o'clock hour right here on the Sean Salisbury Show. Sports
Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (34:44):
The Shawn Salisbury Show.

Speaker 4 (34:45):
Continues to no No, now, you know.

Speaker 1 (34:51):
So, I want to get back to the Astros conversation again, Sean,
if you want to join us here on the phone lines.
You can do so someone three two one two five
seven ninety once gonna seven one three two one two
five seven ninety. You know, we were talking about Jeremy
Pania and the conversation got started with Jake Myers out
there in center field. And you know, one of the

(35:12):
things I talked about this weekend was getting back to
Joe A. Spottas comments he had to Matt and Ross
out there in West Palm Beach about the leash on
Chas McCormick. And my thought was, I don't necessarily worry
as much about Chas McCormick, because I mean, we know
what he can be. We saw what he was last year,
and last year was not good. But I mean, you know,

(35:34):
you've got this constant yearning for roster flexibility this year,
especially to you don't have Alex Bregman around anymore, you
don't have Kyle Tucker out there in right field anymore.
Where the concern for me is more on Jake Myers,
where the concern is valid in that regard, because we've

(35:54):
seen glimpses at times where he's been able to put
together really good performances. Remember last year we had Dana
Brown talking about he constantly would say to Jake Myers, hey,
I want to see that guy that in twenty twenty
three had a hell of a weekend against the Yankees
up in New York. And I mean last year during
May we saw it, but then for the rest of
the season we didn't. And that's where the pattern becomes

(36:17):
who you are. Because the pattern for Jake Myers is
he's a guy that strikes out a lot. He's a
guy that can't be counted on offensively. We know why
he's out in center field, Sean. We fully get that. Yeah,
but it's also where you're looking at this lineup. And
we talked about it with Jeremy Pania. I mean, you're
looking at a lineup that one through five, you feel
really good. Six through nine, Oh boy.

Speaker 4 (36:40):
No question, And it is you said.

Speaker 6 (36:42):
I think that's the reason, aside from his glove when
I talk about defensively, when we say he's a great defender,
he's a great glove defender. He doesn't have big arm,
and you'll run on that one too. You're gonna run
on all of them. At least now the young kids,
if they get an opportunity, we'll see. But it's a
pop gun arm outfield. That doesn't mean that they can't
get to balls and anticipate where they don't have to

(37:02):
use the arm as often. I doubt they're going to
lead the league and assists because but they will get challenged,
so you'll have an opportunity to lead the league in it.
But with Myers, it's those flashes that you're talking about
that I also think continue to tempt them and tease them. Man,
we know he's got a glove, but the potential. We
hear the potential. It's time for the potential and production
to come together and match. And that's what Jake's got

(37:25):
to do. Because I personally and I know Joe Spotta.
We talked to him about it and at the fan
fest he does not want to have one hundred and
forty nine different lineups. He just doesn't want to do that,
and I don't blame him. You want to get to
the point I was on this hard. I have been
when Dusty was here and aj Hinch was here on

(37:45):
a regular basis of I need to come to the
ballpark for the most part, because I always believe that
teams when you go to the Dodgers, I'm just using
them an example, I think they pretty much know what
their lineup is most of the time.

Speaker 4 (37:56):
You don't need to check the scorecard. You have pretty
good idea.

Speaker 6 (37:59):
And although I'm not co pairing the two, when it
comes to skill set one through nine, I think that
there's a consistency that goes like an offensive line. When
five guys are healthy and playing, I don't need to
worry about them those five dudes. I need them consistent
and continuity, and I think the more continuity would be
great here. So the Jake Myers tease is those games
you're talking about in series. You're talking about Dan and

(38:19):
I get it, But it also comes down to we
can tease and t's and t's, but there's got to
be a level of two and three weeks where you're
on a hot streak, not two and three days, or
the hot streak's got to come a little more often,
or the consistency. Matter of fact, i'd rather have the
consistency than the flash superstars show up right where it's
once in a while. Just sustain the consistency hard to do,

(38:40):
easier to set and done from our seat, of course,
from our vantage point, but it's just that you're a
pro baseball player.

Speaker 4 (38:46):
You're a major leaguer. That's what you get paid to do.

Speaker 6 (38:49):
I think the young kids are going to push these
guys this year, and if that happens, then they respond,
meaning the Chaz is of we've seen him two years
ago with some power and hitting the ball to right centerfield.
If they respond, then we're going to get more out
of the outfield than we expect it. If they don't,
you may see younger bodies. I can't wait to see it,
but it is. It is incumbent upon Jake that he'd

(39:09):
be more productive at the plate, because you don't want
a defensive replacement being your everyday center fielder, and that's.

Speaker 4 (39:17):
What he's oh seventh, think we need to save a
running the gap, Jake.

Speaker 6 (39:21):
You got to have a guy that he's he starts
and he stays in there, and the only reason he's
coming out late is because, well he's played twelve games
in a row. You don't want it the other way,
where we're that you're you're you're you're crow barring a
defensive replacement and a spot starter and forcing him into
one hundred and fifty games in center field. If the
bat isn't uh, you know, even up, I'll take two

(39:43):
forty five to fifty five.

Speaker 4 (39:45):
That's he's got.

Speaker 6 (39:46):
He's got to get to that, and that's I don't
think that's asking much.

Speaker 4 (39:50):
I don't well.

Speaker 1 (39:52):
And and that's the thing too, is you you made
the line about you know the potential. I mean, unfortunately,
with Jake Myers, I think we're past that point. I mean,
I think we know who he is as a hitter.
And yeah, I mean if you got two forty five
two fifty out of him, then absolutely you're doing backflips
because that means that you're getting production you didn't necessarily
count on having. Because for the most part with the bat,

(40:14):
he's a guy that is around two twenty. He's gonna
be sub seven hundred ops and he might hit about
ten or eleven home runs, but boy, he's gonna strike
out a ton. And I get it too, you know,
for a guy at the bottom of the order, you're
not asking for a lot out of him. But it's
just it's one of those things that you look at
where you need the boats to rise with the tide

(40:35):
this season because you need some guys to be able
to have above their head seasons if indeed this thing
is going.

Speaker 6 (40:42):
You need career years. Damn, there's a couple of them.
We're gonna have to have career years this year. They
just are if they're gonna get where they want to go.

Speaker 1 (40:49):
No, you absolutely are gonna need that. And I mean,
and that's the thing too, is you know, not to
focus on you know, a spot as words about Chas McCormick,
because you're exactly right that same conversation he said that
very thing about Jake Myers, where it was I get
to a point seventh eighth inning, I can't have you
out there because I can't count on you to be
able to come through when we're in a one two

(41:10):
run game and I need a huge hit. I can
count more on Mauricio Dubon to give me that. I
can count more on Jazz to give me that if
he's not out in the outfield and the other part
of it. You know, you're starting to even see some
of the you know, what do we have here in
the way that Joeespota is using spring training. You had
Zach Decenzo out in right field against the Yankees on Saturday.

(41:32):
You know it's like, that's not that's that's not by mistake.

Speaker 6 (41:35):
I asked, And you know between him and cam Smith,
you know cam Smith can play third base. Obviously that
would mean he can play first base, corner outfields, both
of them. I asked Descenzo that at that fan fest,
I said, a corner outfit. I said, can you play
right field? He said, I've never done it? He said,
but hell, you know he's as a young kid should
I mean the buye he's every bit of six four
two thirty five. I mean he looks the part and

(41:58):
lo and behold, he's in right field. Like maybe maybe
any's athletic enough to do it, so why not try it.
It's a good testing ground. And I like the fact
that Joe's experimenting with it because if I got to
have the bat in the lineup, the kid will learn,
and young kids learn in a hurry, especially talented ones
like him.

Speaker 4 (42:15):
No doubt about it.

Speaker 1 (42:16):
We'll continue the Astros conversation as well as get into
some rockets and also too, as mentioned, the NFL scouting
combine has come and gone up in Indy, so that
means that draft preparation is fully underway. That means pro
days are coming up and soon enough we will be
up in Green Bay. Well not us physically, but the
NFL will be up in Green Bay drafting over the

(42:37):
three days in April, and we'll find out who the
newest Texans are. Like I said, Draft Santa, that's coming
up in about thirty minutes. Because Sean, I've got my list.
I'm hoping that Draft Sanna and Nick Cassario will have
it on his part. Brother, Yeah, absolutely, I've got at
least a couple out there that want to be able

(42:58):
to hopefully see in Texans uniforms when it is all
said and done. So we'll do all that here as
we are just getting going. Our one is in the
books again. Dan Matthews in for Brian lima triple, Emmanuel
Elmore back in the studio. He's Shawn Salisbury. This is
the Shawn Salisbury Show. Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (43:17):
A b E Houston ATVs E HD two, Houston, Home
of the Extra.

Speaker 1 (43:23):
And the Rocket.

Speaker 2 (43:25):
This is Sports Talk seven ninety your home for your
home teams. Make Houston Sports the number one present on
your car radio and you would improved. iHeartRadio app free
never sounded so good.

Speaker 8 (43:41):
Salisburysbury, Houston.

Speaker 2 (43:46):
Okay, let's do this, Sean Salisbury.

Speaker 3 (43:51):
To usc Truth, longtime friend Shawn Salisbury.

Speaker 2 (43:53):
Bryan Lima, go Lobos. This is the Sean Salisbury Show.

Speaker 1 (44:01):
And the namesake himself, Sean Salisbury here to get us
rolling here in hour two of the show again, Astros
Baseball coming your way. Spring Training Action eleven fifty five
is when the crew on Astros Radio going to hit
the air for you there from Jupiter today, the Astros
taking on the Marlins fromber Valdez is going to get

(44:23):
the start in this one. And Sean, we've been seeing
a pretty consistent track for the way that Joe Aspotta
is using starters at this moment. I mean, what was
it a couple of days ago. You get Spencer Arraghetti
there against the Yankees. He looks pretty sharp and goes
a couple of innings in that one, but at least

(44:43):
in the early going, I mean, pitch count is obviously
a huge part of all of this. You want to
be able to keep guys as healthy as possible, But
it looks like that Joe Aspota pretty much rocking with
If you're starting, you're getting a couple of innings and
then that is going to be it for you for
the day.

Speaker 6 (44:58):
Yep, I always wonder, and I know they know. Hell,
they've been in a long time. How much is enough?
How much is not enough? And how much?

Speaker 5 (45:06):
Uh?

Speaker 4 (45:06):
And it should they you don't what you don't want
to do?

Speaker 6 (45:09):
Is my point, come out of it as spring training
saying he should have played more.

Speaker 4 (45:14):
Meaning and Joe knows this.

Speaker 6 (45:15):
I'm not telling him anything he doesn't know, but from
my vantage point, and I've often wondered, Dan, maybe I'm wrong.
And I know as they get closer, you know, gear
up and try to get five innings out of a player,
you know, al two van left field and get it
looking more like the regular season is going to look.
But I always wonder, and I don't think the ball's
that heavy. I always wonder, for timing purposes, why we

(45:37):
don't give him more at bats. I know you're trying
to find young players, right, I mean to give them run,
But if you're not going to give him enough run
to allow them to stay on the major league rops,
so I'm not question I'm talking about anywhere for just
remove the Astros from just the conversation, any team, and
maybe it's wrong. Now listen, well, I don't need sho
heeo Tani's bat for seventy five at bats, right, I
do need Jake Myers for a bunch of them. So

(46:00):
I think it depends on the veteran and guys that
have proven that. You know, hey, listen, man, he doesn't
need many Freddie Freeman doesn't need a lot of work.
He's gonna be fine. He's cagy. We need his body,
you know, he's a little bit older. We need his
body healthy. We don't want to we don't want to
wear a mountain spring training. Even though I know you're
running out field just warning track you're to take in
some hits. It's not exactly the most strenuous time of

(46:22):
your life, although you're still working every day and you
get tired and you play games and it's hot. I
get all that, But I think it depends on the
individual and you have a plan. But if I was
a manager, or if I was part of that, and
Joe's a very bright one and managers across baseball, I
would we wouldn't be an umbrella statement or a you know,
a blanket statement on all my players. If you're a veteran,

(46:43):
you've been in a league ten years and you hit
two twenty, you're playing more because you're trying to keep
your job. And then I'm gonna and if you'd prove
it not, then I'm going to give the other guys
some some at bats as well to see if maybe
if it's if it's time that you're the starter, and
you know he's the starter, you're the backup, it's the
same here, or if you're not going to be part
of the team. I just for me, I think it's individual.
I don't think I need forty a you know, an

(47:07):
eight innings five days in a row from your Don Alvarez,
and you don't get that much in spring training from
players anyway.

Speaker 4 (47:11):
But I also think the other is true.

Speaker 6 (47:13):
I think you can be a veteran and need extra work,
and I mean extra work to the point where you're playing.
You're playing a lot of games in the spring. I
don't have probably, And plus if you're twenty three, I
don't want to hear how well it's a long spring.
It ain't that long, and you're not in paths. You
can play longer. You're not knocking somebody up against the
boards and taking a puck to your face. So I
just think it's individually. So I think you've got to

(47:35):
go to a plan in your baseball plan where you
run your spring training the way that you do, and
you have a plan and you plan your work and
work your plan. But I also think there's got to
be outlier thinking. I do, and I don't think that.
I don't think a veteran just because he's been a
veteran it means, oh yeah, I'm here.

Speaker 4 (47:52):
I don't need a lot of work.

Speaker 6 (47:53):
I think there's plenty of veterans that need a ton
of work to prove they can keep the job I do,
And I think that the focus should be on that
a lot spring training.

Speaker 1 (48:01):
Well, I mean it's also that this is where strategy
is involved. I mean, at least from Joe Aspata from
the pitching perspective. I mean, he's looking at it, and
you know, I know, we talked about it a little
bit last hour. Of all of the different lineups he
used last year, well, that was by necessity. It was
the pitching side, It was all the different guys that
got starts for this team last year. That was very
much by necessity because you went through in April and

(48:24):
a part of May last year, Sean where you're looking
at it saying, who are we going to start today.
I mean, you know you got to bring up a
guy named Blair Henley to make a start. He can't
even get out of the first inning of that game.
And luckily now you know through that attrition you went
through last year. I mean, all of a sudden, I
don't think the Astros are going to be in that
situation this year because the way I look at it

(48:45):
right now, you've got about seven or eight guys that
you could very much say and and and that you
know counts on what do you have at a certain
point in Lance mccullors and also Luis Garcia. But I
mean Renel Blanco gave you great stuff last year, Hunter Brown,
Spencer Arraghetty both the same deal. We know who fromber
is and we hope we know what what Hayden was

(49:08):
Nesky is this year. But you know the strategy for
position players you were talking about right there. It's also
I don't need to necessarily get into a game like
veterans for the most part, aren't getting on the bus.
It's pretty much asked to them, hey do you want
to go to Jupiter today? And they say, sure, why not?
Otherwise it's now I think I can get better work

(49:29):
here on the backfields with these guys, or maybe even
you know, go out to one of the minor league
games out there. Hey, you guys, mind if I get
in that bat or two? Sure, go ahead hop in.

Speaker 4 (49:38):
Yeah, that makes sense.

Speaker 6 (49:39):
And like that's why I said, it's almost like you
have a team plan, but you also have to have
a whole bunch of you know, verticals of individual plans
as well, and whether that's and pitching and every day
I know, every day play you're going to approach it
different injuries.

Speaker 4 (49:52):
Or where you've been or where you are.

Speaker 6 (49:54):
But I also wonder sometimes with slow starts, should we
just accept slow starts as slow starts or couldn't be
Like of spring training at bats, could we say, well,
you're a hero if you get the five and two
thirds innings. Could you ramp them up and give them
more work in the spring so that their arms ready
to go in April and it doesn't take till May.
I'm just looking at the other side because it feels

(50:15):
like a lot of times that oh, here's the rule.

Speaker 4 (50:18):
Why is there a rule?

Speaker 6 (50:20):
The rule should be individually like right now, lance, what
color is strengthening his? And I think needs more, I mean,
probably needs more work if he's healthy. I'm I'm assuming
people are healthy, okay, and at bats and if some
guy's a you know, you look at Bregman being the
aberration who's not here anymore, but a notorious slow starter,
and he grinds and grinds and grinds. But should he

(50:41):
get more work in spring where he's actually playing five
six innings, you know, two three days in a row.
Taking a day off two three does that? Or hitting
off a tee? Or is it going like you said,
on the backfields? What's better? Or is live pitching better?
I always just wonder for some it's not a matter
of working harder, it's working smarter. The more pitches I
see as a quarterback, the more time I can see coverage,

(51:01):
the better I understood in the regular season, and the
more I can see defenses lining up ways. It looks
fine on tape, but until you're out there and eleven
on eleven and staring at it, it's different. And so
I just always want spring trainings not baffling. Is I'm
intrigued by by it each team because I just wonder
if we at times don't work veterans enough and then

(51:22):
we all said, oh, yeah, it's early, and yes, what
and then the season ends and you lose by you
miss out on the division by two games, or you
win the division by two games, and then we're not
saying it's early, and I know, well, it's it's it's April.

Speaker 4 (51:34):
We got a long season, and it is a long season.

Speaker 6 (51:36):
But when one hundred and sixty two games is decided
by two games or a game, or a playoff tie
or or or you know, when you have when it's tied,
and then you do the you know you're rolling through.
What's the tie breaker? I mean all those things. So
it does matter. I'm adamant about that. I don't believe
that it's not that big a deal. We lost one
to Oakland. Of course, you're gonna sho you're losing sixty

(51:58):
plus no matter what. Okay, it's the post seventy losses. Okay,
are you ninety and seventy two? You're gonna lose most
of the time. Now, if you're the Dodgers and you
don't win one hundred games, disappointment, you know, one hundred
and ten games, right, but you're losing sixty plus in
that sixty to seventy range. Most of the time, everybody's
losing that. It's the other stuff. It's like our rule
in this Dan, a third, love you a third, don't

(52:20):
can you can get or on a TV show, a
third love you a third, don't care? What's going to
keep the other third? And it's the same thing. It's
the same thing here. So I'm convinced that fast starts
without wearing them out are important. So you got to
make and that's a big baseball decision by your manager
in each book, in each city, is what's good for
my team, but also what's good for each individual.

Speaker 4 (52:41):
I'm one of those guys that would have begged to
play every day. That's it. I don't know why. I'm
just a nut job with that, but some aren't like that.

Speaker 6 (52:47):
I would have said, you're going to jubi, Yeah, I
need to get two more at bats, just because maybe
that's OCD for me.

Speaker 4 (52:52):
Dan, more than needing it.

Speaker 6 (52:53):
It's the OCD of feeling like, okay, now I'm ready,
because I would rather overwork it and say okay, let
me go get let me sit in the in the
cold plunge pool to gather that back because I'm a
little tired then I would underwork it and say, man,
took me thirty days to get rolling.

Speaker 4 (53:08):
That's my personality. Everybody's as different, and.

Speaker 1 (53:13):
That's the tightrope back that this team has been run
in the last couple of years, because I mean, you
had to sweat it out at the end and last year.
I mean, the reason why I think probably there is
going to be you know, a few more fresher legs
and arms this year, is because you didn't make as
deep of a run last year. And as part of
the motivation that Jospota has talked about. So we'll carry
that over the other side, John Joe to see you

(53:34):
guys right there on the phone lines, stick and stay.
I'll get to you all on the other side as
well as so we'll continue the Astros conversation before we
switch it into a little bit of Texans draft talk
here in the bottom of the hour. All of that
coming up next again He's Shawan Salisbury Triple, Emmanuel Elmore,
Dan Matthews in for Brian Alma. This is the Shaan
Salisbury Show, Sportstock seven to ninety.

Speaker 2 (53:58):
This is Sports Talk seven ninety, home of the Rockets,
Astros and the best line up in Houston Sports. Now
back to Sean Salisbury. All right, Sean, what are you
hearing out there now? The Salisbury's takeouts Salsbury's takeout on.

Speaker 1 (54:19):
The Sean Salisbury Show, Sean Salisbury Show, Sports Talk seven ninety.
He's Sean Salisbury Triple, Emanuel Elmore, Dan Matthews in for
Brian Thelma. John on the Northwest Side's waited long enough?
John at what's going on?

Speaker 4 (54:38):
Buddy?

Speaker 5 (54:39):
Hey, good morning guys. Hey real quickly, you know, I'm
really happy.

Speaker 9 (54:43):
I'm more and more excited about the trade where we
got rid of Tucker and the and the three prospects
we picked up.

Speaker 5 (54:49):
I think cam Smith is going to.

Speaker 9 (54:51):
Be an absolute fine and I'm really excited about I
see a lot of upside from that trade and I
feel good moving forward. And uh, hey, Sean, I was
up in the Avisota this past.

Speaker 5 (55:05):
Weekend helping a friend clear some some shrubs.

Speaker 9 (55:09):
And they cleared their land a little bit and passed
by Chuck Norris's ranch.

Speaker 4 (55:14):
So, oh yeah, Chasmo roll right by Chasmo nice.

Speaker 5 (55:18):
Oh yeah, did he.

Speaker 4 (55:18):
Get out and kick somebody's ass? Well, out to start
kicking ass and just like throwing handmakers on people.

Speaker 5 (55:25):
Well, you know I called his name at the fence,
but he didn't come.

Speaker 4 (55:27):
You know, but you know why, you know why. Johnny's
a lone wolf.

Speaker 5 (55:32):
Yeah, that's right, the wristler.

Speaker 2 (55:34):
He's alone.

Speaker 4 (55:34):
Will he's a lone wolf.

Speaker 5 (55:36):
Yeah.

Speaker 9 (55:36):
Some of the ranchers there are trying to get them
that come on their land. So like the snakes, like
the moccasins and copper heads, when they bite them, you know.

Speaker 4 (55:43):
They die, yeah, exactly.

Speaker 5 (55:45):
He helps them. He helps them rid their land of
the snakes.

Speaker 6 (55:48):
Yeah, he just throw you know, like like scarecrow keeps
the you know, keeps the you know, all the stuff
away on a on a farm, right with Chasmo does.
He walks on there in a big old you know
water moccasin bites him in the calf here you know
all this you can't even bruise Chasmo's calf, but I'll
tell you the watermarks and done dead finished.

Speaker 5 (56:06):
He's a scarecrow snakes.

Speaker 6 (56:07):
Yes, it's great nickname, the scarecrow snakes. Chasmo Norris, no doubt,
no doubt.

Speaker 4 (56:14):
So I wanted to come.

Speaker 9 (56:15):
I wanted to comment on the combine. You wanted me
to do that a little bit, So I just want
to give you a couple of thoughts on it. You know,
I think wide receiver Matthew Golden from Texas really improved
his spot like in the first round, because you know,
he did a four point twenty nine in the forty
and a one point four nine second ten yard split,
which really was was outstanding. And this cornerback Maxwell Harriston

(56:38):
actually beat him. He did in four point two eight
seconds and thirty nine and a half inches vertical jump.
But the guy that really stands out to you, I
wish we could get him, but this offensive alignment armand mimbo.

Speaker 4 (56:52):
He's Missouri yep. Good player. No, he's yeah, you know,
six four.

Speaker 5 (56:56):
Three thirty two pounds, thirty three and a half inch arms.

Speaker 9 (57:01):
But you know he he did a four point nine
to one second forty yard dash and a thirty four
inch vertical jump, So I.

Speaker 5 (57:08):
Mean, you know, stats wise, you know he's outstanding.

Speaker 9 (57:11):
You broad jump nine feet and seven inches, But you
know he's got all the he's got all the tools.

Speaker 10 (57:15):
You know.

Speaker 5 (57:16):
I think he's the kind of person that has a
lot of upside, and that's somebody I would like to
see us be able to land. I don't know if
it's doable. But he really impressed me.

Speaker 6 (57:24):
Hey, let me ask both of you, John, let me
ask both you and and Dan a question. And Dan,
I know you had your Santa Claus list of requests
that you wanted. Both of you, guys, John, I'll start
with you, all things being equal, would you rather have
a guy I got to teach more about football that
in pads and shoulder pads and shorts her shoulder pads
in a game on tape? He shows up, but he

(57:47):
he's a good player, but he's not He doesn't flash
as much as you want. But at the combine and
shorts and a T shirt, the dude's a superstar. And
so do you want me to you want the better
athlete who's a decent football player, or the great football
player who's an average athlete. If it came down to
that with the twenty fifth pick, who would you take
the better athlete? The football player, the better football player
who's less an athlete?

Speaker 5 (58:08):
Better athlete?

Speaker 9 (58:09):
Because I think you know you got the coaches that
you're supposed to coach them up, and I think I
think that if they have the.

Speaker 5 (58:16):
Tools, I think the coaching could get them to where you.

Speaker 1 (58:19):
Want to be Dan, what about you, I'm going the
other way, I mean, especially too at that spot, I
think you're probably getting a guy that probably is the
ladder where you're getting a good football player that can
be a good contributor for you. But when you're drafting
at that point, you're pretty much getting a guy that
is a French first or even second round guy, and
that fits into that category.

Speaker 4 (58:40):
Yeah, for me, I'm with you and John. I know
where you're going.

Speaker 6 (58:43):
Like, for instance, if you get a Randy Moss who
could run the fastest, jump the highest and is also
a great football player, and then we all know we
want that guy, right, we all do. Travis Hunter is
that guy, great athlete, great football player, high football like you.
But I also lean and just just from just from
mice of being on teams a lot of times that
athlete the guy who's an athlete. And I'm not saying

(59:05):
that it just doesn't click in in a game, right,
it does sometimes, but it's not consistent. I'll always take
most of the I can't say always most of the time.
I'm going to take the guy who's a football player
more than I'm going to take the athlete.

Speaker 5 (59:19):
Well, I mean, I know I know it's a risk, right.

Speaker 6 (59:21):
Right, that you let the bigger reward with the big risk,
right miss tolerance, right if I get and you know,
it's a.

Speaker 5 (59:29):
Coach's job to coach them up.

Speaker 9 (59:30):
And and uh, I think that was a real problem
last year with a big problem in the offensive line
was just a coaching. I mean, I'm willing to give
those guys a break because I just think the coaching
was bad. But I think with this new uh, with
some of the new coaches that are coming in and stuff,
I mean, this is what's gonna this is what's gonna
tell it. I think, uh, you know, it's just how

(59:50):
well they can coach these guys up. I mean, some
teams are really good. It's like the Astros, you know,
they're great at player development that you know, the Texans
need to get to get the right guy for the
fensive line coach and you know, coach these guys up.
And I think that's what's key, to be honest.

Speaker 4 (01:00:04):
That's a great point, John, Thanks for the call.

Speaker 3 (01:00:05):
Brother.

Speaker 4 (01:00:06):
Always appreciate the insight. Man, Thank you, Thanks all right,
I appreciate thanks.

Speaker 1 (01:00:10):
Appreciate it. But oh sorry, uh, by the way to uh,
you know, a few things with Chuck Norris. Did you
know that Chuck Norris doesn't flush the toilet. He scares
the crap out of it.

Speaker 4 (01:00:21):
I do, now, that's it.

Speaker 1 (01:00:23):
And when yeah, and when Chuck Norris was born, he
actually was the one who drove his mom to the hospital.

Speaker 6 (01:00:30):
Well can you blame him exactly? He and he didn't
have to have a doctor help him out of the womb.

Speaker 4 (01:00:34):
From what I understand, he didn't. He did not and
was a gamer man.

Speaker 1 (01:00:39):
You know. And he might be a guy too that
likes to prepare a good meal for himself for once
in a while, but he's put together a good life.
When he slices onions, it's the onions that do the crime.

Speaker 4 (01:00:49):
There you go, there you go. Is there anything that
Chasmo can't do? I don't. I don't think.

Speaker 11 (01:00:56):
So.

Speaker 1 (01:00:56):
He can act, He can be able to hit you
with a good roundhow kick. And uh, obviously he's a
hell of a rancher too. I mean, if if John
you know, telling us being out there in ranching country
in Avasota and Hempstead, those areas around there, that he
can be able to take care of the land as well.

Speaker 4 (01:01:14):
So well, he just he just stares at it.

Speaker 6 (01:01:16):
See Chuck comes out on his patio or on his
porch in the morning, you know, with a I can
see him in bare feet after he's done his morning
yoga with his with his like joggers on and no
shirt on. He said, standing up out there, and you
could see the steam off the coffee. I need to
write a book because I got this crazy. I got
the I can see, you know, like what like the
James Pattle. I can think of some crazy ass stuff. Right,

(01:01:38):
I'll paint that picture.

Speaker 5 (01:01:40):
Is it?

Speaker 6 (01:01:40):
He stands out there and all of a sudden, you know,
the grass is a little brown, needs fertilized, and he
needs to get out there and mow it. Chasmo just
stares at it for a few minutes. It all comes
to fruition. He doesn't need to do it. He doesn't
need it for he is standing on the porch, his
eye gaze as fertilizer. Next day grass is green. That's Chasmo.

Speaker 5 (01:01:58):
Yep. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:01:59):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:02:00):
They say that ranching is hard work, and Chuck Norris
looks at it and says.

Speaker 6 (01:02:03):
Please, yeah not when you're a plowboy, it isn't. And
Chuck getting out there plowing it away.

Speaker 4 (01:02:08):
There you go. He just does it with his eyes.
Life's good.

Speaker 1 (01:02:10):
It's why it's funny too. You know, I've told you
before that I'm a big fan of Joe Rogan experience.
And he was talking about people who moved to Montana
because of the show, you know, Yellowstone, and they think, oh,
you know the ranching life, that'd be funny. He's like, no,
ranching is hard work. Like, yeah, you don't understand, Like,
guess what you have to feed the cows, you have

(01:02:32):
to do all these different things, like there is no
I'm not feeling it today.

Speaker 4 (01:02:36):
I'm tired. Get out there.

Speaker 6 (01:02:38):
Yeah, three hours sleeping in and you missed out, buddy,
you won't be done by sundown. Yeah, I got more
respect than you can imagine. It's a gig. See, we
want to reap all we think it's. It's Yellowstone. You're
riding around on a horse, not doing all the dirty
you know, the blue collar dirty work that gets that
keeps the place clean, that it's just all all a luxury. No,
those guys grind as much as anybody. And then all
of a sudden you wake up and they're seventy five

(01:02:59):
and what's been their vacation has been grinding on a farm.

Speaker 4 (01:03:03):
Yeah, I got that.

Speaker 6 (01:03:04):
You want to you want to talk about toughness, they're
they're they're they're they're they're built different, man, they are
built different.

Speaker 4 (01:03:10):
That that that steak that's on your plate, Dan, I
did that growing up.

Speaker 6 (01:03:14):
We had a We had about two and a half
three acres, which isn't your one hundred and fifty acres.

Speaker 4 (01:03:19):
But we had chickens and horses and you know, pigs.
We did all that.

Speaker 6 (01:03:22):
And I can tell you before school, when your pops
is out, you're out there getting you like, oh this
is I just want to eat the eggs now. It's
like stomping the grapes and drinking the wine. Stomping the
grapes takes a lot of work.

Speaker 5 (01:03:32):
You know.

Speaker 6 (01:03:32):
It's cool for when you go see people, Hey, pull
up your jeans and stop the grapes. People are doing
that hours and hours and hours during harvest season, and
you're drinking the wine. It's the same thing there. All
those eggs were fine and danny for my mom to cook.
But when you're the one who's got to get up
and do it, and you're out there feeding a pig
before school and the rest of it, and like, oh
so riding the horse is a lot more fun than
caring for it, right, So just different and when you're

(01:03:55):
doing it on a much bigger scale. Yeah, man, you
want full blown toughness. Those farm men and women are
off the charts, no doubt.

Speaker 1 (01:04:02):
Yeah, we saw it this weekend too. Is you know
looking at TV right now, they're showing the trail riders
coming in. I mean, you know, think about that riding
into town, having to sleep on the saddle, all those
different types of things we enjoy the rodeo.

Speaker 4 (01:04:15):
You know, that's exactly right. Keep keep keep in mind.

Speaker 1 (01:04:19):
You know that there's much more than just Reba McIntyre
on stage tomorrow night. There's there's a lot of work
that went into that.

Speaker 10 (01:04:24):
You know.

Speaker 1 (01:04:26):
Those those those funt cowboys, cowgirls, the val Carros, Yeah
and Vakas, they're they're out there. We we we got
tons of respect from here on the Sean Salisbury Show.
All right, he's Sean Salisbury. I'm Dan Matthews in for
Brian Thelema Tripole Emmanuel Elmore as uh, it is that time.
We'll do it next draft Sanna, will they deliver for

(01:04:47):
the Texans this year? We'll discuss that on the other side.
As we continue here on Sports Talk seven ninety The
Seawan Salisbury Show continued at six o'clock villar Real gonna
be coming your way with that. In the NFL scouting
combine is finished in Indianapolis, and right now, Sean, we're

(01:05:09):
gonna call upon draft Sanna, because I mean, you know,
you go through the combine and you know, for the
things that you threw out about, you know, just different.
You know, these types of players. I mean, you know,
we've seen it in the past as well. I mean
we've seen you know, certain guys get out there on
the field and you're like, oh would they run? Oh
how many reps on the bench did they put up? Oh?

(01:05:30):
How did they do during you know, these these on
field workouts, and you know, oh okay. And you know
there's always a draft darling or two that come out
of the combine and we're looking at and we're saying, oh, man,
you know they're they're definitely gonna, you know, spring up
the draft boards. Now, I mean a guy that was
maybe a Day two guy, well, then he's gonna be

(01:05:51):
a back end of the first round guy. So he's
gonna be on Night one of the draft. I mean,
we see it all the time. But I've put together
and I'm not going very deep on this because I mean,
you know, you can have seven to eight guys that
you hope that the Texans will draft. They might draft
one of those guys. It it happens every single year.

(01:06:11):
We've got mock drafts for months, and I think like
the most accurate ones are like twenty five percent because
there's trades, there's needs, you know, change, and teams will
try to tell you they don't draft for need, they
take best player available. Yeah, okay, sure, Well if the
best player available as a quarterback in that spot and
you've got a quarterback, you're not taking a quarterback. So

(01:06:32):
I've got a couple of players for the Texans and
it's right in their wheelhouse. And I'll explain that part
here in just a second. But Texans need a tight end, right,
We can agree on that, you know, I think see that. Yeah,
the heads in the room are nodding, Yes, how about
LSU tied end Mason Taylor. Now, I know some people

(01:06:52):
out there might be saying, oh, of course, Dan, you're
gonna say an LSU guy outstanding pass catcher. Don't know
as much about him as a blocker, but is somebody
that obviously has the NFL lineage with his dad, so
he's already known for his entire life. How do you
prepare to be a pro? And those are things that
are important to both Tamiko Ryans and to Nick Cassario.

(01:07:15):
And I mean, I don't see any scenario next year
where Dalton Schultz is your lead tied end. I think
that in an ideal world this past season, if you
had Brevin Jordan, you would have seen a little bit
more of Brevin Jordan too, just from what he gives
you from an athleticism perspective. But the time is coming
gone for Dalton Schultz.

Speaker 4 (01:07:34):
I know who he is.

Speaker 1 (01:07:35):
I don't count on him when it comes to the
passing game. But a guy like Mason Taylor, Oh, I
can count on him because he was counted on by
two different quarterbacks, two very good quarterbacks at LSU. And
I think that his skill set absolutely would play in
this offense.

Speaker 6 (01:07:49):
And you're talking about are we talking about just somewhere
in the draft or with the twenty fifth pick?

Speaker 1 (01:07:54):
Oh no, no, no, not just a guy just hid
and Jim. He's gonna more likely be a day two. Guy, right,
he's going to be back into the second round, maybe
beginning of the third rounds. That's probably where Taylor is
going to be because I mean, you've got the Penn
State tight end, a couple of other guys that at
least the positional rankings have, so that probably would mean

(01:08:18):
that he's somewhere on Night two.

Speaker 6 (01:08:21):
Are you interested in I want you to finish your picks.
I'm gonna say one thing about the tight end position.
I want you to keep doing your thing. Is Meyer
from Notre Dame, who's with the Raiders after brock Bauer season,
he might be up for grabs, And the question is
is he worth it?

Speaker 1 (01:08:36):
Is?

Speaker 6 (01:08:36):
Is he worth going and getting? If he would, would
you be willing to trade somebody for him? Is he
better than somebody you're gonna get, you know, in a
round two or three or four, who obviously came highly
regarded out of college. But brock Bowers is the best
young tight end football period. So question is, and I'm greedy,
I want to now, Dalton Schultz, if you're not gonna block,

(01:08:57):
then you've got to dominate the passing game. You have to,
and unfortunately he didn't do either. And So while there's
a spot on an NFL team for him, and it's
probably here, the question is do I want him out
there every time? Because he's a liability protecting the quarterback
and blocking in a run game.

Speaker 4 (01:09:11):
He just is.

Speaker 6 (01:09:12):
And we expect our quarterbacks nowadays, or at least we
want them to to be two dimensional. We'd like them
to be able to extend plays, and we'd like them
to be able to throw. Why can't we demand that
from our tight end? Why can't we If that's the case,
then he's a two hundred and twenty pounder, and then
he's a wide receiver. Draft him as a wide receiver,
not a tight end. While I know that the Kelsey's
of the world, but at least it's serviceable.

Speaker 4 (01:09:31):
I got it.

Speaker 6 (01:09:31):
You've got to at least be serviceable to where I
don't have to pull you out in obvious run situations
because you can't do it, or pass protection max protection situations.
So I'm looking for, Well, I'll take the pass catcher
because I'm greedy, but this team has to have two
tight ends who can get their nose dirty and p
and in line guy with his hand in the dirt,

(01:09:52):
and I can flex out and spread them out and
put him in a two point stance standing up. So
I'm big on the tight end position, so you can
continue to go and I know what you're saying, good
DNA and the rest of it somewhere, you're gonna have
to find one, and preferably earlier than late. And you
need to put all it needs to put a come
to Jesus on on on Adult and Schultz to say,

(01:10:12):
if you're not gonna block, you sure as hell better
be one of the best patch catchers in the league.
And unfortunately we haven't seen either of those come to
Fruition yet.

Speaker 1 (01:10:20):
No, And and that's been the problem. I mean, because
last year you needed him to be able to step up,
especially without.

Speaker 4 (01:10:25):
Stay an in vogue position. You gotta have it. It's
like the hybrid pass rusher. You got to have that guy.
The tight ends gotta be relevant in games.

Speaker 1 (01:10:34):
Well. And to the point you brought up to about Meyer,
the guy that played at Notre Dame and you know
obviously got edged out by brock Bowers. Is usually with
skill positions, I want to skew you younger there, and
I want to skew you a little bit cheaper. That's
the draft, because when it comes to the Texans building
up this team, and I know that people have thrown
out and I'm gonna throw out an offensive lineman here
in just a second, but I'm not talking about them

(01:10:56):
as being somebody that you're immediately counting on. I think
it's somebody for on the road. I'll get to that
in the second. But when it comes to free agency
and trades this offseason, Nick Aseio better be focused like
nobody's business on the offensive and defensive lines for that,
because that's where I want those guys. I want proven
at those spots. I'm willing to go younger and cheaper

(01:11:17):
at the other spots because especially to the pass game
coming out of college, these guys know the concepts already
that's nothing new once they get to this level because
of how much they're throwing the football in the college
level now. So that's why I'm willing to go tight
end receiver out of the draft and everything else. I
need that to be proven guys that have already done
it here on this level.

Speaker 6 (01:11:37):
Yeah, and real quick, and we can can continue to
discuss this seven one, three, two, two, five seven ninety.
I uh, to me the top needs because I don't
care how good you are on the perimeter. If the
quarterback's not upright and you're gonna beat yourself with penalties,
you've got no shot. You'll get to a certain level
because you're talented, and then you'll get beat by a
team that doesn't beat themselves and unfortunately a lot of
self inflicted problems with the offensive line.

Speaker 5 (01:11:59):
Ten.

Speaker 6 (01:12:00):
To me, the need tight end is the need I
put that. I'm putting the tight end receivers in the
same category because we need production from it. I think
you absolutely if I have if I can't get you
talked about need and and you need and best available.
If that twenty fifth pick sitting there and you got
you got an offensive lineman that can dominate or a

(01:12:21):
wide receiver, I think you have to go one of
those two. I would offense. To me, he's before defense.
If there's another good defender there, I think the defense
is pretty deep and headed in the right direction. Young
secondary edge rushers, they need to answer the interior the
defense and beat just a bit more stout with depth.
That'll be one, but offensively same with the interior. Three

(01:12:41):
no matter how you move him, have got to be
better and tunsl's got to be better.

Speaker 4 (01:12:44):
If he's a.

Speaker 6 (01:12:44):
Dominant left tackle, he's got to stop the pre snap crap.
You got to expect more from him, and he's got
to expect more from that demand, not just from the
ball snaps but pre snap problems. But listen, I'm greedy.
If if the offensive lineman is not there that I want,
I can't crow bart Man. And if if a game
breaking wide receiver is sitting there twenty five, I'm great.

(01:13:06):
I'm going getting him. Got to score, gotta keep scoring,
Gotta protect injuries. Tank Dell can't count on him next
year because that gruesome injury. He's going to be reh haaving.
You have got to go score. This league scores man.
So for me, if they now, if it's both a
dominant lineman and dominant receiver, I'm going I'm taking the
lineman first. But if it's need versus best, if it's

(01:13:28):
a guy who I would ragged, would regularly take high
second round with the twenty fifth pick, but there's a
first round wide receiver there, I'm taking the receiver.

Speaker 4 (01:13:37):
I just think. But those are the two top top
spots for me.

Speaker 1 (01:13:41):
Well, it's also too, I mean, those are the things
that kept you out of being able to beat the
Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional round. Those are the
things that lost games for the Texans last year is
because you didn't have those guys on the offensive side
of the football. Defensively, I'm with you, Sean, I'm not
worried about this team. Yeah, there's some things that you
can add and be able to bolster on that side,
but that side of the ball seemingly has it figured

(01:14:04):
out the offense we thought it did, and obviously, for
the way they played last year, it cost somebody a job.

Speaker 4 (01:14:11):
I mean, Bobby Slow it's no.

Speaker 1 (01:14:12):
Longer the OC because he couldn't figure out how to
adjust to the adjustments that are being thrown at him.
And now we're seeing if Nick Cayley is the answer
for the text. And it's funny to you mentioned that
we'll carry it over on the other side, because I
do have an offensive lineman in mind here on my list,
and I'll give you guys that on the other side.
But didn't you kind of feel like that when Demiko

(01:14:33):
Ryans was talking about guys that need to be here
working out doing all of that. That when it gets
to OTA's and mini camp and training camp time, it's
too late. I took that as he was talking directly
at Laramie ton snow deck.

Speaker 4 (01:14:45):
I almost want I almost.

Speaker 1 (01:14:47):
Wonder if the exit meeting this year was, Hey, what
you did last year for training camp of oh my knee,
We're not doing that next year. Like, you're going to
be here, You're going to be on the field day one,
and we're going to work.

Speaker 6 (01:14:58):
I'm going to say something most may not I thought
most may not, Like he's a really talented player, good hands,
and he can play. He's not a sacred cow. You
jump off sides and get that many pre snap penalties
and penalties you lead the league. Again, you're not a
sacred I mean, if you're at the top of that list,
you're not a sacred You can't tell me you're the
best offensive lineman at that position in the league and

(01:15:18):
then and not play like it and prevent your saying
you're putting your team in a mind every time you
add five or fifteen yards, two it or ten yards,
you've got to play better. He just does, and I
think part of that is his off season commitment. I
do so yes without saying a name to me, it
was loud and clear he said a name, And I
do believe Tunsil needs more offseason work. I do because

(01:15:39):
he's undisciplined on Sundays. Great talent, very undisciplined on Sundays.
Undisciplined costs this team a problem, and not only coaches jobs,
but a trip to move on to the super Bowl
or to the end the playoffs and had a chance
to beat a super Bowl caliber team that goes every year.
Meaning the Chiefs, they've got to get more disciplined or
they're going to continue to lose in the first round.

Speaker 1 (01:16:00):
It's the old saying, you're either coaching it or you're
allowing it to happen. And hopefully the Texans are coaching
it up more than allowing things to fester like that.
All Right, we'll carry this over on the other side.
If you want to get in on the phone lines,
I mean I know that you are. I'll watch the combine.
You got your wish list too as well, John shared
one with us. Maybe you got one two sebone three
two one two five seven ninety. Once again, that's seb

(01:16:21):
one three two one two five seven nineties. We'll close
out the seven o'clock hour next right here, Sports Talk
seven to ninety with the Sean Salisbury Show continued NFL
scouting combine. I threw out at least one on my
list for Draft Sena and that was LSU tied in

(01:16:41):
Mason Taylor and like what he can bring it from
that perspective, But you know it was also fitting the
last segment Sean that Triple E bumped us in with
nowhere to run the song and that was actually a
University of Georgia kind of rallying song for them in

(01:17:02):
their second straight year that they won the national title.
Because Kirby Smart had the line when they played against
someone where he said to his defense, you know they
have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Well, he
doesn't play defense, but he was part of that program.
And Nick Caserio likes guys from major championship winning programs
and that's pretty much what they've drafted the last couple

(01:17:25):
of years and not really overthinking it. And I think
that this guy is in line with that because you
need to be able to bolster your offensive line. You
went offensive line with your second pick of the second
round last year and bringing in Blake Fisher again from
a program that fits that category. They played for a
national title this year. Notre Dame, but Tate Ratledge is
a guy where you're looking for guard play on this team,

(01:17:48):
and he's got the size, he's got the athleticism. More
than anything that I think you need to add to
that group. You need to add some nastiness, like you
need to add some guys that are willing to mix
it up. Ratledge is one of those guys, and I'm
looking forward to if the Texans take him, that we
start seeing a few more mullets and mustaches inside inn
RG Stadium this year because oh yeah, he brings both

(01:18:10):
of those two.

Speaker 6 (01:18:11):
Yeah, Dan, I am convinced. Convinced after all these years
of trying to study. Now, listen, nobody's going to draft
a guy at an offensive lineman who's a crappy who
doesn't have good feet or can't punch and has good hands.
I get all that, but I'm with you one hundred percent,
and I've long stated this. I've the best alignement I've

(01:18:32):
ever seen, and I can roll through their names and
the names are pretty obvious. From Munos and Bruce Matthews.
I'm talking about the best of the best that have
ever played it. And I've been fortunate I've been on
teams with those guys, Random McDaniel, Gary Zimmerman, Bruce Matthews,
Mike Munchak, Don Mosbar, Anthony Munos, the best of the best.

(01:18:53):
I named you know Trojans that I was able to see,
and a bunch of other first rounders, And I'm gonna
tell they all have there's a lot of traits they have.
The ones who sustain it and who are the best
and the best alignment I've ever been around. They could
be the nicest guys and not say two words to
you off the street, but you know, good hot meal,
mind their business.

Speaker 5 (01:19:09):
They are.

Speaker 6 (01:19:09):
They are, they got their routine. But when they hit
the field, they are they will cut your heart out
and feed it to you and smirk.

Speaker 4 (01:19:16):
While they do it.

Speaker 6 (01:19:18):
Now, you look at a guy. If you met any
You've met Anthony Munyos, haven't you?

Speaker 4 (01:19:21):
Yeah? Okay, at like a super Bowl, you know, Radio Row,
what have you.

Speaker 6 (01:19:26):
I'm going to tell you now that if you walked
up to Anthony Munjos, you'd say after you came out
of the conversation, it's the nicest human being I've ever
been around.

Speaker 4 (01:19:34):
How could that guy block anybody? Or how could he
move a pile.

Speaker 6 (01:19:37):
And Anthony Munhos pitched and played first base for USC's
baseball team and you know, caught touchdown passes from Kenny
Anderson in the group and Boomer size and down at
the goal line. Athletic has held great feet well coached
by by you know, by coach mcdally when they were there,
and I mean I'm talking about Mouse was a great
teacher of him. But when it got and Anthony Munhos
has no I've never heard Anthony Muno say a cussword.

(01:20:00):
Matter of fact, mause mcnowly tells the story his coach
for long years coaching that Hall of Fame career in
Cincinnati said, when I cussed, I had to look at
Anthony apologize.

Speaker 4 (01:20:09):
That's how he felt. He didn't want to cuss.

Speaker 6 (01:20:10):
In Mac cusses every you know Max and Max the
truck drive of mouth and it's awesome. But that's old
school offensive line coach and held new school as well
well Munnos when he hit the field, different dude, and
that nasty has to exist. It existed with with Eric
Williams and Kevin Gogan and you know, the great ones

(01:20:30):
all have it.

Speaker 4 (01:20:32):
Now some may be calm on the field.

Speaker 6 (01:20:33):
But I don't know an offensive lineman that doesn't go
and and you have to worry about ear holes if
you're staying around a pile, and that to me with
the obvious.

Speaker 4 (01:20:41):
You want a guy with feet.

Speaker 6 (01:20:42):
But if you get make the comparison again, give me
a guy whose hands don't punch quite as well, but
he's mean as a junkyard dog, then I'm taking him.
I'll take that guy all day, every day, and I'll sacrifice.
Oh he's got good feet but not great feet, if
he's got good feet and it's nasty, or has got
great feet but is soft and and wants to pick

(01:21:04):
guys up and boob block them, you know, with the
chest block, I got to move on. I need a
guy who just as soon punched you in your faces
as put his arm around you on Sundays. Once they
leave the field. I have all those guys I named
are as good a people as you'll ever meet.

Speaker 4 (01:21:18):
But they are now.

Speaker 6 (01:21:18):
It's like the hockey goons, man, it's the guys who
protect and roam the ice. They'll go to every charity
event in the world. They'll show up for you, they'll
have your back, they'll do it all. But when it's
on the ice, if you've got to protect one of theirs,
they're not letting you get near him if you do
your fighting.

Speaker 4 (01:21:33):
Same thing with that guy. Give me nasty.

Speaker 6 (01:21:35):
If I'll take a personal foul penalty in the third
quarter when you're up seven, more than I will a
movement penalty, or a guy gets run by because he's nasty,
and because he's not nasty, he can't he's afraid to,
you know, move his feet, or man, I don't want
to get caught holding. You do everything you can to
protect your your run game and your quarterback.

Speaker 4 (01:21:54):
Find me that guy. You'll have a guy who starts
for ten years here and maybe even too, Sean.

Speaker 1 (01:22:00):
I mean a guy that can you know, be somebody
that holds the ones who are supposed to hold the
others accountable.

Speaker 4 (01:22:07):
Hell yeah, that's accountable.

Speaker 1 (01:22:09):
And seemingly you have that issue on this Texans offensive
line because your left tackle numerous times while the ball
was in play, sure doesn't give up a ton of sacks,
doesn't give up a ton of pressures, and you know it,
get your running back, you know, hit in the backfield.
But at the same time, though, too, I mean Ross
Tucker brought up this point when he joined us on
the A team. How many times did he basically do

(01:22:31):
that pre snap because you're already five yards back because
he's not on the same count that the rest of
the four guys are.

Speaker 6 (01:22:39):
And guess what now it's third and fifteen. Now it's
second fifteen, that's first and fifteen. Oh man, the guy
didn't get a sack. But now it's third and three
and we got our fourth and three. We got a
punt because we gave away five three yards. Those are
called unforced airs and tennis, that's like missing a three
foot putt at the on on a Sunday at a
golf tournament that is straight, straight up hill, has no

(01:23:00):
movement and you miss it right, You can't. Those are
unforced airs that they make if they close their eyes
with a blindfold on.

Speaker 4 (01:23:08):
He can't do it.

Speaker 6 (01:23:09):
If he wants to be considered one of the top
five linemen in the league, he's got to be better
when it comes to penalties, because you put the team
in the bund and he's gifted. But I don't get
it doesn't mean a hill of beans if we're playing
third and fifteen and on third and seven, or if
it's second fifteen, we get the third and seven, throw
a hot route because they blitz you protect your guy
and they catch it and tackle him for a two
yard or three yard game and we still got a punt.

(01:23:31):
And it all started because of your undisciplined crap on
first on first and ten at midfield. Now we're out
of field goal range. All that things add it's not
just post snap. If your horse's ass pre snap, any
of us, you know, then guess what you got problems.
And that's become a problem on this team when it
comes to I'm talking about the football IQ of the
unforced airs. We've all had horses ass in us. It

(01:23:53):
can't be consistent. You got to be better and you
got to be more focused. Discipline will be the word
for me this year on that offensive line.

Speaker 1 (01:24:00):
It legitimately cost them games last year. And I don't
think that anybody can deny that that is why you
lost to the Detroit Lions. That's why you lost to
the Jets. You didn't play well that night anyway, but
I mean, you know that's that's why you lost twice
to Kansas City was because of some of those things
that you just talked about and even too at the

(01:24:20):
receiver spot. I mean, you know, you should never have
a guy running into somebody else's legs and then say, oh, well,
he's trying to make a play a play on what
a catch that probably is going to have any incredibly
low probability that you're going to be able to make
because you just left your feet and he just.

Speaker 4 (01:24:38):
Cost me one of my top guys.

Speaker 1 (01:24:40):
So it's stuff like that they've got to clear up
this offseason, and hopefully they are able to do that.
We can continue the sections conversation if you want. We've
also gotten into a lot of astros, so it's fair
game for you. Seven one three two one two five
seven ninety one seven one three two one two five
seven ninety. I do want to get into a little
bit of the rockets on the other side, because you know,
you didn't say a cuss word, Sean, but you mentioned

(01:25:02):
the words cuss and word, and I feel like it
kind of applies to the rockets. I'll explain that next
as we begin the eight o'clock hour. Right here, Sports
Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (01:25:12):
Kbm E Houston, k TV HD to Houston has a rocket.
This is Sports Talk seven ninety Your home for your
home teams. Make Houston Sports then number one presage on
your car radio and you would improved. iHeartRadio app free
never sounded so good.

Speaker 8 (01:25:37):
Saulisbury, Salisbury, Houston.

Speaker 2 (01:25:42):
Okay, let's do this, Sean Salisbury.

Speaker 3 (01:25:47):
To usc true longtime friend, Sewn Salisbury.

Speaker 2 (01:25:50):
Ryan l Lima, go Lobo. This is the Sean Salsbury Show.

Speaker 1 (01:25:57):
Astros back on the spring raining field again this afternoon,
eleven fifty five. We're gonna get things going for the
Astros and the Marlins from Jupiter, and you'll hear that
game right here on Sports Talk seven ninety, your home
of Astros Baseball Rockets in Okay. See tonight take on
the Thunder trying to get a new win streak started

(01:26:19):
after the two game streak they had was snapped by
the Sacramento Kings on Saturday one thirteen, one oh three
final in that one. We'll get into the Rockets here
in just a second. See some of you on the
phone lines want two way in, but Sean, you know
we're two hours in. I'm really bummed that we haven't
done our deep dive recap of the Academy Awards last night.

Speaker 6 (01:26:43):
Dan, I gotta come clean. I don't know if it's
a badge of honors or something. I don't even know.
And you know me as a major moviegoer, right, I'll
go to one hundred of them a year.

Speaker 4 (01:26:53):
Yeah, I don't. I don't even know who was what
movies were up for nomination. Maybe that's on me. I
haven't looked. I don't even know who won because I
don't care.

Speaker 5 (01:27:04):
I don't.

Speaker 6 (01:27:05):
I mean these it feels like we have like fifteen
award shows back to back to back. It's it's like
the ass kissing sixty days is what I call it.
This one, this one, this one, this one, and listen,
who doesn't want to be rewarded for phenomenal performance?

Speaker 4 (01:27:20):
But I don't.

Speaker 6 (01:27:22):
I put it this way, I don't always think that
the person who wins it is that that well quite frankly,
that they deserve to win it.

Speaker 4 (01:27:30):
But nominees, listen, I don't vote them.

Speaker 5 (01:27:33):
I'm not.

Speaker 4 (01:27:34):
I don't.

Speaker 6 (01:27:34):
I don't have a vote on those things. So congratulations
to whoever won.

Speaker 4 (01:27:39):
I don't know. I don't even know where they hold them.
I know in Los Angeles, but they used to hold them,
you know.

Speaker 6 (01:27:45):
The Grammy Awards were at the big facility right across
the street from USC you know the where they held
it forever and you'd see the cars of that. But
the Academy Awards, I know it somewhere in Los Angeles.
But I'll be honest with you, I don't know who
was nominated. I don't know who won.

Speaker 4 (01:28:00):
I don't know. I can't give them their flowers because
I don't know who. I don't know who. I don't
even know who was up for it. So I just
I have no idea.

Speaker 6 (01:28:08):
And I would imagine the majority of the movies that
were up for Best Picture most people haven't seen.

Speaker 4 (01:28:14):
Probably not.

Speaker 1 (01:28:15):
I mean that seemingly is every year what it is,
because I mean, what was it Parasite a couple of
years ago and then everybody was like, oh god, I
gotta watch Parasite.

Speaker 4 (01:28:24):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:28:24):
I have zero clue who was up for it, who
won any of those things. But the good news is
the Matt Thomas Show today from ten until eleven fifty five,
Matt and Ross. They're gonna have wall to wall soup
to nuts coverage. They do they break it down last night?

Speaker 4 (01:28:40):
Do they do?

Speaker 2 (01:28:40):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (01:28:40):
Yeah, ohthough, yeah, yeah, yeah, all of it in between
cracking jokes on each other and even you know, bringing
Connor in on that. Every once in a while, they'll
have all of that for you. So there you go,
Matt and Ross. I you're listening. I just teased it
for you, so you better pay off on it.

Speaker 6 (01:28:54):
Yeah, I can't pay it off for a guy who
goes to all the movies. I have zero idea who
got and who didn't, who was.

Speaker 5 (01:29:01):
Up for it?

Speaker 4 (01:29:01):
I have zero idea, no idea.

Speaker 1 (01:29:03):
Well, I mean it's just also too. I mean, as
you mentioned, you know a bunch of people who want
to be able to talk about how great they are.
I mean, that's pretty much what it is for three hours, right,
It's just all of them standing up there and saying, oh, hey,
you know, how how great is everybody in this room?

Speaker 4 (01:29:17):
And then give a speech.

Speaker 6 (01:29:20):
You yeah, and then get it, give a speech up
there when you're accepting your award and telling the world
how bad we are and you know, if we don't
think exactly like you and stuff, congratulations to the winners.
I don't know how they think, nor do I care.
It's really good, it's really good for their careers and
it's awesome. Who doesn't want to win one? But the
day after I I don't care. If Gene Hackman would
have won one again, then I then i'd listened. But

(01:29:43):
God rest his soul. But you get my point. I
or Denzel, but I don't. I don't even know one.
I know Demi Moore was up for one that I
do know because I've heard she didn't. She went like
a golden globe or something. Yeah, right, exactly. So I
other than that, I really don't know.

Speaker 4 (01:29:57):
So good for them. It's their night and they make
sure you know it, and there you have it.

Speaker 1 (01:30:03):
So like a couple of years ago, when what was
it the people on the double decker buses, you know,
the star tourists, and they brought them in and it
was almost like they were treating these people like it
was like zoo animals, Like oh hey, normal people. And
it's just like, Wow, you're really doing a great job
of being able to connect with your audience. That's that's impressive.

(01:30:24):
Good job, y'all.

Speaker 6 (01:30:25):
Yeah, I don't really. I respect everybody's opinion on all subjects.
I don't care, but I I really, I really don't
care about Hollywood's grind right now because quite frankly, I
think there I don't think there is as creative as
they used to be, or at least we're not seeing it.
I mean, I don't see enough movies. And secondly, I
uh I And there's some talented people, but it's just there.

(01:30:47):
I guess they're just built different than they used to be,
and it's a build that I'm not real fond of,
so I don't really care.

Speaker 4 (01:30:54):
What they have to say. And it doesn't it doesn't
move my needle.

Speaker 6 (01:30:58):
So good for them, though, congratulations and hopefully whoever one wins,
another one and another one and they have a great time.

Speaker 1 (01:31:05):
There you go, Well me neither, Sean. I think most
of our audience probably feels the same way. Again, if
you want to get in on the phone lines, we'll
push the Rockets conversation to next. But if you want
to get in on the phone lines, sebon one three
two one two five seven ninety. One's gonna seven one
three two one two five seven ninety. We always know
we can count on Brandon to lay in here on

(01:31:25):
the Sean Salisbury Show. Brandon, what's up, buddy?

Speaker 7 (01:31:28):
Good morning, Dan?

Speaker 4 (01:31:29):
How are you very good? Buddy? How are you?

Speaker 7 (01:31:32):
I'm all right. I just went to the Coke CoV
Friday Friday night.

Speaker 4 (01:31:38):
Yeah, yeah, you get what what was what was the best?

Speaker 5 (01:31:41):
What was it?

Speaker 4 (01:31:42):
The brisket, the ribs?

Speaker 5 (01:31:43):
What? What?

Speaker 4 (01:31:44):
What'd you enjoy the monnight?

Speaker 7 (01:31:45):
I had mac and cheese.

Speaker 1 (01:31:48):
Okay, hey, hey, some good some good mac and cheese, Sean,
I think you'd agree with that. I mean, you know
the sides make the barbecue.

Speaker 6 (01:31:54):
Oh yeah, well mac and cheese and put a little
red hot on it. Actually, yeah, I go ahead, put
red hot on top of my mac and cheese.

Speaker 4 (01:32:02):
Yeah. I had a little spice to it. Yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:32:04):
So yeah, Oh come on, man, mac and cheese is
a comfort meal. You can eat that alone, done that
or with something. I'm on, I'm on mac and cheese
like a shriner on a hoe.

Speaker 4 (01:32:12):
Okay, that's me.

Speaker 7 (01:32:15):
So are you going to the audio?

Speaker 6 (01:32:18):
I'm sure, yes, I sure am. I am gonna go
to the rodeo. I'm not sure when yet. I celebrate
a birthday this month, so maybe then, but yeah, I will,
I will go. I'm just not sure which day or days.
My friend it starts on that I did know absolutely,
and I'm I'm looking forward to seeing it, and I
think it's great times and it's great for this city.

Speaker 4 (01:32:40):
So it's cool. I'm looking forward to it. Glad you
enjoyed yours.

Speaker 7 (01:32:44):
How about you?

Speaker 11 (01:32:45):
Dan?

Speaker 5 (01:32:45):
Are you going?

Speaker 1 (01:32:46):
Yeah, I'll probably get out there. I've wanted to go
see post Malone as the country act, and he's going
to be out there, so I might have to uh
drop in and see all posts you sing some country songs.
It'll be interesting. Sean and Brandon too. Uh see if
he brings anybody up on that rotating stage with him.

Speaker 4 (01:33:06):
I guess my guess is yes he will. Don't you
take something. That's my guess.

Speaker 7 (01:33:11):
Then, Sean, come come see.

Speaker 6 (01:33:14):
As we'll be at the bar, which is there? Is
there only one bar? I mean a part of my
I mean being seriously there more than one bar.

Speaker 7 (01:33:22):
Yes, we did got new ones this year.

Speaker 6 (01:33:24):
Okay, we'll find it. We'll find if I'm there when
you're there, I'll be I'd love to come say hello time.

Speaker 5 (01:33:32):
Okay, all right, because.

Speaker 7 (01:33:37):
I can get I can get in from my through
my name tag and in our ed my mom and
I will Sean.

Speaker 6 (01:33:46):
Thank you, Well, that's nice. I like Brandon. Brandon's like
Brandon's he's got he's got carte blanche. Thank you, Brandon.
That's very kind man, appreciate you.

Speaker 4 (01:33:54):
Appreciate it, buddy.

Speaker 5 (01:33:54):
We'll see you today.

Speaker 4 (01:33:58):
Brian's out.

Speaker 6 (01:33:59):
He's got a baseball turn it that he's coaching on
Monday with the biggest baseball tournament around, so he's his
team still playing, so he'll be back tomorrow.

Speaker 7 (01:34:06):
Okay, hey, I'll be watching. I gonna be watching the
Rockets game.

Speaker 1 (01:34:13):
There we go, Yes, yes, definitely tonight.

Speaker 7 (01:34:19):
Yep, tonight and I might watch baseball person then watch
the Buckets.

Speaker 1 (01:34:26):
That's that sounds like a plan. Appreciate it, buddy.

Speaker 4 (01:34:28):
Thanks Brandon, have a good day.

Speaker 7 (01:34:30):
Thank you for thating for Bryan Dan.

Speaker 1 (01:34:35):
Thanks buddy, appreciate that. Always always have fun to be
on with Sean and Tripley for sure. And yeah, Brandon,
gonna get the Astros and Marlins coming your way fromber
is gonna be on the mound and uh also to
a lot of the regulars. Gonna be in the lineup
today for that one. So we'll get into that on
the other side, Biscuits, see you right there. We'll get
to you on the other side again. As see, we

(01:34:57):
we've in some Rockets conversation here to you get us
rolling along here in the eight o'clock hour. He Shawn
Salisbury Triple, Emmanuel Elmore, Dan Matthews in for Brian Lima.
This is the Sean Salisbury Show. Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (01:35:11):
The Shawn Salisbury Show continues on seven ninety and continues
in your home. Say Alexa play Sports Talk seven ninety
on iHeartRadio.

Speaker 1 (01:35:23):
A couple more on Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris counted to
infinity twice. When the Boogyman goes to sleep at night,
he checks his closet for wait for it, Chuck Norris
and the final one here time waits for no man
unless that man is You've guessed.

Speaker 4 (01:35:40):
It, Chuck Charles. Chuck's got kill man. He does. He's
a freaking legend everywhere. You know, I think people are.
I think people are afraid of him. They are, they are.

Speaker 1 (01:35:51):
I think, yeah, we found that. We found that out
in the movie Sidekicks that what was it. Joe Piscopo
thought that Barry the kid that was a huge Chuck
Norris guy, that he was living in fantasy land with,
you know, his idolization of Chuck Norris. Well, then you
know they both got in the squared circle and you

(01:36:12):
found out who the real man was. In spoiler alert
it wasn't Joe Piscopo.

Speaker 6 (01:36:17):
Yeah, Chasmo is what it's all. He's the standard. He's
a standard bearer, yep, no doubt.

Speaker 5 (01:36:22):
Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:36:23):
So if if, again, if that was a spoiler alert
for a movie that's well over thirty years old, well
then I apologize for that. But anyway, that's what I
bring to the show today here on the Sean Salisbury Show,
the Rockets real quick biscuit for we get you in.

Speaker 4 (01:36:39):
Look.

Speaker 1 (01:36:39):
I threw this out last week, and I didn't write
it out. Usually I don't cuss on social media, but
there's the acronym for in this case, with us being
FCC regulated, mess around and find out. Well, the last
two Saturday nights, you know, Sean, the Rockets have been
messing around and they've been finding out. While oh, by
the way, the Lakers continue you to win, and now

(01:37:01):
they're the two seed in the Western Conference. You're only
a game and a half behind them in the five spot.
But the Rockets seemingly have numerous opportunities to be able
to catapult their way up the Western Conference standings, and
seemingly at every turn, either before the All Star break
or after the All Star break, they found a way
to mess up that opportunity and now that's why they're

(01:37:24):
in the five spot in the Western Conference, no.

Speaker 4 (01:37:26):
Doubt about it.

Speaker 6 (01:37:27):
Still time though, I mean, this team is but this
is a grind of a season too, right, Dan, We
see this, Yeah, we see this. But when you're a
young team, the focus has got and I think Udoka
knows this, but the ability to win games you weren't
supposed to win. We saw them do that early in
the season, where they would win some ugly ones and

(01:37:47):
they still got that in them. I love the talent
and the commitment on defense and all that he's brought
in culture wise, but you're right now, it's these are
games when we start to think, Okay, what do we
call baseball dog days?

Speaker 5 (01:37:58):
Right?

Speaker 6 (01:37:58):
What do we We're what fifty plus games in, Dan,
what have we got about thirty to go regular season?

Speaker 4 (01:38:03):
Something like that, somewhere in that range.

Speaker 6 (01:38:06):
Yeah, I mean, so these are you almost And when
I say this, I know it's impossible, but as a
player you have to think this. You have to have
the understanding that by losing a game that doesn't ruin
your season.

Speaker 5 (01:38:17):
But you have to think.

Speaker 6 (01:38:19):
I always when I get inside twenty five games of
a baseball or basketballs in football in December, even though
you got to win early, I am convinced that you
have to treat it like single elimination, not that mentally
you wilt after you lose the game. So I got
twenty four more to go, We're done, but you almost
the urgency. I'm talking about the urgency. And it's easy
as a young team to get a little to get

(01:38:40):
a little misled focus wise, and you're gonna have to
because that team you mentioned, the Lakers, they've been through
a lot of this and they just added a scoring
piece of a twenty nine more last night, so they
know what they're doing.

Speaker 4 (01:38:53):
I'm just using them. Look around.

Speaker 6 (01:38:55):
The team's a little veteran understands and I don't like
the word pace yourself, but you got to understand the
patreon and there's got to be a sense of urgency.
They're gonna be in the playoffs. The question is where
and who do they start? And you're gonna have to
roll through some good teams. But they're building something. But
I think I'm not ready for next year yet. This
team's got a lot of business to take care of
this year. And if there is something missing. And I'm

(01:39:17):
sure biscuitalll chime in on this. What is it in
your mind? What's the one thing that they're missing that
would elevate them to where they're the absolute major threat
in the West this year, not next year.

Speaker 1 (01:39:29):
Well, it's supposed to be the returner Fred van Vliet,
And I mean I understand he was out at exactly
a month. I think he missed thirteen games. They were
five and eight during that stretch. And of course you
know at the beginning part of that, you also are
without Alprin Shingoon. You know what you're gonna get offensively
from Alprin Shingoon, But defensively that seemingly has been I

(01:39:51):
mean completely showcased in a bad way here these last
few weeks. Because I brought it up when I was
hosting Rockets Rap over the weekend. Sean Rockets got outscored
fifty eight to forty four points in the paint, like
you saw a Sacramento team that basically their offensive game
plan was go out number twenty.

Speaker 4 (01:40:09):
Eight inside you make him defense, yes.

Speaker 1 (01:40:12):
And you're gonna be able to score. And he's he's
had his issues with Jonas Valentiunis in the past, and
I mean he did it again on Saturday night. What
was it fifteen and fourteen I think from valentiunas in
that effort. But I mean, you know it was also too.
I mean it was not only a comedy of errors
from the turnover perspective.

Speaker 4 (01:40:30):
That drives a lot of them unforced as well. And
that's what it was.

Speaker 1 (01:40:34):
In the second half. I think I may Dooka said
thirteen of their fifteen were in the second half alone,
So I mean that was that was the other part
of it is. You know, I remember one possession I
think it was late third, maybe even early fourth where Sacramento,
you know, air mails a pass out of bounds. I
think it went over to mar de rozen and the

(01:40:54):
rockets immediately imbounded and immediately turn it right back over.
So it's just like guy, I mean, like help yourself,
help yourself, man, like give yourself an opportunity. And I
mean Tarry Easton knocks down at three, you're thinking to yourself, Okay, hey,
that's that's where the comeback starts to happen. You did
it in the second quarter, you can do it again
here in the fourth. But no, the fourth quarter went

(01:41:16):
pretty much like a lot of their fourth quarters have
gone this season where you have a massive pronounced scoring
drought and the other team starts knocking down shots and
then you look at it triple zeros and it's, oh,
we just lost by ten and that's the way it
went on Saturday night.

Speaker 4 (01:41:31):
Bummer.

Speaker 6 (01:41:32):
Yeah, that's all I can say. And it is and
we turn it over and don't knock down shots. And
while Shin Gun's a phenomenal player, as witnessed by his
All star appearents, but to me, I can get by
Dan if you're not a great defender. I can't get
by if there's not effort. I'm not saying Shinmgun didn't
give effort. You that that is something that doesn't take
athletic skill. They're all athletic and they're all skillful. But

(01:41:53):
to me, it's just commitment to it. And they've they've
changed their way about that, but it's still going to
creep in at times. And they're young, and I think
that fighting through that, they got to learn how to
win and they got to learn how to lose and
get over both as quickly. You know when you win,
and I think that its success can be contagious and
so can failure. But you've got to know that the
next game, even if you dominated one night, the ability

(01:42:15):
to come back the next and come back the next
and come back the next and play.

Speaker 4 (01:42:20):
That brand of basketball.

Speaker 6 (01:42:20):
We've seen them win games where they weren't playing their best,
and that's important to me. I think the Rockets are
a dangerous team. I think they're a draw that you
may not want to get in the postseason if they're
playing right, because the coach gets it, and they've got
some skilled players that if they're rolling, they're got a
different skill.

Speaker 4 (01:42:37):
Set on that basketball court. They're pretty damn good.

Speaker 1 (01:42:40):
Well, I mean, it's at least a different change of
pace from there's no doubt for the last four years,
you haven't seen a team in this position since you
had James Harden in the building, and you haven't had
him since the bubble ending. So twenty one awful, twenty two, terrible,
twenty three same, do you know? Last year not a

(01:43:01):
little bit better? And this year you're hoping to be
able to have a much better into the season than
you've had the last few years because well, you haven't
had playoff basketball around here in sometime and the Rockets
are at least trending towards doing that. So we'll continue
that on the other side, because Sean, something you just
said is something I do want to get into on
the other side when it comes to the Rockets and

(01:43:21):
something that's thrown at this team. Biscuit A see you
right there as well. We'll do all of that here
as we get into the bottom half of the third
hour of The Shawn Salisbury Show. He's Shawn Salisbury Triple
Emmanuel Elmore, Dan Matthews in for Brian li Lima here
on your home of the Rockets and the Astros Sports
Talk seven to ninety.

Speaker 2 (01:43:40):
The Shawn Salisbury Show continued.

Speaker 6 (01:43:44):
Yeah, I was hoping he could get maybe get run,
you know what I'm saying, maybe didn't like balls and
stricks and just get him take the heave hole once.
I want to see him get the heave hole, you
know what I'm saying. You know, Well, he goes out
there and argues balls and strikes and he's running, right.
I want to see I want to see his post
get run, how he deals with when he if he
gets run. Is he just walk back to the dugouts
his hat turned backwards and he goes nose to nose,

(01:44:08):
does he does? He just walk away to be a
good example for the kids. He'd say, f them kids,
you know, that's his stight.

Speaker 4 (01:44:13):
I don't like the kid.

Speaker 6 (01:44:13):
He loves his kids there and having kids, you know,
all those things that my man Brian. So I wonder
what is if he gets the heave ho, if he
you know, tries little gamesmanship on the umpire, so he
gets balls and strikes all those things. No, he's out
there a lot. It's a huge tournament been going on
for this will be day three here and most people
know about it here and but but I mean like

(01:44:34):
a thousand or seven hundred I don't know the five
hundred teams, and he mentioned a bunch of them. So yeah,
rolling through it today, So we'll we'll get an update
on that tomorrow, see how his team finished. I just
is he Bobby Cox or is he more the mild
manner that just you know, just never gets run, you know,
but he does a great job of teaching those kids.

Speaker 1 (01:44:53):
I was gonna say, maybe maybe a little bit more
of a tito, you know, Terry Frank, like a tweener
in a while.

Speaker 6 (01:45:00):
Get run, But most of the time just like I'll
deal with it. Yeah, that's that sounds about right. Yeah,
or even Joe a spot of here. But Joe, Joe
said he wanted to have a little more fire and
get run with a little more enthusiasm this year.

Speaker 4 (01:45:11):
He told us that I was.

Speaker 1 (01:45:13):
Gonna say, I mean, how many calls do we get
here on the show where it's you know, hey, he
needs to get run to fire up his guys. There
you go, and you know that's that's that's something that
every once in a while could be thrown around in baseball.
But uh, you has been run from a few games
on the floor. And we've been talking Rockets basketball, and
I know that's what Biscuit wants to get into here
on the Seawan Salisbury Show. Biscuit, what's going on?

Speaker 10 (01:45:37):
Man? Man?

Speaker 5 (01:45:37):
What's that?

Speaker 10 (01:45:38):
My brother? Big shot?

Speaker 4 (01:45:39):
Everything's good, man? How about somebody all is well?

Speaker 11 (01:45:42):
Man?

Speaker 10 (01:45:43):
He's talking about basketball, not just the Rockets. Man, them cougar.

Speaker 4 (01:45:46):
Shout, nasty brother.

Speaker 10 (01:45:49):
I'm pulling out a bracket, man, I might be putting
them in the final four.

Speaker 5 (01:45:53):
Man.

Speaker 10 (01:45:53):
They looking good over there on Kirby Grivel, Yep, sure are,
and tell you another one, Sean. I watched a lot
of basketball over the weekend. Man, But that girl Juju
from the mess Trojan.

Speaker 6 (01:46:07):
How about my Trojans man going into Poli and taking
care of them. That's been a long time conference champs again,
damn right, she is.

Speaker 4 (01:46:14):
Nasty, look good.

Speaker 11 (01:46:18):
You know.

Speaker 10 (01:46:19):
Now to the Rockets man, then uh, if it was
a simple thing, the coach could have fixed it by now.
But it's I think it's multiple factors playing in to
play with the Rockets slippage. And one of the things
I think we really you know, you never know until
you go through it or whatever. I think the injury

(01:46:40):
to Jabari is bigger than we thought it was gonna be.
And Jabbari is kind of an unsung player on the team,
but now we're starting to see what he brought to
the table.

Speaker 5 (01:46:54):
And so here it is.

Speaker 10 (01:46:55):
The Rockets are not as good defensively as it were
at the beginning of the year, and I think part
of that probably do the Jabbari not being in there.

Speaker 6 (01:47:05):
And that's that sustained youth commitment, right, biscuit. I mean,
I mean we expect it to come on. That's part
of it, No doubt, part of it is a youth but.

Speaker 10 (01:47:14):
Part of it is Dan brought it up about Sangoon
being great esusly, Well, Jabbari could help him, you know
what I mean. The mother guy's a little too short,
you know, and so uh a lot of times now,
Dan Is, they're they're not holding teams down like they
used to earlier year, and so they used to win

(01:47:35):
a lot of games just by hustling defense and rebounding,
and now they're getting into small offensive games and that's
not what they're best at, you know, right at this point.
And the last thing would be they don't have a
lead dog. Uh. That's that's I think probably maybe the
biggest factors. You need a lead dog. You can say

(01:47:55):
that you want about Harden or whoever, but you got
to have that lead dog down the last six minutes
of a game. And they kind of is done by committee.

Speaker 11 (01:48:04):
Type, you know.

Speaker 10 (01:48:05):
Okay, well Singoom this night, maybe Jaling this night, maybe
maybe books is hit, you know, so you don't have
that one guy that you can just lean on and
just bring us home. And so with all those factors
in and like Sean said, with the youth, I think
they're gonna be one and done.

Speaker 11 (01:48:22):
Man.

Speaker 10 (01:48:22):
But you and the big scheme of things big picture man,
the Rockets on the right track, you know what I mean?
Because we three years ago we was nowhere and so
now we get knocked out in the first round, say
by the Lakers, and you know, okay, but that's an
learning experience, you know, and something to grow on. So
I just think the Rockets, or if they could have

(01:48:45):
got the Aaron Fox, maybe that would have helped. But
with the cast they got right now, it's gonna be
hard for me to see him getting out of the
first round.

Speaker 6 (01:48:53):
Biscuit, thanks, great point is all on all that stuff
and on these Rockets. And the crazy thing is that
two three years ago you were bag for twenty two,
twenty three, twenty five wins, and now this team's got
not only playoff aspirations, but a bigger picture. So he's
right big picture and defense is commitment and defense his
size and defenses, matchups and defenses known when to switch,
all those things that go into scheming people. And Jabari

(01:49:15):
Smith was brought here as a three and D guy
and with some length and that that does matter. And
as you head down the stretch with these teams and
see it can be a blessing and a curse with
Biscuits talking about the blessing is somebody on a different
night can help you, I mean, can be the star.
And we've seen that this year from four to five
guys on different nights, from from Thompson to Shngoon to.

Speaker 4 (01:49:37):
Dylan Brooks to Jalen Green. We've seen that.

Speaker 6 (01:49:41):
But there is a point to even though you have that,
which one's going to demand it when it's on the
line is we're Biscuits going the guy that is willing
to take the shot and miss and it'll happen.

Speaker 4 (01:49:53):
But got to be you.

Speaker 6 (01:49:54):
You want to be that guy every night that The
only way you don't is when somebody comes off and
doubles you and you do it, you know, kick it
to a guy who's standing at the free throw line
and got a fifteen foot look. So those are the
things that it will grow into. But there's gonna be
there's gonna have to be some things that change on
the defensive end and a few other ways did to
get them through and as they head into longer series

(01:50:16):
in the postseason, it is a against veteran teams in
the West has got some veterans. Look at the teams
we're talking about Luca Nikola Jokic start to take a
look at the teams in the West who win its
nut cutting time.

Speaker 4 (01:50:29):
There is the one guy.

Speaker 6 (01:50:30):
Now, you better have a couple of guys that can
take it off and be the other guy and knock
down a shot if they if your number one can't
get it off or isn't having that kind of night,
but there's at least got to be the one to
say that's our alpha, and having four of them is great,
but there's still one that's got.

Speaker 4 (01:50:46):
To be the lead dog. And Biscuit makes a good point, well,
and that's the problem is.

Speaker 1 (01:50:51):
I mean, I think the guy that you're hoping would
be that guy. At times he will give it to
you and Jalen Green. But it's somebody that I think
kind of tries to take that on when that's not
why he's here. Is Fred van Vliet. And of course
then you get some of the misshots from him, and
then people start to blame him and say, oh, Fred's
terrible on the offensive end. My response to them is, well,

(01:51:12):
he's not supposed to be that guy, but because nobody
else will necessarily pick up that mantle, he's saying, well,
it might as well be me.

Speaker 4 (01:51:20):
Facilitat Alpha Dog, no doubt.

Speaker 1 (01:51:23):
Right, And I mean, and part of it is, you know,
that is why he's here, But he's not supposed to
be there. From the scoring perspective, that's supposed to be
Jalen Green. That's supposed to be outbranching goon. And it's
also more consistently supposed to be Jabari Smith Junior. I mean,
that's why you drafted him as high as you did.
You drafted him, like you said, to be that type
of player for you and defensively you're getting it. Offensively

(01:51:46):
you're not. And that's a problem for them right now.
And you know, look, I've said it before, is the
whole Dylan Brooks saying that he had is one night,
it's you, one night, it's me, but it's always us.
That's all fine and good, But to Biscuits point Sean,
that doesn't win in the playoffs. That's not going to
beat Lebron and Luca. That's not going to beat Jokic,
that's not going to beat John Morant. I mean, notice

(01:52:09):
I mentioned individual guys on those teams. There's a reason why.
It's because those are the guys that in those situations
they take over. I mean, I know, the other night
from Memphis, even though they lost to San Antonio, Jaron
Jackson Junior goes for forty two. But I mean, you know,
you need to be able to have those performances a
lot more. And we see it kind of like we
were talking about earlier with Jake Myers. We see it

(01:52:30):
in spurts with Jalen Green. We just don't see it enough.
That's the major problem.

Speaker 6 (01:52:35):
Bengo, Amen, and hope as it rolls on you will.
But I'm one of those guys that, like I said,
with the greed, I still think that they can if
they change a few things, they can be hell in
the first round for somebody.

Speaker 4 (01:52:48):
They really can.

Speaker 1 (01:52:49):
No, I mean especially too with what they can bring
from a defensive perspective. And that's unfortunately for about the
last twenty games or so what it started to slip
with this team, and I don't know if they can
re gain that, because if they can, then yeah, absolutely,
they are shooting very much a a tough seven seven
game series.

Speaker 6 (01:53:06):
Yep, shooting comes and goes with every team and every player.
You just don't want to go to be long, but
all what does travel. I've said it before and I'll
say it travel is defense travels man better than offense
because you don't have to go through defensive plump. Sometimes
the other guy's just better having a better night. But
I can tell you this, it does travel, you'll at

(01:53:26):
least have a chance. Kelvin Samson lives by that his
team's gonna be in every game. You ain't blowing them
out because they will. They'll be around, and then it
just comes down to you know, what are you doing
in the last five minutes of a game? And that'll
be the same in this tournament. But I can tell
you this, they travel and people don't want to beat
play them or we mentioned Izzo because they pound you
around and beat you and beat you and beat You're
working forty minutes.

Speaker 4 (01:53:47):
Man, it's just a grind.

Speaker 6 (01:53:48):
So that that attitude in Udoka has that and it'll
continue to permeate through them. But it's gonna have to
be a little sharper, a little you know, knife, a
little sharper when it comes to the postseason, because those
guys you named can take over games.

Speaker 1 (01:54:03):
Yeah, and that's what the Rockets are hoping they can
be able to build upon this year, and not only
this year, but going forward. I mean, I think there's
no doubt that the exit meeting with Jalen Green is
going to be You've got to be that guy on
offense this coming season. Like we've paid you to be
that guy, We've expected you to be that guy. It's
time for you to take that step. And I don't
know if that's working with you know, Kevin Durant or

(01:54:26):
with Lebron or anybody this offseason as players are willing
to do, but I mean, you just you've got to
be able to take that next step offensively for this
team to get to where it needs to go. And
that's something that I think that Rocket fans are hoping
will come to Fruition when it's all said and done.
See a couple of you want to get in on
the phone lines, so we'll continue the Rockets conversation next

(01:54:47):
also to next hour. I want to get back into
the Astros conversation that we had early on in the show.
Maybe you miss that, so we can be able to
get back in to those topics conversation as well. If
you want to get a board on the phone lines,
do so. Sebon one three two one two five seven ninety.
Once again that SE one three, two, one two five,
seven ninety. He's Sean Salisbury Triple E Emmanuel Elmore. This

(01:55:10):
is the Sean Salisbury Show. Dan Matthews in for Brian
Alima here on your home of the Astros and the
Rockets Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (01:55:20):
This is the Sean Salisbury Show.

Speaker 4 (01:55:23):
You know, Shawn I.

Speaker 1 (01:55:24):
Mentioned that a lot of the regular is gonna be
in the lineup today there in Jupiter behind from ber
Valdez as you're gonna have Jose al Tuve leading off.
He's out there in left field, so a little bit
of a different park to get used to there in Jupiter. Uh,
you're gonna have batting in the two spot. You went
Don Alvarez as the DH as we've been seeing est

(01:55:46):
sac Perettis there. It does look like Perettis is gonna
be batting second this season for the team, but Yiner
is catching off day for both Perettis and also for
Christian Walker as John Singleton it's gonna be over there
at first base. But Chas McCormick is out in right field,
Mauricio Dubon at second base, and Jeremy Pania also gonna

(01:56:09):
be batting fifth at shortstops. So a lot of the
regulars gonna be in the order today for the Strows.

Speaker 4 (01:56:15):
Yeah, and that's a good thing.

Speaker 6 (01:56:17):
I like seeing them get work and before you know it,
we're going to be at the end of March ready
to roll and uh and then get this thing hitting
the ground running big time in April. So let me
ask you, do you believe that the lineup? Do you
believe there's competition where there should be competition if it
starts today, will the same lineup that you think it's

(01:56:37):
going to be today be the same as we open
up on.

Speaker 4 (01:56:42):
The opening day against the Mets.

Speaker 1 (01:56:44):
No, because I mean, obviously you're not gonna have Kennedy kurb.

Speaker 4 (01:56:47):
I'm not to know.

Speaker 6 (01:56:47):
I'm not talking about the lineup that they're putting in today.
Your lineup in your mind, the lineup that you have
in your mind yet not not not the team's lineup today.
I know that I'm done about in your mind going
into today. Sure is your life which you believe the
lineup is gonna be gonna be the same lineup which
you would happen when we're at the end of this month.

Speaker 1 (01:57:09):
For the most part, Yes, And I know that Joeespotta
really wants Mauricio Dubon to be the everyday second basement.
But the question I have is, why is Brendan Rodgers
here then, Like, why would you have a guy that's
been a good two sixty plus hitter and also, you know,
somebody that's been able to put together goal glove defense there.
I mean, why wouldn't you have that guy in the lineup,

(01:57:31):
especially when you're looking for more punch towards the bottom
end of your order.

Speaker 4 (01:57:35):
Okay, because go ahead, yeah, yeah, so tell me, I mean,
go ahead.

Speaker 1 (01:57:42):
Tell you, yeah, yeah, I mean I'd have Brendan Rodgers
at second base. I mean, somebody that's been able to
put together, you know, good offensive production and also to
gives you goal glove caliber defense over there. I mean
nothing against Mauricio Dubon. I just think that frees up
Dubon to be what he's been, the utility guy that
if you do need a little bit more punch out

(01:58:03):
in the outfield, like you want him playing center field
for example. I mean, he's been able to do that
well for you, and when you're not getting what you
want offensively out of Jake Myers, I'd like to have
that option out.

Speaker 4 (01:58:14):
There for sure.

Speaker 6 (01:58:15):
Okay, give me the starting lineup that you would have
on opening day, and I don't care who it is
in your mind who the starting lineup, and then tell
me what you think their starting lineup is going to be.

Speaker 4 (01:58:28):
I would go, I'll give me give me the batting
order as well and the position.

Speaker 1 (01:58:31):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll two v leading off out in
left field, Perettis at third, batting second, Jordan in the
three spots as the d H Walker batting clean up
at first base, gonna go Diaz as the catcher at
short or Diaz as a catcher batting fifth, would go
Rogers that second, batting sixth. I'd go Painia seventh, a

(01:58:55):
short Chazz out and right field batting eighth, and then
obviously Jake Myers out in center batting nine.

Speaker 4 (01:59:01):
So that's the lineup you want, That's the lineup I want. Okay,
will it be where? Will it be different?

Speaker 1 (01:59:08):
It will be different because Maurice Cio Debaum will likely
be at second base.

Speaker 6 (01:59:11):
And you're gonna use You're gonna do you mean? Are
we talking about second base? One hundred and forty five
hundred and fifty games are we? Are you talking about?

Speaker 4 (01:59:18):
Rogers? Is the platoon guy that Debond's been well, I
mean if he wants to, because I mean he's got
opt outs.

Speaker 1 (01:59:25):
So if it doesn't work out here, maybe his agent
goes to him and says, hey, you know, Pittsburgh could
really use you at second base. All right, well let
me go ahead and opt out of this deal and
sign with Pittsburgh and I'll go play for the Pirates
and field behind Paul Skeins.

Speaker 4 (01:59:40):
I just I the the the thing that really sticks with.

Speaker 1 (01:59:44):
Me on this is why is Brendan Rodgers here If
you're not gonna make him your everyday second baseman, that's
my question.

Speaker 4 (01:59:51):
Well, the fact that he adds depth. I guess well, I.

Speaker 1 (01:59:55):
Mean depth is fine, and yes, you definitely do need depth,
but I mean I also would much rather have my
best starting.

Speaker 4 (02:00:02):
Nine out there.

Speaker 6 (02:00:02):
And he's a Gold Glove winner obviously, so and you
and then platoon Dubon at second and if you need
him at short if you need him in left field,
if you need him in centerfield, he's your he's your.
Ben Zebrist still correct.

Speaker 4 (02:00:18):
Yes, he absolutely is.

Speaker 1 (02:00:20):
Because he he also has shown you that the more
at bats he gets, the the less the production is
going to be there. Because when he's been able to
be that guy for you. He's been highly productive for
you because you can't get as much good of a
good book on him, but when you're able to see
him day in and day out, you get those tendencies,
and hence the production starts to you decline for him.

Speaker 6 (02:00:42):
Okay, any chance in your mind that if you had
your way in a perfect world, would one of the
young players be starting at a in the outfield.

Speaker 1 (02:00:51):
You're talking about, like Decenzo or any of those Cam Smith? Yeah, yeah,
I mean perfect world, you would like it, But I
also gonna get it. You're not gonna get it right
off that right. I mean the way that camp Smith
will find his way to this roster this year is
if you do have the injuries that you had last year.

(02:01:12):
I mean, Joey Loperfdo was not supposed to be up
here as quickly as he was, and then by necessity
you had to play Joey Loperfdo. So for Smith, I
think that in the ideal world for them is they
want to start him off more than likely in Corpus Christy,
But who knows, maybe they bypass and just say no,
you're playing third base with Sugar land and keep your
phone close to you because we're gonna be bringing you

(02:01:33):
up here pretty quickly. I think you wait until at
least June one on Camp smith Fair. Yeah, so these
are all questions that Joe Aspota has to try to answer.
I mean it's also too I mean, you're looking at
it and we'll get into this on the other side
as well. Of I mean, you know, guys like John Singleton.
I mean, there's a reason why Singleton, you know, came

(02:01:56):
to camp in as good as shape as he is
he is because I think he looks at it and says,
there's no guarantee him on this roster. So I mean,
I think that's that's in play too. Of you know,
maybe certain guys that you would have thought going into
camp would be penciled in to make this team that
you're going to possibly be seeing when it comes to
sending the twenty six man roster back to Houston to

(02:02:18):
start the season, that there's certain guys that surprise you
or not not on this team anymore. And you wonder
if he's one of those guys, especially with Vic Carrottini's
showing you he can play first base.

Speaker 6 (02:02:27):
Boy, is he is he a versatile player. He is
such a good bat to have late and good different
I mean, he is a guy that everybody needs on
their roster.

Speaker 4 (02:02:35):
I'm glad we got him.

Speaker 5 (02:02:37):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (02:02:37):
No, and so is Joe spot It for sure.

Speaker 1 (02:02:40):
And when you're trying to find as much versatility on
this roster as possible, he definitely helps you out with that.
Chris Ronnie see you guys right there. We'll get back
into some Rockets conversation on the other side too, as
we get into the nine o'clock hour, final hour here
on a four hour Sean Salisbury show. He's Sean Salisbury.
Triple Emmanuel l More, Dan Matthews in for Brian Lima.

(02:03:02):
This is Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (02:03:05):
Abm E Houston at vz HD two Houston, the Astros,
the Rockets, Rockets Basketball, your home for your home teams.
This is Sports Talk seven ninety. You make Houston Sports Done,
number one precent on your car radio and the new
it improved iHeartRadio app Free never sounded so good.

Speaker 8 (02:03:29):
Salisbury Salisbury, Houston.

Speaker 5 (02:03:34):
Okay, let's do this.

Speaker 2 (02:03:36):
Sean Salisbury.

Speaker 3 (02:03:39):
To usc true longtime friend, Shawn Salisbury.

Speaker 2 (02:03:42):
Brianl Lima, Go Lobos.

Speaker 1 (02:03:44):
This is the Sean Salisbury Show, driving around during lunchtime
or listening on the free, new and improved iHeartRadio app which,
of course we know you have Sports Talk seven ninety
there on the number one preset. That is how you
can catch the game. Rockets back on the floor tonight
on the road and okay, see taking on the thunder.

(02:04:06):
They lose on at Saturday to the Sacramento Kings one
thirteen one to three u H Cougars for the second
straight year. On the men's basketball floor, they are the
Big Twelve Conference regular season champs as they beat Cincinnati
over the weekend at Ftida Center seventy three to sixty four.
They're gonna get Kansas tonight at Forritida Center seven forty five.

(02:04:28):
Coverage gets going over there on at KPRC nine at
fifty and the NFL scouting combine wrapping up over the weekends,
and now the Texans and every other NFL team starting
their draft prep in earnest as so we'll have like
I said earlier, sean pro days coming up, individual workouts,
all those different types of things, and then soon enough

(02:04:49):
we're looking to Green Bay for three days of the
NFL Draft and seeing who the Texan's at but we've
covered all of those things, including a lot of Astros,
lot of Rockets as well. Speaking of the latter team,
that's where Chris in Missouri City wants to go on
the phone lines. Chris, what's going on?

Speaker 11 (02:05:09):
Hey, good morning brother. It's full disclosure. Man. I've called
several of the other shows several times, but this is
my first time camming you.

Speaker 3 (02:05:17):
Sign.

Speaker 11 (02:05:17):
I've listened, I work at night. You shout out to
my people at Texas Children's Hospital. I've listened for a while,
but this is my first time calling you, man, so
I gotta do better.

Speaker 6 (02:05:27):
Well, we love having you and it's great first time.
Hopefully there'll be many more. Man, We appreciate you listening
and thanks for calling in. And yeah, the best of
those people you work with it are change saving lives.

Speaker 4 (02:05:38):
So thank you, ma. Man, appreciate it. It's on your mind.

Speaker 11 (02:05:40):
It's a pleasure, man. So as I listen and reflect, Man,
what an amazing time to be a Houston sports fan. Man,
listening to y'all talking about the Astros. Of course, the
Rockets on up taking the Texans, but listening to what
you guys are saying about the Rockets, it's a it's
a it's the place that we're in right now as team.

(02:06:02):
I definitely think that they're ahead of schedule, So I
guess the delicate balance of that that you know, I
definitely don't have the answers to, but you know, a
raphile strong hopefully figures it out. Do you continue to
exercise patience with these youngsters as you obviously see all

(02:06:24):
of them are growing, and you know, like you guys
were saying, somebody has to take that alpha dog roll.
And if they don't clearly see somebody and identifies that
being that alpha dog, who do you go out and
get My opinion, Jalen has it to a certain extent, happy, Yeah,

(02:06:44):
you know, like this guy said, he's a deafensive liability.
But if I have to put it on anybody, he
just needs some more tony saucers on them, some seasoning.

Speaker 10 (02:06:53):
It's a'm in Thompson man.

Speaker 4 (02:06:55):
That kid just.

Speaker 11 (02:06:56):
Seems like he's got to hit. Fact there seems like
as the course of the season has gone on, his
shot is approving so obviously offensively, he's got to get
better and he's got to uh that that percentage as
far as the three point shooting's got to improve. But
I don't know, I just wanted to pick it up playing.
I'm like, you know, do you think do you think

(02:07:17):
they need to go out and get nobody? Just give
it more time?

Speaker 4 (02:07:20):
Yeah, Chris, let me let me look.

Speaker 6 (02:07:21):
And then this season, you know, with the fact that
it's passed and we're we're working through that now, and
they didn't go do something like the Lakers getting Luca,
which was a brilliant move by them. They stole that
trade as we know. But I want to go back
to this that this Rockets team and your point. Yeah,
they got some young dogs on this team, and Thompson's
one of them. You're exactly. It's just he's got to,
you know, grow into the alpha role. It's hard to
force yourself on it. It just kind of takes it.

(02:07:42):
It's it's like that natural sit just kind of like leadership.
It just happens. You go into the room and everybody
just gets in line and follows, right those things. Forced
leadership is a problem. Forced alp is a problem. You
just kind of do it and your your your bite's
a lot louder than your bark. And I feel like
that kid's got that butt I'm gonna make you the
GM right now, knowing the landscape trade deadline passed, We're

(02:08:03):
sitting here staring at you know, where they are with
their seed and understanding the Western Conference, thinking to the stars,
you know, look watching an Oklahoma City team and then
paying attention to what the Lakers did, and there's Nicola
Yoki you're gonna have to do with. There's that guy
all over the Western Conference. Not to say, we haven't
even been to the East yet. So you're the GM.

(02:08:24):
And whether it's on the rock, it's not even necessarily
to go get a guy. I need one fix the
biggest thing you need done for this team to get
through a playoff series in the postseason. You only get one.
What's the one tree thing? Yeah, you only get one.

(02:08:44):
Give me one. Whether you're the coach, e may or
whether it's a general management, you give me the one
thing that needs to happen today for them to get
through the first playoff series and take going to round
two in the postseason.

Speaker 11 (02:08:58):
Man, I would I would put a package together. And
I don't know, Booker just doesn't excite me. Man, If
it was any way to get one of them boys
from from from Boston man.

Speaker 10 (02:09:11):
Either either Tate or or Jalen.

Speaker 11 (02:09:14):
I would I would love for them to put a
package again. I don't know how realistic that is, man,
But I don't even know if.

Speaker 4 (02:09:20):
I got the answer shant okay, yeah exactly. And I
think a lot of us are trying. It's it's like,
where's waldough?

Speaker 5 (02:09:25):
Right? Well?

Speaker 4 (02:09:25):
Is it this this more?

Speaker 6 (02:09:27):
As Biscuit says, he know, there's was there something one
thing missing And it's hard to put our finger on
or a thumpernt on. All right, so let me take
the other guys outside of the building out of it.
You're standing in front of the team and you say,
we gotta do this better.

Speaker 5 (02:09:42):
What is it?

Speaker 11 (02:09:46):
Man? I really just think that they need to continue
to jail if they're gonna stay ted. Like you guys said,
it's if it identified Jalen Green as that dog. He
just it seemed like he growing It's just, you know,
they got to continue to implement e May's uh culture,
his mindset as far as like, hey, you know, if

(02:10:09):
you're not playing no defense, you're not gonna get on
the floor.

Speaker 10 (02:10:12):
Oh they got dept.

Speaker 11 (02:10:14):
They just need that guy to step up.

Speaker 10 (02:10:16):
And I think Alpi is doing as best as he
can defensively. A lot of times he's got lapses, but
that latter what speed, he just doesn't have it.

Speaker 11 (02:10:26):
Oh so if anything, you know, tell Green to step
up and be that guy. If that indeed is gonna
be your guy.

Speaker 6 (02:10:34):
Great stuff, that's stand and say it's something to watch
pres now, Oh yeah, are you kidding me? Thank you
so much. We love we love the great insight. We
also love you listening and chiming and Chris do it again? Man,
be well, brother, thank you.

Speaker 11 (02:10:45):
It's yeah.

Speaker 6 (02:10:46):
I think then that has a lot of us. We're
trying to put our finger on one thing. And I
don't think it's it's hard to do that.

Speaker 2 (02:10:53):
It really is.

Speaker 6 (02:10:53):
Say well, it's this, and they got to do this, Jabari,
get back out the shitn't goodn play better defense overall
team defense Alpha? Should they have gone outside the building
like the Laker didn't tried to put a package together
for a dearon Fox who is in San Antonio now
without women Yama the.

Speaker 4 (02:11:07):
Rest of the year. So all those things come to fruition.
But can't fix that now.

Speaker 6 (02:11:12):
So you got to if it's in the building that
you got to fix, whether it's the elevation of a player,
or elevation of a you know, a grouping on defense
or if it's something and I'm sure you know, coach
you Doka is asking the same thing.

Speaker 4 (02:11:26):
But and I think there's a maturity that goes with it.
And it's a grind.

Speaker 6 (02:11:29):
And I'm telling you sometimes I found out in the
years of watching good teams play and teams that did
when I say disappear, I don't think the rockets are
there yet, but the disappear kind of are the the
ability to, honestly, the grind between the ears is sometimes
how to pace it between the ears matters.

Speaker 4 (02:11:47):
It matters in every sport. I watched it happen.

Speaker 6 (02:11:49):
I've watched the guys who understand how to manipulate the
mental part of the game the proper way work in
their favor. And we're going to get to a point
where we can't keep saying, well, they're just young, you know,
well when when does that?

Speaker 5 (02:12:02):
When? When?

Speaker 6 (02:12:03):
And they've got a couple veterans, even with Dylan Brooks
and you know, and and on on the on the
roster that can assist the young guys. But when are
they gonna have to quit babysitting and I'm not saying
they do all the time, but there's got to be
a sense of that that do you feel like that
they got to bring them along?

Speaker 4 (02:12:19):
They're gonna have to bring themselves along at some point? Well,
I mean that time is already now.

Speaker 1 (02:12:24):
I would agree with Audoka because I mean, he had
a chance to be able to follow up on Remember
how he ended his press conference after the Jazz loss,
where you know, somebody had asked him, hey, you've got
a young and promising team and and and all of this,
and he said, you know, maybe, uh, I forget what
his first part was, but the part that everybody hung
on was an improvement in the IQ department. And then

(02:12:47):
he of course was asked about it the very following game,
where he was able to kind of expand on that,
and the crux of his messaging was we're not young anymore.
I mean, and he's not wrong. I mean, Jalen Green
now is twenty three. He's played what three years? Four years?

Speaker 4 (02:13:03):
Is I believe?

Speaker 5 (02:13:05):
Full?

Speaker 4 (02:13:05):
Year three? Full?

Speaker 5 (02:13:06):
I believe?

Speaker 4 (02:13:07):
Yeah, maybe I think three.

Speaker 1 (02:13:09):
Copron Shinhun's played a lot of basketball. Jabari Smith junior
at this point, he's in year two. He's played a
lot of basketball, and men Thompson's played a lot of basketball.
I mean, the only guy that you can really point
to you on this roster right now, Sean and say
still young is Reed Shepherd. He's twenty years old and
he hadn't gotten a ton of playing time, and that's
going to come down the road. But I agree with Ida,

(02:13:31):
you have to stop using that excuse, Like you're to
the point now where these guys have played a ton
of basketball in this league. They know what's expected in
this league, and they know what you need in order
to be able to win.

Speaker 6 (02:13:41):
I think I think using the the if you're a
coach or a player using at this stage sometimes it's valid.
But at this stage, I'm with coach udoka Is. I
personally think it's a loser's lament, that it's the all
I confess it's the youth's fault.

Speaker 4 (02:14:00):
I disagree with that.

Speaker 6 (02:14:01):
I understand early like that you've got to learn how
to do these things in the NBA because it's different.
It's a lot longer grind than the thirty or thirty
plus games you played in high school and the you know,
the forty games you're going to play in college. If
you win, you know, for a couple of years or
one year, whatever it is, right, it's different. It's a
different grind. But the ball's not heavy, and basketball IQ

(02:14:22):
needs to be at the top of it. Not basketball
IQs per se that dumb on the court, but basketball
IQ decision making. That's where there's a difference. There's just
some guys you get buy on talent, and I'm talking
about in pro sports that that they're not going to
go up and teach the class on how to do
how to put an offense in but they're just great athletes.
And then there's the in any sport, there's the guys

(02:14:43):
who know that they got the game. But what's the
advantage over you and Luca great talent, high basketball, what's
going to sustain you and separate you from the next guy?
And basketball IQ At this time of the season, the
team that wins this NBA Championship will be talented, they
will play defense, they will be well coached. But I
can also tell you that their basketball IQ will be
through the roof. I'm talking about I call it PUP

(02:15:06):
We know what that means. In the PUP list, I'm
talking about poise under pressure, which is high basketball IQ
under pressure, any of them can roll a basketball out
there in the middle of the second quarter, go do
your thing. That's not what I'm talking about. The NBA
champion will be littered with guys on the team who
do it that way. I promise you well. And that's
also too.

Speaker 1 (02:15:24):
I mean, that's why I think he's trying to coach
out those excuses from these guys of stop saying, oh, well,
I didn't know you know how to handle this situation.
You should close game, you're up by three with a
minute left to go. Maybe you don't go down the
floor where the shot clock is in your favor and
they need to foul and say, hey, now is the
time for me to do a Harlem Globetrotters behind the

(02:15:46):
back pass to Jabari Smith Junior and it goes out
of bounds and then Milwaukee has a chance to be
able to tie and maybe even win that game. I Mean,
those are things right there that I'm sure emy Udoka
just looks at and just says.

Speaker 4 (02:15:57):
The hell are we doing?

Speaker 1 (02:15:58):
Like what seriously, what are you doing in that situation
that loses us ball games?

Speaker 6 (02:16:03):
Yeah, when they're scratching that time, when they're scratching their
head more than they're dapping people up in the fourth quarter.

Speaker 1 (02:16:08):
That's a problem, yep, no doubt well, and he's unfortunately
been doing that quite a bit. If you notice too,
you can always tell when Udoka is not very pleased
with his team. He'll signal for the timeout and then
he immediately makes a B line for the free throw
line in front of the bench. And he's been doing
that quite a bit lately.

Speaker 6 (02:16:25):
And I love how he's not soft selling it. Not
soft selling it or baby on him. Guy's no, that's
not who he's about. And remember he's been on the
the Greg Popovich tree as well. You know, he's he's
been tutored pretty damn well over the expectations he has
for his club, and he did a good job in
Boston unfortunately what happened there.

Speaker 4 (02:16:43):
But it's our blessing.

Speaker 6 (02:16:44):
It's a blessing that we have him here because he's
not going to allow young excuses to creep into young players.
So much more to discuss throughout the season on.

Speaker 1 (02:16:50):
That it's the old it's the old saying culture wins,
and that's what he's continuing to try to build here
in Houston. So we'll get into more Rockets conversation here
in the final forty five minutes or show of the show,
The Matt Thomas Show, with Ross coming up next. Know
that Ronnie wants to get in on the astros. If
you want to join Ronnie on the phone lines, you
can do so. Someone three two one two five seven ninety.

(02:17:12):
Once goin that semon one three two one two five
seven ninety. This is the Sean Salisbury Show, Dan Matthews
in for Brian Alima. He's Sean Salisbury Triple Emmanuel Elmore
Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (02:17:24):
We want Sean Salisbury continues on seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (02:17:28):
We'll get into some of the astros conversation, but a
couple more for you here, Sean of did you knows?
Did you know that Chuck Norris can divide by zero.

Speaker 4 (02:17:40):
And still come up with something plus?

Speaker 5 (02:17:43):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (02:17:43):
Yeah, there you go.

Speaker 1 (02:17:44):
Yeah, he's got that at his disposal. And uh, the
final one for you death once had a near Chuck
Norris experience and you live to tell about it.

Speaker 4 (02:17:55):
Hey, he's learning from Chuck. That's the way it is.

Speaker 6 (02:17:58):
Eighty and because at that point in time, it only
be because he doesn't want to do it anymore.

Speaker 4 (02:18:04):
That's why.

Speaker 1 (02:18:05):
Yeah, he just he just said, you know what, he's
gonna be like Alexander the Great.

Speaker 4 (02:18:09):
You know, like, what what was it?

Speaker 1 (02:18:12):
Hans Gruber said, he wept because there were no more
worlds to conquer, because Chuck Norris, You're just gonna say, hey,
you know what, I've done it all.

Speaker 4 (02:18:19):
There's there's nothing more to do here. I've left my
mark for one hundred and eighty years. There you go
chat yep. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:18:27):
It just just if White Goodman would have been on
his side right there and Peter Lafleur and average Joe's
would not have won the dodgeball championship. But Chuck Norris
put the thumbs up and said, I believe in you, Peter.
So greatest motive dodgeball maybe maybe the just the most
simplest motivational speech ever.

Speaker 4 (02:18:45):
That's it, he said.

Speaker 5 (02:18:46):
It was.

Speaker 1 (02:18:47):
It was the brevity that brought the point home right there.

Speaker 4 (02:18:51):
Brevity. It's good, nice, I like it. Yeah, it's nobody
wants people who drone on.

Speaker 1 (02:18:58):
Who wants who wants to be in a conversation where
somebody says only be a few minutes and then that
few minutes turns into about thirty.

Speaker 4 (02:19:06):
Minutes, none of us. No, I'm with you.

Speaker 5 (02:19:10):
No.

Speaker 1 (02:19:10):
Yeah, you've done a ton of public speaking.

Speaker 2 (02:19:12):
You know.

Speaker 1 (02:19:13):
Ronnie wants to weigh in here on the astros. Ronnie,
what's going on?

Speaker 4 (02:19:16):
Buddy?

Speaker 11 (02:19:17):
Morning Dan.

Speaker 12 (02:19:18):
Good to hear you on this time of day.

Speaker 4 (02:19:21):
Thanks, Buddy.

Speaker 12 (02:19:22):
You were talking about Brendan Rodgers, and I wasn't too
much familiar with what he had done.

Speaker 10 (02:19:28):
Of course, he has to take.

Speaker 12 (02:19:29):
Everything he did at Colorado with a little bit of
a grain of salt because of the rarefied air. But
I can he play shortstop? Also, because I'm wondering who's
going to be our shortstop if Jerem Paanya gets some
kind of an injury where he's out for a couple
three weeks or something. I mean, you put Dubon in

(02:19:51):
short okay, that that.

Speaker 6 (02:19:53):
Would probably be the one, unless it's somebody that we
don't have on it's not on the major league roster.
I mean, Dubond can do it. I would imagine Rogers
can give you a little bit of it. But Dubon
would seem to me to be the obvious choice.

Speaker 12 (02:20:03):
Ronnie, well, he seems to me to be the only
viable backup short stuff that we have we got some
guys that can play second. I mean, if all, if
it all came down to it, you could, you really
had to, You could put Al Tuve back at second
base if you had too many infielders injured, you know,
hurt badly. But I kind of worry about their whole

(02:20:28):
middle infield stuff. I don't know if Wickham can play
second or not.

Speaker 4 (02:20:34):
I don't know if they're.

Speaker 12 (02:20:34):
Even thinking about keeping him up. And if you put
cam Smith at third, which if you had to to
move Paretti's to second it came necessary, who knows what,
but you know it just they don't have a whole
lot of leeway, It's what I'm thinking.

Speaker 1 (02:20:54):
No, they definitely don't appreciate the call, Ronnie.

Speaker 4 (02:20:57):
I mean, you're Sean.

Speaker 1 (02:20:58):
The moral of the story isemy Panie as your shortstop.
I mean, and anything short.

Speaker 6 (02:21:03):
He's gonna go through having hard times, he'll still be
out there. Yeah, the short of an injury, he's gonna
be your.

Speaker 4 (02:21:08):
Guy, absolutely.

Speaker 1 (02:21:10):
I mean, because anything short of him falling completely off
the face of the planet offensively, like we saw with
Jose Bray, you where you just look at it and
you say, yeah, this ain't it, like we I.

Speaker 4 (02:21:22):
Can't work with this.

Speaker 1 (02:21:23):
I mean, if we're getting absolutely nothing out of him
at the plate and he's continuously getting beat on just
straight dead red fastballs, he can't even get around on those.
I mean, that hasn't been the problem. It's been the
low and away slider that has been the Achilles Heel
for Jeremy Pania. But I mean, if that happens and
you and we touched on a little bit earlier during
our conversation about Chaz and uh Jake Myers, that you've

(02:21:44):
got to have a couple of guys that have career years,
Like Chaz needs to get back to being that guy
that he was a couple of years ago. Jeremy Pania
needs to get back to being closer to the guy
that he was in his rookie season where he hits
the walk off against the Blue Jays and you're kind
of like, Okay, maybe we got something here with this
guy hits the home run there while Heidi Watt and

(02:22:05):
he's talking with the parents in the crowd there in Anaheim,
and you're kind of like Carlos Korea, who But I
mean ever since then, you know, a couple of years ago,
it was the power fell off, and then last year
it was just the overall consistency from him where you
couldn't necessarily count on him being able to put together
a good at bat for you, either runners in scoring
position or not.

Speaker 6 (02:22:26):
I think he's one of the most intriguing watches on
this team and maybe around baseball to find out where
what's the next level for him?

Speaker 4 (02:22:33):
What is the next level for him?

Speaker 6 (02:22:34):
We know we've seen him get strong, We've seen him,
you know, play the position, We've seen him play under pressure.
Now to with stand one hundred and fifty one hundred
and fifty five games at shortstop where you are where
they have to fight to keep you out of the
first five in the orders, that's the type of production
I want. You remember his rookie year when he was
producing in the two hole, and then as the season
went on, as young players do, did the grind, and

(02:22:57):
then his postseason was off the charts. But the ability
to for me that you're going out there every day,
You're gonna play through zero for twelve. It doesn't matter
you're playing. We were not pulling you out. You're gonna
go through it. So whatever it takes to lay off
pitches outside the strike zone, that aren't competitive, strikes, pumped
the ball the other way, that stuff. I think he's
one of the more intriguing watches because I'm curious. Is

(02:23:19):
he a two fifty two to forty guy with seventeen
home runs? Is that who he's gonna be? Or is
he an early to mid twenties home run guy that
gives you good defense but also is a two seventy
five guy? Who is he? And I think this is
this is you talked about the young players on the Rockets.
This is now his time. He's seen a lot of baseball,

(02:23:42):
and I believe and I liked I sitting next to him.
I'd love the kid. I think he's a I love
his attitude and personality. But now it's about the production
that goes with being a middle infielder every day, and
especially on a team that's lost a lot of veterans. Hell,
you're now being counted on, and I'm anxious to see
where that part of that alpha comes through. That he's
being on to be not just a guy, but that guy,

(02:24:03):
and they need that guy to produce this year in
the regular season.

Speaker 1 (02:24:06):
Well not only at the plate but also too. I mean,
you know you've heard Joe a spot to say at
numerous times that you know, good leaders help build other leaders,
and he's a guy that likely now is going to
be counted on to be one of those guys in
the clubhouse, whether he wants it or not. Yeah, exactly right.
And that's the thing is I mean, you know, hearing
a spot I say that gives me a little bit
of confidence where he said he could even kind of

(02:24:27):
tell that. There were a few times that Jeremy was, Hey,
I'd like to speak up, but it's not the right time.

Speaker 5 (02:24:32):
For me to do it.

Speaker 1 (02:24:33):
Well, you don't have number two in there anymore. And
you know, Kyle Tucker was not that guy, but you
don't have number thirty five justin Berlander. You don't have
Ryan Presley. It sounded like both of those guys provided
that for this team. So I mean, that's something else
that's and you.

Speaker 6 (02:24:49):
Just lost, as you meant, that just lost the Bregman
part of the clubhouse leadership. So it's a role you're
gonna have to embrace and part of listen. Leadership doesn't
always come from voicing it. A lot of times leadership
comes from performing it. Yeah, performing it. Warren Moon was
a bad but warn Moon didn't have to voice, and
when he spoke, he was like Jef Hutting for those
old school people that know what I'm talking about. In
new school, when he f hunt and spoke, people listen

(02:25:10):
the old commercials. I got news for it when it
comes to he's at the point now where even if
he doesn't want to be guy who leads by verbiage.
Warren Moon produced it. But Warren didn't have to say much.
He said a couple words and everybody listened. But his
performance made him everybody. He was attracted to it, and
Jimmy mack McMahon was a verbal leader. Jimmy go out there,

(02:25:30):
he'd look ugly getting it done, go nine to twenty three.
But man, those nine plays that he made were enough
for us to win. That was his I don't know
we're pained. Altuve fun loving. His leadership is just performing.
He's not going to go in there and start throwing
things around in the clubhouse. It takes a unique guy
to be able to do it. And where's paining you
in that process? I think this year we'll find out
and he may be a performance guy that the leadership

(02:25:53):
just comes to him, because that after you saw what
he did in the postseason, everybody was like, Ooh, this
guy's different and that's got to be and you know,
an everyday thing. Now you're not the numbers he put up,
then it's a longer season. But you have to be
a guy that when we just go and he sayll
al Touve, oh Tanya, oh Jordan, those those names have
to be just the automatic. Do you know that they're

(02:26:15):
in the lineup every day and they're gonna produce every
day and they're gonna prove it every day. He of
those guys there's another level to his game and he's
gonna have to find it as well, and the leadership
will come with performance.

Speaker 5 (02:26:25):
Well.

Speaker 1 (02:26:25):
Andre Johnson was also one of those guys with the Texans.
I mean you'd hear it all the time of guys
talk about when he finally would speak. That was when
everybody in the room would be like, oh, well, if
he's talking now, because you know Andre, most of us
know him here. He's not a guy that's gonna, you know,
really be free with the words.

Speaker 4 (02:26:43):
It need to be if he chooses. Well.

Speaker 1 (02:26:46):
That's the thing though, too is because he did it
on the field. That's where I'm getting at with Jeremy
pania Is. People are gonna be willing to listen to
it a lot more from you if you're backing it
up on the field, and you know, fielding wise, he
can do that. It's just a question now can he
do it with the offense as well. Gary in Spring
wants to weigh in. If you want to join him
on the phone lines, you can do so someone three

(02:27:08):
two one two five seven ninety. We'll jump back into
the Astros conversation on the other side. Also to something
with Kelvin Sampson that I think can be translated across
the Houston sports landscape.

Speaker 5 (02:27:19):
Here.

Speaker 1 (02:27:19):
We'll get to that before we close up shop here
on a Monday edition of The Shawn Salisbury Show, Shawn
Salisbury Triple Emmanuel Elmore, Dan Matthews in for Brian Alima.
This is the Shawn Salisbury Show Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (02:27:34):
The Shawn Salisbury Show continued, Hey.

Speaker 1 (02:27:38):
Need a little bit more out of you if this
team is going to get to where they want to
get to this season, just because look, you don't have
the abundance of good talent on this roster anymore.

Speaker 4 (02:27:48):
You're in in year out.

Speaker 1 (02:27:49):
It's starting to kind of decrease as we go, because
you don't have the same amount of talent coming up
from the farm system anymore, or even two guys that
have left this organization you're trying to be able to replace,
and they're the type of players that not one individual
can replace, so it needs to become more of a
collective effort. But Gary in Spring wants to weigh in
here on the phone lines, Gary.

Speaker 4 (02:28:10):
What's going on?

Speaker 5 (02:28:11):
Hey, good morning, guys.

Speaker 4 (02:28:12):
You hear me all right perfectly?

Speaker 13 (02:28:15):
Okay, good Sometimes I have a bad connection on my
end on Penya. I was listening, and so I wanted
to call in and get my two cents worth. Here's
what I think, and this is just the eye test.
I don't really believe in all the analytics, mainly because
I don't undertand that I'm not a computer savvy to
follow it all the time. But here's what I think
Penya is and is going to be through his career,

(02:28:38):
and of course.

Speaker 10 (02:28:38):
I'm going to use analytics.

Speaker 13 (02:28:39):
But anyway, I think he's a two fifty to two
seventy five hitter. I think he's a fifteen to twenty
home run guy. I think he's a fifteen to twenty
stolen based guy and his defense is just so good
and he's all of that, and I think that's what
it is. But my biggest concern is everybody's trying to find.

Speaker 4 (02:28:59):
That, uh, that guy, that the leader guy and leaders.

Speaker 13 (02:29:04):
You can't transform people into leaders. They are leaders, maybe
not from birth, but there are leaders when they become leaders.
And I'm afraid if people try to make him put
this leadership in his mind, that's what he's gonna be
concerned about, and it's gonna take away from his baseball knowledge.
You can lead that horse to water, but you can't

(02:29:27):
force him to drink. A leader is not something you
could make somebody into. Either it's gonna be or he's not.
So just leave him alone and let him. Let him
become what he's gonna be naturally. So this Southern leadership
doesn't take away from his baseball skills.

Speaker 4 (02:29:42):
And that's kind of the way I look at it.

Speaker 6 (02:29:43):
Garry, great stuff, man. I couldn't agree more a couple
things about that. When people tell me leaders are made,
I disagree with that.

Speaker 4 (02:29:53):
I'm with you.

Speaker 6 (02:29:54):
I don't think you can force a sea on the chest.
I mean, like you can put the sea on somebody
chess for captain and then hope he roll goes into
that and you're like, you put it on their chests
and you say, okay, go be the captain, meaning go lead.

Speaker 4 (02:30:07):
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Speaker 6 (02:30:10):
Oh, and it comes to straight leadership and I and
I've done a deep dive into this and then through
a master my master's program, and it's not a pad
on the back. But even all the years of playing
with great leaders, I still learned something new. And I've
read read book after book after book after book on
what leadership is and what it does and the whys
and what's a real all those things in sports and
in life and in business.

Speaker 4 (02:30:31):
The parallels are pretty pretty amazing. But I don't think
that leaders are made. I don't. I think that now.

Speaker 6 (02:30:38):
I think you can take leadership and you can sharpen it.
I think that you can make it better. I think
you can be a leader. And then all of a sudden,
you say, Okay, how do I Okay, that time around,
I didn't deal with that, that that this person, right,
I didn't manage them right, I didn't lead them right. Okay,
how do I make an adjustment in my leads?

Speaker 1 (02:30:55):
Oh?

Speaker 6 (02:30:55):
Okay, you have a paragraph and you've studied and say, Okay,
next time this situation and comes about, I'll handle it different.
That's part of being a great leader because you're willing
to listen. Great leaders don't tell people. They show him,
and then they have everybody that I can go through
the traits of a great leader, but you can't force
that on him because when you force it on him,
then they're trying to do something that's not natural. I

(02:31:17):
watched this with Lane Kiffin, honest to God truth when
he got the USC job. And I've known Lane since
he played high school football. Used to go watch him
with Money play all the time. His dad and have
known Lane forever. And Lane when he got to USC
was not a great leader. Lane was a forced leader.
He'd throw out some quotes and he'd kind of try
to be what he was and it's USC and the
alumni and we got to do it. And he was

(02:31:39):
a brilliant offensive mind and a hell of a coach.
He just want a great leader. It was forced. He
got a couple more gigs along the way, got behind
Saban and then was on that staff and then goes
to Ole Miss and while he's brash and confident. The
leadership's different. It's not forced. It ole miss he along
the way. So in that DNA there was leadership skills.
He played quarterback in high school. He had that leadership

(02:32:01):
and they just needed to polish it. And now he's
far better than ever. It was premature. So in this
case with a Jeremy Paine or what have you, anybody,
I believe you're born with a certain you know, now
you got to light that fire in there. There can
be leaders that are born with it that just nobody
ever enhances it for them.

Speaker 4 (02:32:18):
I do believe that.

Speaker 6 (02:32:20):
But I don't believe you can be born as a
guy who's who's a guy who likes to stand in
the back of the classroom or sit in the back
of the classroom and force them to sit in the
front seat and gonna do it. Here's how you're gonna
do it. Now, sometimes somebody will. I believe they all
have it in their DNA. It's just what awakens it.
The kid who shy in the fourth grade may not
be shy in the ninth grade because someone a teacher,
a coach, a parent, a family member, a teammate awakened it.

Speaker 4 (02:32:43):
But it was there.

Speaker 6 (02:32:44):
I don't believe you can have somebody who doesn't have
DNA leadership and turn them into a great leader. And
I think that's part of what Gary said. I what
he's saying. So I think Pena Payne's Pena Painia's got leadership.
But how's it gonna get? How are we gonna awaken it?
But we all it's not all He's verbal how the
guy's a leader becomes a leader. So it's there. But
you are right one hundred percent. You start to tell

(02:33:07):
a guy he has to be a leader, watch his
game go south if he doesn't have it in his
DNA in any sport, I fully believe.

Speaker 4 (02:33:16):
Yeah, And that's the thing.

Speaker 1 (02:33:17):
I mean, it's got to be genuine because everybody's gonna know.
I mean, if you're trying to force it and it's
just not who you are, then that translates to the
rest of the god.

Speaker 6 (02:33:27):
But it also is a burden you carry too, because
you're not living up to it. Dan, right, You're exactly right.

Speaker 5 (02:33:31):
That's it.

Speaker 1 (02:33:32):
Yeah, I mean, because I mean you've been in locker rooms.
I've been in locker rooms. You tune it out, like
you're just like, look, dude, I've got enough of my problems,
I don't need yours too, and you're not necessarily doing
anything to help fix the issues. And I mean, in
regards to the Lane Kiffin you're one hundred percent right.
I mean, the guy legit had a tosh point oh
sketch about him being Daddy's boy, and I mean one

(02:33:54):
of the jokes on it was I can't wait to
see where you fail upwards to next. I mean, because
he did have that coming out him for the longest time.
It was what have you done to deserve the Oakland
Raiders job? What have you done to deserve the USC job?
And you're right, he had to go through the humility,
he had to basically be Nick Saban's gopher before he
had an opportunity to be in oc again and then
all of a sudden, I mean, probably one of the

(02:34:16):
proudest moments for Lane Kiffin Sean was during COVID when
he seemingly was one of the most rational voices out
there that I mean, I think people even had to
do a double take of are we sure this is
still Lane Kiffin? Because this guy's making a lot of
sense with what he's saying. So no, I one hundred
percent believe that. And I think that's for any of
us in life. I mean, you know, for the way

(02:34:36):
that I've hosted shows in the past, and you know,
go back and listen to him, I'm like, man, that's
cringe worthy.

Speaker 4 (02:34:41):
That was not good.

Speaker 1 (02:34:43):
And being able to learn from that and say, Okay,
this works, this doesn't. More importantly, just be yourself and
if you're yourself, maybe some people are willing to listen
to you, or maybe you just kind of decide on
your own. Hey, I just don't have that in me.
Let somebody else take that.

Speaker 5 (02:34:57):
Man.

Speaker 6 (02:34:57):
Part of being a great leader is that people do
stuff that they wouldn't normally do in a good way.
They I firmly believe. And you said, well, Sean, how's that?

Speaker 4 (02:35:09):
It just is I don't know what.

Speaker 6 (02:35:11):
I don't if we if we had the formula exactly,
we bottled up and sell it and we'd all take it.

Speaker 4 (02:35:17):
But it's got to be part of your soul in DNA.
But I'm just telling you that it is.

Speaker 13 (02:35:23):
It is.

Speaker 6 (02:35:24):
To elevate people around you is an amazing strength. But
in the process of elevating everybody else, you can't forget
you got to elevate you first, you just have to
because it's hard to elevate everybody else and you spread yourself.
Then by the time it comes to you because eventually
guys will say man telling us all how to do
it and leading as showing us all how to do it.
Problem is you ain't doing it yourself, and so that

(02:35:45):
that that has to be pa. It doesn't mean you
have to be a superstar. It means you just have
to do it. There's plenty of leaders that aren't going
to the Hall of Fame that I can tell you.

Speaker 1 (02:35:54):
Yeah, no, I mean, and some of them become agers,
some become head coaches whatever this is, and I mean,
those are the guys that you lean on the most.
So definitely gonna be fun to see if Jeremy Pania
can take that on this season and produce on the field.
Those are both things that Astro fans are hoping come
to fruition. All right, Speaking of leaders, I mentioned Kelvin Sampson,

(02:36:17):
something from him that I feel like can translate across
the Houston sports landscape. We'll chop that up as we
close out this edition of the Sean Salisbury Show. That's
coming up next. Dan Matthews in for Brian A Lima,
He's Shawn Salisbury, Triple Emmanuel Elmore. This is Sports Talk
seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (02:36:35):
Let the celebration start. More Sean Salisbury on Sports Talk
seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (02:36:43):
Joe By talking about Kelvin Sampson's uh Cougar's sewn. As
of course they pick up the seventy three sixty four
win over Cincinnati to cut down the nets there in
side for Tita Center as the regular season champs, the
Big Twelve for the second straight eight season. But you know,
just to kind of carry over the leadership conversation we

(02:37:04):
were having with the Astros in Jeremy Painia, I mean,
is there anybody in the sporting landscape here in Houston
right now that oozes leadership than Kelvin Sampson.

Speaker 4 (02:37:13):
No, And that's who he is. That's who he is.

Speaker 6 (02:37:17):
And I've known coach a long time and he's one
of my favorite people. I think he's as good a
coach as you have in the country in college basketball.
But I also think he's as good a coaching leader
and mentor as we have in any program at any
sport in the country. He belongs in the He's in
the team picture, and I'm yeah, we're local, and I'm
fond of him because I know him deeper dive than

(02:37:38):
just what I see on the court.

Speaker 4 (02:37:39):
But I also know his demands. He's a guy, he's
a destination spot.

Speaker 6 (02:37:43):
Now you want to go because you're going to become
a better player, but you're also going to become a
better guy, better kid. But also you're gonna make a difference.
And he talked about a guy who elevates players, and
I just think it's so important, not just recruits and transfers,
but the guys there. Kelvin Sampson doesn't quit on anybody,
and that's important, I think, not only to those of
us who root for him, but to the program and

(02:38:04):
the growth of it. And so he's seen, he's seen
his adversity throughout his career, and all he did was
step on it. Do the right when I say step
on it, step on it, step over it, and get
backed instead of making excuses, come and build something. He's
turned this into a national powerhouse and it's not forced.
It's his demands, and he expects it from a five
star guy. He expects it from a three star guy.

(02:38:25):
He expects it from a transfer, He expects it from
a scorer. He expects it from a rebounder, meaning the expectations.
You don't get a hall pass because you can dunk,
or you can shoot over people, you can shoot the three.
Your hall pass is playing it on one end will
reward you on the other. And his leadership skills and
you know what, you get the culture. We talk about culture.
Culture can be an overused word and trying to put

(02:38:48):
our finger on what exact culture. And we got some
culture builders in this city and he's he's as big
as we got here. And it's the ability when people
walk through the door before they've even said twenty five words,
they know what they're getting into. Now, you may not
like all the grind at times, but you may be
like damn coach Sampson's hard on us and he works us.

(02:39:08):
But guess what, after you win a game, who the
first guy you hug is that guy?

Speaker 4 (02:39:12):
And to me, that's what his.

Speaker 6 (02:39:14):
Great leaders aren't there to be liked. Great leaders are
there to be respected and to win, and they don't
care the other people's approval doesn't matter. The approval is
going out and winning games and making the guys around
him and his players better. As coaching staff and the
rest of it. So the approval rating comes from wins
and making sure that in house that you're doing the

(02:39:34):
things that you've got to do for those guys. I
don't think coach Sampson's worried about an eighth grader at
playing an AAU right now. He's taking care of his
team and setting a culture because he doesn't have to
recruit you. We're getting to the point where you recruit him,
and I think that's important. Love him and I think
they got a legitimate chance to win.

Speaker 4 (02:39:51):
The whole thing.

Speaker 1 (02:39:52):
Well, I mean it's I mean, you know, this isn't
for everyone. I think is kind of what comes to
mind is that you know you fits, we don't fit
for you. That's that's really the wrong place to come play.
Then if yeah, if you yeah, that's and that's how
he is right selfless. One of my one of my
favorite things to see is if you ever go to
a game in person, or if the camera seems to

(02:40:12):
get over to the bench, is something breaks down on
the floor defensively, offensively, he's not yelling at the guys
on the floor. He's getting into somebody on the bench
and you're like, the hell's he doing?

Speaker 4 (02:40:22):
You get it.

Speaker 1 (02:40:23):
He's coaching to say, don't do what they just did,
Like that's what you don't do when I put you
out there on the floor. So yep, always trying to
always trying to build, no doubt about it. Sean, I
had fun, man.

Speaker 4 (02:40:34):
Thanks me too.

Speaker 6 (02:40:35):
I appreciate you stepping in and uh knocking it out
and appreciate you always doing it and being a pro brother.

Speaker 4 (02:40:41):
And we'll talk to you later this week. Brian will
be back in tomorrow.

Speaker 6 (02:40:44):
But thanks for waking up with us and putting in
that hard four hours brother, Thank you, absolutely.

Speaker 1 (02:40:49):
No appreciate it, tripley appreciates you. Appreciate you, Sean, appreciate
all of you out there who jumped in on the
phone lines too as well. The Matt Thomas Show with
Ross coming up next right here at dann at Us
today in for Brian Lima, this is Sports Talk seven
ninety