June 30, 2025 • 13 mins
Finishing another electrifying weekend series here at Daikin, the Astros roll past the Cubs taking 2 of the 3 from Chicago furthering their position at the top of the American League just roughly 3 games behind the Detroit Tigers leading the league. Now standing at 50-34 with the third best record across the MLB, the Astros move on to take on the White Sox for their 3rd series of season next. Welcoming back their former Astro players following their departure this offseason regarding Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressley, Steve shares a few highlights and takeaways from this weekends stunning series along with a few things that may be needed ahead of the trade deadline approaching.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Indeed it is eight o'clock hour. Joined as always at
this time for a weekly visit with ASTROS broadcaster Steve
Sparks the road trip we got Colorado and La coming up,
and great to have him on. Steve, welcome in. What
have you learned that you didn't know about Cam Smith
eighty games into the season.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
I would say that he could make adjustments more quickly
than I thought he might be able to. Now we
saw it because it reminded us of jord On when
we first saw jord On. The pitch recognition and his
strike zone discipline, all those things are always going to lead.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
To pretty quick adjustments, but I didn't think.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
He'd be able to shoot fastballs the other way and
hit the brake of balls that are hanging over the
inter third of the plate and pull those into the
seats as well. So we're starting to see it get
better and better as he recognizes how other teams are
trying to pitch it.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
But he makes very quick adjustments, and I didn't.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Expect that, Steve.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Probably unfair question to you, but you've covered it, played
it for so long, so I'm looking at him and
comparisons are a pain in he asked but I'm gonna
make you give me, or at least try to get
one from you anyway early in his career, not on
the Astros, outside with the guys you've seen basically, what's
the ceiling and is there a guy you think he
reminds you of?
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Well, I haven't thought about that yet, so I might
not be able to. I could probably, you know, if
I sat down for a little bit. But Dana was
talking about that as he scouted him for three games
in college last year and knew that he wasn't going
to slide to the Astros.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
It's just how funny that is that you do it.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
That's still having a chance to get him in a
train a little later on. But he saw him as
an amateur and watching him at third base, realizing this
guy's going to get a little bigger. I see projection wise,
and this is what the good scouts do. I project
him as a right fielder, and he was exactly right. Man,
He's a natural and right field and I don't think he's.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Going to move from there.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Oh we talking Stevens. Forget the comparison to another player,
but you can probably you know what the floor and
the ceiling are. You can at least get an idea.
Now things change and injuries and hopefully that won't happen.
But just looking at his skill set and ability to
do the things you talked about the quick adjustments, he
feels to me like he's mentally and emotionally tough for
a young kid as well. Do we have a ceiling
(02:24):
Are we talking about good player star or we're talking
like superstar qualities that we see from the best of
the best in this league.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
I really don't want to put a ceiling on it.
I think you're seeing the floor though, Sean in the
floor is pretty good. Like right now, he's already one
of the best outfielders when you look at the metrics
you know in baseball, he's going to continue to get
better in that regard, and as a hitter, he's going
to get better better as he gets stronger and recognizing
the pitches that he can really you know, maybe take
(02:56):
a shot at I think he's got really good home
run potentiallast year, you know, even when he signed with Chicago,
when he was in the minor leagues, I think it
was six games in a row at one point where
he had a home run. So you could see that
he could probably you know, start to carry a team
every once in a while, like we've seen great players do.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
And I think he's in that mold.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Do you believe this team needs another pitcher before the
All Star break is over or the trading deadline, should
I say, is done?
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Well, I don't know where that would come from. So, yeah,
they need more fishing, But that might come from Florida
because there's four guys pitching there right now that the.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Astros envision, you know, being a part.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Of what's going on with Eric Getty, Luis Garcia, Christian Javier.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Or somebody o JP France.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
So there's four guys right there that you should have
confidence in. But you know, getting them healthy and to
the point where they can get these guys to where
they want to go that may be another matter. So
do they need more fishing? Let me tell you something
that I heard here in the last week or so.
Major League Baseball have used more and more pitchers every year,
(04:04):
right and we've noticed that, but we don't know to
what degree.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
And now we're to the point, the twenty.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Twenty five halfway point basically right now where Major League
Baseball has used as many pitchers this year already that
they employed the entire twenty fourteen season.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
That's how bad it's gotten. So do the askers need
more pitching?
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Everybody say, all of them do, right, Steve? So with that, Steve,
you mentioned that in the building, meaning you know, inside
the organization, with those studs down there, if they're healthy,
and with the hobby you're pumping it at ninety five,
You're like, well how long? They may not be far away?
So let me talk about help outside. If I Dan
had asked me earlier about you know, we were talking
about a bat or a pitching and mentioned some names.
(04:50):
Forget the names. But if I put your feet to
the to the fire, and I said, Steve, you only
get one, judging from the robson now, let's say even
Jordun's in the lineup healthy and you got one or
two a starting pitcher or a picture that you need
it's versatile, or a left handed bat. What are you doing?
You can only have.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
One the left handed bat, you know.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
And I watch it and I see I see right
handed pictures with good cutters with say start to get
in the groove with his cutter yesterday and he had
the Ashers battle.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
I just think that they need more balance in their lineup.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
And the only reason I say that too is you know,
you can never have enough, but they do have. They
have some surplus as far as pissing goes, and they
develop pictures better than they do bats.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
That's just a fact.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
So I think right now the Asters need more balance
in their lineup, and I think the left handed bats
should be the target.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Steve, I'm going to make you John Gruden see you
know when he does that film study with players for
a second, and I know your affinity for the guy
I'm about to mention because you've talked about it, but
I also know that there's some things that need fixed,
and you've seen so much baseball. Walk me through it.
You're sitting in a room and I'm giving you an
hour on tape and on video however we're doing it,
(06:11):
and to talk and give insight to Lance mccullors. You
can judging, you know, Saturday, maybe the aberration. But tell
me what you'd talk to him about, whether mechanics, is games,
any of those things. You got an hour with him
and we're all watching it on TV. What are you
guys talking about about his game?
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I would just probably.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Try to get him to throw more fastballs. I think
that would make all of his off speed stuff more effective.
And we talked about this even before the long layoff.
He's really good at making the adjustments, and even when
he had a plunker earlier this season, I think you
rout about four games where he had a crazy amount
of strikeouts and was very effective.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
So he knows how to make adjustments. But just for
me and assessing what I see.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
From time to time, I think he gets away from
his fastball when he gets in trouble, and I think
it's a good pitch even it's even if the velocity
isn't where it was five years ago, it's still always
going to be effective to pitch inside to open things
up for everything else. And I think it's even more
imperative the slower you throw to pitch inside to open
(07:22):
things up, because you won't get away with very many
mistakes if guys are diving across the place.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
So that would be my big take.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
And do you think that's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
I don't know. I'm not saying I'm right, and you're
asking me what I would say. So if they feel
that's the that's the case, I'm not sure. I think
there's a lot of validity to that though. I actually
enough baseball to know that, like, if guys are sitting stocked,
then anything you know marginally over the white part of
(07:55):
the play is much easier to hit it that fastball
at some point.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
So I think that will help.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
You, all right, Steve, judging from your trip through the
American League right now, and not just specific, just kind
of overall broad spectrum. Look, every team has weaknesses or
stuff that they need work on. Obvious, God's both focused
on the good teams here, but of the good teams
that are that we think are contenders to find themselves
playing in a World Series. Of those teams are where
(08:24):
the Astros rankings the weakness part? Do they have a
more glaring weakness than somebody else or are they more
sound all the way around? I guess where do they
fit in in the pecking order of the overall team.
But also if you're pointing to one major weakness, is
there's a little less weak or somebody else's that are contenders,
(08:45):
I think.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
They're very very much less week they're nineteen and seventh
month when you watch what they're doing in the teams
that they're playing.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
You know, they have one series.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
It gets cuts now, But Phillies met the Padres, the
Blue Jays and Mariners, all good teams, and they've done
it in pretty handy fashion. And they've done it with
mostly pitching, some timely hitting.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
And they're good at comebacks.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
And you like that trade. But it's been mostly pitching,
and so I don't I think they have the least
amount of playering and weaknesses of anybody. Do they need
a little bit of help. Everybody could use a little
bit of health.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
And to get better. They could, And I'll go back
to the left handed bat. I think that's that would
be very helpful. I just know it's a pitcher, you know,
and I've seen it too.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
If guys with sliders except bastballs are going to give
this heavy right handed team some fits.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
But I like everything about them, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Here's here's another one, Sean. You know, we're always talking
about how are they doing this? You know, so it's
easy the points of the pitching. But here's another one too.
And I was talking to one of the players.
Speaker 6 (09:55):
It's been on a few teams, and we were we
were talking about it, like, how how is this happening again,
and he told me something. He said, the biggest difference
that I see is when a guy comes into the clubhouse,
there's one player on this Astros team that will go
sit in that locker and get to know him and
(10:17):
talk to him and make him feel inclusive right away.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
He does it every time. And he said, it's the
it's the face of the franchise.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
It's al Jube, and he.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Does it and he makes a point of it. He said,
that's what's different about the culture in this clubhouse. He
makes you feel included and important right away. He said,
they hit the ground run. So whether it's a pitcher
or position player or whatever, these guys online they.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Hold each other accountable as far as their preparation goes, but.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Al Jube gets to know him on a personal basis
and that ups their their performance.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
I think.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Unbelieving was why isn't that shocking at all? Because of
the guy?
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Right Another thing he so me another thing too, He said,
you know, I noticed that right away, and you see
it in spring training. I mean, he spends time with
guys that aren't even going to be on the team.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
There's no wather a ball or double a he knows
that they're not going to be on the team, but.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
He said the Pain is starting to do that now too,
so he's investing in his teammates.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
So, man, that's a great example set, Steve.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Let me end you on this one. You get back
to your thing this morning. Is I've said, how far
off am I? Or is it spot on or close?
Dan and I were talking. I said, give me really
good pitching with average hitting, I can still win a championship.
Give me average pitching with great hitting. I'm going to
fall short. That holds true here too. I believe agree
(11:42):
or disagree mostly.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
In the postings, I always go back. I always go
back to twenty twenty two.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
And what separated the Asterisk from everybody else was clearly
that they were more fresh, and they had a cushion
the last month and a half of the season. They
were able to rest guys, get them up their feet,
and go to a six man rotation for over half
of the season. Things of that nature. And it was
a pairent that the other teams were sucking win at
(12:08):
the end and the Asters were steamrolling. And if the
Asters can keep a cushion or maybe keep the gas
the gash down for a little bit longer to increase
the cushion. Not get too confident, but start to rest guys,
get them under feet, skip a guy, a starter or two,
and go into the playoffs fresh like they did in
(12:29):
twenty twenty two.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
I think it makes it a lot easier.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Yeah, battle test that they are and fresh obviously, and
it holds Steve, that holds Treess the valet. We say
it in every sport. That's why the forty nine ers,
when Bill Walsh was there, and the Cowboys, like in December,
they backed off practice. They weren't beating each other up.
They just beat each other, beat other teams on Sunday,
so while everybody else was gasping, they were fresh legged
and it paid off to Super Bowl championships. And there's that.
(12:54):
That's got to be a big reason why this team
when they do it, if they can stay fresh and
with the way the bullpen is be a blast to
watch something Yeah well yeah, well it sure does from
my vantage point, not from theirs, but they sure making
it look easy at times.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
This year.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
It's gonna be a fun watch in the second half.
Great stuff. Enjoy the road trip, brother, and we'll see
you next Monday. We appreciate your time and have a
great Fourth of July holiday.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
Cheers.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Yeah, damn, that one's for you.
Speaker 5 (13:19):
Cheers.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
I love it. Thanks mate. We'll talk to you later,
my man. That's a great Steve Sparks. We'll come back
and visit.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Here's
Indeed it is eight o'clock hour. Joined as always at
this time for a weekly visit with ASTROS broadcaster Steve
Sparks the road trip we got Colorado and La coming up,
and great to have him on. Steve, welcome in. What
have you learned that you didn't know about Cam Smith
eighty games into the season.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
I would say that he could make adjustments more quickly
than I thought he might be able to. Now we
saw it because it reminded us of jord On when
we first saw jord On. The pitch recognition and his
strike zone discipline, all those things are always going to lead.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
To pretty quick adjustments, but I didn't think.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
He'd be able to shoot fastballs the other way and
hit the brake of balls that are hanging over the
inter third of the plate and pull those into the
seats as well. So we're starting to see it get
better and better as he recognizes how other teams are
trying to pitch it.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
But he makes very quick adjustments, and I didn't.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Expect that, Steve.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Probably unfair question to you, but you've covered it, played
it for so long, so I'm looking at him and
comparisons are a pain in he asked but I'm gonna
make you give me, or at least try to get
one from you anyway early in his career, not on
the Astros, outside with the guys you've seen basically, what's
the ceiling and is there a guy you think he
reminds you of?
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Well, I haven't thought about that yet, so I might
not be able to. I could probably, you know, if
I sat down for a little bit. But Dana was
talking about that as he scouted him for three games
in college last year and knew that he wasn't going
to slide to the Astros.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
It's just how funny that is that you do it.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
That's still having a chance to get him in a
train a little later on. But he saw him as
an amateur and watching him at third base, realizing this
guy's going to get a little bigger. I see projection wise,
and this is what the good scouts do. I project
him as a right fielder, and he was exactly right. Man,
He's a natural and right field and I don't think he's.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Going to move from there.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Oh we talking Stevens. Forget the comparison to another player,
but you can probably you know what the floor and
the ceiling are. You can at least get an idea.
Now things change and injuries and hopefully that won't happen.
But just looking at his skill set and ability to
do the things you talked about the quick adjustments, he
feels to me like he's mentally and emotionally tough for
a young kid as well. Do we have a ceiling
(02:24):
Are we talking about good player star or we're talking
like superstar qualities that we see from the best of
the best in this league.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
I really don't want to put a ceiling on it.
I think you're seeing the floor though, Sean in the
floor is pretty good. Like right now, he's already one
of the best outfielders when you look at the metrics
you know in baseball, he's going to continue to get
better in that regard, and as a hitter, he's going
to get better better as he gets stronger and recognizing
the pitches that he can really you know, maybe take
(02:56):
a shot at I think he's got really good home
run potentiallast year, you know, even when he signed with Chicago,
when he was in the minor leagues, I think it
was six games in a row at one point where
he had a home run. So you could see that
he could probably you know, start to carry a team
every once in a while, like we've seen great players do.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
And I think he's in that mold.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Do you believe this team needs another pitcher before the
All Star break is over or the trading deadline, should
I say, is done?
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Well, I don't know where that would come from. So, yeah,
they need more fishing, But that might come from Florida
because there's four guys pitching there right now that the.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Astros envision, you know, being a part.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Of what's going on with Eric Getty, Luis Garcia, Christian Javier.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Or somebody o JP France.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
So there's four guys right there that you should have
confidence in. But you know, getting them healthy and to
the point where they can get these guys to where
they want to go that may be another matter. So
do they need more fishing? Let me tell you something
that I heard here in the last week or so.
Major League Baseball have used more and more pitchers every year,
(04:04):
right and we've noticed that, but we don't know to
what degree.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
And now we're to the point, the twenty.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Twenty five halfway point basically right now where Major League
Baseball has used as many pitchers this year already that
they employed the entire twenty fourteen season.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
That's how bad it's gotten. So do the askers need
more pitching?
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Everybody say, all of them do, right, Steve? So with that, Steve,
you mentioned that in the building, meaning you know, inside
the organization, with those studs down there, if they're healthy,
and with the hobby you're pumping it at ninety five,
You're like, well how long? They may not be far away?
So let me talk about help outside. If I Dan
had asked me earlier about you know, we were talking
about a bat or a pitching and mentioned some names.
(04:50):
Forget the names. But if I put your feet to
the to the fire, and I said, Steve, you only
get one, judging from the robson now, let's say even
Jordun's in the lineup healthy and you got one or
two a starting pitcher or a picture that you need
it's versatile, or a left handed bat. What are you doing?
You can only have.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
One the left handed bat, you know.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
And I watch it and I see I see right
handed pictures with good cutters with say start to get
in the groove with his cutter yesterday and he had
the Ashers battle.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
I just think that they need more balance in their lineup.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
And the only reason I say that too is you know,
you can never have enough, but they do have. They
have some surplus as far as pissing goes, and they
develop pictures better than they do bats.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
That's just a fact.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
So I think right now the Asters need more balance
in their lineup, and I think the left handed bats
should be the target.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Steve, I'm going to make you John Gruden see you
know when he does that film study with players for
a second, and I know your affinity for the guy
I'm about to mention because you've talked about it, but
I also know that there's some things that need fixed,
and you've seen so much baseball. Walk me through it.
You're sitting in a room and I'm giving you an
hour on tape and on video however we're doing it,
(06:11):
and to talk and give insight to Lance mccullors. You
can judging, you know, Saturday, maybe the aberration. But tell
me what you'd talk to him about, whether mechanics, is games,
any of those things. You got an hour with him
and we're all watching it on TV. What are you
guys talking about about his game?
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I would just probably.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Try to get him to throw more fastballs. I think
that would make all of his off speed stuff more effective.
And we talked about this even before the long layoff.
He's really good at making the adjustments, and even when
he had a plunker earlier this season, I think you
rout about four games where he had a crazy amount
of strikeouts and was very effective.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
So he knows how to make adjustments. But just for
me and assessing what I see.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
From time to time, I think he gets away from
his fastball when he gets in trouble, and I think
it's a good pitch even it's even if the velocity
isn't where it was five years ago, it's still always
going to be effective to pitch inside to open things
up for everything else. And I think it's even more
imperative the slower you throw to pitch inside to open
(07:22):
things up, because you won't get away with very many
mistakes if guys are diving across the place.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
So that would be my big take.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
And do you think that's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
I don't know. I'm not saying I'm right, and you're
asking me what I would say. So if they feel
that's the that's the case, I'm not sure. I think
there's a lot of validity to that though. I actually
enough baseball to know that, like, if guys are sitting stocked,
then anything you know marginally over the white part of
(07:55):
the play is much easier to hit it that fastball
at some point.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
So I think that will help.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
You, all right, Steve, judging from your trip through the
American League right now, and not just specific, just kind
of overall broad spectrum. Look, every team has weaknesses or
stuff that they need work on. Obvious, God's both focused
on the good teams here, but of the good teams
that are that we think are contenders to find themselves
playing in a World Series. Of those teams are where
(08:24):
the Astros rankings the weakness part? Do they have a
more glaring weakness than somebody else or are they more
sound all the way around? I guess where do they
fit in in the pecking order of the overall team.
But also if you're pointing to one major weakness, is
there's a little less weak or somebody else's that are contenders,
(08:45):
I think.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
They're very very much less week they're nineteen and seventh
month when you watch what they're doing in the teams
that they're playing.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
You know, they have one series.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
It gets cuts now, But Phillies met the Padres, the
Blue Jays and Mariners, all good teams, and they've done
it in pretty handy fashion. And they've done it with
mostly pitching, some timely hitting.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
And they're good at comebacks.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
And you like that trade. But it's been mostly pitching,
and so I don't I think they have the least
amount of playering and weaknesses of anybody. Do they need
a little bit of help. Everybody could use a little
bit of health.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
And to get better. They could, And I'll go back
to the left handed bat. I think that's that would
be very helpful. I just know it's a pitcher, you know,
and I've seen it too.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
If guys with sliders except bastballs are going to give
this heavy right handed team some fits.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
But I like everything about them, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Here's here's another one, Sean. You know, we're always talking
about how are they doing this? You know, so it's
easy the points of the pitching. But here's another one too.
And I was talking to one of the players.
Speaker 6 (09:55):
It's been on a few teams, and we were we
were talking about it, like, how how is this happening again,
and he told me something. He said, the biggest difference
that I see is when a guy comes into the clubhouse,
there's one player on this Astros team that will go
sit in that locker and get to know him and
(10:17):
talk to him and make him feel inclusive right away.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
He does it every time. And he said, it's the
it's the face of the franchise.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
It's al Jube, and he.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Does it and he makes a point of it. He said,
that's what's different about the culture in this clubhouse. He
makes you feel included and important right away. He said,
they hit the ground run. So whether it's a pitcher
or position player or whatever, these guys online they.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Hold each other accountable as far as their preparation goes, but.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Al Jube gets to know him on a personal basis
and that ups their their performance.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
I think.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Unbelieving was why isn't that shocking at all? Because of
the guy?
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Right Another thing he so me another thing too, He said,
you know, I noticed that right away, and you see
it in spring training. I mean, he spends time with
guys that aren't even going to be on the team.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
There's no wather a ball or double a he knows
that they're not going to be on the team, but.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
He said the Pain is starting to do that now too,
so he's investing in his teammates.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
So, man, that's a great example set, Steve.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Let me end you on this one. You get back
to your thing this morning. Is I've said, how far
off am I? Or is it spot on or close?
Dan and I were talking. I said, give me really
good pitching with average hitting, I can still win a championship.
Give me average pitching with great hitting. I'm going to
fall short. That holds true here too. I believe agree
(11:42):
or disagree mostly.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
In the postings, I always go back. I always go
back to twenty twenty two.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
And what separated the Asterisk from everybody else was clearly
that they were more fresh, and they had a cushion
the last month and a half of the season. They
were able to rest guys, get them up their feet,
and go to a six man rotation for over half
of the season. Things of that nature. And it was
a pairent that the other teams were sucking win at
(12:08):
the end and the Asters were steamrolling. And if the
Asters can keep a cushion or maybe keep the gas
the gash down for a little bit longer to increase
the cushion. Not get too confident, but start to rest guys,
get them under feet, skip a guy, a starter or two,
and go into the playoffs fresh like they did in
(12:29):
twenty twenty two.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
I think it makes it a lot easier.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Yeah, battle test that they are and fresh obviously, and
it holds Steve, that holds Treess the valet. We say
it in every sport. That's why the forty nine ers,
when Bill Walsh was there, and the Cowboys, like in December,
they backed off practice. They weren't beating each other up.
They just beat each other, beat other teams on Sunday,
so while everybody else was gasping, they were fresh legged
and it paid off to Super Bowl championships. And there's that.
(12:54):
That's got to be a big reason why this team
when they do it, if they can stay fresh and
with the way the bullpen is be a blast to
watch something Yeah well yeah, well it sure does from
my vantage point, not from theirs, but they sure making
it look easy at times.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
This year.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
It's gonna be a fun watch in the second half.
Great stuff. Enjoy the road trip, brother, and we'll see
you next Monday. We appreciate your time and have a
great Fourth of July holiday.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
Cheers.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Yeah, damn, that one's for you.
Speaker 5 (13:19):
Cheers.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
I love it. Thanks mate. We'll talk to you later,
my man. That's a great Steve Sparks. We'll come back
and visit.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Here's
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