June 16, 2025 • 16 mins
Completing their 6 game homestand against the White Sox and the Twins, the Astros go on to take a combined 5 out of 6 of the games here at Daikin from both clubs furthering their position at the top of the American League now at 41-30. Sweeping Minnesota yesterday and now moving on to Oakland, Astros broadcaster Steve Sparks joins Sean and Dan discussing the Astros blazing weekend here at home with a few takeaways that looked phenomenal, along with some pointers that roughly hint at that possibility of this Astros' ball club making another postseason, World Series run.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
Yes, it is Sports Talk seven ninety eight o'clock. Every
time Steve Sparks coming on, I get a smile at
our Astros broadcaster. It's a it's six o'clock on the
West Coast. I don't want to hear any complaints. He's
probably getting ready to go play Olympic or something. Who
the hell knows? Steve Sparks joins us he does every Monday.
Uh coffee yet, Steve? Is it hits six o'clock? You know,
(00:29):
Sun's bedroom? To him, it's rising. Tell me what it's like,
what's in the coffee? Tell me what's going on with
the coffee. I've never asked you what kind of coffee
you like? I like my coffee like I like my women, energetic,
you know, with a lot of caffeine in it. There
you go, How about you, Steve?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
I think that's exactly where I thought you were going.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Yeah, of course you did.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Hey about coffee?
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Yeah? Okay, so do you have Have you had one
yet since we woke your ass up out of bed,
even though you probably are up for a while.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
That's a price to find out. It's fifty five degrees
in Sacramento right now. Yeah, so overnight overnight it gets
pretty cool and during the day it's going to get
in the nineties, you know, And I think Wednesday is
supposed to be ninety four, ninety five is still overnight.
He's going to get down in the fifties every night.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yeah, get a little nippy at night.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Great ideal, absolutely, yeah, really nice, Steve.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Do you I'm just golf. Did you watch any of
the US Open yesterday?
Speaker 2 (01:23):
I watched part of it.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
We were on the plane now when it ended, so
I didn't get to see all the stuff live that
took place.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
But man, what of course, oh my man, how penal
was the rough? I mean, that was ridiculous, brutal.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
We were lad Dan and I were laughing about you
know how the announcers refer since your baseball announcer. I'm
trying to think what the comparison is when they cook
these golfers. Ah, he's a solid ball striker, Steve, And
you know, he's like the eighth best player in the world, Like, yeah,
of course, he's a solid that's like saying, yeah, man,
he throws one hundred and three. He's a solid, solid fastball.
A lot of a lot of vlo on the fastball
(01:59):
at a buck three he will no kidding, so are they.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
This guy gives you a good av.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Yeah, that's exactly right, so us open JJ spawn wins it.
Speaking of guys, we don't talk much about Steve and
a good segue when we talk about spawning with all
those great players of grinding and out and winning. Gordon
six innings, two runs, five k's, Brown obviously seven innings.
(02:25):
We talk about him two runs, twelve k's and Walter
six and two thirds nine k's uh and one run
and none of them exactly walk the bases loaded and
put the bunch of free runners on phenomenal pitching weekend.
But two of those guys weren't on the Bengo card
in March. This team's getting a lot out of some people,
and this is a and they haven't even played near
(02:47):
their best offensive baseball. Steve impressive pitching over the weekend.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Again, I guess you.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Don't want to take anything away from those guys and
six Gordons starts, by the way, but what they do
to draft these guys and find out what makes them
really good is the most impressive thing to me. The
way they're able to turn these guys and Gusto you
(03:12):
mentioned Gordon and Walter.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Those guys allow them to have.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
This six man rotation to get them through these tough
stretches and allow Hunter Brown and Farmer Valdez to get
an extra day rest to keep them up right. You know,
you can't put enough importance on what they've been able
to do. It's just this machine they have, and I
think there's a lot of guys that go into it,
but the scouts, you know, drafting these guys to get
(03:39):
Brandon Walter. I mean, it takes somebody in the front
office that's going out there looking for acquisitions and seeing
somebody who's available and seeing what's in there to make
them even better. Just it blows my mind. Hell, they're
able to do that so well in the pitching department especially,
so that's what they're going to hang their hats on
(04:01):
when you look back at this unbelievable run that they've
been on all these years. It's the pitching, you know,
and how they're able to make these guys better has
been the secret.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Sauce.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Steve Fox, Astro's broadcaster, joins us weekly at eight o'clock.
Have him on today as we always do. He's an
Oakland four game series against the Athletics five of six
in these first two series here in a what thirteen
straight and only one team who's playing above five hundred
baseball Steve Well, they didn't come in bunches at least
(04:36):
over the weekend for the most part. But something that
people have complained about, and we said the timely hitter
and most runners in scoring position from last year getting
a little bit more of it this year. But now
over the weekend wasn't so much a lot, but it
sure was efficient when necessary. Timely hitting will be important
in the second half of the season.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Yeah, I mean, guys are still learning camp Smith is
getting better as we speak and starting to learn himself
how guys are trying to attack him. Is this going
to be back and forth all that time? But all
this being said, to do what they've been able to do,
I think keen and three in June now without Yordon,
I think there are ten games above five hundred.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Without yord On. It's kind of a head scratcher to me.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
I mean, it's a lot of credit goes to I
guess the coaching staff and these.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Players who are able to pick up the slack.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
When when guys go down. But They've got a couple
of traits. I love the runs that they score with
two outs and the comeback wins. I think they have
twenty one, maybe twenty comeback wins this year's second most
in the game.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
So, I do you mean interrupt you? So half their
wins are comeback wins already, is what you're saying. That's impressive.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Yeah, it's a great it's a great trait, you know,
and being able to score runs off of the other
team's bullpens isn't easy to do, and they showed that ability.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Steve when you get when you lose the guys they've
loved lot over the years, well documented, and then you
add Tucker and Bregman to that and try to replace
him with young players. Do you see I mean it's
it's hard to sustain this. I mean, did the resilience
of the organization. But with that in times when you
do that, normally our thought process and fans and media
would be, oh, you're tearing down to rebuild. Well, the
(06:20):
window's not closed on this team by any stretch of
the imagination. But do you see a near future when
you get when the Dezenzos and Meltons and Camsmith's are
all in the lineup different positions at the same time.
I mean, when their time comes, they're doing a great
job of bridging the gap that should be a closed
window for most pro sports organizations in the transition. I
(06:40):
don't see the window closing anytime soon.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
I don't either.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
You know, we're getting glimpses of the guys that are
starting to trickle up here, you know, And it was
a savvy trade and I know it's not popular, but
you get Cam Smith in that deal. I think at
the end of the day, it's going to be something
that the Astros fans. I think they're starting to really
appreciate some of the things that Dana has done. But
(07:05):
I think that you know, when you watch Cam Smith,
you realize, all right, that trade doesn't get done without
Cam Smith and the deal, and you understand why because
he's going to be a big part of this future.
The way you're talking about the turning or the passing
of the baton, you know, with some of these guys
as they move through, you've got to have a couple
of mainstays in there, and he's going to be a
(07:27):
big part of that unit that takes the astros, you know.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
To the championship again.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
You know, I truly believe that, you know, they've got
some of their core guys here already.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Again, Steve, can you see a world where if they
hit where they you know, well you said timely hitting
and coming from behind important, but where they're not like
exploding on offense with the long ball on a regular basis,
kind of like they've been a little inconsistent this year
on the offensive side. Can you see a world where
this pitching starting pitching the bullpens now know the whole
(07:57):
world the way they're pitching, but we're starting pitch the
guys we got today where they can sustain this the
rest of the year. Or should we prepare that there's
going to be a downturn a little bit somewhere.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Well, I think there will be a downturn at some point.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
You know, there'll be lulls that I feel very encouraged
that there's a good depth there, you know, And I
still think there's a couple of guys in the minor
leagues that if they called on them, that they would
fit right in too.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
You know, I feel strongly about that.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
You know, you watch the games in spring training, you
go to the other fields and you realize that there's
a lot there's a lot more down there.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
As far as the pitching.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
I don't care what the team you ranked, you know,
as far as minor league publications go, but they've got
some pitching down there and they're going to be able
to keep this going.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
So they've got a lot of guys coming back to you.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
When you think of Luis Garcia and Eric Getty and
Christian Javier and JP France.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Outside of the guys that we're talking.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
About that haven't uh taking the big Lake stage yet,
they're pretty full.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
You know.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
It might be a situation where they can trade from
a surplus right now and you never feel like you
have a surplus of pitching, but the Astros might. I mean,
I don't know how they feel about it, but in
my eyes, they're pretty deep in that crickguard.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Steve Can They Steve Sparks Astros broadcast a couple more
minutes here on his normal Monday visit at eight o'clock
out on the West Coast for the the uh A's
against the A's host and the Astros of Sacramento. Steve
Can you see, let's just say for talking's sake that
we don't get the normal yord On. Can they win
a World Series with the way they're built right now?
And he doesn't and know and he doesn't have a
(09:43):
great he's let's say he's just a guy this year,
just for the hell of it. Are they good enough
to win a World Series if he's just a guy
or he didn't play the rest of the year. Could
they win a World Series with him without him?
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Do you think they have as good pitching as anybody
in basis.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
I said earlier the six o'clock hour, I said, there's
nobody better. When I talk about starting pitching and bullpen combined,
I'm with you. I think they're at the front line.
Their top two starters can compete with anybody righty lefty
when they come right out of the gate, and the
way they've pitched, and the way the bullpen is I got.
I'd make the bet that they can compete with anybody
in baseball, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Yeah, yeah, me too, you know. And I'd take Payne
over anybody in the leadoffs. Well maybe you know, Connie.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
This don't get silly, but I'd take pay you above
almost everybody at the leadout spot. The way he's playing
right now and everything he brings to this team, I think,
I think you start to build your team around somebody
like that, and.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Then I just feel like there's a lot more in
the tank.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
When you're looking at a couple of the guys in
the lineup, I think they're going to hit at some
point and start to play more like they have in
the past, and it'll get the offense will get better.
But I love the I love the trait that they
have with all the two out RBIs.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
You know they're.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
That means that some guys may not be getting the
job done earlier in the in the inning, but guys
are picking him up in a.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Little bit later on. So it makes it.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
Makes it really tough on the other teams teaching when
when they become so relentless that they just can't get
out of endings and the astros make make them pretty frustrated.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
I think, Steve, before I let you go be the
front office, I'll be the manager. I come to you
and we're talking about Rafael Devers. What would make you
trade him? A star like that? Well, second year of
the two I mean, I was shocked today. I understand
all the stuff with the Bregman stuff in positions at
third and first base. But you're giving you your best
hitter in one of the ten best hitters in baseball?
Is the headache bigger than the talent? From your perception?
(11:42):
What would make you move a guy like that, not
just necessarily him, but but you wake up and he's gone? Why?
Speaker 3 (11:49):
That The only thing I can say, Sean, you know
this better than anybody. Nobody like I don't know, You
don't know anybody speculating on what happened in Boston.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Knows the full truth.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Right right, you know? And the depth of that truth
to right, Steve, how deep it is.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Like we have no idea what what has taken place
throughout every step of what's what's happening?
Speaker 2 (12:14):
And why that, why that situation and relationships soured, you know.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
And I'm like you guys, you know, I'm scratching my
head thinking, man, he's one of the best hitters in baseball. Man,
that's tough to We have no idea what led to that, right,
We'll never know.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
But there is a lot more than we know, I
guarantee that way more. You know, there's things that lead
up to that that we have no idea.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
So and you know, they felt like, you know what,
we can get this off of our books and you know,
wipe our hands and try to try to piece this thing.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Together a different way. And they've got a lot of
good young prospects, so maybe they sure do.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Some pretty good young players right now, Steve there, they
kind of feel like the Astros did when they were
doing theirs. They've got some really really good young players,
they do.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
You know, and I think I think they want to
build around those guys that they feel like are going
to be the next wave. And right now they're struggling pitching,
so they've got some money to go out there and
fortify that.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
Now the Red Sox and pitched pitching struggles. Well there
there there's.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
A the same goes for every organized.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
There's so much that goes on behind the scenes that
nobody knows. Right Like, on the surface, it looks like
it doesn't make sense, but if you found out the
real reason why, you go, okay, I understand.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
That right now. But yep, somebody can't divulge everything.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
No question about it. I mean they and they absolutely can't.
And whether it's him or anybody else, you always ask
yourself is in their mind is the headache bigger than
the salary or the talent or helping us move forward.
And for whatever reason, and we we may never know
the full reason, but Dev's is out. And uh and uh.
I don't think the red I mean the Astras are
(13:54):
gonna get real quick, Steve, the Astras. You don't see
them getting involved in a trade like that. That's that
knee moving right before the deadline. That they don't need
to do that. And you don't see anything like that
happening here, do you.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
No.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
I think they need a lefty bat. I mean Melton
going down. I think hurt I loved it when he
was in there, giving him some more balance. But when
Jordan gets back, I still think they need another lefty
bat in the lineup, just to just to give the
pitchers a harder time going through the lineup.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Right. You know, you get a guy with a really
good slider, and with that.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Many righties, it's not that tough if you're dial them
with that slider. We saw that, we saw it early
on in the season. Griffin canning guys like that, they're
able to kind of exploit what the Astros had as.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Far as the.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Yeah makes it a problem.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Right, Yeah, I think, you know, getting a lefty and
when Melton comes back, man, I like what I saw
from him. So Dana said, it's gonna be it's gonna
be a little bit before he gets back.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
So uh, and I think they need another lefty. But
if is it going to be needle moving? Maybe maybe
not to the national media, but I think through the astros,
I think it'll be very helpful.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Yeah, because of that dominant right handed lineup, they just
can stay away, stay away, stay away at least, and
you're gonna have to hit that back to on a lefty.
But it's now you're not talking about some like you said,
not a needle moving power guy, but you're just a
guy that's semi relentless and puts the ball in play.
And it's kind of a pain in the ass to
deal with, is what you're saying on the field.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Out on the pop yet, right, I can give you
give you a little pop.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Yep, be nice, like to see order. I'll take that
pop and see if any ideas in your mind when
you think we'll see.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Him, not in my mind. I mean I heard that.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Like Dana was in our booth yesterday, so of course
we talked to him before and after the interview, and
Robert does a great job with that, but I mean,
you're beating a dead horse sometimes with that.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Yeah, he's healing, he's healing.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
He's getting a lot better, and it sounds like he's
really close to swinging of that.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
And I think the best news about this is they
don't feel like he's gonna go need you know, twenty
twenty five at bats to be ready.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
They're gonna plug plug him right away as soon as
he gives them the thumbs up.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
That doesn't hurt it.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
It's go time get rid of that threshold of pain
and heal it because it'll be big. This team is.
They're better than I think we thought they'd be seventy
or seventy more games. So yeah, it's been impressive. The
pitching staff's been off the charts. We'll hopefully have the
same conversation about the pitching staff next week, meaning it's
just real good and they continue to sustain them. Steve,
great stuff. Appreciate you waking up early with us, brother,
(16:20):
and enjoy the next four days and we'll look forward
to next Monday.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
I appreciate it. Thanks for having me all.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Right, appreciate it and He is real quick before we
go to break. He's so right though, when you're a heavy,
right handed
Yes, it is Sports Talk seven ninety eight o'clock. Every
time Steve Sparks coming on, I get a smile at
our Astros broadcaster. It's a it's six o'clock on the
West Coast. I don't want to hear any complaints. He's
probably getting ready to go play Olympic or something. Who
the hell knows? Steve Sparks joins us he does every Monday.
Uh coffee yet, Steve? Is it hits six o'clock? You know,
(00:29):
Sun's bedroom? To him, it's rising. Tell me what it's like,
what's in the coffee? Tell me what's going on with
the coffee. I've never asked you what kind of coffee
you like? I like my coffee like I like my women, energetic,
you know, with a lot of caffeine in it. There
you go, How about you, Steve?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
I think that's exactly where I thought you were going.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Yeah, of course you did.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Hey about coffee?
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Yeah? Okay, so do you have Have you had one
yet since we woke your ass up out of bed,
even though you probably are up for a while.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
That's a price to find out. It's fifty five degrees
in Sacramento right now. Yeah, so overnight overnight it gets
pretty cool and during the day it's going to get
in the nineties, you know, And I think Wednesday is
supposed to be ninety four, ninety five is still overnight.
He's going to get down in the fifties every night.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yeah, get a little nippy at night.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Great ideal, absolutely, yeah, really nice, Steve.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Do you I'm just golf. Did you watch any of
the US Open yesterday?
Speaker 2 (01:23):
I watched part of it.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
We were on the plane now when it ended, so
I didn't get to see all the stuff live that
took place.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
But man, what of course, oh my man, how penal
was the rough? I mean, that was ridiculous, brutal.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
We were lad Dan and I were laughing about you
know how the announcers refer since your baseball announcer. I'm
trying to think what the comparison is when they cook
these golfers. Ah, he's a solid ball striker, Steve, And
you know, he's like the eighth best player in the world, Like, yeah,
of course, he's a solid that's like saying, yeah, man,
he throws one hundred and three. He's a solid, solid fastball.
A lot of a lot of vlo on the fastball
(01:59):
at a buck three he will no kidding, so are they.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
This guy gives you a good av.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Yeah, that's exactly right, so us open JJ spawn wins it.
Speaking of guys, we don't talk much about Steve and
a good segue when we talk about spawning with all
those great players of grinding and out and winning. Gordon
six innings, two runs, five k's, Brown obviously seven innings.
(02:25):
We talk about him two runs, twelve k's and Walter
six and two thirds nine k's uh and one run
and none of them exactly walk the bases loaded and
put the bunch of free runners on phenomenal pitching weekend.
But two of those guys weren't on the Bengo card
in March. This team's getting a lot out of some people,
and this is a and they haven't even played near
(02:47):
their best offensive baseball. Steve impressive pitching over the weekend.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Again, I guess you.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Don't want to take anything away from those guys and
six Gordons starts, by the way, but what they do
to draft these guys and find out what makes them
really good is the most impressive thing to me. The
way they're able to turn these guys and Gusto you
(03:12):
mentioned Gordon and Walter.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Those guys allow them to have.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
This six man rotation to get them through these tough
stretches and allow Hunter Brown and Farmer Valdez to get
an extra day rest to keep them up right. You know,
you can't put enough importance on what they've been able
to do. It's just this machine they have, and I
think there's a lot of guys that go into it,
but the scouts, you know, drafting these guys to get
(03:39):
Brandon Walter. I mean, it takes somebody in the front
office that's going out there looking for acquisitions and seeing
somebody who's available and seeing what's in there to make
them even better. Just it blows my mind. Hell, they're
able to do that so well in the pitching department especially,
so that's what they're going to hang their hats on
(04:01):
when you look back at this unbelievable run that they've
been on all these years. It's the pitching, you know,
and how they're able to make these guys better has
been the secret.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Sauce.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Steve Fox, Astro's broadcaster, joins us weekly at eight o'clock.
Have him on today as we always do. He's an
Oakland four game series against the Athletics five of six
in these first two series here in a what thirteen
straight and only one team who's playing above five hundred
baseball Steve Well, they didn't come in bunches at least
(04:36):
over the weekend for the most part. But something that
people have complained about, and we said the timely hitter
and most runners in scoring position from last year getting
a little bit more of it this year. But now
over the weekend wasn't so much a lot, but it
sure was efficient when necessary. Timely hitting will be important
in the second half of the season.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Yeah, I mean, guys are still learning camp Smith is
getting better as we speak and starting to learn himself
how guys are trying to attack him. Is this going
to be back and forth all that time? But all
this being said, to do what they've been able to do,
I think keen and three in June now without Yordon,
I think there are ten games above five hundred.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Without yord On. It's kind of a head scratcher to me.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
I mean, it's a lot of credit goes to I
guess the coaching staff and these.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Players who are able to pick up the slack.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
When when guys go down. But They've got a couple
of traits. I love the runs that they score with
two outs and the comeback wins. I think they have
twenty one, maybe twenty comeback wins this year's second most
in the game.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
So, I do you mean interrupt you? So half their
wins are comeback wins already, is what you're saying. That's impressive.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Yeah, it's a great it's a great trait, you know,
and being able to score runs off of the other
team's bullpens isn't easy to do, and they showed that ability.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Steve when you get when you lose the guys they've
loved lot over the years, well documented, and then you
add Tucker and Bregman to that and try to replace
him with young players. Do you see I mean it's
it's hard to sustain this. I mean, did the resilience
of the organization. But with that in times when you
do that, normally our thought process and fans and media
would be, oh, you're tearing down to rebuild. Well, the
(06:20):
window's not closed on this team by any stretch of
the imagination. But do you see a near future when
you get when the Dezenzos and Meltons and Camsmith's are
all in the lineup different positions at the same time.
I mean, when their time comes, they're doing a great
job of bridging the gap that should be a closed
window for most pro sports organizations in the transition. I
(06:40):
don't see the window closing anytime soon.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
I don't either.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
You know, we're getting glimpses of the guys that are
starting to trickle up here, you know, And it was
a savvy trade and I know it's not popular, but
you get Cam Smith in that deal. I think at
the end of the day, it's going to be something
that the Astros fans. I think they're starting to really
appreciate some of the things that Dana has done. But
(07:05):
I think that you know, when you watch Cam Smith,
you realize, all right, that trade doesn't get done without
Cam Smith and the deal, and you understand why because
he's going to be a big part of this future.
The way you're talking about the turning or the passing
of the baton, you know, with some of these guys
as they move through, you've got to have a couple
of mainstays in there, and he's going to be a
(07:27):
big part of that unit that takes the astros, you know.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
To the championship again.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
You know, I truly believe that, you know, they've got
some of their core guys here already.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Again, Steve, can you see a world where if they
hit where they you know, well you said timely hitting
and coming from behind important, but where they're not like
exploding on offense with the long ball on a regular basis,
kind of like they've been a little inconsistent this year
on the offensive side. Can you see a world where
this pitching starting pitching the bullpens now know the whole
(07:57):
world the way they're pitching, but we're starting pitch the
guys we got today where they can sustain this the
rest of the year. Or should we prepare that there's
going to be a downturn a little bit somewhere.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Well, I think there will be a downturn at some point.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
You know, there'll be lulls that I feel very encouraged
that there's a good depth there, you know, And I
still think there's a couple of guys in the minor
leagues that if they called on them, that they would
fit right in too.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
You know, I feel strongly about that.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
You know, you watch the games in spring training, you
go to the other fields and you realize that there's
a lot there's a lot more down there.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
As far as the pitching.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
I don't care what the team you ranked, you know,
as far as minor league publications go, but they've got
some pitching down there and they're going to be able
to keep this going.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
So they've got a lot of guys coming back to you.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
When you think of Luis Garcia and Eric Getty and
Christian Javier and JP France.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Outside of the guys that we're talking.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
About that haven't uh taking the big Lake stage yet,
they're pretty full.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
You know.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
It might be a situation where they can trade from
a surplus right now and you never feel like you
have a surplus of pitching, but the Astros might. I mean,
I don't know how they feel about it, but in
my eyes, they're pretty deep in that crickguard.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Steve Can They Steve Sparks Astros broadcast a couple more
minutes here on his normal Monday visit at eight o'clock
out on the West Coast for the the uh A's
against the A's host and the Astros of Sacramento. Steve
Can you see, let's just say for talking's sake that
we don't get the normal yord On. Can they win
a World Series with the way they're built right now?
And he doesn't and know and he doesn't have a
(09:43):
great he's let's say he's just a guy this year,
just for the hell of it. Are they good enough
to win a World Series if he's just a guy
or he didn't play the rest of the year. Could
they win a World Series with him without him?
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Do you think they have as good pitching as anybody
in basis.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
I said earlier the six o'clock hour, I said, there's
nobody better. When I talk about starting pitching and bullpen combined,
I'm with you. I think they're at the front line.
Their top two starters can compete with anybody righty lefty
when they come right out of the gate, and the
way they've pitched, and the way the bullpen is I got.
I'd make the bet that they can compete with anybody
in baseball, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Yeah, yeah, me too, you know. And I'd take Payne
over anybody in the leadoffs. Well maybe you know, Connie.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
This don't get silly, but I'd take pay you above
almost everybody at the leadout spot. The way he's playing
right now and everything he brings to this team, I think,
I think you start to build your team around somebody
like that, and.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Then I just feel like there's a lot more in
the tank.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
When you're looking at a couple of the guys in
the lineup, I think they're going to hit at some
point and start to play more like they have in
the past, and it'll get the offense will get better.
But I love the I love the trait that they
have with all the two out RBIs.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
You know they're.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
That means that some guys may not be getting the
job done earlier in the in the inning, but guys
are picking him up in a.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Little bit later on. So it makes it.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
Makes it really tough on the other teams teaching when
when they become so relentless that they just can't get
out of endings and the astros make make them pretty frustrated.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
I think, Steve, before I let you go be the
front office, I'll be the manager. I come to you
and we're talking about Rafael Devers. What would make you
trade him? A star like that? Well, second year of
the two I mean, I was shocked today. I understand
all the stuff with the Bregman stuff in positions at
third and first base. But you're giving you your best
hitter in one of the ten best hitters in baseball?
Is the headache bigger than the talent? From your perception?
(11:42):
What would make you move a guy like that, not
just necessarily him, but but you wake up and he's gone? Why?
Speaker 3 (11:49):
That The only thing I can say, Sean, you know
this better than anybody. Nobody like I don't know, You
don't know anybody speculating on what happened in Boston.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Knows the full truth.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Right right, you know? And the depth of that truth
to right, Steve, how deep it is.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Like we have no idea what what has taken place
throughout every step of what's what's happening?
Speaker 2 (12:14):
And why that, why that situation and relationships soured, you know.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
And I'm like you guys, you know, I'm scratching my
head thinking, man, he's one of the best hitters in baseball. Man,
that's tough to We have no idea what led to that, right,
We'll never know.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
But there is a lot more than we know, I
guarantee that way more. You know, there's things that lead
up to that that we have no idea.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
So and you know, they felt like, you know what,
we can get this off of our books and you know,
wipe our hands and try to try to piece this thing.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Together a different way. And they've got a lot of
good young prospects, so maybe they sure do.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Some pretty good young players right now, Steve there, they
kind of feel like the Astros did when they were
doing theirs. They've got some really really good young players,
they do.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
You know, and I think I think they want to
build around those guys that they feel like are going
to be the next wave. And right now they're struggling pitching,
so they've got some money to go out there and
fortify that.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
Now the Red Sox and pitched pitching struggles. Well there
there there's.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
A the same goes for every organized.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
There's so much that goes on behind the scenes that
nobody knows. Right Like, on the surface, it looks like
it doesn't make sense, but if you found out the
real reason why, you go, okay, I understand.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
That right now. But yep, somebody can't divulge everything.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
No question about it. I mean they and they absolutely can't.
And whether it's him or anybody else, you always ask
yourself is in their mind is the headache bigger than
the salary or the talent or helping us move forward.
And for whatever reason, and we we may never know
the full reason, but Dev's is out. And uh and uh.
I don't think the red I mean the Astras are
(13:54):
gonna get real quick, Steve, the Astras. You don't see
them getting involved in a trade like that. That's that
knee moving right before the deadline. That they don't need
to do that. And you don't see anything like that
happening here, do you.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
No.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
I think they need a lefty bat. I mean Melton
going down. I think hurt I loved it when he
was in there, giving him some more balance. But when
Jordan gets back, I still think they need another lefty
bat in the lineup, just to just to give the
pitchers a harder time going through the lineup.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Right. You know, you get a guy with a really
good slider, and with that.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Many righties, it's not that tough if you're dial them
with that slider. We saw that, we saw it early
on in the season. Griffin canning guys like that, they're
able to kind of exploit what the Astros had as.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Far as the.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Yeah makes it a problem.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Right, Yeah, I think, you know, getting a lefty and
when Melton comes back, man, I like what I saw
from him. So Dana said, it's gonna be it's gonna
be a little bit before he gets back.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
So uh, and I think they need another lefty. But
if is it going to be needle moving? Maybe maybe
not to the national media, but I think through the astros,
I think it'll be very helpful.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Yeah, because of that dominant right handed lineup, they just
can stay away, stay away, stay away at least, and
you're gonna have to hit that back to on a lefty.
But it's now you're not talking about some like you said,
not a needle moving power guy, but you're just a
guy that's semi relentless and puts the ball in play.
And it's kind of a pain in the ass to
deal with, is what you're saying on the field.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Out on the pop yet, right, I can give you
give you a little pop.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Yep, be nice, like to see order. I'll take that
pop and see if any ideas in your mind when
you think we'll see.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Him, not in my mind. I mean I heard that.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Like Dana was in our booth yesterday, so of course
we talked to him before and after the interview, and
Robert does a great job with that, but I mean,
you're beating a dead horse sometimes with that.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Yeah, he's healing, he's healing.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
He's getting a lot better, and it sounds like he's
really close to swinging of that.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
And I think the best news about this is they
don't feel like he's gonna go need you know, twenty
twenty five at bats to be ready.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
They're gonna plug plug him right away as soon as
he gives them the thumbs up.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
That doesn't hurt it.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
It's go time get rid of that threshold of pain
and heal it because it'll be big. This team is.
They're better than I think we thought they'd be seventy
or seventy more games. So yeah, it's been impressive. The
pitching staff's been off the charts. We'll hopefully have the
same conversation about the pitching staff next week, meaning it's
just real good and they continue to sustain them. Steve,
great stuff. Appreciate you waking up early with us, brother,
(16:20):
and enjoy the next four days and we'll look forward
to next Monday.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
I appreciate it. Thanks for having me all.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Right, appreciate it and He is real quick before we
go to break. He's so right though, when you're a heavy,
right handed
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