Ep. 20 the 2025 Stretch Run

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:11):
Welcome to Baseball This Week, a Spotlight production, and here's
your host, Jim Stark. Well as it is Nike to
be back here in the lovely confines of the Spotlight
Media Studios here in downtown Lansing, Michigan. I'm Jim Stark.
I'm here with my co host. It's been a while, Robin.

(00:33):
You don't forget who I was. That's of course Boston,
Rob Bennett, who is gonna be a co host of
the show for We're gonna call it the Baseball this Week,
the stretch Drive, right Rob.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
That's right. I was thinking more of the seventh inning stretch.
But either way you look at it, Well, we're.

Speaker 3 (00:49):
Here for the last two months of the season or so,
and it's a stretch.

Speaker 2 (00:52):
Drive, I would say. So it's kind of like the
dog days of summer. I think you can actually say
that now, right.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
Well, hopefully for the Detroit Tigers were past the dog
days this summer because those dog days bit them pretty good.

Speaker 3 (01:10):
Are you there, Rob, I'm not hearing if you are.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
Yep, Yeah, I mean you're right, But boy have they
turned that around, especially with this last series with the
Houston Astros.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Right, every team, I don't care how good you are,
are going to go through a time when you're not
so good. It's just the nature of sports. The trick
is to minimize it, right. But people forget in nineteen
eighty four, Rob, when you were we even born eighty four, Rob,
of course I will, oh good, I just want to
be sure. Okay, in the Big five O this year?
Oh okay, so you wereround eighty four. So, but you

(01:43):
weren't to Detroit in Detroit.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
Then, No, I was a wee Boston Rob growing up
in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Speaker 3 (01:50):
Got it. You were at Boston Red Sox.

Speaker 1 (01:52):
Yeah, in eighty four, the Tigers started off the legendary
thirty five and five. Right after those first forty game games,
what do you think they played over five hundred for
the last one hundred and twenty games?

Speaker 2 (02:03):
What do you think if memory serves me correct, and
my memory's fading every dingy, yep, forgive me if I'm wrong,
but around five hundred baseball.

Speaker 3 (02:12):
Fifteen games over?

Speaker 1 (02:13):
Okay, so the last one hundred and twenty games, roughly
they played fifteen games over, so half of what they
did the first thirty games. And so, and there was
a time when the when the Toronto Blue Jays were
within I want to say, three or four games, and
they had this big series coming up, right, So if
if Toronto would have swept the series, they would have

(02:35):
been like with the one game or something. Now for
I think the Tigers swept and they went back five.
But and then we got close again. But there was
a time that season when the when, the when the
Blue Jays.

Speaker 3 (02:45):
Were just right on their tail. So yeah, this this
season the.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Close kind of early. They never got to about five
and a half, that's true, five.

Speaker 3 (02:55):
Games, six games, six games is the closest.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah, yeah, so it's we'll see what happened. It's it's
badly scenarios now then since back then with the wild
card you know, races and everything, wellwenty four for certain teams,
you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (03:10):
This is the first show the of the this season,
Rob Will Yeah, we'll take them to Yeah, let's take
amute produce ourselves again. Just people know that anyone might
be tuning in. Who are these guys talking baseball? I've
been on the on the air one form or another
since the ninety five I think, talking baseball ever since then.
I went to every All Star game from nineteen ninety
ninetewenty nineteen. I love baseball, my favorite sport. I still

(03:33):
played baseball, Rob, as you know, not well, but I
still play it. And and I was covering the Tigers.
Has been a great, great run for us this year.
And Rob, you did not grow up here in Detroit.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
No no, I'm originally from Plymouth, Massachusetts. Moved to Detroit
back in two thousand and one and been in sports
talk radio since two thousand and four. Started with the
Great Earl Robinson w KR RAD worked with him for
about a little over ten years there, then moved on

(04:05):
to the Spartan Radio Network with Will Teaman. I will
Well did produce, produce the football games, studio producer for
the football games and men's basketball games, hockey, women's basketball,
you name it. I was the studio producer for that,
worked with him for about in that company for about
eight years, and now now work here at Spotlight and

(04:28):
work with the Drive with Jack Ebling for about four
years now. So we've now been working with you with
baseball this week over the last couple of years. So
just been a human sports talk sports radio sponge. I've
tried to be.

Speaker 3 (04:44):
I like that.

Speaker 1 (04:45):
I like that Sponge idea. Now, tell us what it
was like growing with the Boston Reds. I can tell
you what it was like growing up Tiger. Tell me
what what was what was the area you go?

Speaker 3 (04:54):
What was the first team? You remember? This Red Sox?

Speaker 2 (04:56):
The first team? I remember?

Speaker 3 (04:58):
Who are the players? Who are the stars?

Speaker 2 (05:00):
Oh? Boy, well, I mean I was told about Ustremski.
I mean I was born in seventy five, okay, so probably.

Speaker 3 (05:08):
In the early eighties.

Speaker 2 (05:10):
The Jim Rice, the Dwight Dwight Evans. Of course eighty
six is what I remember the most for an unfortunate situation.
But up until that Mets series, boy what a run.
A young Roger Clemens oil canned boyd was the relief
pitcher to the game. It was the second baseman, Budet,

(05:34):
Bucky Dent, Bucky Dent. Yeah, yeah, for sure. So, I mean,
it's so much history with the Red Sox, just like
the Tigers. But boy, I mean, now that I've lived
in Detroit for so long, man, I I cherished those
times I went with my grandfather the Fenway Park because,
as you know, Jim, because you've been there. Oh yeah,

(05:54):
nothing like Fenway Park, And I talk about it all
the time. With Jack on Jack Ebling Show and he
brings up baseball. Man, I wish I was here for
Detroit's Detroit Tiger Stadium. I feel the history there very similar,
very similar to Fenway so in the America Park is great.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
The only differences though, when I was in Fenway there
were blocks surrounding Fenway that were all part of that
same mistique, right, oh bars.

Speaker 3 (06:25):
At Tiger Stadium there really weren't.

Speaker 1 (06:27):
There were a few, but it was kind of a
questionable area around that area, at least what I remember.

Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yeah, and what I mean, Boston's just a historical monument
of a city and a New England is as a
state anyway, you know, as you know, as a conglomerate
of states. Anyway, There's so much history there. Fenway is
a major part of it. But don't I do wish
I was was able to go to Detroit Tiger Stadium.

Speaker 1 (06:54):
Well, it was very the thing all Star games there,
well they had three and they were all yeah.

Speaker 3 (07:01):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (07:01):
But but the thing you remember about Tiger Stadium is,
and and you know this from Boston, the concourses underneath
this are so small and so tight compared to these
modern wide opens.

Speaker 3 (07:15):
Well, I don't get a point.

Speaker 1 (07:18):
No, no, no, no, But I thought about insider the
stand trying to go to the bathroom, right that that
that becomes an event.

Speaker 3 (07:26):
Hey, do you remember something more important going to the bathroom?

Speaker 2 (07:33):
Yeah, but I mean, well, great memories.

Speaker 4 (07:36):
You know.

Speaker 1 (07:37):
And you know Bernie Carbo, another legendary name in Boston history.

Speaker 3 (07:40):
Correct.

Speaker 1 (07:41):
Do you know what he ended up doing after his
baseball career. He was a hairdresser in down River Detroit.

Speaker 2 (07:48):
Wow, I from one extreme, I can tell you that.

Speaker 1 (07:52):
I have no idea. I just remember he ended up.
I think he got married to somebody and came here
or something like that. But that's a great Brittie Carr.
But one of those their home run hitters that goes
down in history with the Red Sox, you know, ended
up here.

Speaker 3 (08:04):
In the Detroit area.

Speaker 1 (08:05):
And of course the biggest, the biggest trade in Boston
history that won that doomed them for all those years
and of course they I know, until until they but
of course the trade of Babe Ruth to the New
York Yankees from Boston. And what did the Boston own
the time do with that money he traded for he

(08:26):
got for Babe Ruth, you know, nothing good with he
funded a Broadway show true story.

Speaker 2 (08:32):
So well, we're here more about the history of the
Red Sox. I do well, look at you go.

Speaker 3 (08:37):
I have an unbelievable mind for useless trivia. Rob.

Speaker 1 (08:41):
I can't remember anything important, but I can remember all
the important importance. But here we are, twenty fifty twenty five.
Excuse me on baseball this week here on Spotlight Medio Studio,
Rob Boston Bett and I got getting this thing started
again for the stretch drive here in twenty twenty five season.
And I want to look at something though, Rob, before
we take our first break. I want to look back
at some of the predictions. Now, this is this is
my baseball bible. I love it, Lindy's Lindy's Baseball.

Speaker 2 (09:04):
You love looking back at predictions?

Speaker 1 (09:05):
Well, yeah, I do, because this wasn't I'm not talking
about twenty years ago.

Speaker 3 (09:09):
Ropping back up, this is this is this is Lindy's Baseball.

Speaker 1 (09:13):
Uh, twenty twenty five preview. Okay, one of my favorites.
I look at that starting as soon as it comes
out and like mid winter or whatever. But but I
found that this, this is this is the the take
of the regulars for the Tigers. This is what they
were looking at back in uh whenever they did, you know,
in the winter time.

Speaker 2 (09:29):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (09:30):
Mark, remember this, Mark cole Keith was.

Speaker 1 (09:32):
Supposed to be the first baseman, remember that, and not
so much labor toy second base. That's that worked out
pretty well, right. Hobby Byers was supposed to be the
short stop, not so much. Not so much Hobby bias.
The fact that he made the All Star Game in
centerfield is still one of the great baseball anomalies of
all time.

Speaker 3 (09:50):
Right.

Speaker 2 (09:50):
He still plays short occasional.

Speaker 3 (09:52):
Occasionally, but not as starting.

Speaker 2 (09:54):
He's not a regular.

Speaker 3 (09:55):
Nope, nope.

Speaker 1 (09:56):
Uh. Third base they had Jace Young they expected to
finally make the big jump. And we haven't seen Jay
since what April? He's been down in Toledo the whole time? Correct, Yeah, yep.

Speaker 3 (10:08):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (10:08):
The outfield they have Rally Green. Rally Green's because he's
done okay this year. I'm not quite sure is he?

Speaker 3 (10:13):
Is he okay? Rob?

Speaker 2 (10:14):
Yeah? I mean you are. I would dare say, minus
Trek Schouoble, Trek Scooble out of the equation for a second,
Riley Green would probably be the face of the franchise.

Speaker 3 (10:24):
And and the m v P.

Speaker 1 (10:26):
I don't know any question about he. He's he's a
world all star level fielder, all star level hitter, and
he's a leader. He seems to be able to get
a hit when they need it the most. So I
give I give a lot of credit to Riley Green.
They had Parker Meadows instead of Field who are still
waiting on to get healthy, right, right and and hit,
and they had Matt Erling in right field, and then uh,

(10:48):
Carrie Carpenter as a dh wel that's changed around a
little bit. Obviously Verlin has been hurt a lot. But
Kerry Carpenter, he's stepped it up this year as an
outfield and defensively.

Speaker 2 (10:57):
And everybody was during the trade dead and everybody wanted
that bat, right I did. Harry Carpenter is healthy, he's
another bat. Oh he has proven what twenty one home run,
no question, triple machine.

Speaker 1 (11:12):
And he's improved his defense. Rob Yes, that's no. I
wasn't in place of carry. I wanted the additional right
handed bat.

Speaker 3 (11:19):
That's what I want.

Speaker 1 (11:20):
But you're right, I always said Kerry Carpenter in my
in my lineup right.

Speaker 2 (11:24):
When we started the show. A couple when you started
the show a couple of years ago. Jim, if you remember,
Kerry Carpenter was my guy.

Speaker 3 (11:31):
Yeah, I do remember the music show.

Speaker 1 (11:32):
But he continues to be He was a He was
a low round draft pick, right nineteenth round or something
like that.

Speaker 3 (11:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (11:40):
Now, the catcher position they had Jake Rogers pencil in.
And I'll tell you right now, Dylan Dingler is one
of the great stories in all of baseball this year.
Not only has he become an offensive force, rob have
you seen his defensive metrics.

Speaker 3 (11:56):
He's like in the top three in all of baseball.

Speaker 2 (11:58):
You can't steal on him.

Speaker 1 (12:00):
And I knew when when they drafted him out in
the second round out of Ohio State, Right, I knew
he was a really good player, but I didn't know.
And I knew I thought offensively he developed. I had
no idea he'd be that good of a tensive catcher.

Speaker 2 (12:13):
Yeah. I mean his his arm strength to throwing people out.
I mean his tops in the majors. I think it's
like something eight hour, something eighty five miles an hour, yep.
I mean, no question. And the killer and the killer
thing is to be honest, when you look at the
prospects and I'm sure as we go through the restless

(12:34):
season and we have more, you know, more shows here,
we'll talk about the big prospects coming up, can you not.
But they got three guys at that catcher position, yes,
in the minors, in the top one hundred, and they
fall of Major League Baseball. So catcher is a huge

(12:55):
depth position. Jake Rogers, there's nothing to shake a sto.

Speaker 3 (12:59):
No, no, no, no. He's a good part of a winning team.

Speaker 1 (13:02):
He's not the starter. But but I wish he had
left handed. If I could have a right hand and
left that'd be the best thing. But but I'll tell
you they they'll be able to trade. I think they're
they're twenty fifth ranked player who was a catcher.

Speaker 3 (13:13):
I think I know he's a catcher.

Speaker 1 (13:14):
They traded him for one of in one of the
trading deadline nils And.

Speaker 2 (13:18):
Like you say, they's so three.

Speaker 1 (13:20):
So now moving to the to the to the starting rotation.
Back in you know, whenever it was mid midwinter they
had everywhere. Yeah, I'd say January they had well schoobl right,
they had Casey Mayes, who to me is another one
of the great stories in baseball, certainly in Detroit.

Speaker 3 (13:40):
This year.

Speaker 1 (13:41):
But the other three, Reese Olsen, Alex Cobb, and Jackson
Job who would.

Speaker 3 (13:46):
Have figured it all three? All three?

Speaker 1 (13:49):
Well, first off, alse Cod never made it's still not
made an appearance.

Speaker 3 (13:52):
Right.

Speaker 2 (13:52):
Well, he's pitching better well without pain in the man
in the miners right now, so we could actually help him,
perhaps Rob I.

Speaker 3 (13:59):
Have not her. I've heard he can't feel his position.

Speaker 1 (14:03):
He can, he could pitch without pain, but as soon
as he tries to go off the mound is his
hip starts hurting him.

Speaker 3 (14:08):
That's what I've heard.

Speaker 1 (14:09):
So but anyways, pitching well yeah, yeah, but but again
you have to be able to feel position, especially this
time of year. But but the fact that Jackson Job
who was off the thesis start for a rookie, I
mean it wasn't it wasn't. Uh he was a Rookie
of the Year. But he was doing well, and then
Terry and Reese Olsen was a good they're all gone, right.

Speaker 2 (14:27):
All that is because of injury.

Speaker 1 (14:28):
I know what I'm just saying, but that that's my
point is predictions are so hard because you can't factor
these so all of a sudden, the rotation now in
August is nothing like they saw it back in the
mid winter because of injuries. But fortunately for the Tigers,
they were able to bring up some of these young
guys and they made two I thought under under reported, understated,

(14:50):
underappreciated moves to get Charlie Morton and uh Tim from
No No, the starting pitcher from from the twins, Paddock Paddock.

Speaker 3 (15:00):
I think those two guys have given them.

Speaker 2 (15:02):
Charlie Morton has been a him and Finn again. And
I'm gonna ask you this real quick. I'm gonna ask
you let me get to the stick with the starter
for a second. Talking about Paddock and Mark Well, I
mean for Paddock, the jury's still out for me on him,
uh huh. However, Charlie Morton, I mean has become has

(15:22):
done exceptionally well. And of course A. J. Hinch knows
him from his time in Houston, so he knows what
he's getting. We'll see if Paddock can even make the
roster for the playoffs. I'm not sure sure on that.
But the good thing about the trade deadline for the
again for the Tigers, is they didn't give up much
for these guys. Everybody was bitching and moaning about, man,

(15:47):
they're not making a big everybody thought they would make
a have to make a big splash, big name, and
there wasn't really big names out there.

Speaker 1 (15:55):
I think that well, they were a couple, but I
think the best, the highest rank player that gate was
that Catcher.

Speaker 3 (16:01):
Who I think it was twenty fifth.

Speaker 1 (16:02):
Yeah, yeah, so but no, but but you're right and
and and Paddock has given them one win, I know,
maybe two, but.

Speaker 3 (16:08):
It's given some good starts. But you got to have
somebody out there start.

Speaker 4 (16:11):
Now.

Speaker 1 (16:11):
He took the paty the last time he was out,
but you can give them two or three wins down
the stretch out of the number five slot.

Speaker 2 (16:17):
That's that horrible Yeah, And I figured Charlie Moreton might
be that five guy. I mean to me right now,
And I know there's a lot to talk about Jack
Flannery and we'll probably talk about him, yep. But to
me right now, the way Casey Mize is pitching, there's
your number two.

Speaker 3 (16:32):
Yeah, without a doubt, I think, I think, yeah, you
know four start.

Speaker 2 (16:37):
I mean, I mean again, it's it's uh and we've
seen Terrek schouble. I don't want to say struggle, but
for Terrek schoolball, these this last year and a half
we've seen some games where it hasn't been Terrek Scooble
liking God forbid for that right, Casey Mies went through
the great thing, and I agree, I think he everybody's

(16:58):
talking about Hovey baiez Well, I think is coming back
down to earth a little bit. So for me, the
comeback player of the year for the Detroit Tigers most
certainly is Casey Well.

Speaker 1 (17:09):
I would argue that it's an A and a B
Myz and Torkilsen.

Speaker 3 (17:14):
I would argue that I would.

Speaker 2 (17:16):
But he's coming back down to earth a little bit,
most certainly a little bit, but certainly has most certainly
has talked about. The talk has come up. Now should
we resign him? Where in the beginning of the year.
I don't know if anybody would argue to resign him
or not.

Speaker 1 (17:31):
No, you know they were, they were looking to test
someone take him. But if you look at that lineup though,
that pitching lineup, though, if you go Scooba, Mize, Flerty,
assuming Flerty pitches like I did last time out right,
and Morton, that's not a bad four going into the playoffs. No, yep,
So you can win with that all right? When we'll
quick thing for it, take a break. I want to
look at the relief pictures and the ones they had
picked out.

Speaker 3 (17:50):
They had bow Brisky is the closer. That's the old prediction.

Speaker 2 (17:54):
Right last year, I mean last year bow Brisky was yep,
oh no, he was. He's pretty legit.

Speaker 1 (18:00):
And then they had Jason Foley as as a backup,
and he's now on the injured list, right. And then
only Tyler Holton, the on this list of three key
re leivers, has stayed up, but he's had a really
up and down season two. Yeah, so so again it's
it's tough to figure right now. We did see Alex
Slang finally make his debut this week after he was
on the distable list for most of two years, so

(18:21):
hopefully he'll be able to give a little boost.

Speaker 2 (18:24):
Let me throw a name to you, and this is
a guy that has started and has gone into that
relief Pitcher movie. Yes, Troy Mountain, the rookie.

Speaker 3 (18:34):
Oh well, we'll talk.

Speaker 1 (18:35):
Let's talk about when to come back. I want to
talk about it. That's a great that's a great name, uh,
because he raised a lot of questions. But let's talk
about him when come back. No, le's talk about now
we'll take it for a good break. So Melton was
brought up the starter, he's start, and then they talked
about moving to the bullpen, and.

Speaker 3 (18:48):
Then he still got spots starts. Yeah, it was effective
every time he pitched.

Speaker 1 (18:52):
Yeah, and he's a guy rob that we didn't hear
about much about. He rose those ranks very quickly in
the last year.

Speaker 2 (19:00):
Yeah, and that just goes about that just tells you
about what the Tiger's scouting department and development. Because when
you look at below the Tigers and we talk about
the season the Detroit Tigers record wise has had well,
it's right down the whole lot of them. Yeah, I'm
talking single, a double, a triple, a all with either
around five hundred.

Speaker 1 (19:23):
First place still, no, I don't think there are they
were earlier this year.

Speaker 2 (19:27):
I know they were earlier this year. I don't know
if they're all still in first place or not. But
they're all playing around five hundred.

Speaker 1 (19:34):
Good competitive Yeah. So so you want you want melting
in the bullpen and the straighting rotation.

Speaker 2 (19:42):
I mean, I love just like a j holt aj Hinge.
I mean I love the way he can use them.
I want an either guy, especially if an injury happens.

Speaker 3 (19:53):
He's got a power arm and he throws strikes well.

Speaker 2 (19:56):
And that's what a lot of these guys, I mean,
when they're all on. That's we heard it all the time,
right right, you know, we want to control the strike.

Speaker 3 (20:04):
Zone, how pound the strikes.

Speaker 2 (20:06):
Pound the strike zone, and exactly when they're on. And
even when Jack Flaherty's on. I know a lot of
people have questions about him, but when he's on, and
we've seen it these last couple of stars, yep, that's
what when they can get ahead of counts and it's
it sounds elementary and it's cliche, but it's true. It
turns the hole at bat around for the picture and

(20:29):
the batter.

Speaker 1 (20:29):
If you get the first strike of the of the count,
it shortens the at bat, you get the first out
of the inning, it shortens the inning. Without a doubt,
I agree one hundred percent. All right, listen, let's take
a break. When to come back, right, have a guest.
I would didn't want to have him on, but I
know you liked them, Rob And no I'm kidding, but
it's my longtime radio partner, Alfelhauer. We're gonna talk a

(20:50):
little bit about our here's an eye predictions back in
back in in in May, and how are back in April.
How we're doing with that. We're going to talk about
some things. Uh some surprise is this some disappointments for
all three ers are going to kind of share what
we think and we'll and he's got his power rankings too,
which I understand from what he told me when I
talked him today. One will surprise and mystify us. Okay

(21:13):
for that, but he'll be joining us after the break in.
But Rob, please share with the listeners how they can
get involved with Baseball this Week on social media and
how they can find us.

Speaker 2 (21:22):
Yeah, on the old Twitter machine or the X machine.
Follow us at Baseball this Week and you can listen
to the Baseball This Week podcast hosted by Jim Stark
on all your podcast platforms, whether Apple, Spotify, iHeart right
here on speaker, So wherever you find your podcast platforms,

(21:44):
most certainly we will be there Baseball this Week, and
of course follow us on Facebook as well. We have
a Baseball this Week Facebook page as well. So wherever
you can find all your sports talk needs, we're right
here with them. Make sure to check us out on
all your podcast platforms again. iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple, you name it.

(22:05):
We're they're and we're talking baseball. What's the best way
if they want to send us a message, Roub? What's
the best platform from? You could either go to our
Facebook page Baseball this Week, Easiest Pie, or of course
on the old X machine or Twitter, Okay, whatever you
still desire to call it, send us a message there
as well.

Speaker 1 (22:23):
All right, well, listen, Rob, it's been great getting back
to work with you.

Speaker 3 (22:26):
It's fun.

Speaker 1 (22:27):
We got another couple segments left to go, but we'll
take a break. You're listening to Baseball this week, the
Stretch Drive, and that's with Jim Stark and Boston Rob
bettet here from the Spotlight Media Studios.

Speaker 2 (22:40):
Welcome to Baseball this week a.

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Speaker 3 (24:48):
Left Field, Riley's run a Lot tonight, e lez out Ridley,
great collection, We're the foolish, Oh.

Speaker 5 (24:57):
Doctor, go get them Tiger.

Speaker 1 (25:01):
Wow, Rob, you play that little baseball song, it takes
you right back to nineteen sixty eight. That's the first
time I remember hearing that when the Tigers won the
World Series in that sixty eight and it's still it's
it's just anyone with any history of the Tigers.

Speaker 3 (25:21):
That warms your heart. I promise you that. So thanks
for playing that.

Speaker 2 (25:24):
It's iconic.

Speaker 1 (25:25):
It is iconic, without a doubt. I'm expecting Ernie Harwell's
voice to come in next, right, but unfortunately you really
have the voice of me and my my buddy Rob here.
It's not quite Ernie Harwell's but we love baseball like
Ernie did though.

Speaker 3 (25:38):
Right, well, the past is over.

Speaker 8 (25:51):
And gone, the flowers appear on the earth, the time
of the singing of birds is come, and the voice
of the turtle is heard in our land.

Speaker 1 (26:02):
That he always sang that or read that that little
that little reading. It's the very first game of spring training,
and it just meant baseball was here when it was over.

Speaker 3 (26:13):
Right.

Speaker 1 (26:13):
I'm so glad you found that too, Rob. You're making
me happy today.

Speaker 3 (26:16):
Thanks.

Speaker 2 (26:17):
That's what I'm here for, man, all right, But now.

Speaker 3 (26:20):
If we go from happy to uh uh.

Speaker 1 (26:24):
I know you think I'm a history professor here, Rob,
always looking back, But I have to look back with
this guy because he and I were on the air
together for longer than either one of us want to admit.
Uh And despite the fact that that we talked of
a lot of sports over the year, I think we
both agree that baseball has always been our number one
uh uh love, our number one sport to follow.

Speaker 3 (26:43):
Uh We we all and to this day, Rob.

Speaker 1 (26:45):
We still do our our annual predictions to see how
we're gonna do uh uh with predicting the outcome of
the seasons in terms of standing.

Speaker 2 (26:53):
I'm not going to ask what the final how the
final outcomes?

Speaker 1 (26:56):
Well, I want us I got Rob, it's it's it's
just it's burned in my mouth. But I got to
tell you he's won more than I have. He's done
better than I have over the years. I think I
won last year, but but but.

Speaker 4 (27:07):
He's what you won four years in a row.

Speaker 1 (27:10):
Really, well, how do they miss that? Well, we're joined
by Alfel Hour. Now we go back to when we
were both a little bit younger.

Speaker 4 (27:21):
Well, I was a lot a bit younger.

Speaker 1 (27:23):
Nineteen ninety nineteen ninety five when we started out. Do
you know that you remember that?

Speaker 4 (27:28):
Is that what it was?

Speaker 3 (27:28):
Ye?

Speaker 1 (27:30):
When you had the when you had the great wisdom
to invite me on your show, Rob, we were down
in we were both participating in the Detroit Tigers Fantasy
camp in February of maybe ninety four.

Speaker 3 (27:44):
Maybe Rob, I forget how it.

Speaker 4 (27:46):
Had to be ninety four, it was because I remember that.
I can remember that that we were at TZA, were
over at PZA in ninety four when the Buckeyes were
playing them.

Speaker 1 (27:56):
No, but when I joined you on the station from Jackson,
not PZA. So whatever, whenever Okay, So he's doing he's
doing the show from the rob from the dining room
at fans camp, and for some reason somebody dropped him.
Somebody someone didn't come on it was supposed to and
he had like fifteen minutes to fill. So he asked
me on, and Al, you probably regret ever asking me

(28:18):
on that first time, don't you, since.

Speaker 4 (28:20):
I think what happens to him is they changed the schedule.

Speaker 3 (28:23):
Well that's what it was. That's what it was. Yep, yep.
But you didn't have a guest, and you asked me on.

Speaker 4 (28:28):
I didn't want to do an hour by myself.

Speaker 1 (28:30):
Well and the rest the rest as they see his history, right,
that's right, Well.

Speaker 4 (28:35):
That's right, and it's been a decent friendship.

Speaker 1 (28:38):
What started with was started with baseball Rob back in
Fantasy Camp in Lakeland, Florida, back in that in that
the winner of ninety four continues to me baseball here
twenty twenty five and then and the.

Speaker 3 (28:50):
Detroit Al Al fellaur.

Speaker 1 (28:52):
Now, as much as you were a Boston Red Sox fan,
Boston Rob Al was a citin An, a Red fan
growing up in Ohio.

Speaker 4 (29:01):
Oh I was a big Red. I was a big
Red machine. Guy every World Series game in nineteen seventy five. Yeah,
and I went rod and Road and home. I went
to all of those games, all seven.

Speaker 2 (29:14):
I must say that must be one of them. I'll
argue that you could argue that team, the Big Red Machine,
the most dominant team in baseball history. I think you
can argue that there.

Speaker 4 (29:25):
I will look at all if you look at the
analytics and the numbers, there's they They certainly, they certainly
rate right there with the Bronx Bombers.

Speaker 1 (29:34):
The only the only downside I think they would take
away from the reds uh Luster would be their pitching
was never top flight all but.

Speaker 4 (29:42):
They had They had the best pitching in baseball that year.

Speaker 3 (29:45):
They they really did.

Speaker 4 (29:48):
Yeah, fred Norman. Fred Norman came over and hit. We
used to call him the little league pitcher, but Freddie
Norman came over and he would pitch six great innings
and boy, don't leave him in there for the seventh.

Speaker 3 (29:59):
Well.

Speaker 1 (29:59):
But but they never had They had several Hall of
Fame hitters in the lineup, right, but they never had
a Hall of Fame pitcher.

Speaker 4 (30:06):
They him.

Speaker 1 (30:07):
They didn't have a Hall of Fame level pitcher until
they got uh from from the Mets.

Speaker 3 (30:15):
They brought in.

Speaker 1 (30:17):
Top receiver, right, but he had he had already established
that as a Met but they never really had their
own pit. But that's I mean, they had what seven
Hall of famers in that lineup every day.

Speaker 4 (30:28):
Well, yeah, I'm not sure who's I'm not sure of
that lineup, who's not in the Hall of.

Speaker 1 (30:34):
Well, the Caesars, Sadania wasn't the center fielder and the
right fielder there was they never had it was it
was you know, when Griffy's senior, neither one of them,
but everybody else left and the entire infield all went
into the Hall of Fame left field plus.

Speaker 4 (30:48):
I know this Sparky in it. In it, uh, that's
seventy five seasons. Sparky had a he had a problem
because that they weren't doing well, and they were, they
were I think thirty and thirty or twenty five, twenty five,
something like that, and he just had to make a change.
So he brings Pete Rose in from the from the outfield,
puts him at third base, and had allowed him to

(31:09):
put George Foster in the lineup.

Speaker 1 (31:11):
And and that was one of those critical moves. Is
Foster around to be one of the great power hitters
of all time.

Speaker 4 (31:16):
Yeah, it fifty home runs that year.

Speaker 1 (31:18):
So but that that team with Pete Rose and Johnny
Bench and Tony Perez and and Dave Deceptionion. I mean,
but I agree with you. But you know again, those
days baseball was so different. But today today still a
fun game. They're trying to make changes, Al and Rob
to stay with the time how about how about the

(31:39):
idea of just adding in that time clock. How has
that changed the game in the last three years? Was
shortening the game?

Speaker 3 (31:46):
That's been a huge job.

Speaker 4 (31:47):
I know that when the Tigers are home, the game's
over before dark, before.

Speaker 1 (31:50):
You go to bed, lfel hour before he goes to bed,
the game's over.

Speaker 3 (31:53):
It never used to be that way. No, that's right,
so absolutely well and now.

Speaker 4 (31:59):
That's I think that the one the one rule if
they needed they need to steal from the college game, yep,
and the little again they have to steal that double
first base.

Speaker 1 (32:10):
Well, you know, Al, it's a great, great point they're
going in college. It's such a I'm not sure they
will you know what I mean, Oh, I'm not.

Speaker 4 (32:18):
Sure they will either, But that is one of the
best things in college from a safety state endanger out
of it.

Speaker 3 (32:24):
But it doesn't affect the.

Speaker 1 (32:26):
Quality of the game though, you know, like like like
the fact that wait, like the fact that they put
that time clock to it, that that affected the game,
it shortened, it made it more that putting the base
is not gonna change any of that.

Speaker 4 (32:38):
Well, I think what it does. I think that what
happened today in baseball gym as you know, players are
making so much money that they have really become fixed
assets of the ball. Oh absolutely, and they don't and
they don't want to endanger their assets. And I think
that putting that that extra side of the base in
there would certainly put some injury revenge there. You write,

(33:01):
the players Association more comfortable.

Speaker 3 (33:03):
Big picture, it does make it agree with you.

Speaker 1 (33:05):
You if you eliminate three injuries a year from closes
at first space, that's a different I agree with that.

Speaker 3 (33:11):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (33:11):
But uh, I think a bigger change is coming next
year from all it's not been finally but all by
by all accounts, next year they're gonna go to the
the balls and strikes being able to to to uh
have a certain number of of replays. Uh, and then
you actually gonna and I saw it in spring training.

(33:31):
I think I told that around. I told you that
it happens very fast. But if they go to that
computer replay of balls and strikes, to me, that will
fundamentally change baseball for well.

Speaker 4 (33:42):
And they've they've upgraded that that system also and then
you could see it in the All Star Game and
you can see they're they're tweaking it all the time.
Now they've got it now so that once they put
every player in Major League Baseball uh into the machine
that that that that auto medic I will automatically adjust
to that batter strike zone.

Speaker 1 (34:04):
Well, what I like about it is unlike every other
uh time in football or basketball or wherever they have
these replays, they take so much time this this that
that review happens, so it's almost spontaneously.

Speaker 3 (34:20):
It's it's you don't even notice it's happening. It happens
so fast.

Speaker 4 (34:23):
That's well every pitch, I mean, you don't have to
do it doesn't take any time. It just from of
course the PA.

Speaker 1 (34:32):
But I'm saying, but it happens that quick, there's no debate.
You know, it doesn't pull the game down.

Speaker 4 (34:37):
And again you well, the umpire can't check it.

Speaker 3 (34:41):
Nope, Well, there's only three.

Speaker 4 (34:43):
Only the bad only the batter, the catcher in the picture.

Speaker 1 (34:45):
The only three people can request a review, the batter,
the catcher in the picture. And and most of the
time it was when I saw it happen in Springtree,
was the batter?

Speaker 4 (34:56):
Well, all I know is that in the All Star
Game Schooble challenge that first time, and right.

Speaker 1 (35:00):
Yep, so, but you know what I saw so many
times when I say I saw Paty five six times,
the umpire was right every time.

Speaker 4 (35:09):
Although they they've done a lot of researches this season,
this season in particular, and they only have twenty two
percent of the games where the umpire got one hundred
percent of the balls and strikes correct.

Speaker 1 (35:22):
Well, okay, but one hundred percent? Okay, how many times
they haven't though?

Speaker 3 (35:27):
What that? But how many times was it?

Speaker 1 (35:28):
Ninety seven? Ninety six? A high percentage? You know what
to get and see? To me, one of the values
of the system would be they could start grading these
umpires and weed out the guys that don't get ninety
seven ors now whatever that percent is they want to
have with.

Speaker 4 (35:43):
The automatic With the automatic balls and strikes, you won't
need to do that.

Speaker 1 (35:46):
Well, yeah, you only get to a game that's not
that's not gonna change everything out, or you get more
than two if you keep going. But the point is
it will it will to me if they use it right,
they'll weed out those guys that are don't belong at
the top level of calling balls and strikes.

Speaker 2 (36:00):
Actually, there won't be any umpires behind the plan.

Speaker 6 (36:02):
Now.

Speaker 3 (36:02):
See, I don't think they're gonna do that. Rob. This
is a check.

Speaker 1 (36:07):
This is not replacing them. No, I don't think that
will happen either. It's a check, not a not a replacement.

Speaker 3 (36:12):
So all right, listen.

Speaker 4 (36:14):
Always you always have an umpire there that's in charge
of the ball game.

Speaker 1 (36:17):
All right, listen, we're talking listening to baseball this week.
Back on the air, Baseball this week the Stretch Drive
with Jim Stark and Boston Robert Bennett and our guest
right now is Al Felauer, who he and I worked
baseball together for more years we want to remember. But
but Al, before we get to your power rankings, I
want to talk give you guys a little exercise today.
I want to look at the what the five biggest

(36:39):
surprises you guys see this year you know all Major
League Baseball could be good or bad in terms of teams. Okay,
teams first, So Rob, why don't you start what's your
biggest surprise in terms of teams this year?

Speaker 3 (36:51):
Imediately separated?

Speaker 2 (36:53):
I actually did five. Oh my goodness, well pick pick
pick pick five, pick pick your five whatever, just for
give me number one. So my disappointments to go go
with your best surprising, you're up surprises. I'm gonna go. Well,
you gotta go with the Milwaukee Brewers number I mean,
they're up there, the Chicago Cubs, the Cincinnati Reds, Okay,

(37:16):
I have them. And how about the Athletics, say the Athletics,
because they really don't have a home yet. They were
got awful last year and they've been pretty competitive, pretty
competitive this year. When you look at coming into the season,
what people thought. They thought they would be worse than.

Speaker 4 (37:35):
The Chicago Cubs or the Chicago White.

Speaker 2 (37:38):
Sox last year. So I give credit to the Athletics.

Speaker 1 (37:41):
But but the point is, al they were better than
anyone expecting.

Speaker 3 (37:44):
That's the point they expected me. The white size.

Speaker 4 (37:47):
They were for the first they were for the first
two thirds of the season.

Speaker 3 (37:50):
Well, that's good in the last ten. They're seven and three.

Speaker 1 (37:55):
Okay, but they're still a great surprise for the year.
Is the point they're not saying the contenders. There's still
a really bit surprise. So I agree with Rob, all right, well,
what are your surprises?

Speaker 4 (38:05):
My surprises? No, I think and probably both of you
guys will agree with me one hundred percent. The Baltimore Rigans.

Speaker 1 (38:13):
What appointments by far. They'll stay with your positive ones first, though,
what are your positive?

Speaker 3 (38:19):
Uh? Positive?

Speaker 4 (38:21):
I think that Torontald Blue Jays one. I think that
they have just surprised a lot.

Speaker 1 (38:28):
But hell, they had really good players though, Remember they
had those really good young.

Speaker 3 (38:32):
Players, So is it that much of a surprise that
they started playing better?

Speaker 4 (38:36):
Well, I think what surprises me is the way they
are dominating the Eastern Division.

Speaker 1 (38:41):
That's I don't disagree with that, that that Easter Division
is a tough division.

Speaker 4 (38:44):
You're right about that, you know, And it's just uh
And I think the other thing that's disappointing, and some
people will laugh at me on this one. I think
that the Cleveland Guardians are a sadly disappointing team this year.

Speaker 1 (38:59):
Well, hang on, I'm gonna get my positive first before
you get to the disappointments. Okay, I'm would say re
Number one surprise is Tigers. Nobody, nobody expected them to
be nine games up at the end of August.

Speaker 3 (39:12):
Did you, well.

Speaker 4 (39:15):
The front right now?

Speaker 3 (39:16):
Okay, did you expect them to be this far ahead
at this time of the year? Come out? Did you
the way the last hang on? Rob?

Speaker 4 (39:24):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (39:24):
Okay, go ahead, Rob? What you say?

Speaker 2 (39:25):
I mean the way that last season ended, there was
some big expectations, especially in that division. Yeah, but not this.
You aren't in the division.

Speaker 3 (39:36):
I'm stunned.

Speaker 1 (39:36):
And they led it the whole time. It took off
like a race horse at the beginning. To me, that's
a surprise. I didn't expect that. I expected to maybe.

Speaker 2 (39:43):
In the first place. About what the Tigers, well, they
know you know what.

Speaker 1 (39:47):
You've been follows Red Sox for two long, Robbins. It's
it's it's it's stinting.

Speaker 4 (39:51):
Your You two guys, You two guys and myself would
be millionaires today. If we would have bet that the
Tigers would have the best at the All Star Game,
I would.

Speaker 2 (40:01):
Have You're right, Hell, that's correct. I will agree with that.
I agree with that.

Speaker 1 (40:05):
The other two, the other positive prize. I wanted to
mention that you guys didn't mention it with Seattle. I
thought the Mariners have done a lot better than I expect.
They have some good players, but they took off. What
about about in June or so?

Speaker 4 (40:17):
Yeah, they're my roller coaster team. They're my roller coatter
team of the season.

Speaker 1 (40:22):
Okay, so now let's flip the coin disappointment of teams,
and now you can start with yours again.

Speaker 4 (40:28):
Well, I already said Baltimore Oreial.

Speaker 3 (40:30):
This disappointing, oh Umber, Yeah, yeah, okay. What happened to them, mal.

Speaker 4 (40:36):
Well, they had I think what happened is they had
so many injuries in the first month of the season
that they could never recover.

Speaker 3 (40:42):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (40:42):
Well pitching, yeah, pitch, and then they and then they
lost their swagger, they lost their they lost their will
to win. I think at that point they fell so
far behind so quick. I mean that first month of
the season, they felt what the ten twelve thirty games out.

Speaker 3 (41:00):
Yeah, and when you have a.

Speaker 1 (41:03):
Young team that's not been through it before, it's stuff
to come back when you get downlight that.

Speaker 2 (41:06):
And it's won over one hundred games last year, and
look at where they are now it's to me, it's
pitching and injuries obviously, but every team has to deal
with injuries, right, right, right, But but pitching, to me
is what's really been the issue for that.

Speaker 3 (41:19):
So who are your disappointments from.

Speaker 2 (41:21):
Well, I also have the Orioles. I have the Atlanta Braves,
the Texas Rangers, yep, and I also have the San
Francisco Giants.

Speaker 3 (41:30):
The Rangers.

Speaker 1 (41:30):
He has the Rangers and the Giants and the Marlins.
Ye oh, the Marlins. Oh now, now why the Marlins.

Speaker 2 (41:36):
Well, just like the Baltimore Orioles, a lot of expectations,
especially with that young pitching staff, young players. I mean,
you're certainly looking to not win the division or anything
of that nature, but most certainly battle for maybe a
wild card and make that next jump for a young team.

Speaker 1 (41:52):
Well, I had the Rangers as well, but I think
the Braves were the biggest to me, with the payroll
they have and the talent they have to be so far,
I just think, you know, it's almost ununthinkable.

Speaker 4 (42:03):
So I didn't catch it. I didn't catch it early
on in the season, but they just kind of drifted
back and back and back, and I know they had
a lot of injuries in that but then they got
people back and they just they didn't recover. They're just
not the Atlanta Braves that we know.

Speaker 1 (42:20):
Yeah, well again it shows how hard it is to
win year to year in Major Baseball.

Speaker 3 (42:26):
You said the Giants, right, disppointment.

Speaker 2 (42:28):
Especially after making that big deal for Raphael Devers, Right.
I mean, that's an all in move that they that
they made, and they were around five hundred, they were
in the wild card hunt there, but they have really struggled.
He struggled starting off that second half of the season.
So I was expecting the bigger thing, you know.

Speaker 4 (42:48):
They made that deal with the Red Sox and then
they fell into the Bay.

Speaker 1 (42:51):
Yeah, all right, let's move to our players. Now, these
are our uh surprises either positive and I'll start. I'm
gonna say I'm gonna combine my first two. I think
the two biggest surprises at all baseball, at least for
my are Torcal Sin and mys. I put them together
because they were and I'll tell you when I was
the spring trading down there in February, no one was

(43:13):
talking about them.

Speaker 2 (43:14):
All they were talking about was baseball and all of baseball.
You're gonna the two times yes, I'll.

Speaker 3 (43:18):
Tell you why.

Speaker 1 (43:20):
When they were down, they would't eve people don't even talk.
They were talking about what they might do with them
when they trade him. Are they gonna cut them? Are
they gonna start the season, and you know, and to
be the core of this winning team this far of
the season, I find that remarkable.

Speaker 3 (43:33):
If you got a better one, Robs, please, But that's
my biggest surprises.

Speaker 4 (43:37):
Those two guys, Well that's one of my biggest surprises.
But I still say the biggest surprise is the guy
that we talked about a lot him and that's that's Bias.

Speaker 3 (43:48):
Get out. Bias has been nothing but the same old,
same old. What are you talking about?

Speaker 2 (43:53):
What do you mean?

Speaker 3 (43:54):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (43:56):
Come on? That guy has been a spark.

Speaker 1 (43:58):
Plug of this No, he's he's been a he was
a blip, he did a little, he got somehow, he
got the center fielder, an All star Burt. But overall
this year he's been he's been a not even an
average hitter. Out for twenty six million dollars.

Speaker 4 (44:09):
He's hitting to seventy one. Come on, he's hitting to
seventy one.

Speaker 3 (44:14):
To begin he's making twenty six million dollars.

Speaker 2 (44:17):
I mean, that's that's I know.

Speaker 4 (44:18):
I know that you disagree with me. Oh yes, oh yes,
it proves to me that you're just as dumb as
you always have been. Rob, who's the better base a
better baseball team?

Speaker 3 (44:28):
And cut him off?

Speaker 4 (44:29):
There a better baseball cut him off with Rob.

Speaker 3 (44:32):
Cut him off.

Speaker 2 (44:32):
It's about time Bias is doing something, Rob, What have
you done anything in three years? All right? Mine, I
got a couple for the disappointments Billy Adams saw in
that big contract with the San Francisco Giant.

Speaker 3 (44:45):
Yeah, Willie Doms former Tiger, former Tiger.

Speaker 2 (44:48):
Yeah. And then I've got a Philadelphia Phillies. And I
know the Phillies are in the playoff hunt, in the
division hunt. But Aaron Nola remember that pitch? Oh yeah,
struggling a little bit. And I'm gonna say and and
I'll also throw off for a disappointment. And no one's
gonna live up to the money that this man is getting.

Speaker 4 (45:07):
No one is gonna.

Speaker 2 (45:08):
I don't expect him to live up. But I was
expecting a little bit more from Juan Soda for the mats.

Speaker 3 (45:14):
I don't disagree with that. I had been my list too.

Speaker 1 (45:16):
As a matter of fact, as a guy that I
expected more even though he's delivering, But how can you
deliver for that kind of contract?

Speaker 2 (45:22):
Right Throwing another one, Lewis Roberts Junior the Chicago White Sox.
He was part of that big trade with the Boston
Red Sox that got him from the Crochet trade and
they were expecting big. Has still has some possibilities young,
but uh, obviously a disappointing season, I think for him

(45:42):
with the Chicago White Song.

Speaker 3 (45:44):
Well, a couple of surprises I have.

Speaker 1 (45:45):
I thought Pete crow Armstrong from the Cubs, I didn't
know much much about him, and he's he's been a
force this year. But the guy that really to me
came out of nowhere. Again maybe I wasn't paying much
of attention is Cal Rowley, the catcher for the Mariners,
who's setting records as a home run hitter. So those
two guys really, uh surprised me. And I want to
say one of the biggest disappointments, not so much as

(46:07):
because a lot was, but I hate to see Justin
Verlander who's not pitching horribly with no wins, and I
think that adds to that to that disappointment that they
have to go rob with the fact he's either one
and nine now or oh and nine.

Speaker 3 (46:19):
I think that's that's sad to see.

Speaker 4 (46:22):
He could he could be the only pitcher in baseball.
It would have grandchildren.

Speaker 2 (46:26):
No, there's a Detroit Tiger now that could argue that
with Charlie Moore.

Speaker 1 (46:33):
He's the same age as yet two. So so anyways,
all right, well listen, Rob, or out before we got
you go. When I get to your power ranks, I'm
gonna have to beat up bout these. But I can't
understand him at all. So give us your power rank.

Speaker 6 (46:45):
Now.

Speaker 3 (46:47):
I don't understand them all.

Speaker 4 (46:50):
You know what, you don't have to understand them because okay.

Speaker 1 (46:55):
All right, go give us your power rank, your top
five this in American League. I top five overall American.

Speaker 4 (47:03):
League, American League. The number one team, No, give me
the number five team? First, New York Yankee?

Speaker 3 (47:10):
Number five? You know he gets no sense? Yes, you worked?
You after number Who's that number five?

Speaker 4 (47:20):
At number four? Toronto Blue Jays? Okay, number three the
Boston Red Sox.

Speaker 3 (47:25):
Wow, Rob, what do you think about that?

Speaker 2 (47:28):
I like it?

Speaker 3 (47:28):
Number three.

Speaker 2 (47:29):
They're struggling right now, but I like it.

Speaker 3 (47:31):
Okay, all right, number two?

Speaker 4 (47:34):
There are seventh in the league in pitching, and they
are believe it or not, they are third in hitting.
It gives number two, number two Detroit Tigers.

Speaker 3 (47:44):
Okay, I go with that. Now who's your number one?

Speaker 4 (47:48):
Now, New York Yankees?

Speaker 3 (47:50):
See, how can you have the.

Speaker 1 (47:52):
Number one team and not being in first place? I
don't get that or even at the time.

Speaker 4 (47:57):
First of all, they are they are the number five
even pitching, and they are the number two team in hitting.
And it works out analytically that they are the best team.
They get they they get the most point.

Speaker 3 (48:09):
But okay, but do you agree with that rab that
that his his uh correlation?

Speaker 2 (48:15):
Like you're gonna of course, you're gonna ask the Boston
Red Sox.

Speaker 3 (48:19):
I'm sorry, I forgot what am I think hitten to wait?

Speaker 1 (48:29):
Wait, wait, but but al you said the Yankee the
Blue Jays? What four or five? What is the ranking
with the Blue days five? You said, the Blue Jays
number one? The Blue Jays, okay, and the Red Sox
are second or third?

Speaker 3 (48:48):
Right?

Speaker 4 (48:49):
No? Third?

Speaker 3 (48:49):
Okay? And then the eighth. But the Blue Jays are
ahead of the Yankees a four games.

Speaker 2 (48:53):
Well, here we go. This is let me let me,
let me teach them something. Now, let me teach them, please, Okay,
know is six and four in their last ten games.
These are the power rankings, which I'm assuming go week
by week, right.

Speaker 4 (49:06):
Al right, well, these are ends up yesterday.

Speaker 2 (49:09):
This so the New York Yankees in the last ten games,
like I said, note eight and two. The Boston Red
Sox in the last ten games three and seven. So
right now, right now, when you look at that and
how they're playing, they're both they're all three of those
teams are plus run differential, which I look at the

(49:31):
Yankees are plus one and eleven. That's more than Toronto.
That's more than Boston. That's more than Bay, that's more
than Detroit. That's more than Houston.

Speaker 4 (49:44):
Right now, so I'm hitting, the Yankees are the second
rated team in hitting, behind the Blue Jays.

Speaker 2 (49:54):
So the metrics, as Al is pointing out, the metrics
say so, now, if you don't believe in the metrics,
then I mean this is just personal preference. So but
I would agree right now, the Yankees are playing the
best ball in the American Okay, all right, it pains
me to say that having the Red Sox fan say that,

(50:14):
you got.

Speaker 1 (50:16):
Your mouth out right now, Rob, go ahead, all right, okay,
all right, I got it. I got it right now
as today.

Speaker 4 (50:23):
With my personal feelings strictly what strictly what the.

Speaker 1 (50:27):
Numbers tell as of today, with numbers tell you that.
And Rob explained pretty well that the Yankees are the
best team in americanle I got it.

Speaker 3 (50:35):
I'll buy that. But that's where you can say, okay,
go ahead.

Speaker 2 (50:41):
But if you add pitching to that, I mean, the
Yankees have struggled with pitching. That's I think is their
achilles heel especially.

Speaker 3 (50:51):
Okay, okay, all right, listen to ALFL. Howard.

Speaker 1 (50:55):
Thank you for joining us tonight. We're going to talk
to you again soon. Nice to be back on the
air with base Well this week the Stretch Drive edition,
Rob Boston Bennett. We're gonna take a break before we
do the Please share with our listeners how they can
both follow, follow us and find us well.

Speaker 2 (51:11):
First, thanks for alf for coming on. We appreciate the time. Yes, always,
but you can follow us on Twitter or x or
whatever they're calling it these days social media sites Facebook.
We have our page on Facebook Baseball this week, and
you can also listen anytime on all your podcast platforms, Apple, Spotify,

(51:32):
iHeart whatever your heart desires as far as your podcast
listening goes. We will be there baseball this week, and
you can give us send us messages through Facebook Baseball
this week as well as I said earlier on Twitter
or x whatever you want to call it as well.

Speaker 1 (51:47):
Okay, Rob Bennett, we'll take a break. We'll come back
for a final segment of Baseball this week, the Stretch
Drive edition with Jim Stark and Boston Rob Betett here
on the from the Spotlight Media Studio.

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Speaker 3 (54:07):
The first thing I remembers the game A man all
the Dame with the gold blue Welcome back to Baseball
this week the Stretch Drive edition.

Speaker 1 (54:21):
Jim Stark along with Boston to Rob Bennett here from
the Spotlight Media studio. You want to thank Al Falauer,
who's a obviously e mectric geek, for sharing some of
his thoughts on the power rankings. We'll talk to him
from time to time to see how these changes we
had down these last six weeks or so of the season.
But Rob, let's take a look at at where they
stand now and what we see the Tigers, you know,

(54:43):
what they're facing in the next week or so. And
two were together again for next next show. We'll put
together for next week.

Speaker 2 (54:50):
Well yeah, I mean when you look at it, I
mean it's all about divisional play, right yep. The Kansas
City Royals, who are one of the hottest teams in
Major League Baseball right now when you look at it.
So let me preface this this by saying I don't
believe unless there is a total drop off, I fully
believe the Tigers will take care of the division here.

(55:14):
But Kansas City right in the midst of the wild
card hunt, especially with their play now, and so I
believe it's a three game series. Correct me if I'm wrong, Jim.
Kansas City coming to Camerica Park, and you know, you
can never have enough you know, division wins, So another
important series to keep the wins piling on, keep this

(55:35):
winning streak going for the Tigers.

Speaker 1 (55:36):
Well, yeah, they have obviously off today, but they have
a k C series at Home Street, and then next
weekend over Labor they they're back in k CS.

Speaker 3 (55:44):
That's six games in you know, a little over a week.

Speaker 1 (55:47):
So those are big games, absolutely, And as you said,
k C now has come into second place, moving past
the Guardians in the division standing.

Speaker 3 (55:55):
So this is a big week for them. And of
course they have in between the.

Speaker 1 (55:58):
Gout the athletics, who you as you said earlier, is
an improved athletic team who still has an ability especially
in out in Sacramento, for crying out loud in the
little bandbox they play.

Speaker 3 (56:07):
Who knows what that'll be like playing in.

Speaker 2 (56:10):
Yeah, and like I said, it's it's looking back at
Kansas City. I mean, here's another team that's eight and
two in their last ten I like, looking at the
last couple of ten to fourteen games, they're right there
with Detroit with also an eight and two mark. But
Kansas City now finding some pitching, but the big question
for them was trying to find some offense. Ye right, again,

(56:34):
they made some moves at the trade deadline, so and
I'm sure they'll be looking right now in the wild
card hunt. For Kansas City, they are, let's see, I'm
looking two games behind Seattle for that last spot, so
they're most certainly playing for something at this time of year.
And again, Kansas City a young team, some very good

(56:56):
pitching when they're on. Bobby Witch Junior not quite having
the season that maybe he has wanted, but still very dangerous,
still one of the best players, I think, top ten,
top fifteen players in all baseball. And we've seen how
the topsy turvy this season has gone. We've seen the
Tigers have a thirteen game winning streak, We've seen him

(57:18):
have a record breaking first half of the season win wise,
So and you're right, Jim. Six games with the Kansas
City Royals, and things could be looking mighty different a
little bit for both teams coming into the and when
we talk next.

Speaker 1 (57:35):
Well, the Royals right now, as you said, Rob, are
only two games out of the final wild card berth
the Guardians are three. So between the Yankees, Red sax
Mariners and the World and Guardians only three games. Five
games separate those five teams. So that's gonna be a
dog fight.

Speaker 3 (57:50):
And I like that. That's what the designers of this wanted.

Speaker 1 (57:53):
They wanted games to mean more at the end of
the season other than just the division winners, and certainly
for those five teams, it means a lot.

Speaker 2 (58:01):
Yeah, it means a lot. I don't like it.

Speaker 3 (58:03):
You don't like it. Too many wildcard teams, too many
wild What would you where would you have ended it?

Speaker 2 (58:08):
I mean, I'm old school.

Speaker 3 (58:09):
Oh you want this division?

Speaker 2 (58:10):
I understand why they're there. I mean, I'll throw in
I'll give me one wildcards. Okay, give me one wildcards.

Speaker 1 (58:18):
But you know, if they had one wildcard, you know
what team would be out right now? Rob, I know, Okay,
I'm fully aware, all right. So I think now looking
ahead of this next week for the Tigers, the two
key players that I want to see are hear from
in a positive way? Are Alex Lang? I want to
see if he can be a factor in that bullpen
again after being off I think a year and a half.

Speaker 3 (58:39):
I want to see.

Speaker 1 (58:40):
I don't know if he needs to be a closer,
but if he's got to be able to help pitch
effective innings late in the game, because right now they're
relying on Finnegan and Vest pretty much turned out pretty well,
but you can't just rely on two guys, right You
need more than that down the stretch.

Speaker 3 (58:56):
And if Alex Lang could be that a third guy
in that mix, I'm all for that.

Speaker 1 (58:59):
The other guy I really want to see what they're
going to add these last six weeks is a Parker Meadows?

Speaker 3 (59:04):
Is he down? Is into for a rehab? Simon?

Speaker 1 (59:06):
Do you know?

Speaker 3 (59:07):
Rob?

Speaker 2 (59:08):
Yes?

Speaker 1 (59:08):
Okay, So I want to we know defensively he can help,
without a doubt he can. But offensively last year he
came back late from an injury and with an offensive
spark that last month for the drive of the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (59:19):
Could you do that again?

Speaker 1 (59:20):
I hope he can, because I think he could be
a game changer both offensively and.

Speaker 2 (59:26):
Rush him back, though Jim if he's ready. I'm not,
as you know, I'm not the biggest Hobvy fan, but
the way he's playing in center field, you put right
on certain situations in center field. I don't know if
they want to rush back he could be. I mean
I don't because of it was such a weird injury
with with nerve right damage and things of that nature.

(59:47):
I'm no doctor, I don't even play one on TV, right,
but it's such a weird kind of injury that you
don't want to just rush him back you want him.
I'd rather, if I had a choice, I would rather
maybe keep him out unless you totally understood the injury

(01:00:07):
and totally knew that he would be back and keep
him healthy for next year. Well, then to maybe rush
him back for for a for a for a late push,
and who knows if he would even make the roster
play roster at this point.

Speaker 1 (01:00:22):
Let me just say this, I defensively now along for
you said if he's not healthy, I agree with you.

Speaker 3 (01:00:29):
But if he's healthy, okay, if he gets so.

Speaker 2 (01:00:31):
That's it, we don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:00:32):
Okay, No, but if they sign off on him, okay,
I would I would rather have him in center field
than than Hobby Baiaz every day of the.

Speaker 3 (01:00:40):
Week because he's experienced.

Speaker 1 (01:00:42):
Bias has played center field for what thirty forty games
in his career, and you want to wait, you want
to base the playoffs on him?

Speaker 3 (01:00:50):
I don't. I don't like it at all.

Speaker 2 (01:00:52):
I mean, in a perfect world with him being perfectly
healthy and getting his timing back, Parker medals is in
center field for me. But he's he's not the Parker
Meadows that they they need.

Speaker 3 (01:01:05):
Right, well, we don't know that. We don't know that.
Ye let's see what he hasn't What did he do
when he came back up? See what he hasn't rehabbed
he came back.

Speaker 2 (01:01:13):
Up obviously it wasn't at the plate. We're gonna you're
gonna need his bat? Well, you're guys gonna throw away
his bat for the defense.

Speaker 3 (01:01:22):
I'm not yet.

Speaker 1 (01:01:23):
Yes, if I could have him and let him play
defense the last two three days of every game, if
I'm ahead, I take that. That's how much better he is,
I think than any field they have. I guess that's
that even even with out there, Yep, I think that's
he You know what he made, babe.

Speaker 2 (01:01:39):
You would you would take away the bat and just
have it take.

Speaker 3 (01:01:41):
It away, but not worry about it as much.

Speaker 1 (01:01:43):
But here's what I'm saying, Rob, he made the biggest
plays when it counted most. He rose to the level
of the game. Not everyone can do that.

Speaker 2 (01:01:51):
I mean, Kerry Carpenter did last year, but he's not
a CENTERFLD. Okay, I'm talking about centerfield, right, I mean
that's the beauty of this Tiger's team. It could be
anyone any night, right, I agree, I agree, So top
the bottoms, yep, yep.

Speaker 1 (01:02:05):
So all right, mister Rob Parker, not Parker cheese. Mister Boston,
I'm the furthest thing. Yeah right, right right, I got.
And now the biggest insult you could I'm the biggest.

Speaker 3 (01:02:17):
Mister Boston. Robb Bennett.

Speaker 2 (01:02:18):
I don't know how to respond to that.

Speaker 1 (01:02:19):
Are you confident as of today, August the twenty first,
how confident are you the Boston rest actual being that.

Speaker 2 (01:02:26):
I got asked this question on the drive for Jack earlier.
I'm not confident at all, Jack or Jim Okay, now, yeah,
we're even, we're even were even, so I'm not confident
at all.

Speaker 1 (01:02:37):
I don't scale zero, one hundred percent. Where are you
for the for the Socks to make the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (01:02:42):
Yes fifty okay, all right, what has to happen?

Speaker 2 (01:02:47):
A lot of things?

Speaker 3 (01:02:49):
Give me a couple.

Speaker 2 (01:02:50):
I think, Uh, pitching needs to be better.

Speaker 3 (01:02:53):
Okay, who can get better than that team?

Speaker 2 (01:02:56):
I'm gonna a few, yep. I mean is going to
be Crochet? That's fine, okay, but they're gonna just like
the Tigers. I think they need to find that number
two guy.

Speaker 3 (01:03:03):
Who should that be? In your mind?

Speaker 4 (01:03:05):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (01:03:05):
Who could it be?

Speaker 2 (01:03:07):
I don't know at this point, okay, to be quite
honest with you. And then I mean, you could always
have better hitting, but I don't think hitting is the
major issue when it comes down to this time of year.
It's pitching.

Speaker 3 (01:03:16):
Have they missed Devors very much? Offense? So that was
really good? So that was addition by subtraction when they've
traded him, Yes, okay.

Speaker 2 (01:03:24):
I think so. And they got they got they got
the Giants for the entire contract. You have to pay
the contract?

Speaker 1 (01:03:30):
How about that for a slick deal. But but but
how important uh of of a of a plus has
been for Bregman to be on the on Boston?

Speaker 3 (01:03:38):
Now?

Speaker 2 (01:03:40):
Oh? I think uh, once all once that all soap
opera BS with Devers went away.

Speaker 3 (01:03:45):
Uh huh.

Speaker 2 (01:03:46):
And now that Bregman's healthy, yep, sure take him. I
know the Tigers would love to have.

Speaker 3 (01:03:50):
But a big plus, big difference, bigger, yeah, I.

Speaker 2 (01:03:53):
Think so, especially with the young team that the Red
Sox have position, you know, out there in every position.
It's just one of the youngest teams in the league.
Have the experience in the World Series, experience in the playoffs,
experience that excuse me that Bregmant has.

Speaker 3 (01:04:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:04:09):
Sure, and he hits the ball very well at FEN
consistently too.

Speaker 3 (01:04:14):
Right, So who's their MVP this year?

Speaker 2 (01:04:16):
The Boston VP for Boston if you had it right now, yep,
not that really, people care what I'm interested Right now,
I would say Boston Red Sox management. Oh really getting
read of?

Speaker 1 (01:04:33):
Okay, all right, you're right that that trade will again
I mean addition by subtraction, yes, okay, all right, rap, Well,
we're gonna watch your I'm giving you a little Boston
Red Sox time because I know how much you love them.

Speaker 3 (01:04:45):
I'm doing that for you.

Speaker 2 (01:04:46):
I appreciate.

Speaker 1 (01:04:46):
Okay, But but but the Detroit Tigers are are today?
Are the ten games up? That's what Ali said.

Speaker 4 (01:04:53):
I did.

Speaker 3 (01:04:53):
I thought it was nine. Let me see what I
got it right.

Speaker 1 (01:04:56):
Here they are today with their off day, they are
uh come on, come on, man, they are nine and
a half games up over the Royals. Okay, so one
week from today, Rob, we gather together again. What do
you think they're gonna be up? What would you guess?

Speaker 2 (01:05:12):
I mean we'll go we'll go eight and a half nine.

Speaker 1 (01:05:17):
I think they'll I think they'll be at nine point
five or more. They're gonna they're gonna gain down this weekend.
Nine Yeah, okay, I'll.

Speaker 2 (01:05:24):
Go under over all, right, Rob.

Speaker 1 (01:05:26):
Listen, it's been great getting back together. If you gain
we're gonna have this right down to the playoffs. There
our Baseball this week, the Stretched Drive edition. You're right
here on Spotlight Media Studio. Tell us again how we
can our listeners can get involved in your.

Speaker 2 (01:05:40):
Social media platforms X Twitter, whatever you want to call
it like I've been saying, or our Facebook page Baseball
this week, and also you can uh check us out
on all your podcast platforms however way you listen, whether
it's Apple iTunes, whether it's Spotify, I don't know. We're
all over the place. Jam wherever you get your podcasts,

(01:06:03):
you can find us Baseball this Week. You want to
leave us a message again on our Facebook page Baseball
this Week, or on Twitter and or x which and.

Speaker 1 (01:06:12):
I want to encourage anyone to please submit your thoughts
we if it's if it's a suggestion, if it's somebody,
we'll we'll put it right on the air with us
right we'll read it.

Speaker 3 (01:06:21):
If it's something we want to share.

Speaker 2 (01:06:22):
Please, do you want to mute Jim's mic even more?
I can do that now.

Speaker 3 (01:06:27):
Why did you have to come attack you?

Speaker 2 (01:06:29):
I just gave you thet I'm still getting over the
Rob Parker.

Speaker 3 (01:06:33):
Yeah, the one you gave me was even a worse, mister,
But I gave you the Boston.

Speaker 2 (01:06:39):
Slip.

Speaker 1 (01:06:40):
But listen, I don't mean to do that. Listen, listen, listen, Rob.
We want people to give us certain feedback and we'll
and we'll share it. And we want to be with
best we can be, So please share your.

Speaker 3 (01:06:48):
Thoughts with us.

Speaker 1 (01:06:49):
So good, batter indifferent, but we love baseball here at
Baseball this Week, and so for Rob Boston, Rob Bennett,
I'm Jim Stark Baseball this Week, the Stretch Drive edition
in here on the Spotlight are from the Spotlight Media Studio.