August 31, 2026 • 29 mins
In the second hour, Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain chat with Bill Krueger about the Mariners bad weekend in Toronto, their mental mistakes, Dan Wilson’s job, and Laz Montes coming up to the big leagues, then the guys discuss the Seahawks narrowing down their roster to the 53-man, the lack of surprises, concerns, and current secondary.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's time for our weekly conversation with Bill Kruger, brought
to you by the brand-new Occidental Hall next to Lumen
Field on Occidental, Seattle's newest hotspot for sports fans, with
massive HD screens and a menu packed with Seattle's best
smash burger, wings, and the best local craft beers in town.
Now with Bill Kruger, here's Softie and Dick.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Alright, we're back at Husky Stadium getting ready for the
Apple Cup on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
We may just stay here, by the way. I mean,
you're going, right, to the game on Sunday? Okay, good. Jackson,
are you coming Sunday for the game, by the way?
Speaker 4 (00:30):
I'm not.
Speaker 5 (00:31):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
I got tickets for you if you want to go.
Tickets are a problem.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
I got Dave Matthews, sorry.
Speaker 6 (00:36):
Oh, you.
Speaker 5 (00:37):
Jesus, man, unbelievable.
Speaker 6 (00:38):
That's not on a Sunday afternoon.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
How many times have you seen Dave Matthews in person?
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Oh, God.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
How many times?
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Huh?
Speaker 3 (00:44):
To the teens.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Nearing 55.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Yeah, well, I think you should reevaluate your options. Every
year at the Gorge.
Speaker 5 (00:50):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
You know what?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Our next guest, I wonder if he's coming. Bill Kruger
joining us, courtesy of our friends at the Occidental Hall.
Great spot before and after Mariner games, Seahawks games as well. Bill,
are you planning on being here with us at the
greatest setting in college football on Sunday at 1 o'clock?
Speaker 5 (01:08):
I am probably not. But I'm not a Dave Matthews either,
so I just have no vocation, no interest.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
I get it.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
What's funny about Dave Matthews, my daughter, who went off
to college, this is a few years ago, and mom
thought it would be a good idea for her to
kind of get a little taste of what the party
scene might be like.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Right.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
And so she went to Dave Matthews, and just about
everything that you could possibly see happened. So without going long-winded, that's.
Speaker 5 (01:42):
What I gathered from Dave Matthews. Not that he's not
a great player, but a great entertainer. But, yeah, anyways.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Well, I have a very pristine image of your daughter.
I want to keep it that way, and your wife
as well.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
So I don't want to know anymore. Don't tell me
anything else.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
But I do start to have, and I'm starting to develop,
if I haven't developed already, a very sour impression of
what's happening with our Mariners, man.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
They go to Toronto.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
And, Billy, it just kind of felt like they just
got shoved around, you know, for three days by a
mediocre Toronto Blue Jay baseball team. And, frankly, I think
all of us, I think I speak for all of us,
we're getting sick and tired of watching it, man, like this.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
What the hell is going on with our team, man?
Speaker 4 (02:24):
Well, they just haven't been able to keep good play going.
You know, if we think back just a few days
prior to that, they were coming off winning two series
against the two, you know, juggernauts in the national league
and two out of three with the Cubs and two
out of three with the Phillies and, uh, four and
two on this, uh, really difficult stretch. And, you know,
(02:44):
they were sitting in pretty, pretty good spot and went
into Toronto and really just got outplayed. As you mentioned, um,
that's been sort of their, their tail this year. They
really have been able, uh, you know, keep good play going. Uh,
and they didn't play well. They didn't swing the bat.
They scored four runs in three games. They're starting pitching.
Didn't carry them. Um, They didn't play real sharp baseball
(03:06):
either where mistakes were made that were costly. So there's
just nothing really redeeming you can take from it other
than the fact that we can step back from it
a little bit. I think 6-6 was what I said
they needed to be in this 12-game stretch and then
have to play 10-11 over 500 the rest of the way.
Speaker 5 (03:32):
And I think that would get them in.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
But if you're not playing well, then it's hard to
anticipate you going on a run like that, even though
you're going to be playing some pretty meager competition.
Speaker 6 (03:43):
Bill, the mental mistakes just continue to come. And the
latest being Bizzardo at the plate, just with guys sliding
right behind him and he has got no idea. But
it just doesn't seem like there's a demand by Dan
Wilson that mental mistakes get taken care of because if
there was, I don't think we'd see as many of them.
Is it, is it just that simple to put one
plus one equals two or is it something else?
Speaker 5 (04:06):
Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
They're, they're scattered throughout the season, you know, base running mistakes.
There's been a variety of mistakes as teams played. It's
not been real crisp baseball. Bizzardo, I just think that
it was a lapse on his part. You know, you
got to, Baseball is a game where you can prescript everything.
So when you're on the mound, you've got to know
(04:30):
who's on base and the possibilities.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
As soon as you saw the ball.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
Where Cal couldn't find it, it had to be in
the back of your mind that I need to take
a peek and see if this guy's coming because your
mental clock in your head is ticking, right? So I
have to say that that's an easy one for me.
but obviously he, he didn't, it didn't even cross his mind.
And I'm not so sure if that's because, you know, he,
(05:01):
you know, maybe because I was a position player most
of my life before I came to picture.
Speaker 5 (05:05):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Um, but you know, I can't make an excuse for it.
Speaker 5 (05:08):
He should have peaked. It doesn't happen.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
It's a pretty rare occurrence. A guy will take a
chance like that. And he did take a chance. I mean, if, uh,
if he reads the plays out, if he reads the
plays out, so they took a big risk there.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
So, uh, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
I mean, the mistakes, they haven't been a great defensive team.
They haven't stolen outs defensively. Ronan can't make the play
in game one, costs Hancock three. Crawford can't make the
play yesterday. That's sort of opened the gate. And then
(05:44):
we just don't have starting pitching that can carry. That's
been the story for the past couple of months. This
team's always been been an up-and-down offensive team, but our
pitching just hasn't been nearly as good as starting pitching
hasn't been nearly as.
Speaker 5 (05:56):
Good as it needs to be to be successful. I mean,
that's really the story.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
We can talk about little mental mistakes, and we can
talk about the up-and-down hitting part of the game, but
our starting pitching is our ticket. And what disturbs me
a little bit is our lack of will to let
starters pitch. Because if it's your strength, if it's your
trump card, don't you have to... Get these guys to
give you more. And if they're not giving you more,
(06:22):
don't you have to step back and say, but why?
Why aren't they giving us more? Because we don't allow them.
That's part of it. But the 90-pitch line, sometimes you
have to be able to be a little bit more
lenient with that line, I think.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
Now, there are extenuating circumstances.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
I don't know how much Hancock was hurting, but I
didn't get that impression when I was watching.
Speaker 5 (06:43):
But maybe he was. Gilbert comes out, three runs.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
I guess.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
He's your number one starter. Don't you?
Speaker 3 (06:51):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
And he gobbles up pitches. The same with Anderson. What
were they doing with Anderson for the past two months?
He was just babysitting at Eddie Pitches. You know, just
tooling guys. Don't you want to get him ready to
pitch in the big leagues? But we're just playing the
game for next year and the year after. We're counting
pitches like every one is a step toward the grave.
Speaker 5 (07:15):
I don't know. I'm taking you off the topic here,
but Yes. Have they played sharp? No. Should they play better? Yes.
Is that the manager's fault? I don't know. I don't
think so. You're pros. You got to come out and
play the game.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
Today's game is, is not about old school, putting heat, feeling,
feeling the human element, having that stress laid on you.
If you don't perform, that's just not the style of,
of managing that's going on today. From my estimation, I
don't see every manager. So I don't know.
Speaker 5 (07:46):
And managers are, Less in charge, right?
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Well, let me, you know, Bill, let me jump in
there for a second. I'm glad that you brought that up.
Bill Kruger with us. I'm going to give you a
list of people. You tell me, Bill, what they all
have in common. And I think I have my list
right now. Sparky Anderson, Lou Piniella, Tom Kelly, Tommy Lasorda,
Tony La Russa. What do all those guys have in common?
Speaker 5 (08:07):
They were all my managers.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
You played for every single one. You played for every
single one. So when Bazzardo pulled that nonsense on Saturday,
when Julio throws a ball into the stands with one out,
when he's soft tossing with a fan as the game's
getting going, when Josh Naylor's running the bases like a bonehead,
what do you think the reaction of those guys would
have been? How come none of these guys has been
(08:30):
pulled from a game or benched for this crap that
we've been watching all year long?
Speaker 5 (08:34):
Why? I don't have your, I don't have the answer
you're looking for. I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Sometimes, you know, this, the sheer fact that, that, that we've,
we've prepared ourselves to play better and there's a higher
calling about how we're going to play. And that starts
in spring training. I mean, Tom Kelly was the best. He,
he prepared us.
Speaker 5 (08:58):
We, we, we, we practiced. It was almost like groundhog day.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
I mean, I could go into these long stories about
a world championship team that I joined in 1992, where,
We had a drill where the infield had what's called
perfect infield, and there was a number of plays that
had to be made. And if they didn't get every
single one of them right, these were bunt plays, these
were all the fielding plays, they were relays.
Speaker 5 (09:23):
They were everything. And if they didn't get it right,
they did it again. This is a world championship team.
Tom Kelly parked us in the minor league complex and.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Told us every day that we weren't very good.
Speaker 5 (09:32):
If we don't start playing better, we're not going to
get over to the big leagues. complex and good. The
best players.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
That just won a world championship, Kirby pocket and the
gang hanging their jeans on a, on a, on a
rusty nail. So, yeah, I mean, it's a different world
and you know, Lou, I don't need to explain him
to you and Tony Russo. I, I, I don't think.
Speaker 5 (09:50):
It would last. It wouldn't, it would have been nipped
in the bud immediately. Tom Kelly, I'll give you one story.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Tom Kelly, Chuck Knobloch was a first or second year
player for a second baseman.
Speaker 5 (10:01):
Really good player before he got the phobia. He could run.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
He was an excellent defender and he could really hit.
Line drive hitter. He's leading the American League in hitting.
We're in the second week of May. And he hits
a ball to second base. He kind of got off stride.
He kind of put the ball in play and he
was pissed. And he didn't run the ball out. He
kind of jogged to first base. And it was like
he was the first or second inning. And there were
(10:27):
no odds that it was the first out.
Speaker 5 (10:29):
And Tom goes, hey, Chuck, come on down here. Sit
with me. So he goes down and sits with him.
He doesn't say a word to him. And the inning ends.
And Chuck goes to grab his glove. And Tom goes, no,
you're going to sit here with me today. Leading the
American League in hitting. So it's a different time and place, right? Yeah.
So I don't know.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
And veteran players probably wouldn't get the same treatment as
a young player when you're trying to make an impression
on somebody. But when the veteran players have the manager's back,
that's when you can do things like that. You have
to have a team where veteran players have the back
of the manager and then you're able they're able to
be a part of making sure that guys play the
(11:09):
game right.
Speaker 5 (11:11):
So.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
I don't know what's happening behind the scenes with Dan.
I know that he was brought up right. I know
that Lou Piniella breathed down his neck every single day
his rookie season and told him everything he was doing
wrong on every pitch.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
So, yeah, he's been there, okay? He knows what it
takes to win.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
And I think he probably is messaging players individually. We're
just not seeing anything because Dan refuses to be negative
on any player in the press.
Speaker 5 (11:37):
Right.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (11:38):
Agreed. Well, Bob Nightingale of the USA Today came out
with a report a couple weeks ago that says if
Dan Wilson's gone, if they don't make the playoffs, and
they are further away from the playoffs now than they
were when that report was put out there, do you
believe that, and do you think that's the right move
if that happens?
Speaker 5 (11:56):
Huh. Well, I think you're guessing into the wind here
a little bit.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
You know, he took the team to the level, to
the closest that we've ever been, He came in and
kind of salvaged them to begin with and then had
a greater last year. And then they were hampered by injury, right,
this year.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
I think that's fair to say. So that's a call
the management has to make.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
And it's a call that Dan probably would have to
make if it's something that he's eager to continue to manage.
I mean, I don't point the finger at Dan. I
point the finger at injury and the guys in the
middle line are not performing. And the philosophy around pitching.
Speaker 6 (12:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
That's what I point out. This team needs more than
what they have. I think Cal Raleigh ran into 60
balls last year and had an incredible year and wore
down and got an injury and really slumped this year.
And he'll come back next year and he'll be better.
But he's not going to be a 280 hitter with
50 homers every year. Josh Naylor is not a home
(12:59):
run hitter. And Julio Rodriguez, that's a head scratcher for me.
I'm not so sure who the player that he is.
We need another bonafide bat that can really play. And
we're going to have to sort out our starting pitching.
And I think starting pitching has got to pitch further.
And we can't have these ridiculous six-man rotations piggyback stuff
that really hurt the team.
Speaker 5 (13:18):
Okay? So, yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
I mean, I see a lot of those things being
more central than whether or not Dan's tipping the spread
over and screaming at people in the press.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Well, here comes the Messiah we've all been waiting for, fellas.
Laz Montes coming up from Tacoma, right? I mean, the
guy has been destroying pitching in the minor leagues. 38
home runs combined this year between AA and AAA. He's
got a 928 OPS, I would assume. If he's coming up,
(13:51):
he's going to play every day. Otherwise, why bring him up?
May as well leave him in the minors. But how
would you handle Laz Montes coming up and– What do
you think we'll see from this young man?
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Well, they have a spot, and they're looking at DH
against right-handed pitching, and we're just not there. Taylor Ward
is hitting a buck-twelve. So he's not going to DH
against right-handed pitching. Canzone's going to play right, and Montez
is going to get a chance because he gives us
a better chance against right-handed pitching. So they're going to
give him a look, and that's a peek into the future.
(14:27):
I think Arroyo is probably the more polished hitter. But
he's not here because he's learning left field, and you're
not going to take Randy out of left field. So
Montez is a logical choice. It's hard to say whether
he's ready. He's got a high strikeout rate. But, boy,
when he touches it, it goes. And he's got a
high slugging percentage, and he's putting up those kinds of
home run numbers in a big park in Arkansas. So
(14:48):
I think it's intriguing to see what he can do.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
And maybe he gives them a little bit of a lift.
They need a lift. This is a team that's not scoring.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
So I'm excited to see him, and he's going to
get some chances.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
That's for sure. I think he's going to DH against
right-handed pitching.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
So they see this as a way to help the
team and get a little peek at what this guy
might be all about.
Speaker 6 (15:17):
Taylor Ward there, and he's just in a long list
of right-handed hitters that the Mariners acquire that just go
to die. They have 700, 800, 850 OPSs wherever they're at.
Rob Refsnyder, whatever. They come here and they just die.
Why is that? I mean, T-Mobile's a hard place to hit,
but they're dying on the road, too.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
Well, I think when you're shopping, you know, if you're
going to play the Monopoly board, you know, backwards from
from the get out of jail free spot, you're, you're
going to, you're going to have to get a little
bit lucky, right? You know, you didn't get, you're not
getting a bonafide right-hand bat. You're getting the bat that
matches the price you're.
Speaker 5 (15:57):
Willing to pay.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (15:59):
Okay. So, you know, Randy Rosarino represents a bonafide right-handed bat. Okay.
And that's, that's what it's supposed to look like. Right.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
Um, and otherwise what you've seen beyond that are, are,
are guys that just are, less expensive and there's a little.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
Bit of hope there.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Now they've done a good job of finding relief pitching. That's, that's, that's,
that's undervalued. They've done a really good job of finding
those guys over time. But I think sometimes, you know,
you're going to have to pay retail to get a
real bad, to get a real bright hand bat that
plays every day. You know, they had a whole third
base that they, they, they're going to have, I think
that's where they have to solve. And whether that there's
(16:41):
a guy out there like that, but you know, They
need to find a guy that plays all the time
that hits right-handed that can give them, you know, that
presence in the lineup on a regular basis. So I
just think it's, you know, you're meeting the market and
that's where you're willing to spend and that's what you get.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Third base has been a massive problem since 2024. Remember
Josh Rojas, anybody? Jorge Polanco at third base. So, yeah,
that's got to be fixed for sure. All right, Billy,
great stuff. And if you change your mind on the
Apple Cup or Dave Matthews on Sunday, let us know.
Speaker 5 (17:15):
All right?
Speaker 3 (17:15):
We'll take care of you.
Speaker 5 (17:16):
Yes, I will. I will, guys. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Thanks, Bill.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
All right, Bill Kruger with us. Let's talk some Seahawks.
The roster has been set. Any surprises at all? We'll
talk about it next on 93.3 KJRFM.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Now back to Softie and Dick, brought to you by
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Speaker 2 (17:50):
All right, boys and girls, we are back at UW
Husky Stadium getting ready for the Apple Cup on Sunday.
They got the Boeing Apple Cup logo out there, getting
ready for the game on Sunday, 9 o'clock pregame. 105
kickoff for those that, for some reason, want to tune
in exactly when the ball is kicked off. 105 kickoff
on Sunday here at Husky Stadium.
Speaker 6 (18:11):
Why wouldn't they want to hear Elyse and you and
Cam on.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
The pregame show?
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Oh, I know why they wouldn't want to hear me.
Why they wouldn't want to hear Elyse and Cam, I
have no idea. But I know exactly why people wouldn't
want to hear me, because they don't want to be
annoyed as hell, by the way. So I totally get that.
But we're nine days away, boys and girls, right, from
the Husky football season, excuse me, the Seahawks season getting going.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
A week from Wednesday. The Apple Cup is on Sunday.
Here we go.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
And the roster came out yesterday. I mean, no real surprises.
I think when that story about Trevon Diggs, Getting cut.
First came out, people were like, whoa, what's going on?
And it took them like five seconds to say, don't
worry about it. He's going to practice squad. He'll be
on the roster at some point. I mean, I don't
have any real surprises, right? I mean, with the Bobo injury,
the Montori Foster thing was bound to happen, obviously, with
(18:56):
him getting banged up. The offensive line, to me, just
being able to look at a group of guys that
we saw last year all coming back, I think it's
the first time the Seahawks have brought back their starting
offensive line. From one year to the next since 2004
into 2005. So we're talking 22 years.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Ago, right? 21 years ago since it's happened, man. I'm sorry,
31 years ago. No, 21 years ago. I'm not good
at math.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
21 years ago since it happened, so that's awesome. I mean,
I just don't have any surprises to report about the roster.
I've got concerns to report about the roster. I think
the Seahawks, Dick, have shown you what they think of
their current crop of secondary players because they keep going
out trying to get more people, right?
Speaker 3 (19:42):
No question about it.
Speaker 6 (19:43):
When you're trading a six-round draft pick in the 11th
hour before the season starts, I've got concerns. Now, let
me put an asterisk by that phrase that I just uttered.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
I've got concerns.
Speaker 6 (19:55):
I think this team is, at worst, the second-best team
in the NFL. So we'll temper the I've got concerns thing.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Good question. What is the floor for these guys?
Speaker 6 (20:06):
I think the floor is 11-6.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
10-7?
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
Okay.
Speaker 6 (20:11):
I mean, 10 and 7. Now, anything can happen with
massive injuries.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Right.
Speaker 6 (20:14):
But barring massive injuries, I think the floor is 11
and 6. I think that's right. And I think the
apex is probably what you did last year, 14 and 3.
Speaker 5 (20:22):
Right.
Speaker 6 (20:22):
And usually, you take the floor, you take the apex,
and somewhere right in the middle is probably where you're
going to end. So 12 and 5, 13 and 4,
probably the two most likely records for this team. But
I think it's going to be a work in progress
because the cornerback position, the safety depth... The running back
depth until Zach Charbonnet gets back. The wide receivers who
(20:46):
Hugh has said many times, there's no two on this
football team. There's a one and a ton of threes
and fours. Though every team has got concerns and most
teams have bigger concerns than the Seahawks do, because as
I mentioned, it was mostly depth.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
Right.
Speaker 6 (21:04):
I said second and third string guys.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Right.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
When most teams in the NFL have a massive hole
in their starting spot on offense, at least one in
a massive hole in their defense starting spot. So, you know,
and I haven't named right guard yet because even that
was our number one. struggle going into last season and
it's not like Bradford played awesome but I think he
played well enough to not consider it our number one
(21:27):
weakness anymore.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Yeah I just don't think they have a massive glaring
problem with their starting lineup but if guys get banged
up I mean look and this is kind of a
weak ass thing to say because you can probably say
this for most teams in the NFL well if they
get hurt they're in trouble well most teams can say
that exactly Like, it's just, especially now with guys making
more money, right? You don't have money for depth the
(21:49):
way that you did even last year. You don't have
the money for depth the way you had a year ago.
But I think the secondary, what concerns me about the
secondary is exactly what I just said, that I don't
think John Schneider and McDonald necessarily like what they've got.
At least they didn't like what they had a month
ago because they brought in three new players.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Arnold Diggs and this new guy they traded for.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
So I think they woke up after Kobe Bryant and
Rick Wolin took off and thought that they were okay.
And then camp started and they said, ugh. This isn't
what we thought it was going to be at all.
Let's go out and get some new guys. So now
you've got some new guys that have to integrate themselves
in the system.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
They've got to prove they belong here. So I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
I mean, that third corner, I mean, it's Job Witherspoon
and what, Pritchett? I mean, is that what you're talking
about right now, heading into the Patriot game on Wednesday?
So I guess what I'm trying to say, guys, is
for a GM and John Schneider who has had no problems,
going out and making the football team better in October
(22:50):
with Leonard Williams, Ernest Jones, and Rasheed Shaheed three years
in a row, it would not surprise me if by
this year's deadline, he's making a move for a cornerback.
Speaker 6 (22:58):
I think you're exactly right, and I think he's probably
going to have to, unless Trayvon Diggs is the guy.
Maybe he ends up being the guy. Maybe.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Maybe Arnold's the guy. Absolutely. Maybe he didn't do what
they're accusing him of doing. That's true. I do feel.
Speaker 6 (23:12):
Pretty confident in saying that if you gave John Schneider
a do-over, he would have signed either Wolin or Bryant.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
I don't know if he would have signed Tariq Wolin
for that kind of money.
Speaker 6 (23:24):
Well, didn't Bryant sign for more than Tariq did?
Speaker 2 (23:27):
Yeah, but Kobe got a multi-year deal, though, right? Reek
Willen got a one-year $ 14 million contract from Philadelphia. I
think the market showed you what the NFL thinks of
Reek Willen. I mean, corners are hard to come by, man.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
You know that, right?
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
And for him to just be– I mean, he's from
a Super Bowl champion. He's a starting corner. He's still
raw in some ways, obviously, but for him to only
get the one-year deal, I think kind of shows you
what the rest of the NFL thought of him. I mean,
good for him. He's getting great money. You know, he probably,
when he was in college, never thought he'd make that
kind of money playing corner, for God's sakes. Was he
a fifth-round drop pick? Yeah, or even football. So, good
(24:01):
for him. I'm happy for the guy, but he's not
splitting with me.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
What do I give a damn, right?
Speaker 2 (24:05):
I just, I don't know. I think you're right that
they just... They'd like to have maybe some do-overs. Maybe
there were other players out there that they were looking
at that they passed on that maybe now they'd love
to have. And the running back spot, I mean, look,
you're talking about, for now... Kenny Walker, Zach Charbonnet are
not available. Kenny Walker's in Kansas City. Zach Charbonnet's on
the pup list for four games. You've got three guys
(24:26):
on the roster, Jadarian Price, Emmanuel Wilson, George Helani, who
the three of them at the NFL level last year
combined for under 600 yards and four touchdowns. That's what
you have right now. Now, to be fair, part of
that's Jadarian Price playing in college, obviously. Who knows what
the guy's all about? But we've got to assume there's
a chance that Jadarian Price ends up being a great player.
(24:47):
We also got to assume there's a chance he's a
total bust in the NFL. He hasn't shown anything right now.
So what do I have that I feel really super
duper confident in at running back because I've seen it before?
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Nothing. Nothing.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
There's nothing I feel confident in about running back. Doesn't
mean they're not going to be great. Price may be
Walter Payton for all we know, but there's nothing that
makes me go to bed at night thinking I feel
really good about that spot because I've seen it before.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Zero.
Speaker 6 (25:15):
I just think the schedule makers did Mike McDonald a
total solid. There's not one team that I think is
going to the playoffs until October the 4th. And two
teams that aren't even close to the playoffs. That's Arizona
and Washington. I don't think New England's a playoff team either.
So you've got New England at home, at Arizona, at Washington.
Those are three games where you can play B- football
(25:40):
and win all three of those games. But then five
games in a row against teams that I think will
make the playoffs. Five in a row. Chargers, 49ers, Broncos, Chiefs, Bears.
October is a B. I mean, huge.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
You can say bitch.
Speaker 5 (25:59):
It's OK.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
It's huge.
Speaker 6 (26:00):
I mean, like two and two, you'd probably sign up
for in October. It's that hard. And that stretch, you'd
probably sign up for three and two. That stretch of
games that I gave.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
Well, where are the teams?
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Because you're talking about, you know, offseason moves and how
they looked a year ago and all that. Where are
the teams that are going to totally surprise us on
this schedule? Because there's going to be a couple. There
always are. Like, you can't just look at the schedule
and say, we know what this will look like based
on last year and with the moves they made over
the offseason. There's always going to be a team or
two that we play on our schedule that we think
(26:33):
is going to be a cakewalk that will not be
a cakewalk.
Speaker 6 (26:35):
I see two. I see two potentials. And that's Washington.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Yep, I agree.
Speaker 6 (26:39):
If Jaden Daniels gets back to 2024, Jaden Daniels.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
Totally agree.
Speaker 6 (26:42):
And the New York Giants.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Right.
Speaker 6 (26:43):
But you get the New York Giants at home.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Washington's there, though.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
Yes, Washington's there, though. I think those are the two.
Carolina is not going to be good. Arizona is not
going to be good. Vegas is not going to be good.
So there's three right there that I don't even see
a scenario where those teams are close to 500. The
other two, Washington and the Giants, it wouldn't shock me
if both of those teams are pushing in the NFC
(27:07):
East in the last two weeks.
Speaker 5 (27:09):
Of the season.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Yeah, I just think that, look, there's always four or
five teams that surprise people, which means by default there's
always four or five teams that take a step back.
Speaker 5 (27:17):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
And Super Bowl champions lately, unless your name is Patrick Mahomes,
you know, they sometimes have a hard time hanging on.
And I think the Hawks are set up as good
as any of them, Dick, to make a run. They
got a lot of guys back from last year. We
compared it to all the previous champions, right? And they
look like they're just as in good shape as anybody
to make a run, but now they're going to have
a bullseye on them everywhere they go. How fast will
(27:40):
people figure out Mike McDonald's defense before he has to
start making some moves? They were relatively knock-on-wood healthy a
year ago. One positive I will say is I think
Rashid Shaheed is going to be way better at wide receiver.
If you look at his numbers in New Orleans before
he got traded, he was on pace for like 900
yards receiving with the Saints with nobody at quarterback.
Speaker 5 (27:59):
Nobody.
Speaker 6 (27:59):
I just can't get Hugh's voice out of my head
saying he doesn't think Rasheed's a very good wide receiver.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Jackson and I both think that you should start thinking
for yourself. Get your voice in your head. Live with
your own voice.
Speaker 6 (28:11):
But I'm also willing to admit Hugh knows a thousand
times more about football than I do and a thousand
times more about evaluating wide receivers than I do.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
I don't know if Hugh's take was necessarily he's terrible.
Speaker 5 (28:24):
Not as terrible.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
As much as it is we just need more. And
I think they will get more.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
I mean, his numbers were terrible last year with the
Seahawks as a pass catcher.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
They were awful. He didn't do anything, right?
Speaker 2 (28:35):
His contributions were all on special teams for the most part,
but I don't know. I just look at a guy
that was playing. Who was the quarterback he had in
New Orleans last year?
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Shuck. The guy from Texas Tech in Oregon. Was it
Tyler Shuck?
Speaker 5 (28:46):
Shuck.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
I mean, come on, right? And then he comes here,
and he's got Darnold, but he's got JSN.
Speaker 6 (28:50):
Shuck's pretty good, though.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Well, not.
Speaker 6 (28:52):
He's not Darnold, but he's not terrible.
Speaker 3 (28:55):
He's a bottom-half quarterback. You'd have to agree with me.
Tyler Shuck took over, I think, middle of the season.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Tyler Shuck and Shahid never didn't play together that much.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Are you sure? I thought he was the starter from
the beginning.
Speaker 6 (29:07):
Not from the beginning.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
I don't think so. Well, I'm just saying this. You
know what?
Speaker 2 (29:12):
If it wasn't from the beginning, then whoever he had
at the start was even worse. Was it the kid
from South Carolina or Oklahoma?
Speaker 3 (29:18):
What's his name?
Speaker 4 (29:20):
Who?
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Spencer Rattler? I think it was for a couple of weeks.
Is that who it was? Yeah, it was Rattler. So
my point is he had nothing. He had nothing. And
he was on pace for like 900 yards receiving before
he got traded.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
And then he came here and he fell apart. So
I think we'll see more out of him this year.
I really hope we do because $ 14 million.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
Whenever they're paying him, they've got to get more out
of him. Absolutely. They've got to get more out of him.
All right, we're going to break. Textimonials, humility. You know what?
Speaker 2 (29:44):
We'll ask you for his take on Rashid Shahid.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Why speculate? Why not just ask him at 5 on
93.3 KJRFM?
It's time for our weekly conversation with Bill Kruger, brought
to you by the brand-new Occidental Hall next to Lumen
Field on Occidental, Seattle's newest hotspot for sports fans, with
massive HD screens and a menu packed with Seattle's best
smash burger, wings, and the best local craft beers in town.
Now with Bill Kruger, here's Softie and Dick.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Alright, we're back at Husky Stadium getting ready for the
Apple Cup on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
We may just stay here, by the way. I mean,
you're going, right, to the game on Sunday? Okay, good. Jackson,
are you coming Sunday for the game, by the way?
Speaker 4 (00:30):
I'm not.
Speaker 5 (00:31):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
I got tickets for you if you want to go.
Tickets are a problem.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
I got Dave Matthews, sorry.
Speaker 6 (00:36):
Oh, you.
Speaker 5 (00:37):
Jesus, man, unbelievable.
Speaker 6 (00:38):
That's not on a Sunday afternoon.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
How many times have you seen Dave Matthews in person?
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Oh, God.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
How many times?
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Huh?
Speaker 3 (00:44):
To the teens.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Nearing 55.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Yeah, well, I think you should reevaluate your options. Every
year at the Gorge.
Speaker 5 (00:50):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
You know what?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Our next guest, I wonder if he's coming. Bill Kruger
joining us, courtesy of our friends at the Occidental Hall.
Great spot before and after Mariner games, Seahawks games as well. Bill,
are you planning on being here with us at the
greatest setting in college football on Sunday at 1 o'clock?
Speaker 5 (01:08):
I am probably not. But I'm not a Dave Matthews either,
so I just have no vocation, no interest.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
I get it.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
What's funny about Dave Matthews, my daughter, who went off
to college, this is a few years ago, and mom
thought it would be a good idea for her to
kind of get a little taste of what the party
scene might be like.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Right.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
And so she went to Dave Matthews, and just about
everything that you could possibly see happened. So without going long-winded, that's.
Speaker 5 (01:42):
What I gathered from Dave Matthews. Not that he's not
a great player, but a great entertainer. But, yeah, anyways.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Well, I have a very pristine image of your daughter.
I want to keep it that way, and your wife
as well.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
So I don't want to know anymore. Don't tell me
anything else.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
But I do start to have, and I'm starting to develop,
if I haven't developed already, a very sour impression of
what's happening with our Mariners, man.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
They go to Toronto.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
And, Billy, it just kind of felt like they just
got shoved around, you know, for three days by a
mediocre Toronto Blue Jay baseball team. And, frankly, I think
all of us, I think I speak for all of us,
we're getting sick and tired of watching it, man, like this.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
What the hell is going on with our team, man?
Speaker 4 (02:24):
Well, they just haven't been able to keep good play going.
You know, if we think back just a few days
prior to that, they were coming off winning two series
against the two, you know, juggernauts in the national league
and two out of three with the Cubs and two
out of three with the Phillies and, uh, four and
two on this, uh, really difficult stretch. And, you know,
(02:44):
they were sitting in pretty, pretty good spot and went
into Toronto and really just got outplayed. As you mentioned, um,
that's been sort of their, their tail this year. They
really have been able, uh, you know, keep good play going. Uh,
and they didn't play well. They didn't swing the bat.
They scored four runs in three games. They're starting pitching.
Didn't carry them. Um, They didn't play real sharp baseball
(03:06):
either where mistakes were made that were costly. So there's
just nothing really redeeming you can take from it other
than the fact that we can step back from it
a little bit. I think 6-6 was what I said
they needed to be in this 12-game stretch and then
have to play 10-11 over 500 the rest of the way.
Speaker 5 (03:32):
And I think that would get them in.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
But if you're not playing well, then it's hard to
anticipate you going on a run like that, even though
you're going to be playing some pretty meager competition.
Speaker 6 (03:43):
Bill, the mental mistakes just continue to come. And the
latest being Bizzardo at the plate, just with guys sliding
right behind him and he has got no idea. But
it just doesn't seem like there's a demand by Dan
Wilson that mental mistakes get taken care of because if
there was, I don't think we'd see as many of them.
Is it, is it just that simple to put one
plus one equals two or is it something else?
Speaker 5 (04:06):
Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
They're, they're scattered throughout the season, you know, base running mistakes.
There's been a variety of mistakes as teams played. It's
not been real crisp baseball. Bizzardo, I just think that
it was a lapse on his part. You know, you
got to, Baseball is a game where you can prescript everything.
So when you're on the mound, you've got to know
(04:30):
who's on base and the possibilities.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
As soon as you saw the ball.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
Where Cal couldn't find it, it had to be in
the back of your mind that I need to take
a peek and see if this guy's coming because your
mental clock in your head is ticking, right? So I
have to say that that's an easy one for me.
but obviously he, he didn't, it didn't even cross his mind.
And I'm not so sure if that's because, you know, he,
(05:01):
you know, maybe because I was a position player most
of my life before I came to picture.
Speaker 5 (05:05):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Um, but you know, I can't make an excuse for it.
Speaker 5 (05:08):
He should have peaked. It doesn't happen.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
It's a pretty rare occurrence. A guy will take a
chance like that. And he did take a chance. I mean, if, uh,
if he reads the plays out, if he reads the
plays out, so they took a big risk there.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
So, uh, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
I mean, the mistakes, they haven't been a great defensive team.
They haven't stolen outs defensively. Ronan can't make the play
in game one, costs Hancock three. Crawford can't make the
play yesterday. That's sort of opened the gate. And then
(05:44):
we just don't have starting pitching that can carry. That's
been the story for the past couple of months. This
team's always been been an up-and-down offensive team, but our
pitching just hasn't been nearly as good as starting pitching
hasn't been nearly as.
Speaker 5 (05:56):
Good as it needs to be to be successful. I mean,
that's really the story.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
We can talk about little mental mistakes, and we can
talk about the up-and-down hitting part of the game, but
our starting pitching is our ticket. And what disturbs me
a little bit is our lack of will to let
starters pitch. Because if it's your strength, if it's your
trump card, don't you have to... Get these guys to
give you more. And if they're not giving you more,
(06:22):
don't you have to step back and say, but why?
Why aren't they giving us more? Because we don't allow them.
That's part of it. But the 90-pitch line, sometimes you
have to be able to be a little bit more
lenient with that line, I think.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
Now, there are extenuating circumstances.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
I don't know how much Hancock was hurting, but I
didn't get that impression when I was watching.
Speaker 5 (06:43):
But maybe he was. Gilbert comes out, three runs.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
I guess.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
He's your number one starter. Don't you?
Speaker 3 (06:51):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
And he gobbles up pitches. The same with Anderson. What
were they doing with Anderson for the past two months?
He was just babysitting at Eddie Pitches. You know, just
tooling guys. Don't you want to get him ready to
pitch in the big leagues? But we're just playing the
game for next year and the year after. We're counting
pitches like every one is a step toward the grave.
Speaker 5 (07:15):
I don't know. I'm taking you off the topic here,
but Yes. Have they played sharp? No. Should they play better? Yes.
Is that the manager's fault? I don't know. I don't
think so. You're pros. You got to come out and
play the game.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
Today's game is, is not about old school, putting heat, feeling,
feeling the human element, having that stress laid on you.
If you don't perform, that's just not the style of,
of managing that's going on today. From my estimation, I
don't see every manager. So I don't know.
Speaker 5 (07:46):
And managers are, Less in charge, right?
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Well, let me, you know, Bill, let me jump in
there for a second. I'm glad that you brought that up.
Bill Kruger with us. I'm going to give you a
list of people. You tell me, Bill, what they all
have in common. And I think I have my list
right now. Sparky Anderson, Lou Piniella, Tom Kelly, Tommy Lasorda,
Tony La Russa. What do all those guys have in common?
Speaker 5 (08:07):
They were all my managers.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
You played for every single one. You played for every
single one. So when Bazzardo pulled that nonsense on Saturday,
when Julio throws a ball into the stands with one out,
when he's soft tossing with a fan as the game's
getting going, when Josh Naylor's running the bases like a bonehead,
what do you think the reaction of those guys would
have been? How come none of these guys has been
(08:30):
pulled from a game or benched for this crap that
we've been watching all year long?
Speaker 5 (08:34):
Why? I don't have your, I don't have the answer
you're looking for. I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Sometimes, you know, this, the sheer fact that, that, that we've,
we've prepared ourselves to play better and there's a higher
calling about how we're going to play. And that starts
in spring training. I mean, Tom Kelly was the best. He,
he prepared us.
Speaker 5 (08:58):
We, we, we, we practiced. It was almost like groundhog day.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
I mean, I could go into these long stories about
a world championship team that I joined in 1992, where,
We had a drill where the infield had what's called
perfect infield, and there was a number of plays that
had to be made. And if they didn't get every
single one of them right, these were bunt plays, these
were all the fielding plays, they were relays.
Speaker 5 (09:23):
They were everything. And if they didn't get it right,
they did it again. This is a world championship team.
Tom Kelly parked us in the minor league complex and.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Told us every day that we weren't very good.
Speaker 5 (09:32):
If we don't start playing better, we're not going to
get over to the big leagues. complex and good. The
best players.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
That just won a world championship, Kirby pocket and the
gang hanging their jeans on a, on a, on a
rusty nail. So, yeah, I mean, it's a different world
and you know, Lou, I don't need to explain him
to you and Tony Russo. I, I, I don't think.
Speaker 5 (09:50):
It would last. It wouldn't, it would have been nipped
in the bud immediately. Tom Kelly, I'll give you one story.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Tom Kelly, Chuck Knobloch was a first or second year
player for a second baseman.
Speaker 5 (10:01):
Really good player before he got the phobia. He could run.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
He was an excellent defender and he could really hit.
Line drive hitter. He's leading the American League in hitting.
We're in the second week of May. And he hits
a ball to second base. He kind of got off stride.
He kind of put the ball in play and he
was pissed. And he didn't run the ball out. He
kind of jogged to first base. And it was like
he was the first or second inning. And there were
(10:27):
no odds that it was the first out.
Speaker 5 (10:29):
And Tom goes, hey, Chuck, come on down here. Sit
with me. So he goes down and sits with him.
He doesn't say a word to him. And the inning ends.
And Chuck goes to grab his glove. And Tom goes, no,
you're going to sit here with me today. Leading the
American League in hitting. So it's a different time and place, right? Yeah.
So I don't know.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
And veteran players probably wouldn't get the same treatment as
a young player when you're trying to make an impression
on somebody. But when the veteran players have the manager's back,
that's when you can do things like that. You have
to have a team where veteran players have the back
of the manager and then you're able they're able to
be a part of making sure that guys play the
(11:09):
game right.
Speaker 5 (11:11):
So.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
I don't know what's happening behind the scenes with Dan.
I know that he was brought up right. I know
that Lou Piniella breathed down his neck every single day
his rookie season and told him everything he was doing
wrong on every pitch.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
So, yeah, he's been there, okay? He knows what it
takes to win.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
And I think he probably is messaging players individually. We're
just not seeing anything because Dan refuses to be negative
on any player in the press.
Speaker 5 (11:37):
Right.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (11:38):
Agreed. Well, Bob Nightingale of the USA Today came out
with a report a couple weeks ago that says if
Dan Wilson's gone, if they don't make the playoffs, and
they are further away from the playoffs now than they
were when that report was put out there, do you
believe that, and do you think that's the right move
if that happens?
Speaker 5 (11:56):
Huh. Well, I think you're guessing into the wind here
a little bit.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
You know, he took the team to the level, to
the closest that we've ever been, He came in and
kind of salvaged them to begin with and then had
a greater last year. And then they were hampered by injury, right,
this year.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
I think that's fair to say. So that's a call
the management has to make.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
And it's a call that Dan probably would have to
make if it's something that he's eager to continue to manage.
I mean, I don't point the finger at Dan. I
point the finger at injury and the guys in the
middle line are not performing. And the philosophy around pitching.
Speaker 6 (12:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
That's what I point out. This team needs more than
what they have. I think Cal Raleigh ran into 60
balls last year and had an incredible year and wore
down and got an injury and really slumped this year.
And he'll come back next year and he'll be better.
But he's not going to be a 280 hitter with
50 homers every year. Josh Naylor is not a home
(12:59):
run hitter. And Julio Rodriguez, that's a head scratcher for me.
I'm not so sure who the player that he is.
We need another bonafide bat that can really play. And
we're going to have to sort out our starting pitching.
And I think starting pitching has got to pitch further.
And we can't have these ridiculous six-man rotations piggyback stuff
that really hurt the team.
Speaker 5 (13:18):
Okay? So, yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
I mean, I see a lot of those things being
more central than whether or not Dan's tipping the spread
over and screaming at people in the press.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Well, here comes the Messiah we've all been waiting for, fellas.
Laz Montes coming up from Tacoma, right? I mean, the
guy has been destroying pitching in the minor leagues. 38
home runs combined this year between AA and AAA. He's
got a 928 OPS, I would assume. If he's coming up,
(13:51):
he's going to play every day. Otherwise, why bring him up?
May as well leave him in the minors. But how
would you handle Laz Montes coming up and– What do
you think we'll see from this young man?
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Well, they have a spot, and they're looking at DH
against right-handed pitching, and we're just not there. Taylor Ward
is hitting a buck-twelve. So he's not going to DH
against right-handed pitching. Canzone's going to play right, and Montez
is going to get a chance because he gives us
a better chance against right-handed pitching. So they're going to
give him a look, and that's a peek into the future.
(14:27):
I think Arroyo is probably the more polished hitter. But
he's not here because he's learning left field, and you're
not going to take Randy out of left field. So
Montez is a logical choice. It's hard to say whether
he's ready. He's got a high strikeout rate. But, boy,
when he touches it, it goes. And he's got a
high slugging percentage, and he's putting up those kinds of
home run numbers in a big park in Arkansas. So
(14:48):
I think it's intriguing to see what he can do.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
And maybe he gives them a little bit of a lift.
They need a lift. This is a team that's not scoring.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
So I'm excited to see him, and he's going to
get some chances.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
That's for sure. I think he's going to DH against
right-handed pitching.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
So they see this as a way to help the
team and get a little peek at what this guy
might be all about.
Speaker 6 (15:17):
Taylor Ward there, and he's just in a long list
of right-handed hitters that the Mariners acquire that just go
to die. They have 700, 800, 850 OPSs wherever they're at.
Rob Refsnyder, whatever. They come here and they just die.
Why is that? I mean, T-Mobile's a hard place to hit,
but they're dying on the road, too.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
Well, I think when you're shopping, you know, if you're
going to play the Monopoly board, you know, backwards from
from the get out of jail free spot, you're, you're
going to, you're going to have to get a little
bit lucky, right? You know, you didn't get, you're not
getting a bonafide right-hand bat. You're getting the bat that
matches the price you're.
Speaker 5 (15:57):
Willing to pay.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (15:59):
Okay. So, you know, Randy Rosarino represents a bonafide right-handed bat. Okay.
And that's, that's what it's supposed to look like. Right.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
Um, and otherwise what you've seen beyond that are, are,
are guys that just are, less expensive and there's a little.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
Bit of hope there.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Now they've done a good job of finding relief pitching. That's, that's, that's,
that's undervalued. They've done a really good job of finding
those guys over time. But I think sometimes, you know,
you're going to have to pay retail to get a
real bad, to get a real bright hand bat that
plays every day. You know, they had a whole third
base that they, they, they're going to have, I think
that's where they have to solve. And whether that there's
(16:41):
a guy out there like that, but you know, They
need to find a guy that plays all the time
that hits right-handed that can give them, you know, that
presence in the lineup on a regular basis. So I
just think it's, you know, you're meeting the market and
that's where you're willing to spend and that's what you get.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Third base has been a massive problem since 2024. Remember
Josh Rojas, anybody? Jorge Polanco at third base. So, yeah,
that's got to be fixed for sure. All right, Billy,
great stuff. And if you change your mind on the
Apple Cup or Dave Matthews on Sunday, let us know.
Speaker 5 (17:15):
All right?
Speaker 3 (17:15):
We'll take care of you.
Speaker 5 (17:16):
Yes, I will. I will, guys. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Thanks, Bill.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
All right, Bill Kruger with us. Let's talk some Seahawks.
The roster has been set. Any surprises at all? We'll
talk about it next on 93.3 KJRFM.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Now back to Softie and Dick, brought to you by
Emerald Queen Casino, bringing you the best in live music, entertainment, dining,
and gaming. Whether it's your favorite games, food, concerts, MMA,
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Speaker 2 (17:50):
All right, boys and girls, we are back at UW
Husky Stadium getting ready for the Apple Cup on Sunday.
They got the Boeing Apple Cup logo out there, getting
ready for the game on Sunday, 9 o'clock pregame. 105
kickoff for those that, for some reason, want to tune
in exactly when the ball is kicked off. 105 kickoff
on Sunday here at Husky Stadium.
Speaker 6 (18:11):
Why wouldn't they want to hear Elyse and you and
Cam on.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
The pregame show?
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Oh, I know why they wouldn't want to hear me.
Why they wouldn't want to hear Elyse and Cam, I
have no idea. But I know exactly why people wouldn't
want to hear me, because they don't want to be
annoyed as hell, by the way. So I totally get that.
But we're nine days away, boys and girls, right, from
the Husky football season, excuse me, the Seahawks season getting going.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
A week from Wednesday. The Apple Cup is on Sunday.
Here we go.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
And the roster came out yesterday. I mean, no real surprises.
I think when that story about Trevon Diggs, Getting cut.
First came out, people were like, whoa, what's going on?
And it took them like five seconds to say, don't
worry about it. He's going to practice squad. He'll be
on the roster at some point. I mean, I don't
have any real surprises, right? I mean, with the Bobo injury,
the Montori Foster thing was bound to happen, obviously, with
(18:56):
him getting banged up. The offensive line, to me, just
being able to look at a group of guys that
we saw last year all coming back, I think it's
the first time the Seahawks have brought back their starting
offensive line. From one year to the next since 2004
into 2005. So we're talking 22 years.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Ago, right? 21 years ago since it's happened, man. I'm sorry,
31 years ago. No, 21 years ago. I'm not good
at math.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
21 years ago since it happened, so that's awesome. I mean,
I just don't have any surprises to report about the roster.
I've got concerns to report about the roster. I think
the Seahawks, Dick, have shown you what they think of
their current crop of secondary players because they keep going
out trying to get more people, right?
Speaker 3 (19:42):
No question about it.
Speaker 6 (19:43):
When you're trading a six-round draft pick in the 11th
hour before the season starts, I've got concerns. Now, let
me put an asterisk by that phrase that I just uttered.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
I've got concerns.
Speaker 6 (19:55):
I think this team is, at worst, the second-best team
in the NFL. So we'll temper the I've got concerns thing.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Good question. What is the floor for these guys?
Speaker 6 (20:06):
I think the floor is 11-6.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
10-7?
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
Okay.
Speaker 6 (20:11):
I mean, 10 and 7. Now, anything can happen with
massive injuries.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Right.
Speaker 6 (20:14):
But barring massive injuries, I think the floor is 11
and 6. I think that's right. And I think the
apex is probably what you did last year, 14 and 3.
Speaker 5 (20:22):
Right.
Speaker 6 (20:22):
And usually, you take the floor, you take the apex,
and somewhere right in the middle is probably where you're
going to end. So 12 and 5, 13 and 4,
probably the two most likely records for this team. But
I think it's going to be a work in progress
because the cornerback position, the safety depth... The running back
depth until Zach Charbonnet gets back. The wide receivers who
(20:46):
Hugh has said many times, there's no two on this
football team. There's a one and a ton of threes
and fours. Though every team has got concerns and most
teams have bigger concerns than the Seahawks do, because as
I mentioned, it was mostly depth.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
Right.
Speaker 6 (21:04):
I said second and third string guys.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Right.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
When most teams in the NFL have a massive hole
in their starting spot on offense, at least one in
a massive hole in their defense starting spot. So, you know,
and I haven't named right guard yet because even that
was our number one. struggle going into last season and
it's not like Bradford played awesome but I think he
played well enough to not consider it our number one
(21:27):
weakness anymore.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Yeah I just don't think they have a massive glaring
problem with their starting lineup but if guys get banged
up I mean look and this is kind of a
weak ass thing to say because you can probably say
this for most teams in the NFL well if they
get hurt they're in trouble well most teams can say
that exactly Like, it's just, especially now with guys making
more money, right? You don't have money for depth the
(21:49):
way that you did even last year. You don't have
the money for depth the way you had a year ago.
But I think the secondary, what concerns me about the
secondary is exactly what I just said, that I don't
think John Schneider and McDonald necessarily like what they've got.
At least they didn't like what they had a month
ago because they brought in three new players.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Arnold Diggs and this new guy they traded for.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
So I think they woke up after Kobe Bryant and
Rick Wolin took off and thought that they were okay.
And then camp started and they said, ugh. This isn't
what we thought it was going to be at all.
Let's go out and get some new guys. So now
you've got some new guys that have to integrate themselves
in the system.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
They've got to prove they belong here. So I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
I mean, that third corner, I mean, it's Job Witherspoon
and what, Pritchett? I mean, is that what you're talking
about right now, heading into the Patriot game on Wednesday?
So I guess what I'm trying to say, guys, is
for a GM and John Schneider who has had no problems,
going out and making the football team better in October
(22:50):
with Leonard Williams, Ernest Jones, and Rasheed Shaheed three years
in a row, it would not surprise me if by
this year's deadline, he's making a move for a cornerback.
Speaker 6 (22:58):
I think you're exactly right, and I think he's probably
going to have to, unless Trayvon Diggs is the guy.
Maybe he ends up being the guy. Maybe.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Maybe Arnold's the guy. Absolutely. Maybe he didn't do what
they're accusing him of doing. That's true. I do feel.
Speaker 6 (23:12):
Pretty confident in saying that if you gave John Schneider
a do-over, he would have signed either Wolin or Bryant.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
I don't know if he would have signed Tariq Wolin
for that kind of money.
Speaker 6 (23:24):
Well, didn't Bryant sign for more than Tariq did?
Speaker 2 (23:27):
Yeah, but Kobe got a multi-year deal, though, right? Reek
Willen got a one-year $ 14 million contract from Philadelphia. I
think the market showed you what the NFL thinks of
Reek Willen. I mean, corners are hard to come by, man.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
You know that, right?
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
And for him to just be– I mean, he's from
a Super Bowl champion. He's a starting corner. He's still
raw in some ways, obviously, but for him to only
get the one-year deal, I think kind of shows you
what the rest of the NFL thought of him. I mean,
good for him. He's getting great money. You know, he probably,
when he was in college, never thought he'd make that
kind of money playing corner, for God's sakes. Was he
a fifth-round drop pick? Yeah, or even football. So, good
(24:01):
for him. I'm happy for the guy, but he's not
splitting with me.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
What do I give a damn, right?
Speaker 2 (24:05):
I just, I don't know. I think you're right that
they just... They'd like to have maybe some do-overs. Maybe
there were other players out there that they were looking
at that they passed on that maybe now they'd love
to have. And the running back spot, I mean, look,
you're talking about, for now... Kenny Walker, Zach Charbonnet are
not available. Kenny Walker's in Kansas City. Zach Charbonnet's on
the pup list for four games. You've got three guys
(24:26):
on the roster, Jadarian Price, Emmanuel Wilson, George Helani, who
the three of them at the NFL level last year
combined for under 600 yards and four touchdowns. That's what
you have right now. Now, to be fair, part of
that's Jadarian Price playing in college, obviously. Who knows what
the guy's all about? But we've got to assume there's
a chance that Jadarian Price ends up being a great player.
(24:47):
We also got to assume there's a chance he's a
total bust in the NFL. He hasn't shown anything right now.
So what do I have that I feel really super
duper confident in at running back because I've seen it before?
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Nothing. Nothing.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
There's nothing I feel confident in about running back. Doesn't
mean they're not going to be great. Price may be
Walter Payton for all we know, but there's nothing that
makes me go to bed at night thinking I feel
really good about that spot because I've seen it before.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Zero.
Speaker 6 (25:15):
I just think the schedule makers did Mike McDonald a
total solid. There's not one team that I think is
going to the playoffs until October the 4th. And two
teams that aren't even close to the playoffs. That's Arizona
and Washington. I don't think New England's a playoff team either.
So you've got New England at home, at Arizona, at Washington.
Those are three games where you can play B- football
(25:40):
and win all three of those games. But then five
games in a row against teams that I think will
make the playoffs. Five in a row. Chargers, 49ers, Broncos, Chiefs, Bears.
October is a B. I mean, huge.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
You can say bitch.
Speaker 5 (25:59):
It's OK.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
It's huge.
Speaker 6 (26:00):
I mean, like two and two, you'd probably sign up
for in October. It's that hard. And that stretch, you'd
probably sign up for three and two. That stretch of
games that I gave.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
Well, where are the teams?
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Because you're talking about, you know, offseason moves and how
they looked a year ago and all that. Where are
the teams that are going to totally surprise us on
this schedule? Because there's going to be a couple. There
always are. Like, you can't just look at the schedule
and say, we know what this will look like based
on last year and with the moves they made over
the offseason. There's always going to be a team or
two that we play on our schedule that we think
(26:33):
is going to be a cakewalk that will not be
a cakewalk.
Speaker 6 (26:35):
I see two. I see two potentials. And that's Washington.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Yep, I agree.
Speaker 6 (26:39):
If Jaden Daniels gets back to 2024, Jaden Daniels.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
Totally agree.
Speaker 6 (26:42):
And the New York Giants.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Right.
Speaker 6 (26:43):
But you get the New York Giants at home.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Washington's there, though.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
Yes, Washington's there, though. I think those are the two.
Carolina is not going to be good. Arizona is not
going to be good. Vegas is not going to be good.
So there's three right there that I don't even see
a scenario where those teams are close to 500. The
other two, Washington and the Giants, it wouldn't shock me
if both of those teams are pushing in the NFC
(27:07):
East in the last two weeks.
Speaker 5 (27:09):
Of the season.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Yeah, I just think that, look, there's always four or
five teams that surprise people, which means by default there's
always four or five teams that take a step back.
Speaker 5 (27:17):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
And Super Bowl champions lately, unless your name is Patrick Mahomes,
you know, they sometimes have a hard time hanging on.
And I think the Hawks are set up as good
as any of them, Dick, to make a run. They
got a lot of guys back from last year. We
compared it to all the previous champions, right? And they
look like they're just as in good shape as anybody
to make a run, but now they're going to have
a bullseye on them everywhere they go. How fast will
(27:40):
people figure out Mike McDonald's defense before he has to
start making some moves? They were relatively knock-on-wood healthy a
year ago. One positive I will say is I think
Rashid Shaheed is going to be way better at wide receiver.
If you look at his numbers in New Orleans before
he got traded, he was on pace for like 900
yards receiving with the Saints with nobody at quarterback.
Speaker 5 (27:59):
Nobody.
Speaker 6 (27:59):
I just can't get Hugh's voice out of my head
saying he doesn't think Rasheed's a very good wide receiver.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Jackson and I both think that you should start thinking
for yourself. Get your voice in your head. Live with
your own voice.
Speaker 6 (28:11):
But I'm also willing to admit Hugh knows a thousand
times more about football than I do and a thousand
times more about evaluating wide receivers than I do.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
I don't know if Hugh's take was necessarily he's terrible.
Speaker 5 (28:24):
Not as terrible.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
As much as it is we just need more. And
I think they will get more.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
I mean, his numbers were terrible last year with the
Seahawks as a pass catcher.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
They were awful. He didn't do anything, right?
Speaker 2 (28:35):
His contributions were all on special teams for the most part,
but I don't know. I just look at a guy
that was playing. Who was the quarterback he had in
New Orleans last year?
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Shuck. The guy from Texas Tech in Oregon. Was it
Tyler Shuck?
Speaker 5 (28:46):
Shuck.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
I mean, come on, right? And then he comes here,
and he's got Darnold, but he's got JSN.
Speaker 6 (28:50):
Shuck's pretty good, though.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Well, not.
Speaker 6 (28:52):
He's not Darnold, but he's not terrible.
Speaker 3 (28:55):
He's a bottom-half quarterback. You'd have to agree with me.
Tyler Shuck took over, I think, middle of the season.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Tyler Shuck and Shahid never didn't play together that much.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Are you sure? I thought he was the starter from
the beginning.
Speaker 6 (29:07):
Not from the beginning.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
I don't think so. Well, I'm just saying this. You
know what?
Speaker 2 (29:12):
If it wasn't from the beginning, then whoever he had
at the start was even worse. Was it the kid
from South Carolina or Oklahoma?
Speaker 3 (29:18):
What's his name?
Speaker 4 (29:20):
Who?
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Spencer Rattler? I think it was for a couple of weeks.
Is that who it was? Yeah, it was Rattler. So
my point is he had nothing. He had nothing. And
he was on pace for like 900 yards receiving before
he got traded.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
And then he came here and he fell apart. So
I think we'll see more out of him this year.
I really hope we do because $ 14 million.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
Whenever they're paying him, they've got to get more out
of him. Absolutely. They've got to get more out of him.
All right, we're going to break. Textimonials, humility. You know what?
Speaker 2 (29:44):
We'll ask you for his take on Rashid Shahid.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Why speculate? Why not just ask him at 5 on
93.3 KJRFM?
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