May 7, 2025 • 36 mins
In the third hour, Dave Softy Mahler and Hugh Millen chat with Larry Stone about the Mariners comeback win today, on-fire offense, and deadline funds, then discuss Blue Jays fans and their yearly trip to invade T-Mobile Park plus a Jalen Milroe film analysis.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's time for our weekly conversation with legendary sports writer
Larry Stone, brought to you by the Ram Restaurant and Brewery, Bigger, better,
and fresher since nineteen seventy one, with eight fugit Sound
locations from Marysville to Lacey and everywhere in between. There's
a Ram near you now with Softy and Dick. Here's
Larry Stone, all right, Saftie.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
And Dick with Jackson hanging out with you until seven
o'clock tonight. Humelan is in for Dick Vane today on
the radio show. Joining us right now courtesy of the Ram.
Former Seattle Times calumnist, former national baseball columnists for the newspaper.
One damn fine American and all around good guy. Our
friend Larry Stone, how are you, pal?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
I'm doing good. Is Dick on sabbatical like Divish? Is
he in Montana helping him coach his leaching team?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Well, I mean it kind of feels like it, man,
But I do find it ironical if you will that
ever since Ryan Divish stepped away, this baseball team.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Is on fire.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
So maybe getting rid of him there's been the problem
all along, Larry, how.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
Do you think?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Well? The first three games after he left, they got
swept by the Giants and then they took up. But yeah, yeah,
a lot of people have made that made that point well,
that they've taken off after he left.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
This is a baseball team that had that great comeback
win against the Astros on April the ninth. They're five
and eight after that game, Hugh and I are on
the air together, we're doing the postgame from Jimmy's and
ever since then there are seventeen and six baseball team.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
So I don't know if.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
You're a believer in the catalyst theory, the catapult idea,
if you will, do you believe that that comeback in
that game ignited something in this baseball team that otherwise
would not have been found if they lost that game
to Houston.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Well, I wouldn't go that far, but I think it's
definitely the turning point of the season. I don't know
if they would have found it anyway, that's hard to say,
but I think it awakened something inside of them. If
they had lost that game, it would have been even
more dire than it was. You know, fans were leaping
off the whatever small bandwagon they had at that point,
(02:17):
and the mood around the team was really dark, and
that changed the whole the whole vibe, I think, and
they just built on that. So, you know, I think
thirteen games into the season, you can't say that they
never would have found it, but I think they found
it a lot, a lot sooner than they would have
(02:37):
because of that, the way they came back, and that's
been sort of the blueprint for a lot of these
wins that have followed.
Speaker 5 (02:44):
Well, today they win another rubber game, they win another
series nine in a row. What's top of mind for
you with what you saw in this series against the Athletics.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Yeah, I mean that was as good a series as
I can remember, just really taught uh, suspenseful games, well
played two pretty evenly matched teams. I think that A's
team is on the rise. They got a lot of
talent there. They know how to do rebuilds, They've done
it before, and I think they're in the early stages
of another one. You know, every time they they get good,
(03:19):
they have to sell guys off. They have a couple
of down years and then suddenly they're a playoff team
for four or five more years until the you guys
get too expensive and that's where they are right now.
But these last two wins where as good as wins
is you're gonna you're gonna get in the course of
a season. I mean, coming from behind late both times
(03:40):
down five oh. I think there's that five oh again.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
They I think a lot of people would, including me,
thought Okay, they're gonna finally lose a series, but they
just kept counting away. I think the relentlessness of the
team is what stands out to me from from this series,
and just what an improved offensive team they are. We've
(04:04):
talked about that a lot, but they're just showing it
over and over again. They're not striking out. I was
looking at they rank thirteenth in baseball and strikeouts going
into the game today compared to being on a record
pace last year. That's sensational the way they've turned that around. Question.
(04:25):
They're just putting the ball in play, they're getting on base,
they're getting clutch hitting. A week ago, they were twenty
seventh in baseball and runners in scoring position. Now they're thirteenth.
You know, they're only hitting two thirty one with runners
in scoring position, but over the last week they've really
improved in that. So the offense has just been remarkable.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Yeah, so I guess the question is the offense. Can
this sustain itself the entire year? And even if it
doesn't sustain itself the entire year? Are we now ready
to say? And I may have asked you this question
a week ago. If I did, I apologize. I only
have so many good questions in the tank, by the way, Larry,
so when I find a good one, I want to
(05:07):
use it again. Are we Are we now convinced that
the days of this offense being a complete disaster, holding
down everything, pulling down the rotation, dark day over the franchise,
that for now, for at least this season, that those
days are over.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Well, it's probably a little a little early for that.
I saw I saw your tweet about que pointing out
that this is five games into an NBA NFL season.
I think four games or five games? Okay, Yeah, so
probably too early to make definitive statesments like that. But
(05:46):
I'm convinced that it's a vastly improved offensive team and
I think they have a chance to keep it going.
Speaker 6 (05:53):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I mean, I looked at the lineup on Monday with
you know, Ryan Ryland, Thomas and I mean it was this.
I didn't think they stood a chance in that game,
and they took it to the to the eleventh inning. Uh.
And yeah, the bottom of the order, guys like Leo
Reevas and Master Bony, they've just been remarkable Williamson, and
(06:15):
I wonder how how they're gonna sustain it.
Speaker 6 (06:18):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Leodi Tavarus, I think it's a real nice pick up.
He has a chance to be the Victor Roebliss of
this year. Maybe you'll get Robless back, but without Robless,
without Rayley, with a rose Arena out more out. You know,
to still keep hitting is I think a really good sign.
But there's gonna be there's gonna come a time when
they're gonna have a dip and they're gonna have trouble
scoring runs. And that's why they need the pitching they need.
(06:43):
They need the pitching to approach what they had last year.
And I think if they can do that, they can
sustain the inevitable downturn that's that's gonna happen. And there's
positive signs with Kirby, and you know, I'm still skeptical
about Gilbert being backed by the end of the month.
Like Jerry said, but if they can get those two back,
I think the outlook is pretty good.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
Larry Stone, with this, Larry, I'm gonna ask you about
a hunch that you have about Jerry Depoto, and I
know you can't prove it, can't falsify it. I just
want your gut take it and involves this in the
off season. Let's let's just assume that Jerry Depoto has
a marvelous open communication with his wife when he got home.
(07:27):
When he got home, was he saying, Wow, honey, I
I can't believe that I'm hamstrung like this with my
offense because of ownership, and it pisses me off our offense.
I don't know what we're gonna do? Or was he
coming in, going honey, I really think these guys, I
really think that we've got it. I got we've got
(07:48):
the makings of a good offense. Uh, you know, pay
rollby dam or what what have you?
Speaker 4 (07:54):
What?
Speaker 5 (07:54):
What's your hunt? How did he feel about this offense
coming in?
Speaker 4 (07:59):
True?
Speaker 3 (08:01):
My hunch, Hugh, is that I think there's that they're
kind of both true. I think he thought that had
found something by the end of the year. I have
no inherent knowledge of his level of frustration or anything.
But I would not be surprised if he was frustrated
that he could add more to the team, because we
(08:23):
all knew what the glaring needs of this team were. Uh.
You know, they filled one even though we didn't know
it with Polanco a big bringing back a big bat.
But you know, I think they had to go to
the bargain basement route at first base. Rowdy's had some
big hits. But uh, I think that if he had
his way and he could could have convinced UH management
(08:47):
to add more to the payroll, I think I think
he would have been happier. But I do think he
was sincere in believing that they had turned a corner
in the in the offense last year when when they
when they got a Rosarina and then hired uh, hired
Edgar and things really turned around in the second half.
This is really a continuation of that, and I think
he got to give Jerry some credit he got when
(09:08):
he said that in the offseason. He got a lot
of abuse people who didn't think that was that was right.
But they really have picked up where they left off
last year and maybe even improved it without adding anyone
more significant than Yeah, you know Polanco and the two
first baseman.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Well, we're way ahead of the game here with any
mention of two thousand and one, Larry, right, but nine
consecutive series wins, first time they've done that since two
thousand and one. And I remember in two thousand and
one when they really did nothing at the deadline. Was
Al Martin was the year before at the deadline? Is
that right in two thousand? If I have my numbers, right,
(09:47):
I think I have.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
That right, and they Yeah, I always get confused about
They got Ricky Henderson in two thousand as well. Right,
I can't remember if Al was two thousand or two
thousand and one, but he was on that two thousand
and one.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Sure, but Gillick earned the Standpat Moniker obviously, and didn't
really do anything to him. Yeah, Martin was here in
two thousand, so they did nothing to improve the one
team and they said, hey, we're kicking ass.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Why you know, upset the Apple cards.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
So it's funny that you bring up the payroll or
the restrictions Hue potentially from ownership. Because I responded to
a tweet yesterday from Daniel Kramer, and I was being
a little bit of a smart ass, which I know
surprises nobody, but Daniel Kramer wrote, the Mariners will absorb
roughly three and a half million of Tavares's contract for
twenty five, which could impact their trade deadline budget, but
(10:35):
remaining in first place could also boost the money they
have to spend in two months. So my initial reaction
is God, just the fact that we even have to
acknowledge that grabbing Tavares could impact how much money they
can spend at the end of July just infuriates me.
That they're still operating like a Mickey mouse ball club
(10:56):
when it comes to their payroll and their salary commitments.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
So I mean, what are we looking at here?
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Are we looking at a baseball team that if they
keep winning, we'll do nothing and say, hey, we're fine.
Or do they need to go out and add to
this baseball team in case somebody gets banged up or
in case somebody gools off.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
What do you think?
Speaker 3 (11:13):
I mean, I think they need to add and I
think they know that. Yeah, you'd like an attitude of
you know, we're so close, We've got all the tools here,
let's maximize our potential to Finally, you'd think that ownership
would would have this burning desire to get the designation.
(11:34):
Is the only team not to be in a World
Series off their their plate, you know, And I think
that was what was so frustrating to a lot of people,
including me, I think in the off season, is that
they didn't seem to have that with a team that
we all saw had the pieces with the pitching and
you know, the certain elements of the of the of
the offense and a and a great closer. But if
(11:55):
they're if they get to the trade deadline and they have,
you know, pitching need, maybe we never thought they'd have
to add pitching. But if there's the got two injuries
right now, and you've got a third guy who's very
mysteriously not performing, Bryce Miller, so uh, maybe you need
to go get a pitcher. And you certainly I think
(12:17):
there'll be a need for a bat So I would
hope that the addition of Tavares doesn't hamstering them from
getting what they need, because that could be the difference
in putting them over the top.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
I want to get your take on Logan Evans because
I feel like there should be a little bit more
conversation about him, because I'm just operating from a default
that if Jerry Depoto found a six foot four, two
hundred and fifteen pounds right handed pitcher, there's a pretty
good chance he's going to be pretty damn good. He's
twenty four years old, his ERI sitting at seven point two.
(12:53):
But you know, we know how that plays out early
in a guy's career. Do you see something there? I mean,
because you know Emerson Hancock, I mean, these these this
kind of second wave of young pitchers.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Uh, if he's part of that, that that would obviously
really bode well.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
But what what do you think maybe and maybe throw
Hancock in the discussion, but what about these young arms?
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Yeah, well, I mean Hancock, Uh, you take out that
first start where he got shelled and then they sent it,
they sent him down inexplicably to the to me. Uh,
in his four start since he's come back, he's got
a three point five to two e r A. I mean,
that's that's perfectly acceptable. He's you know, he's he's an
asset to this team in the rotation. You know, Evans
(13:41):
is probably the guy to go down, not probably, he
will well almost probably almost assuredly will be the guy
to go down when when Kirby comes back, but I
saw enough Hugh To to think that he could really
help them. Uh you know the you mentioned the e
r A. There was a there was a ball that
went off Williamson's glove that would have been the third out,
(14:02):
and they originally called it an air. I guess they
switched it to uh hit. I didn't hear anything about that,
but all the runs were earned. If that had been
an error, most of those runs would have been unearned
and his era would be a lot lower. Uh So
he really had one bad inning, sort of like handcocked right.
I'd like to see more. But from everything you know
(14:24):
people say about him, he's the next He's the next guy.
And uh this this team's ability to identify pitching wo
wo woo and Evans being the poster guys. You know,
neither of them had great numbers in the minor league
or in the in college, but there they're analytics. People
just saw something with their stuff and their motion and
(14:47):
delivery and all that and identified them as guys we
got to get and they've and then you know they're
they're pitching lab that they like, they like to call it.
They they're really good at refining pitching and and building
and improving guys. So I think Evans could be the
next guy in that group.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Yeah, Larry, you mentioned Hancock's numbers this year if you
take out that first start where he obviously did not
make it through the first inning, and I actually ran
the numbers for his career twenty starts. Now in his career,
not fifty three earned runs in the twenty starts, but
nineteen of the fifty three came in three games, including
this year's opener for him, So in the other seventeen,
(15:28):
he's got a three point five ERA in seventeen starts,
does Emerson Hancock? But I want to close it with
the Polanco discussion because you mentioned Polanco kind of playing
above his skis a little bit. So the third base
thing's done. It's Williamson's job for now, forget it, it's over.
Is Polonko now officially your full time second basement is
your full time DH We saw him in there against
(15:48):
a lefty right yesterday, hitting right handed. Where does hore
Polonko go defensively from here? And he's he now ready
to switch hit full time?
Speaker 3 (16:00):
It sure appears like he's ready to switch at full time.
My suspicion is he'll be a spot starter at second base,
especially when they need to get cal out from behind
the plate, but want to keep his bat in the lineup,
so they use him at DH. You know those games.
I think we'll see Polanco out there right now, I
mean Leo Rivas, the way he's playing, I would I
(16:23):
would prefer to see Rivas play more at second base
and have Polonco d DH just to save his body.
And Revas is an outstanding defensive second basement. With Williamson
and Rebas, I think they've really shored up their defense
to where I think it was a weakness going into
the season in field defense, and now it's a strength,
particularly when you have ReBs out there at second base.
(16:45):
And you know Polanco, he's he's healthy enough to switch hit,
and he's healthy enough to play occasional second base. But
I think we've seen that he's his body is vulnerable
enough that you don't want him out. Don't think you
want him out in the field every day. I think
he's a perfect candidate to DH five days a week.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Right, Larry, I got one more for you that I
just thought of that I got to ask you before
you go and we're late for the break, So I
apologize to Jackson. But I heard Mark James bitching about this.
I've been bitching about it, by the way, for twenty years,
fifteen years, and that is what we're about to see
on Friday with the Blue Jay Nation just completely invade
(17:24):
t Mobile Park. And you remember a couple of years
ago they put some Blue Jay jerseys on sale and
Seawald and JP Crawford both complained about it on social media,
and then Paul Seawald got traded. Do you think that
that bothers ownership when that many opposing fans take over
their ballpark for a three game series, Because I know
what bothers the players.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
I think they like the full houses that they get,
you know, the full the sellouts. I'm very curious to
see whether that will happen this year with the decline
in Canadian uh people crossing the border, you know at
that we had an article in the Seattle Times thing
(18:11):
tourism is way down. We'll see if if there's fewer.
I have a suspicion that there's going to be a
lot fewer Blue Jays fans this year. I guess we'll
find out. But I mean I think they've sort of
embraced it a little bit, just judging by the jersey
sales and all that, although they'll tell you that they
(18:33):
do that for every visiting team, but I know the Yeah,
the players don't like it, the Mariners fans don't like it.
I'm not sure there's anything you can do to stop it.
And it does. It does make for a for a
playoff atmosphere. I've sat out there with my family a
couple of years ago and witnessed like a near fight
right between right next to me between the Mariner fans
(18:55):
and Blue Jay fans. So it's pretty heated out there.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
No doubt.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Man, those Canadians, they're crazy. Don't want to cross them.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
Man.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
All right, Larry, you're the man, great stuff, and we
will talk in a week, buddy, appreciate.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
It, man, all right, thank you guys.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
All right, Larry Stone with us on the air, and
I want to come back and yak about that a
little bit because Larry brought up a great point that
you know, Canadians aren't invading the country the way they
used to tourisms down all the border towns right up
there obviously are all suffering big time because Canadians just
aren't coming across, which is going to hurt the economy
(19:28):
in some ways, but it might be helpful for this
weekend against the Blue Jays, you may not see as
many people in the stands wearing white and blue. So
I want to ask you, Hugh, as a former professional
athlete yourself, with that, piss you off if every year
one team took over your stadium every single year. We'll
get to that next on ninety three three KJRFM prood.
Speaker 6 (19:50):
Casting live from the R and R Foundation Specialist broadcast Studio.
Now back to Softie and Dick powered by Emerald Queen Casino,
the Betty and Captain a little bit Northwest on Sports
Radio nineties three point three KJR FM.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
I just look at some advanced numbers here for the
Blue Jay series starting this weekend. Mariners win today in Oakland.
They are twenty two and fourteen. They're after their best
start since two thousand and three. They've won nine consecutive
series and they haven't done that since two thousand and one.
So a lot of reasons for fans to come out
and support the team. Venue Kings dot Com as your tickets.
Be sure and use kotsafia checkout for a discount. Friday
(20:31):
as of now, they've sold just under thirty thousand.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
Saturday, as of now.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
They've just sold just over thirty two thirty thousand, and
then Sunday for Mother's Day, it's about thirty five. So
last year this series was on July fifth, sixth, and seventh, Hugh,
which was also a Friday, Saturday Sunday by the way,
thirty four and change, thirty eight and change and thirty
(20:57):
four in change.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
So they're a.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Little bit under that for the first couple of games
of this series so far. And I don't know Larry's
point about, Hey, if Canadians aren't crossing the border like
they used to and they're pissed off and angry and
protesting America, maybe not as many Blue and White in
the stands this weekend against the Blue Jays. But it's
always irritated the hell out of me man, And again,
(21:20):
I get it.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
You know, if you don't like it, then buy tickets.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Well that's the Mariner's fault for not inspiring people to
buy tickets. And it got to a point where it
was so bad that there were so many tickets available
for a Blue Jay series that half a Canada came
down to watch the game, So put yourself with the
shoes of a player, Hugh, how much would that bother you?
Speaker 5 (21:38):
Well, I could only speak for me. I think it's
a very very unique situation. And unlike the NFL, there's
no Canadian teams in the NFL, right, So I think
I would hope i'd be aware that there's a certain
dynamic about that in a way is good for the game.
I would also think that hey, if we win anymore,
(22:01):
there'd be more of a demand locally and there, and
the percentages would be would be less. So I certainly
would take note of our own team's accountability for all that.
I mean, when I was with you know, closest, when
I was with the Patriots, the Bills were going to
four straight Super Bowls, and you know there'd be some
Bills fans in the in the stadium, and but that's
(22:24):
I think that's a different deal when you're talking about
an American team. I think that that the Canada piece
of this. If I was on the Mariners, I think
I think I'd understand a bit.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Well.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Last year when the Blue Jays came to town, the
Mariners were forty nine and forty one, and they were
two games up on first place, and there were thirty
five thousand people in there, and I felt like twenty
thousand of them were Toronto Blue Jay fans. So I
don't know, There's always been you know, kind of like
rumors and different reports on how much the Mariners promote
(22:55):
this series up in Canada, go out of their way
to circulate you know, ticket specials and things like that
for people in Canada. And I guarantee you there's some hotels.
I mean, a lot of Canadians like to stay in
the North End, up in the Evert area, by the way,
and there's a lot of hotels that just simply put,
don't have as many rooms sold for this weekend because
Canadians aren't coming down. But I don't know, I mean,
I don't know how long it will take for Merida
(23:17):
fans to jump on the wagon where something like this
isn't a problem anymore, because I don't remember this being
an issue twenty years ago. It feels like this phenomenon, Jackson,
if you will, you can wag in or two on
the Blue Jay fans invading Seattle to this level, right,
Like there's always been Blue Jay fans here.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
Yeah, but it feels like a home game.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
It feels like a Toronto Blue Jay home game when
they played Toronto and Seattle. It feels like this is
like a last ten to twelve year phenomenal.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
It does feel like that.
Speaker 7 (23:46):
And I feel like it's the more that it's common,
more that we've talked about it, the more that it's
been kind of made a thing on social media, probably
the more it's grown. And maybe that is like a
product of social media, where like more Blue Jay fans
up in Vancouver are saying like, oh, this is a thing,
like oh, more people, this is like all right, people
are doing this. Well, I'm gonna just jump on the bandwagon.
I like it's sort of like, you know, as it
(24:06):
becomes more talked about it, as it becomes more popular.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (24:09):
That's just my interpretation of maybe why it's exploded since
the social media age.
Speaker 4 (24:14):
Well and Hugh, because no, sorry, go ahead, go ahead. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
And it could also be that that on social media,
the Canadians are learning that they annoy us exactly, and
it's not just oh it's a good time, oh oh,
and it annoys that.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
Yeah, let's go that's right. You know that's right. Nailed it?
Speaker 5 (24:33):
Well, Dave, I don't know if you have the numbers
right there? Well what would what were rather the tens
figures for the weekend?
Speaker 2 (24:41):
I got it right here, I got before and half
I haven't written down already. So the following weekend they
played the Astros on Friday, Saturday Sunday they drew forty, forty,
thirty eight and thirty five. And the previous weekend they
had the Twins in town they drew forty four, thirty
five and thirty three. So they actually drew more fans
for those Sandwich series if.
Speaker 4 (25:03):
You will, you know, the front in the back end.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Then they did the Toronto series, and I just wonder
how much of that was Mariner fans, like you said,
just want to stay away because it makes them sick.
I mean, I don't know the last time you were
in the ballpark for a Mariner Blue Jay game, but
it's freaking gross. I got no dude, I'll be honest
with you. I have no desire to be there. And
you know what, if you could guarantee me that thirty
(25:25):
five thousand other Mariner fans would commit to going to
the games, I'd go. But they won't, And I'm not
going to be the guinea pig that says yes when
everybody else says no, and sit there and get pissed
off for nine innings because there's a freaking Cannucks sitting
next to me screaming his ass off.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
I don't want to.
Speaker 5 (25:43):
Be there, Yeah, Jackson, that's an interesting element in this
that what Dave's suggesting is that a Seattle fan will say, hey,
I'll just take a pass on blue Jay weekend. There's
you know, I got a umpty other weekends I can
go to. I don't want to experience all the what
whatever it is, the unpleasant experience.
Speaker 4 (26:02):
I don't want to anger. I don't want to see
it because I don't want to see.
Speaker 7 (26:05):
Like you know, and like I know this was before
they don't do it anymore, but remember when they were
like selling Blue Jay gear and they were like making
special ticket deals for Canadian fans, Like I know that
doesn't happen anymore, but like you know, it's one of
those things where I just think subjecting ourselves as Mariner
fans to that crap, Like I know, who wants to
do that?
Speaker 2 (26:24):
You I'm just I'm too old and I'm too cranky
to give a damnit. Yeah right, And I just I
just don't care, you know, I just don't have any
desire to be in that park when there's thirty thousand
Canadians in there rooting for Toronto, right, I mean, look,
the Mariners I think actually may have lost two out
of three in that series a year ago.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
Yeah, they lost two out of three.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
They won the first game two to one and then
lost five four, So there were some decent moments there.
But that's one of the reasons I stay away. I
just don't want to deal with it. But I know
I'm not unique because look, there were ten thousand extra
seats that could have been bought by Mariner fans and
they weren't.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
Well, Jackson, You've got some experience being a soccer fan
and just a little bit, just a little bit and
and but but I mean you're you're used to, Okay,
part of the the experience of a soccer game often
is the infiltration of of opponent fans and often uh,
(27:20):
you know, from another country. That's just kind of part
of the soccer experience. But it's it's a different way
of rooting, right, It's you compare, Yeah, because like with soccer.
Speaker 7 (27:29):
Usually they just kind of like corner off a very
tight corner of the stadium, like you know for Sounder games,
it's in the you know, the way way northeast corner
of the stadium where we tuck all the people from
Portland and Vancouver.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
Like they do in England by the way.
Speaker 7 (27:41):
You just just away and make them and make them
go into one section and you know you. And the
fun thing is when you know they have to stay
after or stay or come in early because you can't
have them around your fans because of fights. Right, that's
a very normal thing. But I think you it adds
to the atmosphere, right, And there's a difference when they're
just a sliver of the crowd versus more than fifty
(28:03):
percent like Blue Jays.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Let me ask you this though. Let's say, for example,
we got to break here in a second. If you
knew every year when Portland came to town, Jesus they
were going to put thirty thousand Timber fans at loom
And Field, and you weren't working for the team, You're
not working the radio broadcast. You're just a schmuck like us. Okay,
would there be a part of you that would say,
(28:24):
you know what, I don't want to even be a
part of that.
Speaker 7 (28:26):
I think there's I think a lot of casual Sounder
fans would say, screw it, I'm not going to subject
myself to potential fights and all that stuff. I mean,
I would go because I'm crazy, But like I think
a lot of casual.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
Fans would sit.
Speaker 7 (28:38):
But I mean, that's the beauty of soccer is like
the organization from teams, they tuck them away and don't
let them meaningful tree you no doubt.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
All right, let's do this here. We're gonna break. Mike
Florio coming up in the six pm hour. I want
to kind of go where we started with the Jalen
Milroe Schador Sanders presentation that you gave today for the
thirty third team, and I want to know if that's
available online for us a watch. By the way, why
should we suffer? Why should only those people get to
be a part of the mill in Magic? Next on
(29:06):
ninety three three kJ RFF what.
Speaker 6 (29:09):
Casting Live from the R and R Foundation Specialist Broadcast Studio.
Now back to Saftie and Dig powered by Emerald Queen Casino,
The Betty and Captain on Sports Radio and ninety three
point three kJ R FM.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
Sorry about that little trigger happy here.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
See what happens is the mouse freezes, by the way,
and the way to get it back moving again.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
Is to hit the button.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
And if the button is sitting on top of a
button bar sound effect, that plays that sound effect.
Speaker 4 (29:36):
That makes sense to you.
Speaker 7 (29:37):
I think it's kind of fitting because you know, I
think for Mike McDonald and for Clint Kubiak, they're probably
saying themselves the exact line, they have.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
A good offensive team.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Do you think Clint Kubiak thinks they have a good
offensive team Humillon in Seattle?
Speaker 4 (29:49):
Or do you think Clint.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Kubiak wakes up and thinks, man, I had a lot
of work to do with this offense. Great question. I
think he thinks that there's a fair amount of work. Yeah,
I mean you lose dk offensive line, sure, yep. Questions
about you know, Sam Darnold of one hit Wonder, I
think he's probably, uh, he's got some concerns. Well, you
(30:11):
you did a presentation today for the thirty third team.
And by the way, Jackson and I were discussing this
during the break behind your back. I'll admit that we
were doing this behind your back. Oh okay, we've heard
a lot about these presentations that you've been doing.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
Yeah, we haven't seen what evidence that those actually take place?
What the hell you?
Speaker 3 (30:30):
So?
Speaker 2 (30:30):
You know, look, I mean, you want to keep talking
about these things you're doing. All these great presentations prove well,
you could be totally making it up. I mean, listen, dude,
I mean everything you'd say on the radio show you
could make up and nobody would ever call you because
nobody has any idea if you're making it up or not.
So honestly, these presentations that you do for the thirty
third team are they Are they available?
Speaker 5 (30:52):
No, they don't publish those. It's just kind of just
because the conversation. You know, like the the first guy
to comment after was Jay Gruden and the second guy
was Bill Pollian. So you know, you're presenting to a
lot a lot of former head coaches and gms and
and uh and so uh you know, they asked me
(31:13):
to present on quarterbacks on a fairly regular basis, and
and with the Sudor Sanders and and and Jalen Milroe
being top of mine, I jumped in and but I gotta,
I gotta, I just gotta tell Seayak fans. It's pretty
incredible when you watch the first half of the Georgia
game on coaches tape, because Jalen Milroe looks like, I mean,
(31:36):
some kind of dude of dudes, hoss of hass. He
is so freaking good in the first half of that
game in terms of his reads, his understanding. I mean,
that was a little bit of a chess match between
Kaylen de Bor's slash, Nick Sheridan, the offensive coordinator who
had been with the Huskies, and then Kirby Smart, who
(31:59):
I think is the best defensive mine in college football.
And it was thirty to seven in the first half
of that game, and Jalen Milrow was operating that offense
Tom Brady and fifty percent Lamar Jackson. It was unbelievable.
(32:19):
And his understanding of where to go big time throws.
I mean, the ceiling on this cat is is something else.
And what happened, well, he you know, and you saw
the Oklahoma game and it's it's it's it's just that
he has, you know, consistency, I mean, and that's really
(32:39):
the issue for every quarterback. I mean, you know, my
very best game, you know, few games or you know,
Joe Montana be happy to have those games, I just
didn't happen. Have them happen often enough, and then you know,
and so it's it's it's not a question of what's
your ceiling, is a question of how much can how
(33:01):
high you can reach. I shouldn't even have inserted myself
in there. I'm I inserted myself saying even the hack
like me can have a few great games where it's
the equivalent of top guys, but it's just okay, well,
how often did that happen?
Speaker 6 (33:17):
You know?
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Well, I just remember I remember the halftime of that
game because I was talking to my buddy Ryan Fowler,
who is the guy that we have on from Tuscaloosa
all the time.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
He's like, man, I can't believe it. This is unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
And then the very next week when they lost to Vanderbilt,
I can't believe it.
Speaker 4 (33:31):
This is unbelievable. I mean it was just amazing.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
I mean they went from the King of the Hill
to just complete turn sandwiches the next weekend at Vanderbilt.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
I mean, maybe one of the real issues.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
And I don't know if this affected mill Row or not,
by the way, Hugh, but their defense from the second
half of the Georgia game on. So, starting with the
third quarter against Georgia, the next six quarters, Alabama's defense
gave up sixty seven points twenty seven to Georgia and
forty Vanderbilt.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
And I wonder if that impacted him at all. He
probably pressed.
Speaker 5 (34:06):
I mean, I'm not in his head, but some of
the anticipatory throws, I think that maybe they sought part
of their wad and in terms of of showing what
he's good at, the type of schemes that he's good
at in that game, but they they were just one
step ahead in that first half. And I suppose it's
(34:31):
just for me. It's an encouragement, like, Okay, if you
give this guy time to develop. There's really a high
ceiling there obviously with his athleticism, but the most important
thing is throw it to the right guy at the
right time with accuracy and that and and nobody has
been able to function at any high level, be it
(34:53):
high college or the NFL without doing that. Nobody, And
so that aspect of his game is actually the area
that needs the most because his reads where you know,
one minute he's thrown with anticipation next minute and it's
not very often. I would not say he was an
(35:13):
anticipatory thrower, so I don't want to make it seem
like that's often. Most of the time he needs to
see it before he cuts it loose, which means you're
kind of eyeballing. There's times where he's throwing interceptions where
all you have to do is watch the end zone copy.
There's a big white stripe going right down the middle
of his helmet, and when you watch the end zone copy,
(35:35):
you see which way that white stripe is pointing, and
that's exactly where his eyes are, and too often he's
just he's just staring it down. And that's kind of
like that's like graduate school for quarterbacks. That's like five
hundred level class. You go to college, you take psych
one oh one. What's psych one on one? It's an
introduction to psych. Well, if you happen to be a
(35:56):
psychology major, I'm not, eventually you'd be taking five hundred
level class or PhD level classes, right, So there's there's
a graduation. Similarly with a quarterback. And I think that
the highest level of quarterbacking that you see is eye manipulation,
manipulating defenders and throwing with consistent and supreme anticipation that
(36:18):
to me is is kind of the highest level where
where you see the very best operate, and then by extension,
the guys that need the most work, they're the opposite
of that throwing late, and then of course they're well,
he's an exciting third rounder though, because of that ceiling
It's time for our weekly conversation with legendary sports writer
Larry Stone, brought to you by the Ram Restaurant and Brewery, Bigger, better,
and fresher since nineteen seventy one, with eight fugit Sound
locations from Marysville to Lacey and everywhere in between. There's
a Ram near you now with Softy and Dick. Here's
Larry Stone, all right, Saftie.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
And Dick with Jackson hanging out with you until seven
o'clock tonight. Humelan is in for Dick Vane today on
the radio show. Joining us right now courtesy of the Ram.
Former Seattle Times calumnist, former national baseball columnists for the newspaper.
One damn fine American and all around good guy. Our
friend Larry Stone, how are you, pal?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
I'm doing good. Is Dick on sabbatical like Divish? Is
he in Montana helping him coach his leaching team?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Well, I mean it kind of feels like it, man,
But I do find it ironical if you will that
ever since Ryan Divish stepped away, this baseball team.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Is on fire.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
So maybe getting rid of him there's been the problem
all along, Larry, how.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
Do you think?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Well? The first three games after he left, they got
swept by the Giants and then they took up. But yeah, yeah,
a lot of people have made that made that point well,
that they've taken off after he left.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
This is a baseball team that had that great comeback
win against the Astros on April the ninth. They're five
and eight after that game, Hugh and I are on
the air together, we're doing the postgame from Jimmy's and
ever since then there are seventeen and six baseball team.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
So I don't know if.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
You're a believer in the catalyst theory, the catapult idea,
if you will, do you believe that that comeback in
that game ignited something in this baseball team that otherwise
would not have been found if they lost that game
to Houston.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Well, I wouldn't go that far, but I think it's
definitely the turning point of the season. I don't know
if they would have found it anyway, that's hard to say,
but I think it awakened something inside of them. If
they had lost that game, it would have been even
more dire than it was. You know, fans were leaping
off the whatever small bandwagon they had at that point,
(02:17):
and the mood around the team was really dark, and
that changed the whole the whole vibe, I think, and
they just built on that. So, you know, I think
thirteen games into the season, you can't say that they
never would have found it, but I think they found
it a lot, a lot sooner than they would have
(02:37):
because of that, the way they came back, and that's
been sort of the blueprint for a lot of these
wins that have followed.
Speaker 5 (02:44):
Well, today they win another rubber game, they win another
series nine in a row. What's top of mind for
you with what you saw in this series against the Athletics.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Yeah, I mean that was as good a series as
I can remember, just really taught uh, suspenseful games, well
played two pretty evenly matched teams. I think that A's
team is on the rise. They got a lot of
talent there. They know how to do rebuilds, They've done
it before, and I think they're in the early stages
of another one. You know, every time they they get good,
(03:19):
they have to sell guys off. They have a couple
of down years and then suddenly they're a playoff team
for four or five more years until the you guys
get too expensive and that's where they are right now.
But these last two wins where as good as wins
is you're gonna you're gonna get in the course of
a season. I mean, coming from behind late both times
(03:40):
down five oh. I think there's that five oh again.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
They I think a lot of people would, including me,
thought Okay, they're gonna finally lose a series, but they
just kept counting away. I think the relentlessness of the
team is what stands out to me from from this series,
and just what an improved offensive team they are. We've
(04:04):
talked about that a lot, but they're just showing it
over and over again. They're not striking out. I was
looking at they rank thirteenth in baseball and strikeouts going
into the game today compared to being on a record
pace last year. That's sensational the way they've turned that around. Question.
(04:25):
They're just putting the ball in play, they're getting on base,
they're getting clutch hitting. A week ago, they were twenty
seventh in baseball and runners in scoring position. Now they're thirteenth.
You know, they're only hitting two thirty one with runners
in scoring position, but over the last week they've really
improved in that. So the offense has just been remarkable.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Yeah, so I guess the question is the offense. Can
this sustain itself the entire year? And even if it
doesn't sustain itself the entire year? Are we now ready
to say? And I may have asked you this question
a week ago. If I did, I apologize. I only
have so many good questions in the tank, by the way, Larry,
so when I find a good one, I want to
(05:07):
use it again. Are we Are we now convinced that
the days of this offense being a complete disaster, holding
down everything, pulling down the rotation, dark day over the franchise,
that for now, for at least this season, that those
days are over.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Well, it's probably a little a little early for that.
I saw I saw your tweet about que pointing out
that this is five games into an NBA NFL season.
I think four games or five games? Okay, Yeah, so
probably too early to make definitive statesments like that. But
(05:46):
I'm convinced that it's a vastly improved offensive team and
I think they have a chance to keep it going.
Speaker 6 (05:53):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I mean, I looked at the lineup on Monday with
you know, Ryan Ryland, Thomas and I mean it was this.
I didn't think they stood a chance in that game,
and they took it to the to the eleventh inning. Uh.
And yeah, the bottom of the order, guys like Leo
Reevas and Master Bony, they've just been remarkable Williamson, and
(06:15):
I wonder how how they're gonna sustain it.
Speaker 6 (06:18):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Leodi Tavarus, I think it's a real nice pick up.
He has a chance to be the Victor Roebliss of
this year. Maybe you'll get Robless back, but without Robless,
without Rayley, with a rose Arena out more out. You know,
to still keep hitting is I think a really good sign.
But there's gonna be there's gonna come a time when
they're gonna have a dip and they're gonna have trouble
scoring runs. And that's why they need the pitching they need.
(06:43):
They need the pitching to approach what they had last year.
And I think if they can do that, they can
sustain the inevitable downturn that's that's gonna happen. And there's
positive signs with Kirby, and you know, I'm still skeptical
about Gilbert being backed by the end of the month.
Like Jerry said, but if they can get those two back,
I think the outlook is pretty good.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
Larry Stone, with this, Larry, I'm gonna ask you about
a hunch that you have about Jerry Depoto, and I
know you can't prove it, can't falsify it. I just
want your gut take it and involves this in the
off season. Let's let's just assume that Jerry Depoto has
a marvelous open communication with his wife when he got home.
(07:27):
When he got home, was he saying, Wow, honey, I
I can't believe that I'm hamstrung like this with my
offense because of ownership, and it pisses me off our offense.
I don't know what we're gonna do? Or was he
coming in, going honey, I really think these guys, I
really think that we've got it. I got we've got
(07:48):
the makings of a good offense. Uh, you know, pay
rollby dam or what what have you?
Speaker 4 (07:54):
What?
Speaker 5 (07:54):
What's your hunt? How did he feel about this offense
coming in?
Speaker 4 (07:59):
True?
Speaker 3 (08:01):
My hunch, Hugh, is that I think there's that they're
kind of both true. I think he thought that had
found something by the end of the year. I have
no inherent knowledge of his level of frustration or anything.
But I would not be surprised if he was frustrated
that he could add more to the team, because we
(08:23):
all knew what the glaring needs of this team were. Uh.
You know, they filled one even though we didn't know
it with Polanco a big bringing back a big bat.
But you know, I think they had to go to
the bargain basement route at first base. Rowdy's had some
big hits. But uh, I think that if he had
his way and he could could have convinced UH management
(08:47):
to add more to the payroll, I think I think
he would have been happier. But I do think he
was sincere in believing that they had turned a corner
in the in the offense last year when when they
when they got a Rosarina and then hired uh, hired
Edgar and things really turned around in the second half.
This is really a continuation of that, and I think
he got to give Jerry some credit he got when
(09:08):
he said that in the offseason. He got a lot
of abuse people who didn't think that was that was right.
But they really have picked up where they left off
last year and maybe even improved it without adding anyone
more significant than Yeah, you know Polanco and the two
first baseman.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Well, we're way ahead of the game here with any
mention of two thousand and one, Larry, right, but nine
consecutive series wins, first time they've done that since two
thousand and one. And I remember in two thousand and
one when they really did nothing at the deadline. Was
Al Martin was the year before at the deadline? Is
that right in two thousand? If I have my numbers, right,
(09:47):
I think I have.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
That right, and they Yeah, I always get confused about
They got Ricky Henderson in two thousand as well. Right,
I can't remember if Al was two thousand or two
thousand and one, but he was on that two thousand
and one.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Sure, but Gillick earned the Standpat Moniker obviously, and didn't
really do anything to him. Yeah, Martin was here in
two thousand, so they did nothing to improve the one
team and they said, hey, we're kicking ass.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Why you know, upset the Apple cards.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
So it's funny that you bring up the payroll or
the restrictions Hue potentially from ownership. Because I responded to
a tweet yesterday from Daniel Kramer, and I was being
a little bit of a smart ass, which I know
surprises nobody, but Daniel Kramer wrote, the Mariners will absorb
roughly three and a half million of Tavares's contract for
twenty five, which could impact their trade deadline budget, but
(10:35):
remaining in first place could also boost the money they
have to spend in two months. So my initial reaction
is God, just the fact that we even have to
acknowledge that grabbing Tavares could impact how much money they
can spend at the end of July just infuriates me.
That they're still operating like a Mickey mouse ball club
(10:56):
when it comes to their payroll and their salary commitments.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
So I mean, what are we looking at here?
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Are we looking at a baseball team that if they
keep winning, we'll do nothing and say, hey, we're fine.
Or do they need to go out and add to
this baseball team in case somebody gets banged up or
in case somebody gools off.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
What do you think?
Speaker 3 (11:13):
I mean, I think they need to add and I
think they know that. Yeah, you'd like an attitude of
you know, we're so close, We've got all the tools here,
let's maximize our potential to Finally, you'd think that ownership
would would have this burning desire to get the designation.
(11:34):
Is the only team not to be in a World
Series off their their plate, you know, And I think
that was what was so frustrating to a lot of people,
including me, I think in the off season, is that
they didn't seem to have that with a team that
we all saw had the pieces with the pitching and
you know, the certain elements of the of the of
the offense and a and a great closer. But if
(11:55):
they're if they get to the trade deadline and they have,
you know, pitching need, maybe we never thought they'd have
to add pitching. But if there's the got two injuries
right now, and you've got a third guy who's very
mysteriously not performing, Bryce Miller, so uh, maybe you need
to go get a pitcher. And you certainly I think
(12:17):
there'll be a need for a bat So I would
hope that the addition of Tavares doesn't hamstering them from
getting what they need, because that could be the difference
in putting them over the top.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
I want to get your take on Logan Evans because
I feel like there should be a little bit more
conversation about him, because I'm just operating from a default
that if Jerry Depoto found a six foot four, two
hundred and fifteen pounds right handed pitcher, there's a pretty
good chance he's going to be pretty damn good. He's
twenty four years old, his ERI sitting at seven point two.
(12:53):
But you know, we know how that plays out early
in a guy's career. Do you see something there? I mean,
because you know Emerson Hancock, I mean, these these this
kind of second wave of young pitchers.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Uh, if he's part of that, that that would obviously
really bode well.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
But what what do you think maybe and maybe throw
Hancock in the discussion, but what about these young arms?
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Yeah, well, I mean Hancock, Uh, you take out that
first start where he got shelled and then they sent it,
they sent him down inexplicably to the to me. Uh,
in his four start since he's come back, he's got
a three point five to two e r A. I mean,
that's that's perfectly acceptable. He's you know, he's he's an
asset to this team in the rotation. You know, Evans
(13:41):
is probably the guy to go down, not probably, he
will well almost probably almost assuredly will be the guy
to go down when when Kirby comes back, but I
saw enough Hugh To to think that he could really
help them. Uh you know the you mentioned the e
r A. There was a there was a ball that
went off Williamson's glove that would have been the third out,
(14:02):
and they originally called it an air. I guess they
switched it to uh hit. I didn't hear anything about that,
but all the runs were earned. If that had been
an error, most of those runs would have been unearned
and his era would be a lot lower. Uh So
he really had one bad inning, sort of like handcocked right.
I'd like to see more. But from everything you know
(14:24):
people say about him, he's the next He's the next guy.
And uh this this team's ability to identify pitching wo
wo woo and Evans being the poster guys. You know,
neither of them had great numbers in the minor league
or in the in college, but there they're analytics. People
just saw something with their stuff and their motion and
(14:47):
delivery and all that and identified them as guys we
got to get and they've and then you know they're
they're pitching lab that they like, they like to call it.
They they're really good at refining pitching and and building
and improving guys. So I think Evans could be the
next guy in that group.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Yeah, Larry, you mentioned Hancock's numbers this year if you
take out that first start where he obviously did not
make it through the first inning, and I actually ran
the numbers for his career twenty starts. Now in his career,
not fifty three earned runs in the twenty starts, but
nineteen of the fifty three came in three games, including
this year's opener for him, So in the other seventeen,
(15:28):
he's got a three point five ERA in seventeen starts,
does Emerson Hancock? But I want to close it with
the Polanco discussion because you mentioned Polanco kind of playing
above his skis a little bit. So the third base
thing's done. It's Williamson's job for now, forget it, it's over.
Is Polonko now officially your full time second basement is
your full time DH We saw him in there against
(15:48):
a lefty right yesterday, hitting right handed. Where does hore
Polonko go defensively from here? And he's he now ready
to switch hit full time?
Speaker 3 (16:00):
It sure appears like he's ready to switch at full time.
My suspicion is he'll be a spot starter at second base,
especially when they need to get cal out from behind
the plate, but want to keep his bat in the lineup,
so they use him at DH. You know those games.
I think we'll see Polanco out there right now, I
mean Leo Rivas, the way he's playing, I would I
(16:23):
would prefer to see Rivas play more at second base
and have Polonco d DH just to save his body.
And Revas is an outstanding defensive second basement. With Williamson
and Rebas, I think they've really shored up their defense
to where I think it was a weakness going into
the season in field defense, and now it's a strength,
particularly when you have ReBs out there at second base.
(16:45):
And you know Polanco, he's he's healthy enough to switch hit,
and he's healthy enough to play occasional second base. But
I think we've seen that he's his body is vulnerable
enough that you don't want him out. Don't think you
want him out in the field every day. I think
he's a perfect candidate to DH five days a week.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Right, Larry, I got one more for you that I
just thought of that I got to ask you before
you go and we're late for the break, So I
apologize to Jackson. But I heard Mark James bitching about this.
I've been bitching about it, by the way, for twenty years,
fifteen years, and that is what we're about to see
on Friday with the Blue Jay Nation just completely invade
(17:24):
t Mobile Park. And you remember a couple of years
ago they put some Blue Jay jerseys on sale and
Seawald and JP Crawford both complained about it on social media,
and then Paul Seawald got traded. Do you think that
that bothers ownership when that many opposing fans take over
their ballpark for a three game series, Because I know
what bothers the players.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
I think they like the full houses that they get,
you know, the full the sellouts. I'm very curious to
see whether that will happen this year with the decline
in Canadian uh people crossing the border, you know at
that we had an article in the Seattle Times thing
(18:11):
tourism is way down. We'll see if if there's fewer.
I have a suspicion that there's going to be a
lot fewer Blue Jays fans this year. I guess we'll
find out. But I mean I think they've sort of
embraced it a little bit, just judging by the jersey
sales and all that, although they'll tell you that they
(18:33):
do that for every visiting team, but I know the Yeah,
the players don't like it, the Mariners fans don't like it.
I'm not sure there's anything you can do to stop it.
And it does. It does make for a for a
playoff atmosphere. I've sat out there with my family a
couple of years ago and witnessed like a near fight
right between right next to me between the Mariner fans
(18:55):
and Blue Jay fans. So it's pretty heated out there.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
No doubt.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Man, those Canadians, they're crazy. Don't want to cross them.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
Man.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
All right, Larry, you're the man, great stuff, and we
will talk in a week, buddy, appreciate.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
It, man, all right, thank you guys.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
All right, Larry Stone with us on the air, and
I want to come back and yak about that a
little bit because Larry brought up a great point that
you know, Canadians aren't invading the country the way they
used to tourisms down all the border towns right up
there obviously are all suffering big time because Canadians just
aren't coming across, which is going to hurt the economy
(19:28):
in some ways, but it might be helpful for this
weekend against the Blue Jays, you may not see as
many people in the stands wearing white and blue. So
I want to ask you, Hugh, as a former professional
athlete yourself, with that, piss you off if every year
one team took over your stadium every single year. We'll
get to that next on ninety three three KJRFM prood.
Speaker 6 (19:50):
Casting live from the R and R Foundation Specialist broadcast Studio.
Now back to Softie and Dick powered by Emerald Queen Casino,
the Betty and Captain a little bit Northwest on Sports
Radio nineties three point three KJR FM.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
I just look at some advanced numbers here for the
Blue Jay series starting this weekend. Mariners win today in Oakland.
They are twenty two and fourteen. They're after their best
start since two thousand and three. They've won nine consecutive
series and they haven't done that since two thousand and one.
So a lot of reasons for fans to come out
and support the team. Venue Kings dot Com as your tickets.
Be sure and use kotsafia checkout for a discount. Friday
(20:31):
as of now, they've sold just under thirty thousand.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
Saturday, as of now.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
They've just sold just over thirty two thirty thousand, and
then Sunday for Mother's Day, it's about thirty five. So
last year this series was on July fifth, sixth, and seventh, Hugh,
which was also a Friday, Saturday Sunday by the way,
thirty four and change, thirty eight and change and thirty
(20:57):
four in change.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
So they're a.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Little bit under that for the first couple of games
of this series so far. And I don't know Larry's
point about, Hey, if Canadians aren't crossing the border like
they used to and they're pissed off and angry and
protesting America, maybe not as many Blue and White in
the stands this weekend against the Blue Jays. But it's
always irritated the hell out of me man, And again,
(21:20):
I get it.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
You know, if you don't like it, then buy tickets.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Well that's the Mariner's fault for not inspiring people to
buy tickets. And it got to a point where it
was so bad that there were so many tickets available
for a Blue Jay series that half a Canada came
down to watch the game, So put yourself with the
shoes of a player, Hugh, how much would that bother you?
Speaker 5 (21:38):
Well, I could only speak for me. I think it's
a very very unique situation. And unlike the NFL, there's
no Canadian teams in the NFL, right, So I think
I would hope i'd be aware that there's a certain
dynamic about that in a way is good for the game.
I would also think that hey, if we win anymore,
(22:01):
there'd be more of a demand locally and there, and
the percentages would be would be less. So I certainly
would take note of our own team's accountability for all that.
I mean, when I was with you know, closest, when
I was with the Patriots, the Bills were going to
four straight Super Bowls, and you know there'd be some
Bills fans in the in the stadium, and but that's
(22:24):
I think that's a different deal when you're talking about
an American team. I think that that the Canada piece
of this. If I was on the Mariners, I think
I think I'd understand a bit.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Well.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Last year when the Blue Jays came to town, the
Mariners were forty nine and forty one, and they were
two games up on first place, and there were thirty
five thousand people in there, and I felt like twenty
thousand of them were Toronto Blue Jay fans. So I
don't know, There's always been you know, kind of like
rumors and different reports on how much the Mariners promote
(22:55):
this series up in Canada, go out of their way
to circulate you know, ticket specials and things like that
for people in Canada. And I guarantee you there's some hotels.
I mean, a lot of Canadians like to stay in
the North End, up in the Evert area, by the way,
and there's a lot of hotels that just simply put,
don't have as many rooms sold for this weekend because
Canadians aren't coming down. But I don't know, I mean,
I don't know how long it will take for Merida
(23:17):
fans to jump on the wagon where something like this
isn't a problem anymore, because I don't remember this being
an issue twenty years ago. It feels like this phenomenon, Jackson,
if you will, you can wag in or two on
the Blue Jay fans invading Seattle to this level, right,
Like there's always been Blue Jay fans here.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
Yeah, but it feels like a home game.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
It feels like a Toronto Blue Jay home game when
they played Toronto and Seattle. It feels like this is
like a last ten to twelve year phenomenal.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
It does feel like that.
Speaker 7 (23:46):
And I feel like it's the more that it's common,
more that we've talked about it, the more that it's
been kind of made a thing on social media, probably
the more it's grown. And maybe that is like a
product of social media, where like more Blue Jay fans
up in Vancouver are saying like, oh, this is a thing,
like oh, more people, this is like all right, people
are doing this. Well, I'm gonna just jump on the bandwagon.
I like it's sort of like, you know, as it
(24:06):
becomes more talked about it, as it becomes more popular.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (24:09):
That's just my interpretation of maybe why it's exploded since
the social media age.
Speaker 4 (24:14):
Well and Hugh, because no, sorry, go ahead, go ahead. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
And it could also be that that on social media,
the Canadians are learning that they annoy us exactly, and
it's not just oh it's a good time, oh oh,
and it annoys that.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
Yeah, let's go that's right. You know that's right. Nailed it?
Speaker 5 (24:33):
Well, Dave, I don't know if you have the numbers
right there? Well what would what were rather the tens
figures for the weekend?
Speaker 2 (24:41):
I got it right here, I got before and half
I haven't written down already. So the following weekend they
played the Astros on Friday, Saturday Sunday they drew forty, forty,
thirty eight and thirty five. And the previous weekend they
had the Twins in town they drew forty four, thirty
five and thirty three. So they actually drew more fans
for those Sandwich series if.
Speaker 4 (25:03):
You will, you know, the front in the back end.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Then they did the Toronto series, and I just wonder
how much of that was Mariner fans, like you said,
just want to stay away because it makes them sick.
I mean, I don't know the last time you were
in the ballpark for a Mariner Blue Jay game, but
it's freaking gross. I got no dude, I'll be honest
with you. I have no desire to be there. And
you know what, if you could guarantee me that thirty
(25:25):
five thousand other Mariner fans would commit to going to
the games, I'd go. But they won't, And I'm not
going to be the guinea pig that says yes when
everybody else says no, and sit there and get pissed
off for nine innings because there's a freaking Cannucks sitting
next to me screaming his ass off.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
I don't want to.
Speaker 5 (25:43):
Be there, Yeah, Jackson, that's an interesting element in this
that what Dave's suggesting is that a Seattle fan will say, hey,
I'll just take a pass on blue Jay weekend. There's
you know, I got a umpty other weekends I can
go to. I don't want to experience all the what
whatever it is, the unpleasant experience.
Speaker 4 (26:02):
I don't want to anger. I don't want to see
it because I don't want to see.
Speaker 7 (26:05):
Like you know, and like I know this was before
they don't do it anymore, but remember when they were
like selling Blue Jay gear and they were like making
special ticket deals for Canadian fans, Like I know that
doesn't happen anymore, but like you know, it's one of
those things where I just think subjecting ourselves as Mariner
fans to that crap, Like I know, who wants to
do that?
Speaker 2 (26:24):
You I'm just I'm too old and I'm too cranky
to give a damnit. Yeah right, And I just I
just don't care, you know, I just don't have any
desire to be in that park when there's thirty thousand
Canadians in there rooting for Toronto, right, I mean, look,
the Mariners I think actually may have lost two out
of three in that series a year ago.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
Yeah, they lost two out of three.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
They won the first game two to one and then
lost five four, So there were some decent moments there.
But that's one of the reasons I stay away. I
just don't want to deal with it. But I know
I'm not unique because look, there were ten thousand extra
seats that could have been bought by Mariner fans and
they weren't.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
Well, Jackson, You've got some experience being a soccer fan
and just a little bit, just a little bit and
and but but I mean you're you're used to, Okay,
part of the the experience of a soccer game often
is the infiltration of of opponent fans and often uh,
(27:20):
you know, from another country. That's just kind of part
of the soccer experience. But it's it's a different way
of rooting, right, It's you compare, Yeah, because like with soccer.
Speaker 7 (27:29):
Usually they just kind of like corner off a very
tight corner of the stadium, like you know for Sounder games,
it's in the you know, the way way northeast corner
of the stadium where we tuck all the people from
Portland and Vancouver.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
Like they do in England by the way.
Speaker 7 (27:41):
You just just away and make them and make them
go into one section and you know you. And the
fun thing is when you know they have to stay
after or stay or come in early because you can't
have them around your fans because of fights. Right, that's
a very normal thing. But I think you it adds
to the atmosphere, right, And there's a difference when they're
just a sliver of the crowd versus more than fifty
(28:03):
percent like Blue Jays.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Let me ask you this though. Let's say, for example,
we got to break here in a second. If you
knew every year when Portland came to town, Jesus they
were going to put thirty thousand Timber fans at loom
And Field, and you weren't working for the team, You're
not working the radio broadcast. You're just a schmuck like us. Okay,
would there be a part of you that would say,
(28:24):
you know what, I don't want to even be a
part of that.
Speaker 7 (28:26):
I think there's I think a lot of casual Sounder
fans would say, screw it, I'm not going to subject
myself to potential fights and all that stuff. I mean,
I would go because I'm crazy, But like I think
a lot of casual.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
Fans would sit.
Speaker 7 (28:38):
But I mean, that's the beauty of soccer is like
the organization from teams, they tuck them away and don't
let them meaningful tree you no doubt.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
All right, let's do this here. We're gonna break. Mike
Florio coming up in the six pm hour. I want
to kind of go where we started with the Jalen
Milroe Schador Sanders presentation that you gave today for the
thirty third team, and I want to know if that's
available online for us a watch. By the way, why
should we suffer? Why should only those people get to
be a part of the mill in Magic? Next on
(29:06):
ninety three three kJ RFF what.
Speaker 6 (29:09):
Casting Live from the R and R Foundation Specialist Broadcast Studio.
Now back to Saftie and Dig powered by Emerald Queen Casino,
The Betty and Captain on Sports Radio and ninety three
point three kJ R FM.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
Sorry about that little trigger happy here.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
See what happens is the mouse freezes, by the way,
and the way to get it back moving again.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
Is to hit the button.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
And if the button is sitting on top of a
button bar sound effect, that plays that sound effect.
Speaker 4 (29:36):
That makes sense to you.
Speaker 7 (29:37):
I think it's kind of fitting because you know, I
think for Mike McDonald and for Clint Kubiak, they're probably
saying themselves the exact line, they have.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
A good offensive team.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Do you think Clint Kubiak thinks they have a good
offensive team Humillon in Seattle?
Speaker 4 (29:49):
Or do you think Clint.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Kubiak wakes up and thinks, man, I had a lot
of work to do with this offense. Great question. I
think he thinks that there's a fair amount of work. Yeah,
I mean you lose dk offensive line, sure, yep. Questions
about you know, Sam Darnold of one hit Wonder, I
think he's probably, uh, he's got some concerns. Well, you
(30:11):
you did a presentation today for the thirty third team.
And by the way, Jackson and I were discussing this
during the break behind your back. I'll admit that we
were doing this behind your back. Oh okay, we've heard
a lot about these presentations that you've been doing.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
Yeah, we haven't seen what evidence that those actually take place?
What the hell you?
Speaker 3 (30:30):
So?
Speaker 2 (30:30):
You know, look, I mean, you want to keep talking
about these things you're doing. All these great presentations prove well,
you could be totally making it up. I mean, listen, dude,
I mean everything you'd say on the radio show you
could make up and nobody would ever call you because
nobody has any idea if you're making it up or not.
So honestly, these presentations that you do for the thirty
third team are they Are they available?
Speaker 5 (30:52):
No, they don't publish those. It's just kind of just
because the conversation. You know, like the the first guy
to comment after was Jay Gruden and the second guy
was Bill Pollian. So you know, you're presenting to a
lot a lot of former head coaches and gms and
and uh and so uh you know, they asked me
(31:13):
to present on quarterbacks on a fairly regular basis, and
and with the Sudor Sanders and and and Jalen Milroe
being top of mine, I jumped in and but I gotta,
I gotta, I just gotta tell Seayak fans. It's pretty
incredible when you watch the first half of the Georgia
game on coaches tape, because Jalen Milroe looks like, I mean,
(31:36):
some kind of dude of dudes, hoss of hass. He
is so freaking good in the first half of that
game in terms of his reads, his understanding. I mean,
that was a little bit of a chess match between
Kaylen de Bor's slash, Nick Sheridan, the offensive coordinator who
had been with the Huskies, and then Kirby Smart, who
(31:59):
I think is the best defensive mine in college football.
And it was thirty to seven in the first half
of that game, and Jalen Milrow was operating that offense
Tom Brady and fifty percent Lamar Jackson. It was unbelievable.
(32:19):
And his understanding of where to go big time throws.
I mean, the ceiling on this cat is is something else.
And what happened, well, he you know, and you saw
the Oklahoma game and it's it's it's it's just that
he has, you know, consistency, I mean, and that's really
(32:39):
the issue for every quarterback. I mean, you know, my
very best game, you know, few games or you know,
Joe Montana be happy to have those games, I just
didn't happen. Have them happen often enough, and then you know,
and so it's it's it's not a question of what's
your ceiling, is a question of how much can how
(33:01):
high you can reach. I shouldn't even have inserted myself
in there. I'm I inserted myself saying even the hack
like me can have a few great games where it's
the equivalent of top guys, but it's just okay, well,
how often did that happen?
Speaker 6 (33:17):
You know?
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Well, I just remember I remember the halftime of that
game because I was talking to my buddy Ryan Fowler,
who is the guy that we have on from Tuscaloosa
all the time.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
He's like, man, I can't believe it. This is unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
And then the very next week when they lost to Vanderbilt,
I can't believe it.
Speaker 4 (33:31):
This is unbelievable. I mean it was just amazing.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
I mean they went from the King of the Hill
to just complete turn sandwiches the next weekend at Vanderbilt.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
I mean, maybe one of the real issues.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
And I don't know if this affected mill Row or not,
by the way, Hugh, but their defense from the second
half of the Georgia game on. So, starting with the
third quarter against Georgia, the next six quarters, Alabama's defense
gave up sixty seven points twenty seven to Georgia and
forty Vanderbilt.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
And I wonder if that impacted him at all. He
probably pressed.
Speaker 5 (34:06):
I mean, I'm not in his head, but some of
the anticipatory throws, I think that maybe they sought part
of their wad and in terms of of showing what
he's good at, the type of schemes that he's good
at in that game, but they they were just one
step ahead in that first half. And I suppose it's
(34:31):
just for me. It's an encouragement, like, Okay, if you
give this guy time to develop. There's really a high
ceiling there obviously with his athleticism, but the most important
thing is throw it to the right guy at the
right time with accuracy and that and and nobody has
been able to function at any high level, be it
(34:53):
high college or the NFL without doing that. Nobody, And
so that aspect of his game is actually the area
that needs the most because his reads where you know,
one minute he's thrown with anticipation next minute and it's
not very often. I would not say he was an
(35:13):
anticipatory thrower, so I don't want to make it seem
like that's often. Most of the time he needs to
see it before he cuts it loose, which means you're
kind of eyeballing. There's times where he's throwing interceptions where
all you have to do is watch the end zone copy.
There's a big white stripe going right down the middle
of his helmet, and when you watch the end zone copy,
(35:35):
you see which way that white stripe is pointing, and
that's exactly where his eyes are, and too often he's
just he's just staring it down. And that's kind of
like that's like graduate school for quarterbacks. That's like five
hundred level class. You go to college, you take psych
one oh one. What's psych one on one? It's an
introduction to psych. Well, if you happen to be a
(35:56):
psychology major, I'm not, eventually you'd be taking five hundred
level class or PhD level classes, right, So there's there's
a graduation. Similarly with a quarterback. And I think that
the highest level of quarterbacking that you see is eye manipulation,
manipulating defenders and throwing with consistent and supreme anticipation that
(36:18):
to me is is kind of the highest level where
where you see the very best operate, and then by extension,
the guys that need the most work, they're the opposite
of that throwing late, and then of course they're well,
he's an exciting third rounder though, because of that ceiling
Dave 'Softy' Mahler and Dick Fain News
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.