Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, we'll see this is okay.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Then all right, let's see if this works.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Breath deep, breath everybody.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Ross and I were just.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
All right, well, we'll explain it all later because we
want to get right to right to our guest. So,
and by the way, I'm Ross and I was going
to have Randy Cromwell with me. Randy is just amazing,
but he was busy.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I got Andy Connell here instead, And we're gonna have
hell of a lot of fun like we do every
Rockies opening day.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Actually, yes, because baseball is my favorite sport and Ross
is my favorite talk show host who's not me?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
So there you go, and Mandy's my favorite talk show
host maybe even including me. H. And another person whose
favorite sport is baseball, uh is the one and only
George will And we had George on two years ago
for just an amazing conversation. We missed him last year,
and he kindly agreed to join us again this morning.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Hi, George, how are you? I'll go anywhere any Hello,
we know we know that. George.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
When did you first become a baseball fan? What is
your first memory of baseball?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Well? I became a baseball fan about age seven, nineteen
forty eight, I became a Cubs fan, and that was
the year that Cubs ownership took out ads in the
Chicago papers to apologize for the team being as lousy
as it was. But as you said, you all know,
once you start as a child, you can't turn back.
You've done the suffering. You want to wait for the reward,
(01:33):
although it may take some waiting. I saw my first
major league game in nineteen fifty in Forbes sealed in Pittsburgh. Wow,
they were playing, as we remember, they're playing the hit
song of the day, which was good Night Irene. I'm
dating myself. But there you are, And who are they playing?
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Who are the pirates?
Speaker 3 (01:55):
There the Cardinals? They beat them? Not nothing and waste
like kiding.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Parents ram home.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
You remember to me.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Brand because that's a pretty impressive thing.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Well, we've got all these synopses firing in our brain.
Why do I waste mine on knowing that Ted Suzuski
played for the Cincinnati Reds. Just start with information I
wrote anyone but.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Me, you know, mainly, And I talk like all day
every day, and so a lot of stuff goes in
one air and out the other. And I don't tend
to remember a lot of things. But I remember last
time we did this, you said, line, I'll never forget
that that you do all the political stuff just so
you can afford to do the baseball stuff, because you really,
(02:44):
if you could afford to do just base you would, Oh.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Absolutely. My primary email is office at baseballhabit dot com
because I do this to support my baseball habit, which
is more intense than anything cocaine.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
To you, George, there have been a lot of changes
to the game over the last few years as baseball
works to capture shorter and shorter attention spans, and they've
really enforced the pitch clock, which is sped up the game.
And I have to tell you, I'm kind of a
curmudgeon a little bit about it. I enjoyed the slow,
(03:22):
slow pace of baseball. But do you think these changes
are going to have the intended effect. Do you think
that they're going to bring the next generation along to
continue the fandom of Major League Baseball.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Well, they're already having that effect because they've taken twenty
five minutes of otherwise dead time out of the game
and reversed a seven consecutive years of attendance decline and
that really doesn't affect the Rockies because the Rockies has
some of the best fans in baseball, as it's demonstrated
night after night by the wonderful attendance figures. But baseball
(03:56):
had a problem less action spread over a longer period
of time, and the fans were staying away in droves
and in business model that will be studying in business
schools for years. Baseball diagnosed the problem, experimented with solutions
such as the pitch clock and the larger bases. All
(04:18):
the rest in the minor leagues implemented them smoothly, partly
because eighty percent of all pitchers had already played with
the pitch clock in the minor leagues before it came
to the big leagues. So baseball is, i think, on
the upswing with tremendous young talent. You've got an example
of it playing Tovar playing shortstop for the Rockies. This
(04:41):
is a Baseball is getting more athletic because the shift
required people to be able to move more after the
ball is put in play. So baseball is getting younger
and more athletic and better.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
For board baseball, I'm sure you know it's already George
Will every year, I don't know for how many years
it's and does an open Day quiz. So if you
just go to the Google and type it George Will
Opening Day Quiz, you can find it over at the
Washington Post. George, I have one triput question for you,
and then I know Mandy has a question for you
about in their potential change baseball. Uh, George, who has
(05:21):
and will give you? Give you three choices for the answer.
Who's thrown the only no hitter in the history of
Corus shield and your choice is Randy Johnson, Hideo Noma,
Pedro Martinez.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Oh gosh, I don't know the answer. The best picture
there is Pedro Martinez, but so I'm going to guess
that's not him. So I'm gonna say Nomo, and.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
In fact you are correct, it is. It is Nomo
todayo Nomo is throwing the only no hitter in Corus
field history. And that's why you're George Will and I'm
not all right? So what I know you wanted to
ask George about another potential change.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
George, I've had a chance to go to spring training
this year and I got to see the new automatic
balls and strike system, the ABS system in play, and
I got to tell you, after the second time of
seeing it, I thought, bring it up now to the majors.
Do you think technology entering the game in that fashion
is net positive because it will clarify those sort of
(06:17):
shifting strike zones that players have had to deal with
since the beginning of the game.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Yeah, for years we've heard umpires say, well I call
my strike zone. Well them strikethone doesn't belong to individual
umpires defined in the rules. And what amazed me I
spend a week at Fanex's spring training, as I always do,
how much the fans love it. It's about a five
second interruption of the game, so it doesn't prolong the game.
(06:45):
The answer comes up on the scoreboard and there's a
little moment of suspense, and it's just anything that increases
the engagement of the fan and the action of the
game is to be welcomed, and this doesn't.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Well, the thing I really liked about it is it
sort of takes away the ump here the problem, you know,
yelling and screaming after a call, because it clarifies whether
they were right or wrong. And in the four challenges
that I saw, the umpire was right all four times,
and I thought that was kind of interesting.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
That's one thing people are going to learn is just
how extraordinary good most major league umpires are. And in fact,
if in a tight game, let's say the eighth inning
tie game, it's the difference between two balls and no
strikes and a one ball on one strike count can
be game changing. So let's get it right, particularly since
(07:36):
it doesn't take any time.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
George, last question for you, just about out of time here.
If you had to play some wagers, who do you
think will be the American League champion? Who do you
think will be the National League champion? And who do
you think will win the World Series?
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Well, once you get into October in the postseason, randomness
takes over because in a short series, randomness can be decisive.
It isn't even out over one hundred and sixty two games.
I'm going to surprise you a little bit. I think
I think the team to watch in the National League
is the Arizona Diamondbacks. I know they're in a tough division.
They got the eight no Dodgers and the seven to
(08:13):
no Padres, but still watch the Diamondbacks. And then in
the American League, I have no idea but if the
Yankees and their torpedo bats keep this up, we're going
to have yet another chilli fall in the Bronx.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I'm kind of shocked that the rest of the teams
aren't handing out torpedo bats to all of their players yet.
That seems a little short sighted. As long as they're legal,
take advantage.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Of it, right, Yeah, And I'm kind of surprised that
George didn't mention the Rockies in you know, in the hunt. Yeah,
all right, we got to leave it there, George will
thank you so much for making time for us. I
really appreciate it. We love talking baseball with you.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Always enjoy being with you, Tucky next year, all right, yeah, yeah,
you got it.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
All right, We'll take a quick break, Mandy and I'll
be right back on k away.
All right, we'll see this is okay.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Then all right, let's see if this works.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Breath deep, breath everybody.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Ross and I were just.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
All right, well, we'll explain it all later because we
want to get right to right to our guest. So,
and by the way, I'm Ross and I was going
to have Randy Cromwell with me. Randy is just amazing,
but he was busy.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I got Andy Connell here instead, And we're gonna have
hell of a lot of fun like we do every
Rockies opening day.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Actually, yes, because baseball is my favorite sport and Ross
is my favorite talk show host who's not me?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
So there you go, and Mandy's my favorite talk show
host maybe even including me. H. And another person whose
favorite sport is baseball, uh is the one and only
George will And we had George on two years ago
for just an amazing conversation. We missed him last year,
and he kindly agreed to join us again this morning.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Hi, George, how are you? I'll go anywhere any Hello,
we know we know that. George.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
When did you first become a baseball fan? What is
your first memory of baseball?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Well? I became a baseball fan about age seven, nineteen
forty eight, I became a Cubs fan, and that was
the year that Cubs ownership took out ads in the
Chicago papers to apologize for the team being as lousy
as it was. But as you said, you all know,
once you start as a child, you can't turn back.
You've done the suffering. You want to wait for the reward,
(01:33):
although it may take some waiting. I saw my first
major league game in nineteen fifty in Forbes sealed in Pittsburgh. Wow,
they were playing, as we remember, they're playing the hit
song of the day, which was good Night Irene. I'm
dating myself. But there you are, And who are they playing?
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Who are the pirates?
Speaker 3 (01:55):
There the Cardinals? They beat them? Not nothing and waste
like kiding.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Parents ram home.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
You remember to me.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Brand because that's a pretty impressive thing.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Well, we've got all these synopses firing in our brain.
Why do I waste mine on knowing that Ted Suzuski
played for the Cincinnati Reds. Just start with information I
wrote anyone but.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Me, you know, mainly, And I talk like all day
every day, and so a lot of stuff goes in
one air and out the other. And I don't tend
to remember a lot of things. But I remember last
time we did this, you said, line, I'll never forget
that that you do all the political stuff just so
you can afford to do the baseball stuff, because you really,
(02:44):
if you could afford to do just base you would, Oh.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Absolutely. My primary email is office at baseballhabit dot com
because I do this to support my baseball habit, which
is more intense than anything cocaine.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
To you, George, there have been a lot of changes
to the game over the last few years as baseball
works to capture shorter and shorter attention spans, and they've
really enforced the pitch clock, which is sped up the game.
And I have to tell you, I'm kind of a
curmudgeon a little bit about it. I enjoyed the slow,
(03:22):
slow pace of baseball. But do you think these changes
are going to have the intended effect. Do you think
that they're going to bring the next generation along to
continue the fandom of Major League Baseball.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Well, they're already having that effect because they've taken twenty
five minutes of otherwise dead time out of the game
and reversed a seven consecutive years of attendance decline and
that really doesn't affect the Rockies because the Rockies has
some of the best fans in baseball, as it's demonstrated
night after night by the wonderful attendance figures. But baseball
(03:56):
had a problem less action spread over a longer period
of time, and the fans were staying away in droves
and in business model that will be studying in business
schools for years. Baseball diagnosed the problem, experimented with solutions
such as the pitch clock and the larger bases. All
(04:18):
the rest in the minor leagues implemented them smoothly, partly
because eighty percent of all pitchers had already played with
the pitch clock in the minor leagues before it came
to the big leagues. So baseball is, i think, on
the upswing with tremendous young talent. You've got an example
of it playing Tovar playing shortstop for the Rockies. This
(04:41):
is a Baseball is getting more athletic because the shift
required people to be able to move more after the
ball is put in play. So baseball is getting younger
and more athletic and better.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
For board baseball, I'm sure you know it's already George
Will every year, I don't know for how many years
it's and does an open Day quiz. So if you
just go to the Google and type it George Will
Opening Day Quiz, you can find it over at the
Washington Post. George, I have one triput question for you,
and then I know Mandy has a question for you
about in their potential change baseball. Uh, George, who has
(05:21):
and will give you? Give you three choices for the answer.
Who's thrown the only no hitter in the history of
Corus shield and your choice is Randy Johnson, Hideo Noma,
Pedro Martinez.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Oh gosh, I don't know the answer. The best picture
there is Pedro Martinez, but so I'm going to guess
that's not him. So I'm gonna say Nomo, and.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
In fact you are correct, it is. It is Nomo
todayo Nomo is throwing the only no hitter in Corus
field history. And that's why you're George Will and I'm
not all right? So what I know you wanted to
ask George about another potential change.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
George, I've had a chance to go to spring training
this year and I got to see the new automatic
balls and strike system, the ABS system in play, and
I got to tell you, after the second time of
seeing it, I thought, bring it up now to the majors.
Do you think technology entering the game in that fashion
is net positive because it will clarify those sort of
(06:17):
shifting strike zones that players have had to deal with
since the beginning of the game.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Yeah, for years we've heard umpires say, well I call
my strike zone. Well them strikethone doesn't belong to individual
umpires defined in the rules. And what amazed me I
spend a week at Fanex's spring training, as I always do,
how much the fans love it. It's about a five
second interruption of the game, so it doesn't prolong the game.
(06:45):
The answer comes up on the scoreboard and there's a
little moment of suspense, and it's just anything that increases
the engagement of the fan and the action of the
game is to be welcomed, and this doesn't.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Well, the thing I really liked about it is it
sort of takes away the ump here the problem, you know,
yelling and screaming after a call, because it clarifies whether
they were right or wrong. And in the four challenges
that I saw, the umpire was right all four times,
and I thought that was kind of interesting.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
That's one thing people are going to learn is just
how extraordinary good most major league umpires are. And in fact,
if in a tight game, let's say the eighth inning
tie game, it's the difference between two balls and no
strikes and a one ball on one strike count can
be game changing. So let's get it right, particularly since
(07:36):
it doesn't take any time.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
George, last question for you, just about out of time here.
If you had to play some wagers, who do you
think will be the American League champion? Who do you
think will be the National League champion? And who do
you think will win the World Series?
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Well, once you get into October in the postseason, randomness
takes over because in a short series, randomness can be decisive.
It isn't even out over one hundred and sixty two games.
I'm going to surprise you a little bit. I think
I think the team to watch in the National League
is the Arizona Diamondbacks. I know they're in a tough division.
They got the eight no Dodgers and the seven to
(08:13):
no Padres, but still watch the Diamondbacks. And then in
the American League, I have no idea but if the
Yankees and their torpedo bats keep this up, we're going
to have yet another chilli fall in the Bronx.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I'm kind of shocked that the rest of the teams
aren't handing out torpedo bats to all of their players yet.
That seems a little short sighted. As long as they're legal,
take advantage.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Of it, right, Yeah, And I'm kind of surprised that
George didn't mention the Rockies in you know, in the hunt. Yeah,
all right, we got to leave it there, George will
thank you so much for making time for us. I
really appreciate it. We love talking baseball with you.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Always enjoy being with you, Tucky next year, all right, yeah, yeah,
you got it.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
All right, We'll take a quick break, Mandy and I'll
be right back on k away.
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