WEBVTT 1 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:19.079 The city Creative, Creative, creative. Welcome to another Space City Saturday on 2 00:00:19.239 --> 00:00:25.359 Sports Talk seven ninety Michael Cunners live and local h Town breakdown on the world 3 00:00:25.399 --> 00:00:30.519 that matters to you, the Houston sports world. All these great Houston fans 4 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:35.359 here. We love you all, so finished up on that to do list, 5 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:40.840 loot up the cooler because you can't drink in talk sports all day if 6 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:48.159 you don't start now. This is Space City Saturday. Here are seven nineties 7 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:55.960 Astro's insider Michael Cunner, and it is a big day here on Sports Talk 8 00:00:56.079 --> 00:01:00.359 seven ninety. Fast paced because we are short. This show ja just an 9 00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:03.840 hour today until eleven, but I will be with you until eleven thirty because 10 00:01:03.840 --> 00:01:07.359 we will have the Astros on deck show following. As it is finally here 11 00:01:07.439 --> 00:01:14.239 people, Jay V Day is back in the city of Houston, technically in 12 00:01:14.280 --> 00:01:19.319 the Bronx, but he is going to take the mound at Yankee Stadium today 13 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:22.879 with Houston plastered across his chests. I'm gonna go ahead and assume that they're 14 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:26.079 wearing the gray uniforms today, but maybe there were who Whatever uniform they're wearing 15 00:01:26.120 --> 00:01:30.959 today, it's either gonna say Houston or astros across that man's chest, and 16 00:01:30.040 --> 00:01:33.560 he is back in your lives, back in our lives. If you want 17 00:01:33.560 --> 00:01:37.159 to join us between now and eleven, you can do so at seven one 18 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:42.799 three two one two five seven ninety seven one three two one two five seven 19 00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:47.599 ninety that's our phone number again to get in here. You can tweet me 20 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:49.560 at MC seven ninety as well. Like I said, I'll be with you 21 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:53.760 until eleven thirty in the On Deck Show. Today, we'll go up to 22 00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:57.760 the Bronx out of the first break of the show and visit with Brian McTaggart 23 00:01:57.760 --> 00:02:00.920 oft MLB dot Com. I asked him to push back from his normal spot 24 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:04.879 with us on the On Deck Show yesterday to today because well, today's Verlander 25 00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:07.319 Day and we would I would like to talk some JV with him, and 26 00:02:07.319 --> 00:02:10.479 of course on a day that it makes the most sense, because again he 27 00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:14.360 is back, and what a week it has been. Look, we have 28 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:16.080 a lot to get into. I do want to dedicate a segment during this 29 00:02:16.199 --> 00:02:21.800 first hour to college football because the mess that it is in terms of the 30 00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:27.719 craziness continues and a lot has changed even more in the last twenty four hours, 31 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:30.759 and it doesn't look like the change might be stopping anytime soon because there's 32 00:02:30.759 --> 00:02:34.159 still a lot of teams in limbo. So we'll get into that before we 33 00:02:34.199 --> 00:02:37.800 get out of here in this first hour and go strictly back to Astro stuff 34 00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:43.080 at eleven. But jert adjustin Verlander back for the Astros today against the Yankees. 35 00:02:43.080 --> 00:02:46.599 That are a very good win for the Astros last night against Louis Severino, 36 00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:52.120 who has got awful and you know, he pitched like he's got awful 37 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:55.000 last night, and you know, you love to see it. For the 38 00:02:55.039 --> 00:03:00.840 Astros. Their offense went out there and took advantage of a very bad picture. 39 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:06.840 And that's exactly what they got was a great performance out of that offense, 40 00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:10.800 and that offense was doing everything that it needed to do. And Jordan 41 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:16.919 hits a home run. They get Kyle Tucker another big hit for him as 42 00:03:16.919 --> 00:03:22.120 well. Just what a fun night. You always love the Yankees players or 43 00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:25.759 the Yankees fans there at Mint and met not Mintamid Park, Yankee Stadium, 44 00:03:25.800 --> 00:03:30.479 going out there and stink or having to deal with the fact that the Astros 45 00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:34.719 are taking it to them, and that's exactly what they did last night. 46 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:38.879 They took it to them. Nice and you know rough, which you always 47 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:42.400 love. And today they looked to do it again with Justin Verlander on the 48 00:03:42.439 --> 00:03:44.800 mount. And I know that it's been a weird week. We've gone back 49 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:49.080 and forth on a lot of things for the Astros in terms of how they 50 00:03:49.159 --> 00:03:53.159 got to this point of bringing Verlander back to the ball club. But here's 51 00:03:53.240 --> 00:03:59.479 the short term right now view. They needed him. That's it. They 52 00:03:59.560 --> 00:04:01.439 needed him him back. They needed a starting pitcher in the worst way. 53 00:04:01.719 --> 00:04:04.840 If you've been listening to this show on Saturdays for the last couple of months, 54 00:04:04.840 --> 00:04:10.719 I've said it basically every single weekend. They needed starting pitching and the 55 00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:14.919 best starting pitcher available on the market was Justin Verlander. And they went out 56 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:18.160 there and they got him. And you cannot be mad at all if that's 57 00:04:18.199 --> 00:04:23.959 what the baseball team decided to do, was to go and get his services. 58 00:04:24.040 --> 00:04:30.399 And that's exactly what they did. In you know, the fact that 59 00:04:30.439 --> 00:04:32.560 they brought him back by giving up their two best prospects, who by the 60 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:35.839 way, Ryan Clifford, one of them that they gave up. The other 61 00:04:35.959 --> 00:04:40.920 night, in his first at bat in the Mets system, hit a home 62 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:44.439 run. That's the one that's going to hurt. He is going to be. 63 00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:46.759 Now. I'm not saying that Drew Gilbert's not going to be a good 64 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:48.560 big league or Drew Gilbert's probably going to be a very good big leaguer. 65 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:53.360 I expected him to be an astro at some point next season, and I 66 00:04:53.399 --> 00:04:57.040 think that, you know, realistically they I know that Dana Brown kind of 67 00:04:57.120 --> 00:05:00.839 changed his tune on everything just a couple of days ago in terms of well, 68 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:02.680 he's a corner outfielder and everything. I know they wanted him to be 69 00:05:02.759 --> 00:05:05.279 the center fielder probably at some point next year. But look, they also 70 00:05:05.319 --> 00:05:09.560 do have a center fielder right now, and Chaz McCormick and what he has 71 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:14.040 gone out there and done, which is be awesome. The focus again is 72 00:05:14.040 --> 00:05:18.199 on Verlander. We saw last night Hunter Brown third consecutive, really strong start 73 00:05:18.279 --> 00:05:21.959 for him. If he continues to find that consistency that he needs to have, 74 00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:25.920 this team is going to be in a very good spot. They get 75 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:28.439 jose Er Keaty back tomorrow, which, by the way, if you miss 76 00:05:28.480 --> 00:05:33.000 the news on that or Keaty Back France JP France will be available out of 77 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:36.319 the bullpen tomorrow. He's not necessarily moving to the bullpen, is what they 78 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:40.639 say right now, I don't know how they're going to make this work going 79 00:05:40.680 --> 00:05:46.199 forward in terms of the rotation. Here's the facts, though, Excuse me, 80 00:05:46.279 --> 00:05:51.560 the Astros have more starters than they need given the schedule and the days 81 00:05:51.600 --> 00:05:57.879 off that they have. I've brought this up many times. The month of 82 00:05:57.879 --> 00:06:02.079 September they have every single third Thursday off, and you can't really do a 83 00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:05.639 six man rotation unless you want it to it. It's pointless almost to do 84 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:10.480 that, because then you're gonna be giving six seven days off for starters the 85 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:13.800 rest of this month of August. They're off on Monday, which by the 86 00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:15.160 way, will be the day that they go to the White House. Justin 87 00:06:15.240 --> 00:06:18.639 Verlander, when we check him with Brian McTaggart, he tweeted out, he 88 00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:23.279 told I guess mctagger or everybody yesterday that he might wear a gold suit to 89 00:06:23.319 --> 00:06:27.920 the White House on Monday. So Jav's gonna go and style. But they'll 90 00:06:27.959 --> 00:06:30.480 be off again next Thursday. So they have a stretch here of nine games 91 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:34.399 in a row, and then they play from the eighteenth until the thirty first, 92 00:06:34.439 --> 00:06:40.160 and then again in that month of September, every single Thursday they are 93 00:06:40.279 --> 00:06:44.519 off. So it's hard to manipulate your rotation. But the facts are the 94 00:06:44.519 --> 00:06:46.879 facts right now, and Mauricio Dubon, not y. I'm saying, Mariesea 95 00:06:46.920 --> 00:06:49.279 d Monks. I'm looking at a tweet about him right now. He's actually 96 00:06:49.319 --> 00:06:53.879 in the line of today Jav's personal catchers back today, by the way, 97 00:06:54.439 --> 00:06:59.360 But JP France, he is. He has been one of your most consistent 98 00:06:59.399 --> 00:07:00.439 starters. I don't think you can knock him out of the rotation. It's 99 00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:04.519 unfair to him in the performance that he's given you. So what will they 100 00:07:04.600 --> 00:07:08.639 do? The biggest question coming off of this week, and it's gonna take 101 00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:12.000 I think some more starts of being bad. Do you consider going ahead and 102 00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:15.759 bumping Javier back to the bullpen where he's had some success and you know, 103 00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:19.600 maybe it's easier for him to pitch from the standpoint of he's been dealing with 104 00:07:19.639 --> 00:07:25.199 what we know is dead arm and he doesn't have it all. So I 105 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:30.079 do wonder if that's a possibility for this ball club. I do not know 106 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:33.839 if that is or not. We will see, but they're gonna have to 107 00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:38.800 figure it out. At the end of the day, they get two aces 108 00:07:38.839 --> 00:07:42.319 back into this staff. You'd love for it to be a third by having 109 00:07:42.839 --> 00:07:47.040 Javier b Javier, that would be awesome, But you have Verlander, you 110 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:51.360 have Fromber. Of course, Fromber a little bit extra motivated the other night 111 00:07:51.399 --> 00:07:57.240 with what he went out and did against the Guardians, tossing a no hitter, 112 00:07:57.439 --> 00:08:01.120 which was just awesome. Again, what if freaking week it was for 113 00:08:01.160 --> 00:08:05.800 the Astros overall what they were able to accomplish, but getting him back and 114 00:08:05.879 --> 00:08:09.720 getting Verlander back, Now, look, Verlander, we watched how the season 115 00:08:09.800 --> 00:08:15.519 ended for him last year, and the regular season was unbelievable. You have 116 00:08:15.519 --> 00:08:20.000 a sub two era, you're the unanimous Alsy Young Winner, and there's every 117 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:22.839 reason why he should have been voted that way as well, there's nobody else 118 00:08:22.839 --> 00:08:28.199 that was as good as him last year. Postseason Wheels fell off outside of 119 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:31.679 the start against the Yankees. Now that's the good news is that today he 120 00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:39.039 comes back to the Astros and is playing a team that he's are facing, 121 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:41.799 a team that he's already faced twice this season, has been excellent against them 122 00:08:41.799 --> 00:08:46.120 two more times this year, was excellent against them in the ALCS last year. 123 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:48.320 Then you just go look at the lineup at the Yankees roll out every 124 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:50.480 single day and you see all the swinging miss in it, and you say, 125 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:54.240 justin Verline is probably gonna have a good day today. I'd be surprised 126 00:08:54.240 --> 00:08:56.320 if he does not do well in this one. And I say that, 127 00:08:56.360 --> 00:08:58.120 and I'll probably jinks him. No, I don't want to do that. 128 00:08:58.440 --> 00:09:01.679 He's going to have a good day today. We all probably know that, 129 00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:03.519 and I think the Yankees deep down in know that as well, because he's 130 00:09:03.559 --> 00:09:07.480 kind of their daddy. They, by the way, are going to have 131 00:09:07.519 --> 00:09:11.600 Aaron Judge back in their lineup today. He was out yesterday, did pinch 132 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:15.720 hit for them late in the ballgame. Gean Carlos Stanton also in the lineup 133 00:09:15.960 --> 00:09:18.759 because he is homered in both games of the series so far. So those 134 00:09:18.759 --> 00:09:24.679 are the guys that you watch out for. But Verlander it's not. And 135 00:09:24.759 --> 00:09:28.960 look, really since he's come back from the side or from the Tommy John, 136 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:35.200 it's not been pre Tommy John Verlander. The swinging miss that he gets 137 00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:37.720 has been different. Now. Last year it was fine, it was really 138 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:41.080 good. Still, he did get a lot of strikeouts. He had more 139 00:09:41.080 --> 00:09:43.360 strikeouts than innings pitch. This year it's not been the same. Now. 140 00:09:43.399 --> 00:09:46.720 His season started off, he had the injury in the spring, started off 141 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:50.159 a little late. It was in the month of May, had to get 142 00:09:50.240 --> 00:09:54.480 himself back and going, and in the last month he started to pitch more 143 00:09:54.559 --> 00:09:58.240 like himself. But here's the difference that I think we will see today and 144 00:09:58.279 --> 00:10:01.919 you'll see throughout his ten year back. It takes him a little bit more 145 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:07.240 work to get through hitters, counts run a little bit longer. Not that 146 00:10:07.240 --> 00:10:09.360 he's throwing more balls. He still throws a very high percentage of strikes, 147 00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:16.320 but it takes more work to get those guys out and it makes the counts 148 00:10:16.360 --> 00:10:20.000 go deeper, and then on top of that as well, the pitch count 149 00:10:20.120 --> 00:10:24.240 runs up a lot faster. He's just not consistently going six and seven. 150 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:28.360 He's going five and a third, five and two thirds, six six and 151 00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:31.639 a third, six and two thirds, and not reaching that seventh inning as 152 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:35.679 much as he has in the past. Now, look from the astro stamp 153 00:10:35.080 --> 00:10:39.639 on him to get back to being that guy, because we all know how 154 00:10:39.720 --> 00:10:46.480 much the workload has been put on the bullpen overall this season and the exhaustion 155 00:10:46.480 --> 00:10:48.799 that they've put on a few of those guys, and you want to help 156 00:10:48.840 --> 00:10:52.480 that out. And that's a big reason why you get this guy back now, 157 00:10:52.519 --> 00:10:56.000 this guy, like I mentioned, misses the month of May, and 158 00:10:56.759 --> 00:11:01.919 you know, is he a little bit more fresh than other times. I 159 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:05.159 was texting with Steve Sparks the other day and he's gone back and watched a 160 00:11:05.200 --> 00:11:07.639 lot of his stuff now. He said to me in the text that we 161 00:11:07.639 --> 00:11:09.480 were going back and forth, he said, he looks fresh. He said, 162 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:13.039 I think he looks really fresh compared to where he was last year, 163 00:11:13.399 --> 00:11:15.799 and he expects a lot out of it. As I mentioned, that month 164 00:11:15.799 --> 00:11:20.159 of July was good for Verlander. In that month he did go at least 165 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:24.000 six innings in four starts. Out of the six he made, the other 166 00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:28.919 two were five and five and a third. There were a couple of games 167 00:11:28.919 --> 00:11:31.200 that were walk heavy, or I should say three of them six and one 168 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:35.559 three and another four in another. That's the other concerning thing is that there 169 00:11:35.559 --> 00:11:39.559 have been a lot of walks. He has more walks this season in ninety 170 00:11:39.639 --> 00:11:43.080 four and a third innings, I believe is the number yet ninety four and 171 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:46.120 a third innings, he has thirty one walks, where in one hundred and 172 00:11:46.120 --> 00:11:48.759 seventy five innings last year he had twenty nine. And he's never been a 173 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:52.600 guy when he's with the Astros at least that walks a lot. And now 174 00:11:52.600 --> 00:11:54.159 look, early in his career, he was always a high walk guy. 175 00:11:54.600 --> 00:12:01.200 He was walking sixty plus basically every single season up until twenty fifteen, then 176 00:12:01.240 --> 00:12:03.320 again in twenty seventeen, but most of those came when he was with the 177 00:12:03.320 --> 00:12:07.279 Tigers. Really, since he's got into the Astros. Now, look, 178 00:12:07.320 --> 00:12:11.879 I'm just gonna be completely honest with you, and I think everybody knows that 179 00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:13.799 once he got to the Astros, he stopped walking. Guys. He was 180 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:18.159 probably putting stuff on his fingers. And we've seen the case that was made 181 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:22.879 the other day in court or that was settled out of court with the Angels 182 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:26.559 and their guy. But that's okay, everybody. Look, it's not the 183 00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:28.960 okay, take them, but I'm not worried about it. Everybody in the 184 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:31.720 sports doing it. Trust me, every single pitcher in baseball is still using 185 00:12:31.720 --> 00:12:35.759 something on their fingers. They can tell you they're not. They absolutely are 186 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:37.759 so not too concerned about that, but would like to see, of course, 187 00:12:37.799 --> 00:12:41.679 the walk number come down for Verlander moving forward. But they got him 188 00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:46.360 back. That's what matters, and it is completely surreal to see him out 189 00:12:46.360 --> 00:12:50.759 there to see him the other day at the podium wearing the ASTROS hat, 190 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:54.759 going through it all. You know, it's weird for him. He basically 191 00:12:54.799 --> 00:12:58.840 said just as much in that press conference. I'll give you some of that 192 00:12:58.960 --> 00:13:03.120 here come up throughout the show. Seven one three two one two five seven 193 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:05.600 nineties the number to join us this morning. We're with you until eleven thirty 194 00:13:05.639 --> 00:13:11.159 we officially go into Astros on Deck mode. Coming up at eleven. We'll 195 00:13:11.240 --> 00:13:13.360 visit with Brian mctaggard during that show. We're also going to get into, 196 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:18.600 as I mentioned, some of the college football craziness because it affects well school 197 00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:20.399 here in the city of Houston, that being the Cougars, of course, 198 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:24.759 And unfortunately, or I should say fortunately for some of you that are leaving 199 00:13:24.759 --> 00:13:28.080 the conference, you don't have to deal with it. I thought you just 200 00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:31.120 get to go to a more difficult conference. But seven one three two on 201 00:13:31.240 --> 00:13:33.840 two five, seven ninety agains the number to join us here on Space City 202 00:13:33.879 --> 00:13:39.759 Saturday, get on in here Talk Verlander Day right here on seven ninety. 203 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:54.720 Space City Saturday continues. Find Sports Talk seven ninety. It is Space City 204 00:13:54.799 --> 00:14:00.559 Saturday right here on Sports Talk seven ninety Michael Connor with you guys until eleven 205 00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:05.720 o'clock this morning, when we transition into Astro's on Deck mode. We're basically 206 00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:09.159 doing Look, it's an extended basically hour and a half Astro's on Deck Show 207 00:14:09.240 --> 00:14:13.240 today if you would like to join us in this first hour seven one three 208 00:14:13.320 --> 00:14:16.279 two one two five seven ninety seven one three two one two five seven ninety 209 00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:20.919 on the return of Justin Verlander, who, by the way, spoke with 210 00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:24.240 the media a couple of days ago up there in New York, and of 211 00:14:24.279 --> 00:14:28.919 course the number one question that came out of it when it came to trade 212 00:14:28.600 --> 00:14:33.720 was coming back to Houston his of course preferred destination. Yeah. I mean 213 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:41.399 I think this when after I had some conversations with Billy and Steve about next 214 00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:46.879 season and their plans, I think, you know, entertaining the idea of 215 00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:52.399 a trade and and waving my no trade clause, I think Houston was, 216 00:14:52.600 --> 00:14:56.159 you know the number one choice for me. The just knowing these guys so 217 00:14:56.240 --> 00:15:01.320 well, and you know, having a chance to win, you know, 218 00:15:01.320 --> 00:15:05.039 the familiarity, and you know, I had such a great time here, 219 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:09.919 so yeah, you know that was yeah, number one choice. It's good 220 00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:13.000 to hear of course, and I think we all knew that that was going 221 00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:16.240 to be the thing. You know, you're not putting this player up. 222 00:15:16.519 --> 00:15:20.399 And I know that there's been a lot reported about teams that were interested in 223 00:15:20.519 --> 00:15:24.600 him outside of the Astros. There was a report this week the Red Sox 224 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:28.360 were interested. Of course, we knew that the Dodgers were interested early on. 225 00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:30.639 The Rangers were a team, it was reported, but they went and 226 00:15:30.679 --> 00:15:33.440 moved to the Max Scherzer thing real quick. And I don't even think messed 227 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:37.200 with the Justin Verlanders thing, because I don't He wasn't interested in them in 228 00:15:37.240 --> 00:15:39.399 the off season when they tried to sign him, And I doubt that that 229 00:15:39.399 --> 00:15:41.720 he was really interested in going back there. Now he if he was going, 230 00:15:41.720 --> 00:15:45.080 if he was leaving somewhere, He's coming back to Houston because he chose 231 00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:48.279 living in New York. He and his wife did, Kate Hupton, you 232 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:52.759 know, And I say chose living in New York. The New York Mets 233 00:15:52.759 --> 00:15:56.960 gave him the biggest offer that he received. Is reported that the Dodgers gave 234 00:15:56.039 --> 00:16:00.080 him two for eighty. We don't know exactly what the Astro Rose gave as 235 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:03.600 well, but it was you know, it's probably a significant offer, just 236 00:16:03.639 --> 00:16:07.399 not anywhere near what they had offered. If the Astros had offered more than 237 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:08.919 the Mets, he would have probably stayed in Houston and he never would have 238 00:16:08.919 --> 00:16:11.159 had to do any of this, which would have been nice and giving up 239 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:17.679 a couple of prospects that you really were counting on for the future. But 240 00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:21.120 he and his wife also had the idea of living in New York and that's 241 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:22.679 a transition, and that's a thing, and I get where that would be 242 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:26.480 difficult. I think if you had presented to him. Now, look, 243 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:29.559 winning, like he mentioned, winning a championship at this stage of his career 244 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:32.919 is when you're making these kinds of decisions is what matters more than anything else. 245 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:37.759 And he wouldn't wasn't just gonna jump like you know. I know there 246 00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:41.799 are some reports out there that the Reds were interested. He we all know 247 00:16:41.879 --> 00:16:44.720 he was not going to pick up and go live in Cincinnati, Ohio and 248 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:48.000 play for a franchise that's historically cheap. Now it does have a ton of 249 00:16:48.039 --> 00:16:49.200 young talent, right like he was, that was never gonna be a thing. 250 00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:52.519 I question if you would even be interested in Baltimore. Baltimore didn't have 251 00:16:52.600 --> 00:16:56.240 a history of spending a lot in the off season. You know, they 252 00:16:56.519 --> 00:17:00.240 do have a ton of They're they're going to be a monster like they've built 253 00:17:00.279 --> 00:17:03.879 it with the Astros people there to where it's going to be an Astros like 254 00:17:03.119 --> 00:17:07.000 thing for a very long time there. In terms of their success, they're 255 00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:11.039 gonna be awesome. But I doubt that he would have gone to Baltimore. 256 00:17:11.400 --> 00:17:18.240 I really do think that if he was leaving the Mets, I think he 257 00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:21.359 was only going to take two places. He was gonna take Houston and I 258 00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:23.319 say, LA, But I don't know necessarily that he wants to be a 259 00:17:23.359 --> 00:17:29.839 Dodger. But you know, if the Dodgers had presented an offer, I 260 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:33.160 would be I wouldn't be surprised if he accepted it if it was the best 261 00:17:33.160 --> 00:17:34.799 offer, and that's what the Mets brought to him. That's the credit to 262 00:17:34.839 --> 00:17:37.680 the Mets here for knowing the player and taking care of the player too, 263 00:17:38.440 --> 00:17:41.799 is that they went to JV and said, Okay, here's the deal. 264 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:44.480 We got a deal done with Houston, will you go? And he came 265 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:47.559 right back. It works well with the staff, as you heard, We 266 00:17:47.640 --> 00:17:51.319 know how much the pitching staff has worked well with him. Throughout the years 267 00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:56.000 as well, and the players know him and you it's it's familiarity. I 268 00:17:56.200 --> 00:18:00.720 had, you know, living wise, if he's I would assume he's bringing 269 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:03.200 the family down for the rest of the season. I don't know what their 270 00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:06.880 situation is, but wherever he lived when he was here before, if it's 271 00:18:06.880 --> 00:18:08.519 available or you know, they can, they will have. They have the 272 00:18:08.519 --> 00:18:11.559 ability to find anything that they want with the amount of money that those two 273 00:18:11.559 --> 00:18:19.960 have very quickly. But it's still it's it's just this extremely odd bizarro world 274 00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:25.240 that he is back there. Of course, one of the most important things 275 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:29.680 in this was the relationship with Jim Crane. Here is jv on just that 276 00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:34.039 I mean a lot, you know. I think it's when you're gathering the 277 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:37.480 information and that's all you can do as a player. Right in this situation 278 00:18:37.640 --> 00:18:41.440 with the note trade, cause is I try not to get too far ahead 279 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:44.359 of myself. I try to gather as much information as possible and and then 280 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:48.400 make an educated decision. You know, everything goes into that bucket when you're 281 00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:52.200 gathering information. My relationship with Jim, my relationship with my teammates, the 282 00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:56.160 coaching staff, familiarity with Houston and the fan base and spring training location. 283 00:18:56.759 --> 00:19:02.400 You know, all of it is what really went into my thought process leading 284 00:19:02.440 --> 00:19:07.839 up to this again, gathering information on there's not a lot of information to 285 00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:11.960 gather, you know, what you're coming back to here, but the stuff 286 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:15.559 there matters, and we know that, and we all knew that if he 287 00:19:15.680 --> 00:19:18.200 was coming back here, more than anything, was gonna be a Jim Crane 288 00:19:18.279 --> 00:19:22.880 led thing because those two are close, and that's where at the end of 289 00:19:22.920 --> 00:19:26.480 the day. And we've talked about that this week seriously as much as we 290 00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:30.920 get and I got to like part of me has a hard time stomaching the 291 00:19:30.119 --> 00:19:33.720 situation. Now. Look, hindsight is easy to do. I get that 292 00:19:34.279 --> 00:19:38.319 the Astros, if everything went right this season, would not have had to 293 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:41.880 go back down this road and go get justin Verland, or they might not 294 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:48.559 have been interested in him. If Garcia doesn't have his arm fall off, 295 00:19:48.599 --> 00:19:52.599 if Lance but Colors ever pitches this season, if Urkeiti doesn't miss months of 296 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:56.200 the season, they might have been just fine in the rotation, and we'd 297 00:19:56.240 --> 00:20:00.519 be sitting here today saying, well, they got like three relievers and you'd 298 00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:08.400 be happy. But it went this way. I was never mad like everybody 299 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:11.480 else that you moved on from him from the standpoint of you didn't like the 300 00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:15.279 contract. The Mets are paying a ton of it, which is great. 301 00:20:17.119 --> 00:20:19.400 It makes the astro's life a lot easier. And that's Jim. That's been 302 00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:23.880 Jim Crane's philosophy forever. Correct. The first time he acquired Verlander, he 303 00:20:23.920 --> 00:20:29.759 did not pay all the salary. Now he did approve, of course, 304 00:20:29.960 --> 00:20:33.680 with Luno directing it at the time, an extension for Verlander two years, 305 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:37.359 sixty six million, which of course he did not pitch under. O you 306 00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:41.839 shouldn't say didn't pitch under. He made one start, opening Day in the 307 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:45.680 middle of the summer twenty twenty at Minute Made Park against the Seattle Mariners. 308 00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:51.079 Pitch well, I was there still the strangest environment I have ever been in 309 00:20:51.160 --> 00:20:57.119 my life, a completely empty ballpark playing baseball. It was weird, but 310 00:20:57.279 --> 00:21:02.559 he was good. But he one game in that contract, missed the twenty 311 00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:04.319 twenty one season, missed the World Series run that year, losing to the 312 00:21:04.359 --> 00:21:08.960 Braves. But then comes back and of course gets the cy young last year, 313 00:21:10.160 --> 00:21:12.799 gets another World Series and it felt like a storybook ending to his time 314 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:18.279 like that is the truth of the matter. But now the storybook ending gets 315 00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:22.119 to continue, and I'll go ahead. And we were talking this week during 316 00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:25.960 the A team I was in with Adam Wexler all this week. If you 317 00:21:26.440 --> 00:21:30.359 missed any of that, you can always catch the podcasts on the website sports 318 00:21:30.359 --> 00:21:36.240 Talk seven ninety dot com. It feels like it with his return, now, 319 00:21:36.279 --> 00:21:38.759 this is it. He's not pitching for anybody else. He of course 320 00:21:38.839 --> 00:21:42.920 is under contract through next season, and if he throws one hundred forty innings 321 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:47.559 next year, his contract vests for the next season at thirty five million, 322 00:21:47.559 --> 00:21:52.400 which the Mets are paying like seventeen million of that that would put him through 323 00:21:52.440 --> 00:21:56.440 the age of forty three. He has always said forty five astros are still 324 00:21:56.440 --> 00:22:00.359 competitive at that point, he's still good. It's hard to imagine the astro 325 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:02.680 saying, hey, you know what, JV, just go ahead and walk 326 00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:06.480 away. They'll keep they'll keep running it back with him. And part of 327 00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:07.920 me, at that point, you're so far in, you're so invested, 328 00:22:08.440 --> 00:22:11.319 and you've had this guy for so long, and you know there's part of 329 00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:15.119 the history of it. I would love, I think, like a lot 330 00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:18.240 of you, to see the day come where Justin Verlander is going into the 331 00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:22.119 Hall of Fame and he's wearing that astro's cap on his plaque. That'd be 332 00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:27.640 awesome. They've never put a picture in with an astro's cap in the Hall 333 00:22:27.680 --> 00:22:33.000 of Fame. Now, look the circumstances and everything. Whatever it might have 334 00:22:33.079 --> 00:22:37.240 been, it was a mistake by the Hall of Fame to put Nolan Ryan 335 00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:40.000 in as a Ranger. It was a mistake, I think by everybody on 336 00:22:40.039 --> 00:22:41.559 that part. But I get that his relationship there and everything else was a 337 00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:45.720 little bit different. They kind of ended on a sour note here in Houston 338 00:22:45.759 --> 00:22:47.839 with ownership back in the day. But he should have been in as an 339 00:22:47.880 --> 00:22:49.960 astro. The majority of his work of his career came as an astro. 340 00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:53.559 Hell, he could have been an angel and angel or an astro is what 341 00:22:53.640 --> 00:22:56.079 his hat should be in the Hall of Fame, not a Ranger. And 342 00:22:56.119 --> 00:23:00.279 if there's anybody out there that's a Rangers fan or from Dallas, it's listen 343 00:23:00.400 --> 00:23:04.920 to it and thinks I'm crazy, You're wrong, flat out, But it 344 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:10.400 would be awesome to have that guy go in one day and have that Astros, 345 00:23:10.440 --> 00:23:15.119 that Houston logo on that hat in the Hall. That opens up this 346 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:18.200 possibility again. He is which, by the way, I'm gonna go ahead 347 00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:21.720 and give you if you're paying attention in the next hour. He does have 348 00:23:21.720 --> 00:23:23.799 two hundred and fifty career wins. Now we all know that he would love 349 00:23:23.799 --> 00:23:27.079 to get to three hundred. We've not seen a three hundred game winner. 350 00:23:27.079 --> 00:23:30.960 I need to pull up the list. It's been a long time since we've 351 00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:36.880 had somebody get to three hundred wins, and it's gonna become even more rare 352 00:23:37.079 --> 00:23:38.720 as we continue to move on with the way that they handle starting pitching in 353 00:23:38.759 --> 00:23:47.680 today's world. The last guy to reach the three hundred win number was Randy 354 00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:52.319 Johnson in two thousand and nine. It was actually on this day back in 355 00:23:52.359 --> 00:23:56.799 two thousand and seven, by the way, that the previous pitcher before him, 356 00:23:56.880 --> 00:23:59.559 Tom Glavin, on this day in two thousand and seven, got win 357 00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:04.559 number three hundred of his three hundred five in his career. But the Astros 358 00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:12.480 have a chance to have a guy that could be here and maybe maybe can 359 00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:15.920 get to that number. And for what I was going to tell you is, 360 00:24:15.960 --> 00:24:19.759 if you're listening in the next hour of the show, in the pregame 361 00:24:19.799 --> 00:24:25.599 show, the trivia question, here's your answer. Sixty one sixty one wins 362 00:24:25.960 --> 00:24:27.680 lifetime for Verlander with the Astros. Of course, that does not count the 363 00:24:27.720 --> 00:24:32.720 postseason, where he has the majority of his career postseason wins. With the 364 00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:36.279 Astros, he has sixteen of them lifetime. Finally got that World Series win 365 00:24:36.400 --> 00:24:38.960 last year, but has two, four, five, six, seven, 366 00:24:40.160 --> 00:24:44.440 eight nine of his sixteen postseason wins as an Astro, and of course has 367 00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:48.279 won two of his three cy Young Awards here in Houston outlook, he did 368 00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:52.240 win an MVP and a Rookie of the Year and a pitching Triple Crown in 369 00:24:52.279 --> 00:24:55.079 Detroit. It's gonna be difficult, but it's going to take a few more 370 00:24:55.160 --> 00:24:56.599 years of adding some stuff on, I think for the Hall of Fame, 371 00:24:56.920 --> 00:25:04.079 who ultimately does have the right to the decision on this. Every single time 372 00:25:04.119 --> 00:25:07.960 that a guy goes in seven three, two on two five, seven nineties 373 00:25:07.960 --> 00:25:11.279 the number to join us here on Space City Saturday. We'll take a quick 374 00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:15.480 time out when we return. I do want to get into the craziness of 375 00:25:15.640 --> 00:25:19.119 college football, which started I shouldn't say started. It's been going on, 376 00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:22.079 but it got even wilder yesterday. We'll get into that next here on seven 377 00:25:22.119 --> 00:25:38.759 ninety Welcome back to Space City Saturday on Scorts Talk seven ninety. We're into 378 00:25:38.799 --> 00:25:42.440 the final half hour of this show. Coming up at eleven, we transition 379 00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:47.279 into Astros on deck here on Sports Talk. It's seven ninety. My Connor 380 00:25:47.319 --> 00:25:49.759 back here with you. If you'd like to get in seven three, two 381 00:25:49.799 --> 00:25:56.799 on two five seven ninety on Twitter at mcven ninety is the way to join 382 00:25:56.880 --> 00:26:02.279 me there of course as well. But the Astros and the Yankees coming up 383 00:26:02.319 --> 00:26:03.839 twelve oh five, first pitch. I'll be back with you after the game 384 00:26:03.880 --> 00:26:08.279 as well for the tenth inning show here on seven ninety, which last night 385 00:26:10.039 --> 00:26:12.400 we you know, got through some phone calls. It wasn't the most crazy 386 00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:15.920 because the Astros went out on one. I do always appreciate when we're a 387 00:26:15.960 --> 00:26:19.079 little bit less on the wild side because that means the Astros did well, 388 00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:23.079 and they did exactly that last night. Justin Verlander back on the mount today, 389 00:26:23.119 --> 00:26:26.599 but mentioned it ahead of the break and if you were for some reason 390 00:26:26.680 --> 00:26:30.640 under a rock yesterday or just not paying attention. First of all, I 391 00:26:30.680 --> 00:26:34.920 have always since it started back in the day, loved the college football realignment 392 00:26:34.920 --> 00:26:40.119 talk. And I think it's kind of like hit NBA free agency talk, 393 00:26:40.160 --> 00:26:42.160 like there's a lot of the time. Now, I love the Rockets like 394 00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:48.279 everybody else, and I'm excited to get them back. But during the regular 395 00:26:48.319 --> 00:26:51.759 season of an NBA season, at times, and I guess you could get 396 00:26:51.759 --> 00:26:56.400 that way with baseball too, it becomes like exhausting, or it's so long, 397 00:26:56.440 --> 00:26:59.640 there's so many games that you just kind of tune it out to an 398 00:26:59.640 --> 00:27:03.359 extent and you're more worried about the player move With the player movement in the 399 00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:06.519 NBA, I think is always a little bit more fun and spicier to talk 400 00:27:06.519 --> 00:27:11.480 about than the actual on the court stuff. At times. I've loved from 401 00:27:11.480 --> 00:27:15.880 the moment we started getting football college football realignment talk like twelve years ago, 402 00:27:17.160 --> 00:27:22.160 it has just been this crazy, crazy thing that has not gone away. 403 00:27:22.799 --> 00:27:26.680 I can remember when it started. It was all the talk of getting teams 404 00:27:26.680 --> 00:27:30.880 to leave the Pac twelve to join the Big twelve. Never happened. Eventually, 405 00:27:30.920 --> 00:27:37.079 of course, the teams leave the Big twelve for the SEC and the 406 00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:40.559 Pac twelve and the Big Ten. Nebraska goes to the Big Ten, Colorado 407 00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:44.160 goes Pac twelve, A M leaves for a M, Missouri lee for the 408 00:27:44.319 --> 00:27:48.079 SEC, and it felt like the Big twelve is dying. They held on 409 00:27:48.200 --> 00:27:51.839 through the years. Of course, they tied all their hopes to the Longhorns, 410 00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:55.799 who have been a colossal disappointment basically every single season. Yes, I'm 411 00:27:55.839 --> 00:27:59.200 talking to you, Longhorn fans. You know that you're a complete underwhelming, 412 00:27:59.599 --> 00:28:04.960 under achieving football program considering how much money you make in the expectation and honestly, 413 00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:08.799 the level of the conference throughout all these years, how the Longhorns haven't 414 00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:12.880 been consistently dominating that conference is kind of embarrassing. And I think that any 415 00:28:12.960 --> 00:28:17.599 Longhorn with a level head there would probably tell you the same thing. That 416 00:28:17.720 --> 00:28:21.319 you're Texas, you should get every player that you want. You have an 417 00:28:21.400 --> 00:28:25.759 unbelievable campus, you have unbelievable facilities. You're in an awesome city for college 418 00:28:25.799 --> 00:28:30.519 students. Like if I was a college football recruit and Texas was chasing me, 419 00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:33.640 I'd go there all day over any any other school in this state. 420 00:28:33.680 --> 00:28:40.039 And that's no disrespect of what they've done in College Station, TCU, Baylor, 421 00:28:40.039 --> 00:28:41.920 Texas Tech, wherever it might be. You of h I would go 422 00:28:41.960 --> 00:28:48.160 to Texas all day long. It's just better and they haven't been able to 423 00:28:48.160 --> 00:28:49.359 do it. And a lot of that's been the coaching throughout the years. 424 00:28:49.400 --> 00:28:53.519 Of course, after mac Brown, you know, Charlie Strong was a complete 425 00:28:53.519 --> 00:29:00.759 disaster. Tom Herman turned into a disaster eventually, But it's not like Sarkiesan's 426 00:29:00.799 --> 00:29:03.839 been any better. Now he's getting better recruits probably than they've had out of 427 00:29:03.880 --> 00:29:07.640 any of those guys at any time. Of course, and more importantly, 428 00:29:07.960 --> 00:29:11.279 the quarterback position quin yours this year, arch Manning waiting in the wings to 429 00:29:11.319 --> 00:29:18.119 take over, which we assume is after this season, Texas should start feeling 430 00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:21.839 like they're back. But oh wait, they're leaving for the SEC, which 431 00:29:21.880 --> 00:29:26.319 is going to be extremely difficult for them to go and win immediately. And 432 00:29:26.359 --> 00:29:30.160 if you think that they're going to the SEC and immediately winning, I'd be 433 00:29:30.200 --> 00:29:33.079 surprised. Now look A and M did it. Now again, they did 434 00:29:33.119 --> 00:29:37.160 it because any more than anything, they hit on a quarterback in Johnny Manzil 435 00:29:37.319 --> 00:29:40.640 and that allowed them to go in there and win. So they can do 436 00:29:40.680 --> 00:29:42.839 that. If arch Manning is a you know, everything that arch Manning has 437 00:29:44.039 --> 00:29:48.240 talked about being, they can win. We'll see how the conference aligns or 438 00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:52.440 aligns things up schedule wise, and or you know, we do know the 439 00:29:52.480 --> 00:29:56.160 schedule. I guess what for next year, but how they consistently do all 440 00:29:56.200 --> 00:29:57.759 that, and it's there's a lot of moving parts. But last night, 441 00:29:59.160 --> 00:30:03.640 or yesterday after, and really the day before, we're seeing the death of 442 00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:07.200 the Pac twelve. Now, I've always been a Pac twelve fan from the 443 00:30:07.200 --> 00:30:10.559 standpoint of I think, like everybody else, you love late night Saturday West 444 00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:15.519 Coast football at twelve thirty in the morning, and it's you know, Oregon 445 00:30:15.759 --> 00:30:22.720 versus Washington State, and it's sixty two to fifty eight with fourteen minutes left 446 00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:23.960 in the fourth quarter at twelve thirty in the morning, and you're like, 447 00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:27.720 let's go. This is what I'm talking about. You rather had too many 448 00:30:27.720 --> 00:30:30.880 beers. You've just been sitting around at your house and whatever it is you're 449 00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:36.480 watching college football to like one one thirty in the morning. It's awesome. 450 00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:41.279 That's dying, to an instance, never going to completely die. They'll still 451 00:30:41.279 --> 00:30:48.359 play late games at night, but the conference is dying. Arizona after Arizona 452 00:30:48.400 --> 00:30:52.519 follows Colorado to the Big Twelve, and then last night it becomes official that 453 00:30:52.599 --> 00:31:00.559 the Big Twelve votes in approves the additions of Utah and Arizona State to the 454 00:31:00.680 --> 00:31:06.799 conference as well, which is a very big deal for the conference to get 455 00:31:06.839 --> 00:31:11.960 the rest of the probably most significant schools available in the Pac twelve into their 456 00:31:11.960 --> 00:31:18.119 conference. I know that Arizona and Arizona State don't have this unbelievable rich history 457 00:31:18.160 --> 00:31:23.400 of being incredibly successful at football. Utah has been awesome for a very long 458 00:31:23.440 --> 00:31:26.880 time with Kyle Whittingham. I think that that is a sneaky, great addition 459 00:31:27.519 --> 00:31:30.839 for the Big Twelve. The number one thing that is stands out through all 460 00:31:30.880 --> 00:31:34.880 of it is that the Big Twelve has done an unbelievable job of saving their 461 00:31:34.880 --> 00:31:45.440 conference. They knocked their commissioner hire out of the park in in Brett Yormack. 462 00:31:45.640 --> 00:31:51.039 He's been awesome and he's gotten them an awesome TV deal, and the 463 00:31:51.079 --> 00:31:53.839 Big Twelve has put itself in a spot where they are now, without a 464 00:31:53.880 --> 00:31:59.720 doubt, the third best conference in college college football, in college sports period. 465 00:32:00.920 --> 00:32:06.319 It sounds like, I mean, the ACC should survive. The Florida 466 00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:09.720 State thing is interesting. You think that if they're leaving, they're trying to 467 00:32:09.759 --> 00:32:14.599 get to the Big Ten at this point because the Big Ten might try to 468 00:32:14.599 --> 00:32:17.440 expand to twenty. They add Oregon and Washington, which is another good get 469 00:32:17.440 --> 00:32:22.920 for them the Big Ten, though is so funky. And that's the part 470 00:32:22.960 --> 00:32:25.559 that you do hate of all this is that you know you've killed rivalries in 471 00:32:25.680 --> 00:32:34.480 some spots, like no offense to the schools that are going UCLA USC Oregon 472 00:32:34.640 --> 00:32:43.000 Washington, Like nobody's gonna get jazzed up for Oregon versus Illinois, or Oregon 473 00:32:43.200 --> 00:32:49.839 versus Indiana, or UCLA versus per Due, Like those do nothing the Big 474 00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:54.480 Ten for a conference that has some really good historic programs in Ohio State, 475 00:32:54.559 --> 00:32:59.119 Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State. There's a lot of crap in that 476 00:32:59.200 --> 00:33:04.480 conference, and they are a little bit I've always felt it's an overhyped conference. 477 00:33:04.839 --> 00:33:09.200 Now with the addition of the West Coast teams, it's a big day. 478 00:33:09.240 --> 00:33:15.279 It's just gonna be weird. You wish it was more, you know, 479 00:33:15.920 --> 00:33:20.160 geographically driven. And I will give the sec that they have stayed and 480 00:33:20.519 --> 00:33:25.960 Greg Sanky has always said that they want to stay geographically aligned, so that 481 00:33:27.240 --> 00:33:30.799 I interested in going out and jumping and getting teams way west or way far 482 00:33:30.920 --> 00:33:34.519 east, northeast, north, whatever it is. They've stayed in that southern 483 00:33:34.519 --> 00:33:38.200 region of the United States, in the south southeastern region of the United States. 484 00:33:38.279 --> 00:33:44.279 Texas is as far as over as they're going. They're the powerholder in 485 00:33:44.319 --> 00:33:46.680 all this. They're the best damn conference. We all know that, and 486 00:33:47.119 --> 00:33:59.000 that's not changing anytime soon. So the madness is not going to stop anytime 487 00:33:59.039 --> 00:34:04.279 soon, you think. But the Big twelve is secured its life with what 488 00:34:04.319 --> 00:34:08.079 they've done the other conferences. The PAC twelve is on its deathbed. The 489 00:34:08.159 --> 00:34:14.119 ACC is in a weird spot. I think I would prefer, probably like 490 00:34:14.159 --> 00:34:22.519 the ACC to not watch that conference implode. And people love to get hot 491 00:34:22.559 --> 00:34:23.679 and by oh, it's all about money. Of course, it's all about 492 00:34:23.679 --> 00:34:28.199 money. That's all this sport, all sports are. It's about money. 493 00:34:30.199 --> 00:34:35.559 As long as you can turn on College Game Day on Saturday morning and then 494 00:34:35.599 --> 00:34:43.800 transition into a crappy Big ten battle between Indiana and UCLA. Yeah, at 495 00:34:43.800 --> 00:34:47.239 eleven am, you're gonna be fat and happy. Turn on the SEC at 496 00:34:47.280 --> 00:34:52.719 two thirty. Follow that up with a good Big twelve matchup, maybe in 497 00:34:52.760 --> 00:34:59.000 the evening or in the late afternoon into the night, and maybe another SEC 498 00:34:59.199 --> 00:35:02.559 matchup for the night game. Before the late night game. We're all gonna 499 00:35:02.599 --> 00:35:07.159 be happy here in a few weeks and in the next year when all the 500 00:35:07.239 --> 00:35:08.920 changes do come. Seven one three, two, one, two five, 501 00:35:09.000 --> 00:35:14.639 seven nineties are number one final segment of this show. Those you unhold stick 502 00:35:14.679 --> 00:35:16.639 there, We're gonna take a quick time out. We'll come back wrap up 503 00:35:16.719 --> 00:35:21.719 the thoughts of this show before we transition into the Astros on Deck Show coming 504 00:35:21.760 --> 00:35:28.000 up at eleven Here on Sports Talk seven ninety This is Space Cities Saturday on 505 00:35:28.199 --> 00:35:42.400 Sports Talk seven ninety one. It's our final few moments of Space City Saturday. 506 00:35:42.440 --> 00:35:45.800 We will transition into the Astros on Deck Show here at the top of 507 00:35:45.840 --> 00:35:50.239 the hour, getting you ready for the return of Justin Verlander today to the 508 00:35:50.239 --> 00:35:52.280 mound for the Astros twelve O five, the first pitch. I'll be with 509 00:35:52.360 --> 00:35:55.039 you for the on Deck Show from eleven to eleven thirty, then of course 510 00:35:55.079 --> 00:36:00.480 after the ball game for the tenth inning show as well. I want to 511 00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:02.639 get you guys in on the phones before we get out of here for again 512 00:36:02.679 --> 00:36:07.320 this part of the show. Brian McTaggart will join us in about thirty minutes 513 00:36:07.360 --> 00:36:09.960 here on seven ninety to give us the updates from up there in New York. 514 00:36:10.039 --> 00:36:13.199 Rogers on the line wants to talk to us here this morning. Hey 515 00:36:13.320 --> 00:36:16.719 Roger, Good morning, guys. Hey, I don't want to be a 516 00:36:16.840 --> 00:36:21.599 downer. I was a good win yesterday. I just I'm not I'm not 517 00:36:21.679 --> 00:36:25.320 understanding dust this philosophy. So later in the season, we're coming down the 518 00:36:25.400 --> 00:36:30.760 home stretch on on a division, on a division chase, and he's still 519 00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:36.840 teakering with the lineups. You know, I don't understand the Cassenger. I'm 520 00:36:37.119 --> 00:36:39.480 he got Aldres at DH is fine, you kidding, you know, there's 521 00:36:39.519 --> 00:36:44.039 some way you got to fit that. The das back in the lineup. 522 00:36:44.079 --> 00:36:46.920 Man, it just means so much right now. Every game matters, you 523 00:36:46.960 --> 00:36:52.239 know, every game counts. So I'm not just understanding Gusts philosophy. So 524 00:36:52.360 --> 00:36:54.320 late in the season, we're just kind of annoying as a matter of fact 525 00:36:54.800 --> 00:36:58.800 to me. And that's all I had. Fellows, have a good day, 526 00:36:59.679 --> 00:37:02.920 Thank Roger. Look and yeah, the lineup today, I'll just go 527 00:37:02.920 --> 00:37:07.760 ahead and give it. I'll give it again before we get out of the 528 00:37:07.840 --> 00:37:10.960 on deck show today, I'll two Day at second Painia short Tucker and right 529 00:37:12.159 --> 00:37:17.519 Bregman at third, Jordan DH McCormick and laughed dubon the return of Verlander's personal 530 00:37:17.679 --> 00:37:22.519 center fielder is back. He's bat in seventh and playing center. Greg Hessenger 531 00:37:22.719 --> 00:37:25.800 is starting today at first base and batting eighth. Then Martine Moulton Island is 532 00:37:25.840 --> 00:37:30.000 catching and batting ninth. I am with you from the standpoint of Yaner Diaz. 533 00:37:30.199 --> 00:37:34.880 I don't know how you don't get this bat consistently in there every single 534 00:37:34.960 --> 00:37:38.760 day. It makes no sense. We were all told ahead of the season 535 00:37:39.760 --> 00:37:44.320 that you know, this is a guy that's got some versatility, playing the 536 00:37:44.320 --> 00:37:46.159 outfield a little bit and play him at first base, he can play him 537 00:37:46.159 --> 00:37:50.320 other places. And then he sat for the first two months. It was 538 00:37:50.400 --> 00:37:53.280 dumb. Snow the way around it, it was dumb. He gets playing 539 00:37:53.320 --> 00:37:57.400 time, of course when the ordon goes down, basically starts dh ing all 540 00:37:57.400 --> 00:38:00.639 the time. And he's hit fourteen home runs this year. It's a three 541 00:38:00.760 --> 00:38:04.960 run bomb last night. And look Yannar Diaz is not the next coming like 542 00:38:05.440 --> 00:38:09.400 he has flaws. He cannot continue to be the guy that he is as 543 00:38:09.639 --> 00:38:12.840 now. Look it's his rookie year. You get him room to grow. 544 00:38:13.119 --> 00:38:15.039 He's only walked up, believe, six times this year. That's atrocious. 545 00:38:15.880 --> 00:38:21.280 He swings at everything. He has to find a way to work on his 546 00:38:21.360 --> 00:38:24.559 plate discipline. If he doesn't at some point in his career, it's going 547 00:38:24.559 --> 00:38:28.239 to catch up to him. He'll be a guy that doesn't get on basic 548 00:38:28.320 --> 00:38:31.159 a good clip. Teams won't value him, and as his skills diminished as 549 00:38:31.199 --> 00:38:36.559 he gets older, he will be become a negative at the plate. Look 550 00:38:36.559 --> 00:38:40.920 at Hobby Bayaz of the Detroit Tigers. There are so many similarities in terms 551 00:38:40.920 --> 00:38:45.920 of the way that they approached the plate between Yanar Diaz and Hobby Bayas guy 552 00:38:45.960 --> 00:38:49.239 who had a ton of success early in his career, put up a bunch 553 00:38:49.280 --> 00:38:52.480 of numbers, hit really well. He's now into his thirties and he has 554 00:38:52.519 --> 00:38:55.280 been god awful and his plate decisions have gotten worse and worse than There's the 555 00:38:55.320 --> 00:39:01.440 mental side of that that makes things worse as well, so Daz has to 556 00:39:01.480 --> 00:39:05.920 figure that out. But flat out, he's been one of your best hitters, 557 00:39:05.960 --> 00:39:10.559 even with his lack of on base skills this season, he hits a 558 00:39:10.639 --> 00:39:15.159 three run jack last night. He finds a way to get hits basically every 559 00:39:15.159 --> 00:39:21.960 time he's out there. And he's not in the lineup today, I understand 560 00:39:22.280 --> 00:39:27.199 that matchups and stuff are important. I got a couple of tweets about it 561 00:39:27.239 --> 00:39:29.639 to day, like, oh, well, he's not good against left handed 562 00:39:29.679 --> 00:39:32.119 pitch. He's had like fifty nine at bats in his big league career against 563 00:39:32.199 --> 00:39:35.719 left handed pitching. You don't know that. I don't know that he hit 564 00:39:35.760 --> 00:39:39.679 over two eighty against big league left handed pitching in the minor leagues. No 565 00:39:39.800 --> 00:39:45.119 offense to Great Kessenger. Great Kessenger is not a big league player, has 566 00:39:45.159 --> 00:39:47.960 not proven to be a big league player. I don't understand necessarily why he's 567 00:39:49.000 --> 00:39:51.519 on the roster, to be honest with you, I don't I know that 568 00:39:51.519 --> 00:39:54.760 he has versatility to play across the endfield. He doesn't play, he sits. 569 00:39:57.239 --> 00:40:01.280 Why is he here? And then you have a day like today where 570 00:40:02.199 --> 00:40:07.679 honestly, your infield probably won't work a lot today. Verlanders a flyball pitcher, 571 00:40:08.599 --> 00:40:13.639 So I understand you wanna have your you know, perfect outfield defense that 572 00:40:13.679 --> 00:40:19.039 you can get out there for him today. But he's a flyball pitcher that 573 00:40:19.119 --> 00:40:22.280 typically gets flyballs or strike as. There's not a lot of balls on the 574 00:40:22.320 --> 00:40:30.280 ground for Justin Verler. Yan Ardas can handle playing first base. There's no 575 00:40:30.360 --> 00:40:32.400 excuse for yan Erdas to not be in the lineup today. And I, 576 00:40:32.440 --> 00:40:37.480 like the rest of you, I'm not on this train of crush and Dusty 577 00:40:37.519 --> 00:40:40.119 Baker in the lineups every single day. It's a long season. You're gonna 578 00:40:40.199 --> 00:40:43.920 use different lineups. Guys are gonna get days off. It is what it 579 00:40:44.039 --> 00:40:46.639 is. But the guy had a three run bomb last night in the first 580 00:40:46.639 --> 00:40:52.239 any in a ballpark that profiles to what he can do. Yander can hit 581 00:40:52.280 --> 00:40:53.800 it out of any ballpark. The guy hits the piss out of the baseball 582 00:40:53.800 --> 00:40:59.079 when he hits it. But he has an incredible ability to hit the ball 583 00:40:59.119 --> 00:41:04.280 to right field. You saw it last night. He didn't crush that home 584 00:41:04.360 --> 00:41:07.840 run. You flick a ball out to right field of Yankee Stadium. You 585 00:41:07.920 --> 00:41:14.000 got a three o lead. Why is he not in the lineup? It 586 00:41:14.039 --> 00:41:17.400 does not make sense at all. We'll ask Brian mctaggard about it at MLB 587 00:41:17.519 --> 00:41:21.599 dot com coming up during the Astros on Deck Show. No, we're gonna 588 00:41:21.599 --> 00:41:23.559 go to the top of the hour here and then we'll get back into the 589 00:41:23.599 --> 00:41:29.280 Astros on Deck Show here in a moment. But on this Yiner Diz thing 590 00:41:29.280 --> 00:41:32.519 with the Astros, he just has to be in the lineup every day. 591 00:41:32.519 --> 00:41:37.559 He's been one of your best hitters this season for a team that has had 592 00:41:37.639 --> 00:41:43.039 incredible inconsistency. In terms of their offense, and not enough thump at times. 593 00:41:43.559 --> 00:41:46.280 This guy, so far this season and when he has played, and 594 00:41:46.360 --> 00:41:51.400 he has played a total of sixty eight games, two or thirty one at 595 00:41:51.400 --> 00:41:53.599 bats, has hit fourteen home runs of his sixty three hits. I mean 596 00:41:53.679 --> 00:41:57.639 hell, twenty eight of his sixty three hits have gone for extra bases, 597 00:41:58.559 --> 00:42:00.440 twenty eight of them. If you just go for comparison, say Josea brey 598 00:42:00.519 --> 00:42:04.679 You plays every day, Josea brey You has four hundred ten at bats, 599 00:42:04.760 --> 00:42:07.760 one hundred and seven games played. He's not in the lineup today. He 600 00:42:07.840 --> 00:42:13.639 has twenty six extra base hits extra base hits this season. Yiner Diaz has 601 00:42:13.679 --> 00:42:19.199 played half the time basically and has twenty eight. You have no business not 602 00:42:19.280 --> 00:42:22.039 playing this guy every single day at all. And I'm not interested in the 603 00:42:22.039 --> 00:42:25.320 excuses. I'm not interested in hearing anything else. I don't you know what, 604 00:42:25.400 --> 00:42:29.239 if you're concerned about him against left handed pitching, the only way to 605 00:42:29.280 --> 00:42:31.719 find out is to give him actual at bats against it. You can't make 606 00:42:31.719 --> 00:42:36.320 a determination off of fifty something at bats at the big league level period in 607 00:42:36.360 --> 00:42:39.559 the story. So I will say again they are wasting their time today playing 608 00:42:39.599 --> 00:42:44.159 great Kessinger at first base, Yaner Diaz can completely handle it. Now. 609 00:42:44.199 --> 00:42:50.360 Look, they've put themselves in a roster bind I get that because he is 610 00:42:50.400 --> 00:42:52.800 the backup catcher, and you know you don't want to lose the backup catcher. 611 00:42:52.800 --> 00:42:54.960 You don't want to get both guys hurt. But that's your decision. 612 00:42:55.039 --> 00:42:59.320 You've done this. You can't keep one of your best bats out of the 613 00:42:59.320 --> 00:43:01.400 lineup every sing the day, and that's what they're doing with Theanar Das. 614 00:43:01.480 --> 00:43:05.840 Let's go to Actually, Scott just hung ups and never mind, we were 615 00:43:05.840 --> 00:43:07.960 gonna get it quick phone calling. So again that's my thoughts on it. 616 00:43:08.000 --> 00:43:13.239 I don't know if they're going to necessarily continue to go through that. I 617 00:43:13.280 --> 00:43:17.480 think on a day like today, I'd be less concerned about putting Das in 618 00:43:17.519 --> 00:43:21.599 the lineup and playing first base because you could just transition him over to the 619 00:43:21.599 --> 00:43:22.400 catcher spot if you need two, and then put a bray you in a 620 00:43:22.440 --> 00:43:25.800 first base if you had to do that to where if you do, if 621 00:43:25.840 --> 00:43:29.800 you dhim, of course you lose your dh At that point you're playing old 622 00:43:29.800 --> 00:43:36.079 school National League baseball, which is a problem. But I just I'm not 623 00:43:36.159 --> 00:43:37.840 interested in looking at an Astro's lineup that does not have him in it. 624 00:43:40.280 --> 00:43:44.360 Don't tell us before the season that there's this versatility and everything, and then 625 00:43:44.400 --> 00:43:47.239 you're afraid to use him at first base for whatever reason. It's just dumb. 626 00:43:47.920 --> 00:43:52.519 Now, look, playing the Yankees today, I'm not as concerned about 627 00:43:52.559 --> 00:43:54.800 it as you typically would be because the Yankees are throwing a nextra Cortez. 628 00:43:54.840 --> 00:43:58.760 He's not been very good this season. The Astros last year in the postseason 629 00:43:59.119 --> 00:44:02.039 got to him. I think that the Astros match up very well with him 630 00:44:02.079 --> 00:44:07.559 today. Oh my watch is going off. I will say the other part 631 00:44:07.599 --> 00:44:10.280 of the line of today that bugs me Jeremy Paine in the two hole. 632 00:44:12.079 --> 00:44:15.159 Jermy Paine has shown no signs of improving. He showed no signs of anything 633 00:44:15.199 --> 00:44:20.199 going well. He's hitting everything on the ground or he's striking out. But 634 00:44:20.239 --> 00:44:22.360 they got him slatted back up in the two hole today. I understand you 635 00:44:22.360 --> 00:44:25.000 want to get a guy going, you want to get protection or everything, 636 00:44:25.119 --> 00:44:29.039 but you're giving your most advanced to one of your worst hitters on the team, 637 00:44:29.039 --> 00:44:36.079 and Jeremy Painia consistently. Why why Chas McCormick has been red hot put 638 00:44:36.159 --> 00:44:38.480 him in the two hole? He crushes left handed pitching. Put him in 639 00:44:38.519 --> 00:44:43.119 the two hole today. It makes no sense. There's not an excuse. 640 00:44:43.159 --> 00:44:45.559 There's not a single answer in the world that makes sense as to why Chas 641 00:44:45.639 --> 00:44:50.000 McCormick can't hit two today and Jeremy Painia has to hit two. I don't 642 00:44:50.000 --> 00:44:53.000 even care if you're gonna be stacking Painia, Dubon, Kessinger, and Maldon 643 00:44:53.079 --> 00:44:57.199 on a back to back to back to back. I don't care. What 644 00:44:57.320 --> 00:45:01.599 I care about is al Twoba, McCormick, Tucker Bright and Alvarez all hitting 645 00:45:01.599 --> 00:45:09.920 together and getting those guys the most advats that you can get. But you 646 00:45:09.960 --> 00:45:12.840 need to put pain in the two hole today. Now. Watch, he's 647 00:45:12.840 --> 00:45:14.679 gonna go out and I know he had a couple hits last night. They're 648 00:45:14.719 --> 00:45:17.760 infield hits. He's gonna go out today and hit like a he did hit 649 00:45:17.760 --> 00:45:22.159 a home run off of courts last year in the postseason. I'm forgetting that 650 00:45:22.159 --> 00:45:24.400 that's on me off top of my head. I'm probably gonna go out and 651 00:45:24.440 --> 00:45:28.199 hit two jacks today and make me look like an idiot. That's fine if 652 00:45:28.880 --> 00:45:32.000 I prefer that to happen. So that's where I keep getting back to some 653 00:45:32.079 --> 00:45:36.800 of the lineup decisions. I get why you guys get so frustrated. There 654 00:45:36.840 --> 00:45:39.519 are days where it irritates me too, and today when I look at it 655 00:45:39.559 --> 00:45:44.320 for the return of Justin verte Lander two today too. This is not your 656 00:45:44.559 --> 00:45:49.519 optimal offensive lineup. It's just not. And you have a day off on 657 00:45:49.559 --> 00:45:52.559 Monday. You should have no concern about getting guys days off a bray you. 658 00:45:52.639 --> 00:45:53.960 I'm fine with getting a day off today. He's gone back into a 659 00:45:53.960 --> 00:45:58.519 complete tailspin in the last week, has dropped his batting average back down I 660 00:45:58.559 --> 00:46:01.400 believe below two forty. He's been awful. Get him out of there, 661 00:46:01.440 --> 00:46:07.400 get his mind off of it. But they should not be running out a 662 00:46:07.519 --> 00:46:13.719 lineup when they have days off available coming up. That's not their best offensive 663 00:46:13.760 --> 00:46:19.480 lineup because when you get to the postseason, you're gonna need your best offensive 664 00:46:19.519 --> 00:46:22.960 lineup to win baseball games. And they'll probably make the mistake and I'm doing 665 00:46:22.000 --> 00:46:24.039 that in the first couple of games and their offense won't be great. Then 666 00:46:24.039 --> 00:46:27.199 they'll have to pivot really quick and go do it. We see it happen 667 00:46:27.440 --> 00:46:30.039 to not just the Astros, to every single team every year. They do 668 00:46:30.079 --> 00:46:34.719 this. They overthink things, They play matchups too much, and this is 669 00:46:34.719 --> 00:46:38.039 one of those spots. We will take a quick time out here on Sports 670 00:46:38.079 --> 00:46:42.360 Talk as seven ninety this is the end of a Space City Saturday, so 671 00:46:42.400 --> 00:46:45.239 when we return, we'll get back into the Astro's discussion. We'll officially get 672 00:46:45.280 --> 00:46:51.320 you ready for JV Day as we will kick off the Astros on Deck show 673 00:46:51.480 --> 00:46:52.880 coming up momentarily here on Sports Talk seven ninety