Where are we at in society today? Come after me. I'm a man,
I'm forty. Go ahead, make my day every single week. I
put my freaking heart and soul into this. I don't go out there and
laugh. It's not funny. Nothing's funny to me. I don't want to
go out there and get embarrassed on Monday night football. For everybody, I
think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. So I ain't nothing changed
from yesterday. Still the same person I was yesterday, and I got the
same thing for you that I had yesterday. You know why I'm here.
You play to win the game. You don't play to just play it.
That's a great thing about sports. You play to win, and I don't
care if you don't have any wins. Do you go play to win?
When you start telling me it doesn't matter to retire, get out for the
Natas. That's right. A couple of minutes past six o'clock and it is
Dennis Fifthy and in Formatt Sheppard. On this Thursday, Trent Bally is here
and we're ready to get you going on this day after where you have an
All Star game on Tuesday and then really nothing. I'd say nothing. But
you know, there was NBA preseason, you had the w NBA going on.
Those are the top things that were going on in sports. But I
can take you over to Scotland right now and it is in progress, the
Open Championship, the fourth major now that they've moved the PGA a couple of
years ago. It is underway. Now I forget about that. I know
it's really early in the morning that they get it going over there, but
it's five six hours in front of us here on the East, well just
Eastern Standard time. Bottom line is is that they're out there justin. Thomas
leads the Open right now, the American for Under, a bunch of guys
two back, including Adam Scott. So you know, it's not very often
if you're doing a morning show you're cracking the lid at six am that you
have something in progress. But there it is. If this is the first
time you've heard my voice, Hey, what's going on. I've filled in
a few times for SHEP over the last couple months. It's great to be
here, and you know, I am trying to stay I'm not a very
good meditator, but in I've tried to do it a little bit of a
hallmarks that I always hear. Take some of the guided meditations, and I
say stay present, and I've usually just blown that off. You know,
for the first six months or year, I always blew that off. I'm
like, I get being present. I know what day it is, I
know what time it is. But I've evolved where I understand in sports talk,
you know, you need to embrace the day. You need to you
know, what's out there for you to talk about. And then we have
a day like today and it's like, Okay, it's a tough day to
stay present in sports, but we're going to do that. And Annie,
I had a coworker the other day. He asked me. He goes,
hey, I'm just curious, what do you guys talk about during this time?
Like, you know what, that's a good question. Well, I
was poring over the schedules this morning, Trent. You know they I embraced
the things that are happening. I do. Like I I know it just
sounds like an overstatement, but I think I like football one hundred times better
than I like everything else. And I love sports. It's not like I
just love football, but I love football hundred times more than everything else,
right, that should speak to how much you actually love football. I think
it does. You know, Lions training camp. I've got a few friends
that have had season tickets over the years, and I talked to two of
them yesterday. I was texting with them. They are so fired up because
I said, you know, I was telling them, yeah, I'll be
across Michigan and you know, here's how you can listen and everything else.
They're like, you better talk about the Lions. I'm like, yeah,
we'll be talking about the Lions. And then both of them had told me
their experience of trying to get training camp tickets. They've got season tickets and
I'm like, well that must have been pretty easy, you know. You
pop in there and they're like, oh, there was a five thousand list.
Wait I didn't get them. My other friend ended up getting them.
But the training camp is coming up on the twenty seventh for the Lions.
That's a Sunday. So what a week from Sunday Lions training camp opens up.
So it is if you're you just can't wait, you know, and
you're just thinking counting down the days, that is a day to at least
look at. I mean, I was looking at the first exhibition game,
which is on August the eighth. But's that tells you, you know,
I've known in the past, I've thought about it, you know, the
hundred times more than everything else. I actually hate preseason football, and yet
that first preseason game, I'm there every single time waiting and watching and you
know, like, oh, I guess this is great, and then by
the first quarter I'm like, wow, man, I can't wait for the
regular season. But it's at least I like a you know, nice full
course meal at a nice restaurant. That's not exhibition football. It's not the
appetizer. It's like when you go and you sit down, it's not even
bread. It's they get that little little dish, sometimes a little brown dish
and there's some some crackers in there. Yeah, maybe a like a stale
pretzel. That's kind of exhibition football. But when you're real hungry, sometimes
you do reach for the stale pretzel and you eat it. And that's what
we have coming up there. Now. I did try too. I was
all geared up because I'm like telling everybody, you know, hey, there's
other things to do. They just sit around twitter on your thumbs looking at
schedules, waiting for football, And so Sunday I wake up and I'm like,
all right, Alcaraz, Joker, I'm waiting for the Wimbledon Men's final.
This is gonna be great, this is gonna be epic. And I'm
there and I'm ready to put three hours in and take all this great tennis.
And and then Alcaraz just takes Joker and just mows him down and just
you know, throws him out of the stadium, and you know, it's
quite as play. Now was great for Alcaraz, but viewing wise, man,
they barely had a chance to you know, cut up to the Royal
Box or anything. There was none of that that was going on. But
with the Tigers in the the All Star break, they do get back to
action tomorrow and a lot of the talk, and coming up at six thirty
five, I've Shep talked with the Pope, John Paul Morosi, and we're
gonna listen to a little bit of what the Pope had to say about the
Tigers. And I'm guessing that Shep talked about schoobl. Now you might already
be tired of Tik's schoobl Let's deal him talk deal Schooble. But with how
things work with the Major league calendar and where the Tigers are sitting, the
possibility of this, it's the top story in Detroit sports. You want to
tell me at the training camp a week from Sunday, that's the top.
You know, Pistons around Holland the second threw down a jam in summer League,
that's the okay, you know, one of the red Wings that even
go to Traverse City anymore. No, it's the it's the Tigers in schoolbul
and if the Tigers would actually entertain, are they actually even listening? Is
this is just all made up by people like me and Trent, you know,
just trying to get you, you know, at least talking a little
bit about the team. And you know, we saw them in the All
Star Game. You know. The trading deadline's the end of the month.
So as we said here, and it is the eighteenth. Oh, we're
thinking about two weeks. There's gonna still be Trek Subal talk. I don't
think it's gonna be every minute of every day, but I think it's gonna
abb and flow, and you know, the Tigers come out of the shoot
the second half and I'll lose a series, if fans might be like,
I hope they do do it. You know, they win, they say,
hey, you know you can't do this if you're getting close to five
hundred. That's what fans do well, and that's what we all do.
You know, like if the Tigers would have got swept by the Dodgers instead
of having these very entertaining games, and you know, if some people at
least looking at it, they're there, might have been a little bit more
of the fans like, you know, go go ahead, go ahead,
and you know, get rid of them. But well, you know it's
not I don't want to make it so they could sound like they're just taking
him in and setting him out of his way for nothing. But you know,
well, I'll give you my thoughts on that, and in fact,
at seven oh one, a blockbuster for school Ball, I'll dive into that.
I want to hear what John Paul Morosie has to say. With SHEP,
we will talk about a lot about the Lions today. Dan Campbell,
the head coach of the Lions. He did a radio interview in a Texas
station a few days ago and he talked about maybe dialing back the aggressiveness.
Do you believe him? I'll tell you if I believe him. We'll get
to that coming up in the seven o'clock hour as well. All right,
it's great to be here on Axes and Bros. On the Michigan Sports Network.
We take your calls. Coming up straight ahead, little college football,
they get you go. We love that football well. Dennis fitthy En Axes
and Bros. And a Michigan Sports Network. Bill Simonson here from my good
friend Josh Garvey. Now he's a managing shareholder at Dorn Mayhew's Grand Rapids office.
Their world headquarters are in Troy, Michigan, on the east side of
the state, and they have locations all around the world. They have over
five hundred and fifty motivated accounting professionals ninety years in business, and I mentioned
the ten offices worldwide. So if you want to connect and partner with one
of the top CPA accounting and business firms in the world, they're right here
in Michigan, Dorn Mayhew's Troy office on the east side of the state,
and Josh Garvey is a managing shareholder for their Dorn Mayhew gr office right there
by the S Curve you'll see the new Dorn Mayhew sign. You can find
out more just google Dorn Mayhew. That's Doe rin m A y Hgwordorn dot
com. They're one of Americas and the worlds CPA accounting and business firms.
Their Dorn Mayhew. The Freddy the Pizza Man Foundation is dedicated to providing support
to families and Michigan schools touched by autism. We invite you to join us
in supporting these families and schools by making a donation at Freddie Pizza Man dot
com. With your donation, you can help provide essential resources that can make
a real impact. Visit Freddithepizza Man dot com to make a donation and to
learn more about the foundation's mission. That's f r ed I the Pizza Man
dot com. Together we can make a difference. Vanandal Institute Purplecommunity is a
grassroots fundraising network powered by the dedicated volunteers who support viai's mission to improve human
health now and in the future. When you raise funds through the Vanandel Institute
Purple Community, one hundred percent of the proceeds go directly to the institute's research
into diseases like cancer and Parkinson's as well as VII science education programs. Learn
how you can get involved at Purplecommunity dot org. All righty, let's just
fire you up this morning across Michigan. What's going on? Everybody set it's
fifty it in for Matt Sheppard here on Xes and Grows. Will take you
to nine o'clock. You want to hear some football, We got you set
up for this segment. Little college football. We'll look at coming up in
the seven o'clock hour, we will dive into the Lions and straight ahead you'll
hear what John Paul Morosi has to say about a potential trade with Tarik Schoobel
and others on the Tigers if they will make a deal, maybe a blockbuster
for schoobl And then I will address schoobl out of the gate seven oh one.
So that is how the table is set for you. You got just
Thomas four under through eleven over at Royal Troon in the open. And you
know, as I think about college football, I look and you start counting
down the days and we're getting close to you know, it's forty some odd
days. They report and start practicing a month before the first game, and
the first I guess I call it the real first Saturday week one. Week
one is on August the thirty first, so it's pretty easy July the thirty
first, if you're playing on that Saturday, like Michigan, like Michigan State.
Now CMU they're not playing Week zero, but they are playing on that
Thursday, the twenty ninth, So they'll start practicing on the July twenty ninth,
and then Western is playing in Madison against Wisconsin on Friday, so you'll
have the thirtieth is when the Broncos will get everything going. I do know,
Trent, you're a big Michigan State guy. For years I enjoyed Michigan
State playing on the I was gonna call it traditional Friday. But now they're
playing on a Saturday. A little bit of a wrinkle there. I don't
like it. I like the traditional let's let's get Michigan State going on Friday.
And for years I've had a little I've made the trip out to a
ton of Michigan State friends they have. You know, they get that party
going, summertime, barbecue, get the college football season go. So I
say all that, I don't like it, but you know why, why
did they move it. Do you like it? That's kind of the big
question with a lot of things these days, but particularly college football, Like
why there's no point now, Donna. Some typically a leave Friday for high
school football, as most people are, but that wasn't a exception. That
was an exception. It was like the kickoff of the season for Sparti,
A lot of fun. Always a lot of times it's a night game,
like late night, and it's an all day party on campus and it's a
great time. So I don't know why they went away from that. Yeah,
I don't either. I used to think that, you know, football,
that's the way it should be done. You have high school on Friday,
college on Saturday, and the pros on Sunday. Right, yeah,
just this summer. And I don't have the legislation in front of me,
but there's a I don't know, a nineteen sixty four TV Act that there's
a window where the pros can't go into I don't know if they can't go
into Saturday, but they certainly can't go into a Friday, and there's some
kind of window in there. You know. There was the thought all of
these years that the NFL was just being like well, hey, you know,
hey, that's that's us looking out for the sports fan or the kids,
that we don't play on a Friday. But no, that's not the
case. There's actually an act that they can't do that. And I don't
know if that that act applies to college football, but I don't think it
does because they they now annually have Friday games. Of course you can,
you know, spread them all over the place. So and there's well we
had Black Friday last year with the NFL, and they're, well, we're
gonna try doing that. Hey yeah, and they're gonna play on Christmas,
and you know they And there was the idea back when I was growing up
Trent people love New Year's Day. Is you would pull up and you would
start at eleven am and you'd have what used to be called the Outback Bowl
or whatever it used to be called, and the Citra And but the point
was is they played out of ten eleven bowl games and you had the Rose
Bowl that always started whatever four or five o'clock, and then the Sugar Bowl.
But it was it was an all day festive. And then they started
spreading it out and people are like, I hate that. That's the taken
away, and I thought the same thing immediately, like no. But then
the idea that you can actually watch another game on another day and watching in
its entirety is something like, h wait a second, that's not so bad.
Like, so Michigan State they own that Friday in the state. Everybody
you know is watching Michigan State. Now, you know, you put them
in there with the other games, and you know, I like it myself
where Michigan State plays in one window, Michigan plays in another window. But
you don't always get that. Sometimes they're playing at the same time. It's
like when the Red Wings and Pistons are going on in the winter. I
like it when the teams are not playing at the same day the same time,
certainly not at the same time. I like it when they play on
you know, opposite days or not the same days. Yeah, you want
to watch both, right, you do? You get that? And you
you feel that with the NFL. A lot of times you're going to the
NFL and you get those eight nine games on some day and then they start
spreading them out. You know, there's a Saturday. Now they're gonna you
mentioned Black Friday, here's Christmas, and that you know you will water it
down. I mean, how many games do you really need? How many
can you really watch? And that one o'clock window and if the Lions are
playing and whatever your team is. If if your team is playing and at
one o'clock window, how many of those other games you really watching? Look,
I've got the red zone off, you know, on one TV,
off to the side, and I'll have the Lions there and it's something to
do when there's a break in the action. And we know there's lots of
those, so you know, it's nice to have that. But I've said
this before, I have a hard time putting up and oh, they've got
the YouTube, you know they'll put they'll give you the four games where you're
gonna look at all four of them, and yeah, I can see what's
going on, but I like to imburse myself in one game. I can
do it, but there's it's a little bit too much for me to watch
four games. I can't you know, nine games. I can get a
feel for what happens, but I can't get it's not like one that could
come out and I feel like I can really if it's your team, if
it's a team that you're covering or your you love like the Detroit Lions,
you know, that's what I'm talking about. Well, Dennis, let me
ask you this, then, do you enjoy watching games at a sports bar
where they have multiple games on They're on separate TVs? Of course, but
are you able to take that in or are you still just kind of locked
in on one game. I love it. I have the ability to.
You know, it takes a little training if you used to just it's just
like when you go to a game, you know, for I don't know,
you know, the first twenty thirty years of my life. You know,
I just watch a game and it's right at the fifty. You're used
to the site lines and everything else, and then you're tuck to You go
to a game and you're tucked into the corner. You're like, this is
weird. I don't I can't even cover the action. So but you adjust,
and Yeah, if I'm going to a bar or restaurant, I'm able
to watch a play, eat a hot wing, you know, take a
sip of my drink. Oh, they go to commercial, let's check out,
let's talk to something, you know, you know, I make it
work. I've been able to make it work. But the perfect setup for
me if I'm home is one gigantic TV on my game that I want to
watch, and then I have a little separate TV where I can go just
you know, check it out. Now. Sometimes that second TV, you
know, you think you get the great plan, and then you look over
and then that game's at commercial. Then you're like, wait a seconds.
I have seen though. I've got a friend named Bill, and I've never
been to his house, so he's just kind of just an acquaintance. But
he took a picture of his setup and he literally has I mean like he
has the sports bar in his basement, but not only in his bad I
mean he he's got four or five TVs, six or five, six or
seven computers that are off setup TVs. He's got a scroll, he's got
his two phones, a burder maybe over here, and I'm thinking, how
is he watching? I mean it looks cool and yeah, you know you're
you're having a little party. You know, Hey, look at Bill's house.
Pretty sweet. Yeah, talk about immersing yourself in the action. Maybe
I can find bill old Bill set up this morning and see if I can
take that out. And it's an amazing setup. But I'm thinking it'sory overload.
There's a picture of Jeff Bill sitting in a chair with all of the
like the batman came around him, and I'm thinking, and you know,
I don't know. Bill doesn't seem like a big gambler either, but he's
just sitting there watching all these games. And he says Heaven. And I'm
like, okay, Bill, you know where are your friends at? Bill?
All right? Not Bill Simonson. This is Bill as I'll see if
I can dig up that that picture. Exies and Bros. Will hear from
the Pope John Paul Morosi. Wash up straight ahead here on Xes and Bros.
In the Michigan Sports Network. Find so many great deals with one stop
at Myer like this Friday and Saturday only get a ten dollars coupon and you
spend seventy five dollars or more in store coop on printed to check out,
start redeeming next week. Plus this week's hottest deals on Southern peaches for ninety
nine cents per pound, fresh from Meyer Family pack, chickenbrusts for two twenty
nine per pound, and select Meyer cheese three for five dollars. Meyer has
all you need in just one stop exclusions apply. See all the deals in
store or in the Myer app Huge Chair for the Michigan High School Athletic Association,
you can stay up to date on the latest from Lansing twenty four to
seven at MHSAA dot com, at MHSAA on Twitter and MHSAA on Facebook.
The latest news, press releases, and stories connected to every high school in
the state of Michigan available for you twenty four to seven from the Michigan High
School Athletic Association. Log on to MHSAA dot com, at MHSAA on Twitter
and m hs a A on Facebook. And if you're looking for archive boys
and Girls high school Sports m h s a A dot Tv. That's MHSAA
dot tv twenty four to seven everything you need to know about high school sports
in Michigan. Log on to m HSAA dot com. Rock's Best plays A's
Soaring Eagle Casino in Resort July twenty sixth, the Offspring Rudy Fly for White
Guy with Simple Planet and special guest Kuba Stang, plus September twentieth, the
Matchbox twenty with Kevin de Grau, all part of the Soaring Eagles Summer up
to or Concert Series. Tickets for all shows on sale now at the box
office at etics dot com. Check the entire lineup at Soaring Eagle Casino dot
com. That to the how welcome back to Texus and Bros. Monday through
Friday, sixty till nine across the great state of Michigan. I do not
say this lightly, and I don't say it just because he's on the other
end of my line. I say this because it's true. There are not
many people who are more respected in the game of baseball than John Paul Morosi
works for MLB Tonight, MLB Network, MLB dot Com, Fox Sports FS
one. He has written for The Houston Chronicle, The Boston Globe, the
Seattle Post, the Detroit Free Press. You want to know what's going on
in baseball, this is the guy they follow. You follow him on x
at John Morosi and the Michigan and Harvard Gret joins us here on Exes and
Bros. Glad to have you, my friend. Thanks to the time when
I know you're busy and we appreciate it very much. Hell of an All
Star game last night. Awful uniforms, but in the state of Texas and
the players really delivered it was a fun watch, don't you think it was?
Yeah, and then thanks for the very kind of introduction. All the
respects right back to you, my friend they thanks for everything over the years
and all the amazing guidance that you've given me and your friendship that means the
world number one first and foremost so. But yes, the All Star Game
last night, I was pretty impressed actually by the way the game unfolded.
You're right, I would prefer to see the old English d on the field
as opposed to the Jerseys as we saw them last night. But be that
as it may. The big moments, Oh Tani Howard, we got to
see Judge versus Keanes Jared Duran. What an amazing performance for him and someone
who I think has really inspired a lot of people by talking about his journey
with mental health as well. For him to be the MVP very fitting in
a beautiful moment for him and his family. So this is I think,
overall, Chef, a great midsommer classic and a very beautiful way to begin
the second half of the season. Yeah, Paul Skeens was amazing. I
really was hoping. I think, like a lot of Tigers fans that Terrek
Skubel was going to start the game, but look he comes in second.
He really impresses. I don't want to say it's he should have been,
you know where he is right now because he he had a good, strong
finish a year ago. But what's impressed you most about Terrek Skoubel and his
maturation this year? Wow, Chef. I mean, he basically has in
my estimation, as good of a collection of pitches on the left side as
we have seen in the very, very long time. It is it is
like a peak David Price. You want to say, Cec Sabathia, And
again we got to see Tererif do it for longer before we put him in
the category of what David has done and Cec has done, and certainly Kershaw's
on a way next level. But just in terms of the stuff that he's
got, the ability to execute pitches and be consistent. I mean that to
me is what what has separated Trek from basically everybody else in the game this
season, Chef, is that you know, we saw him mature and come
along. You did a great job of describing a start for the early throughout
his career, and you saw I think the ability to make pitches, but
now he's just making so many fewer mistakes now during the course of an outing,
where every pitch, it seems, is perfectly executed. It's not just
the stuff, but the commander where it's located. That, to me is
what stands out with him and just I think the ability for him to withstand
a high workload is really unique, and that is something I think is very
special in the game right now. We don't see a lot of guys that
do that. But he's got that Andy Pettitt persona on the mound right now,
and it's a lot of fun to watch TV radio print. He does
it all. He is John Paul Morosi, not just in baseball, by
the way, hockey as well. You can follow him on x at John
Morosi. You know the big question. Your good friend Tom Verducci, who
is very good at what he does as well, talked about how the Dodgers
and the Orioles are trying to put together a big package to go after pitching,
and one would think Trek Scubel would be directly in their crosshairs. It's
easy to ask, would you trade them? The harder question to answer is
what do you need to get in return, because I remind people that when
Verlander went to Houston, Houston gave them three of their top eleven prospects.
Personally, I don't want prospects. I think they need major league baseball ready.
Guys, what's your overall take on if and what Detroit should get should
Trek Scuoble be on the market, Well, Scheby, you're exactly right,
and that's where the conversation is picking up if you're going to move Schooble,
And where the Tigers are in a good position is they don't have to.
I think the industry knows they don't have to. It's not as though he's
making a ton of money and that they're under duress to move the contract.
You can basically make the deal that you want or just walk away, say
hey, we'll catch up with you in the offseason, or we'll catch up
with you next year's trade deadline, or maybe never, depending on how things
play out. But you can be choosing here. And if I'm the Tigers,
and if I'm talking with the Dodgers, I would say, Hey,
Gavin Stone, who's already in the major leagues and is one of the Dodgers
starting pitchers, right now. He's got to be in the deal. And
if they say no, say okay, we'll catch up later. I mean,
this is where they're at. I mean, you're if you are,
if you're trading schoogle chef, I fundamentally agree with you. If you're talking
with the Orioles, say hey, I got it. The name of Colden
Cowser or Jackson Holiday or maybe even Jordan Westberg, who by the way,
was an All Star last night. One of them has to be in the
deal. And if they say that that's crazy and that's asking too much,
say okay, fine, we'll catch up with you later on. I mean,
I do think that Scott Harris and the Tigers, they probably owe it
to themselves the organization to explore this. I know that fans won't want to
hear that, but I think they have to at least go down that path.
I mean, at the moment, the Tigers do not have a winning
record. They're below five hundred. They're looking up at three teams in the
Central. If they were ten games over five hundred right now, it'd be
a different conversation. But they're not. You have to deal with the reality
that you've got. But part of that reality also is that Schooble has two
years of control beyond this year, and you don't have to act like you
need to rush into a deal to make it now. That being said,
a little different conversation, but still something that history that you and I know,
well, the Tigers missed their window to trade Michael Fulmer when they did
years ago. I know it was different front office, different everything, but
Foemer was still pretty young in the way that school is still pretty young,
and the Tigers probably could have gotten a franchise changing return for Foemer if they
had really done it the right way, and he started getting hurt and he
was never the same after that in a Tiger uniform. That is the downside
of this to where you also don't want to overplay your head. You don't
want to underplay it, but you don't want to overplay it either, And
I think that's where I think Scott Harris needs to do a lot of due
diligence with this team in the next couple of weeks. A missed opportunity last
year with Eduardo Rodriguez as well, Yes, exactly the same with one of
the same suitors here with the Los Angeles Dodgers, So it's you're exactly right.
There should have been more value brought back to the organization last year than
was at the deadline. Now, how you lead, there are people that
really like what he's been able to do in the minor leagues, and I
think that he's got a chance to be an everyday bat for the Tigers going
forward. So well done by the front office on the acquisition of Lee last
year in the Lorenzen deal. But you're right, this organization should have probably
two more quality players either in the high miners or the major leagues already,
who are not there right now because the Rodriguez deal did not happen as it
should have two other names from the Baltimore organization in case people are wondering.
Kobe Mayo, who's a third baseman, first basement twenty two year old Triple
A doing very well, hitting with power. And Connor Norby, a second
basement slash outfield also at Triple A, a little older at twenty four,
but blocked to a certain extent in Baltimore and is having big power and hitting
over three hundred at Triple A as well. John Paul Morosi joining us here
on X's and bros So Schooble's in that conversation. For sure, I agree
one hundred percent with everything you've said. What about Jack Flaherty, Is it
a must trade for the Tigers with him? And if so, what could
you get in return for a guy who's had kind of a renaissance to a
certain extent he has. Yes, Yeah, But it's an interesting conversation because
last year at this time Flarity also has moved to the deadline. I think
you know, this year he's now had a little bit of a back issue
that knocked him out of one start. Hopefully that's not a long term thing.
I do think he's clearly somebody that you would trade, and because he's
on an expiring contract, because you're not in a strong contending position at the
moment, you probably have to temper your expectations a bit, broadly speaking,
in terms of what they could get back for him. Maybe it ends up
being something similar to what they got with Lorenz in last year. The Lorenzen
was an All star. But that's that's probably you know, how you lead
is probably the high end of what you could get for Flarity right now,
just based on his performance, the health risk. But I certainly think he's
a quality guy that will have a market. There's enough teams out there that
really need pitching help right now. Shep looking at the Los Angeles Dodgers for
one example. I mean, they basically came into co America last weekend and
had two openers back to back days. That's not what you want to have
if you're a team like the Dodgers, who believe that you can win the
World Series this season. So whether Flarity could be a fit there, I
know certainly Scooble is somewhat of interest to them. And then you look around
the rest of the industry the various teams that could use some help. I
think the Guardians could use some pitching help. You could even argue the Twins
could you some pitching help as well. The Milwaukee Brewers need an arm.
I mean, basically, most teams that are right now in the conversation for
the playoffs need a little bit more reliability, and I think Jack Flairty has
pitched more than well enough to earn that level of status right now at the
trade deadline. I think there are some really good surprises in this first half.
I've enjoyed the first half of baseball. What Kansas City has done fifty
six wins a year ago already with fifty two, Cleveland ten games under the
break even last year, and leading the division the way they are really impressive.
What has surprised you most good and bad in the first half in all
of baseball? I think the fact that I would add on what you said,
I agree with fully about those teams in the Central I'm surprised the Cubs
are last. That to me is really mystifying. I expected more of them
this season. I think on the positive side, Milwaukee has been better than
expected, Boston has been a lot better than expected. In Duran winning the
MVP last night was pretty cool, a great way to cap the first half
of them. Rafael Devers, of course, is doing what he normally does.
Ken or Howke was an All Star, of course, and that was
a great surt for Boston as well. But the way in which Boston has
closed the gap on New York and Baltimore, for me, is really surprising.
And I think on the flip side, the way that the Toronto Blue
Jays have really struggled this year is I think a very standout bit of information
that probably is going to get discussed a lot here at the trade deadline.
What the Jays can do in terms of selling some players. Is Boba set
available as Vlad Guerre Junior truly available? A lot of different conversations there.
I think out West, I would have expected the Mariners to have a larger
lead on the Astros than what they have right now based on the way the
year started. But Houston has closed the gap to where now shep You might
say, hey, with all those years of experience with the Houston Astros,
now the just be one game back of Seattle. Here comes the Astros.
Yet again. They simply will not go away. I think those are all
the notes there. I think the Mets being more competitive, they're in a
playoff spot, probably not going to trade Pete Alonzo as a result. In
the Philadelphia Phillies, of all the teams I've seen this season, Ship they've
been the best. Chemistry is outstanding, They've got multiple All Star starters,
multiple All Star relievers. They are the best team in baseball right now,
and I think they're going to be the favorite to win the World Series until
proven otherwise. JP I picked the Tigers in the offseason. I picked the
Tigers to win the division. Now, some of that has to do with
the fact that I didn't think Cleveland could bounce back, especially under a guy
who has never managed before, in Steven Vote, and you've got to give
them a massive amount of credit. And because I didn't think Kansas City would
be as far along in the rebuild as they have proven to be. What
has Detroit lacked most, what has kept them from reaching what some people feel
like is their potential. Why have they underperformed In many people's eyes, They've
been a couple of bats short. And I think shep at the end of
the day. If you would have said to me, if we were talking
about this team and before opening day, and we would have said, hey,
Toorkalsen is going to be in the minor leagues in the middle of the
season, and Bias's numbers are going to be among the worst in the league,
I would say that they're in trouble. And that's they've been in trouble
Offensively, that's where they're at. I think col Keith's emergence has been a
really important development that's been great in Riley Green. Being healthy for the most
part of the season has been great as well, and that's really encouraging.
But I think the struggles of Porklsen Meadows bias. I mean, those are
spots where shortstop first in center, expect than to get more out of than
what you've had, and I think that's that's why they're I think a level
below the other teams in the central right now. I think pitching wise,
I think more than adequate, especially when when school's on the mound and when
Flarerty's on the mound. Miya has been a disappointment, but you're not going
to hit on everybody. I mean, it's that they signed Clarity and Miata
and free agency. One of them has been good, one of them hasn't.
That's that tends to be the way things typically go in free agency with
starting pitching. I think in the bullpen, uh, you know, it's
been an interesting year. I mean, Lang struggled, Vijured Miller, Shelby.
Miller's had one of the more unique season just from a standpoint of decisions.
I think, off the top of my Headshet I think he's he's like
either either like six and six or five and Stay's like that number of decisions
for a reliever at this stage that it's just it's pretty unique, Like you
don't see a guy who's part of that many decisions typically at this time of
the year as a reliever, and Shelby has been I think he's had an
interesting year. He might be a trade Kennedy too, I think fully for
me is a very solid closer. It's certainly much more good than bad for
him this season, and he might be somebody as well that ends up being
part of the trade conversations too. So it's been an interesting year, I
think in a lot of different ways. But I go back to just the
offensive inconsistency they've been for me, one base hit, two base hits short
of winning a whole lot more games, And I think if they had been
more consistent at those key spots. And again this is not all Totals is
fault, but not all Meadows is fault. It's not all Hobby's fault.
He just collectively haven't been as good of an offensive team as I thought they
were going to be. I really like Spencer Toorkilsen. I still think he's
going to hit. I did expect him to have similar numbers this year than
he had last year. Do you think he makes it back to the Tigers
at some point this season, or do you think a full year at Triple
A might do him best. No, it's a great question, and I
think that it's going to be a really interesting saying conversation for the Tigers.
Honestly, out of the deadline, there might be some teams out there that
say that listen with our swing guy, with our team, we believe that
you're a Makes League first basement. So there are some teams I mentioned Seattle
right now, if you're the Mariners and if you've had issues getting productivity at
that position this season, he's got to be somewhere on your list. Maybe
not top of your list, but somewhere on it. And for all the
teams out there that thought that Alonso might be available, or that thought that
Christian Walker might be available, and now those teams are playing better and maybe
not going to sell, the next pot call might be the Tigers and say,
hey, listen, what Troubles is doing right now? How's how are
things looking? I think that to me, don't be surprised that the Mariners,
if they can't get who they want as a bat, don't be surprised
that they if they turn around and try to get troubles with the Tigers.
I think that's a very logical move. I mean, he's he's the kind
of talent who, let's not forget last year, hit thirty home runs,
and the number of guys who are young and relatively inexpensive and hit thirty home
runs is not terribly high. And so I think that trying to get trying
to maybe get focused at right now and a bit of a change of scenery
that might help. I mean, I cannot imagine that he's having a good
time as a as a triple A player right now. He's a proud he's
a proud major league first baseman who's a number one overall pick in the draft.
He does not want to be in the minor league right now, and
I think that that part of his story. If you can't find a way,
in a clear path for him to be in the major leagues right now,
then moving on, honestly might be the best thing for all parties.
Well, you tell a hell of the stories, and proud to call you
a friend, JP. Thanks for all that you do and keeping us up
to date and spending some time with us this morning. Great insight, great
knowledge is always say hello to your beautiful daughters and your beautiful wife. Have
a great rest of the baseball season, my friend Fall all the same wishes.
Tune your family as well. My friend, congratulations on the new show.
You do amazing work as always no matter what the medium is. UH,
You're a superstarship so always enjoy a conversation.