WEBVTT 1 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:17.440 To the Space City. Oh great, great, great, Welcome to another 2 00:00:17.640 --> 00:00:23.120 Space City Saturday. On Sports Talk seven nineties Michael Cutters live in local h 3 00:00:23.239 --> 00:00:29.000 town, breakdown on the world that matters to you, the Houston's world, 4 00:00:29.039 --> 00:00:34.399 all these great Houston fans here. We love it all. So finish up 5 00:00:34.439 --> 00:00:38.960 on that to do list, loot up the cooler, because you can't drink 6 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:45.399 in talk sports all day if you don't start now. This is Space City 7 00:00:45.479 --> 00:00:53.799 Saturday. Here's seven nineties Astros insider Michael Cunnter, and we have a lot 8 00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:56.679 to discuss. So if you do want to drink all day and talk all 9 00:00:56.759 --> 00:00:59.039 day, you do need to start now. As the intro said, here 10 00:00:59.079 --> 00:01:03.280 on Sports Talk seven ninety is a Space City Saturday on Michael Connor with you 11 00:01:03.399 --> 00:01:07.200 until noon. You can join us at seven one three two one two five 12 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:11.319 seven seven one three two one two five seveninety another working Saturday for me. 13 00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:14.200 You got a lot of me in your life. Today here on the radio 14 00:01:14.359 --> 00:01:19.439 is we'll get the astros coverage this evening starting at five o'clock for the on 15 00:01:19.640 --> 00:01:23.879 Deck show and then the tenth Inning show afterwards. Did not have a tenth 16 00:01:23.959 --> 00:01:27.239 inning show last night, and that was a good thing is we're gonna start 17 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:30.680 off with the Astros this morning. Of course, we have a lot to 18 00:01:30.719 --> 00:01:34.120 get to. Big week for the Rockets this past week. You heard our 19 00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:38.719 coverage here on seven ninety Thursday night down at Post Houston. We will talk 20 00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:44.359 NBA Draft, the summer ahead, the predictions of where the Rockets will end 21 00:01:44.439 --> 00:01:47.439 up next year, because it's a little bit trickier next year when it comes 22 00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:49.400 to the draft and where they couldn't land. But hopefully we're not talking about 23 00:01:49.400 --> 00:01:53.560 a team that is, of course as bad as they've been next season. 24 00:01:53.560 --> 00:01:57.879 So we'll get into them in just a bit. But because it's the freshest 25 00:01:57.879 --> 00:02:00.920 thing that's come off since last night, which was late night West Coast Baseball, 26 00:02:00.920 --> 00:02:04.959 And you know, I love a little late with late night games, 27 00:02:06.120 --> 00:02:07.919 especially on a Friday night when you don't have to necessarily be up early the 28 00:02:07.960 --> 00:02:10.400 next morning. Now, I still got up at seven am this morning because 29 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:14.360 I went and worked out before we did the show, came home because breakfast 30 00:02:14.360 --> 00:02:17.360 did the whole thing. But I do like to stay up and watch those 31 00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:21.960 games when they're on Friday nights, and we'll do now tonight. I watch 32 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:23.599 I don't know why am I watch that m I watch sits here and just 33 00:02:23.639 --> 00:02:29.759 picks up things I say. But last night they and tonight, by the 34 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:32.120 way, is a national broadcast. They are on Fox Tonight on TV, 35 00:02:32.280 --> 00:02:38.439 So I would go ahead and suggest tuning your radio up to the television, 36 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:42.599 syncing that up and listening to Robert and Steve tonight. Same goes with Tomorrow 37 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:46.800 night Sunday Night Baseball to wrap up the series. But last night, kicking 38 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:50.639 it off, they're in Los Angeles against the Dodgers team that's I look for 39 00:02:50.680 --> 00:02:53.840 their level of expectation a lot like the Astros. They're not where they expect 40 00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:59.039 to be this season. Now. They took a different approach to their off 41 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:02.199 season than the Astros necessarily did. They did not spend big money or give 42 00:03:02.199 --> 00:03:07.879 out really any contracts of any length because they were trying to reset their tax 43 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:12.159 number because they're definitely going to be after Shoheotani last year. But they're still 44 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:14.439 a good baseball team. They still have really good players on it. You 45 00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:19.000 saw it last night, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Bett's absolute problems going to be 46 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:22.840 problems for the rest of this series. JP France kind of all night walked 47 00:03:22.840 --> 00:03:25.199 the tight rope doing his thing, but got through it gave the Astros a 48 00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:29.759 chance to win the baseball game. It came back to the same thing we've 49 00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:32.080 been talking about all season long for this club. Now, look, you 50 00:03:32.199 --> 00:03:35.919 tip your cap to the other side every single time when the pitcher goes out 51 00:03:35.960 --> 00:03:38.639 there and dominates, and early on his career, she and there for the 52 00:03:38.680 --> 00:03:44.639 Dodgers has been exceptional. I mean, they basically forced this kid to skip 53 00:03:44.680 --> 00:03:47.319 Triple A because of their need. They got so desperate with injuries. He 54 00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:53.080 was actually promoted to Triple I didn't even go there to make a start, 55 00:03:53.319 --> 00:03:57.280 and before he got promoted to the majors because they had another injury in their 56 00:03:57.360 --> 00:03:59.800 rotation, they had to do it. He was awesome last night. He's 57 00:03:59.800 --> 00:04:01.960 got stuff. He's a big time prospect. You see that. He's gonna 58 00:04:01.960 --> 00:04:04.439 be good for them. Right for a long time, he was good. 59 00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:09.840 The Astros hadn't seen him before. Advantage always goes pitcher in most cases when 60 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:14.560 the team hasn't seen the pitcher. But three hits across the ballgame for the 61 00:04:14.599 --> 00:04:20.240 Astros last night. The offensive struggles continue to be the storyline of this season. 62 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:25.279 It cannot continue to be that bad, and it is frustrating in this 63 00:04:25.319 --> 00:04:30.399 period of time to watch them go out there and play like this offensively when 64 00:04:30.439 --> 00:04:32.600 your Don Alvarez is out. Now, the nugget from last night is that 65 00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:38.319 they don't play Jose Abrey you again. He says before the game last night 66 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:41.319 that he and Dusty Baker plan this so he can, as they put it, 67 00:04:41.480 --> 00:04:46.279 quote reset himself hopefully. I think that's just a desperation move there, 68 00:04:46.279 --> 00:04:48.480 of course, that it's what you do when you're struggling this badly. They 69 00:04:48.519 --> 00:04:53.839 put Mauricio Dubon over their first base again last night. He of course hits 70 00:04:53.879 --> 00:04:58.879 a home run and then the Astros almost feel like they're gonna pull something off 71 00:04:58.879 --> 00:05:03.639 when Dubon Tucker go back to back there. But it's just the same thing 72 00:05:03.879 --> 00:05:08.519 over and over for this club. Unfortunately, that the offense is not good. 73 00:05:08.839 --> 00:05:13.040 And I think the further along we get into this, they're forty one 74 00:05:13.040 --> 00:05:15.839 and thirty five now, the likelihood of them being a wildcard team is still 75 00:05:15.959 --> 00:05:20.079 very good. The deadline approaches, it will be here August first. We 76 00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:23.600 are sitting here in June twenty fourth, so there's still a lot of time 77 00:05:23.639 --> 00:05:28.639 between then and now to see how teams look Jordan Alvarez is expected back from 78 00:05:28.680 --> 00:05:31.800 what it sounds like after the All Star break. Just the presence in the 79 00:05:31.879 --> 00:05:36.120 lineup alone for Jordan Alvarez matters so much for this team. On how other 80 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:41.800 guys are pitched with him in there, we're seeing some of the results of 81 00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:46.279 that of late, we're also seeing guys not stepping up and performing to the 82 00:05:46.360 --> 00:05:49.560 levels that they're expected to perform at to help carry the load while he's out. 83 00:05:49.560 --> 00:05:54.920 But the Astros last night lose. Texas wins in ten in New York 84 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:59.279 against the Yankees thanks to an a Dallas Garcia temphinning home run. And I 85 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:02.600 have come to you this morning and I tweeted it before the show at MC 86 00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:05.879 seven ninety And if you want to share your opinion on me, that's fine 87 00:06:06.439 --> 00:06:11.879 either there or here, and we can talk about the Astros throughout the morning. 88 00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:14.680 And this is what I'm about to give you right now. We are 89 00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:19.120 sitting with the club at forty one and thirty five. They're not a bad 90 00:06:19.160 --> 00:06:23.639 baseball team by any means. There's no reason to believe that they are. 91 00:06:23.720 --> 00:06:27.360 They are a good baseball team. Seventy six games in, they have a 92 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:30.319 winning record. They are currently a postseason team by a half a game in 93 00:06:30.360 --> 00:06:35.600 the American League for the wild card spot. Part of me, I will 94 00:06:35.639 --> 00:06:39.240 admit to you right now, is going to say this because I want to 95 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:42.879 try and put it into the atmosphere and jinx myself to where it becomes wrong. 96 00:06:44.519 --> 00:06:46.680 But now that we're seventy six games into this, we're creeping towards a 97 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:53.360 hundred. I'm gonna say it right now. They're not winning the American League 98 00:06:53.399 --> 00:06:57.279 West this year. I've tried to hold onto my hope as long as I 99 00:06:57.319 --> 00:07:01.120 can for that Texas is real. Unless they have a bunch of guys that 100 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:08.360 just have season ending injuries, They're not going away this year now. Could 101 00:07:08.360 --> 00:07:11.079 it be a one and done type of thing, I do believe that, 102 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:15.279 But they'll definitely improve their team again after the season is over and they probably 103 00:07:15.319 --> 00:07:18.240 won't be going away necessarily. But as we sit here today, I'm down 104 00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:21.199 in the dumps. I'm not going to lie to you. At six and 105 00:07:21.240 --> 00:07:25.480 a half games back the Furthest, back the Furthest, they're the biggest lead 106 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:29.519 that the Rangers have had in the division. And this is before the Astros 107 00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:32.199 and Rangers even play on this road trip. They have that four game series 108 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:36.879 to close this thing out. I don't feel good about it. They're so 109 00:07:38.040 --> 00:07:40.279 up and down as a baseball team right now. Now, though they can 110 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:43.759 come right back when two out of the next three they're in Los Angeles and 111 00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:46.680 we're all singing a different tune on Monday, go to Saint Louis kicks a 112 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:54.480 mass who knows. But if they screw around here and they keep putting up 113 00:07:54.480 --> 00:07:58.439 offensive performances like they did last night, and they lose two of three in 114 00:07:58.519 --> 00:08:01.160 Los Angeles and they don't perform the way they need to perform in Saint Louis 115 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:07.160 against a bad team, I mean, what's to say that the Astros don't 116 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:11.279 go into Arlington and aren't seven and a half excuse me, eight and a 117 00:08:11.319 --> 00:08:16.600 half nine and a half games back, and then god forbid, they go 118 00:08:16.600 --> 00:08:20.519 and lose three or four there. Now. No, I know, I'm 119 00:08:20.519 --> 00:08:26.079 playing worst case scenario here, but that you can ride away the division this 120 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:31.319 week for the Astros if they don't get it together and figure it out on 121 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:33.240 this road trip. Texas, by the way, has two more games there 122 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:37.360 in New York, and then they played Detroit at home for four before the 123 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:41.000 Astros get there. News flash, they're gonna have a good week, They're 124 00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:43.600 gonna win a lot of ball games. You have a three gamer there in 125 00:08:43.639 --> 00:08:48.480 St. Louis, where, to be perfectly honest with you, you need 126 00:08:48.519 --> 00:08:52.120 to go in there and sweep that bad team, because that's what that team 127 00:08:52.200 --> 00:08:58.720 is. They're bad. You can't afford to go into that Texas series limping 128 00:08:58.799 --> 00:09:05.320 in again, potentially with Texas winning a bunch of baseball games right before and 129 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:09.720 extending their leading the division, and you stole the Angels right there on your 130 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:13.679 heels. Hell, even for his disappointing as the Mariners have been, they're 131 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:20.879 only three games behind you. This is the first time in a long time 132 00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:28.440 that the pressure feels real, and I think that they will find their way 133 00:09:28.480 --> 00:09:33.840 to where they're supposed to be because they they're the Astros. Their mentality is 134 00:09:33.879 --> 00:09:37.240 always right. They know how to win. They do a lot of things 135 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:43.759 better than others. But against seventy six games into the season, as we're 136 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:50.279 sitting here, I don't feel good about it, and I want to be 137 00:09:50.360 --> 00:09:54.000 completely wrong. I want this statement that I've made this morning that the Astros 138 00:09:54.039 --> 00:09:56.480 are not going to win the American League West this year to come back and 139 00:09:56.559 --> 00:09:58.879 you guys all call me in a few months and say, remember when you 140 00:10:00.039 --> 00:10:03.240 said in June that they're not going to win the division? And I have 141 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:07.759 to say, yes, I do remember that because I've always been the guy 142 00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:11.200 that said here and fought with people to say the Yeah, they're gonna be 143 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:16.919 fine. And they might be fine from the standpoint of getting to the postseason. 144 00:10:18.519 --> 00:10:22.440 But even if they get there, based on the way the roster is 145 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:28.600 constructed right now, I just don't feel that they have a chance to even 146 00:10:28.600 --> 00:10:33.200 win the World Series this year in a league that's pretty damn open. In 147 00:10:33.279 --> 00:10:37.440 my opinion, Tampa's the juggernaut. It's gonna be disappointing to them if they 148 00:10:37.480 --> 00:10:43.240 don't win at all. Baltimore behind them in that division. That Al East 149 00:10:43.399 --> 00:10:46.919 is a beast. The Central is an absolute laughing stock. The West is 150 00:10:48.039 --> 00:10:52.399 very tough. But in that East, Tampa's a juggernaut. They're for real. 151 00:10:52.679 --> 00:10:58.360 Baltimore they're a monster this season, but they're super young. Still, 152 00:11:00.200 --> 00:11:03.200 just never know. The Yankees are a postseason team right now. Toronto is 153 00:11:03.279 --> 00:11:07.080 lurking as well. They're a half game back of the Astros. Boston is 154 00:11:07.080 --> 00:11:09.200 a game and a half back. Though all those teams in the East are 155 00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:13.320 over five hundred, and then you have four of the five in the West 156 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:15.799 that are at five hundred or better. He could look at the Central. 157 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:20.000 The Central has got one team over five hundred. It's embarrassing. That's a 158 00:11:20.120 --> 00:11:22.720 just god awful division. I think it speaks to those cities, though players 159 00:11:22.720 --> 00:11:26.279 don't want to play in those cities. Minnesota, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Detroit. 160 00:11:26.679 --> 00:11:28.919 Chicago's not bad, but it's the white soxs ra to play for the 161 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:33.519 Cubs and then Kansas City. Who wants to live in any of those dumps? 162 00:11:33.559 --> 00:11:35.720 Nobody. I think we gotta puck her up. We gotta be ready 163 00:11:35.720 --> 00:11:39.399 to puck her up and deal with it. This season, it is going 164 00:11:39.480 --> 00:11:45.240 to be a fight just to get in for this club. And that leads 165 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:48.720 to the question, if it continues this way and they are so far out 166 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:52.919 in the division and they're fighting for a wild card spot, how hard do 167 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:58.279 you want to go at the deadline? I think it's an interesting proposition for 168 00:11:58.440 --> 00:12:03.320 this franchise. Seven one three two one two five seven ninety. Do you 169 00:12:03.399 --> 00:12:07.320 feel the same unfortunate bad vibes that I've been feeling. How do you feel 170 00:12:07.320 --> 00:12:09.279 about how this is going to play out for this team. A lot of 171 00:12:09.320 --> 00:12:13.360 baseball still to go, but you can join us this morning again seven one 172 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:15.799 three two one two five seven ninety. We'll take a quick time out. 173 00:12:15.799 --> 00:12:20.080 When we return, we'll discuss just how far you want to go with this 174 00:12:20.159 --> 00:12:24.080 club when it comes to that deadline. Next here on seven ninety. It's 175 00:12:24.200 --> 00:12:37.120 Space City Senturday on Sports Talk seven ninety. Space City Saturday here on Sports 176 00:12:37.159 --> 00:12:41.000 Talk seven ninety until noon. Michael Connor here with you where you can get 177 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:46.080 in and within the conversation at seven one three two one two five seven ninety 178 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:48.399 seven one three two on two five seven ninety. Can also send me a 179 00:12:48.440 --> 00:12:54.559 tweet at MC seven ninety discussing your Houston Astros to start the show this morning. 180 00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:58.080 After another loss last night three to two to the Dodgers, we will 181 00:12:58.120 --> 00:13:03.279 get back or we'll get into i should say. The Rockets here in just 182 00:13:03.320 --> 00:13:07.240 a bit after the day. Of course, had their NBA Draft this week 183 00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:09.200 and a lot of people liked what they did, which is always a good 184 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:13.200 thing, and we'll see what the future holds for that basketball team. Of 185 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:15.480 course, we are your home for the Rockets and the Astros. You're on 186 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:18.120 Sports Talk seven ninety to speak of the Stros this evening. They will play 187 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:24.519 again six fifteen. First pitch. I'll have you starting at five o'clock for 188 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:28.879 the Astros on deck show than Robert Ford and Steve Sparks. We'll take over 189 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:31.399 at five forty five. Let's go to the phone line seven three two on 190 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:39.559 two five seven ninety and talk to Izzy. Hello, Izzy, look yere 191 00:13:39.759 --> 00:13:43.159 go ahead? Okay, yeah, Sorr. I just had her doing that 192 00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:48.759 in here. So just a couple of things. Expectations, right, So 193 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:52.440 last year I kind of like I probably speak to a lot of fans, 194 00:13:52.480 --> 00:13:56.840 but last year, all our expectations are met, right, Like it was 195 00:13:56.840 --> 00:14:01.559 a dream season. We were healthy, it was more than like what we 196 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:05.519 could ask for. So it was like it was perfect because it was retribution. 197 00:14:05.639 --> 00:14:07.879 It was like we got back at the MLB last year. And I 198 00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:13.039 think with all the struggles this year, it's kind of like, I don't 199 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:20.120 know, last year made this year. Okay, We've had all these injuries 200 00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:22.879 and we you know, there's a little bit of luck, you know, 201 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:26.600 we all know that, and this year it's just not falling our way. 202 00:14:26.919 --> 00:14:31.080 With that said, you know a lot of our younger guys are getting experience. 203 00:14:31.679 --> 00:14:35.960 If they add a bat, you know, we can improve with some 204 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:39.440 wins, especially with the big guy coming back and everybody getting healthy. We'll 205 00:14:39.480 --> 00:14:43.440 see what happens. I'll draw this analogy and then I'll sit back and listen. 206 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:48.120 I'm old enough to remember the Rockets winning as a sixty. I'm not 207 00:14:48.159 --> 00:14:52.960 saying we're gonna win the World Series. But there's a quote that sampa Cell 208 00:14:52.039 --> 00:14:56.200 had in which he says, you know, we struggled all season when the 209 00:14:56.200 --> 00:15:01.399 playoffs, when knew in the playoffs began we were going to turn it around. 210 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:05.519 That you know, this team thrives for pressure. That to just to 211 00:15:05.559 --> 00:15:07.559 summarize this quote, so I kind of feel like the shows are like that. 212 00:15:09.159 --> 00:15:11.440 I don't need them to make the series. That would be awesome. 213 00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:16.399 I just want them to piss people off and just get there and kind of, 214 00:15:16.519 --> 00:15:18.399 you know, just irritate people and we'll see what happens. Right, 215 00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:22.480 it's baseball, but you know it's we play a long game here. I 216 00:15:24.039 --> 00:15:28.440 want it to be good for a little while longer. We're gonna have season 217 00:15:28.559 --> 00:15:31.759 like this. So I'll sit back at thank you for the phone call? 218 00:15:31.879 --> 00:15:33.559 Is he seven one three two one two five seven ninety. I think you 219 00:15:33.639 --> 00:15:37.039 know you're sentiment on a lot of the things, so it's accurate to an 220 00:15:37.080 --> 00:15:41.320 extent. Out for me, I'm I'm never gonna be okay necessarily with you 221 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:45.200 know, having a year where they don't go to the postseason. I'm spoiled 222 00:15:45.240 --> 00:15:48.000 like everybody else. And look, okay, I'm gonna be honest with you. 223 00:15:48.039 --> 00:15:52.000 When they go to the postseason. It helps my helps me with money. 224 00:15:52.039 --> 00:15:54.679 I mean, like there's more advertising and everything in the radio world. 225 00:15:54.679 --> 00:15:56.080 When they're in the postseason, they go far, like, so I'm always 226 00:15:56.440 --> 00:16:02.399 them to go far in the postseason. I love it. But and selfishly 227 00:16:02.440 --> 00:16:04.320 too, I do love getting to go on the road when they're in the 228 00:16:04.360 --> 00:16:07.240 postseason and go to those of the cities and see those of the ballparks and 229 00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:10.639 be in the atmosphere and all that and then be all the postseason games. 230 00:16:10.679 --> 00:16:12.200 So I mean, I want them to be there. I just don't feel 231 00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:17.279 great about it at this moment. I know that there's an element of bad 232 00:16:17.399 --> 00:16:21.039 luck in terms of the health situation in a lot of spots this season, 233 00:16:21.080 --> 00:16:26.879 but overall, the biggest reason why they've struggled has not been the health. 234 00:16:26.639 --> 00:16:30.519 It's been the underperformance of so many key players. That's it. That's the 235 00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:34.960 storyline here. Because they have enough talent on this roster to still go out 236 00:16:36.200 --> 00:16:38.679 and be ten, twelve, fifteen games over five hundred, they're not because 237 00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:42.720 they've underperformed. And there's just no other way to put it. Like if 238 00:16:42.720 --> 00:16:47.840 that ruffles feathers somewhere, I don't care, it's just the truth. They 239 00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:51.440 have a lineup that's filled with guys they're you know, barely above seven hundred 240 00:16:51.480 --> 00:16:56.320 ops all over the place. It's not good enough. One of the barometers 241 00:16:56.320 --> 00:17:00.720 that we keep in baseball now is for you know, really where a player 242 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:04.160 is is ops plus and one hundred or better is tipped. I mean, 243 00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:07.799 a hundred is like average, and you want to be, you know, 244 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:11.799 one hundred or more. They have. These are the guys that are over 245 00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:15.640 one hundred. Ricio du Bond's at one oh one, Alex Bregman's at one 246 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:18.640 oh five. For Alex Bregman, one oh five is not good enough, 247 00:17:18.599 --> 00:17:22.960 Kyle Tucker's at one eighteen. It's it's good, but it needs to be 248 00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:26.200 better. Even your Don could probably be a little bit bit. I shouldn't 249 00:17:26.200 --> 00:17:27.519 say he can't be too much better. I mean, he's in one nineteen. 250 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:30.680 He's got all the numbers in the world. This is batting average that's 251 00:17:30.720 --> 00:17:33.799 probably a little a little bit lower when he's played than he would like. 252 00:17:33.839 --> 00:17:37.039 Then you go to the bench. These guys don't have a lot of it 253 00:17:37.079 --> 00:17:38.920 bats. But here's the ops. Guys that are over one hundred, Chas 254 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:42.119 mccormicks at one seventeen, Yin Ardias at one fourteen, and then Jose al 255 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:47.400 two at one oh eight. They have guys in this regular lineup that are 256 00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:51.720 at fifty five in Martine mild Nato, Jose Abrey, you at sixty three. 257 00:17:51.880 --> 00:17:53.799 Paint is just below at ninety six, but he has to be better. 258 00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:57.279 Corey Jokes is at eighty nine. I don't have a lot of expectation 259 00:17:57.359 --> 00:18:02.319 for him. He either hits a home run ocasionally or hits ground balls that's 260 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:06.519 just who he's been so far, or strikes out. Jake Myers has gone 261 00:18:06.519 --> 00:18:08.440 in the tank. He's at eighty eight now. And then on the bench. 262 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:14.119 The guys that have played here. Hensley was brief fourteen. Csar Salazar 263 00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:18.039 in his thirteen or thirteen games that he appeared in was negative twenty three. 264 00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:22.079 Great Kessinger thirty two. Ryland Bannon, he doesn't count. He had six 265 00:18:22.119 --> 00:18:25.839 at bats, he was negative one hundred. They're not good enough offensively. 266 00:18:25.960 --> 00:18:29.880 That's just as simple as it gets. They have been one of the poorest 267 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:34.440 offensive teams in baseball all season long. And it gets back to again underperforming 268 00:18:34.519 --> 00:18:38.680 across the roster. Josea. Brayu, we've gone over it to were blew 269 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:44.240 in the face. Absolute disaster of assigning so far. Nobody could have seen 270 00:18:44.279 --> 00:18:48.400 this coming. This was not on the radar. Everybody was excited for this 271 00:18:48.440 --> 00:18:52.680 signing, myself included Jeremy Pinney. Like I mentioned, he's been okay at 272 00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:57.720 times, but overall not slugging enough. A guy that you thought would elevate 273 00:18:57.759 --> 00:19:02.000 in year two to a different level, maybe mature a little bit more. 274 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:04.079 He has been a little bit better at getting on base in terms of the 275 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:10.160 walks, but there's not been any less strikeout. There's not been more powers, 276 00:19:10.640 --> 00:19:14.000 there's not been any more batting average for him so far. Alex Bregman 277 00:19:14.039 --> 00:19:15.920 has been one of the biggest disappointments of this season. I know that he's 278 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:19.680 had his little tears and everything, and he's always a hometown hero and he 279 00:19:19.720 --> 00:19:23.039 always will be but the facts of the facts, for the expectation level that 280 00:19:23.079 --> 00:19:26.960 he has based on the way that his career has been and the money that 281 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:29.799 he has paid, he is not performing to the level that he has to. 282 00:19:29.839 --> 00:19:30.759 And he knows that. I know that he knows that, and he 283 00:19:30.799 --> 00:19:33.839 doesn't want to be this guy. But he has not been good enough. 284 00:19:34.839 --> 00:19:38.839 Kyle Tucker has been okay, that's it. He's been okay. He hasn't 285 00:19:38.839 --> 00:19:42.240 been great. And they need these guys, those big boys. And al 286 00:19:42.279 --> 00:19:45.000 Twove is still coming back. He's not even out one hundred at bats yet. 287 00:19:45.319 --> 00:19:48.359 I'm going to give him till he gets to about one fifty one seventy 288 00:19:48.359 --> 00:19:52.319 five. If he's under performing where you say, okay, he's got a 289 00:19:52.440 --> 00:19:55.119 really kick it into gear. You need him be kicking into gear now. 290 00:19:55.400 --> 00:19:56.759 But that's when I'm saying, you really got to kick it into gear. 291 00:19:56.960 --> 00:20:00.880 It's gonna take a minute. Still coming off of that injury. It's a 292 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:06.680 very easy story to write, unfortunately, and I don't know what it is 293 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:10.039 that they do to get themselves back. This could just be one of those 294 00:20:10.119 --> 00:20:11.960 years for a lot of these players where they have a down years, simple 295 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:15.920 as that. It happens in baseball. You go look across the sport, 296 00:20:15.960 --> 00:20:19.200 guys just have bad years, and this year it's like it all came together. 297 00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:23.160 Is it because they've played so much baseball throughout the whatever it might be 298 00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:27.960 the World Baseball? I don't know, but I'm not enjoying watching them consistently 299 00:20:27.960 --> 00:20:30.880 like I did last season. I can tell you that right now. I 300 00:20:30.920 --> 00:20:33.440 still want to be helpful. I still think that we can get there in 301 00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:37.200 terms of our enjoyment of watching them, But it's gonna take a minute. 302 00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:41.400 Let's go to Parlin next and talk to Brian here on Space City Saturday. 303 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:45.559 Hello, Brian, what's up? Mc ginger? Brother from another mother? 304 00:20:48.279 --> 00:20:49.720 Oh, not too much. Congrats first of all, but on the wedding. 305 00:20:49.720 --> 00:20:55.480 I don't think I've talked to you since then, So congentulations real quick. 306 00:20:55.640 --> 00:20:57.200 You know, I think he just comes down to last year. It 307 00:20:57.279 --> 00:21:02.039 seems like everything that could have gone right went it right. You got all 308 00:21:02.039 --> 00:21:04.200 the breaks, you wasn't the overtime, you know, overtime, the extra 309 00:21:04.359 --> 00:21:08.279 ending games, you know, just the pitching was there. It was all 310 00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:12.039 sharp. You didn't have to worry about this reliever coming in and who is 311 00:21:12.039 --> 00:21:17.559 it going to be? Is it gonna be dicey. It. Basically everything 312 00:21:17.599 --> 00:21:19.519 came together in this year. It just seems like you're not getting that. 313 00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:25.480 You're having all these sloppy games, which is very unusual for these guys, 314 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:30.680 and you know, obviously then people aren't hitting. You don't have a deep 315 00:21:30.720 --> 00:21:33.480 bench, you half of your rosters basically a triple A roster, and you 316 00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:37.640 can't sustain up for too long. I mean, you can patch work it 317 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:42.559 together, but my biggest here is the Allstar break. Well three weeks away. 318 00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:45.319 Aby point, you can be ten games uple and you could be four 319 00:21:45.359 --> 00:21:48.799 games out of the wild card. Now under the wild card, you can 320 00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:52.839 still get in and make it, but they gotta do obviously, they have 321 00:21:52.920 --> 00:21:56.680 to do something at the deadline. But you know, it's just I think 322 00:21:56.720 --> 00:22:00.559 the injuries are piling up. People haven't done here. It's just the way 323 00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:03.400 they're playing with the defensive mistakes, and you know that game they had in 324 00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:07.400 Toronto or is just sloppy and guys getting thrown out. I'm not going to 325 00:22:07.440 --> 00:22:11.400 the right base, and all the just kind of coming together. It's just 326 00:22:11.400 --> 00:22:15.839 just been frustrating. Like you, I mean, I was there. I 327 00:22:15.960 --> 00:22:18.200 was still there in twenty thirteen and twenty twelve and twenty eleven, for all 328 00:22:18.200 --> 00:22:22.599 those cractacular years, and this isn't to that level. But it's just one 329 00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:26.519 of those you know how good they can be, and when you don't see 330 00:22:26.519 --> 00:22:32.119 it, it's just frustrating and activating and you know, you're just you're hoping 331 00:22:32.279 --> 00:22:37.039 something will turn and go your way. But I mean, the reinforcements are 332 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:40.519 coming, but at what point and how far out are you going to be 333 00:22:41.319 --> 00:22:45.079 at that point? That's my biggest concern is there's no help. There's there's 334 00:22:45.119 --> 00:22:48.200 no help in it. Where coming. I mean, you're not on this 335 00:22:48.279 --> 00:22:52.440 coming, but that's three weeks away. I mean, what will you be 336 00:22:52.559 --> 00:22:56.200 that Biden and just you don't have that other guy stepping up, or you 337 00:22:56.240 --> 00:23:00.119 don't have that good bat off the bench in a pinch situation where it's like, 338 00:23:00.599 --> 00:23:03.160 I know, I can bring in the as or somebody like that, 339 00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:07.240 at least put the battle on the ball, keep it in play, stay 340 00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:10.039 out of double play, something like that. So I think it's just an 341 00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:14.880 old microcoss the book, everything and all of that. We expect so much 342 00:23:14.920 --> 00:23:21.599 from these guys to see it just kind of um. So I'm trying to 343 00:23:21.640 --> 00:23:22.759 talk to you and you hard work, which you want a lot of breath. 344 00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:29.240 But I promise I didn't run a fly the stairs. But I think 345 00:23:29.240 --> 00:23:33.200 it's just we expect so much and we've been there so many years that to 346 00:23:33.319 --> 00:23:37.119 see it this and the struggles, and it didn't help the fact that the 347 00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:41.240 Rangers are playing out of their minds. So, you know, not giving 348 00:23:41.319 --> 00:23:45.000 up hope. I'm hoping maybe they can still grab two or three in uh 349 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:48.319 here in La. Yeah, I think that you got to go in and 350 00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:52.640 at we're split with the Rangers. If you don't try to have to win 351 00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:59.279 three of those, I think to even maintain yourself in not only the division 352 00:23:59.359 --> 00:24:03.319 race walk already, So MC, I'll let you go on on. Actually, 353 00:24:03.319 --> 00:24:07.079 you got a boatload of calls, but good to hear from I'll keep 354 00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:08.599 listening. Thank you for the phone called Brian. It's always good to hear 355 00:24:08.640 --> 00:24:11.839 from you. And good luck with the yardwork, man, Get it done 356 00:24:11.880 --> 00:24:15.240 because it is going to be another this stupid heat. Man, I gotta 357 00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:18.680 cut my yard and I'm waiting probably till tomorrow night, like like eight o'clock. 358 00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:23.559 You know, I'm with you on a lot of the things, you 359 00:24:23.559 --> 00:24:27.839 know, the whole it didn't it just nothing's come together. And I do 360 00:24:27.960 --> 00:24:33.640 think you talk about depth, and that's one of the most frustrating things about 361 00:24:33.640 --> 00:24:34.839 this team. And I think this is where they've made some mistakes in the 362 00:24:34.839 --> 00:24:41.039 past. They've let unfortunately too many guys go, and eventually it's going to 363 00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:45.359 catch up to you. And I think we're seeing some of those some of 364 00:24:45.359 --> 00:24:48.240 those things come back and haunt them. Now as we've moved along. We'll 365 00:24:48.279 --> 00:24:51.640 get more into that here in a moment seven two and two five seven ninety, 366 00:24:52.039 --> 00:24:55.079 and we'll discuss just how far how deep you're willing to go when it 367 00:24:55.079 --> 00:24:57.039 comes to that deadline to get reinforcements for this ball club. It is Space 368 00:24:57.039 --> 00:25:04.599 City Saturday, next here or right here, Haunt seven ninety, Space City 369 00:25:04.680 --> 00:25:26.920 Saturday on Sports Talk seven ninety, Space City Saturday, right here on Sports 370 00:25:26.920 --> 00:25:30.319 Talk seven. You were here until noon. You can join us seven one 371 00:25:30.440 --> 00:25:36.400 three two one two five at seven ninety is the phone number we've been discussing 372 00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:40.160 your astros. An hour two we're gonna give into the Rockets and the NBA 373 00:25:40.200 --> 00:25:42.680 as a whole, because well, summer is here. And one of my 374 00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:48.160 favorite things in the world of sports is always the player movement, the drama 375 00:25:48.200 --> 00:25:51.680 of the NBA. I think it's just about as much fun as the play 376 00:25:51.720 --> 00:25:52.720 on the floor. Now. I'd love for that to change here in the 377 00:25:52.759 --> 00:25:57.160 city of Houston, of course, And it felt like another another step towards 378 00:25:57.240 --> 00:26:00.640 that, um, you know, with the draft that they had the other 379 00:26:00.759 --> 00:26:04.680 night, with what they went out there and did, getting a couple of 380 00:26:04.680 --> 00:26:07.359 guys that I know everybody's excited about. We'll get into them again an hour 381 00:26:07.440 --> 00:26:11.079 or two. Let's continue the discussion though, on the astros. I want 382 00:26:11.079 --> 00:26:14.680 to talk about the depth and how far they want to go here in just 383 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:17.160 a second, but John's on hold, wants to talk to see three two 384 00:26:17.200 --> 00:26:19.200 and two five. Sonny, Hey, John, Hey, Mike, how 385 00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:22.720 you being. I'm good? How are you? I'm good? Man. 386 00:26:22.839 --> 00:26:26.480 Look, you know that I absolutely losing three to two last night. I 387 00:26:26.480 --> 00:26:30.920 ain't even concerned about that actually now, I mean, I'm all about the 388 00:26:30.960 --> 00:26:33.559 big picture. You know that they just made the playoffs. But yeah, 389 00:26:33.599 --> 00:26:37.279 man, you know, I love I love him a barb Bregman. But 390 00:26:37.400 --> 00:26:41.799 you know, when you you look at his career ever since they brought him 391 00:26:41.880 --> 00:26:45.640 up, he to me personally, he just ain't never really yet lived up 392 00:26:45.640 --> 00:26:49.839 to the building. The you know, the chosen one, that type of 393 00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:53.599 thing you think when you know, you look at George Spring a gone and 394 00:26:53.799 --> 00:26:59.000 uh career a gone. Well, when they were all here, you know, 395 00:26:59.119 --> 00:27:03.920 nobody worried out Alas too much because he had cover, you know, 396 00:27:03.079 --> 00:27:07.880 everybody else was hitting. But now that some of these guys are gone, 397 00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:11.400 that cover is pulled off. And frankly, he really he doesn't really need 398 00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:15.680 to do more than what he's doing. A home run every four, five, 399 00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:18.960 six games and stuff. That's fine, but that's not enough, man 400 00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:25.559 for you to be the so called superstar, you know. Um, you 401 00:27:25.640 --> 00:27:26.799 know, so, I mean, that's all I got to say about Breg. 402 00:27:27.359 --> 00:27:32.720 He's really been disappointed, but I still love him anyway, uh a 403 00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:37.319 tube as you say, you know, like like Dusty Baker said, he 404 00:27:37.359 --> 00:27:44.079 hadn't even had his uh his uh he got hurt his early his early practice 405 00:27:44.119 --> 00:27:45.960 and all that. But we know how Tubey gonna be okay. He may 406 00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:51.319 not be the great uh hit a home run hitter he was a few years 407 00:27:51.359 --> 00:27:53.720 ago, but he'll be okay because he's a pretty good hitter. But it 408 00:27:53.759 --> 00:27:59.559 really does show how, you know, we really do miss uh Avarez, 409 00:27:59.720 --> 00:28:03.400 you know, and honestly, man, you know, I Bregman. I 410 00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:07.279 think they moved him down to fourth. Now, Man, I would have 411 00:28:07.400 --> 00:28:10.599 moved him on down down there to six though seven, you know, putting 412 00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:15.079 little fire in him and see if he can do better than what he's doing. 413 00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:18.160 You know. And the thing that really kills me is when I look 414 00:28:18.200 --> 00:28:23.599 at these teams that Dass shows play player for player on both teams. Man, 415 00:28:23.680 --> 00:28:29.279 then everybody got a better average than out he's Bregman. Man. You 416 00:28:29.440 --> 00:28:33.119 know that's twitty kind of embarrassing right there. But hey, Mike, have 417 00:28:33.319 --> 00:28:37.359 a good day, man, and let's see if we win this series. 418 00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:41.680 Man, Thank you, John, appreciate it. Seven one, three, 419 00:28:41.720 --> 00:28:44.119 two on two five seven is the number to join us here. And now, 420 00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:47.000 look, I I'm not gonna go all the way to where you went 421 00:28:47.079 --> 00:28:49.559 on Alex Bregman, because Alex Bregman's first four years in the league were pretty 422 00:28:49.599 --> 00:28:52.440 damn good. I mean they he almost want an MVP. One year he 423 00:28:52.480 --> 00:28:56.640 finished second, the year before he finished fifth. He was an All Star 424 00:28:56.720 --> 00:28:59.960 both those years. Of course, his biggest years, those two All Stars 425 00:29:00.079 --> 00:29:03.119 years twenty eighteen twenty nineteen, hit thirty one home runs, then forty one 426 00:29:03.160 --> 00:29:07.480 home runs. It was seventy two home runs in a period of two seasons, 427 00:29:07.519 --> 00:29:10.839 and since then now there was a COVID shortened season in there, which 428 00:29:10.880 --> 00:29:14.319 I think you know you don't use his evaluation for any player. Twenty twenty 429 00:29:14.359 --> 00:29:18.519 one, we did find out after the season ended that he played basically the 430 00:29:18.640 --> 00:29:21.519 entire year with a wrist injury. They only played ninety one games, but 431 00:29:21.880 --> 00:29:23.920 he had a legit rist injury that had to have surgery the day the season 432 00:29:25.039 --> 00:29:27.920 ended, and didn't say a word to anybody about it during the year. 433 00:29:29.559 --> 00:29:32.599 Twenty twenty two came back very rough start, but ended up I mean, 434 00:29:32.640 --> 00:29:36.519 respectable numbers last year over twenty home runs, over ninety runs bad and then 435 00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:40.359 ops over eight hundred just completely fine. There's nothing wrong with that season. 436 00:29:40.839 --> 00:29:45.799 But in his four years basically since those two monster years that he had, 437 00:29:47.119 --> 00:29:51.759 he's hit just fifty one home runs and he's hit just two fifty seven and 438 00:29:51.799 --> 00:29:56.359 his ops in that period of time is just seven ninety. Again, I 439 00:29:56.680 --> 00:30:00.359 know that the players beloved here, and I personally like Alex Bregman a lot. 440 00:30:00.400 --> 00:30:03.960 He's always been great to us. We always are able to talk to 441 00:30:03.039 --> 00:30:07.000 him when we're around things, and he's a cool guy. And he's had 442 00:30:07.079 --> 00:30:10.920 We've done events with him in the past as good as it gets, like 443 00:30:11.119 --> 00:30:15.319 a legituinely good person. He and his family. You root for him, 444 00:30:15.359 --> 00:30:17.920 you want him to be successful. He's just not been good enough. But 445 00:30:17.960 --> 00:30:19.079 it's not all on him, and I don't ever want to always make it 446 00:30:19.119 --> 00:30:22.559 all on him again. I will I will go through the rest of this 447 00:30:22.599 --> 00:30:25.039 lineup and say, hey, Jeremy Pania need more out of you. Hey, 448 00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:27.240 Kyle Tucker, need more out of you. Those are the guys and 449 00:30:27.319 --> 00:30:32.559 I'm staring at that they need to step up the most, and Bregman's included 450 00:30:32.599 --> 00:30:36.880 in that group. You know, I think again, this gets back to 451 00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:40.240 a lot of the issue, and it pains me as I was sitting there 452 00:30:40.279 --> 00:30:42.319 this morning. I was driving back from the gym after I got my workout 453 00:30:42.400 --> 00:30:47.519 him before the show, and we were running, you know, during some 454 00:30:47.559 --> 00:30:52.119 of our commercials during the weekends, there will be like the classic moments in 455 00:30:52.160 --> 00:30:55.680 Houston Sports that we run and there's a lot of Astro stuff, obviously as 456 00:30:55.720 --> 00:30:59.200 the home of the Asters for all these years. And it was twenty seventeen 457 00:30:59.640 --> 00:31:04.039 and it was you know, going through the list of players, it was 458 00:31:04.079 --> 00:31:08.359 George Springer havn't highlights. It was Carlos Korea talking and like, you know, 459 00:31:08.440 --> 00:31:11.119 I think that's to me, the most disappointing thing is we've gotten here 460 00:31:11.119 --> 00:31:15.279 now, They've won two World Series, They've been to four in a six 461 00:31:15.400 --> 00:31:19.799 year period. It's been unbelievable, unbelievable. They didn't win last year by 462 00:31:19.799 --> 00:31:23.319 fluke. They were that damn dominant. But I will say when I hear 463 00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:26.880 all these names, I think back on all these names that have been here, 464 00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:32.559 and I watch how other teams now. Look, there's a danger part 465 00:31:32.599 --> 00:31:36.839 to this, and it can wreck your franchise. I get it. I 466 00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:38.960 find it disappointing still to this day that they weren't able to hold on to 467 00:31:40.079 --> 00:31:41.839 any of them. Basically, they decided not to hold on to any of 468 00:31:41.880 --> 00:31:45.799 those players that matter, and any of those players that are of consequence. 469 00:31:45.559 --> 00:31:48.960 You know, they probably were never going to be able to keep Garrett Cold, 470 00:31:48.039 --> 00:31:51.880 but you know, the effort probably wasn't good enough to even try. 471 00:31:52.759 --> 00:31:59.160 Justin Verlander they did keep twice this year looks fine to not having, but 472 00:31:59.200 --> 00:32:01.599 they they'd be better off. Honestly, they still had that version of Justin 473 00:32:01.680 --> 00:32:05.599 Verland are compared to probably some of the other stuff that they've been going through 474 00:32:05.599 --> 00:32:09.880 because he at least eight innings. Carlos Carea is having a bad season for 475 00:32:09.920 --> 00:32:13.720 the Twins. That one doesn't hurt as much right now because he's dealing with 476 00:32:13.759 --> 00:32:16.480 some injuries. The George Springer one still hurts to me, like that's one 477 00:32:16.519 --> 00:32:21.599 of those players I would have never let go. There's just been a lot 478 00:32:21.640 --> 00:32:23.880 of Okay, we'll just move on and the next guy will come in and 479 00:32:23.880 --> 00:32:27.640 do his thing, and it's finally reached that point where it's just not happening. 480 00:32:28.119 --> 00:32:31.400 As Brian mentioned in the last segment what he called in they're running out 481 00:32:31.440 --> 00:32:34.720 of roster for the most part, that these guys were the sugar Land Space 482 00:32:34.759 --> 00:32:37.640 Cowboys last year, and some of them do have some serious talent. And 483 00:32:37.680 --> 00:32:43.160 I'm talking mainly about I mean, I think the guy with the biggest potentials 484 00:32:43.160 --> 00:32:46.519 gian ideas. But this is this is what is the fallout for all the 485 00:32:46.599 --> 00:32:52.559 years of bad not bad drafting, but drafting later and then not having draft 486 00:32:52.599 --> 00:32:57.799 picks, and the COVID shortened year and all the all those things have kind 487 00:32:57.799 --> 00:33:01.279 of come together to where their organizational depth right now it's just not good and 488 00:33:01.319 --> 00:33:05.319 it's going to test them in it's testing them and it's going to continue to 489 00:33:05.319 --> 00:33:08.960 test them for a few years. Let's grab Lamont here on a Space City 490 00:33:08.960 --> 00:33:14.319 Saturday. Hit Lamont. Hey, man, I know the season is not 491 00:33:14.400 --> 00:33:16.680 going away. We would like it to go, but I'm kind of enjoying 492 00:33:16.680 --> 00:33:21.000 it right now, man, because so we need some adversity around here. 493 00:33:21.000 --> 00:33:24.279 But six or seven years, this division has been crap and we've been like 494 00:33:24.519 --> 00:33:30.880 like deboing it a strong woman that uh, And I do think I think 495 00:33:30.920 --> 00:33:32.279 that the Astros are gonna pick it up. And I think that they, 496 00:33:32.640 --> 00:33:37.519 unlike you, I believe that they're gonna win a division and I think it's 497 00:33:37.519 --> 00:33:40.680 gonna be that much greater if and this is I'm drinking a kool aid right 498 00:33:40.759 --> 00:33:46.279 now, if the Astros want to make it to the seven aclds or we're 499 00:33:46.279 --> 00:33:50.680 in another World Series, it's gonna be that much greater. And I would 500 00:33:50.720 --> 00:33:53.079 like to end on this. Uh. We two things. Do you think 501 00:33:53.079 --> 00:33:58.200 that Tucker Uh? I wasn't gonna ask this question? Another one if we 502 00:33:58.200 --> 00:34:01.279 would have gained Tucking the amount of money he requested and looking at what he's 503 00:34:01.319 --> 00:34:07.279 doing right now, how we feel? And my last uh thing is uh 504 00:34:07.519 --> 00:34:10.639 uh the Rangers. The Rangers, and I'm wondering if the Rangers is gonna 505 00:34:10.679 --> 00:34:15.159 be like a situation like uh, the New York Key's last h Remember when 506 00:34:15.239 --> 00:34:19.320 the New York Link Yankees was staring to cover off the ball. Uh, 507 00:34:19.360 --> 00:34:22.960 everybody thought that they was gonna win like one hundred and seventeen hundred and eighteen 508 00:34:22.000 --> 00:34:25.920 games. And when when when the Astros put the SmackDown on them up after 509 00:34:25.960 --> 00:34:31.679 the was it after or before the the All Star Game? They came down 510 00:34:31.719 --> 00:34:35.320 the earth? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, they came down to Earth. 511 00:34:35.360 --> 00:34:37.119 And I just really wonder if it's that. But ultimately, man, I 512 00:34:37.239 --> 00:34:40.400 just think that as a fan base, we're real small right now. We're 513 00:34:40.400 --> 00:34:44.559 not used to this. Feels like the walls are closing in on us. 514 00:34:44.679 --> 00:34:46.679 We never had to deal with adversity like this. Uh pretty much had the 515 00:34:46.800 --> 00:34:52.760 uh pretty much had the season sold up around July August. So now it's 516 00:34:52.760 --> 00:34:54.280 a little at the burstit in the mix. I think the Boys are gonna 517 00:34:54.280 --> 00:34:58.559 be Okay. That's all I have. Thank you. I appreciated lam. 518 00:34:58.719 --> 00:35:01.079 Good to hear from you. Aerospace City Saturday. On the Rangers thing, 519 00:35:01.159 --> 00:35:04.639 I mean, I do think we've seen a little bit of it recently, 520 00:35:05.079 --> 00:35:07.840 there will be a regression towards the mean they're not gonna play as well as 521 00:35:07.840 --> 00:35:10.480 they have. You already seen some of the guys throughout their lineup. Simeon's 522 00:35:10.519 --> 00:35:14.719 come down a little bit. You know. They've got a rookie in there, 523 00:35:14.800 --> 00:35:17.599 Josh Jung who's uh, you know, I don't know how long he'll 524 00:35:17.639 --> 00:35:21.800 be able to continue those things. A Dallas Garcia has basically been a Dallas 525 00:35:21.800 --> 00:35:22.679 Garcia that he always is. But you just go up and down and look, 526 00:35:22.880 --> 00:35:25.199 look up and down their order. I'm just staring at it right now. 527 00:35:25.599 --> 00:35:30.760 They've got here's their ops for all their ghost Starter by starter, their 528 00:35:30.800 --> 00:35:34.559 catcher jonah Heim seven ninety two, their first baseman, Nathaniel Low seven ninety 529 00:35:34.599 --> 00:35:37.440 five, Marcus Simmy in the second baseman seven eighty two. As I mentioned, 530 00:35:37.440 --> 00:35:40.079 he's come down a little bit. Corey Seeger ten fifty six, Josh 531 00:35:40.159 --> 00:35:46.199 Jung at eight eighteen, Travis Janikowski seven eighty one, Leoti Taveris eight twenty 532 00:35:46.199 --> 00:35:51.760 seven, A Dallas Garcia eight twenty six, Robbie Grossman six eighty off their 533 00:35:51.840 --> 00:35:54.840 bench. They have Ezekiel Duran who plays quite a bit. He is at 534 00:35:54.880 --> 00:35:59.039 an eight eighty one. They're loaded in terms of guys that are just having 535 00:35:59.079 --> 00:36:01.480 great years. Some of them will come down. Corey Seeger's not gonna hit 536 00:36:01.599 --> 00:36:06.360 three fifty six all season. He started late. He's only had one hundred 537 00:36:06.360 --> 00:36:09.239 and seventy seven at bats in forty four games. But he's not gonna hit 538 00:36:09.280 --> 00:36:13.519 three fifty six all year. That's just not gonna happen. He'll come back 539 00:36:13.559 --> 00:36:16.039 down at some point. Can they sustain it? Here's the thing. They're 540 00:36:16.039 --> 00:36:20.639 building themselves and we've seen this with the Astros throughout all these years. They're 541 00:36:20.639 --> 00:36:23.239 building themselves a lead. Now, that's what they're doing. And if they're 542 00:36:23.280 --> 00:36:27.719 able to execute the next week where they played Detroit this week before they play 543 00:36:27.800 --> 00:36:29.840 the Astros, and they're looking at and saying, hey, if we take 544 00:36:29.920 --> 00:36:32.960 care of the Astros three out of four in our building, we can kind 545 00:36:32.960 --> 00:36:36.320 of start to put this division away. Now. Now, look, a 546 00:36:36.320 --> 00:36:38.599 lot can change. I still question, you have a huge question for Texas 547 00:36:38.599 --> 00:36:44.440 with their pitching. Native Aldi has been great this year. They ride him 548 00:36:44.519 --> 00:36:46.679 like crazy. I do wonder, like when does it hit a wall for 549 00:36:46.800 --> 00:36:52.920 him because he's always been a guy that's had health issues. Martine Perez's blah. 550 00:36:52.119 --> 00:36:55.599 John Gray's having a career year. Does he ever hit the wall as 551 00:36:55.639 --> 00:37:00.840 well? Andrew Heeney's been very up and down, but probably Andrew Heeney is 552 00:37:00.880 --> 00:37:05.760 She's very hittable. Dane Dunning has been a guy that's been having a career 553 00:37:05.840 --> 00:37:07.760 year as well. Like you have to have those things. Then you go 554 00:37:07.760 --> 00:37:09.800 look at their bullpen. Their bullpen is not very good. If you remember 555 00:37:09.880 --> 00:37:13.679 Latting. Now, look his numbers this season have been good. You remember 556 00:37:13.679 --> 00:37:16.199 Will Smith last year who was god awful when the Astro's got him and basically 557 00:37:16.199 --> 00:37:20.679 gave up rockets every time he came in. He's their closer. So like 558 00:37:20.760 --> 00:37:23.199 they're not unhittable at the end of the day, they're not unhittable. I 559 00:37:23.239 --> 00:37:28.079 know that some of their numbers are all their numbers are pretty damn good, 560 00:37:28.119 --> 00:37:30.000 I should say, in terms of their pitching. That's why part of the 561 00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:35.639 reason why they are good in terms of the overall numbers. But I do 562 00:37:35.760 --> 00:37:40.639 think that they can come back down to earth some I just think that they've 563 00:37:42.079 --> 00:37:45.840 they've racked up enough wins already, forty seven of them before we've even reached 564 00:37:45.840 --> 00:37:49.039 the month of July, to where I think it's gonna be hard though to 565 00:37:49.159 --> 00:37:51.599 completely say hey they I mean, they would have to go in the tank 566 00:37:51.599 --> 00:37:55.239 tank to really screw that thing up. And I do hope that I'm wrong. 567 00:37:55.320 --> 00:37:58.679 I don't want to be wrong about sitting here and saying, hey, 568 00:37:58.719 --> 00:38:00.840 they're not gonna win the division this year year and you know, yeah, 569 00:38:00.880 --> 00:38:05.960 we've had it easy at times. I'd personally rather have it easy. I'd 570 00:38:06.039 --> 00:38:07.440 rather cake walk through the regular season, because you saw what happened last year. 571 00:38:07.480 --> 00:38:10.559 They cake walked through the regular season in terms of not having the pressure 572 00:38:10.559 --> 00:38:14.400 on. They were able to rest guys. Like for an ideal standpoint of 573 00:38:14.400 --> 00:38:16.679 winning the whole thing, doing what they've done basically every year, of winning 574 00:38:16.719 --> 00:38:21.599 the division by a ton of games is the perfect scenario because you can take 575 00:38:21.639 --> 00:38:24.280 your guys and rest them all season long. They're gonna have to ride this 576 00:38:24.320 --> 00:38:29.360 thing out. The most important thing is going to continue being this and it 577 00:38:29.400 --> 00:38:31.599 happens every single year. It's about who's playing best at the end of the 578 00:38:31.599 --> 00:38:36.320 month of September going into October, and that team typically. We saw the 579 00:38:36.360 --> 00:38:38.360 Phillies last year get to the World Series against the Astros. They were not 580 00:38:38.360 --> 00:38:43.119 the best team in the National League going in to the month of September. 581 00:38:43.159 --> 00:38:46.639 They got to that point where September came and they started playing great baseball. 582 00:38:46.679 --> 00:38:50.840 They got hot at the end, and then they rode that hotness all the 583 00:38:50.880 --> 00:38:54.760 way to Game six of the World Series. It's possible. It's always doable. 584 00:38:54.760 --> 00:38:59.079 There's enough talent here, and there's enough belief end up being there before 585 00:38:59.280 --> 00:39:04.079 everybody else that will matter. They're gonna have to have reinforcements though, to 586 00:39:04.159 --> 00:39:06.880 it to go ahead and achieve that. Seven one three two one two five 587 00:39:06.920 --> 00:39:09.840 seven nineties and a number to join us here on Space City Saturday looking at 588 00:39:09.880 --> 00:39:15.159 some of that trade deadline. We'll do that next here on seven ninety. 589 00:39:15.280 --> 00:39:28.119 Welcome back to Space City Saturday on scort s Talk seven ninety. It is 590 00:39:28.199 --> 00:39:34.159 Space City Saturday right here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Michael Connor back here 591 00:39:34.320 --> 00:39:37.639 with you can join us this morning at seven one three two one two five 592 00:39:37.880 --> 00:39:42.280 seven ninety seven one three two one two five seven ninety which by the way, 593 00:39:42.320 --> 00:39:44.960 coming up, I think, I mean, I know there's I'm one 594 00:39:44.960 --> 00:39:47.559 of these people that I have the I have the MLB TV package. Now 595 00:39:47.639 --> 00:39:51.679 we'll tell you my mobile provider provides it for you for free every year, 596 00:39:51.719 --> 00:39:54.159 so I don't actually I pay for I guess I may technically pay for it 597 00:39:54.199 --> 00:39:58.239 with my thing. But there's a there's baseball early on now. This one's 598 00:39:58.280 --> 00:40:02.559 on Fox today. But the London in series today starts Cardinals and Cups. 599 00:40:02.559 --> 00:40:08.320 When you think of teams that you want to send over to London to promote 600 00:40:08.320 --> 00:40:13.719 your game of baseball, it's Cardinals and Cubs this year. So the Astrals 601 00:40:13.719 --> 00:40:17.519 will be getting the Cardinals after a trip over the pond this weekend. It's 602 00:40:17.559 --> 00:40:21.440 just a two game series, which doesn't make any sense to Manna that you 603 00:40:21.440 --> 00:40:23.079 want to give the extra travel days or whatever. But why wouldn't you just 604 00:40:23.119 --> 00:40:29.639 play a three game series? Again? This is baseball doing baseball. It 605 00:40:29.679 --> 00:40:30.320 is what it is. And by the way, in the second hour of 606 00:40:30.320 --> 00:40:32.599 the show upter we get through some of our rocket stuff, we'll get back 607 00:40:32.599 --> 00:40:37.880 into into some baseball discussion. I haven't gotten to him yet, but we 608 00:40:37.920 --> 00:40:43.719 will go ahead and blast the ding dong again. That is Rob Manfred and 609 00:40:43.800 --> 00:40:45.719 what he had to say this week, because that guy's an absolute moron, 610 00:40:46.000 --> 00:40:52.000 but he's also at the leading charge of baseball sending the Cubs and the Cardinals. 611 00:40:52.039 --> 00:40:54.119 Now, look, I know that they're big brands across the sports. 612 00:40:54.159 --> 00:40:58.679 The rivalry is very big. They were we're talking about they send a team 613 00:40:58.679 --> 00:41:00.679 it's thirty six and thirty eight to play a team it's thirty one and forty 614 00:41:00.679 --> 00:41:04.440 four, and one of those teams, the Cardinals, can't get pitches over 615 00:41:04.440 --> 00:41:09.079 the plate and they just get wobbed all the time. Next year they're going 616 00:41:09.119 --> 00:41:14.599 to send the Mets and the phillis over there. I just I don't understand. 617 00:41:14.639 --> 00:41:16.719 I don't understand who does these things, like how they market these things. 618 00:41:17.119 --> 00:41:22.400 Who comes up with these decisions. Why wouldn't you send your best teams 619 00:41:22.480 --> 00:41:25.000 in the sport. And this isn't even me stumping for the Astros. I'm 620 00:41:25.000 --> 00:41:31.559 talking about anybody, like Send Atlanta, they're great. Send Send the Astros, 621 00:41:31.599 --> 00:41:36.199 Send Tampa. Say. I know that there's not the cache necessarily, 622 00:41:36.239 --> 00:41:39.840 but I mean, are people going to the baseball game in London because they 623 00:41:39.840 --> 00:41:45.039 are fans of the Cubs and Cardinals. No, they're going because it's a 624 00:41:45.079 --> 00:41:49.880 baseball game and they don't have baseball there. Like that's it. It's a 625 00:41:49.960 --> 00:41:53.000 novelty thing. It's just like when the NFL goes over there. So again, 626 00:41:53.440 --> 00:41:59.079 the decision makers in Major League Baseball always make me scratch my head because 627 00:41:59.079 --> 00:42:00.679 I just don't get it. I would love if the Astros, though, 628 00:42:00.679 --> 00:42:05.639 one day, do go to London. Now that's a complete selfish thing, 629 00:42:05.679 --> 00:42:07.840 because I would try to go back over there. I've been there twice and 630 00:42:07.880 --> 00:42:15.480 I I just personally absolutely love the city of London. If you gave me 631 00:42:15.559 --> 00:42:17.079 a list of places, like you told me I had to live outside the 632 00:42:17.199 --> 00:42:21.519 United States, it would be on the very short list of places that I 633 00:42:21.559 --> 00:42:24.480 could live in because it was it was a It's a great place to visit. 634 00:42:24.679 --> 00:42:28.239 I love the atmosphere. I also love the sports over there. I 635 00:42:28.320 --> 00:42:31.320 love I love the soccer as we call but the football. I've mentioned that 636 00:42:31.440 --> 00:42:35.920 just how much I've enjoyed that. But a cool, cool, cool place. 637 00:42:35.960 --> 00:42:37.480 You ever get the chance to do it, and I do hope the 638 00:42:37.559 --> 00:42:40.559 one day the Astros can go, because also the Astros fans travel very well. 639 00:42:40.599 --> 00:42:45.000 Now. We see it at the games there in Los Angeles. We've 640 00:42:45.000 --> 00:42:47.559 seen it throughout the regular seasons when they play in other cities. There's always 641 00:42:47.559 --> 00:42:50.559 a lot of orange in these places. I expect there'll be a lot of 642 00:42:50.599 --> 00:42:53.920 orange up in Arlington next weekend when they do that four game series against the 643 00:42:54.039 --> 00:42:59.880 Rangers. But if you went overseas of the Astros, I think that they 644 00:43:00.039 --> 00:43:02.280 would they would do very well there in terms of the travel as well. 645 00:43:04.280 --> 00:43:07.679 But as I've been talking about this morning, in terms of the deadline, 646 00:43:07.679 --> 00:43:09.639 real quip. Before we get to our top of the hour break, it's 647 00:43:09.679 --> 00:43:13.719 coming up before you know it. Now, it's still a while away. 648 00:43:13.760 --> 00:43:15.960 It's the twenty fourth of June today, it's August first. I do think 649 00:43:15.960 --> 00:43:20.480 the further along the Astros get into this thing. I have convinced myself this 650 00:43:20.639 --> 00:43:22.920 that you know, you want reinforcements, you want to give yourself a chance 651 00:43:22.920 --> 00:43:24.960 to win. This team. I know that Jim Crane wants to win and 652 00:43:25.000 --> 00:43:28.119 all that. I'm not saying that they're not going to try and win, 653 00:43:28.639 --> 00:43:32.400 but I do wonder how far you want to go in terms of getting deep 654 00:43:32.440 --> 00:43:36.159 into the deadline, giving up a bunch of assets to go out there and 655 00:43:36.159 --> 00:43:38.559 get players for a team that I mean, do we think, honestly, 656 00:43:38.639 --> 00:43:42.280 Do we feel like, honestly right now that they can win a World Series? 657 00:43:43.159 --> 00:43:46.039 If you do, that's fine, I'm asking for your genuine feel on 658 00:43:46.119 --> 00:43:50.079 it, how you feel. I don't feel that way at this moment. 659 00:43:50.119 --> 00:43:52.320 I hope to be wrong. Like I said, I don't want to be 660 00:43:52.400 --> 00:43:55.840 correct on this. I hope that everything that I've said today comes back and 661 00:43:55.880 --> 00:44:00.639 completely bites me in the ass in terms of them not winning the division and 662 00:44:00.079 --> 00:44:05.639 everything else. I just don't have the vibe of it. With everything that's 663 00:44:05.639 --> 00:44:07.519 going on in the health situations, everything, they underperforming all of it. 664 00:44:07.960 --> 00:44:14.840 And I do wonder how far again you want to go into making a bunch 665 00:44:14.840 --> 00:44:21.440 of crazy trades in this in this in this trade deadline season that will be 666 00:44:21.480 --> 00:44:23.639 coming up seven one three two one two five, seven ninety again, that's 667 00:44:23.639 --> 00:44:28.400 the phone number to join us here on a space steady Saturday. We will 668 00:44:28.400 --> 00:44:31.480 grab a top of the hour time out. When we return, we'll get 669 00:44:31.519 --> 00:44:36.519 into the Rockets, what they did in the draft, what others did around 670 00:44:36.559 --> 00:44:39.719 them, and what the summer holds for the basketball team. We'll discuss that 671 00:44:39.840 --> 00:44:59.599 next year on seven ninety City Created, Degraded, Degraded, Welcome to Another 672 00:45:00.079 --> 00:45:05.320 a City Saturday on Sports Talk seven ninety, Michael Cunnter's live and local h 673 00:45:05.440 --> 00:45:10.159 Town breakdown on the World that matters to You? Does Houston's four World? 674 00:45:10.199 --> 00:45:15.639 All these great Houston fans here We love you all, so finish up on 675 00:45:15.760 --> 00:45:21.199 that to do list, loot up the cooler, because you can't drink in 676 00:45:21.320 --> 00:45:29.039 talk sports all day if you don't start now. This is Face City Saturday. 677 00:45:29.280 --> 00:45:37.079 Here's seven nineties Astro's insider Michael Cunner Hour two, final hour of the 678 00:45:37.199 --> 00:45:40.039 show here this morning, Space City Saturday. Michael Connor with you. You 679 00:45:40.039 --> 00:45:44.880 can join us at seven three two one two five, seven ninety. We've 680 00:45:44.880 --> 00:45:49.920 been talking about your Astros quite a bit this morning. We'll continue that discussion. 681 00:45:49.920 --> 00:45:52.679 We'll get into the Rockets and their draft from this week. What is 682 00:45:52.719 --> 00:45:57.559 ahead this summer for them players. They're targeting a lot of things going on 683 00:45:58.440 --> 00:46:01.679 here on a Saturday. Of course. Astros tonight game two of three against 684 00:46:01.679 --> 00:46:06.679 the Dodgers. They fall last night three to two. They will start a 685 00:46:06.679 --> 00:46:09.239 little bit earlier tonight, six fifteen. First pitch here on seven ninety. 686 00:46:09.280 --> 00:46:15.880 I will have you for the Astros on Deck show starting at five o'clock excuse 687 00:46:15.920 --> 00:46:17.719 me, five o'clock to five forty five before we hand it off to Robert 688 00:46:17.719 --> 00:46:22.159 Ford and Steve Sparks for the Astros need to bounce back tough one last night, 689 00:46:22.199 --> 00:46:25.320 only three hits in the ball game. We'll see exactly what they can 690 00:46:25.360 --> 00:46:28.760 get done on that one. But let's go back to the phone lines, 691 00:46:28.800 --> 00:46:31.280 because you guys are as you typically do here on Saturday. I always appreciate 692 00:46:31.280 --> 00:46:35.320 the interaction. At the end of the day, we're just talking sports. 693 00:46:35.559 --> 00:46:38.039 It's what we do. It's guys being dues and ladies. If you want 694 00:46:38.039 --> 00:46:40.599 to get into the mix, of course, we can always wait. Everybody's 695 00:46:40.599 --> 00:46:45.519 allowed to. Everybody's welcome to call the show and talk sports because it's just 696 00:46:45.519 --> 00:46:50.119 just a weekend of talking sports. Let's go out to Crosby next and talk 697 00:46:50.199 --> 00:46:52.960 to Nick. Hey, Nick, Hey, what's going on? Man? 698 00:46:53.639 --> 00:46:59.039 Not much. I was listening, you know a little bit you were talking 699 00:46:59.079 --> 00:47:01.719 about, you know, all that throws, you know, a World Series 700 00:47:01.760 --> 00:47:05.880 team right now as of right now, man, with we were we're not 701 00:47:06.039 --> 00:47:08.320 Man and then especially when you got reports out, you know, with with 702 00:47:08.360 --> 00:47:12.639 the you know, manager Dusty Baker talking about you know, he don't like 703 00:47:12.760 --> 00:47:15.840 certain players and Chas McCormick. I just feel like, man, honestly, 704 00:47:15.880 --> 00:47:21.159 I feel like Dusty's time here. It needs to be done. To be 705 00:47:21.239 --> 00:47:24.960 honest, Uh, We're we're not there, and I feel like it's kind 706 00:47:24.960 --> 00:47:28.320 of because of him, you know, picking and choosing, you know, 707 00:47:28.360 --> 00:47:31.079 when to play. Chas mccormer chests. McCormick has easily been our best center 708 00:47:31.079 --> 00:47:36.199 fielder this season. Ja Jake Myers. Don't get me wrong, Jake Myers 709 00:47:36.239 --> 00:47:38.800 has you know, he's held it down out there. But I'd rather I'd 710 00:47:38.880 --> 00:47:44.960 rather Chas McCormick in center field all day over Jake Myers. Uh. That's 711 00:47:45.000 --> 00:47:46.039 just a little bit of what I wanted to say, though. Man. 712 00:47:46.199 --> 00:47:50.639 Uh, you know, have a good rest of your day. Thank you 713 00:47:50.719 --> 00:47:54.480 for the uh phone call. And look, I get um and we've gone 714 00:47:54.519 --> 00:47:58.639 over this quite a bit with the Dusty Bakers situation. Now. Look, 715 00:47:58.679 --> 00:48:02.360 I think it's it's blown up a little bit. I was in the dugout 716 00:48:02.440 --> 00:48:06.400 not too long ago. I think it was the not this past home stand 717 00:48:06.360 --> 00:48:09.519 by the one before, and Dusty and Chaz McCormick are over there messing with 718 00:48:09.559 --> 00:48:14.719 each other and hugging each other. They don't hate each other. I know 719 00:48:14.800 --> 00:48:22.199 that they there's probably a feeling of, you know, of this guy doesn't 720 00:48:22.199 --> 00:48:25.280 like me because they'll play chat Jake Myers too much. Now. Look, 721 00:48:25.400 --> 00:48:29.800 early on in the season, Jake Myers got himself going and he was on 722 00:48:29.840 --> 00:48:32.280 a good hot streak there, he's completely fallen off the face of the earth 723 00:48:32.360 --> 00:48:37.440 based off of performance. And it's and you're speaking of what you're saying there 724 00:48:37.480 --> 00:48:42.480 in the in terms of Baker not liking this from Chandler of Rumes articles this 725 00:48:42.639 --> 00:48:45.159 there's no secret insights clubhouse. The Baker is not a fan of McCormick's and 726 00:48:45.280 --> 00:48:51.480 hasn't been since early last season, which was which somewhat impacted his playing time. 727 00:48:51.519 --> 00:48:54.880 Trading Jose Serial last July and the mismanagement of Myers injury recovery all but 728 00:48:55.000 --> 00:48:59.559 forced Baker to use McCormick in center field towards the end of the season. 729 00:49:00.079 --> 00:49:04.599 Even then, Dubon still got occasional starts there. I don't think that he 730 00:49:04.840 --> 00:49:09.679 doesn't like him personally. I just think that he prefers the game and the 731 00:49:09.679 --> 00:49:14.719 defenses. And this is where you know, I will disagree with the manager, 732 00:49:14.880 --> 00:49:17.800 and I think the manager is making a mistake on his evaluation of what 733 00:49:17.840 --> 00:49:22.480 this team needs. And that's look, that's Dusty's job as the manager. 734 00:49:22.480 --> 00:49:24.360 He's been put in charge. No manager is going to make every decision that 735 00:49:24.400 --> 00:49:29.960 you and I love. I don't think that they're where they're at this season 736 00:49:29.960 --> 00:49:32.320 because of Dusty Baker. I mean, where they're at this season again gets 737 00:49:32.320 --> 00:49:37.719 back to one simple thing, the underperformance of so many key players in this 738 00:49:37.760 --> 00:49:42.000 lineup. And you could put this lineup in any way you wont you and 739 00:49:42.039 --> 00:49:45.480 I could write it up in any fashion. I know every single day there's 740 00:49:45.480 --> 00:49:47.639 a bunch of people on Twitter and social media in general that have all the 741 00:49:47.639 --> 00:49:52.079 answers in terms of what the lineup should look like. It's not gonna matter. 742 00:49:52.480 --> 00:49:55.960 They don't hit well enough. That's why they don't have a record that's 743 00:49:57.000 --> 00:50:00.119 well above them. And the manager can't change the way that players are hitting. 744 00:50:00.719 --> 00:50:02.719 You know, I don't know how long dust he wants to do this. 745 00:50:02.800 --> 00:50:07.280 I don't know if you know, is the message gone stale? I 746 00:50:07.360 --> 00:50:12.320 doubt it. You know that I think when things aren't going well that you 747 00:50:12.400 --> 00:50:17.519 hear these stories, you hear this crap overall, I don't believe it typically 748 00:50:17.559 --> 00:50:22.480 when it comes out, because I know how tight they've been, how good 749 00:50:22.480 --> 00:50:24.760 they've been. But again, there's always things that a manager is going to 750 00:50:24.800 --> 00:50:28.320 do that we won't just that we won't agree on. And I do not 751 00:50:28.440 --> 00:50:34.000 agree with anybody playing center field right now. Over Chaz McCormick. Now, 752 00:50:34.159 --> 00:50:39.800 Chazz isn't a perfect player by any means. It's a player that has deficiencies 753 00:50:39.800 --> 00:50:44.280 in his game. Whether it's the fact that he's not much of a you 754 00:50:44.320 --> 00:50:45.599 know, he's not a big batting average guy. It never has been, 755 00:50:45.599 --> 00:50:50.440 never will be. But he'll hit around two fifty probably. I do like 756 00:50:50.519 --> 00:50:54.239 his ability to take pitches and to work some walks. I think that matters. 757 00:50:55.119 --> 00:51:00.559 He's typically great against left handed pitching. Right handed pitching he has to 758 00:51:00.559 --> 00:51:05.320 get better at, and he's just never been a great hitter against right handed 759 00:51:05.360 --> 00:51:09.239 pitching. But look the results of the results. He's been better than Jake 760 00:51:09.280 --> 00:51:13.920 Myers this season. And I know that the metrics say Jake Myers is great 761 00:51:13.920 --> 00:51:16.760 out there in center field, and he's very good at jumps, getting good 762 00:51:16.800 --> 00:51:21.039 jumps on balls and tracking stuff down and whatnot. Doesn't have the greatest arm 763 00:51:21.039 --> 00:51:23.840 in the world. But what this team needs his offense more than anything else. 764 00:51:23.920 --> 00:51:27.280 Now, Lord, they need some defense. They've played some bad defense, 765 00:51:27.320 --> 00:51:30.039 which is not typical of them in the last month or so. I 766 00:51:30.039 --> 00:51:34.840 think a lot of that gets back to concentration and frustration and all those things. 767 00:51:37.199 --> 00:51:42.039 But Chas mccormers should be the every day centerfielder and there shouldn't really even 768 00:51:42.079 --> 00:51:46.320 be a question mark about it. He's well well well above what Jake Myers 769 00:51:46.320 --> 00:51:49.800 is giving them. Right now, let's go to Robert next here on Space 770 00:51:49.800 --> 00:51:54.519 City Saturday. Hey Robert, Hey, good morning, Michael. What's up? 771 00:51:54.639 --> 00:51:59.440 Hey man? I just wanted to say, you know, it's fun 772 00:51:59.480 --> 00:52:02.519 to ask her was the way that season it bought? Now and I know 773 00:52:04.000 --> 00:52:07.760 it doesn't seem like uh red championship team right now, I just go and 774 00:52:08.480 --> 00:52:15.440 I now I'm gonna sound like a hoopeful homework, but uh an overall scheme 775 00:52:15.599 --> 00:52:20.280 was like, um, a dynasty theybe. It's gonna be one of those 776 00:52:20.360 --> 00:52:27.880 years. But we have to come from that from behind like wild cart and 777 00:52:28.000 --> 00:52:34.119 win a few series as an underdog to make it to the championship, and 778 00:52:34.159 --> 00:52:37.480 then we end up winning the championship. And now I think if that happens, 779 00:52:37.519 --> 00:52:42.840 that to just be a a pretty feather in our cap, so to 780 00:52:42.880 --> 00:52:45.079 speak, to say, hey, we want it. We wanted to do. 781 00:52:45.199 --> 00:52:50.360 We want a championship by leading the league the whole year, and this 782 00:52:50.519 --> 00:52:55.199 time we want it having to come from behind. And I just that's just 783 00:52:55.320 --> 00:53:00.199 me being hopeful, but I think it could happen. We still put well 784 00:53:00.199 --> 00:53:02.840 in the middle of a guidost here. And one other thing I wanted to 785 00:53:02.880 --> 00:53:07.320 ask you is, I know you're talking about the trade deadline coming up, 786 00:53:08.880 --> 00:53:13.559 and I know we're not there yet, and you you asked the question is 787 00:53:13.960 --> 00:53:19.360 as the should we draw and waste a bunch of draft picks and give up 788 00:53:19.400 --> 00:53:24.119 a bunch of capital to get comparers here but only to a point where we're 789 00:53:24.159 --> 00:53:30.360 not there yet, but something out there that we can get here now at 790 00:53:30.360 --> 00:53:34.519 the trade deadline to get us to the point well where we end up being 791 00:53:34.519 --> 00:53:39.519 a championship team again. And thank you Robers. Yeah, appreciate your listening, 792 00:53:39.519 --> 00:53:43.360 Appreciate you making the phone call. Seven three two one two five seven. 793 00:53:43.599 --> 00:53:45.840 I mean, look, yeah, there's definitely gonna be players out there 794 00:53:45.920 --> 00:53:47.599 that you could go and get that can help you get back to, you 795 00:53:47.599 --> 00:53:51.440 know, playing to that kind of level. Um, I don't think that 796 00:53:51.440 --> 00:53:54.440 those players are gettable at the moment with a trade deadline, Um, you 797 00:53:54.480 --> 00:53:59.760 know, you're still a month out before teams are realistically starting to push all 798 00:53:59.800 --> 00:54:02.320 the chips, and teams are knowing that they're gonna sell. And look, 799 00:54:02.360 --> 00:54:07.119 that's part of the that's part of the storyline again with the expansion of the 800 00:54:07.159 --> 00:54:09.039 postseason and eventually, and they really do need to get this worked out, 801 00:54:09.079 --> 00:54:14.320 does the league. They need to get the league expanded to thirty two teams. 802 00:54:14.519 --> 00:54:17.760 They can't do that until there's resolution with the Oakland situation, which continues 803 00:54:17.800 --> 00:54:22.920 to get closer. They have not applied for a relocation yet, but everything 804 00:54:23.039 --> 00:54:27.360 is getting close to that point to where they will do that and leave for 805 00:54:27.480 --> 00:54:31.199 Las Vegas. They have to get the situation with Tampa and their stadium situation 806 00:54:31.719 --> 00:54:36.639 figured out as well before they're going to expand, and I think for the 807 00:54:36.639 --> 00:54:38.440 health of the league, they need to do that sooner rather than later, 808 00:54:39.000 --> 00:54:45.199 because they do need to expand. Nashville will get a team. Somebody else 809 00:54:45.199 --> 00:54:49.360 will get a team, whether it's Charlotte, Portland, Austin, whatever it 810 00:54:49.440 --> 00:54:51.360 might be. One of those of the cities is going to get a team 811 00:54:51.400 --> 00:54:55.599 as well, and that will less than this, you know, being this 812 00:54:55.639 --> 00:55:00.000 crazy amount of teams that are going to the postseason compared to the thirty team 813 00:55:00.119 --> 00:55:01.199 that you have in there. Because right now you just go look at it 814 00:55:01.239 --> 00:55:05.400 again, the teams that we know are going to sell. You can go 815 00:55:05.440 --> 00:55:08.400 through the al East, Tampa's not selling, Baltimore is not selling. The 816 00:55:08.480 --> 00:55:15.920 Yankees aren't selling. Toronto's not selling. Boston's questionable. They are three games 817 00:55:15.920 --> 00:55:17.239 over five hundred, the only game and a half out of the wild Card 818 00:55:17.480 --> 00:55:21.199 right now. They wouldn't sell. You go to the Central. The Twins 819 00:55:21.239 --> 00:55:24.519 won't sell. The Guardians are probably gonna sell some, but they're not going 820 00:55:24.559 --> 00:55:29.559 to completely sell because they're also two games out of their division in four and 821 00:55:29.599 --> 00:55:31.679 a half back in the wild card. Detroit will sell off. They don't 822 00:55:31.719 --> 00:55:35.760 have much to sell. The White Socks are a team that everybody's gonna be 823 00:55:35.800 --> 00:55:38.800 gunning for. Their players will see what happens there. That the Royals would 824 00:55:38.840 --> 00:55:43.320 sell, but they don't have anybody that anybody wants. You come to the 825 00:55:43.360 --> 00:55:47.320 AOST of course, Rangers aren't selling, Astros aren't selling. Angels will not 826 00:55:47.440 --> 00:55:52.440 sell unless they went in the tank between now and the deadline. Seattle probably 827 00:55:52.480 --> 00:55:59.280 won't sell anything. Even if they went in the tank as well. Oakland 828 00:55:59.519 --> 00:56:01.599 they could sell. They don't have anything that anybody wants. You go to 829 00:56:01.639 --> 00:56:06.639 the NL East. Atlanta is not selling, Miami's not selling, Philadelphia is 830 00:56:06.679 --> 00:56:10.440 not selling. The Mets probably won't sell because they spent all this money. 831 00:56:10.719 --> 00:56:15.599 They did sell a guy off yesterday at Wardo Escobar in a trade, but 832 00:56:16.559 --> 00:56:20.039 you know, it might be small things like that. They're eight games out 833 00:56:20.079 --> 00:56:22.840 of the wild card in the NL. On the NL side, then the 834 00:56:22.920 --> 00:56:25.039 Nationals will sell, but again, there's not a lot there that you won. 835 00:56:25.679 --> 00:56:30.719 Cincinnati in the Central will not sell. Milwaukee could shuffle off a few 836 00:56:30.719 --> 00:56:31.840 pieces, but they're only a game and a half out in the division. 837 00:56:31.840 --> 00:56:36.000 They're only three games out in a wild card. Not guarantee that they're gonna 838 00:56:36.039 --> 00:56:38.519 sell anything. The Cubs, they'll sell some pieces, but they're in the 839 00:56:38.559 --> 00:56:42.119 thick of it. They're four games out at the moment. Pittsburgh's five and 840 00:56:42.119 --> 00:56:45.760 a half games out even at five games under five hundred, and they're not 841 00:56:45.840 --> 00:56:49.639 selling their young pieces. They're building towards the future. Saint Louis could shuffle 842 00:56:49.639 --> 00:56:52.000 pieces off. Their seasons done, but they don't have a lot that teams 843 00:56:52.039 --> 00:56:55.599 are gonna want outside of Paul Goldschmidt, honestly, and he will cost quite 844 00:56:55.599 --> 00:57:00.599 a pretty penny for teams to get. In the West Arizona, they won't 845 00:57:00.639 --> 00:57:02.840 be selling anything off. The Giants won't be selling anything off. The Dodgers 846 00:57:02.840 --> 00:57:07.639 won't be selling anything off. San Diego could because they've been in a just 847 00:57:07.719 --> 00:57:12.280 complete, under underwhelming team with all the money they've spent, and then Colorado 848 00:57:12.280 --> 00:57:14.559 will sell, but they don't have anything anybody wants as well. So it's 849 00:57:14.559 --> 00:57:17.760 a tough trade market, very tough. There will be fewer players out there 850 00:57:17.800 --> 00:57:23.280 to get than you're hopeful that are available for the Astros to go and do 851 00:57:23.440 --> 00:57:29.079 just that. But they they have to weigh that do they want to go 852 00:57:29.199 --> 00:57:35.519 big and splash versus smaller deals. You don't want to mortgage too much in 853 00:57:35.679 --> 00:57:42.400 terms of you know, you don't want to over risk or overdo too much 854 00:57:42.480 --> 00:57:46.440 in terms of going for rentals and whatnot and blowing out prospect capital that you 855 00:57:46.639 --> 00:57:51.440 don't have a lot of right now. And that's just that's just where this 856 00:57:51.559 --> 00:57:52.800 franchise that last year would have made a lot of sense. That did make 857 00:57:52.800 --> 00:57:57.199 sense to go make some of those trades that they did make and give up 858 00:57:57.239 --> 00:58:00.239 some players because well, they wouldn't won a World Series as simple as that. 859 00:58:00.079 --> 00:58:05.039 But just this year, I think that based on the way that they're 860 00:58:05.079 --> 00:58:08.840 playing, I don't think that you go all in on anything. But they 861 00:58:08.880 --> 00:58:13.320 will definitely add seven one three two on two five, seven nineties our phone 862 00:58:13.360 --> 00:58:17.960 number to join us here on a Space City Saturday. The commissioner the sport 863 00:58:19.119 --> 00:58:22.519 had some things to say about the Astros this week. Let's go ahead and 864 00:58:22.760 --> 00:58:25.880 get it off our chest about ding dong Manfred next here on Sports Talk seven 865 00:58:25.960 --> 00:58:39.079 ninety. We now return to Space City Saturday, Sports Talk seven ninety. 866 00:58:40.800 --> 00:58:45.960 There are some people in this world that just do not know how to get 867 00:58:45.000 --> 00:58:49.440 their foot out of their mouths, and that man, of course, in 868 00:58:49.480 --> 00:58:52.920 Major League Baseball, has been Rob Manford sometime. Welcome back to Space City 869 00:58:52.960 --> 00:58:55.360 Saturday. Here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Michael Connor with you. You 870 00:58:55.400 --> 00:58:59.679 can join us at seven one three two one two five at seven ninety. 871 00:58:59.719 --> 00:59:05.119 But Manford this past week, if you want to discuss or want to get 872 00:59:05.159 --> 00:59:07.400 into what he had to say, of course you can. You can join 873 00:59:07.480 --> 00:59:10.400 us here on this topic of conversation because he's kind of a ding dong if 874 00:59:10.400 --> 00:59:15.519 he missed it. This week, he did an interview with Time magazine and 875 00:59:15.440 --> 00:59:22.199 basically said that he admitted in the interview that granting immunity to the Astros players 876 00:59:22.320 --> 00:59:28.199 was maybe, in his quote unquote, maybe not my best decision. MLB, 877 00:59:28.320 --> 00:59:30.760 of course, did not punish any of the players in that investigation. 878 00:59:30.800 --> 00:59:37.000 They punished A. J Hench Jeff Luno. The Astros organization was find money 879 00:59:37.000 --> 00:59:40.559 and lost draft picks for it. But he also said in this in terms 880 00:59:40.559 --> 00:59:45.079 of the players immunity, drawing widespread criticism, he said, there are some 881 00:59:45.119 --> 00:59:50.159 decisions that I like to have back. He says, I'm not sure that 882 00:59:50.280 --> 00:59:54.559 I would. I would have approached it with giving players immunity, he told 883 00:59:55.039 --> 00:59:59.840 Time Magazine in this report or in this story, once we gave players in 884 01:00:00.119 --> 01:00:04.079 unity, it puts you in a box as to what exactly you were going 885 01:00:04.119 --> 01:00:07.239 to do in terms of punishment. I might have gone about the investigative process 886 01:00:07.280 --> 01:00:13.559 without the grant of immunity and see where it takes us. Starting with I'm 887 01:00:13.599 --> 01:00:19.920 not going to punish anybody. Maybe not my best decision ever. There are 888 01:00:19.960 --> 01:00:23.320 some decisions I would like to have back. They're absolutely there's absolutely no question 889 01:00:23.360 --> 01:00:28.079 about that. Some of the decisions surrounding the Houston situation. Would like to 890 01:00:28.119 --> 01:00:30.320 have those back. I mean, if I could take back the rather flip 891 01:00:30.360 --> 01:00:34.559 comment I made that I made about the World Series Trophy at one time, 892 01:00:34.599 --> 01:00:37.920 I'd take that one back. There have been times, particularly in times of 893 01:00:37.960 --> 01:00:43.480 pressure, when I look back, talk or taking a little more time might 894 01:00:43.519 --> 01:00:46.199 have led to a different outcome. So, first of all, there's a 895 01:00:46.239 --> 01:00:51.199 lot of layers of this to go through. The Number one, Rob Mainford 896 01:00:51.280 --> 01:00:55.719 is a moron, and I genuinely mean that he might be the dumbest person 897 01:00:55.719 --> 01:01:00.599 alive and how and this is just kind of how life goes right. There's 898 01:01:00.639 --> 01:01:02.960 people that get to some sort of position in life and it's amazing that they 899 01:01:04.000 --> 01:01:08.079 do. He has a complete lack of feel. You are the commissioner of 900 01:01:08.119 --> 01:01:13.000 a sport. You're doing a sit down interview. You're going to do nothing 901 01:01:13.000 --> 01:01:15.960 but create more headlines when you talk about this, which, by the way, 902 01:01:16.159 --> 01:01:23.239 it is twenty twenty three. When are we gonna stop? This isn't 903 01:01:23.239 --> 01:01:29.880 even the Astros fan in me for my entire life, Like when in general 904 01:01:29.920 --> 01:01:36.320 are we gonna stop with this storyline? It was two thousand and seventeen, 905 01:01:37.440 --> 01:01:42.000 it's twenty twenty three. Move on with you live with your lives, you 906 01:01:42.159 --> 01:01:46.880 absolute idiots, because that's what everybody that keeps talking about this is a straight 907 01:01:46.960 --> 01:01:52.079 up idiot. They have nothing better to do than to talk about this. 908 01:01:52.199 --> 01:01:59.760 Over It's done. Move on the Astros hoisted the champion, the trophy that 909 01:02:00.280 --> 01:02:02.719 they are the champions, they will forever be the champions inside of a sport 910 01:02:02.960 --> 01:02:07.320 that had a problem of science stealing. So let's just roll through the layers 911 01:02:07.320 --> 01:02:12.519 of that real quick. The talk of immunity and not giving him. If 912 01:02:12.559 --> 01:02:16.559 you go back and say, hey, we're not gonna give immunity to the 913 01:02:16.559 --> 01:02:22.199 players, what do you think the first thing's gonna happen when the players sit 914 01:02:22.280 --> 01:02:24.440 down. Mike Fires put his name on it, of course, and said 915 01:02:24.480 --> 01:02:29.360 what he said, But there's not a single player that sits down with you 916 01:02:29.599 --> 01:02:35.039 and admits to anything. If you say punishment is on the table. Also, 917 01:02:35.480 --> 01:02:38.400 you're gonna get a fight from the players and the players Association, because 918 01:02:38.679 --> 01:02:43.360 if I'm an Astros player, knowing what's going on in other cities, I 919 01:02:43.440 --> 01:02:46.559 would have gone into that process and said, well, if you're gonna punish 920 01:02:46.559 --> 01:02:50.800 me, you're gonna punish the people in New York who got caught with Apple 921 01:02:50.840 --> 01:02:52.960 Watches, the Red Sox who got caught with So you're gonna punish all these 922 01:02:53.000 --> 01:02:59.119 players. You can't punish some and not punish the rest. And this gets 923 01:02:59.159 --> 01:03:02.519 back to how stupid but Rob Manford is you, as a commissioner of the 924 01:03:02.519 --> 01:03:07.719 sport, got the scapegoat thrown into your hands. You were able to sweep 925 01:03:07.840 --> 01:03:14.039 the big, massive problem your sport had when terms of regulating the use of 926 01:03:14.119 --> 01:03:19.440 technology to get an advantage inside of games. You were able to sweep it 927 01:03:19.519 --> 01:03:22.079 under the rug and just pin it all the one team and have the public 928 01:03:22.119 --> 01:03:27.199 outrage b to one team. You were given the ultimate gift, and you 929 01:03:27.199 --> 01:03:36.079 are sitting here being an ass clown and completely forgetting about that. There have 930 01:03:36.159 --> 01:03:39.840 been too many players, there have been too many stories that tell everybody in 931 01:03:39.880 --> 01:03:47.000 this world that this stuff was going on across the sport. You can go 932 01:03:47.079 --> 01:03:52.599 to the stories about the Colorado Rockies who were using a massage gun to hit 933 01:03:52.880 --> 01:03:59.039 a metal workout bench to make noise to alert hitters what was coming. You 934 01:03:59.119 --> 01:04:02.719 can go to the Ends with their video room and the people with cameras in 935 01:04:02.239 --> 01:04:06.519 the in the stands and whatnot that have been caught on multiple occasions. You 936 01:04:06.559 --> 01:04:10.639 can go to the Apple Watch situation. You can go to the Red Sox 937 01:04:10.840 --> 01:04:14.800 and their replay room that's been caught on things. There's been stories of the 938 01:04:14.840 --> 01:04:17.559 Texas Rangers back in the Adrian Beltray days that had somebody that would sit in 939 01:04:17.599 --> 01:04:21.199 the stands in the center field, it would move a certain way for the 940 01:04:21.280 --> 01:04:29.519 hitter to know what was coming. The sport was littered with signstealing. It 941 01:04:29.639 --> 01:04:31.679 is not an excuse for the Astros. It's never been an excuse for the 942 01:04:31.719 --> 01:04:34.719 Astros. It's always been about, Oh, I don't even mention the Dodgers 943 01:04:34.719 --> 01:04:38.760 and the stuff they've been linked to. But it has always been about pointing 944 01:04:38.760 --> 01:04:47.280 out the blatant, just stupidity of all of it. It was a scandal 945 01:04:47.360 --> 01:04:53.920 era of baseball. There have been scandal eras or eras of baseball that the 946 01:04:54.000 --> 01:04:57.280 public doesn't want anything to know about. There's probably stuff going on in every 947 01:04:57.280 --> 01:05:00.519 single sport in terms of maybe drug use, whatever it might be that the 948 01:05:00.599 --> 01:05:05.239 public in the leagues don't want people to know about. And you had this 949 01:05:05.440 --> 01:05:09.760 all wrapped up into one thing, and we should be done with this. 950 01:05:09.800 --> 01:05:13.039 It shouldn't be a thing. Instead, you live a man that is running 951 01:05:13.039 --> 01:05:18.280 the sport, that's opening his mouth and bringing it back up like a buffoon. 952 01:05:19.639 --> 01:05:23.079 If I'm an owner, if I'm Jim Crane, I would have been 953 01:05:23.119 --> 01:05:27.320 on the phone the next day chewing this guy out and saying we pay your 954 01:05:27.440 --> 01:05:33.239 salary, idiot, move on with it. You and Joe Kelly and Kenya 955 01:05:33.280 --> 01:05:36.400 Middleton and all these dumbs that are out there, just keep living in this 956 01:05:36.480 --> 01:05:43.639 world. Stop. You shouldn't want this if you're baseball to be a topic 957 01:05:43.679 --> 01:05:46.239 of conversation constantly. You want to promote your sport for the good, to 958 01:05:46.280 --> 01:05:50.519 make it a better game, to make it grow, and living in this 959 01:05:50.559 --> 01:05:55.760 world where you're constantly mucking it up doesn't do that. It makes the topic 960 01:05:55.719 --> 01:06:01.519 of conversation about something that is a black eye on your sport. And if 961 01:06:01.519 --> 01:06:04.800 you went through this process where you didn't give the player's immunity, they would 962 01:06:04.840 --> 01:06:08.760 have fought it. It would have probably ended up in the court system. 963 01:06:08.960 --> 01:06:11.960 It would have been a mess that would have dragged out for years like the 964 01:06:11.960 --> 01:06:16.000 steroids steroid era did. It wouldn't have gone away so quickly and it never 965 01:06:16.000 --> 01:06:18.760 really went but you know what I mean, Like it wouldn't have There wouldn't 966 01:06:18.760 --> 01:06:25.400 have been a quick resolution to it. Dumbfounded. I'm absolutely dumbfounded that somebody 967 01:06:25.679 --> 01:06:30.119 in that position of power can be that stupid. And I guess it shouldn't 968 01:06:30.119 --> 01:06:33.360 be dumbfounded by it, because again, there are so many examples of it 969 01:06:33.400 --> 01:06:39.599 across the world. If people in important jobs and roles that just they come 970 01:06:39.639 --> 01:06:45.519 off as idiots, and consistently this man has done that. I think about 971 01:06:45.599 --> 01:06:47.079 and I love the sport of baseball and I wanted to grow and everything we 972 01:06:47.159 --> 01:06:57.400 have gone in this sport, from Bud Selig to Rob Manfred, both terrible 973 01:06:57.599 --> 01:07:01.760 commissioners, terrible. You think it's at some point your sport would get it 974 01:07:01.840 --> 01:07:05.119 right. We can talk all we want about Roger Goodell and Adam Silver and 975 01:07:05.159 --> 01:07:10.239 everything. What's the one thing that those commissioners consistently do. Their sports are 976 01:07:10.280 --> 01:07:15.800 in a good spot. They get great TV deals, and really the sports 977 01:07:15.800 --> 01:07:18.760 are growing. And you can look at both of those commissioners and say, 978 01:07:18.800 --> 01:07:24.320 you're not growing the sport anymore. It's declined. Rob Manford's probably screwed up 979 01:07:24.360 --> 01:07:28.880 some television deals. Whatever's going on? If I obviously he might stay out 980 01:07:28.920 --> 01:07:31.039 of the city of Houston when it comes to going to baseball games. Let's 981 01:07:31.039 --> 01:07:33.320 go to the phone lines and talk to John and Fresno. Hey, John, 982 01:07:34.519 --> 01:07:39.320 Hey, what's going on? Everything? Everything you said I agree with, 983 01:07:39.800 --> 01:07:43.159 But I just want to mention one thing about Dust Baker, real quick 984 01:07:44.000 --> 01:07:46.880 Dust as well loved in the city. Why because he'd come to a city 985 01:07:46.960 --> 01:07:51.400 with no credibility. He took the job no other imagine wanted, and he 986 01:07:51.519 --> 01:07:58.079 turned the city back into credible, credible baseball town. And he done it 987 01:07:58.119 --> 01:08:02.360 with less plus than most teams have. Dusty is a great, great manager, 988 01:08:02.519 --> 01:08:06.000 And that might be one of the reason this idiot made that statement, 989 01:08:06.039 --> 01:08:10.440 because shust was so good. He in you out, you're in it and 990 01:08:10.559 --> 01:08:15.399 yeah, and and without Dusty about in credibility back to this city and this 991 01:08:15.600 --> 01:08:19.920 town, people should be grateful and thankful that we got amagin like that they 992 01:08:19.960 --> 01:08:25.560 could bring incredibility around baseball world to this city. So I'm all in for 993 01:08:25.640 --> 01:08:28.119 Dusty, and that other person is the idiot. He don't even need to 994 01:08:28.159 --> 01:08:32.880 be in baseball. I'm hanging up with a listen, thank you for the 995 01:08:32.920 --> 01:08:36.079 phone call. I mean, look, Dusty didn't inherit nothing. He inherited 996 01:08:36.119 --> 01:08:41.319 a mess, but he didn't inherit nothing. He inherited an incredibly talented team 997 01:08:41.960 --> 01:08:45.720 um that was ready to win, that had already won. So he's he's 998 01:08:45.760 --> 01:08:49.079 done a good job of maintaining the level of what they had in terms of 999 01:08:49.079 --> 01:08:51.760 the expectation. Let's go to Martin were quick before our time out. Hello 1000 01:08:51.880 --> 01:08:59.279 Martin, Hey Michael, you know, um, be prepared. This is 1001 01:08:59.319 --> 01:09:03.199 not gonna go away with the Astros. It's gonna last for twenty five thirty 1002 01:09:03.239 --> 01:09:11.920 more years at least. It may go beyond that. When I'm dead and 1003 01:09:12.000 --> 01:09:15.960 gone, it will probably still be going on. I saw a video Michael 1004 01:09:15.560 --> 01:09:19.840 on YouTube of a couple of years ago. This happened at Dodgers Stadium. 1005 01:09:19.880 --> 01:09:29.119 An Astro's fan was walking through Dodgers Stadium and recording it and the video and 1006 01:09:29.159 --> 01:09:33.600 everything. It's on YouTube, and the fans were giving him the finger and 1007 01:09:34.239 --> 01:09:39.880 cursing at him, and and the cleanest thing that they called him was a 1008 01:09:40.039 --> 01:09:44.439 cheater. I mean, it was bad. He was walking through the Dodgers 1009 01:09:44.439 --> 01:09:47.439 Stadium through where he was sitting at and you know, going to get something 1010 01:09:47.479 --> 01:09:51.680 to eat, and they were giving him the finger and it was bad. 1011 01:09:53.279 --> 01:09:56.920 But that was on YouTube. But anyway, hey, man, be prepared. 1012 01:09:57.039 --> 01:10:00.760 It's not gonna go away for many years. That's all I have to 1013 01:10:00.800 --> 01:10:03.439 say. Thank you, Martin. Good to hear from. Yeah, I 1014 01:10:03.479 --> 01:10:08.039 know it's not going away, but it's just the fact that you have the 1015 01:10:08.039 --> 01:10:12.319 commissioner the sport who should want to not have this be a topic of conversation 1016 01:10:12.439 --> 01:10:16.720 coming out there and bring me back up unprovoked by the way, they didn't 1017 01:10:16.720 --> 01:10:19.760 ask him about the astro scanal. They asked him what the Biggers already brought 1018 01:10:19.760 --> 01:10:25.079 that up? I mean, like, could you be any dumber? Clearly 1019 01:10:25.159 --> 01:10:29.680 not. Rob Manford is as stupid as stupid does, as four or stupid 1020 01:10:29.760 --> 01:10:31.279 is as stupid does as Forrest Gump would like to tell you. Seven one 1021 01:10:31.359 --> 01:10:34.520 three, two one two five seven nineties are number to join us here on 1022 01:10:34.760 --> 01:10:39.560 Space City Saturday. Thirty minutes, just under thirty minutes to go. We'll 1023 01:10:39.600 --> 01:10:43.600 get into the rockets and the draft and some other Astros things before we get 1024 01:10:43.600 --> 01:10:49.319 out of here. Right here on seven ninety. Space City Saturday continues. 1025 01:10:49.880 --> 01:11:05.800 Find Sports Talk seven ninety in the home stretch of Space City Saturday. Here 1026 01:11:05.840 --> 01:11:10.319 on the Sports Talk for seven ninety. But I'm not going anywhere today, 1027 01:11:10.399 --> 01:11:13.640 so just be prepared for more with me on your radio. Michael Connor, 1028 01:11:13.680 --> 01:11:16.560 here it with you, of course five o'clock I'll have the Astros on Deck 1029 01:11:16.640 --> 01:11:21.720 show this evening ahead of Game two of three against the Los Angeles Dodgers. 1030 01:11:21.800 --> 01:11:27.119 These stro's looking to bounce back from the three two loss last night, as 1031 01:11:27.159 --> 01:11:30.920 they will hand the ball today to Ronell Blanco, hopefully a little bit better 1032 01:11:30.960 --> 01:11:33.720 than his last start, and they can get a victory because they need it. 1033 01:11:33.760 --> 01:11:36.359 That was a tough one last night. They dropped to six and a 1034 01:11:36.399 --> 01:11:42.159 half games back of the Texas Rangers in the American League West. Of course, 1035 01:11:42.199 --> 01:11:44.399 this week it was not just about the Astros. Now. Look, 1036 01:11:44.439 --> 01:11:47.119 we are in the middle of the summer and we are continuing to slowly create 1037 01:11:47.159 --> 01:11:51.399 towards that trade deadline where they're gonna dominate the conversation. We'll have a football 1038 01:11:51.439 --> 01:11:56.439 back in our lives to an extent in about a month when the Texans are 1039 01:11:56.479 --> 01:11:59.680 out on the field for a training camp, which will be fun to have. 1040 01:12:00.399 --> 01:12:02.760 We will also, of course, creep towards the NBA season before you 1041 01:12:02.800 --> 01:12:06.399 know it, because the Rockets had the draft this week. If you were 1042 01:12:06.760 --> 01:12:12.319 able to listen or come out to Post Houston this week on Thursday when we 1043 01:12:12.319 --> 01:12:15.520 were out there for our draft covers, thank you first of all to all 1044 01:12:15.560 --> 01:12:17.199 of you that stopped buying said hello, and then those of you that listened 1045 01:12:17.239 --> 01:12:19.920 to us that night. You got all of us. You had the Adams, 1046 01:12:19.960 --> 01:12:24.800 you had Ross, you had stand you had me been to bowstop, 1047 01:12:24.840 --> 01:12:27.560 but we had plenty of covered Matt Thomas as well. It was a good 1048 01:12:27.680 --> 01:12:30.439 night. It was a very good night on a night where it was difficult. 1049 01:12:30.560 --> 01:12:33.920 I still think going in from the standpoint of you know, there was 1050 01:12:34.199 --> 01:12:38.840 and this is just me speaking for myself personally, it was it was disappointing 1051 01:12:38.840 --> 01:12:41.680 as hell to land the fourth pick. Now, look, I'm excited. 1052 01:12:42.079 --> 01:12:45.920 I'm very excited about how it played out for them in the draft. I'm 1053 01:12:45.960 --> 01:12:46.840 in Thompson. Now, Look, I know that there's been a lot of 1054 01:12:46.840 --> 01:12:50.479 people that have written a lot and said a lot about you know, his 1055 01:12:50.640 --> 01:12:54.680 shooting ability and whatnot and if he's going to be a guy that can shoot 1056 01:12:54.720 --> 01:12:57.279 consistently at the NBA level. Here's what I know. There's been so many 1057 01:12:57.359 --> 01:13:01.319 people that have said so many good things about here is athletic ability, which 1058 01:13:01.359 --> 01:13:05.680 is so intriguing to me, of course, and his playmaking ability for this 1059 01:13:05.720 --> 01:13:12.119 basketball team because this team has absolutely been missing a you know, I think 1060 01:13:12.199 --> 01:13:15.800 a guy that can can run the offense, and if I'm in Thompson can 1061 01:13:15.840 --> 01:13:18.399 be that for this basketball team, I think that's gonna be a good thing. 1062 01:13:18.479 --> 01:13:21.640 And you know, I think that the selection of him at number four 1063 01:13:23.119 --> 01:13:26.800 kind of puts you out of the business of being in the James Harden business. 1064 01:13:26.880 --> 01:13:30.119 And you know, I know it's something that I've We've talked about a 1065 01:13:30.159 --> 01:13:31.840 lot here on this show since I started doing the Saturday Show, and I 1066 01:13:32.319 --> 01:13:35.039 said it multiple times. I thought it was inevitable that he's coming back, 1067 01:13:35.079 --> 01:13:42.039 and I'm glad that it appears right now at least that it's not inevitable that 1068 01:13:42.119 --> 01:13:44.640 he comes back to the city of Houston. And you know, I think 1069 01:13:44.640 --> 01:13:47.960 that you've gone down that road with him obviously for eight years here and it 1070 01:13:48.039 --> 01:13:50.840 was went into a ninth year when you're trading him, of course, but 1071 01:13:50.920 --> 01:13:55.560 you've gone down that road. There's no real reason to me to go back 1072 01:13:55.600 --> 01:13:58.520 at this point. You know. I know that you want to add a 1073 01:13:58.600 --> 01:14:02.199 veteran, but why add a veteran? And that will truly stunt the growth 1074 01:14:02.279 --> 01:14:08.119 of young players continuing to do what they need to go and do and go 1075 01:14:08.159 --> 01:14:12.760 out there and win or should say, develop their basketball games at a higher 1076 01:14:12.840 --> 01:14:16.800 level to go and you know, grow as young point guards, young scores, 1077 01:14:16.840 --> 01:14:19.760 whatever it might be. In this league. The Rockets need to take 1078 01:14:19.800 --> 01:14:24.680 that next step and they want to take that next step of this rebuilt process. 1079 01:14:24.760 --> 01:14:27.319 Now they are gonna go have to go out and they do know that 1080 01:14:27.439 --> 01:14:30.039 they are flushed with cap space more than any more cash space than any other 1081 01:14:30.039 --> 01:14:34.720 team in basketball this summer. So that will help them have the ability to 1082 01:14:34.760 --> 01:14:39.760 go out there and do just that, go out there and add to this 1083 01:14:39.840 --> 01:14:44.520 basketball team, which I think is a very exciting thing to see happen. 1084 01:14:44.880 --> 01:14:46.000 Now the question is what are they going to go and add. And of 1085 01:14:46.000 --> 01:14:49.079 course they're gonna go and add a big man. We assume There's been a 1086 01:14:49.119 --> 01:14:54.920 lot of links for them to Brook Lopez. There has also been some links 1087 01:14:55.000 --> 01:15:00.920 for Fred van Vleet, the point guard who would kind of help you Eastman 1088 01:15:00.000 --> 01:15:05.439 Thompson into things and doesn't necessarily have to be a ball dominant guard all the 1089 01:15:05.520 --> 01:15:10.279 time. So that's an intriguing option to me. But they need to add 1090 01:15:10.279 --> 01:15:13.800 some veterans to the mix. They're going to add some veterans to the mix. 1091 01:15:14.119 --> 01:15:18.760 The questions still becomes do they get involved at all in any sort of 1092 01:15:18.840 --> 01:15:23.560 big trades. You know, there's been the names that have been out there. 1093 01:15:23.600 --> 01:15:29.479 I'm not gonna assume that they're even gonna flirt with the idea of Damian 1094 01:15:29.560 --> 01:15:30.920 Lillard if he was available. I mean, there's really no point. He's 1095 01:15:31.079 --> 01:15:34.039 older in his career and he makes too much sense for a team like Miami 1096 01:15:34.079 --> 01:15:39.600 to go and get if he was truly available in trade. The name and 1097 01:15:39.800 --> 01:15:44.800 Diane Williamson has been linked a little bit, which to me still does make 1098 01:15:44.840 --> 01:15:48.920 some sense to consider for yourself, even with the concerns that you have for 1099 01:15:48.960 --> 01:15:51.920 the player and the fact that he has been off the court more than on 1100 01:15:51.960 --> 01:15:59.680 the court. And then again, it's been a very interesting off season so 1101 01:15:59.760 --> 01:16:00.880 far for Zion Williamson, I think is the best way to put it. 1102 01:16:00.920 --> 01:16:06.960 If you were on Twitter, that woman that uh exposed a lot of him, 1103 01:16:08.000 --> 01:16:11.359 I don't think is on Twitter anymore. Her account's been suspended. The 1104 01:16:11.520 --> 01:16:15.319 porn star, I say, but that's a that's a name that still I 1105 01:16:15.319 --> 01:16:16.880 think you have to have a deep discussion about if you're the Rockets, if 1106 01:16:16.920 --> 01:16:20.239 he's truly available, if you can go get him, you gotta consider it. 1107 01:16:23.960 --> 01:16:30.119 But they came out of that draft and I think they did two things 1108 01:16:30.119 --> 01:16:34.800 that are going to help this basketball team quite a bit. The question with 1109 01:16:34.840 --> 01:16:39.039 Amen Thomps is what does it mean for Kevin Porter junior in his role. 1110 01:16:39.560 --> 01:16:43.319 Is he still a point guard? I don't necessarily think he should be the 1111 01:16:43.359 --> 01:16:45.479 point guard. I said that a lot last year. I you like his 1112 01:16:45.600 --> 01:16:50.600 scoring ability, He's a he's a good player. I think he can be 1113 01:16:50.800 --> 01:16:56.720 a really important piece for this team and continue to grow. But I've never 1114 01:16:56.760 --> 01:17:02.840 been on board with the point guard scenario. I'm in and Jalen Green together 1115 01:17:02.880 --> 01:17:06.920 in the same backcourt is very athletic, which is very intriguing. Of course, 1116 01:17:09.319 --> 01:17:14.880 you're expected another year of growth for Jabari Smith junior. You're hoping alt 1117 01:17:14.920 --> 01:17:19.920 be Shane Goon just can get more consistent in terms of his defensive effort. 1118 01:17:19.960 --> 01:17:24.880 He's got a lot of offensive game that you like. And then again you 1119 01:17:25.000 --> 01:17:28.520 see what kind of additions you have to put around these guys to help them 1120 01:17:28.560 --> 01:17:30.920 grow and for this team to take the next step in this rebuilt process. 1121 01:17:30.960 --> 01:17:35.439 To me, this is the year that you go from bad. You want 1122 01:17:35.439 --> 01:17:41.840 to be like Oklahoma City was last year. You want to be pushing for 1123 01:17:41.880 --> 01:17:44.840 that play and stuff. You want to be a team that's winning, you 1124 01:17:44.880 --> 01:17:47.039 know, hopefully in the in the mid to up or thirties and games that's 1125 01:17:47.039 --> 01:17:51.279 a big league from low twenties each of the last few years. But that's 1126 01:17:51.319 --> 01:17:55.439 at the stage for me where I'm at, where I think they should be. 1127 01:17:56.119 --> 01:17:58.279 And I think that there's probably a lot of people in the organization, 1128 01:17:58.319 --> 01:18:01.199 specially the head coach that they've hired animate Oka, that feels the exact same 1129 01:18:01.239 --> 01:18:12.439 way. So we'll see exactly how it plays out. But to get Amen 1130 01:18:12.560 --> 01:18:15.319 Thompson and then to get Cam whitmore to fall and I don't know if there's 1131 01:18:15.319 --> 01:18:18.439 been a lot of discussion about why he was available there at twenty for the 1132 01:18:18.520 --> 01:18:23.199 Rockets. I mean, you and I and everybody else will probably never know 1133 01:18:23.279 --> 01:18:29.000 the complete answer. We weren't in the interviews that he had. You know, 1134 01:18:30.439 --> 01:18:34.199 they might have been terrible. I know that this is a at the 1135 01:18:34.279 --> 01:18:40.439 time, he's an eighteen year old kid that will be nineteen and in a 1136 01:18:40.439 --> 01:18:45.079 couple of weeks play a year at Villanova on a Villanova team that a lot 1137 01:18:45.119 --> 01:18:47.479 of up and down, probably not to the level that they expected out of 1138 01:18:47.520 --> 01:18:55.760 themselves consistently this year, and he was, without a doubt to me, 1139 01:18:55.880 --> 01:19:01.880 the most talented player on that team. I think that they got lucky as 1140 01:19:01.920 --> 01:19:05.600 hell to get there. You've heard and I think it's basically been confirmed It 1141 01:19:05.600 --> 01:19:10.640 wasn't just from murfel Stone that the Rockets did try to get up higher in 1142 01:19:10.680 --> 01:19:14.800 the draft to go and get him. That was always their thought process. 1143 01:19:16.359 --> 01:19:20.439 The Pacers GM yesterday basically confirmed that his team was trying to get back up 1144 01:19:20.479 --> 01:19:25.359 into the draft, hired to go and get Cam Whitmore as well as he 1145 01:19:25.439 --> 01:19:28.239 was falling, and they couldn't do it. Teams weren't willing to trade their 1146 01:19:28.239 --> 01:19:32.479 picks. That Rockets got lucky as hell that he was there. The more 1147 01:19:32.520 --> 01:19:36.840 I've read and listened to some people that are connected to certain things and whatever 1148 01:19:36.880 --> 01:19:41.640 it might be, the more I'm intrigued by the more I think that the 1149 01:19:41.720 --> 01:19:45.760 Rockets got a chance that they got themselves the steal of the draft at twenty. 1150 01:19:45.000 --> 01:19:49.880 Now the player is going to have to do the things to get there, 1151 01:19:49.880 --> 01:19:57.000 of course, because the concerns are definitely there. I think it's pretty 1152 01:19:57.000 --> 01:20:00.640 clear there's some lack of there's concerns about maturity, things that taking certain things 1153 01:20:00.640 --> 01:20:03.920 seriously, like he's going to have to grow up and it's it's not easy 1154 01:20:03.920 --> 01:20:08.560 to do when you're nineteen years old in the NBA. But we've seen this, 1155 01:20:08.680 --> 01:20:15.000 like there's been a lot of it's been a lot of youths on this 1156 01:20:15.039 --> 01:20:23.319 basketball team over the last few years. Hopefully he can come in and he's 1157 01:20:23.319 --> 01:20:30.359 in an environment where the coach is somebody that is hard on players, expects 1158 01:20:30.359 --> 01:20:39.079 a lot out of them, and I think that it's the right spot for 1159 01:20:39.159 --> 01:20:46.680 him as well. The athletic ability is freakish. Size for an eighteen now 1160 01:20:46.840 --> 01:20:54.760 about to be nineteen year old is silly. I think that they're gonna walk 1161 01:20:54.760 --> 01:20:56.880 away at the end of the day and a couple of years in this draft 1162 01:20:56.920 --> 01:20:59.680 and go. We got two really good players. The question for this team 1163 01:20:59.720 --> 01:21:03.760 is going to continue to be where do they find shooting? Consistent great shooting. 1164 01:21:04.439 --> 01:21:09.880 Jalen Green hasn't been that he regrets last year. Jabari Smith has to 1165 01:21:09.880 --> 01:21:11.960 take that next leap as a guy that we thought was going to be a 1166 01:21:12.039 --> 01:21:14.520 better shooter as a rookie. He's got to go and be a really good 1167 01:21:14.520 --> 01:21:17.359 shooter next year. A lot of things have to happen for this basketball team. 1168 01:21:17.399 --> 01:21:21.439 But future is bright. I feel great about it. I think everybody 1169 01:21:21.439 --> 01:21:25.680 else should feel great about it. And I think for the first time in 1170 01:21:25.800 --> 01:21:29.880 quite some time now I'm geared up. I'm ready to go. I can't 1171 01:21:29.920 --> 01:21:32.319 wait to see Rockets basketball out there on the floor, which again you can 1172 01:21:32.399 --> 01:21:36.159 hear right here of course on Sports Talk seven nine seven one three two on 1173 01:21:36.239 --> 01:21:40.039 two five, seven nineties. The phone nable to join us. We will 1174 01:21:40.119 --> 01:21:43.680 take our final time out. We return, we'll wrap up our final thoughts 1175 01:21:43.680 --> 01:21:49.039 of us Saturday right here on Sports Talk seven ninety. This is Space City's 1176 01:21:49.079 --> 01:22:04.479 Saturday on Sports Talk seven ninety. Our final segment of Space City Saturday. 1177 01:22:04.600 --> 01:22:10.159 Here on Sports Talk seven ninety, Michael Connor here with you. You can 1178 01:22:10.960 --> 01:22:13.479 get in for a couple of minutes real quick if you want too, at 1179 01:22:13.479 --> 01:22:16.239 seven one three two one two five seven ninety seven one three two one two 1180 01:22:16.319 --> 01:22:19.119 five seven nineties and the number to join us. UM. I don't pay 1181 01:22:19.119 --> 01:22:23.359 attention to the a lot of the other world, the things that go on, 1182 01:22:23.479 --> 01:22:25.840 and yeah, I'm not saying I don't pay attention of things that don't 1183 01:22:25.880 --> 01:22:29.239 go in the world, but I'm just on Twitter, and again you can 1184 01:22:29.239 --> 01:22:31.640 find me on Twitter at MC seven ninety. UM, I didn't realize that 1185 01:22:31.680 --> 01:22:38.439 there's like basically a like there's a big like basically war going on in Fresher 1186 01:22:38.520 --> 01:22:42.039 today, which is crazy. Um So watch the news. I guess today 1187 01:22:42.039 --> 01:22:44.600 it's it seems a little wild. What's going on? They think goodness is 1188 01:22:44.640 --> 01:22:46.680 not going on over here. Um, we're gonna be watching sports today, 1189 01:22:46.720 --> 01:22:50.800 We're gonna be watching the Astros tonight, and then they take on the Los 1190 01:22:50.840 --> 01:22:55.800 Angeles Dodgers, of course, in game two of the three games series. 1191 01:22:55.800 --> 01:23:00.479 I kind of wanted to wrap up the show with the thoughts on the Dodgers 1192 01:23:00.760 --> 01:23:02.039 in general, and I wanted to take a look back. Of course, 1193 01:23:02.079 --> 01:23:08.079 it's always exciting and fun when you reminisce about a championship that you had. 1194 01:23:08.079 --> 01:23:12.760 And we had the discussion today of course about the Astros in twenty seventeen, 1195 01:23:12.840 --> 01:23:16.720 because Ding Dong Manfred and what he had to say to Time Magazine a couple 1196 01:23:16.760 --> 01:23:21.319 of days ago. But I just want to look back on that twenty seventeen 1197 01:23:21.399 --> 01:23:26.560 team here for a couple of minutes and what it will always mean to this 1198 01:23:26.640 --> 01:23:30.840 city, to the fans of this organization, the organization that they've had forever. 1199 01:23:30.880 --> 01:23:34.720 It's still crazy to think that it has been that long since it's happened 1200 01:23:34.880 --> 01:23:38.760 twenty seventeen. I mean, it still feels to an extent like it was 1201 01:23:38.880 --> 01:23:42.800 yesterday. But I mean it's been a lot of years now, they've won 1202 01:23:42.800 --> 01:23:47.159 another World Series since last year, which felt so damn good for them to 1203 01:23:47.199 --> 01:23:55.279 go out there and get they that team that year, and I can remember 1204 01:23:55.359 --> 01:23:59.640 that was like my for I'd been doing some pre and postgame shows in twenty 1205 01:23:59.640 --> 01:24:03.520 six team really the back half of that season where it was my first opportunity 1206 01:24:03.520 --> 01:24:08.880 to start doing them. Thing goodness, I waited a long time and wanted 1207 01:24:08.920 --> 01:24:12.800 to do those and started to do them that season, and I can remember 1208 01:24:12.880 --> 01:24:16.239 kind of going through that year, and you know, I that was a 1209 01:24:16.279 --> 01:24:20.000 younger version of me twenty seventeen. I was still twenty six years old that 1210 01:24:20.119 --> 01:24:24.720 year for the most of the season, and I fight with people a lot. 1211 01:24:25.239 --> 01:24:27.720 We did a lot of yelling during the year because I was a big 1212 01:24:27.760 --> 01:24:30.760 believer and maybe there's a bit of the Homerism in me, of course, 1213 01:24:30.800 --> 01:24:33.680 because I wanted them to win. And I grew up an Astros fan, 1214 01:24:33.800 --> 01:24:36.039 and I'm always going to be an Astros fan at the end of the day, 1215 01:24:36.039 --> 01:24:41.640 no matter what goes on. But we went through a season where I 1216 01:24:41.960 --> 01:24:45.399 told a lot of people that year that this team is good enough to win 1217 01:24:45.479 --> 01:24:47.479 it all. They're gonna win it all, and it happened, and Look, 1218 01:24:47.520 --> 01:24:51.439 I've mentioned it before. I get to do a lot of very cool 1219 01:24:51.520 --> 01:24:56.680 things in this job that we have, and one of those has been since 1220 01:24:56.720 --> 01:25:00.079 that twenty seventeen season. We get to Gordian I. I basically pack up 1221 01:25:00.119 --> 01:25:03.479 every time they're on the road and we follow them wherever they go. And 1222 01:25:03.520 --> 01:25:06.600 we were at all the home games in the postseason as well, so that 1223 01:25:06.680 --> 01:25:12.479 a mouth of October is always a quick sprint slash marathon for me. Like 1224 01:25:12.640 --> 01:25:15.239 by the end of it, I'm usually pretty damn exhausted. I will say 1225 01:25:15.239 --> 01:25:19.600 this past year that was the freshest I ever I've ever been after a postseason 1226 01:25:19.680 --> 01:25:23.880 run because it's late, it's early days at the ballpark, it's long late 1227 01:25:23.960 --> 01:25:25.880 nights. I know that all of you listening, Oh, it's not that 1228 01:25:25.920 --> 01:25:28.439 bad. I know it's not that bad, trust me. I'm just you 1229 01:25:28.479 --> 01:25:30.359 get you do get tired, and you get a little road weary after a 1230 01:25:30.399 --> 01:25:36.680 while from being gone from home so much in that one month. But I 1231 01:25:36.760 --> 01:25:41.439 was there that night at Dodger Stadium in twenty seventeen. I know that there's 1232 01:25:41.479 --> 01:25:45.560 people listening out there that have been to ballparks throughout the country and everything, 1233 01:25:45.640 --> 01:25:48.239 and I always get asked this from people when when I'm talking to people about 1234 01:25:48.239 --> 01:25:51.680 it and they're, hey, what's your favorite ballpark that's not minimated park? 1235 01:25:51.720 --> 01:25:55.560 Of course, and I will say to this day, I've done. I 1236 01:25:55.600 --> 01:25:59.199 think I've done. I think we're up to like fourteen of the thirties. 1237 01:25:59.239 --> 01:26:02.159 I saw a lot of work to do in terms of seeing ballparks, but 1238 01:26:02.199 --> 01:26:05.920 we've been to quite a few throughout my and even before you know I was 1239 01:26:05.960 --> 01:26:13.079 doing this job, I went to a few Dodger Stadium and you know, 1240 01:26:13.279 --> 01:26:15.560 part of it, it's because what happened. And I loved Dodger Stadium, 1241 01:26:15.960 --> 01:26:23.039 absolutely loved it. I love the nineteen fifties, sixties, feel like it 1242 01:26:23.159 --> 01:26:28.800 just old school, nostalgic baseball. The I just built into the hill there. 1243 01:26:28.840 --> 01:26:30.199 I know some people don't like. Gordy and I go back and forth 1244 01:26:30.199 --> 01:26:33.359 on it. He doesn't like it. I just loved it. I thought 1245 01:26:33.359 --> 01:26:36.479 it was a wonderful ballpark. I think the backdrop to it is just so 1246 01:26:36.600 --> 01:26:45.399 beautiful. Everything about it's just great. And if you're gonna go see ballparks, 1247 01:26:45.479 --> 01:26:48.279 I would put it up there on the list pretty high up of ballparks 1248 01:26:48.319 --> 01:26:50.800 to go see. But that night, I'm telling you I was like a 1249 01:26:50.800 --> 01:26:54.560 blower. We got out there. Gordy did the first two games. I 1250 01:26:54.560 --> 01:26:57.479 did not go to the first two games of that series, and I was 1251 01:26:57.520 --> 01:26:59.760 there for the rest of them. I was there at all the home games, 1252 01:26:59.800 --> 01:27:04.079 but for the last two back there, we both went for those and 1253 01:27:05.279 --> 01:27:10.000 it was I mean, I'd say it was just it was a great night 1254 01:27:10.319 --> 01:27:15.319 when it got started off so quickly. They shut the noise down there very 1255 01:27:15.399 --> 01:27:18.680 quickly and kind of cruised, which I think was a very It was good 1256 01:27:18.720 --> 01:27:23.159 to not stress that game at all to win their first title. I think 1257 01:27:23.199 --> 01:27:25.840 that was kind of important for all of our health after the way that we 1258 01:27:26.439 --> 01:27:30.000 went through Game five. But every time that they go back to Los Angeles 1259 01:27:30.359 --> 01:27:31.239 and I know that's going to be that way for a lot of you, 1260 01:27:31.840 --> 01:27:35.119 it brings back a lot of great memories. You think about where you were 1261 01:27:35.119 --> 01:27:38.479 and what you did. And we did not leave. Gordon and I were 1262 01:27:38.520 --> 01:27:41.680 the last people in terms of media out of that ballpark. They had a 1263 01:27:41.680 --> 01:27:45.199 media a lot which was down the hill from the stadium. You'd have to 1264 01:27:45.199 --> 01:27:47.640 take a bus up and down two It was two or three o'clock in the 1265 01:27:47.680 --> 01:27:51.359 morning at that point when we left, And remember two hours behind. When 1266 01:27:51.399 --> 01:27:56.760 we finally left Dodger Stadium and got off the air, they were leaf blowing 1267 01:27:56.760 --> 01:27:59.680 all the trash all over the place. That was only people left from the 1268 01:27:59.680 --> 01:28:03.279 ball with us, and I'll never forget having to walk down that hill and 1269 01:28:03.479 --> 01:28:06.640 go get to our rental car to get out of there. What a great 1270 01:28:06.720 --> 01:28:10.520 night, What a great great night it was, and what a fun night 1271 01:28:10.520 --> 01:28:13.840 it was. Hopefully tonight some more good stuff for the Astros out there again. 1272 01:28:13.880 --> 01:28:16.600 I'll be back with you tonight at five o'clock for the Astros on Deck 1273 01:28:16.640 --> 01:28:19.800 Show than of course the tenth Inning show afterwards as well. Thank you to 1274 01:28:19.840 --> 01:28:23.720 all of you that listen this morning and called. Thanks to Adam in the 1275 01:28:23.720 --> 01:28:26.640 studio as he always does a great job back there. I'll talk to you 1276 01:28:26.680 --> 01:28:30.279 guys again this evening five o'clock for the Astros on Deck show at a game 1277 01:28:30.319 --> 01:28:32.640 two or three against the Dodgers right here on your home for the Stros, 1278 01:28:32.640 --> 01:28:39.159 Hey the Rockets. Sports Talk seven nine