WEBVTT 1 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:19.879 Say, Created, Created, Welcome to another Space City Saturday on Sports Talk 2 00:00:19.960 --> 00:00:26.039 seven ninety Dan Matthews Live and local h Town breakdown of the world that matters 3 00:00:26.039 --> 00:00:30.760 to you, the Houston sports world. All these great Houston fans here. 4 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:36.399 We love you all. So finish up on that to do list. Flute 5 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:40.960 up the jeweler, because you can't drink in talk sports all day if you 6 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:51.960 don't start now. This is Space City Saturday. Here's seven nineties Dan Matthews, 7 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:59.359 Space City Saturday. What is going on? Everybody? Dan Matthews here 8 00:00:59.399 --> 00:01:03.520 with you for the next couple of hours. Phone lines are gonna be wide 9 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:07.439 open at seven one three two one two five, seven ninety if you want 10 00:01:07.480 --> 00:01:11.879 to get in. Gee, I wonder what we're gonna talk about today. 11 00:01:11.959 --> 00:01:14.439 I mean, you know, there's not much happening this weekend, right, 12 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:17.480 we don't. We don't have much going on here in the area, right. 13 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:21.159 I mean? Oh no, Hey, the Astros are doing that workout 14 00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:23.840 thing today over at Minute Made Park. That means that baseball is still being 15 00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:29.359 played in this town. You dang right, We're gonna be talking some Astros 16 00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:34.200 and Rangers in the ALCS. It'll both be me. It could be a 17 00:01:34.239 --> 00:01:37.640 little bit of you if you like it, and also too, it'll be 18 00:01:37.799 --> 00:01:42.040 others involved in the conversation as well. Over the next couple of hours. 19 00:01:42.439 --> 00:01:45.879 It is gonna be Lion's share of that. Remember a couple of weeks ago, 20 00:01:45.959 --> 00:01:49.239 because last week we had Texas so you during this time, I mean, 21 00:01:49.239 --> 00:01:52.840 how dare they preempt this show? Right? No, it's all good. 22 00:01:52.879 --> 00:01:55.560 Well, I guess it wasn't all good for Longhorn fans. Sorry about 23 00:01:55.560 --> 00:02:00.439 that, as they will be in town next week to take on the UH 24 00:02:00.519 --> 00:02:05.920 Cougars in a three o'clock game. But you know, we had early college 25 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:08.120 football for you, so I missed you last week. All good, But 26 00:02:08.199 --> 00:02:12.159 remember at that time, I think I set the number at like eighty five 27 00:02:12.199 --> 00:02:17.680 percent. I said we were gonna be about eighty five percent Astros and Ranger. 28 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:22.960 Excuse me Astros for that conversation, because at that time, nothing was 29 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:25.680 set as I talked to you at that time. Remember we were going into 30 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:30.520 that Saturday game and it was the scenario of the Astros needed one win in 31 00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:35.240 order to just make the postseason, and had they just gotten that one win 32 00:02:35.560 --> 00:02:39.560 and not one on Sunday, then we would have been talking about the Astros 33 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:44.360 being where the Rangers are right now, and instead of us getting ready for 34 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:47.840 two home games tomorrow and on Monday, we would be getting ready for two 35 00:02:49.080 --> 00:02:53.159 away games in Arlington at that time, because had the Rangers won both of 36 00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:59.000 those games, then they would have been the AO West champions. But as 37 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:02.599 fate had it, that did not happen. And now we are to the 38 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:08.560 ALCS. Uh oh, by the way too. Along with that as well, 39 00:03:09.159 --> 00:03:14.120 the seventh straight time that the Astros have made it to the ALCS, 40 00:03:14.360 --> 00:03:17.680 and not only that, a chance for them to be able to go to 41 00:03:19.199 --> 00:03:23.879 there, let's see one, two, three, third straight World Series? 42 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:27.599 Am I right on that? Yes, third straight World Series? So a 43 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:32.199 chance that that is definitely something that we want to look forward to. I 44 00:03:32.199 --> 00:03:36.919 already got a couple of you lining up. More of you can jump on 45 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:39.759 at seven one three, two, one two five seven. Ninety is the 46 00:03:39.800 --> 00:03:45.199 way that you can get in on the conversation I mentioned. Others are going 47 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:46.560 to be involved, and by the way to the number that I'm going to 48 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:53.719 put on this one, I'd say ninety percent Astros Alcs conversation that is going 49 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:58.879 to be today, because look, even though the Texans are probably exceeding our 50 00:03:58.919 --> 00:04:02.120 expectations to this point, because I had said at numerous times when I was 51 00:04:02.120 --> 00:04:05.479 sitting in this very chair and Matt Thomas was sitting on my left, I 52 00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:09.639 said, what should be the goal for the Texans this year? And that 53 00:04:09.960 --> 00:04:12.840 was I believe they were going into their second game of the season, they 54 00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:15.399 had already lost to the Baltimore Ravens. I said, what would be a 55 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:19.279 win for this year's organization? This team? The organization is the organization as 56 00:04:19.319 --> 00:04:24.120 a whole, the team itself is. If we are in November, and 57 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:29.319 even if the string plays out and the Astros are able to repeat as world 58 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:31.600 champions, at that time, we're in the Astros offseason. We're in the 59 00:04:31.680 --> 00:04:35.800 Rocket season at that point, but we're full throat into Texans season at that 60 00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:40.879 point. And I said, if we're in November and they on Sunday Night 61 00:04:40.920 --> 00:04:45.079 Football have that graphic up of you know, the division leaders, the wild 62 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:48.319 card teams, and then there's always that third group right there in the hunt, 63 00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:56.920 and you see the Toro head right up there, the Liberty red battle 64 00:04:56.959 --> 00:05:00.639 Red, Liberty Whites in deep steel blue head up there for in the hunt. 65 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:05.519 That's a win because you're playing meaningful football games at that point, and 66 00:05:05.560 --> 00:05:09.879 with a team as young as this and a team that probably is nowhere near 67 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:14.079 as being complete as they want to be to be able to go for not 68 00:05:14.120 --> 00:05:17.480 only the AFC South but also to be able to make it into the AFC 69 00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:23.879 playoffs, then you probably still need about another year or two of building up 70 00:05:23.879 --> 00:05:27.600 this roster. But as they stand right now, they at least sit at 71 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:31.319 two and three, a winnable game tomorrow against the Saints, and we'll get 72 00:05:31.319 --> 00:05:38.959 into Mismidge of Texans talk on this show today, But the Astros and Rangers, 73 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:41.759 I think an interesting part of all of this, and the other people 74 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:46.319 that are going to be joining along in the conversation RJ Choppy, who is 75 00:05:46.360 --> 00:05:49.639 part of Sean and RJ the Morning Show on one O five to three, 76 00:05:49.720 --> 00:05:55.600 the Fan up in DFW. He is going to join us, as you 77 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:59.839 know non Chop for some time, and you know he's a ball fan. 78 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:03.199 I mean, you know, if you know my history of previously a sabbatical 79 00:06:03.319 --> 00:06:09.720 way working in Atlanta, I was in the heart of SEC country and I 80 00:06:09.800 --> 00:06:13.720 gotta tell you, you know Ranger fans on Twitter, you're a little Vall 81 00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:18.959 fan like and if you know Vall Twitter on the SEC Twitter sphere. You 82 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:24.600 know the Vall fans, Boy, they get after you on Twitter, and 83 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:28.519 you know Astro fans do too, So you know, that's the part of 84 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:30.879 all of this that I think I love the most in terms of the fan 85 00:06:30.959 --> 00:06:33.759 interaction. And we're gonna get into that a little bit later on because I 86 00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:38.759 do have a segment where I do want to get into that fan behavior. 87 00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:43.959 How do you handle all of this this weekend and beyond? That's what I 88 00:06:43.959 --> 00:06:47.160 think we need to get into. But RJ Choppy, as I said, 89 00:06:47.360 --> 00:06:50.759 part of Sean and RJ The Morning Show, they're on one oh five to 90 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:54.199 three of the fan Like we are the flagship for the Astros, they are 91 00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:58.560 the flagship for the Rangers up there and DFW and Chopp is a great baseball 92 00:06:58.600 --> 00:07:01.439 guy, so definitely want to pick his brain a little bit later on to 93 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:08.120 Jeff Blum his visit with us yesterday on the A Team. We will talk 94 00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:12.720 with Blummer. Hear from him as he had a great visit. Obviously, 95 00:07:12.879 --> 00:07:15.439 it is an hour long every single week. Well, I'm gonna play at 96 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:18.480 the bottom of the hour and this show is over at noon, so do 97 00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:21.759 some math there. We cut it down to about ten minutes, so you're 98 00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:26.199 gonna hear some of that visit that we had with him yesterday. If you 99 00:07:26.279 --> 00:07:29.160 missed it and you want to hear the entire thing, Dan, Where do 100 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:32.319 I go? Sports seven ninety dot com is where you can find it. 101 00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:38.720 The iHeartRadio app that is another place that you can find it. But in 102 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:42.959 terms of this series and everything else that goes into this, I think that 103 00:07:43.079 --> 00:07:46.839 Number one, a lot of people look at the series and say, well, 104 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:49.079 the Astros are their favorites. I don't think that there's anybody that's going 105 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:53.879 to doubt that. I think that people, even with the Rangers being perfect 106 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:57.519 here in the postseason so far to this point, that you probably look at 107 00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:00.480 this and say the Astros are the better team. The Astros should win this 108 00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:03.160 series. I'm not just saying that because I'm on air here in Houston. 109 00:08:03.199 --> 00:08:05.360 I'm saying it because I truly believe it, and it really is just honestly 110 00:08:05.439 --> 00:08:09.360 a fact. I think that this is a team that has proven at time 111 00:08:09.399 --> 00:08:13.600 and time again, especially too with what they have done in terms of this 112 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:18.040 recent run of getting to the ALCS seven straight Alcs's. I mean, we 113 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:22.879 heard justin Verlander the other night we did our best to bleep it out, 114 00:08:22.920 --> 00:08:26.279 which we did. I'm not saying we did our best. We fully did, 115 00:08:26.360 --> 00:08:28.560 although you know, kind of you know, it's one of those things. 116 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:30.639 I'm gonna let you guys know. This is gonna be the show of 117 00:08:30.680 --> 00:08:35.559 honesty here on Space City Saturday. So anytime I can give you a peek 118 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:39.320 behind the curtain where you can see what the Wizard of Oz really looks like. 119 00:08:39.480 --> 00:08:43.279 You know, I was at home that night and I get a little, 120 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:48.159 you know, a little notification on my phone that's Josh c Hey, 121 00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:50.879 buddy, you know, trying to get the guys on air from Minnesota. 122 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:54.200 Can you help me edit down some of the stuff I'm gonna send you, 123 00:08:54.279 --> 00:08:56.519 Verlander, Can you do some serious bleep in here? And I said, 124 00:08:56.559 --> 00:09:01.799 yeah, man, absolutely, I can do that. Well got it and 125 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:05.039 got got it all. So we were able to do that and able to 126 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:07.840 have it for you. Of course, if you haven't heard it, you 127 00:09:07.879 --> 00:09:13.240 can find it pretty much anywhere. We don't need to play it for you. 128 00:09:13.320 --> 00:09:18.360 But the crux of Verlander's message to the guys was I think a message 129 00:09:18.360 --> 00:09:24.840 that I think Astros fans need to hear because we are in the middle of 130 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:30.120 what great dynasty fans have dealt with, because look, when you do what 131 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:33.279 the Astros have just done to this point right now, that's a dynasty and 132 00:09:33.480 --> 00:09:39.360 two world titles, one more that cements you as a world champion dynasty. 133 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:43.720 I mean, I understand how some people view twenty seventeen, but if you're 134 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:48.120 able to hang a third banner up there, and I mean, if you 135 00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:52.000 want to get greedy even more, then yes, absolutely you're in the middle 136 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:54.360 of it. But what I also tell fans when you're in the middle of 137 00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:58.039 things like this, enjoy it, man, enjoy it. Enjoy it. 138 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:01.559 Enjoy it. You know, as I said a couple of weeks ago, 139 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:03.159 and I had the same conversation with a buddy of mine the other day. 140 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:07.320 I said, you know, there's a generation of fans out there who have 141 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:11.080 no idea what it's like to be an Astros fan, zero idea. Because 142 00:10:11.320 --> 00:10:16.279 even though I moved away, born and raised here twenty seven years of my 143 00:10:16.440 --> 00:10:20.200 life before I moved away to Atlanta and now back. And even when I 144 00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:24.080 was in Atlanta, I mean, Clanton, Gordy, everybody, Matt Thomas 145 00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:28.200 can tell you, I was still locked in on this team. And even 146 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:31.720 though I was in the heart of Braves Country. I still had MLB dot 147 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:35.080 TV. I was still watching Blummer and TK. I was still listening to 148 00:10:35.159 --> 00:10:39.960 Robert and Sparky on Sirius XM or whatever. I mean. I was still 149 00:10:41.120 --> 00:10:46.360 very much rocking my blue and orange there in Atlanta, and of course too, 150 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:48.879 you know, when you wear the Astros gear everywhere else, everybody starts, 151 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:52.120 eh, you know, seventeen cheaters, Oh, you know all that, 152 00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:56.679 which more often than not, I just pretty much just tell people, 153 00:10:56.799 --> 00:11:00.440 hey, you know, what's your name? Oh it's tim, to mind 154 00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:03.279 your own business and keep it walking, all right. I don't need to 155 00:11:03.320 --> 00:11:07.039 hear from you. But regardless, that's besides the point. But in this 156 00:11:07.159 --> 00:11:13.039 case right here, it is a series that I'm incredibly looking forward to because 157 00:11:13.559 --> 00:11:16.960 I think that more than anything, it is going to be one that it's 158 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:20.480 got everything on the line. And what it reminds me of so much is 159 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:26.080 I'm going to use an SEC football example here. This is Alabama against Georgia 160 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:31.200 for the SEC championship, and that has been a rivalry that has built up 161 00:11:31.240 --> 00:11:35.639 over the last few years, especially to Kirby Smart when he went to Georgia 162 00:11:35.080 --> 00:11:39.080 after being at Alabama and he started to really up the recruiting there and they 163 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:45.519 started to really experience what winning is at that program, and then they finally 164 00:11:45.519 --> 00:11:48.759 got them in twenty twenty one. And in that case right there, it's 165 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:52.320 two fan bases that are incredibly proud. There are two fan bases that will 166 00:11:52.320 --> 00:11:56.080 absolutely get after each other. But I think that when it comes to the 167 00:11:56.200 --> 00:12:01.279 game portion of it, there is a massive amount of respect between both sides. 168 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:05.840 Obviously, Nick Saban and Kirby Smart a huge amount of respect for each 169 00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:07.960 other. Also to the players. I mean, you know, when you 170 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:11.840 get into the college football recruiting portion of it, all these guys know each 171 00:12:11.879 --> 00:12:16.240 other. They all know each other from going on visits and also to going 172 00:12:16.279 --> 00:12:20.679 to camps and everything else, and then they finally get a chance to play 173 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:24.039 against each other, and whether they are at either school, they absolutely want 174 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:28.120 to beat the other side senseless. In this case right here, I think 175 00:12:28.120 --> 00:12:31.759 that that's probably in terms of the player side of it, because I'm gonna 176 00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:35.320 be over at Minute May Park a little bit later on and they're going to 177 00:12:35.399 --> 00:12:41.399 have Justin Verlander talking with the media, Dusty Baker others also going to be 178 00:12:41.399 --> 00:12:46.159 addressing the media as well. And while they're doing that. We'll do our 179 00:12:46.200 --> 00:12:50.000 best to try to peek in for the early part of it. I will 180 00:12:50.039 --> 00:12:52.360 be there for Verlander and the workout, so of course, follow us on 181 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:58.639 Twitter at Sports Talk seven to ninety is the way that you can follow us 182 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:03.240 on Twitter and be able to catch up with everything because they're going to have 183 00:13:03.240 --> 00:13:07.000 open clubhouse everything as such, so they'll have that. But then you also 184 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:09.559 heard too, I mean Dusty on the field. I believe that it was 185 00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:11.120 with Tom Verducci. He was asked, all right, you got the Rangers. 186 00:13:11.559 --> 00:13:15.360 He was like, hey, look, Boach knows us, he knows 187 00:13:15.399 --> 00:13:18.320 his guys really well. We know them really well. Boy. It's going 188 00:13:18.360 --> 00:13:22.000 to be a great series. And that's the tenor you're going to hear from 189 00:13:22.039 --> 00:13:24.279 both sides as they address the media. And I'll get into a little bit 190 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:30.919 more of why, especially with something that happened this week outside of either organization 191 00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:33.519 that I think that's going to be ratcheted up even more as we'll get into 192 00:13:33.679 --> 00:13:39.679 a little bit later on in the show. But we will get your inputs 193 00:13:39.759 --> 00:13:43.039 in on the phone lines as well. Brandon, I see you right there. 194 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:46.799 I am going to get to you here momentarily. Got a few others 195 00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:50.919 that want to weigh in as well. Got Jeff and Tiffany there as well. 196 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:52.399 Got a couple of phone lines open if you want to hop in. 197 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:56.279 I know that you got some thoughts on this series. I want to hear 198 00:13:56.279 --> 00:13:58.960 from you as well. At seven one three two one two five, seven 199 00:14:00.440 --> 00:14:05.200 ninety, we will have the majority of the Lion's share Soup to nuts this 200 00:14:05.320 --> 00:14:09.559 series Space City Saturday. It's Dan Matthews in with you until noon right here 201 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:15.480 on your home with the Astros and the Rockets. Sports Talks seven ninety. 202 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:30.039 Space City Saturday continues find Sports Talk seven ninety. I love it. I 203 00:14:30.120 --> 00:14:35.919 love it. Got Adam Snyder behind the glass spinning the hits right there. 204 00:14:35.320 --> 00:14:39.639 It's a good call right there. I mean that's I think a good tone 205 00:14:39.639 --> 00:14:43.039 setter, Adam to the weekend that we've got a head here in the Space 206 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:48.120 City as I got a chance for you all to hop in on the phone 207 00:14:48.120 --> 00:14:52.279 lines as well at seven one three, two one two five At seven ninety, 208 00:14:52.919 --> 00:14:56.559 real quick, let's go to Brandon here in Houston. Brandon, what's 209 00:14:56.559 --> 00:15:00.120 going on, buddy? Good morning? How are you very well? You 210 00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:03.399 doing, Buddy? I'm doing okay. It's there to day for sure. 211 00:15:05.240 --> 00:15:09.399 Yep, you're talking about the Astros. They do need to win tomorrow. 212 00:15:11.480 --> 00:15:13.000 Yeah, No, I mean you want to be able to have the one 213 00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:18.000 zero series lead, and no matter what I mean, a split is a 214 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:22.279 must for them to be able to get this thing going. And then you 215 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:26.200 get up to Arlington and I understand how people you know think that things are 216 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:28.679 going to go up there because of how the regular season went. I'm going 217 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:31.960 to get into that a little bit later on, because there was something said 218 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:35.519 by somebody who's going to be a part of this series that I think probably 219 00:15:35.559 --> 00:15:39.159 when you look back at it, if it goes one certain direction, I 220 00:15:39.159 --> 00:15:43.039 think you could say, all right, yeah, that's very true about postseason 221 00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:46.000 baseball. But yes, you got Justin Verlander going. If you win that 222 00:15:46.039 --> 00:15:48.879 one, you feel really good about your chances. If you don't win it, 223 00:15:50.360 --> 00:15:52.559 you go to a guy who's coming off a shaky start in fromber Valdez 224 00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:56.440 that you're hoping could be able to bounce back from it. I mean, 225 00:15:56.759 --> 00:16:00.960 the problem is with Fromber this season is you don't know which Fromber you're gonna 226 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:03.960 get. Are you gonna get really good Fromber? Which we've seen no hitter 227 00:16:03.080 --> 00:16:06.320 Fromber at times. I don't know if you can ask for that, it 228 00:16:06.360 --> 00:16:11.360 would be nice. But we've also seen not so great Fromber, which is 229 00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:15.679 like what we saw last Sunday. No, we we went to the game 230 00:16:17.159 --> 00:16:21.759 on Tuesday, we had a no hitter. Yeah, no, I mean 231 00:16:21.799 --> 00:16:26.879 it was it was looking good so far to this point. But you know, 232 00:16:26.919 --> 00:16:30.679 in terms of how you know this just this series could go. I 233 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:33.679 mean that's where you know, you look to a guy like Justin Verlander, 234 00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:36.519 and that's why you brought him back. And Britain Brandon appreciate the call, 235 00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:38.120 by the way, that's why you brought him back. You brought him back 236 00:16:38.159 --> 00:16:42.480 to be able to not only pitching games like this, but to win games 237 00:16:42.519 --> 00:16:48.000 like this. And you know the way that he pitched last Saturday against the 238 00:16:48.039 --> 00:16:52.039 Twins to get the series started. It was where kind of starts that we've 239 00:16:52.039 --> 00:16:56.320 seen out of Verlander at times. Well, we've seen him, you know, 240 00:16:56.440 --> 00:17:00.000 kind of be shaky with the strike zone at the beginning of the game. 241 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:03.799 I understand how some people would view how balls and strikes were called. 242 00:17:03.960 --> 00:17:10.359 Game two was a pretty rough one. Game three there are also some interesting 243 00:17:10.359 --> 00:17:14.160 ones. I know that Twins fans and Max Kepler in particular, are saying, 244 00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:15.960 dude, what about Game four. I mean, look, I think 245 00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:21.079 for the most part, the umpiring and Major League Baseball two for what we 246 00:17:21.119 --> 00:17:26.279 think about umpiring, they are not going to put the guys that are incredibly 247 00:17:26.279 --> 00:17:30.839 low graded in series like this. I know that Brian McTaggart shared who the 248 00:17:32.160 --> 00:17:34.680 six person umpiring crew because you know in the postseason two as well, it 249 00:17:34.759 --> 00:17:40.480 goes to a left field and right field umpire as well, because they want 250 00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:45.559 to be able to give themselves every single opportunity to make sure that that element 251 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:49.880 does not enter into the equation in terms of a call that could swing a 252 00:17:49.920 --> 00:17:52.720 game one way or the other, and for the most part it doesn't. 253 00:17:52.759 --> 00:17:57.759 I mean, Tom Verducci did a really good piece on umpiring years ago. 254 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:03.960 I think I think that they said it graded out to excluding balls and strikes 255 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:07.000 because that's a judgment call, right. I mean, I understand we've got 256 00:18:07.079 --> 00:18:10.119 kzone now. I understand that we you know, feel like, all right, 257 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:12.920 you know there's a defined what a strike call is. But I think 258 00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:18.599 that they averaged it out that umpires get ninety five percent of the calls, 259 00:18:18.680 --> 00:18:22.799 right, and when you have the human element of all of this and you 260 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:27.759 have that, you know, possibility of error to be made five percent error. 261 00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:32.319 I think it's pretty dang good. And for the most parts, I 262 00:18:32.319 --> 00:18:36.039 mean, we haven't had any instances in Major League Baseball, at least in 263 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:38.920 recent memory, that I can point to and say, wow, they really 264 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:41.640 blew that one. I mean, we're not looking at, you know, 265 00:18:42.039 --> 00:18:49.559 the the Fiesta Bowl between Ohio State and Miami, that one year of a 266 00:18:49.640 --> 00:18:55.400 terrible pass interference call or anything like that that completely swings the game. I 267 00:18:55.400 --> 00:18:57.000 mean, in that case right there, it was an awful pass interference call. 268 00:18:57.319 --> 00:19:02.960 Miami should have been the repeat national champions and Ohio State should have broken 269 00:19:03.000 --> 00:19:07.440 their national championship droughts back in twenty fifteen when they beat Oregon to win the 270 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:11.200 College Football Playoff. But that's neither here nor there. You don't have that. 271 00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:14.000 You seem to have this in the NBA, you seem to have this 272 00:19:14.119 --> 00:19:17.279 in the NFL, and you seem to have it in this some point in 273 00:19:17.319 --> 00:19:19.400 college football as well. I don't really think that you have that in Major 274 00:19:19.480 --> 00:19:23.960 League Baseball. But in terms of how this series goes, and like I 275 00:19:23.960 --> 00:19:26.759 said, we'll get into the nuts and bolts a little bit more here as 276 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:30.240 the show goes along. But I mean, you know, when it comes 277 00:19:30.279 --> 00:19:33.160 to umpiring, I understand that you know, we're upset about Hey, that 278 00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:37.160 should have been a strike call. I mean, twenty nineteen, remember Brent 279 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:41.279 Strom still saying, Oh, my phone screen is the change up that Zach 280 00:19:41.319 --> 00:19:45.839 Grinkey threw that should have been called strike three? And that doesn't allow for 281 00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:48.960 I believe, what was it that seventh inning there in Game seven that got 282 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:52.720 out of hand for the Astros when the Howie Kendrick home run off the right 283 00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:56.200 field foul pole and all that kind of stuff. Look, I'm not trying 284 00:19:56.200 --> 00:20:00.839 to rehash bad memories here, but you know, it's just something that you 285 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:03.240 look at. And it's also too players will be the first to tell you 286 00:20:03.559 --> 00:20:08.480 that. You know, whenever they're asked about umpiring or officiating in whatever sport, 287 00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:11.480 that they're usually the first to tell you. It shouldn't come down to 288 00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:15.359 that. It should come down to us handling our business and not leaving it 289 00:20:15.400 --> 00:20:21.359 in the hands of somebody else to make a call that can swing things one 290 00:20:21.400 --> 00:20:22.880 way or the other. That's how it should go, and I think that's 291 00:20:23.160 --> 00:20:26.960 probably how it's going to continue. And the other part of this as well 292 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:30.839 that we're going to talk with RJ. Choppy of one oh five three of 293 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:33.240 the Fan in Dallas with in a few minutes about is you know. The 294 00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:37.279 other part is something that we'll get into a little bit later on in the 295 00:20:37.319 --> 00:20:41.759 show, and that is kind of what I touched on in the first segment 296 00:20:41.880 --> 00:20:45.359 of the you know, whole trash talk element of all of this, I 297 00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:48.200 understand, as a buddy of mine pointed out this morning when I was talking 298 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:52.359 about it with them, said, well, I think there's bad blood between 299 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:57.359 Marcus Simon and from er Valdez, and also, you know Martin Maldonado. 300 00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:03.400 That's going to be out the way because you're not going to have guys getting 301 00:21:03.480 --> 00:21:06.720 thrown at. You're not going to have any of the emotional element of all 302 00:21:06.759 --> 00:21:08.519 of this because frankly, when you get to this time of the year, 303 00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:11.759 you don't have time for any of that. You don't want any more distractions, 304 00:21:11.799 --> 00:21:15.839 You don't want to add any other elements to this thing other than what 305 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:19.880 it is. It's a race to get to four. Four wins moves you 306 00:21:19.960 --> 00:21:23.000 on to the next round. You reach four wins, you don't have to 307 00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:26.160 worry about anything else. You get bragging rights and you're able to move on. 308 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:33.119 And that's what the Astros are trying to do and they are definitely in 309 00:21:33.160 --> 00:21:34.920 a position to be able to do that, and of course too, Brandon, 310 00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:41.079 as we pointed out right there, getting that first win against the Rangers 311 00:21:41.079 --> 00:21:45.240 tomorrow night will be crucial for them because, like I said, nothing less 312 00:21:45.319 --> 00:21:51.039 than a split can suffice here, because if you go back to Arlington down 313 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:53.519 two, you are in a really rough spot. And people might say, 314 00:21:53.559 --> 00:21:56.319 like I said, oh, well, hey, you know, look at 315 00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:59.759 the way they played on the road all season long. I get all of 316 00:21:59.799 --> 00:22:04.400 that, but guys, this is such a fish bowl of a scenario now 317 00:22:04.559 --> 00:22:08.519 that everything else does not matter. Now, nothing that has been done to 318 00:22:08.559 --> 00:22:12.359 this point matters. And John Smoltz brought that up the other night at the 319 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:18.799 end of the Rangers Orioles game in his broadcast on Fox with Joe Davis. 320 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:22.920 Is you know he was talking about, guys, the regular season really doesn't 321 00:22:22.920 --> 00:22:25.880 matter. It's a bridge to get to this point, and you have to 322 00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:29.200 be able to win in the regular season to get to this point. But 323 00:22:29.319 --> 00:22:33.279 everything else, the nine to four record, all of those things doesn't matter 324 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:37.119 anymore. The Rangers are not looking at it as well. They beat us 325 00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:38.559 nine out of four times, so we really don't have any chance in this 326 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:44.279 series. Beloney, they're now thinking, hey, we've got a chance at 327 00:22:44.279 --> 00:22:47.279 these guys. That part didn't go the way that we wanted it to, 328 00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:51.240 but the other part can and we are in position to be able to make 329 00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:55.720 sure that it can. So if anybody is necessarily, you know, riding 330 00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:59.640 on that, then I think that you're riding on the wrong things. Now, 331 00:23:00.039 --> 00:23:03.440 I understand having confidence heading into this series. You should have confidence. 332 00:23:03.799 --> 00:23:07.000 Like I just pointed out, this team has made seven straight of these things. 333 00:23:07.720 --> 00:23:12.640 That that breeds confidence. They've won two world titles. That breeds confidence. 334 00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:17.480 And I don't think that you're going to have a group and we're gonna 335 00:23:17.480 --> 00:23:21.200 hear Jeff Blum talk about this a little bit later on from his visit yesterday 336 00:23:21.480 --> 00:23:23.599 with the A team. But you know, it's also too you know, 337 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:26.559 I think that Clinton brought up the point of, you know, there was 338 00:23:26.599 --> 00:23:30.400 worry that maybe complacency was starting to settle in and he said, no, 339 00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:33.119 you look in that dugout, and I think he pointed to something that Michael 340 00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:38.039 Brantley said that you can't have complacency in that dugout because there's so much competition 341 00:23:38.200 --> 00:23:44.599 in that group that you just you feel like, all right, somebody else 342 00:23:44.759 --> 00:23:47.640 is out doing me. I've got to be able to try to outdo them. 343 00:23:47.720 --> 00:23:51.640 When you have that that type of competition on your team, that usually 344 00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:55.319 bodes well in terms of what you're able to do on the field. All 345 00:23:55.400 --> 00:23:57.480 right, coming up next, so we're gonna get the Rangers a side of 346 00:23:57.839 --> 00:24:03.200 things. As yesterday, Dave Raymond joined the Matt Thomas Show. Another guy 347 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:07.119 from the Ranger side of things, RJ Choppy from Shawn and RJ in the 348 00:24:07.160 --> 00:24:11.039 morning on one O five to three the fan in DFW. He's gonna join 349 00:24:11.119 --> 00:24:14.839 us to talk a little bit about the team up north, as we will 350 00:24:14.839 --> 00:24:18.640 get into that and much more as we roll along here Space City Saturday. 351 00:24:18.640 --> 00:24:22.119 It's Dan Matthews here with you until noon on your home the Astros and the 352 00:24:22.200 --> 00:24:29.559 Rockets. This is Sports Talk seven ninety. Welcome back to Space City Saturday 353 00:24:30.119 --> 00:24:36.680 one, Sports Talk seven ninety. This is what she said holiday. All 354 00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:40.519 right, let's get right to it's this man is a busy man on a 355 00:24:40.759 --> 00:24:45.759 Saturday after I guess moving into the afternoon, but he is RJ Choppy Shawn 356 00:24:45.759 --> 00:24:52.160 and RJ Mornings five thirty to ten on one O five three the fan up 357 00:24:52.160 --> 00:24:56.759 there in DFW, the flagship home of the Rangers. RJ. Appreciate the 358 00:24:56.799 --> 00:25:00.440 time, buddy, Like I said, busy morning into afternoon, because travel 359 00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:07.160 baseball today, right, yeah, about an hour away dropping them off right 360 00:25:07.160 --> 00:25:10.880 now, big travel day. It's not even travel, b It'll call it 361 00:25:10.920 --> 00:25:12.279 tra I guess it's not like travel up here because we don't have to go 362 00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:15.920 anywhere, right, you know youfug is such a great, you know, 363 00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:21.079 baseball spot for kids that you don't have to leave town to get good competition. 364 00:25:21.240 --> 00:25:23.079 So no, it's it's throw all local today. There you go. 365 00:25:23.160 --> 00:25:27.680 Gotta love it. You got to fall ball going, got fall ball of 366 00:25:27.880 --> 00:25:33.160 a larger variety even going on too with the n State teams, Astros and 367 00:25:33.240 --> 00:25:37.920 Rangers taking on each other here in the ALCS. Let's start first with just 368 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:42.640 kind of the tenor of this series. Because you're on Twitter at RJ shoppies 369 00:25:42.640 --> 00:25:47.720 how you could find RJ on Twitter. You see the back and forth between 370 00:25:47.759 --> 00:25:51.839 Astro and Ranger fans. That's where that is happening. But on the field, 371 00:25:52.559 --> 00:25:55.119 are you kind of getting a sense that you're not going to get any 372 00:25:55.160 --> 00:25:57.799 of that from at least the Ranger side, and sounds like you're not gonna 373 00:25:57.799 --> 00:26:03.359 get any of it from the Astros either. Yeah, I think at this 374 00:26:03.400 --> 00:26:06.880 point, like in the year, like that doesn't necessarily always happen. I 375 00:26:06.920 --> 00:26:11.240 mean, the stakes are just so high for that for any kind of you 376 00:26:11.240 --> 00:26:14.119 know, angst and activity like that for happening. And I don't know that's 377 00:26:14.160 --> 00:26:18.119 gonna happen on the field. They'll definitely happen in the stands. But I 378 00:26:18.119 --> 00:26:19.039 mean, like you know, from Houston standpoint, I mean, they've been 379 00:26:19.079 --> 00:26:23.880 in it so much and i'd be interested to see, like if they even 380 00:26:23.920 --> 00:26:30.240 consider the Rangers their chief rival. I would probably think they don't. And 381 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:33.440 maybe like Dodgers or Yankees considered they always see them in the U or at 382 00:26:33.480 --> 00:26:37.920 least they had to in the World Series and then the Alcs. So I 383 00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:41.559 think from a Ranger standpoint, there's a lot of anger and hatred towards them, 384 00:26:41.559 --> 00:26:45.119 But I just don't know if the same as reciprocated. And I mean 385 00:26:45.160 --> 00:26:48.200 in terms of what has worked for the Rangers. I mean, you know, 386 00:26:48.359 --> 00:26:49.839 we had seen up and down time for them, we'd seen them get 387 00:26:49.880 --> 00:26:53.640 on streaks. We'd seen them get on streaks the other way. What has 388 00:26:53.799 --> 00:26:57.799 worked for them during this five game run that has really got them playing the 389 00:26:57.799 --> 00:27:03.759 baseball they are right now. Well, they got to starting pitching back, 390 00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:07.400 pitching the way they were the first half of the year. There was a 391 00:27:07.400 --> 00:27:10.079 stretch they were giving up you know, I have big innings early. You 392 00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:14.119 know, if Baldy wasn't pitching well, Sureser was hurt, Ivaldi was hurt 393 00:27:14.119 --> 00:27:18.880 too, John Gray got hurt. And from Valdey standpoint, at least he 394 00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:22.000 is back and he's pitching as dominant as he has, you know, all 395 00:27:22.119 --> 00:27:25.720 year. And you know, Montgomery is just a solid, steady pitcher. 396 00:27:25.759 --> 00:27:27.720 He's not gonna he's not gonna blow you away. He's not gonna light up 397 00:27:27.759 --> 00:27:32.319 the you know the v Lo charts under that, but he keeps you off 398 00:27:32.400 --> 00:27:34.960 balance and allows a lot of weak contact. They'll scatter five, six, 399 00:27:36.039 --> 00:27:37.799 seven, eight hits. And you look up as the sixth inning he's only 400 00:27:37.799 --> 00:27:40.839 allowed one run, but he's given up a ton of hits and the other 401 00:27:40.839 --> 00:27:42.559 team had a ton of base runners. I think that's it. I mean, 402 00:27:42.599 --> 00:27:45.319 you know, their offenses has gotten the right guys up at the right 403 00:27:45.359 --> 00:27:48.920 time, and those guys have been hot. It's another key componing of it. 404 00:27:49.200 --> 00:27:52.480 You know, like if if if you look at it and and Jordan 405 00:27:52.599 --> 00:27:56.680 comes up with two outs and nobody on you know, eighty percent of the 406 00:27:56.759 --> 00:28:00.240 series, then I mean that's that's a big advantage for Houston. And the 407 00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:07.599 same thing here Seeger and a Doolie and you know, uh, Mitch Garb 408 00:28:07.640 --> 00:28:11.640 will come up and nobody's on base. I mean how different as the series 409 00:28:11.680 --> 00:28:15.519 is all, Yeah, no doubt about it. R J Chappie again, 410 00:28:15.880 --> 00:28:19.480 co host of Shawn and RJ Monday through Friday, five thirty to ten on 411 00:28:19.799 --> 00:28:22.880 one oh five three. The fan up there in DFW. One of the 412 00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:27.039 names you mentioned there the offensive side of this, uh getting Josh Young back 413 00:28:27.480 --> 00:28:33.000 and what he has been able to do for them, but also to Evan 414 00:28:33.319 --> 00:28:37.039 Carter, what he's been able to do for this offense as well. What 415 00:28:37.119 --> 00:28:41.839 do those guys mean to this roster? Well, Young like deepens deepens the 416 00:28:41.880 --> 00:28:47.359 lineup though when he was out that lineup, I mean it was the nearlyest 417 00:28:47.400 --> 00:28:49.319 potent, you know, like you can extend this lineup to seven, eight, 418 00:28:49.400 --> 00:28:53.160 nine hitters that are real threats as opposed, but you just lose one 419 00:28:53.200 --> 00:28:56.559 guy, You've got a hole in your lineup, and all of a sudden 420 00:28:56.559 --> 00:29:00.839 they changed things up and then you know, like the the underlying saving part 421 00:29:00.839 --> 00:29:04.920 of the season was adolse Parcia getting hurt with that knee, because that'll have 422 00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:07.359 him to bring Evan Carter up. But they brought him up and he's been 423 00:29:07.359 --> 00:29:10.920 tremendous. You know, if they don't do that, he hasn't hurt himself 424 00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:14.279 and he's healthy now and he's playing and everything. But if he doesn't hurt 425 00:29:14.319 --> 00:29:18.319 himself, I'm not sure that Eving Carter gets called up this year. And 426 00:29:18.400 --> 00:29:21.200 if he didn't get called up, I'm not sure they make the playoffs. 427 00:29:21.720 --> 00:29:25.920 So it was those two, you know, Young obviously getting healthy again and 428 00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:29.480 Carter's been tremendous. I'm interested to see what happens when the league catch up 429 00:29:29.480 --> 00:29:32.480 to him and figures him out and they make adjustments and he's gonna have to 430 00:29:32.559 --> 00:29:34.440 adjust. That's kind of the true test. But you know, until that 431 00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:37.319 happens, I mean this guy, I mean, he is rocketing up that 432 00:29:37.440 --> 00:29:41.279 lineup a couple more again. R J Choppy join us here on Space City 433 00:29:41.319 --> 00:29:45.799 Saturday Sports Talks seven to ninety Uh, you mentioned starting pitching. It sounds 434 00:29:45.880 --> 00:29:48.680 like Max Schurzer is going to try to give it a go. What do 435 00:29:48.720 --> 00:29:52.039 you expect from him? And also too, what do you know about John 436 00:29:52.079 --> 00:29:57.119 Gray and his availability for this series? Well, you know the Gray they're 437 00:29:57.160 --> 00:30:02.440 gonna from what I know, they're trying to make it available for the series. 438 00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:08.079 I'm not banking on it. I'm more apt to see him there for 439 00:30:08.119 --> 00:30:11.480 the World Series that they get there. But I don't know anything you get 440 00:30:11.640 --> 00:30:15.759 John Gray's a plus at this point in terms of sures are. It's interesting 441 00:30:15.799 --> 00:30:19.000 because there's been such a long layout, at least with Gray, it's only 442 00:30:19.000 --> 00:30:25.240 been a couple of weeks. Sure, you know it's it's been six weeks 443 00:30:25.279 --> 00:30:30.680 now since he's last throwned. And we saw how how how much of a 444 00:30:30.799 --> 00:30:34.440 lack of command the starters had for the division winning teams that had buys, 445 00:30:34.519 --> 00:30:37.680 and that was just off of like a ten day absence for a lot of 446 00:30:37.680 --> 00:30:41.759 these guys, not let alone five or six weeks. I think the way 447 00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:47.200 they use Shurzers, they kind of use Surezer as he'll start out a bullpen 448 00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:49.119 day, like, I don't think they're expecting him to go six or eight 449 00:30:49.119 --> 00:30:52.599 innings in any game. I think it'll be like, all right, let's 450 00:30:52.640 --> 00:30:55.519 get as much as we can out of him. If it's four, it's 451 00:30:55.559 --> 00:30:59.319 four, if it's three, if it's five, whatever, Like that's how 452 00:30:59.319 --> 00:31:02.359 they're gonna roll with it. I think that's the plan with sirs. Final 453 00:31:02.400 --> 00:31:06.319 one for you. The bullpen has pitched really well in the postseason. We 454 00:31:06.359 --> 00:31:10.720 know their struggles in the regular season. Is there still, at least amongst 455 00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:14.759 you all in the media up there and Ranger fans kind of Oh, man, 456 00:31:14.839 --> 00:31:17.559 don't don't let that shoe drop? Or do you feel like that group's 457 00:31:17.640 --> 00:31:22.599 kind of started to come together? Oh, there's still a lot of still 458 00:31:22.680 --> 00:31:26.519 like that shoe drop. Absolutely, you know. Chatman showed that in the 459 00:31:26.519 --> 00:31:29.720 game in Game three and they clinched me. He just throwed very wild that 460 00:31:29.880 --> 00:31:33.119 they got six ron lead and he can't get the ball with the plate. 461 00:31:33.240 --> 00:31:37.279 He's walking everybody. I don't nobody trusts Josh Sports. I don't even I 462 00:31:37.519 --> 00:31:41.640 can't tell you the last time I saw Will Smith. You know, the 463 00:31:41.720 --> 00:31:44.960 clerk is the guy that you trust out there the most right now out of 464 00:31:44.960 --> 00:31:48.119 the pen. But you got to get to him so and we all know, 465 00:31:48.160 --> 00:31:52.279 like you know, with Houston and Chapman. That is that is scary 466 00:31:52.359 --> 00:31:56.039 at best for a role as chap Though. Yeah, there's no there's no 467 00:31:56.119 --> 00:31:57.920 confidence out there. I think you have the bullpen. It's just like just 468 00:31:59.000 --> 00:32:01.720 the average if you're just an average ble py the cmbok. There you go, 469 00:32:01.960 --> 00:32:06.599 RJ Choppy, RJ appreciate the time, man, get that get that 470 00:32:06.720 --> 00:32:09.240 right wing, you know, getting going. I know you got to get 471 00:32:09.279 --> 00:32:13.039 the l screen in front of you, start throwing a little bit, get 472 00:32:13.200 --> 00:32:15.359 get the guys ready for the game. So good luck this afternoon, and 473 00:32:15.720 --> 00:32:20.440 I'm sure we'll we'll be checking in with you here as the series goes along. 474 00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:24.799 Sounds good man. I appreciate again RJ Choppy part of Sean and RJ 475 00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:31.039 on one oh five three the fan up there in DFW as they get ready 476 00:32:31.119 --> 00:32:35.880 for the series. As you know, one of the things he touched on 477 00:32:35.960 --> 00:32:38.880 right there, I think is interesting because it's kind of I think something that 478 00:32:39.240 --> 00:32:43.599 you look to in a series like this that is so closely contested, it 479 00:32:43.640 --> 00:32:47.359 comes down to matchups, and in terms of the lineup right now, I 480 00:32:47.400 --> 00:32:52.920 mean I think we can probably look at it and say it's a toss up. 481 00:32:52.039 --> 00:32:54.119 I mean, you know, it could kind of go either one way 482 00:32:54.240 --> 00:32:58.400 or the other. Who's hitting the baseball at that point, I think is 483 00:32:58.440 --> 00:33:01.200 the way that you look at it between the and the Rangers starting pitching, 484 00:33:01.400 --> 00:33:06.440 even with the injuries to John Gray and Max Schurzer, as you just heard 485 00:33:06.799 --> 00:33:09.319 from r J, you know, bring up about both of those guys. 486 00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:13.160 I mean, you know, you look at the Astros outside of Verlander, 487 00:33:13.559 --> 00:33:16.279 it kind of is a question of who are we gonna get because from ber 488 00:33:16.400 --> 00:33:20.519 Valdez, that's been the question with him all season long. This year, 489 00:33:20.559 --> 00:33:22.559 it's been all right, is it gonna be really good Fromber? Because when 490 00:33:22.599 --> 00:33:25.880 he's that, he's the top of the rotation guy. When he's been shaky, 491 00:33:25.920 --> 00:33:29.920 Fromber, he's probably a bottom of the rotation guy the way that he 492 00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:32.119 has thrown this season, and that's gonna be a question with them. And 493 00:33:32.119 --> 00:33:35.440 then it comes to the bullpen. I mean, yes, Jose la Clerk, 494 00:33:35.480 --> 00:33:39.319 but they've also relied on Jose le Clerk a lot so far in these 495 00:33:39.400 --> 00:33:45.400 five games, and even with the few days off that the Rangers have had, 496 00:33:45.559 --> 00:33:47.480 you know, along with the Astros coming into this series, I mean, 497 00:33:47.759 --> 00:33:52.079 those pitches start to rack up, and you know it's also too. 498 00:33:52.480 --> 00:33:54.680 In the age of video, you start to get a book on a guy, 499 00:33:54.880 --> 00:33:59.559 and that's something that you know, as Dusty has talked about during the 500 00:33:59.599 --> 00:34:01.200 off days that they've had, you know, they had the off period before 501 00:34:01.880 --> 00:34:06.599 the Alds, and it obviously bode well for the Astros. They were the 502 00:34:06.599 --> 00:34:08.960 one of the few teams that didn't have the people asking them, hey, 503 00:34:09.039 --> 00:34:13.039 you know the off days, did it hurt you? The Astros were emphatic 504 00:34:13.079 --> 00:34:15.400 and saying no, it helped in terms of us being able to do that. 505 00:34:15.440 --> 00:34:17.400 So when it comes to the bullpen part of this, I mean, 506 00:34:17.760 --> 00:34:21.679 you know, you even heard r J bring it up right there that there's 507 00:34:21.719 --> 00:34:24.639 still kind of a little bit of when that element enters into the equation for 508 00:34:24.719 --> 00:34:29.159 the Rangers, their fans are kind of like, oh boy, I hope 509 00:34:29.480 --> 00:34:31.480 whereas the Astros, I understand, you know, we got a rough first 510 00:34:31.519 --> 00:34:36.880 appearance out of Hector Naris. You hope that the second appearance out of Hector 511 00:34:36.960 --> 00:34:39.480 Nears is what he has been because in the second appearance, that's what he 512 00:34:39.519 --> 00:34:44.320 had been all regular season and especially two in the months of September and here 513 00:34:44.360 --> 00:34:47.760 into October. He'd been that guy of being able to come in get outs. 514 00:34:47.800 --> 00:34:51.760 Not only get outs, it gets strikeouts and be able to keep guys 515 00:34:51.800 --> 00:34:54.320 off base. And that's something huge for him because in that first game against 516 00:34:54.320 --> 00:34:59.960 the Twins, that was uncharacteristic. Hector nears of not only the long ball. 517 00:35:00.119 --> 00:35:01.239 We saw some of the long balls early on the season. We had 518 00:35:01.239 --> 00:35:06.039 not seen that as of late. But it was the first guy he beams 519 00:35:06.159 --> 00:35:09.159 and puts on bass and then you're having to try to kind of battle from 520 00:35:09.199 --> 00:35:14.079 behind, and you get the three run hover from Polanco, you get the 521 00:35:14.119 --> 00:35:15.960 home run down the left field line by Royce Lewis, and all of a 522 00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:19.840 sudden you're looking at it and saying, Wow, we can't let him figure 523 00:35:19.840 --> 00:35:22.400 it out. Now, this isn't that time of the year. We got 524 00:35:22.400 --> 00:35:24.320 to move on and you had to get extended work out of Brian A Bray. 525 00:35:24.360 --> 00:35:28.760 You Brian a bra You my gosh, I mean, how much nails 526 00:35:28.800 --> 00:35:30.400 has that guy been? You know. I brought it up with WEX the 527 00:35:30.440 --> 00:35:34.039 other day when I sat in with them at the end of the A team 528 00:35:34.079 --> 00:35:37.840 we were over at University of Houston, and it was, you know, 529 00:35:37.920 --> 00:35:42.480 the question asked by my good buddy Michael Schwab on Twitter of who was the 530 00:35:42.480 --> 00:35:46.320 alds MVP. I just responded to Bray you pick one because either Brian A 531 00:35:46.360 --> 00:35:50.599 bray you or even jose A bray You, both of those guys are a 532 00:35:50.679 --> 00:35:53.039 huge reason why you're playing to where you are right now. So the long 533 00:35:53.079 --> 00:35:58.719 answer to the bullpen element of the equation and bullpens play a huge part and 534 00:35:58.800 --> 00:36:01.320 you being able to advance an October and if it comes to that, I 535 00:36:01.360 --> 00:36:06.159 definitely like the Astros' ability to be able to come in and get outs because 536 00:36:06.159 --> 00:36:07.719 they've been able to do that. And the other key of it too is 537 00:36:07.719 --> 00:36:13.159 we'll hear in about forty five minutes from Jeff Blum, is you know, 538 00:36:13.400 --> 00:36:15.199 are you able to keep the Rangers in the yard, because that's been a 539 00:36:15.239 --> 00:36:20.840 huge part of their success in this postseason is the long ball. I mean, 540 00:36:20.840 --> 00:36:24.880 you get the grand Slam. I believe that it was from Mitch Garver 541 00:36:25.519 --> 00:36:30.159 being able to hit that grand Slam to put them up huge in Game two 542 00:36:30.159 --> 00:36:34.400 of their alds against the Orioles, and then also too a Doulas Garcia has 543 00:36:34.400 --> 00:36:37.679 started to hit as well. I mean, that's a tough lineup over there, 544 00:36:37.000 --> 00:36:39.639 and that's going to be the key is if you do give up long 545 00:36:39.679 --> 00:36:44.159 balls, make sure you're giving them up of the solo variety. Don't have 546 00:36:44.239 --> 00:36:46.280 guys on base. That's what's going to be huge, and that's why it's 547 00:36:46.320 --> 00:36:51.159 also too, don't get these guys extra outs. Fielding is so huge. 548 00:36:51.239 --> 00:36:57.320 The Astros fielded incredibly well. They were impeccable in that alds and then also 549 00:36:57.480 --> 00:37:00.960 too keeping guys off bait and Games three and four they kept guys off base, 550 00:37:01.280 --> 00:37:05.159 and when they did have guys on base, they were able to limit 551 00:37:05.239 --> 00:37:07.320 damage and not even allow for much damage. I mean, you have, 552 00:37:07.840 --> 00:37:12.880 you know, Christian Javier striking out the last two batters in that bass is 553 00:37:12.920 --> 00:37:15.679 loaded fifth inning, and then also to even the inning where Hunter Brown, 554 00:37:15.760 --> 00:37:21.400 I mean you get the crucial double play to Jeremy Pania to be able to 555 00:37:21.440 --> 00:37:23.679 close out that inning. So I mean, those are things that you're gonna 556 00:37:23.719 --> 00:37:28.119 need. You're gonna need great fielding and you're also too gonna need to be 557 00:37:28.119 --> 00:37:30.679 able to throw strikes in this series. If you do both of those things, 558 00:37:30.679 --> 00:37:32.440 like I said, the Astros do what they're capable of their winning this 559 00:37:32.519 --> 00:37:37.360 series. I am fully confident in that that if the Astros play the way 560 00:37:37.400 --> 00:37:40.840 that they are capable of playing, you're going to be talking about a third 561 00:37:40.840 --> 00:37:45.880 straight World Series for this team. That's just what's going to be the huge 562 00:37:45.960 --> 00:37:49.159 question of this team is do they continue that type of play, which, 563 00:37:49.559 --> 00:37:52.480 look, I talk about the back of the baseball card, Dusty talks about 564 00:37:52.519 --> 00:37:55.039 the back of the baseball card. And if the Astros continue that, then 565 00:37:55.280 --> 00:38:00.400 I think that we are talking good things in this series. A right coming 566 00:38:00.440 --> 00:38:05.119 up next, there was once a wise philosopher out there that had three simple 567 00:38:05.400 --> 00:38:12.639 rules. Astro fans follow these three simple rules. We'll break those down next 568 00:38:12.679 --> 00:38:15.960 as we close out the ten o'clock hour right here on your home of the 569 00:38:15.000 --> 00:38:22.119 Astros and the Rockets Sports Talk seven ninety. This is Space City Saturday on 570 00:38:22.320 --> 00:38:37.599 Sports Talk seven night. Alright, Space City Saturday, Dan Matthews here with 571 00:38:37.639 --> 00:38:43.960 you for another hour plus on your home of the Astros and the Rockets, 572 00:38:43.960 --> 00:38:47.320 Sports Talk seven ninety. I want to give a shout out to RJ. 573 00:38:47.559 --> 00:38:52.280 Choppy from one O five to three the fan and DFW four joining us. 574 00:38:52.360 --> 00:38:55.119 And like I said too, I mean, of all the things he talked 575 00:38:55.119 --> 00:38:58.800 about there, I mean, you know, there's different elements in the equation 576 00:38:58.920 --> 00:39:01.119 here. I mean number one talking about if Josh Young doesn't go down. 577 00:39:01.199 --> 00:39:06.159 That was something that was a huge part of the last series, the last 578 00:39:06.159 --> 00:39:08.639 time these two teams faced each other up there in Arlington, that he was 579 00:39:08.679 --> 00:39:12.239 not part of the lineup, and now he is back. And also to 580 00:39:12.360 --> 00:39:15.760 getting Evan Grant, who has been a huge part of their lineup, and 581 00:39:15.800 --> 00:39:20.000 then also to the bullpen. I mean, that's something that, like I 582 00:39:20.039 --> 00:39:22.239 said, of all the things, you know, the other things I think 583 00:39:22.239 --> 00:39:24.360 are a little bit more of a toss up. That one right there is 584 00:39:24.440 --> 00:39:30.239 decidedly advantage Astros in that regard. All right, how many of you out 585 00:39:30.239 --> 00:39:34.519 there have seen the movie Roadhouse show a hands? I mean I see you 586 00:39:34.559 --> 00:39:36.880 out there. I see some of you and Katie with your hands raised. 587 00:39:37.199 --> 00:39:38.960 Oh, I definitely see some of you out there in Cypress with your hands 588 00:39:39.000 --> 00:39:44.599 raised, especially too, right there near Barker Cypress, right there off two 589 00:39:44.679 --> 00:39:46.440 ninety. I got you. There's a few places that look like the Double 590 00:39:46.519 --> 00:39:52.039 Deuce out there, all right, So Dalton, remember when he's got his 591 00:39:52.320 --> 00:39:57.239 crew of bouncers there before the bar opens up, he's kind of breaking down. 592 00:39:57.400 --> 00:40:00.679 What's it gonna be like with me as the cooler Now at Double Deuce, 593 00:40:00.199 --> 00:40:02.920 We're not gonna allow the Double Deuce to be what it's been. Brad 594 00:40:02.920 --> 00:40:07.719 Wesley out. We're throwing him out. He's done, He's not gonna have 595 00:40:07.760 --> 00:40:12.559 his hands in this place anymore. We're gonna make sure this becomes more of 596 00:40:12.920 --> 00:40:15.039 can you ever make a dive bar classy? I don't know if you ever 597 00:40:15.119 --> 00:40:21.159 can, but this case right here. He laid out three simple rules because 598 00:40:21.199 --> 00:40:24.960 there was some unruly behavior there at the Double Deuce. So when Dalton took 599 00:40:25.000 --> 00:40:30.840 over as the cooler, he had three rules and I think they apply to 600 00:40:30.960 --> 00:40:35.199 this weekend because we talked about it. The players on both sides, there's 601 00:40:35.280 --> 00:40:39.280 mutual respect. Now, have there been some things said by some on either 602 00:40:39.320 --> 00:40:44.639 side about the other that would probably lead you to wonder is their mutual respect? 603 00:40:44.960 --> 00:40:47.880 Sure, it's competition, it's emotions, it's all those different things. 604 00:40:49.000 --> 00:40:52.480 Sure that happens. But for the most parts, I think that probably to 605 00:40:52.599 --> 00:40:54.599 a man one through twenty six on the Rangers, they say, hey, 606 00:40:54.639 --> 00:40:58.519 it's a pretty darn good ball club over there. And then in the Astros 607 00:40:58.559 --> 00:41:01.079 clubhouse when I'm over there later today and I've got a microphone in front of 608 00:41:01.079 --> 00:41:06.280 players faces in the clubhouse, They're probably gonna say the same thing that that's 609 00:41:06.280 --> 00:41:09.079 a good ball club over there, and the managers immense respect for each other 610 00:41:09.239 --> 00:41:15.679 many years going up against each other of Bruce Bochie and also in Dusty Baker. 611 00:41:15.880 --> 00:41:19.599 So it comes down to you, the fans. So if you're going 612 00:41:19.599 --> 00:41:22.760 to the Minute Made Park this weekend, or you're on social media, whatever 613 00:41:22.800 --> 00:41:30.320 it might be, follow these three simple rules. Rule number one, Adam, 614 00:41:30.400 --> 00:41:37.159 what is it? One? Never underestimate your opponent. Expect the unexpected. 615 00:41:37.719 --> 00:41:40.679 All right, hey, that fits absolutely right, because even though you've 616 00:41:40.679 --> 00:41:45.320 got the nine and four record against the Rangers so far the season, you 617 00:41:45.360 --> 00:41:47.199 won the silver Boot, you did all those things. I talked about what 618 00:41:47.239 --> 00:41:51.519 John Smoltz said, and it's so true. It's been proven time and time 619 00:41:51.559 --> 00:41:55.559 again in postseason play that what you've done to that point is out the window. 620 00:41:55.639 --> 00:42:00.880 It doesn't matter. What matters is get to four wins. That's number 621 00:42:00.960 --> 00:42:04.599 one. And the Astros, I think, look at this, it's not 622 00:42:04.679 --> 00:42:07.320 lost on them what the Rangers have done so far to this point. I 623 00:42:07.360 --> 00:42:10.920 saw somebody on Twitter throwing out it's perfection in terms of the Rangers. Yeah, 624 00:42:10.920 --> 00:42:14.599 they've been perfect at this point. Hard to argue with it. They're 625 00:42:14.639 --> 00:42:17.559 five to zero in the postseason. You're three and one. That's nothing to 626 00:42:17.599 --> 00:42:21.800 shake a stick out either. So you've got that going for you. So 627 00:42:21.920 --> 00:42:28.440 yes, never underestimate your opponents. Rule number two, sir two, take 628 00:42:28.480 --> 00:42:34.000 it outside. Never start anything inside the bar unless it's absolutely necessary. All 629 00:42:34.079 --> 00:42:37.880 right, So the bar in this case is the ballpark. And yes, 630 00:42:37.519 --> 00:42:43.639 no fighting. No fighting. I know we saw Astro and Astro fan fighting 631 00:42:43.719 --> 00:42:46.880 last week down the right field line in game one of the Alds, and 632 00:42:47.320 --> 00:42:52.119 it is just not what we need to see. I understand the emotions are 633 00:42:52.199 --> 00:42:54.599 running high. I understand there's been a lot of trash talk. I understand 634 00:42:54.679 --> 00:42:59.480 it's Dallas against Houston. It is good versus evil, it's all of those 635 00:42:59.519 --> 00:43:02.679 different things. I understand all of that. Let the players on the field 636 00:43:02.719 --> 00:43:08.039 settle it. I've never understood the whole point of a talking trash to another 637 00:43:08.119 --> 00:43:12.960 fan at a game if they have not said something to me. I'm there 638 00:43:13.000 --> 00:43:15.079 to watch a game. You're there to watch a game, root for your 639 00:43:15.119 --> 00:43:19.840 team, be happy for your team when they're doing well, and leave me 640 00:43:19.960 --> 00:43:23.280 alone. And I'll leave you alone and do the same thing at the games. 641 00:43:23.440 --> 00:43:27.639 There's no need to be able to do that because you know what honestly 642 00:43:27.679 --> 00:43:31.440 happens in situations like that. If you are anybody that has a decent enough 643 00:43:31.480 --> 00:43:37.480 brain around you, it is afterwards. That was pretty stupid. Wasn't it, 644 00:43:37.519 --> 00:43:39.679 Like you're with your buddies after the game, if you got into somebody 645 00:43:39.880 --> 00:43:44.320 and you're like, that was pretty dumb. Wasn't it like I shouldn't have 646 00:43:44.400 --> 00:43:46.920 yelled at that guy? That was pretty stupid? Like it just why did 647 00:43:46.960 --> 00:43:51.239 I allow myself to have my emotions take the best of me at that point? 648 00:43:51.920 --> 00:43:54.960 And I understand it's gonna be hard in certain cases, but absolutely no 649 00:43:55.079 --> 00:44:00.519 fighting. We don't need it. It's ridiculous. That's trash behavior and it's 650 00:44:00.559 --> 00:44:04.960 not necessary. Enjoy the games. Have fun, root like hell for the 651 00:44:05.000 --> 00:44:07.880 Astros in hope that they get both of these games and put the Rangers back 652 00:44:07.920 --> 00:44:14.199 on their heels going back home. Rule number three, sir, in three, 653 00:44:14.559 --> 00:44:20.480 be nice. That's it simple, right to the point. Be nice. 654 00:44:21.559 --> 00:44:24.719 Be nice. I understand that it's going to be tough at times, 655 00:44:24.760 --> 00:44:29.039 and you're gonna have people who are obnoxious, You're gonna have all those different 656 00:44:29.039 --> 00:44:34.400 types of things. But rule number three, be nice. What if somebody 657 00:44:34.480 --> 00:44:39.519 calls my mama, is she that's what Dalton said. The wise philosopher that 658 00:44:39.760 --> 00:44:45.199 was Dalton, pain don't hurt. Well in this case right here, losses 659 00:44:45.280 --> 00:44:49.440 hurt, and you don't want losses. But that's also too. It's the 660 00:44:49.440 --> 00:44:53.039 guys on the field settling things, not you with your trash talk, not 661 00:44:53.280 --> 00:44:58.719 you threatening to punch somebody across the jaw or anything like that. Let's not 662 00:44:58.840 --> 00:45:01.239 have it. We've got a great atmosphere at minute Made Park. Let's keep 663 00:45:01.280 --> 00:45:06.039 it that way. It's an atmosphere that I understand came under a little bit 664 00:45:06.039 --> 00:45:08.719 of scrutiny in the series against the Twins, because I think that there is 665 00:45:08.760 --> 00:45:13.280 a little bit now of look, like I talked about, think some of 666 00:45:13.360 --> 00:45:15.920 us has forgotten what it's like to be Astro fans, because this run that 667 00:45:15.920 --> 00:45:20.719 they're on right now is unreal and it is something that you look at and 668 00:45:20.800 --> 00:45:23.639 if you had told me when I left town in twenty twelve, hey Dan, 669 00:45:23.760 --> 00:45:28.880 starting in twenty sixteen, even twenty fifteen, excuse me, twenty fifteen, 670 00:45:29.159 --> 00:45:31.000 when they made the postseason for the first time since two thousand and five, 671 00:45:32.400 --> 00:45:36.480 you know they're gonna miss the postseason the following year, But then after 672 00:45:36.519 --> 00:45:39.239 that, be prepared for what's coming, dude, because it is going to 673 00:45:39.239 --> 00:45:43.400 be a run like you could not even imagine. I would have said, 674 00:45:44.599 --> 00:45:49.199 okay, But now that it's here and it's reality in the present, man, 675 00:45:49.480 --> 00:45:52.679 it's awesome. You love it. And it's everything that you could have 676 00:45:52.760 --> 00:45:57.000 imagined and hoped for and maybe even more and it has been awesome. So 677 00:45:57.119 --> 00:46:02.960 yes, please, Astros fans, underestimate your opponents. Take it outside if 678 00:46:04.000 --> 00:46:07.559 you get in any of those things which don't do it, but don't do 679 00:46:07.679 --> 00:46:10.400 it. Got kids there, we got families, We got people who just 680 00:46:10.440 --> 00:46:14.320 want to watch a ball game, paid a lot of hard earned money to 681 00:46:14.360 --> 00:46:16.360 be able to watch a ball game. They don't want to see two knuckleheads 682 00:46:16.360 --> 00:46:20.320 in front of them ooh yeah, hoo yah. And then you know, 683 00:46:20.440 --> 00:46:22.079 try to start a fight, and then you know, somebody tries to break 684 00:46:22.119 --> 00:46:27.119 it up and security has a rundown, and that just starts the whole thing. 685 00:46:27.159 --> 00:46:30.360 The cell phones come out. It's just ridiculous trash behavior. Let's not 686 00:46:30.480 --> 00:46:37.239 have it. And in three, most importantly, even if those from up 687 00:46:37.239 --> 00:46:42.400 there in North Texas won't be nice, be nice, show them what Houston's 688 00:46:42.400 --> 00:46:45.920 about. We're not about that type of life. We ain't about that life. 689 00:46:45.199 --> 00:46:49.360 We don't want to be that way, So Dalton, thank you so 690 00:46:49.440 --> 00:46:53.000 much for that lesson. All right, Our one is in the books. 691 00:46:53.119 --> 00:46:59.039 Our two is coming up. Because coming up next I got asked, I 692 00:46:59.119 --> 00:47:01.360 got great news for Astro fans that I don't know if you've thought about so 693 00:47:01.480 --> 00:47:05.599 far to this point. We'll get into that and much more here in the 694 00:47:05.599 --> 00:47:08.679 final hour of Space City Saturday. It's Dan Matthews here with you on your 695 00:47:08.679 --> 00:47:22.599 home of the Astros and the Rocket, Sports Talk seven ninety space City Created, 696 00:47:22.920 --> 00:47:31.360 Created, Created, Welcome to another Space City Saturday on Sports Talk seven 697 00:47:31.480 --> 00:47:37.280 ninety Dan Matthews Live and local h town breakdown of the world that matters to 698 00:47:37.360 --> 00:47:43.440 you, Houston Sports World. All these great Houston fans here. We love 699 00:47:43.519 --> 00:47:47.880 you all, so finish up on that to do list. Flute up the 700 00:47:47.960 --> 00:47:53.119 cooler because you can't drink in talk sports all day if you don't start now. 701 00:47:54.880 --> 00:48:05.239 This is Space City Saturday. Here's seven nineties Dan Matthews. Oh that's 702 00:48:05.280 --> 00:48:08.719 true. As we roll along here in this eleven o'clock hour, you just 703 00:48:08.760 --> 00:48:15.159 heard also too before me hopping back in with you, Chris Gordy and Rossville 704 00:48:15.159 --> 00:48:20.559 a reale out at Dick's Sporting Goods, Baybrook Mall down there, Friendswood forty 705 00:48:20.599 --> 00:48:22.880 five South Golf Freeway. See that's the other part of it as well, 706 00:48:23.280 --> 00:48:28.599 is that, you know, it's one of those things that you know, 707 00:48:28.679 --> 00:48:31.079 a guy called in of course, you know, I produce the A team 708 00:48:31.159 --> 00:48:35.320 and a guy goes, I know you're not from around here. And I 709 00:48:35.400 --> 00:48:37.239 was like, well, actually, and you know, I try not to 710 00:48:37.280 --> 00:48:40.840 be the well actually guy because that guy's so annoying, are they not? 711 00:48:42.599 --> 00:48:45.400 You know, whenever you say something and then you have somebody who wants to 712 00:48:45.400 --> 00:48:47.960 try to impress the group. Well, actually, Georgia, Arma'll said this, 713 00:48:49.679 --> 00:48:52.800 Okay, I don't care. And in this case right here, it 714 00:48:53.039 --> 00:48:55.239 was a guy trying to tell me, you know, no, you're not 715 00:48:55.239 --> 00:48:58.320 from around here. It's like, well, I was born and raised here, 716 00:48:58.840 --> 00:49:00.880 lived here the majority of my life. I just lived somewhere else for 717 00:49:00.960 --> 00:49:04.559 some time and decided to come back home. What's of it, Bud? 718 00:49:05.079 --> 00:49:07.119 But you know somebody also too, you know, oh yeah, you know 719 00:49:07.400 --> 00:49:12.559 we name our freeways, like I said, I know, Southwest Freeway, 720 00:49:12.679 --> 00:49:16.760 Gold Freeway, North Freeway, the Loop, Katie Freeway, East Texas. 721 00:49:17.280 --> 00:49:21.280 Come on, now, who do you think you're talking to here, I 722 00:49:21.320 --> 00:49:23.519 know what I'm talking about. In this case, right here, Golf Freeway 723 00:49:23.800 --> 00:49:28.199 go in that direction, towards Galveston Baybrook Mall, Great Mall down there, 724 00:49:28.559 --> 00:49:30.800 Dick Sporting Goods. The guy's gonna be out there eleven until one. So 725 00:49:30.960 --> 00:49:36.639 right now, until one, Jonathan Joseph can be stopping by. And even 726 00:49:36.679 --> 00:49:39.119 with the Astros doing what they're doing right now, I know that we are 727 00:49:39.280 --> 00:49:45.559 very much orange and blue around here. Right now there is still the the 728 00:49:45.599 --> 00:49:50.199 Texans playing. And also too, I mean, if nothing else, you 729 00:49:50.239 --> 00:49:52.039 know, I think you know, I was talking with some buddies of mine 730 00:49:52.039 --> 00:49:55.320 actually that had me on at my old station in Atlanta, and they were 731 00:49:55.320 --> 00:49:58.679 asking me, you know, what's the fan reaction, because you know, 732 00:49:58.719 --> 00:50:01.599 we know about the Jackie Easter stuff and everything else. And yes, I 733 00:50:01.639 --> 00:50:06.840 mean even from Afar, I knew that the you know, just thought about 734 00:50:06.880 --> 00:50:10.800 the organization had kind of soured a little bit during that entire part of the 735 00:50:10.840 --> 00:50:15.400 way that this organization had been run. And also too, I mean with 736 00:50:15.480 --> 00:50:20.920 the coaching changes everything else. But then finally getting Demko Ryans back, I 737 00:50:20.920 --> 00:50:27.000 think absolutely brought back some of those feelings that we got starting pretty much in 738 00:50:27.000 --> 00:50:30.719 two thousand and nine when the Texans made their first push for the postseason. 739 00:50:31.039 --> 00:50:34.599 They need a little bit of help. That year, they didn't get that 740 00:50:34.719 --> 00:50:39.039 help, but you know, they were still able to make it a couple 741 00:50:39.119 --> 00:50:45.320 of years later and finally be able to taste playoff football here in Houston, 742 00:50:45.519 --> 00:50:49.840 and a lot of that with Gary Kubiak and Rick Smith and now, I 743 00:50:49.880 --> 00:50:52.519 mean it kind of feels like with Demiko Ryans. I mean, he brings 744 00:50:52.519 --> 00:50:58.199 that mindset back and there's at least competitive football once again in this town. 745 00:50:58.760 --> 00:51:02.320 And that's something that we can all be excited about. But we're talking Astros 746 00:51:02.480 --> 00:51:07.360 right now, as I see Martin John, we got a few other phone 747 00:51:07.400 --> 00:51:09.079 lines open if you want to hop in at seven one, three, two, 748 00:51:09.199 --> 00:51:13.800 two, five, seven ninety you want some really good news, Astro 749 00:51:13.920 --> 00:51:17.800 fans, really really good news. I got some for you. Kyle Tucker 750 00:51:17.840 --> 00:51:22.800 has not hit Dan. How's that good news? No, it's good news 751 00:51:22.840 --> 00:51:27.760 because again the back of the baseball card shows you it's only a matter of 752 00:51:27.800 --> 00:51:32.119 time when this guy gets going. In the Alds, Tucker was a little 753 00:51:32.199 --> 00:51:37.440 rough two for fourteen during those games. Of course, he had the huge 754 00:51:37.519 --> 00:51:43.880 RBI single in the game Game three win up there, the huge nine to 755 00:51:43.880 --> 00:51:49.480 one win the Astros got, and also to had the double in Game one. 756 00:51:49.599 --> 00:51:53.239 But aside from that, Fers for three in Game two, oh for 757 00:51:53.360 --> 00:51:58.519 four in Game four. And I understand that we look at for good reason 758 00:51:58.519 --> 00:52:01.960 what jose Abray has done. Wow, I mean, he has been unreal. 759 00:52:02.159 --> 00:52:07.079 I think, if nothing else, it is a situation that Astro fans 760 00:52:07.119 --> 00:52:09.960 look at the way that that signing had broken down. During the regular season, 761 00:52:09.960 --> 00:52:14.440 we were not feeling good about it, but during the month of September 762 00:52:14.559 --> 00:52:17.480 and in the postseason, we felt great about it. Because you don't win 763 00:52:17.519 --> 00:52:22.039 that series out in Arizona without Josea bray You and what he was able to 764 00:52:22.079 --> 00:52:25.920 do with his bat. You don't win that series in Seattle the triple despite 765 00:52:27.000 --> 00:52:29.679 if you want to call it a triple, which is what they did rule 766 00:52:29.679 --> 00:52:32.000 it as. But also to the glove, what he was able to do 767 00:52:32.159 --> 00:52:36.239 over there at first base. I mean, kind of like what we got 768 00:52:36.360 --> 00:52:39.159 last year out of Yuli Guriel, We're getting the same deal right now out 769 00:52:39.159 --> 00:52:43.960 of Josea bray You. Because Juli was a guy that struggled, was pedestrian 770 00:52:44.000 --> 00:52:46.159 at best going through the regular season. Once he got to the postseason, 771 00:52:46.519 --> 00:52:51.599 you started to see postseason Yuli. So we're seeing postseason Josea Bray you. 772 00:52:52.320 --> 00:52:55.000 But for Kyle Tucker, that is something that you look at and you say, 773 00:52:55.239 --> 00:52:58.559 hey, like him to pick it up a little bit, And yes, 774 00:52:58.760 --> 00:53:00.880 he would like to pick it up a little bit too. And that's 775 00:53:00.920 --> 00:53:05.440 another element in the equation that you feel good about if you're the astros of 776 00:53:05.519 --> 00:53:09.599 looking at your offense which has started to click a little bit more than it 777 00:53:09.719 --> 00:53:14.760 had at points during the season this year, and that feels good. And 778 00:53:14.840 --> 00:53:16.559 he is a guy that if he is able to get going as well, 779 00:53:17.119 --> 00:53:21.440 boy, do you feel even better about your chances of being able to move 780 00:53:21.480 --> 00:53:24.719 on and face either the Diamondbacks or the Phillies in the World Series. So 781 00:53:24.800 --> 00:53:30.239 that is something to keep an eye on here in this ALCS. So real 782 00:53:30.320 --> 00:53:34.199 quick before we flip it over to the next segment, Martin and Angleton wants 783 00:53:34.239 --> 00:53:37.199 to weigh in here on Sports Talk seven to ninety Martin, what's going on, 784 00:53:37.239 --> 00:53:42.760 buddy? Hey, yeah, I heard you. You you produce the 785 00:53:42.920 --> 00:53:46.840 A team, right, that's correct? Why don't they take phone calls? 786 00:53:46.880 --> 00:53:52.039 From phone calls? They just talked amongst themselves that Adam and what's his name? 787 00:53:52.559 --> 00:53:55.320 And that's no good. You need to have you need to have them 788 00:53:55.800 --> 00:54:01.360 take phone calls from us and having interaction. I don't understand that. Do 789 00:54:01.400 --> 00:54:04.239 you want me to yell out, Martin? This is all you want me 790 00:54:04.280 --> 00:54:07.519 to do? Do you want me to yell at my radio hosts? Tell 791 00:54:07.519 --> 00:54:09.239 me right now? Martin, Well, I'm just saying, just hear them. 792 00:54:09.320 --> 00:54:14.400 Hear them talk amongst themselves between the two hosts. That's no good. 793 00:54:14.800 --> 00:54:20.320 I like interaction with with phone callers and the hosts. That's all I'm saying. 794 00:54:20.679 --> 00:54:23.880 What do you got on the astros? Martin? Well, what can 795 00:54:23.920 --> 00:54:29.679 I say? I hope, I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm nervous and uh well 796 00:54:29.840 --> 00:54:31.440 not nervous, but I'm just you know, I always get this way about 797 00:54:31.440 --> 00:54:37.800 my Houston teams and uh we're the spoiler detections, uh rockets, even the 798 00:54:37.840 --> 00:54:43.039 comments to the w n B A. I just get real antsy, you 799 00:54:43.079 --> 00:54:45.880 know. And but anyway, but anyway, Yeah, they need to take 800 00:54:45.920 --> 00:54:50.000 phone calls. Man. Well, hey, look, we take plenty of 801 00:54:50.000 --> 00:54:52.440 phone calls here on Sports Talk seven ninety and Martin, you were always welcome 802 00:54:52.480 --> 00:54:57.679 to call in on Space City Saturday. I mean, you know, you 803 00:54:57.719 --> 00:55:00.119 know, in terms of how the shows go, I mean, hey, 804 00:55:00.880 --> 00:55:05.079 it's just the way that sometimes it goes. The guys bring content. The 805 00:55:05.159 --> 00:55:08.559 guys are here to inform and entertain, and that's what we do. So 806 00:55:09.519 --> 00:55:13.840 you know, I appreciate the call there, buddy, And we do take 807 00:55:13.880 --> 00:55:16.639 calls on the A team, mind you, we do do it. So 808 00:55:16.880 --> 00:55:20.960 it's all good. But in terms of the astros, look, I understand 809 00:55:20.960 --> 00:55:24.760 the nerves. I understand the nerves from the standpoint of you just don't want 810 00:55:25.079 --> 00:55:30.960 the other result to happen because it is a scenario of you want to be 811 00:55:31.000 --> 00:55:36.000 able to beat DFW, you know, kind of the chance beat La beat 812 00:55:36.199 --> 00:55:38.280 la. You know that are out there in this case right here. You 813 00:55:38.320 --> 00:55:40.719 want to be able to say, hey, you know what, you guys 814 00:55:40.840 --> 00:55:45.039 might look down on us here in the space city, but we're proud of 815 00:55:45.039 --> 00:55:49.199 our city, and we damn well should be proud of our city. And 816 00:55:49.360 --> 00:55:52.519 you know, everybody you know tries to say how great of a place Dallas 817 00:55:52.639 --> 00:55:55.800 is and everything else. In terms of the people itself. Have you ever 818 00:55:55.800 --> 00:55:59.639 heard people always say that whenever they go up to Dallas. If I don't 819 00:55:59.679 --> 00:56:01.559 mind the city, I just don't like the people. I've always had that 820 00:56:01.599 --> 00:56:05.760 interaction up there in Dallas in this case right here, you know, you 821 00:56:05.760 --> 00:56:09.880 don't want them to have their hoity toitiness up there in uptown, you know, 822 00:56:10.000 --> 00:56:15.119 Mockingbird Lane and SMU Boulevard, you know, right near SMU to be 823 00:56:15.239 --> 00:56:20.039 like we beats Houston. You know, you don't want any of those types 824 00:56:20.079 --> 00:56:22.880 of things. But in terms of you know, being able to win this 825 00:56:22.920 --> 00:56:25.000 series, yeah, you want to be able to have your chest out a 826 00:56:25.039 --> 00:56:29.760 little bit. You want to be able to when you have Thanksgiving, you 827 00:56:29.800 --> 00:56:32.719 know, coming up a little bit later next month. If you've got DFW 828 00:56:32.800 --> 00:56:36.360 family, which I've got my mom, you know, with her family, 829 00:56:36.400 --> 00:56:39.880 they did the Midwest migration from Iowa out to California years ago and then they 830 00:56:39.920 --> 00:56:45.800 settled in the Metroplex. And I've got Ranger fans in my family, which 831 00:56:45.960 --> 00:56:49.920 I've been hearing from the better part of the last week, especially once this 832 00:56:50.000 --> 00:56:52.880 series became a reality, and we've got all of that. So look, 833 00:56:53.039 --> 00:56:58.280 it's really all fun, and you know, it's all fun and good. 834 00:56:58.440 --> 00:57:00.960 I mean really, when it comes down to it, yes, I mean 835 00:57:00.000 --> 00:57:02.960 it's a pride factor when it comes down to it, because We're prideful in 836 00:57:02.960 --> 00:57:06.880 the state, right we should be. It's an amazing state. We're prideful 837 00:57:06.880 --> 00:57:08.119 in the city, right, it's an amazing city. We should be. 838 00:57:08.599 --> 00:57:13.280 And that's all part of it. But in terms of everything else we win, 839 00:57:13.719 --> 00:57:15.800 there's still going to be business at hand. If they lose, it's 840 00:57:15.840 --> 00:57:22.239 going to hurt the pride, but also to this organization is not going anywhere, 841 00:57:22.639 --> 00:57:27.199 and seventh straight is not going to fall off overnight. This team would 842 00:57:27.239 --> 00:57:30.119 still be in position to be able to make a run at getting to this 843 00:57:30.159 --> 00:57:34.719 point again the following year and be able to go for it all over again. 844 00:57:34.760 --> 00:57:37.719 But we're not even gonna think about that because we haven't even had an 845 00:57:37.760 --> 00:57:42.360 honest pitch in this series. I see Alex and Roger wanting the way in 846 00:57:42.480 --> 00:57:45.480 we'll do that coming up also too, I do want to get into a 847 00:57:45.519 --> 00:57:50.920 little bit of college football, especially to the variety that we saw the other 848 00:57:51.039 --> 00:57:53.760 night over in third Ward. I was in the building a few things that 849 00:57:53.800 --> 00:57:57.400 I want to share on that won't spend too much time on it, because, 850 00:57:57.440 --> 00:57:59.920 like I said, ninety percent of the show today is going to be 851 00:58:00.079 --> 00:58:02.679 Astros and for good reason. So like I said, Alex and Roger Stick 852 00:58:02.679 --> 00:58:06.280 and stay. We got a couple of other lines open if you want to 853 00:58:06.320 --> 00:58:09.920 hop in at seven one three, two one two five, seven ninety, 854 00:58:09.960 --> 00:58:14.199 we will do all of that right here. Space City Saturday. It's Dan 855 00:58:14.280 --> 00:58:17.800 Matthews here with you for another forty five minutes on your home of the Astros 856 00:58:17.840 --> 00:58:27.280 in the Rockets Sports Talk seven ninety. Space City Saturday continues on Sports Talk 857 00:58:27.400 --> 00:58:35.880 seven ninety. Frocks Sad it got to the cour me at Snyder. You 858 00:58:36.000 --> 00:58:42.480 really did rock I have an unhealthy obsession and love for the police, and 859 00:58:42.519 --> 00:58:45.119 I believe I just misssting, which I'm a little upset about. But I 860 00:58:45.199 --> 00:58:50.119 love the police. Thank you for that, buddy, I really do appreciate 861 00:58:50.159 --> 00:58:53.480 that. Seven one three two on two five, seven ninety if you want 862 00:58:53.519 --> 00:58:58.039 to jump in. As a matter of fact, one of the last shows 863 00:58:58.079 --> 00:59:04.400 that me and the girlfriend Megan saw before we moved back to Houston was there 864 00:59:04.400 --> 00:59:08.800 was a little kind of music club in studio in Woodstock, which is kind 865 00:59:08.800 --> 00:59:14.119 of I guess you could say a little bit the woodlands of Atlanta and a 866 00:59:14.199 --> 00:59:17.400 place called Madlife. You ever find yourself in Woodstock, Georgia, a place 867 00:59:17.440 --> 00:59:22.599 called Madlife Studio and Stage, and they had a police cover band and the 868 00:59:22.639 --> 00:59:27.320 guy looked exactly like Sting and I was singing along with every single song. 869 00:59:27.920 --> 00:59:30.760 I'd had a few cocktails at that point, so maybe the table next to 870 00:59:30.800 --> 00:59:31.840 me probably was like, dude, I came to hear the show, not 871 00:59:32.000 --> 00:59:37.199 you, which I've got a pet peeve about that at shows. But regardless, 872 00:59:37.559 --> 00:59:39.199 all right, like I said, someone three two and two five, 873 00:59:39.559 --> 00:59:44.480 seven ninety, let's see who's been holding the longest. Roger has been holding 874 00:59:44.480 --> 00:59:46.360 the longest. Right here, Sports Talk at seven ninety out in Sugarland. 875 00:59:46.760 --> 00:59:51.360 Roger, what's going on, buddy? Hey Dan, I've I've got a 876 00:59:51.360 --> 00:59:53.679 big interest in high school sports. So I was watching the show and this 877 00:59:53.719 --> 00:59:58.960 pertained to the astros my school Scoreboard Live. You may know it. It's 878 00:59:59.119 --> 01:00:02.960 an hour and a half show, uh, and Tepper and the crew, 879 01:00:04.039 --> 01:00:07.400 Yeah, I know it. Well, yes, okay, So Aaron Hartigan, 880 01:00:07.440 --> 01:00:09.639 who's the lady host, you know, near the end of the show, 881 01:00:09.639 --> 01:00:14.079 they're filling time, and she says, sometimes on this show, we're 882 01:00:14.280 --> 01:00:17.599 always looking at Houston versus Dallas, and Dallas versus Houston. And how about 883 01:00:17.599 --> 01:00:22.320 that matchup where the rivalry of the Major League Baseball teams and Greg Tepper, 884 01:00:22.519 --> 01:00:25.800 you know, Craig Way had tapped him on the shoulder and said, and 885 01:00:25.840 --> 01:00:31.079 we got a Ranger season ticket holder here. And Greg Tepper says to Aaron, 886 01:00:31.920 --> 01:00:37.239 I'm just sick to my stomach. And she says why, and he 887 01:00:37.320 --> 01:00:43.519 says, we we all know what's coming down the pike. That's what he 888 01:00:43.599 --> 01:00:46.320 said. So he's just I know there are a lot of Rangers fans who 889 01:00:46.320 --> 01:00:51.280 are saying they're gonna win the series. But in a moment of brutal honesty, 890 01:00:51.639 --> 01:00:55.920 Greg Tepper, managing editor of David Campbell's Texas Football, said, we 891 01:00:57.039 --> 01:01:00.960 know what's coming down the pike. So I'm I'm trying not to be too 892 01:01:00.039 --> 01:01:04.400 confident. I'm very confident though. Well, I mean, if you were 893 01:01:04.400 --> 01:01:07.920 listening earlier in the show, appreciate the call. Roger. Like I said, 894 01:01:07.639 --> 01:01:14.599 Dalton's rule from Roadhouse rule number one, never underestimate your opponent. And 895 01:01:14.679 --> 01:01:17.360 look, I mean, you know Greg, I mean in terms of he 896 01:01:17.480 --> 01:01:21.719 is an outstanding journalist. I mean, I follow his work. We had 897 01:01:21.760 --> 01:01:23.719 Mike craven on as a matter of fact, a couple of weeks ago from 898 01:01:24.039 --> 01:01:30.000 Dave Campbell's Texas Football Talks from College Greg is fantastic as well. Sometimes and 899 01:01:30.079 --> 01:01:32.360 I get this, it's kind of like what I did when I was in 900 01:01:32.440 --> 01:01:36.079 school of hey, how did you do on that test? I don't want 901 01:01:36.119 --> 01:01:38.559 to say because in my mind, even though it's dumb to think this way, 902 01:01:38.639 --> 01:01:42.679 what's done is done. You already took the test, and whatever grade 903 01:01:42.679 --> 01:01:44.760 you're gonna get, whatever grade you're gonna get. And I think a lot 904 01:01:44.760 --> 01:01:47.800 of us do the same as fans of I don't want to be overly confident, 905 01:01:47.960 --> 01:01:51.199 like, you know, it's one of those like I said, some 906 01:01:51.280 --> 01:01:54.239 of us who have got DFW family and friends, you know, how do 907 01:01:54.239 --> 01:01:57.159 you think we're going to do in the series? I don't want to say, 908 01:01:57.679 --> 01:02:00.960 because it's one of those things you don't want to talk trash because it's 909 01:02:00.000 --> 01:02:06.039 also too as well. If you are not overly boastful and you're not overly 910 01:02:06.119 --> 01:02:08.639 counting your chickens before they hatch, then at the end of it, which 911 01:02:08.840 --> 01:02:13.079 normally when it's said and done, and if the side that I have a 912 01:02:13.119 --> 01:02:15.960 rooting interest in wins, usually I'm kind of like, you know what, 913 01:02:16.800 --> 01:02:21.599 hey, you know, it's over with, it's done. I think it 914 01:02:21.639 --> 01:02:24.119 was a great series. Maybe you don't agree because of how things went. 915 01:02:24.480 --> 01:02:28.159 But you know, I'm just not gonna say anything about it. I don't 916 01:02:28.159 --> 01:02:30.599 need to worry about it anymore. It's done, it's over with. And 917 01:02:30.639 --> 01:02:31.639 in that case right there, I think that's a little bit of what Greg's 918 01:02:31.639 --> 01:02:35.599 probably doing is he's probably just saying, hey, look, man, you 919 01:02:35.639 --> 01:02:38.440 know I want them to win. I hope they win. But you know, 920 01:02:38.519 --> 01:02:44.400 it's also two when you've been a fan of a team that has had 921 01:02:44.559 --> 01:02:47.800 a track record of what they've had in the past, which the Rangers. 922 01:02:47.840 --> 01:02:52.800 Aside from twenty ten and twenty eleven, the postseason has been kind of a 923 01:02:52.800 --> 01:02:55.079 house of horus for them. But remember too, down here it was the 924 01:02:55.119 --> 01:02:59.199 same deal. I mean, remember going into two thousand and four. I 925 01:02:59.280 --> 01:03:02.000 mean, I'll I will never forget it. In that Wildcard series against the 926 01:03:02.039 --> 01:03:06.880 Braves when the Astros lost Game four, and I remember talking on the phone 927 01:03:06.880 --> 01:03:09.880 with my mom when I was in school at Texas Lutheran, and I said, 928 01:03:10.320 --> 01:03:14.000 I just don't feel good about it. I know the way this book 929 01:03:14.079 --> 01:03:17.559 is written because I'd seen it so many times. I had lived ninety eight, 930 01:03:17.639 --> 01:03:22.199 I had lived ninety nine, I'd lived ninety seven, although ninety seven 931 01:03:22.320 --> 01:03:24.559 was gravy because that was the first time they'd won the division in years and 932 01:03:24.599 --> 01:03:30.639 made it to the postseason. But ninety eight hurt. Ninety nine it especially 933 01:03:30.719 --> 01:03:34.519 hurt, especially the extra ending loss. And then you know, I remember 934 01:03:34.920 --> 01:03:37.719 Bob Ford closing out the Astrodome and saying, you know, after so many 935 01:03:37.800 --> 01:03:42.000 years, we close the old Lady down. I mean, when I moved 936 01:03:42.000 --> 01:03:45.159 to Atlanta, one of my first coworkers there in Atlanta was a guy that 937 01:03:45.199 --> 01:03:49.239 I couldn't stand from that series, Brian Jordan, And that was funny to 938 01:03:49.400 --> 01:03:52.719 finally meet bj and tell them, and we've had laps about it since, 939 01:03:52.039 --> 01:03:54.880 but I said, man, you have no idea how much I just couldn't 940 01:03:54.920 --> 01:04:00.960 stand you after that home running game four of the nlcra DS in ninety nine. 941 01:04:01.239 --> 01:04:03.159 And of course you got a good laugh out of it, because hey, 942 01:04:03.199 --> 01:04:06.079 he was on the other side of it. But you know, it's 943 01:04:06.119 --> 01:04:11.920 one of those things that my good buddy Josh Pate, who hosts Late Kick 944 01:04:12.039 --> 01:04:15.519 Josh, the Late Kick podcast college football podcast, does a really good job 945 01:04:15.519 --> 01:04:17.800 for twenty four to seven sports, and he has a saying that makes so 946 01:04:17.920 --> 01:04:24.559 much sense right here. Just because you haven't doesn't mean you can and just 947 01:04:24.639 --> 01:04:30.360 because you couldn't in the past doesn't mean you won't. And all of those 948 01:04:30.400 --> 01:04:34.440 things again, just like football, that every single game is its own story. 949 01:04:35.239 --> 01:04:40.920 Every single series, every single game in the postseason is that much more 950 01:04:40.960 --> 01:04:45.519 magnified. And that is, you know, something that you look at of 951 01:04:45.559 --> 01:04:49.840 the previous history again, throw it out. Throw it out, because even 952 01:04:49.840 --> 01:04:54.400 though the Astros have the track record and the Rangers don't, I guarantee you 953 01:04:54.760 --> 01:04:59.360 it's not Marcus Simeon and Corey Seeger and everybody in that clubhouse down the left 954 01:04:59.360 --> 01:05:01.360 field line, the third baseline at Minute Made Park saying wow, you know, 955 01:05:01.360 --> 01:05:04.800 they beat us nine out of four times and they've done it seven straight 956 01:05:04.840 --> 01:05:08.440 times. So guys, do we really have a chance in this series? 957 01:05:08.920 --> 01:05:13.000 I guarantee you that's not the way that they are entering into this series. 958 01:05:13.360 --> 01:05:15.840 Alex near Hobby Airport won the way in Alex. What's going on, buddy? 959 01:05:16.960 --> 01:05:19.559 Hey, Ross, I don't know what the guy is talking about. 960 01:05:19.719 --> 01:05:25.280 You know, only the only time that I call Adam and you know the 961 01:05:25.320 --> 01:05:28.519 A team I was put on the air that time, So I really don't 962 01:05:28.519 --> 01:05:32.159 know what he's talking about. Ross. About this series, man, it's 963 01:05:32.199 --> 01:05:36.599 gonna be epic and you know, I am more exciting than you know when 964 01:05:36.639 --> 01:05:40.400 we were facing the Jackets. To be honest with you, I'm not I'm 965 01:05:40.400 --> 01:05:43.800 not scared. Look, listen, both of these teams are super hot. 966 01:05:43.880 --> 01:05:47.559 If you go back to the Astros, uh, they've been playing playoff games 967 01:05:47.599 --> 01:05:50.800 before the season started. They went to Baltimore one, two or three. 968 01:05:51.079 --> 01:05:56.760 They sweat Arisota and UH and they beat Minnesota. So they're hot. I 969 01:05:56.800 --> 01:05:59.960 consider them very hot right now, and it takes us. You know, 970 01:06:00.079 --> 01:06:02.599 they won't find in a row. It's going to be very interesting when the 971 01:06:02.639 --> 01:06:06.800 Astros beat him the first time, to see how the Texas Rangers react. 972 01:06:08.119 --> 01:06:10.440 You know, I think we are in their heads. You know, I 973 01:06:10.440 --> 01:06:14.920 think we got their number. And this season is more about the fans. 974 01:06:15.000 --> 01:06:18.320 Man. Listen, I hate Dallas, everything about Dallas, and I know 975 01:06:18.400 --> 01:06:23.880 they hate it too, you know. So about the pitching real quick, 976 01:06:24.800 --> 01:06:27.679 you know, I wouldn't throw JP Frans in there. I mean, I 977 01:06:27.719 --> 01:06:30.320 think the guy has been he hasn't pitched in a long time, and last 978 01:06:30.320 --> 01:06:33.679 time he did, Man, they're really hit him really hard. I would 979 01:06:33.679 --> 01:06:38.039 throw our kitty again for one of these games. Your opinion on this, 980 01:06:38.400 --> 01:06:40.960 thanks, I appreciate it. By the way, Alex, it's Stan. 981 01:06:41.320 --> 01:06:44.639 I'll have to tell Ross that because people all the time with Ross. Hey, 982 01:06:44.639 --> 01:06:46.679 Gordy, No, it's Ross. It happens. Hey, It's all 983 01:06:46.679 --> 01:06:50.119 good. Appreciate the call, though, Buddy uh. In terms of you 984 01:06:50.119 --> 01:06:53.920 know, the way that the pitching rotation will break down, I mean, 985 01:06:53.960 --> 01:06:57.280 I think number one and two will know. And I gotta believe when Dusty 986 01:06:57.360 --> 01:07:00.320 talks with the media, he'll be saying the exact same thing, which I 987 01:07:00.360 --> 01:07:06.960 believe is happening right now over at Minute Made Park. But in terms of 988 01:07:08.000 --> 01:07:10.800 the way the rest of this series goes, I mean the way that Christian 989 01:07:10.840 --> 01:07:14.480 Hobber has pitched right now, he's probably Game three and then yes, I 990 01:07:14.519 --> 01:07:17.400 mean, you know, going into the postseason, I think going into that 991 01:07:17.519 --> 01:07:24.199 start against the Arizona Diamondbacks, that Knights had Jose Orkety just given them what 992 01:07:24.239 --> 01:07:28.679 they had hoped for three four innings and make it into a bullpen game, 993 01:07:29.119 --> 01:07:32.920 then we're not talking about Jose Arkety as a viable option right now in the 994 01:07:33.000 --> 01:07:36.199 rotation. But now that he gave you that, and he gave you the 995 01:07:36.239 --> 01:07:40.840 start that he did the other night, Jose Orkety is no longer a bullpen 996 01:07:40.920 --> 01:07:45.239 arm. Jose Arkety is now a starter on this roster. And when you've 997 01:07:45.280 --> 01:07:48.920 got the track record that he does in the postseason, it started back in 998 01:07:48.920 --> 01:07:55.360 twenty nineteen, the game five win on the road in DC against or was 999 01:07:55.400 --> 01:07:59.159 it Game four, regardless, that's when it really got started. He got 1000 01:07:59.159 --> 01:08:01.440 the win Game two of the World Series in twenty one, and he has 1001 01:08:01.480 --> 01:08:05.760 been an absolute stalwart for this team that when you have given him the ball 1002 01:08:05.840 --> 01:08:10.320 in the postseason, you've asked him to do one thing, keep us in 1003 01:08:10.360 --> 01:08:13.679 it. Two things. You've asked them to throw strikes and keep us in 1004 01:08:13.719 --> 01:08:15.359 it, and he has done both of those things. And the offense has 1005 01:08:15.399 --> 01:08:19.399 responded behind him as well. And the other night you only needed three runs 1006 01:08:19.520 --> 01:08:23.359 and that's all they got, and that's all they needed. As then you 1007 01:08:23.399 --> 01:08:27.239 were able to hand it off to Hector Narris, Brian Abray you and also 1008 01:08:27.479 --> 01:08:31.800 as well to Ryan Presley to be able to close things out and now set 1009 01:08:31.880 --> 01:08:36.079 up for Game one of the ALCS tomorrow. Real quick, let's get to 1010 01:08:36.560 --> 01:08:40.840 Ray calling from Montana. Ray, what's going on, buddy? How you 1011 01:08:40.920 --> 01:08:46.960 doing? I actually need to put we're actually, I guess we're having some 1012 01:08:47.000 --> 01:08:51.359 phone issues right now, let's get to him here in just a second before 1013 01:08:51.359 --> 01:08:56.079 we actually get to Jeff Blum coming up next segment, we'll do that right 1014 01:08:56.119 --> 01:08:59.880 here. It is Space City Saturday. Dan Matthews here with you for another 1015 01:08:59.920 --> 01:09:03.000 thirty minutes on your home of the Astros and the Rockets Sports Talk seven ninety. 1016 01:09:05.319 --> 01:09:13.119 It's Space City Saturday one, Sports Talk seven night. Kiss you, 1017 01:09:13.840 --> 01:09:16.880 Space City Saturday. Indeed, Ray apologize. As a matter of fact, 1018 01:09:16.880 --> 01:09:21.039 Hey, guess what Ray just called back in. So if you're calling back 1019 01:09:21.079 --> 01:09:25.560 in from Montana, you're definitely moving to the front of the line. Definitely. 1020 01:09:25.600 --> 01:09:30.119 I want to hear Astros country up there in Montana. But here, 1021 01:09:30.199 --> 01:09:33.319 after we get to him and Josh, we will get to Jeff Blum. 1022 01:09:33.560 --> 01:09:38.079 As a matter of fact, Ray, how about that this time I clicked 1023 01:09:38.119 --> 01:09:41.560 the right button. Ray. Hey, look, man, it's live radio. 1024 01:09:41.840 --> 01:09:46.439 Sometimes user error comes in. But what's an Astros fan doing in Montana? 1025 01:09:46.640 --> 01:09:49.960 Well, I'm married a woman from Montana when I was in the Navy, 1026 01:09:50.159 --> 01:09:56.079 and it was either move here or go back home without her. So 1027 01:09:57.279 --> 01:10:00.600 I understand no, yeah, no, trust me. Hey, you know, 1028 01:10:00.760 --> 01:10:02.720 the girl moved to Atlanta for me. I moved back for both of 1029 01:10:02.800 --> 01:10:05.800 us, So I'm totally there with you. Can I ask you something really 1030 01:10:05.840 --> 01:10:11.920 quick before we get into the astros? Sure, how much do you hate 1031 01:10:11.960 --> 01:10:16.800 the show Yellowstone up there? I'm kind of indifferent. I mean it's not 1032 01:10:16.880 --> 01:10:23.960 anything like what's on TV. I mean it's entertainment. Okay. People aren't 1033 01:10:23.960 --> 01:10:28.199 gunning each other down like on there, so it's just like anybody else. 1034 01:10:30.000 --> 01:10:34.079 So it's just a show. So there's no train stationary anything. Rip is 1035 01:10:34.119 --> 01:10:38.399 not walking around up there, and you know all those things. I mean, 1036 01:10:38.399 --> 01:10:41.279 you got tourists probably dressed like Beth Dutton. I get it, and 1037 01:10:41.319 --> 01:10:43.800 I understand. But now let's talk astros man, what do you got? 1038 01:10:44.680 --> 01:10:47.920 Okay, Look, I'm from the Beaumont area. The whole Gulf Coast was 1039 01:10:48.000 --> 01:10:53.720 underwater in seventeen and I'm not saying that people of Dallas and Fort Worth of 1040 01:10:53.760 --> 01:10:58.279 bannon Ess, but for sure, sure, for certain it was the Texas 1041 01:10:58.399 --> 01:11:03.760 Rangers that abandon us. I have zero compassion for them. We're going to 1042 01:11:03.840 --> 01:11:10.279 kick their butts all over the field. And as for my family that's up 1043 01:11:10.279 --> 01:11:13.039 in Dallas Fort Worth, I mean there's we can always talk at, you 1044 01:11:13.079 --> 01:11:19.000 know, during Christmas or whatever. So I people talk about us being cheaters. 1045 01:11:19.199 --> 01:11:25.439 The Rangers are worse than we are. You don't abandon your your state 1046 01:11:25.479 --> 01:11:29.279 and need so I'd hope that we wouldn't, we would not do the same 1047 01:11:29.319 --> 01:11:31.640 thing to them. And I'll just I'll listen to your comments. No, 1048 01:11:31.760 --> 01:11:33.600 I appreciate it, buddy. Yeah, I mean, you know, there 1049 01:11:33.680 --> 01:11:39.279 was the whole series of you know, reports out there that they could have 1050 01:11:39.600 --> 01:11:43.479 gone up to Arlington and played and that wasn't made available. All of those 1051 01:11:43.520 --> 01:11:46.760 different things. In terms of that entering into the equation. Look, you're 1052 01:11:46.760 --> 01:11:51.880 not going to have Jim Crane and in this case now Dana Brown, Dusty 1053 01:11:51.920 --> 01:11:57.760 Baker Astros players if they are the ones popping champagne in the clubhouse and celebrating 1054 01:11:58.199 --> 01:12:00.199 saying, hey, you don't remember what those past did to us in twenty 1055 01:12:00.239 --> 01:12:03.720 seventeen, none of that's going to happen. You know. I think that 1056 01:12:03.720 --> 01:12:06.960 that's all of it too, is it's just part of rivalry. Well, 1057 01:12:08.119 --> 01:12:10.439 you know what, you guys did this, you guys did that, all 1058 01:12:10.479 --> 01:12:14.680 of those different things. I think that when it comes to the baseball side 1059 01:12:14.680 --> 01:12:17.159 of this, that none of that is going to come into play because again, 1060 01:12:17.760 --> 01:12:21.640 when you are in a series that is going to be as closely contested 1061 01:12:21.680 --> 01:12:26.600 as this is going to be. You just can't allow for that type of 1062 01:12:26.640 --> 01:12:31.359 mindset because it's a distraction and it's something that creeps in that can allow for 1063 01:12:31.399 --> 01:12:35.279 you to be off your game. And I think the Astros are a group 1064 01:12:35.319 --> 01:12:42.000 that tries not to play emotionally. They try their best to be, you 1065 01:12:42.000 --> 01:12:46.600 know, as unemotional as possible and as business like as possible. And I 1066 01:12:46.600 --> 01:12:50.960 know Jeff Blum, who will get to here just momentarily, he talked about 1067 01:12:51.000 --> 01:12:55.359 that yesterday as well, as that's what this team is during the postseason is 1068 01:12:55.760 --> 01:12:58.319 they try to take the emotion out of it and just try to be about 1069 01:12:58.359 --> 01:13:00.039 what's our objective? What are we supposed to do? I read a book 1070 01:13:00.159 --> 01:13:03.439 years ago called The Way of the Seal Mark Devine, former Navy seal, 1071 01:13:03.920 --> 01:13:10.680 and he had an interesting point in the book of calling it line sight focus. 1072 01:13:11.159 --> 01:13:15.520 When you are aiming your weapon down range, you're aiming through the target, 1073 01:13:15.600 --> 01:13:19.199 but more than anything, you're focused on the target nothing else. And 1074 01:13:19.239 --> 01:13:24.359 that is something too that great athletes have, is hey, look, people 1075 01:13:24.399 --> 01:13:27.359 are talking trash to me. People are saying things, are doing whatever, 1076 01:13:28.359 --> 01:13:32.359 they have no bearing on me. Accomplishing what my objective is supposed to be. 1077 01:13:32.960 --> 01:13:38.920 And that's how good organizations and good teams focus. There's a reason why 1078 01:13:39.000 --> 01:13:42.600 teams talk about we don't worry about what's outside the building. Good organizations do 1079 01:13:42.720 --> 01:13:45.239 that. I mean, I think we can agree. I was around a 1080 01:13:45.319 --> 01:13:49.399 really good organization, the Georgia Bulldogs football program these last couple of years of 1081 01:13:49.479 --> 01:13:54.760 them being able to reach the ultimate goal. And Kirby Smart has a saying, 1082 01:13:55.119 --> 01:13:57.880 we talk with our face mask, we talk with our helmet, we 1083 01:13:57.920 --> 01:14:01.800 talk with our play That's how good organizations deal with things. They don't deal 1084 01:14:01.840 --> 01:14:04.359 with things in terms of oh yeah, well they said this about us. 1085 01:14:04.479 --> 01:14:08.239 They don't worry about it. They just move on and they do what they're 1086 01:14:08.239 --> 01:14:11.640 supposed to do. Josh in League City wants to weigh in here on Sports 1087 01:14:11.640 --> 01:14:15.199 Talk seven ninety Josh, what's going on, buddy? Hey, how's it 1088 01:14:15.239 --> 01:14:19.159 going guys? Oh? Doing great? Buddy, good Rooke. I got 1089 01:14:19.680 --> 01:14:23.000 a question for you about the Ashlers. But before I get to that, 1090 01:14:23.000 --> 01:14:27.439 I got another quick question for you. So I coach high school football, 1091 01:14:27.520 --> 01:14:30.640 right and every week I make these high videos and I was wondering, Man, 1092 01:14:30.680 --> 01:14:33.600 if you can up helped me out and give me a couple of soundclips 1093 01:14:33.640 --> 01:14:39.000 to put in the video talking about our team. If that's something that we 1094 01:14:39.000 --> 01:14:42.319 can work out later. Yeah, hey, tell you what I'm gonna have 1095 01:14:42.560 --> 01:14:45.239 Adam afterwards. Put you on hold and I will give you my email address, 1096 01:14:45.239 --> 01:14:47.840 and let's make that work. Man. I absolutely would love to do 1097 01:14:47.880 --> 01:14:51.399 that. I personally went to Saint Thomas and I saw it. They put 1098 01:14:51.399 --> 01:14:56.439 out a hype video and I said, hey, if you ever need voicing 1099 01:14:56.520 --> 01:15:00.720 for that, man, I'm available. I know that the ad Mike Netzel 1100 01:15:00.760 --> 01:15:02.760 over there, he listens, so you know, hey, look, you 1101 01:15:02.760 --> 01:15:06.840 know I'm I am willing to help out love high school football. So yeah, 1102 01:15:06.920 --> 01:15:11.960 man, let's make this happen awesome. I appreciate that. Uh So 1103 01:15:12.000 --> 01:15:15.720 that My my astros question here is, uh, you know, I've been 1104 01:15:15.760 --> 01:15:19.600 looking to you guys today and and I like that talk about the mental side 1105 01:15:19.600 --> 01:15:25.680 of the game. Uh So my question will be, you know, uh, 1106 01:15:25.720 --> 01:15:28.840 if it comes down to the game and the Rangers bring in chatman, 1107 01:15:28.960 --> 01:15:32.560 you think that he's got any kind of mental blocks, you know, coming 1108 01:15:32.600 --> 01:15:36.039 into the series thinking about you know, the astros and and and you know 1109 01:15:36.079 --> 01:15:42.000 what we've done there with him and just kind of basically his struggles throughout you 1110 01:15:42.039 --> 01:15:44.800 know where he's been, where you know he was. There's a great dominating 1111 01:15:44.840 --> 01:15:49.119 picture too. Uh you know, Genny, these these tight game situations and 1112 01:15:49.119 --> 01:15:53.920 and and blowing it sometimes. No, yeah, I appreciate it. And 1113 01:15:53.960 --> 01:15:56.760 Josha, like I said, got you on hold. I'll be with you 1114 01:15:56.840 --> 01:15:59.479 here in just a second. But in terms of that, I mean it 1115 01:15:59.479 --> 01:16:01.840 gets back to what I just talked about, the line sight focus in you 1116 01:16:01.880 --> 01:16:04.800 know, in this case right here, I guarantee you, jose Al Tuvey, 1117 01:16:05.319 --> 01:16:09.880 if he gets into the box against you know, a rold As Chapman, 1118 01:16:10.399 --> 01:16:12.680 it's going to be all right. I know how to hit this guy. 1119 01:16:12.800 --> 01:16:15.640 I prove that I know how to hit this guy. But again, 1120 01:16:15.079 --> 01:16:18.359 you know, it gets back to none of that matters right now. This 1121 01:16:18.479 --> 01:16:24.359 at bat matters. This is what matters right now, and that is something 1122 01:16:24.560 --> 01:16:28.000 that you know, you hear the greatest athletes and the greatest performers of all 1123 01:16:28.079 --> 01:16:31.560 time talk about clearing the noise and clearing the distractions. And in that case 1124 01:16:31.640 --> 01:16:35.119 right there, another thing is, oh are you nervous in that point? 1125 01:16:35.439 --> 01:16:40.439 Nerves are good. Pressure is good. And I think that a lot of 1126 01:16:40.520 --> 01:16:43.800 these guys look at it of Oh, were you worried you're gonna mess up? 1127 01:16:43.920 --> 01:16:46.000 You can't even allow that to be in your in your thought process because 1128 01:16:46.680 --> 01:16:49.279 let's just take Ryan Presley for example. You know, I know a lot 1129 01:16:49.319 --> 01:16:53.439 of people have gotten nervous obody his last few weeks when Ryan Presley has coming 1130 01:16:53.439 --> 01:16:56.760 to a game, he has continued to show that he is still one of 1131 01:16:56.760 --> 01:17:00.399 the best closers in baseball. And in this case right here, I guarantee 1132 01:17:00.399 --> 01:17:03.640 you if he goes out on the mound, it's not a what happens if 1133 01:17:03.640 --> 01:17:06.920 this pitch goes this way, or what happens if this slider doesn't necessarily break 1134 01:17:06.920 --> 01:17:11.359 the way I want to can't think that way. You absolutely have to go 1135 01:17:11.399 --> 01:17:14.600 out there and say I've got the stuff, this is what I need to 1136 01:17:14.600 --> 01:17:16.439 do. I need to work strike one, I need to work off strike 1137 01:17:16.479 --> 01:17:21.920 two ball and play where do I go objectively focused? That's how you get 1138 01:17:21.960 --> 01:17:27.479 through this time of the year. And again, this organization has done it 1139 01:17:27.520 --> 01:17:30.720 as well as anybody, and that is something they have talked about. It's 1140 01:17:30.760 --> 01:17:33.960 almost ad nauseum for some out there, but it's hard to argue with the 1141 01:17:33.960 --> 01:17:41.359 results because the results have been pretty unreal all right, I tease Jeff Blum. 1142 01:17:41.399 --> 01:17:43.199 As a matter of fact, we're gonna give that to you here in 1143 01:17:43.279 --> 01:17:45.720 the final segments. Let's break a little bit early so we can get that 1144 01:17:45.760 --> 01:17:49.199 to you in your entirety, and then also to be able to close things 1145 01:17:49.199 --> 01:17:54.720 out here on Space City Saturday at Dan Matthews here with you for about another 1146 01:17:54.720 --> 01:17:57.680 twenty minutes on your home of the Astros and the Rocket Sports Talk seven to 1147 01:17:57.720 --> 01:18:11.600 ninety Space City Saturday on Sports Talk seven ninety s. All right, Sports 1148 01:18:11.680 --> 01:18:16.279 Talks seven ninety Space City Saturday, Dan Matthews here with you for about another 1149 01:18:16.359 --> 01:18:21.359 fifteen in change. About ten minutes of that we are going to spend having 1150 01:18:21.399 --> 01:18:27.720 a chance to look back at the visit yesterday that Jeff Blum, former Astros 1151 01:18:27.720 --> 01:18:33.920 player now analyst for Space City Home Network with the Astros on TV, of 1152 01:18:33.920 --> 01:18:38.760 course doing the pre and post right now with him not being on the game 1153 01:18:38.960 --> 01:18:43.600 action for it all, but he was on for the full hour yesterday. 1154 01:18:43.640 --> 01:18:46.520 This is just about ten minutes of that visit with the A team Adam Clanton 1155 01:18:46.520 --> 01:18:50.399 and Adam Wexler right here on your Home of the Astros Sports Talk seven ninety. 1156 01:18:50.479 --> 01:18:55.399 Let's hear from Jeff wex and ac here on a Friday, which means 1157 01:18:55.439 --> 01:18:58.640 we're with Blum and he came to our neck of the woods for a change. 1158 01:18:58.640 --> 01:19:00.159 That's what happens when the playoffs start and they kick you off of TV 1159 01:19:00.239 --> 01:19:03.720 for no good reason. Beat it, but I digress. How does it 1160 01:19:03.720 --> 01:19:08.920 feel to be in a seventh consecutive ALCS as a member of the Astros organization? 1161 01:19:09.319 --> 01:19:13.880 You know what I it's it's unbelievable. We put up you know, 1162 01:19:13.920 --> 01:19:15.560 we had a chance to do the post game, which is glorious, by 1163 01:19:15.600 --> 01:19:19.920 the way, and sitting there in the next to Kevin Ashenfelder and Todd Kallis, 1164 01:19:19.960 --> 01:19:24.880 they put up a graphic on our show and it put up teams that 1165 01:19:24.920 --> 01:19:28.760 I grew up watching the Atlanta Braves in the nineties, the you know, 1166 01:19:28.800 --> 01:19:31.239 the late nineties New York Yankees and the runs that they get on and these 1167 01:19:31.279 --> 01:19:34.000 are some of these teams back in you know, up until nineteen ninety four, 1168 01:19:34.039 --> 01:19:36.239 they were just playing. You win the division, you go to the 1169 01:19:36.319 --> 01:19:40.840 championship series. In game on right now you have all these extra rounds that 1170 01:19:40.880 --> 01:19:44.000 started in nineteen ninety four. It's a division series wildcards, and now you've 1171 01:19:44.039 --> 01:19:47.239 got the excess that we have now and you still realize the fact that they 1172 01:19:47.239 --> 01:19:51.960 have gone through three four rounds to get to these alcs's, and now seven 1173 01:19:53.000 --> 01:19:56.560 times in a row during this wild card era that we are living in seven 1174 01:19:56.720 --> 01:19:59.960 freaking times in a row, more than the Braves did almost It does, 1175 01:20:00.239 --> 01:20:01.359 yeah, because back then, you I mean, you know, ninety one 1176 01:20:01.359 --> 01:20:04.159 to ninety three, you only had to win the division and you were in 1177 01:20:04.199 --> 01:20:08.279 the playoffs, you were in the championship series. So now it makes it 1178 01:20:08.319 --> 01:20:11.319 that much sweeter that they're able to do what they're able to do. And 1179 01:20:11.399 --> 01:20:14.720 I love the fact that everybody's just oh, man, we're in the ALCS. 1180 01:20:14.760 --> 01:20:15.640 How awesome is this? And we're just going, yeah, that's what 1181 01:20:15.840 --> 01:20:18.880 that's what we've been doing. Man, it's October, said the same thing. 1182 01:20:19.119 --> 01:20:24.520 Yeah, the same exact thing must be in the league because it's October. 1183 01:20:24.840 --> 01:20:30.319 It's crazy the month our seasons have been February October for the last seven 1184 01:20:30.760 --> 01:20:36.000 years. That's that's unheard of. Ninety games in the playoffs while we just 1185 01:20:36.079 --> 01:20:41.560 played a full season in the playoffs. We just started this week Rockets preseason 1186 01:20:41.600 --> 01:20:45.199 games. The two of us each did one. It's been six months since 1187 01:20:45.239 --> 01:20:47.520 we did a game because they haven't been in the postseason. So when you 1188 01:20:47.560 --> 01:20:50.760 start talking about you know, everybody always talks about, well, these guys 1189 01:20:50.760 --> 01:20:54.880 have played almost a full season of game. They really have. Yeah, 1190 01:20:55.000 --> 01:20:57.199 Like it's I mean, I know it's one hundred and ninety games, but 1191 01:20:57.399 --> 01:21:00.880 ninety games. That's yeah, that's that's it. That's insane. What I 1192 01:21:00.880 --> 01:21:03.199 mean. You know, it's Tom Brady in the New England Patriots. How 1193 01:21:03.199 --> 01:21:06.800 many NFC or whatever AFC championships did they get to in a row? And 1194 01:21:10.159 --> 01:21:14.199 again, in their situation, that's two extra games, that's what I mean. 1195 01:21:14.239 --> 01:21:17.199 Yeah, it's one eighth then of a season. If they agains were 1196 01:21:17.199 --> 01:21:21.600 always in skipping the wildcard round, coming to the Astros, and then they 1197 01:21:21.640 --> 01:21:25.279 got one home win and they'd be in the title game. You got the 1198 01:21:25.279 --> 01:21:28.920 conference title game. Yeah, one play play one game to get into the 1199 01:21:28.920 --> 01:21:31.479 conference title game. That's what's astonishing to me is the fact that they've been 1200 01:21:31.479 --> 01:21:36.159 able to beat off everybody, pardon me, in that in baseball to get 1201 01:21:36.159 --> 01:21:40.520 to that point, it's crazy. And I love the fact that all these 1202 01:21:40.600 --> 01:21:44.520 hundred win teams and everybody bitching and moaning about the setup the wild card. 1203 01:21:44.800 --> 01:21:47.920 Who isn't bitching and moaning? Yeah, I mentioned that yesterday these stories and 1204 01:21:48.000 --> 01:21:53.920 narratives are really hit into high gear when the Dodgers were ousted after the Orioles 1205 01:21:53.920 --> 01:21:57.000 and Rays had been ousted, mainly the Orioles because of their time off, 1206 01:21:57.359 --> 01:22:01.279 and then yesterday the Braves joined them. And the stories continue most of the 1207 01:22:01.319 --> 01:22:08.600 time to not acknowledge for the first time ever nationally that the Astros exist, 1208 01:22:08.760 --> 01:22:12.119 because it won't help them tell the story of having a week off means you're 1209 01:22:12.159 --> 01:22:15.960 going to lose, because the Astros keep disproving that at least the last two 1210 01:22:15.039 --> 01:22:18.319 years, because the format has been the same the last two years and the 1211 01:22:18.359 --> 01:22:21.159 time off has been the same the last two years with the change of the 1212 01:22:21.159 --> 01:22:26.520 format. But while all these other articles are written in LA, how, 1213 01:22:26.680 --> 01:22:30.159 what is Dave Roberts doing wrong? Why can't they because they don't play good 1214 01:22:30.199 --> 01:22:32.600 baseball at this time of year. It's not Dave Roberts problem. It is 1215 01:22:32.640 --> 01:22:35.800 a Clayton Kershaw problem. And you could argue it's a Mookie Betts problem. 1216 01:22:35.800 --> 01:22:38.880 It's the players and you're not going to get rid of them, but they 1217 01:22:38.920 --> 01:22:42.920 haven't performed. It's there's nothing wrong. It was a problem last night with 1218 01:22:42.960 --> 01:22:45.720 the bases loaded. Oh my goodness, Well it started as a Polar problem 1219 01:22:45.760 --> 01:22:50.640 because it should have been three to two. There might not have even been 1220 01:22:50.640 --> 01:22:55.760 a throw. Are they not all out pick a base? Dude? Yeah? 1221 01:22:55.800 --> 01:22:59.159 All got back the guy first and second they all took off running, 1222 01:22:59.159 --> 01:23:01.399 assuming that Polar was gonna run. Polari's got decent wheels. I don't care 1223 01:23:01.399 --> 01:23:03.760 how old he is. You can still run. And that ball got far 1224 01:23:03.880 --> 01:23:08.119 enough away to where I said, with my ability at fifty years old, 1225 01:23:08.159 --> 01:23:10.800 I'm scoring. And Josh and I were talking about this because I was watching 1226 01:23:10.800 --> 01:23:13.640 it while we were doing the Rockets game. Then first base is open and 1227 01:23:13.680 --> 01:23:16.640 you can walk a kunyah, which they probably would have done, but they 1228 01:23:16.640 --> 01:23:21.960 got him out anyways, Cloud outs it was standing eighty something feet. Yeah. 1229 01:23:23.000 --> 01:23:25.039 Talking about some of these teams, though, I mean, have you 1230 01:23:25.079 --> 01:23:28.439 guys talked at all about how the Astros. It's one thing to be able 1231 01:23:28.439 --> 01:23:30.640 to be built. Nobody talks about this. I feel like nationally, nobody 1232 01:23:30.640 --> 01:23:34.880 talks about being built to win a division, being built to win inside the 1233 01:23:35.560 --> 01:23:40.239 National League West. But what they can't win outside the National League West, 1234 01:23:40.560 --> 01:23:42.960 they get into a playoff format, Like you guys, are talking about and 1235 01:23:43.000 --> 01:23:45.960 they can't perform. That's where the Astros are different. They were built to 1236 01:23:46.039 --> 01:23:51.279 perform in October, and how explain why they can't replicate that. The Astros 1237 01:23:51.479 --> 01:23:56.239 are built to be a like an ass kicking machine this time of year, 1238 01:23:56.319 --> 01:24:00.199 regardless of who they play, which I think really comes into play with this 1239 01:24:00.319 --> 01:24:02.640 series now, because I mean, if you want all the toxicity on the 1240 01:24:02.640 --> 01:24:05.439 play, you've got it. But at the end of the day, when 1241 01:24:05.439 --> 01:24:09.800 everything else, all the riff raft like Dave Raymond was on the Matt Thomas 1242 01:24:09.800 --> 01:24:14.439 Show before us today, what all that's lementing? The hardest job for us, 1243 01:24:14.560 --> 01:24:16.439 or the worst part about this is when when they, you know, 1244 01:24:16.520 --> 01:24:19.960 leave us on the outside come playoff time as a broadcasters, like, oh 1245 01:24:20.039 --> 01:24:24.840 my god, David, it must be horrific for you years where you've never 1246 01:24:24.920 --> 01:24:28.199 had that happen. What does feel like? I got to laugh as I 1247 01:24:28.239 --> 01:24:30.720 was listening. Wait, he's not broadcasting strange. Yeah, well, at 1248 01:24:30.800 --> 01:24:34.800 least you are now of the post game variety. Well, that's another reason 1249 01:24:34.840 --> 01:24:39.600 why I'm super excited about a seventh ALC. I was gonna be upset of 1250 01:24:39.880 --> 01:24:43.199 the first year we broadcast. They go out in the Division series But here's 1251 01:24:43.239 --> 01:24:45.279 the thing. Once you do tear away all of that, and we've got 1252 01:24:45.319 --> 01:24:48.119 a long time to talk about this matchup, obviously, But once you tear 1253 01:24:48.159 --> 01:24:53.359 all of that, you know, extra curricular away, you've got a a 1254 01:24:53.520 --> 01:24:59.199 matchup that is like delicious. Oh man, MLB probably didn't know how how 1255 01:24:59.319 --> 01:25:02.279 badly they wanted this. They don't yet, I don't, don't they still 1256 01:25:02.319 --> 01:25:09.720 have out Oh my gosh, Well, it's it's again. It's it's who 1257 01:25:09.760 --> 01:25:13.199 wants to talk about Texas more. National media does not want to talk about 1258 01:25:13.239 --> 01:25:15.760 Texas anymore than they have to unless it's the Dallas Cowboys. And now you've 1259 01:25:15.760 --> 01:25:19.279 got both Texas teams in it. Because everybody wanted the Dodgers and the Mets 1260 01:25:19.319 --> 01:25:24.520 and the Braves and a Philly they want all these coastal themes going on. 1261 01:25:24.560 --> 01:25:27.279 But now you've got the state of Texas and that they have no idea. 1262 01:25:27.600 --> 01:25:35.159 It's an untapped spice that they haven't gotten in chet yet. Right. You 1263 01:25:35.199 --> 01:25:41.039 know what, he's probably lobbying to go cover the Phillies for this, you 1264 01:25:41.039 --> 01:25:45.199 know he might, who knows, but and that you know you played for 1265 01:25:45.279 --> 01:25:50.000 Arizona, you know how irrelevant they are us. So I just the I 1266 01:25:50.079 --> 01:25:55.840 mean, the Major League Baseball has to be wanting the Astros to win, 1267 01:25:56.479 --> 01:26:00.159 because then the sexiest matchup left is the rematch of last year's World Series. 1268 01:26:02.079 --> 01:26:05.239 Anybody in the league office right now is talking about a matchup between the Phillies 1269 01:26:05.239 --> 01:26:09.359 and Ashers again, just because it's a good story, because it talks about 1270 01:26:09.359 --> 01:26:13.600 how two organizations have been run. And I like the fact that the Astros 1271 01:26:13.600 --> 01:26:15.359 are kind of that homegrown ball club that they put together, and then you 1272 01:26:15.399 --> 01:26:19.920 have these these bought teams between the Rangers and the Phillies out there. I 1273 01:26:19.920 --> 01:26:24.199 think Arizona would be a great story. I know that Major League Baseball wouldn't 1274 01:26:24.239 --> 01:26:27.199 go for it, but Brent Strom being over there and some of the connections 1275 01:26:27.199 --> 01:26:30.119 between behind it, between those two teams. Shoot, even Jeff Banister would 1276 01:26:30.119 --> 01:26:32.600 be coming back. You think he'd have some tips for his hitters about the 1277 01:26:32.640 --> 01:26:36.039 Astros pitchers. I mean, that would be a blast to try and figure 1278 01:26:36.039 --> 01:26:39.720 out that chess match. And considering what we saw at the end of the 1279 01:26:39.720 --> 01:26:43.079 season with Arizona, that's not the same team that was playing right now. 1280 01:26:43.159 --> 01:26:45.279 Yeah, just ask the Rangers. They'll tell you about it. Even though 1281 01:26:45.319 --> 01:26:48.239 the team couldn't beat the Seattle Mariners triple A pitching yep, couldn't even get 1282 01:26:48.239 --> 01:26:50.800 a hit in that last inning and they lost a evion. That's what's so 1283 01:26:50.880 --> 01:26:56.079 great about this There's so many subplots, and almost none of them the good 1284 01:26:56.079 --> 01:27:00.920 ones are about the fact that these two fan bases hate each other guts and 1285 01:27:00.000 --> 01:27:03.479 there's going to be fist fights at both locations. Why, I'm not like 1286 01:27:03.640 --> 01:27:06.439 lobbying for it, but I'm also not surprised if it happened. No, 1287 01:27:06.479 --> 01:27:10.439 but there's gonna be some pretty vicious trash shocking all the way around. And 1288 01:27:10.479 --> 01:27:14.159 I know that you know the and again, Oh the Astros, Oh, 1289 01:27:14.199 --> 01:27:18.880 how are they gonna handle this shot up? I'm so tired Minnesota to talk 1290 01:27:18.920 --> 01:27:24.239 to great the neck that Minnesota. Yeah, it was. It was kind 1291 01:27:24.239 --> 01:27:27.960 of funny to hear the Astro players saying congratulating the Minnesota Twins for fans for 1292 01:27:28.000 --> 01:27:30.119 showing up. It was a lot of fun. They're not bothered by that 1293 01:27:30.159 --> 01:27:32.880 stuff that goes in one ear out the other. But I do think in 1294 01:27:32.920 --> 01:27:38.119 the stand is gonna be a completely different story. Sounds like this prediction is 1295 01:27:38.239 --> 01:27:40.640 obvious. You feel good, I really feel good about it. Yeah, 1296 01:27:40.680 --> 01:27:43.079 I mean I don't. I haven't felt this good about a lot of series, 1297 01:27:43.079 --> 01:27:45.560 but I just feel like this matchup there's too much. There's too much 1298 01:27:45.600 --> 01:27:48.239 for the If the Rangers have to play perfect baseball, and what I mean 1299 01:27:48.279 --> 01:27:50.640 by that is they're gonna go out there and sluck if you can keep them 1300 01:27:50.680 --> 01:27:53.920 in the ballpark, and that's the biggest thing. If they're gonna hit home 1301 01:27:54.000 --> 01:27:57.399 runs, make them solo home runs, don't walk guys, make them earn 1302 01:27:57.439 --> 01:28:01.079 their way on contained seeger can Tane Garcia, and you're gonna give yourself a 1303 01:28:01.079 --> 01:28:05.720 fighting chance. Just keep keep the ball in the ballpark because they are superior 1304 01:28:05.840 --> 01:28:10.439 with the rotation, they're superior with their bullpen, their defense is superior, 1305 01:28:11.000 --> 01:28:15.119 and their ability to hit, I think is superior too. The wild card 1306 01:28:15.159 --> 01:28:18.319 for me in this series is going to be Kyle Tucker, just because he 1307 01:28:18.439 --> 01:28:23.439 did not have that good series in Minnesota, yet he is going to face 1308 01:28:23.479 --> 01:28:28.920 a team that he absolutely obliterated. And if they focus on Kyle Tucker, 1309 01:28:28.960 --> 01:28:30.279 that only means that there's other weapons in that line. If they're going to 1310 01:28:30.359 --> 01:28:33.520 go out there and swing the bat. And as much as the Astros aren't 1311 01:28:33.520 --> 01:28:38.359 talking about it, which I applaud them for there's something internally I think that 1312 01:28:38.359 --> 01:28:42.279 they want to go out there and establish Texas as their state. There you 1313 01:28:42.359 --> 01:28:47.760 go, Jeff Blum join in the a team yesterday of Courus Plummer with the 1314 01:28:47.840 --> 01:28:53.319 guys every single week right here on your home of the Astros A Sports Talk 1315 01:28:53.680 --> 01:28:56.720 seven ninety and for everything that he talked about right there. I mean, 1316 01:28:56.760 --> 01:29:00.840 look, if there is anybody that you can trust in terms of knowing the 1317 01:29:00.920 --> 01:29:04.640 pulse of this team, it would probably be Jeff Blum and being a guy 1318 01:29:04.680 --> 01:29:08.840 that is called what one hundred and fifty five of the games this year. 1319 01:29:08.840 --> 01:29:12.720 I mean, you get a few breaks here and there for ESPN and Fox 1320 01:29:13.079 --> 01:29:16.520 National games, but aside from that being on most of, if not all, 1321 01:29:16.680 --> 01:29:19.920 of the Astros games this year, and I mean, you know, 1322 01:29:19.920 --> 01:29:24.560 I'm just kind of seeing some of the comments coming from over at a minute, 1323 01:29:24.600 --> 01:29:27.399 made Park. I know that Dusty Baker has already addressed the media, 1324 01:29:27.439 --> 01:29:30.960 jose Al Tuve meeting with them as well. The Astro is going to get 1325 01:29:30.960 --> 01:29:35.319 on the field here in about five minutes to start a workout, and Justin 1326 01:29:35.399 --> 01:29:40.359 Verlander also going to address the media today. The Rangers also going to be 1327 01:29:40.439 --> 01:29:43.960 working out down there. Didn't come out here and perform. That's what it 1328 01:29:44.000 --> 01:29:46.279 really comes down to, and that's what it is. Is people are saying, 1329 01:29:46.279 --> 01:29:49.199 oh, the format's got to change way too much time off. You 1330 01:29:49.239 --> 01:29:53.079 have to look at it as well. The Astros were a team the way 1331 01:29:53.079 --> 01:29:56.560 that they were playing, they were probably saying, man, we need this 1332 01:29:56.640 --> 01:29:59.880 time off because you've got a little bit more of a veteran presence on this 1333 01:30:00.079 --> 01:30:02.600 roster now. And also too, you heard Jeff Blum just talk about it 1334 01:30:02.720 --> 01:30:05.039 right there, and you know Clanton bringing it up as well. As it 1335 01:30:05.079 --> 01:30:09.960 seems like the Astros for the better part of these last few years have been 1336 01:30:10.000 --> 01:30:14.800 playing year round baseball, because if this thing does play out to the string 1337 01:30:15.000 --> 01:30:17.640 and that is them playing in the World Series, you're talking about going through 1338 01:30:17.680 --> 01:30:21.319 the end of this month into next month, and then you get the rest 1339 01:30:21.359 --> 01:30:27.760 of November off, you get December and players usually start doing on field activities 1340 01:30:27.760 --> 01:30:30.199 in terms of throwing, hitting, doing all those different types of things, 1341 01:30:30.239 --> 01:30:34.880 probably around January, and then it hits February and a couple of weeks after 1342 01:30:35.039 --> 01:30:40.079 the Super Bowl wraps up, that's when we're getting ready for pitchers and catchers 1343 01:30:40.279 --> 01:30:43.920 and full squad. At the end of the month showing up to West Palm 1344 01:30:43.920 --> 01:30:46.800 Beach to get ready for spring training. That's not much time off. And 1345 01:30:46.840 --> 01:30:49.239 the good news is this year too as well. You're not going to have 1346 01:30:49.279 --> 01:30:53.159 the World Baseball Classic, You're not going to have all of those different types 1347 01:30:53.199 --> 01:30:56.800 of things. You're gonna have your guys there in West Palm Beach working out 1348 01:30:56.800 --> 01:31:00.279 with you, getting ready for the season and be able to kind of take 1349 01:31:00.279 --> 01:31:04.479 this thing in stride. As opposed to those guys were playing competitive baseball. 1350 01:31:04.560 --> 01:31:10.239 Jose al Tuvay was playing competitive baseball. Jose Orchidi was playing competitive baseball. 1351 01:31:10.239 --> 01:31:14.159 Brian A. Bray you for Team Dominican Republic, was playing competitive baseball. 1352 01:31:14.199 --> 01:31:16.840 Same with Kyle Tucker and same with Ryan Presley as well. And the other 1353 01:31:16.880 --> 01:31:19.840 part of it as well, because they were playing competitive baseball, they probably 1354 01:31:19.840 --> 01:31:25.680 were not able to get the same amount of work that they were getting leading 1355 01:31:25.720 --> 01:31:30.720 into that series or leading into this season. So that's another part of all 1356 01:31:30.760 --> 01:31:34.640 of this as well. So you know, in terms of this, I 1357 01:31:34.680 --> 01:31:39.520 gave my prediction yesterday, I said, Astros in six. I think that 1358 01:31:40.039 --> 01:31:44.520 probably you know, you hope for a split here, go up to Arlington, 1359 01:31:44.600 --> 01:31:46.239 take two out of three, up there and then come back home and 1360 01:31:46.279 --> 01:31:50.039 try to close it out in Game six here at minute Mad Park. Like 1361 01:31:50.079 --> 01:31:54.239 I said, I just look at these rosters, I look at the experience, 1362 01:31:54.319 --> 01:31:58.479 and I just liked the Astros chances in this. So hopefully my words 1363 01:31:58.640 --> 01:32:02.880 become the result. We'll see how it all breaks out. That's gonna do 1364 01:32:02.960 --> 01:32:05.439 it from here. I want to thank r. J. Choppy from one 1365 01:32:05.479 --> 01:32:10.560 oh five to three the fan in DFW for joining me. Also to Jeff 1366 01:32:10.600 --> 01:32:13.960 Blum for joining us yesterday on the A team. Adam Snyder behind the glass. 1367 01:32:14.000 --> 01:32:17.119 Appreciate his work as that's gonna do it for me here on Space City 1368 01:32:17.159 --> 01:32:20.680 Saturday, I'm Dan Matthews. This year home of the Astros and Rockets Sports 1369 01:32:20.760 --> 01:32:23.760 Talk seven ninety