WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.280 --> 00:00:05.799
Oh yeah, away we go.
How are we doing out there, everybody?

2
00:00:06.679 --> 00:00:10.839
Ten to one here on your home
of the Astros and the Rockets Sports

3
00:00:10.839 --> 00:00:15.519
Taka seven ninety. Great to be
with you all here this morning, as

4
00:00:15.880 --> 00:00:19.679
we'll have pretty much a full show
today. And you know, I say

5
00:00:19.879 --> 00:00:25.000
pretty much because it's not going to
be a full on full show because Astros

6
00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:29.760
Baseball coming your way at eleven fifty
five right here on your home with the

7
00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:35.000
Shros Sports Talk seven ninety. But
the Astros obviously going to be a huge

8
00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:41.359
topic of conversation today because now,
I mean we are in the single digits

9
00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:45.320
to opening day. I mean,
aren't we pumped? Aren't we excited?

10
00:00:45.719 --> 00:00:50.840
I mean, hasn't this just seemed
like this process ever since just that disaster

11
00:00:51.079 --> 00:00:55.600
in Game seven of the ALCS that
it seems like it's taken forever. Like

12
00:00:55.640 --> 00:01:00.439
that's where me and Rossvillo Reale kind
of differentiate on this is that Ross said,

13
00:01:00.439 --> 00:01:03.439
oh, man, you know,
it seemed like the offseason went so

14
00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:06.760
quick, And I said, man, I gotta go the opposite direction.

15
00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:11.519
It seemed like this offseason more than
any other off season for me, like

16
00:01:11.959 --> 00:01:15.480
obviously out of twenty twenty two,
for sure, I wasn't here yet.

17
00:01:15.640 --> 00:01:19.560
But I mean when your team wins
the world title, it seems like that

18
00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:23.120
offseason, Hey, where'd it go? Because I mean the entire offseason,

19
00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:26.040
that's what you're doing. You get
the parade, you get the other things

20
00:01:26.040 --> 00:01:32.040
that come with being a champion,
and then soon enough it's oh, wait,

21
00:01:32.519 --> 00:01:37.120
it's New Year's Okay, Oh we
got the college football playoff everything like

22
00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:40.280
that. Well, that means we're
close. Oh the Super Bowl, Oh,

23
00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:42.040
that means we're even closer. And
then all of a sudden, wait

24
00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:45.560
a minute, we're in West Palm
Beach. We're ready to go, like

25
00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:49.959
the season's here. But when you
are on the losing side, well,

26
00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:55.920
it seems like the clock is not
ticking at sixty seconds in a minute just

27
00:01:56.079 --> 00:01:59.760
as fast. I mean, it's
one of those things that you ever noticed,

28
00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:02.840
Like during the day, you're at
work, right and it's kind of

29
00:02:02.840 --> 00:02:07.079
one of those that you're looking up
the clock and you're like, God,

30
00:02:07.079 --> 00:02:09.159
come on, man, hit five
o'clock, and it seems like, you

31
00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:13.919
know, just the minutes are going
so slow. That's the way it feels,

32
00:02:13.960 --> 00:02:15.800
because in the morning, I mean, we all feel this right in

33
00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:20.560
the morning, whenever we're trying to
rush around, brush the teeth, finish

34
00:02:20.599 --> 00:02:23.560
off the coffee, do all those
things. It seriously seems like five minutes

35
00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:27.960
is a minute, because I mean
you look down at your phone and you're

36
00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:30.560
just like, wait a minute,
it was like eight twenty three just a

37
00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:34.280
few seconds ago. Where did the
time just go? So that's kind of

38
00:02:34.319 --> 00:02:38.800
how all of that goes. But
we are finally almost here. As of

39
00:02:38.840 --> 00:02:43.159
course, we will have Opening Day
leading up to it, and on the

40
00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:47.199
day of leading up to it,
all covered for you right here on Sports

41
00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:53.080
Talk seven ninety. Of course,
Stan and Ross gonna be doing a mold

42
00:02:53.400 --> 00:02:57.280
of the Matt Thomas Show. And
next up for you, I believe they're

43
00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:00.439
gonna be over at Big City Wings. They're in an Edo to get you

44
00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:07.759
ready for Opening Day, and then
from the street festival right there at Minute

45
00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:12.000
Made Park, we will have the
A team coming your ways, so we

46
00:03:12.039 --> 00:03:15.599
will have that and then of course
pre game everything of the sort to get

47
00:03:15.680 --> 00:03:20.800
you fired up and ready to go
for that mid afternoon game against the Yankees

48
00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:23.360
on Opening Day. So coming up
on Thursday, I mean, we got

49
00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:25.639
a ton happening this week. I
mean, I know that Doug Pike's the

50
00:03:25.639 --> 00:03:30.080
golf guy, but got the Houston
Open coming up. That's fun looking forward

51
00:03:30.120 --> 00:03:32.439
to that. I mean, you
know, I know that not everybody's a

52
00:03:32.479 --> 00:03:37.439
huge golf fan, but I'm a
huge golfer, and I know many of

53
00:03:37.479 --> 00:03:40.360
you out there in the audience you're
huge golfers at as well, So I'm

54
00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:46.240
sure you will all be over at
Memorial Park for that one. Looking forward

55
00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:50.080
to seeing it. I gotta be
honest. I mean, I've not been

56
00:03:50.120 --> 00:03:54.000
over to Memorial Park golf course since
they did the renovation and everything to get

57
00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:59.680
it ready for tour specifications. So
I am excited about getting over there this

58
00:03:59.719 --> 00:04:03.319
week. So we'll be doing that. But back to the Astros here set

59
00:04:03.400 --> 00:04:09.080
to break spring camp here tomorrow.
Talking a little bit last night as a

60
00:04:09.080 --> 00:04:12.800
matter of fact, while the Kougs
were playing with our good buddy Brian McTaggart

61
00:04:13.080 --> 00:04:16.680
and asking him, Hey, when
do you make the escape there from Southeast

62
00:04:16.720 --> 00:04:20.519
Florida, he said Sunday, And
I think that pretty much it's going to

63
00:04:20.519 --> 00:04:25.759
be play that spring training game,
and it's going to be a mad rush

64
00:04:25.800 --> 00:04:29.199
to get to the airports there and
get out of there and get back here

65
00:04:29.240 --> 00:04:31.800
to Houston. Of course, the
show is going to take on the Sugarlands

66
00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:36.720
based Cowboys here on Monday and Tuesday, both of those games right here on

67
00:04:36.759 --> 00:04:41.639
Sports Talk seven ninety. But you
know, I mean, it just even

68
00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:46.639
just shows you that we are that
much closer, and you even know that

69
00:04:46.680 --> 00:04:50.560
we're that much closer too. With
Joe Aspada talking yesterday with the media saying

70
00:04:50.839 --> 00:04:56.439
that even with the rain out yesterday
that allowed for them to have meetings,

71
00:04:56.519 --> 00:05:00.319
I know that. For example,
I loved Chandler Romes tweets to fans out

72
00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:04.120
there of yeah, the game has
been canceled today, go watch the tournament

73
00:05:04.360 --> 00:05:10.720
and from er Valdez through his five
innings on a backfield there before the rain

74
00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:15.839
got really bad in Southeast Florida and
West Palm Beach, but he was able

75
00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:18.160
to get his work in. But
they did not play the game yesterday.

76
00:05:18.560 --> 00:05:23.639
They are playing this afternoon, as
I said, and the lineup party out

77
00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:27.319
the Astros going with that opening day
lineup. So we are to that part

78
00:05:27.319 --> 00:05:30.600
of spring training as well, where
you do want to get as much of

79
00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:35.240
a routine as possible to get you
ready for the star of the season,

80
00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:40.439
and that's what you're seeing with the
lineups of having it be the everyday guys

81
00:05:40.439 --> 00:05:44.519
that you're going to be seeing and
the lineup has constructed as is right now,

82
00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:48.759
so it is going to be a
good primer to get you ready for

83
00:05:48.959 --> 00:05:55.680
the season. So look forward to
being able to get Astros baseball going in

84
00:05:55.920 --> 00:06:00.879
earnest here pretty soon. But of
all the questions too, to ask an

85
00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:03.319
answer about the Astros, I mean, I think number one, remember a

86
00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:06.680
few weeks ago, if you were
listening to Sean Salisbury show when I did

87
00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:12.040
my call in with the guys,
when I was there in West Palm Beach

88
00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:15.279
with Ross and we were talking about, you know, what's kind of your

89
00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:18.480
main concern with this team and at
the time, and it still holds,

90
00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:21.560
I said, probably it's got to
be the starting pitching. Even though you

91
00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:26.480
got justin Verlander, you feel pretty
good about Fromber Valdez, I would say,

92
00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:30.879
to a certain point, you feel
pretty good about Christian Hobvier. But

93
00:06:30.920 --> 00:06:34.920
I feel like Javier and Fromber are
pretty much in the same category where it

94
00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:39.720
is you just don't know who you're
gonna get, and when you get the

95
00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:42.439
really good version of them, well
then it's awesome. I mean, in

96
00:06:42.519 --> 00:06:46.759
Fromber's case, it's a no hitter
two times over. In Christian Hobvier's case,

97
00:06:46.920 --> 00:06:50.759
it's the same deal, but then
it's also to the other side.

98
00:06:51.399 --> 00:06:56.800
Is there a broken bat single or
an error or something like that that kind

99
00:06:56.800 --> 00:07:00.000
of throws Fromber's game off and does
not make him as affective on the mound.

100
00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:05.000
Or is it a really rough first
inning and not being able to find

101
00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:10.439
the strike zone you're just really working
up that pitch count and not finding himself

102
00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:13.519
being able to get out of the
fifth inning in the case of Christian Hobby

103
00:07:13.519 --> 00:07:16.639
here. So those questions are there. Then you get to Hunter Brown.

104
00:07:16.759 --> 00:07:19.800
I mean, is Hunter Brown the
guy that we saw in the first half

105
00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:21.920
last year. He's the guy we
saw in the first half last year.

106
00:07:21.959 --> 00:07:26.759
That's really good. If he's the
guy that we saw when the pitch counts

107
00:07:26.839 --> 00:07:30.439
started to get up there and you
could probably see a little bit of fatigue

108
00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:34.399
starting to settle in with him later
on in the season, well then yeah,

109
00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:38.480
that was a little bit of a
concern. So that's another part of

110
00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:42.879
it as well. JP frant I
don't know, again, if many of

111
00:07:42.920 --> 00:07:46.160
you follow Chandler Rome out there,
if you don't do so, and look,

112
00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:49.000
here's the thing to kind of,
you know, stay on topic,

113
00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:51.160
but get off topic. Here to
a second. I guess we're just going

114
00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:55.279
to kind of pull off to the
side of the road here in this discussion.

115
00:07:55.399 --> 00:07:59.519
But as I make my way over
to the shoulder on the freeway here

116
00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:03.360
to bring up this point, I
understand, you know, how people view

117
00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:05.240
Chandler at a certain point, and
I understand, you know, it's one

118
00:08:05.240 --> 00:08:09.959
of those things that he will go
back and forth with people on social media,

119
00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:13.959
and that rubs some people the wrong
way. But when it comes to

120
00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:16.920
the information, you can't beat it. And the man is on top of

121
00:08:18.199 --> 00:08:22.240
this team and he is incredibly good
at his job. And I understand too

122
00:08:22.279 --> 00:08:26.759
some of the interactions not so great
at times with some of you out there,

123
00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:31.320
But it also too, you know, whenever you get things from him,

124
00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:35.639
you can absolutely know for certain that
they are true, because I mean,

125
00:08:35.799 --> 00:08:41.279
his track record covering this team has
been pretty darn good. But one

126
00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:46.480
of the things he talked about was
the pitching setup for the two games against

127
00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:50.799
the Sugarland Space Cowboys, which I
think that we probably will see what is

128
00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:54.039
going to be the twenty six man
roster, or in the case of the

129
00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:58.240
first two games of the season,
the twenty five man roster, of course,

130
00:08:58.600 --> 00:09:03.320
with Brian A. Bray you not
being in the fold, but JP

131
00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:07.120
Frantz will be the fit starter for
this team and he is going to throw

132
00:09:07.159 --> 00:09:11.440
one of those games to get himself
even more ready for the season. And

133
00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:16.919
Renault Blanco as well is going to
be part of the fold as well.

134
00:09:18.120 --> 00:09:22.080
Breaking up from camp, it sounds
like that Brandon Beilack will also be part

135
00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:24.919
of this as well because of no
more options, and he is a guy

136
00:09:24.960 --> 00:09:28.960
that can get outs. He is
a guy that can throw strikes and he

137
00:09:28.960 --> 00:09:33.279
can get you some innings too as
well. And there is a role to

138
00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:37.360
be carved out on this team because
middle relief is still kind of a moving

139
00:09:37.399 --> 00:09:41.399
target for the Astros at this point. I mean, we've seen good things

140
00:09:41.480 --> 00:09:46.360
out of Rafael Montero this spring,
we've also seen some really rough outings out

141
00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:50.080
of him. Taylor Scott is somebody
that has been a pleasant surprise for the

142
00:09:50.120 --> 00:09:56.000
Astros through spring training to this point, and he is somebody that looks like

143
00:09:56.080 --> 00:10:01.080
he might have carved himself an opportunity
on this team and also too as well.

144
00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:05.039
The other part that we haven't even
touched on it with the Astros so

145
00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:09.279
far is what is next for Justin
Berlander. Well, we know that we

146
00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:13.159
heard from Chandler Rome, who,
by the way, you will hear from

147
00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:16.960
in about twenty minutes from his weekly
visit that he had with us over on

148
00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:20.679
the A Team earlier this week,
So we'll have that for you coming up

149
00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:24.159
a little bit later on in the
show. Bottom of this hour, as

150
00:10:24.200 --> 00:10:28.639
a matter of fact, is when
you will hear our conversation from the A

151
00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:33.960
Team earlier this week, and also
too along with the astros, going to

152
00:10:33.960 --> 00:10:39.159
be getting into many other topics today, like yes, we will cover the

153
00:10:39.159 --> 00:10:43.440
O tany stuff. I mean,
I have opinions on it. If you

154
00:10:43.480 --> 00:10:46.799
follow me on Twitter, it's much
appreciated. If you don't, please do

155
00:10:46.440 --> 00:10:50.919
it'd be nice. I'd appreciate you
catching up on the conversation, being able

156
00:10:50.919 --> 00:10:56.720
to interact with you there as well
at Dan Matthews hou is how you can

157
00:10:56.759 --> 00:11:01.679
find me on Twitter at Dan Matthews
h oh. You if you see a

158
00:11:01.720 --> 00:11:07.320
guy wearing a Shaquille O'Neill LSU jersey
with the O'Neill thirty three on the back,

159
00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:09.679
pointing to the back of the jersey, well then you know that's me.

160
00:11:09.879 --> 00:11:11.960
So you found me. I don't
have a blue check mark any of

161
00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:16.240
those things. Not paying for Twitter, not gonna do it. But anyway,

162
00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:22.159
I have shared some of my thoughts
on the Otani situation, so we

163
00:11:22.200 --> 00:11:26.399
will get into that a little bit
later on in the show as well as

164
00:11:26.440 --> 00:11:31.799
the Rockets. Yes, we can
actually talk the Rockets because guess what,

165
00:11:33.480 --> 00:11:37.480
they're viable and they became even more
viable last night when they weren't even on

166
00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:41.799
the floor. I think they were
over at the Posto Hotel having a nice

167
00:11:41.879 --> 00:11:46.879
little formal event over there, and
while they were doing that, well,

168
00:11:46.879 --> 00:11:50.759
the Golden State Warriors were playing,
and the Golden State Warriors lost last night.

169
00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:54.600
So what does that mean? Your
Houston Rockets are now two games out

170
00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:58.279
of a play in tournament spot.
Of course, Golden State's right now with

171
00:11:58.519 --> 00:12:03.960
the tie breaker against the Rockets,
so still some work to be done in

172
00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:07.279
that regard. But I mean a
week and a half, two weeks ago,

173
00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:11.600
when we were talking about the Rockets, Alprin Shingoon goes down in Sacramento.

174
00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:16.840
Cam Whitmore hurts in that game as
well. You're probably thinking that's the

175
00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:20.759
death knell that is going to signify
the end of the twenty twenty three,

176
00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:26.120
twenty twenty four Houston Rockets. But
NI that has not been the case.

177
00:12:26.200 --> 00:12:31.840
Rockets have been able to continue playing
some great basketball. Seven straight in the

178
00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:37.159
win column. They're going to try
to make that even more tonight. Eight

179
00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:39.480
is better than seven. I mean, it's one of those things. I

180
00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:43.279
remember when HBO used to do the
twenty four to seven series with the NHL

181
00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:48.159
teams leading up to the Winter Classic
and Dan Balsma disco Dan and I like

182
00:12:48.200 --> 00:12:50.399
that. Sean Salisbury calls me that, by the way, on the Sewn

183
00:12:50.440 --> 00:12:54.440
Salisbury Show. I appreciate that.
But Dan Balsma, who was the coach

184
00:12:54.919 --> 00:12:58.200
of the Pittsburgh Penguins at the time, they were on a winning streak,

185
00:12:58.240 --> 00:13:01.120
and I remembered after they would win
a game, he would say to his

186
00:13:01.159 --> 00:13:03.759
guys, hey, this number is
greater than the other, like kind of

187
00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:07.879
like, hey, let's keep this
thing going. So I think that Emai

188
00:13:07.960 --> 00:13:09.639
Udoka kind of doing the same thing
with the Rockets right now. Hey,

189
00:13:09.759 --> 00:13:13.840
eight's better than seven. So Rockets
trying to make it eight straight wins.

190
00:13:13.879 --> 00:13:18.480
Tonight, Utah Jazz in Town Rockets
launch pack gonna be coming your way at

191
00:13:18.519 --> 00:13:22.159
six o'clock right here on your Home
of the Rockets Sports Talk at seven ninety.

192
00:13:22.279 --> 00:13:26.120
So yes, we could get into
some rockets as well. And the

193
00:13:26.240 --> 00:13:30.759
conversation. I said it last week. I kind of laid out the ground

194
00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:35.639
rules for the show. Look,
here's the deal. I don't really like

195
00:13:35.720 --> 00:13:39.279
to belabor topics. And if you
missed kind of my little preamble about it

196
00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:41.279
last week, I'll go ahead and
lay it out for you again here.

197
00:13:43.080 --> 00:13:46.240
I like to be able to keep
the conversation moving and I like to be

198
00:13:46.360 --> 00:13:50.200
able to, you know, bring
something up, talk about it, and

199
00:13:50.360 --> 00:13:54.200
at the time you want to weigh
in, please feel free if you want

200
00:13:54.200 --> 00:13:56.480
to weigh in a little bit later, if you feel like I'm kind of

201
00:13:56.519 --> 00:13:58.519
in the same neighborhood, then we
can do that as well. But you

202
00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:03.120
always know the number is seven one
three two one two five seven ninety once

203
00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:07.960
again seven one three two one two
five seven ninety. And I will always

204
00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:11.600
continue to entertain your thoughts out there. And you know sometimes too, it's

205
00:14:11.639 --> 00:14:13.960
one of those if you call up
and you say, hey, I want

206
00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:18.279
to talk Astros, and the guy
on the other end answering the phone says,

207
00:14:18.519 --> 00:14:20.200
well, we're talking rockets right now. That's fine. Hey, when

208
00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:24.480
I get back to Astros, then
let's talk to Mastros or even two.

209
00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:28.720
When we get into some Texans conversation, please feel free jump on in because

210
00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:31.679
we will do that as well.
Uh huh. We will talk about the

211
00:14:31.759 --> 00:14:35.399
jerseys and yep, more signings to
this team. So we will do all

212
00:14:35.480 --> 00:14:41.120
of those things. But guest whise
today one recorded one live in about fifteen

213
00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:46.000
minutes, we're gonna hear from Chandler
Rome of the Athletic again. That's the

214
00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:50.320
recorded he was on with the A
team earlier this week, So we will

215
00:14:50.440 --> 00:14:56.639
have that discussion there speaking to the
A team. Adam Clanton, good buddy,

216
00:14:56.159 --> 00:15:00.799
My good buddy, your good buddy. Everybody's good out there, well,

217
00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:03.360
at least some of you out there, because I know some of you

218
00:15:03.720 --> 00:15:07.320
have even told me, well,
you know Clinton, Clinton, you know,

219
00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:13.240
but he's the best. Seriously,
I love that guy like nobody's business.

220
00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:15.600
You know. I'm not just saying
that because I work with him on

221
00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:18.679
a daily basis. I mean,
I don't know if I've ever told you

222
00:15:18.679 --> 00:15:20.840
guys this, I'm not in this
chair right now if it's not for Adam

223
00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:26.279
Clanton. He gave me my shot
in terms of being able to come up

224
00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:28.480
to the building of the place he
was working at at the time, and

225
00:15:28.519 --> 00:15:33.879
that was kind of my first really
you know, introduction into sports radio of

226
00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:37.240
actually, you know, for years
of listening to it, but then finally

227
00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:41.080
getting to be able to sit in
on a show and kind of see how

228
00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:43.279
everything went, and I was like, yeah, hey, I kind of

229
00:15:43.320 --> 00:15:46.639
want to do this thing. So
that doesn't happen if it's not for Clanton.

230
00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:50.639
So he's the best. But he's
got a cool little event happening today

231
00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:54.720
in Itedo. We were over there
yesterday with Vernon Maxwell at the Matt Thomas

232
00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:58.279
Show. Well, Clanton gets his
shot today, So Mad Max is going

233
00:15:58.360 --> 00:16:03.519
to be over at Woodrows there in
Edo, the renovated Little Woodrows, which

234
00:16:04.080 --> 00:16:10.000
if you follow Clanton's wife on Twitter, of course, Teresa Rockface over on

235
00:16:10.080 --> 00:16:12.639
ninety four to five The Buzz.
She was over there last week for the

236
00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:17.039
Saint Patrick's Day festivities that were happening
there, and you know, some of

237
00:16:17.080 --> 00:16:18.799
the stuff I saw of the Little
Woodrows there, I was like, man,

238
00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:22.200
that is a prime spot. I
mean, that is going to be

239
00:16:22.519 --> 00:16:27.360
just an amazing spot over there for
Astros game days. To be able to

240
00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:30.600
get over there in that Edo area
right there near Minute Made Park, remember

241
00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:33.639
how for years we had said,
Man, I wish there was just something,

242
00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:36.840
you know, to be able to
you know, a place to be

243
00:16:36.840 --> 00:16:38.799
able to hang out at and you
know, be able to go to before

244
00:16:38.840 --> 00:16:42.159
and after Astro games and maybe when
they're on the road be able to go

245
00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:47.799
to well, places like Little Woodrows. They fit that scheme. So it

246
00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:49.480
is an awesome spot over there.
I can't wait to be able to get

247
00:16:49.480 --> 00:16:53.120
over there and check out the new
look of the place over there. But

248
00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:56.120
he's gonna be over there three to
four, so we'll talk that talk a

249
00:16:56.120 --> 00:17:00.120
little bit of Rockets because he will
be back on the call tonight with Matt

250
00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:06.119
Thomas for the Rockets and the Jazz. So bottom of next hour, eleven

251
00:17:06.279 --> 00:17:08.559
thirty is when we're gonna catch up
with Clanton, So we'll talk to the

252
00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:12.359
event, talk a little bit about
the Rockets, what's been making them go

253
00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:17.680
right now. So we will do
all of that as the show goes along.

254
00:17:17.720 --> 00:17:22.279
But coming up next, continue the
Astros conversation because there was something that

255
00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:26.759
Dana Brown said this week on Astroline
that I want you to hear because I

256
00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:32.599
think it shows your team is in
a great spot. We'll let you hear

257
00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:36.880
that and we'll discuss coming up next
right here on Space City Saturday. I'm

258
00:17:36.920 --> 00:17:40.680
Dan Matthews on your home of the
Astros and the Rockets Sports Talk seven ninety,

259
00:17:41.079 --> 00:17:45.839
Sports Talk seven ninety, Space City
Saturday. As we continue to roll

260
00:17:45.880 --> 00:17:51.200
along here on your home of the
Astros in the Rockets Sports Talk seven ninety.

261
00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:55.160
Coming up here in a little less
than ten minutes, Chandler rome our

262
00:17:55.240 --> 00:18:00.119
visit with him on the A team
as he gets us up to date on

263
00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:04.640
what is happening with Justin Verlander as
well as what the roster could look like

264
00:18:04.839 --> 00:18:08.559
as they are set to break camps. So we'll have all of those things

265
00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:14.319
with Chandler, and Chandler like many
of us too, watching the tournaments,

266
00:18:14.359 --> 00:18:18.200
and you know, he was talking
about the brackets out there. It's always

267
00:18:18.200 --> 00:18:21.680
too that's always the fun part of
this time of the year as everybody,

268
00:18:21.839 --> 00:18:23.240
Hey, here's my bracket, here's
who I have. Oh, my bracket's

269
00:18:23.240 --> 00:18:26.400
dead. All of these things,
which, by the way, United Airlines

270
00:18:26.599 --> 00:18:32.799
with a funny little social media posts
that I was like, that's that's good

271
00:18:32.839 --> 00:18:36.759
social media right there. That's understanding
the situation. That's understanding you know,

272
00:18:37.000 --> 00:18:41.799
just how you know what is timely
is what is all of the things that

273
00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:47.920
we're talking about. And if you
didn't see it on at least Instagram,

274
00:18:47.960 --> 00:18:49.319
they had it where if you've been
on a flight, you know how a

275
00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:53.960
flight goes. Drink and food service
there, snack service, I guess if

276
00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:57.319
you will a little bitsc off cookies. But they'll come through, and then

277
00:18:57.400 --> 00:19:00.400
of course the fly attenant will come
through with the trash bag of here,

278
00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:03.960
throw away your trash is we're about
to land. And in this one it

279
00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:07.799
was the fly Tenant coming through the
aisle with the trash bag and people were

280
00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:11.039
crumpling up their brackets and throwing them
away. So I love that. That

281
00:19:11.160 --> 00:19:17.000
was good. That was pretty funny
stuff. But Dana Brown on Astro Line

282
00:19:17.559 --> 00:19:23.880
talking about the roster construction that the
Astros are going to face here in the

283
00:19:23.880 --> 00:19:29.240
coming hours, because yes it's not
days, it's hours now because tomorrow,

284
00:19:29.799 --> 00:19:36.000
effectively Spring Training, the Florida edition
ends, it's done. Astros will play,

285
00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:40.400
they will probably get on a team
charter and come here to Houston,

286
00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:42.519
or if everybody is just able to
find their way back. I don't necessarily

287
00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:45.599
know how the dynamics go. It
doesn't matter, but in this case,

288
00:19:45.720 --> 00:19:51.799
right now. We knew that coming
into this season there would be some spots

289
00:19:51.799 --> 00:19:56.559
to be won on the roster and
in some cases some tough decisions to be

290
00:19:56.720 --> 00:20:02.160
made. Dana Brown was on astral
Line that you heard last night and you

291
00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:06.160
will hear it coming up a little
bit later on today this week in West

292
00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:10.160
Palm Beach, and he talked about
some of the tough decisions that are to

293
00:20:10.200 --> 00:20:14.640
be made, and he says,
hey, that's a good thing. Let's

294
00:20:14.640 --> 00:20:18.119
face it, the more tough decisions
that you have to make, the better

295
00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:21.440
the team is. So I like
when we have to make tough decisions because

296
00:20:21.480 --> 00:20:26.160
that means that means the team is
pretty much in sync and playing really well,

297
00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:30.559
and it's a good it's a good
team. And so having options it's

298
00:20:30.599 --> 00:20:33.200
a good thing. Particularly over one
hundred and sixty two games. If you

299
00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:37.559
have more options, you have a
chance to win more games. And as

300
00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:40.240
you guys know, sometimes it goes
down to the wire and to win the

301
00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:42.440
division, all right, And you
know, of course, what he's talking

302
00:20:42.440 --> 00:20:47.640
about is at the end of there
is last year, because that was what

303
00:20:47.680 --> 00:20:51.240
the Astros faced. I mean,
it literally came down to the wire.

304
00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:55.359
They won, and then they had
to go back into the clubhouse and watch

305
00:20:55.400 --> 00:20:59.359
the TVs and see if the Mariners
could hold on for the Rangers to lose

306
00:20:59.799 --> 00:21:04.000
and for the Astros to be Al
West champions. That's eventually what happened.

307
00:21:04.440 --> 00:21:10.319
But in the case of what he's
talking about is mostly the forty man roster

308
00:21:10.599 --> 00:21:15.039
where people look at it, and
I think mostly fans hear the forty man

309
00:21:15.240 --> 00:21:18.200
roster and they're just kind of like, Okay, yeah, that's cool.

310
00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:21.880
I mean, you can only have
twenty six on the active roster, so

311
00:21:22.039 --> 00:21:25.359
what does it necessarily matter with the
rest of the guys. It's depth,

312
00:21:25.680 --> 00:21:29.200
it's people that you can count on. It's the fact that, yes,

313
00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:33.319
there is going to be a conversations
being had there in West Palm Beach with

314
00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:38.240
Joe Aspota and Dana Brown of probably
even after as soon as today's game of

315
00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:41.000
they'll play the game, and I'm
sure it's going to be somebody in the

316
00:21:41.000 --> 00:21:45.039
clubhouse, Hey, Skip wants to
see you going to Joe Aspota's office and

317
00:21:45.079 --> 00:21:48.079
you're either being told, Hey,
you're coming to Houston with us or not

318
00:21:48.200 --> 00:21:52.200
right now. And I understand that
as a player, when you're hearing not

319
00:21:52.359 --> 00:21:56.039
right now, you're kind of crushed. You're kind of like, damn,

320
00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:57.720
I really felt like that this was
the year. I thought that this was

321
00:21:57.759 --> 00:22:00.839
the chance that I was going to
have to bring. But also part of

322
00:22:00.839 --> 00:22:04.240
that conversation too, as well,
as you've heard from Dana Brown, is

323
00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:08.119
that it is a well, it's
not right now, but stay ready,

324
00:22:08.319 --> 00:22:11.720
because that is something that a lot
of the guys that are being sent to

325
00:22:11.839 --> 00:22:15.680
Mior League camp are being told when
they're being given that news, is that

326
00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:19.319
yes, it's going to be a
no for now, but it's not a

327
00:22:19.359 --> 00:22:22.680
permanent no. Go down there,
get your work. If you're a pitcher,

328
00:22:23.079 --> 00:22:27.000
get your outings, get your innings, get your pitches in, find

329
00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:30.680
the zone, have the command,
make sure everything's working, because there is

330
00:22:30.759 --> 00:22:33.920
going to be a time this year
that we will need you. I mean,

331
00:22:33.160 --> 00:22:37.720
let's talk about it. At least
from the starting rotation perspective. At

332
00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:41.759
this moment, the Astros are looking
for guys that can step in and be

333
00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:47.000
able to get outs and throw innings. And as we've also seen as well,

334
00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:52.400
kind of this incarnation of the baseball
season has been seen over the recent

335
00:22:52.519 --> 00:22:56.400
years where at the beginning of the
season, you're not going to push somebody

336
00:22:56.799 --> 00:23:00.680
past one hundred pitches, you're not
going to really have them go until fatigue.

337
00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:03.720
At this point, you're going to
set a limit. And if it's

338
00:23:03.880 --> 00:23:08.119
the fourth inning that they are at
eighty pitches, well then you're probably gonna

339
00:23:08.119 --> 00:23:11.519
say, all right, well,
we need to get somebody loose because I

340
00:23:11.559 --> 00:23:15.240
don't want him going that much further, because we don't want to be able

341
00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:18.960
to burn somebody out here in the
early going. And then that's an issue

342
00:23:19.000 --> 00:23:22.279
for the rest of the season.
I mean, we just saw it.

343
00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:25.680
If you watch the early morning games
there in Seoul, South Korea, between

344
00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:29.720
the Dodgers and Padres, you saw
that happening in Moss. I mean,

345
00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:33.680
I think that the pitcher who went
the longest there was Tyler Glasnaw and he

346
00:23:33.720 --> 00:23:37.880
went five innings. But you're not
seeing guys getting quality outings out of the

347
00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:41.440
gate. You're probably seeing them get
to the fifth inning, and then you

348
00:23:41.480 --> 00:23:45.039
need to see the long relief guy
getting loose and they're in the game and

349
00:23:45.079 --> 00:23:48.160
then somebody else from the middle of
relief core and you're just kind of hoping

350
00:23:48.200 --> 00:23:49.559
to be able to bridge the gap
to get to the end of the game.

351
00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:52.480
And yes, in the astro's case, at least for the first couple

352
00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:56.920
of games. You want to be
able to get it to the guys that

353
00:23:56.960 --> 00:24:00.319
are going to be getting some serious
outs for you in the later inning of

354
00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:03.559
right now, Ryan Presley and Josh
Hater, and then starting Saturday you'll have

355
00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:07.599
Brian to break you back in the
fold. But that is how you see

356
00:24:07.720 --> 00:24:11.720
the beginning of the season go.
And along with that as well, we

357
00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:15.519
know over the course of the season
we get the unfortunate news so and so

358
00:24:15.599 --> 00:24:18.759
has been placed on the IL.
All right, well, that means that

359
00:24:18.839 --> 00:24:22.079
somebody has to come up. If
it's an outfield spot. For example,

360
00:24:22.319 --> 00:24:26.519
say Jake Myers has to go on
the IL he's got a hamstring issue.

361
00:24:26.720 --> 00:24:29.640
Well, then Trey Cabris needs to
be ready. Joey lil Berfdo needs to

362
00:24:29.640 --> 00:24:33.079
be ready. Even to a certain
point, Jacob Melton needs to be ready.

363
00:24:33.319 --> 00:24:36.519
So you get my point here is
those are the conversations that are being

364
00:24:36.599 --> 00:24:40.240
had at this moment in West Palm
Beach, is that some guys are being

365
00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:42.960
given bad news of you're not coming
to Houston with us. Well, at

366
00:24:44.039 --> 00:24:47.440
least you're not coming too minute may
Park with us. You'll be over in

367
00:24:47.480 --> 00:24:51.519
Shureland and you'll be getting at bats
every single day. And that's the other

368
00:24:51.599 --> 00:24:53.599
part of it as well, is
that I think the Astros are trying to

369
00:24:53.640 --> 00:24:59.359
massage the situation as best they can. Of anybody that pretty much had options

370
00:24:59.400 --> 00:25:03.039
at this point to go to minor
league camp and go to shug Land,

371
00:25:03.319 --> 00:25:06.079
they were more than likely going to
end up there, just with some of

372
00:25:06.079 --> 00:25:10.720
the tough rosters decisions they had to
have made. But it's also to the

373
00:25:10.759 --> 00:25:15.000
point that he talked about, is
the competition that just shows you that when

374
00:25:15.079 --> 00:25:18.960
you're a World Series contending team,
you have pretty much your entire roster already

375
00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:23.440
set. And the Astros have been
fortunate over this now eight year run that

376
00:25:23.480 --> 00:25:26.920
they've been on to be in that
position of you know who's going to be

377
00:25:26.920 --> 00:25:29.839
at second base, you know who's
gonna be at first, you know he's

378
00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:32.920
gonna be a short third base,
and now you know who's gonna behind the

379
00:25:32.920 --> 00:25:37.559
plate on an everyday basis. Same
in the outfield and the pitching rotation without

380
00:25:37.640 --> 00:25:42.519
Verlander, without now Jose Rachidi,
and also too, we knew coming in

381
00:25:42.599 --> 00:25:47.039
that that was going to be the
case with Lance McCullers and also with Luis

382
00:25:47.039 --> 00:25:51.160
Garcia as well, but we'll see
those guys a little bit later on in

383
00:25:51.440 --> 00:25:55.680
this season. But again, it
just shows you that this is, as

384
00:25:55.759 --> 00:26:00.480
Dana Brown said, it's a good
problem to have because there are the teams

385
00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:03.799
that are in a situation where they're
breaking camp and they're just hoping to be

386
00:26:03.880 --> 00:26:08.200
able to make themselves into a playoff
roster. The Astros are a playoff roster.

387
00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:11.960
We know that. We know that
they are a team that, as

388
00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:15.759
constructed, has the ability to be
able to not only reach the postseason,

389
00:26:15.799 --> 00:26:18.599
but to be able to advance in
the postseason. Not every team in Major

390
00:26:18.680 --> 00:26:22.240
League Baseball can say that, and
a huge part of that is the depth

391
00:26:22.279 --> 00:26:25.160
that they have in the minor league
development that they've been able to have and

392
00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:30.119
also to the major league development that
they've had. The Astros are renowned around

393
00:26:30.160 --> 00:26:33.799
baseball. Even with all the changes
that we've seen over the years, that

394
00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:37.440
culture has stuck in that building over
at Minute Made Park, and it's why

395
00:26:37.480 --> 00:26:41.680
they've been able to sustain this thing
as long as they've had. So we

396
00:26:41.759 --> 00:26:45.720
knew that there were only going to
be so many spots open on this roster.

397
00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:49.559
But you've heard from Dana Brown right
there again to bear repeating myself.

398
00:26:51.119 --> 00:26:53.960
That's a good thing to have for
the Astros at this moment, but also

399
00:26:55.039 --> 00:26:57.279
too, I mean, for say
a guy like Spencer Arraghetty, you probably

400
00:26:57.319 --> 00:27:00.759
will see him at some time this
year. Hopefully Forest Whitley can be able

401
00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:04.079
to find his way to the major
league roster at some time this year,

402
00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:07.000
that would be nice as well.
And for some of the other names that

403
00:27:07.079 --> 00:27:11.200
I just mentioned, is going to
be the possibility that those guys will be

404
00:27:11.240 --> 00:27:15.960
counted on at some time this season
to come up and be able to if

405
00:27:15.960 --> 00:27:18.720
you're a pitcher, get out and
if you're a hitter, be able to

406
00:27:18.720 --> 00:27:22.079
put together good at bats at the
plate, and also to be able to

407
00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:26.920
put together solid defense in the field. So those are all the things that

408
00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:30.359
the Astros are trying to count on
to be able to traverse the regular season

409
00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:36.319
and hopefully get us having more October
baseball here on your home of the Astros

410
00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:40.440
Sports Talk seven to ninety and for
us to also be able to hopefully see

411
00:27:40.519 --> 00:27:45.240
another playoff run. So that's all
of the ingredients that go into making a

412
00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:49.720
meal that is the major league roster
all right. Coming up next, As

413
00:27:49.799 --> 00:27:53.160
I mentioned here in the bottom of
this hour, we're gonna hear from our

414
00:27:53.160 --> 00:27:56.880
good buddy chan Ler ermee, because
we know what's next for Justin Verlander.

415
00:27:57.000 --> 00:28:02.359
But just how close we're thet Rose
to finding someone who was close to his

416
00:28:02.400 --> 00:28:06.119
equal. We learned some of those
things from our good buddy Chandler Rome of

417
00:28:06.160 --> 00:28:08.039
the Athletic. He was on the
a team that is next. Right here

418
00:28:08.119 --> 00:28:12.480
on Space City Saturday, I'm Dan
Matthews here on your home of the Astros

419
00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:17.799
and the Rockets Sports Talk seven ninety. We've got our good buddy Chandler Rome

420
00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:22.400
of the Athletic to talk to us
about all things. Show Hey Otani,

421
00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:27.839
or as Wex has now started to
call him, Las calling show Hay Rose.

422
00:28:29.359 --> 00:28:33.480
He's there of Big Hollabelo Amos,
reporters, media, and the ball

423
00:28:33.519 --> 00:28:36.839
clubs there in Florida. Did you
get on baseball, Chandler, That's what

424
00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:44.480
we're asking you. I'm gonna plead
the fifth on that question. But I

425
00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:47.759
mean, I wouldn't say that there's
I mean, I think everyone's just sort

426
00:28:47.759 --> 00:28:51.200
of like, I mean, I'm
not gonna lie like that. I talked

427
00:28:51.240 --> 00:28:53.799
to some people about it, but
in no capacity of like I'm gonna write

428
00:28:53.799 --> 00:28:56.279
about it or I'm gonna say what
they said. I mean, yeah,

429
00:28:56.359 --> 00:29:00.599
I mean, it's certainly intriguing,
and there's a lot of questions. Quite

430
00:29:00.599 --> 00:29:04.440
frankly, they just aren't answered.
And I think until Otani talks, or

431
00:29:04.559 --> 00:29:08.839
until the league releases some sort of
a statement or something. I mean,

432
00:29:08.880 --> 00:29:14.599
it's it's just very odd. Like
the ESPN story, God, that just

433
00:29:14.720 --> 00:29:19.119
it created so many questions and it
raised so many kind of red flags.

434
00:29:19.160 --> 00:29:22.440
And you know, I do think
one thing, you know, it's kind

435
00:29:22.440 --> 00:29:27.359
of been noted and it's out there
that like he Otani is just a fiercely

436
00:29:27.519 --> 00:29:32.759
private person, like we don't know
anything about him, and I think because

437
00:29:32.799 --> 00:29:37.000
of that, it just opens up
two more questions, like we don't know

438
00:29:37.039 --> 00:29:38.319
what this guy is like, we
don't know what this guy does, We

439
00:29:38.359 --> 00:29:41.680
don't know what this guy like.
I mean, all we know is that

440
00:29:41.720 --> 00:29:47.440
he's a he's an otherworldly baseball player, and everything that's been written about him

441
00:29:47.440 --> 00:29:49.720
and reported about him is that he
doesn't do much else but baseball is his

442
00:29:49.799 --> 00:29:55.920
life, and Epe pretty much get
everything else for him, like when grocery

443
00:29:55.920 --> 00:30:00.039
shopping for him basically was his I
mean, was his right hand man and

444
00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:04.279
everything. So I'm going to refrain
from saying much other than that, but

445
00:30:04.319 --> 00:30:07.680
yeah, there's a lot of questions
that have to be answered. It's a

446
00:30:07.759 --> 00:30:12.960
fascinating, fascinating story that certainly has
a lot of legs, and you know,

447
00:30:14.119 --> 00:30:18.519
if if there aren't answers or the
answers aren't satisfactory, I think it

448
00:30:18.559 --> 00:30:21.920
could be one of these stories that
this I don't think this is just like

449
00:30:21.960 --> 00:30:23.680
a week long or a month long
story. I think this is something that

450
00:30:23.720 --> 00:30:29.119
will probably unfold throughout the season and
well involved in Major League Baseball. I

451
00:30:29.119 --> 00:30:30.839
mean, the FEDS are involved in
this, and the Feds could get involved,

452
00:30:30.839 --> 00:30:34.920
and that that's way out of MLB's
jurisdiction. So it'll be fascinating to

453
00:30:34.920 --> 00:30:38.119
see how it unfolds. Well,
it's like I said when I was looking

454
00:30:38.160 --> 00:30:41.319
at all this kind of blow up
last night on social media. If anybody

455
00:30:41.359 --> 00:30:45.240
can get a handle on this and
handle things the right way from an MLB

456
00:30:45.359 --> 00:30:48.880
perspective, it's Rob Manford Chandler.
Well will he be able? I mean,

457
00:30:48.920 --> 00:30:53.839
will he even have the authority to? Like true, Like the FEDS

458
00:30:55.119 --> 00:30:59.200
are gonna get involved, like the
government and they're always involved. This is

459
00:30:59.480 --> 00:31:03.160
like Rob Manford is like, this
is this Rob Manford. I mean,

460
00:31:03.160 --> 00:31:07.039
I'm sure it'll come across his desk
at some point, but I mean this,

461
00:31:07.039 --> 00:31:11.319
this far far exceeds Rob Manford or
any jurisdiction he has. No it's

462
00:31:11.640 --> 00:31:15.119
it is like you said, it's
it's a much bigger deal than that.

463
00:31:15.240 --> 00:31:18.799
And and this is it's not a
baseball thing. It's not that you you

464
00:31:18.799 --> 00:31:22.079
know, steal signs. It's not
as this wrong. He's not a union

465
00:31:22.200 --> 00:31:25.359
issue either. And you had an
extensive piece today at Q and A with

466
00:31:25.799 --> 00:31:30.960
Lance mccullor's junior, who is extremely
and has been extremely involved in lots of

467
00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:36.000
negotiations over the last handful of years
with the union and now the player involvement

468
00:31:36.119 --> 00:31:41.559
with what's been reported the last couple
of days about the potential new structure of

469
00:31:41.599 --> 00:31:45.599
the union. From from what you
wrote in your conversation with Lance, what's

470
00:31:45.880 --> 00:31:48.680
what's your understanding about where things are
about to head with the with the union?

471
00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:53.240
Yeah, I mean I'd refer more
to the reporting that Evandrelic has done

472
00:31:53.240 --> 00:31:56.759
because I mean that's that this is
what Evan does for his living. I

473
00:31:56.759 --> 00:31:59.880
mean, he covers the union,
he covers labor, he covers all the

474
00:32:00.079 --> 00:32:04.400
labor issues there within with the Union. But I mean certainly reading Evans reporting

475
00:32:04.440 --> 00:32:06.920
and reading kind of everyone else.
You know, Jeff Passon had a really

476
00:32:07.039 --> 00:32:09.440
long, comprehensive story for the ESPN. Like, I mean, it sounds

477
00:32:09.519 --> 00:32:14.240
like there's a lot of friction,
and you know, Lance pushed back on

478
00:32:14.279 --> 00:32:16.759
the on the notion that there is
friction. It just sounds like, I

479
00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:22.599
mean, to hear Lance describe it, it sounds like there are more players

480
00:32:22.640 --> 00:32:24.519
that want their voices heard, and
it sounds like there are more players that

481
00:32:24.599 --> 00:32:28.599
want to get involved. You know. I thought it was interesting that he

482
00:32:28.640 --> 00:32:31.160
said, you know, this is
good because most of the time, all

483
00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:37.720
these players don't speak up until bargaining
starts, Like they show up once every

484
00:32:37.720 --> 00:32:42.039
five years when the CBA starts,
when they have another round of CDA negotiations.

485
00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:45.279
Uh. And it sounds like that
players want to get involved a little

486
00:32:45.279 --> 00:32:49.920
bit more. Obviously, there is
some discontent with Bruce Meyer, the deputy

487
00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:52.920
director of the of the of the
PA, the guy that negotiated the last

488
00:32:52.920 --> 00:32:55.880
CBA. I thought it was interesting
that, you know, when I asked

489
00:32:55.920 --> 00:33:01.319
Lance whether he believes, you know, Bruce Meyer continue in his role,

490
00:33:01.640 --> 00:33:06.319
he didn't really answer the question.
He did say that he has ultimate faith

491
00:33:06.319 --> 00:33:07.920
in Tony Clark, who's the head
of the PA. But you know,

492
00:33:07.960 --> 00:33:13.559
he didn't really answer one way or
the other whether he thought Bruce Meyer should

493
00:33:13.559 --> 00:33:16.119
continue in that role. But he
obviously is no fan of Harry Marino,

494
00:33:16.720 --> 00:33:22.599
the guy that by all of the
reporting is angling for Bruce Meyer's job.

495
00:33:22.720 --> 00:33:27.599
So there's a lot of like just
fascinating subplots, you know, a lot,

496
00:33:27.839 --> 00:33:30.400
and you kind of have to have
it an astro's pampoint. Like the

497
00:33:30.440 --> 00:33:32.759
onfield product is you know, pretty
much settled. You know, there's not

498
00:33:32.799 --> 00:33:37.039
many battles going on, and we've
talked about the injuries from the pitching staff.

499
00:33:37.000 --> 00:33:40.480
You know, it's it's fun to
have some other kind of storylines other

500
00:33:40.559 --> 00:33:44.319
than just like rehashing who's going to
get the last spot in the bold there

501
00:33:44.359 --> 00:33:50.960
they have. They asked against what
was your take on how they'll progress with

502
00:33:51.559 --> 00:33:52.920
justin to dive right back into what
you said was, you know, the

503
00:33:52.920 --> 00:33:57.759
minutia of all of it. But
is he likely going to be staying in

504
00:33:57.799 --> 00:34:04.759
Florida extended spring training or is a
Space Cowboys visit in his future. It

505
00:34:04.880 --> 00:34:07.119
sounds like he's gonna go back to
Minute May. He's gonna go back to

506
00:34:07.159 --> 00:34:09.800
Houston when the team goes back,
and it sounds like he's gonna throw a

507
00:34:09.840 --> 00:34:15.119
live VP before one of those two
exhibition games against the Space Cowboys, just

508
00:34:15.159 --> 00:34:19.719
so they can, I mean a
to get some guys in the bats.

509
00:34:19.719 --> 00:34:22.960
They'll they'll have the hitters down there
to do that, and just to like,

510
00:34:22.000 --> 00:34:24.760
I'm sure they want to get some
more eyes on them. They want

511
00:34:24.760 --> 00:34:28.480
to get their machines at home on
him and just get some eyes on them.

512
00:34:28.480 --> 00:34:30.880
And then you know, from there
he's gonna have to go on a

513
00:34:30.920 --> 00:34:31.760
rehabit Signent. I don't know if
it's gonna be the sugar Land. I

514
00:34:31.760 --> 00:34:35.239
don't if it's gonna be a Corpus. I haven't looked at their schedules to

515
00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:40.079
see who's home. But yeah,
I mean for me, you know,

516
00:34:40.239 --> 00:34:45.239
I think it's progressing a little bit
slower than I anticipated. I don't think

517
00:34:45.239 --> 00:34:47.639
that means he's had a set back. I just think they're taking it slower

518
00:34:47.679 --> 00:34:51.920
than I thought they would. I
thought he would have faced hitters, you

519
00:34:51.960 --> 00:34:54.639
know, well before now. But
and you know, yesterday he only threw

520
00:34:54.679 --> 00:34:59.559
twenty pitches in that live VP,
so he's gonna have to throw at least

521
00:34:59.760 --> 00:35:02.559
two more live VPS. I think
that's usually how they go. And then

522
00:35:02.639 --> 00:35:06.960
you know, you look at how
many starts frombers made down here, how

523
00:35:06.960 --> 00:35:10.320
many starts Hunter Brown's made, how
many starts to the traditional and traditional spring

524
00:35:10.360 --> 00:35:14.840
training that they make four or five
starts, So you could be looking at

525
00:35:14.840 --> 00:35:17.880
maybe four or five rehab starts for
him, and then you know that may

526
00:35:19.159 --> 00:35:22.519
take him to the end of April. I you know, if you'd have

527
00:35:22.559 --> 00:35:25.320
asked me early on, I would
probably said he comes back mid April.

528
00:35:25.360 --> 00:35:29.440
But now you're looking at it,
you know, maybe not till late April,

529
00:35:29.480 --> 00:35:34.599
maybe even in the May. I'm
sure that Astros fans are gonna love

530
00:35:34.760 --> 00:35:37.800
hearing you say that. Chandler,
It's it's not I don't think it's as

531
00:35:37.880 --> 00:35:40.519
diers as you make. It's a
timeline and it's again with no setback.

532
00:35:40.559 --> 00:35:45.880
I don't think it's a it's a
huge issue anything that you thought beyond let's,

533
00:35:45.239 --> 00:35:47.920
you know, give it a try. To the new lineup that he

534
00:35:47.960 --> 00:35:51.559
tried it out there at least in
the top four, going back to back

535
00:35:51.639 --> 00:35:54.639
lefties jord On and Tuck in front
of Reregman. Well, I thought it

536
00:35:54.679 --> 00:35:59.360
was interesting that he did it against
the left handed starter today, the Cardinals

537
00:35:59.360 --> 00:36:01.599
started a left handed pitcher and he
still did that. And you know,

538
00:36:01.639 --> 00:36:06.519
I think that's a that's a configuration
that you could definitely see. I think

539
00:36:07.519 --> 00:36:10.360
you look at how well Alex Bregman
hits with runners in scoring position just throughout

540
00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:14.679
his career. I looked it up
today, since twenty twenty one, I

541
00:36:14.679 --> 00:36:19.679
think he's got the seventh highest wrc
plus in baseball with runners in scoring position,

542
00:36:19.920 --> 00:36:22.679
And the only astro that has a
better one than him is you on

543
00:36:22.599 --> 00:36:25.840
on Albaros. So he's really good
at I mean, you know he's going

544
00:36:25.880 --> 00:36:28.639
to swing it strikes, you know, he's not going to swing it balls.

545
00:36:28.639 --> 00:36:31.159
You know he's gonna put the ball
in play. And he's just really

546
00:36:31.199 --> 00:36:36.519
good situational hitting at shrinking the strike
zone. And if he's got to get

547
00:36:36.519 --> 00:36:37.760
a ground ball through the sixth hole, he can do that. If he's

548
00:36:37.760 --> 00:36:40.039
got to hit a fly ball to
score runner from third base, he can

549
00:36:40.079 --> 00:36:44.199
do that. So I think it's
an interesting move. And you know,

550
00:36:44.239 --> 00:36:46.760
I even asked Joe A. Spotted
today whether you know there could be some

551
00:36:47.199 --> 00:36:52.840
fluctuation in the middle and then the
back end of his order depending on which

552
00:36:52.920 --> 00:36:54.639
hand the starter throws with and he
said, yeah, there will be different

553
00:36:54.639 --> 00:36:59.639
configurations. So maybe against the left
handed pitcher, you see Chas McCormick hit

554
00:36:59.639 --> 00:37:01.679
a little bit higher up in the
lineup. He's killed lefties his whole career,

555
00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:05.840
and he's had he's had some issues
against right handed pitching, but he

556
00:37:05.960 --> 00:37:08.679
solved those last year. So maybe
Chaz hits a little bit higher in the

557
00:37:08.679 --> 00:37:13.519
lineup against lefties than he does against
righty's. You know, maybe against righty

558
00:37:13.639 --> 00:37:15.079
so the a bray you gets a
little bit up in the order. But

559
00:37:15.400 --> 00:37:21.199
yeah, I thought it was I
think it's interesting to see and certainly a

560
00:37:21.239 --> 00:37:24.159
departure from what has been going on. And you know, I think certainly

561
00:37:24.639 --> 00:37:29.159
I don't know that he's set into
this. I don't know that Tucker,

562
00:37:29.360 --> 00:37:31.320
that Alvarez and Tucker are gonna hit
second and third every day, but I

563
00:37:31.360 --> 00:37:35.400
think it gives them, certainly flexibility, gives them some options. And look,

564
00:37:35.480 --> 00:37:37.880
let's basically like those top four in
the order, like al Tuove,

565
00:37:38.519 --> 00:37:43.920
Tucker, Alvarez and Bregman, like
you really can't screw up if you put

566
00:37:43.960 --> 00:37:45.800
them in, Like they're that good
and they're that just kind of interchangeable.

567
00:37:46.480 --> 00:37:50.400
So mixing and matching you know,
just seeing what looks good, seeing what

568
00:37:50.760 --> 00:37:52.440
seeing what they like. I think
that's a proudent way to do things.

569
00:37:53.760 --> 00:37:59.960
Chandler, Is Renelle Blanco one of
the reasons that because we haven't had a

570
00:38:00.119 --> 00:38:04.119
chance to talk to you since the
whole Blake Snell stuff, is he one

571
00:38:04.119 --> 00:38:07.639
of the biggest reasons why maybe the
Astros aren't panicking or however you want to

572
00:38:07.679 --> 00:38:12.199
phrase how they're handling the rotation.
I mean, maybe you know more than

573
00:38:12.239 --> 00:38:14.920
we do about them looking into somebody
else. I know that it was written

574
00:38:14.920 --> 00:38:19.480
they're not pivoting to Jordan Montgomery.
But is Renel Blanco and his not just

575
00:38:19.559 --> 00:38:22.320
his spring but what he showed last
season a big reason why maybe they're not

576
00:38:22.360 --> 00:38:27.880
as concerned as some I don't think. I don't think he's the main reason.

577
00:38:28.039 --> 00:38:30.960
I think certainly he gives them some
comfort. But you know, I

578
00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:32.519
think I may have said this last
time we talked about Renal Balca, like

579
00:38:32.920 --> 00:38:37.239
he's done this before, Like he's
thrown really well in spring training. You

580
00:38:37.239 --> 00:38:39.679
know, he's a winter ball legend. He's gone to winter ball in the

581
00:38:39.679 --> 00:38:43.840
Dominican and like Kno giving up a
run in three years. And then when

582
00:38:43.880 --> 00:38:45.840
we get to the big league season. It just a little different. So

583
00:38:46.440 --> 00:38:51.199
I mean, I'm cautiously optimistic.
I'd say that you know, he's thrown

584
00:38:51.199 --> 00:38:52.599
the ball well and they see him
the translate that. But no, I

585
00:38:52.639 --> 00:38:57.280
mean I think it's more of kind
of where they may be Hayroll wise.

586
00:38:58.559 --> 00:39:00.679
You know. Also, there's not
a ton left out there. I mean,

587
00:39:00.679 --> 00:39:06.199
I thought Michael Lorenza made sense for
them, especially given the deal he

588
00:39:06.320 --> 00:39:08.519
got with the Rangers. Like I
thought he made sense for them just to

589
00:39:08.559 --> 00:39:12.639
get him in here as an insurance
policy. I mean, that way,

590
00:39:12.880 --> 00:39:16.079
you can even go to a six
man rotation start year. Renald Blanca can

591
00:39:16.119 --> 00:39:20.639
still be in the vocation if I
mean, you spot him in and you

592
00:39:20.679 --> 00:39:22.960
know, you can still have a
six man rotation. So I don't think

593
00:39:23.000 --> 00:39:27.159
Renell. But I don't think they're
watching Ronel Blanco in spring training and thinking,

594
00:39:27.159 --> 00:39:29.320
oh, okay, we're good.
They don't need anyone else, like

595
00:39:29.519 --> 00:39:34.280
I think if I think if there
were more peaches available, and look,

596
00:39:34.320 --> 00:39:37.800
there could still be because you're going
to see the next couple of days,

597
00:39:37.159 --> 00:39:43.400
they're going to start trimming their spring
training rosters. Some veterans with on n

598
00:39:43.480 --> 00:39:46.519
our eyes and on minor league deal
they may opt out looking for a major

599
00:39:46.559 --> 00:39:51.320
league time, and you know the
Ashers are gonna they have some avenues to

600
00:39:51.440 --> 00:39:53.760
open spots in their full demand roster. So I know everyone's kind of thing

601
00:39:53.800 --> 00:39:58.719
about Montgomery and Lorenzen, but pay
attention to some of these teams that maybe

602
00:39:58.760 --> 00:40:01.920
cut loose guys that they don't have
room for, or guys that maybe haven't

603
00:40:02.079 --> 00:40:06.119
pitched well in spring training. You
know, I think that told me an

604
00:40:06.159 --> 00:40:09.760
avenue the Astros go too, because
the added benefit with those guys is that

605
00:40:09.840 --> 00:40:13.360
they've been pitching. They've been built
up, and they've been throwing for the

606
00:40:13.400 --> 00:40:15.480
last five weeks. So you drop
them in the ash, you drop them

607
00:40:15.480 --> 00:40:17.800
in the Astros system. They're built
up, they're ready to go. Maybe

608
00:40:17.840 --> 00:40:22.320
they tweak some pitch usage, maybe
they tweak some you know how they how

609
00:40:22.320 --> 00:40:24.719
they're pitching a little bit, and
maybe they go from there. So I

610
00:40:24.760 --> 00:40:30.599
don't think they're totally dead set this
is the pitching staff we're going to carry.

611
00:40:30.599 --> 00:40:34.039
I think they're keeping their options open
and they're listening. But you know,

612
00:40:34.119 --> 00:40:38.039
look, their interesting smell was serious. They they heavily pursue him.

613
00:40:38.199 --> 00:40:44.679
I had reported that even they were
pursuing him before uh pose, Erkidi strained

614
00:40:44.679 --> 00:40:47.840
with four arms, so they were
interested in him well before the Archidia,

615
00:40:47.880 --> 00:40:52.599
and here he happened. And you
know, as AINTA. Brown told me

616
00:40:52.639 --> 00:40:54.360
on the record, the Giants just
did more. They were able to do

617
00:40:54.440 --> 00:40:58.840
more, they were able to pay
more, they got outbid, and that's

618
00:40:58.920 --> 00:41:01.159
kind of how it ended. So
and you know, Dana in that same

619
00:41:01.199 --> 00:41:05.679
story did say, you know,
I'm looking at who we have depth wise,

620
00:41:05.760 --> 00:41:08.320
and you know I'm paraphrasing here,
but he basically said, there's no

621
00:41:08.360 --> 00:41:13.920
one out there that's better than the
depths that we have. I'd probably counter

622
00:41:14.000 --> 00:41:16.679
him a little bit on that because
Lorenzo and Montgomery were both available when he

623
00:41:16.719 --> 00:41:21.159
said that. But I get the
rationale there, Like, I don't think

624
00:41:21.159 --> 00:41:23.880
they want to go sink money,
a bunch of money into you know,

625
00:41:24.280 --> 00:41:29.400
either a fringe guy guy that you
know, a veteran guy that can maybe

626
00:41:29.559 --> 00:41:31.639
they see the same value as a
guy like the last or blancer. Like

627
00:41:31.679 --> 00:41:36.960
I get where he's coming from,
but maybe not the best way to articulate

628
00:41:37.000 --> 00:41:40.719
it. Always money talks when talking
about the snell sitch, and most others

629
00:41:40.760 --> 00:41:45.960
in Major League Baseball appreciate you joining
us again encourage those who haven't already check

630
00:41:46.000 --> 00:41:50.519
out the latest piece you have,
the Q and A with last McCullers junior

631
00:41:50.519 --> 00:41:52.360
on the situation with the Union.
Then soon enough you'll be back here in

632
00:41:52.400 --> 00:41:57.800
the h ready to talk. Valdez
Cortes Yankees Astros were one week out channel

633
00:41:57.880 --> 00:42:00.960
Yeah it almost made it. Yeah, all right, well thanks guys.

634
00:42:01.239 --> 00:42:05.159
All right, Chandler rome with us
on the A team. If you missed

635
00:42:05.199 --> 00:42:08.639
that, head on over to Sports
Talk seven ninety dot com and pull that

636
00:42:08.800 --> 00:42:14.119
up and listen to that conversation.
One thing though, that Chandler mentioned at

637
00:42:14.159 --> 00:42:21.079
the end is the Astros could possibly
be looking into players who were released from

638
00:42:21.519 --> 00:42:28.079
somebody else's camp, primarily pitchers and
Ari Alexander Yesterday of KPRC Channel two does

639
00:42:28.119 --> 00:42:31.840
a good job covering the Astros,
has good sources around the team talking about

640
00:42:32.159 --> 00:42:38.800
right handed pitcher Chase Anderson, who
triggered his opt out with the Pirates and

641
00:42:38.880 --> 00:42:44.880
became a free agent. Now he's
with the Pirates this spring two forty five

642
00:42:44.960 --> 00:42:50.880
eleven innings. Pitch started in seventeen
games last year with the Rockies, two

643
00:42:50.920 --> 00:42:55.239
relief appearances with the Rays, and
as of an hour ago, Pirates have

644
00:42:55.599 --> 00:43:01.079
granted Anderson his release, he will
become a free agent, and Alexander pointing

645
00:43:01.159 --> 00:43:05.800
out teams that he has heard that
are interested in Anderson, the Mets,

646
00:43:05.800 --> 00:43:10.039
the Yankees, Orioles Rangers, and
of course Houston Astros. So we will

647
00:43:10.039 --> 00:43:16.199
see if Chase Anderson fits and is
an Astro as they get towards opening Day.

648
00:43:16.719 --> 00:43:22.480
But we will continue the conversation here
around baseball because well we're gonna break

649
00:43:22.480 --> 00:43:28.360
away from the Astros for a second
YEP show. Hey o Tani, We're

650
00:43:28.559 --> 00:43:32.480
going to talk that situation because this
thing is playing out, but one thing

651
00:43:32.480 --> 00:43:36.719
in particular I just can't get out
of my head. We'll discuss as we

652
00:43:36.760 --> 00:43:40.079
close out our one of this edition
of Space City Saturday on your home of

653
00:43:40.119 --> 00:43:46.519
the Astros and the Rockets, Sports
Talk seven ninety Dan Matthews. Everything that

654
00:43:46.599 --> 00:43:51.679
you just heard right there is true. We love true things, right,

655
00:43:52.000 --> 00:43:55.039
that's reliable. We know we can
count on it. But yes, it

656
00:43:55.159 --> 00:44:00.119
is Space City Saturday. Hopefully everybody
enjoying their Saturday. Mean weatherwise, could

657
00:44:00.119 --> 00:44:05.719
we ask for a better day?
A little chilly this morning, but starting

658
00:44:05.719 --> 00:44:08.199
to warm up a little bit.
And also to speaking of warming up,

659
00:44:08.639 --> 00:44:14.639
that is the NCAA tournament action getting
going today. Coog's taking care of business

660
00:44:14.760 --> 00:44:20.639
last night, so they continue on
Texas Longhorns trying to continue on as well.

661
00:44:20.679 --> 00:44:23.880
They will be on a little bit
later on today taking on a familiar

662
00:44:23.880 --> 00:44:30.880
face, Rick Barnes and the Tennessee
Volunteers, and that will be over on

663
00:44:30.039 --> 00:44:35.760
KPRC nine fifty. Tonight is where
you can hear that game. If you're

664
00:44:35.760 --> 00:44:39.199
looking for the Longhorns and the Volunteers, that is where you can hear that

665
00:44:39.239 --> 00:44:44.079
one. Because the Rocket's gonna be
coming your way six o'cross, six o'clock

666
00:44:44.280 --> 00:44:47.400
Rockets launch pad here on your Home
of the Rockets Sports Talks seven to ninety,

667
00:44:49.039 --> 00:44:52.239
so we will get you set up
for the Rockets and the Jazz tonight

668
00:44:52.280 --> 00:44:57.360
from over at Toyota Center. Again, Rockets trying to make it eight straight

669
00:44:57.599 --> 00:45:02.400
wins, so hopefully the can be
able to make that happen. And if

670
00:45:02.400 --> 00:45:07.960
they do get the win tonight,
well that would mean they are back to

671
00:45:07.079 --> 00:45:13.199
five hundred on the season. So
that is the hope. That is everything

672
00:45:13.480 --> 00:45:17.519
that we believe the Rockets can do. It's just now about making sure they

673
00:45:17.559 --> 00:45:22.320
can do that. So that's coming
up a little bit later on today here

674
00:45:22.320 --> 00:45:24.559
on your Home of the Rockets Sports
Talk at seven ninety. We'll talk some

675
00:45:24.639 --> 00:45:30.719
Rockets here in a little over twenty
minutes, a little under thirty minutes,

676
00:45:30.719 --> 00:45:34.239
so about twenty five minutes from now, we'll talk with Adam Clanton, our

677
00:45:34.280 --> 00:45:37.719
good buddy from the A team doing
a cool event today, but also to

678
00:45:37.880 --> 00:45:43.320
part of the Rockets broadcast, So
we'll get into what's been working and why

679
00:45:43.400 --> 00:45:46.440
they have been able to get on
this run they are on, and I

680
00:45:46.440 --> 00:45:51.119
mean the Jazz are kind of right
there as well. They have been kind

681
00:45:51.159 --> 00:45:57.840
of in that same position all throughout
this season of trying to get into the

682
00:45:57.840 --> 00:46:00.679
play in round But the Jazz have
I've kind of fallen back a little bit.

683
00:46:00.719 --> 00:46:06.519
They're twenty nine and forty one overall, they have lost four straight.

684
00:46:06.639 --> 00:46:09.480
So the Rockets, while they are
streaking in the right direction, the Jazz

685
00:46:09.559 --> 00:46:13.800
are going in the wrong direction.
And as I mentioned at the top of

686
00:46:13.840 --> 00:46:17.519
the show, Rockets now find themselves
just two games back of the Golden State

687
00:46:17.559 --> 00:46:23.119
Warriors for the tenth spot to make
the NBA Play in rounds. So we'll

688
00:46:23.119 --> 00:46:27.039
see if they are able to do
that. All right, show, Heyotani

689
00:46:27.519 --> 00:46:30.840
again, one thing that I just
cannot get out of my mind about this

690
00:46:31.159 --> 00:46:36.320
entire situation. So I set it
up a little bit in the last segment

691
00:46:36.599 --> 00:46:40.960
where Tisha Thompson of ESPN was the
one who broke this story. And on

692
00:46:42.159 --> 00:46:47.840
ESPN dot com they have a really
good timeline where it is straight up show

693
00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:52.400
Heyotani his interpreter and the wire transfer
is a timeline, and I will go

694
00:46:52.440 --> 00:46:58.199
through them as quickly as I can. But what we do know at this

695
00:46:58.400 --> 00:47:00.920
point is that there was the report
that we saw a couple of days ago

696
00:47:01.519 --> 00:47:07.960
that the Dodgers have fired his interpreter, he Pei Misuhara. They have fired

697
00:47:07.039 --> 00:47:15.320
him up for you know, the
conduct of you know, the reports and

698
00:47:15.360 --> 00:47:20.320
at least allegations that he had been
swindling show he Otani out of four and

699
00:47:20.320 --> 00:47:22.639
a half million dollars. And of
course you see that and you're like,

700
00:47:22.679 --> 00:47:27.119
whoa man, that's that's something.
I mean, that's crazy, and you

701
00:47:27.159 --> 00:47:30.119
know it's something that's not necessarily unheard
of. I mean, we saw the

702
00:47:30.639 --> 00:47:35.960
Jaguars employee that swindled them over out
of like what twenty million dollars or something

703
00:47:36.039 --> 00:47:38.079
like that, and he's going to
prison. Well, in this case right

704
00:47:38.119 --> 00:47:40.679
here, we saw that, and
that's oh man, that's serious. But

705
00:47:40.760 --> 00:47:45.639
then the questions started to arise,
because whenever you hear something like that,

706
00:47:45.760 --> 00:47:49.840
and whenever you're dealing with that amount
of money, you're kind of like,

707
00:47:49.960 --> 00:47:54.280
Okay, let's start to kind of
unravel this thing as best we can.

708
00:47:54.719 --> 00:47:58.800
Well, I will try to do
that right now. So, uh,

709
00:47:59.039 --> 00:48:05.840
the termination of Misujara was only the
latest part of this entire as they even

710
00:48:05.880 --> 00:48:08.760
say in the story forty eight hours, that we've seen play out both here

711
00:48:08.960 --> 00:48:13.800
and also in Seoul, South Korea, because it happened while the Dodgers and

712
00:48:13.800 --> 00:48:17.400
Padres were over there opening the Major
League Baseball season, and questions were being

713
00:48:17.440 --> 00:48:22.679
asked and people were being requested to
be talked to, all of these different

714
00:48:22.719 --> 00:48:25.960
types of things. So we've seen
all these things kind of play out ever

715
00:48:27.039 --> 00:48:31.159
since that initial first report where the
public started to kind of get wind of

716
00:48:31.239 --> 00:48:35.400
all of this. Well, we've
got the four and a half million dollars

717
00:48:35.559 --> 00:48:38.760
and wire transfers, everything, and
you know, calling it it is,

718
00:48:39.599 --> 00:48:44.639
you know, fraud, it is, you know, just a complete just

719
00:48:45.119 --> 00:48:47.119
burglary. I guess if you will, if that's even the right word.

720
00:48:47.239 --> 00:48:55.000
But two days after that, Otani's
handlers evolved from the Superstar bailing out his

721
00:48:55.000 --> 00:49:01.599
friend to the They, as they
called it massive theft and also too you

722
00:49:01.639 --> 00:49:08.239
know, even into investigating the theft, and Otani's representatives said on Thursday that

723
00:49:08.320 --> 00:49:14.360
they had submitted the allegation to law
enforcement, but did not say which authorities.

724
00:49:14.719 --> 00:49:19.519
Well, ESPN has reached out to
California Bureau of Investigations and the FBI,

725
00:49:19.639 --> 00:49:23.039
and they say nobody's talked to us. Nobody's reached out to us,

726
00:49:23.079 --> 00:49:28.440
and the same deal with the LAPD
and the District Attorney's office there in Los

727
00:49:28.519 --> 00:49:31.960
Angeles and Orange Counties. They said
they were not investigating, and they also

728
00:49:32.039 --> 00:49:37.719
pointed to it's probably a federal matter
at that point in The US Attorney's Office

729
00:49:37.840 --> 00:49:42.239
for the Central District of California declined
commons, So maybe they're involved. Who

730
00:49:42.280 --> 00:49:46.840
knows. This is all continuing to
play out, but sources, including Misuhara,

731
00:49:47.199 --> 00:49:52.000
have told ESPN that Otani does not
gamble and that the funds were transferred

732
00:49:52.079 --> 00:49:57.199
to cover Misujara's losses. That's where
I'm getting to the thing that I just

733
00:49:57.239 --> 00:50:00.880
can't get out of my head.
Multiple sources said none of it was on

734
00:50:01.239 --> 00:50:05.800
baseball. Okay, fine, this
is where we get to the timeline,

735
00:50:05.840 --> 00:50:08.280
and this is where I finally get
to kind of my question about all of

736
00:50:08.320 --> 00:50:13.679
this. So we start back on
Sunday, seven thirty Eastern times, so

737
00:50:13.719 --> 00:50:17.639
six thirty hour time, that's eight
thirty in Soul, South Korea, Cornelia.

738
00:50:17.679 --> 00:50:22.199
Major League Baseball source MLB commissioner Rob
Manfred, while in South Korea preparing

739
00:50:22.239 --> 00:50:27.840
for the season opening series between the
Dodgers and the Padres, learns something's happening

740
00:50:28.000 --> 00:50:32.679
concerning Otani. A source would later
say that MLB started seeking answers from federal

741
00:50:32.719 --> 00:50:38.159
authorities in California early Monday, but
received no response. To the next part

742
00:50:38.159 --> 00:50:45.000
of it. It is two o'clock
our time on Monday. ESPN contacts Otani's

743
00:50:45.039 --> 00:50:50.440
agent to ask about information it is
found, including Otani's name appearing on two

744
00:50:50.519 --> 00:50:54.480
wire transfers that total a million dollars
of transfers had been sent in September and

745
00:50:54.679 --> 00:51:02.679
October to the southern California bookmaking operation
of Matthew Boyer. ESPN receives no immediate

746
00:51:02.719 --> 00:51:07.599
response, but about two and a
half hours later, a crisis communications spokesperson

747
00:51:07.880 --> 00:51:14.480
for Otani, who had just been
hired, reaches out to ESPN. Over

748
00:51:14.519 --> 00:51:19.639
the next several hours, he and
Tisha Thompson talk at various times, as

749
00:51:19.679 --> 00:51:24.440
the spokesperson says, they are getting
up to speed on information from Otani's camp.

750
00:51:24.639 --> 00:51:30.519
Then we get to Monday night,
about seven thirty our time. Spokesperson

751
00:51:30.840 --> 00:51:38.039
for the first time says Otani paid
the debts on behalf of Misuhara. His

752
00:51:38.280 --> 00:51:45.360
agent went to Mizuhara, who quote
finally came clean to him and said that

753
00:51:45.760 --> 00:51:51.920
this was the truth. And Otani
told the agent he had covered Misihara's debts

754
00:51:51.920 --> 00:51:57.800
in five hundred thousand dollars increments.
It's not clear whether the spokesperson is saying

755
00:51:57.840 --> 00:52:06.119
Otani communicated with the agent through Misuhara
spokesperson saying that Otani is saying, quote,

756
00:52:06.239 --> 00:52:09.320
yeah, I sent several large payments. That's the maximum amount I could

757
00:52:09.360 --> 00:52:16.119
send. Thompson knowing the spokesperson who
works for Otani wants you hear it from

758
00:52:16.159 --> 00:52:20.599
Mizuhara, So the spokesperson says,
okay, I'll arrange it. You can

759
00:52:20.679 --> 00:52:25.639
talk to Mizuhara on Tuesday night.
The spokesperson confirms to ESPN that the gambling

760
00:52:25.679 --> 00:52:30.119
debt, which amounted to at least
four and a half million, which ESPN

761
00:52:30.199 --> 00:52:35.000
had previously learned from other sources.
A little bit later on in the night,

762
00:52:35.039 --> 00:52:39.159
Misuhara speaks with Thompson by phone for
ninety minutes from South Korea. Interview

763
00:52:39.239 --> 00:52:45.039
has been arranged and is attended by
the spokesperson for Otani. Now, this

764
00:52:45.079 --> 00:52:49.719
is where things kind of start to
come into play, and this is where

765
00:52:49.920 --> 00:52:52.119
then the one part that I just
can't get out of my mind starts to

766
00:52:52.239 --> 00:52:59.039
really come into play. Misuhara tells
ESPN that he met Boyer at a poker

767
00:52:59.079 --> 00:53:04.960
game in San Diego back in twenty
twenty one. Former Angel now Atlanta Brave

768
00:53:05.199 --> 00:53:08.079
David Fletcher, who was friends with
Otani when they both played for the Angels,

769
00:53:08.280 --> 00:53:13.719
had previously told ESPN that he was
present at said poker game, but

770
00:53:14.079 --> 00:53:19.320
he did not introduce the bookie and
Misuhara to each other. Fletcher and a

771
00:53:19.440 --> 00:53:24.239
source with knowledge of Boyer's operation told
ESPN that Boyer gained admittance to the poker

772
00:53:24.280 --> 00:53:30.719
game at the Team hotel through an
acquaintance of Fletcher's. Fletcher told ESPN he

773
00:53:30.760 --> 00:53:35.199
had met Boyer once before while playing
golf, but he had never placed a

774
00:53:35.280 --> 00:53:40.559
bet with his bookmaking operation. Missuhara
says that he started betting with Boyer on

775
00:53:40.719 --> 00:53:45.719
credit shortly after they met, placing
wagers on several sports but not baseball.

776
00:53:46.239 --> 00:53:52.039
Says that he had previously bet on
DraftKings and didn't know Boyer's operation was illegal.

777
00:53:52.599 --> 00:53:57.599
Okay, this is where the questions
start to come in, and especially

778
00:53:57.599 --> 00:54:01.800
the one question that I have,
which number one, if you are gambling,

779
00:54:02.199 --> 00:54:08.039
you are aware if you're in that
space of where it's legal and where

780
00:54:08.039 --> 00:54:12.360
it's not legal, like here in
the state of Texas. Even though a

781
00:54:12.400 --> 00:54:15.880
lot of us probably do it,
it's not legal here in the state of

782
00:54:15.880 --> 00:54:19.800
Texas. You probably have to do
it on an offshore account, or you

783
00:54:19.880 --> 00:54:23.000
have to go over to Louisiana,
where it is legal now in sports betting

784
00:54:23.239 --> 00:54:28.960
is legal because they do have books
there at Louisiana casinos. Or of course,

785
00:54:29.159 --> 00:54:30.119
you know, we know it's legal
in Vegas, and we know it's

786
00:54:30.199 --> 00:54:35.800
legal in certain other states. It's
not here either online or in person.

787
00:54:36.000 --> 00:54:38.400
It's just not legal. So that's
the part of it right there. Where

788
00:54:38.400 --> 00:54:43.920
in California, card gaming, if
I'm not mistaken, is legal. I

789
00:54:43.920 --> 00:54:46.599
know for a fact that they do
have card rooms there in California. As

790
00:54:46.599 --> 00:54:50.119
a matter of fact, when I
went to a Dodger game with a couple

791
00:54:50.119 --> 00:54:52.920
of friends of mine a few years
ago, we went to a card room

792
00:54:52.079 --> 00:54:57.400
after the game where it was at
a casino not too far from Dodger Stadium,

793
00:54:57.760 --> 00:55:00.400
and they had poker and they had
black We played poker that night.

794
00:55:00.719 --> 00:55:06.320
But they do have those. They
do not have sports gambling in California.

795
00:55:06.519 --> 00:55:08.960
So that's the part of it as
well. So now the question that I

796
00:55:09.000 --> 00:55:15.639
have with all of this is when
you are dealing with a book making operation

797
00:55:15.039 --> 00:55:19.400
like the one that Boyer is,
you have to believe that you're dealing with

798
00:55:19.480 --> 00:55:22.400
people who have a ton of money, probably some people who are of a

799
00:55:22.440 --> 00:55:29.239
certain notoriety either in the Hollywood space
or anything else where. I mean,

800
00:55:29.320 --> 00:55:34.199
they're incredibly wealthy. They're incredibly rich
people who are usually that want to be

801
00:55:34.760 --> 00:55:40.079
two things A sure that their money
is going to a reputable spot where if

802
00:55:40.079 --> 00:55:43.400
indeed they wanted to get out,
they could be able to do that,

803
00:55:43.719 --> 00:55:45.000
and you wouldn't have to jump through
a bunch of hoops to be able to

804
00:55:45.039 --> 00:55:49.280
do that. That's number one.
Number two, you would probably with this

805
00:55:49.400 --> 00:55:54.119
being not legal both federally and in
state, that you would want to keep

806
00:55:54.159 --> 00:55:59.400
this as tight as possible. And
if you're going to take on new players.

807
00:55:59.760 --> 00:56:02.320
You I want to know who you're
taking on because in this case,

808
00:56:02.400 --> 00:56:07.760
right here on credit, you want
to know, Hey, if it goes

809
00:56:07.800 --> 00:56:09.920
the wrong way, I want to
know that you can pay this off.

810
00:56:10.480 --> 00:56:15.320
And that's the part to me that
just really doesn't compute to me, because

811
00:56:15.679 --> 00:56:20.599
I don't know what Misuhara takes in
for his yearly salary of being Otani's close

812
00:56:20.639 --> 00:56:24.719
friend and interpreter. But I can't
believe that it amounts to the point where

813
00:56:25.159 --> 00:56:30.639
you can rack up a four hundred
or a four point five million dollar tab

814
00:56:30.119 --> 00:56:34.639
in terms of what you need to
pay back on your gambling losses, because

815
00:56:34.679 --> 00:56:37.079
I would have to believe that soon
enough. Boyer would say, all right,

816
00:56:37.760 --> 00:56:40.960
at the very least, at the
very least, and this is being

817
00:56:42.119 --> 00:56:46.239
very nice, I'm not taking your
action anymore because I know that you're not

818
00:56:46.239 --> 00:56:51.159
gonna be able to pay this back, and if it goes the other way,

819
00:56:51.199 --> 00:56:54.679
then I'm having to pay out a
ton of money, because the house

820
00:56:55.039 --> 00:56:58.360
never wants to be in the business
of paying out a ton of money,

821
00:56:58.440 --> 00:57:01.159
you know, the old saying that's
the reason why the buildings in Vegas are

822
00:57:01.199 --> 00:57:06.159
so huge is because for the most
part, the house always wins, and

823
00:57:06.280 --> 00:57:08.280
that's why they're able to build these
huge resorts, that's why they're able to

824
00:57:08.320 --> 00:57:12.639
have all those attractions out in Vegas, because more often than not, even

825
00:57:12.679 --> 00:57:15.239
though we're feeling really good, when
we go through the doors there at the

826
00:57:15.280 --> 00:57:20.280
Mirage or anywhere else in Vegas,
we're probably going to be leaving there looking

827
00:57:20.320 --> 00:57:23.679
at our wallets and saying, Yep, they got me. And that is

828
00:57:24.000 --> 00:57:28.760
the way that the system is built
up, is that it's built up for

829
00:57:28.800 --> 00:57:31.920
them to win. It's built up
for you to lose. And the part

830
00:57:31.960 --> 00:57:36.760
that I want to circle back to
that I'm just not buying with this is

831
00:57:36.880 --> 00:57:40.079
the whole poker game thing. The
way that a lot of these bookmakers will

832
00:57:40.079 --> 00:57:45.000
take someone on is if they have
somebody who is already with them that is

833
00:57:45.039 --> 00:57:47.840
willing to vouch for you. And
in that case, right there you can

834
00:57:47.960 --> 00:57:52.519
understand if somebody is able to vouch
for somebody else that they know has liquid

835
00:57:52.559 --> 00:57:57.360
worth and that they know has the
money to be able to cover if they

836
00:57:57.880 --> 00:58:01.519
indeed do lose, or also to
if they're placing these huge wagers, that

837
00:58:01.519 --> 00:58:06.800
they're good for it, and for
somebody like Misuhara, I would have to

838
00:58:06.840 --> 00:58:08.880
think if I'm running the operation,
I'm not taking that action. I don't

839
00:58:08.920 --> 00:58:12.880
know you. I don't know anything
about you. I don't know where you've

840
00:58:12.880 --> 00:58:15.679
gotten your money, how you've gotten
your money, or anything. I mean,

841
00:58:15.679 --> 00:58:17.280
if you've gotten your money through dirty
means, and I'm not saying that's

842
00:58:17.280 --> 00:58:22.159
the case here, but then that
implicates me in something else. I'm not

843
00:58:22.159 --> 00:58:24.079
going to be a part of that. And that's where it's just all of

844
00:58:24.079 --> 00:58:29.519
this in reason why I think people
are just not buying the story from the

845
00:58:29.599 --> 00:58:32.719
jump is that it just kind of
leads to everything that I've just laid out

846
00:58:32.760 --> 00:58:37.480
for you. Why would somebody take
on at somebody just kind of sight unseen.

847
00:58:37.639 --> 00:58:38.719
Oh we met at a poker game. Oh yeah, you know what.

848
00:58:38.800 --> 00:58:42.320
I like that guy. He was
great. Yeah, I'll take your

849
00:58:42.360 --> 00:58:45.039
action. Oh you want two you
want two hundred thousand on Arizona against un

850
00:58:45.159 --> 00:58:47.719
C. Yeah, I got you, absolutely, I know you're good for

851
00:58:47.760 --> 00:58:51.360
it. No, that's not how
this works, that's not how they do

852
00:58:51.440 --> 00:58:54.679
business. And it's just again,
you know the way that the story has

853
00:58:54.719 --> 00:59:00.400
continued to turn, where it's going
from him covering the laws for a friend

854
00:59:00.480 --> 00:59:05.239
to then going to oh no,
you know, as a matter of fact,

855
00:59:05.400 --> 00:59:08.199
he was swindling him. It was
massive theft. It just seems like

856
00:59:08.280 --> 00:59:13.079
something that as this continues on.
And oh, by the way, too

857
00:59:13.480 --> 00:59:17.280
for Boyer, I mean under federal
investigation, so obviously they have a paper

858
00:59:17.320 --> 00:59:22.159
trail on him. And if you're
running an operation like this, you're not

859
00:59:22.280 --> 00:59:24.920
just writing something down on a piece
of paper and then once you're done with

860
00:59:24.920 --> 00:59:29.119
it, throwing it away. He's
got extensive records, trust me, he

861
00:59:29.199 --> 00:59:35.480
has extensive records. So in time
this will continue to unravel through either means

862
00:59:35.480 --> 00:59:39.320
of investigation, either through Major League
Baseball or through the FBI or anybody else

863
00:59:39.320 --> 00:59:43.159
that's going to be involved in this, that they will be able to see

864
00:59:43.239 --> 00:59:46.400
if indeed he is telling the truth
that it was just him, which again

865
00:59:46.559 --> 00:59:51.440
I'm not buying, but also too
that he indeed did not bet on baseball,

866
00:59:51.519 --> 00:59:53.920
which the other part of it as
well, if you're really willing to

867
00:59:53.960 --> 00:59:58.880
go that far, are we really
willing to trust that you're telling the truth

868
00:59:58.880 --> 01:00:01.760
on that as well. I just
think this story is not over with by

869
01:00:01.800 --> 01:00:07.039
a long shot. And whether Otani
is implicated in this or not, I

870
01:00:07.039 --> 01:00:10.840
mean I've shared my thoughts, I
mean, my whole thing on this is

871
01:00:10.920 --> 01:00:17.199
if this was just the interpreter,
then I think that probably it would have

872
01:00:17.199 --> 01:00:21.400
been dealt with in other means,
because if you're dealing with that type of

873
01:00:21.440 --> 01:00:24.159
money, soon enough, the people
who you owe that money to are going

874
01:00:24.199 --> 01:00:29.119
to come collecting it. They can't
make somebody like show Hey Otani disappear.

875
01:00:29.760 --> 01:00:32.880
They can make somebody else disappear.
But I just think that, you know,

876
01:00:34.239 --> 01:00:38.280
and I'm getting into a part that
and that's just an opinion on that

877
01:00:38.360 --> 01:00:43.199
front. And I'm not saying that
you know, would want that to happen

878
01:00:43.199 --> 01:00:46.000
to anybody, or that it could
happen to anybody, But I'm just saying

879
01:00:46.519 --> 01:00:51.079
that you've heard stories. I mean, of course, you know there was

880
01:00:51.119 --> 01:00:54.920
the Boston College point shaving scandal years
ago that Henry Hill was involved in.

881
01:00:55.199 --> 01:01:00.159
So you know that people in that
space they're serious when they say, hey,

882
01:01:00.199 --> 01:01:01.960
you better pay me my money.
That we know for a fact.

883
01:01:02.239 --> 01:01:07.920
So we'll see how this all plays
out as it goes forward. All right,

884
01:01:07.119 --> 01:01:12.360
Coming up next, we'll get into
the Texans, because what they've been

885
01:01:12.360 --> 01:01:16.239
doing in the player movement portion of
building the roster what's been interesting enough.

886
01:01:16.280 --> 01:01:22.239
But they did something else this week
that was textbook a great thing in pr

887
01:01:22.559 --> 01:01:24.840
even if some of you didn't necessarily
like it. We'll talk about that before

888
01:01:24.840 --> 01:01:29.320
we get to Adam Clanton here at
the bottom of the hour. We'll continue

889
01:01:29.360 --> 01:01:32.199
along here on Space City Saturday on
Dan Matthews here in your home of the

890
01:01:32.199 --> 01:01:37.320
Astros and the Rockets, Sports Talk
seven ninety again, running another audible here

891
01:01:37.400 --> 01:01:43.440
because somebody does want to weigh in
here on the Otani situation, so we'll

892
01:01:43.440 --> 01:01:46.559
do the Texans after we talked to
Clanton to close out the show. Dwayne

893
01:01:46.679 --> 01:01:51.400
listening to us in El Paso on
the irradio app, wants to weigh in.

894
01:01:51.519 --> 01:01:55.800
Dwayne, what's going on? Dwayne? What's going on? Hey,

895
01:01:55.840 --> 01:02:00.679
mister Matthews, what's going on with
you? Man? I was send into

896
01:02:00.719 --> 01:02:05.840
your report right now on the Towny
situation, and you know what you've came.

897
01:02:06.079 --> 01:02:09.440
You come out with a lot of
good information. I was listening to

898
01:02:10.039 --> 01:02:17.480
the Tricia Thompson podcast today for ESPN
and she was basically saying that pretty much

899
01:02:17.519 --> 01:02:24.320
the same thing you were saying.
She was saying that this O'Hara had admitted

900
01:02:24.400 --> 01:02:31.960
to her this week that he lied
about what he did, but they found

901
01:02:32.039 --> 01:02:38.079
out that he did send quite a
bit of amount of money, uh,

902
01:02:38.119 --> 01:02:43.559
to whoever, Matt Boyer, whoever, who is taking this money in,

903
01:02:44.119 --> 01:02:51.159
but that he said that he bet
on the soccer, football, basketball,

904
01:02:51.239 --> 01:02:55.199
but not baseball. You're talking about
horr correct, yes, sir, exactly,

905
01:02:55.239 --> 01:03:00.920
miss horr R right. And then
so they said that Miss Thompson said

906
01:03:00.960 --> 01:03:07.159
that right now to this point,
which I heard the podcast today, she

907
01:03:07.400 --> 01:03:14.159
said that it's turned into a criminal
investigation and he's going to be arrested,

908
01:03:14.559 --> 01:03:20.800
but they're not They don't know whether
it's going to be a federal or a

909
01:03:21.079 --> 01:03:28.360
state investigation that's going to go through
with this thing. But he's not working

910
01:03:28.679 --> 01:03:32.800
for tany anymore, and he's they
don't know, you know, if he's

911
01:03:32.800 --> 01:03:37.559
still in the state of California or
he's gone back. But you know,

912
01:03:37.639 --> 01:03:42.559
I did your reporting because you filled
out quite a bit of information that needed

913
01:03:42.559 --> 01:03:45.639
to be told because you know,
I'm not I mean, I'm a Dodger

914
01:03:45.719 --> 01:03:49.840
fan. And when I heard this
report, man, I said, oh

915
01:03:50.000 --> 01:03:53.679
man, now what And then you
know, I'm finally glad that the truth

916
01:03:53.719 --> 01:03:59.559
is finally coming out. And she
said it's going to take about two years

917
01:04:00.159 --> 01:04:04.559
before this investigation is completed. Yeah, I appreciate the call, Duane.

918
01:04:04.920 --> 01:04:08.880
Sorry, we're up against it here
because do you want to get to Adam

919
01:04:08.920 --> 01:04:14.599
Clanton. I appreciate it, buddy, thank you. But you know,

920
01:04:14.679 --> 01:04:16.280
I mean, of all of the
things, yes, I mean we all

921
01:04:16.400 --> 01:04:23.559
know how I guess we have an
idea of how investigations work. And yes,

922
01:04:23.639 --> 01:04:27.599
I mean there's tons of information they
have to comb through. I mean,

923
01:04:27.679 --> 01:04:31.599
this is involving investigators themselves. This
is involving when you're dealing with something

924
01:04:31.679 --> 01:04:38.280
like this that needs some sort of
auditing process to it. Then you get

925
01:04:38.840 --> 01:04:43.199
people from the IRS involved, which
of course I mean illegal bookmaking operations.

926
01:04:43.239 --> 01:04:47.760
That's what gets them into trouble is
because it's illegal and you're dealing with large

927
01:04:47.760 --> 01:04:53.000
sums of money that you're not paying
taxes on, and that's where that part

928
01:04:53.039 --> 01:04:56.039
of the process starts to come in
as well. So there's a lot of

929
01:04:56.039 --> 01:04:58.880
different legs to this. It sounds
like this is going to be on the

930
01:04:58.920 --> 01:05:02.199
federal level, But in terms of
what Major League Baseball's interest is in this,

931
01:05:02.320 --> 01:05:06.719
they want to know if indeed truly
Otani had nothing to do with this,

932
01:05:06.920 --> 01:05:11.119
because that's the part that they have
to be able to get to the

933
01:05:11.119 --> 01:05:15.639
bottom of because if indeed they do
find out that he was involved, and

934
01:05:15.760 --> 01:05:20.760
indeed it is, you know,
involved, that it was involving baseball,

935
01:05:20.920 --> 01:05:26.639
in action on baseball, then that's
the territory that we've seen play out in

936
01:05:26.679 --> 01:05:29.239
the past. That's not good for
the sport. We've seen it to some

937
01:05:29.320 --> 01:05:32.880
degree with the NFL with Calvin Ridley
and a couple of other players dealing with

938
01:05:32.920 --> 01:05:36.679
it at this point. But when
you deal with players and people who are

939
01:05:36.679 --> 01:05:43.159
involved in the sport, that's why
leagues have explicit rules. You cannot bet

940
01:05:43.320 --> 01:05:46.639
on our action. You cannot bet
on our league. Because you're involved,

941
01:05:46.719 --> 01:05:51.119
you can prejudice the action, you
can be able to make sure that it

942
01:05:51.159 --> 01:05:55.800
goes a certain way. So,
yes, that is something that they do

943
01:05:55.880 --> 01:05:59.480
have to get to the bottom of. And like I said, you know,

944
01:05:59.679 --> 01:06:02.280
the of all of this, this
isn't over with by a long shot.

945
01:06:02.320 --> 01:06:06.039
It's now just beginning in terms of
what we're going to find out from

946
01:06:06.079 --> 01:06:10.639
this and who's involved and who's not
and all of those different things. It

947
01:06:10.760 --> 01:06:14.440
is going to be a story that
we will be talking about for a quiet

948
01:06:14.480 --> 01:06:17.800
amount of time, all right.
So, wanted to be able to get

949
01:06:17.800 --> 01:06:20.400
into the Texans, Like I said, we'll do that here to close out

950
01:06:20.440 --> 01:06:25.519
the show. But coming up next, our good buddy Adam Clanton gonna be

951
01:06:25.519 --> 01:06:30.639
over at a little Woodrows today talk
about what he is doing with Vernon Maxwell

952
01:06:30.719 --> 01:06:32.159
over there, as well as talk
a little bit of rockets. We'll do

953
01:06:32.239 --> 01:06:38.119
that right here on your Home of
the Rockets, Sports Talk seven ninety Rockets

954
01:06:38.159 --> 01:06:42.079
and jazz coming your way seven o'clock
tonight here on your Home of the Rockets,

955
01:06:42.159 --> 01:06:45.639
Sports Talk seven to ninety Rockets launch
pad coming your way at six and

956
01:06:45.719 --> 01:06:50.880
a man who's going to be part
of the call tonight with Matt Thomas of

957
01:06:50.920 --> 01:06:54.400
course, part of the A team. My good buddy, your good buddy,

958
01:06:54.400 --> 01:06:59.239
everybody's good buddy, Adam Clanton doing
a cool little event here in a

959
01:06:59.400 --> 01:07:03.719
little for three hours over at Little
Woodrows in Edo. Vernon Maxwell gonna be

960
01:07:03.719 --> 01:07:09.719
hanging out with him. Ac.
All right, we'll get Ac settled here

961
01:07:09.760 --> 01:07:14.039
in just a second. As turns
out we're having a little bit of phone

962
01:07:14.079 --> 01:07:17.880
issues, so Evan will be working
on that here for just a second.

963
01:07:17.960 --> 01:07:25.880
But yes, gonna be having Adam
Clanton out there at Little Woodrows in Edo

964
01:07:27.039 --> 01:07:30.760
with Vernon Maxwell from three until four. So if you're going to the Rockets

965
01:07:30.760 --> 01:07:32.960
game tonight. I mean that's one
of those things too, you know,

966
01:07:33.119 --> 01:07:36.039
for you in the audience right now, I mean, you're out there in

967
01:07:36.199 --> 01:07:41.679
spring, You're out there in the
woodlands, You're out there in wherever Katie

968
01:07:42.000 --> 01:07:44.559
doesn't matter, and you're saying to
yourself, Hey, you know, want

969
01:07:44.559 --> 01:07:47.119
to be able to go have a
few drinks, watch some of the tournament

970
01:07:47.159 --> 01:07:51.079
action, you know, be able
to have a good time and a good

971
01:07:51.119 --> 01:07:56.119
atmosphere, and also to be able
to meet a world champion, Vernon Maxwell,

972
01:07:56.159 --> 01:07:59.119
two time world champion with the Rockets. Well you can do all of

973
01:07:59.119 --> 01:08:03.440
that a little bit later on this
afternoon again, three until four, three

974
01:08:03.519 --> 01:08:09.400
until four over at the Little Woodrows
and Ito and now I think we got

975
01:08:09.400 --> 01:08:13.760
ac acu there, buddy. We
never have technical issues, do we And

976
01:08:13.800 --> 01:08:16.319
we don't. I mean, you
know, I try my best. It

977
01:08:16.439 --> 01:08:19.439
happens, but it's live radio.
What can we do? How you doing,

978
01:08:19.479 --> 01:08:23.640
buddy? Oh good man? No, What I was trying to say

979
01:08:23.680 --> 01:08:28.920
is that, yeah, it's it's
really a cool weekend of nostalgia because you

980
01:08:28.920 --> 01:08:31.199
know, Max and all of the
entire first championship team were over at the

981
01:08:31.399 --> 01:08:35.560
Rockets Charity gala last night. And
then you know Max was there the other

982
01:08:35.680 --> 01:08:42.279
night the Rockets beat the Bulls,
which everybody knows about his matchups with Michael

983
01:08:42.319 --> 01:08:45.319
Jordan back in the day. And
then you take on the Utah Jazz today

984
01:08:45.319 --> 01:08:48.439
and we know about we know about
Vernon Vicinity for Salt Lake City and he's

985
01:08:48.479 --> 01:08:50.920
no, he's not shy about showing
that. So yeah, it's gonna be

986
01:08:51.119 --> 01:08:57.159
a lot of fun tonight and today
over at Little Woodrows. I'm just every

987
01:08:57.199 --> 01:08:59.760
time I hang out with the guy, the thirteen year old me has to

988
01:08:59.800 --> 01:09:02.279
pinch him. But he's he's really
down to earth. And if you were

989
01:09:02.279 --> 01:09:05.479
able to meet him over with Matt
Thomas at Big City Wings, you know,

990
01:09:05.960 --> 01:09:09.560
you know what I'm talking about.
But if he didn't, good chance

991
01:09:09.600 --> 01:09:12.479
for you to catch up with him
again today before the game tonight. And

992
01:09:12.600 --> 01:09:15.600
also too, I mean, wasn't
he just like a perfect depiction of what

993
01:09:15.680 --> 01:09:19.319
a championship team needs like the Rockets
right now, you've got a guy with

994
01:09:19.359 --> 01:09:24.479
an edge in Dylan Brooks, like
Max was that guy. Matt, Max

995
01:09:24.600 --> 01:09:28.439
was that guy for the Rockets,
like everybody knew that Hakeem ninety four was

996
01:09:28.439 --> 01:09:30.760
the star. And also too,
you add Clyde Drexeler in ninety five.

997
01:09:30.920 --> 01:09:35.079
But I mean, you had to
have guys like Max. Yeah, he

998
01:09:35.119 --> 01:09:40.399
was a guy that wasn't afraid to
do the dirty work. Mario Elliott was

999
01:09:40.439 --> 01:09:44.319
a lot like that, and kind
of as the team evolved. It's this

1000
01:09:45.079 --> 01:09:48.840
crazy thing to think about how those
two teams back to back championships won in

1001
01:09:48.960 --> 01:09:56.039
such different ways, but they really
never lost their ability to defend. And

1002
01:09:56.199 --> 01:10:00.359
that started with Vernon Maxwell. Because
when you're a guy that's going up against

1003
01:10:00.399 --> 01:10:03.640
Michael Jordan and his prime and that
first three peat that the Bulls had,

1004
01:10:03.680 --> 01:10:06.720
the Rockets were five and won against
them in the regular season, and I

1005
01:10:06.760 --> 01:10:11.359
know regular season doesn't translate to the
playoffs, but part of the reason they

1006
01:10:11.359 --> 01:10:14.560
were able to win five out five
out of six games is because that lunatic

1007
01:10:15.039 --> 01:10:18.159
had no problems jawing with Jordan going
up against them. And if you've seen

1008
01:10:18.680 --> 01:10:24.760
you know, clips of him talking
about just anticipating the games against the Bulls,

1009
01:10:24.800 --> 01:10:27.439
like he said he was almost crying
because he just wanted to get Mike

1010
01:10:27.560 --> 01:10:30.399
so bad. You got a guy
that had that mentality and brings that kind

1011
01:10:30.399 --> 01:10:34.880
of mentality and let's face it,
a little bit of a loose Cannon situation

1012
01:10:35.039 --> 01:10:39.680
there. But you need that,
You need guys like that on your roster,

1013
01:10:39.880 --> 01:10:43.359
and I think every championship team you
could probably point to at least one

1014
01:10:44.039 --> 01:10:47.239
role player type that had that kind
But the thing is Dan. You know,

1015
01:10:47.720 --> 01:10:51.800
when the Rockets won that first championship, they were playing Phoenix in the

1016
01:10:51.840 --> 01:10:57.000
second round and they had home court
advantage and they blew two twenty plus point

1017
01:10:57.119 --> 01:11:00.079
leads in games one and two,
and that's when choke City happened. You

1018
01:11:00.079 --> 01:11:03.000
know, like the Chronicle called them
choke City on the front page of the

1019
01:11:03.039 --> 01:11:08.399
sports section. For those younger types, there used to be an actual news

1020
01:11:08.479 --> 01:11:11.680
paper you would read, and it
was a big deal. At the front

1021
01:11:11.720 --> 01:11:15.359
of that paper that morning said choke
City, and Vernon Maxwell said, to

1022
01:11:15.399 --> 01:11:18.439
hell with our fans because they didn't
show up and sell out the summit.

1023
01:11:18.840 --> 01:11:23.359
And then they go to Phoenix and
I think it was game three in which

1024
01:11:23.960 --> 01:11:27.479
he scored like, I don't know, thirty points in the first half and

1025
01:11:27.520 --> 01:11:30.880
he was just on fire. And
that's the kind of guy Max was.

1026
01:11:31.720 --> 01:11:36.520
You could call him streaky, but
he was certainly not going to there wasn't

1027
01:11:36.520 --> 01:11:40.199
going to be any drama lacking,
and he had a pension for hitting the

1028
01:11:40.199 --> 01:11:43.239
big shot at the biggest moment.
He's the reason that they clinched Game seven

1029
01:11:43.319 --> 01:11:47.239
because the team found him outside after
the double team and he hit that shot

1030
01:11:47.279 --> 01:11:50.680
and effectively ended it because it was
just too much of a deficit for the

1031
01:11:50.760 --> 01:11:55.479
Knicks to overcome in the final minute. Again, Adam Clinton on with us

1032
01:11:55.520 --> 01:12:00.399
here on Space City Saturday. He's
going to be over at Little Woodrow's Ino

1033
01:12:00.640 --> 01:12:05.239
with Vernon Maxwall three to four today
leading up to the Rockets and Jazz Tonight's

1034
01:12:05.279 --> 01:12:10.520
over at Toyota Center. And of
course seven straight wins for the Rockets say

1035
01:12:10.640 --> 01:12:14.079
seem we've seen the way they've been
playing, but also too kind of in

1036
01:12:14.119 --> 01:12:16.520
the same vein we're talking about with
Mad Max right now. Hadn't that kind

1037
01:12:16.520 --> 01:12:19.800
of been the formula of the Rockets
have been tapping into a little bit of

1038
01:12:20.039 --> 01:12:24.760
all right, if you want to
scrap, we'll scrap with you. Yeah.

1039
01:12:24.840 --> 01:12:27.800
Wex and I were talking about this
on the show yesterday. It's been

1040
01:12:29.000 --> 01:12:33.960
several incidents over the course of this
season where I don't know if it's anybody's

1041
01:12:33.960 --> 01:12:38.279
fault or if it's just the course
of the game, but the Rockets don't

1042
01:12:38.319 --> 01:12:43.880
back down from anybody, and they're
not. You know, nobody is confusing

1043
01:12:43.880 --> 01:12:46.399
them with a championship contender right now, but nobody is confusing them with the

1044
01:12:46.439 --> 01:12:50.760
team that won twenty games a season
basically over the course of the last three

1045
01:12:50.880 --> 01:12:55.880
or so seasons. And part of
that is the mentality of their head coach.

1046
01:12:56.000 --> 01:12:59.079
And Ema Yudoka was there last night. I make it a point to

1047
01:12:59.079 --> 01:13:02.279
shake his hand every time I see
him, because thank God for him.

1048
01:13:02.600 --> 01:13:09.199
It's nothing against Steven Silas, But
I mean, no one is confusing Silas's

1049
01:13:09.239 --> 01:13:12.800
teams with the intensity of this Rockets
team. Do they make boneheaded plays?

1050
01:13:12.800 --> 01:13:15.880
Do they turn the ball over?
Are they young? Still? Is it

1051
01:13:15.920 --> 01:13:20.199
a perfect night every night? No? But they've got the mentality and they

1052
01:13:20.399 --> 01:13:25.479
kind of represent the embodiment of what
their coach brings to the table. And

1053
01:13:25.680 --> 01:13:29.640
if you've noticed, Ima Udoka is
not afraid to take anybody to task at

1054
01:13:29.680 --> 01:13:31.840
any given time. And he's done
that not only in the form of what

1055
01:13:31.880 --> 01:13:35.840
he has said to the media publicly, but also in the form of benching

1056
01:13:36.039 --> 01:13:40.239
one guy or several guys if he
doesn't think they're getting the job done.

1057
01:13:40.359 --> 01:13:44.640
So I think that that's part of
what you're talking about with that reputation of

1058
01:13:44.680 --> 01:13:48.760
this Rockets club and with Golden State
losing last night, them making the play

1059
01:13:48.760 --> 01:13:53.840
in is very much in play right
now. It's no longer a situation where,

1060
01:13:54.159 --> 01:13:57.119
oh there's just too much ground to
make up with too few games.

1061
01:13:57.359 --> 01:14:00.319
No, this is You're going head
to head with Golden State in the coming

1062
01:14:00.359 --> 01:14:03.760
weeks, and if you win that
game, you're talking about making things very

1063
01:14:03.880 --> 01:14:08.520
uncomfortable for the Warriors. And you
already have the tiebreaker against the Lakers,

1064
01:14:08.560 --> 01:14:13.399
so this could get very interesting and
the Rockets could be playing postseason basketball,

1065
01:14:13.479 --> 01:14:15.880
believe it or not, your lips
of God's ears, Ac I said it

1066
01:14:15.920 --> 01:14:19.680
last night on Twitter. Win and
everything else takes care of itself. But

1067
01:14:20.239 --> 01:14:23.920
I know you got a lot on
your plate right now. And also two

1068
01:14:24.039 --> 01:14:27.720
three o'clock again over at Little Woodrow's
Edo, you're gonna be over there with

1069
01:14:27.840 --> 01:14:30.800
Vernon Maxwell. You'll be on the
call tonight with Matt Thomas, so we

1070
01:14:30.880 --> 01:14:35.439
will continue the conversation with the Rockets
then. But appreciate you coming on a

1071
01:14:35.479 --> 01:14:40.079
little bit talk a little bit of
Rockets ball, and also too telling everybody

1072
01:14:40.079 --> 01:14:43.319
to get out there and come see
you this afternoon. Yeah, come on,

1073
01:14:43.439 --> 01:14:46.159
buye say hello. Neither one of
us bite, we promise, and

1074
01:14:46.199 --> 01:14:48.319
then yeah, it's gonna be a
lot of fun tonight on the call.

1075
01:14:48.359 --> 01:14:54.399
Hopefully the Rockets can get an eight
eight consecutive victory. Crazy to say it.

1076
01:14:54.760 --> 01:14:57.520
I said it earlier. It's better
than seven. Appreciate it, buddy.

1077
01:14:58.279 --> 01:15:00.680
All right, man, we'll talk
to you soon, buddy again.

1078
01:15:00.760 --> 01:15:05.119
Adam Clanton out there this afternoon at
Little Woodrow's in Edo. All right,

1079
01:15:05.159 --> 01:15:10.279
coming up next, close up Texans
conversation A good thing. Pr wise,

1080
01:15:10.359 --> 01:15:14.399
they did that. Not everybody liked, but again it shows you the right

1081
01:15:14.439 --> 01:15:16.960
decisions are being made on Kirby.
We'll do that to close it out.

1082
01:15:17.039 --> 01:15:21.159
Send you into Astros Baseball just before
the top of the hour right here on

1083
01:15:21.199 --> 01:15:26.720
your home of the Astros and the
Rockets. Sports Talk seven ninety Sports Talks

1084
01:15:26.760 --> 01:15:33.479
seven ninety Space City Saturday, Dan
Matthews here for another few minutes in CAA

1085
01:15:33.520 --> 01:15:39.039
tournament action tipping off already, So
you got that this afternoon again. If

1086
01:15:39.039 --> 01:15:42.520
you want to hear the Texas game
tonight, that's gonna be over on KPRC

1087
01:15:42.840 --> 01:15:45.840
nine to fifty. Rockets coming your
way. Rockets launch pad six o'clock right

1088
01:15:45.840 --> 01:15:49.079
here, on your home of the
Rockets Sports Talk seven ninety and about five

1089
01:15:49.119 --> 01:15:54.520
minutes Astros and Mets from Port Saint
Lucy that is coming your way. The

1090
01:15:54.520 --> 01:15:58.640
team I haven't mentioned just yet,
but I did tease the Texans. So

1091
01:15:59.199 --> 01:16:04.000
there was the photo that made its
rounds on at Twitter the other day of

1092
01:16:04.439 --> 01:16:11.920
a guy in the Texans white jersey
top blue pants, he's got the helmet

1093
01:16:11.960 --> 01:16:15.359
on, and immediately people started to
wonder, is that it is that the

1094
01:16:15.399 --> 01:16:19.279
new jerseys that we've heard about that's
at least one of them, because we

1095
01:16:19.319 --> 01:16:24.439
do know that there are four that
the Texans are going to have. They're

1096
01:16:24.439 --> 01:16:29.520
going to have, of course probably
deep steel blue, the Liberty white as

1097
01:16:29.560 --> 01:16:31.920
we saw in the photo, and
then of course the next part which i'll

1098
01:16:31.920 --> 01:16:35.800
get to here in just a second, the battle red, and I guess

1099
01:16:35.880 --> 01:16:41.359
also to another one that is going
to be part of this, which that's

1100
01:16:41.399 --> 01:16:45.119
the one that is supposed to have
I guess an accent of something that is

1101
01:16:45.159 --> 01:16:50.159
to resemble Columbia blue of the oilers. So those are what we have to

1102
01:16:50.199 --> 01:16:54.960
look forward to. But we got
the white tops the other day and it

1103
01:16:55.039 --> 01:16:59.840
came out, and then of course
cal McNair decided that you know what,

1104
01:17:00.000 --> 01:17:04.680
I'll have some fun I like playing
around on Reddit, and he decided,

1105
01:17:04.880 --> 01:17:09.239
you know what, I'll share this
cool photo that we did, which,

1106
01:17:09.359 --> 01:17:14.439
of course, teams we'll always do
photo shoots with their players normally, like

1107
01:17:14.479 --> 01:17:18.199
for example, the Rockets when they
had their media day and Matt Thomas and

1108
01:17:18.279 --> 01:17:24.600
Ross were there doing the Matt Thomas
Show and they had players and Ima Udoka

1109
01:17:24.680 --> 01:17:29.359
and rafel Stone coming through that day. They would also be doing different things.

1110
01:17:29.479 --> 01:17:32.479
I mean, you'll have the sit
down with Vanessa Richardson with Space City

1111
01:17:32.520 --> 01:17:36.479
Home Network, and also too you'll
have team photos. You know, a

1112
01:17:36.479 --> 01:17:40.880
lot of the promo things like you
know, you've seen it on the video

1113
01:17:40.920 --> 01:17:45.159
board there at Toyota center of the
player where they have a bunch of people

1114
01:17:45.159 --> 01:17:47.760
around them where it looks like they
have a crowd kind of hyping them up

1115
01:17:48.119 --> 01:17:50.680
doing all those different types of things, and they'll do that. Then.

1116
01:17:50.880 --> 01:17:55.720
I know that when me and Ross
were in West Palm Beach, the Astros

1117
01:17:55.760 --> 01:17:59.960
were doing a similar thing of having
a cool little setup, videos, photo,

1118
01:18:00.199 --> 01:18:01.920
all those different types of things.
And the Texans have already done it

1119
01:18:01.960 --> 01:18:05.920
with their new jerseys, and that
was the one that Cal shared of Nico

1120
01:18:06.000 --> 01:18:13.079
Collins and Tank Dell in the white
top jerseys, of confirming the photo that

1121
01:18:13.199 --> 01:18:15.239
was out there, of saying,
yeah, hey, these are one of

1122
01:18:15.239 --> 01:18:18.079
our new jerseys. What do you
think? And of course it was met

1123
01:18:18.119 --> 01:18:24.520
with people saying that whatever, they're
fine, which believe it or not,

1124
01:18:24.680 --> 01:18:28.640
that was going to be the predictable
response no matter what they had put out.

1125
01:18:28.960 --> 01:18:31.960
They could have put out the new
one that supposedly has an accent of

1126
01:18:32.000 --> 01:18:35.199
something that looks like Columbia blue on
it, and people would have been like,

1127
01:18:35.239 --> 01:18:40.520
ah, still expecting more, because
rarely when it comes to hey we're

1128
01:18:40.520 --> 01:18:43.560
gonna have new jerseys, Hey we're
gonna have a new logo, we're gonna

1129
01:18:43.600 --> 01:18:46.720
have a new something with the organization, for the most part, people usually

1130
01:18:46.720 --> 01:18:51.560
when it finally comes time to the
revelation of it, it doesn't meet what

1131
01:18:51.680 --> 01:18:56.520
you were in your mind, at
least hoping for, because really you didn't

1132
01:18:56.560 --> 01:19:00.279
have anything to compare it to.
You didn't know anything different. The logo

1133
01:19:00.399 --> 01:19:03.560
itself of Toro is going to stay
the same. We know that, but

1134
01:19:03.920 --> 01:19:05.960
just you know, it's one of
those that we want to see what the

1135
01:19:06.000 --> 01:19:11.079
new ones look like, because in
our minds, if indeed the hype does

1136
01:19:11.119 --> 01:19:13.560
meet, then you're excited to be
able to get to the team store or

1137
01:19:13.560 --> 01:19:15.600
wherever you buy your Texans gear and
be able to go ahead and get your

1138
01:19:15.600 --> 01:19:18.920
new CJ. Stroud jersey or Will
Anderson jersey, or Tank Dell or whoever

1139
01:19:18.960 --> 01:19:24.640
you want to rep whenever you go
to games at NRG Stadium this coming fall.

1140
01:19:24.680 --> 01:19:28.600
But the Texans, of course,
with cal McNair putting that out,

1141
01:19:28.840 --> 01:19:32.960
that was less than number one of
pr of No publicity is bad publicity,

1142
01:19:33.079 --> 01:19:35.920
and in this case right here,
it was an opportunity for them to say,

1143
01:19:36.199 --> 01:19:39.319
Okay, you know, I know
that we said we're going to do

1144
01:19:39.319 --> 01:19:42.600
the reveal at the draft, but
we'll go ahead and give people a taste

1145
01:19:42.680 --> 01:19:45.399
right now. Why not get them
talking about it, get them excited,

1146
01:19:45.720 --> 01:19:49.880
get some opinions out there, even
if it is not necessarily what we would

1147
01:19:49.960 --> 01:19:53.960
like for the response to be,
because of course, what's the response you

1148
01:19:54.000 --> 01:19:56.319
want it to be? You want
the response to be. Man, these

1149
01:19:56.319 --> 01:19:59.920
are awesome. These are so cool. I can't wait to go buy one

1150
01:20:00.279 --> 01:20:02.920
when they're on the shelves at my
favorite sporting goods store. Yes, I

1151
01:20:02.960 --> 01:20:06.279
am so pumped for these, But
for the most part, that was not

1152
01:20:06.399 --> 01:20:10.479
the response across the board. I
mean, for me, I think I'm

1153
01:20:10.520 --> 01:20:13.119
probably in the same group with a
lot of you. I don't really care.

1154
01:20:13.720 --> 01:20:16.560
As long as the player is winning
it are making meaningful plays to help

1155
01:20:16.600 --> 01:20:19.359
you win games, That's the part
that I care about the most. But

1156
01:20:19.479 --> 01:20:24.359
in terms of you know, is
this going to necessarily help them do that?

1157
01:20:24.600 --> 01:20:27.319
No. But at the same time, though, too, I also

1158
01:20:27.680 --> 01:20:30.880
go against the people who say,
oh, the gear doesn't matter. To

1159
01:20:30.079 --> 01:20:34.239
young people, the gear matters,
and to most athletes the gear matters.

1160
01:20:34.319 --> 01:20:38.439
Yes it does. And is it
a reason that you lose games? No,

1161
01:20:38.520 --> 01:20:40.720
it's not. Is it a reason
you win games? It's not either.

1162
01:20:40.800 --> 01:20:44.319
But it's also too. Like for
example, when I worked in Atlanta

1163
01:20:44.840 --> 01:20:48.079
for a time, Georgia Tech had
Russell Athletic. Russell Athletic is not Nike,

1164
01:20:48.600 --> 01:20:54.159
they're not Adidas, they're not under
Armor even it's not even a cool

1165
01:20:54.199 --> 01:20:57.800
brand. So yeah, it hurt
them in recruiting, and that was why

1166
01:20:57.800 --> 01:21:00.640
they moved over to Adidas, because
they knew nobody wants to come play for

1167
01:21:00.680 --> 01:21:08.000
a school that has Russell Athletic as
their apparel sponsor and of their jerseys and

1168
01:21:08.039 --> 01:21:11.359
their workout gear everything else. Of
the sort. So yes, all of

1169
01:21:11.359 --> 01:21:15.600
those things do matter, and yes, in due time will either be underwhelmed

1170
01:21:15.840 --> 01:21:19.399
or so excited when the new Texans
uniforms come out. But for them,

1171
01:21:19.439 --> 01:21:23.039
good on them for doing that,
having a little fun with it, and

1172
01:21:23.119 --> 01:21:27.239
also to lean into that publicity.
I want to thank Evan Ray on the

1173
01:21:27.279 --> 01:21:30.279
other side of the glass. Great
job by him this morning. I also

1174
01:21:30.319 --> 01:21:33.079
want to thank Adam Clanton again.
Go see him three to four Little Woodrow's

1175
01:21:33.199 --> 01:21:38.840
in Edo. This has been Space
City Saturday. I'm Dan Matthews on your

1176
01:21:38.840 --> 01:21:42.399
home of the Astros and the Rockets
Sports Talks seven to ninety coming up here

1177
01:21:42.439 --> 01:21:45.359
in just a few seconds. Enjoy
the Astros against the Mets.