WEBVTT 1 00:00:09.880 --> 00:00:12.759 Hello, and welcome to Backflips and Nerds, the Baseball podcast 2 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:15.279 with the British Twist. I am your host this evening, 3 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:18.120 Russell Lisam and I am delighted to be back in 4 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:23.239 the UK and talking to my baseball friends about baseball. Firstly, 5 00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:26.760 we have the man who has some serious opinions about 6 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:28.079 John Henry and others. 7 00:00:28.199 --> 00:00:29.600 So John, how are we doing? 8 00:00:31.079 --> 00:00:34.679 I'm all right, I think yeah, you're teasing. I think 9 00:00:34.759 --> 00:00:39.039 that's called the segment of the podcast. Let's see if 10 00:00:39.079 --> 00:00:40.079 it lives up to billing. 11 00:00:40.799 --> 00:00:44.880 And also with John today, as the viewers on YouTube, 12 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:46.439 we'll see as we have the man who can give 13 00:00:46.520 --> 00:00:50.439 us all of the fields for the world of Rocky fandom, 14 00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:51.960 Ben Carter, how are you doing today, man? 15 00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:53.320 I'm good. 16 00:00:53.399 --> 00:00:55.159 Yeah. But last time we recorded, I said the Rockies 17 00:00:55.200 --> 00:00:57.000 a hit rock bottom and the very next night they 18 00:00:57.000 --> 00:00:59.759 lost twenty one nil and then sacked two very important 19 00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:02.000 people on their team. So I'm not going to do 20 00:01:02.039 --> 00:01:04.879 anything like that this time because they can always get worse. 21 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:07.719 Is that way You've come in Tiger's full kit? 22 00:01:08.519 --> 00:01:08.840 Correct? 23 00:01:09.079 --> 00:01:12.760 Hope you're hoping to divert the Whodo onto a different franchise. 24 00:01:13.400 --> 00:01:16.319 YouTube viewers are going to be confused. It's Royals last week, 25 00:01:16.359 --> 00:01:18.560 Tigers this week. Just a big AL Central. 26 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:21.439 Fan me, now, yeah, and the one who supports the 27 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:23.200 Al Central team is wearing a bunch of angels. 28 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:24.519 Geary picked up on the West Coast. 29 00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:30.239 So yeah, before we get into the musings of my 30 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:32.599 trip that I've just been on in California for three weeks, 31 00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:34.640 I think we have to talk through a couple of 32 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:38.519 key topics, which I've hinted on two of them already, 33 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:41.480 but I think we do have to start with the 34 00:01:41.959 --> 00:01:45.879 latest I think episode of the telenovela that is Raphael 35 00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:48.200 Devers and the Boston Red Sox. 36 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:51.480 Like this is just it's amazing. 37 00:01:51.640 --> 00:01:53.599 Like we we chatted at the start of the season, 38 00:01:53.719 --> 00:01:55.920 how like, how do you not have a conversation with 39 00:01:55.959 --> 00:01:58.200 your player before that player then says something out in 40 00:01:58.280 --> 00:02:01.400 public and be like, hey, don't say this, And we thought, well, 41 00:02:01.400 --> 00:02:03.079 maybe they will have learned from it. Well, I guess 42 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:05.840 the answer is they haven't. We've had the wonders of 43 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:08.560 Raffie Devers basically telling the whole entire public that he 44 00:02:08.599 --> 00:02:10.639 does not want to play for a space. I think 45 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:13.680 there was a definite level of mistranslation. Again, as we've 46 00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:15.840 had with some of this before from him stayings in Spanish, 47 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:17.840 just not saying he doesn't want to do it, but 48 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:19.719 the fact that he doesn't know how to do it 49 00:02:20.039 --> 00:02:24.879 and it's a difficult thing to do. But John, who 50 00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:29.199 is most in the wrong here devers Breslo. John Henry like, 51 00:02:29.240 --> 00:02:32.039 how much should a player bend for a team? 52 00:02:32.360 --> 00:02:34.360 Well, I think first things first is I'm going to 53 00:02:34.439 --> 00:02:38.240 doff my cap for the culturally appropriate reference they're telling novella, 54 00:02:38.400 --> 00:02:39.520 very very very nice. 55 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:43.159 It's a really good barbecue boys, So that's fine. 56 00:02:43.240 --> 00:02:46.400 I did you. Oh well, there you go, Jake and 57 00:02:46.479 --> 00:02:50.960 Jordan always splicing the trail for us. As Ever, it's 58 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:52.919 a good question, Rouss. I don't really think I have 59 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:56.560 a straight answer to it. Unfortunately, I have been I'll 60 00:02:56.599 --> 00:03:02.840 be honest, quite surprised how much blowback there's been on 61 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:06.240 Devas in the Boston Red Sox fan base. I mean, look, 62 00:03:06.319 --> 00:03:10.400 this is a fan base that likes to beat people 63 00:03:10.479 --> 00:03:16.000 up unnecessarily, so you know that point. Notwithstanding, I feel 64 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:19.560 genuinely quite sorry for him, like I think in the summer, 65 00:03:20.280 --> 00:03:24.280 in the off season, sorry, he was treated really poorly. 66 00:03:24.680 --> 00:03:29.360 I think the decision to prioritize Alex Bregman for the 67 00:03:29.400 --> 00:03:31.439 good of the team was probably the right one in 68 00:03:31.520 --> 00:03:35.000 baseball terms. But as you said in your intro, there's 69 00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:36.759 no way that he should have been hung out to 70 00:03:36.840 --> 00:03:39.479 dry as the leader of the team, the face of 71 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:42.879 the franchise, and asked questions about how he felt about 72 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:46.719 that possibility, he should have been guarded away from it, 73 00:03:46.759 --> 00:03:51.120 and he just wasn't. And obviously there are really difficult 74 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:56.919 circumstances with Tristan Cossus. It's difficult. It's the worst possible 75 00:03:56.919 --> 00:03:58.759 injury that could happen to the Red Sox. You know, 76 00:03:58.800 --> 00:04:01.000 they have two of the best prospects in baseball ready 77 00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:03.439 to play, and they can play basically every single position 78 00:04:03.479 --> 00:04:05.439 apart from that one. Well, they could play that position, 79 00:04:05.479 --> 00:04:07.240 but why would you want them to be an entire, 80 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:10.599 entire waste of their talent. It's the worst possible injury 81 00:04:10.599 --> 00:04:13.319 for the Red Sox, and there is an obvious solution. 82 00:04:13.719 --> 00:04:17.560 Like Raffield Evers is a decent third baseman, he's not 83 00:04:17.639 --> 00:04:20.519 fielding at all. He could fill in that position. But 84 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:24.199 I think it's totally understandable on a purely human level 85 00:04:24.879 --> 00:04:30.240 that he is rightly, righteously angry and feels like he's 86 00:04:30.279 --> 00:04:34.240 been totally jerked about. I don't know Craig Breslo personally. 87 00:04:34.319 --> 00:04:37.800 He seems like he's a smart guy, a very good 88 00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:41.360 baseball person, a good baseball player, and a great baseball mind. 89 00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:44.000 But he doesn't seem to have a great deal of 90 00:04:44.040 --> 00:04:48.360 emotional IQ and I think to approach Devers given the 91 00:04:48.399 --> 00:04:53.759 circumstances and sort of expect him to toe the line 92 00:04:55.600 --> 00:04:58.560 in a way that fit for the team immediately off 93 00:04:58.600 --> 00:05:02.000 the bat was just a lacking an entire lack of 94 00:05:02.040 --> 00:05:06.000 emotion like you. Contrast that to how Alex Koorra approached it, 95 00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:08.399 and he basically said right away, I don't think he's 96 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:11.759 going to play first base. He completely protected his player. 97 00:05:12.199 --> 00:05:14.920 I just feel really sorry for him now. I do 98 00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:17.759 understand why John Henry went to Kansas City and said, 99 00:05:17.800 --> 00:05:20.199 pull your finger out. I'm paying you thirty million dollars 100 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:24.720 a year to do this. You will be doing this 101 00:05:24.759 --> 00:05:28.120 for the good of the team. I also find the 102 00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:30.879 reporting of that really stranger. That he's gone there to 103 00:05:30.920 --> 00:05:33.279 read the riot Act. I would imagine he's probably gone 104 00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:35.920 out there to put an arm around him and try 105 00:05:35.959 --> 00:05:37.439 and talk him around to it. I think he probably 106 00:05:37.480 --> 00:05:41.959 will do it eventually. I just think it's been managed 107 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:46.199 really poorly, primarily by Craig Breslo. And what he said 108 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:49.000 was right, he's never done it before. It's not the 109 00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:52.759 optimal solution. So yeah, it could have been handled a 110 00:05:52.879 --> 00:05:56.399 hell of a lot better. And I find myself not 111 00:05:56.519 --> 00:05:59.720 for the first time disappointed in the Boston fan base 112 00:05:59.759 --> 00:06:03.439 that they have not been able to recognize first and 113 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:06.680 foremost that although these guys are athletes, although they're paid 114 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:08.439 a hell of a lot of money and they should 115 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:11.879 suck things up, I'm not saying that's not a tree point, 116 00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:15.759 they are human beings, and that human being has been 117 00:06:15.800 --> 00:06:20.240 treated pretty poorly for the last six months by the 118 00:06:20.279 --> 00:06:23.399 team he's contracted to. So yeah, I think I think 119 00:06:23.399 --> 00:06:24.680 he deserves a bit of a break. 120 00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:27.639 I think from my point of view, and I'll come 121 00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:30.720 to you next Ben quickly, is that we saw him 122 00:06:30.759 --> 00:06:32.720 then have the worst start to the season that is 123 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:35.680 probably imaginable, and everybody was just like, oh, you see, look, 124 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:37.439 he's not even going to give it anything to the team. 125 00:06:38.839 --> 00:06:41.399 Since what eight games into the season, he's probably been 126 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:44.439 the second best player in baseball. He's been on an 127 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:47.000 absolute tear, and that seems to have earned him nothing 128 00:06:47.240 --> 00:06:50.920 with with the fandom, which I can't understand. Like Ben, 129 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:54.720 if this was your franchise player of this was Chris 130 00:06:54.759 --> 00:06:58.199 Bryant and he wasn't performing A wait, that is the truth, 131 00:06:59.000 --> 00:07:00.240 how would you feel all? 132 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:05.319 I think it's a very strange way to treat your 133 00:07:05.319 --> 00:07:08.160 franchise player first and foremost, Like I get wanting to 134 00:07:08.439 --> 00:07:10.480 fill a gap at first base, and the results have 135 00:07:10.519 --> 00:07:12.920 been a very unique position. Where as John said, they 136 00:07:12.959 --> 00:07:15.680 aren't short of hitting talent, they are just short of 137 00:07:15.720 --> 00:07:17.800 hitting talent that can play first base right now, which 138 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:20.360 is not a position made teams find themselves in. But 139 00:07:20.480 --> 00:07:23.160 usually the first person you are protecting our situation is 140 00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:26.240 your mega superstar on the big contract. He wouldn't be 141 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:28.399 the one that you'd be like, right, you shove over 142 00:07:28.439 --> 00:07:30.160 and play that position now because we need you to. 143 00:07:31.160 --> 00:07:32.480 And I have a lot of sympathy for Devors for 144 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:34.240 the reasons that John outlined, Like he was jerked around 145 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:36.199 a bit in spring training where I don't think he 146 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:39.319 gave a great account for himself. He sucked it up 147 00:07:39.319 --> 00:07:41.240 play DH as you say, has now been their best 148 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:43.399 player and one of the best hitters in baseball for 149 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:45.959 the last month and now is being sort of jerked 150 00:07:45.959 --> 00:07:49.240 around a little bit again. So yeah, look I'm inclined 151 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:51.600 to take his side more than the Red Sox side. 152 00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:53.879 Do I think he should have handled it differently, Yes, 153 00:07:54.839 --> 00:07:57.360 of course, like airing us out in public in a 154 00:07:57.399 --> 00:07:59.600 pretty explosive press conference not the best way to go 155 00:07:59.639 --> 00:08:04.720 about it. But ultimately, it is difficult to play first base, 156 00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:06.279 and we've seen guys try and do it. I Meank 157 00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:08.720 Carle Shauber with the Red Sox right was an absolute 158 00:08:08.759 --> 00:08:10.839 disaster over there. And look, Devers is a better defender 159 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:12.720 than Shauber ever has been. I'm sure he do a 160 00:08:12.759 --> 00:08:14.319 better job at first base. You can see why he'd 161 00:08:14.360 --> 00:08:16.959 want to protect himself a little bit from being lambasted 162 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:18.839 by fans in the media when he turns out not 163 00:08:18.879 --> 00:08:20.680 to be a gold glove first base first time paying 164 00:08:20.680 --> 00:08:23.360 the position. So ultimately I think he will give it 165 00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:23.600 a go. 166 00:08:23.959 --> 00:08:25.680 Yeah, it's bloody. 167 00:08:25.319 --> 00:08:28.920 Exactly exactly, and I think he will give it a go, 168 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:31.360 and I think he'll probably end up perfectly serviceable there. 169 00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:34.320 But the whole thing, presumably is that's a pretty nasty 170 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:36.159 taste in his mouth, and it feels like it has 171 00:08:36.159 --> 00:08:40.480 the potential to spiral in a bad way for the team. 172 00:08:40.519 --> 00:08:43.000 So yeah, we'll see. It's a strange drama. 173 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:45.759 He's got ten years left on his contract, and after 174 00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:48.360 five games of the season, we were all laughing and saying, 175 00:08:48.440 --> 00:08:51.519 oh my goodness, that's a terrible contract. But now we're 176 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:53.639 kind of laughing at it for a completely different reason 177 00:08:53.639 --> 00:08:56.240 because Russell rightly points out if it wasn't for our 178 00:08:56.320 --> 00:08:58.840 and judge, he'd be the best hitter in baseball nor 179 00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:01.840 injudges as you just go last week, arguably the best 180 00:09:01.919 --> 00:09:06.559 righthanded of all time. He's been ridiculous since like eight 181 00:09:06.600 --> 00:09:10.879 gomes into the season. His ops is like almost a thousand. 182 00:09:11.240 --> 00:09:15.360 It's absolutely stupid. His ops last week was about eighteen 183 00:09:15.480 --> 00:09:19.840 hundred in a week. And he's doing this whilst all 184 00:09:19.879 --> 00:09:23.639 this guff is going on. Just pissed that guy off. Yeah, 185 00:09:23.759 --> 00:09:26.440 put some love on that guy's name right now, please. 186 00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:28.600 Okay, So I think we've got I got two quick 187 00:09:28.679 --> 00:09:29.519 questions which. 188 00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:31.039 I want to answer, ask you both about this. 189 00:09:31.480 --> 00:09:34.080 When do we think the redfield devis first plays first 190 00:09:34.080 --> 00:09:35.360 base for the Boston Red Sox. 191 00:09:35.480 --> 00:09:38.679 I think it's probably going to be in June. I 192 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:42.200 think he's probably working out with them now quite quietly 193 00:09:42.399 --> 00:09:44.879 behind the scenes. They're on the road at the moment, 194 00:09:44.919 --> 00:09:47.720 so it's a little bit more difficult to do it with, 195 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:51.120 you know, outside of the view of Pete Pete Abraham 196 00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:54.200 and his pals in the press box. But I wouldn't 197 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:57.080 be surprised if he's he's already taking reps with that 198 00:09:57.159 --> 00:10:00.840 met Yeah. I mean, he shifted to dh immediately after 199 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:02.600 that whole fury broke out, didn't he. I'd set the 200 00:10:02.639 --> 00:10:05.120 over under around June first, and honestly, I wouldn't surprise 201 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:08.480 me if, like next week we start seeing him taking 202 00:10:08.480 --> 00:10:09.200 a few reps there. 203 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:11.279 So yeah, I think he does come around eventually, but 204 00:10:11.320 --> 00:10:13.399 what a weird way of getting there when they do. 205 00:10:14.519 --> 00:10:17.240 And the one that I think is funnier. Who will 206 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:20.519 be a Boston Red Sox part or the Organization for 207 00:10:20.559 --> 00:10:23.799 Longer Raffiae Evers, Craig Breslo or John Henry. 208 00:10:23.960 --> 00:10:27.360 I mean, that's a really good question. I think in 209 00:10:27.960 --> 00:10:32.200 this order it'll be John Henry, Raffie Devers, and Craig Breslow, 210 00:10:32.279 --> 00:10:35.600 to be honest. And we're also overlooking the real victim 211 00:10:35.639 --> 00:10:38.279 of this scenario, which is none of those three. But 212 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:41.679 it's mass attacker. Yes, he's the real victim. 213 00:10:41.960 --> 00:10:43.759 He's taken a lot of black hathn't. 214 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:48.600 He Because that guy, that guy really is the odd 215 00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:50.679 man out if we're talking about people being the odd 216 00:10:50.759 --> 00:10:53.200 man out, and he must have seen he must be 217 00:10:53.279 --> 00:10:56.759 the only person who was happy to see Tristan Cossis 218 00:10:56.799 --> 00:11:02.000 go down. It's my time. Wrong, you're staying on the 219 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:04.399 phantom il Son say you whenever? 220 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:09.039 Okay, So talking about something else that's probably quite phantom 221 00:11:09.120 --> 00:11:12.639 to some of us. The pope is a Chicago White 222 00:11:12.679 --> 00:11:16.799 Sox fan. This is something that we all seemingly found 223 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:19.240 out over the weekend. A little bit towards the end 224 00:11:19.240 --> 00:11:21.720 of last week, there was some initial rumors that he 225 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:23.919 was a Cubs fan, and then it came out that 226 00:11:23.960 --> 00:11:26.360 he was a Chicago White Sox fan, and then beyond that, 227 00:11:26.919 --> 00:11:29.559 there's evidence of him going to White Sox games, even 228 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:32.399 going to the World Series like in two thousand and five. 229 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:34.919 All of this to me is like, it's kind of 230 00:11:34.960 --> 00:11:37.519 hilarious that like we now live in an age that 231 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:40.320 like anybody becomes pope and you can go back and 232 00:11:40.360 --> 00:11:42.279 be like, what do they do for the last twenty years, Like, 233 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:44.320 oh my god, they're a White Sox fan. This is 234 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:47.480 the most amazing thing in the world. Have you seen 235 00:11:48.440 --> 00:11:53.200 the tops Now card for the Pope? So they released 236 00:11:53.240 --> 00:11:56.080 the tops now card, which is what Tops seemingly have 237 00:11:56.120 --> 00:11:59.320 done to become even more ridiculous with cards than possible. 238 00:11:59.320 --> 00:12:02.159 Whoever created the tops Now I need to like tip 239 00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:04.399 the cap like you guys. The person is an absolute genius, 240 00:12:04.399 --> 00:12:06.399 just being like something happened to megacard about it. People 241 00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:08.600 will buy a ton of them because it's only available 242 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:11.039 for three days. The Pope one has sold over one 243 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:15.240 hundred and thirty thousand copies. It is basically the best 244 00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:18.159 selling tops Now card of this year, and it's the 245 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:21.480 highest selling tops Now card for a non sport ever. 246 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:24.759 Is it the Pope at the World Series or is 247 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:28.879 it you know on on the Balcony St Peter's him 248 00:12:28.919 --> 00:12:33.200 on the balcony in the side by the side by 249 00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:35.399 side of him, him and the miter and him in 250 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:36.679 the in the White. 251 00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:41.759 Sox probably come out sooner we might have been able 252 00:12:41.759 --> 00:12:43.519 to get that, But I think then being on the 253 00:12:44.320 --> 00:12:47.039 on like the on on on the kind of the 254 00:12:47.039 --> 00:12:48.960 money when it came out, they went straight away with 255 00:12:49.039 --> 00:12:51.840 that card and I'm just like to me, it's just 256 00:12:51.879 --> 00:12:55.120 everything that's American like thrown together like into one thing. 257 00:12:55.159 --> 00:12:58.919 It's like something that's overly religious. It's baseball. It's not 258 00:12:58.960 --> 00:13:01.879 only just baseball fandom, it's baseball cards. I just can't 259 00:13:01.879 --> 00:13:05.080 think of anything that is just more encapsulates America in 260 00:13:05.159 --> 00:13:07.840 like one thing than a Pope baseball card. 261 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:11.639 It's also very Chicago as well, right, Yeah, there this 262 00:13:11.720 --> 00:13:14.960 Catholic guy who's from the South Side who's a White 263 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:17.720 Sox fan because he's and also like if you read 264 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:21.559 anything about him, he's like notoriously for the little guy, right, 265 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:23.960 he was a bishop in Peru and stuff like, of 266 00:13:23.960 --> 00:13:27.120 course he's a white Sox fan. Although my favorite thing 267 00:13:27.159 --> 00:13:29.080 that I saw about this in that sort of twelve 268 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:32.120 fourteen hour inter regnan where we thought he was a 269 00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:35.519 Cubs fan, someone had mocked up the white smoke with 270 00:13:35.559 --> 00:13:38.360 the blue w on it, which was I was genuinely 271 00:13:38.440 --> 00:13:40.279 laughed out loud at that. So when I found out 272 00:13:40.279 --> 00:13:41.960 it was a White Sox song, like, oh no, that 273 00:13:42.120 --> 00:13:46.960 was such a good joke. Yea fly the w from 274 00:13:47.000 --> 00:13:50.480 the chimney of the of the Sistine Chapel. But yeah, 275 00:13:51.159 --> 00:13:55.840 very very lovely slice of Americana. And yeah, well the 276 00:13:55.840 --> 00:13:57.360 White Sox needs something, don't they. 277 00:13:58.320 --> 00:14:00.200 We've got to get the Pope into that is the 278 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:02.960 leaked City Connect jersey that looks just like a Bulls jersey, 279 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:05.759 like that thing that tops card is going triple platinum 280 00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:08.519 when we can get the Pope mocked up in that jersey. 281 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:10.360 But yeah, I mean it's It was a great day 282 00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:13.360 to be on well just you know, social media generally, 283 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:15.480 but certainly baseball social media when we discovered that the 284 00:14:15.480 --> 00:14:19.279 Pope is not only from Chicago but an avid baseball fan, seemingly, 285 00:14:19.320 --> 00:14:22.960 although for which team. Yeah, I was unclear for a while. Yeah, delicious, 286 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:24.480 And I think it was assessed with as barbecue boys 287 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:27.120 who pointed out the clip of him out the World Series. 288 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:29.919 Someone found it. It was two outs in the ninth inning. 289 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:32.600 So some poor soul watched three and a half hours 290 00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:35.360 of a twenty year old World Series game hoping I'd 291 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:36.879 be on hope to see the Pope at some point 292 00:14:36.960 --> 00:14:38.879 in it. And in the final up that of the game, 293 00:14:39.399 --> 00:14:41.360 his lid pops up on screen. That must have been 294 00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:42.840 a euphoric moment when you're like. 295 00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:46.519 There he is, I've got him. There he is total 296 00:14:46.600 --> 00:14:48.720 Leo the fourteenth as I live. 297 00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:54.240 I think the one thing that this hopefully cement is 298 00:14:54.279 --> 00:14:57.799 that I think that we'll go to have a more 299 00:14:57.799 --> 00:15:01.120 international baseball in Europe. Think we're going to definitely now 300 00:15:01.159 --> 00:15:04.039 have the White Sox versus the Cubs having an international 301 00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:06.240 series with the Pope throwing out the first ball somewhere 302 00:15:06.279 --> 00:15:08.840 in in Rome. I think that like MLB will be 303 00:15:09.559 --> 00:15:11.320 all on that if they can. Got to kind of 304 00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:12.960 work out that SEO as best. 305 00:15:12.759 --> 00:15:16.840 As you can, getting sent Peter Square set up for that. 306 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:22.360 Yeah, but Dingers into the basilica or whatever and just 307 00:15:22.440 --> 00:15:25.440 like damaging like one hundred thousand year or like a 308 00:15:25.480 --> 00:15:27.120 two thousand year old architecture. 309 00:15:27.159 --> 00:15:28.240 I think it's a. 310 00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:31.799 Some of fun. Robert Harris, I've got an idea for 311 00:15:31.879 --> 00:15:37.759 Conclave too. I'm city. 312 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:39.559 I can't believe Vatcan City is getting a baseball team 313 00:15:39.559 --> 00:15:40.480 before roy Utah. 314 00:15:40.519 --> 00:15:47.960 This is outrageous, okaylight sightly different denomination that Ben. That's 315 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:49.320 true big rivalry actually. 316 00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:53.679 So the other thing that I alluded to in our 317 00:15:53.879 --> 00:15:59.759 opening was the potentially expected, if not then still surprising 318 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:02.320 firing of the Rockies manager. 319 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:03.919 Ben. 320 00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:07.759 I think we have to go to you first. Was 321 00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:10.919 this unexpected? Was this expected. Did we think that, like, 322 00:16:11.480 --> 00:16:13.200 because there was only a season left, he was probably 323 00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:15.360 gonna survive the entire time period. 324 00:16:15.639 --> 00:16:18.080 This was pointless, is what it was. I get it 325 00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:22.039 because like they had to do something. You know, the 326 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:24.519 Pirates went and fired Derek Shelton. As we discussed, they 327 00:16:24.519 --> 00:16:26.639 were the first to move. And I guess when you're 328 00:16:26.679 --> 00:16:28.720 on pace to be the worst team in history and 329 00:16:28.759 --> 00:16:31.159 you lose a game twenty one nil, you kind of 330 00:16:31.159 --> 00:16:33.720 have to do something. I don't think Bud Black is 331 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:36.279 at fault here. I think he's a pretty good manager. 332 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:38.000 I think he'll get a job somewhere else, maybe not 333 00:16:38.039 --> 00:16:40.559 as a manager, but certainly he's well respected within the league, 334 00:16:40.600 --> 00:16:43.840 and I think the team liked him. But you do 335 00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:46.000 have to do something right. I don't quite know how 336 00:16:46.039 --> 00:16:47.919 Bill Schmidt as GM has kept his job. I guess 337 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:50.840 he's not been there that long. But this is clearly 338 00:16:50.840 --> 00:16:53.200 an issue of roster building, right. This is not you know, 339 00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:55.639 on field decision making. It's letting the Rockies down here. 340 00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:58.120 You know, I have many ballpen moves poor Buddy Black 341 00:16:58.200 --> 00:17:00.159 or line that moves he could make, and again he's 342 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:02.600 made some questionable ones. Certainly, you are the lineup, but like, 343 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:05.440 this is a roster building problem. So this is yeah, 344 00:17:05.480 --> 00:17:07.359 shoffing the deck chairs on the Titanic. This won't make 345 00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:09.839 any difference really in the outcome of this season for 346 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:12.319 the Rockies. But I also get optically for fans who 347 00:17:12.359 --> 00:17:14.920 traveled to the game every every night and try to 348 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:16.920 cheer for this team, you do have to do something 349 00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:19.599 and that is probably the easiest leaver to Paul right, 350 00:17:19.759 --> 00:17:22.519 is going to the manager bring someone else in. We're 351 00:17:22.559 --> 00:17:23.920 not happy with the level of baseball we've seen so 352 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:26.960 far this season. This doesn't represent us as a franchise. 353 00:17:27.079 --> 00:17:29.519 We want to be better. It's not gonna change anything, 354 00:17:29.640 --> 00:17:32.000 but at least it shows you're trying to do something 355 00:17:32.079 --> 00:17:33.519 in a sort of superficial way. 356 00:17:34.599 --> 00:17:38.519 Has anyone read the piece that Jakement's right second mention 357 00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:41.799 for Jakements in this podcast about how the Rockies are 358 00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:45.960 it's well worth. There's a good one in the Athletics 359 00:17:45.960 --> 00:17:50.519 this week as well. Yeah, yeah, it's it's absolutely ludicrous. 360 00:17:50.759 --> 00:17:54.000 Like the paragraph that blew my mind the most is 361 00:17:54.039 --> 00:17:57.240 like the list of how long the tenure is of 362 00:17:57.440 --> 00:18:00.839 all of the senior executives. Yeah that I can't remember 363 00:18:00.920 --> 00:18:02.759 exactly which one of them. But there's one of them 364 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:05.759 who's been there since the founding of the franchise, who's 365 00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:09.599 like a VP of baseball ops. Schmid has been there 366 00:18:09.640 --> 00:18:13.440 since nineteen ninety nine, so you know, you could say 367 00:18:13.640 --> 00:18:15.440 he's not been the GM for that long. He has 368 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:17.839 been the gym for four years, right, and the team 369 00:18:17.880 --> 00:18:20.240 has got worse in every single one of those four years. 370 00:18:20.279 --> 00:18:23.799 But he's been there since nineteen ninety nine. Yeah. The 371 00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:26.559 fundamental point here is that, as a load of people 372 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:29.000 have said before, other people have said it better than us. 373 00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:31.880 There's a brilliant David Roth tweet about this. It's about 374 00:18:31.880 --> 00:18:34.200 five years old, and it's still entirely relevant. They're not 375 00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:37.000 actually trying to build a baseball team. They're just having 376 00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:39.519 a nice time with their friends. That is literally what 377 00:18:39.599 --> 00:18:40.200 they're doing. 378 00:18:42.519 --> 00:18:45.880 Yeah, vibes, and isn't it a nice ballpark? And shall 379 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:47.720 we watch a game? Oh? We lost so well? 380 00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:50.119 I mean beyond I mean yeah, you're right. 381 00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:52.720 The tenure of some of the guys there, it's unbelievable, Like, 382 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:55.519 why does the same thing keep happening to us? We 383 00:18:55.519 --> 00:18:57.079 should keep those guys in their jobs store for other 384 00:18:57.119 --> 00:18:59.400 twenty years and see if things change. Same with I 385 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:02.400 mean Dick one for his son is currently the head 386 00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:06.200 of I think it's pro scouting, like unbelievable. And I 387 00:19:06.279 --> 00:19:08.160 read an article about how you know, it's not like 388 00:19:08.200 --> 00:19:10.640 you just got given the job, but come on, the 389 00:19:10.680 --> 00:19:13.160 owner's son having such an important baseball position. 390 00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:14.960 That's not how good franchises are run. 391 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:18.920 And yeah, it's unbelievable that there hasn't been more wide 392 00:19:18.920 --> 00:19:21.160 scale change in the history of this franchise given a futility. 393 00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:26.000 But that is just the Rockies, right, and I don't 394 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:28.319 see it changing anytime soon. And part of the thing, 395 00:19:28.599 --> 00:19:29.880 you know, I think, but Black was only the fifth 396 00:19:29.920 --> 00:19:31.640 or sick manager in history. They don't tend to make 397 00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:34.720 big changes, so this is quite a big change for them. 398 00:19:35.079 --> 00:19:38.279 But like, at some point just tear it all down 399 00:19:38.359 --> 00:19:41.359 right and restart. What you're doing isn't working. But I 400 00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:43.039 have no faith in ownership to actually do that at 401 00:19:43.079 --> 00:19:45.640