WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.679 --> 00:00:04.719 Hello, and welcome to Batflips and Nerds, the baseball podcast 2 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:07.759 with a British twist. I am your host this week 3 00:00:08.199 --> 00:00:11.359 John McGee and joining me are two of the finest 4 00:00:11.359 --> 00:00:14.919 baseball minds on this part side of the pond. Mister 5 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:16.120 Russell Eason, how are you. 6 00:00:16.519 --> 00:00:19.000 I'm doing good, John, I'm doing good. Baseball season is 7 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:21.800 well and truly into its works. We've had the start 8 00:00:21.800 --> 00:00:24.239 of the baseball season in the UK as well, so 9 00:00:24.760 --> 00:00:26.640 it's perfect for it to start rating now. Is that 10 00:00:26.679 --> 00:00:29.800 nobody else can play baseball for a while? Yeah? 11 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:32.359 Yeah, how's your How's it going? 12 00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:33.119 How? 13 00:00:33.320 --> 00:00:35.799 How how's how's how's that going? Have you got a 14 00:00:35.799 --> 00:00:36.759 torpedo back yet? 15 00:00:37.399 --> 00:00:40.119 No, I'm literally going out to the States in a 16 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:42.600 few days and basically half of my team have been 17 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:44.759 like by a torpedo bat by a torpedo bat, bio 18 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:47.880 torpedo bat. So there may be one coming back if 19 00:00:47.880 --> 00:00:50.840 I find one that is reasonably priced in some sort 20 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:53.200 of a store in California, which is probably not actually 21 00:00:53.280 --> 00:00:55.920 that likely because it's California, but who knows. 22 00:00:56.880 --> 00:01:01.280 Well, that'll be the last that you hear about that story, 23 00:01:01.359 --> 00:01:04.000 because Rob Naveria, you really don't want to talk about 24 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:08.000 torpedo bats and neither do I. Well, you got it 25 00:01:08.040 --> 00:01:10.879 out of your system last time, didn't you. 26 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:13.040 Get it out of my system? It was never that 27 00:01:13.079 --> 00:01:15.879 far into my system, As I'd like to clearly point out. 28 00:01:17.239 --> 00:01:20.840 Please, can we stop talking about these bloody, infernal bats. 29 00:01:20.920 --> 00:01:22.879 You can tell it's the start of the season. Just 30 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:27.480 shut up. Stop. Every single Instagram post does not need 31 00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:32.000 to be about these flipping bats. Stop it, rob right. 32 00:01:32.280 --> 00:01:38.159 I'm sorry, Yeah, I'm all over Instagram obviously. Yes, no, well, 33 00:01:38.200 --> 00:01:39.519 you know, we just need something else toly. 34 00:01:39.400 --> 00:01:39.840 To talk about it. 35 00:01:39.879 --> 00:01:41.719 I'm sure we'll come acrossing couple of those today. There's 36 00:01:41.719 --> 00:01:42.799 plenty of silliness. 37 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:45.719 Yes, indeed, there's plenty of silliness. But before we get 38 00:01:45.719 --> 00:01:48.040 into the silliness, we must point out that we are 39 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:51.640 recording this on the fifteenth of April twenty twenty five. 40 00:01:51.719 --> 00:01:56.040 It is Jackie Robinson Day, so we must remark on 41 00:01:56.359 --> 00:01:59.959 the brilliant life and career of one of the great 42 00:02:00.120 --> 00:02:03.719 sportsman of all time. Everyone will be wearing forty two 43 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:07.079 today and that we are wearing it in spirit. But 44 00:02:07.159 --> 00:02:10.719 it would be remiss of us not to tackle the 45 00:02:10.759 --> 00:02:14.280 elephant in the room around this. Jackie Robinson Day, because unfortunately, 46 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:17.199 it feels a little different to some of the others 47 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:21.360 that we've seen through in the past. So I would 48 00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:24.919 urge you to go and read a brilliant piece by 49 00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:27.560 friend of the podcast Jake Mints of the Suspendies Barbecue 50 00:02:27.599 --> 00:02:31.159 at Yahoo's Sports on this topic. It is incredibly erudite 51 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:34.159 and incredibly thoughtful, and you will forgive me for a 52 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:37.599 moment for sharing some of Jake's original thoughts so which 53 00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:43.759 you know I happen to share. It doesn't seem like 54 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:47.439 the sport of baseball is embodying the spirit of the 55 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:51.159 man of Jackie Robinson, merely celebrating his existence. This year. 56 00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:55.360 You can't talk about Jackie Robinson and ignore the fact 57 00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:59.240 that Major League Baseball appears to have removed references to 58 00:02:59.599 --> 00:03:04.520 diverse equality and inclusion from its website. You can't talk 59 00:03:04.639 --> 00:03:09.639 about Jackie Robinson this year without pointing out the fact 60 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:12.719 that his team, the Dodgers, the LA Dodgers, he was a, 61 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:16.479 of course, a Brooklyn Dodger, visited the White House, as 62 00:03:16.599 --> 00:03:19.599 is their wish when they are the champions of Major 63 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:23.000 League Baseball, having won the twenty twenty four World Series, 64 00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:26.000 and all of them to a man shook hands with 65 00:03:26.360 --> 00:03:30.319 a president who is, if I'm being kind, incredibly divisive, 66 00:03:30.759 --> 00:03:36.520 if I'm being factual, sending people to a country far 67 00:03:36.599 --> 00:03:39.800 away from where they were born, where they are settled, 68 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:43.639 and where their family life is for no reason incorrectly 69 00:03:43.840 --> 00:03:48.199 and not returning these people home. The Dodgers felt like 70 00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:51.560 that was okay. This is the club of Jackie Robinson, 71 00:03:52.120 --> 00:03:55.319 and to say that that's a shame, I think is 72 00:03:55.319 --> 00:03:59.039 the understatement of the century. Jackie Robinson is one of 73 00:03:59.080 --> 00:04:02.800 the most important people in the history of the world. 74 00:04:03.560 --> 00:04:08.360 He changed the course of American life for the better 75 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:11.360 when he broke the color barrier in the nineteen fifties. 76 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:17.600 Major League Baseball had an opportunity right now to make 77 00:04:17.639 --> 00:04:21.879 a stand for the millions of people in their country 78 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:26.319 who think that's important, not just people of color, but 79 00:04:26.439 --> 00:04:30.279 people who think that the just way and the right 80 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:32.959 way is the way to live their life. And it's 81 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:36.800 what's sport embodies, and it's what Jackie Robinson embodied. It 82 00:04:36.920 --> 00:04:42.240 just feels like it's a shame that in pursuit of capital, 83 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:46.240 in pursuit of political advantage, and in pursuit of whatever 84 00:04:46.279 --> 00:04:51.600 the hell they think is to their advantage the sport, 85 00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:55.319 the owners, and unfortunately many of its greatest players have 86 00:04:55.959 --> 00:04:59.920 turned away from that ideal. Let's talk about some fun stuff. 87 00:05:01.800 --> 00:05:04.920 He's going to take us into the next bit transition there. 88 00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:12.199 Well, it's hard. Sure we talk about I don't know 89 00:05:12.439 --> 00:05:15.720 where do we go after that? It still feels quite 90 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:17.600 early to be talking about where the clubs are good. 91 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:20.439 I know you Robin and Ben and Darius did a 92 00:05:20.519 --> 00:05:23.399 really good job of picking the bones out of the 93 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:26.800 early season a couple of weeks ago. But it does 94 00:05:26.839 --> 00:05:29.839 feel like there's a bit of a pan now nowhere 95 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:34.040 more so than in our two favorite divisions, the two 96 00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:38.480 central divisions, the NLNA L Central, where it's pretty clear 97 00:05:38.759 --> 00:05:45.600 that there are, as we anticipated, not very many good teams. Indeed, 98 00:05:45.639 --> 00:05:48.439 they're appear to be only two out of the ten 99 00:05:48.519 --> 00:05:53.480 teams who are even approaching palatable. So should we talk 100 00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:55.360 about well, let's talk about the. 101 00:05:56.879 --> 00:05:57.000 Right. 102 00:05:57.040 --> 00:05:59.879 I'm going to ask you which do you think is 103 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:02.639 worse out of these two? Rob the an L or 104 00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:03.560 the AL Central. 105 00:06:04.519 --> 00:06:11.519 Ah, you see, your gut immediately goes with AL Central. 106 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:15.279 I feel, and just looking now at the stats, I 107 00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:18.480 think that is kind of backed up AL Central. But 108 00:06:18.560 --> 00:06:22.079 then yes, so okay, so like you're your best guys, 109 00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:24.879 You've got you've got the Tigers as your current AL 110 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:28.360 Central best team and the Cubs as your current NL 111 00:06:28.439 --> 00:06:30.879 Central best team. And if you're saying which one of 112 00:06:30.920 --> 00:06:32.800 them do you think is gonna be better, you're probably 113 00:06:32.839 --> 00:06:35.759 saying the Cubs, So like that's your top one that's better. 114 00:06:35.959 --> 00:06:37.360 And then if you even look all the way down 115 00:06:37.360 --> 00:06:38.839 through the and you look at the bottom and you say, 116 00:06:38.839 --> 00:06:40.839 all right, so the worst team in the division is 117 00:06:40.920 --> 00:06:46.399 the White Sox or the Pirates. And again, if you're 118 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:48.120 gonna pick one of those two that you get to back, 119 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:51.959 it's probably gonna be the Pirates. So it's gonna be 120 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:53.399 the AL Central that is the worst. 121 00:06:53.480 --> 00:06:57.639 Right, what do you think, Russell? It's it's a it's 122 00:06:57.639 --> 00:06:59.879 a pretty good argument. Most of the teams in the 123 00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:02.920 NL Central have actually got players that you want to watch. 124 00:07:03.480 --> 00:07:06.079 That cannot be said of many of the teams in 125 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:07.439 the AL Central. 126 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:10.399 It's like we'll come to some of it later on, 127 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:12.560 might have to come up with some new bads as 128 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:15.879 we're discovering it now. But like Kansas City's offense is 129 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:18.800 just awful, like basically Bobby with its basically trying to 130 00:07:18.839 --> 00:07:20.439 do exactly the same thing as he did last year 131 00:07:20.480 --> 00:07:22.000 and try and carry them on his back while they 132 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:23.920 have some pitching. But there's been a little to no 133 00:07:24.040 --> 00:07:26.839 improvement there. Yeah, obviously we joke out early and the 134 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:29.480 season is it used to be. Hey, when Mike Trout's 135 00:07:29.480 --> 00:07:31.560 the top of the Phantografts War leader board or whatever, 136 00:07:31.639 --> 00:07:34.160 you know, it's about time to start looking at stats. 137 00:07:34.199 --> 00:07:36.839 And I joke now that basically it's when judges are 138 00:07:36.920 --> 00:07:39.439 top of the the fangers leaderboards, you start to look 139 00:07:39.480 --> 00:07:41.279 at what the stats to me now and we're there. 140 00:07:41.319 --> 00:07:44.560 It's probably still a little bit early, but it's not 141 00:07:44.600 --> 00:07:49.800 been good. Like I've watched Cleveland versus Kansas now five times, no, 142 00:07:49.879 --> 00:07:52.240 or four times? Yeah, no, five times, and it's not 143 00:07:52.560 --> 00:07:56.319 None of those games have been like set alight by 144 00:07:57.360 --> 00:08:01.360 world class hitting. So there's real fear of those teams 145 00:08:01.399 --> 00:08:03.560 both just really struggling to kind of get out of 146 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:06.040 any sort of kind of level of mediocrity. I haven't 147 00:08:06.040 --> 00:08:09.199 seen the Twins too much, but just once again, it's 148 00:08:09.240 --> 00:08:11.519 just a lot of kind of like its injury upon 149 00:08:11.560 --> 00:08:13.839 injury upon injury on that team that just never works 150 00:08:13.879 --> 00:08:18.160 it out, and the are bad and Detroit maybe doing 151 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:20.079 what Cleveland have done for probably most of the last 152 00:08:20.120 --> 00:08:22.560 five or six years, which is basically win by default, 153 00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:26.639 and like that gets you the division he gets through. 154 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:28.240 Like the other side, I think it's what said, the 155 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:30.759 Cubs are definitely a good team. Like I think we 156 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:34.679 all maybe laid into the Cubs for losing that those 157 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:36.799 couple of games against the Dodgers so easily at the 158 00:08:36.799 --> 00:08:38.840 start of the season, and we were a little bit 159 00:08:40.120 --> 00:08:43.120 too early on that one. But yeah, like the rest 160 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:46.799 of that division, the Brewers probably had a little bit 161 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:48.679 of credit bill because of how they've kind of done 162 00:08:48.679 --> 00:08:50.480 things in the past that you can imagine. 163 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:54.120 That their pitching isn't poorly. 164 00:08:54.679 --> 00:08:56.799 But that's it. That's what they've been able to find 165 00:08:57.080 --> 00:09:00.639 and get to work. And I think Rob can maybe 166 00:09:00.679 --> 00:09:02.559 say as a race fan, like that can work for 167 00:09:02.679 --> 00:09:04.799 like six or seven seasons, but there's going to be 168 00:09:04.799 --> 00:09:07.240 the odd season to where it just fails completely. So 169 00:09:07.679 --> 00:09:09.200 I don't know if that's going to be that season. 170 00:09:09.879 --> 00:09:12.559 Everyone else it's just it's just such a level of 171 00:09:12.759 --> 00:09:15.960 mayor like there's just not things to get excited about, 172 00:09:16.159 --> 00:09:20.600 and that's it's just so depressing and at least the 173 00:09:20.679 --> 00:09:21.879 other time, I will say, like I would think the 174 00:09:21.960 --> 00:09:24.399 NAL Central is worth watching more. It's just because La 175 00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:26.759 the Cubs have actually tried to be a good team 176 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:30.279 and they're being rewarded for the success. And even though 177 00:09:30.279 --> 00:09:32.320 the Pirates are bad, you get to watch Paul schemes, 178 00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:36.240 so like, there's just nothing like that on Chicago, so. 179 00:09:38.840 --> 00:09:40.519 Of course, right, and yeah. 180 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:42.000 And Hunter Green on the Reds. Hunter Green has been 181 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:44.960 absolutely phenomenal. I think he leads like Bangruft's war. 182 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:47.759 But of us, some of us are saying that in 183 00:09:47.799 --> 00:09:56.200 our pre season preview it was not you two, Rob. 184 00:09:56.279 --> 00:09:59.399 Have you got any thoughts on why these divisions are 185 00:09:59.399 --> 00:10:01.679 so bad? Like why are they not trying? Obviously we've 186 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:05.240 got some traditional quote unquote small market teams and you know, 187 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:10.279 the Pirates, the Brewers, they never spend any money Cleveland, 188 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:14.639 of course, but beyond that, why are they not trying? 189 00:10:14.879 --> 00:10:17.000 Like all of these divisions are winnable or have they 190 00:10:17.080 --> 00:10:18.879 just looked at the Tigers and looked at the Cubs 191 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:23.360 and gone fair enough that they're winning their division? Ah, yeah, 192 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:24.559 see you next season, lads. 193 00:10:25.519 --> 00:10:29.240 The small market excuses bollocks and we've seen that, Yeah, bollocks, 194 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:32.159 because you know, We've seen the rays do it. We've 195 00:10:32.200 --> 00:10:34.759 seen the pod rays to an extent do it. We've 196 00:10:34.840 --> 00:10:36.919 seen clever teams that the a's have done it, you know, 197 00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:39.960 not now, but like for long stretches, the a's have 198 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:45.399 been punching well above their their their their position. So 199 00:10:45.720 --> 00:10:48.519 it's not that it's not that it's it's it's purely 200 00:10:48.600 --> 00:10:51.440 got to be strength and competition, you know, it's the 201 00:10:51.480 --> 00:10:54.320 survival of the fittest. And if no one's that fit, 202 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:56.559 then you haven't got to be fitter than the next guy. 203 00:10:56.720 --> 00:11:00.240 So essentially, this is a bunch of obese rangutans sat 204 00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:03.879 around eating too much, and there's nothing more to it 205 00:11:03.960 --> 00:11:05.600 than that. Like they haven't got to get higher in 206 00:11:05.600 --> 00:11:08.519 the tree. They don't need to outrun the predator because 207 00:11:08.639 --> 00:11:10.639 there isn't a predator in those divisions. And it's just 208 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:13.559 as simple as that, Like they're just lazy, there's no 209 00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:15.080 need to go for it. 210 00:11:15.159 --> 00:11:19.480 So why bother, why I bother, indeed, why bother talking 211 00:11:19.559 --> 00:11:24.120 any more about these two absolutely appalling divisions. Should we 212 00:11:24.120 --> 00:11:27.559 talk about a couple of good ones. Would you rather 213 00:11:27.639 --> 00:11:30.679 start in the NL West or the al e Strustle. 214 00:11:32.360 --> 00:11:34.200 Let's go NL west, because I think there's been a 215 00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:38.279 little bit more surprise, like in a couple of the teams, 216 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:40.600 Like I think a few of us were maybe slightly persumistic. 217 00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:42.399 Are we going to be nice about the pad Rice And. 218 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:48.399 Yeah, sadly we might have to say something nice. But 219 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:50.759 they've started well and they've basically have got the best record. 220 00:11:50.840 --> 00:11:51.039 Now. 221 00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:55.639 Giants looked really good watching some of the highlights of 222 00:11:55.399 --> 00:11:57.320 the games over the weekend. I think John Hoolee wish 223 00:11:57.320 --> 00:11:59.080 he plays the Yankee Stadium all the time. He was 224 00:11:59.080 --> 00:12:03.039 having a whale of time in those games. But no, 225 00:12:03.320 --> 00:12:07.120 and even like the Diamondbacks are nine and seven and 226 00:12:07.159 --> 00:12:08.919 I was looking at it being like, oh, they're like 227 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:10.919 four games out, and I'm like, well, they're actually nine 228 00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:14.120 and seven, which is basically better than almost every other 229 00:12:14.159 --> 00:12:18.399 team in the NL, so like apart from like the 230 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:21.080 part apart from the Phillies or whatever in the Cubs. 231 00:12:21.120 --> 00:12:24.200 So you're like, oh, we joke about it sometimes that 232 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:25.879 all one division is gonna get all of the wild 233 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:29.360 card teams, and well, who knows right now, But actually 234 00:12:29.399 --> 00:12:30.840 the thing is the Mets, not the Phillies, who are 235 00:12:30.840 --> 00:12:35.639 doing well. But yeah, it's looking like a bloody tough division. 236 00:12:35.639 --> 00:12:40.120 To win. I was chuckling that the Dodgers Fangrabs olds 237 00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:42.440 have gone down by two percent, like they've started the 238 00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:47.519 season like twelve and four, and they're odds down because 239 00:12:47.679 --> 00:12:51.519 everybody else's started out ridiculously good as well. So you've 240 00:12:51.559 --> 00:12:53.720 got one team at the top, and I'm still gonna 241 00:12:53.720 --> 00:12:56.080 be perfectly honest, I would not know who to choose 242 00:12:56.440 --> 00:12:59.039 between San Francisco and the Padres and the Diamondbacks. I 243 00:12:59.039 --> 00:13:02.039 would have had an opinion probably more towards the Padres 244 00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:03.960 come the start of this season, and with the Diamondbacks 245 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:06.639 are close kind of like third and the San Francisco 246 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:10.399 being a bit off, But that looks like maybe a 247 00:13:10.519 --> 00:13:13.639 one horse race and three very other people close behind it. 248 00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:15.720 Because I still think you can't really look away from 249 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:16.720 the Dodgers. 250 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:20.919 Yeah, over the long haul, they're surely going to be 251 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:22.799 the class act of that division. But it wouldn't be 252 00:13:22.840 --> 00:13:25.240 a surprise if both of the wild card well, it 253 00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:28.120 feels almost inevitable that both of the wild cards going 254 00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:29.399 to come out of that division the way that the 255 00:13:29.399 --> 00:13:32.200 Phillies and the Braves are started. But you know, baseball's 256 00:13:32.200 --> 00:13:34.879 a long old season. We're going to get onto justin 257 00:13:34.919 --> 00:13:37.919 Cossus in one hundred and sixty two games. Momentarily, I think, 258 00:13:38.679 --> 00:13:42.200 so we'll leave that for then. I wanted to point 259 00:13:42.200 --> 00:13:45.320 out one player that I thought about putting in my 260 00:13:45.360 --> 00:13:47.159 two good too bad, but this felt like the right 261 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:51.039 point to talk about it. It's not been sensational, but 262 00:13:51.080 --> 00:13:53.879 a guy who I have great joy for is Kyle 263 00:13:53.960 --> 00:13:58.279 Hart on the Padres. So he pitched in career last 264 00:13:58.360 --> 00:14:02.120 year and he was the best pitch and career and 265 00:14:02.279 --> 00:14:05.440 this is not his first trip into MLB, because he 266 00:14:05.559 --> 00:14:10.519 was on the astonishingly awful twenty twenty Boston Red Sox 267 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:14.960 and arguably took the crown as the worst player to 268 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:16.919 play for the Red Sox that season, and there were 269 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:20.240 a lot of them. In four games over eleven innings, 270 00:14:20.279 --> 00:14:24.840 he held an RA of fifteen point five and wasn't 271 00:14:24.840 --> 00:14:27.919 seen again having been a you know, not a heralded 272 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:30.279 but a half decent pitching prospect as a sort of 273 00:14:30.279 --> 00:14:32.919 back end starter. And yeah, he's been back in the 274 00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:35.039 minor leagues, he's been in career for a couple of years, 275 00:14:35.080 --> 00:14:38.279 and yeah, I mean he's putting up creditiable innings, which 276 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:40.480 is exactly what the Padres need with that offense. You 277 00:14:40.840 --> 00:14:46.519 don't need spectacular outside of Michael King to carry the day. 278 00:14:46.759 --> 00:14:48.600 I just thought that was a thing that was worth 279 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:52.159 noting and great to see him him prospering. Still some 280 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:54.840 way to go to bring down that career, ra Kyle, 281 00:14:54.960 --> 00:14:58.200 but you know you're heading on the right track. Al East, Rob, 282 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:01.120 That's our division, isn't it. There are some good teams 283 00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:02.759 in that division there. 284 00:15:02.759 --> 00:15:04.480 As I was looking up Kyle Hart and I just 285 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:10.480 I just found a Reuter's uh piece that actually calls 286 00:15:10.519 --> 00:15:14.919 him Dan Hart. So that's fantastic. I got very confused 287 00:15:14.919 --> 00:15:17.039 trying to work out if there's two heart pictures on 288 00:15:17.080 --> 00:15:17.600 the padres. 289 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:23.919 But still still some way to come from Brouss as well, Right, 290 00:15:24.440 --> 00:15:27.679 A least get your career a e R A under 291 00:15:27.720 --> 00:15:29.000 ten and they'll call your car. 292 00:15:31.879 --> 00:15:35.279 A least. Yes, a least. It is a complete toss up, 293 00:15:35.320 --> 00:15:39.080 isn't it. I mean that there was a terrifying butt 294 00:15:39.080 --> 00:15:41.679 plug bat moment when it looked like the Yankees were 295 00:15:41.720 --> 00:15:45.360 just going to run away with everything. But since then, 296 00:15:45.480 --> 00:15:48.639 like anyone like total roll of the dice right now, 297 00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:51.399 and it's fantastic, and it's not a roll of the 298 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:54.559 dice Ale central style roll of the dice. This is 299 00:15:54.600 --> 00:15:56.159 a roll of the dice that you can point at 300 00:15:56.200 --> 00:15:59.360 every team and say that's good, that's really good. These 301 00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:01.879 guys have got something really excellent, and there's a lot 302 00:16:01.879 --> 00:16:05.600 of it. I mean, I'm very drawn to the A 303 00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:07.720 Least anyway, because my team is plays in the al Least. 304 00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:11.360 But if I'm flicking through the other fixtures, it's very 305 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:12.840 often I say, oh, I'm gonna go and watch a 306 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:15.559 game that doesn't feature in the Aleast. But I'm finding 307 00:16:15.559 --> 00:16:18.320 myself more and more drawn, like, okay, look the Baltimore 308 00:16:18.360 --> 00:16:20.480 Oils run right now, let's see what they're doing, because 309 00:16:20.679 --> 00:16:25.000 they are relevant, you know, badly pitching badly and getting 310 00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:27.840 worse through injuries. But you know, every team here is relevant. 311 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:29.600 There is There is no team you can say, yeah, 312 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:31.919 they're not gonna be here at the end. You could 313 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:35.440 feasibly say every single one of these these teams is 314 00:16:35.480 --> 00:16:37.159 going to be, you know, you know, still in it 315 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:40.360 with the last week to go, like a there's gonna 316 00:16:40.360 --> 00:16:42.080 be wild cud teams coming out of the Al East. 317 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:44.080 That's not a surprise. Normally, it's not gonna be a 318 00:16:44.120 --> 00:16:46.639 surprise this year. Again, there's a lot of good teams. 319 00:16:46.679 --> 00:16:49.000 There's a lot of good stuff, but it strength and 320 00:16:49.080 --> 00:16:51.279 rookies we're talking about later or you know, there's been 321 00:16:51.320 --> 00:16:54.320 some fantastic pitching starts of some some some interesting twists 322 00:16:54.320 --> 00:16:56.679 from the pitching. We've had a bit of everything. From 323 00:16:56.720 --> 00:16:59.000 the A least, it's been a real microcosm of the 324 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:01.960 whole league. But the good stuff, like we haven't seen 325 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:04.200 the crap out of the AA least. That time will come. 326 00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:06.519 There's gonna be a dip, but right now, these guys 327 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:08.920 it's just really competitive, fun baseball. 328 00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:11.799 It's also got great storylines as well. Russell has it 329 00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:16.839 not the the incredible orange crush uniforms, the butt plug bats, 330 00:17:17.480 --> 00:17:22.720 Bladito's Bladito's five hundred million, and the on day off 331 00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:28.160 day that is Garrett Crochet Day. Sometimes maybe good, sometimes 332 00:17:28.200 --> 00:17:28.720 maybe shit. 333 00:17:29.920 --> 00:17:31.680 I think what you've got there, though, is you've got 334 00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:35.000 the it's not There is an East Coast bias in 335 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:37.880 some regards when it comes to like sports medium it's 336 00:17:37.880 --> 00:17:40.640 not just baseball like it exists for a reason because 337 00:17:40.680 --> 00:17:42.839 that's where a large amount of the population is in 338 00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:45.759 the United States, so you can get But if you 339 00:17:45.799 --> 00:17:47.200 live in the middle and you don't like it, but 340 00:17:47.240 --> 00:17:49.160 guess what, that's where the population is. The media is 341 00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:51.839 going to skew to words where people actually live. But 342 00:17:52.839 --> 00:17:55.640 so we basically need anything that is potentially interesting we 343 00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:59.279 all know about. Like I had people who don't really 344 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:02.680 know about baseball sending me images of why am I 345 00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:06.440 seeing like powder blue versus like bright orange in baseball? 346 00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:08.079 Like what on earth is going on? I thought, this 347 00:18:08.119 --> 00:18:10.799 is something where everybody wore like white. Is this kind 348 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:13.400 of like test cricket or the one day cricket? Are 349 00:18:13.400 --> 00:18:15.920 they changing like what uniforms look like to make it 350 00:18:16.039 --> 00:18:18.880 kind of more appealing for day night games? And I 351 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:19.599 was kind of like. 352 00:18:21.240 --> 00:18:23.400 Carry carry packers spirit lives on. 353 00:18:24.039 --> 00:18:26.480 Yeah, you've got the you got the someone stepping up 354 00:18:26.519 --> 00:18:29.440 like Chiron Pollard and it's freaking West Indian, kind of 355 00:18:29.480 --> 00:18:32.519 like Maroon up there to hit the bat, someone who 356 00:18:32.920 --> 00:18:34.759 personally I believe posentially could have been a very good 357 00:18:34.759 --> 00:18:39.200 baseball player. But that is a digression. Now it's entertaining. 358 00:18:39.559 --> 00:18:42.240 That's the whole reason why we like the like the 359 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:44.920 the al least you've got to being you've got the 360 00:18:44.920 --> 00:18:47.400 probably the biggest rivalry in baseball, and the both teams 361 00:18:47.440 --> 00:18:49.480 look like they might actually be good again at the 362 00:18:49.559 --> 00:18:52.960 same time for what the first time in ages like that, 363 00:18:53.000 --> 00:18:55.039 they're both actually kind of like aligned with doing it, 364 00:18:55.079 --> 00:18:59.119 and you've got the upstart orioles basically at the bottom 365 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:01.240 right now when you ever body was probably putting them 366 00:19:01.319 --> 00:19:04.440 right towards the top. I'll hold my hand on my 367 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:07.200 heart and say that I was one hundred percent certain 368 00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:10.440 of blood he was done in Toronto, and he's obviously 369 00:19:10.480 --> 00:19:13.759 now just kind of like got the massive deal and 370 00:19:13.799 --> 00:19:16.720 in some regards maybe made sure that Kyle Tucker gets 371 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:19.359 a massive deal come next year unless he gets himself injured. 372 00:19:19.400 --> 00:19:22.799 But yeah, it's like it's where there is the news, 373 00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:28.599 and obviously the Rays having fun in their spring training stadium, 374 00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:31.559 like getting all of those stadium those cheapy homers that 375 00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:34.119 used to be like the plane of their existence and 376 00:19:34.160 --> 00:19:36.720 they're now getting some of those cheapy homers themselves and 377 00:19:37.559 --> 00:19:40.759 enjoying it every now and then. But yeah, it's it's 378 00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:43.559 it's where, it's where, it's where eyes are on, and 379 00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:46.559 it's providing the entertainment while it's got the attention. 380 00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:51.119 Right now, I sidetrack onto that stupid stadium for a moment. 381 00:19:51.160 --> 00:19:55.480 I'm terribly sorry. I really have to say, like Jesus 382 00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:58.039 Christ is I mean, I watched a game. It was 383 00:19:58.079 --> 00:20:01.720 the Raise against the Angels. I lost track of how 384 00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:04.559 many stupid pop up home runs went out to that 385 00:20:04.640 --> 00:20:07.319 short porch. Because you've got Yankee Stadium, it's the exact 386 00:20:07.319 --> 00:20:10.680 same dimensions as Yankee Stadium at Steinbrenner Field. The difference 387 00:20:10.759 --> 00:20:13.960 is New York is north. New York's a bit chilly 388 00:20:13.960 --> 00:20:16.799 from time to time. In Tampa, the ball just go 389 00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:20.480 and my god, was it going like there was there 390 00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:22.799 was Angels players you've never heard of, because let's face it, 391 00:20:22.839 --> 00:20:24.400 you've never heard of any Angels players other than the 392 00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:26.640 Mic Trout. There was Angel players never heard of who 393 00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:29.359 were like the three home run games. It was stupid. 394 00:20:29.400 --> 00:20:31.880 It was ridiculous. And they are not hitting home runs 395 00:20:31.920 --> 00:20:34.119 anywhere else out of that stadium. They are all going 396 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:36.480 out to that stupid short porch and we all call 397 00:20:36.519 --> 00:20:39.119 it the stupid short porch anyway. But like, turn up 398 00:20:39.160 --> 00:20:41.400 the temperature, and that short porch is like turning up 399 00:20:41.400 --> 00:20:44.319 the stupidity. Like it's a couple more knocks to the head. Jesus, 400 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:46.839 it's awful. I hate that stadium. Not as bad as 401 00:20:46.839 --> 00:20:48.440