WEBVTT 1 00:00:18.760 --> 00:00:21.839 Hello, and welcome to Backflips and Nerds, the baseball podcast 2 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:25.440 with a British twist. We are back after a short hiatus. 3 00:00:25.480 --> 00:00:28.519 Apologies for the large gap between podcasts, but we've got 4 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:32.280 a terrific four hander on deck for you today. Joining 5 00:00:32.280 --> 00:00:35.200 me Ben Carter, we have got Rob Navera. Rob. How 6 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:36.600 are you hello? 7 00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:39.280 I'm superb. I feel like every time we do this 8 00:00:39.320 --> 00:00:41.359 we always end up apologizing for the big gap, so 9 00:00:41.880 --> 00:00:44.240 you know, like anticipate another big gap even though we'll 10 00:00:44.280 --> 00:00:46.520 say there won't be one. They probably will, but we're 11 00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:47.240 sorry anyway. 12 00:00:47.399 --> 00:00:49.960 Very true. Also joining us Russell Eason Russell, how are you? 13 00:00:50.600 --> 00:00:51.799 Editor's note here? 14 00:00:52.439 --> 00:00:55.280 Unfortunately Russell's Wi Fi died right after he gave his 15 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:57.359 answer to this question, so he did not join us 16 00:00:57.399 --> 00:01:01.679 for this podcast. Rest assured is safe and well and 17 00:01:01.719 --> 00:01:04.959 we're back with us in due course. So yes, apologies 18 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:06.239 for that. I'm back to the pod. 19 00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:08.400 Not hot and Whales though, is it, Darius? 20 00:01:09.799 --> 00:01:10.079 It's not. 21 00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:14.040 It's perfectly normal, balmy twenty one degrees here pretty much 22 00:01:14.239 --> 00:01:16.319 so doing doing fine over here. 23 00:01:16.840 --> 00:01:19.000 Moved to Wales and move to Wales. 24 00:01:20.120 --> 00:01:23.000 Keep cool. Well, we've got yeah, obviously a lot of 25 00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:25.480 baseball that we we could talk about because we've missed 26 00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:26.920 quite a bit of that over the last couple of months, 27 00:01:27.480 --> 00:01:29.040 but we thought we'd put a bit of a spin 28 00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:30.799 on it today. Rather than just talking through all the 29 00:01:30.840 --> 00:01:32.560 storylines that are weeks old. Now, we're going to go 30 00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:35.959 through some of the teams that are looking more competitive 31 00:01:36.040 --> 00:01:39.920 than the others and kind of rate there basically chances 32 00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:41.879 in the postseason or how confident we are about their 33 00:01:41.959 --> 00:01:45.719 chances in the postseason. There will also be a Pokemon 34 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:47.959 element to it that we'll get to, so apologies in 35 00:01:47.959 --> 00:01:50.519 advance for that, but maybe we'll kick off with a 36 00:01:50.519 --> 00:01:52.319 couple of things that have happened a bit closer to 37 00:01:52.359 --> 00:01:57.920 home since we last podcast did. Let's start with with 38 00:01:58.079 --> 00:02:01.319 MLB Hackney. I don't I know we were pretty poorly 39 00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:04.040 attended at that one as a podcast. I was able 40 00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:07.959 to make it down on the Sunday afternoon and check 41 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:10.319 it out, and it was really cool. I know it 42 00:02:10.360 --> 00:02:12.039 was a couple of weeks ago now as of time 43 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:15.159 of recording, but from what I could see well attended 44 00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:18.280 in the afternoon. I heard from others that it was 45 00:02:18.599 --> 00:02:22.159 absolutely heaving on the Saturday night. I think Sean, our 46 00:02:22.479 --> 00:02:24.560 friend who edits the site obviously is a big Cups fan. 47 00:02:24.599 --> 00:02:25.840 He was down on Saturday and said it was yeah, 48 00:02:25.879 --> 00:02:29.639 absolutely rammed. Loads of those people there, you know, drinking, eating, enjoying, 49 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:32.319 watching some baseball, which is a great sign because it 50 00:02:32.360 --> 00:02:34.120 was a big venue, so I think to fill that 51 00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:36.000 out is credit to him or be. And it looks 52 00:02:36.039 --> 00:02:38.960 really cool the four different areas for the teams. There 53 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:42.240 were branded bars, There was a bunch of different activities 54 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:45.759 and activations taking place, bat and cages, diving into foam pits, 55 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:47.879 that kind of stuff. Lots of kids starre taking part, 56 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:50.319 which is always encouraging to see. So yeah, I only 57 00:02:50.360 --> 00:02:52.400 hung around for a few hours. Saw Big Nick Swisher 58 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:58.919 on stage. He was judging a DJ battle, which why not. 59 00:02:59.240 --> 00:03:01.479 I wish I could exploane better having watched it, but 60 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:05.199 even being there in person was a bit confusing. But 61 00:03:05.240 --> 00:03:06.280 you know what Nick switch is like. He was just 62 00:03:06.360 --> 00:03:08.680 dancing around on stage for like ten minutes. Was music played. 63 00:03:09.240 --> 00:03:11.639 Presumably he was as enthusiastic about this as he is 64 00:03:11.719 --> 00:03:12.759 about everything else exactly. 65 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:14.960 Yeah, so it still very much worked, but it was 66 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:17.199 kind of like watching Nick Swisher lip sync to various 67 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:18.919 rap songs from the nineties. 68 00:03:20.360 --> 00:03:21.560 So that was fast money for that. 69 00:03:22.840 --> 00:03:24.319 But yeah, I don't know if you obviously neither of you 70 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:27.240 guys attended, But did you see any of the stuff 71 00:03:27.280 --> 00:03:29.479 about it on social did you feel like it landed 72 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:31.719 in any meaningful way just from what you could see 73 00:03:31.719 --> 00:03:35.400 across yeah, Twitter, Instagram, anywhere else. What were your thoughts 74 00:03:35.400 --> 00:03:37.080 from a distance if you did catch any of it? 75 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:40.960 Yeah, I saw a little bit of it on on socials. 76 00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:43.560 It looked like a fantastic day, and I honestly did 77 00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:45.840 sort of have that kind of fomo feeling when I 78 00:03:45.879 --> 00:03:47.199 was looking at it, which I think was a good 79 00:03:47.240 --> 00:03:50.319 thing because if you can't go, you want to think, well, 80 00:03:50.520 --> 00:03:53.719 you know, I wish I was there. It did make 81 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:56.520 me think about last year and the wonderful time we 82 00:03:56.560 --> 00:04:00.080 all had at the Mets Phillies game in London, and 83 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:02.319 the fact we obviously don't have that this year. So 84 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:04.759 it was it was, Yeah, it was. It was kind 85 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:07.280 of sad seat, you know, it was going on and 86 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:10.080 I wasn't there. But that's fantastic because because baseball needs 87 00:04:10.120 --> 00:04:12.360 to grow and keep going regardless of whether or not 88 00:04:12.439 --> 00:04:15.800 I'm there personally to witness it. Were any of the 89 00:04:15.800 --> 00:04:19.199 four areas like busier or less busy, Like what was 90 00:04:19.240 --> 00:04:22.079 your what was your vibe on on the who was 91 00:04:22.120 --> 00:04:23.600 a who was a popular team? 92 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:25.879 It was, you know, it's interesting. They definitely were busier 93 00:04:25.879 --> 00:04:28.639 and less busy areas, partly just because the way it 94 00:04:28.680 --> 00:04:30.600 was laid out, Like the Yankees had the batting cage 95 00:04:30.600 --> 00:04:32.480 in their area, and everyone wanted to have a go 96 00:04:32.519 --> 00:04:34.120 in the bat and cage. There's always lots of people 97 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:35.600 there and there was a bar next to it, so 98 00:04:35.639 --> 00:04:38.839 they probably had prime position team wise. Plus you know, 99 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:42.240 they're the Yankees, by just had good position. But they're 100 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:45.639 like activation area I think was some kind of like 101 00:04:45.720 --> 00:04:48.240 photo booth activation that wasn't very popular, so there were 102 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:50.680 less people queuing up for that. Giants had a diving 103 00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:52.680 catch thing, and then the Red Sox were a bit 104 00:04:52.720 --> 00:04:55.399 hidden away, but they had another sort of batting cage thing, 105 00:04:55.439 --> 00:04:57.279 so that also seemed pretty popular, but you couldn't really 106 00:04:57.279 --> 00:04:59.959 like sit and hang out around there. Of the jersey 107 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:02.680 as I saw and actually and We'll be Europe did 108 00:05:02.680 --> 00:05:04.720 a video where they found all thirty jerseys over the weekend, 109 00:05:04.720 --> 00:05:07.560 which is impressive. Another Rockies fan, when I shake that 110 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:11.759 man's hand, but the yea of the bits that I saw. 111 00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:14.120 The Giants were the best represented and had a team jerseys. 112 00:05:14.120 --> 00:05:16.279 Theres a whole host of them sitting in the Giants section. 113 00:05:17.399 --> 00:05:19.199 So yeah, Darius, you obviously weren't there in person, but 114 00:05:19.240 --> 00:05:21.759 your team was represented. Well what did you think of it? 115 00:05:21.800 --> 00:05:24.120 And I guess one thing I thought going into the 116 00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:26.720 weekend was maybe this is going to be our announcement 117 00:05:26.759 --> 00:05:28.319 for next year's game, Right, They're going to say at 118 00:05:28.360 --> 00:05:30.480 some point over the weekend, like next year we're bringing 119 00:05:30.600 --> 00:05:34.199 the Blue Jays and the Rays or whatever it might be. 120 00:05:35.079 --> 00:05:38.519 But they didn't, So I'm now thinking should be concerned 121 00:05:38.519 --> 00:05:40.720 they haven't yet announced twenty twenty five or twenty twenty 122 00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:43.560 six is London game opponents? Or do you think this 123 00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:45.000 is all part of the master plan. 124 00:05:45.160 --> 00:05:48.040 We are starting to get towards the point where you'd 125 00:05:48.040 --> 00:05:50.319 think they'd want to be hyping it get people to 126 00:05:50.360 --> 00:05:53.160 buy tickets. As you say, it felt like, let's tell 127 00:05:53.160 --> 00:05:56.079 everybody here, Oh we're announcing tickets, you know, sign up 128 00:05:56.079 --> 00:05:59.360 for the pre sale, here's your link. Get that interest up. 129 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:02.560 So that the that they haven't is yeah, mildly concerning. 130 00:06:02.600 --> 00:06:06.920 There's still time, obviously, but after what happened in Paris. 131 00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:09.319 I guess there's a little bit of concern. I don't 132 00:06:09.399 --> 00:06:11.040 think we've got the same issue there as we have 133 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:14.079 in London, because obviously they have already established a venue 134 00:06:14.120 --> 00:06:18.560 and run three successful games there, so hopefully it's nothing 135 00:06:18.560 --> 00:06:20.160 more than that. Yeah, they just want to wait a 136 00:06:20.199 --> 00:06:23.040 little bit longer to confirm the details. But it did 137 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:26.680 feel slightly like a missed opportunity to get this year 138 00:06:26.879 --> 00:06:28.680 sort of hype around it. Say, look at all these 139 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:31.680 people here at this event, you know, obviously interested in baseball. 140 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:36.160 I am part of the Giants' Facebook group, the UK Giants, 141 00:06:36.199 --> 00:06:38.240 and there was quite a lot of chattering that about 142 00:06:38.439 --> 00:06:41.079 who's going down this Sunday. Quite a lot of people 143 00:06:41.160 --> 00:06:43.480 organized I think in advance to pop along. So clearly 144 00:06:43.560 --> 00:06:45.720 that played out in terms of the attendance of the day, 145 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:47.000 which is good to see. 146 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:50.480 Exclaim actually speak of that. Can I sidebar for a 147 00:06:50.519 --> 00:06:55.439 moment about Facebook groups? I was I was in home base. 148 00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:58.120 Yeah no, sorry, not home base, that's no longer a thing. 149 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:02.319 I was in the bit of the range now, which 150 00:07:02.319 --> 00:07:04.439 still has the home basy stuff looking for I was 151 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:08.360 looking for some stuff to fertilize my chili plants, which 152 00:07:08.360 --> 00:07:11.879 are going very well, thanks for asking. And a bloke 153 00:07:12.040 --> 00:07:14.199 came up to me in a Maron and he wasn't 154 00:07:14.199 --> 00:07:15.839 wearing a Marinon's hat, is it? But he came up 155 00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:17.600 to me and he said, I happened to be wearing 156 00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:19.279 a Cubs hat, not this one, but a different Cubs hat. 157 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:20.600 And he said, do you know what that hat is, 158 00:07:20.680 --> 00:07:24.480 kind of slightly aggressively, and I said, yes, actually, but 159 00:07:24.519 --> 00:07:26.360 I'm not a Cubs fan. I'm a Raised fan. And 160 00:07:26.839 --> 00:07:28.720 it turns out he was a bloke called Ray who 161 00:07:28.759 --> 00:07:32.160 has raised gear because he's called Ray. But he was 162 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:34.720 a Mariner's fan and he's part of a great, big 163 00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:37.560 Mariner's fan group and there was a meetup. This is 164 00:07:37.560 --> 00:07:40.199 maybe two three weeks ago. There was a meetup in London. 165 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:42.480 So I'm sure there is at least one of those 166 00:07:42.519 --> 00:07:45.600 Mariners people listening. So if you do, please say hello 167 00:07:45.639 --> 00:07:47.759 to Ray and shake his hand, and you know, good 168 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:50.680 job for it. Sounds like there's a lot of Mariners gathering, 169 00:07:51.519 --> 00:07:54.240 gathering and chatting, so like the Facebook groups are out 170 00:07:54.240 --> 00:07:57.040 there and people should go and meet them. And that 171 00:07:57.120 --> 00:07:59.600 was the first, you know, very very kind of passive 172 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:01.360 aggress I kind of you know, what your hat means. 173 00:08:01.399 --> 00:08:03.040 You know, like we all, we all kind of want 174 00:08:03.079 --> 00:08:04.560 to say to the Yankees fan, you see set and 175 00:08:04.600 --> 00:08:06.360 the bus stop, but like this booke did it. So 176 00:08:06.439 --> 00:08:08.959 fair play to Ray the Mariners fan, wherever you are, 177 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:11.959 and I hope you had a lovely weekend, but please 178 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:13.160 please continue. 179 00:08:12.920 --> 00:08:15.079 Good shout out to Ray. I think I did see 180 00:08:15.120 --> 00:08:18.360 about that Marina's meetup because Bernie, who I know, yeah, 181 00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:20.639 is the one Mariners fan I do know very well. 182 00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:22.759 I think was attending that one and had promoted it 183 00:08:22.759 --> 00:08:24.720 and stuff. So yeah, the Marinas are well represented. And 184 00:08:24.759 --> 00:08:26.600 actually I'll use your story for a sidebar of my 185 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:29.839 own because you brought up Ray the Mariners fan. So 186 00:08:30.199 --> 00:08:31.720 I think, like I've probably told this story on the 187 00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:33.919 podcast before. But do you know the reason why the 188 00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:37.840 Rays on Twitter aren't at Raise they're at Raised Baseball. 189 00:08:38.799 --> 00:08:41.960 The reason because there's a man out there whose name 190 00:08:42.039 --> 00:08:44.919 is Ray S and he got that handle first, and 191 00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:47.480 despite being offered an extortionate amount of money by Major 192 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:50.200 League Baseball to give up the handle, he's straight up refused. 193 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:52.799 And I feel like they maybe had the same issue 194 00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:56.159 with like Twins dot Com. I just literally a couple 195 00:08:56.159 --> 00:08:57.840 of guys who are twins. Yeah, were like, I don't 196 00:08:57.840 --> 00:08:59.879 want to give up my domain. So again they had 197 00:08:59.879 --> 00:09:01.639 to be really creative and get around it. So a 198 00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:03.960 couple of funny stories just on how you know sometimes 199 00:09:03.960 --> 00:09:06.240 your team name can run into a man called Ray 200 00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:08.360 s who does not want to give up his Twitter. 201 00:09:08.039 --> 00:09:13.120 Handle, finding mister Ray following him quickly. 202 00:09:13.159 --> 00:09:15.360 On the topic of team meetups, I think we should 203 00:09:15.440 --> 00:09:17.440 use this as a chance to plug the fact that 204 00:09:18.200 --> 00:09:20.679 some of the Cubs fans are getting together this Saturday. 205 00:09:20.759 --> 00:09:24.639 I know that's being organized by Sean again, who is 206 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:28.720 setting up a meeting at Passyunk Avenue this Saturday, August sixteenth, 207 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:32.080 the one at Waterloo with Bleacher Jeff, who I'm told 208 00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:34.000 is a Cub super fan in attendance. I can't say 209 00:09:34.039 --> 00:09:36.519 I know him personally, but apparently very nice guy. So 210 00:09:36.600 --> 00:09:38.879 if there are any Cubs fans listening, especially, do get along. 211 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:40.960 But even anyone who's not a Cubs fan. But it's 212 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:43.559 free Saturday evening, I wants to watch baseball with fellow fans. 213 00:09:43.639 --> 00:09:46.159 I can vouch for them being a good bunch. So 214 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:48.080 do you know, pop along, say hello, have a beer, 215 00:09:48.120 --> 00:09:50.840 watch a game and hang out. And obviously if anyone 216 00:09:50.840 --> 00:09:53.000 else is organizing meetups, then let's no obviously trying to 217 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:56.000 get word out about any of these baseball hangs. Roby 218 00:09:56.039 --> 00:09:57.799 love that you've got something to tell us about Rayes. 219 00:09:58.600 --> 00:10:00.320 And I do have something to tell you about. Yes, 220 00:10:00.600 --> 00:10:02.440 a couple of things. First of all, the Tampa Bay 221 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:06.320 Rays follow Rayes. Secondly, despite me not even knowing he existed, 222 00:10:06.360 --> 00:10:09.120 I am blocked by Rayes, so I can see nothing 223 00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:13.159 else about ray Yes, so that's uh, it's a very 224 00:10:13.159 --> 00:10:15.759 small group, but it's now ray S and Kevin Kiermaier 225 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:16.480 who have blocked me. 226 00:10:16.600 --> 00:10:19.720 So do you think that's pride? Is that because of 227 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:22.360 the years of you tweeting at Rays with disgust the 228 00:10:22.360 --> 00:10:24.679 morning after a loss, not realizing you were tweeting at 229 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:26.799 Rayesh Could be? 230 00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:29.200 Or all those times I was telling Kevin to take 231 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:29.799 his shirt off. 232 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:32.440 Yeah, could be? 233 00:10:32.600 --> 00:10:37.480 Could be, Although Logan Morrison he just got jealous about it. 234 00:10:37.480 --> 00:10:40.600 So you know, yeah, let's not go there. You know, 235 00:10:41.159 --> 00:10:42.480 the court cases aren't going. 236 00:10:43.159 --> 00:10:44.799 I really didn't know how to segue this, but let's 237 00:10:44.799 --> 00:10:47.919 talk about something different. I was hoping that. 238 00:10:49.120 --> 00:10:51.840 Story about segues my stepmom. My step mom managed to 239 00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:54.799 fall off of the segue. She she was told it 240 00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:56.840 could not go over, yet she was still there and 241 00:10:56.840 --> 00:11:00.240 the thing went over, just like she want to listen 242 00:11:00.279 --> 00:11:02.240 to this. That's a good thing. But nobody but this 243 00:11:02.279 --> 00:11:04.799 woman could fall off a Segueil was perfectly still. But sorry, 244 00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:05.679 carry on, Garry on. 245 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:10.039 No, I'm glad, I'm glad you're interjected with that story. Yeah, 246 00:11:10.519 --> 00:11:12.200 Russells schroped off our court, hoping you'd be back on 247 00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:15.440 because the next point I had was around the GB 248 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:18.559 under twenty three is winning the Euros. It's coming home. 249 00:11:18.600 --> 00:11:21.679 It's come home, which obviously is huge news. They beat 250 00:11:21.720 --> 00:11:23.919 the Czech Republic in the final, who I believe were 251 00:11:23.960 --> 00:11:27.000 the fairly heavy favorites going into the tournament, so a 252 00:11:27.039 --> 00:11:29.480 really big win for the program. I was hoping still 253 00:11:29.480 --> 00:11:31.240 be here because hands up, I didn't actually watch any 254 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:34.320 of this tournament or finals, so I don't feel particularly 255 00:11:34.399 --> 00:11:37.679 qualified to speak to how are they played or which 256 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:39.240 guys stood out, but I do know it was a 257 00:11:39.240 --> 00:11:42.720 comeback victory in the final and it obviously bodes particularly 258 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:44.840 well for the future of British baseball. Did either of 259 00:11:44.840 --> 00:11:47.240 you guys manage to catch any of this game or 260 00:11:47.240 --> 00:11:49.519 any of the tournament? Can you speak any more to 261 00:11:49.559 --> 00:11:52.039 it than what I can by reading the recap afterwards. 262 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:55.159 I saw, I saw some highlights. I didn't watch anything live, 263 00:11:55.240 --> 00:11:59.080 I say, but I mean fantastic news. Obviously, we've seen 264 00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:02.799 quite an uptick in interest in British baseball, and I 265 00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:04.519 think this is the kind of thing you'd expect to 266 00:12:04.559 --> 00:12:08.440 see from a bursioning program. I think, you know, being 267 00:12:08.519 --> 00:12:11.559 in Chechia against the favorites and managing to win that final, 268 00:12:11.559 --> 00:12:15.120 it's pretty impressive feat. So yeah, I think hopefully this 269 00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:19.080 boat's really well for future teams and to beat you know, 270 00:12:19.159 --> 00:12:22.279 the best in Europe on their own home field, and 271 00:12:22.360 --> 00:12:25.240 hopefully this poor ten small success for the main squad 272 00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:25.919 in the future. 273 00:12:26.279 --> 00:12:27.759 I thought I saw a little bit of it. I 274 00:12:28.519 --> 00:12:30.919 must admit I didn't really know that much about what 275 00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:33.279 I was watching. I don't know these guys. I want 276 00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:35.159 to know these guys, I mean, if these are these 277 00:12:35.159 --> 00:12:37.360 are the guys, who are you know? I don't know 278 00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:39.320 where they're from, I don't know how how bridge they are, 279 00:12:39.320 --> 00:12:40.960 don't know how much their imports. But you know it 280 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:43.879 was I caught it whilst I was supposed to be 281 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:47.639 working and had it on a secondary tab in the background, 282 00:12:47.679 --> 00:12:50.679 and yeah, absolutely it was fun. It was really fun stuff. 283 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:53.080 But yeah, I want to know more about these guys, 284 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:55.120 and I think part of the difficulty right now is 285 00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:57.279 finding out more about these guys. So so you know, 286 00:12:57.399 --> 00:12:59.120 give it to me, you put it in by veins, 287 00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:01.320 I'm ready for it. Let's let's find out these guys. 288 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:04.200 Because you know, the if there is a criticism about 289 00:13:04.200 --> 00:13:06.480 British baseball and how well we've done in the World 290 00:13:06.519 --> 00:13:08.720 Baseball Classic and all that, it's you know, it's all 291 00:13:08.759 --> 00:13:11.399 importans how many these guys are are properly British. You know, 292 00:13:11.840 --> 00:13:14.080 what I'm hoping is that some of these guys are 293 00:13:14.159 --> 00:13:16.000 you know, they're they're they're born and bred and they're 294 00:13:16.039 --> 00:13:18.600 they're working towards it from from around here. So I 295 00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:21.320 don't know, I don't know much about them, but I 296 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:24.039 want to hear more. Like, whoever's got that information, just 297 00:13:24.039 --> 00:13:25.639 just get it to us, get it to us, We'll 298 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:28.840 get it on the website. We want to know it. Please. Yeah. 299 00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:31.480 Second, did I dare say you know some of these 300 00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:34.159 guys If not in time the WBC next year, but 301 00:13:34.240 --> 00:13:36.159 certainly at some point we'll be graduating to the senior 302 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:39.639 level and representing GB obviously on the full national stage, 303 00:13:39.639 --> 00:13:41.039 but I think, yeah, to win a tournament at this 304 00:13:41.080 --> 00:13:44.720 caliber shows tremendous progress, so it congrats to everyone involved, 305 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:49.480 and yeah, good luck for future such tournaments. Let's move 306 00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:52.759 on then to the game's state side, and yeah, we 307 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:54.879 obviously wanted to talk baseball. Lots of things going on. 308 00:13:55.080 --> 00:13:57.559 I think, as mentioned at the top, as a kind 309 00:13:57.559 --> 00:14:00.639 of vehicle for our conversation, we're going to try and 310 00:14:00.679 --> 00:14:04.000 look at each of the playoff contenders, postseason contenders and 311 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:07.120 kind of rate our level of confidence in them well, 312 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:09.360 I suggested on a scale of one to ten or 313 00:14:09.399 --> 00:14:13.240 twenty to eighty. But right before we recorded, Rob came 314 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:15.840 out with a shocking take that we told him to 315 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:17.639 say for the podcast. Rob, you want us to avoid 316 00:14:17.639 --> 00:14:18.279 twenty eighty? 317 00:14:18.480 --> 00:14:23.440 Why? I just hate twenty eighty. It's stupid, It's absolutely ridiculous. 318 00:14:23.639 --> 00:14:26.559 So I know it's something to do with standard deviations, 319 00:14:26.600 --> 00:14:28.960 which let's face it, no one in real life has 320 00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:31.360 anything to do with. So we don't really know what 321 00:14:31.399 --> 00:14:34.559 twenty eighty is. So okay, fine, if it's going to 322 00:14:34.600 --> 00:14:37.200 go from twenty eighty, let's say, oh, this guy's this 323 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:40.200 guy's a thirty two or thirty seven. No, no, no, no no, 324 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:43.639 we can only do twenty forty, fifty, sixty, seventy and eighteen, 325 00:14:43.799 --> 00:14:47.399 which is stupid. So fine, well let's do one to 326 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:50.120 one hundred, but again we don't do fifty three, so 327 00:14:51.240 --> 00:14:53.200 why have they got zeros on the end? Just do 328 00:14:53.639 --> 00:14:57.879 one to ten. So it's just a stupid, stupid scoring. 329 00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:00.919 The fact that you have to I know something about 330 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:03.720 it before you can understand what's going on is just 331 00:15:03.720 --> 00:15:06.919 just rubbish. It should be a case of a to F, 332 00:15:07.240 --> 00:15:10.840 one to tip whatever. But like, twenty to eighty is 333 00:15:11.240 --> 00:15:14.360 the stupid brainchild of someone who thought they were cleverer 334 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:16.320 than everyone else in the room, and it just come 335 00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:18.879 across as a bit of a twat. So no to 336 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:22.720 twenty eighty. I am the one to ten scale please, 337 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:25.519 or an A to f, whichever everybody else wants, But 338 00:15:25.639 --> 00:15:27.919 I am resisting eighty twenty. 339 00:15:28.039 --> 00:15:30.000 I'm gonna unfairly throw it to you here, Darius. You 340 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:32.480 did not invent the system by any means, But do 341 00:15:32.519 --> 00:15:35.000 you want to provide some kind of rebuttal on behalf 342 00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:38.159 of the baseball scouting community for why twenty to eighty 343 00:15:38.320 --> 00:15:41.279 is at least in some circumstances, a good tool with 344 00:15:41.320 --> 00:15:42.320 which to measure things. 345 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:44.840 Well, I suppose you know, it's a construct like anything. 346 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:47.840 We decided that zero was the lowest, one hundred was 347 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:49.759 the highest for a lot of scales because we just 348 00:15:49.960 --> 00:15:50.919 made it up right. 349 00:15:51.039 --> 00:15:54.039 Well, no, because zero means nothing that makes sense. Twenty 350 00:15:54.159 --> 00:15:57.600 doesn't mean nothing, it doesn't, right. I think this is 351 00:15:57.879 --> 00:16:04.000 just exposing the twenty nothing making sense of anything. Yeah, 352 00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:04.519 I think. 353 00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:07.120 I think it is a standard deviation thing. I don't 354 00:16:07.159 --> 00:16:09.879 know what the original I think Branch, Richard branch Ricky 355 00:16:09.919 --> 00:16:12.360 is supposed to have created it, but I'm not sure 356 00:16:12.519 --> 00:16:15.039 the story of why Branch said. I don't want zero 357 00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:16.799 to be bad. I want twenty. 358 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:20.639 It is to do genuinely to do with standard deviations, 359 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:22.279 and that if you if you go to eighty, you're 360 00:16:22.279 --> 00:16:26.200 at ninety nine point seven something percent, So the extra 361 00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:29.919 zero point three percent really doesn't matter. But nobody works 362 00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:32.799 in standard deviations. That's rubbit. No one ever works, clearly, 363 00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:39.759 branch Ricky did, well, branch Ricky cant my Branch, Well, yeah, yeah, 364 00:16:39.799 --> 00:16:40.080 I don't. 365 00:16:40.120 --> 00:16:43.960 I don't disagree with rob having having to learn like 366 00:16:44.200 --> 00:16:47.480 what this means, you know, when you could just use 367 00:16:47.519 --> 00:16:49.759 something that everybody understands in the first place. Does feel 368 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:52.799 a little bit like gatekeepery. You know, this is our thing. 369 00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:54.960 We need to have our own scale for this, which 370 00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:57.200 is just like the same as a regular scale. We 371 00:16:57.320 --> 00:17:00.480 cut the ends off. It's a slightly way to think 372 00:17:00.519 --> 00:17:03.240 about things, but it's also not really very complicated to learn. 373 00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:06.480 Fifty is still in the middle, and you know twenty 374 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:08.079 is bad and eighty is great. 375 00:17:08.279 --> 00:17:11.839 So yeah, Bi, can we do fifteen to eighty seven please? 376 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:15.599 Yeah, okay, I want all ROBS ratings between fifteen and 377 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:16.160 eighty seven. 378 00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:20.559 Fifteen to eighty seven scale. There we go, decided. 379 00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:22.799 I'm glad we got to this to date before we 380 00:17:22.839 --> 00:17:25.960 even started talking about any of the actual teams, and. 381 00:17:25.960 --> 00:17:28.480 Also upsets some mathematicians out there. Probably I was. 382 00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:30.279 Going to say, there definitely are some people who do 383 00:17:30.359 --> 00:17:31.519 work in standard deviations, but. 384 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:35.400 Because I'm scared of the mathematicians, come at me. Come on, yeah, 385 00:17:35.400 --> 00:17:39.039 all right, next London series mathematicians, come find ROB. 386 00:17:39.160 --> 00:17:40.920 I'm generally on team ROB for this, but I do 387 00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:44.599 think a very cool, you know, baseball thing to say 388 00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:47.359 is grade eighty about anything, just because it's you know, 389 00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:52.839 one hundred, to be cooler sure, maybe I. 390 00:17:52.799 --> 00:17:55.359 Think eighty grade sounds better than one hundred grade. I 391 00:17:55.400 --> 00:17:57.559 don't know who maybe rolls off the tongue bit easier. 392 00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:05.319 Yeah, well, anyway, whatever, I think it's seven to rate 393 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:09.960 with what level our confidence stands with regards to these 394 00:18:09.960 --> 00:18:13.000 teams that are in postseason contention. So, you know, do 395 00:18:13.039 --> 00:18:15.079 we believe in those teams that are currently looking good 396 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:17.200 to make it to the playoffs? Do you think they're pretenders? 397 00:18:17.240 --> 00:18:19.200 Do we think they're built for the postseason? Are they 398 00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:21.839 going to fold at the first sign of a big, 399 00:18:21.880 --> 00:18:25.160 scary crowd and the bright lights of October. The way 400 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:26.680 I've kind of cut this off is if you're more 401 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:28.720