Latest / Foul Territory / Blue Jays journey to ALCS, Next round strategy session w/Mike Wilner

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Blue Jays journey to ALCS, Next round strategy session w/Mike Wilner · Foul Territory

• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Toronto Star columnist Mike Wilner back on ft OH, how
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: things have changed since we last spoke to you, Mike,
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: how you doing and what's your shock factor? If you
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: go back to let's go back to the off season, right,
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: if you go from the off season to now, what's
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: your shock factor? If I said, Mike, you'd be on
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: foul territory in October ninth talking about the Jays taking
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: down the Yankees in four games to advance to the ALCS.
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: First of all, the shock factor for just being back
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: on foul territory is pretty huge. It's been a long time,
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: as you guys called me. But as far as the
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: Jays being in the ALCS, look, I thought going into
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: the season that it would be a season like twenty
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: twenty two or twenty three, where the Blue Jays were
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: sort of a fringe wild card contender, probably the sixth
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: or seventh best team in the American League might sneak
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: into the playoffs, and once you get in things can happen.
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: But obviously they hadn't made anything happened in the playoffs
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: for a very long time. And then the season started
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: and they started off twelve and eight, playing really well,
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: but then they lost I think sixteen out of twenty,
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: and it was pretty plain to see that it didn't think.
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: It didn't look like things were gonna work. I wasn't
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: impressed by the offseason, and in fact, you know what,
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: looking back now, I continue to not be impressed by
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: the off season because the players that they brought in,
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: the big ones, Anthony Santander, andre C Menez, Jimmy Garcia,
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: Max Scherzer didn't really contribute to the Blue Jays having
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: the ninety four win season and finishing in first place.
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: Jeff Hoffman did with thirty three saves that was pretty terrific,
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: but he was also second in the league in blown
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: saves and he led the league in home runs allowed
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: by relievers. So, you know, it felt like to me
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: until they got Santan Daer that they were tripling down
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: on this pitching and defense thing and trying to prove
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: that you can win a game nothing. Nothing. Then they
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: got Santa there a little bit of power, but he
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: wound up missing four months. So I think it's reasonable
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: to say that nobody saw this coming, and especially first
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: week of May. Nobody saw this coming. But credit to them,
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: they become a really, really good team with serious contributions.
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: From one through twenty six, they were the second hardest
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: team in the league to strike out, and they led
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: the major leagues in batting average in on base percentage.
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: That's tough to be.
• 2:33
  Speaker 3: Sure.
• 2:33
  Speaker 4: Krat said this earlier. They out baseball, and what you
• 2:36
  Speaker 4: just said kind of is what they do. They're one
• 2:39
  Speaker 4: through twenty six. Every guy contributes, no matter who it
• 2:42
  Speaker 4: is or what they're doing. And I agree. I mean,
• 2:44
  Speaker 4: they just out baseball the Yankees, and they have a
• 2:48
  Speaker 4: way to They have a pretty I mean, I'm not
• 2:49
  Speaker 4: gonna say easy path, but they have a path to
• 2:52
  Speaker 4: not only get to the World Series for the first
• 2:53
  Speaker 4: time in forever, but to win it because of really
• 2:57
  Speaker 4: good starting pitching, really good defense, timely hit in a
• 3:00
  Speaker 4: bullpen that's been I think is better than people give
• 3:02
  Speaker 4: them credit for, even though I know they've taken their lumps.
• 3:05
  Speaker 4: But I just think this is a complete roster, and
• 3:07
  Speaker 4: for me, it's the most complete roster right now in
• 3:09
  Speaker 4: the American League.
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: I mean, I think it is, and I don't even
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: know that you have to say right now, the Blue
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: Jays are the top seed in the American League. They
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: earned that number one spot and I understand. I don't
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: know quite why. Maybe because they finished in the last
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: place last year, Maybe because they really have been an
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: afterthought around Major League Baseball except for twenty fifteen and sixteen,
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: for about three decades. But they're the top seed, they're
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: the number one team in the American League, they have
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: the best record in the league, so they should have
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: the path to go into the World Series. And there's
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: no question that Seattle and Detroit going to a Game
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: five helps them out a lot because it takes Trek
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: Scooble and Logan Gilbert out of the equation until Game three,
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: regardless of which team they face. And they'll be playing
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: a team that has to have done two cross country
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: flights in three days. And I know how well big
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: league teams travel, but it's still a pain to do
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: a couple of six hour flights in the space of
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: seventy two hours. So yeah, they definitely aj out baseball.
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: The New York Yankees, and I have to agree with
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: Buck Martinez are one of our broadcasters here. The Yankees
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: just aren't a very good baseball team. I mean, yet,
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: they won ninety four games, it was great, But if
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: they're not hitting home runs, they're not going to beat you.
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: And the fact that the Blue Jays were able to
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: so overwhelm their starting pitching until Cam Schlittler, who was
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: fine nothing specially give up four runs, but fine. You know,
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: Max Freed, Luis Hill, and Carlos Rodon none of them
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: gotten out in the fourth inning. And it's just because
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: the Blue Jays wore them down. Heel, you can do
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: that to Freedom Rodn you're not supposed to be able
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: to do it too. But the Blue Jays have worn
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: down good starting pitching all year by not striking out
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: and having extended Anthony Santander had an eleven pitch flyout
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: last night. It's it's a good baseball team. They take
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: care of the ball. They have tons of people on base,
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: so a big hits bound to happen sooner or later.
• 5:21
  Speaker 3: Uh.
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: And they do. They do a lot of things that
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: the Yankees don't, which is why they went eleven and
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: six against them this year.
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: This episode of FT is presented by Fox one AJ.
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: If people have the Fox one app then they get
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: to listen to you. Adam, Wayne Right and Adam Amine
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: for one more game a game five five on Friday,
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: all alone. No Yankees, Blue Jays. Just your game, a
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: game five? What time is that game?
• 5:52
  Speaker 4: Eight Eastern, so prime, prime time. I'm pomped man Friday,
• 5:57
  Speaker 4: there's no other games. There's really not a lot of
• 5:59
  Speaker 4: college football Friday night. It is baseball, and we complained
• 6:03
  Speaker 4: there was no games on a Friday night before. Well,
• 6:05
  Speaker 4: guess what you get Game five? My question is this
• 6:07
  Speaker 4: going to be the only game five? Because I don't know.
• 6:11
  Speaker 4: Do we think the Phillies get it done? But I
• 6:13
  Speaker 4: love the fact that we get a game five. I've done.
• 6:15
  Speaker 4: This will be my third Game five I've got to do.
• 6:17
  Speaker 4: They are awesome, they are fun. My first two years
• 6:19
  Speaker 4: I did this, I got to do game five and
• 6:20
  Speaker 4: I haven't had one since. So guys are pretty excited
• 6:23
  Speaker 4: about it. The crew is super excited. I can to
• 6:25
  Speaker 4: do a winter or take all game.
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's fun. Crazy things happen, right, we'll probably see.
• 6:31
  Speaker 4: Manager's panic like nobody, oh my.
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: Gosh, decision scrutinized. So we're excited about it. We'll be
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: watching and listening to you guys. And if you don't
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: have a way to get the game, everyone has a
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: way to get the game. Now, Okay, it's the Fox
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: one app. We're pumping it the next few weeks. Here
• 6:50
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• 6:53
  Speaker 1: yourself a free seven day trial by hitting that QR
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: code or going to the description either in this YouTube
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: episode or if you're listening to us on podcast form,
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: you can do the same over.
• 7:05
  Speaker 3: There was there some angst in this series between the
• 7:09
  Speaker 3: two teams, because I get it when the series is over,
• 7:14
  Speaker 3: it's a big series. You're you're playing your you're playing
• 7:17
  Speaker 3: your division rival. But before the series started, you saw
• 7:22
  Speaker 3: you saw George Springer say, oh, why don't they just
• 7:25
  Speaker 3: give give the Yankees the division? And then after Hoffman
• 7:30
  Speaker 3: closed the game out and struck out Bellinger, you saw
• 7:33
  Speaker 3: him look over yell at their dugout, show him away.
• 7:36
  Speaker 3: You heard what John Schneider said, you know, play his
• 7:41
  Speaker 3: his his comments after the game, and I get it
• 7:43
  Speaker 3: to the spoils go the win or the winner go
• 7:46
  Speaker 3: the spoils. But was there extra angst because it was
• 7:50
  Speaker 3: the Yankees or because it was the vision rival.
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: I think that that extra emotion was in there more
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: be because it was the Yankees and what they I
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: don't know if it's what they represent, but the I've
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: called it like Manifest Destiny. It's like people simply believe
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: that because the Yankees are the Yankees, they have earned
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: this level of respect and deference, and it's just it's
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: just not the case. I mean, they the Yankees and
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: their front office and the fan base sort of walks
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: around as though, why would you even think you're gonna
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: beat us? Like what you know, Like the Yankees were
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: talking and a lot of people were talking like the
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: Yankees were the favorites in this series again, despite the
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: fact that the Jays had won the season series with them,
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: embarrassed them at Rogers Center, they went eight and one
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: against him in Toronto this year and were the higher seed,
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: didn't have to play in the first round. And yet
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: now I think I saw on the Athletic ninety nine
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: of the people were predicting that they of their reporters
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: were predicting the Yankees would win this series. The Yankees
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: sort of carry themselves like, well, you know, we're gonna win,
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: and you're just gonna have to deal with that. And
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: so I don't have a problem with pushing back on that,
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: especially when it's not deserved, and it certainly wasn't deserved
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: this year, and it did feel like, you know, you
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: talked about George Springer saying they might as well just
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: give it to New York. There were three calls in
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: the last week and a half of the season, two
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: on replay and the Springer which should have been a
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: two run double down the line that was called foul
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: that was not reviewable. Three plays that went horribly against
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: the Blue Jays, a fan interference call in Tampa, a
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: Dalton Varshow trap call on a ball very clearly caught,
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: but replay couldn't definitively determine that the ball might not
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: have brushed against the top of a blade of grass
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: while it was in his glove before he picked his
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: glove up. People were starting to think that the screws
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: were being turned against the Jays. I've always thought, look,
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: if Major League Baseball didn't want the Blue Jays to
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: win the division this year, it I mean, they would
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: never would have gotten anywhere close to ninety four wins.
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: They would have been an eighty three win team that
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: didn't make the playoffs, and that the tinfoil hat stuff
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: would have started a lot sooner. But there were some
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: heightened emotions at the time, and I believe that you know,
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: any time you have the chance to give it to
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: the New York Yankees, you absolutely have to do it
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: because they're the New York Yankees. They're they're the Evil Empire.
• 10:45
  Speaker 3: All right? Moving forward, before you.
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: Do, Cratzy, I have to say this one thing because
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: I watched the segment before and you were talking about
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: how you were a two h seven hitter and wouldn't
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: have been able to get a hit. And I still
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: remember the double and the ninth inning you hit off
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: a role this Chapman in Cincinnati to win a game
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: for the J's. So give yourself a little bit of credit.
• 11:04
  Speaker 3: What a what a hey, you know, blind squirrel finds
• 11:07
  Speaker 3: it not every once in a while, but what a
• 11:08
  Speaker 3: memory that's like twenty fourteen. Yeah, that was a big moment.
• 11:13
  Speaker 3: That was a big moment. Okay, I appreciate it. Now
• 11:15
  Speaker 3: now I forget my question. No, is the fact that
• 11:19
  Speaker 3: they had to run a bullpen game, and is the
• 11:22
  Speaker 3: fact that they had Chris Bassett and Max Schurzer not
• 11:25
  Speaker 3: on the roster a detriment moving forward? Is it a
• 11:31
  Speaker 3: something that they have to And I know the bullpen
• 11:33
  Speaker 3: game went really well, but holy crap, seventh inning, I
• 11:37
  Speaker 3: think the Yankees had the tying run up. Had that
• 11:40
  Speaker 3: game gotten tied up, then you're going to the next
• 11:43
  Speaker 3: day starter in Golfman, Trey you Savage. Is that a
• 11:48
  Speaker 3: detriment for the Blue Jays moving forward?
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it was two out in the eighth inning when
• 11:54
  Speaker 2: the Yankees got the tying run to the plate, and
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: after the walk to load the bases, Jeff Hoffmin got
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: a first pitch out and that's when it got really
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: really tight. But you're right, if the Yankees tie the game,
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: you're going to Gosman or you Savage, and then your
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: hands are pretty tied for Game five. I think I
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: thought going into the series only carrying three starters was
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: another one of these maybe two cute moves by the
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: front office. But the truth is Chris Bassett finished the
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: season on the injured list. He had a back problem
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: and they didn't think that he was gonna be ready
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: to help them in this series. He probably is back
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: on the roster for the Alcs and Max Scherzer. He's
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: going to the Hall of Fame. He's one of the
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: greatest pitchers of all time. He has been such a
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: big help around here, especially those six weeks in July
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: and August where he was so good. But Max Scherzer
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: since the middle of August has pitched twenty five innings
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: and given up twenty five runs, and he's got an
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: ERA of over twelve in the first inning. So I'm
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: not sure. You know, I hate, I know this is
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: like blasphemy, but I don't think he earned a spot
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: on the playoff ros much like Mark Burley wasn't on
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: the playoff roster for the Jason twenty fifteen. But I
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: do think having the way the days off go in
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: the best of five lent more credence to using a
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: bullpen game because you knew you were going to be
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: able to take it easy on the relievers. In Game three,
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: you hoped for a longer start from Shane Bieber and
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: didn't get it, but they made sure that nobody threw
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: more than twenty pitches out of the bullpen in Game three,
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: and an off day before that and an off day
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: after Game four. You can do it. But if you
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: want to run a bullpen game in the ALCS, you're
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: doing it where there's a span of three games with
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: no off day, and it makes it a lot tougher
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: because you're going to wear out your bullpen four Game
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: five or in Game three, and that's an issue. I
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: think we're going to see Chris Bassett back on the
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: playoff roster in the next round.
• 14:02
  Speaker 4: All Right, a couple of things you just said, like one,
• 14:04
  Speaker 4: not having Mark Burley on the playoff roster. Who's blasphem me? Okay,
• 14:07
  Speaker 4: I don't know what he did, but I mean, he
• 14:08
  Speaker 4: was only throwing eighty three in two thousand and five
• 14:10
  Speaker 4: and he pitched fine, so I'm sure he was maybe
• 14:12
  Speaker 4: throwing eighty two so he would have been fine. So
• 14:16
  Speaker 4: let's also, you know, establish it. And yeah, Max, you
• 14:18
  Speaker 4: didn't hear him anything from Max. Max understood why these
• 14:21
  Speaker 4: guys they get it, they understand. But my question is
• 14:24
  Speaker 4: are we going to see Bo? Are we going to
• 14:26
  Speaker 4: see Bobachette. I know he's been jogging, but there's a
• 14:28
  Speaker 4: big difference between jogging and playing shortstop in the ALCS
• 14:32
  Speaker 4: against the other best team in the American League.
• 14:36
  Speaker 2: We're definitely not going to see Bobachett playing shortstop, I think.
• 14:39
  Speaker 2: But I think we may see Bobachett as a DH
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: in the ALCS. He spoke after the game last night
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: in New York and he said that He's made some
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: huge strides in the past few days, but he still
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: has to be able to run the bases, and he's
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: got three days to get better, and you know, maybe
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: he's got six. Because if I'm the Blue Jays and
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: I think Bo's gonna be ready for Game three, I'm
• 15:04
  Speaker 2: putting him on the roster if he's going to be
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: ready for Game three, which is Tuesday. Game one Sunday
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: will be five weeks exactly since he got hurt sliding
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: into Austin Wells shin guard and sort of jamming up
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: his knee and straining it. And these injuries are like
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: four to six week injuries usually, But to have him
• 15:27
  Speaker 2: out there playing shorts up. There is zero chance of
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: that happening before the World Series if they get there,
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: and maybe not even in the World Series. But I
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: would not be surprised if he's on the roster as
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: a DH only, and that might cost Anthony santanderra a spot.
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: That's a good point decisions call.
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I don't think it's a tough call. Honestly,
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: Santander has I think three hits since coming back. He
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: missed most of the last four months of the season,
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: and to be able to ask a guy to be
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: who you are. Once you do that, it doesn't work
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: for me. It was one for ten with six strikeouts
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: in the regular season, and I think had two or
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: three hits in this ALCS. He's a poor defensive outfielder.
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: You should be able to put George Springer out there
• 16:20
  Speaker 2: and to have Bow's bat back. He's missed a month,
• 16:23
  Speaker 2: but his swing's a little bit different than Santander's and
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: Tony Tatter's missed a lot of time and really hasn't
• 16:32
  Speaker 2: done it. He's had some great at bats since he's
• 16:34
  Speaker 2: gotten back, but they haven't resulted in any hits. Yeah.
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: Well, the one the game three was that the two
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: runs big hit.
• 16:43
  Speaker 3: That was big.
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: I know they lost the game, but that was big.
• 16:45
  Speaker 2: But that is fair.
• 16:46
  Speaker 3: That is fair.
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: I mean, it's been a tough year for him, and
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: I think everyone would agree if bo can hit, they
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: will take that bat because he also, I think has
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: the clutch gene, which we could spend an hour talking
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: about alone. Mike, this was awesome, man. We will invite
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: you back sooner, especially if these Wouldjays keep doing their thing.
• 17:03
  Speaker 2: Okay, all right, Always a pleasure to be here, guys,
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: thanks H,