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Big Stu-ey: The Miguel Cairo Series (w/Jon Morosi) · Stugotz and Company

• 0:21
  Speaker 1: John Marossi joins us right now.
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: He's an MLB Network insider. You can watch John across
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: MLB Network studio shows this postseason, including the Emmy Award-nominated
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: MLB Central every single morning. And John is with us
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: right now.
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: John, thank you so much for joining us.
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: Taylor and Mikey here are Yankee fans, and I will
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: tell you earlier today, they said that Yankees-Rays, that's really
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: the ALCS. The winner of that series goes to the
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: World Series.
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: Do you agree? No, of course not. We got a
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: lot of baseball left. And by the way, you're going
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: to you are dealing with a proud Midwesterner here. OK,
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: one of the one of the things on the shelf
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: behind me is the upper peninsula of Michigan where I
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: was born. Now, of course, either as it may, it's
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: rare to have a Michigander defending the honor of those
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: from Ohio and Illinois. But here I am, and there
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: is still what I'm saying to you is a lot
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: of great baseball we played. The White Sox are hot.
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: The Guardians, Stephen Vogt, one of the best managers, I believe,
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: in baseball. To me, I agree that in principle, whichever
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: team wins the AL East Championship Series will probably be
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: favored to win the pennant. But we have seen many
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: strange things happen in October, and the unpredictability of it
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: all is what we love the most.
• 1:36
  Speaker 3: John, can we at least agree on the fact that
• 1:39
  Speaker 3: the White Sox won the Garrett Crochet trade?
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: Well, now that Taylor is a really good take and
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: a popular one, and I think a correct one. Because
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: when you consider that in game two, just looking at that,
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: a third of the White Sox lineup, one third, consisted
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: of players they obtained the Garrett Crochet trade. That's remarkable.
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: And listen, there's still plenty of time left for Garrett
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: Crochet to eventually become the Red Sox ace. Obviously, it
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: was an injury-shortened season for him this year. But what
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: the White Sox got out of that trade, and I
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: think it's always important, Taylor, to view trades in context
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: and say, who were they trading, when were they trading him,
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: Did they optimize the value the best they could? Did
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: they get back players that helped to fit in the
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: overall context of what that team was doing? And for
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: the White Sox, the answer is a resounding yes. Chase Midroth,
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: what a moment that he had. Montgomery was really important
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: in Game 1. And then Kyle Teal, who actually was
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: injured at the very same ballpark in Houston during the
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: course of the World Baseball Classic playing for Team Italy. which,
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: of course, I always try to mention the WBC and
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: Italy whenever possible. I've done that now. But Gil was
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: injured there in March. He came back and had a
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: really impressive series. So the White Sox, a ton of momentum,
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: and they're a very dangerous team for the Guardians to
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: face now, what I'm calling the Jim Tomey series between
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: the White Sox and Cleveland. I love that.
• 3:08
  Speaker 4: John, there's a conspiracy theory floating around online in the
• 3:12
  Speaker 4: bowels of the internet that the Red Sox pulled Sonny
• 3:16
  Speaker 4: Gray yesterday because of the sticky substance that was clearly
• 3:19
  Speaker 4: on his neck. And it wasn't so much that they
• 3:21
  Speaker 4: were taking him out as much as they were saving
• 3:23
  Speaker 4: it from becoming a bigger issue. What's your thoughts on that?
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: I'd be surprised to be honest with you, Mike. And
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: I realized there was plenty of conversation about that. The
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: way that the game works now, and the substance checks
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: that occur as the pitchers leave the mound, as they
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: come to the mound, I think in a game like that,
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: it would be really difficult to be taking a sticky
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: substance and using it to your advantage, and to have evaded...
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: Every substance check for the first four innings of the game,
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: I find that to be a little specious of an argument.
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: I'm not surprised that it's out there, but I would
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: say that it's unlikely and that this was a very
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: analytically motivated move. Not a very popular one, by the way,
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: if you look at Sonny Gray's comments after the game.
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: But I would place that rationale as being quite low.
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: If the Red Sox thought that Sonny Gray... internally, based
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: on their modeling, analytics, et cetera, if they thought that
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: he was the right man for that particular spot, I
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: think they would have kept him in. I do not
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: believe that there was anything sticky about the reasoning why
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: he was removed from that game.
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: Should Sonny Gray be upset he was taken out? I mean,
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: just based on the analytics, because he is the best
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: in baseball going through the lineup for the third time.
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: I love that he came there with the receipts, Stu Gatz,
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: to have that statement after the game. Yeah, I think
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: I'm the best pitcher in the American League third time through.
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: We're all like, yeah, he's right. So if we're going
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: to go with the analytics, go with the analytics. That's
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: what the analytics said to keep him in the game.
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: And so, of course, plenty of irony for those of
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: us with enough gray hair to have been around and
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: covered the 03-04 era of this rivalry, of course. the
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: echoes and shades of Grady Little who left Pedro in
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: too long. Now it's quite the opposite, maybe a little
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: different circumstance. I don't think, I still don't think that
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: the rivalry is quite back to where it was in
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: those years. And I'll argue that point with anybody, but
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: you look at the overall second guessing. I think that
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: Gray was well within his rights to say that he
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: wanted to be out there. He was one of the
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: five or 10 best pitchers in, in all of the
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: American League this season, and to pull him there, the
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: question is always, who are you pulling him for? There
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: was a game that happened later last night with the Padres,
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: and Nick Pavetta, he was out in the fourth inning,
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: but guess what? Look at that Padre bullpen. Who were
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: you bringing in? What was the circumstance in which you
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: were bringing those guys in? The Red Sox bullpen, to me, Stugatz,
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: we didn't see enough excellence from them during the course
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: of at least game one and into game two to
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: say that I had an abundance of confidence once that
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: bullpen door opened. What are you hearing?
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: What do you think the Yankees are going to do
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: with Judge here against the Rays?
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: I believe there's a better than likely chance that he
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: is in this lineup, at least in the roster, let's say,
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: because I was looking at this earlier this morning, actually,
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: on MLB Central. So the Yankees carried more position players
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: than you would normally have in a playoff series because
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: it was so short. They didn't need as many relievers.
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: So they had 16 position players, which is a staggeringly
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: high number of position players for a playoff series. So
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: 16 position players, 10 pitchers. They're probably going to increase
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: the number of pitchers, I would say, at least to 12,
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: if you're being conservative here, for this division series. And yet,
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: I looked at it, four Yankee position players got either
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: one or zero at-bats in this wildcard series. Caballero, Sanchez,
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: who you have to have on the roster as a
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: backup catcher, Stanton and then Rosario. Stanton, zero at-bats. Sanchez, zero,
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: but again, he's got to play because you need to
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: have a backup catcher. Rosario only got one. And then
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: you start looking at the pitching. Actually, Cole didn't pitch.
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: Of course, Cole will likely start game one. Nor did Rodon.
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: He'll probably start one of the first four games in
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: some order. And then Yarbrough didn't pitch at all. So
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: they can probably get by with 12 pitchers because their starters,
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: as a general rule, get so deep into the game.
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: So that means you go with 14 position players if
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: you go to that level. Maybe you go 11 and 15,
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: but I think more likely 12 and 14. If Volpe's
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: going to play more often, you don't necessarily need Caballero.
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: And then Rosario, I would say, also is a bit
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: extraneous in that construct. And then you might actually decide
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: between Stanton and Judge. So I do think that with
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: the fact that Judge was getting some live at-bats in Somerset,
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: that he seemed to be resolved that he's going to
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: have a chance to get involved. And the fact that
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: Stanton didn't get an at-bat against all those Boston lefties,
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: if Stanton was not going to bat in that series,
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: I'm not sure when he would. So I think that
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: Judge finds his way. I'm not a thousand percent sure
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: of it, but I would say 60-40 yes on Judge
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: being on the roster. All right.
• 8:16
  Speaker 3: John, if White Sox-Guardians is the Jim Tomey series, who
• 8:19
  Speaker 3: do you have winning the Miguel Cairo series between the
• 8:21
  Speaker 3: Yankees and the Rays?
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: The Miguel Cairo series? The Wade Boggs series? John Flaherty?
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: Isn't there Tino? Did Nick Johnson ever play for the Rays?
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: We're going kind of deep now into this list. But Boggs,
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: for sure. I think Boggs, Miguel Cairo. Cairo, of course, Cardinal...
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: And by the way, briefly manage the White Sox. Let's
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: not forget when La Russa was away. So Miguel Cairo,
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: he's all over the place. Great guy, by the way,
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: Miguel Cairo. So I think the Rays, as much as
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: I like their team, the Yankees are arriving with a
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: ton of momentum. And let's not forget... As much as
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: the Yankees have had some ups and downs and we've
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: questioned them at different times of the season, they got
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: Garrett Cole rested and ready for game one of a
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: five-game series. And the Rays are not sure when McClanahan
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: is going to be able to come back and pitch
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: this postseason. Whereas you look at the Yankees, that lefty
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: lineup is not a great matchup for Nick Martinez, who
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: has had a fabulous season. for the Rays, but I
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: just think the Yankees are hot. I mean, you put
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: up all those runs against the Red Sox. I'm a
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: believer in where the Yankees are right now. I think
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: the Yankees find a way to win this series in
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: four games.
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: John, would you blame the Rays if they sold only
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: Yankee merchandise at the stadium?
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: So obviously– so this is a very interesting topic because,
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: of course, the Yankees have always had a home base
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: in Tampa, so to speak. It's their spring training home.
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: And not for nothing, the Rays were utilizing the Yankees'
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: spring training home. ballpark, George Steinbrenner Field, as their home
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: ballpark last year. So it's important to understand the context
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: there of how there is this uneasy relationship right between
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: the two. I'll be really, really interested to see how
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: much Yankee merch is in or around the stadium. You
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: might have some people, and by the way, what's to stop,
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: and forgive me for not knowing Florida commercial law and
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: how this all works, but what's to stop all these
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: very enterprising souvenir shops you see in the Bronx? Like,
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: decamp and go down to Tampa and St. Petersburg and
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: do the same thing there. I mean, you might not
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: have the same level of foot traffic. I do think,
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: by the way, you will have I mean, just think
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: how much Yankee fan support you may have there in Tampa.
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: I have a soft spot for the Trop. I know
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: certainly it's going to be a better future for the
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: game when they're not playing there any longer. But it's
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: a great place to work. I've covered some really memorable
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: playoff games there. Game 162 all those years ago in
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: 2011 was an amazing moment for the game. So it's
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: got its history, but I think you're going to hear–
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: I'll say it's, again, maybe 55-45 raise to Yankees fans,
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: but you're going to hear. You're going to hear the
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: New Yorkers in the stadium for sure this.
• 11:13
  Speaker 2: Coming– I would say it's 70-30 Yankee fans.
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: Seriously. I'm being serious here. It may happen, John. To me,
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: maybe I'm being a little more charitable of the enthusiasm
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: that the Rays fans have for their team, but maybe
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: it'll sound a little more 50-50. No matter what, you'll
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: hear them. You'll hear the Yankee fans. What I want
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: to hear, by the way, is a roll call on
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: the road. You want to talk about... Planting the flag
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: and saying that it's our park. If the bleacher creatures
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: basically say, okay, this is our area, and they're doing
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: the roll call, and you hear it on the broadcast,
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: then you'll know that it's a Yankee home game.
• 12:07
  Speaker 4: John, as we were talking about the division series, but
• 12:10
  Speaker 4: there's still one wild card series.
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: Oh, yeah.
• 12:12
  Speaker 4: What do you got tonight in the Andy Ashby series?
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: Ooh, the Andy Ashby. Well done there. Well done, Mike.
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: Nice work there, Phillies and Braves. I like the Phillies here.
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: I like the Phillies because you've got– and it's unique,
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: of course, for the Braves. They're probably going to start
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: an opener and then go with Holmes as the bulk guy.
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: The Braves, interestingly enough, they've only gone to three different
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: relievers with mixed results, of course, in this series so far.
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: So most of the Braves' pen is rested, and they've
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: got Holmes to slot in there. I just trust Nola
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: a little bit more, and I think that the Phillies–
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: They are a fun team to watch this time of
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: year because when they really get going, they're really impressive
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: to watch. They can look stale as they did in
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: game one. But in game two, you're like, oh, yeah. Yeah,
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: I know these guys. I trust Harper. I trust Schwarber.
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: And when Boehm is going opposite field for the first
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: time since opening day, which is remarkable, then you start
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: to believe in that group a little bit more. And
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: I think Mattingly was unfairly criticized for getting Durant into
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: that game. It didn't work out. Okay, it didn't work
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: out in game one. How many times, whether it's Buck
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: Showalter and Zach Britton or Freddie Gonzalez and Kimbrell all
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: those years ago against the Dodgers, I'm pulling some of
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: these years and names out of my mind, but how
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: often do we have the lament be, the season ended
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: and your best guy was still in the bullpen?
• 13:41
  Speaker 4: No.
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: The playoffs are different. Put your leverage guy in the
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: spot and It may not be the traditional scenario, but
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: they had their best guy out there. He got beat.
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: It happens. Austin Riley had a moment. It happens. They
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: came back yesterday with their best guys. Offensively, they got
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: it done. And I think Duran might be available, and
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: wouldn't that be an amazing way to end this series
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: if the Phillies end up again being the kryptonite for
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: a very good Braves team. So I'm all in. I
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: think it's going to be a great, great game. Always,
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: of course, hearing Matty V on the call. It's going
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: to be a lot of fun there, Braves and Phillies,
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: this evening.
• 14:15
  Speaker 3: John, the Dodgers are awaiting the winner in that one.
• 14:17
  Speaker 3: In the other NLDS matchup, it's the Padres and the Brewers.
• 14:21
  Speaker 3: The Mark Loretta series. Do you think the winner of
• 14:24
  Speaker 3: that could challenge the Dodgers? Or is this the Dodgers
• 14:27
  Speaker 3: versus the field right now?
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: I think that that winner right there, Taylor, is absolutely
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: a worthy contestant. And, yes, that's Mark Loretta. Good call there.
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: Pat Murphy, by the way, briefly managed the Padres. That's
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: another little bit of trivia going way back. There's some
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: connections there. So I really think that's going to be
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: a fantastic series. Two great atmospheres. And the thing I
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: love about that, too, as someone that really loves these
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: sort of historic stories around this time of year, no
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: matter what, you're going to have a team in the
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: NLCS That has never won the World Series.
• 15:01
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: Never. And I always love it when you have your
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: October baseball with a little bit of a quest involved. Yes.
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: Where the 2016 World Series I love because it was
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: quest versus quest. Cubs and then Cleveland Indians. I love that.
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: I love that Brewers and Padres, of course, they've both
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: been to the World Series. The Brewers have been forever
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: since they were last there back in the early 80s.
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: So I love this. I think that those are two
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: really great fan bases, two fantastic ballpark atmospheres for October.
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: I think the Brewers are a better team now than
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: they were a year ago when, of course, the Dodgers
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: swept them. But again, when you're the hot team. I
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: want no part of this Padre lineup right now. No
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: part of it, man. When Tatis is going, when Machado's going,
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: Tatis is dancing in the celebration in the clubhouse, that
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: makes me worried if I'm the Brewers, okay? They're clearly
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: feeling it right now. Very athletic defense and the bullpen
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: that no one wants to see. So I really think
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: that the Padres right now... They have every bit the
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: chance the Dodgers do to win the World Series. And
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: I think the Brewers do as well. If you take
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: Dodgers versus the field, I'm taking the field until the
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: Dodgers really show me otherwise.
• 16:18
  Speaker 3: John, I love baseball. I love your passion for the sport.
• 16:20
  Speaker 3: Who loves baseball more between you and Adnan Virk?
• 16:23
  Speaker 2: I don't think anyone.
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: Seriously.
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: First off, I think it's a push, and I don't
• 16:27
  Speaker 2: think there's any second place.
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: Seriously.
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: Wow.
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: I appreciate it, gentlemen. That is high praise. I would
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: never put myself above Adnan in any category. By the way,
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: we also have a favorite sport there in hockey that
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: we both work in and love as well. So could
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: we call it a tie? Although, you know, Adnan, given
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: his movie background, there's got to be one winner of
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: the Oscar. You can't tie. So I'll give respect to
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: Adnan and go Adnan one, Morosi two.
• 16:55
  Speaker 3: I'll give it to Tim Kirchhen. How about that?
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: Is that fair? Now, all three of us, if I'm
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: in the conversation with Adnan and Timmy, I'm feeling great
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: about myself and I appreciate it very much.
• 17:05
  Speaker 4: Can we get a podcast of you, Tim Kirchen, and
• 17:08
  Speaker 4: Adnan just naming random baseball players?
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: I'm begging you.
• 17:10
  Speaker 4: You don't have to do anything else but just name
• 17:12
  Speaker 4: like Bubba Crosby.
• 17:13
  Speaker 3: We'll produce it.
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: By the way, so speaking of which, so do you
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: know who is excellent at the immaculate grid, like dominant
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: at the grid? Aaron Boone. Aaron Boone has an encyclopedic knowledge,
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: as does Brad Ausmus. I've been told, I got a
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: good report, that the Immaculate Grid is like a really
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: good competition among the Yankees coaches. And Boone, by the way,
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: is also great. Forgive me for not knowing the website
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: off the top of my head, but the website where
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: it has only the silhouette of the swing, you have
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: to guess the swing right away. Mark DeRosa is amazing
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: at that. The only one that might be better than
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: D-Row is Aaron Boone. Aaron Boone's mind for the game,
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: I really, and I know he gets second-guessed a lot
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: because it's part of the job of being the Yankee manager.
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: I think he's done a fantastic job managing the team,
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: first and foremost. And Aaron's takes and his care about
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: the game are next level. There have been times when
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: I've been on the air talking about the Hall of Fame.
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: The segment's over, my phone rings, and it's Aaron Boone saying, hey,
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: I want to talk through your takes on this. I've
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: got some thoughts. And he's not like, it's not, he's just,
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: I want to hear what you're thinking about. So that's
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: someone who loves the game. I love Aaron Boone's passion
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: for the sport because it does, in many ways, equal mine.
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: I'm telling you, Taylor, right now is thinking he should
• 18:32
  Speaker 2: be more focused on his job in the Yankees.
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: I mean, he's thinking it. He's not going to say it.
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: That is a December-January conversation when, again, there is no
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: bullpen to check on. That is a December-January thought. But, yeah, the–
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: and I'll tell you this. The immaculate grit is like
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: the Sudoku for the baseball mind. It kind of gets you–
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: It gets you going, gets you thinking situations. I mean,
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: there are some great, Latroy Hawkins is an all-time immaculate grid.
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: More than 10 teams, Darren Oliver and Randall Gritchick, who's
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: having a great playoff for the White Sox. Also a
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: very good immaculate grid name. Mikey, this is the best
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: idea you've ever had. I mean, let's get it done.
• 19:09
  Speaker 2: How do we make it happen? John, we appreciate it.
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: Your energy is fantastic. You're welcome here anytime, sir. Check
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: him out.
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: You can watch John across MLB Network studio shows this postseason,
• 19:22
  Speaker 2: including the Emmy Award-nominated MLB Central every single morning. John,
• 19:27
  Speaker 2: thanks for doing this.
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: We appreciate it. Really enjoyed it. Happy playoffs, my friends.
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: Enjoy October and look forward to the next conversation. All right. Thanks, man.