Latest / Cards & Categories / Ep. 112 : Baseball Musings With Keelin Billue

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Ep. 112 : Baseball Musings With Keelin Billue · Cards & Categories

• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome everybody to episode one twelve of Cards
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: and Categories. I'm my cool art form as Ball, and
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: I am joined by the number one FOP friend of
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: the pod, Keelan Blue. She is back. You are I
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: mean you host or you hold the record right now
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: for most guest appearances on the pod. So we have
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: Marmo's dad coming up close on you. So you got
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: to keep this going.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: But I'm so honored.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: Welcome, welcome back, thank you.
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, and that's pretty good company. I love
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: Marmo's dad, so like, that's that's great company to be in.
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: So even if he surpasses me, I'm going to be like,
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: all right, I'm up here with winning company exactly.
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, anybody that produces the volume of words
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: that Marmo's dad does for that top one. Like I'm
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: a prolific writer. I can never imagine writing as long
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: as him. But yeah, it is rarefied error. So you're
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: filling in here for Jeremy, who is out this week
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: gallivanting around in Vegas. So I figured i'd have you
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: on to talk some playoffs. I have to talk some
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: white socks because we always got to talk white sox
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: when you're around, and you are one of the I mean,
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: you're the only person I know directly that has witnessed
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: Munataki Munataka Murakami play live. So I figured we could
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: talk about him since he was posted this week too,
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: So before we dive into all those separate topics, have
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: you been pretty good?
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: I glad to see you, glad to catch up with you. Well, see,
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: I did take a break from doing ambulance chasers this season,
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: so you know, I'm not up to date on injuries,
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: but you told me today there weren't many cool, exciting injuries.
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: Yere no testees, so which is good. That's good. That's
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: a win, you know, not for somebody who writes about injuries,
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: but for the players probably that's a win. But yeah,
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: I've been pretty good, just enjoying being being a fan
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: this season, maybe not always a fan of the White Sox,
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: but a fan of baseball in general. And yeah, it's
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: been good.
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean, it is possible that because you weren't
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: ambulance chasing this year that there weren't any testicular injuries
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: because they knew Baseball at large knew that we couldn't
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: have Keeland Yah. The injury game and then have the
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: the pun of any sartistical injury be there and just
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: not be utilized.
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: So I would have had so much fomo though if
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: I'd missed, if I had missed, like a solid testicular injury,
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: I would have been devastated. I'd been like, this is
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: this is it? So I remember didn't when Otani got hurt,
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: not in the testicles, but when O'tani had before his
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: UCLs surgery. Were you? I think you were ambulance chasing
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: that weekend? Were you?
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: I was, Yes, that was like the week that you
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: were out. It was like, oh, Tani tore his UCL
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: again and there was some other significant injury. I don't
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: remember what it was, but it was just like the
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: entire world crashed down while you were out for that week.
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: Yeah. Again, I was like, oh man, I feel like
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: I was sleeping on sleeping on the job. But I mean,
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: you were very good to break that news, so it's good.
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: All right, Well, let's get into some of that playoff
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: talk because I don't know about you, but this has
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: been one of the more thrilling playoff runs that I
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: can think of. And we're talking right now. On October fifteenth,
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: so they are just kicking off Game three of the
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: Alcs out in Seattle, which those guys I'd have to
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: fly back and forth from Toronto to Seattle. I do
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: not envy them. That is a brutal, brutal travel for
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: even just for the off day, to go back and
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: forth like that. But we're also talking on the heels
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: of those two fantastic DS games that went to Game
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: five between Milwaukee and Chicago, which was just a thrilling battle,
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: but probably like the playoff game of this century that
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: I can think of, maybe outside of like that Diamondbacks
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: Yankees World Series or something like that. The fifteen inging
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: battle between the Tigers and the Mariners, wasn't it. My
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: first question to you, did you stay awake for all
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: of it? So?
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: Yes, I was awake through all of it, although definitely
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: towards the end I started just like checking in intermittently
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: because I was, like like many other I feel like
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: I heard a clip of one of the Detroit like
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: radio announcers. He was he had a hot mic and
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: he was just like this this game. He was like
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: this f in game, and I felt kind of the
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: same way. I was like, oh my god, what is
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: this going to end, So I was checking in at
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: that point. I kind of was like, this does not
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: feel like it's going to be it for Detroit necess early.
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: So yeah, it was. It was a slog, even if
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: it was exciting, it was just like, all right, I'm
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: kinda I'm kind of checked out here.
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: Yeah, And I mean it's incredible that the Mariners were
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: then able to bounce back and then win those first
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: two CS games, considering they used pretty much their entire
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: rotation in that fifteen inning game. I'll admit I did
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: not stay away for the end of it. I was
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: visiting family in Michigan, and so I was on Eastern time,
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: which is the worst time. Like, I don't understand how
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: people live in that time zone and be able to
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: watch anything on television without just sacrificing all sleep possible.
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: So I didn't. I didn't make it. I made it
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: through thirteen innings, had to wake up with the results
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: in the morning. But uh, I think the incredible thing
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: about the game, too, is Horiy Palanco. What has gotten
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: into him this year? He has been something else right.
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I yeah, I agree.
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: And then on top of it, like, yeah, it's it's
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: just been a really fun Mariners run. They had Humpy
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: win that race around the second one. Yeah, the second
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: seventh inning stretch, which is, uh, if you're not familiar
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: with the way the Seattle Mariners do, the seventh inning
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: stretch run, which is I mean, I think it was
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: probably founded by the Brewers, right with the sausage race.
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: I guess, we don't know. I don't know the full history,
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: and then it kind of built to the Nationals during.
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: The President the Nationals.
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and then now just about every team has this.
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: But the Mariner's version is they have a salmon run
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: with different salmons, and they have this one that is
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: called Humpy, who literally until Saturday night or Friday night,
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: that is with the Alds game, had never won one
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: of the salmon runs in the fifteenth inning or fourteenth
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: inning that is when they ran it. They decided to
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: finally let Humpy win win one of these runs and
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: pull it out and it was good luck, so I know,
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: on effectively while they were talking today, we're gonna have
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: to see do they let Humpy win again tonight during
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: the Alcs do they let him keep running.
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: I feel like you can't do it that much, you like,
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: can't deploy that that much or else it loses a
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: little bit of the significance, you know, but we'll see.
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: I mean, big knife for Helpy, big knife for Maritors.
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: It is. I mean, it's gonna be a salmon run
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: where you can be a humpy fan and have some
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: faith that he might pull it out. So it is
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: going to be a fun game. It's been a fun
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: series because the Blue Jays have been fantastic too. They
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: absolutely obliterated the Yankees, wipe the floor at them. We
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: got some great clips of Vladimir Guerrel really rubbing with
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: David Ortiz with the new classic phrase of the Yankees lose,
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: and then having a Rod and Derek Jeter sitting right
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: next to David Ortiz while they're doing it, I mean,
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: on top of it. I don't think vlad Junior knew that,
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: like the Yankee stadium crowd had thrown beer cans at
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: his family in yeah after the interview. But man, more
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: power to Flat Junior because he's obviously had some dust
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: ups with that Yankees franchise, and so they've been a
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: fun team. I really do hope that we get more
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: games out of the Alcs because I love both these
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: Mariners and Blue Jays teams.
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: Yeah, me too. It's really refreshing to just have different
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: teams in the mix, because it does it gets hard
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: to watch here after year when it's the same. So
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: this is really, I mean, really awesome time. I also
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: really like Blue Blue Jays, and it's just cool to
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: see the Mariners there in general. So I feel pretty
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: good about some odds right now. I know the Dodgers
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: are formidable, but it's still fun, really fun to watch
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: because I'm like, I like pretty much everybody.
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and so you fired up the segue. Let's move
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: it all over to the NL where let's first cover
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: that NLDS Game five between the Cubs and the Brewers.
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: And I think I've only got two words to say,
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: and I want to get your your feedback on it.
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: Andrew Vaughn.
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: Andrew Vaughn, who was like, Hey, I'm gonna be a
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: decent baseball player now after I leave the White Sox.
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: But I don't know, I'm curious how you feel about it.
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: I've seen different different people, especially if they're White Sox fans,
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: have different opinions of it, So I'm kind of curious
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: about your take on if you feel betrayed or if
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: you're like, great, it's great to see.
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: I am in the ladder camp there. It's great to
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: see him succeed, especially because it also just like really
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: rubs the White Sox noses in it, where it's like, hey,
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: he's not actually a bad player. You guys on the
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: south side just suck at coaching. And the one thing
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: that the Brewers I think have been emphasizing with Vaughn
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: is don't chase outside the zone. And wow, what a miracle, right,
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: who would have thought, Yeah that you ever been taught
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: in Little League? Is something that the White Sox couldn't
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: drive home. And I think it's something we've seen with
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: all their players. But I was going nuts for both
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: of the Andrew Vaughn homers and the DS and yeah,
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: I mean, you know, I'm a I'm a Cubs hater,
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: so it was even better to see Andrew Vaughn just
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: kind of really do put up that performance against the
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: Cubs and be able to produce those giant homers and
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: really carry I don't think he carried the team, I guess,
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: but he spurred the team to that victory in the DS.
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, I completely agree with you that and I
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: think you said it earlier that that game was like
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: one of the I don't know if you said that
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: to me personally, that game was one of the best,
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: for sure, that I've seen in a really, really long time.
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: I was like, could not take my eyes off the screen,
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: and obviously as a Cubs hater as well, it was.
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: It was great. And I think just the whole series,
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: I mean, preferably it would have been cool. I'm sure
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: for Brewers fans and for us if you know, the
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: Brewers would have wrapped it up. But I think it
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: was so much more on when it was like, oh, wow,
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: we have to we have to go to game five.
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: So and then that game was just awesome.
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, it was a perfect kind of cap to
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: the nl Central there. And so you mentioned them a
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: little bit. The Dodgers are the behemoth here. They looked
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: really great in the first two games of the NLCS,
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: especially behind that incredible Blake Snell performance in Game one
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: that Roki Sasaki almost blew in the ninth and then
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: Yoshi Yamamoto pitching a complete game in game two. I
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: kind of brought this up when brew and I did
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: the preview of the playoffs where this Dodgers team, it's
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: a machine built for the playoffs, where it's a lot
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: more like an NBA squad nowadays, where you know, once
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: they get into the playoffs and they have everybody healthy,
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: I just don't see how you stop their momentum. And
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: it looks kind of the same right now as they've
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: just really man handled the Brewers in the first two games.
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: So what's your what are your thoughts on the Dodgers.
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I totally agree with you, and yeah,
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: just watching that game last night, I was kind of like, oh, man,
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: there's this sense of yeah, they're made for it. I mean,
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: they spend the money, they get all the pieces, so
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: it's kind of like, yeah, that makes sense us how
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: that works. I think it does take a little bit
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: of the magic out of it a little bit. I
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: don't consider myself a Dodgers hater, but it is kind
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: of it sucks a little to be like, ah, they're
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: so good and then they have all of these guys
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: and yeah, so again, I don't feel super mad or
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: upset about it because there's so many likable players and
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: they're just good and they have resources. But I would
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: prefer to see other teams win at this point, and honestly,
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: any of the other teams just to have something different
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: and new, and I mean the Mariners would be pretty cool.
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean yeah, I think I'm really pulling for
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: the Mariners too, at least to get into the World Series.
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: Get that first pennet. Yeah, mark it off, because then
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: at that point that will be the last team that
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: needed a pennant, and then you know, they can really
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: battle it out in the World Series. But I think
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: I'm in the same boat with you where you can't
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: really cheer for the Dodgers because there's such a powerhouse.
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: But I love Shohewatani. You know, Mookie Bets is a
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: great player too. I love y Yoshinobu Yamamoto. I Actually
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: I can't stand Blake Snell, like watching him pitch, but
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: that Game one performance kind of turned me around because
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: it was just a much more masterful performance instead of
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: his kind of usual like one hundred pitches through four
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: innings or whatever. And so it is a tough team
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: to cheer four, but it's also a tough team to
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: hate at the same time, which is kind of a
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: strange place to hold them.
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: It is weird. It is weird. Yeah, I definitely have
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: the sense of pettiness sometimes about it, where I think
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: it's almost like the Yankees are sort of shadow Dodgers,
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: where it's like, all right, it's a little easier to
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: dislike the Yankees, and then I mean the Dodgers just
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: like to your point, there are so many likable players
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: on an individual level, or at least many interesting players.
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: I'm always interested in they're pitching because I'm like, who
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: are they going to pull out of the hat or
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: who are they going to completely turn around at least
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: for a while. That's always super interesting to me with them,
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: how they make that work when a lot of other
• 14:32
  Speaker 2: teams can't really put it together, especially after falling apart.
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: So yeah, I feel the same way. Hard to dislike them.
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: Yeah, And then so you mentioned the Yankees there, Let's
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: talk about the DS Losers a little bit between, because
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: I think we've got a couple of franchises in flux
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: there where you know, the Yankees are getting older and
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: I think we've seen a lot of the flaws there.
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: I think of the one things for me that's most
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: frustrating about the Yankees is that it's it's like a
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: self inflicted martyrdom, where like they could spend like the Dodgers,
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: and they could do the Dodgers thing, but they don't
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: because of the directive from the top. And I mean,
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: I think it's got to be making George Steinbrenner just
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: like absolutely roll over in his grave watching them waste
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: air in Judges Prime. But you have to think they're
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: going to retool, reload. Anthony Volpi underwent shoulder surgery actually
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: today as we're speaking, on the fifteenth, so hopefully he'll
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: be back healthy and be able to man shortstop for
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: the Yankees in twenty twenty six. But what do you
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: think about that Yankees team? Do you think that they
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: they've got more in them or is the juice starting
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: to Is the air coming out of the balloon here?
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: Yeah? I was honestly surprised to see them make it.
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: I mean, okay, not that surprised to make it this far,
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: but at the beginning of the season, I was kind
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: of like, oh, I don't maybe this isn't this is
• 15:56
  Speaker 2: not it. It's hard to say anything like definitive with the
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: Yankees because they're mostly always going to be probably pretty decent,
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: but I they were kind of sucking, So I was
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: kind of surprised to see them turn it around a little.
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: But to your point, yeah, I mean other teams are
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: making some pretty big moves. Sometimes they work out, sometimes
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: they don't. I just feel like, yeah, I mean, there's
• 16:21
  Speaker 2: only so much mileage you can get out of Aaron Judge,
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: And yeah, I'm curious what they're gonna what they're gonna do,
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: if they're going to make any any kind of splashy
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: moves or anything like that.
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: Yeah, now let's flip to the other evil empire in
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: our minds, the Chicago Cubs, where I feel a lot
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: of those things I said about the Yankees are the
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: same for the Cubs, where this is a team that
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: has the structure to blow everybody out of the water
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: market wise, but they put their own restraints on it
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: for some reason. And also a little bit of bitterness
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: of just like what that Ricketts family has done to
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: our beloved city around Wrigley Field, where even if or
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: was a Cub's hater, like Wrigleyville was still kind of
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: like everybody's got some fond memories of being in their
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: twenties in Chicago there, but now that it's been really
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: just kind of bulldozed and up did to having all
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: these really, I mean, it feels like Schomberg sometimes, where
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: like some of the charm of that that neighborhoods has
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: been taken away from me. But what do you what
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: do you see for the Cubs? Because we do have
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: Kyle Tucker becoming a free agent. The warts that were
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: on the team all season really came to a head
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: in the playoffs where the starting pitching was not very
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: strong and they decided not to invest in it. The
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: bullpen same sort of situation where you know, they just
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: couldn't pull the trigger on putting those last arms in peace.
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: So what do you what do you see the off
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: season being for the Cubs?
• 17:54
  Speaker 2: Yeah, well, your first point about the neighborhood, I agree.
• 17:58
  Speaker 2: I call it adult drunk, adult Disney World. Then I'm
• 18:03
  Speaker 2: gonna lie. There are some things I'm like, You guys
• 18:04
  Speaker 2: have an Alamo draft house. I'm kind of jealous of that.
• 18:09
  Speaker 2: But they took down the old Taco Bell. It does
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: not cut it. It's too fancy, too fancy there now.
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: Next to that Taco Bell.
• 18:21
  Speaker 2: I've been to that Culver It's pretty good. Culver's is
• 18:26
  Speaker 2: always going to be pretty good. But yeah, I'm really
• 18:29
  Speaker 2: curious to see where it goes, Like if they're going
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: to address pitching. It's crazy because you know, I've really
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: enjoyed watching peek Crow Armstrong. He's been awesome and like,
• 18:41
  Speaker 2: I feel like he's really solid obviously, and then but
• 18:44
  Speaker 2: it is like, are you guys gonna I don't think
• 18:47
  Speaker 2: they're gonna go wipe the way of the White Sox,
• 18:52
  Speaker 2: of course, because you'd have to be really terrible to
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: go that way. But it kind of reminds me a
• 18:56
  Speaker 2: little bit of when the White Sox went to the
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: playoffs and then it was like, Okay, that was it.
• 19:03
  Speaker 2: Now we have to well, they destroyed the team. But
• 19:06
  Speaker 2: I wonder if there's going to be any kind of again,
• 19:09
  Speaker 2: like splashy acquisitions or anything like that, or if they're
• 19:12
  Speaker 2: just going to try to continue forward as is. I mean,
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: I think to your point, without anything with pitching, I
• 19:17
  Speaker 2: don't know what they're going to do, but yeah, that's
• 19:21
  Speaker 2: what I wonder, if any anything splashing will happen.
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I totally agree. Okay, let's stick in the NL.
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: Then with the Phillies, because I think this is probably
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: the team out of all of the ones that got
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: eliminated is probably in the most existential state, I would say,
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: because it is an aging team. You know, you've got
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: all the players who are getting into their mid to
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: late thirties, between Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castillanos, who
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: I mean looked totally toast this season, Zach Wheeler's got
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: to work his way back from thoracic outlet and having
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: that that blood clot in his shoulder, you are looking
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: at an aged Aaron Nola. And I mean, on top
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: of it, two Schwarbur is a free agent after leading
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: the NL in home runs this season, so they've got
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: to replace that bat. And the system behind all those
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: players is depleted beyond beyond belief because Dave Dombrowski's been
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: there working this magic now for however long he's been there.
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: And so, I mean, that did feel a little bit
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: like the last gasp for the Phillies. But obviously they
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: still have big pieces. It's still a pretty marquee franchise.
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: So where do you think the Phillies could go from here?
• 20:34
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that's a good question. It's funny to
• 20:36
  Speaker 2: you bring that up, because I know I saw that
• 20:37
  Speaker 2: picture the other day of of Bryce Harper where he
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: has his haircut now and everybody was like, wait, how
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: old He's only like thirty two. Yeah, that's a good
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: I mean, I think that's a really good question. I
• 20:52
  Speaker 2: don't I wonder they have like a plan beyond this,
• 20:56
  Speaker 2: because I mean, those guys have been around for so
• 20:59
  Speaker 2: long and just kind of reliable that. I mean, that's
• 21:02
  Speaker 2: a lot. I'm gonna be a lot to her place
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: and a lot at once. So yeah, I feel like
• 21:08
  Speaker 2: very similarly, they're going to have a time period where
• 21:13
  Speaker 2: they're just not super great, certainly not as dominant as before.
• 21:18
  Speaker 2: But we'll see. I'm definitely in a very bad like
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: White Sox state of mind where I'm like, you, guys
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: will do kind of good and then just be terrible.
• 21:27
  Speaker 2: That's how it works, because that's how it works for us. Yeah,
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: So when I say they're going to do bad, I
• 21:35
  Speaker 2: don't mean like White Sox bad. But you know, maybe
• 21:40
  Speaker 2: they're like, I agree with you. I think maybe this
• 21:43
  Speaker 2: was a last gast because that's just a lot. That's
• 21:45
  Speaker 2: a lot to take on. I would say, even like
• 21:48
  Speaker 2: the Cubs if they have less to do. But I
• 21:53
  Speaker 2: think it just comes down to the ownership and the
• 21:56
  Speaker 2: gms and what they what decisions they make, if they're
• 21:58
  Speaker 2: good or not. M M. That's always the question.
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: That is the million dollar answer. Okay, let's talk about
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: the last team, because I think it's probably the one
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: that probably has the most fondness in your heart. I
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: know you've dabbled in a little bit of Tiger's fandom
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: from here and there, and it's hard not to considering
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: they've also got Jason Benetti where it's like a very
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: comforting thing for me to throw in a Tiger's game
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: and listen to Benetti broadcast What a season. If we've
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: been talking at the All Star Game, at the All
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: Star Break, I think we would have been trying to
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: figure out how the Detroit Tigers aren't the number one
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: seed in the AL and collapsed so hard down the
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: stretch in September to the point where they lost that
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: division to the Guardians, got caught from behind, and then
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: that just looked like it took all the wind out
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: of their sales in terms of having to fight in
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: battle for that playoff spot in the last week of
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: the season. Despite it, they overcame it in the wild
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: Card series to beat Cleveland and Treek Skuble looked like
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: the best pitcher on the planet when he was in
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: that DS, But one pitcher does not a team make,
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: so around him, I think we've run in They ran
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: into some of the same issues we've seen with the
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: Tigers of the years, in terms of not having the
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: next wave of pitching, the bullpen being a little suspect,
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: some of those young players like Spencer Torkolsen not kind
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: of meeching the heights that have been expected of them.
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: So what do you see for the Detroit Tigers. Do
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: you think that they can keep this together, build upon it,
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: try to wash off what happened down the stretch, and
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: battle for that Al Central title again in twenty twenty six.
• 23:39
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I you know, it's funny. I placed a bet,
• 23:45
  Speaker 2: like a divisional bet at the beginning of the season,
• 23:47
  Speaker 2: like who would win each division? And I bet that
• 23:53
  Speaker 2: the I bet on the Guardians because I was like,
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: I think the Tigers are going to collapse at the
• 23:59
  Speaker 2: end of the season, because they kind of did the
• 24:00
  Speaker 2: same thing the season before where they I mean, not
• 24:05
  Speaker 2: nearly as bad as this year or like noticeable as
• 24:07
  Speaker 2: this year with how dominant they were at the beginning
• 24:09
  Speaker 2: of the season, but they just run out of gas,
• 24:11
  Speaker 2: Like I don't. I don't. That's definitely an issue, and
• 24:15
  Speaker 2: you know, obviously it worked out for them barely in
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: some ways. But yeah, I mean they just that just happens.
• 24:25
  Speaker 2: So yeah, I mean that is a team. It's like
• 24:30
  Speaker 2: you have to you have to change something. I know. Anytime,
• 24:34
  Speaker 2: yeah that, anytime they would bring in some of the
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: pitching staff, I'd be like, oh god, well here it
• 24:37
  Speaker 2: goes so hopefully that. You know, again, I'm curious what
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: resources they might part with. But yeah, I mean they've
• 24:47
  Speaker 2: always had sort of some really younger guys who have
• 24:52
  Speaker 2: a lot of promise, like Spencer Rhtoricals, and I'm honestly
• 24:56
  Speaker 2: I thought he was gonna do I don't know. I
• 24:57
  Speaker 2: think we talked at the beginning of the last season
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: and I was like, I think he might be cooked
• 25:02
  Speaker 2: this season, like done done. So you know, in my opinion,
• 25:08
  Speaker 2: you actually ended up better than I thought he was
• 25:10
  Speaker 2: going to be, which still isn't saying much. But yeah,
• 25:15
  Speaker 2: I'm curious if they're just going to kind of keep
• 25:16
  Speaker 2: with the strategy of getting younger guys or if they're
• 25:19
  Speaker 2: going to go for more veteran types, you know, in
• 25:23
  Speaker 2: the past, they've really just kind of built their own guys,
• 25:27
  Speaker 2: they haven't really. I mean, they've gotten a few big acquisitions,
• 25:31
  Speaker 2: but not as much as like other teams. So I'm
• 25:33
  Speaker 2: curious if they're going to stick with that strategy or not.
• 25:37
  Speaker 2: But yeah, they're pinching. Pinching is always very interesting.
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: Yeah, nice. Okay, Well let's get to the main course.
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: Then let's get to those Chicago White Sox, because you
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: know what, we've talked enough about playoff teams. We've hinted
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: at the White Sox here. I figured Brew doesn't let
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: me exercise this multiple enough in terms of just like
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: gaping about one of the worst teams that is in
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: the league and kind of checking in on the Chicago
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: White Sox. But I figured we could have a State
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: of the Union with the White Sox franchise right now.
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: Whoever would have thought that talking about a team that
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: was sixty and one oh two during the season and
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: finishing last place actually had some up arrows to it.
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: But I mean, I don't know about you, but I
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: am a little more hopeful about this team because if
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: you look at the lineup at the end of the year,
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: everybody was under thirty except for Andrew ben Tendi who
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: is thirty, and Mike Talkman, who wasn't even really necessarily
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: like a huge part of the lineup down the stretch.
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: It was starting to be taken over by Brooks Baldwin
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: and Chase Mydrath and Miguel vargas Is. I think it's
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: also been fun to see the way they mix and
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: match all these guys and move them around a lot.
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: But the lineup has been really fun. And I mean
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: Kyle Teel is an elite bat at the backstop. I
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: love Edgar Carrow. I couldn't stop writing about him out
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: of maybe being forced to during the season from the
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: fantasy side because he was widely available as a catcher.
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: But you've also got Curtis Made the Australian, You've got uh,
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: You've got Lenine Sosa who popped twenty two homers this season.
• 27:15
  Speaker 2: My guy, that's my guy.
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: I mean also walked at what a less than three
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: percent clip, So it's it's a little rough, and so
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: there's certainly lots of pieces here. It's been a really
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: fun lineup and they played really great ball down the stretch.
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: So what do you think about this offense going into
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty six for the White Sox.
• 27:35
  Speaker 2: I feel like it's hard not to be a little
• 27:37
  Speaker 2: positive because I mean, just like this season I did.
• 27:41
  Speaker 2: I was like, are they gonna do worse this season?
• 27:44
  Speaker 2: At the beginning of it, it didn't seem like it
• 27:46
  Speaker 2: should be a possibility, but boy was I worried. But yeah,
• 27:51
  Speaker 2: no it was. I mean again, it would be hard
• 27:54
  Speaker 2: to do as bad as they did, but they did.
• 27:57
  Speaker 2: They actually did better than I thought they were going
• 27:58
  Speaker 2: to do by probably ten games. Because I was like,
• 28:01
  Speaker 2: I don't know, I just don't feel that confident, but yeah,
• 28:06
  Speaker 2: I feel I feel like definitely next season is knock
• 28:11
  Speaker 2: on wood. I would think it would improve, you know,
• 28:16
  Speaker 2: I with the life Socks, I don't have any hope
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: that they're going to do anything super great anytime soon,
• 28:22
  Speaker 2: but I do to your point, that was actually one
• 28:25
  Speaker 2: of my highlights I was going to bring up. I
• 28:26
  Speaker 2: really have enjoyed seeing some of these younger guys come
• 28:30
  Speaker 2: in and just see how they do. And I've been
• 28:35
  Speaker 2: taking my solace this season into seeing like firsts from them,
• 28:39
  Speaker 2: and it's been cool watching like Colson Montgomery kind of
• 28:41
  Speaker 2: come into his own and just be awesome. And I
• 28:46
  Speaker 2: think at the beginning of this past season, I think
• 28:49
  Speaker 2: Lenine was sort of my one of my like, if
• 28:52
  Speaker 2: you have to pick a player on this team to
• 28:55
  Speaker 2: pick up for fantasy, I was like, I guess him,
• 28:59
  Speaker 2: and he's done, like you said, pretty decent this season,
• 29:02
  Speaker 2: which is really nice. Yeah, So I think I think
• 29:06
  Speaker 2: there are a lot of feel good kind of stories
• 29:10
  Speaker 2: and fun It's been fun to watch these new guys
• 29:13
  Speaker 2: pop up here and there. And I think it's always
• 29:17
  Speaker 2: fun too to watch older guys get kind of a
• 29:19
  Speaker 2: a second chance or see what they still have with
• 29:22
  Speaker 2: the White Sox too, So not necessarily, I think we
• 29:27
  Speaker 2: just make make the best of it at this point
• 29:29
  Speaker 2: with them, and then I'm pleasantly surprised by what they do.
• 29:33
  Speaker 2: I mean, Louise Robert still had a ton of stolen bases,
• 29:37
  Speaker 2: so yeah, I think, and we got rid of Mike Clevenger,
• 29:41
  Speaker 2: so definitely some highlights there. So I don't feel I
• 29:48
  Speaker 2: don't feel too mad about anything. It is what it is.
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: Yeah, let's move over to the pitching staff side, because well,
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: first I will I'll ignore the bullpen because that is
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: the the sore spot on this team. But it's I mean,
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: when you're a bad team who needs a bullpen, And
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: so you know, we've seen some steps forward from Jordan
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: Leisure and Grant Taylor there in the back end of
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: the bullpen. But I'm not worried about that, because, like,
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: you know what, when the White Sox are good, or
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: if they ever are competing again, that's when you start
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: worrying about the bullpen. But I'm pretty bullish again on
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: this pitching staff. So same sort of situation where very
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: young outside of Adrian Houser, who has dealt at the
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: deadline and Aaron Savali, who maybe they want to unwind
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: that and bring injury bond back because that looks like
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: a fleecing for the Brewers. Savali was also dealt at
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: the deadline, ended up on that Cups team that lost,
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: but the top four starters otherwise where Shane Smith, Davis Martin,
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon. Oldest player there is Davis Martin
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: at twenty eight, the other two or twenty five or younger.
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: And I think what I've really loved seeing all this
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: White Sox rotation, and I mean even at the end
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: of the year, young Driss Gomez came on and twenty
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: five year old was really showing some great stuff after
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: being a converted reliever. Actually, but the pitching development has
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: been there, So it's been They also let go of
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: Ethan Katz, which is a little interesting that, you know,
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: you feel like that had had to roll as Will
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: Venable kind of makes some shuffles changes around, But the
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: pitching development has been shown up for the White Sox
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: because those guys I listened off between Smith, Martin Burke,
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: Cannon Gomez, those are nobodies that the White Sox molded
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: the Clay into useful players, and so that's really exciting.
• 31:41
  Speaker 2: Yeah, there was definitely a point at the beginning of
• 31:43
  Speaker 2: the season where I was like, who they would pull
• 31:47
  Speaker 2: some money in? And I mean I've been a little
• 31:50
  Speaker 2: more detached this season, but I was like, I don't
• 31:53
  Speaker 2: think I'm that detached from this, right And then yeah,
• 31:56
  Speaker 2: I mean there's just a le assortment of guys. But
• 32:02
  Speaker 2: to your point, yeah, I mean, like, yeah, Shane Smith
• 32:06
  Speaker 2: was pretty impressive. It was kind of funny to watch
• 32:09
  Speaker 2: him in the All Star Game though. Ye just so
• 32:13
  Speaker 2: I was like, oh no, so, yeah, I feel the
• 32:18
  Speaker 2: same way with all these younger guys. Again, sometimes it's
• 32:22
  Speaker 2: it's a little painful to watch when you haven't accepted
• 32:26
  Speaker 2: the situation the White Sox are in, but then once
• 32:29
  Speaker 2: once you're over it and watching them, it's really cool.
• 32:31
  Speaker 2: I did really like watching Jonathan Cannon earlier in the
• 32:35
  Speaker 2: season too, so I yeah, I don't know, I feel
• 32:39
  Speaker 2: again pretty positive as well. It's nice to see some
• 32:41
  Speaker 2: assuming young guys in there. It's just crazy how much
• 32:44
  Speaker 2: of a departure it is from the the past couple
• 32:47
  Speaker 2: of years as well, though.
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly, and just like having something to look up to,
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: because looking back at like last year's staff when they
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: had that awful team forty one and one, certainly not
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: the same level of young arms especially, I mean, does
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: suck not having Garrett Crochet around, but glad to see
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: him succeeding over in Boston. But it has been quite
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: the ride for the White Sox. We were talking before
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: the POD. I only went to one game this season.
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: Sounds like you went to a lot fewer than you
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: had in previous seasons. But yeah, yeah, I'm looking forward
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: to it. Hopefully get to more games next season. And
• 33:26
  Speaker 1: you know what, you can't mess with those giveaways that
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: they have there.
• 33:30
  Speaker 2: Otherworldly they're solid. They're solid giveaways, and yeah, who knows.
• 33:35
  Speaker 2: I will say this definitely, I feel like is making
• 33:37
  Speaker 2: some poop into chocolate drops kind of situation. Like the
• 33:45
  Speaker 2: good thing right now about the White Sox is I
• 33:47
  Speaker 2: think some of the people were watching there's a potential
• 33:51
  Speaker 2: for some of them to go on to do cool stuff,
• 33:52
  Speaker 2: Like I mean even Andrew vond that he's not obviously
• 33:55
  Speaker 2: not one of the new guys anymore, but it's like, hey,
• 33:58
  Speaker 2: look at him, go that's pretty cool. We get to
• 34:01
  Speaker 2: watch them with a ton and even though it wasn't great,
• 34:03
  Speaker 2: it was still pretty pretty cool. So I have accepted
• 34:06
  Speaker 2: that part of like this experience where it's like I'm
• 34:09
  Speaker 2: curious where they go next, and it's been it's interesting
• 34:11
  Speaker 2: to watch them all kind of grow beyond what the
• 34:15
  Speaker 2: White Sox can do for them right now.
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I totally agree, And like, on top of it all,
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: you know, you're also looking at that division around them.
• 34:25
  Speaker 1: The Twins are going to be significantly worse let next
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: year as they kind of back things up. The Royals
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: can never seem to put the Bats together. The Guardians
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: have a hamstrung budget, and it's just Jose Ramirez and
• 34:39
  Speaker 1: a bunch of scrubs. That feels like and we just
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: talked about the Tigers, So like, even being just a
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: sixty win team, things can turn around pretty quickly in
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: the Al Central. So it'll be fascinating to see maybe
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: if they do make a move or two to be
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: able to plug a few of these holes and develop
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: a few of the rotation arms to possibly at least
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: be in it. You know, that's that's what you want
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: to look for, is like see a team that like
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: has a five hundred dish record around the All Star
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: break and can kind of you can see the pieces
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: coming together.
• 35:13
  Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, one day. Yeah, Kansas City was interesting this year.
• 35:23
  Speaker 2: It's kind of funny. It's like they very very much
• 35:26
  Speaker 2: was middle child and they ended up in the middle.
• 35:29
  Speaker 2: But reminded me of like a middle child situation where
• 35:32
  Speaker 2: there was so much talk about other things occurring, like
• 35:35
  Speaker 2: with Detroit and then Detroit Guardians race and then you know,
• 35:39
  Speaker 2: White Sox being the White Sox is always kind of interesting,
• 35:42
  Speaker 2: and then the Twins with yeah, with their mass kind
• 35:45
  Speaker 2: of sell off. Yeah, I just Kansas City didn't really
• 35:50
  Speaker 2: hear a lot about them, And yeah, true true to
• 35:55
  Speaker 2: middle child syndrome. They were kind of there in the middle,
• 35:58
  Speaker 2: the middle of the country too. Yeah, yeah, exactly, flying
• 36:02
  Speaker 2: flying over.
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: Well, I mean, if if the White Sox really want
• 36:06
  Speaker 1: to get splashy, you really want to spend, there will
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: be one very significant young bat on the market coming over.
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: Because it was announced this week that officially Munataki Munataka Murakami.
• 36:19
  Speaker 1: Sorry I keep mixing that up, Munataki Muna I did again,
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: Munataka Murakami is coming over officially from Japan. If you
• 36:28
  Speaker 1: want to get a little more info on him, Brew
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: and I talked about him back on episode one oh
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: eight in terms of stashing away some baseball cards and
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: trying to bring them over from Japan to be able
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: to kind of get in on the ground floor of
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: those cards and looking at some of his just they
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: have great cards over in Japan, and so Murakami looks
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: great on those cards. Now the prices are just gonna
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: steadily keep like it's like the Yodel guy on prices
• 36:55
  Speaker 1: right where it's just gonna keep going up and up
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: and up until he falls off the cliff. Because yeah,
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: now that he's going to be posted, Murkami is going
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: to be a hot, hot name coming off the season
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: in Japan where it was he was injured but he
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: ended up slashing two seventy three, three seventy nine, six
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: sixty three. That's a six sixty three slug. That's a
• 37:17
  Speaker 1: two to ten WRC plus with twenty two homers in
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: just the fifty six games they played there, so it's
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: about a third of the season. He would have like,
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: if you paste that out, it would have reset his
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: record for home runs in a NPB season that he
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: set back in twenty twenty two as a twenty two
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: year old fifty six homers when he slashed three eighteen
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: four to fifty eight seven ten. This is a league too,
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: where like six p fifty is the average OPS and
• 37:44
  Speaker 1: Murrkami is outslugging the average like ops of the league
• 37:48
  Speaker 1: because it's kind of a the ball has gotten debt
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: or over time and it's crazy that he's putting up
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: these numbers as a youngster. So we're speaking to somebody
• 37:57
  Speaker 1: who saw him live over in Japan. So what is
• 38:00
  Speaker 1: your on the ground scouting report for Taka Murakami so
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: that everybody can know and get in on the ground
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: floor with you.
• 38:08
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I've actually seen him twice. I saw him, surprised.
• 38:12
  Speaker 2: I saw him at the WBC as well, that was
• 38:15
  Speaker 2: actually the first time I saw him, And yeah, I
• 38:19
  Speaker 2: think the first thing I noticed when at the WBC
• 38:25
  Speaker 2: you seeing him the first time was just his size.
• 38:27
  Speaker 2: I was like, that guy is especially I mean comparatively
• 38:32
  Speaker 2: playing in Japan. He's large. He's like six to two.
• 38:35
  Speaker 2: And then he's just like a big dude. So it
• 38:38
  Speaker 2: makes sense a beefcake, That's exactly it. So yeah, definitely
• 38:46
  Speaker 2: not doesn't look like much of an outfield guy and
• 38:49
  Speaker 2: isn't an outfield guy. And I've even been reading sort
• 38:52
  Speaker 2: of about how, you know, when he comes over here
• 38:55
  Speaker 2: it could be more of a DH situation for him.
• 38:59
  Speaker 2: And he's left handed, so that's pretty cool too. But yeah,
• 39:02
  Speaker 2: I'm I am curious, you know, to your point, he
• 39:06
  Speaker 2: was injured, I am kind of curious what he will
• 39:09
  Speaker 2: look like adapting. Obviously it can be done and a
• 39:14
  Speaker 2: lot of players do really well. But I'm curious, you know,
• 39:17
  Speaker 2: just with some of the differences in the game here,
• 39:20
  Speaker 2: how you would adapt. And then yeah, if he is
• 39:22
  Speaker 2: coming off an injury, how that will work out? And
• 39:25
  Speaker 2: then he has regress since twenty twenty two in some ways.
• 39:30
  Speaker 2: But it's hard not to be excited about him. I
• 39:34
  Speaker 2: think most Japanese players they come over that have have
• 39:38
  Speaker 2: kind of this like aura around them. Automatically, I'm going
• 39:42
  Speaker 2: to be like, yeah, I hear all of this, I
• 39:43
  Speaker 2: hear the potential risks, but I don't care. Yeah I'm psyched.
• 39:50
  Speaker 1: Yeah, me too. I think this is gonna and we
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: haven't really seen necessarily a player like this kind of
• 39:56
  Speaker 1: from Japan that has this level of power. I mean, yeah,
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: has a rating on the game Power on a twenty
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: to eighty grading scale of sixty sixty current seventy future
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: on the game Power raw power eighty grades on both.
• 40:12
  Speaker 1: So it is a very significant bat where you know,
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: you're talking like Vlad Guerrero junior level bat speed and
• 40:20
  Speaker 1: exit velocities here from Murakami. So I guess the million
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: dollar question here is I'm going to put you on
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: the spot, where do you think he signs in the offseason?
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: Because this is a guy he's twenty five years old,
• 40:33
  Speaker 1: turns twenty six in February. Like you said, he's six',
• 40:38
  Speaker 1: two like two fifteen, ish just a pure corner power.
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: Bat it could fit on any, team, honestly considering you
• 40:46
  Speaker 1: don't get twenty five year olds that hit the free
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: agency market like this very, often and so you can
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: talk yourself, into you, know if you think your window
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: in baseball is going to be within the next ten,
• 40:58
  Speaker 1: years WHICH i would hope every team.
• 41:00
  Speaker 2: Is, yeah you can.
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: Talk yourself into bidding For. Murakami but where do you
• 41:05
  Speaker 1: think makes the most sense in terms of team that
• 41:08
  Speaker 1: is desperate enough to pony up the money and just
• 41:11
  Speaker 1: might be a fit from you, know a player popularity,
• 41:14
  Speaker 1: standpoint because it's not Like murakami's are signing In Kansas
• 41:18
  Speaker 1: city very, often, Right.
• 41:20
  Speaker 2: Yeah SO i MEAN i think there's a few WAYS
• 41:22
  Speaker 2: i can answer this question with like wishful, thinking and
• 41:27
  Speaker 2: ALSO i have a few answers to. This SO i
• 41:30
  Speaker 2: mean it's Obviously i've been reading some places that have
• 41:35
  Speaker 2: been reaching out to, them AND i know a lot
• 41:36
  Speaker 2: of it makes sense for a lot of The West coast,
• 41:39
  Speaker 2: teams AND i know some of them have been kind
• 41:41
  Speaker 2: of art for years already already speaking to him and
• 41:44
  Speaker 2: trying to make that. Connection so certainly A West coast
• 41:48
  Speaker 2: team would make. Sense and of, course like the big
• 41:51
  Speaker 2: spinders Like i've, seen you, Know mets And yankees both
• 41:55
  Speaker 2: sort of having their name in their, ring which makes,
• 41:58
  Speaker 2: sense you, KNOW i. DON'T i don't think he will
• 42:03
  Speaker 2: would go to The, phillies BUT i think based on
• 42:05
  Speaker 2: our conversation, earlier that would be. INTERESTING i don't think
• 42:10
  Speaker 2: that will, happen but it would be something it would
• 42:12
  Speaker 2: be very. Fitting not to say that they wouldn't spend,
• 42:16
  Speaker 2: money but just based off of you, know, EARLIER i,
• 42:21
  Speaker 2: MEAN i could say The. CUBS i kind of hope.
• 42:24
  Speaker 2: NOT i kind of hope, that but it's it's always entirely.
• 42:28
  Speaker 2: POSSIBLE i think it would be cool in terms of,
• 42:34
  Speaker 2: what you, know maybe being on The West coast and
• 42:37
  Speaker 2: maybe teams he could be. WITH i think The mariners
• 42:41
  Speaker 2: would be really. Interesting so that would be SOMEWHERE i
• 42:44
  Speaker 2: would like to see. Him but, YEAH i mean there's
• 42:49
  Speaker 2: there's a lot of a lot of different Things i'm
• 42:51
  Speaker 2: sure playing into. That that's my my wish is that
• 42:55
  Speaker 2: you'd go to The.
• 42:55
  Speaker 1: MARINERS i think honestly that it makes a lot of. Sense
• 43:00
  Speaker 1: they do need that. Cornerback you, Know Josh naylor is
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: a free. Agent Ahano suarez is a free, agent and
• 43:06
  Speaker 1: he would just be a perfect fit for That mariners.
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: Squad where it does look like That mariners. TEAM i,
• 43:12
  Speaker 1: mean obviously they're not going to get sixty homers from
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: Cal raley every. Year but you, Know Julio, actually as we're,
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: Talking julio pops a two run homer in the first
• 43:23
  Speaker 1: and Then andre Sa, minez you, know power Back andre
• 43:26
  Speaker 1: Sa minniz popped two run. Homer so, it's, oh somebody
• 43:29
  Speaker 1: else just scored a wild. Pitch Nathan lucas scores on
• 43:33
  Speaker 1: a wild. Pitch so things are really getting increased in the.
• 43:35
  Speaker 1: Alts but you, know you're looking at A mariners squad
• 43:38
  Speaker 1: that is the hot TICKET i think IN mlb right,
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: now and you look at what they're, BUILDING i think
• 43:44
  Speaker 1: it's a great. POSSIBILITY i think maybe the second team
• 43:49
  Speaker 1: that will really push hard is probably The, yankees just
• 43:53
  Speaker 1: because you, know you Have Cody bellinger coming off the
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: books there and they need somebody desperately to fit in
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: With Aaron judge that you could just smell the desperation
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: without Having Wan soto around this. Year and so they're
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: gonna Have garret. Coleback Cam schlitzler looked incredible in the,
• 44:10
  Speaker 1: playoffs and, yeah that that pitching staff is solid In New.
• 44:13
  Speaker 1: York they just need another bat or two to really
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: round out that. Lineup, yeah.
• 44:20
  Speaker 2: All, right that would be, interesting even THOUGH i don't like.
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: It, YEAH i, know, Right, yeah The marriagers is the fun.
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: Choice but, Yeah Dodgers yankees makes it makes. Sense, Yes padres.
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: Too we didn't Talk padres, Really.
• 44:34
  Speaker 2: YEAH i think That's i'm trying to. Remember that's WHAT
• 44:37
  Speaker 2: i was reading. IT i forgot is The padres or
• 44:41
  Speaker 2: The giants that have been LIKE i was going to
• 44:44
  Speaker 2: use the word. Grooming it's probably not the best. Word
• 44:46
  Speaker 2: but they've had like a year's long relationship with him
• 44:50
  Speaker 2: trying to plant that that, seed BECAUSE i think it
• 44:54
  Speaker 2: was in his contract in twenty twenty two that he
• 44:59
  Speaker 2: would be posted for twenty twenty. Five SO i mean
• 45:02
  Speaker 2: they've had time to work on, him And i'm sure
• 45:04
  Speaker 2: that's been happening in the. Background So i'm curious how
• 45:07
  Speaker 2: that all will work out in the.
• 45:08
  Speaker 1: End, Yeah AND i Mean i'll hold you out a
• 45:11
  Speaker 1: little bit of hope maybe for The rockies because Watching
• 45:14
  Speaker 1: murakami And Koris field for eighty one games a, year,
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: well that would be the guy who could, POSSIBLY i,
• 45:20
  Speaker 1: think push for The Barry bonds home. Run you know
• 45:23
  Speaker 1: it is insane power short right field. FENCE i would
• 45:28
  Speaker 1: love for The rockies to make it.
• 45:29
  Speaker 2: HAPPEN i like your fun. Choice your fun choice is really.
• 45:31
  Speaker 2: Fun that's a good.
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: One, YES i am a Rocky. STIKO i will always
• 45:36
  Speaker 1: own up to. That all, Right, well it is now
• 45:39
  Speaker 1: five two in THE alcs. Game it is really getting
• 45:41
  Speaker 1: out a hand there As George kirby is not looking
• 45:45
  Speaker 1: sharp so. Far but with, that let's wrap it.
• 45:48
  Speaker 2: Up.
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: Keilan it was great having you on. Again and LIKE i,
• 45:50
  Speaker 1: SAID i think it's your fourth, appearance so you are
• 45:53
  Speaker 1: crazy in the. Lead, YEAH i mean we've been running
• 45:57
  Speaker 1: for two and a half, years so it's a but
• 45:59
  Speaker 1: YOU'RE i appeared on you know one twenty, fifth like
• 46:03
  Speaker 1: five percent of the. Pods, ish that's a that's pretty.
• 46:07
  Speaker 1: Good that is.
• 46:08
  Speaker 2: Crazy, well thank you for having. Me it's always very,
• 46:10
  Speaker 2: fun even if you know it's fun that you mentioned
• 46:14
  Speaker 2: your Rocky. Sico it's fun to talk with Another White
• 46:17
  Speaker 2: sox to. Go.
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: So, yeah that we are whittling down fewer and, fewer
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: because one of the THINGS i did notice on The
• 46:24
  Speaker 1: Baseball reference page Is White. Sox we're thirteenth out of
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: fifteenth fifteen in the al for attendance this. Year, obviously
• 46:31
  Speaker 1: the last two teams played in minor league, parks so
• 46:35
  Speaker 1: Not Great White.
• 46:35
  Speaker 2: Sox get it together, exactly all, Right.
• 46:40
  Speaker 1: Kilan let everybody know where they can reach out to
• 46:43
  Speaker 1: you and kind of follow you on social media and contact,
• 46:47
  Speaker 1: you you, know just kind of join in chatting with.
• 46:50
  Speaker 2: You, yeah for. Sure SO i am pretty much solely
• 46:54
  Speaker 2: on Blue. Sky. Now by pretty, MUCH i MEAN i
• 46:56
  Speaker 2: am my. Handle there is keelan foot and it's K
• 47:01
  Speaker 2: E E L I n one TWO F t and
• 47:04
  Speaker 2: then the dot sky whatever it, is and whatever everybody else,
• 47:09
  Speaker 2: is so you can find me. THERE i will also
• 47:12
  Speaker 2: use this opportunity to plug the rasball starter. Pack please
• 47:16
  Speaker 2: follow it so you can follow many of the fabulous
• 47:20
  Speaker 2: podcasters writers generally wonderful. PEOPLE i will whenever you post,
• 47:26
  Speaker 2: THIS i will also post that link so you can
• 47:29
  Speaker 2: come find me and follow that link everybody that's. Listening and,
• 47:33
  Speaker 2: yeah those are kind of the PLACES i am hanging.
• 47:36
  Speaker 1: Around NICE i did forget to bring up because, yeah
• 47:40
  Speaker 1: the keel in the twelve foot at the end of
• 47:42
  Speaker 1: your handle, there what's it been like seeing all your
• 47:45
  Speaker 1: brethren out the lawns over the past couple of.
• 47:48
  Speaker 2: Weeks every TIME i drive by, One i'm, like, Sup we'll.
• 47:52
  Speaker 2: Sup my. Brother, Yeah i'm, like, oh, yeah There's, dewey There's. Kyle,
• 48:01
  Speaker 2: yeah beautiful time of year for. Me my family unites
• 48:04
  Speaker 2: and we have a reunion and then they go get buried.
• 48:07
  Speaker 1: Again SO i mean some of. Them i've got a
• 48:10
  Speaker 1: few neighbors in my neighborhood that keep them up all
• 48:13
  Speaker 1: year and you, Know, Easter bunny And christmas and all
• 48:17
  Speaker 1: the twelve fit skeletons they changed throughout the. Year SO
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: i love that some of your brethren do hang out all.
• 48:22
  Speaker 2: YEAR i love that so. Much that makes me very,
• 48:25
  Speaker 2: happy AND i think that's a good. Tradition that's not
• 48:28
  Speaker 2: SOMETHING i think you if you would have, asked like
• 48:31
  Speaker 2: ten years, ago if you would have explained this ten years,
• 48:34
  Speaker 2: ago people would be, like what are you talking? About it's.
• 48:37
  Speaker 1: Beautiful, yeah baby millennials that there's a few people like
• 48:41
  Speaker 1: in my neighborhood that Fly Wu Tang fla flags on their,
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: flagpoles which is also.
• 48:47
  Speaker 2: Amazing, Yeah i've seen that, too or like the little
• 48:50
  Speaker 2: signs that go in people's. Yards, yeah it's. Good we
• 48:53
  Speaker 2: have a sense of. Humor, yeah, yes have.
• 48:55
  Speaker 1: To to be able to survive to all, Right, well
• 48:58
  Speaker 1: if you want to follow the podcast on. Socials it
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: is on A Blue sky At Cards categories and you
• 49:04
  Speaker 1: can email the pod At Cards categories at gmail dot.
• 49:08
  Speaker 1: Com if you go into the show, notes there is
• 49:11
  Speaker 1: a link there for the store to buy Some cards
• 49:14
  Speaker 1: And categories, gear which you design the. Logo So i'm
• 49:18
  Speaker 1: SORRY i haven't paid you into, residuals but, uh they're
• 49:21
  Speaker 1: also not. There they're also not very.
• 49:23
  Speaker 2: Substantial that, uh, well Now i'm going to bully people
• 49:30
  Speaker 2: into buying them because it's a good. Brand i'm very.
• 49:33
  Speaker 1: Biased, well if it does get to the point WHERE
• 49:37
  Speaker 1: i feel guilty enough to pay out, RESIDUALS i certainly.
• 49:40
  Speaker 1: Will we'll get To we'll get.
• 49:41
  Speaker 2: There or send you by having me on here and.
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: Talking that works, too and hey we names look at.
• 49:51
  Speaker 1: Him these look so. Cute but, yes follow the pod
• 49:55
  Speaker 1: On Blue sky and buy some of that. Gear you
• 49:59
  Speaker 1: can also find me on Blue sky at m cool
• 50:02
  Speaker 1: seven CO U I L. L and you can find
• 50:06
  Speaker 1: me on Ras ball with the posts that go with
• 50:08
  Speaker 1: this podcast during the off. Season we will be running
• 50:11
  Speaker 1: all off season because we've got lots of great baseball
• 50:13
  Speaker 1: card releases. Coming we've got some Of brewini's favorites coming
• 50:16
  Speaker 1: out later this month BETWEEN Tops holiday AND Tops update
• 50:20
  Speaker 1: and Then Stadium, Club allen And ginter still coming down the,
• 50:23
  Speaker 1: pike so look for those card releases coming out in
• 50:27
  Speaker 1: the next few. Months we appreciate you checking out cards
• 50:30
  Speaker 1: and categories and sticking with us throughout the. Winter we
• 50:34
  Speaker 1: will be, back same, time same place next. Week thanks.
• 50:37
  Speaker 1: Everybody