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Should Konnor Griffin DH until he's healthy? · Bucco Territory: A Pittsburgh Pirates Podcast

0:09
Speaker 1: What's up, everybody?
0:10
Speaker 2: Welcome back to another episode of Bucko Territory, presented to
0:14
Speaker 2: you by the Foul Territory Network on Noah Hailes. Joining
0:17
Speaker 2: me as always are my co host Josh Harrison and
0:21
Speaker 2: Platinum Key aka Mark.
0:23
Speaker 1: It is Friday.
0:24
Speaker 2: The Pirates are they were off today, right, they were
0:28
Speaker 2: off on Thursday.
0:30
Speaker 1: They're coming off of a big series win over the Athletics.
0:35
Speaker 2: Didn't look like it was gonna be a very promising
0:37
Speaker 2: series after the first inning in the second game, but
0:40
Speaker 2: they rallied for a big win Tuesday night, they dominated
0:43
Speaker 2: Wednesday night and they get a much needed series win
0:47
Speaker 2: back over five hundred. Not gonna talk a ton about
0:50
Speaker 2: that series, though, We're gonna talk about a little bit
0:52
Speaker 2: more big picture stuff. We're gonna cover the All Star
0:55
Speaker 2: Game or less than a month away from the Midsummer
0:57
Speaker 2: Classic something the guy in the middle knows the little
0:59
Speaker 2: something so about, and so we're gonna talk about which
1:02
Speaker 2: Pirates could be All Stars this year. We're also gonna
1:05
Speaker 2: talk about some recent comments made by Connor Griffin suggesting
1:09
Speaker 2: that he would be interested or open to being a
1:11
Speaker 2: DH as he recovers from his arm issues. And then
1:15
Speaker 2: we will always end our show like we do on
1:18
Speaker 2: Fridays with our weekly segment Jay Haynow, so guys, let's
1:21
Speaker 2: get it started.
1:22
Speaker 1: All Star selections. I mean, the voting is winding down here.
1:28
Speaker 3: You lookin.
1:31
Speaker 1: Playing around right, Yeah, like I mean, I mean, yeah.
1:34
Speaker 1: The All Star break I.
1:35
Speaker 2: Believe, is on the thirteenth of July, so we're less
1:38
Speaker 2: than a month away from that, and the Pirates have
1:42
Speaker 2: I wouldn't say, I mean, I think they have one
1:44
Speaker 2: guaranteed guy who's gonna make it a because he's good
1:47
Speaker 2: enough and be because of his name recognition, they want
1:49
Speaker 2: him in that game. But aside from him, I think
1:55
Speaker 2: you have a handful of other guys.
1:57
Speaker 1: Who are you know on that fence? I'll ask you all.
2:01
Speaker 2: I mean, we made our predictions at the beginning of
2:02
Speaker 2: the year, I'll make I'll have us all do our
2:05
Speaker 2: predictions again, less than one month away. Who's going to
2:08
Speaker 2: be the Pirates All Stars and why?
2:10
Speaker 1: We'll start with Mark.
2:11
Speaker 4: Yeah. So I have four names that I feel pretty
2:14
Speaker 4: confident in. I mean, if you ask me, i'd probably
2:17
Speaker 4: say there's eight guys or nine guys even on the
2:20
Speaker 4: Pirates team who I think are deserving of All Star cases.
2:22
Speaker 4: Or at least have an argument. But I'm going to
2:24
Speaker 4: limit myself here, be a little realistic, and I think
2:28
Speaker 4: Paul Skeen's is who we alluded to obviously, you know,
2:31
Speaker 4: former starter of the All Star Game. He's gonna make
2:34
Speaker 4: it again. Pitchers are not selected by fan voting at all.
2:38
Speaker 4: It's all from the player ballot. I think Paul Skeen's
2:41
Speaker 4: name is going to be included on a lot of those.
2:44
Speaker 4: And then I think Braxton Ashcraft is a name who
2:49
Speaker 4: we might not see necessarily make it initially, we might
2:53
Speaker 4: see it, like see him pop up with as like
2:56
Speaker 4: a replacement All Star if guys can't make it or
2:58
Speaker 4: don't want to pitch. But if anyone looks at Braxton
3:02
Speaker 4: ashcraft stats, he is very much deserving of an All
3:06
Speaker 4: Star nod. Paul Skins this year has two point six
3:09
Speaker 4: f woar, Braxton Ashcraft has two point five f four
3:13
Speaker 4: and yes, and we just saw another gem on Wednesday night.
3:19
Speaker 4: He's absolutely deserving of an al Star. It's kind of
3:24
Speaker 4: tough for Braxton, I feel like, because he doesn't get
3:26
Speaker 4: as much shine with Skins taking a lot of the
3:29
Speaker 4: limelight when people look at pirates pitching. But absolutely deserving,
3:33
Speaker 4: and I think Brandon Law you just look at among
3:36
Speaker 4: second basement. The guy is just absolutely mashing. Yeah, I
3:41
Speaker 4: don't think you need to say more than that. He
3:43
Speaker 4: is one of the best hitters in MLB and one
3:46
Speaker 4: of the best hitting second basement, especially in the end.
3:49
Speaker 4: Now so Pencil Lowen. And then I think Brian Reynolds
3:53
Speaker 4: is really deserving of a case, especially with how hot
3:56
Speaker 4: he's been lately. He's up to two point two f war,
4:00
Speaker 4: having a great, great bounce back season. He's been all
4:03
Speaker 4: served before. I think this year he's just as serbian,
4:06
Speaker 4: if not more so. And I'll pass it over Josh.
4:10
Speaker 4: I've rattled off a few names for are your thoughts there?
4:13
Speaker 3: Honestly, man, I was gonna say, you kind of took mine,
4:17
Speaker 3: even with the Ashcraft, you know, spill. Obviously, everybody expects
4:22
Speaker 3: Paul to be here in front the center, but you know,
4:25
Speaker 3: it's hard to argue Ashcraft's body of work, and if
4:29
Speaker 3: he doesn't get in on the first vote, there's always
4:32
Speaker 3: pictures that get added due to you know, this person
4:35
Speaker 3: can't make it. But I would really believe that he's
4:39
Speaker 3: probably gonna be one of the first names selective if
4:42
Speaker 3: he doesn't make it, you know, because you know, sometimes guys,
4:45
Speaker 3: you know, will you know, take it upon himself because
4:48
Speaker 3: I know it's fan and players vote, right, that kind.
4:51
Speaker 4: Of pictures just players though, oh yeah, there's no fan pictures.
4:56
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I mean, guys know who they're facing,
4:58
Speaker 3: and guys know who they don't want to f But
5:00
Speaker 3: at the same time, you know, it's also hard when
5:03
Speaker 3: you're at this part of the season because some people
5:05
Speaker 3: might not have faced them, right, you know what I mean,
5:08
Speaker 3: just because it's just the way that the schedule has
5:11
Speaker 3: been done. But and obviously we've had this conversation about
5:16
Speaker 3: Lyle where his dad's line up with Second Basement. So
5:19
Speaker 3: it's gonna be hard to argue to say, you know,
5:20
Speaker 3: if it's not gonna be surprising if he makes it.
5:23
Speaker 3: You know, he's been doing everything that the pirates would
5:27
Speaker 3: have wanted him to do, you know, and more obviously
5:29
Speaker 3: through that trade. And even b Ray as you mentioned,
5:33
Speaker 3: got hot in Oakland, not necessarily in Oakland, but just
5:37
Speaker 3: you know, continuing to stay hot and you know, as
5:40
Speaker 3: you said, swinging from both sides of the plate. And
5:43
Speaker 3: it's not surprising to see if he gets his name
5:46
Speaker 3: mentioned because obviously you mentioned noh, we're less than a
5:48
Speaker 3: month away. Things happen, some guys go on even more
5:51
Speaker 3: of a heater and then you know not to mention it.
5:55
Speaker 3: But you know there's always some guys don't want to go,
5:57
Speaker 3: some guys get injured. But Mark, I would say that
6:00
Speaker 3: the names that you mentioned, maybe you know some names
6:03
Speaker 3: to look out for. And I don't know how much
6:07
Speaker 3: his stats or whatever might have changed due to you know,
6:10
Speaker 3: he's had a couple, you know, a little rough outings,
6:13
Speaker 3: but so Tho sometimes pictures relievers, you know, based off
6:18
Speaker 3: of availability and things. So I could see, but I
6:21
Speaker 3: don't really see much more outside of that, unless Noah
6:24
Speaker 3: sees something that we may be missing, or.
6:29
Speaker 2: I mean, Spencer Argue has had an all star caliber season.
6:33
Speaker 1: It's just for first base, it's really tough space.
6:36
Speaker 4: Yeah, Matt Wilson is going crazy.
6:39
Speaker 1: And yeah, that's just a tough Frey freeman.
6:43
Speaker 2: Yeah.
6:44
Speaker 3: Yeah, So, and it's like he's deserved, like he could
6:48
Speaker 3: very well be deserving, but for his position, as you mentioned.
6:50
Speaker 4: This, Yah, it's yes, I think he has like a
6:54
Speaker 4: top forty or top fifty ops in MLB right now.
6:58
Speaker 4: Spencer Horwitz does, and so like, yeah, that sounds like
7:00
Speaker 4: an All Star to me. It's just.
7:03
Speaker 1: Is an All Star now, yeah, because that's how many
7:07
Speaker 1: people make it now.
7:09
Speaker 3: But I mean there's always the cancer replacements.
7:12
Speaker 1: That's still yeah.
7:13
Speaker 2: Although rather than like trying to throw out another name,
7:16
Speaker 2: I'll just rank mine, like in order of like most confidence.
7:20
Speaker 2: I mean, Paul is a slam dunk, I mean bet
7:23
Speaker 2: the house and schemes to make you all start team.
7:27
Speaker 1: I'd say Loo is probably second.
7:29
Speaker 2: I think just his recognition, And I think narratives play
7:34
Speaker 2: a factor and who gets chosen, And one of the
7:38
Speaker 2: narratives around this Pirates team is how improved the offense is.
7:42
Speaker 2: And Brandon Law is their best hitter. Yeah, it's either
7:45
Speaker 2: him or Spencer Horowitz. And we just said Spencer making
7:47
Speaker 2: this team because of his position, So Brandon Lao and
7:50
Speaker 2: he's improved his defense this year. I think Brandon Law
7:53
Speaker 2: is a better player this year than last year, and
7:55
Speaker 2: he was an All Star last year. So I think
7:57
Speaker 2: Lao and Stems are the two and most confident. I
8:00
Speaker 2: agree with Mark's assessment, like Ashcraft has a chance, I
8:04
Speaker 2: don't anticipate him making the original squad just because of
8:11
Speaker 2: how competitive it is in the National League with pitching
8:14
Speaker 2: right now.
8:15
Speaker 1: But man, I think he's.
8:18
Speaker 2: More than deserving and has a good shot to get
8:20
Speaker 2: there as a replacement, and.
8:22
Speaker 1: Then Reynolds same thing.
8:23
Speaker 2: I don't think he makes it as an original guy,
8:25
Speaker 2: but I mean you can argue this has probably been
8:28
Speaker 2: one of home runs.
8:30
Speaker 1: Aside, I still don't think he's hitting enough home runs
8:32
Speaker 1: this year, but.
8:34
Speaker 2: Overall, I think this is probably one of the best
8:36
Speaker 2: front halfs of a season he's ever had. And he's
8:38
Speaker 2: a two time All Star already. So yeah, those are
8:41
Speaker 2: the four deserving.
8:41
Speaker 1: Guys I think. So all right, well we're gonna take
8:44
Speaker 1: a quick break.
8:45
Speaker 2: When we come back, we're gonna talk Connor Griffin and
8:48
Speaker 2: the DH.
8:49
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9:45
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10:28
Speaker 2: All right, So Connor Griffin was on ninety three seven
10:30
Speaker 2: The Fan earlier this week the flagship station for the
10:33
Speaker 2: Pittsburgh Pirates, and while he was on the topic of him,
10:38
Speaker 2: Dhing came up and just paraphrasing here.
10:41
Speaker 1: I don't have the exact quote in front of me, but.
10:42
Speaker 2: He suggested that he would be open to the idea
10:45
Speaker 2: of him being a DH while he continues to recover
10:49
Speaker 2: from this arm injury that has him on the iout. Now,
10:53
Speaker 2: let's think about this for a little bit. I think
10:55
Speaker 2: we've talked about this on this.
10:56
Speaker 1: Show a little bit before.
10:58
Speaker 2: There is some benefit to Conor Griffin being active. Even
11:02
Speaker 2: if he can't play in the field. He can continue
11:05
Speaker 2: his recovery with his arm injury.
11:08
Speaker 1: But you could d H him. You can pinch hit him,
11:11
Speaker 1: you can pinch run him.
11:13
Speaker 2: And I mean, there's just not a metric that exists
11:17
Speaker 2: right now suggests that he wouldn't be a better right
11:20
Speaker 2: handed DH.
11:21
Speaker 1: I'm sure there's one.
11:22
Speaker 2: I'm sure someone could find one. Yeah, I just don't
11:27
Speaker 2: think anyone logically could suggest that this lineup would be
11:32
Speaker 2: worse with Connor Griffin at DH as a right handed
11:36
Speaker 2: bat over Marcelo Zuna. So I'll ask you, guys, I
11:41
Speaker 2: want to start with Josh here it's something that we'd
11:44
Speaker 2: I think we'd all like to see. Is this something
11:47
Speaker 2: that we will ever see? Like, are they gonna are
11:49
Speaker 2: they gonna let the twenty year old kid, the face
11:51
Speaker 2: of the franchise the future, do this while he's going
11:54
Speaker 2: through an injury, Because I don't see it happening.
11:59
Speaker 3: I think that answer still remains to be found out.
12:02
Speaker 3: But I think they're gonna have to be very cautious
12:07
Speaker 3: about it because obviously d H and he won't be throwing.
12:11
Speaker 3: But you know, you gotta love the comments made by
12:14
Speaker 3: him because you know, he wants to play and he
12:17
Speaker 3: knows being out there what he can bring even though
12:20
Speaker 3: he can't play the field, he knows what he has
12:24
Speaker 3: a chance to do offensively, whether that's on the basis
12:26
Speaker 3: or as you mentioned, you know, coming in a pinch run.
12:30
Speaker 3: But I also on the flip side, you know, it's
12:34
Speaker 3: a twenty year old that the organization is like, you know,
12:38
Speaker 3: we want you out there at your best. You know,
12:40
Speaker 3: we don't want to hinder you. And obviously swinging isn't
12:44
Speaker 3: you know, something that affects him. But at the same time,
12:47
Speaker 3: I don't think they want him to be focusing on
12:50
Speaker 3: too much. It once you're focusing on rehab, but at
12:52
Speaker 3: the same time you're playing. But at the same time,
12:55
Speaker 3: they know what value he can bring to the team.
12:59
Speaker 6: I just think they're.
13:00
Speaker 3: Gonna have to pay attention to see if there's really
13:03
Speaker 3: anything that he could do during these games that is
13:06
Speaker 3: going to you know, set back what you recover his
13:10
Speaker 3: what would you say his recovery would be. But at
13:14
Speaker 3: the same time, maybe it's something as he continues to
13:17
Speaker 3: get closer, maybe they you know, entertain it to say,
13:21
Speaker 3: you know what, let's get him ready with game speed.
13:23
Speaker 3: Maybe you know he can't do it defensively like yet,
13:26
Speaker 3: but when he's getting close, he's been taking his reps.
13:29
Speaker 3: Maybe it's something that they entertained. But I don't think
13:34
Speaker 3: they're gonna want to put him any harms way to
13:35
Speaker 3: where he may miss more games. But you know, it
13:38
Speaker 3: sounds like him hitting it's not going to affect his recovery.
13:43
Speaker 3: I think that's just a thing where he's like, man,
13:45
Speaker 3: if I can't play the field, let me help offensively.
13:47
Speaker 3: And I think it's kind of hard to argue that obviously,
13:50
Speaker 3: you know, and the fans would love it too. But
13:53
Speaker 3: at the same time, if they're gonna do it. It's
13:55
Speaker 3: gonna have to make sense. And they've invested a lot
13:58
Speaker 3: in this kid, and they want to make sure that
14:00
Speaker 3: he's healthy and don't want to make sure that he's
14:03
Speaker 3: putting himself with more risk. But you got to love
14:07
Speaker 3: his drive to play, and obviously if they can make
14:10
Speaker 3: it happen where it makes sense, I think they entertain
14:12
Speaker 3: it because if you're trying to win, you're trying to win.
14:15
Speaker 4: Yeah, I don't think. I think the easiest part of
14:17
Speaker 4: this discussion is does kind of Griffin bring enough value
14:20
Speaker 4: at the plate around the base pass to justify dah
14:23
Speaker 4: and him, Because the answer is yes, this kid has
14:27
Speaker 4: is one of the best base runners in MLB already,
14:31
Speaker 4: and he was an above average hitter. He had one
14:34
Speaker 4: hundred and one WRC plus even after the slow start
14:37
Speaker 4: when he was nineteen years old. So he's an average
14:39
Speaker 4: hitter who is one of the best base runners in
14:42
Speaker 4: mlbs ninety nine percentile on state on stat Cast for
14:45
Speaker 4: his base running value, So that that's not really in
14:49
Speaker 4: the discussion. I think there's there's two like ancilliary points
14:53
Speaker 4: that are really the sticky points with this one. Is
14:57
Speaker 4: there any risk of him injuring himself further or aggravating
15:01
Speaker 4: this injury where it becomes something that's drastic. Obviously, if
15:06
Speaker 4: that's a risk, you have to weigh that pretty pretty
15:09
Speaker 4: heavily with your twenty year old face of the franchise shortstop.
15:12
Speaker 4: If that's not a risk. However, I think the biggest
15:16
Speaker 4: sticking point. The second sticking point is roster construction. Because
15:20
Speaker 4: the Pirates already have one guy sitting on the bench
15:22
Speaker 4: who is a DH only that cannot play the field,
15:25
Speaker 4: in Marcelo Zuna. If you're going to add Connor Griffin
15:28
Speaker 4: to this team as well while he's injured to just
15:31
Speaker 4: DH and not play the field, that bench just got
15:35
Speaker 4: risked really really really really short. So if you're moving
15:39
Speaker 4: on from Ozuna, absolutely get Connor Griffin right back up
15:42
Speaker 4: here to DH. But if you're going to continue to
15:45
Speaker 4: give Ozuna a few more chances to figure things out,
15:49
Speaker 4: catch that hot streak that we've seen in the past
15:52
Speaker 4: and that you pay twelve million dollars for, and when
15:55
Speaker 4: I say in the past, not for the Pirates in
15:57
Speaker 4: the past with the Braves and everything. Yeah, but like so, yeah,
16:03
Speaker 4: you just can't have two non defensive players on your bench.
16:07
Speaker 4: So I think that's the biggest sticking point for me. Obviously,
16:10
Speaker 4: I think Connor is the better option, but I understand
16:14
Speaker 4: why you still might want to wait a little bit
16:16
Speaker 4: with Ozuna.
16:20
Speaker 1: Yeah, it just goes to show like.
16:23
Speaker 4: Sign yeah, everything about.
16:26
Speaker 1: It, everything about it.
16:28
Speaker 4: And this is coming off the night where we had
16:30
Speaker 4: a four hundred and forty eight foot home run last
16:32
Speaker 4: the night prior to recording, Like.
16:34
Speaker 1: He still thinks. Yeah, I mean it's bad and like
16:37
Speaker 1: he makes their team worse. He just does. And it's
16:40
Speaker 1: just in so many areas as the season.
16:44
Speaker 2: Ages, it's like, you know, it would be a lot
16:45
Speaker 2: better if we didn't have to keep this guy around.
16:49
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean he's barely playing because he has what
16:52
Speaker 4: like twenty sum at bats in June. I think only
16:54
Speaker 4: like it's an absurdly low number of at bats.
16:58
Speaker 3: And missing a lot of money that they've invested it
17:00
Speaker 3: that you know, they really haven't gotten their return on investment.
17:04
Speaker 3: But there's still been you know, some injuries here there.
17:07
Speaker 3: But at the same time, even with the injuries, as
17:09
Speaker 3: you mentioned, he you said twenty at bats, so it's
17:12
Speaker 3: not like you know, he's really playing much. It's put
17:16
Speaker 3: them in a tough position, obviously, and sooner or later
17:20
Speaker 3: they're going to have to make a decision. And I
17:23
Speaker 3: mean that's not saying whether they cut, but sooner or later,
17:26
Speaker 3: I think we will have our answer because obviously as
17:29
Speaker 3: you get closer to July, things are going to have
17:32
Speaker 3: to shake up. Well, yeah, depending on which where you're
17:35
Speaker 3: going to go.
17:36
Speaker 1: So I'll just share. Did I share the Connor Griffin
17:39
Speaker 1: junior year story on this?
17:41
Speaker 4: I don't think so, all.
17:43
Speaker 2: Right, So it reminds me of a story I learned
17:47
Speaker 2: about Connor Griffin while I was writing a big feature
17:49
Speaker 2: on him that ran last year. His junior year at
17:53
Speaker 2: Jackson Prep, the last regular season game, he dislocated his
17:58
Speaker 2: shoulder on a home run on the swing. It was
18:01
Speaker 2: his non throwing arm, if I remember correctly, but he
18:05
Speaker 2: couldn't swing. He was in a lot of pain and
18:06
Speaker 2: it relocated.
18:07
Speaker 1: And if you have ever.
18:08
Speaker 2: Dislocated your shoulder, you know, like that type of pain
18:10
Speaker 2: it's not good. So throughout the whole state playoffs he
18:14
Speaker 2: was advised not to swing because he had big showcases
18:17
Speaker 2: coming up. If you've ever been a part of high
18:19
Speaker 2: school baseball recruiting, you know junior year is a major year.
18:22
Speaker 1: That sixteen to seventeen year old summer is huge.
18:26
Speaker 2: So all he did was pitch, and I think he, uh,
18:30
Speaker 2: if I'm not mistake, I mean, he basically like pitched
18:33
Speaker 2: them all.
18:33
Speaker 1: The way to a state championship.
18:35
Speaker 2: And I think he started their first game or second
18:40
Speaker 2: game of the series, and if it went to game three,
18:42
Speaker 2: he said he was going to try to play, but
18:46
Speaker 2: like try to play shortstop and hit.
18:48
Speaker 1: But it didn't. He didn't allow it to go that
18:50
Speaker 1: far because he just shoved.
18:51
Speaker 2: I think he had like a sub two era that
18:54
Speaker 2: whole season, and in the playoffs it was probablyly like
18:57
Speaker 2: Sub one.
18:57
Speaker 1: So that's just the kind of guy he is.
19:00
Speaker 2: And I'm probably I'm not inside Connor Griffin's mind by
19:03
Speaker 2: any means, but I'm sure that that's how he's kind
19:05
Speaker 2: of looking at this.
19:06
Speaker 1: It's like I have an injury that prevents me from
19:08
Speaker 1: doing one.
19:09
Speaker 2: Way, one thing to help the team, but I could
19:12
Speaker 2: still help the team in other ways. And it's a
19:15
Speaker 2: lot different obviously major League baseball compared to Mississippi high
19:19
Speaker 2: school baseball.
19:21
Speaker 1: But at the end of the day, that's how this
19:23
Speaker 1: kid's wired.
19:24
Speaker 2: And I think that that that anecdote provides some context
19:31
Speaker 2: on how this kid goes about his business and something
19:36
Speaker 2: that I think Pirates fans should really admire.
19:38
Speaker 4: Yes, Connor Griffin pitching in twenty twenty four zero point
19:41
Speaker 4: seven to two ERA ten and zero record and one
19:44
Speaker 4: hundred and seven strikeouts in sixty seven point two and this.
19:47
Speaker 1: Would have been twenty twenty three.
19:49
Speaker 4: Oh okay, well that was his senior year, so he
19:51
Speaker 4: kept shoving.
19:52
Speaker 7: Yeah cha, it was four time state champ, five time
19:59
Speaker 7: stage you know, four because he only played four years
20:01
Speaker 7: abart he skipped his softmore year.
20:03
Speaker 1: I think.
20:06
Speaker 4: Just casual classified. Yeah, yeah, track prospects.
20:11
Speaker 2: So all right, we're gonna take No, we're not gonna
20:14
Speaker 2: take a quick break. We're just gonna go right onto
20:16
Speaker 2: our Friday segment.
20:18
Speaker 6: Jay Hay Now, all right back with Jay Hay.
20:37
Speaker 3: Now. Today's segment is gonna highlight somebody that we've already
20:42
Speaker 3: talked about a little bit in one of our earlier segments.
20:45
Speaker 3: I'm highlight b Ray. He's been swinging a hot bat
20:49
Speaker 3: and just being kind of, you know, a nice little
20:51
Speaker 3: main stay in that lineup, you know, for a team
20:54
Speaker 3: that has you know, been kind of on that seesaw
20:57
Speaker 3: battle up and down. So so, uh, you know, b
21:00
Speaker 3: Ray has been a guy that obviously we just spoke
21:03
Speaker 3: about as a possible All Star given you know, his
21:07
Speaker 3: numbers and where he's at right now. But with all
21:10
Speaker 3: the you know praise that you know Lyle's been getting
21:13
Speaker 3: O'Hearn obviously being new faces, this is what you know,
21:17
Speaker 3: was the big talk of the off season. He's a
21:19
Speaker 3: you know, acquired you know these guys being acquired that's
21:21
Speaker 3: going to boost this offense. You know, it just shows that,
21:25
Speaker 3: you know, when you put some pieces around the guy
21:27
Speaker 3: that's already been an All Star, how much easier can
21:30
Speaker 3: make him not necessarily easier, but you know he doesn't
21:34
Speaker 3: have to do it all himself. So I think what
21:37
Speaker 3: you're seeing is a situation where b Ray is kind
21:39
Speaker 3: of being able to just kind of just be comfortable
21:42
Speaker 3: and know that, you know, he doesn't have to try
21:43
Speaker 3: to do it all on his own. And sometimes that's
21:45
Speaker 3: where you'll see guys being kind of in that steady,
21:49
Speaker 3: you know place where he's been to, you know, have
21:52
Speaker 3: good at bats and see one of his better years
21:54
Speaker 3: so thus far, because you know he's got protection and
21:56
Speaker 3: on that. You know, it's not just a lineup that's
21:59
Speaker 3: just or in there. So it's a deep lineup, so
22:02
Speaker 3: what you're seeing is b Ray from both sides of
22:04
Speaker 3: the plate. Just highlight some of the work he's been doing, man,
22:07
Speaker 3: And even what you mentioned Mark defensively a little bit.
22:11
Speaker 3: He's been a little bit better defensively late. Robbed a
22:14
Speaker 3: home run at the game. I was that, So, you know,
22:17
Speaker 3: just one of those things where I went the highlighting
22:19
Speaker 3: for this week's j now coming off, I think a
22:22
Speaker 3: really good series in Oakland. They got the off day
22:24
Speaker 3: head and the Friday keep that momentum, but b raised
22:28
Speaker 3: my highlight for this week.
22:30
Speaker 2: Especially something quick on Reynolds like going into this year,
22:36
Speaker 2: and we expressed this on this show.
22:38
Speaker 1: The big question was, I mean they hot.
22:41
Speaker 2: They brought in a whole bunch of high floor guys, really,
22:44
Speaker 2: I mean two and I guess you can include Mangham
22:47
Speaker 2: in that as well.
22:48
Speaker 1: Like Loo, Mangham and O'Hearn you.
22:52
Speaker 2: Kind of knew what they were going to do offensively,
22:54
Speaker 2: like just by the way they play, especially Lao and o'hearne,
23:00
Speaker 2: like you felt pretty good that they were going to
23:02
Speaker 2: give you this base level of production, And the question
23:05
Speaker 2: was could that base level of production get more out
23:08
Speaker 2: of your top two returning hitters, well three really, with
23:13
Speaker 2: Spencer Horowitz had a good year last year, and O'Neil
23:16
Speaker 2: Cruz Bryan Reynolds who underperformed last year, and so far
23:21
Speaker 2: all three of those guys have taken their game forward.
23:25
Speaker 2: O'Neill's obviously hurt right now, but before he was hurt,
23:27
Speaker 2: he was the only player in Major League Baseball on
23:29
Speaker 2: pace for a thirty thirty season. Yeah, Spencer Horowitz, like
23:32
Speaker 2: I've said on the show a billion times, I think
23:34
Speaker 2: he is right there with Brandon Law as the best
23:37
Speaker 2: most productive hitter on the team. And then you look
23:41
Speaker 2: at Bryan Reynolds, like we said earlier today, he might
23:45
Speaker 2: be on pace to have if maybe not his best season.
23:50
Speaker 4: I think since twenty twenty one. Yeah, nine to twelve. Yes,
23:54
Speaker 4: in twenty twenty one.
23:55
Speaker 2: Yeah, but and that's the season that got him paid.
24:00
Speaker 2: But I mean, this is this is the closest we've
24:03
Speaker 2: seen to that. Like, he's on pace to be a
24:05
Speaker 2: four war player. Now. I didn't think we would see
24:08
Speaker 2: that again from Brian Rewolds. I thought we'd see a
24:10
Speaker 2: lot of two.
24:11
Speaker 1: War seasons, probably a three war season. And that's that's
24:14
Speaker 1: totally fine for especially for what you're paying him in
24:17
Speaker 1: this grand scheme of things, like, that's good value for
24:19
Speaker 1: what you're paying him if you could get that, But
24:22
Speaker 1: the fact that you're getting more, I like I said,
24:25
Speaker 1: I just I did not expect him to play at
24:27
Speaker 1: this level really ever.
24:28
Speaker 2: Again, I thought we were gonna get a little bit
24:31
Speaker 2: better than last year, but not much, probably like second
24:35
Speaker 2: half Reynolds last year, but for a whole season.
24:38
Speaker 1: And he's he's just getting better. So yeah, hats off
24:42
Speaker 1: to him.
24:42
Speaker 2: He's he's really and especially the fact that he's doing
24:46
Speaker 2: this without Connor and O'Neill in the lineup.
24:49
Speaker 1: That's that's what you need from your highest paid position player.
24:53
Speaker 4: And I think you guys both hit the nail really
24:55
Speaker 4: right on the head because I mean that twenty twent
25:00
Speaker 4: one season where Reynolds had the nine to twelve ops.
25:04
Speaker 4: He's only had an ops over eight hundred once since then,
25:07
Speaker 4: and that was twenty twenty two when he had eight
25:09
Speaker 4: six ops. He's been right around it, like seven ninety one,
25:13
Speaker 4: right around there. But it's been a little disappointing when
25:17
Speaker 4: he that was kind of like, you paid him this
25:19
Speaker 4: money to be one of your best position players, and
25:22
Speaker 4: it just felt like it was just like, hey, he
25:23
Speaker 4: was good, but not what the pirates needed out of him.
25:26
Speaker 4: This year, he's giving what the pirates needed out of
25:29
Speaker 4: Brian Reynolds, and you're seeing how much of an impact
25:32
Speaker 4: he can make. And I think Josh hit the nail
25:35
Speaker 4: on the head by saying it's because he actually has
25:37
Speaker 4: protection in this lineup where he's not just the only
25:40
Speaker 4: guy that you can pitch around and say, yeah, Brian
25:43
Speaker 4: Reynolds is good. We don't need to throw him a
25:45
Speaker 4: competitive pitch, let him walk, that's fine. Who cares because
25:48
Speaker 4: the next guy in the lineup is going to strike
25:50
Speaker 4: out or hit into a double player, what have you.
25:52
Speaker 4: So finally we have protection for him, and yeah, it's
25:56
Speaker 4: I'm absolutely loving it. He doesn't seem like he's slowing down.
25:59
Speaker 4: He's it's like he's having fun. A guy who doesn't
26:02
Speaker 4: really show a lot of emotion, he really, I mean
26:07
Speaker 4: he does a little bit behind the scenes I've heard,
26:10
Speaker 4: but yeah, I mean he really seems to be enjoying
26:13
Speaker 4: himself and this clubhouse, and that's just cool to see
26:17
Speaker 4: when we've seen Brian Reynolds kind of just be like
26:20
Speaker 4: I'm here, and now I feel like he's happy to
26:24
Speaker 4: be here and so that helps when you're smacking the
26:27
Speaker 4: ball like he is.
26:28
Speaker 2: But yeah, I think everyone enjoys going to work a
26:33
Speaker 2: little bit more and they know they have co workers
26:36
Speaker 2: who make their lily.
26:38
Speaker 3: Yeah.
26:38
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's the reality of it.
26:40
Speaker 2: And like I noticed it from him in spring training,
26:43
Speaker 2: like he just he's been very open with the fact
26:46
Speaker 2: that he's like, oh, we actually have a chance this year.
26:48
Speaker 4: Yeah.
26:49
Speaker 2: So yes, I want to remind everyone to hit that
26:55
Speaker 2: subscribe button if they haven't already.
26:58
Speaker 1: Weren't a mission of three thousands can't get there? Don't
27:00
Speaker 1: you help?
27:00
Speaker 2: Also check out the Bucco Territory Team store. We've got
27:03
Speaker 2: a lot of good stuff up for grabs there. All
27:07
Speaker 2: of it belongs to Mark's closet right now.
27:10
Speaker 1: Maybe eventually someday someone well it's something for me, or
27:15
Speaker 1: I'll just get it on my own. Guys. Any final
27:17
Speaker 1: thoughts before we head out.
27:20
Speaker 4: Just really impressed by the athletics series. I mean our
27:24
Speaker 4: questions in the Wednesday mail bag were like, how do
27:26
Speaker 4: you stay so optimistic? And then well there we go.
27:31
Speaker 4: We had six to five come back win the very
27:33
Speaker 4: next day and then a just twelve run stomping with Yeah,
27:38
Speaker 4: with Braxton Ashcraft shoving. Yeah, I mean it baseball turns
27:42
Speaker 4: around fast. The confidence and momentum is right back there,
27:46
Speaker 4: going into a series where the Pirates have an opportunity
27:49
Speaker 4: to score a lot of runs against the Rockies in Colorado,
27:53
Speaker 4: against not the best pitching staff. So I mean, and
27:57
Speaker 4: I'm gonna say that now, and we're they're gonna were
28:00
Speaker 4: like four runs the entire series. But yeah, yeah, last year,
28:06
Speaker 4: oh my god. Yeah yeah, Josh, I don't know if
28:09
Speaker 4: you saw that one, uh, one of the worst I
28:11
Speaker 4: think it was. Was it sixteen or fifteen or seventeen?
28:14
Speaker 1: They were they were ahead like what nine nothing.
28:17
Speaker 4: Nine to two I think at one point or something to.
28:20
Speaker 2: The point where like I had finished my game story
28:23
Speaker 2: in like the Thursday. Yeah, we left the press Fox,
28:26
Speaker 2: me and the other writer, Jose We went up to
28:30
Speaker 2: the purple row, the mile high marker in the stadium.
28:34
Speaker 1: Let's just watch a couple of innings from up here.
28:36
Speaker 6: And then all of a.
28:37
Speaker 1: Sudden, like the Rockies start crushing Tommy Harrington.
28:40
Speaker 2: We're like, all right, yep, we probably got to get
28:42
Speaker 2: down there, and yeah, that's all right, Sorry.
28:46
Speaker 4: To get off, Yeah, sorry to bring that one up.
28:48
Speaker 1: Yeah, runs a course field is my point, Yes, Josh.
28:53
Speaker 3: Final thoughts, uh, happy flight after Oakland, going to Colorado,
28:58
Speaker 3: do work and as no sid hit that subscribe button,
29:01
Speaker 3: get some gear love it.
29:03
Speaker 1: Yes, I got two. Final thoughts One.
29:06
Speaker 2: Connor Griffin junior year as a pitcher at Jackson Prep,
29:10
Speaker 2: he made eleven appearances, went seven to one with a
29:12
Speaker 2: one to three to eight earned run average. He threw
29:15
Speaker 2: fifty and two thirds of an inning, and he struck
29:18
Speaker 2: out eighty one.
29:19
Speaker 1: Batters walk fifty.
29:22
Speaker 2: Fifteen, Yeah, walk fifteen. His senior year numbers are even better.
29:27
Speaker 1: Yeah, zero point seven to two earned around average, ten
29:29
Speaker 1: and zero.
29:30
Speaker 2: And fourteen appearances, he struck out one hundred and seven
29:33
Speaker 2: and sixty seven and two thirds of inning.
29:35
Speaker 1: Yeah, this guy could have been a Yeah, I like.
29:37
Speaker 4: I always like, No, I'm not good enough at that.
29:39
Speaker 4: I'm going to do another thing that I'm even better at.
29:41
Speaker 3: Yeah.
29:42
Speaker 2: So anyway, that's just a little clean up there, like
29:45
Speaker 2: Tony reality style.
29:46
Speaker 1: Yes, perfect, he end up around the horn. The other
29:49
Speaker 1: final thing is go New York Go New York.
29:52
Speaker 3: Go.
29:53
Speaker 2: Had the privilege of going to the Knicks Championship parade
29:57
Speaker 2: on Thursday, and it was one of the most incredible
29:59
Speaker 2: experiences is of my life and it's just another reminder
30:02
Speaker 2: of why sports are the best.
30:04
Speaker 1: To be able to look into a sea of people
30:06
Speaker 1: and see people who look different than me.
30:08
Speaker 2: They're taller, they're older, they're younger, different skim complexions, different
30:13
Speaker 2: religious practices, and we were all there celebrating the same thing.
30:16
Speaker 2: It's a perfect example of why sports are the best
30:19
Speaker 2: thing that God has ever given us, aside from maybe family. Yeah,
30:28
Speaker 2: he's platinum key ank markis Josh Harrison. I'm the Ohio
30:32
Speaker 2: signing off saying thanks for tuning in to another episode
30:34
Speaker 2: of Bucco Territory, presented to you.
30:36
Speaker 1: By the Foul Territory Network.
30:37
Speaker 3: Take care,