Latest / The Craig Way Show / Gene Watson on MLB Wild Card results, Divisional Series, and Terry Francona's return

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Gene Watson on MLB Wild Card results, Divisional Series, and Terry Francona's return · The Craig Way Show

0:00
Speaker 1: We are joined as always by our MLB insider Gene
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Watson from the Chicago White Sox front office. There. But
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before we even get to the baseball we should point
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out that what we were just talking about whatever, and
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I use the word sewer to describe it, used to
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be called FedExField.
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Speaker 2: It's got a.
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Speaker 1: Different sponsor name now where the Washington Commanders play. That
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it was a terrible place. And and Gina was there
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for that Texas Maryland game as I was in eighteen
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or nineteen, and Gina was also there the night before.
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So Gene invites me to go with him to Nationals Park.
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The Nationals are playing the Brewers, and our good friend
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Brian Anderson BA, who's you know, working for TBS during
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the baseball postseason as well, was calling that game. So
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you had a former Georgetown resident in Brian Anderson who
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grew up there and went to Georgetown High yet it
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at the time, a current Georgetown resident in Gene Watson,
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and a future Georgetown resident myself. I wasn't at the
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time but am now. So we were all there for that,
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and then Gino tells me to meet him at the
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Lincoln Memorial at ten point thirty at night.
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Speaker 2: So we do and we hang out.
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Speaker 1: And then there's the game the next day, and it
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was miserable and it was raining and I did not
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know this, but you'd let me know that you almost
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got arrested at.
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Speaker 2: That game, is that right?
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Speaker 3: You know?
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Speaker 2: I did? I did.
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Speaker 3: We had some good friends that were in the stands.
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We actually had sweet access that day because a young
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man that I helped to get into professional sports was
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the ticket manager for the Commanders and got us access
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to the suite. But I went down to see some
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friends and as you know, there was a heavy weather
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delay and we're completely underneath the awning. We're out of
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complete harm's way. It rained sideways, lighting everywhere, and the
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ushers began to come up and tell us that if
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we did not go downstairs, we would be arrested and
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find five thousand dollars.
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Speaker 2: It was very bizarre experience.
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Speaker 3: And the whole weekend, other than us at the Lincoln
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Memorial at midnight, was was.
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Speaker 2: A kind of a strange weekend. But that's a great trip, nonetheless.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it was. It was. It was also strange
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for me yet that morning, well Friday morning, before we
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got together that night that morning, yeah, it was at midnight.
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You wanted to meet at the Lincoln Memorial, right, and
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that was some sort of tradition thing you had working.
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Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah, long, long tradition. Yeah.
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Speaker 1: So that morning I actually got up. I'd flown in
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on Thursday. I got a Friday morning and went to
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have breakfast at at a Dinet or somebody recommended, and
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I was in there, and who should walk in but
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lifetime logorn Ariel Atkins, who plays for the Washington Mystics
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and the WNBA. And of course I'd called all of
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ariieals games when she played at Texas and called two
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of her state championships when she played the Dunken Bill.
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So great to Sagarette, it was a very it was
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a very strange, very odd weekend. The way it ultimately
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shook out, now the way the baseball playoffs have shaken out,
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Correct me if I'm wrong on the division. On the
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Wild Cards series, you went three and one, right, Yes,
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that's right, because she had the Astroids winning. But you
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did caution after Detroit won Game one with what they
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could do in Game two and they ended up sweeping,
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and and you you definitely called uh, San Diego winning
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and uh and then you and you called the Royals
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to beat the Orioles. You thought they would beat Baltimore,
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and uh and uh you and you and I think
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you called the Mets to beat the Brewers, didn't you.
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Speaker 2: I did?
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Speaker 3: Yeah, I thought I thought the Mets and the Tigers
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were the two most dangerous teams. Just having been through
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that and that momentum that you get, I thought they
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were the two most dangerous teams coming into the round.
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And so they they just keep they just keep grinding.
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You just HiT's a momentum you can't explain. And it
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doesn't matter who you play, you think you're gonna win
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that day.
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Speaker 1: All right, Let's let's start with the American League. Uh,
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they're going to the bottom of the fifth in Game
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two with the Guardians and Tigers scoreless. On this now, now,
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if I remember correctly your World Series picture, the Guardians
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and the Padres, if I if I Readmber correctly, okay, Uh,
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the Guardians looked every big the part in the first game,
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they won seven to nothing handily. Right now, this, uh,
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this looks like a Matthew Boyd's pitching really well for them.
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We know scoot Ball was good, pitch very well for
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the Tigers. So it's about what we kind of expected
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at zero zero.
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Speaker 3: It is and it's just it's Cleveland. Is just they've
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been They've been through it so much. They they're probably
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the most under the radar organization in Major League Baseball.
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They know who they are as an organization. Uh, the
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way they go about acquiring players, Uh, they they've got
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their models, they don't apologize for it.
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Speaker 2: And and what.
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Speaker 3: Stephen Vote has done and kind of uh, you know,
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kind of a continuum of Terry Francona and that you know,
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they know what they were looking for and as a manager,
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and Steven is certainly one of the more you know,
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funny guys in the game. But because he has so
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much credibility as a person and as an ex player,
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he's never going to really get much pushback from any
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of the players. And they they just have their system
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and they know what they believe in and they stick
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to it. Detroit has just been such a surprise, and
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you know, this is just the beginning. And I have
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talked to aj Inch every morning for the last seven
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to ten days, and he's just so proud of what
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they've accomplished, you know, for where they were six weeks ago.
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Speaker 2: And this is only the beginning.
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Speaker 3: They're playing with house money right now, they know it,
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but it's a team that is not They're not done
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and they're going to battle you for twenty seven outs
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every game. They do need guys like Jackson Job to
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step up and come up in big situations, which hasn't
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happened yet. But very very dangerous team. And this is
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going to be a great series to the end.
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Speaker 1: If if the if the Tigers should find a way
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to win today and have it one one going to Detroit,
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does it give them a huge advantage, even though we
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could ultimately if it goes to a fifth game, we'll
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go back to Cleveland. Do you see this thing shifting
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momentum wise if Detroit draws even today, I really.
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Speaker 3: Don't, because for me, momentum is the next day starting pitcher,
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and Cleveland has such great starting pitching. And if it
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was a situation where it was Cleveland going to Yankee
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Stadium or maybe into Houston, you could say that. But
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these two teams are so familiar with each other, not
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only this season, but in the past seasons that they've
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all they've played each other so much that there's not
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going to be really much vibration from that standpoint, So
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I would say that in most cases it could happen,
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but I don't think it'll happen here. It's it's going
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to be the momentum of that starting pitcher on the mound,
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and they certainly be qualifying that department.
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Speaker 1: Talking postseason baseball with Gene Watson here on sports Radio
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AM thirteen hundreds. All right, the other American League Series.
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What a great first game for the Yankees and Royals.
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Back and forth, Seahaw, seesaw, and eventually the Yankees found
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a way to get a run in the bottom the
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eighth and they wind up winning it by a score
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of six to five. Do you see this thing going
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the distance?
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Speaker 2: Could it go five? I really don't.
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Speaker 3: I think that that New York is just so prepared,
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and they've waited for this moment. It's arguably been one
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of the best teams they've had in a very very
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long time, intangibly, the clubhouse mix as well, the personnel
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mix as well. Inasmuch as the Royals have done such
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a great job this season and and they've built so
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much momentum and they have so much to look forward
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to in the future. And look forward to Detroit and
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Kansas City battling it out for the next few years.
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Speaker 2: In that division.
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Speaker 3: And but I just think the experience and the expectation
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level of what's expected in New York is probably going
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to prevail overall. If they can get it's going to
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be Lark Smith versus Seth Lugo in Game three, So
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they really have to get tonight's game with Cole Reagan's
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on the mountain.
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Speaker 1: Did it matter much? Does it matter much?
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Speaker 2: Historically?
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Speaker 1: I've had some people ask me about this about the
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off day between Game one and Game two. It wasn't
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a travel day, just an off day. This is done
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for television. We all know that. So Game one Game
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two in the America LA, whereas Nashley went back to back,
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and then of course they have their travel day today
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before they resume the series in New York and in
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San Diego, respectively. But does it matter? Does it make
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much of a difference? Does it help anybody out of this?
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The fact that the off day comes between game one
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and Game two, and then there's another off day before
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Game three.
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Speaker 3: I think it's an enormous advantage for the Yankees because
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they're home.
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Speaker 2: It's an older club.
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Speaker 3: You know, the pitchers are probably having a dinner somewhere,
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the position players are gathering somewhere, the coaching staff is
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gathering somewhere. They're they're acclimated, they're familiar with their surroundings,
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they're comfortable.
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Speaker 2: Where you have a younger club like Kansas City that.
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Speaker 3: You know, they're they're making the most of the day
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and enjoying the city and and and and getting out
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and doing things that they've never had an opportunity to
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do as a group. And so I think that was
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probably a big momentum shift for the for the Yankees tangily.
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Speaker 1: All right, let's jump to the Nation League. Before we
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get to the two series. I want to ask you. You
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mentioned Terry Francona. Tito's back in the game. It's coming
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out of retirement to manage the Reds, and of course
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he played briefly with the Reds as well. What's your
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thoughts about Francona back in baseball managing again.
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Speaker 3: You know, I was in Tucson for the Fiesta Mexicana
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until yesterday. You know, he's obviously an Arizona Wildcat, and
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three of his ex teammates were at the game. With
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me and and they were so excited. One was with
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the Reds and so extremely excited. And in an era
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where that manager means so much to an organization and where.
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Speaker 2: That team is.
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Speaker 3: I mean, they could not have landed a better hire
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for what that team and that organization needs in Tito Francona,
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and it just it's an amazing hire. It's right on
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time for them, and you're going to see a huge difference.
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Not that they were, you know, real undisciplined in the
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way they played, but just the accountability that he brings
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to the table, those little things that the day to
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day operations of managing a team.
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Speaker 2: He's just going to be enormous for them.
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Speaker 3: And look for the Reds to really be active this
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winner in major league acquisition and really try to make
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a big splash in twenty twenty five with that team.
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Speaker 1: I think it's a given that everybody feels the Dodgers
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have the best player in all of baseball obviously in
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choey Otani. But Choey is thirty years old. Who knows
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if he can come back as effectively as a pitcher
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in the future, and he will continue to swing the
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bat well, obviously, My question is this Tino. How far
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off are we from saying the best player in baseball was.
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Speaker 2: Elie de la Cruz.
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Speaker 3: It's close, and you give him a supporting cast. And
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you know, Matt mc lane was injured this year and
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that really hurt them. They had a number of injuries
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to that pitching staff. But I've said it for a
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few years and it's not a criticism, it's a fact
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that the Reds have just been laying in the weeds
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for a few years and really the only thing they've
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missed and it's not an indictment on who's been there
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before anything, but but just that credibility, that long term
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winning success and reputation that a Tito Francona brings to
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the organization is just going to be huge for them.
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And look for them to play an extremely clean style
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of baseball next year, very disciplined. But also I'm sure
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that Tito said, you know, you got to sell me
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on what your plans are going to be and what
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you're going to do this winner to build this team
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up to make us a contender, because that was probably
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a big factor in him coming back.
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Speaker 1: All right, talking baseball, here, the Major League playoffs with
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Geene Watson from Chicago White Sox.
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Speaker 2: Our MLB insidles.
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Speaker 1: Shift to the National League Storm Philadelphia, and the Mets
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must win yesterday for the Pills, don't you agree? And
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they and they found a way to get that with
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the walk off hit there from Castianos and obviously Bryce
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Harper got in the mix with the big home run
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after the Mets had built the Mets had played so
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fearlessly to this point. How about your take on Philly
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and New York as the series shifts now the Queens.
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Speaker 3: What an incredible, incredible series for Mark Viento's and the
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just to never quit that the Mets have shown.
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Speaker 2: And I'm going to tell you something.
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Speaker 3: You know, those fans have been sitting at home watching
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this team play on the road.
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Speaker 2: And now they get a home game.
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Speaker 3: And I was in there in fifteen when we played
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them in the World Series, and that is a very
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hungry fan base and it's going to be an electric
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environment where the home field crowd can really play a factor.
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But I thought the Phillies they've shown great resilience. Also,
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the expectation is a little higher there and so the
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pressure can be a little bit higher, but they certainly,
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you know, they have all the momentum with the starting rotation.
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Nick Giano's for as polarizing as he's been, you know
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over the years with his comments and his kind of
13:06
laxadaisical play. You know, he's a money player and when
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the game is on the line, he's a guy you
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wanted to plate and he certainly proved that yesterday.
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Speaker 1: Well, speaking a Rabbit fan, basis San Diego has it
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and the Dodgers head down there, you know for all
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of that stuff. For me, Gino and you know me
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what my rooting interest is, but for me really plainly
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and simply, and I think John Smoltz has done a
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fabulous job in outlining this of her games one and two.
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This comes down to the fact that the Dodgers are
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at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to starting pitching,
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and that was on display last night.
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Speaker 3: Yeah, they've just been so injured. I mean, they've got
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seven players on the sixty day. They're hoping to get
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Brunt Honeywell back and whatever role he could serve in
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if they put him on the roster, but they've just
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been beat up so bad with the injuries. And you know,
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this is one of those situations where the pressure lies
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on them a little greater than it does the Padres,
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and you're just seeing things from the San Diego Padres
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that we've never seen. You've got the Robert Merril rookie
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who people don't realize is truly the leader in that clubhouse.
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Speaker 2: He's a young.
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Speaker 3: Player, Rookie of the Year candidate, and he is truly
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leading that clubhouse and holding that clubhouse accountability.
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Speaker 2: But then you look at what Manny Machado.
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Speaker 3: Did last night and bringing that team together in the dugout,
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and when you know you've got all those fans in
14:28
your face and you've been there, I've been there many times.
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Television does not do justice for how difficult Dodger Stadium
14:37
is to play in. And that was a very very
14:39
dangerous scene last night in the outfield. I don't think
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people realize how dangerous it was for Jerks and Profar
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and Manny Machado stepping up and leading. We've never seen
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anything like that ever before. And so you're seeing all
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the intangible things that kind of have held the Padres
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back over the last few years taking place right now
15:00
out on the road, and that makes them a very
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very dangerous team along the way because Petco Park is
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one of the most vibrant, electrifying environments in all of baseball.
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And now they get to go back home. And trust
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me when I say to you, they have no plans
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of going back to Dodger Stadium.
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Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I'm sure they want to finish it there.
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And then just one other comment on that, You're absolutely
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right it was. It was a real tent situation in
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left field of the fans that got out of hand
15:26
out there. And then not only that, I think you'll
15:27
agree with me on this because you've known jorks in
15:30
profar since he played for the Rangers. He's an incredibly
15:33
emotional guy and that was a power keg. It didn't happen,
15:37
thank goodness, and the umpires did a good job getting
15:39
him away, but he was also really amped up, and
15:43
that thing had the potential to get ugly.
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Speaker 2: Fortunately it didn't.
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Speaker 3: And you I don't think fans truly realize. I mean,
15:50
when you're out there that open, in that environment, it
15:54
is really a scary scene. I mean, I mean through
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you know, twenty five years in scouting and thirty five
16:00
in the game. You know, our families during the playoffs,
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the World Series in fourteen. Sadly enough, in Houston when
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I was with the Braves, there can be some really
16:11
dangerous environments for families. And when you're that wide open
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and you don't know what's sitting in the stands, and
16:17
you've got baseballs flying at you, people are throwing quarters
16:20
at you, people are I mean, it is really a
16:23
dangerous scene and it can be really unnerving, and when
16:27
you put it in the point of the game where
16:30
it took place, makes it even more challenging.
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Speaker 2: And you darbish.
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Speaker 3: And the time that he took just to stay loose
16:38
and warm at his age and to be able to
16:40
perform the way he did after the long delay was
16:43
truly incredible. And it's a miracle for what the score was.
16:46
It's a miracle that they got out of there with
16:48
a win.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, it worked out really well, and then they got
16:50
very very impressive with what they did down the stretch
16:53
when they're hey, your predictions are looking good.
16:54
Speaker 2: So far, my man, so far.
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Speaker 3: We'll see well. See, you know, we got vested interest.
16:59
My son works for the Padres and oh, he's already
17:01
texted me he's already tested playing to San Diego with
17:05
our ninety eight National League championship rings and pendants, and
17:08
so we're pulling hard for them this week.
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Speaker 1: He texted me and said, I'm going out.
17:12
Speaker 2: Let's see the dodge.
17:13
Speaker 1: The Padres wipe out the DoD So I said, yeah,
17:17
expect an ass all right, Uncle Craig, Gina, thanks for
17:21
the time.
17:21
Speaker 2: I appreciate it. We'll do it again soon, all right, guys,
17:24
I'll take care of all right.
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Speaker 1: Gene Watson x in with us periodically now during the playoffs,
17:29
uh more than once a week if the situation war.
17:32
And so we'll see how this week uh develops there
17:34
with both the American.
17:35
Speaker 2: League and National League Division series.
17:37
Speaker 1: We'll hear more from Long Wort's head coach, Steve Sarkisian
17:40
coming up on Sports Radio AM thirteen Hunderd The Zone