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Will the ABS System Work in the MLB? · The 3-0 Take

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Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Three O Take, where we talk
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all things Major League Baseball.
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Here's Kyle Corwin and Nate Reyes.
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It all starts right now. Welcome back to the Three O take
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presented by Sea Geek. This is episode 515.
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I'll be your host Kyle Cordon. I'm here with my Co host Nate
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Reyes. Nate.
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Daddy's here. You're just going to spring that
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glass of wine on me last second like this.
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I forgot it was here to be honest with you.
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Beep. It's a Monday night.
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What are we doing? Here's what happens when you
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have a wife that likes wine. Sometimes she opens a bottle,
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forgets that it was opened, doesn't finish the bottle, has
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to plug it with that little thing on top and then it's it's
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in the wine fridge for a few days.
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It's called a cork, no? No, it's like an actual thing.
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It's like a little clamp thing that like really seals it up.
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And then it sits in the wine fridge for a few days and it's
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just like, shoot, I forgot to open this.
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This is kind of a nice bottle of wine.
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I don't want to waste it. Will you help me drink it?
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Bada boom, bada Bing. Here we are.
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I'm I'm a wine connoisseur. I'm just kidding.
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I have no, I have zero knowledge about wine.
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They all taste the same A. 10 bottle of wine is the same to
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you as $120.00. 1000% And it's like when Michael sips it and
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he's like, this is a white like yeah, same thing bro.
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There's either white and red. That's it.
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So apparently this is nice and I have to drink it in time.
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I like how you simplify things like that because I want to
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simplify something related to baseball.
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For me, it's spring training baseball and then everything
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else. My question related to that,
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however, and I'm going to put it here on the on the screen so the
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folks can can answer is they they join us.
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Do you watch spring training games?
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We have this conversation just about every time this time of
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the year rolls around, but it's sort of A2 prong question.
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I'll ask you, Nate, do you watch spring training games?
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Not yet. I will when we start getting.
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The regulars in there. The regulars in there for longer
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than one or two ABS. When we start getting like 6-7
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innings and you get pitchers that are going 60-70 pitches,
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I'm in. I'm with you and I'm with him.
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I'll catch. Highlights right now of like
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guys that like, oh, he's an up and Comer.
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I kind of want to see what he looks like, you know what I
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mean? But I'm not I, I'll throw it on
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in the background while I'm doing other stuff.
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Is that the right answer? I'm glad that's the right.
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Answer Well, I'm glad you brought that up because this is
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sort of the bone that I have to pick today with baseball.
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And this is not the first time we've had this conversation.
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This is not the first time I've made this point.
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But how in the year 2025 do we not have visual access to every
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spring training game that takes place?
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Like I don't care. And this goes this this.
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Talking about those audio only games, not even.
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Yeah, I mean, I guess if that's the if, if that's the alternate,
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but I don't even bother checking to see if the games that don't
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have video, if they even have audio.
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Maybe they do, maybe they don't. I don't know, but I'm just
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saying. Listening to a spring training
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game. No, it's going to be enough to
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get me to sit down and actually watch a game if you don't have
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at least the video. I don't know what we're doing.
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And and this goes beyond all like this is, this goes beyond
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Major League Baseball for me. This is college this I'll even
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go as far as stay in high school.
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And if if your first response to that is well, not everybody has
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the same resources. Trust me.
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All you need is an I like just a phone you, even if you just set
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up a phone, that's fine. And I'm not going to say that
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that's sort of I'm not going to say that's the bare minimum for
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Major League Baseball. I would hope that they'd have at
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least of somewhat of a professional camera to put
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there. But like, I don't even need the
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commentary. And frankly, I'm not going to
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sit there and watch every spring training game.
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So me sitting here complaining about this sort of doesn't
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really make sense because I'm not like a die hard spring
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training watch kind of guy. But for the people that are, how
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do we not have acts like how how are we not getting to watch
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every game? How?
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I mean how difficult is it to just get a stream up?
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I don't know, I feel like we get I see more clips of side field
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live ABS than I do of non televised spring training games.
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And if you do get a clip of a non televised spring training
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game, it's typically from the moon and you can't see anything.
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Yep. Yeah, and you can hear some
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idiot yelling in the 3rd row. No that.
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That's what I'm saying. And, and look, this is not a
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hill that I'm going to, like, die on.
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I'm not going to say I'm going to quit watching baseball.
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I don't ever in spring training. That's what I'm saying it.
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It's more of just because I do know that there are those people
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that exist that are like I, I, I need to catch every game.
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I need to get up to speed. I need to get caught up to speed
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on our prospects who's going to be in the system next or who's
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going to be playing every day next year and beyond.
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I get that it, that's not me, but just sort of, I'm, I'm sort
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of taking a stance. I, I, I'm planting my flag on
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behalf of those who feel that way.
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Fair enough. I'm looking, I'm looking past my
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own interest here. That's all I'm saying.
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I'm proud of you for that. Thank you.
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I'm proud of you for that. I will say I am taking in my
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first potentially only spring training game on Friday.
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We talked about this. Where did you say you're going?
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Mama Reyes is coming in town. We're going to catch the Royals.
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D Backs, Salt River Fields. Salt River Fields.
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It's a good, good facility. It's a.
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Beautiful facility. Centrally located and hoping to
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hoping to catch maybe some Bobby Witt and maybe even some Jack
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Caglione, you know, see if he's in the lineup that day.
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So yeah, and Paige is going to bring her score books.
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She's going to keep score. I mean, it's it's it's name,
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name something better. There's no pressure either.
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I will want to show up on time, but there's no pressure to stay.
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Beautiful. Because we're going to Innings
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Fest afterwards, so we're going to catch some concerts after
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that. So it's like, just roll on out,
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head to the show. It's a good day.
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You mentioned keeping keeping book.
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This is a great segue to for just a a a little plug here for
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I believe we've already right. Haven't we already said what
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we're doing with the Keep the Book?
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Sunday night streams, yeah, I think that's going to be yeah,
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just I think that's I think we're doing well.
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Maybe not even Sunday night. I think it's a Sunday stream,
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right? I think that's the.
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I think that I think that's the move, yeah, yeah.
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But just go into detail a little bit more about like what the
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what the vision is for that just so people.
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Live stream, baby, live stream hang out.
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I'm going to teach you guys how to keep book.
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So simple enough. More importantly, I'm going to
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teach you how to keep book. That's one of my resolutions for
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this year, learning to keep book.
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All right, let's talk about what we came here to talk about.
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Right off the top here, we're talking ABS system, the
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automatic balls and strikes system that has made its way to
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spring training games. Speaking of another thing that
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you're not going to get everywhere all the time, the ABS
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system is not going to be incorporated into every spring
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training game this year, but a vast amount, I think.
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I think 60% is what I saw of the spring training games this year.
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Will feature parks, I believe. Yeah, Will, Will.
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Feature the system and if you don't know what the ABS system
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is, as I mentioned the automatic ball strike system, Rob Manfred
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has made it clear that he would like to have this system in
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place in an ideal world in 2026. What are your thoughts about it?
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Because I know you feel very strongly about the, the product
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that is the catcher and the art that that is.
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And, and the art seemingly that has sort of taken a little bit
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of, of a decline with the shifts in, you know, rule systems, with
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strike systems, with the, the impending future of robo UMPS
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and the like. What are your thoughts on the
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system? Where to begin?
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So if you've been listening for a while, you know that Nate
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likes to think of the ripple effects, the cause and effect of
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a rule change. Not just the rule change itself,
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but what occurs after that. If you are just now starting to
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listen to us, enjoy me popping the hood on what I call this
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noggin. We'll start.
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Let's start with catchers for for one, I was always scared of
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the automated strike zone taking away the art of framing, which
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we as stats and analytics have become more and more of a thing.
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I think we've started to realize that like framing, it can be
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such a useful and beneficial tool, and there's only so many
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catchers that are really good at it.
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And it's starting to get to that point where it's kind of obvious
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when you're watching games. So I won't go too far into that.
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But I do think if you go full ABS, it takes away, it takes
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away the art of framing, right? It changes the way a catcher
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potentially approaches somebody on base, somebody that's a
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threat to steal a base, right? Like if there's no point in
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framing, I can kind of position my body.
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However, I want to make sure I can get rid of this ball as
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quick as possible. And that's not the catching or
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baseball that we've seen. So in turn, what this challenge
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system does, I think the challenge system, that's right,
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Pudge framing is an art. What the challenge system does
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is it almost allows both to happen.
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For those who are so set on getting a correct answer,
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getting the correct results, you have that.
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I think it also allows a catcher to potentially play with a
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hitter. Now you're no longer just trying
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to fool an umpire. Maybe you're trying to fool a
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hitter because for those unfamiliar, this challenge is
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only allowed to be taken by the hitter, catcher and pitcher.
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There's no time for review. There's no manager, there's no
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dugout and play. There's no delay.
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It is immediate. And I think who knows the zone
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better than those three guys in any given opportunity.
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So when you're talking about the art of framing specifically,
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maybe it makes a a hitter think twice.
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I want to challenge it. But he made it look pretty good.
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I think I know this zone, think I know my zone, but I don't.
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I don't know. I think it does deliver some
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strategy. We've seen strategy be affected
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with the review and challenge system there.
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Now we can see that like a team only gets 2 if they get the
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first same thing, if they get the first one right, they keep
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the second, you know, and you're back to two.
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So like overall you could have three if you're correct.
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I think it creates a strategy of like each team, like when do you
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use that? What hitters are you going to
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allow that to be? You know who you're going to
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trust? Are you?
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Is a manager going to tell that guy while he's in the on deck
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circle, say hey, no, no challenging this inning, no
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matter what is it when the bases are loaded and and it's a clutch
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situation and a guy punches out looking and it's like I if you
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want to pull it, go ahead and pull the trigger and he
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challenges it and maybe it's a ball and he gets another another
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opportunity. Like there's so many things that
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can change this. What's on developing more is the
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size of the strike zone with this.
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The strike zone is subjective to the size of the hitter now.
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Well, before we get into that, you made the point about like
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who, who, which players are managers going to trust?
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And Terry Francona actually, I think it was today came out and
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said that he's not even going to bother encouraging his vets to
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work on this system. He said the guys that the the
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younger guys who came up with this, it's been tested in the
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lower levels, right at the lower levels, the guys that came up
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with that, he said, go for it. It's, it's what you're
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accustomed to at this point. And you know, maybe you have a
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better eye for, for certain things based on the success or
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failures of the system thus far, Who knows?
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But Terry Francona guy, it's been around the league a long
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time is coming out and saying like it's not even worth it for
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the guys who who aren't used to this to, to spend their, their
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time here in spring training working on this because they're
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going to see what they're going to see.
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And it, you know, it's, it'll be interesting, like you said, to
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see the strategy that that comes into play here.
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Yeah, 'cause I feel like some teams are going to be like,
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we're not going to use it before the 6th or 7th.
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Like it's we're going to save it, we're going to keep it for
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later. And it's not so much of like the
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strategy of the challenge for the overall replay because like
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you don't know if that opportunity is going to come
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back. Chances are there's going to be
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a borderline baller strike opportunity late in the game.
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So like that's going to be interesting.
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I, I think it's like we started to talk about like, I think it's
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interesting that now we're having like a, a defined strike
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zone, which is, I mean, not to hit you with some math on
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Monday, but it's kind of interesting.
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So the ABS strike zone for this Hawkeye challenge system, the
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plate 17 inches wide, that's the width of our strike zone, OK,
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the depth, which I could be wrong here, but I'm pretty sure
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it used to be starting at the front of the plate.
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That was the start of the strike zone.
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No, Mas, the start of the strike zone is halfway in between the
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front and back. It's eight, 8 1/2 inches in to
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the plate. That's when the beginning of the
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strike zone will start. Now top and bottom is where it
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gets weird. So if you're still with me,
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Congrats, but it's going to get harder. 53 1/2 percent of the
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players height is the top of the zone, 27% of the players height
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is the bottom of the zone. So the example everyone's
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talking about, just because it's polar opposites and it's easy to
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throw these names on it, it's Jose Altuve and Aaron Judge,
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right? We are now going to see a very
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big difference in the height of that.
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Let's talk ripple effect about that.
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Stances. What are the stances?
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If you're really tall, are you going to get low and spread out?
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That's not going to. It doesn't change based off your
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stance. It's your height.
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They measure you. All these guys are getting
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measured. They're getting, yeah, they're,
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that's the interesting thing is they're getting this data during
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spring training, which is interesting.
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We're going to get the actual height of people now.
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It's that that too. I that's I hadn't even thought
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about that. Wow, it's ripple effect.
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We're we're unlocking a whole a whole new wealth of information.
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No, but like you mentioned, the stances.
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My my immediate thought goes to a guy like Cal Ripken guy had
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like in a given season could give you a dozen different
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stances, all the varying heights, varying depths,
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varying, you know, open, closed, whatever.
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Like how how is that going to work?
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I know or so you have the I, I thought of Jeff Bagwell just
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because like Jeff, I don't, I don't remember how tall Jeff
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Bagwell was. I was I would guess 511, six
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foot somewhere in that range, but he was really low and really
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spread out. The strike zone is not affected
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by that. It's affected by these guys's
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measurements which they are measured flat footed by the way.
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I wanted to look that up. If there was measurements based
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on cleats on or off, they are off so.
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Somebody really, really did a deep dive here.
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I told you man, and Alex Bregman being listed as 6 foot is now
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officially going to be exposed, which I'm thoroughly happy.
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About now, not not reality. So we're, if we're just talking
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ripple effect, like there's a lot that's going to be affected
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by this. There's a lot that's going to go
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into this. You want to talk about
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viewership broadcasting, how we, the fan are taking this in.
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Think about the camera angles a little different at each field,
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right? Sometimes it's a little more
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square and and like a little more centered and high above the
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pitcher. Sometimes it's lower and off to
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the side depending on what ballpark you're at.
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So that's going to change the way we're looking at it a little
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bit. The article I read shout out
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what's his name, Anthony Castro, vincemlb.com talked about the
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broadcasting like, OK, like we don't want to have any type of
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cheating or anything like that. So like, what about the
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broadcast, like utilizing that as some type of help?
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We don't want to have a resurgence of like an Astros
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bang on it trash can to like help signal the hitter, right?
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So what they're talking about on the broadcasts is a couple
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things. Keep the strike zone on
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broadcast, which is what we're seeing on majority of broadcasts
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now, except no longer showing the circle of where the ball or
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strike was, eliminating that. Then they're talking about
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instead of the full strike zone, just the corners.
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So there's like, there's a lot that comes into this.
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Like it's not just, oh, we have a challenge system like we're
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talking about. We're now officially talking
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about pitchers looking at a strike zone height differently
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based on the height of a hitter. We're now talking about how much
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a player can be trusted. Does a pitcher want to have that
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responsibility? Does a catcher want to have that
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responsibility? Does that change depending on
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the day? Who do you rely on more?
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Right? What hitters are allowed to do
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this? Because a lot of hitters are
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going to like, how many guys do we see slide in a second, be
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like, no, no, no, like I was safe and they were very out.
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Like, how much can you trust the instinct of of players?
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And I think that's the aspect that I like most about it.
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You don't have review time, you don't have a manager waiting for
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his bench coach to call somebody.
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You don't have an umpire or somebody delaying the call.
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Like it's just going to happen naturally.
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So as much as it is an automated strike zone, there's also like a
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player error and like removing it from the umpire's hands kind
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of aspect to it. It's very interesting.
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I like it. Like I, I do like it.
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I like majority of, of what's going on here.
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It, it adds a new twist without necessarily changing the game.
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In fact, I think it involves aspects of the game that we
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love. Well, you say you like it.
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I'm feeling so frisky tonight. I.
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Just feel a little frisky somebody that's got some
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questions about it. Adam Wainwright.
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I I happened to scroll across a video that he had shared today
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and I stopped and watched it because it was talking about
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this this very matter. And so I thought, well, let me
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get let me get a, a seasoned veterans perspective on on what
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this potentially means and and how this could impact the games.
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Let me see if I can get this up here.
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What's up, y'all? It's Adam Wainwright.
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Hey, this is a message for all the MLB Network employees,
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podcasters, coaches, players, Fox guys, anyone who's going to
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talk pitching, Who's talking baseball.
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Can we create this debate, at least discussion at least
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something? I see every catcher in the world
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right now down on a knee, which I totally get.
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I see him really working on the snatch, which, hey, love getting
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the bottom strike. Love it.
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My question though, is can we talk about it from a pitcher's
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perspective really quick because the target is gone.
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You know, I see so many catchers put the target on the ground,
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put the, the, the MIT on the, on the clay when the pitcher's
22:59
about to release the ball. And if you don't think that's a
23:01
big deal, I want you to go play darts.
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And right as you're about to release the dart, the, the
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dartboard drops a whole foot. And then as you release the dart
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when your target is a foot lower, you're still aiming at
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where you think was the triple 20.
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And then dartboard just slides back up and you're supposed to
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hit the triple 20. Now, it's not exactly the same,
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but it is kind of the same. So if you want pitchers to go
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back to great command, if you want pitchers to aim small, miss
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small, can we please give them something small to aim at?
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I don't see anyone talking about this.
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Maybe they are, but I just don't see it.
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The discussion needs to be had. The discussion needs to be at
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least debated. I talked to a lot of pitchers
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and they're they're trying to hone their craft and work on
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throwing to something small, but the targets on the ground.
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And so I just don't know how that correlates.
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Let's talk about it. So the point of what he's
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saying, and he he included in the tweet that the company in
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this video, as he said, the best part of the automated strike
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zone is it is that a pitcher might regain a target.
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So there's, there's a lot at play here.
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I think it's going to have it, like you said, it's the ripple
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effect is going to certainly play out.
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And I think having having somebody who's pitched for as
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long as Adam Wainwright has knows, you know, what this, what
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this evolution is going to mean, like what this shift in, in the
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art of pitching, the art of catching is going to mean.
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And I, you know, I, I have to say, I think I'm with you.
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I mean, I you mentioned that part about the possibly removing
24:53
the circle off of off of each pitch on the.
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I knew that would hook you. In dude, I'm all about that
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because I cannot stand when the ball like the circle is just Nix
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the K zone. If people like what are we
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talking about? It's like, OK, go to a go to a
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game, get off, like step away from your screen, go to a game,
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watch it in real time, real speed, 100% speed.
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And you tell me if you'd be able to do the job of an umpire, if
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you'd be able to do the job of a Major League hitter sorting
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through in fractions of a second.
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What's a ball? What's a strike?
25:38
So if if this in any way, shape or form can eliminate that
25:42
population of people from from chiming in on every single
25:45
pitch, every single call, when they don't really know what it
25:49
is until they show the, you know, the the the ball coming
25:53
through, clipping the zone. Yeah, yeah.
25:56
Fine by me. Fine by me.
25:59
And I, I think that's what like another effect to this is that
26:02
it feels like it's a little more of like A2 dimensional strike
26:06
zone versus a depth thing that it was.
26:11
And, you know, they're like open up.
26:14
We don't have to go too far into this, but like to open up
26:16
another direction of a ripple effect.
26:19
Think about what this may start doing to pitches, as in, what
26:26
repertoire would make sense for guys to develop with this right?
26:32
Can you start developing something that drops towards the
26:38
bottom of the strike zone, or starts above the strike zone and
26:42
drops in? Does the curveball start to
26:44
become more common again right. Does pitch movement start to
26:51
become as valued as pitch velocity?
26:56
Right. Those things I think start to
27:00
come back into play now that I I'm think I'm more excited about
27:06
having a better defined strike zone than the challenge ABS
27:13
system itself. I think I'm more excited about
27:17
that, even though it is a variable that is kind of hard to
27:22
pay attention to because again, it's going to be adjusted
27:26
depending on the height of the hitter.
27:30
So overall, so far I'm for it. We haven't seen like a ton of it
27:37
used in spring training. I know one that kind of comes to
27:42
mind is like a very common one where you have the catcher that
27:45
sets up outside and then the pitcher crossfires and he has to
27:49
go across his body and he tries to stick something that you're
27:53
like, dude, you're reaching across your body, but it's still
27:55
in the zone, correct? And so that was something that
27:58
like, I think Alejandro Kirk had an opportunity the other day.
28:02
So like those types of scenarios that we see so often come into
28:07
play. So you and I are weird, man.
28:11
You and I are weird of of how we feel about changes to our game,
28:17
and it I'm oddly excited about how this can not just keep our
28:25
game intact, but also maybe reintroduce things that have
28:29
died in our game and bring it back to life.
28:37
Looking forward to seeing how it evolves.
28:41
Let's talk the end of Major League Baseball and ESP NS
28:48
contracts. Can I just, can I say, can I,
28:56
can I say it? I, you know, no, you know what?
29:00
I, I think you and I assuming you and I are on the same page
29:04
here. I think we're in the majority of
29:06
people that are actually pleased with this decision.
29:09
Oh, yeah, right. Yeah.
29:13
Because I did, I, I came across a tweet actually that it sort of
29:16
touches on this and, and I think summarizes how I'm feeling about
29:21
it. Matthew Owens, PXP on Twitter,
29:25
said. This is only a loss from the
29:27
perspective of nostalgia, but ESPN hasn't treated baseball
29:30
seriously in a long time. I remember a time when ESPN had
29:35
Monday, Wednesday and Sunday night games along with baseball.
29:38
Tonight, only one of those entities remain that that's, I
29:42
mean, that's the best way to put it is it's nostalgia for a lot
29:46
of us who grew up with this. But if you if you remove that
29:50
element of it, which I know for some people it may be harder to
29:53
do, but like for somebody like me, I think I'm going to be able
29:58
to compartmentalize that, be like, you know what, it sucks
30:01
that we're not going to have that after this season, but I
30:04
can still look back. I mean, it's like with anything,
30:06
you look back on your childhood. It's like, man, I wish, I wish I
30:09
could relive that, But I'm also OK with the with the fond
30:13
memories that I have from my childhood, keeping them in that
30:16
box and and, you know, embracing this new chapter.
30:20
It's the same thing with ESPN. It's like man, Joe Morgan and
30:23
John Miller, you want to talk about an era goodness, But if it
30:28
doesn't, it doesn't get better now.
30:30
I mean, that's, that's top tier. But you know, if if everything
30:34
is is John Miller and Joe Morgan, then nothing is John
30:38
Miller and Joe Morgan. You get what I you, you get what
30:40
I'm saying. Like you have, you have to be
30:42
able to, to differentiate, to be able to recognize what you had.
30:46
And if it means ESPN going down the drain and you know, their
30:50
coverage of baseball just going down the drain for us to truly
30:54
appreciate like what we did have, then so be it.
30:56
Because like, it's like the tweet said and like many people
30:59
are saying and, and, and I very much agree with the ESPN just
31:02
doesn't care about baseball. They do not care about baseball.
31:06
So why would I, I mean Carl Ravitch, Eduardo Perez, like I,
31:12
I, I appreciate, like your, your knowledge, your contributions to
31:17
the game, but like any of any anybody else that we're
31:23
involving really how like how tapped in are they really?
31:27
Like they're tapped in for a game a week.
31:29
And I'm, and I'm not trying to diminish the work that they do
31:31
outside. Like I'm sure there's a lot of
31:32
prep work that goes into it, but like I, I want something a
31:36
little bit more in terms of the, the focus that I'm getting on
31:45
the sport that I'm watching. Like I want to know that the
31:48
entity that's pushing this product that I'm currently
31:51
watching, that I'm engaging with, I want to know that, one,
31:54
they care about the sport. And two, I want to know that
31:59
they're tapped in and that this, this sport is, is more than just
32:03
an opportunity for them to check a box or to, to add to their
32:07
so-called like proverbial resume of, of things that we, we offer.
32:11
Like, I want to know that what I'm hearing, what I'm seeing is
32:15
for the betterment of the game and the betterment of our
32:18
viewing experience. Yeah, for me, for me, my ESPN
32:25
baseball memories died when MLB tonight wasn't on regularly
32:35
right? Like when that when when webjams
32:38
went away. When, oh, when you could
32:45
actually watch SportsCenter and get highlights from each and
32:48
every game on any given day of the week.
32:54
Those days are, are, are long gone, man.
32:57
Those I mean that I not to age myself, but like, I, I think
33:01
those are done when I'm when I was 1213 years old and
33:07
everything just started to shift and change.
33:13
Like you said, man, like it's, it's gotten obvious.
33:15
ESPN continues to just just fumble, just fumble over and
33:20
over again. They fire people that everyone
33:23
loves. They budget cut.
33:25
They only play NBA. They only play, you know, like
33:28
they can barely get rights to NFL stuff.
33:31
Like it's embarrassing that to call yourself, you know, the the
33:36
heartbeat of sports and to centralized yourself as the
33:41
number one, you know, viewership for sports.
33:44
And the second the 2nd 1:00 PM Eastern hits on a Sunday
33:50
afternoon during football season, you're showing bowling
33:53
or NASCAR because you don't even have rights to get those games.
33:59
You know, I'm not, I'm not throwing shade at those other
34:02
sports, but when you're talking about what commands viewership
34:05
and you can't even get it right. So it just shows that like
34:10
they've lost their fastball and they've lost literally and
34:15
they've they've they've lost touch of, of what it is.
34:21
And, and I don't know what the what the blame is.
34:23
I don't know if it's, you know, cable no longer being a thing.
34:26
And now do we have to have 15 different subscriptions to
34:29
stream, you know, different things that we want to watch it
34:34
overall, sayonara, good luck. I'm excited to see what changes.
34:39
I don't know if maybe our our what's the word our culture has
34:47
has now shifted to a different night that would be better for a
34:52
night game viewership. Do you do we see another?
34:56
It's likely going to be streamed on something, but you know what
34:59
does something does? Just Peacock or or Hulu or
35:05
please. We can't have Apple TV being the
35:08
only option for Friday nights, but like maybe another night
35:12
that picks up a game. Yeah, I mean, right.
35:17
If it does, so be it. But like, I'm honestly, I think
35:20
a lot of people are fine with Sunday Night Baseball.
35:21
It's like a, you know, sort of a nice way to to end the weekend.
35:24
Most people are home by that point from whatever they're.
35:27
Doing this weekend, you know? No, no.
35:29
No, for sure. But you mentioned Apple TV like
35:33
I from a production standpoint, I love what Apple TV does.
35:37
It's just the broadcast. Yeah, it's like I'm going to
35:40
need to going back to the point I made about having people that
35:42
are that are tapped in, that know what they're talking about.
35:44
And you're not just like sort of hand picking like personalities
35:48
that you think would would mesh well.
35:51
Like, no, give me the people that like know what you're
35:53
talking about that give me an, I mean entertaining broadcast for
35:57
sure. But like also give me like
35:59
educate me a little bit like. Film genuinely feels like they
36:02
just pick people off of the Bleacher Report streams.
36:05
Yeah, right. That's it.
36:08
You know, so that's my only issue with the I like like you
36:11
said and maybe stop showing like the possibilities percentages.
36:16
Down. No, I hate that.
36:17
I mean, come on. 8% chance of hitting a home run, I'd stop,
36:21
get rid of that. I don't think those are actually
36:24
real. I think they just let's put up a
36:26
random number on there, if I'm being quite honest with you.
36:29
Speaking of. It what a way to what a way to
36:31
go out on ESPN Sunday night, Sunday night baseball for us
36:35
streaming, teaching, teaching people how to, you know, keep.
36:38
Yeah, we'll, we'll document the, the swan song of, of, yeah,
36:43
Sunday night baseball pretty well.
36:46
That's actually a good point in the chat.
36:47
Maybe Netflix will get involved. It seems like that.
36:50
That's actually that's a good point because then they do
36:52
something with what was it, WWE recently.
36:55
Then they just raised their prices.
36:57
They did. They did the Jake Paul, Mike
37:00
Tyson fight. That was like the first live
37:04
event, no? No, but even more so, recently
37:06
they did something else, I don't know, wrestling all that well,
37:09
but it was something WrestleMania or something, I
37:12
don't know anyway. I'm trying to drum up a new
37:19
Segway since I cut you off. Yeah, you really cut me off,
37:22
man. You said something about it
37:23
being bad, and I was going to say, well, Speaking of bad,
37:25
let's talk about the Yankees. See it?
37:27
Wasn't even a good Segway. I did it twice.
37:32
Whatever, it's the wine. The Yankees.
37:34
I was going to talk get some some thoughts of yours on what
37:39
what's going on in New York right now.
37:41
There's because originally my plan was, hey, let's just talk
37:45
about this facial hair rule thing.
37:47
I mean, I know the news has been out for a couple days, but we
37:49
have yet to to get around to to get in your thoughts on it.
37:52
But just from the clouds they announced yesterday late last
37:58
night, I think that they're finally doing away with the New
38:03
York NY after losses. So we've got like a couple
38:06
things to talk about and I did have a note here to mention we
38:10
can we can get into it if we have time.
38:12
We've talked Vladdy junior a good a good deal recently, but
38:15
he even mentioned that he's open to all 30 teams and that
38:19
includes the Yankees and that's sort of what caught caught the
38:24
the headline riders eyes, I guess, or or ears.
38:27
But now let's start with the facial hair rule.
38:32
Go ahead. Like let let's hear it.
38:34
Because I, I know, frankly, I don't know where you now that
38:38
the, the, the announcement has been made.
38:40
I don't know where you fall on it, but I do know that wherever,
38:43
wherever you're going to fall on it, you're going to feel pretty
38:46
strongly about it. So I'm curious to hear your
38:47
thoughts. I feel weird.
38:50
I feel weird. I'm a little shocked, like I
38:52
don't I don't know what to think.
38:54
I don't know how to act. I It's crazy to me that Devin
38:59
Williams being a rental reliever is the one that potentially
39:03
broke the the camel's back here, but a rental reliever?
39:08
Essentially even even though. How Steinbrenner's apparently
39:13
said that they've been looking into this for years and been
39:16
researching and asking former players.
39:19
And I know Brian Cashman had a little segment saying that like
39:23
there was recent discussions, even this current slash past
39:28
offseason that they were talking about acquiring a guy and he
39:32
needed to, the agent needed to double check that the player was
39:35
OK shaving or not. So whether that was an actual
39:39
issue, whether guys are actually, you know, like saying
39:43
no to the opportunity of playing with the with the Yankees solely
39:46
because of that, I don't know. I, I think I'm, I've been on the
39:53
fence about it my entire life. There's aspects of the
40:00
uniqueness to it that that made it kind of fun and and
40:06
interesting. Anytime they acquired a guy,
40:08
especially mid season where it was like, it's like you, you
40:12
can't, it was like he's really a Yankee when you first see him
40:16
shaved. You know what I mean?
40:17
Like that's the kind of. Thing that's allowed it to be
40:22
real and so like there's parts of me in the fandom in me that
40:25
are going to miss that aspect to it but at the.
40:30
Same time on the other. Side of it like I haven't been
40:32
clean shaven and I don't know how long so it's like.
40:37
I can respect and. Understand why guys would not
40:41
want to do it. So I'm interested to see how
40:44
well maintained and well groomed to these beards need to be and
40:50
who's enforcing that these these teams already have a Barber for
40:58
pretty much every home game. So I'm I'm sure it's no thing to
41:02
just incorporate some type of grooming for the for facial hair
41:08
dude, I think on that. Note, I, I think if I played at
41:12
the big league level, that would be one of the best.
41:15
I mean, sure, you've got best, you've got money to do literally
41:17
whatever you want. But like to have from barbers
41:20
every day on call, like I am like two weeks after I get a
41:24
haircut. I mean, I usually go like three
41:26
to four weeks, 'cause I mean, get your haircut as a guy can be
41:28
expensive now. Yeah, it's crazy.
41:31
So I try. To stretch it, but I'm like
41:32
itching after two weeks to to to hit up the Barber again.
41:36
So the fact the fact that they could just do it whenever they
41:38
want is insane. It's crazy, like for example I.
41:42
I think you grow up obviously a better beard than I do.
41:44
I think your current beard if if you cleaned up the neck and it
41:48
was a fresh neck with what you have at the moment, I think that
41:52
is is passing. I think it's allowed.
41:56
I think it's the length, the scraggliness that will probably
41:59
get flagged in a way. By who?
42:04
I don't know, dude. Did you see Dylan?
42:06
Cease's beard. What?
42:09
I don't think it looks. Good.
42:10
I don't like it. I don't know what is going on
42:13
there. He looks like when Forrest Gump
42:15
is running across the country like it.
42:17
It just doesn't what I mean. Some effort has to be made here.
42:23
I mean come on, come on, cease. Not a fan personally.
42:28
Yeah. I mean, it's, it's going to be
42:31
interesting to see. I think Judge already came out
42:32
and said like, I think I'm going to keep it.
42:35
And and again, like I, I like the aspect of that.
42:40
I like the aspect of maybe there is a guy or a couple guys that
42:45
want to keep that tradition and I also like the aspect of
42:51
seeing. Devin Williams look like.
42:53
A normal human being. So I've been I've been on the
42:56
fence. I texted you the second I said I
42:59
saw the notification the other morning and I was like catching
43:01
an early dub. I think this is a dub.
43:04
I think this is AI think this is a win chalked up for the Yanks
43:09
and I I know there's probably plenty of people that are like,
43:11
it's about time. This is ridiculous.
43:13
I know there's been plenty of people arguing against it and I
43:18
I. Totally.
43:19
Understand the argument against it.
43:22
I'm it's not a hill that I've been willing to die on
43:25
necessarily. I think I just liked the aspect
43:30
that it was like a special thing to the Yanks.
43:34
Yeah. I mean, that's about as.
43:35
Far as I can take it like OK, this sort of separated you from
43:39
the rest of the league and and you know, not like an elitist
43:42
way, just no, no. No, it's just like it's own
43:44
thing. You know I get.
43:45
It, well, I mean in a way you could.
43:46
View it as like an elitist thing because I mean they they did win
43:49
multiple World Series while this rule was enacted.
43:52
But the thing which brings me to my next point, the thing that I
43:55
do not understand is all these people now, what are what are we
44:01
at now, Nate, 16 years. It's been 16 years since 2009.
44:07
And you have people that are saying this makes us different.
44:10
This is the Yankee way then. OK, then tell me what is the
44:14
Yankee way Because it's certainly not winning.
44:17
It's certainly not winning. And to act like this year or
44:20
this, this rule rather has, has existed for a a century plus
44:24
1976, yeah, 1976 is when this rule was enacted.
44:30
So spare me the whole like the Yankee way thing.
44:33
In the grand scheme of things, it hasn't been that long.
44:36
And for you, if it's more terrible in the 80s, in the
44:38
early times, if it's more of a recency thing, tell me what it
44:43
is about the recent run of Yankee seasons that makes it so
44:47
special because it hasn't involved winning.
44:49
Yeah, and that's what I'm saying.
44:51
Like I'd, I can't, I'm not going to associate those types of
44:54
things with it. I think it's more so just like
44:57
it. There were silly aspects to.
45:01
It and there were aspects of it that like made it the Yankees
45:05
and and I think every Yankees fan really fan of any team for
45:09
that matter, has things that they're attached to with that
45:15
team outside of just winning. And this was one of those things
45:19
where, like, I like people aren't.
45:22
Going to like this. I don't think anyone.
45:23
Else should wear pinstripes. I think pinstripes should be
45:26
specific to the Yankees. Now you see other teams wearing
45:30
it with just pants or you see other teams wearing it like with
45:32
uniforms. And like, you can hate on me all
45:35
you want but like I that's the way I view the pinstripes.
45:38
Well, the Yankees posted a picture.
45:40
I don't know if you saw it. They posted a picture of Cody
45:42
Bellinger from like, media day or whatever, and they said first
45:46
time we're in the pinstripes. And all these Cubs fans chimed
45:49
in in the replies going, hold on, first time.
45:52
What are we talking about here? Yeah, like.
45:56
I don't care. It's I'm not.
45:58
None of that matters. I just want a freaking trophy in
46:01
New York again. But like I.
46:06
I like what it what. It brings into the table and
46:10
when you bring up the 70s like I think.
46:14
Style recycles. We know that it recycles
46:17
everyone's dressing like the 90s now and everyone's wearing baggy
46:20
stuff like the 90s and early 2000s again, so don't tell me it
46:24
doesn't recycle. But the 70s were known for OK.
46:27
Everyone went from comb over clean shaven in the 60s to
46:31
beards and long hair and obviously.
46:35
Our culture is. Very accepting of beards.
46:39
So it's just funny to see that like that decision was made
46:42
during that culture that seems to run pretty similarly to the
46:46
culture now. So I like it now as far as the
46:52
changing New York, NY Frank. This was a must this.
46:56
Had to happen. This was.
46:58
OK, my goodness, nothing pissed me off.
47:01
More Nothing. Put the nail.
47:04
In the coffin. More than when the Dodgers won
47:07
in Yankee Stadium and that song was playing in the background.
47:09
And in fact, I have not been able to listen that song since
47:12
because of that moment. I'm not kidding.
47:15
When I I'm weird when I go shuffle on my Spotify, I do the
47:19
whole playlist, baby. I don't do sometimes I do
47:22
playlists, but I do the whole all light songs and hit shuffle
47:27
and every once in a while comes up and I have skipped it every
47:30
single time because of that moment.
47:33
Now what a what a stupid. System like the reason it's a
47:36
dub. Is because they changed it to
47:38
That's life. I love that bang.
47:42
Well, they I think that's what they.
47:44
Use is spring training, but I think they said that they're
47:46
going to rotate some songs through.
47:48
But like, that's life. I'm talk about just a move that
47:50
makes sense. Like nothing.
47:53
Nothing to me is more comical than a random Thursday night in
47:59
July. The Yankees get their brains
48:02
absolutely beat in like 15 to 2 and then the final outs made in
48:06
the bottom of the eyes. It's up to you and it's like.
48:10
Immediately pressed to you for anybody that hasn't been
48:12
Yankees, that's what I'm the second that last out is made.
48:17
It is playing. My God, what?
48:19
A like, that's just one of those decisions.
48:21
Whoever made the decision to make that wins and losses.
48:24
It's like did you utilize any part of your brain dumb in that
48:29
process? Because I think not.
48:31
I have two bad memories and. And one was watching on TV,
48:35
Dodgers winning in the Yankees stadium.
48:37
And then the first time I ever met Jared Carabas, I didn't meet
48:42
him. It was when 2018 ATS.
48:47
When the Yankees. Beat the OR excuse me, the Red
48:50
Sox beat the Yankees and Yankees Stadium.
48:52
Then I was walking out when I saw Jared Robinson.
48:54
I said you guys are going to get your teeth kicked in by the
48:58
Astros. And he goes, we'll see.
49:01
So that's and that's playing in the background as I'm walking
49:04
through. So those are my two memories and
49:08
the song. What ended up happening?
49:10
Has more. Negative than just going back to
49:13
that 2018? Thing hit real quick.
49:15
What happened? What ended up happening?
49:17
I don't really remember how. Many games they wanted in, but
49:22
the Astros did not show up. That was when Dallas Keickel, I
49:25
thought, was like otherworldly for what he did to the Yankees.
49:30
Crazy. Any.
49:32
Any thought we don't? Have to go too much into depth
49:35
into too much depth on it. But with this Vladdy Junior
49:38
situation, we, we, I feel like we covered this last episode.
49:43
Yeah. Once the deadline passed, we we
49:46
did. Bring up the Yankees.
49:47
But he he sort of reiterated in the in the recent days that, you
49:51
know, the Yankees are fair game. I'm open to hearing all third
49:54
from hearing from all 30 teams. Yeah.
49:57
Number one, he's not going to hear from all 30 teams because
49:59
not all 30 teams can afford them #2 the you're dumb to not have
50:06
the Yankees involved because they're, they used to drive the
50:09
price up a lot more. I think there's more, but I
50:12
think they still are an impact team that can scare other teams
50:18
to pay more. So, and I said it last week,
50:21
I'll say it again, I think Vlad knows that the Yankees are not
50:25
an option. I don't think the Yankees know
50:28
that. I think the Yankees are
50:29
delusional and think that they have an actual shot that
50:32
somebody who who hates the Yankees and his dad hated the
50:35
Yankees. So like, it's not going to
50:37
happen, but you got to keep them in the hunt to drive the price
50:40
tag up. So I understand it.
50:42
I respect it, all right. We're at a we're at a fork in
50:48
the road here. We're we're pushing an hour when
50:52
I was hoping to. I know we went deep into.
50:55
Some stuff, didn't we? We went deep into the ABS
50:57
system. We have we have a quote.
51:01
We have a quote you. Want to decide after the quote?
51:04
Let's decide after the quote. Should I hit it?
51:08
You hit it, Who said? It all right Yep, that we'll go
51:18
with the abbreviated version who said it My fault for not
51:25
bringing this up earlier because.
51:26
It it definitely tied into the rule thing so I've totally
51:30
forgot, but what do you want first?
51:32
Quote or details? You need to lose axe what you
51:43
need to lose access to that. I think it's my soundboard, my
51:46
friend. I think you.
51:47
Need to update. Update some stuff.
51:54
Yeah, that's good stuff. That's good stuff.
51:56
Anytime I get to use mine, I'm happy.
51:57
What do you want first? Details or quote?
52:00
Give me the. Details first this.
52:01
Time. Let's mix it up.
52:04
Episode 52. What?
52:06
March 18th, 2019? Ready.
52:11
Let's hear it. You look.
52:13
At instant replay. People were like freaking out,
52:16
losing their minds, and it's like, if they get the call
52:19
right, what's the big deal? That's what we want when it's
52:24
all said and done. This is a good one you.
52:29
Picked a good one here because. I know for me.
52:36
I've had instances where I yes, thank you Laura in the chat, hit
52:40
the like button. Appreciate you all.
52:43
I've had instances where people have freaked out about something
52:52
sure. And I've had to be like, let's
52:54
let's pump the brakes here. And to be fair, full
52:57
transparency, I've been that person that jumps to conclusions
53:01
and it's like flipping tables and and then somebody else has
53:05
to calm me down. Sure, me.
53:07
Sure. Yeah, more than one occasion,
53:11
certainly. And I've changed my opinions on
53:14
on various things. So to that I give you credit.
53:19
Let's hear that quote one more time.
53:20
Sure, let me run it back. You look at instant replay.
53:26
People were like freaking out, losing their minds, and it's
53:30
like, if they get the call right, what's the big deal?
53:34
That's what we want when it's all said and done.
53:45
I feel like my gut. I'm going to go with my gut.
53:49
My gut says me. Yeah, sucker that was.
53:57
Me shoot. That might be the first one I've
54:00
gotten wrong. I need it.
54:02
I needed to stump you. That one felt right.
54:04
That one felt good. I'm proud of it.
54:10
That was good. You you sorry, I'm going to go
54:12
with one a little shorter quote and and it worked out for you.
54:15
Well done, well done. It's decision.
54:18
Time guy. I mean, we're we're.
54:22
Pushing an hour. It's your call, not mine.
54:25
I don't want to make the call. You got to make the call.
54:28
Why do? I got to make the call.
54:30
You got to make the call. I mean, I know the people love
54:34
the drafts. But.
54:37
I mean, do they want to sit around?
54:39
For another however long to listen to a draft?
54:42
Or should we save it for Thursday?
54:50
I say we save it for Thursday. All right, that's work.
54:52
That's fine. I got.
54:53
To eat dinner anyway. Sure you do.
54:55
I did too. It's a. 9:00 out here, that's
54:57
that's not a normal time to eat off.
54:58
What are you going to eat? We got leftover Costco pizza.
55:03
I don't hate that. Throw a salad on there.
55:06
You have to you're we're. Over 30, balance it out a little
55:09
bit. That's how it.
55:09
Has to work now make. Yourself feel better.
55:12
All right, Yeah, we'll save the drafts for Thursday.
55:15
We do this. My fault.
55:17
It's my fault all. On this one, No, no, no.
55:19
It's all good you gave us. The deep dive into the ABS
55:21
system. I'm all I'm all, I'm all about
55:23
it. But yeah, because we did a
55:25
Monday recording this week, we'll be recording more than.
55:29
Unless something crazy. Happens more than likely
55:31
Thursday night so be sure to join us then.
55:35
Any other any other thing you got or the folks?
55:41
Send us some pics, man, I want to see like I want to see the
55:44
story filled up with some with some ballpark visits.
55:48
Anybody that's making it out to spring training, I love the
55:50
people that make a trip. Like shout out to you.
55:53
Kudos to you that are making the trip from out of state to go
55:57
watch some spring training take in some sunshine sitting in the
56:00
grass in center field. I like all that stuff so.
56:05
Yeah, I want to see more. Pictures of that.
56:06
That's that's my thought. That's my that's my thought of
56:09
the day. Other than Other than that, read
56:12
the hat. Baby and check out the shop.
56:15
Don't go chasing curveballs. Le'veon is always looking
56:17
forward to talking. More baseball with you guys
56:19
soon. Until next time, stay filthy.