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The Current State Of The New York Yankees W/ Joba Chamberlain · Yankees Pod

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: All right, this is the first episode of Yankee Pod of the 2026 season.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: And we had to bring on a very, very, very special guest, 2009 World Series champion.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: Always lit a fire under everyone when he was on the mound.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: Back again, recurring guest, Jabba Chamberlain.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: Jabba, how you doing, man?
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_02: Good, man.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_02: Just enjoying the uh weather in Nebraska.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_02: We've had some uh not so great days lately, but uh got some new shelves in my garage.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_02: So been uh just cleaning, sweeping, getting kind of everything just situated.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, you got to take advantage of these nice days.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um, let's get right into it.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: The New York Yankees, last time I talked to was last August.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: They weren't doing so well.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: This year, they're the first team in the American League to get 20 wins.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: And it's, you know, the pitching has been amazing, and we'll get to that.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: But Ben Wright and Aaron Judge have 22 home runs combined.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: What does that do when you're facing a team like the Yankees?
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: Do you have to pitch differently to the other guys in the order when two guys are just that dominant?
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I think it it changes your approach a little bit just because you know, obviously, where they hit in the lineup, you you don't have much room for error, but it's it's what happens on the back end of the lineup.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_02: If it wraps around and it gets back to those guys, that's when it gets scary.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_02: And you know what it's been fun.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_02: Obviously, you know, 20 and 10 is a record that we take right now anytime.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_02: But you know, Ben comes and ties Judge, and then Judge is like, nah, and then Judge hits another one.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_02: So, and like I said last night, it's just um I think it's it's gonna be fun watching those two go back and forth, and I just think they build off each other.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_02: Obviously, Ben trying to to get to the level of what Aaron has continuously done and got better at.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_02: But now to have another bat behind him that can protect him, and then you go even deeper.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_02: Like we'll see what happens with Stanton.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, Goldie's just a professional hitter, he's gonna come in, get good at bats, but yeah, just excited to see, you know, the the growth of some of these young guys and and now you know being more comfortable and getting at bats under their belt, and you can just see you know, just how confidence and not timid and in the understanding of plate discipline and things like that.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_02: So it's been fun to watch.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_02: It's uh it's been a weird April because some people like panicked early and then all of a sudden, like we're the greatest team on earth.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_02: So I just love the banter of people and the back and forth and the panic and other stuff, but it's a long season.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, we're 30 games in, and you know, I think this is kind of the first checkpoint.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_02: I usually go about 40, but this is about as close as you can get.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_02: And if if you had said this is gonna be the record, I don't think any Yankee fan would have been like, eh, I want to be 25 and you know, whatever.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_02: Like, so it's it's been it's been some weird moments and some weird things that have happened, but also overall, you you can't nitpick when when you've got 20 wins.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, and I'm gonna nitpick right now because uh that's just what Yankee fans do, of course.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, but am I crazy?
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: Because every single time Ben Rice gets fenced, I get a little crazy.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: I know that they put Paul Goldschmidt on this team to face left-handed pitching.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: But when you have a guy that's so hot and you bench him two days in a row, I mean, I feel like it's like kind of a slap in his face.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: If I was Paul Goldschmidt, I would be telling Aaron Boone, Aaron, just like play the kid.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, he's he's crushing the baseball.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: But am I crazy overreacting, or is it just 162 and you kind of just got to go with the highs and lows?
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_02: No, I honestly I don't I don't think you are because I think you're you're not the only one thinking that or feeling that.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_02: And I I'm in agreeance like I ride the hot hand as long as I can until until it shows me that there needs to be a break given.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's not like he's 37 years old, let's let's just be honest.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_02: He's still young and still has the energy.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_02: And so I I think for me, like if I put manager shoes on, and obviously I'm not in that position, and I don't know the talks between Ben and Aaron and whoever else of like, hey, you know, to maintain what I'm doing, you know, I need these breaks.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_02: So we don't know the intricacies of conversations, but if it's me as a player, I when I hit, I love the pitch.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_02: Like when I was throwing well at the pin, I wanted the ball every day.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_02: When I was seeing the ball well, I wanted to hit every day.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_02: Everybody is different, but uh I just ride a hot hand as long as I can.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_02: But we've had this argument.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_02: Remember when Dominguez got going, and then all of a sudden he's not playing, and you know, now he was hitting leadoff, and now he's yeah, so it's it's been a history of kind of this same question over and over.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_02: Do I think it gets answered?
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_02: No.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_02: I do I think it was a weird quote a few weeks ago when you know he was like, Oh, I can bring Ben off the bench in any situation to add it, but you're bringing him in the 7-0 game for a sacrifice fly.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_02: I don't really if you're gonna play him for a sacrifice fly 7-0, like why wouldn't you just play him the whole game?
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_02: I just thought it was a weird quote.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know if he was just like panicking and pull some stuff out of his butt, but I just thought it was weird if you're gonna use that quote in the beginning of the game and then use him at the end of the game when it really didn't matter as a sacrifice fly.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, he gets an RBI, but it's not a registered offense.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_02: So I I that was just there's been some weird things, like I said, but really we're nitpicking at the fact it's 20 and 10.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's just, you know, 27 years old, crushing the he, I mean, in the 1.167 OPS versus lefties, and they're sitting them two days in a row.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_02: Is he still leading the league?
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_02: He's in the top five, I know.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: He's in the top five, yeah.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, yeah, yeah.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Judge is right on his tracks.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: I think Judge gets a little jealous every single time Ben hits a home run.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but that's that's the competition that you want to challenge Judge because he really hasn't been challenged in the capacity not only of play discipline, but OPS and homers.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_02: Like now it's like, damn, I gotta be better too, and like stepping his game up to have somebody on your own team that's chasing you.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_02: And he consciously knows he he even said it in the interview, he's like, you know, he's not gonna catch me, and he just shakes his finger.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_02: So I that that's great for the clubhouse, that's great for camaraderie, that's great for challenging one another, right?
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_02: And I think it's just I think it builds confidence in both.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_02: It makes Judge even better, even better leader controlling it, but also like challenging him.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_02: And like, well, I can't get too far away from him because if I get too far away, Judge is gonna go to the moon and I'm gonna stay at the stars.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: No, it's great.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: It's I I love Ben Rice.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: There's just I I just want to see him play every day.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I get again, I get why you signed Bill.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_02: What's there not to like though?
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_02: The dude doesn't say anything, he goes about his business, he he just there's nothing flashy, but he's just a really damn good baseball player.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: He just hits the crap out of the baseball.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_02: It's just like and it doesn't look like it comes off hard, but like some of his his ground balls are like 103, 106.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, good night.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: I'll pet I'll pass on that.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, go ahead, Ben.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_02: You keep doing your thing, Doc.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um now we got to talk about the shortstop position because Jose Caballero, he's looked good.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: He's he's a pass on the base bases, he's he's stopping uh balls.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: I think he has six runs um, you know, defended against.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, that's second among shortstop.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: But here comes Anthony Volpe, and he might be the most toxic player in Yankees Twitter fan base right now because I don't even know what you do.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: What do you do when Anthony Volpe comes back?
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_02: I that I'd literally I said that this morning.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_02: I go, that's the million-dollar question, because you're getting kind of what you thought with Caballero, probably even a little bit more.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you're getting energy, you're getting everything.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_02: It's just it's so hard because how much they have put Volpe to the forefront to now just be like, hey, sorry, like the Volpe lovers, like you said, like the most toxic, because you have the Volpe lovers that are gonna ride or die with him, which is understandable, he deserves it at times.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_02: And then the others are like, why are we still having this guy on the field when we have other opportunities and we're seeing younger guys come up?
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know the right answer.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_02: First of all, I can tell you this, and you can book this.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_02: It ain't gonna make everybody happy.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_02: I can promise you that.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_02: Somebody's gonna be pissed off.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_02: So I don't know if it's do you bring him up just for his own like peace of mind, like, okay, I worked hard to get back here and platoon him to give Gabby a day off.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_02: You can't run him back out there day one.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_02: That's that I don't think you can do.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_02: But do you leave him in triple A to get confidence?
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_02: Or because I think it becomes counterproductive if you bring him up immediately, play him, and he sucks, and then you have to send him down by force of hand because you I mean, if he's hitting you a buck eighty, he's taking up a roster spot when you could have somebody else hit you a buck eighty.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_02: So it I I don't know the right answer.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_02: I know there's gonna be some people that are upset, I know there's some people that are excited for his own health and mental and physical.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I would rather go ball out for another couple weeks in AAA and force their hand to bring me up there and know that it's not just like I wouldn't say a pity party or a gift, but it's like, hey, yeah, you know what?
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_02: I didn't have a great year, I've improved in this way, shape, or form.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_02: You know, kind of I've earned my way back in because I have over 2,000 of bats in the big leagues.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_02: It's not like I'm just, you know, some guy that was a flash in the pan and that was it.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_02: So it'll be interesting to see what happens.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_02: I'm very, very interested to see how how they tread lightly or if they just go full head of steam into it.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it'll be interesting.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: I think they're gonna play him like three, four days.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: I think they're just gonna split these guys up.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: I right and and then I'll tell you this.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think there's many Anthony Volpe defenders left because I was one of them.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: And then last year I talked to you, it went pretty viral.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, he went one for 31.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: He went one for 31, and you were you were saying, why is this guy playing?
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: Like, give this guy a week off.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: So it'll be interesting, and you know what?
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: There's so many good things going on within the organization right now that we're always gonna find, you know, something to complain about because we are the New York Yankee fans, and you know, it is what it is.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um, all right, on to better stuff.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: Cam Slitler has been absolutely amazing.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: 1.51 ERA.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think he got out core fired.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: We'll get to that in a little bit.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but yeah, he's just been an absolute dog.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: What's your favorite thing about Cam Slittler?
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_02: Honestly, and like his demeanor, so like the way he carries himself.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_02: Obviously, we could talk about his pitches all day, but that that speaks for itself.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_02: But I'm always I'm a personality guy, right?
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_02: And obviously, I showed my emotion.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_02: He doesn't really, but his backhanded comments on social media are the absolute best, like, just the absolute best.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_02: Like, he doesn't really come out and like say something crazy, but the way he does it, it just it fires me up.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_02: And just he has every right in the world to say whatever he wants to, but he really doesn't have to because he's like, You want to talk, you want to talk whatever you want, come watch me pitch.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_02: I don't really care, but then you want to come at me in a little bit, he goes, I'll give you a back-handed comment just so you know I'm still here and I'm listening and come see what I'm doing.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_02: So I think it's just all around kind of how he hasn't letting it get too big to him, and how he's just embraced the craziness.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_02: Like, obviously, he knew being from Boston and what was gonna happen and all this.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_02: Like, you knew there was gonna be crazy stuff that happened.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_02: Like, that's that's just that's that's fans in general.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_02: Some are worse than others, don't get me wrong.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_02: Some places are great, some places aren't so great.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_02: That's just that's what baseball is, that's what makes it fun.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_02: It's when it crosses the line, is when it gets a little bit hairy, but you know, there's there's not that many of them, I guess.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_02: But I just think the overall shell of what he is from every olive branch of his tree is just is cool, like his demeanor, his presence, obviously, his pitch arsenal, and just all of these things that he is so good at doing, and being able to um do all of them with a level head in the environment of what he's doing, I think makes him just even better.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_02: And I the crazy part is I think he can get better.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and that's that's the nutty part of it, where you're just like, how, where, when, what.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_02: But I think you know what I really want to see too, obviously off to a great start, don't get me wrong.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_02: But I I want to see the consistency throughout, like throughout everything that he's doing, and not like it's not how you start, it's how you finish.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I want him to be, he's first of all, he's not gonna be perfect all year.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_02: If he is, fantastic.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_02: More power to him.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_02: Like, we know there's gonna be hiccups, but just to maintain that level of consistency, knowing okay, I might have a great start, but you know, there might be one where it's not to my level, still good, and then there may might be one where you just absolutely, I mean, we saw a grip crochet one where he gave up 11 rounds, never seen that before.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_02: It happens, but just uh to maintain just kind of how he started, and it's kind of the he kind of rolled it over from the end of last season, too, if you think about it.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, granted, there was a little bit, a little bit more time going into it into the beginning of the year.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_02: But so I just think Sky's learning for the kid.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_02: Um, just love everything about him and and how he handles himself, and it's just fun watching it.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_02: I wish, I mean, yeah, it's three different pitches, but it's off a fastball.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm just like, all right.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_02: And then they show like as it comes out of his hand.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_02: Like, how are you?
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know how you're supposed to hit it.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_02: I it makes no sense to me.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, between him and Ben Rice, it like those two guys have saved uh the way people talk about Brian Cashman.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_00: I think the way that Cam Schlitzer pitched against Boston in the postseason last year might have saved Aaron Boone's job.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: Because if you lose to Boston, he might have been out.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_02: Um Yeah, everybody's given Cashman the credit too, but you got to realize there's an area scout that found those two guys, too.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, absolutely.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um do we underappreciate Max Freed?
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: Because he just goes about his business and you know, just silently just keeps on winning games.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: I think he has six out of seven quality starts.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: He's just absolutely do we underappreciate Max Fried.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_02: He's a nine to fiver, right?
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_02: It's like I know what I have to do.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_02: I come in, I get my work in, I talk like this when I answer my questions.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_02: This is what you want me to do.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I pitched well, there's some things I could have done better.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_02: But it's just he that's just who he is.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_02: And I I mean, I just love like his athleticism on the mound is is awesome.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_02: Like the way he feels his position, and just the way he's always able to do certain things, and like that's like the dumb things that us baseball people look at that's cool.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_02: They just see the numbers and you know, the differentials and spin rate.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I look at those things, being able to save yourself runs and do those things like that.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_02: And he's just he's a styling assassin where it's like he's just gonna go out and compete, he's not gonna give in, and he knows what he's really good at.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_02: Like he you never he never flustered, and I think he's underappreciated because he's just not he's just not a personality.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not saying that in a bad way by any means, right?
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_02: Right, but it's just I I'm a good pitcher, I like to show up, go to work, answer the questions, and go home.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_02: That's it.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_02: Like, and you have to have some of those guys, you have to have a balance of those guys with the guys that are face of the team, with the energy guys, which the jump your ass guys, like you gotta have all of that, and this team is shaping into certain parts of that.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_02: I think some people try too hard in some aspects, but I think the leadership and the dynamic of what the team is built as of right now and certain people, and obviously, you know, getting Cole back and Rodan, it's obviously a huge part of what it is.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_02: Granted, they're they're off now rehabbing, but they were with the team, which I think is just such a huge, huge process of like being able to just be a part of it, even though you're not playing, which sometimes sucks because you want to play so bad.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_02: But just being a leader in the clubhouse and and just being a shoulder and and an ear for guys when you know that when they want to talk.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: It's crazy to think that like Carlos Rodon when he comes back is probably gonna be our fourth starter.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_00: Like, that's it's insane.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_00: And Will Warren has been absolutely phenomenal too.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: I have to talk about the Alex Cora thing because honestly, I was even like I don't like I don't like Alex Cora, you know, uh, because he's a Red Sox, he was an Astro, all these different things.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: But I don't know.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_00: Would you have fired Alex Cora?
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_00: Like they get off to a slow start, and then I don't know, would you have fired Alex Cora?
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_02: I I mean like I said, it it's so weird to answer these questions when you know there's so much behind-the-scenes stuff that goes on with it.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_02: Um is there is there precedent?
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, obviously, we've seen some managers fired lately, and in the way you know, certain people handle it, one obviously in the way Cora did and posting a picture with Veritek putting a thumb down or whatever.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_02: Then you got a guy like Rob Thompson that just gets fired and stands in front of everybody, answers questions.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_02: And it's just you know, it's how everybody handles it.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_02: I don't I don't necessarily know this.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_02: I think the best and I but politically correct way to answer this, to be honest with you, because I don't know the right way, and I've been asked this plenty of times, but it's just like you have to put the blame on somebody, right?
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_02: You're not gonna get rid of, and everybody be like, Well, they got rid of Devers and Bregman and all these other guys.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_02: Like, yeah, but also, too, there they're still really good talent on the team, and but when it comes down to it, somebody's gonna take the fall.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um, how deep does that fall go?
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_02: What was it like five or six guys?
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_02: I think that went with for us.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_02: So, and obviously a legend and what it is in Jason Veritek.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_02: So that that's one of those ones where you're just like, oh, maybe there was more to it because obviously tech being a guy too that was been with him for I mean, literally his whole career.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_02: So, yeah, that was unexpected.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_02: I I actually caught late wind of it because I I was in Kansas with my son watching him for his birthday weekend and and their series.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_02: So I was busy with that, and then all of a sudden, like I'm catching up and I'm like, what the hell did I just miss?
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_02: What happened?
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_02: Like a yard sale of coaches?
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, good night.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_00: So it was insane.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_00: It was insane.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_00: No, I had to ask you about it.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I just think he's a real I honestly think he's a really good manager.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think they built the team around him nearly enough.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_00: Like what them letting Alex Bregman walk out the door was kind of shocking in general.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, the Boston fans have been very like loud, like extremely loud this year.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, I I don't know if I follow too many Boston fans or whatever it is, but it just seemed like, I don't know.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_00: I just think that Alex Corra, when he has a good team, his team usually plays well.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, no, it was good to I have to ask you about it.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um, for sure.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_00: Luis Heel, you know, he was the AL rookie of the year, and now he gets sent down.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_00: What advice would you give to Luis Heel if you um you had to talk to him?
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_02: Uh you're rookie of the year for a reason.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_02: Don't try and be better than what you are.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_02: Just be better at what you did last year.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_02: You don't have to change everything.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_02: You don't have to try to be somebody you're not.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_02: And it's it's sometimes you you see that, especially in younger guys, where they're like, okay, I did this.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_02: I have to be better next year.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_02: No, you just have to be the same person you were, like, and just work on certain things that make you better.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_02: Like, there's always something we can work on every year.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_02: Like, man, maybe you know what?
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_02: I need to be more efficient from the stretch, or just you know, you break things down as you as you look back on your year.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_02: And I think it just from times just watching him, it felt like he was trying to do too much, and where he was trying to force things when sometimes you just got to let it happen.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_02: Like, you're not gonna strike everybody out, you're not going to throw a CG every game.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_02: Like, that's just go be the person you are that got you to the point you are.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_02: Like, you you don't there's always a better version of ourselves, but in what way do we make the better version?
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_02: Do we try to we can't sometimes we have to fully like reinvent ourselves, but he doesn't.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_02: He's young enough, he's got a great arm, he's got great stuff.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_02: I just felt like he was trying to do too much and prove to the fact that like he deserved the award when he just has to go out, he's he's got he's gonna get runs, he just has to go keep him in the game.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_02: And I just I just felt like he was doing too much and trying to be too perfect at times.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: No, I had to ask.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what do you think the biggest flaw of this team is?
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_02: Oh man, like I said, it's it's so tough to say after 30 games, but I think probably and I I feel like we're beating a dead horse here for the last few years, like just the inconsistency of the bullpen.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_02: I think defensively it's you're gonna have you know pairs and whatever, but I think pretty strong defensively.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_02: Obviously, we can't say a dang thing about starting pitching.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um and I think you know everybody was jumping on bednar a little bit, but there's there's only so many Mason Millers of the world.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_02: Like we if we we could all have a Mason Miller, this life would be a lot easier, but he's throwing well.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I don't I don't know what I mean.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_02: He's not gonna be perfect every time.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_02: Like, yeah, I trust him.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_02: He's gonna give up some runs, that happens, but I think just the middle part of it has been a little bit inconsistent.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_02: I don't, and obviously it's still really, really early to tell.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but if I had if I if you just said, hey, one thing that you think is probably the least, I don't think it's defense, I don't think it's offense.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_02: I would like to see a little bit more situational stuff where like give yourself up for an out to score the run.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um, yeah, it's not sexy, I get that, but as I've watched enough college baseball and and the big leagues, like sometimes that is the difference between a win and a loss.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_02: And so um, but if I just had to like boom, I had to press a button right now, 30 games in, I'd just be like the inconsistency of probably not the whole bullpen, but you gotta we're all one unit, so you all fall under the same category.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I you know, I pretty much read your mind.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_00: I knew you were gonna say that.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_00: So I have a question for you.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_00: We see Carlos Lagrange, Lagrange, whatever his name is, Carlos, he has elite stuff.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_00: He's starting 102.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_00: Would it hurt his development if we brought him up to the bullpen?
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_00: What are your thoughts on bringing Carlos up to be in the bullpen, or is it too early because this guy is gonna be a surefire starter?
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_02: Where?
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_02: You're asking a guy that may have gone through this.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um if it's done the right way, no.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_02: If they do it where it's like it's obviously April, I was in A-ball in April, so my situation's a little different.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_02: But the principle is the same.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_02: If you say, hey, we're gonna give you another, let's just say five starts.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_02: So basically another month and some change.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_02: Or, hey, we want to get you to the break, but then we want to switch you to the pen.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know if he's ever thrown out of the bullpen.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I haven't delved into it too much.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_02: I have a feeling if it does happen, I will be getting a lot of phone calls.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_02: So you're obviously the first one that gets it.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but you have to stay consistent.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_02: You can have him go back.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_02: You have to, if I could give him any advice, and and granny's probably not listening or whatever, but if anybody's listening that does talk to him, he needs to talk to his agent before they make this decision.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_02: And if they have to have something set in stone where I am staying this for this amount of time, but when 2027 comes around, what the hell is my role?
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not going back and forth because you saw what I could do out of the bullpen, and so not only for that year, but they need to know the next year so mentally you can prepare, unlike me.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, you're gonna start in spring training, but then we're gonna move you to the pen to save your innings, but then you're gonna start again.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_02: He needs to know exactly that next year in 2027 when he comes to spring training, because you train completely different.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_02: And it's like, okay, so you see me as a starter where I shoved it up, and now you want to see me in the pen.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_02: One or the other, but I'm not going back and forth.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_00: Gotcha.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_02: And that's the biggest advice I could give.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, I had to ask you, like, because like having a guy that throws 102 out of the, you know, out of the pen in the postseason is an absolute weapon.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I know it like kind of screwed with your career a little bit, but you in the eighth inning, that I mean, you were, I mean, that was like the most dominant thing we've ever ever seen.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_00: So it's it's hard because I mean, you and your Arsenal pitches, you had so many pitches you could go to.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't know, it's just sometimes we don't think about the career of the player, we just think about what's awesome.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_00: Like, you know what I mean?
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we're just like, oh, it'd be awesome to press the 102 button in the eighth inning.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_00: So no, I had to get your opinion on that.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, all right.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, last question.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for joining again.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_00: You're a recurring guest.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe we'll do like a June check-in once we get the June going.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um, all right.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_00: The final question is the Torch picks question of the week.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_00: If you love making picks on games but don't want the stress of betting with real money, check out Torch.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_00: Download Torch today and prove who knows ball.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_00: All right, this is gonna be a simple question for Java.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks again for coming on.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_00: Do you think this New York Yankees team has what it takes to win it all?
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I and there's there's been bits and pieces that I've seen from championship teams.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_02: Not it's I always hate when people are like, oh, well, when we did it, no, there's been a lot of people that have done it in between.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_02: Just the the way they've won certain games.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_02: And I think it's the dynamic of walk-off wins, of dominating pitching wins, of hey, this is gonna be a slug fest.
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_02: We gotta we gotta figure this one out.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_02: And so I think from that perspective, I've really like I've seen a lot of ways where, and there's never been there, there's obviously been a couple games where it's just like, well, you know, this one's over, but I think just in the in the ways that they've won, and how it felt like there was always still a chance in some way, shape, or form that either you know we were gonna get a big hit or you know, we're gonna take advantage of an error.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_02: We've seen that happen on the drop flight ball, the jazz, and then we end up you know walking it off.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_02: So I think in the way that they have won games, I think it really shows like a championship because you have to have breaks every once in a while, right?
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_02: That's just the way the game goes.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_02: But they've also shown that they can win in a multitude of ways where you know they're not a one-dimensional way of winning.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_02: So it's like, well, if they don't score, sorry, we're gonna win, you know.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_02: So there's the ways that they win that I that I feel like they definitely have an opportunity.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_02: Obviously, we can use the cliche if they stay healthy, but well, we got two guys coming back that are are pretty good.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_02: So um that always helps.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_02: And as Cash always likes to say, it's like getting a free agent.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_02: So we'll hear it again.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_00: Java, this was awesome.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_00: You're always the best.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_00: Appreciate you for you know taking the time and uh, you know, have a you know, have a great season, and we'll talk to you in a little bit, but uh really appreciate you coming on.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_02: Anytime, my man.