Latest / Yankees Pod / May Checkpoint W/ Keith McPherson

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May Checkpoint W/ Keith McPherson · Yankees Pod

0:23
SPEAKER_01: All right, welcome back to Yankees Pod.
0:26
SPEAKER_01: Today we have a very, very, very special guest.
0:29
SPEAKER_01: You know him, the host of Mike Jack, the pulse of Yankee Stadium, Keith McPherson.
0:36
SPEAKER_01: Keith, how you doing today?
0:38
SPEAKER_00: Great intro, my guy.
0:39
SPEAKER_00: I appreciate you.
0:40
SPEAKER_00: I know we both throw a lot of flowers at each other.
0:42
SPEAKER_00: So thanks for having me.
0:44
SPEAKER_00: Let's get into it.
0:45
SPEAKER_00: Let's go, Yanks.
0:46
SPEAKER_00: We played today, or we played yesterday, and we got a win, and I was fearing a three-game losing streak to two teams that I hate.
0:53
SPEAKER_00: So here we are.
0:54
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so we lose two out of three to the Mets, unfortunately.
0:58
SPEAKER_01: Uh, but we beat the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday.
1:01
SPEAKER_01: But the bullpen is an absolute dumpster fire right now.
1:07
SPEAKER_01: Bednar's just being used too much.
1:09
SPEAKER_01: Um, Hedrick's being used too much.
1:12
SPEAKER_01: Seems like something's about like a shoe's about to drop.
1:16
SPEAKER_01: How do you even fix this bullpen right now?
1:19
SPEAKER_00: Pray, hope.
1:21
SPEAKER_00: Uh, hope help is on the way and changes come.
1:24
SPEAKER_00: And you know, Cashman is usually looking in the bargain bin clearance rack.
1:28
SPEAKER_00: Somebody is getting cut.
1:30
SPEAKER_00: Somebody's a pro that's in triple A.
1:32
SPEAKER_00: Maybe he finds like like when you think about Tim Hill, he found Tim Hill with the Chicago White Sox in the year that they were losing a record amount of games.
1:41
SPEAKER_00: Um, he's always good for finding like a random like that.
1:44
SPEAKER_00: So I don't know.
1:44
SPEAKER_00: And then also you can think about maybe calling some young guys up, but it is what it is, and we knew it was what it was going into the season.
1:52
SPEAKER_00: When we looked at the team, we said this bullpen might not be it.
1:56
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna have to replace a lot of innings from guys that were on the team last year.
2:00
SPEAKER_01: Yes, I mean, Ryan Yarborough, Paul Blackburn, and Angel Shaville were our bullpen reinforcements this offseason.
2:11
SPEAKER_01: It's troubling, but uh, you know, it is what it is.
2:14
SPEAKER_01: They're bringing up Giovanni Cruz.
2:18
SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, do you know much about Giovanni Cruz?
2:22
SPEAKER_01: I mean, he throws 102.
2:25
SPEAKER_00: Right, that's all I know.
2:26
SPEAKER_00: He throws hard.
2:27
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he throws hard.
2:28
SPEAKER_01: His command is a little erratic, but um they're bringing him up.
2:34
SPEAKER_01: It's a good move because he does have a 3.00 ERA in the minors.
2:40
SPEAKER_01: Um they just at least this year, they're having a little sense of urgency, like, okay, this isn't working, let's do the next thing.
2:49
SPEAKER_01: Um, if you could speak on that for a minute, I guess.
2:52
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Cashman tried to deny it, right?
2:55
SPEAKER_00: But it's obvious they have a sense of urgency.
2:57
SPEAKER_00: They're moving different.
2:58
SPEAKER_00: It's very business-like.
3:00
SPEAKER_00: It seems like no more feelings involved, no more favoritism involved.
3:05
SPEAKER_00: It's just uh business, not personal.
3:07
SPEAKER_00: And the Yankees should have always been operating like that.
3:10
SPEAKER_00: It should have always been a meritocracy.
3:11
SPEAKER_00: It should have always been like, hey, if you're not cutting it, you gotta go.
3:14
SPEAKER_00: Somebody else's turn.
3:16
SPEAKER_00: That's how I think George ran things.
3:18
SPEAKER_00: I think that's how George would have wanted to see things go, but somehow we lost our way where it was about you know relationships and and and favoritism and this guy getting a longer role.
3:29
SPEAKER_00: You you've seen it from DJ LeMayu to Anthony Volpe to Clay Holmes to uh Luis Severino to Zach Britton to Joey Gallo to Josh Donald.
3:39
SPEAKER_00: Like we can just rattle off names of players.
3:41
SPEAKER_00: Uh Aaron Hicks that got to play for way too long and weren't cutting it.
3:46
SPEAKER_00: So I love what I'm seeing out of this um mentality shift.
3:50
SPEAKER_00: It seems like it's from you know top to bottom, and the Yankees have the depth to do this.
3:55
SPEAKER_00: Even with injuries, the Yankees have the depth to do this and bring different people in.
3:59
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
4:01
SPEAKER_01: The catcher situation is starting to become an issue.
4:08
SPEAKER_01: Austin Wells doesn't look like he can make contact, he's banned 170 on the season, 110 at bats, only five RBIs.
4:18
SPEAKER_01: And then, you know, you have JC Escara, who isn't doing much better, who is also a lefty bat.
4:26
SPEAKER_01: Um, they have to go out and get a righty bat at catcher or somebody who can hit the ball, right?
4:34
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I don't care if it's a switch hitter, left-handed hitter at this point, put Ben Rice back there and let Goldie play it first.
4:41
SPEAKER_00: Because uh this is how I felt about this, and this actually goes against the way that they've been moving.
4:46
SPEAKER_00: Coming into this season, I was saying in the offseason, hey Keith, what do you think we need?
4:50
SPEAKER_00: A right-handed hitting catcher, someone to platoon with Wells.
4:53
SPEAKER_00: Wells can't be expected to catch every day and perform at the plate.
4:56
SPEAKER_00: He's been terrible.
4:57
SPEAKER_00: His at bat uh and in in the the third game of the Met series where he swung at the first pitch against Devin Williams, and it's like, come on, bro, you used to catch Devin Williams.
5:06
SPEAKER_00: Come on, bro.
5:07
SPEAKER_00: You like uh anyway, it doesn't matter.
5:09
SPEAKER_00: What matters is like Austin Wells, it has run its course.
5:13
SPEAKER_00: I can't with Austin Wells anymore.
5:15
SPEAKER_00: And JC Ascar to me was a good story, you know, with the Uber driver, substitute teacher that makes the Yankees.
5:22
SPEAKER_00: They got him on Goodmore Morning America last year, but that's a one-year pop.
5:26
SPEAKER_00: It makes no sense to have three left-handed catchers when you include Ben Rice.
5:30
SPEAKER_00: It makes no sense to have three left-handed catchers, really two, because Ben Rice, they don't, they haven't put back there yet.
5:36
SPEAKER_00: And guys that can't really hit.
5:38
SPEAKER_00: JC Ascar has played like a quarter of the amount of games that Austin Wells has, and I think he has the same amount of RBI, if not more, runs added in.
5:47
SPEAKER_00: Stupid.
5:47
SPEAKER_00: That's stupid.
5:48
SPEAKER_00: So I don't know who's out there.
5:50
SPEAKER_00: I don't know in the trade market who's trading a catcher right now.
5:53
SPEAKER_00: You'd like another right-handed bat, you'd like somebody that's maybe a veteran, but Austin Wells can't be expected to carry the load as the everyday catcher.
6:02
SPEAKER_00: And I get it, right?
6:03
SPEAKER_00: We're getting great pitching performances out of guys like Ryan Weathers, um, Will Warren, Cam Schlittler, Max Reed is hurt, but obviously he was good for some time, and and a lot of that credit goes to Austin Wells, but he's been miserable at the plate and something's got to change.
6:20
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but so you would would you give Ben Rice a chance at catcher?
6:26
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
6:26
SPEAKER_01: It's it's you would?
6:28
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because I didn't think they were gonna do that last year, and they did.
6:31
SPEAKER_00: And Ben Rice caught way more games behind the dish than I imagined.
6:36
SPEAKER_00: And I know his arm is is in question, and and like he's been going so good this year as a first baseman DH that you don't want to mess that up, but I rather risk that than watch Austin Wells have all of these at bats and be an automatic out.
6:50
SPEAKER_01: It's fair because Paul Goldschmidt, his OPS is over a thousand right now, and so is Ben Rice.
6:57
SPEAKER_01: So it makes sense.
6:58
SPEAKER_01: I get a little worried, like I love Ben Rice, and everything's just been going amazing.
7:03
SPEAKER_01: It's hard for me to be like, oh, let this guy who's been hitting the crap out of the ball go catch.
7:08
SPEAKER_01: But it makes a lot of sense right now, or like you have to go out and get just a guy who can hit 220.
7:16
SPEAKER_01: Like, even 220 would be perfectly fine at this point.
7:20
SPEAKER_01: Um, and I know it sounds like I'm just complaining at this point, but we have another hole at third base.
7:26
SPEAKER_01: Ryan McMahon has struck out 41 times.
7:30
SPEAKER_01: I mean, 31% of the times that he comes up to the plate, he strikes out.
7:36
SPEAKER_01: And you have a guy in Ahmed Rosario who's been doing excellent.
7:40
SPEAKER_01: I feel like at this time, at this point, he has to be the everyday starter.
7:44
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's interesting.
7:46
SPEAKER_00: Uh, I feel like Cashman knew that McMahon was a liability.
7:49
SPEAKER_00: That's why you got Ahmed Rosario to platoon with him.
7:52
SPEAKER_00: Talk about return on investment for the like$2 million that Ahmed Rosario is making this year.
7:57
SPEAKER_00: He's already earned that.
7:58
SPEAKER_00: And the season goes in waves.
8:00
SPEAKER_00: We're coming up on Memorial Day weekend.
8:02
SPEAKER_00: That's usually the first big checkpoint in a baseball season.
8:05
SPEAKER_00: And if I had to look at Ryan McMahon, he's been inconsistent.
8:09
SPEAKER_00: He's been terrible.
8:10
SPEAKER_00: Then he had to platoon a little bit, and that kind of put a fire in him.
8:14
SPEAKER_00: He hit some homers, he slapped some singles through.
8:16
SPEAKER_00: He was better, but like he's inconsistent and he's below average.
8:21
SPEAKER_00: I know there was one day where Boone came out and said, like, Ryan McMahon's a good major league hitter.
8:26
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, stop that, Boone.
8:27
SPEAKER_00: What are you talking about?
8:28
SPEAKER_00: No, he's not.
8:29
SPEAKER_00: No, he's not.
8:30
SPEAKER_00: It's not cutting it for what he makes 16 million versus Ahmed Rosario.
8:34
SPEAKER_00: I'd much rather see Ahm Rosario play there.
8:36
SPEAKER_00: I'd much rather see, and this is something that people are starting to talk about now because of the emergence of Anthony Volpe out of nowhere, if Cabby comes back, his 10 days is about to be up.
8:49
SPEAKER_00: Why not put Cabby at third base?
8:52
SPEAKER_00: And then if you have to do a defensive replacement late with McMahon, do that, but like we cannot put Ryan McMahon in the lineup every single day and expect him to be productive.
9:04
SPEAKER_00: He's been below average and completely inconsistent.
9:07
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you're absolutely right.
9:09
SPEAKER_01: I I think that at this point you have to, I mean, you say you said it 16 million dollars, and that isn't something that they harp on, like, oh, we're paying this guy, so we have to play them.
9:21
SPEAKER_01: No, you don't.
9:21
SPEAKER_01: Ahmed Rosario's banned 267, 803 OPS.
9:26
SPEAKER_01: He's doing a perfectly adequate job um defensively, and I think uh I think he's the right guy for the job.
9:32
SPEAKER_01: And you spoke about Anthony Volpe.
9:34
SPEAKER_01: I mean, Jose Caballero is expected to be back on Friday, but what do you do with Anthony Volpe?
9:42
SPEAKER_01: Because he came out, he's looking good.
9:45
SPEAKER_01: I mean, you could drop Schumitt, the shoe man, uh, and kind of let Anthony Volpe get two starts a week, I guess.
9:54
SPEAKER_01: Or what would you do with Anthony Volpe?
9:56
SPEAKER_01: Would you send him back down just so he can get regular at bats?
10:00
SPEAKER_01: What would you do?
10:01
SPEAKER_00: I I wouldn't send Volpe back down just because he he was down and when he was ready, he didn't get called up right away.
10:07
SPEAKER_00: And he's performing better at the major league level than he was at the AA, triple A level.
10:13
SPEAKER_00: So I wouldn't want to mess this up.
10:15
SPEAKER_00: I think like iron sharpens iron, competition brings out the best and the best, and him having to go through that feeling of like, oh, I lost my job.
10:24
SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm actually not the starting shortstop of the New York Yankees.
10:28
SPEAKER_00: I gotta really earn it.
10:29
SPEAKER_00: And then Caballero has the finger injury, and then that's just baseball Susan, right?
10:33
SPEAKER_00: These things work themselves out.
10:34
SPEAKER_00: Volpe gets an opportunity, and his first game back was a little rough against the Orioles.
10:39
SPEAKER_00: But since then, his eye has been great.
10:42
SPEAKER_00: His his plate discipline, he's working walks, he's hit some doubles, singles.
10:47
SPEAKER_00: Um like I I wouldn't want to mess this version of Volpe up.
10:51
SPEAKER_00: I'd want to see it continue.
10:52
SPEAKER_00: Now, if he struggles again, you could could get him up out of there.
10:55
SPEAKER_00: But like I'm saying, when Caballero comes back, they did say shortstop is his job, but I think they can pivot from that because Caballero can play second base, third base, right field.
11:07
SPEAKER_00: Uh like there's some options for what you do with Caballero.
11:10
SPEAKER_00: Volpe only plays one position.
11:12
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and Caballero is a demon off the off the uh off the bench because he can steal.
11:17
SPEAKER_01: And another another great slide by Anthony Volpe yesterday.
11:22
SPEAKER_01: He's four for eleven.
11:24
SPEAKER_01: He's walked seven times.
11:26
SPEAKER_01: So you know that his eyes there.
11:29
SPEAKER_01: I agree with you.
11:29
SPEAKER_01: Keep him on the team.
11:31
SPEAKER_01: Um, even as a even if he's the guy coming off the bench to steal late in games, I mean, he has the speed, and I mean, I think he is better than the shoe man, so it is what it is at this point.
11:44
SPEAKER_01: Um, okay, some good news.
11:47
SPEAKER_01: Garrett Cole is coming back.
11:50
SPEAKER_01: Um, just talk a little bit about like how important Garrett Cole is to this scene.
11:57
SPEAKER_00: I mean, Cole is like the dad of the team.
12:00
SPEAKER_00: Cole is also a pitching coach on the team.
12:04
SPEAKER_00: Cole is a Cy Young winner, multiple-time all-star, a guy that everyone respects when you hear him talk about baseball, who knows more about throwing a baseball and pitching than Garrett Cole.
12:15
SPEAKER_00: And what I love about Cole is he's always stayed around.
12:19
SPEAKER_00: I'm sure he's got relationships with all of those pitchers, and I'm sure he's gonna give this team a boost.
12:24
SPEAKER_00: Now, with Max Fried going down in Volpe's first start in Baltimore, terrible road trip.
12:29
SPEAKER_00: You get swept by the Milwaukee Brewers, you lose two out of three to a team that you swept the week before, and then you go to City Field and absolutely blow the series against the Mets, who are terrible last place team.
12:40
SPEAKER_00: Anyway, with Max Freed going on the I.O.
12:43
SPEAKER_00: First thing I said is Paige and Garrett Cole.
12:46
SPEAKER_00: How many rehab starts does he need?
12:47
SPEAKER_00: I know he's he had Tommy John, he's got to take it slow, but he he had like seven rehab starts, something like that.
12:54
SPEAKER_00: Like he's he's supposed to make another rehab start.
12:56
SPEAKER_00: No, they said he would be back in May.
12:58
SPEAKER_00: It's late May.
12:59
SPEAKER_00: I'd rather see him come up and and start against the Rays, I think they're planning um this Friday, and give us some juice, give us some energy.
13:09
SPEAKER_00: Cold day, cold bump day, you know, like a cold day on a Friday.
13:13
SPEAKER_00: Like it the stadium is gonna be turned up if that's what they actually do.
13:16
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if that's confirmed.
13:17
SPEAKER_00: I think that was a rumor, but he is gonna give us a jolt, um, not just because of of who he is off the field, but you know, when he's on that mound, his command, his demeanor, like he's locked in, he's usually pissed off.
13:29
SPEAKER_00: And uh, yeah, it's just like uh, you know, we hadn't had that all last year.
13:34
SPEAKER_00: You know, it's a you know, a run-it-back season, but in this run-it-back season, adding Garrett Cole, now it really begins.
13:42
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, absolutely.
13:44
SPEAKER_01: He threw 99.6 miles an hour his last start rehab start.
13:51
SPEAKER_01: That's the fastest pitch recorded by Garrett Cole since 2023.
13:56
SPEAKER_01: So he is starting to ramp it up.
13:58
SPEAKER_01: I'm on the side more of precaution with him.
14:01
SPEAKER_01: Like, you know, I know we're playing the Rays on Friday, like we're playing the Blue Jays and the Rays, and these are very important games.
14:08
SPEAKER_01: Don't get me wrong.
14:09
SPEAKER_01: I just get a little worried because like we haven't seen him in so long that like I'm just like, don't mess with this timetable, give him the extra start.
14:19
SPEAKER_01: Like, we'll be okay.
14:21
SPEAKER_01: I mean, I I know that I'm like a sense of urgency kind of guy, but I'm just worried.
14:26
SPEAKER_01: I'm like, he's kind of like Giancarlo Stan.
14:29
SPEAKER_01: As long as he is he's healthy in September and you can rant this guy up.
14:34
SPEAKER_01: Um, I I mean, we're gonna be glad to have him.
14:37
SPEAKER_01: It's it's really is a shame that Max Reed and Garrett Cole haven't been able to be in the same rotation for like multiple outings, and uh it's just it's infuriating.
14:48
SPEAKER_00: That's how it always goes with us.
14:49
SPEAKER_00: Every year they say, oh, best rotation, and then somebody goes down.
14:52
SPEAKER_00: I remember it was supposed to be Severino and Cole when we got Cole in uh in 2020 or uh or 2019 going into 2020, and then the pandemic hits, and then you know, it's always supposed to be this best rotation with these guys, and they're they're missing.
15:06
SPEAKER_00: Luis Heel isn't the same.
15:08
SPEAKER_00: And I don't know, would you rather see Elmer Rodriguez or you'd rather see Garrett Cole?
15:12
SPEAKER_00: I mean, and not knocking Elmer.
15:13
SPEAKER_00: You know, he's made like three starts here, he's a young guy, he's he's held his own, but like we're paying Garrett Cole a lot of money.
15:20
SPEAKER_00: He's getting up there in age, he's gonna be on a pitch count, and we're going up against the Tampa Bay Rays.
15:25
SPEAKER_00: We're jockeying for position with them.
15:27
SPEAKER_00: We really can't fall too far behind them.
15:29
SPEAKER_00: They're playing really good.
15:30
SPEAKER_00: I think I was watching MLB Network, and they've won 19 out of their last 23 games.
15:35
SPEAKER_00: Like they're rolling.
15:36
SPEAKER_00: They look like uh Kevin Cash just figured out a formula for them to be this year's Blue Jays, putting ball, putting the ball into play, singles, running hard, getting on on base, wreaking havoc on the base pass.
15:48
SPEAKER_00: And they got a bunch of random guys, a motley crew together, and then they obviously have some names that you know.
15:54
SPEAKER_00: Um we got to establish dominance over them.
15:56
SPEAKER_00: They swept us in our return to Tropicana Field.
16:00
SPEAKER_00: They they're always comfortable in Yankee Stadium.
16:02
SPEAKER_00: They always come here and kick their feet up and laugh and have a blast and a good time.
16:06
SPEAKER_00: And nah, we need to we need to kind of establish dominance over them.
16:10
SPEAKER_00: And I think if Cole is ready to go, run him out there, see how he he does for the first, I don't know, 50, 60, 70 pitches at the mole.
16:18
SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
16:19
SPEAKER_00: He's gonna be on a pitch count.
16:20
SPEAKER_00: I don't know where his pitch count was in the minors, but I'm more worried about competing and not letting this thing literally swoon into June, right?
16:28
SPEAKER_00: That's what people are saying.
16:28
SPEAKER_00: Oh, the June, the June boon swoon started early this year.
16:32
SPEAKER_00: Nah, like let's stabilize.
16:34
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, fair enough.
16:35
SPEAKER_01: Uh, it's actually really funny how uh we're going back to Elmer for a second.
16:41
SPEAKER_01: Uh they they started him on Sunday.
16:43
SPEAKER_01: They really just said, we don't care about the Mets.
16:46
SPEAKER_01: They moved back Ryan Web.
16:47
SPEAKER_00: Always.
16:48
SPEAKER_01: They they literally, I mean, the Mets treat the Yankees series like it's a World Series, and then and the Yankees are like, ah, we don't really care.
16:58
SPEAKER_01: I actually think Aaron Boone was happy that his buddy got the wins over.
17:02
SPEAKER_01: Like, I really like there is no sense of urgency when it comes to the Mets.
17:07
SPEAKER_01: Of course, it's more important that we beat the Blue Jays and we beat the Rays, but you're right.
17:12
SPEAKER_01: Every single time we play the Rays, they know how to play the Yankees.
17:16
SPEAKER_01: When we go down to Tropicana, they kick our asses.
17:19
SPEAKER_01: Uh, they just, you know, they always start off so hot, and it is really a testament to their manager, who, you know, they don't really have huge names, and they just kick our asses um time in and time out.
17:33
SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, I mean, really, that's all I wanted to hit on about the Yankees.
17:37
SPEAKER_01: Uh, we've been doing this weekly.
17:39
SPEAKER_01: Um, and shout out to JJ John Doskremsky.
17:43
SPEAKER_01: Last week I asked him, I'm like, what do you do with this starting rotation?
17:47
SPEAKER_01: And he's like, Jimmy, you know that somebody's gonna get hurt next day, Max 3 down.
17:53
SPEAKER_01: So like the rotation is ever evolving, and it's good that they have like seven or eight guys uh to you know to compete uh at the starting position, but the bullpen is a mess.
18:04
SPEAKER_01: The bullpen really, really is troubling.
18:07
SPEAKER_01: And I know we at the deadline we got three guys, but like I'm I'm worried about Bednar, I'm worried about Hedrick, and like I don't really think they're we need Paul Blackburn on this team.
18:20
SPEAKER_01: I don't think we need Ryan Yarborough on this team.
18:23
SPEAKER_01: I think they're old.
18:24
SPEAKER_01: I I I really don't.
18:26
SPEAKER_01: I think you bring up Carlos Lagrange, Legrange, see what he's got too, just see what he's got.
18:33
SPEAKER_00: They want him to be a starter.
18:34
SPEAKER_00: That's everything they're saying.
18:35
SPEAKER_00: They're trying to keep him stretched out to be a starter.
18:38
SPEAKER_00: That's like a break glass in case of emergency situation, and I don't think they're gonna panic like that.
18:42
SPEAKER_00: But we know LeGrange is being uh modeled after Dylan Batansis.
18:46
SPEAKER_00: So at some point, they they they have a trade deadline, they're gonna make some moves.
18:53
SPEAKER_00: And what I always say about the trade deadline too is it's the deadline.
18:56
SPEAKER_00: That's the last day.
18:57
SPEAKER_00: Like they can make a move now, they can make a move in the next couple days if they really feel like you know, help is on the way.
19:03
SPEAKER_00: But I also know that it's it's still early.
19:05
SPEAKER_00: Like I said, Memorial Day weekend, that's the first real checkpoint.
19:09
SPEAKER_00: They're gonna look at that sample size and say, all right, let's see how the next 10, 20 games go.
19:14
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, we're still over 500, we're still jockeying for position uh with the Rays, like I said.
19:20
SPEAKER_00: And then going back to what you said about the Rays, like yes, the Rays have Junior Cameron and Chandler Simpson and guys like that who who everybody knows, but then they have the pitching that's figuring it out too.
19:29
SPEAKER_00: Oh, and then the Mets, you know how how like what you said about Elmer Rodriguez?
19:33
SPEAKER_00: You know how I know the Yankees don't care?
19:35
SPEAKER_00: And I literally walked into City Field Saturday, I said this is the most overhyped thing in sports.
19:38
SPEAKER_00: It is the World Series for the Mets.
19:40
SPEAKER_00: They're bums.
19:41
SPEAKER_00: We'll we'll always give them one.
19:42
SPEAKER_00: Do you remember when the Yankees put a lineup out with Jamai Jones and JD Davis going into a subway series?
19:49
SPEAKER_00: We don't care.
19:50
SPEAKER_00: I remember being at a subway series game, I think it was 2022, where they pinch hit Joey Gallo.
19:56
SPEAKER_00: The worst hitter in Yankees history.
19:58
SPEAKER_00: So, like, you're pinch hitting the worst hitter ever?
20:01
SPEAKER_00: It's like the Yankees don't care.
20:03
SPEAKER_00: The Yankees lined up their pitching one time.
20:05
SPEAKER_00: I forget how they lined it up.
20:07
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it was like Jordan Montgomery and Domingo Herman, like they lined up their pitching to like not put Cole in their best starters against the Mets.
20:14
SPEAKER_00: It's it's National League, they're little bro, they're bums, they waste a ton of money on their team and they can never figure it out.
20:20
SPEAKER_00: We just give it to them.
20:21
SPEAKER_00: But yeah, speaking of figuring it out, the bullpen's got to stabilize.
20:24
SPEAKER_00: Cruz was good last night.
20:26
SPEAKER_00: Um, even though that got a little bit shaky, you know, the the Blue Jays are a pain in our ass, even in their down year, right?
20:34
SPEAKER_00: Um, George Springer, Ernie Clement, uh Vladi, those guys are gonna do what they gotta do.
20:40
SPEAKER_00: But this is a crucial series to take at home.
20:43
SPEAKER_00: And Bednar almost blowing it back to back nights, I think it could go a long way for him that he was able to pull it off and wiggle out of trouble.
20:50
SPEAKER_00: And that's how he kind of has been.
20:52
SPEAKER_00: He's gonna he's gonna get traffic on the base pass.
20:54
SPEAKER_00: He's not, it's never gonna be easy.
20:56
SPEAKER_00: He's not he's not going out, you know, and striking out three guys in a row.
21:00
SPEAKER_00: Um but I kind of give the Yankees a little bit of grace too, because we are relying on guys that were in the minor leagues.
21:06
SPEAKER_00: In in this last week, you've seen Max Schuman, Spencer Jones, Elmer Rodriguez, Anthony Volpe.
21:13
SPEAKER_00: Like, this is not the team.
21:14
SPEAKER_00: This is not Stanton, this is not Caballero, this is not Max Fried, um, probably missing somebody else that's hurt.
21:22
SPEAKER_00: Like they don't have their full compliment.
21:24
SPEAKER_00: And then, you know, guys like Ascara and Wells are straight up bums.
21:29
SPEAKER_00: So at least Jazz is getting it going.
21:30
SPEAKER_00: At least Jazz is waking up.
21:32
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
21:32
SPEAKER_01: No, the only thing that worries me is like we're kind of top heavy.
21:36
SPEAKER_01: Like Judge has been doing his thing, Rice is doing his his.
21:40
SPEAKER_00: Honestly, Judge, like I've been saying, like, Judge, we need to judge stuff.
21:44
SPEAKER_00: He had that double last night or single last night, but like, Judge, where like Judge hasn't been really judge.
21:51
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, I guess, but he still has like 16 home runs.
21:54
SPEAKER_00: I mean, he's gonna he's gonna hit the ball out, but he hasn't been like judge.
22:00
SPEAKER_00: Judge was the batting champion last year.
22:02
SPEAKER_00: Judge was batting like that.
22:03
SPEAKER_01: That's true.
22:04
SPEAKER_01: That's true.
22:04
SPEAKER_01: No, he needs to wake up a little bit, but like I'm not worried about Aaron Judge.
22:08
SPEAKER_01: But I'm just saying, like, the top heaviness, like when like the change between Ben Rice and like Austin Wells, and then Ryan McMahon.
22:18
SPEAKER_01: We have like five really good players, and then we have a lot of holes uh that need to be figured out, and I think they will be.
22:26
SPEAKER_01: Um so we'll we'll switch bases for a second because I saw you tweeting a lot about Iceman.
22:34
SPEAKER_01: Um, so I have a question because I listened to the albums.
22:38
SPEAKER_01: Iceman, I thought it was pretty good.
22:40
SPEAKER_01: I thought it was pretty good to very good.
22:42
SPEAKER_01: But the other two albums, I thought they were really bad.
22:45
SPEAKER_01: I couldn't really get through them.
22:47
SPEAKER_00: I wouldn't I wouldn't expect you to get jiggy with those.
22:49
SPEAKER_00: I'm not listening to those really either.
22:51
SPEAKER_00: I I understand, I understand the strategy behind it.
22:54
SPEAKER_00: Iceman was what we were waiting for, right?
22:57
SPEAKER_00: All of this time, we knew it was Iceman was gonna be the album Iceman was gonna drop.
23:01
SPEAKER_00: We didn't know that those other two albums were gonna drop.
23:04
SPEAKER_00: Those other two albums were strategic, though, because it allowed Drake to take over Billboard, iTunes, and have all of these top songs streaming, the top streaming songs at once, like 30 of the top songs because everybody's listening to them.
23:19
SPEAKER_00: Also, I think it's a play for the summer.
23:22
SPEAKER_00: I think some of those ass shaking songs that the girls want to listen to as guys, we're not checking for that shit.
23:29
SPEAKER_00: But then somewhere in July, fourth weekend, one of those Drake songs is gonna be blasting from a car or a club, or you know what I'm saying?
23:37
SPEAKER_00: Girls are gonna be doing a dance to it on TikTok.
23:40
SPEAKER_00: Drake is very calculated.
23:41
SPEAKER_00: Um, he also did this as a play against his label.
23:45
SPEAKER_00: You know, he drops three albums, and now there's a lot of talk about you know, the label having to pay him a certain amount, or other labels being able to pay him, or him going independent, and you know, he's also now um right there with Michael Jackson.
24:00
SPEAKER_00: I think he he's one more number one song away from passing Michael Jackson, and that that Janice STFU song is probably gonna do it.
24:08
SPEAKER_00: I just got a ton of respect for Drake, and my my one video take that I put out was you know, I just I'm just thinking about eras and time and how much things evolve and change.
24:19
SPEAKER_00: When I first started listening to Drake, there was no visuals.
24:23
SPEAKER_00: Now I'm listening to Drake, and at 9 45 he drops like a feature film where he's debuting all this music and it goes from scene to scene.
24:33
SPEAKER_00: It's crazy to think that I'm watching him on YouTube and you know listening to him on my iPhone 17.
24:41
SPEAKER_00: I started listening to him in college on a on a Zoom, a Zune MP3 player, and I was you know illegally downloading MP3s on LimeWire or Kazaw or Bear Share, and fast forward 17 years, this guy is still cranking out music.
25:01
SPEAKER_00: He's got a ton of hits, he's got more hits than anybody.
25:04
SPEAKER_00: He's beefed with a bunch of different rappers.
25:06
SPEAKER_00: People have left him for dead, people have hated on him, and he still is rising to the top, making the soundtrack to my life for about half my life, which is insane.
25:16
SPEAKER_00: I think Drake is the best artist, uh, best rapper.
25:20
SPEAKER_00: I know that's controversial, but like facts are facts.
25:25
SPEAKER_00: Like the guy has done it for a long time, um, and he's still doing it, and he's he's one of one.
25:32
SPEAKER_00: Like he I we've never seen an artist like this, we've never seen a rapper like this.
25:35
SPEAKER_00: He's not just a rapper, he sings, he does all these different genres of music.
25:38
SPEAKER_00: That's another thing, too.
25:40
SPEAKER_00: Like Iceman, you're gonna get your raps, you're gonna get your bars, you're gonna get your boom bat beach or hip-hop.
25:45
SPEAKER_00: But then he put out this maid of honor album with his mom on the cover, and I think that was like club music, and then the Habib T was like dance music for girls.
25:55
SPEAKER_00: And I even said to my wife, because my wife is a girl, but she's not obviously she's a girl, she's she's I'm like, this is for the ladies, and she's like, I'm not really vibing to it.
26:03
SPEAKER_00: I'm like, yeah, because you're a mother and you're a married woman, but right you know, girls 20 years younger than you, when he's he's making lyrics about some girl being on hinge and swiping hinge and not finding a match, and how this guy needs to treat you better, and you should go out with your girls.
26:19
SPEAKER_00: I'm like, Drake is so calculated, bro.
26:21
SPEAKER_00: He speaks to I can never speak to these chicks, I'm not in that world.
26:24
SPEAKER_00: Right, right, right, right.
26:25
SPEAKER_01: Drake at 40 is.
26:26
SPEAKER_01: I know.
26:26
SPEAKER_01: I just was Iceman was so good, and then I listened to other, but it was calculated because I think like he needed three more albums to get out of his deal, and then that's why he did it.
26:36
SPEAKER_01: But I was just like very confused what was going on, and I saw you tweeting about uh Iceman stuff, so I wanted to get your opinion on that.
26:44
SPEAKER_01: But the most important thing is that the New York Yankees they need to show some umph going into June, they need to really get back on track, and I mean, really, it comes down to their manager too.
26:58
SPEAKER_01: Like, I want to see him be upset when they lose.
27:02
SPEAKER_01: And if if that can be the case, then we can get back on track.
27:06
SPEAKER_01: But it's just so early.
27:07
SPEAKER_01: We know we're only a quarter of the way through, so we got a lot of time left.
27:13
SPEAKER_01: Um, but you know, as always, I really appreciate you coming on, taking the time.
27:18
SPEAKER_01: You're the best.
27:19
SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, and uh everybody go check out Mike Check.
27:23
SPEAKER_01: Um, Keith's new show.
27:25
SPEAKER_01: It's amazing.
27:26
SPEAKER_01: He's doing stuff.
27:28
SPEAKER_01: That's just 2026 stuff.
27:31
SPEAKER_01: So go check out Mike Check.
27:32
SPEAKER_01: Keith, really appreciate you coming on.
27:35
SPEAKER_00: Jimmy, you're the man, bro.
27:36
SPEAKER_00: Appreciate you.
27:37
SPEAKER_00: Keep pushing and doing your thing.
27:38
SPEAKER_00: We'll get you on Mike Check.
27:39
SPEAKER_00: We'll get you in there soon.
27:41
SPEAKER_01: Sounds good.