Blue Jays SP Shane Bieber joins FT + Grant Brisbee’s WS Lover's Guide

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Let's start tier.

00:00:06
Speaker 2: We are expecting Shane Bieber to join us at any moment. The Blue Jays game three three.

00:00:13
Speaker 3: Yes, he started it three and seven in the LCS are not going to change it.

00:00:16
Speaker 2: I would think so too, but they haven't officially announced that yet. Maybe he'll give us the official announcement when we talked to him. Before we get to him, I did have this saved. You asked me yesterday about ratings. We got them for Fox. ALCS Game seven averaged over nine million viewers.

00:00:35
Speaker 3: And that's just in the US though.

00:00:36
Speaker 2: In the US that's part of this, and peaked at twelve point three ish. It was the most watched ALCS game on any network since twenty seventeen, which was ALCS Game seven. Yankees astras, Yep, we hear about that one all the time.

00:00:54
Speaker 1: Tod with Todd Father Kratz. Tod Father brings that one up all the time.

00:00:58
Speaker 4: Right.

00:00:59
Speaker 5: Yes, yes, still thinks they were banging trash cans in the game, but we had nineteen mound visits to change our signs every single time, so I don't Yankee fans. They weren't banging trash cans during that game. It's not like every every pitch occurrence type of thing.

00:01:14
Speaker 1: That one was in New York or in Houston.

00:01:16
Speaker 5: That game seven in Houston, we had a three to two lead going to Houston, lost Game six and then lost Game seven.

00:01:23
Speaker 3: That's when Lance mccullors threw.

00:01:26
Speaker 1: A couple of curve balls in a row exactly.

00:01:29
Speaker 3: Game six was a blowout, right.

00:01:33
Speaker 1: I remember.

00:01:35
Speaker 3: In Game seven was the super tight one that they you guys lost at the end as we got other things to worry about. We don't care. That's past. We're talking about it with.

00:01:45
Speaker 1: Actually, pitch is ready to go. Let's bring him in.

00:01:48
Speaker 2: Blue Jay Starter Shane Bieber is here, looking nice and crisp from his phone. Does he have to move it horizontal to everybody? I'm asking real quick so that we know once we can start here, let me know fast.

00:01:58
Speaker 4: I think I did all right?

00:01:59
Speaker 1: Yep? Did it looks great? How you doing?

00:02:01
Speaker 4: Man?

00:02:02
Speaker 1: All right?

00:02:02
Speaker 4: Thanks? Yeah, sorry, you're gonna have to bear with me here. I'm doing. I'm doing well, guys. Thanks for having me on.

00:02:07
Speaker 1: Thank you.

00:02:07
Speaker 6: By the way, is it beanie weather in Toronto? You have a full Beanie? It's not that cold.

00:02:11
Speaker 4: Yeah, we're it's climate control.

00:02:13
Speaker 7: We're we're indoors here, but you didn't want to see this mop that's under here, so I had to throw something on. And we're going straight to some some media duties after this.

00:02:23
Speaker 2: So wrap the brand. How is the celebration after game seven? It looked like a nightclub?

00:02:31
Speaker 4: Yeah, it was. It was long.

00:02:35
Speaker 7: It was well deserved. You know those eight pm game starts, Uh, go go deep into the night, right, But it's a it's a great privilege to be able to celebrate late and to enjoy what was a huge win with with these guys.

00:02:55
Speaker 6: By the way, Shane, I mean, I know, it's just like where Scott would hang out normally on a Tuesday night, like you guys were doing that Monday night. But was mad Max like the all time greatest because they showed him at one point he was standing I don't know what he was throwing beer on everybody like on the stage?

00:03:09
Speaker 3: Was he the DJ? Was he having the most fun? Who had the most and what? By the way, I know you guys are all.

00:03:15
Speaker 6: Sexy as hell with your shirts off, but why is everyone wearing no shirt? Can we get Gossman and Hoffman and some of these guys to put shirts on.

00:03:23
Speaker 7: I know I've been trying. I've been trying this whole run, but it keeps working. So who am I to tell him what to do? In regards to Max, I don't even think he knows what he's doing. He's just enjoying it, man, And like he sets the standard. He works his tail off right, he goes and competes like nobody, nobody else, and then he enjoys it like nobody else too, And that's what we're all trying to do and fall in line.

00:03:48
Speaker 4: And man, what a pleasure it's been to be able to play with him.

00:03:53
Speaker 5: Did that celebration?

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Speaker 3: Has that been?

00:03:55
Speaker 5: Like, that's not been like since day one, since you've been there, it's kind of like grown right, like mores more fog machines Or is that like your first day when you got there in your first big league rehab assignment that that you went on.

00:04:08
Speaker 3: Is that what they were?

00:04:08
Speaker 5: Rocks?

00:04:09
Speaker 7: So yeah, so yeah, they redid the clubhouse like a year and a half, two years ago, I think, And like, yeah, I got here a couple of months ago and this place is purled out. It's it's pretty incredible the way they take care of you know, all just every amenity is anything you can think of is handled. And I think it was going into Game one sixty two, obviously we're fighting for the Al East, and they were setting something up in the hallways outside the clubhouse. They were setting up like strobe lights and all that. I said, what, what what's this all about. They're like, oh, that's for you know, when we win the postgame celebration. I said, we're not gonna We're not going to celebrate in this fantastic clubhouse of ours. I would love to. I would love to mess things up in here. And they said, no, no, it's too nice. We'll do the hallway. I said, okay, well, when we win the World Series, you got to promise we can. We can do it in this clubhouse and and really mess some mess some stuff up.

00:05:06
Speaker 4: So we'll see if they keep their promises.

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Speaker 6: That's a big hallway. By the way, that was a big hallway. It looks like a rave hole. I mean that's a massive hallway, which is.

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Speaker 3: All yeah, which is aw all right.

00:05:17
Speaker 4: They do it right here, that's for sure.

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Speaker 6: They've changed the clubhouse because they used it used to not be nice, so they've redone the whole. They've done both sides, and it's way better than what it used to be, as you know. All right, so we got to go back to Game seven. You started Game seven. First of all, in the first inning, your ex teammate Josh Naylor jumps in front of a double playball. What did you say to him when he did because you said something to him, but you didn't really read your looks.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, no you couldn't. I thought it was pretty obvious.

00:05:46
Speaker 3: Yeah, something like what the effort you doing? Or it was kind of.

00:05:50
Speaker 7: Like that, you know, that's the heat of the moment comment, right, like, you know, he already had a base base RBI base hit and it was a tailor made double play to get out of that first inning. And credit to Josh Man, I know he'll do anything he can to win.

00:06:07
Speaker 4: Love his game. He had a fantastic year this year.

00:06:10
Speaker 7: So we exchanged some text messages after and it's all good.

00:06:13
Speaker 4: But yeah, I think you can you can.

00:06:15
Speaker 7: Read, uh read my lips, and you know, thankfully they they made the right call and we got out.

00:06:20
Speaker 4: Of the inning.

00:06:21
Speaker 6: Okay, So not only did you yell at Nailor, but when you got taken out of the game, you kind of were yelling at the umpire, were you trying to get ejected as you got taken out of the game, or were you just walking that fine line between just saying things and not getting ejected.

00:06:36
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean you know something about that, don't you.

00:06:39
Speaker 3: I've been ejected a time or ten, so yes, I.

00:06:42
Speaker 4: Know it worked, Yes, so exactly.

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Speaker 7: Yeah, it turns out, I mean, the TV zones different than the umpires on, so we'll see.

00:06:49
Speaker 5: But I went back and.

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Speaker 4: Looked and like home, those are both falls. So that's not a great not a great look.

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Speaker 7: But you know whatever, I think, like I said, is game seven just trying to leave it all out there.

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Speaker 4: And obviously didn't want to you know, I wanted to finish the inning and didn't want to end it on a on a walk.

00:07:05
Speaker 7: But at the same time I knew, you know, Louis Varlin, our fire extinguisher, was coming into the ball game, and you know he was able to get the job done and and ultimately, in a game seven, you're just looking to give everything you have out there and then pass the time and with the offense that we have, keep it as close as possible, and you know we're gonna get our opportunities to do some damage and go figure we did just that, all.

00:07:29
Speaker 5: Right, So players in the dugout kind of know how the game is gonna go. You're surprised by certain moments. Take us to the springer. The springer and not bringing munos in in that in that situation, were you guys sitting on the bench like I kind of thought they'd bring munos in here, like we kind of did you say.

00:07:48
Speaker 7: Kind of rash or brash or brash? Yeah, honestly, I mean you never know. Hitting is hard, right and baseball is crazy. We have all these in the world, and in George, he continually comes up with a huge hit.

00:08:05
Speaker 4: Time after time.

00:08:05
Speaker 7: We were all hoping for a base hit, and uh he won uped us, that's for sure. You know, credit to honestly the Mariners, their bullpen. They they're incredible all year, in all postseason. And so, you know, regardless, I think you're you're thinking a little bit less about the picture and you're you're thinking a little bit more about George and putting your faith in him and his ability to get the job done regardless of who's on the mound. But yeah, I think looking back, they probably had a few different options, but nobody knows those conversations when that dugout and in that bullpen to end up making that decision. But I think for us Andres had a huge sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third and and it didn't matter who's on the mound. We have every all the confidence in the world in George to be able to come through for us big time.

00:08:57
Speaker 6: You know you're happy they brought in you can you guys are all happy on that bench and you guys like, oh, George Homer, nice, thanks guys, thank you, thank you.

00:09:05
Speaker 3: Seattle. So it's okay. I know how listen, you're not gonna say it, I'll say it for you. It's cool. But I want to know are you pitching Game three? Have they told you? Are you guys going same same rotation?

00:09:13
Speaker 4: I think we're still I think we're still figuring some things out.

00:09:16
Speaker 7: I heard you guys talking when I was in the waiting room there trying to get an answer from me.

00:09:20
Speaker 4: I actually don't have an answer just yet.

00:09:22
Speaker 3: But I think you're saving it for media. It's cool, we get it.

00:09:26
Speaker 4: Yeah, No, you guys are the media man.

00:09:30
Speaker 7: In twelve minutes, I might find out when everybody else finds out to be fair, But I just it's a World Series.

00:09:36
Speaker 4: Like I said, no matter.

00:09:37
Speaker 7: What, we're leaving it all out there, So I don't care when it is. I'm just excited and grateful to be able to get an opportunity and get the ball.

00:09:45
Speaker 4: And so whenever I do get that, I'll get my all shame.

00:09:50
Speaker 3: So they kept they always talk about this. You had Tommy John not that long ago. Okay, is it a thing?

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Speaker 6: Is this a real thing where you throw one day and you're like, Okay, my arm feels great and I have great stuff, and then the next time, because it's kind of been in the postseason, one good one, one bad one, one really good one, one bad one. You know, is that a real thing where sometimes you just don't feel it because you haven't fully come back from Tommy John? Because the Game three start, your slider was literally stopping and just making a left turn on TV, right right turn or left turn for you, right tern for the hitter right, and then in Game seven it just wasn't as sharp.

00:10:24
Speaker 3: Is that a Tommy John thing? Or is that just day to day thing?

00:10:29
Speaker 4: Who's to say? I think I located it much much better in Seattle.

00:10:33
Speaker 7: You know, I left some pitches up in Game seven, and I got punched for it a little bit, and at the same time, I felt like, uh, yeah, it just had It was one of those addings. It was clear early on, and you know, from behind the dish, like sometimes it's like, oh, we're gonna have to grind through this one because you know, induced a few ground balls and they were final and we're just trying to limit damage at that point.

00:10:58
Speaker 4: The game kind of.

00:11:01
Speaker 7: Like sets its theme early on and you got to make adjustments and compete and roll.

00:11:06
Speaker 4: With it, and that's kind of what it was. And so.

00:11:10
Speaker 7: I think in a game seven, you're just focusing on getting as many outs as you can and keeping the game close.

00:11:16
Speaker 4: And fortunately I was able to do that.

00:11:19
Speaker 7: And you know, in regards to Tommy John, I don't know what's going on right now, Like there's yeah, everybody I've spoken to is telling me and had told me, like, get you know, once you get to that first off season, because I didn't have an off season last year. I was rehabbing and throwing and building up throughout the entire thing and in spring training.

00:11:39
Speaker 4: Yeah, I wasn't pitching in games the first half of this year.

00:11:42
Speaker 7: But you know, I'm throwing bullpens, you know, two three a week and then lives and you know, starting on a five day rotation. So it's been a it's been a grind, that's for sure. It's been a long year and a half two years. But guys say, like, well, you get that full off season and then you build up and do normal spring training, that's when things kind of start.

00:12:02
Speaker 4: To feel normal.

00:12:02
Speaker 7: But for me, I don't even think I would recognize what normal is right now, just because of where I'm at, coming off of surgery, you know, having just started throwing a baseball just a year ago, and now I find myself pitching the World Series.

00:12:22
Speaker 5: Is there a difference for you going into a start because you said in Seattle? In Seattle, your slider was good. Do you feel like your stuff is different in Toronto, in Seattle, in Toronto, in la or in Toronto roof close, roof open, like where you can you can spin it differently?

00:12:41
Speaker 7: Yeah, it can be absolutely And that's something I've kind of learned a lot more about this year, just playing in an environment like this with a dome, making some starts with the roof open and with the roof close and different different wind patterns.

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Speaker 4: And after my first start, I think it was the roof was open and I.

00:13:00
Speaker 7: Was throwing change ups that I could not land in the strike zone, and I was looking up at the the metrics of it and it was like negative four vertical and negative twenty two horizontal and as twice as much movement as I was used to right and was trying to make the adjustment mid mid game and on the mound. So yeah, absolutely, environment definitely impacts the way the ball moves and the way.

00:13:29
Speaker 4: You might go about pitching. But at the same time, you try and just.

00:13:34
Speaker 7: Figure it out early on and make the adjustments necessary, and then it doesn't really matter. Nobody cares what the environments like. You got to go out there and compete.

00:13:42
Speaker 6: Interesting that you look at that, by the way, and then you try to make adjustments.

00:13:45
Speaker 3: My hell, pitching has changed.

00:13:46
Speaker 6: I mean it's crazy how pitching is, you know, I look at vertical and horizontal. It kind of like, man, I really.

00:13:50
Speaker 3: Threw a good slider and punch that dude out on them.

00:13:53
Speaker 6: So that's what you should tell next time it comes to take you out. You should go like Max and be like, look at the vertical on my slide. It's good right now.

00:14:02
Speaker 7: No, and we make fun of ourselves for sure. For that, Like there's there's definitely a nice balance. You don't want to just like completely rely on that stuff, but sometimes it's nice to add context. So why why for you know, the love of guy, you can't land a change up and you've been able to do it for the last last six months.

00:14:22
Speaker 4: But at the same time, like.

00:14:23
Speaker 7: Now I'm hearing hitters do that too, and they're coming back and looking at the iPads and so it's not just hitters they're they're or it's not just pictures. It's it's hitters two that are focused on all that stuff and for better or for worse, it helps.

00:14:36
Speaker 4: Them, but it might hurt them as well. So we'll see, all.

00:14:41
Speaker 6: Right, last three, But because we know you got to go last three real quick? One, what's it like to be because the logo behind you says World Series. You were on the Guardians, you were hurt, you got traded to the Blue Jays, now you're in the World Series.

00:14:52
Speaker 3: Explain that feeling to.

00:14:53
Speaker 4: Us, Yeah, hard to explain.

00:14:58
Speaker 7: We didn't know what what was int or for for my family and I getting traded over here.

00:15:04
Speaker 4: You know what was that end of July. And you know, thankfully I knew a lot.

00:15:08
Speaker 7: Of guys here, A lot of guys from Cleveland have ended up here in Toronto, and these guys have welcomed me with open arms, and the team and even guys I didn't know prior to to get traded over here that they've taken amazing care and and helped this My family and I acclimate so so well.

00:15:27
Speaker 4: And so.

00:15:29
Speaker 7: Really it's a it's a surreal feeling now pitching in the World Series and being in the World Series, and this is the most fun I've ever had playing baseball. I'm enjoying every second with these guys, and so I can't wait to continue it. But it's a it's a crazy feeling, that's for sure.

00:15:48
Speaker 6: Okay, Second one is is bo gonna play? Is he gonna be out there playing short stuff for you guys in tomorrow.

00:15:54
Speaker 7: I know he's working his tail off to to get to a point, to push them hard, to to make the right decision. I think he's probably already rehabbing or hitting right now. I saw him a little bit earlier, and so I don't know when they got to release the roster, probably tonight, tomorrow morning. So I know they they definitely have some decisions to make, but you ain't getting that answer for me. And you think, if you if you think, I know, you're crazy.

00:16:23
Speaker 3: Man.

00:16:24
Speaker 6: Dang, you're so good at this stuff. You're so good at not answering questions but not really answer. That's why I wore this shirt. I wore this shirt just for you, Okay, just because I know, just because I know.

00:16:35
Speaker 4: I'm not worried about the Hotspurs.

00:16:38
Speaker 3: Okay, all right, all right, he's not a Hotspur fan. What do you want me to your last question?

00:16:42
Speaker 6: That was my last question. I wore that shirt just for him. I wanted to see his feelings on you. He just laughed.

00:16:46
Speaker 4: I love it. I appreciate it.

00:16:48
Speaker 3: You're what you're Chelsea, right, Chelsea.

00:16:50
Speaker 4: Fan, Liverpool, Liverpool shot.

00:16:54
Speaker 7: They're playing more, they're playing more American football games in that stadium than they are European football.

00:17:00
Speaker 3: Hey, well, you know you gotta get that money. Gotta make that money. Concerts in football.

00:17:04
Speaker 2: Exactly, getting a call and you've got to go anywhere. No, Shane, thank you for the time. If you can hear us, appreciate you. I know you're getting a call We're at time for you, so go to media day.

00:17:14
Speaker 3: Have the best time.

00:17:15
Speaker 1: Yeah, good luck.

00:17:16
Speaker 4: All right, thanks guys, appreciate you.

00:17:17
Speaker 1: Hed.

00:17:17
Speaker 2: This episode of FT is presented by Fox one and Fox one is now live stream all your Fox favorites together in one place. MLB postseason, which is now up to World Series.

00:17:30
Speaker 1: Shane Bieber.

00:17:30
Speaker 6: Shane Bieber pitch game three or four, six or seven or whenever. He won't tell us.

00:17:35
Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't believe like he knows. Come on, he hasn't, no cratzy. I bet he doesn't know. I'm gonna go. He was honest. Okay, okay.

00:17:45
Speaker 6: It's also like Logan Gilbert didn't know when we asked him and he was I was like, which one one?

00:17:49
Speaker 1: He was like, oh you know he knew. He was like, am I allowed to say yes?

00:17:53
Speaker 5: Yes? Yes? Yes?

00:17:54
Speaker 1: Is it officially announced?

00:17:56
Speaker 5: Yeah?

00:17:57
Speaker 3: No, but listen.

00:17:58
Speaker 6: I mean that he was a great interview first catching pitch on Fox one. Whether it's game it's probably gonna be game three, and if it goes to game seven, he'll be out there in game seven. But I love his confidence.

00:18:07
Speaker 3: He's like, when we win the World Series, we're having that party in the locker room. Trash. I freaking love it.

00:18:13
Speaker 5: That's awesome.

00:18:13
Speaker 6: That's what's all about right there. And if he's got that good slider going, he owns show hate too. By the way, two for thirteen with six punchies. That's pretty good.

00:18:20
Speaker 1: That is good.

00:18:21
Speaker 2: So Joe Hay won't be pitching that game. So you're saying that was the game where the batwoke up?

00:18:26
Speaker 3: Who wasn't that said? Show Hey didn't do anything special that game? That was dumb.

00:18:29
Speaker 1: Take Rob Parker.

00:18:32
Speaker 3: I like you, Rob, but that was bad take.

00:18:34
Speaker 2: I'm all four going outside the box, but like, you have to give me something. I actually opened up the article and I was like, is he gonna say something interesting? And he didn't say anything. He just said, like, people have hit three homers in a game before, people have pitched really well before, but.

00:18:49
Speaker 3: Not in the same game. Roberts anyways, I like. I like Rob too. He's a he's a good guy.

00:18:55
Speaker 1: I do too.

00:18:55
Speaker 2: We can bring him on, he's been on. Yeah, he's super nice. We should I mean, we should get him back too.

00:19:03
Speaker 3: Is he I think he is.

00:19:05
Speaker 1: I mean maybe that contributes to his take.

00:19:07
Speaker 2: I don't know, but what I can tell you is seven day free trial, foxwe dot Com, QR code on the screen Brady on Sundays exactly. And the World Series, which is most important for you right now Friday night. If you don't know where to find it and you need a spot, you don't have TV, cable whatever, Fox one is your solution. Grant Brisbee is back on foul Territory. You can find all of his work in the Athletic. He's one of the funnier writers out there. I'll say it for Grand He goes for it. He takes chances to try and make you laugh and I appreciate that. So Grant, good to see you, and we're bringing you on at least to start here to talk about your latest The Lover's Guide to the twenty twenty five World Series. So how you doing and how are you taking care of the lovers out there.

00:19:57
Speaker 8: I'm doing very very well. As you know, I grew up a Giants fan writing about the Giants, so it's a it's a pleasure to be on here at the Giants catching legend and also a j Perzinski.

00:20:08
Speaker 6: But I have a bubble head, Grant, Look at this, Look at this, I have a Giants bubble ahead.

00:20:13
Speaker 3: You know what Crowds doesn't have one of those, does he? No, Crowds doesn't, but not yet.

00:20:17
Speaker 8: I'm working on. I got an article in the can.

00:20:20
Speaker 3: I retired either by the Giants, like minus.

00:20:26
Speaker 8: Last year, you had me on after writing The Hater's Guide to the World Series because it was the Dodgers and Yankees and it was an annoying matchup. It was a fun matchup ended up being a short world series, maybe not the most even, but a fun world series. But it was still an annoying world series leading up to it. So I had a totally different preview in mind, and my editor said, no, do that for last year. You hate this world series, right, But I don't. I like this world series. This world series is fun, it's fresh, it's new. So so I'm all.

00:20:57
Speaker 2: In, Okay, why give me some more context on why the half the world series is the same from last year, but now you're suddenly in love.

00:21:10
Speaker 8: Well last year Dodgers Yankees. Look, I know the Yankees haven't had the same success that they had in the turnal of litt Millennium, but they're still the Yankees. They're still a boogeyman.

00:21:19
Speaker 7: You know.

00:21:19
Speaker 8: The Cowboys haven't been to a Super Bowl in thirty five years, people still get annoyed by the Cowboys, and the Yankees have that same vibe. There's still kind of a payroll bully. They're still in the postseason every year. So you could pick the Yankees, but you didn't feel good about it. The Blue Jays are friendlier. They're named after a well, an annoying bird, but they're named after a bird. They're like, they're a fun, new, fresh team. They've got they've got flat Tito, they've got so much going for him, they've got a hot shot rookie, and it's a new team in a hungry fan base. Now you have someone to root for if you're not a Dodgers fan, and so you have an entire country rooting against you, and then you've got most of the baseball loving world rooting against you. And if you're a Dodgers fan, that's perfect.

00:22:05
Speaker 1: That's perfect.

00:22:06
Speaker 8: I mean, you don't have to you don't have to overthink that. It's it's great. You love it when when the world is against you. I mean, right now, I didn't plan this, but you know I'm wearing a Golden State Warriors sweatshirt. When they got Kevin Durant. Yeah, that was funny. Everyone got mad at the Warriors and it was one of the best times in my sporting fan life. So I love that everyone has a rooting interest in this World series.

00:22:29
Speaker 6: So yeah, I was gonna get on you because you're wearing a Dodger blue sweater and you're a Giants fan.

00:22:33
Speaker 3: That's unacceptable.

00:22:34
Speaker 6: So I'm glad that you showed that because I was like, man, is he really wearing a Dodger sweatshirt? So one of the reasons if you're if you don't if you picked the room for the Dodgers, what were the three reasons you said you're a Dodger fan.

00:22:44
Speaker 3: You're Sandy Kofax or what was the third one?

00:22:47
Speaker 8: You like showho Tony. That's reasonable, you know, especially I if you're overseas or if you're just getting into baseball, maybe you're a kid and you live somewhere where there's not a baseball team or there is, and you still love Stani. Totally fine, And it's not like if you choose another reason, like you like the logo, you're a dork. It just means that's what most people. They found their way to the Dodgers by being born into it by living in a certain area or being a big fan of Otani. The rest of the world falls outside that circle, and it's a pretty big circle.

00:23:21
Speaker 5: So do you think Dave Roberts is right that the Dodgers are ruining baseball?

00:23:28
Speaker 8: I've thought that since like nineteen eighty two, and so I'm a little biased. No, I don't think, you know, when you go back, if the Dodgers, how would I put? They're at least doing it in a way that I don't think you can repeat ad infinitum. I don't think that, no matter how hard you want the next show Heotani, that there's going to be a next show heo Atani. I don't think that the next time there's a Mookie bets that his very rich parent franchise will give him up that easy. I think a lot of things have kind of fallen into place, and they have the Juggernaut already, they have the structural advantages, like I don't want to minimize that, but this kind of Dodger's dominance really relies on Shohyotani, and he's you know, he's not gonna come around again. He's a superhero. This is it so that that's the way to kind of make peace with it.

00:24:23
Speaker 2: You're talking me into really liking this matchup the Dodgers of the Evil Empire. You've got the star power with guys like Otani and Vladdie. But here I'll add this to the mix. And I know you included this in your all inclusive article. You have traditional it sounds where it even say traditional starting pitching where they actually will keep going in games. And then you also have contact and I know they can hit the slug too, but contact top contact team in the sport.

00:24:57
Speaker 1: That's how you hook me in.

00:25:00
Speaker 8: Yeah, it's that is the promise of a really fun world series. So even when you have Dodgers Yankees, it's a great matchup. You have great players on both sides. But you sort of knew how the outs were going to get made. You were going to see a lot of swing and miss. You're going to see a lot of big time swings that were going for the fences and not getting it. But that's their game. This is different. This is a Blue Jays team that loves putting the ball in play. The Dodgers led the majors and strikeouts, so it's not it's not a given that they're just gonna whap the ball all over the ballpark. But they put the ball in play, and that's when things happen. It sounds simple, it sounds reductive, but anything can happen when a ball is in play. That is when you get the triple play. That is when you get the triple down the line. You get an inside the park home run, you get someone thrown out at the plate trying for an inside the park home run. You get a routine grounder to short, you get someone making the best play you've ever seen in your life at short. Balls in play are fun. Strikeouts are cool if the moment is right, but balls in play are just That's why we watch baseball, and I get why teams are strikeout heavy. I get how do you maximize your chances of success if the ball isn't in play? But let's let's see some baseball and the Blue Jays offer that.

00:26:13
Speaker 3: Okay, before we go to your team, who are you rooting for and who's gonna win?

00:26:20
Speaker 8: I am a credentialed member of the Baseball Writers Association of America and I can't officially root for a team.

00:26:29
Speaker 3: I didn't.

00:26:30
Speaker 6: That's what I said. I guess that wasn't the question who do you want to win? And who's gonna win?

00:26:37
Speaker 8: Dodgers are gonna win, Okay, yeah, because they're they're they're the better team in Yeah, well it's you know, you can be a Giants, a Giants writer, and be a fatalist too. I think that fits in, uh with the general ethos.

00:26:52
Speaker 4: Uh.

00:26:53
Speaker 8: Who do I want to win? Honestly, like it sounds like a bit, but I just want some like a fun World Series, I really do. You just want a game set like to me the ending of the World Baseball Classic with Otani and Trout. It was so perfect it felt scripted. I want something like that, and I don't care if it's Trout striking out or Trout getting the home run in this analogy, but I want seven games and I want people to be delirious. The best baseball experience I've ever had in my life was Game five of the twenty seventeen World Series. I was in the auxiliary press box in Houston and just watching a ballpark lose its mind in one of the wackiest games I've ever seen. I want that, but without revelations later that that maybe might spoil it a little bit.

00:27:39
Speaker 3: Okay, so you want Kershaw to close it out for the Dodgers. Cool?

00:27:42
Speaker 6: As a Giants fan, I please, okay, But all right, so here's my choy. We're gonna go to the Giants. Now we're gonna go to your team. What did you think of the new manager? Higher, I think it's fascinating. Listen, Do I hope Tony Vaitello six undred percent? Do I think he's a good college coach? Absolutely?

00:27:57
Speaker 3: Do we know what kind of MLB manager is going to be? Absolutely not.

00:28:01
Speaker 6: But it is gonna be mesmerizing to watch who he hires, what staffhires, where he goes. What is game planning is like what is bullpen? It's gonna be must watch TV for me every night to see how he handles his starting in spring training.

00:28:14
Speaker 8: That's really the only way to think about it. The only way to approach this is this is interesting. This is curious because you've got not only is he never managed a game of the majors, He's never managed a game in the miners. He's never played a game in the miners. He has as many professional hits as I do, and he's just he's a total unknown. And I was thinking about it. And yes, you know, he's a gregarious guy, a leader of men, as they say, and he is supposed to be a very good communicator. All these things that are going to be what you want in any managerial candidate in twenty twenty five. But I really do think that one of the things that is a problem with a lot of teams, not just the Giants, but the Giants, is a lack of fundamental a lack of just getting people on the same page when it comes to hitting the cutoff man, making the right play, picking up your third base, coaches around the bases. It sounds simple, and I know Bob Melvin cared about that. It's not like he's hearing this for the first time. You going, wait a second, You're supposed to do those things. But they needed a new voice, someone who is used to not surprised when they're seeing a lack of fundamentals, perhaps at the major league level, someone who is able to communicate it without condescending. To these high paid superstars who have never struggled, you know, in their careers, when it comes to baseball over like a year long stretch, it just it seems to me like it's a they're trying to match that goal of teaching fundamentals with you know, getting guys on board. Buster Posey's convinced, and that's it would be different. I think if anyone else, if it Brian Saviian or Farnsiety, if they were trying to convince me, I'd be like, Okay, that's that's a big task. When Uster Posey says I think this will work, then it becomes less risky and more oh, this is interesting and we'll see how it works.

00:30:08
Speaker 5: Do you feel like he was definitely his number one choice or do you feel like someone else denied the position or didn't want to take take on what it meant to manage the giants when they got Once they got farther in an interview process, it.

00:30:23
Speaker 8: Was Nick Hutley's job, if you wanted it. I don't think that's a secret. I think that you know, he's super close with Buster Posey when they met. I'm sure Posey at the time was just thinking for an entire season, this kid's going to be a manager one day, and you know, baseball works out in funny ways, and he had a chance, but he didn't want to go right back to the grind and Honestly, I don't know how anyone does, you know, retire as a player and then go immediately back to the grind. I feel like I would sleep for twenty years. I can't even believe you guys do this like I would. Just it's so much work to be, you know, a manager, swip player, a coach, and when you have kids at home. I'm surprised this doesn't come up more often, but it was Hunley's job if you wanted it.

00:31:09
Speaker 1: Okay, Well, we'll see how Tony does. It's going to be fascinating to follow.

00:31:13
Speaker 2: I'm excited for You've got some storylines to follow this coming season for San Francisco. Buster Posey is making things a lot more interesting. I think that's safe to say for the writers out there. He's rooting for fun stories to cover.

00:31:26
Speaker 1: And there you go. Grant, this was great.

00:31:29
Speaker 2: I'm all in I already was, but I'm even more all in on the world series.

00:31:32
Speaker 1: Always a pleasure of talking to you.

00:31:34
Speaker 2: Check out Grant and all his work in The Athletic also part of the ground Table podcast on the Athletic Network.

00:31:39
Speaker 1: Thank you, Grant, good talking to you man.

00:31:41
Speaker 8: Thank you very much for having me on