Cubs-White Sox was a vibe, Edwin Díaz cockfighting scandal, M’s call up Colt Emerson, Loads of injuries

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Happy Monday people, Happy Rivalry weekend, hangover day, you guys, kid, that was so exhausting. That was exhausting. That was fun though. That was entertaining. And we're going to get to what I think was the most entertaining series. But before that, the most entertaining gimmick occurred in the Royals Cardinals series in Saint Louis a j Did you like that? Would you be a fan of that? The tarps off section that Ali Marmol was funding.

00:00:37
Speaker 2: You know, I thought it was great. I thought it was cool that the random kids showed up there and did it, and then the crowd got bigger and bigger each day. I thought it was great. I thought Ali Marmele jumping in was awesome, bringing the couple, bringing a few of them into the stands, and you know, I mean there's a lot of people there except for in this section. So you heard all the players talk about it, saying how it was one of the most exciting times of their big league career. I think it's great. The Cardinals are playing well, the fans from Texas apparently are behind them, and then you get all these young kids jumping around their shirt saw bringing excitement in the park. What's not to like about this grat I mean, yeah, your shirts are all let's make sure it stays a male section male only. Girls can have like a big hat section. But to be a club baseball player, to be a you know, just a fan of baseball, and then you get an opportunity to do exactly what they're doing when they're in the clubhouse there, you know, rubbing elbows with Cardinals players who aren't really that much older them. This is a really young team, Like, that's the experience of a lifetime. They'll be Cardinals fans forever if they weren't already.

00:01:52
Speaker 1: Such a different vibe when you can get that kind of energy. We've talked about this a lot age that you can't get that energy daily in our sport unless you hire those kids to just come to every game.

00:02:04
Speaker 2: No, they're not gonna do that, aren't they were they club baseball players or something. So even it was super cool that Ali did this, and maybe it can become like a section or a thing for the Cardinals for the rest of the year. Every team always wants a rallying cry. Maybe this is the one for the Cardinals.

00:02:19
Speaker 1: And many teams are good at this what was it? What was Felix Ornandez's little area. It's been a minute now, remember King King's Court, King's Court, King's Court. They've got others too for people out there. So when they do create those situations, it's cool. It often happens with starting pitchers, so you get it. How many times does a starting pitcher start a game at home during the year fifteen. It's just through the whole thing.

00:02:50
Speaker 3: Yeah, Padillas Flotilla went South Asano. They had South Pals in.

00:02:58
Speaker 2: Philly. They had some of them.

00:03:02
Speaker 3: Some of them pop up, some of them pop up, and they're a little gimmicky, but you know the ones, the ones that really hit and are big, like like King Felix.

00:03:11
Speaker 2: That was cool. I think for a little bit. Julio had the no fly he still has a no fly zone.

00:03:16
Speaker 3: But they were doing some stuff in Seattle, and it doesn't never it's got to get huge, like King Felix. They're all had yellow k's and they had crowns sometimes.

00:03:25
Speaker 2: It was cool.

00:03:27
Speaker 1: Judges Chambers, I mean that's a fixture. Yeah, yeah, that's cool. So it was fun. Yeah, it was cool story to follow, and that the team was buying into it as well. I like when it's both sides there. The fans were into it, or these students created this college like atmosphere, and then it was reciprocated with Ali Marmal, who's a cool has a young feel to him. He feels like he can connect with a group like that, and he's got his team playing inspiring ball. Let's get to the big showdown from the weekend. There were many, but this one stands out. Charging about what do you have for us AJ Cubs White Sox was a vibe.

00:04:08
Speaker 2: I mean, this is how it used to be when both teams were trying for so long, one of the other wasn't trying, and now they're both and I wouldn't even say the White Sox have really even tried yet. They're just playing really well. And the city was on notice and it was awesome to watch. The game yesterday was crazy three run lead going into the ninth. Confordo hits a three run homer to tie it, uh and then ethgar Kiro walks it off. I mean, it was, it was. It was a good game to watch. It was a fun game to watch. The whole weekend was fun. All the games are really good. The crowds were into it. There was a ton of fights, which I don't condone, but it always happens in the In the Socks Cubs rivalry, we saw pie Crow Armstrong say some things to some some fans in the stands, and you know what, that's him. But this was how this this series is meant to be. I tell people, I played Red Sox Yankees, I played Dodgers Giants, I played Cardinals Cubs. I played in a lot of the biggest rivalries in MLB, and this one, to me, those six games that we played were the closest I ever saw to playing a postseason game in the regular season when both teams were good and both teams were really trying. It was. The atmosphere was incredible and this is the way it should be. I never believe it. I honestly never believed it. When you said it, it was like, all right, fine, like your Chicago, your Chicago dum makes you say that.

00:05:26
Speaker 3: I saw it this weekend. I saw what like just the energy. Yeah, the games were good. You know, they had the stars Wrikami hits two homers in one game. Like the guys that were playing that you would think you wanted to see in this in this rivalry, in this series did some cool things, and then the Sunday game was ridiculous to have that much energy, to have that much in a May middle literally middle of May series, and had the outcomes the way they were White Sox. One didn't think the White Sox were gonna win this.

00:06:02
Speaker 2: It was.

00:06:03
Speaker 3: It was awesome, and I completely disagreed with you, but I never experienced it, and I think this is something it's showcased what people need to experience and why teams need to try.

00:06:16
Speaker 2: I get it.

00:06:17
Speaker 3: The Cubs are just as to blame as the White Sox. The Cubs didn't try for a lot of years. Then the White Sox weren't very good. Whether they were trying or not, they weren't very good. And now they're both good. At this point in the year, it was it was fun to watch.

00:06:33
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00:07:00
Speaker 1: That's less than a drink in many cities these days if you like bougie drinks. All plans come with high speed data and unlimited talk and text delivered on the nation's largest five G network. If you like your money, mint mobile is for you. Shot plans at mintmobile dot com slash territory. That's mintmobile dot com slash territory. Upfront payment of forty five dollars for three month five gigabyte plan required equivalent to fifteen bucks a month. New customer offer for first three months only, then full price plan options available, Taxes and fees extra. See mint mobile for details on the topic of trying. The White Sox signed Murakami this offseason, and aj I think it's fair to say that part of it was the rest of baseball allowing the White Sox to sign him for a rate like that. I don't think they were going to pay massive dollars for him. If we could scrap it all and do it again, things would change. It's a big part of it. Another couple homers for him on Saturday. There have been a lot of articles coming out lately on almost every publication that's covering baseball. Seriously, what happened? Why the league miss right? Like? So, I was just reading the one from Sam Blum this morning, for example, and he's going off of the end zone contact rate the league said was too low, not hitting velocity. And then there's you know, scouts quoted essentially saying, I don't think his defense is going to be able to make up or his offense is going to be able to make up for his defensive issues. You know, some in the league saw him as like a massive liability at first base. Watch him play. Is he the best first baseman in the league? Not close? Is he the worst first baseman in the league? Not close. He looks fine, average good, forty homers and average defense at first base is worth more than what the White Sox paid for. And to me, the reason I'm bringing this up again, aj is I just think it's changed the complexion of the organization. It sparked things a little more. It's somebody that you can market around and rally around. It's a home run threat who everyone's talking about. And he's not the only one I know. Vargus is playing super well. Montgomery et cetera. But he seems to be bringing it all together. You're closer to it. You watch more pitches of them than I do. What do you think.

00:09:15
Speaker 2: I think he's brought a different presence. He's brought something that they can the fans can focus on. I mean him and Montgomery and listen, I gotta give m A. Gill Vargas a ton of credit here. Also, the average is down, by the way, He's going to be Rookie of the Year, Markamy. I don't care what Jim Bowden says and Kevin McGonagall or whatever. But if the white Socks stay in this race, and they right now are in this race, if they stay in this race and he keeps he gets an OPS of nine thirty four at the end of this year, guess what, he's gonna win Rookie of the Year. So I'll be right on that one too. K percentage. Who cares, No one cares about K's anymore. Strike out all you want, just keep hitting ops in nine thirty four. He shows he shows some of the younger guys how to take your bats. He's just been a good presence in as far as his defense goes. He's playing first base, and I know Ron Washington said. Ron Washington said first base is incredibly difficult. In that terrible movie Moneyball, it is hard, right, But he was a third basement in Japan. He's moved over to first and been pretty darn good. So I don't know what the miss was here. I'm not a scout. I didn't see him play before this, but we saw him perform in the WBC in big moments. Remember he got the big hit a few years ago against US to win that game against some guys who have some pretty good velocity, were major league pitchers. So I'm very happy that he fell to the White Sox and the White Sox were able to sign him because he has brought a different presence at the White Sox Anita for a long.

00:10:33
Speaker 1: Time, he's talked about it being a big chip to Kratz, so this article talked about Yoshida and even say as Suzuki, he's been a nice player, but he was a superstar, and they're like, oh, it didn't translate to superstar. I'm like, all right, well, he's been a very nice player. I know he's lacking a little especially with runners scoringstition. By the way, it's five for forty struck out in a big spot this weekend, but in general he's been a plus player, right and Yoshida, you can make a different case for or Kami has this big chip because it's not just about him. He was quoted in the story saying, when I came to the majors, my goal was to change the perspective of NPB players in Japan, perspective of what people are looking at here on position players over there. And he thinks he's raised the level already with what he's shown in the first quarter this season. Long way to go. But when he talks like that to me, it makes it like it's personal and it has to do with his countrymen being disrespected.

00:11:28
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I say, Suzuki. I remember when he came over and we had played against him with Team USA, and I was like, this dude's like he's legit.

00:11:36
Speaker 3: He had he looked the part in the sense of speed zone discipline, like walking more than he's striking out all that stuff, and he didn't transition. He didn't transition at all, like more comedy has transitioned. And so maybe he does have that, like you said, little chip on his shoulder. Maybe he has that you know, Okay, Well the reason I didn't hit krat said I can't hit ninety four plus, Well, you know what, I didn't see it very often. So when you don't see something very often, how are you going to necessarily catch up to it or make the adjustment for it. And everybody who's like, oh, he strikes out so much, he's got a great eye. He's got a great eye. People have stopped talking about Kyle Schwarber striking out too much. And Kyle Schwarber has four more strikeouts than more comedy. And I think he's the part that's cool to see him do this is he's doing it as kind of the lynch pin for this team. Is Vargas having a good year? Absolutely? Is Colson Montgomery?

00:12:38
Speaker 2: Is he a.

00:12:38
Speaker 3: Problem for teams when he's in the box, So you think about him where he's at in the order, But you can't let more ecamy beat you right now. And he's doing it. To have this many home runs this early, very few, there's probably better. There's probably better Japanese or players that have done better in America that have come over from the MPB. But to do it right away is so impressive and way harder than people are really giving you credit for.

00:13:08
Speaker 1: Remember, most people in the off season were like, Oh, there's gonna be an adjustment. He's gonna have to figure out how to time up major league pitching. Not really.

00:13:16
Speaker 2: I said it.

00:13:16
Speaker 1: You you, Yeah, you were one.

00:13:18
Speaker 2: I said it. I even talked.

00:13:20
Speaker 3: I talked to different scouts of teams that needed a DH and they all said the same thing. They all said the same thing. They were like, Yo, everybody's gonna say all the big hit that he had against tam Usa, it was against Merrill Kelly. It wasn't velocity, and it was like, were they nitpicking things? Were they seeing hitting? And aj was a really good hitter. He didn't have like ridiculous power like Moricmi. But hitting in the big leagues is about making an adjustment. Anybody who teaches hitting and goes, okay, well you got to swing this way every time, every time you got to swing one way, Well, what happens when they're just attacking you up top? You got to be able to make the adjustment. And for him to have this much success early, he's already gone through two or three cycles of adjustments from how the league is pitching him and he's still bashing Dingers.

00:14:07
Speaker 1: Impressive, and so are the White Sox right now, hanging in there, hanging in there. You know, we're past a quarter point of the season. They're in one of the worst divisions so far in terms of wins and losses. Al Central not good. L Weska, Yeah, when.

00:14:23
Speaker 2: Do we start talking about the Tigers of being in trouble? Just asking when when they stop hit it? Oh? Wait that now, different segment.

00:14:36
Speaker 1: Hey, Ken Rosenthal talks a lot about a big series that's firing up this week, the Padres and the Dodgers. To hit the Padres side for a moment. We'll talk Dodgers later. AJ Padres swept the Mariners. When do we start talking about what's wrong with the Mariners?

00:14:50
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, we already we kind of already have, haven't we?

00:14:54
Speaker 1: Yeah, we have. But also the Al West is terrible right now, so they're like.

00:14:58
Speaker 2: Yeah, right in the did you guys watch the game yesterday? I mean, the Padre's pitching completely shut down the Maris offense. There is no offense on this team at all. It is even I mean, I know they scored a couple runs late, but it was like they were just it was they had no chance.

00:15:15
Speaker 3: I'm like, what are they They handed it up to them. Stop throwing strikes. They just handed those runs to them essentially.

00:15:21
Speaker 2: I know, by the way, you have a seven nothing lead and you throw a rookie a three to one change up. I was even they even said it on the broadcast. I was like, what are we doing? I think PV said it on the broadcast. I was like, what are we doing? Like, you got to make the guy hit his way on? And by the way, do you guys like the New NBC broadcast, there's a lot of people talking. I feel like so many It's like, who's talking? Wait, we're going here? It's and I love Jason. I don't know. I'm just it just seems like there's a lot because it's three guys. It's three people in the booth, then a guy on the field, and then someone in the studio.

00:15:52
Speaker 1: Then it's like, Wow, I did a game package for a long time where it's different people all the time too. I prefer consistency.

00:16:06
Speaker 3: We love our dog Bella, who splays out in the open sun on our floor like she's an underwear model, and that's why we love her so much.

00:16:13
Speaker 2: To scratch her belly.

00:16:16
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00:18:45
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't want to get it. I mean, I don't want to get into rumors. He clearly from everyone saying from things he said he's been to these. I've never been to one of these. It's it's not a good look. That's all I can say. If this is true, it's not a good look. And I don't know. I hate to get into rumors like this. It's it's just a bad it's a bad thing, and I hope that people understand that, uh, you know, it shouldn't be done. That's why it's against the law. Yeah, I mean, anytime you're posting and advertising something that's against the law, it's it's a tough it's a tough look because it's happening, and it's a tougher look because you are somebody in the spotlight. And when you're somebody in the spotlight, I'm not saying that you need to be held to a different standard because federal law is federal law, and.

00:19:31
Speaker 3: You shouldn't be like he. He should be treated like anybody else. But you're as soon as as soon as his I think, are the jockeys his cousins.

00:19:41
Speaker 2: I don't one hundred percent know Elma Rodriguez his cousin.

00:19:47
Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, but the Yankees young rookie.

00:19:51
Speaker 3: Correct, correct, But there the Artis brothers. As soon as they won the Kentucky Derby. As soon as they were one two in the Kentucky Derby, people started going through all of their stuff. Before that, all this stuff had already been posted. So anything I tell this to the high school kids, I tell this to you know, different teams that I go and talk to. You're not famous, now, I promise, because I don't know you. I didn't know the Ortiz jockey people. As soon as it starts getting out, anything that you've ever posted comes back, and you have to have an answer to it. Not a reckoning, but and it is illegal. Whether people are going to sit here and say, oh, well, you know, you're not perfect. I'm not perfect, you're right, but there are things that most likely there's some type of punishment out there for people that do this, and so are they going to Is major League Baseball going to do something? Had they ever had this precedent before? Everybody knows the you know what happened with Michael Vick and the dog fighting. Is there is there a precedent that Major League Baseball has.

00:21:00
Speaker 2: That's the sin. That's why probably everything's very we haven't heard anything yet because they're not sure and they have to figure this out the validity of everything. Was it just pictures? Was he posting it? Was he?

00:21:10
Speaker 3: How involved was he? And that's where the investigation will probably take some time.

00:21:15
Speaker 1: USA Today put out a couple articles, and I mean it is a long list of things that they were able to pull before it was then taken down, So they were able to pull photos, videos. There's also an article from March tenth, and they're basically talking about how Diaz, you know, went to some cock fighting thing on a day I guess in between the World Baseball Classic and in there. That's where the quote is from where he said to El Nuevo Dia on March tenth, quote, it's a pastime I followed since I was a child. It's legal in Puerto Rico, thank god, otherwise I wouldn't be here. So there's also a missing education involved, Like you can say, oh, no, he knew it was illegal.

00:21:59
Speaker 2: I don't know. I don't know if he knew it was well. I think one thing that you have to understand is that it's a cultural thing in Puerto Rico. So people, even though it might be illegal, I think there's a big thing where they're trying to say, it's been in our culture the whole time, we're going to continue to do it. So I think that's why some people might not understand that it actually is illegal. Not giving him an excuse at all, but it is one of those things where they have fought back on this numerous times. There's been lawsuits and other things. If you read about this a little bit where people in Puerto Rico said, hey, this is part of our culture. Now it's still against the law, but there's a million things that are against law. Speedings against the law. Everyone does it all the time. Right, there's a million things Texting and driving is against law. I mean, listen, Ain't nobody on this show can say they'd never text and drove before. So I mean, come on, like, there's a lot of things that are against the law. Now, this one's obviously worse than some of those other things that I just mentioned, But if it's part of the culture, listen, I get maybe why Edwin Diez is a little bit confused, but I just you know, it's one of those things. It's just a bad situation and I'm god really didn't want to talk about it, but we brought it up, so we got to talk a little bit about it.

00:23:04
Speaker 1: No, And I think for for our show, this is where we're going to try to address anything that we can. And you know, we put the segment of spreading rumors. There's a lot put out there. There's a lot on Facebook page, but it also is put out in articles now, in publications that we follow in and get our news from. So you know, our fans were looking to us, Can we tell you much about what we think is going to happen? Not really like do you think if you had to guess, do you think that Edwin Diaz is going to get suspended for this from MLB, it's an interesting case.

00:23:40
Speaker 2: From Michael Vick. Did is just Michael Vick territory, Like you know, it's I don't know, it depends on depends on what level. And it's really going to be based on this is all, you know.

00:23:52
Speaker 3: All the stuff that we're reading about is stuff that USA Today found posts. Now they're going to have to say, actually, fine, in my opinion, they would have to find concrete evidence, not just pictures or statements from him promoting a fight that's coming up or cock fighting that is gonna be happening at a certain place. Like you get it, like you are used sometimes as a celebrity to promote things that you're like, yeah, okay, what you know. I I know that stuff. I've been to some But so it's gonna be the evidence. And like I said, I couldn't find after reading these USA Today articles, I couldn't find a case in Major League Baseball that is similar to this. And so you have to look at what happened with Michael Vick and the NFL and the federal government came down on Michael Vick very hard. So is that the same thing that's gonna happen to Edwin Diaz. I have no idea, but for Major League Baseball feels like they they don't have like an example of something that has happened before in this realm.

00:25:06
Speaker 1: And sometimes, from my observation, leagues will try to follow the law first and see if there was an investigation and something followed right. And it's case by case because sometimes the law gets complicated, cases take a while, and then teams don't want to be paying players during that time period or if they have to sit out or take a while, so it gets complicated. I just I think you guys would all agree. I don't remember a case like this in baseball. I don't remember a case with any animal fighting that's illegal that's involved in baseball, especially not specifically cock fighting. I don't know a lot about it, but I agree with AJ, I don't understand it. But in Puerto Rican culture, it's a thing, and it does seem like there is a subset of people that have been fighting the law that was implemented on them. Like not that's we don't want that. I mean, you can argue that, but it is. It is the damn law.

00:26:00
Speaker 2: Here's the thing in Spain, bullfighting is frowned upon, right. Ozzie Gehan was our manager. He used to go to bullfights. He used to talk about it. I love bullfighting. I grew up watching bullfighting on TV, and I I've always wanted to go and he would go to bullfights and talk about it. I don't know, is that the same thing, because that is kind of not I think it got banned at some point, did it? Not? Bullfighting in a lot of Spain. I mean, I know it still happens around Barcelona, I think area. I'm not exactly sure, so don't quote me. But for Ozzy was taking a bunch of grief because he was like, I like bullfighting and to go to bullfighting and I see bullfighting and I grew up on bullfighting. So I don't know. I mean, unless you can prove Edwin Diaz actually had one of the cocks and made the Cox fight each other, and I don't know that you can don't. I don't know. I don't know. It's just it's just a bad story that I don't feel awkward talking about. I think I think it's something that I know Michael Vick went because of that example. Whether people want to make it a line comparison or not. He got in trouble because of the funding, because of how involved Azigian going to sit in the front row. Maybe that's not the same in the minor leagues. I heard of a team. It wasn't my team, and I never saw it. They would go and buy beta fish at the local at the local store, and they would each buy a beta fish and they would put it in the bowl and whoever would win, they would win money from the beta fish. Because beta fish, I guess when they when they are in the same bowl or if there next to each other, they like or they see their own reflection, they're like they attack each other. So I guess that's the minor league, minor league version of beta fish fighting.

00:27:43
Speaker 1: Yeah, there's a beta fish thing that that I've heard of where I think it's like two males together or something will fight to the death something like that. Yep, you're not off and for the bull fighting, yeah, from the team behind the scenes. It's legal in most of Spain, constitutionally protected as part of the country's national heritage. However, the sport is deeply polarized. The legal status varies significantly depending on the region, so just like AJ said, this stuff gets complicated whether you are super super against it or it's not as big of a deal to you because they're like, oh, it's animals, Like do I think we should be doing that? Nah? I like watching if you're going to watch a fight, I like a little boxing. But for me, there's not much we can do about this until we find out right what else happens. So, and there's not a lot of coverage on this right now. Right there's a couple of publications, a lot of blogs and tweets and rumors. So what we do know is if that's a real Facebook page, it was flooded with evidence to be able to show that Edwin's into it. So we'll see what happens. Obviously, as more news comes in, we'll let you know. We got nothing to hide here. We're just reporting on what we do and don't know about the situation. If there's writers that cover the story that do an investigation, we will be the first ones to request to bring them on the show. When we say, for the first quarter and sometimes even the first half of the season, it's too early to judge what the Philadelphia Phillies are doing lately. Is why we say that they are fifteen and four in their last nineteen I mean aj They dusted the pirates this weekend and capped it off by having Wheeler beat schemes on Sunday. They're on freaking fire.

00:29:24
Speaker 2: They got confident. This is what happens when something changes, whatever it is we joked about. Remember cal Rawley taking the shower and they changed managers. Not that it was Rob Thompson's fault, but maybe he lit a fire and some of the people had to look in the mirror. And then they caught the easy schedule right, and then everyone kind of started feeling better about themselves. And this is what the rest of the National League didn't want to see. You didn't want to see Wheeler healthy. You don't want to see Christopher Sanchez who never gives up a run, right, Painter goes tonight, But they go out and Harper swinging, and Schwarber has twenty homers already, by the way, yes, twenty they played forty seven games. Boom Turner the rest. These guys are starting to get going a little bit. This is what the rest of the National League did not want to see. But they got confident. Call me on June first, because from now till June first, even starting this weekend, the Pirates are a good team. Starting this weekend till June first, they have a tough schedule.

00:30:17
Speaker 3: They are They're in it, not like the last not like the last fifteen games. So and it's not just Don Mattingly. Ever, since they called Garrett Stubbs up check the Phillies record, I'm just saying vibes. Guys in the clubhouse, their new platoon or back up left fielder, Garrett Stubbs.

00:30:37
Speaker 1: They do love him, all right, Let's do this. Injuries do suck. There were many from the weekend since we last had our show finish up on Friday afternoon. Let's run through some big ones, starting with Blake Snell aj back for one start, his first start of the season, and then scratched, and we find out that he's going to get surgery for loose bodies in his elbow, which is the theme of the last month in terms of pitcher injuries. That turns into a question of nanoscope schooble scope, that new technology that we've been talking about that school underwent, or just the regular one which would probably knock him out for a few months. He's had this before and.

00:31:26
Speaker 2: Did these pop up though if he was healthy, they just obviously these things just pop up out of nowhere. Because he came back and pitched to the big leagues after missing Remember, he was tired at the beginning of the year because he threw what a how many innings did he throw last year? Like we figured out like one hundred innings and he was tired going into the year. So was he hurt and he just didn't mention it or what happened to these pop up in his one big league start that he had. Listen, I love Blake and I love watching Blake snowpitch. He's fun to watch. He gets it, he's laughing, he's having fun out there. He's got great stuff. But if there's one team out there that can manage with this, it's the Dodgers. And here we go again. With the Dodgers. They just go and get Eric Lawer and he'll probably turn into a star too, because they pick him up, they figure out something and boom, watch him go.

00:32:10
Speaker 1: Yeah, good point, good pickup.

00:32:13
Speaker 2: And he's gonna I mean, the guy that's had success in lower and I think because he was chatting a little bit too much. I think that's why you got run out of Toronto.

00:32:23
Speaker 1: I don't.

00:32:25
Speaker 2: I don't know.

00:32:25
Speaker 3: I don't think Toronto's pitching death is so crazy deep right now with all the injuries that they have that they're like, yeah, we can we don't.

00:32:33
Speaker 2: Need Eric Lower right now.

00:32:35
Speaker 3: I think because he was talking and the Dodgers are like, we're good, we can handle that. We're gonna tell you exactly because he's not gonna He wasn't happy with his role all the time in Toronto. He wasn't happy with the amount of money that he got, which I completely agree. I think it was a flawed arbitration system for him. But he's gonna have a You go to the you go to the Dodgers, where your role is gonna be undefined at any given week because of the fact that they have different dudes that step up in the rotation, and you have different guys that are doing really good in rotation that come playoff time. You're throwing in a pen. So you know, hopefully for the Dodgers, they know this guy and they're like, yeah, whatever, it's no big deal.

00:33:18
Speaker 2: We like him. He's gonna come in. He's gonna fit right into.

00:33:20
Speaker 1: Our clubhouse swingman. He's perfect swingman with a chip on his shoulder and willing to listen to an organization that knows what they're doing with the pitching. And Toronto did too. He was brilliant with them last year. Brilliant, I mean, Ken Rosenthal talks about it unfair territory today. Who was Ernie clement A the unsung MVP of the team last year with the way that he would fill in evenings and then you know, really put together a strong, strong year and made what eight appearances, six starts for them, and then they cut eight. It was weird, but it's a fresh start for him. Back to Snell for a moment. Dave Roberts talked about it. He's gonna get surgery on Tuesday. As I understand it, it's going to be to take out those loose bodies and it's supposed to be a lot quicker, a quicker recovery. So we're encouraged about that and so expect him certainly back this season. Don't know really a timetable, but I think just kind of with the MRI, the scans and everything, we feel good about, you know, getting back to play Cerven. The names Lucky for the Dodgers. There's plenty of talent around them. It stinks for them to lose Snell now for a good chunk of time. Glass now is currently on the shelf. You know who shoved yesterday, Roki good point. The Angels were railroaded. They look currently like perhaps the worst team in baseball. The Dodgers outscored them what I think it was like three to three or something. I mean, they destroyed them. Yeah, it looked like two teams on different playing fields. But Roki Sazaki had a career high seven innings career I punch outs career eye swing and miss the old deal. I know you guys are gonna say, hey, take it with a grain of salt, but there's something you look good.

00:35:08
Speaker 2: I watched this game. He look good, He look good. This is the best he's looked as a big league pitcher by far. And yes, take it with a grain of salt. Is the Angels, by the way, speaking of a bad team? Wow, I mean, wow, it's been so long for the Angels. Wow. I just I don't even know what they could do. What could they even try to do to make this team better? That's the biggest thing I don't.

00:35:30
Speaker 1: Even sell off all the parts and start again, because it's what parts.

00:35:33
Speaker 2: They do that all the time, Scott, you keep saying that.

00:35:35
Speaker 1: But what they don't even know they don't do that.

00:35:37
Speaker 2: They have to sell. Who do they have that they could netto? Yeah, he's he's the one that I like. I like watching guy that I would say let's build around him.

00:35:48
Speaker 1: And then signed him. They haven't extended him. What are they waiting for?

00:35:52
Speaker 2: That doesn't That doesn't make you more wins. You have guys that you have guys that are playing on an almost regular basis that one don't look like they want to be there, two don't always necessarily know the situation. And three this bullpen was supposed to like they were supposed to just build this pen and build this like, Okay, we got the young young guys in this in this lineup, and now you know we're gonna build around.

00:36:21
Speaker 3: This with this rotation and bullpen. And they haven't done it. Like it's just a no, you don't know you trade netto and I'm you might as well send you might as well send trout with them. I'm not saying I'm not I'm not bringing up the whole trout trade. Yes, no whatever, But to me, when I watched them play, Neto provides a fire that I do not see from some of the other guys in this lineup. It's some listless at bats. It's some listless like coming into big spots as a bullpen guy and just absolutely giving it up, and it just doesn't look like it's very The effort level for me is something that I think they've created a environment where you call guys up to the big leagues ready or not ready? How much are those.

00:37:13
Speaker 2: Guys getting sent down because they don't play well or their effort level is lower. I just just watching them play. Please don't get rid of Netto.

00:37:22
Speaker 3: I love watching I will I will tune into the first bitch of that of the game when the Angels are playing and Netto's leading.

00:37:27
Speaker 1: Off and then you flip away. Yeah, we could go all day on that situation. It's it's stay good night to the Angels right now. There are seasons done quick one just to finish up on the two teams in that region. Bruce Dargrad are all set back. I know we're not going to spend a lot of time on it, but you know he's dealing with a back issue. Back flared up going for images. It's just a shame. He was a fun guy to watch. Velo was crazy good and it was down in the last outing. But you know, he used to be that pomp a hondo, not at you pick up a ton of k's get the ground ball. It was a fun watch. You brought a lot of energy to the mound. But it's been years since he's been able to put together.

00:38:08
Speaker 2: Stay healthy, healthiness.

00:38:09
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:38:09
Speaker 2: Well it was a cool story for a minute, but now he can't stay healthy. It hasn't been healthy five years. It's been like five years since this guy's been able to pitch. I mean, what are we doing. It's effortless one hundred and it's like, nice guys, I guess yeah, you're right, you're right. Maybe it is. Maybe it is high effort. It just doesn't look high effort. But I mean he was he Yeah, you could see when he came up he had a special arm. And he can't stay healthy. It's that's that's tough to see.

00:38:42
Speaker 1: Next up Jose Burrios, who has done some good things in the past in his career. I know he fell out of favor with his situation in the playoffs last year, but he's going to miss significant time. It was weird at one point. I don't know if it was connected to this injury. I feel like it was like he was saying he didn't have symptoms, but I think he is now And either way, they're figuring out what the long term situation is going to be for him, because it could be as short as a couple months, or he could have some major surgery. It's one of those where they have to go in there to the elbow on Wednesday and see what's up. So AJ one of the reports there and the writers are good, butts Ben Nicholson Smith said it could be as long as twelve to eighteen months, depending on what kind of surgery. Right, that's that we can truct.

00:39:23
Speaker 2: Yeah, this is the one thing Jose Brios for years was was durable and now he's lost that durability starting with last year. So hopefully it's the lesser of the of the injuries and he can be back soon pitching because he is fun to watch. He Crash just talked about the Angels and how they have guys that aren't exactly passionate. Jose Brios was very passionate when he took them ound and he could be fun to watch when he got it going. It's crazy that he's dealing with this because, like Aj said, he was missed or consistency never on the il, and then right at the end of the season it flared up. And now this year it's been one thing after the other. So right now when it rains at poors because he had nothing before and he would always make his thirty to thirty two starts a year.

00:40:12
Speaker 1: Next up, position player Silet's go al East Here Trevor Story hitting the shelf. They're figuring out if he's gonna need hernia surgery. It's been a groin issue. This report from Chris Catillo said since late April, and then I think Story spoke after that and said even since spring training he's had issues bothering him. So he's gonna have more conversations with doctors. See Aja, This one's fascinating to me because you know, Story was a bust as a signing until you know, he had a pretty good year last year and the super nerds inside the Red Sox front office thought it was like fake right, So then this year he's off to a slow start, but then it's like wait, he's actually hurt so because he's been kind of one of those internal battles. Remember when all this stuff came out with Corey getting let go and there's sension on you know what kind of player Trevor Story as well? The dude's playing with a hernia. It's kind of hard to tell.

00:41:07
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, Trevor Story is another guy that just is a warrior, goes out there and plays to all kinds of stuff. So I don't know this, this is one more thing to add to the Red Sox list, right, Trevor Story. They thought he was good, and I don't know. I hate I hate talking. I hate talking injuries. I hate it sucks.

00:41:27
Speaker 1: It's usually a Monday thing though. There's just a lot of injuries to go.

00:41:30
Speaker 2: I know. Yeah, I mean he came over there and signed as a durable player, as a guy that went out there every day when he's in Colorado and he's signed in Boston and it hasn't been it. It took a little while for him to come back from. I think it was the shoulder thing that he had, and you know, he originally came in as a second basement and then they were like then Xander didn't signed back, and so they had a shortstop of their future and that shoulder. I think it was a shoulder. It may have been a hip. I'm not one hundred percent, but whatever it was, it was one of those injuries that took a year and a half to like get his strength back, to get everything back. And so you saw what you saw last year and then you'd hoped he was going to build on that and not just and you know this this extra little injury here to start the year and play through it. That's tough.

00:42:25
Speaker 1: Yankee suffered an injury soon after our show. We learned, you know, Max freed officially on the IL. It doesn't seem like it's necessarily long term, but we don't know for sure. Next time if you guys have him on when I'm not on, AJA asked Bowden about this situation. Jim Boden, our guy on the radio the other day, was saying how pitchers don't get a bruise from this type of situation and they're calling it a contusion. So it almost made me feel like he's not necessarily out of the water on this one, and that you know, sometimes they're swelling, they can't see everything and then the swelling subsides and they do another test. So right now he shut down. Then when he's seemed to free, they'll do more imaging. So I actually agree with JB. And I have absolutely no idea, you know, no business saying much medically. I'm just going off what we usually learned. But it doesn't mean that I mean it, he avoided maybe some devastation, but you still need to see the next set of imaging from him before you really feel feel comfortable about him. That's how I feel.

00:43:22
Speaker 2: Yeah, sometimes I have to wait a few days or a week or so in order to get the final image. So that's why they say, oh, nothing's wrong, and then a week later they're like, oh wait, there really is something wrong. So yeah, you gotta let some of the swelling go down.

00:43:35
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm gonna keep jumping. Jose L two by grade two oblique strain out, probably gonna miss like six ish weeks. That's how much time. Jake Myers just missed with the same injury. Who comes back for Houston Jeremy Panya coming back for the team this week, but they lose L two Bay. His power has been down compared to the past. But I mean he's always a spark plug, and he wasn't bad. He was about league average. So at any moment, one of those streaky weeks where he it's like five homers and then you're like, oh wow, it's the regular L two V numbers. So that sucks for them.

00:44:08
Speaker 2: Rains of poords for the Astros, which just keeps keeps coming down. I mean last year they were like, oh man, if Jordon was on this team and healthy, we would have definitely a different type of lineup. And now Jordan's healthy and other dudes are going down all around them. But the biggest, the biggest loss here is is still with the Astros and they're pitching staff. They didn't build enough depth and they got killed by it, and now they're gonna have a sludge of a season. It's just gonna it's just it could be. It could be long and hot in Houston right now. So they need they need somebody else to be able to step up. But hey, you know what, now they got more at bats for for east Oparadis and Christian Walker and one of those guys that was going to get traded before and so next guy.

00:44:57
Speaker 1: Up, maybe they'll just outscore everyone and crawl back in since the Ale West. Look at the records right now. It allows everyone to get hot for a week and get the.

00:45:09
Speaker 2: Orioles are a game and a half out of the wild Card. The Orioles.

00:45:15
Speaker 1: It's a great call. A couple more on the finish line here saying in the Ale West, here's another reason why the Rangers can't separate much despite really good pitching. Corey Seeger hasn't been himself. Now he's going to see a back specialist. I mean, this is the best hitter on the team, a jm R. Results pending, We'll see what happens.

00:45:34
Speaker 2: Did he have a hip or a back early in his career with the Dodgers? It was like real early, like twenty two or twenty three years old. Do you guys remember a hip He had a hip problem. I remember just being really young. And now you know that creeps up to the back. You want them to avoid surgery at all costs.

00:45:54
Speaker 1: Yeah. Two more now National League West for the last two Chase Dolander elbow stream.

00:46:02
Speaker 2: This is the one thing I worry about when you do openers with guys time. You worry about this because they don't get their proper routine they say it's the same, but it's not. I mean, I'm sorry, it's not. So he was pitching so well too. This this sucks.

00:46:16
Speaker 3: Let's let's let's let's hope it wasn't because that's a little it's a little wonky when you get the opener, like do I get to long toss? Well, I'm not a long toss guy. Okay, but you're in the pen. Are you in the first inning? Are you double barreling with the guy that's starting the game and you're the bulk guy? Like this was one of their best This is their best young pitcher that's in the big leagues right now, and you can't have him start because you don't want him to face the top three guys in the lineup. I just hope, but nobody will ever say, oh, this is why you got hurt, because everybody's doing it and they're like, well, there's no way that's why you got hurt.

00:46:53
Speaker 1: Well, I think it's why he got hurt. I'm just gonna go out and say it. I have nothing against me, and I if I had to guess, gun to my head, I'm going to say, yes, they messed with this kid's routine randomly in the middle of the season and he was rolling and that's why he's hurt. And you want him to be your number one. And even if you take an injury aside, please don't screw with your top end starters. It's really not that complicated.

00:47:16
Speaker 2: But you don't make decisions.

00:47:17
Speaker 3: Guys in the big leagues make decisions front offices, make decisions that can derail kids' careers. This is a kid, This is a guy that you were supposed to build your organization around, similar to what they did to Bubba Chandler. I know Bubba Chandler is not throwing strikes in Pittsburgh right now, but you call him up because you're like.

00:47:34
Speaker 2: Well, we want a softer landing spot in the big leagues, Well we want to rockies. Who cares you, guys are gonna lose a lot of games. You're not in the playoffs. If he faces the first three guys in the order, you know what it's gonna do. It's gonna make him freaking learn how to get those guys out. And from what I've seen, he's super competitive. Make him be a quarterstone of your pitching staff. And if he's not, it's not gonna matter that he faced the three guys in the lineup for all of his starts like stop like stop stop being stop being super like is it gonna keep?

00:48:09
Speaker 3: If you told me it kept him healthy by having an opener, then I'd be like, Okay, show me, show me why, show me why that's gonna keep him healthy. And until you can show me that that keeps them healthy, then to me, it's just a selfish thing that the front office is doing, saying.

00:48:24
Speaker 2: Will theer ilgorithm says this, so.

00:48:26
Speaker 3: We should do this, and when somebody gets injured like this, I have a tough time not believing that it's not from this.

00:48:34
Speaker 1: I'm with you, it's pathetic. I mean, the Dodgers can help train Rokie in the big leagues and he starts, but Dolander can't start. This is the time to let him go through it if he needs to, so that when they're good again. He's been through these situations. Lastly Eliott Ramos rite quad strain. So he's been a good player for them the last few years. AJ he doesn't get talked about a lot, but it'll hurt to not have him for a bit of time. The Giants have actually played five hundred ball the past month. The record still doesn't look good, but they haven't been terrible since the start.

00:49:05
Speaker 2: Yeah, they're not making the playoffs, so I mean it suck for Elliot Ramos, but no, bring up someone else and try him. Maybe they'll spark the offense.

00:49:14
Speaker 4: Yeah, the future is now the present in Seattle because cold Emerson is up in the big leagues, the number one prospect on the Mariners, the number three prospect on the just updated Baseball America Top one hundred prospect rankings. So what should we expect.

00:49:29
Speaker 1: I would stay with this one.

00:49:31
Speaker 4: We've had such a great prospect, your rookie year so far that I would kind of calm things down just a bit with cold Emerson. It's not that he's not going to be an excellent player in the long term, but he is very young for the big league's twenty years old, and he's in the midst so far in Triple A before the promotion of a solid year, but not a spectacular year. There is real power here, although it may take a little while to fully appear at the big league level. There's bat to ball skills, barrel control, there's all a little bit of aggressiveness right now. There is the chance that early on he might be chasing too many pitches out of his own, especially in two strike counts. He's got to be a third baseman for now. He could be the shortstop in the long term, although third base also fits very well for him. Lefty power bat who could really thump. In the long run, he's going to be a very good player. He's obviously a Mariner for the very long term. He's already signed the long term extension. Just I would say that it would not shock me if he ends up having a little bit of growing pains at the big league level as he gets settled at the highest level that there is.

00:50:36
Speaker 1: And that's our spillover from our injuries suck conversation to Baseball Americas, JJ Cooper giving us a little bit more on cold Emerson who had to like scurry over to get to the game and AJ Unfortunately he's replacing Brendan Donovan who's a hell of a player and he's been pretty durable, but this year he's getting hit and the groin was reaggravated really quickly.

00:50:55
Speaker 2: Yeah, this is what happens. It happens a lot. You see, those guys aren't fully ready to come back and stuff happens. So listen, I watched we mentioned we watched the Mariners game last night. Emerson. Emerson's got all the swag. I know that. He better hope he can play because he's got you know, the shadows are out and he's got the freaking Oakley's and all that. He's got the swag. So he's got the big league swag. We'll see.

00:51:15
Speaker 1: Got the big league cash too.

00:51:17
Speaker 2: He does. He does. He's got a contract. And everybody talked about his character that I that I asked about, and somebody said, somebody said that plays with him right now in Triple A feels like he's a Chase ut League type of player.

00:51:31
Speaker 1: And I was like, whoa wow.

00:51:33
Speaker 2: I was like, Okay, let's let's see because that's a that's a big comp.

00:51:39
Speaker 1: It's a big camp. Chase Utley is gonna likely get voted into the Hall of Fame now he's trending that way. I mean, the Hall of Fame comp right there. I have two things to go over. Number one, Jackson Holiday's back. It's been a minute, but he's going to make his debut for the Orioles.

00:52:09
Speaker 2: Welcome back, Jackson. It's been a long time.

00:52:12
Speaker 1: It has uh Jordan Westberg, Yeah, he is in Jordan Westberg. You know we found out had surgery. You were off. I think I was off that show too. That was Friday. But a j that's a tough one. As Kratz mentioned on Friday, the win lost record for them, and I know it's not a one man game. It's a huge difference when Jordan Westburg's playing. He's one of those guys and now they're not gonna happen for the rest of the year, but helps to get Holiday back here.

00:52:38
Speaker 2: See what Jackson has?

00:52:40
Speaker 1: Yeah, uh, I do remember. I mean if you are all Hammett bones created equal, because like, does it matter obviously? I mean for Holiday it was his throwing hamit bone right, And for Corbyn, Carl and Lindor I think it wasn't does like does any of that stuff for the swing it's listening, okay, just wondering. Yeah, I mean.

00:53:05
Speaker 3: Probably it would have probably been Lindor's. Lindor and Carrol's throw a hand, so I mean, I assume it's their bottom hand. I've never heard anybody do.

00:53:14
Speaker 2: Their corn throws left handed. Gorbyn throws left hand, and it was Lindor's left hand too. He throws right handed too.

00:53:24
Speaker 1: Right, So I don't know just throwing that out there. There's there's been some talk about, hey, you know which hand will affect you more, But the dominant hand for hitting is more. What you're looking at right, AJ fits the dominant it's.

00:53:35
Speaker 2: Your bottom end. It's your bottom hand. It's your bottom hand, and you put the knob in it. That's why you break it. So he just took a little longer. Sometimes they take a little longer than other ones. Not everyone heals the same.

00:53:48
Speaker 1: One more. Geoe or Schelle retiring thirty four years old, about ten seasons in the bigs. Did you play with them Krats?

00:53:56
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, I play with them with the guard with the Indians in Triple A, and then I played with him and with the Yankees when he came over to the Yankees. Massive Grand Slam in the COVID season, in that first round series against the Indians, I guess it was the Guardians at that time, so massive, Homer, go look it up.

00:54:16
Speaker 1: But I heard he was a nice guy. I mean, he's still he is a nice guy. But I heard he's a nice guy as a player.

00:54:22
Speaker 2: Magic Glove Guante de Mahim, the glove of magic because he could just he could pick it and you would never look at him be like that guy can play defense. Wow. In the games. It was the ones right at him that he would have trouble with everything else. It was like, I don't know if you ever want a goal glove or not. I think he was a finalist, but he should have.

00:54:44
Speaker 1: He pieced together a nice career he did, so congrats to him on retirement. And Dodger's Territory is coming up next. I know Katie wuz On we missed her debut on Friday on FT as a host Alana Clint a crew running through what they saw from the Dodgers this weekend, but really also previewing the big matchup between the Dodgers and the Padres. And for those of you wondering, we have a show for almost every team on the FT network. It's not just about the Dodgers. They just happen to be live following our show. But we've got multiple shows per week for almost every team. So if you're looking for years and a little more coverage, you can find it. Hey, you know the game, it's swing for a shot to win a little prize. If you get a hit. It's the free to play Swing for the Fence's game on the bet MGM app. It just helps you with some of what Kratz is talking about. Maybe a boost or a bonus bet could be a fifty dollars bonus bet depending on the result of your ab gambling problem or concern. There's help called Wynde hundred Gambler