What's happening everybody, let's go BT unleashed in the
house. We got a lot to get to obviously
a little horrible Mets making moves, a little Hall of Fame.
All right. So I mean yesterday was a
fantastic day for the Giants. That's all there was to it.
There was a a clear message. There was a man who was in
control of the franchise. It was just really, really good.
I thought that John Horbaugh was phenomenal and he starts this
out and he says, quote, I wanted this job, which is just, you
know, pump that oxygen, pump that light, give it, just vein
it up. If you're a giant fan, how are
you not feeling phenomenal about this?
Really, guys, it was the culmination of of a really
buttoned up, very diligent, very professional, I think in certain
areas, fairly stealth operation by the Giants that quite
frankly, you know, I'm not alone in believing this.
I'm not so sure that they were really capable of doing that
anymore. Really just everything came
together and then yesterday was the prize.
When you tried out the new head coach of the New York Football
Giants, he said that, you know, a few times, which I know you
love. He's like, it's not the Giants,
it's a New York Football Giants. My dad taught me that.
His dad's a former coach, You know, him and Jim, 2 maniacs.
I mean, imagine those guys when they're 89101112, they must have
beat the shit out of each other. Two incredibly competitive guys.
So it's really just a winning situation.
Now, listen, this doesn't guarantee anything.
This doesn't mean that, you know, you hire Pat Riley like
the Knicks did back in the 90s or, you know, Parcells to The
Jets, even though The Jets didn't win, neither did the
Knicks. I, I, I think that you can have
a little bit of everything. I, I don't think that, that John
Harbaugh is an A+ coach. I, I, I think he's a really,
really, really good coach. But more importantly, guys, I
think that John Harbaugh is the absolute perfect coach at the
perfect time for the New York Giants to pull them out of this
abyss. And really, you know, really get
them to to a place where, you know, going into the next
however many seasons he's here. Hopefully it's, you know, a
decade plus. He wants to coach for a long
time. He's got a lengthy contract, as
we know. And all you can do is really
react to, you know, what he said and, and how the Giants
presented themselves and how the Giants made sure they got this
done organizationally and, and really just judge them on what
they were looking for. Because the mission of the
search here was very, very clearly stated #1 they were
looking for a leader of men. Check number 2.
They were looking for somebody that was capable of captive of
captivating a locker room and really rallying players and just
building that morale up. Check.
You listen to this guy talk for a minute, you want to run
through a brick wall for him. You really do.
And the third thing was somebody who's going to restore
accountability within the players and within the building.
Check. There were a lot of players
there. I it's just one of those moments
where, you know, there's a lot to do.
Obviously, you got to hit the draft, You got to obviously, you
know, read, you got to bring some reinforcements.
Like there's a reason why the Giants have been really bad for
a really long time. But just like that, like there's
something to be said about an infectious delivery, an
inspiring delivery. And you know, I don't, I don't
know. I certainly Tomlin would have
had that if like Tomlin was up there yesterday.
But I think there's very few men in the NFL that that would be
able to to galvanized an entire fan base the way John Horbaugh
has so clearly done. You know, even if they would
have rolled out Belichick, I'm not so sure that that would have
because the messaging and the, the demeanor would have been a
little bit different. Sure, he's a more accomplished
coach than John Horbaugh, but this is going to take a lot of
energy and somebody like Belichick, I'm not sure if he's
got that at this point. I think it's, you know, is it a
home run? I'm going to stop a little sure
to say it's a home run. But it's an incredible hire.
And and I I really love the Giants.
I love the Giants because the Giants could have messed this up
a million ways sideways. Like the Giants could have
allowed Dabel to kind of languish and, you know, let him
finish out the season. Well, they had a good first
year. Let's show them a little bit of
respect. And as you're doing that, as
you're messing around, other teams are lighted up their ducks
and they're getting things ready.
So when when they decided to make the the, the, the, the
firing of Dabel official during the season, that allowed them
to, you know, really begin to put their plan in place and more
importantly, start to act on it. So this which is very swift.
Listen, there were obviously a couple of moments over the
weekend. I know some giant fans would get
a little worried. I never thought it wouldn't
happen. Contracts or contracts,
especially at this level. They're complex, they're
detailed. You got to dot every I and I'm
not just talking about the money, really, it was the power
thing and you know, gets us to Joe Shane.
Poor Joe Shane had a rough day. Poor Joe Shane had a really
rough day. I mean, listen, everybody's
already said at this point, he seemed nervous.
He seemed a little bit out of sorts.
He seemed not quite fully in control.
And I know what John said that it's a collaboration.
I know what John marry John Harbaugh.
I know what John Maris, I know what Chris Maris said as well.
Make no mistake about it. If there is something that if
there is a, a debate on a player, whether it's at 5 or
they trade off or they trade down, whatever it might be, John
Harbaugh's going to win that period.
If there's a debate on a free agents, a free agent that
they're pursuing and John Harbaugh says this and Joe Shane
and others think that John Harbaugh is going to win if
there's and he should. I mean that's why he's here.
If there's somebody in the building that is going to be a
free agent or they might want to just get rid of and maybe
there's some people who have some more emotional investment
in that player. They drafted him.
They've been around that player for a little bit, but John
Horbaugh does not view that player as somebody who's gonna
buy in or doesn't like the tape, whatever it might be.
John Horbaugh communicates that. And even with some resistance,
maybe from others in the room, John Horbaugh wins that as well.
And that's what you want. You want, no doubt.
Who's in charge, Who's got the juice, Who's got the hammer?
And it's John Horbaugh. Now, not to really get too
deeply into this, but because today's really not the day to do
it extensively. I already did it when they were
going through the process and, you know, I was making case for
McCarthy as well. And I think they're pretty much
the same guy in terms of resume. I know that they project very
differently. I know there's a different
energy. I know there's certainly a
different perception between Horribaugh and McCarthy.
But the one thing that we know really plagued the Giants a year
ago was them just flushing lead after lead after lead after lead
after lead down the chute. And I, I, I do think it's worth
reiterating here. It doesn't mean that John
Harbaugh's not going to win. Because when Coughlin came here,
his Jaguar teams had success, but never the ultimate success,
OK. And Harbaugh's already got a
ring. So he's already proven that he
could do it. But since 2021, and this is this
is this is interesting because you've had it, Lamar Jackson,
you've had an MVP, you've had a one of the most dynamic players
in the game and you've had somebody that that has been
really capable of elevating A franchise.
You know, Dart did it a little bit this year and hopefully more
and more and more. But Lamar, Josh Allen, Burrow
when he's healthy, Burrow when he's got a defense like those
kind of players are obviously going to take an average product
and make it really good and make a really good product.
Championship viable. However, since 2021 the Ravens
lost 12 games while leading by 7 plus points or more in the
fourth quarter. And that's the most in NFL
history in any five year span. So you can go back to the 70s
when the Vikings were going to all those Super Bowls, or the
Steelers were winning those Super Bowls, or the Cowboys were
doing their thing, or the Bills in the 80s were getting to all
those Super Bowls but not winning where the Giants were
winning a couple with Parcells and Lt.
Any, any iteration of any team, you will not find a team.
And by extension, you won't find the coach who, whose team under
his watch, under his football jurisdiction, blew more fourth
quarter games, leads 7 plus points or more than John
Horbaugh. Now, is that all John Horbaugh's
fault? I'm not necessarily saying that
that's the case, but it's on his resume and it's something that's
real and it's something that he's going to have to exercise
very early. And you know what, We'll get a
sense of how active they are in free agency and you know what
positions they attack in the draft.
Are they trying to build the offense up more?
You know, I think they can go receiver, pair them with
neighbors. Obviously going that direction.
You get Cam back, you get a better offensive line, you get a
decent tight end room. You got Jackson Dort year 2.
They have better coaching, whatever more experience like
the Giants offense has a chance to be to be really good kind of
soon because they were actually pretty good in a lot of spots
this year. So they can go that route or
they could just double down and just go defense, defense,
defense and go safety, go linebacker, go corner and say to
themselves, all right, our offense is fine.
Now let's take the assets, whether it's the Burns trade or
the drafting of other players, you know, Kayvon Thibodeau or
the extension of somebody like Dexter Lawrence and a few others
where you can just look to build a lights out defense.
Personally, I kind of attack both because I think there's
enough weaknesses on both sides. But that's down the road.
That's draft talk down the road. It's more about a concept.
It's more about a philosophy. And at least pertaining to
yesterday, it's really about somebody who just stepped to the
podium. And and I really thought that I
thought that John Harbaugh struck the perfect balance of
being in control, being humble in terms of wanting to be there,
speaking with reverence about the giant, speaking with
reverence about ownership, referencing his dad and what his
dad, you know, impressed upon him.
But I'm sure by extension, his brother Jim about the New York
football Giants growing up. But clearly in control.
Little witty, little funny little series, what he needed to
be like. We're not we're not here to mess
around man like we're going to attack this with unrelenting
vigor or, or or passion. What's the expression that the
horrible shoes passion unknown to man.
And and that's a real thing. And I know that for some people
that sounds corny, not to me. I, I think if the results are
there and you say that, well then I think that that, that
it's, that it's working, it's meshing.
And I remember going back to his brother Jim.
So when I go to San Francisco after 10:50 and I get out there
in 20, I guess it was 2011 and 2012 and the Niners were really,
really, really down. And my first show I'm doing
afternoon drive. August 1st, we launched this new
station on FM when, when stations were just starting to
go to FM, right? And we had Deion Sanders on, who
I got into an argument with actually, because it was
ridiculous. All I said.
I mean, I was having fun. It was toward the middle.
It's like the first thing I hit him with.
But it was, I think, was it Steph Curry?
It was Dion. No, it was Dion.
Bruce Bocci, the manager of the Giants and Jim Harbaugh.
Right. And the Dion thing real quick,
then I'll get back to what's really important.
But he was talking about the Niners like how they need to
start, you know, playing with more aggression and more
tackling. And I'm like, and I I mean, you
know, in hindsight, actually, I thought it was funny.
I mean, I wouldn't take it back, but and I thought I inserted it
at the perfect place because he knew my partner because he
played with him on the Niners. Eric Davis and I thought we had
a pretty jovial tone to the conversation.
I'm like I said something along the lines of like, you know, who
are you to talk about tackling? You never want to tackle Dion,
come on. Like, and he got pissed and it
kind of got derailed a little bit.
But shortly there just a little funny Side Story.
Shortly thereafter, I had Jim Horbaugh on, right?
We had him on for 20-30 minutes. And you know, I knew him
obviously from Stanford and how we elevated that product.
And, you know, his little beef and his rivalry with Pete
Carroll and Stanford, USC was huge.
I knew him as a player, I knew him as an intense competitor and
he comes on and that's one of the things that he was espousing
exactly what John said yesterday.
Like we're going to attack everyday, like, you know, with
unrelenting vigor and, and, and, and vigor and passion unknown to
man. And I'm sitting there to myself
to an extent saying, all right, this is a little corny, man.
I mean, this is not high school, you know, this is not, you know,
let's let's win one for the Gipper.
This is the NFL guys making millions.
That is that message really going to fly.
And it really did. And and I really do do believe
that if you believe it and you live it more importantly, which
John Horvaugh absolutely does and will continue to do, that is
a man of pride. That is a man of focus.
That is a man of conviction. That is a man of football
sensibility. That is a man with broad
shoulders who was able to deflect all the nonsense sense
that's going to hit the Giants at some point because it hits
everybody, especially in New York, even when you're doing
well, he'll diffuse it. Perfect tire.
Really, I think just a perfect tire at the right time.
But when you live by that mantra that really does even if there's
a couple of guys who were on the team kind of looking around
saying I with this, this cornball, what's going?
I didn't even think that they'll say that.
But there might be a few who do that kind of roll their eyes.
All right, whatever man, let's go.
Let's go practice, right. Well, first of all, those guys
will be gone because John Horbaugh's inner, you know, it's
like you have a quarterback clock.
His coaching clock is really good.
The great see the really good coaches.
The first thing you got to do is find out who wants to put in the
extra work, like who, who's going to roll up their sleeves,
who's a foxhole guy before you get to building the perfect
roster. It starts with the mindset and
then eventually when you have what you believe is the perfect
roster with now the mindset has already permeated the entire
building and that's all that's the expectation.
And if you're not living it, then you're not sticking around,
you're out. And then once a couple of
players get bounced, and trust me, they will.
Well, then the guys who maybe want to stay around and and then
hang out in the New York area and play for the New York Giants
and play for one of these great franchises organizations, well,
then you get your act together or you get booted to the curb.
So I think the way that that starts is by projecting.
He projected yesterday. It's not bullshit.
It's not nonsense. It's not, oh, let me throw a
little, you know, a little phrase out there like Robert
Salva did on Hard Knocks with the Falcons and the birds and
the bees and the worms. Whatever stupid analogy that he
was trying to hit, it was so cordy and it was so weak, right?
It didn't work right. So, and and I hope that Salva
learns from that and becomes a better coach. 2 point O And I
think he will. I bet upon a quarterback, but I
think that he will in terms of being the real the real
quarterback. I I think Cam could be matter of
fact if there's a better chance that he will be than he won't
be. Just to clarify that I'm, I'm a
fan of Kim Ward, but you know, until you see it on a regular
basis, that's going to be the determining factor as to whether
or not he wins or anybody wins. Same with John Horbaugh.
So here's a guy who walks up to the podium with a massive
contingent of media and former giants and current giants.
I think there was a couple and it's like 220 people there.
I mean, that's a big room. It's a big room to walk and he
just the moment that he stepped up to the podium, he pumped life
and he pumped oxygen into the lungs and he pumped passion into
the veins of the building and the fan base.
So just to win really good stuff.
And I'm very interested to see where, you know, the first
couple of moves and where they go, you know, but that I'm still
laughing at the, the, the, the passion unknown to man, the way
you do that. And then and the way that
becomes a real thing and not some corny contrived nonsense,
right? Is that you just the smallest
things like a meeting, an offseason gathering like you,
you, that's, that's the expectation.
And then you've got to lean on your coaching instincts to
determine who's in and who's not, you know, and, and one
thing really one thing about I think the modern athlete gets
knocked around a little bit. I really do.
I think some of it's justified because I think not all, but I
think too many modern athletes are all about me, me, me.
Look at me on Instagram. Look at me wearing this
ridiculously dumb outfit into the arena or the, or the stadium
like Burrow, or, you know, some of these guys in the NBA that
wear sweaters that are 9, literally 9 sizes too big down
to their knees. Like some guys are wearing
heels. Like I, I don't know.
I don't know what the hell is going on, man.
If that was me, I'd be, I'm not saying I wouldn't want to look
good. I can promise you I wouldn't
look like that, but the knock that a lot of the younger
players get and, and I've talked to Rick Pitino about this,
right? Even with the NIA good win by
St. John's last night, I'll hit them
a little bit at the end. Very little, right, But a good
win because that would have derailed a lot of the good they
did the last week and 1/2 or so, getting out those quad one wins
and building up their resume. Really important win.
Even though they looked awful in the first half, they were down
by 15. So I've talked to Rick about
this and, and I, I was even of the mindset that that athletes
have changed, right? Well, why wouldn't you?
Because it just seems like, you know, every, everybody's bounced
them out. Let me join this super team.
Let me circumvent the hard way and go the easy route.
What a look at me, the glorification of me, LeBron with
his powder me, me, me. It does drive me nuts to an
extent, right? Some of the stupid social media
beeps and social media tweets like good God almighty, just
focus on your craft, man. It's getting out of hand.
But what Rick told me and others by extension, is that it's it's
really not that the athletes changed so much.
It's what's changed around the athlete.
All right, and listen, I'm, I'm so far past that stage of
wanting to walk into an arena looking like a rock star or a
rap star or an actor or whatever the hell these guys look like.
But I'm sure if I was younger, you know, maybe I'm I'm not
being sincere to this conversation.
If I was 23, I still don't think I would do that.
But that doesn't mean that they don't want to be coached hard.
And I think that that's the misperception that because
whether it's college making, you know, a million, 234 mil, if
you're a quarterback in certain spots, $10 million for NIO
money, that they don't want to be told what to do.
I actually don't think that fundamentally the mindset of the
athlete has really changed that much.
I think a lot of it is the noise around the athlete, as I said.
And let's face it, if there weren't all these networks with
these cameras zooming in on these guys and then showing them
walking into the arena and then walking into the stadium, well
then maybe they wouldn't play it up as much and it wouldn't get
as much, you know, as much run. So in a lot of ways, I think
they're just beholden to what these networks are kind of
asking them to do. But if you are a coach who is
well principled and you can connect to a player, I don't
care if you are a white kid from the sticks.
I don't care if you're a black kid from the inner city.
I don't care if you're a white kid from the inner city.
I don't care if you're a black kid from the sticks.
I don't care if you're religious, if you're an atheist.
It doesn't matter what you are, what your sexual proclivity is,
if you want to win, right? And you more importantly, you
trust that person, person that is trying to coach you up, they
will still put out the effort that's required that I think a
lot of you really, there's no way that that's true the hell
out of here. I mean, hold on, time out.
Let me get a 22nd time out here. All right, so let me get my guy
Jay Rod in here for a little moment.
I've got the J. Rod, what's up?
What's up, brother? How you doing?
How's it going? I'm alive.
We're still living. Yeah, well, for now, we got the
J Rod test a little later. So what?
What the hell was that? I mean, that's not true.
I don't believe, I mean the comments are kind of popping off
with this, but based on Twitter and just like any news sources
I'm kind of scanning through, I'm not seeing anything, just.
Yet, but after they told me they came with like a nine year deal,
which would still make no sense like the guy's 30 years old.
What are they going to give him a contract at least 45 freaking
years old? Come on, J Rod, What what we put
up on the screen there, brother? I mean listen, he tossed the 5
bucks. You got to throw it up.
You know, something like that, you got to toss 5000 bucks to
get that idiocy read. All right, bro, I'm going to get
back to you. Don't worry.
I'm coming with the J Rod test and we will determine maybe as a
group, if we allow J Rod to to stick around to continue to
produce, you know, and do what he's doing.
She's off to a good start. Although that Mattingly moment
obviously gave me a little bit of pause.
So Jay, we'll get back to you, buddy.
I appreciate it, man. But I do think that no matter
where you're from, no matter, you know, what we might think
about some of these young athletes, right?
And and I know it's been kind of hijacked.
It's been a little misrepresented.
That's why I make it my business to talk to people that have been
in the game forever, like somebody like Rick Pitino, who
in 87 basically if he told Billy Donovan to run.
You know, 9 mountains and then jogged if you go fly to Hawaii
and jump in a volcano to help the Providence Friars get to the
final four. Billy Donovan was doing it.
And now that there's an association or there's a thought
that the athletes are less about the level of compete and, and
the championship pursuit, more about the, I don't know some of
the spoils that come with being an athlete and, and some are,
but by the way, so we're sold back in the so, so somewhere
like that back in the day. So I think somebody like John
Horribaugh, why he's going to work here and I and I believe
work at a very high level is because his message is
authentic. You're going to see him in the
weight room, you're going to see him.
He is going to be real with you. And I just really think that
that's what I think that's what young kids want.
I think young kids want to be coached hard.
I think young kids, they might not want it or they might not
know that they want it, but I think deep down their instincts
tell them, even if they resisted outwardly is like as parents, I
think deep down kids want to be parented properly and parented
hard. I think structure is great and I
think structure still works, but you got to be a real one.
If you're a phony, you going to be sniffed down a heartbeat and
you done. And that's why I really do
think, you know, I'm not trying to beg on Robert Salva, but I
think what he presented was not really his authentic self.
And I hope he's true to himself with his next job here because I
think there's a lot of good qualities in there.
And that comes with being experienced and failing and
lifting yourself off the mat and look into the mirror and
assessing and addressing and then changing ultimately what
you need to ultimately change to get better.
And I think he'll do that because I think he's a smart
guy. I think he's a good football
person. But I just think that, you know,
he he was out of sorts. And I think you contrast that
to, you know, some of the recent Giant coaches to bring it back
to Harbaugh. It's obviously not about solid.
It's just a point of reference, but you know, Shermer just
didn't have any real presence. I mean, Judge didn't.
He thought he was Belichick to an extent.
He talked himself out of that job.
Although Dabel really showed some good early signs going for
two against Tennessee. Direct the bullshit kind of old
school, you know, hardcore, which I like.
But then, you know, friction with wink and little friction
here, a little uncertainty there.
It just could escape all the losses.
That's why I think somebody like Dabel, you know, if he if he if
he goes somewhere and he will, and he's the OC and that they
score a lot of points and he gets another job.
I think if Brian Dabel could have some early success at his
next head coaching job, I think Brian Dabel has got a chance to
be a really, really good coach. Because I do think that he's got
that connectivity that players crave that I think that they
need. They just want to know that you
care about them and you show that a lot of different ways.
But I, I think that's where I think that's one of John
Horrible's greatest assets. I think to think that John
Horrible is the best XS and O strategist in football.
I think that that's I think that that's wrong as evidenced by the
fact since 2021, you know, during the five year span, he's
got the most blown fourth quarter leads of seven or more
points in any five year span in the history of the NFL.
Like somebody like Belichick who knows the rule book backwards
and forwards and sideways and up and down.
That's not happening. So I'm not saying it's all John
Horrible's fault, but there's a little weakness in there.
But I think that the overall strengths, the demeanor, the
presentation, the presence, the conviction, the reverence for
the franchise, the the demanding of a high level of
accountability and effort, those are two very different things.
Like you could work your ass off, right?
You could be in the weight room, you could be running, you can
come in great shape. You could be diligent in the
playbook, right? So you could put the work in
where nobody can question your work ethic.
But you still have to be able. And this is hard for kids, young
kids, you still have to be able to own the failures and you
could be a beast of a worker, but, you know, kind of deflect.
I, I, I was there, I did my job. Like we're not looking for that.
We're looking for a teammate. We're looking for a guy who's a
foxhole guy. And if you doing this pointing,
you know, at somebody rather than thumb to the chest, you're
not a horrible kind of guy and you will absolutely be gone
period. So just a really, really, really
good day. It was fun.
You know, guys like that excite me.
I wish I had a few more coaches like that when I was younger.
I really do. I mean, my dad coached me and my
dad was great. My high school coaches were
tough. I had two college coaches.
My my college coach who recruited me got fired after my
junior year. Rest in peace.
Really good guy. You know, we had some friction,
but he to me, he was, he let us get away with too much.
And when you give common, not that I didn't work, I did, but
not everybody did. And when you give college kids
that kind of freedom to and you trust them too much, it's going
to get away from you. And it got away from him and it
cost him his job. Whereas the next guy who came
in, who was my manager for my senior year is now the manager
at Virginia Tech. And he's one of the highest paid
coaches in college baseball. Before that, he went to Maryland
and he elevated them to the heights they hadn't been to
since 19 in 79. His name was John Sheff SI could
never spell his name SCEFZI mean the guy shows up and he he
played at UConn a little bit. He played a Drexel.
He was a coach. So he worked his way up,
obviously, and he comes to us As for, and this is what I mean,
like, you just know, when somebody stop fucking around the
first day of practice, he come first.
He's jacked, right? And, and he's still jacked and
he's got this buzz cut kind of like military Chris Mullin flat
top. And he's running with us and
he's lifting with us. And you could just, you're like,
man, I, I wish I had more time with this guy.
And then, you know, not by coincidence.
And really at Marist, we lost a lot.
I lost a lot more than I won at Marist.
Every year was a losing season. Part of the reason why my my,
you know, gentleman who recruited me was fired and John
came in and through attention to detail and through connecting,
through hard work, through accountability.
The year of course, crack the joke.
The year after I leave, this happens the year after I left,
they went to the NCAA tournament and you don't think I hear it
from my buddies when I see them like they got their rings.
I'm like I missed out on the year.
By the way, I if, if I'm still on the team and if I'm still
playing the way I did before, you know, in terms of playing
time, we wouldn't have been an NCAA team.
He brought it better players. That's, that's, that's the
reality of the world, right? I could accept that now.
And they went on to beat like they lost to JD Drew 2 to one in
the regionals. JD Drew, I mean, first round
pick, insane. They beat Nebraska, like they
beat some good teams along the way.
And then they went on a run where they made the NCAA
tournament five of six years, something like that.
And then of course, he moved on Maryland and then eventually
Virginia Tech. So like great coaches are just
great coaches. I say that not to give you the
rundown of how much I lost in Maris, but really the effect
that one man had on pretty much the same roster.
Because even though I had him for one year, the year that I
had him, we won the most games in school history.
And then the next year they made the tournament with without me
and whatever and with much better players than me.
And he just had a different mindset.
He had a different mantra and he demanded different things and
Harbaugh's the same way. So Congrats to the giants.
They crushed it. You know, everybody was
involved. I'm happy for John Mara about
Chris Mara was really important here.
Tish obviously had a role and hey, what do you need help?
Like we're not going to start you low and and and the go shade
up and bullshit around. We're going to start you at 18
five just in terms of a a respectful negotiation point,
just to let you know how much we want you And we know we'll go up
from there, which they did a little bit.
What do you need for you? All right, we got that.
We'll cut the check. What do you need?
Private jet family. We'll fly your family back to I
I believe they're in Michigan. I think wherever his parents
are, we'll fly your wife back to Baltimore after this and you do
what you got to do. Like everything was done first
rate. And I think what's really good
about this, even Coughlin calling, Gable calling Eli
calling like this was a massive coalescing of very important
aspects of the Giants to prove to somebody who wanted to
believe that the Giants are still the Giants and that they
could still, you know, they could, that they that they can
be perceived as the Giants the way John Horribaugh and older
coaches perceive the Giants. So great stuff.
Home run is a Super Bowl. So I'm not going to quite say
that, but it's a stand up triple and you would have to think that
at some point, you know, especially if Jackson darts the
guy that this team will be in and I believe he is in NFC
Championship games. I'm not saying next year, but
before you know it and they'll win 10/11/12 and eventually, you
know, Dallas or the Commanders or the Eagles will be looking up
at the Giants. You hope in the standings
because this man wins knows how to win and he knows how to
excite and he knows how to resuscitate.
I believe what what is you know until proven otherwise, a
moribund franchise. Good job, giants.
All right, let me get to this year.
By the way, I'll get the giant comments as you Jared.
Feel free to pop them in. If something you know makes
sense whatever, let me know because obviously I want to dive
into my notes here. I want to get to a few more
things now, the Baseball Hall of Fame, All right.
So, I mean, I, I, it's lost its luster.
And I'm not going to just go on a diatribe as to why.
We all know why, because the barriers have been lowered.
I mean, what what you had to be back in the day to be enshrined
in baseball's Hall of Fame and gain that that level of
immortality, it's lowered. And it there's nothing to debate
about that. When you have somebody like
Harold Baines and you know, Don Sutton and Purple I Levin, all
really good players, varying degrees of individual success.
I get it, but they're all kind of come from the same cloth.
None of them were great. They were, you know, I think
Baines was the worst of the three.
There's no way Baines should be in.
Please. Like that was the last frontier.
Harold Baines is a Hall of Famer.
You bet. You better, you better at some
point find a way to open the door for Donnie and maybe Keith
and some others. Dale Murphy.
Like, what are we doing here? So I, I could do 10 hours on
that. I won't.
I want to keep it current. So yesterday it is fourth year
of eligibility. Beltran gets in as we thought he
would, 84 1/2% whatever it was. You know, listen when when you
see, and there was actually some debate, not yesterday, but
leading up to after his retirement.
And some of it was maybe with the Astros in his role in the
cheating scandal, whatever. Put that aside right when you're
a nine time All Star, you got 3 Gold Gloves in a premium
position, probably could add 1/4 or 1/5 as well.
And you've got almost 450 home runs and you've got, you know,
basically 2800 hits. There's really not a whole lot
to discuss. I can understand if you're still
married to the benchmarks well and hit 500 home runs up and
have 3000 hits. That's a bit antiquated for me,
but there was enough there even like I knew he was going to get
it and he should. And it's awesome.
And he's going to wear a Met hat in which will be good.
But when you see this stat right about this one or four play one
of four players with 2700 hits or more, 400 home runs or more,
1500 runs scored or more and 300 stolen bases or more.
The other guys Bonds, Willie Mays, Alex Rodriguez, you're a
Hall of Famer next. Congrats to him.
Class act, hell of a player. Good stuff.
Andrew Jones, right? So I always thought that Andrew
Jones was a Hall of Famer. A lot of people, and I know that
the numbers like very top heavy, like he was really, really,
really amazing. And then the numbers really
start to drop off and dissipate and he lost his way.
Whatever you know, he got, he squeaked in.
He got what, 78 1/2%? So three more, little more than
3 1/2%, right around 3 1/2% of the requisite number, 75%.
Now, this was his ninth year in terms of eligibility.
And you look at some of the accolades for Andrew Jones, you
know, he's one of six outfielders, one of six in the
history of baseball to win 10 or more Gold Gloves in the
outfield. And he's got almost 450 home
runs. And he was on a really awesome
team, even though they didn't win as much as they should,
partly because of the Yankees. That that that Braves team was
phenomenal, right? So I got no problem with Andrew
Jones getting in my first. But but here's my issue, like
the the candidacy, I'm just very confused by this, right?
So Beltran should have gotten in.
He did. Jones should have gotten in.
He did. But can somebody explain to me,
all right, how on your first year of eligibility, his first
year, which was almost a decade ago, he had this and then one
more. And if he didn't get it this
year and didn't get it, next year would have been punted to
whatever the hell they call that next level of possible Hall of
Fame. You know, like Mattingly just
didn't get in and all that stuff, right?
So how can you get 7.3% of the votes on his first year of
eligibility? Less than 8%, which is what he
got, which by the way, is the lowest starting mark of any
eventual intrinee. Nobody in the hallowed halls of
Cooperstown got lower than Andrew Jones did and then
eventually make the Hall of Fame.
So can somebody very succinctly please explain to me in very
basic terms? I've got theories, but I'm
curious what you guys think. How can you thought when you get
7% of the vote, you're thought you're basically positioned as
an afterthought? He's got no shot, 7%, no chance.
And then how does the math go from 7.3% to 78.4%?
That's my fundamental aside from guys getting in who shouldn't,
and he's not one of them. But the math is just fuzzy.
Fuzzy man. The math.
The math is too unclear, it's too nebulous, it's too all over
the place. It's too without definition,
it's without definition, and it's really without logic, and
it's without rhyme or reason. That makes no sense to me. 7.3%
almost 80% what I mean I can see if you start out at like 46%
then you got maybe steroids on the resume or you know, you
start out in the low 40s, you know, really, really good
player, you know, maybe a border like borderline Hall of Famer
and then you incrementally inch your way up to the 75%
threshold. This doesn't make any sense and
it's not about Andrew Jones. He should be in.
He shouldn't have gotten 7% when he was first eligible 9 years
ago. That's the joke of it.
But then the like the the market correction, it, it really,
really leaves me lost. Now, some other things that went
down yesterday with the what, what what I perceive to be very
favorable trends, which will set up some of these guys to
eventually get in. Right.
And you can always, it's always fun to ask yourself, like, I'm
going to, I'm going to name a couple of players.
Yeah. I mean, Michael Mara, Dash, V9G.
Might as well put Bernie and O'Neill in the whole thing.
Now, O'neil's not a Hall of Famer.
You can make make more of a case for Bernie.
And I'm going to get to that in a minute.
So Chase Utley was up 19%. Thanks for the text there,
buddy. Andy Pettit, who I'll get more
to or more into, was up 21%. Felix Hernandez, up 25 1/2%,
Bobby Abreu up 11%. I mean, there there is no
planet, none that Bobby Abreu is a Hall of Famer.
But I'm just giving you the numbers.
But then again, if you looked at the 7.3 number that Jones got
back in the day, you'd say he's not getting in.
But then again, if you actually saw him play as many of us did,
you wouldn't lean on the math. You lean on your eyes.
See, to me, the first barometer, the first gauge is I really just
asked myself, was this guy a Hall of Famer?
And there are certain people like I I think Don Sutton came
up in the 60s, same with Burt Blile.
I didn't see them. Like I saw those guys at the
tail end. I remember vaguely Don Sutton
pitching in the 81 World Series against the Yankees and that
Dodger, Dodger Yankees series, which the Dodgers won.
So, you know, I remember like hearing his name and maybe
getting his baseball card or I just pitch it against the Mets
and then he's on Kinder's corner.
If he has a good game, whatever. Like, yeah.
But I I like there are times where I will to reinforce my
opinion or to be clear to further shape it with more
defined numbers. But my first thing will be my
instinct. Sky Hall of Famer, if I didn't
see him play, numbers will be more important to me.
If I did see him play, they'll be less important.
Although obvious, I can use that to contextualize other favorably
or or not based on what I come up with based on the player.
So I mean, Bobby Abreu, stop, but he's up 11 1/2%.
Dustin Pedroia, stop, he's up 8 1/2%.
Now this is my problem with baseball, right?
And you've heard this a lot. How can you write pertaining to
a lot of different teams and a lot of different players?
How can you write the history of sport X without player Y?
Like think about that. If you don't reward, whether
it's some sort of Hall of Fame acknowledgement or or retirement
of of their number or a monument, if you're the Yankees,
whatever it might be, if like, how could the the team have had
the success that they did if player X was not part of the
equation? And this gets me to Andy
Pettitte. I just I really don't understand
it. I mean, you want to tell me a
little bit of HGH, OK, All right.
I mean, I don't I put Alex in, I put Bonds in.
I put Clemens and I put them all in.
And that's the problem too, because that's their fault that
they cheated. And, you know, Alex is owned up
to it. Rogers been dodging it.
And same with Bonds. At least Alex has the spine to
look us in the eyes and say, yeah, messed up.
And I give him a lot of credit for that.
You know, Alex versus a rod discussions I've had with Alex,
like, you know, he could have easily taking the taking the,
you know, the side door like Bonds and Clemens and just kind
of fall off into baseball oblivion and say, Nah, man, why?
I don't do anything. No evidence, no proof Why?
So he didn't take that route, which I appreciate.
There's also he also got caught a few times.
So I don't know if he really had much of A choice.
But to own it and to be as forthright as he and as humble
as Alex has become. I think that's a beautiful
thing, not just for a player who was implicated in something, for
a human being, you know, attached to any aspect of life.
It could be anything, not just, you know, PEDs.
But anyway, Andy Pettitte. So I know that I watched Andy
Pettitte first of all, I watched, I watched him win 5
championships #1 so you start with that.
And I know that he wasn't always quite the ace.
And I know that there were other like it was Cone early El Duque
had a couple of big moments. Obviously Clemens had big
moments. Listen, I know CC in 2009, I
lived it, I know it. But Andy Pettitte, to me, how in
the world can you tell the stories of the 90s and the early
2000 Yankees, right, Which were by every definable term, a
dynasty dynastic period? How could they, first of all,
not only pet it, but how could the team itself not have greater
representation in the Hall of Fame?
Like I it's not congruent. I don't get it.
Because basically what they're doing is they're saying, well,
you know, we know what you saw. We know what happened.
But yeah, we don't really, we're not going to really pay homage
to it, which to me is the height of disrespect and really the
height of misrepresentation. Andy Pettit's a whole of Famer
before Mike Busina. You kidding me?
And and and that's always bothered me.
And to be fair, I didn't always feel as strongly about this with
Pettit. Like, I was always kind of like,
yeah, maybe, you know, the numbers aren't quite.
But I was living under the antiquated mindset of what the
benchmarks used to be for the Hall of Fame.
I mean, if we're going to adjust them up and down the board for
everybody, Yeah. Pains.
Come on it at Burp Light 11 because sure, Don Sutton come on
in. Don Sutton was never once the
best pitcher in baseball and look it up.
Not once, all right, Nor was he the second or third.
He just wasn't wasn't that kind of pitcher.
He was somebody was built on on longevity and obviously, you
know, had a had a really good statistical resume.
Was he better than Andy Pettitte at his job?
I I don't where's the evidence? So now you go back to these 90s
Yankees and you've got Mariano who got 100% of the vote.
You got Jeter who got 99 plus percent of the somehow didn't
get 100%, which is laughable. But the lack of representation,
you're not talking about two championships or 1 championship.
And then you get to another World Series.
And then, you know, maybe 2-3 years in a row you, you get to
the American League Championship Series and you fall short like
you're really good for, for, for 1/2 a decade and you have one
World Series title to show Ford the Yankees.
Now, he wasn't really, you know, quite as instrumental in this
year in 95. But Yanks were a wild card team.
Yanks were a playoff team in 95. They won the World Series in 96.
They won the World Series in 98, you know, 97.
If Alamore doesn't hit that home run the other way against Moe,
they're winning that. They didn't, but you know, they
would have won the World Series in 97.
I believe. 98 they win it. 99, they win it. 2000, they win it.
2001, they go back, they lose at a broken back base hit.
And then in 2003, they lose to a young Marlins team that just out
pitched them and outplayed them. Like, I'm not here to make
excuses. I'm just here to make sure that
history doesn't get misrepresented, which it so
clearly is. And like you think about any
dynasty and it's not just petted, whether it's the Oakland
A's who won back-to-back to back championships in the 70s with
Chuck Finley, who was the despised owner, cheap.
But think about some of the guys on that team.
You had Reggie, you had Catfish, you had Raleigh Fingers, you had
Bando, Sal Bando. But you had a lot of great Gene,
I think, I think tennis was the catcher.
Like, they had a really, really, really good team.
And I think that they should have more representation in the
Hall of Fame as well. So it's not just about Pettit.
What about Bernie, Like, you want to talk about maybe.
All right. And you do have to incorporate
this into the conversation. I'm not trying to omit it
entirely. I'm just telling you what it
means to me and not just for him.
So there's no Yankee bias because I told you, I put Bonds
in Clemens. All these guys, Alex, right?
They should be in now. How in the world does a switch
hitting center fielder who hit for average hit for power?
I, I always thought Bernie was an overrated defender.
He could go get it. He had a pop.
He had a Brandon Nimmo Armand center.
He had no arm. He had a wet noodle for an arm.
But Bernie was, you know, a high contact, high average power when
everybody was juicing. And I could just assume that he
wasn't right. And Ernie Williams, on his first
year of eligibility, got 9% of the vote and dropped off shortly
thereafter. What?
How does that make any sense? The star center fielder who was
in the middle of the batting order for championship after
champion and big moment after big moment, Not even a modicum
of respect in terms of possibly getting into the Hall of Fame.
So these are problems that I have with the Hall of Fame.
I'm really happy for Andrew Jones.
He he deserves it. I'm really happy for Carlos
Beltran. He deserves it.
Do not tell me that somebody like Pettit or Bernie that they
didn't deserve at the very least a whole hell of a lot more
respect. And I believe in the case of
Pettit enshrinement and in the case of Bernie, flip a coin, you
know, and you listen. You want to even throw this
further down the road, How about Posada?
Now, Posada wasn't the catcher on the first couple of the
championships. You got to factor that in.
That was Girardi and Girardi had that big triple.
I was at the game, the clincher 96 against the Braves when he
hit that ball at the center, which probably should have been
caught. But he was the catcher early on
for those first couple of the championships.
But Jorge Posada got less than 5 percent, 5% and he fell off the
of the ballot immediately. Switch hitting catcher power and
durable and a champion and the numbers are there.
It's not like the guy was hitting thirteen home runs and
I'm trying to well, you know, a lot of catchers didn't hit a lot
of home runs. This guy hit 15 and he won.
Put him in. Look at his numbers and he had
seasons where his OPS was 8887910.
I just don't understand the lack of rhyme or reason when it comes
to the Hall of Fame. So I'm confused.
I'm bothered by it. You know, I guess that's the
saying goes, you can't fight City Hall because nothing's
changing. It's only getting worse.
Like there's an overcorrection with certain things and there's
a complete ignoring of other things that I can say and I just
did are more pertinent than the things that they're now choosing
to elevate and illuminate it. It's insane.
Like imagine guys, here's a better way to look at it, right?
Look at it this way. So imagine depending upon how
old you are to a relative. So for me, take the 50's, the
60s and the 70s, right? Baseball I did not see.
And then obviously everything before that, right?
And you're a fan of your team, right?
You could be, you could be a Red Sox fan, you could be a Yankee
fan, be a Mets fan, be an Oriole fan, be a Philly fan.
Any fan. Doesn't matter.
It's not just New York specific. Right?
And your team in a span of 5-6 years won four championships and
your 3 or 4 hitter is nowhere near the Hall of Fame.
And he wasn't like injury prone. It wasn't overrated.
He didn't hit 7th. Like it just doesn't make sense.
And it's getting worse. I mean, it really, really is at
the DNY Cest. What up, man?
Posada was the greatest switching and catcher of all
time until Cal Rowley. Comparable numbers to other Hall
of Fame catchers. Yeah, that's true.
I mean, I I don't I don't understand what what is now a
point of emphasis? What is being marginalized?
What is being overstated? What is being.
You know, I I I don't, I don't, I don't know.
All I know is what I've seen and it's not the Yankees won two and
like we're trying to stretch these boundaries.
I'm not even saying put Tino in. I'm not like I even I've got my
line of delineation. Although when you know, and he's
not a Hall of Famer and I'm not going to make an argument that
he should be. But just like pragmatically,
again, if you take that example of any team that you root for,
if they had a treasure chest of championships and you're power
hitting first baseman. I know that fielder played in 96
out in Atlanta with no DHI get that.
But Tino was in the middle of everything.
I mean, mostly everything and and like, you don't even hear
his name it. It really is incredible to me.
It's bothersome. So they got to get their act
together, but they're not going to what are they going to do?
They're going to get they're going to finally figure this out
and finally, finally switch it up.
Hey, let me get Jay Rod in for a SEC.
Jay. Rod, you still awake there,
buddy? How you doing?
Jay, what's up? How's it going?
Everything. We're going to hit you with the
quiz pretty soon. So all right, I'm getting
prepared. Well, I mean relation should
have already occurred. It should have been years ago.
Years in the making. Yeah, Yeah.
Exactly because like when you tell me I'm getting prepared,
that implies that as I'm getting ready to jump into this, you
might not be fully ready. Now I'm actually hoping that you
either get them all right. Am I all right?
Look at this. The boy won the we get them all
wrong. So I can mock you when we get
out. Like to me, somewhere in between
is not what we're looking for. By the way, let me let.
Me pop this guy real quick. Let's go Mets.
I'm going to get to the Mets in a bit.
Obviously, Louise Robert, I'm going to get to the Mets.
Michette's going to be introduced today.
Samuel Lambdash 2D2 S Appreciate the pop there, buddy.
Thank you very much. All right, so before I get to
the quiz and let me find the quiz.
And it's not incredibly hard, although for you it could be.
What is your definition of Hall of Famer?
You're a lot younger. You know, you process these
things differently, new generation when you especially
baseball, football's different. It's it's because the way the
football situation for those who don't know, very quickly,
basically, you know, you get the finalist and then you get
somebody who's your champion, whether it's a beat writer,
somebody who covered you. You go in a room and you
basically make a case like Gary Myers has done that for Tiki.
I think he did it for Eli as well.
And then you basically try to convince and Eli is going to be
easier than than Tiki, even though I think Tiki should and
will eventually get in. You've got to basically espouse
the virtues of that player and get the group to vote on it.
Like it's very different than casting a ballot it seems.
Yeah, it's like Survivor, like it's kind of.
Tribal. A little bit.
It is a little tribal. That's true.
So what is your definition of a
Baseball Hall of Fame? I mean, for Baseball Hall of
Fame, let's say definition got to be statistically, you know,
significant as well as I'd say cultural impact.
I think is, is pretty important in terms of like, you know, the
impact you left on the game, the impact you left on fans for your
name. I think not name
recognizability, although you know, for me, I guess I'd play a
bit of a part. But I think, you know, having
having people being able to vouch for, OK, this person
impacted the game. Fans can sort of see
statistically, you know, the championships line up, OK, All
Stars line up, and I think that's kind of the definition of
a Hall of Famer. I think that's a good job.
I think you laid that out pretty well.
You had a couple of different bullet points that that I would
have been and I do incorporate as well.
All right, So before we get to the quiz, let me let me ask you
this just to kind of, you know, thread it a little deeper and
get a little more specific. Do you do you place more value
in somebody who plays a long time and you know, eventually
gets to either, you know, surpasses the threshold of wins
or hits, whatever it might be benchmarks, home runs.
But most of the career was never one of the best players clearly
in the game or somebody like a Mattingly or an Albert Bell or
others that I could Bernard King for the next time, though, he is
in the Hall of Fame. Guys like that that that were
clearly, indisputably one of the two or three best in the game
during their prime years. But injury or circumstance wiped
out the back end and the stats in totality aren't fully there.
What's more important? To you.
Yeah, Well, it's interesting. I mean, I think I think you
obviously need a combination of both.
You know, obviously a time where you were kind of at a bit of
like a peak statistically within the league, but also you
continued that over, you know, a long period of time.
I think when you compare it to like an NBA, you look at like a
Derrick Rose kind of situation where you're going, OK, is he a
Hall of Famer because of like his small, his small period of
greatness? And for me, I think I would
still, I mean, especially in the Basketball Hall of Fame, you'd
obviously give it to him. I think, you know, based on
other criteria, potentially not. But I'd say when you're defining
a true Hall of Fame career and what makes it recognizable and
memorable, I think that longevity does play a massive
part in it. OK, I, I would rather like to me
somebody like Baines, who was a a perfect encapsulation of the
longevity. I mean, I, I saw basically his
entire career and and not once was Harold Baines ever even
remotely close to being one of the best players of the game.
Like, guys that when I think of Baines's, you know, when he came
up and then early into his prime, you got guys like
Mattingly and Brett and Ricky Henderson and Mike Schmidt still
do his thing at third base. Gary Carter, even before he came
to the Mets with the Expos like Cal Ripken, Ozzie Smith at
shortstop is one of the best defensive players of all time.
You know, Dale Murphy for a couple of years, back-to-back
MVPS, guys like that. So I listen ideally, yeah, both.
I mean, you know, you have 3000 knocks or 500 bombs where you
hit 3 100 and you win an MVP or two and you're a 10 or 11 or a
twelve time All Star. But if given the choice,
somebody like Mattingly or somebody like Bernard King or
even Albert Bell versus somebody like a Baines type that just,
you know, accrued a ton of stats but really never distinguished
himself at that high level or the highest of level, I would go
for the former rather than the latter.
But that's a personal preference.
All right, good job. So at least everybody knows that
you're intelligent. You, you put out that vibe.
He speaks clearly, he speaks coherently, he formulates
thoughts. Well, now's the real test here.
Now's the real test. OK, right.
And the reason I'm going to do this, if you guys missed
yesterday's show and it's it's obviously up on the YouTube page
there. What, unknowingly like he wasn't
trying to be offensive, wasn't trying to be rude, wouldn't try
to be disrespectful. I mentioned Matty Lee's name, as
I will do often. Anytime I can assert Matty Lee's
name into anything, you're going to hear it, trust me.
And as you can tell by the jersey behind me.
And he said something flippantly like mad.
Who's that? Or Mattingly?
What I. Said whoever it is, whoever it
is, it was bad. I mean, someone made the comment
about the Carmine thing. I went back, watched that scene.
It was legitimately the same exact kind of thing.
It was hilarious. That was a great text, the
Carmine, little Carmine reference when they get
everybody together and oh man, and Tony flips out on him for
saying what he said. Very similar.
I like. By the way, have you seen every
Sopranos you jumped? Into it multiple.
Times you really huge Sopranos fan.
We could get into that good. Even if you bomb on this, what
you're going to your your affinity for Sopranos is a great
thing. Are you a Rocky fan?
All right, I've seen the first one years ago, but I've got a
refresher. It was it was like a childhood,
me and my dad kind of movie. All right, that that's
acceptable. You ready for the quiz here?
Yes, Sir, all. Right, so basically and and I,
I, I, I'm going to look at them right now.
I got the I got four, I got 5 for you.
I think you'll get the 1st 15050.
Next one you get wrong. Next one you get wrong.
Next one's true or false, you got a chance and then the next
one will be you're going to get it wrong.
I I don't, I think you get one right.
Try me. Try me.
Give it a game show, music let. Me, see, do we have that?
Who the hell? He's the producer?
The Jelly Show. There we go.
Real extensive negotiation after a real extensive conversation in
pursuit of the proper person for this show.
J Rod has distinguished himself and he is the producer, folks.
So with that mind and let's welcome him to the show.
J Rod Hey, buddy. How?
Are you great? Great.
All right, so J Rod, I've got a series of five questions for you
to prove your your understanding of me and what is important to
me. Are you ready for the first
question? Let's go drop it.
All right, what where where did Patrick Ewing go to school?
What university did Georgetown? All right, that was the one that
we're going to lay it up a little 2 foot putt, 2 foot putt.
Now this is the way you should start playing golf.
We're going to go from the green backwards.
It's going to get tougher and eventually you're going to be in
the rough like this is a little tap in, tap it in, tap a Roo one
for one. There you go.
No #2 All right, Prior to being traded to the Yankees, I believe
you're going to get this one wrong.
Paul O'Neill played for what? Team All right, listen, just so
you know, not looking at anything up.
Got the hands up. All right, let's throw
athletics. OK, that is, I was wrong.
He was on the Cincinnati Reds. He was part of the Roberto Kelly
trade. Now, to be fair, you know, I
don't really think that you shouldn't necessarily know that.
You know, I mean, that that's, that's a long time ago.
That was in the early 90s. And but you got it wrong #3 you
know, he's one of my favorites. Everybody does.
What borough is Chris Mullen from?
Oh man. Like like Warriors player Chris
Mullen. Well, you could also say St.
John's player, which is OK, but you I got it dream team Chris
Mullen. You could say Pacers Chris
Mullen you could say St. John's coat You can say anything
about Chris Mullen. What borough is Mulley from all?
Right. What's he from Brooklyn?
Yes, let's go. In the house.
BK stand up.
Wow. All right, buddy, 2 for three is
going to keep his job here. True or false?
Actually, if he gets a couple more, he might get a raised.
Forget about. Just keep his job.
Just kidding. True or false?
Mark Jackson was the last Knick to win the Rookie of the Year
award. You're a basketball guy.
It's a lot. It's a lot of years ago, Mark
Jackson was the last rookie of the year for the Knicks.
True or false? I'm going to say false.
OK. But then my aunt, do you have an
answer now if you're going to say because yeah, yeah.
I'm trying to think of who it would be.
I mean, obviously not Porzingis. I don't think.
Yeah, go back. Going to throw out a crazy.
Answer. Go backwards.
No, you're on the right track. Go backwards.
You thought processes right I mean.
It could. I don't think it's Marbury.
I'm, I mean, my thought would maybe be Spreewell Latrell's.
Remember, he was in a trade. Spreewell was in a trade.
You're going to take the L on this one I'm taking.
The L I'm taking the L. All right, so we're going to go
with the answer is true, obviously.
And by the way, like I knew this, I obviously knew it was
Mark in 87 because he's one of my old time favorite players.
I didn't realize how few they had.
So Mark Jackson won it in 8789, 8788.
Ewing wanted couple of years before that, 8586.
Prior to that it was Willis Reed in 6465 S The Knicks have only
had three Rookie of the Year. So you got the first one right,
you got the second one wrong with the O'Neal and the Reds,
you got the third one right. You got the 4th one wrong, all
right. This one has options.
It's not quite multiple choice, but there are there are there
are three or four teams that you can select here, even if you
guess the odds are better than the O'Neal one, because that was
one team. You ready?
All right, so besides the Yankees, name one other team
that Joe Torry managed besides the Yankees.
If you get this wrong, your pops is going to be pissed.
I can tell you. Dad's going to be mad.
The Sox? No, no, not because of that.
I'm. You know what that was?
That was a misleading. I just know he's a baseball guy.
So I'm gonna strike. It's not the red.
I'm gonna strike that from the record.
All right. I'm gonna go Phillies.
No. So we went 2 for five, which
quite frankly is a little bit better than I thought.
We got a bonus question though for you all.
Right, there we go. How many glove?
How many Gold Gloves did Don Mattingly win?
The all time number for a first baseman is 11.
That's Keith Hernandez and Donnie would have had more or at
least as many and Keith was better, but he would have, he
would have gotten there if he didn't get hurt.
All right, How many? He won A lot.
So I'll give you a little bit of a hint.
Keith, the most ever by a first baseman, Mattingly's number was
what if you get within one? If you get within one, we'll
give you a bonus. We'll go 8.
We'll give you we end up on a high note there.
Had a boy there. You go.
Alright, alright, Jared did it. Seem like a high number there.
You go. There you go.
You get to stay on the show, you pass the quiz.
Good work. Everybody give it up for Jay.
Ron, I'm a little worried about. Thank you very much.
A little worried about that. I mean, the Patrick Ewing one
was a layup, but I'm glad you started me off with an easy one
that I knew I was just gonna. Yeah, listen.
I mean, I'm here to try. Listen, you were here to make me
look good. I'm here to make you look good.
I'm not here to make you look bad because if you look bad, I
look bad. You're an extension to the show,
brother. All right good job J Rod.
I appreciate that and let me get to the Metsies here by the way,
keep those comments in coming in the the Giants press conference
obviously started with that with John horrible phenomenal did a
great job really impressive happy for the Giants for Mr.
Mara, happy for the fans really good day obviously touched on
some Hall of Fame stuff and let me get to the Mets here.
So where I just wanted to look one thing up here.
Where is it there? All right, so listen.
I don't need notes for this. I think the Mets have had this
particular aspect. I think the Mets have had a
really good offseason. I've said that it's coming
together and I didn't like tell you guys what are the things
that that I really try not to do?
Not that I never do it. Of course, I'm human.
I make this mistake as well, but to me, it's largely wasted
energy reacting definitively to something that is not yet
complete. Like, why am I going to give you
my ultimate reaction of Stearns's offseason going back a
week ago or a month ago when players started getting dealt
and started playing, players started leaving.
Like, why would I do that? Like, to me, I got to let it go.
That doesn't mean that you should have a reaction when Pete
signs with Baltimore. I'm, I'm not saying that, but
the, the next step from there was he's not going to do
anything. Oh, Cohen just wanted amazing
park, whatever it's called, a Metropol Metropolitan Park.
And he's all about the casinos. And look what he did.
He pulled the rug and the wool underneath our eyes and it's all
a bunch of nonsense. And here we go.
Wilpot is going to be cheap. Like some of the things that
were being said about the Mets, to me were just grossly missing
the mark. And I thought it was time to get
rid of Nemo. I thought it was time to get rid
of Pete. Now you really wish you had Diaz
now, especially with some of these reinforcements you brought
in. And I said the same thing, like,
all right, I think the Mets missed that, messed that one up
for the amount of $3,000,000 / 3 years for Diaz, who's one of the
top 2 closers in the game. They messed that up.
But not everybody's perfect in totality.
I think Stearns, as I get that. Now to the Louise Robert move,
Michette with the press conference, the introduction
today. I think that Stearns, I have my
thing there a little bit, set a really good offseason.
Now, the, the Louise Robert move to me is a move that had to be
made on a couple of levels #1 with him coming in, and I
understand he strike out a lot. It's been a little injury prone.
The average has inexplicably sunk and his production sunk.
I think there's life in his back.
I know he's a great fielder. I know he can run.
So there's tools there. And it's a, it's a short
commitment. The next year is a buyout for, I
think 5 or $6 million. You come in and what you're
doing. This is what many of you fail to
understand, that I don't get it. Well, I do, but you need to move
past this. I think a lot of the confusion
or the anger or the displeasure Stearns is doing, it's been
rooted in emotion. And as I've said on previous
pods, I do understand that because I'm emotional, you know,
And if like, if the Yankees would have moved on for
Mattingly or even like, if the Knicks traded Jalen Brunson,
like this mess that they're in it, they're like, well, we could
get better by trading Jalen. Like, I'd lose it because
Jalen's not the problem. He's more the answer.
So I understand that connection, that sentimentality.
I always have it. I always will, however,
understand what the Mets are doing here.
The Mets are giving you as a fan the chance to have a very, very
enjoyable summer and a very enjoyable season while sibled
competitive, while simultaneously they are buying
time to figure out what they have with some of these other
players, whether it's a bench, whether it's a Jet Williams, the
young pitchers obviously sprout and Tom Mclean's different
level. He's the man.
I think he's great. One of those players going to
get dealt either you would think for Peralta or for three school,
but whatever. But I, I just, I think that the
Mets, if imagine if they would have been, and I think some of
you thought that they were going to do this, that they were going
to actually enter the season with like, I don't know, Benjen
center and or, or Tyrod Taylor in center and Benjen left.
Like now you give the young player a chance to kind of ease
into it. And if, listen, if he flashes
during the spring, I think the Mets are going to give him a
chance to make this team. I think you might see a little
bit of Brett Beatty out in left field, which I'm open to.
He's not going to look like Todd Hundley.
I can promise you that. And he's not going to look like
Mike Piazza trying to play first base.
He's a good athlete. He'll be fine.
I mean, the very least he'll be average.
And I, I would think with some reps and he's going to have a
much better arm than Nimo. So I think that that's an
option. And you look at, you know,
whether it's a Polanco, whether it's a Bichette, whether it's a
Louise Robert, you know, Lindoor, you know, obviously
Soto, like, you know, you've got, you've got 5 or 6 hitters
like out of the shoot that are going to give the Mets a chance
to put some runs up every night. Now the I still send some what's
the right word? I still send some some fear,
some trepidation that you don't think that they're going to get
pitching. Do you actually think that
they're going to start the season with this pitching staff?
There's no way. There's no way they're not going
to have either a Peralta. I myself wouldn't sign Valdez
and I went through that one of the previous shows.
And then when you cross up a catcher, you're not a guy that I
want on my team intentionally. Like it's one thing to I'd
rather you throw a glove in the stand like that dope did a
couple of years ago who they caught him forgetting his name.
Like I'd rather you have a moment where you lose a little
self-control. Not that I not that I like that,
but to me, it's more acceptable than you as a competitor putting
your teammate in harm's way willingly because there's
several checkpoints that need to occur before you throw that
pitch. He thinks something soft is
coming is with Houston. Obviously he thinks something
soft is coming. You want leash A fastball, you
catch him off. I mean, if that hits him in the
neck or well, I mean, that's it's just it was really it was
unprofessional. Whereas you know, if you smash a
bat or if you throw a helmet in the dugout, or even if you say
the wrong thing post game, like you really pissed off and
charged up after a bad start or after a bad game, or even if
you, you know, you, you, you go to throw your, your glove at the
dugout and it goes into the stands.
Like that's just, and again, that's the wrong thing to do.
But at least in the moment to me, I can process that better
because like it was just a temporary respite from being in
control. And then that's something you
got to work on. But to to be on a mound 60 feet,
6 inches away from somebody and understand that as a you're
about to deliver a pitch at 9394 and he's expecting 7374.
You're just not a guy that I want to go to battle with.
I don't trust you and and I don't respect you.
So I don't want the Mets to get Valdez.
And I hope that their desperation doesn't lead them to
do that. To me, The better play with
Suarez, I think they missed on that.
Now, if you get Peralta, it's phenomenal.
I think Peralta is better than both of those guys for sure.
He's better than Suarez, better than Valdez, and then you couple
in with Valdez some very shaky second-half stats, you know,
long term contract, little lackey character.
I'm just not feeling that. And I hope the Mets don't pivot
to him. But there's no way that the Mets
are going to start the season with McClain is their ace, even
though he's got ace worthy stuff and Manaya too, and Sanga 3 and
Clay Holmes 4 or Peterson 4, whatever configuration.
That's not going to do it. See what what the Mets?
And again, they're trying to thread this needle of being
competitive now. And when you roll out in
succession, Lindor, whose numbers will be there at the end
of the year, he's going to be a little streaky as he always is,
but his numbers will be there. But Shet, who you're going to
absolutely love. Wish the Yankees would have
gotten them gamer high average clutch, you know, dirty uniform,
scrappy big time hitter winner, you know, rises to the moment
Lindor Bichette Soto, who's going to be even more
comfortable year 2IN Queens like Beltran, you would imagine.
And Beltran's year 1, he had sixteen home runs.
I mean, we're sitting here saying Soto had, you know, some
of you were saying he had a bad first year.
He had some bad stretches. He started poorly, but his
numbers were pretty damn good compared to Beltran.
I mean, it's not even close. But when he gets a Soto and you
know, I, I don't know who's going to hit 4th.
I mean, could it be a Polanco? Could it be a Robert?
I I I'm not really sure. But then you throw in the babies
and you throw in the Alvarez's. You know, now you're cooking
here. Now you got a little something
where night tonight if you get decent story pitching something
the Mets could not buy most of last season, especially down the
stretch the last couple of months.
I mean, you're getting 2 1/3 three innings, 1 and 2 thirds
one inning from Tong. But what you what you can't do
right? And I and this I This is why I
know that the Mets aren't done with their with their moves
here. They're going to get a big time
pitcher. They might even get 2.
They might get a big time pitcher and then, you know, kind
of a, whether it's a lower level trade or a signing, there's not
many guys left, but somebody that you can throw that that's
made a lot of starts that's, you know, thrown a lot of innings,
but you know, isn't a top of the rotation guy.
But you can now protect somebody like Tong and Sproat and throw
them out there when they're truly ready, unlike last year,
based on necessity and sheer desperation.
Throw them out there when they had no right being out there.
And I know each one of them flashed a little bit.
But you know, Tong was he just didn't look mentally ready that
game when he was, you know, he's visibly crying.
He's still going through the process, man.
I think he's going to be good. But he wasn't ready and Stearns
knows that. So they're trying to thread this
needle of going out there and, you know, trying to get a wild
card and gauging, you know, our what?
What is Benj about? What is Sproed about?
What is Tong about? Is McLean really what we think
he is? If they don't trade Beatty, can
he be a left fielder? Can he be a first baseman?
If they don't trade Vientos, All right, who?
And I think that they should. I'd move on.
I'm not a big Vientos fan, but because you can't run a key to
that position and that's anti Stearns.
Like if you can't run and you can't play defense, you're not
going to be on Stearns team because all he talks about is
run prevention, which is interesting with the shed go to
third base, but I think you'll be fine there.
I think that's been overstated a little bit.
If you can play shortstop and you can be in the middle of the
diamond at that level, you can move 15 feet to your left and
play second and you can move 1520 feet to your right and play
third. Eventually going to figure it
out. I know the arm strength is
average, sometimes a little bit below.
You know, he throws right around 80, 2.9 mph on competitive
plays, which obviously is not great.
I think it's 20 something in baseball that's on the lower
side. It's not optimal.
I get it. It's not Sean Dunstan, it's not
daily, daily cruise. It's not, you know, young Alex
Rodriguez or Ripken. He doesn't have that arm all
right, but you can make up that arm.
I think for a lack, a lack of a plus arm in preparation in
positioning, in getting rid of the ball fast.
There's going to be moments where you know he died and he's
got to get up and he got to throw that bullet.
You know, really maybe by the coaches boxing third base, he's
got you don't have any time to to really gather yourself and
you got to unleash it and you'll see a throw that's average.
I'm not saying that that's not going to happen, but what he's
going to bring to the table overall is so much more of a
plus than a negative, especially it's a short term deal, which it
is. So I think they like Louise
Robert a year ago, you, you just, you cannot run somebody
like Tyrod Taylor out there every day.
You just can't have a center fielder who can't hit.
You know, he if he's your fourth guy, it's phenomenal because
he's a great defensive player, that he's a gritty, grimy, good
clubhouse guy. So I, I, I do think that
they'll, I think the Mets going to be a lot more competitive
than I thought. Think about this like there was
a point before the Bichette move where I'm sitting here saying, I
said it on the show right now, 75 win team.
It's one of the it's one of the weaker rosters in baseball.
You don't have, well, you have a closer, but he's not what you
had. Your rotation's a mess until
further addressed and you know you got 2 reliable hitters in
terms of Lindor and Soto. Everything else is still to be
determined. Or, you know, you might do this
and you could do that and the contracts offered to this guy or
this young player might be that that's not how you win.
But I think that you are going to at some point, maybe it
doesn't happen this year 'cause I still, I still need to see
them make the pitch. You might get the pitching.
I think at some point many of you are going to owe Stearns an
apology. I really believe that.
Now, whether or not you'll be man enough to actually make it
and come correct and raise your hand up and like you got you got
to do that when you're wrong, you have to be.
And I'll do that on the show when I'm wrong.
I've always done that. Like I've always been
transparent, like I don't I don't have an opinion and then
pretend I never said it like a lot of people do.
I'm going to make mistakes and when you're confident and when
you are on air every day and when you are, when you present
things in a in a definitive way, as I often do and you know,
you're going to miss the mark sometime.
So I if I expect me to be able to say, you know, a public
figure, I was wrong. You know, why can't you do it?
I think that you have to and I think that you will with David
Stearns. That's what I think is going to
happen there. Let me get a couple of these
tweets here. I got a little note on the
Johnny's game there. And by the way, you can play
Tyrod Taylor at left field like it doesn't work out with baby
and you want to have him out there a little bit or Benz
doesn't make the team. That's fine.
I, I think that it's, I think it's pretty good.
Let's see here. I just explained this at a
million Jays 3242, but Shet's the worst shortstop.
Why do you think you can play third base?
Well, number one, third base is easier #1 there's, I mean, I
don't understand how people don't understand this.
I don't. Now, it's one thing to say that
Bichette's going to go from an awful shortstop to Mike Schmidt
at third base. Nobody's sitting here saying
that. But if you don't think, and it's
not a knock, this is the reality of it.
If you don't think that he can become a functional third
baseman, you didn't play any baseball.
That's just, I'm not trying to talk down to you.
I didn't play the majors. But if you think that you just
didn't play baseball at a fairly competitive level, because if
you know anything about big, like on the most rudimentary
level, the best athlete is always at shortstop.
The one who knows the game the most, the one who's generally
the quickest, one who's got the best hands.
From the time you're 678 years old, that's the kid who's
playing shortstop, and that's the dude who's playing shortstop
in the bigs. Now, like everything, there's a
pecking order. You know, there's some guys who
are elite, there's some guys who are average, and there's some
guys who suck. And you put up with it because
he's a masher. Well, but shit like to go to
third base guys, this is just, this is basic stuff.
I'm going to spend a lot of time on it #1 you've got to worry
about less. You have to worry about going up
the middle and in the hole. And it's just it's quick now.
It's a longer throw from third base and couple of bunts,
whatever, A couple of swinging bunts.
You got a lefty who throws in. That's why the Yankees getting
McMahon to play third base defensively, you like to see him
not hit 210 and strike out every night twice.
But at least from a defensive point of view, I think it was so
important because you got freed, you got rolled on, you got those
lefties, those cut like those balls bearing in on the ankles
of of righties. They're going to bang that into
the ground. And you need somebody who's
competent at third base, but shit's going to catch the
baseball. I I just think he's been grossly
overstated how bad he's going to be a third base.
He's just not. And if he is, then I'll say, you
know, all right, man, it was. I don't know what the hell
happened. We still gonna hit 290 with 30
something double s and 20 something home runs.
And he's gonna be clutched. So you put up with it.
No doubt. You definitely put up with it.
How about a little Johnny's gritty win last night at Clr
8810? Yeah, it was.
Kate may appreciate that. Love the show.
I think you checked in yesterday.
Thank you very much. By the way, guys, as I, as I
told you, listen, we're building this thing up.
It's pretty much I'd say when we first started to going back to
the first show, if I was to give you like a one to 10 scale based
on the camera, based on the quality of the microphone, based
on the background, based on the acoustics, based on the
lighting. I mean that first show was a one
out of 10. It really was.
I was just, I just had a lot to say.
So I'm like, I'm starting the podcast here, as you can now
tell. The camera, we have an upgraded
camera. The microphones obviously been
taken care of. The graphics are much better
thanks to Jared J Rod's the producer and he's part of the
show now, which means we're going to start bringing some
guests in and and being able to do some other stuff.
I know he's working on some musical elements for the open,
for the closed, do some stuff there.
The phone number that, that's going to be the greatest
undertaking. As I've said many times, we've
got the phone number, but that's a different interface and that's
going to be more technical stuff that that Jared and I have to
work out. It's not like, all right, we got
the number popping in producers here, let's get the phones
going. It's a little deeper than that's
a little trickier than that. It is doable and we're going to
do it. So that will come and then the
next thing we got to do is the studio redesign and I've got the
the two logos that you guys know about what is a little darker, 1
is a little bit lighter. The matter fact, my guy just
texted me this morning, ironically, where he's got the
two samples and going to come over and we got to see exactly
where it's going to be in relation to the back wall there
in terms of it's going to be the whole wall, but I mean the logo
so that I'm not obscuring it with my head, but it's still
visible in the camera shot. So there's a lot of things that
we got to do. But yeah, I mean, it's it, it
makes it fun, it makes it exciting.
Obviously you guys subscribe it, like it, comment, get that
traction going. And just to finish the thought
on that tweet, it wasn't very gritty, very or text not tweet,
very gritty. St.
John's win. So we went.
I went to a restaurant in town last night.
My son, two of his buddies on his travel basketball team.
God, they got smoked last night. And everybody, the dads, the
kids, all Seton Hall fans, right?
We're in Jersey to make sense, you know, and we're the St.
John's crew. And I wasn't working the game
last night. It's a couple of games I don't
work, they get Tariq or a former player in there.
So I wasn't scheduled to do the game.
So I mean, we're we're watching this travel game and I'm saying,
what is this thing over? You want to talk about non
competitive? This team was terrific.
We were down 19 to 3 and like we got some players like this team
was just there. There's a you notice there's a
difference between young players who play all year round in
basketball and then players who were pretty good at basketball
and love basketball but play two other sports.
And that's what we were up against last night.
These kids were banging threes. These kids, soon as they got the
ball, fast break, you know, good spacing on the wing, a lot of
plays back door setting screens, like talking rotations on
defense. They were good.
So I just couldn't wait to get to the restaurant, get myself a
beer and get myself something to eat and watch Saint John Seton
Hall. And that would have been a
devastating loss for Saint John's, not in terms of the NCAA
Tournament. Even if they would have lost,
these would have still gotten in.
But St. John's really put a lot of I
want to get one thing I'm looking for you put a lot of
work in to get themselves back into a very favorable spot.
Where is it in terms of the way they are perceived here by the
NCAA Tournament committee now? Last year they were two C.
They got bumped in the second round and it's my hope if they,
you know, if they continue to grow here that well, they won't
be 31 win team in a two seed. They're going to be better
prepared to actually advance deeper into the tournament.
And last night was the kind of game that would have really set
you back analytically because you know, they had the three
quad one Rd. wins, which really got them into top 25 net and
really brought them. I know that I think I said this
yesterday. There's this for those of you,
even if it's not Saint John's, want to check out your team.
There's this just Google bracket matrix, right?
And it's basically a a database of all Lenardy, you know, all
the CBS palm, whatever that that actually tracked this and put
out their seedings. And what they do is they kind of
they aggregate it and then they they kind of have like a hybrid
and they give you an average seed for each of the teams that
they think is a tournament team right now.
And before Saint John's went on this run, they were clearly in,
but they were in the 8-9 game. And now I checked this morning,
I check everyday on a couple teams and they have now moved up
to the second six seed. But if they would have lost last
night, even with the back-to-back quad one Rd. wins
and then a 20 point beat down against Marquette and then
another quad one Rd. win, like because they, they flushed a few
big wins down the chute early in the season, they would have lost
last night. And I think they would drop back
to that 8-9 game, you know, and then you're one other bad loss
away from, you know, maybe something really going in the
wrong direction. So they just did not look good.
See, and I knew, see the, I saw that spread.
It was, it opened at like 12 and it got bet down smartly, not
some Seton Hall money to 10 1/2. I think it went off a 10 1/2 or
10. And I'm sitting there, you know,
with the guys who I'm, I'm good friends with my my son's team
mates and I've coached with them.
Baseball great guys become really good friends, Seton Hall
fans. And I'm like, that spreads crazy
like this is gonna be a street fight.
I got too much respect for Cheyenne Holloway and for that
program and how they fight and the rivalry.
Seton Hall's really own St. John's in the rivalry.
I think that I saw something. I think that they were 4 and 14.
Is that right? I know they very rarely they won
last year, but very rarely win in Newark.
Yeah, I think it was four wins in their last eighteen games
against Seton Hall. So I knew the spread was
ridiculous. I knew it would be a street
fight. I knew it would be tight.
And then St. John's fell behind.
They were down by like I want to say, yeah, they were down 3832
with the hat. They were down 6.
And then Seton Hall rips off a nine O run to start the
second-half and I'm sitting there saying, you know, I'm
probably going to lose this game.
And it was a very deflating feeling because they had worked
so hard to get to a place that that really began to resem,
began to not fully began to resemble what many of us
thought. I mean, national commentary,
what St. John's will be this year.
And they just went bonkers, man. They bunker down offensive
rebounds. They got 20 offensive rebounds.
Hopkins was doing his thing. Mitchell was playing well.
Dylan Darling had a massive steal and a couple of really big
buckets. Sandon was very good down the
stretch, made some big plays there.
And they really did it without Zubi having a vintage game.
Zubi had fouls and Zubi didn't play particularly well, missed a
lot of shots and Ian Jackson did nothing.
He was over three. I don't think he even scored a
point and he's been playing very well.
So that shows you the depth of stage.
I'm like Dave, when they were taking the game back from set
hall, it was Hopkins, Darling, the Satin, Ruben Pray, Dylan
Mitchell. Like it wasn't Ian Jackson and
and and Zubi and some of the other players who play big
minutes. So really, really good win for
Saint John's. And I've got to go to Saint
John's today to film the right after this to film the Red Storm
Report. So episode 3 already.
Good job there. Let's see.
Here. Let me pop in a few of these
myself. I got a little something on the
Johnnies. Yeah.
This would be a blast. Jerry Nelson, 1236.
What's up, Jer? Can't wait for you and Sal.
The show tomorrow with booty. Oh, yeah.
Boy, I would love the Yankees.
Do a little something before Sal's feeling himself on stage
tomorrow night. He's got to be feeling better
about the Mets than I feel about the Yankees right now.
The Yankees haven't done anything.
And I'm just really, have you ever had I think about the
pursuit of a player like if and when and now that the Mets got
Louise Robert, I'm not worried about the Mets taking Bellinger.
But I mean, you want to really make a power move, Jeez, go out
there, get Bellinger. You have an outfield, the
Bellinger, Louise, Robert and Soto.
I mean, you know, and if Polanco's not working out of
first base, you could put him at first base.
Like I mean, that would be that would be and then you get a
pitcher. I mean, that would be a crazy
offseason by the Mets there. But like I'm almost I'm so so
turned off by the tone of the and not Bellinger, but just
Boris and the expectation for what I know it's his job, but
there's no reality really attached to the pursuit of a
seven-year deal. He's not that kind of player and
he just he just he just hijacks every offseason here and not
just with the Yankees, but a lot of clients here.
So whenever and I'm assuming Bellinger will sign with the
Yankees, maybe Toronto, but I'm going to say the Yankees, as
I've said all along. But like, I'm not going to go
nuts. It's not going to be some
euphoric explosion. Like, wow, Yankees got
Bellinger. It's going to be OK.
So you retained what you had a year ago.
What's next? Really what's next there now?
But have a good time tomorrow. Looking forward to it.
Looking forward to seeing Boone. Haven't seen Boone since.
Talked to him a few times Haven't seen him since Let me
see. I saw him on opening day.
We did our show out there. What else, What else?
What else I don't know. We did.
I saw him there. I think I saw him.
Oh, I saw him over the summer when by the Little League in
town went to Yankee Stadium. I saw him briefly there.
Kids get to walk along the the the dirt track, the warning
track, the outfield. And I was able to text him.
I said, hey, you know, I I know you're busy before the game.
If you can pop out and you want to say hi to the kids and he's
like he did it and that's the kind of stand up guy booted.
So looking forward to that. Looking forward to seeing Sal
for sure. And we'll have a good time.
Man. It'll be a lot of fun.
That is tomorrow night in at the Vogel Theater in River in Red
Bank. It's just going to be is we've
never done this before. I mean, my wife is putting
overtime on this, but sponsorship and my guy more
Tucci first for wait to see and wait to hear more Tucci's
rendition of New York NY for snot.
That's how we're going to start the show.
It's going to be great. Going to be absolutely a blast.
Really looking forward to that. How about this one?
Yeah, a little pitching here at Avery Summit Dash U1R Yanks and
Mets both both take a flyer on Zach Allen.
Yeah, he's fine. I I like him.
I don't love him. But yeah, I think the Mets more
than the. I don't think the Yankees need
Zach Allen. I think the Mets need, you know,
Zach Allen and somebody else, ideally from a pitching
perspective. Like, that's the one thing I'm
not worried about the Yankees pitching.
I know it's a little bit of a risk here and a little bit of a
leap of faith that everything's going to work out favorably here
that, you know, Gary Cole comes back healthy, Rodon comes back
healthy. Schlittler's the same guy.
Clark Schmidt eventually comes back and is healthy.
Max Freed year 2 is as good as year one, maybe even hopefully a
little bit better when he had that bad month or that that
those bad 5 starts. But otherwise really, really
good. Yanks pitching starting is on
lock here, at least potentially, and you've got got to get more
for the bullpen. That'll be really, really nice.
And you know, I, I, I think if you could do that, you got
yourself set up to do something really big as, as, as hopefully
you get another stick in here. And the Yankees said enough Mets
would be foolish to trade for school ball.
Why use the chips for somebody else signed school in December?
Well, I mean, do you really think he's not going to go to
the Dodgers? Here's the thing too.
You've got to now calculate this.
You have to because it's not just about money, because Cohen,
unlike AL's, been willing to write these big checks.
Think about what he offered, you know, Tucker, and think about
what he gave a shit. I mean, 60,000,040 mil.
I mean, wow. So the thought is, and I
understand this is a practical thought, like why give up prime
chips here for school when there's no assurances?
Because he's just not going to sign an extension attention when
he gets here, there's no assurances that he's going to
remain a met. So it's a one year rental.
You're not necessarily ready to win a World Series.
Why would you do that now? Well, it I think in most
situations you would, you certainly wouldn't give up
McClain at all for a rental. And you know, the reason why you
would do it is then work with the Yankees and Soto.
But the reason you do it is you get them in, you get him
acclimated, hopefully he loves it.
And then obviously the money will be there commensurate with
all the other offers. And then based on his his year
with the Mets or whomever trades for him, he just feels a
connection and he wants to make it his home and you got a leg
up. So as long as the contract stuff
meets up with the Dodgers, Toronto, the Yankees, and
they'll be in on school, whatever.
If he likes it in Queens and he thinks it's it's a trajectory
that he can obviously help clearly, but also punctuate with
the championship and he likes it.
Well, you got the leg up, as I said.
But the problem with that now, and that is a very logical
thought and I really have subscribed to that for a long
time. Like get him in, let it show,
especially from a Yankee point of view.
Get him in, let him feel, you know, get around Yankee Stadium,
the fans, the buzz, all that stuff.
Well, it didn't work with Soto and somebody like school.
I'd be less willing, less prepared to run the risk of not
trading for him now and then just having to, you know, stand
toe to toe with the Dodgers and to a lesser extent, the Yankees
and maybe Toronto and maybe one or two others.
And, you know, with the recent evidence that everybody's going
to the Dodgers, I mean, you really want to mess around and
risk that. So that's one reason why I
disagree with that. That last text there doesn't
guarantee anything that if you if you trade for them that
you're sure to sign them. But I do think it gives you a
better chance. If you're not willing to take
that chance, I get it. That's fine.
But OK. I just think you've got to be
ultra aggressive here. I really do.
What is this here? Michael Baker 73 O 8 What's up,
Mike again, guys, tell me where you are texting from.
I like I like to know that it gives me a chance to either
morph into a story or have a little bit of fun.
I remember playing there or I play golf there or I know this
guy there or whatever. I went to dinner there.
It just makes for keep it more conversational.
Michael, how about we stop mocking the boy genius, as you
know, who loves to insole? That's I think that's about the
Mingo. Maybe the Mets can win now that
the ones we never won with are gone.
Yeah, I got you. I think you're talking about
Joe. Joe, Joe dub them.
I mean, Joe is just Joe is Joe's all over him.
I personally think it's it's unfair, but I'm not Joe.
I'm me. So I don't really care what Joe
says. It's you know, it's fine.
The boy, the boy wonder mocking him.
He's been all over him, you know, but but Joe who is amazing
and I love, you know, Joe's deal.
Joe slants toward that negative emotion And I sometimes with
certain things, so will I. I don't see it that way.
I disagree. Fundamentally, I think Joe's
wrong and I don't agree, but that doesn't mean that
ultimately I'm going to be right.
And by the way, that's Joe's emotion now and he's certainly
entitled to to do that. I'd love to know if Joe still
feels that way. You know, with Bichette, with
Robert, a lot of that is emotionally driven.
You know, with guys like Pete and Nemo and Diaz.
I understand that, I do. And by the way, Joe just has a
microphone or a podcast. Joe's not alone and feeling that
way. That's why I've told you, all of
you, I think there's a large congregation of people, like a
massive amount, more than 50% of the Met fan base.
It's going to owe Stearns an apology.
I truly believe that. That's just saying that.
I mean, the guy was brought here to build the team the way, you
know, he built it in Milwaukee and to accent the roster with
pieces that financially he couldn't do in Milwaukee.
And I think that if he does that, then I I, you know, I I
really, really think that he's going to be somebody who's
revered and he's going to have a chance to win a championship
here. Jim Horn, 10.
What's up, Jim? Kind of looks like Sal and me a
little bit. Anyway, the steroid class should
be in the Hall of Fame. Every era has their version of
cheating. It's tell the story.
Baseball, Bonds and all the others should be in.
Everybody knows what happened. Yeah.
Jimmy, I'm with you at this point.
To me, it's a very basic point that I get to very quickly here.
You know, as I said before, if you if you can't tell the story
of the dynastic Yankees without Andy Pettitte, right, Which you
can't if you want to be sincere and accurate and genuine to what
actually occurred. Well, how can you tell the
history of baseball without a Bonds, without a McGuire,
certainly without without an Alex Rodriguez, who's one of the
best natural baseball players of all time.
Yeah. Listen, do I have separation
myself between somebody and forget about Alex?
Because Alex can run, he can field, he can do everything and
even forget about Bonds because he can run, he can didn't quite
have the arm and and the defensive prowess that that Alex
had a shortstop in the outfield. But athlete to me, the the the
debate could come into play and it does for me and is where I my
line of demarcation like Bork McGuire Hall of Famer.
Even with all the cheating and the cartoonish physique and the
ridiculous home run totals. I mean, it's really insane.
But Mark McGuire at at USC and on the 84 Olympic team, it is a
rookie when he was very thin, hit 49 home runs for the ace.
I mean, look it up. Mark McGuire stepped onto a
baseball field. He was bam bam.
You know, I'm sure Mark McGuire when he was 681012151820 and
beyond was the best power hitter on any field that he stepped on.
Wood bat, metal bat, t-ball, big time college ball, PAC 12
minors, majors. That's Mark McGuire.
He's got brute raw strength that is very rarely replicated, you
know, in baseball. It just had it's different.
Whereas somebody like Sammy Sosa to me, who is much more a by
product of the chemical enhancement, I don't think he's
all the Famer. I'm old enough to have seen
Sammy Sosa play right field for the White Sox against the
Yankees back in the day. Wasn't that guy.
So what is Sammy Sosa without home runs, without steroids?
What is he? I'm not saying he's not a good
player. He's not an old timer.
There's no way. I mean how many 60 plus home run
seasons did he have? 3 or 4?
Like you look at the whole like you know, you see Judge, you see
Rodger Maris, you see like you know, you see McGuire, see Sosa
like 3 or 4 times. What are we doing?
To me, that was not a natural depiction of Sammy Sosa as a
baseball player. He is a much more heightened
version than he would have been without without cheating.
So I don't need Sammy Sulzer ever to be anywhere near a Hall
of Fame. McGuire in Clemens in a Rod in
Bonds in that's my opinion. Some of you disagree.
Some of you still hold on to the notion.
And I get I'm not mocking you with his voice, but, oh,
cheated, you know, can't put up, man.
The rules are the rules. And then.
But yeah. And then I could also let.
I can't. I got to get rolling here.
But I could then launch into. All right, well, I mean, there's
so many different points in baseball history.
What about the dead ball era? We had a what about this?
You might not like hearing this, but this is the reality of it.
What about all the the white players that played in a league
where there were no minorities? And you know, look at somebody
like Hank Aaron and Willie Mays and and some of the bonds, some
of the best players are, are black, not to mention Latino.
And you know, for all those years, it was just white
players. And, you know, I don't, I don't
know what the accomplishments would be.
I'm not saying that somebody like Ty Cobb wouldn't be amazing
or, you know, somebody like Babe Ruth wouldn't be amazing.
Of course they would be relative to their era.
But will they be quite as amazing?
I I don't know the answer to that, but it's provoking
thought. And to me it's a real thing.
You have you have to insert. And then the next thing is,
well, how many thieves and criminals and drug, you know,
drug addicts and, you know, wife beaters and whatever other, you
know, or in the Hall of Fame. So like the morality clues what
bothers me, like don't be selectively moral.
Like, you know what I mean? If you're going to, if you're
going to hold on to that morality clause, do it with
everybody. Just don't be selective.
Wow, this guy took steroids, but this guy's an old timer.
Let's not just Revere the guys who played 100 years ago that we
know were either or thought to be racist like Ty Cobb or, you
know, or cheaters or, or criminals, you know what I mean?
So I want to hear it. I don't want to hear it in, in
an incomplete fashion. I want to, I'm, I'm down to hear
the whole thing, you know, But again, you can't just parachute
it. I think a lot of you do.
I think it's changed a little bit, but I still notice it's
like you, you gravitate to one thing and you really hold on to
that so tightly as you as you present your case for, you know,
Hall of Fame candidacy or not. But then other things that are
of equal import you you kind of you ignore or you push in the
corner of the room. It's not consistent because
that's not the big picture. And the big picture of baseball,
as I wrap it up, is that if you are a great figure, if you are a
luminary of the game, if you have the requisite stats, if you
transcended the game, even if you cheated, because that's the,
that's the era in which you, you, you know, you, you were
competing in. Well, then you know what, you
belong to the Hall of Fame. And listen, one thing about the
show I've never said this on. I've said it once or twice on
the radio. I'm going to say now and then
I'm going to really sign off here.
You know how close I was to taking steroids.
I admit it freely. I was this close to taking
steroids. I actually had somebody on
campus and I scrounged together the money, all right, where I
was going to do 2 or 3 cycles in preparation for baseball season
my sophomore year. And I don't know what my
ultimate checkpoint was, why I didn't do it.
Maybe thankfully sensibility won out.
But I, I can tell you back then I wasn't thinking that clearly.
It's not like I was some mature 19 year old who thought about
the world and thought about me being at this age.
I didn't think about that at all.
I mean, I really didn't. I thought about what can I do to
become a better base, to get faster, to get stronger.
And that was also in the era when everybody was yoked up and,
you know, there were guys, football team, other athletes on
campus. Guys just wanted to look good at
the beach. A lot of people were taking
juice, you know, so I actually almost did it.
And it and I, I really do think the determining factor was it
wasn't even about a morality thing or a fear of like organs
or, you know, shriveling that, that that thing shriveled up.
What you hear about. I was worried about that stuff I
was worried about or I came to the conclusion, and I'm proud of
myself for doing this because it was, it was the right honest
conclusion. I came to the determination that
no matter how many cycles I took, it wasn't gonna be good
enough to play in the bakes. I do it now.
Would it have give me, you know, a year or two a bowl?
Hi. A maybe AA would have maybe.
Maybe in the right situation. Maybe, but I just knew that
about myself and I was able to be honest with myself about
that. But I, I, I say that, you know,
not to sound like some Oh, what an amazing figure.
He didn't do it. What an amazing person.
No, again, I was just close. I had the person, I had the
money and I was ready. I was ready to do it because I
was working out a lot. And I think that especially when
I'm in college, I graduate mid nineties, 96 where, you know,
now the steroid era, it's like everywhere you look, everybody's
absolutely yoked up and just jacked.
So imagine being in the majors, forget about me.
It's some, you know, middling mid major Division One school
that's not winning a lot and not putting up great stats.
Me in college. Imagine being in the minors and
being in let's say AA and going to camp and looking around and
seeing 30 guys that are, you know, around your age, you're
too older, you're too younger, 7 or 8 play the same position
organizationally. You're all chasing the same
thing. You chasing the call up, you
chasing the elevation, you chasing the money and you're
chasing, you know, you're chasing wealth that is going to
benefit multiple generations, if not every generation if you
invested properly, really perpetuity if you if you handle
it right and you make enough money.
So I mean, how do you not do it at that point?
Now, the thing with somebody like Alex and and Barry Bonds is
that they didn't really need it. Whereas others that that's going
to start recklessly throwing names out because I don't want
to be that guy, but there's a lot of people that we think did
it that would never proven to have done it.
That wound up going from average ball players to guys who wound
up securing 20, five, $30 million.
They got the bag. And you know what is it really,
if you think about it, did they really truly do the wrong thing?
If their liver doesn't conk out and their organs don't just
shrivel up and they don't die, God forbid early.
You can say they did the right thing, but the pressure of that,
like I, I, I just don't think that it's often enough looked at
through the proper prism of the context of the era in which
almost everybody was messing around at some point with that.
And I was right there thinking about it.
And if I was better, I would have done it.
So I'm going to always keep it real with that.
I got to roll. Hey, appreciate you guys hanging
out. J Rod, you get to stick around
for a little bit. He passed the test.
Good job By my boy Jared. Jared was good today.
Really good Giant discussion, really good Hall of Fame Mets
discussion. Little Johnny's for you as well.
Tomorrow's the BT and South live show, so it's going to be a
blast. Can't wait.
I've got to get out to St. John's today and I got to record
that show like it, subscribe, spread the word.
Jared's doing a really good job on the shorts and the
thumbnails, just the overall presentation and, and that's
going to even get better and better and better.
It will do more and more and more and that's it.
So I got a roll here. I got hit the road.
Get out to Queens, guys. Have it an outstanding
Wednesday. I appreciate it.
I appreciate you. BT unleashed in the house every
Monday through Friday at 10. And then obviously when we get
some breaking news there, we'll jump in, we'll parachute in and
we'll do our thing. So have a great day and I will
see you tomorrow at 10. Bye bye.