OverDrive - Hosmer on the perception of the Blue Jays, the ceiling in the AL and Ohtani's superior dominance

Episode Date: June 27, 2025

Host of the Diggin' Deep Podcast and Former MLBer Infielder Eric Hosmer joined OverDrive to discuss the perspective of the Blue Jays, their ceiling in the AL East and the position in the division, how a team handles a player getting hit by a pitcher, Max Scherzer's mentality on the mound, Shohei Ohtani's dominant force and more.

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The station that champions Canadian music. Loud, proud, and all yours. No passports required. Just press play. Tap into Made in Canada now on iHeartRadio.ca or the free iHeartRadio app. Here's Eric Hosmer. How you doing, Eric? That was doing great. Appreciate you boys having me on again. Well, it's great to have you on. And we were just talking about what went down in Cleveland earlier today,

where Vladdy got hit last night, he got hit again today, and then Ramirez steps up and Gosman hits him. I'm sure you've been on the wrong side of both of those scenarios. Who makes that call? Like in the dugout when your best player gets hit multiple times in a series has to leave the game. Like, what's the discussion like in terms of retaliation and what your starter's going to do next? Yeah, you know, that's one of those things where it kind of goes without

spoken or being spoken about. I think the whole dugout, everybody kind of understands what's happening, especially when you go after, you know, Vlad, he's your superstar. You protect him at all times. And honestly, even if it comes close to happening once, let alone one time, you should really stick up for your guy, pitchers the the catchers the bullpen I think that goes without spoken and that's something that shouldn't get back to the manager, but I will say this though That's one of those things after

Watching hockey man in that playoff, especially the Panthers Toronto that series is when I got hooked It's kind of it's tough on baseball. It's a tough Look, I'm not gonna lie because those guys after every whistle are punching each other in the face and we're throwing balls at each other So it's something baseball got to adapt here. I'm the first to lie because those guys after every whistle are punching each other in the face and we're throwing balls at each other. So it's something baseball has got to adapt to. I'm the first one to admit that. Okay. Okay.

I like that. Who makes the call on the Vlady being hit? Is the first one an accident or is the team saying, we got to target this guy or what's the deal with that? Yeah, you certainly look at situation. If it's a situation, and I should know this, but if it's a situation where Vlade got hit with a couple guys on base or two strikes,

then you know they're not doing it on purpose. But then when it happens the second time, then it's like, okay, this is our superstar. Obviously Jose Ramirez is Cleveland's superstar, that's who you're gonna go at. And Gosman did everything the right way. He didn't go above the belt, he was going right to the hip cheek there, whatever you wanna call call it. And you know, Jose kind of put his hand in

there. It looked like it got him in the wrist. But that's where, you know, it really hit me with the silly nonsense. If Jose's out for, you know, four to six weeks there with something with his wrist, then that's just not a good way for baseball to retaliate. With Eric Cosmer, what if you're, and I'm sure you have at times in your career, played the role of Jose Ramirez, where you're in your own dugout or in the field and you see Vladdy get hit and you're like, all right, I'm going up next and I know what's coming. What's that mentality like for Ramirez? I'm sure you were in that spot at different times in your career.

Yeah, it's certainly uncomfortable. That's the thing too. Everyone in Cleveland, everybody in that lineup, it's certainly uncomfortable. And that's the thing, too. Everyone in Cleveland, everybody in that line up, including Jose, once Vladimir gets hit the second time, it's like, OK, we kind of know it's coming. And Jose kind of figures if there's two outs or any kind of situation with an open base, it's going to be me. But you look at some of them back and forth

with San Diego and LA, keep hitting Otani back and forth. And that's where, listen, I'm the first one to say it, boys. I'm not this big, tough guy that's saying we need to to fight but that's where the game kind of looks a little soft compared to hockey When you know these guys are punching each other every whistle and we're just doing baseballs back and forth So we got to adapt on that for sure. I like it. Yeah, I love it Eric What what's the perception of the Blue Jays from outside the market? Obviously we live it every day But what do you make of this team, what their ceiling is,

and can they be a playoff team? Certainly, as of right now, I think the American League as a whole is wide open. And the Blue Jays are a team where it kind of seems like the last couple years they're searching for that identity. Are they gonna hold on to the Bichette Jr.? Obviously Vlad is staying there for a long time now.

They go out and give Mad Max, which is a key addition to their veteran staff for this pennant race that they're about to pursue. And the feeling in that clubhouse is let's play good baseball for another couple weeks and make the front office go out and help us out in the trade deadline. Well, and then they got Scherzer back last night.

Now Max was not a trade acquisition, but he hasn't pitched all year and you would have faced him you know i'm sure a bunch throughout your career uh... man he's intense to but he's intense what what what's that like you know prime shers are stepping in the box and he's got it attitude going that night

was that experience when not they were here that they were ten to be a better football but i think we would come as well he brings it every single week i believe but something i respect most about mad max is anytime the situation got bigger there's a key moment the game he went to a stop all right away and i think i have to about ninety nine hundred and i really respected that a lot about max but

this is the exact reason charlotte and i like max you know you got a point in time his career where you're not expecting him to go out and throw 200 innings throughout the season And then perform in the postseason. It's we need you in the pennant race We need you to be that guy for this period of time So glad to see him back and hopefully he stays healthy throughout We're chatting with Eric Osmer So the Jays now are heading to Fenway and you spent a year there with the Red Sox and you know there's this weird reputation

that they have. Growing up as a kid, they were the Sox that could never win and then when 04 hit, all they did was win for like a decade. Now it started with Mookie Betts and now recently with Devers. Ownership, a lot of people wondering how committed they are to winning. What is your read on the Sox and how serious they are as a playoff contender or eventually a World Series contender in the American League East?

Full turmoil out there in Boston boys. What are we doing? You're trading Rocky Devers. That is your best player. Do we not learn from Mookie Betts? I mean I love and football they say you don't want these players to lead your building especially guys that come up through your system a la Vladi out there in Toronto but do you not learn from Mookie Betts? I mean even the return you don't get much back and I would love for these guys to do studies on what the return is on these prospects

and how they all pan out because a lot of these trades you end up getting back four or five of these guys and maybe one or two pan out but when you're talking Robbie Devers in Boston, the beast of the east, he's proven in that division, proven in big games, I mean what else are you looking for? So it's full turmoil out there in Boston. I really do not know what the plan is and I hate it for those guys. I hate it for Cora. I really don't know what's going on out there. Yeah it's crazy man like because the Sox like they they just they again like I said like for a decade or more they were as good as anybody in baseball and then you know you look at the Yankees and the Yankees

they've stopped their toe a little bit recently you know the Jays are on the tail Tampa's on their tail and you know they've faced injuries particularly to the rotation you know at times this year. What is what is your read on the American League East? You know do you feel like it's still a crop shoot? Do you still think the Yankees are the pace car and will remain that for the rest of the year? How do you see that plan out? Yeah certainly you know and then the cap off the Boston trade, weird timing you know you just get off going at the Yankees you're feeling good and boom, it kind of deflates the clubhouse. But the AL East, you look at the standings now, and again, the American League wild card is

wide open. It does seem like the Yankees are the juggernaut of that division, and they're going to kind of run away with it again. But at the same time, the American League, it's kind of wide open. And in my opinion, the national league is where it's at is very very strong i think if uh... you know some of these teams battling out in the wild card were in the national league it'd be a different story but yet a l e seems like the yankies are running away with it but it's wide open for toronto tampa

and i don't think anybody expected that i think baltimore with the team everyone expect to be up there and they're essentially out of it the show hey continue to impress or we just expected to see this for many years to come. Man, he continues to impress. It really, you know, it seems like the game is just too easy for him. You you get up to the major leagues and it's like, all right, I'm a hitter. I pitched in high school, I pitched in college. But the way he's treating the big league baseball game is like he's going out

playing just men's pickup beer league and he's out there pitching throwing 99 to 100 he's hitting homers left and right he dh's last year and still goes 50-50 he really has you know him and judge have separated themselves as just different superstars in this game and man i tell you what it's uh it's tough to pick between those guys because those guys what they're doing it's great for the game. Chatting with long time MLB or Eric Hosmer and the the dodgers beat colorado today not shockingly i mean colorado loses literally every single day but uh... kershaw was on the mound and clinkers shot of the key

thank you yeah wrecked up five strikeouts today so he's got two thousand nine hundred ninety seven in his career uh... which means he's going to hit 3,000 strikeouts only two active guys are there that's Verlander and Scherzer I mean all three of those guys are Hall of Famers all three of them are all-time greats but you just I don't know if we're ever gonna see that again I'm

curious with innings restrictions and with sports science like do you think there's a chance Scherzer's or Kershaw's the last pitcher to actually hit 3,000 strikeouts in their career? Yeah it certainly seems that way and baseball is a game where consistency and and longevity I think is really what shows up you always were quick to crown guys after two three years in the league but to see him do it at this level for this amount of years is certainly impressive. And I don't know if we see that again because of, you know,

not only the craziness with all the pitching injuries and all that stuff, but the mentality of a starting pitcher alone is just so much different than what it was when Clayton was first coming up. So I really don't know if we see that again. If we do, it's, uh, it's not going to be more than a handful of guys, in my opinion. Is he one of those guys in the league that you think of Kershaw in LA that just kind

of owns the city? Can you think of a guy in baseball in a different era, a different city? He seems to be the man in that city, does he not? He absolutely is. That's one of those moments where you kind of dream about being in LA under the bright lights like you're saying He's on the mound and when you're out there in LA, it's well known right behind the home on deck circle Sandy Koufax used to go out and be sitting right there so just to see him and then Clayton on the mound and you're hoping it throws you one of those big curve balls just like

You dreamed about man and yeah, that's certainly a stop in the big leagues that you go to in LA is one of those you look on the schedule and kind of Hope you get matched up with Clayton that night. Cause that's what you certainly work for as a youngster coming up. Yeah. I love that attitude. Like you, you want to face those guys, you know, when you're coming up, you're like, give me Verlander, give me Scherzer.

Like, is there a picture you missed somehow that you wish you got to hit against? Uh, Scoobal was a guy in the AL central that right when I got out is right when he was coming up and he's a guy, like you said, I would have loved to face him one time. And then after that, I don't know how much I would have loved it just to see what he had. And, and then Paul skeins is another one.

This is a guy where he's so smooth in his delivery and I'm not going to lie. I thought the fastball would get hit eventually as he worked his way throughout the league and guys just can't seem to hit it and adjust to it. So that's got to have some funky look to it and I would love to step in the box to see what that looked like. Yeah skeins man like what an impact that guy's made and the team stinks like they'd never win they never supply any run production. It's crazy. Yeah they're terrible. I tell you what, there's a young fella out there in Cincinnati, Burns, you guys should

keep an eye on him as well he's the real deal. Okay I love it. He is former rugby player and host of Dig in Deep, Burns, you guys should keep an eye on him as well. He's the real deal. Okay, I love it. Nice. He is formerly a player and host of Dig in Deep, Eric Hosmer. It's always great having you on, Eric. We really appreciate it, man. We'll do it again down the road. Oh, absolutely, boys. Love it.

Great talking to you guys. You too. There he is, Eric Hosmer. Seasoned gamer or just video game curious? This Week in Gaming is the podcast for you. We break down the latest in the world of video games, from basics to beyond. The hottest gaming news, insight and industry leaders and more, weekly. Join me, Naomi Kyle, and stay ahead of the game with all the latest updates. Even if you're a total newbie.

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