OverDrive - Maybin on the Dodgers' supreme reign, the Blue Jays' season overview and Guerrero Jr. and Bichette's significance

Episode Date: March 28, 2025

Former MLB Player and Foul Territory Host Cameron Maybin joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around MLB, the importance of a winning culture, the Blue Jays' team overview, facing Max Scherzer in his career, the Dodgers at the top of the league and Shohei Ohtani's incredible skill and more.

Hey, who invited climate action to the party? We did! Hey, I'm Shannon Burns. And I'm Sarah Christie. Together, we host the Earth Day Party Podcast. Where the guest list is full of climate experts sharing their advice on how we can protect our planet. Everything from avoiding microplastics to sustainable fashion to getting a prescription to spend time in nature. Plus, we hear from David Suzuki.

This is a party where everyone is invited. The Earth Day Party Podcast on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Here's a long time MLB player. You can catch him as a host on foul territory back in overdrive. Here's Cameron Mabin. How you doing Cameron? What we doing fellas? We're doing great man. It's great to have baseball back and we're curious your take on that. The White Sox, we know what they went through last year.

Like it was the biggest disaster in the history of the sport and last night they had a party after winning on opening day. What do you make of it? Well let me go back a few years. I think this all started when Ricky Rizzeria was the manager and we watched Ricky Rizzeria do a pretty good job and they let him go, then they brought him back and they let him go again.

And I bring that up to say, you know, one thing that goes unnoticed is being a leader of men. Pat Murphy, David Ross, Aaron Boone, Tony Tito, Frank Kona, Snicker. You're seeing guys that are showing you how important it is to be leader of men, right? And I think what's happened is, and I know it's one game, and I'm probably gonna be a little bit more higher

on this guy than most people because he's a friend of mine, next teammate, but I know the kind of person he is and we're venable, right? We talk about what the White Sox were and they've been searching for a leader and I think the last right guy was Ricky Richery and I think they found the new right guy. Now as a manager you can only do something with what you have, right? Sometimes you just are out manned but when you talk about leading man, a guy who understands, who has been around a winning pedigree in Texas, been a busy coach in Chicago, he's seen what it looks like to win. But one thing about Will Venevel, people don't realize is he's a very, he's a guy that makes

it easy to talk to. He's a very welcoming guy. He's a very welcoming guy. He's a very welcoming personality. So I think when you have that and you put that in amongst a young group of guys, I think you'll start to see some guys put the selfish stuff to the side and go, hey, at the end of the day, if we win, and especially if we win more than we did last year, nobody's going to point the finger about who's doing this or who isn't doing that. Winning cheers is all so I'm happy for the white sox but most of all I'm happy for my guy Will Ginnable because you know I know what he brings to the table and I know

he doesn't have a lot to work with but it was fun to see those guys get that nub. Cameron how long does it take before things settle in in Major League Baseball? It's a fascinating sport. There's 162, which is so many games. But let's say, for instance, the Jays, I mean, they got waxed last night. Like how long before somebody says, we might need to pull it together here? Because it is such a long season and there's butterflies to start the season. Everyone's excited for opening day. When things don't go right, how long before somebody says, let's snap out of this, fellas? Well, you know, that all depends on the guys in that clubhouse, right? You know, I play with teams and I play with superstars that they weren't very vocal.

And then you add guys like myself to those clubhouses and to those teams where, you know, I understood my role. And I mean that from a standpoint of and I and I'm just using Mike Trout as an example. I'm playing Mike Trout. He's a great leader but he leads by example. He goes out, he shows up, he plays great every day, puts the numbers up but he's not really a vocal guy. He's not the guy that's gonna you know call everybody in, shut the clubhouse door and say hey guys we gotta get it together. That's when you need that Robin. You know, you think you got Batman, what do you need Robin?

You need that guy that doesn't go, Hey guys, before this gets too out of hand, I think, and I think you give yourself, you know, 10 to 15 games. You know, I always as a player would get myself in greats. You know, if I can, I always tell myself, I got April hitting 250, 260, it's gonna be a good year. So when I look at it from an individual standpoint, I think you kind of you kind of equate that to two success as well You give yourself a little bit of a grace period in the game one I've seen a lot of guys start off high and then you and you seem to with a lot and that guys is below The minnows a lot of really struggling. So as a team, I think it's a part of a, you know, burial of the dead kids, you know, it's like the guy that you hope we would be. Um, things happen,

but I think you just, you wipe the slate clean. Um, you look in the mirror and you figure out what we're trying to do as a group. And I think that's the biggest thing with Toronto, with all the noise around both and glad and what's going to happen. You know, I think they need to find a way to put all that noise to the side and go, Hey guys, as long as you are here, this is what we're focused on. We have the team, we have the people to do it. Now we got to put all the self-advice aside and come here with one goal, and that's to win baseball games. So I think when I see them, it's like the past years, when they get to where they're going to hit well, when they hit, they don't hit. When they get running the storm position, they don't get a hit.

It's just like, it's some type of disconnect when I look at the Blue Jays. When you look at the talent that they have in this clubhouse, you've got to figure out how to get guys pulling the rope in the same direction. And when I look at it, I feel like somewhere along the lines, the guys aren't pulling that rope in the same direction. So, again, to answer that question, I'll give it a couple weeks, but I think we can look at the history. I think you will hope that they get started off on a better note than they did yesterday. So Cameron, you know, from the outside, what is the perception?

You just went through the team for the most part. What is the perception of the Jays and what they're capable of this season? And you know, how many games many games like you know can they be a playoff team can they get to 85 90 wins like what do you make of this team if if all things fall into line for them. Yeah I think I think when you look at this roster I mean I think it's a no-brainer when you look at Bassett, Darius, Garcia, you know Kevin Galsman, Hoffman. I mean you have pieces. Yeah, you are you are you know Rodriguez you have guys Dad, you know as a hitter, you don't you don't just run to the back, right? You're not looking for the face little guys and then I'll say I hope in the same place Um, you know, you bring him in as over you got Moshe. I think Moshe is in line for a huge year

Um, I think we've seen Gladys floor I think that explore is as good as anybody any first baseman in the game So we can talk about oh, you know, hey, you didn't do this a year ago Not a year ago two years ago, whatever but it's for still amongst the least So when you look at those pieces, I think you need you know, George springer to bounce back You know, you can get some pieces they just slider some guys that you need to have I think good years But really sense some time there and the pieces are there right so again it's how you get guys to value you know what it takes to get a big league win right and not value

hey what do I need to do to get mine? Jim Wehler used to always say if you turn the game that you love that you grew up playing the money the numbers all that will take care of itself so you know outside looking I can be totally wrong But when I watch that to that talent sit not figure out it is this points to something saying Everybody's not pulling the rope in the same direction. That's you know, that's just my assumption Chad or Cameron maven so we got game two of the series tonight Which will see gosman on the on the mount tomorrow game three Max Scherzer I did a quick Google search prior to having you mound tomorrow. Game three, Max Scherzer.

I did a quick Google search prior to having you on just Cameron Maven versus Max Scherzer. I go back to July 2nd, 2015. Here's the headline. Cameron Maven walk off single pushes Braves past Scherzer and the Nats. So you faced them. You got them at one point. I don't know what he's got left in the tank, but can you put us into the shoes of whoever will be stepping in the box tomorrow?

What's that like to face a guy like Max Scherzer? Well, I tell you as a hitter one thing, you know, and you can stay away you can fill in that and tonight There have there's definitely had have been guys where you get in the box and you go I like my chances right but when you stand at match, there's a fierce competitor behind that glove, uh, you know, looking in and getting a shot and you know that you're in for a long day, you know, we kind of, and it's stuff is different, but he reminds me of a guy I would say, uh, you know, Tim Hudson was a guy that I hated.

They hate it. They just, I had the numbers, but it was always just a drain, a grind. Every single day. He was never going to give in. No matter what he said, you were facing, you were going to get his best effort. I think when you have a competitor like Max, a guy that all he wants to do is win. I think you have guys like that to set the tone so for me and I think for most news a fan fans I think that the biggest thing is let's get a healthy Matcher in the the bright side is the thing that the things that he's been dealing with from a health standpoint The standpoint yes or nurse stuff, but it isn't the elbow and even the shoulder there are things that we can get through it And now we're looking at a pretty formidable rotation. We talk about Godwin and Urios, you know,

I like the competitor and again, you know, I'm a team veteran, so you know, I'm liking the blue. I'm liking the Jay Chansons whenever Max chose the slab. Absolutely, and that'll be tomorrow afternoon. And we were talking about Shohei Otani earlier this afternoon and he hit a home run last night where there's a 3-2 count He's working the count. He's working the strike zone like he does and it almost felt like a formality There was you know, a sinker that was kind of hanging there and he just slap it to left field

And he hit a home run in Japan last year We know he had you know, he's 50 and 50 last year and this year He's probably gonna pitch at some point and and we're in awe of this guy you know we didn't play professional baseball you played for a long time like when you watch Otani what is that it how do you experience Shohei Otani compared to other great players like trout you just said you played with trout exactly what how do you look at how do you how do you view Otani considering everything else you've seen what you've done yourself in your career or will one thing you can do is

i've never seen anything like you can't appear you can't appear anybody that's really a time i gave you a chat about my trial people my friend and can i would like to have with my child and i would tell people my child is the equivalent of what it would look like a Bo Jackson would have figured out the game of baseball I mean, I really figured it out like he's built like only different thing only different things He's like the white version of OJ speed power like

But show hey when you look at a guy who's probably six four six five I remember I don't know what year it was about 18 night I'm not sure but I remember Justin up there calling me and year it was 2018 night I'm not sure but I remember Justin up there calling me and well I called him I said hey man like so how like what do you what do you have on you watching him every day he goes cam he's the best player on the field and it's not close and I say that he's best player best player that's Anthony you know and I was a guy who you know I was dunking in the seventh grade you know I consider myself an extremely good athlete I read a 22 5-9 200 in eighth grade like like this dude is a freak of nature

When you watch him get out of line and you watch his back and ball steals his elite ability to be just a you know I mean surely tough out. Um You know, it always makes me wonder when I watch what the Dodgers have put together It's like why you're rushing back to the meal? You know, when I look at Soto's deal and what he signed, hey, you hit him the hardest. 300 from what he's done offensively. I don't even think he's got even, he's even had the pitcher ass next to him.

He could just pull up there, he's just continuing through here and he's doing his work, you know, off the field and off the field. So, he is extremely unique. You know, I love Sohey Ohtani. I coach a group of 17 year olds now. I have a child home organization. Um, San Diego Padres Scout Team organization.

And you know, Sohey pisses me off because he's got everybody thinking they're going to be to it. And I tell these parents, hey listen guys, there's only been two to do it and have success in the history of the game. They've ruined that show. Hey, so I don't really know what they did. He was doing something that we have not seen done. I didn't get to see the way he played. But I know

it was no offense to him. He was not the athlete that I saw him on the title. So, he's been able to do from a discipline standpoint. It's hard enough to just go get your work. There's so many things well, but the biggest thing that I don't think we I think it's a difficult, right? It's hard enough to just go, you know, get your own one thing, you know, you can do so many things well,

but the biggest thing that I don't think we recognize is this discipline off of him. We have to have a tone of discipline to be able to withstand the type of wear and tear and the things that he continues to do mentally and physically, so. All right. He's special and I'm thankful that I, you know,

I'm able to get a chance to watch this guy play the game with me. and on the team he plays on Like do you see anybody dethroning the Dodgers Cameron? I mean with the offseason acquisitions They continue to add and spend like can you see anyone possibly taking down the Dodgers? I sat here the other day and I you know X and I kept getting stuff written up and then I deleted it. Because I'm sitting here going back and forth going, as bad as I want to save the Braves can do it or save the Spillers can do it.

When I watched them and I made a tweet last night, I said the scary thing about the Dodgers when I watched these early games, I know it's early games I know it early would play to Japan play the Tigers which I really like the Tigers this year But when you when you watch them the scary thing is those is They don't even have to play their best if they start a win again, you know, you mean Freddy doesn't have to you know, maybe that's my Che Oscar's the guy, Tommy Edmonds the guy, it's like, they have so many ways to beat you, you go get a Michael Porto, which I think is an extremely, a sleeper move, because I continue to say, you know, I have a stepson, I hope my son gets drafted by the Dodgers. They develop and they get guys right as good as any organization in the game, we're talking about analytics.

It's early information, well they continue to get guys the right information. Michael Porto have a comeback type of year? They do things so right then, you know, they don't need Moody to go off, show hay to go off, we'll slip and go off. Anybody can beat you on any given night. And now they're starting to bolster that rotation and that bullpen. So, uh, yeah, it's hard for me to think anybody's going to be thrown out. It's bad about what love to, you know, pick somebody and make it some great storyline, it's just hard for me to fathom somebody knocking

them off when it's all said and done at the end of the year. I'm with you on that, I think most people are. He is a long time MLB player, you can catch him on foul territory as well, great to catch up with him. There he is, Cameron Mabin. Thank you for doing this Cameron. Guys, anytime, always a pleasure. Love talking baseball with you guys. You got it. There he is, Cameron Mabin. We love having him on, man. He's an awesome, awesome guest. Yeah.

Hey, who invited climate action to the party? We did. Hey, I'm Shannon Burns. And I'm Sarah Christie. Together, we host the Earth Day Party Podcast. Where the guest list is full of climate experts sharing their advice on how we can protect our planet. Everything from avoiding microplastics to sustainable fashion to getting you prescriptioned for

your health. We're here to help you. We're here to help you. We're here to help you. We're here to help you. We're here to help you. We're here to help you. Party Podcast. Where the guest list is full of climate experts sharing their advice on how we can protect our planet. Everything from avoiding microplastics to sustainable fashion to getting a prescription to spend time in nature. Plus, we hear from David Suzuki. This is a party where everyone is invited.

The Earth Day Party Podcast on the iHeart Radio app or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.