PHNX Arizona Diamondbacks Podcast - Did MLB Network underrate Corbin Carroll on Top 100 Players list?

Episode Date: February 21, 2024

With just a few days left before spring training games will be played, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo shed some light on why team chemistry is so important to him and the front office. We also tak...e a look at MLB Network’s Top 100 players and where the D-backs rank on the list. Where does Corbin Carroll fall on their list and did they get it right? And why can’t Fanatics make MLB jerseys and pants correctly?An ALLCITY Network ProductionSUBSCRIBE to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/phnx_youtubeALL THINGS PHNX: http://linktr.ee/phnxsports PHNX Events: Get your tickets to Suns Takeovers, Coyotes & Suns Watch Parties at BetMGM, and MORE here: https://gophnx.com/events/Arizona Lottery: Visit AZAdventure.com for more information on how you can take an adventure with the Arizona Lottery and for a chance to win $1 million in cash and Arizona travel prizes! PrizePicks - Download the PrizePicks app today and use code PHNX for a first deposit match up to $100! Pick more. Pick less. It’s that Easy!NASCAR Weekend at Phoenix Raceway: March 8-10! Find more information at https://www.phoenixraceway.com/spring/ on the Shriners Children's 500, and be on the lookout for racing content from PHNX!Desert Financial Credit Union: Open a free checking account online with Desert Financial Credit Union and get $200 in bonuses https://www.desertfinancial.com/200Empire: Schedule a free in-home estimate with Empire Today! Receive a $350 OFF discount when you use the promo code PHNX. Restrictions apply. See https://empiretoday.com/phnx for details.Sign up for Gila River Resorts & Casinos $1,000,000 Big Red’s Showdown! Stay in the game and get rewards; it’s that easy! https://www.gilamilliondollarshowdown.com/Gametime: Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code PHNX for $20 off your first purchase.Circle K:  Join Inner Circle for free by downloading the Circle K app today! Head to https://www.circlek.com/store-locator to find Circle Ks near you!OGeez!: OGeez! is not your average cannabis-infused gummy. Head over to https://www.ogeezbrands.com to find where you can purchase. Must be 21+. Enjoy responsibly. Four Peaks: Follow on social @fourpeaksbrew & @fourpeakspub! Must be 21+. Enjoy responsibly. Let Someburros cater your next meal big or small! Order online or find one near you by visiting someburros.comWhen you shop through links in the description, we may earn affiliate commissions. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:04 Hello and welcome in to another edition of the PHMX feedbacks podcast. Right on PHMX. My name is Derek Montaia. Of course, I'm occasionally known as your mayor of PHMX. This man is occasionally known as your vice mayor of PHMX and your family. One and only, Jesse Friedman. Jesse, another wonderful day of getting sunburn out at Salt River Fields. Hey, I wore sunscreen today, Derek.
Starting point is 00:00:30 You took care of yourself today. I did not. but of course it was my day started off with walking out to the field with Brent Strom and I can't tell you people enough how much I love Brent Straum
Starting point is 00:00:44 and how good of a coach I think he is but he's even a better human being and to walk out with him and just have a brief moment where we both shared our love for baseball and he just looked at me and said is there anything better in life than baseball and it's like yeah there probably is but not really because baseball is the best
Starting point is 00:01:00 you know what I mean like especially walking out there at this time of the year in that beautiful weather and having just so much excitement about this team as we approach the first game being played here in spring training this Friday. Yeah, I mean, wow, look at you, Derek. Just casually walking onto the, you know, where all the practice fields are at Saw River Fields with Brent Strong. I'll tell you, man. I was not meaning for that to happen, but when it did, I just let it happen. When you get to be in the presence of somebody as legendary in the baseball world is Stromi, and you get to be in the presence of somebody who, has just the wisdom that he has. You just listen. You just shut up and you listen and you take
Starting point is 00:01:37 in everything you can from a man like that. Yeah. Yeah, Strahmi is, Strahmi is great. Absolutely. Yeah, another fun, fun day being out there. The weather was, uh, was fantastic. It continues to be glorious. Just have to soak up every moment of Diamond Back Spring training because it's just, it's just lovely. But yeah, not a particularly eventful day, I guess, at least not compared to the last few where we've had like honestly way too many things that we could have talked about. You know, I'm okay with that. I am okay with an uneventful day where we just got to watch them play baseball because, yeah, the last few days we have been discussing a lot. We've been kind of going back and forth on the stadium issue, obviously. We know that the TV deal is still unresolved.
Starting point is 00:02:20 There is a Diamondbacks game being played this Friday that we do not know where we're going to watch it or how we're going to watch it. I feel like the Diamondbacks are fairly confident still in their fallback that MLB will produce these games, should they not have something basically figured out by then? But I'm not sure if that's the case, because, you know, spring training is here. Time has run out. Yeah, some interesting news topics to get into.
Starting point is 00:02:48 We discovered, I think it was yesterday, that Merrill Kelly and Zach Gallen, we won't see those guys in games for a while. Merrill Kelly, Tori Lavello throughout March 8th. for him, Zach Gallen March 1st. I guess those guys just kind of have a different view on things. Gallin wants to kind of get back in there and get throwing sooner, whereas Merrill is maybe, you know, happier just kind of taking some time here in spring training. Dback certainly wanted to have already voiced their desire to slow play both of those guys and make sure that they're, you know, not going
Starting point is 00:03:21 too hard coming off the extended postseason run and all that. So yeah, I don't think you're going to see either of those guys for for a while, but we do know that Eduardo Rodriguez is starting on Friday against the Colorado Rockies. So there you go. I kind of speculated on that a bit. I was meaning more about the regular season, I think, when I brought it up. But still, it doesn't feel like a terrible idea when you have guys that are more well rested that are newer parts of this team to allow those guys to kind of kick things off early and give the rest of the Diamondbacks players that had such a short off season, that extra amount of time. It doesn't hurt. at all.
Starting point is 00:03:57 And especially considering the innings that both Merrill Kelly and Zach Gallen through, you want to try to slow play. I'm like you have a careful balancing act of both getting them prepared and allowing them to kind of do it at their own pace a little bit here, especially with Maryl. Sure. Yeah. And this is something we've seen in the past too. I mean, I think about, you know, Zach Grinky back in the day, people would, of course,
Starting point is 00:04:21 always be freaking out about his velocity or whatnot when he came into spring. When he's thrown 80, 82 miles an hour. Yeah, I mean, spring is just kind of a weird time of year for those starting pitchers who are just really good and, you know, kind of know themselves well and know what they need to do to be prepared for the season. You're not as really as concerned about those guys this time of year. And especially given the season the Diamondbacks just had and all of the innings that those two guys threw, I think it makes a lot of sense to back off them. As long as they're still ready for the season. But, you know, with the amount of preparation that those two guys put in, I don't think you're really too concerned about that at this point. We got an update on Kevin Ginkle as well, who seems to be coming along nicely.
Starting point is 00:05:01 It doesn't seem like that injury is going to prevent him from missing any significant time. Yeah, we'll see. He threw a bullpen session yesterday and came out of that okay. Tori said, you know, there was maybe some initial ruster or whatnot. But yeah, he came out of it feeling okay. And, you know, hopefully for the Diamondbacks, we talked about how important Kevin Ginkle is to this team and how difficult it would be to replace him for really any language. of time. He's a really, really important piece of this bullpen. So yeah, I don't think you're
Starting point is 00:05:31 going to see him in a spring training game for a while. I think he's going to do another one or two bullpen sessions before he actually does live BP. And then at that point, he could transition to actually facing, you know, other other players in actual spring training games. So he's still a little ways away from that standpoint. He is still going to be on a on a slower pace here in spring training. but so far it, you know, it doesn't, the situation doesn't look alarming. And that is, you know, the moment you hear elbow soreness, you immediately all of the alarm bells go off. I freaked out when I heard fluid. Like when I heard fluid on the elbow, that was the point where I was like, what is happening?
Starting point is 00:06:10 You know, this is, this is starting to go down a path that I don't like. But a lot of that is kind of standard stuff for a pitcher. It's just when it starts to become an issue. That's where you hear of those symptoms kind of coming together and causing a problem. Hopefully, Ginkle is good because, like you said, he's very, very difficult to replace. And if you start, I mean, when you start looking at the bullpen, we know they didn't add to the bullpen. But that might be the area where their depth is lacking a little bit. They do have some good options.
Starting point is 00:06:39 And those options came together in an incredible way for two months last season. But we still don't know the identity of this bullpen if they're going to be able to perform at that same level throughout 2024. for and of course if an injury could really impact them where things fall apart by pulling that one kind of piece out like Kevin Gingle. Yeah. I mean, and this is the time of year where we're supposed to react, we're supposed to overreact, you know. It's my specialty.
Starting point is 00:07:06 To every, to everything that we see in live BP, you know. Right. If Ryan Thompson goes in there and strikes out two guys and gets a pop up, then Brian Thompson, like, he should be the closer, right? And then, you know, Miguel Castro comes. in and gives up a homer to Catelle-Marte, he shouldn't make the team, right? Like, he shouldn't even be there. Fans are, fans are roasting him on our Twitter account because we did post this video that
Starting point is 00:07:32 we have of Cotel Marte, in fact, hitting that Homer that Jesse's talking about off of it. Look at this. By the way, Jesse and I decided way too late that we should be doing commentary over live VP. This is something that Jesse brilliantly came up with today, and there's just, there's no time left. We don't have any more live BP, but look at this. Look at that man. We told you he was dialed in yesterday. We weren't lying. He went over and did push-ups after he hit that home run, by the way. He got down on the ground and did push-ups. How are you going to show up your own teammate like that by hitting a digger off him? And then do push-ups? Do you any push-ups?
Starting point is 00:08:07 Oh, man. It does feel a little disrespectful. I'm sure it's all in good fun. But, yeah, I really enjoy live BP. I know some people, you know, who've maybe even come covering baseball for a while. They're like, you know, what's the, what's even the point of watching this stuff? But you just, you don't see, you know, you don't see teams, uh, have intra-squad anything, any kind of competition much, like throughout the regular season. That's not really something we ever see. So it's fun to see, you know, how Miguel Castro attacks Catell-Marté.
Starting point is 00:08:38 And we saw Ryan Thompson face a few hitters today as well. It's fun to just kind of see how they interact and, you know, see them speculate on which pitches or balls and strikes and wait for the guys. guy who's you know set up with the machine behind home plate or with the computer that can tell them whether it was actually a ball or a strike um so yeah it's it's it's just a fascinating portion of spring training where we get to we get to see this uh let's see uh dean in the chat says brent strong is wise like those old creatures in dark crystal he knows all is that gelflings i think those are gelflings um and then transonic wants to know did you guys murder patrick or is he tied up
Starting point is 00:09:17 with duct tape at jesse's closet No comment. Look, when you come on here and you, you, you hit me with the sick burn that he hit me with yesterday, you don't get invited back. That's the way things work. I'm very petty and you guys know that about me. He's making agious comments to you. He's complaining about the lack of paper towels in my household.
Starting point is 00:09:37 He's staying in your home for free. Yeah, we're not. Yeah. He's going to come on this show and have the audacity to complain about paper towels. Go buy some paper towels yourself, Patrick. You freeloader? I'm saying. He's not.
Starting point is 00:09:49 He's not welcome back. No, he never will be. We're definitely, Patrick's not part of this connected team that Jesse and I are over here. But speaking of which, Alec Thomas hit a lovely, lovely line drive off Mitchell Stumpo. And of course, when you talk about overreacting, we should clearly read into this a ton. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Do we have that video?
Starting point is 00:10:13 Yeah, Alec Thomas, several pitches into the event. It's just, smacked it. There you go. Right in the right center field gap. Yeah, I think Alec Thomas is probably going to hit 325 this year based on that. Based on that one hit. Let's go. I'm ready.
Starting point is 00:10:29 It is. It is overreaction. No, but it does. It is because we have no idea what pitchers are working on. We don't even have any idea because they don't talk to us. They don't tell us their little game plan. As much as we want Tori to come over and tell us what they're all working on, he refuses to do it.
Starting point is 00:10:42 I will say that sometimes pitchers aren't are being instructed not to go full speed. Or sometimes, you know, batters are looking to do something specifically. or whatever when you're out there. So you never really know. But what I will say is the offense has looked great out there in live BP. Pitching at times besides Brandon Fott, who was just kind of sitting fools down. That was a different story yesterday. But I really do feel like offensively, especially Cattel, has looked really, really good so far.
Starting point is 00:11:12 I mean, just hitting the ball well. Of course, I don't know. The sound of baseball being hit is so beautiful that it's hard for me not to think every single batter is hitting the ball well. But yeah, I mean, it just, it really feels like these guys are ready to go. I'm excited, excited about this team. Yeah, it's, you know, it's, it's, it's just a fun time of year where it's the season for optimism and every, everyone is in, everyone's in the best shape of their lives. I'm like, everyone looks great. I'm being too optimistic. Here, let me give you some negativity, shall I? Every single live BP I've seen of Gino Suarez, he struck out. There you go.
Starting point is 00:11:45 So that lives up to, uh, lives up to the hype apparently. But, uh, Tori did talk. about Eduardo. He talked about some of the other guys and just how, you know, obviously over the last few days, we've heard about how well the new guys are fitting in. And we've seen it with our own eyes. We've seen Erod playing dominoes and talking about meal recipes. We've seen Gino out there just with Christian Walker and with Catele-Marty and they look like they've been teammates for years. So it does really feel like these guys are fitting in. But that might be by design. Tori was asked today about the whole team chemistry aspect. And I mean, you know how much we love this team being a connected team and a fucking dangerous team because it's a connected team. But it's a real thing. And when Tori talks about team chemistry, I feel like the way he has constructed this team over years, the way Mike Hazen has constructed this team, what they're looking for out of guys, what they're trying to find when they go out and acquire these free agents or trade for guys like, you know, they are trying to find guys that are going to fit their, you know, this standard that they're trying to see. set. They're trying to fit guys that do come in and pick up their teammates and add something
Starting point is 00:12:56 to their their teammates. And I mean, you can't argue with the fact that this team last year probably had no business doing what they did in the playoffs. And at times, it was through the power of friendship. That power of friendship is being a connected and dangerous team. And I mean, this is what Tori's comments on what it, I'm being connected at what it means to have team chemistry. Yeah, it's something that Mike and I have had a lot of conversation about, and he believes in team chemistry. It's a real thing because there are going to be some dog days, and you're going to want to feel like you're never fighting alone, and you've got to link things together. Baseball is a team sport. Yes, you're going to be playing individually at times, but one player X can
Starting point is 00:13:42 go forward and still lose a baseball game, but you link all that together and get good pitching the timely hitting a good defense you're going to win the game. I think we all understand that. The synergy is real. It's a real, it's a proven thing. So I've asked you guys at times to look up the Belgian draft horses. I see. And have you researched that?
Starting point is 00:14:07 I have, but I'm not going to pretend I remember what the answer was. Yeah. So that would be a little homework to sound for everybody. The contest for Belgian draft horses and how much they can, how much they can drag alone, drag together, drag with a partner, and then drag with a partner that they've grown up with or know personally. It's a real thing. So we believe in synergy here and it's going to, things are going to be tested. And if you don't stay together, you can fragment, they can tear your partner in hurry. So yes, we have vetted the right personalities, the right
Starting point is 00:14:40 people that come in this clubhouse and fit this culture. This culture has been, has been handcrafted for a long time. And it's real, it's alive, and the players make it breathe. And we don't just talk about it. We live it every single day. Let's fucking talk Belgian draft horses, shall we? I know that's what you came here to see. I did the homework for you guys.
Starting point is 00:15:01 Allow Jesse and I to be your cliff notes, if you will, for Belgian draft horses. Why is that a thing? Why does he bring that up? Why is that the homework that he gives us? Well, Belgian draft horses are known as the biggest and strongest horse when it comes to pooling. And they do these pooling competitions where they go to see how much, you know, which horse can pull the most. You know, it's strong man competition, but strong horse competition. And basically, these competitions are held to see which horse can pull the most.
Starting point is 00:15:30 And one Belgian draft horse can pull up to 8,000 pounds by itself. But when you pair it with another Belgian draft horse that they are not familiar with, they're not friends, they're not homies. They haven't kicked it. They didn't grow up together. They do not know each other. These are two stranger Belgian draft horses. They can pull up to three times their weight. They can pull up to 20 to 24,000 pounds, not double because together we are connected
Starting point is 00:16:00 as two Belgian draft horses. We don't know each other, but we're still getting the fucking job done. But when those Belgian draft horses know each other and have been raised together and grew up together and went to the same elementary school together, those Belgian draft horses, horses can pull up to 30 to 32,000 pounds, which is up to four times as much as a single horse. So the thought process here is simply by the horses having a connection with each other, that they are able to pool more than they would ever be able to pool with some horse that fucking they don't know from around the block that they've never met before, right?
Starting point is 00:16:39 And I mean, again, a connected Belgian racehorse team is a dangerous racehorse team. Like that's what we're talking about here when Tori brings up this concept is that yes, yes, players, you get these players together. They're very good players. You know, they can have success. But sometimes especially not just through that 162 regular game season, but when you really need to pick each other up in the postseason, when you really need those guys to be heroes out of nowhere, the way that the young guys stepped up, the way that was Gabby one night, Alec another night, Corby, another night. that is in Tori's mind and this organization's mind a product of them putting together a clubhouse of guys that had a certain characteristic. The elementary school thing was a nice touch. I'm glad that the horses did go to elementary school together.
Starting point is 00:17:27 You got to have a history together. We've been together for a long time. Yeah, I mean, Tori was basically talking here about, you know, do the diamondbacks put more of an emphasis on the quality? of character of players, I guess, than maybe other teams do. You know, I don't think there's a lot of like low character players or anything in baseball necessarily, but it has felt, you know, particularly during this Mike Hayeson, Toro Lavello era. And I think the Diamondbacks at large as an organization have kind of always valued this to some
Starting point is 00:18:00 degree. It's felt that the Diamondbacks, that's really important to them, bringing in guys into the clubhouse who, you know, either they're familiar with already in the case of Eduardo Rodriguez, there were already relationships there. with both Tori Lavello and Mike Hazen, they knew the kind of guy they were getting. Or, you know, just, you know, other guys that the organization is bringing in. I think they really value the clubhouse aspect of things and making sure that that dynamic is a positive one. It's certainly been a narrative with this team for a while that a lot of these young players have kind of grown up together,
Starting point is 00:18:32 gone to, I guess, in this analogy, elementary schools like the minor leagues. They kind of came up together in that way. And we've seen that. you know, we've seen that in the majors really pay dividends for this Diamondbacks team. And I mean, again, there's there is, like you said, there's something about them pursuing guys that they have known and they have been pursuing. Right. We talked at the trade deadline about the Diamondbacks possibly going after Erod and trying to bring him over what a good fit he would be at that time. Sure.
Starting point is 00:19:06 And of course, we don't ever get confirmation on guys they didn't successfully trade for that that was the route they were going down. But you can tell the interest was there, and that's because they felt like he was that dynamic, right? He fit that dynamic. We know that with Gino. We talked about yesterday, Paul Seawalt getting the phone call, right, about, you know, from Mike Hazen, about bringing Gino over and what his thoughts were. So, I mean, that stuff obviously matters to this organization. And so far it's made a difference. I mean, we don't know, right?
Starting point is 00:19:36 We don't know how 2024 is going to go. We don't know how all of the new pieces are going to fit in. But for the most part, it really does feel like this team is coming together in a really short amount of time. Yeah, yeah. And I, you know, I think back to what Ryan Thompson said when he was on our show a week or two ago about realizing over the course of his career, how dangerous a connected team can be. Of course, channeling his intertory Lavello with those words. But yeah, it's something that we hear from the players as well. I do think this is a real thing in this clubhouse, you know, and not to say.
Starting point is 00:20:10 that other teams don't have good clubhouse dynamics too or that other teams don't also value you know making sure right the players they bring in are of high quality and will mesh well with other players and whatnot but this organization in particular seems to emphasize that can't you see though from a distance at least and of course there's no quantifiable way to know if this is accurate or not but like isn't this the reason why you know super teams like the san diego padres don't necessarily work out isn't this the reason why the met is you know case to be made Yeah. Like there, there's just something to be said because baseball, I guess more so than other sports
Starting point is 00:20:46 feels like you cannot just go out there and buy and assemble your team and have that team come together and find success, right? And maybe the problem with that is the big personalities, the not, you know, not meshing well together, right? Hopefully that's what happens to the Dodgers as far as from a Diamondbacks perspective because they do have a lot of big personalities, a lot of new names coming together. and that team needs to figure out a way to find some sort of chemistry in order for them to have success. Yeah, I mean, I don't know if, you know, Showy Otani is necessarily the, like, big ego guy that some other superstars are in this game.
Starting point is 00:21:23 Well, okay. I won't say there's anything wrong with Show Hey Otani's attitude. We all know that he is a, he's a little baby angel and we all love him so much, right? But, again, there are things, I know, you've gotten on that train. He's a bad guy. I get it. I get it. I get it. You don't hold back when it comes to...
Starting point is 00:21:42 He chose evil. He did. He did chose evil. But, I mean, there has been a lot of things with him that, especially with that decision, right, that kind of made him out a little bit to be like a prima donna, even if it wasn't intentional. Even it was just him trying to be private about his decision and trying to not have it turned in to the circus that it turned into. But there's still a lot of personalities in that clubhouse that need to come together. I think the Diamondbacks have an advantage there when it comes to what they're building here. And also, like they said about guys like Erod, these guys wanted to be a part of this team. So it feels like we're building with guys that also want to join in.
Starting point is 00:22:17 A part of joining in is learning the culture here. Tori talked about that today, about the culture of the clubhouse and about everything like that. And that's, you know, again, when you take a look at an 84 win team last year and what they were able to do, you could see how that, you know, those little characteristics could be the thing that made them so dangerous. once the playoffs came around. Yeah, Tori talked about today how this is a conversation that he and Mike have had, you know, specifically about the clubhouse and how important it is to Tori that the guys that are
Starting point is 00:22:50 bringing brought in are not just, don't just fill needs from a baseball standpoint, but also will fit in well. He told an interesting story about how Paul Goldschmidt was, I guess, was sort of like the center of, you know, the clubhouse and kind of making sure that things were good. when Tori first arrived, you know, 2017, 2018, and then 2019 comes, the pandemic happens. Tori talked about how there was some disconnectedness over the course of the pandemic, which, of course,
Starting point is 00:23:19 I think all of us felt that and experienced that for sure. And in 2021, a really rough season for the Diamondbacks, Tori said that he basically wrote down, like some of his core principles. And it sounds like since then, the Diamondbacks have really made it a priority that anyone who walks in the door and wears that Diamondbacks uniform is compatible with. those things that Tori wrote down back in 2021. And yeah, I mean, it certainly seems like it's worked out well. Groundhog Mama says that's why Trevor Bauer is unemployed. No one wants to connect with him. And given how he acted towards McKell Montero the first time around, connecting is not in Bauer's nature. And maybe that's a great point. I mean, again, sometimes the talent is there. But the personality
Starting point is 00:23:59 that goes along with the talent is absolutely not worth what it could do to your clubhouse, what it could do to your team, no matter how good that guy is every five days. We know you guys are good every single day, no matter what day of the week it is. You guys are here with us. We thank you guys for being here. Thank you for being a part of our family over here at go phnx.com. You know we're connected. But of course, make sure you're subscribed to our PHNX Sports YouTube channel.
Starting point is 00:24:22 If you haven't done so already, sign up for notifications. That way you don't miss when any of our wonderful shows go live. Drop us a like. We always appreciate you doing that. We love our attaboy. There's Gabby. That man hits the hell out of a baseball, by the way. That's been another guy we haven't talked about nearly enough.
Starting point is 00:24:38 smashing baseballs out at Salt Riverfield and throwing them like some sort of magician wizard with his arm that's in canon. Of course, if you guys are listening on the audio podcasting side, make sure to subscribe over there. Leave us a review. We always appreciate that feedback. And of course, we also appreciate when we get to kick it with you guys out of illegal peats. You know that's where Damon always is. And of course, it's probably a little disappointed we didn't go there for dinner last night because that's like Damon inviting us over to his house. But if you want to go check out Damon's house and get some piping hot queso and have some amazing food, including the reverse nachos that still live on to this day, thanks to Shonda Paz.
Starting point is 00:25:15 And all the other wonderful food they have to offer bowls, tacos, salads, burritos, nachos, all of this great stuff. Check out illegal peats. They have all sorts of great specials. You can kick the Monday blues with $3 margaritas all day long or ease your way back into the week with $2 tacos every Tuesday. See, we missed out on $2. The yesterday is Tuesday. It is true, though. Whenever I say, do you guys want to come over, hang out?
Starting point is 00:25:37 That's what you mean. Like, they're like, cool. Yeah, Derek and Jesse would be like, send the address and I'll literally send the illegal piece address. But that implies that that implies that Damon is paying if we come over to his house. That's the way it works. He's not wrong. Right.
Starting point is 00:25:53 I mean, like, if you came over to my house, I wouldn't like charge you at the door. I heard Max is buying. No, that you'd be a terrible host for doing that. If you charge me. Yeah, that'd be awful. Like, oh, here's, here's some nachos. Can I have $9, please? Yeah, I'm not Venmo requesting you after that.
Starting point is 00:26:06 I heard Max is buying burritos. I did heard and beers, but specifically burritos. Yeah, Max is doing that. And now he's meandering in here, like some sort of zombie because he heard his name. We, you didn't get your tattoos, so now you're buying burritos. That's what the word on the street is. Max is buying burritos. I think it's, I think it's, I think legal Pete said that.
Starting point is 00:26:30 It's illegal Pete's brother, but I don't know for sure. Of course. If you want to make Max buy your food, go check out Illegal Pete's. If you work in healthcare or education, you can take your team to lunch at Illegal Pizza every Tuesday, and Max will buy them, buy one, get one free entree. So, and don't forget to unwind after a long day at their happy hour, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Every day, margaritas on Max, illegal Pete, your go-to spot for burritos, buddies, and beer. He's coming back.
Starting point is 00:26:55 He's going back. Oh, did they? Yeah. There you go. Okay. with a little what's called thing aside. Oh yeah.
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Starting point is 00:27:52 MLB Network dropped their top 100 players, I guess you could say. Well, they're almost there. They've done 11 through 100 at this point. They're really dragging this on. Can you use the process of elimination? Yeah, we just want to fight with them. They want an argument and they're drawing the argument out. But what did they call?
Starting point is 00:28:11 I felt like they called it like top 100 players. Like, there was like a hashtag like real hot or something like that. I don't know what the hell they're doing. But it's the top 100 players in baseball. And of course, there are plenty of Arizona Diamondbacks on that list. There are plenty of Arizona Diamondbacks that didn't make that list. But of course, the most notable one, would be our baby boy Corbyn Carroll who was ranked 18th overall.
Starting point is 00:28:36 Corbyn Carroll is considered by MLB Network to be the 18th best player in Major League Baseball. And I want to argue with it, but I also want to be just happy about it, right? Like I feel like it's both of those things. Sure. I feel like he's underrated. I feel like looking at some of the names that are above him that there are a couple of guys that maybe he should be ranked higher over. But he has only done it for one season.
Starting point is 00:28:59 and I think that is a difference here with him and some of the younger guys versus some of the guys that have done this now for five years plus at an elite level. Yeah, it's interesting. I mean, going through the names, they've got Carol at 18, 17 at Spencer Strider, which I think I guess that's fine. I mean, Strider had a higher three ERA last year, but the swing and miss is ridiculous. I wouldn't be surprised if he had a two and a half ERA in 2024.
Starting point is 00:29:28 for. Trey Turner at 16, Austin Riley at 15, Jose Ramirez, 14, Matt Olson, 13, Mike Trout, 12, Bryce Harper, 11. I don't know if it's like obvious that Corbyn Carroll should be higher than any of those guys, but I think you could make an argument on basically all of them. Trey Turner in particular, he did not have a especially great year last year with the Philadelphia Phillies. I think Trey Turner at his best is a phenomenal player. His his ceiling is about as high as anyone in the sport. But Jesse, they had to give the man a standing ovation to get him out of a slum. I think that if you ask just about anyone right now, they would take Corbyn baseball, Derek.
Starting point is 00:30:07 Best fans in baseball, Derek. Turner last year hit 266 with a 11-OPS plus, 26 homer, 76 RBI, 30 stolen bases. Like, Corbyn Carroll had a way better season in 2023. It's not really close. And trajectory-wise, like, again, that's, that's, that's, what it is. It's almost like more about what Tray Turner's done in the past rather than right now, which is what that list is saying that it is, right? This is the top 100 right now. Who's the hottest in baseball? Corby and Carroll did something that nobody really has done. And I mean, that's just
Starting point is 00:30:41 his rookie season. Like there are times where players do have that sophomore slump. There are times where players have a hard time living up to setting, you know, an incredible standard the way that Corby and Carroll set last year. But if there is one guy I know, is going to come out this year, and I can put my money on being better than he was last year. It's Corbyn Carroll. It's the guy that was out there at Salt Riverfields, completely by himself in November training like a maniac.
Starting point is 00:31:10 It's the guy that got locked inside of a high school here in town because during COVID, he just needed to go out and take some BP. That is a man that won't stop getting better at what he does until he doesn't do it anymore. And maybe that might be what causes him to not play baseball anymore. Once he realizes he can't continue to get better, maybe that'll finally cause him to stop. But Corby Carroll is just an incredible person,
Starting point is 00:31:37 especially when we talk about the character side of things. When we talk about the Diamondbacks looking at that aspect, that's such a big reason why they were so high on him, and that really has paid off. I mean, you can look at Corby and Carol and say, oh, he's undersized. Oh, he's not going to have that much power. or he's not going to have this, he's not going to have that.
Starting point is 00:31:56 Maybe he won't be able to play at a major league level. Well, he outworked everybody. He outworked everyone in the room and he will continue to do so. So I think that's the difference here with Corbyn and why I would be a little bit more adamant about him being ranked a little higher. I am not going to split hairs here, though. I mean, the fact that he's ranked in the top 20 should be, it's a huge acknowledgement to him and all that he accomplished last year and what people around baseball think of him
Starting point is 00:32:23 as a player, right? Like that's incredible for him to in his second season be considered a top 20 baseball player in MLB. Absolutely, yeah. And I think there's some validity to the case of, you know, he's only been one full season at this point. We did see in the second half of the 2020s season, Corbyn wasn't quite as good offensively as he was in the first half.
Starting point is 00:32:44 There were some adjustments made against him. He seemed to adjust back. He finished the year pretty well in the playoffs at some really, really big moments with the Diamondbacks, helping them get to the World Series. But yeah, I mean, I do think you could make a case for Corbyn to be higher on this list. I mean, I even look at, it feels outrageous to be arguing that Corbyn Carroll should be higher than Mike Trout on this list, given how the career that Mike Trout has had. Is it right now?
Starting point is 00:33:09 Are we talking about right now? Are we talking about the 2024 season? Because if that's the case, that might. When Mike Trout plays, yeah, I mean, I think it's pretty, I mean, you look at their numbers from 2023. I think it's pretty comparable. but Mike Trout's not playing that much, you know. I mean, you just look at his last few seasons. Mike Trout played 82 games in 2020, 10019, 2020, only 36 in 2021.
Starting point is 00:33:35 There's a pretty serious durability issue there. And I think you could make arguments with other guys. I mean, Bryce Harper, outstanding player. I mean, you know, to have him as the cornerstone of your franchise, there's not that many guys you'd pick over him. But he's a first basement at this point, right? And Corbyn provides a lot more defensive value, you know, roaming around in the outfield and the guy he is as a base runner, he just gives you a lot.
Starting point is 00:33:57 He has a more well-rounded game than Bryce Harper does. So there are cases to be made. I don't know if I would push too hard on any of it because Corbyn still does have, he does still have to prove it for another season for, you know, maybe another couple seasons before people are going to be willing to give him the respect that he might deserve today. Let's put our argumentative nature or argumentative energy at least towards the other guys. Sure. that made the list because some of those guys you could also say deserve to be ranked higher.
Starting point is 00:34:26 Zach Gowan ranked number 31 overall. Not great. Yeah, that one, that one is tough. I'm looking at other starting pitchers that are ahead of him that have popped up so far. They have Spencer Strider ahead of him. They have Zach Wheeler ahead of him. Corbyn Burns. Blake Snell, they have at 30.
Starting point is 00:34:46 So Blake Snell is one spot higher than Zach Gowan. Okay. Well, all right, maybe that's not so. They're valuing pitchers very much so far on this, I guess, in numbers like 20 to 11. They have Fernando Tatis at 26. I think Mani Machado at 24, that feels a little high to me. Like, I would personally rather have Zach Gallen on my team than Mani Machado at this stage in his career. Machado had a bit of a down year by his standards in 2023.
Starting point is 00:35:15 I certainly think he could bounce back, but he's not the player that he was a couple years ago. So yeah, you could make a case for Gallen to be a little bit higher. You know, am I necessarily, would I be super angry about Corbyn Burns being higher than Zach Gallen? Not necessarily. I mean, they're pretty similar. I'd probably have them in the same range as well. Zach Wheeler, a few spots ahead.
Starting point is 00:35:37 Yeah, I don't think it's egregious. I think he's roughly where he should be on this list. Can we talk about the Braves for a second on this list? Unbelievable. Eight names on. Just like the top this many alone. Top what, 30? Yeah, Acuna might be number one.
Starting point is 00:35:54 Yeah. That's insane. Yeah, I mean, but they honestly, they're a really good team. And Matt Olson, I think Matt Olson is very good. I don't have a problem with him being ranked where he is. I mean, he just hit 54 bombs, right? Yeah, I mean, there's just something. There comes a point where you got to give the Braves their due, right?
Starting point is 00:36:14 But, you know, I don't know. Are the Braves a connected team? Do they have team chemistry? That is the big question. Do they know about the Belgian horses? Yeah, do they know about the Belgian draft horses? Because if they don't know, we don't need to tell them. They don't need to understand that particular philosophy.
Starting point is 00:36:32 But there are a couple of other guys here that I think you could argue and make a case for being a little bit higher. Christian Walker at number 58. That's actually fairly decent, I think, for him. But Cotel Marte at 65, that just seems low. And I mean, I know maybe it's my. Marte's defensive value and some other things here. But did this man not just set an MLB record in the playoffs for consecutive hits in games?
Starting point is 00:36:57 Sure. There's just something to be said about what he did and how good he looked towards the end. There was a part of the year when we were saying Kattel was the only good offensive player on this team last year. So, I mean, Kattel was consistent. He played a lot last year. And, you know, of course, he was just a huge part of what they did.
Starting point is 00:37:18 in the postseason and I'm calling it now. Cattel's hitting 30 bombs this year. Okay. Catell's hit in 30 bombs this year. It's not too far away. No, and I mean, from what I've seen this spring, I don't get it. I don't understand what's going on,
Starting point is 00:37:31 but he is smashing the ball. Him and Gabrielle Moreno are smashing the ball when I watch them take live BP or BP in any capacity. Yeah, I'm looking at guys ahead of Cattel. So yeah, he's at 65. We do have Kyle Schwerber at 50. seven. Egregious.
Starting point is 00:37:50 That seems. Egregious. That seems pretty aggressive to me. Egregious. The man had the lowest defensive value in baseball last year. I mean, he's a horrific defender, but. To be fair, he's not. I don't think he's going to play much outfield in 2024.
Starting point is 00:38:07 I think the Phillies have found their way around that. He was outstanding in the postseason. We certainly saw that. He's a great player. Like, I would want Kyle Schorver as my designated hitter for sure. But, you know, when you're a deep. D.H only and you, you know, are coming off a season in which you hit one 97. I'm not, I'm not sure we should be putting this guy at 57.
Starting point is 00:38:30 I'll tell you what, Otani's D.H. only this year and I bet you they're going to put him at like number one. Yeah, well, it'll be interesting to see how they do that. It's got to be Ronald Acuna at number one. Because Otoni, Otoni just, Otony just hurt. Yeah. I don't know how they're going to. Yeah. But it should be like his value currently right now to the team. And I mean, it's not to say he's not a top 10 player,
Starting point is 00:38:49 but if he's not pitching, that definitely limits his value to the team. Gabriel Moreno at number 94 also egregious. But I understand. I know that the jury is still out a little bit on Gabby, but it shouldn't be. Gabby's going to be one of the best catchers in baseball, and he's going to be one of the best catchers for years to come.
Starting point is 00:39:09 So they've got Adley-Rutchman, Will Smith, J.T. Romuto, Sean Murphy. Those guys are all top 50. They have both contraris. Contreras. Both of the William is 81 Wilson is 82 Yeah
Starting point is 00:39:23 81 82 what the fuck Are we sure MLB network knows the difference I think they just We're like I don't know We'll just put them both here Maybe maybe one no one will notice So they have okay And then they have Cal Raleigh at 93
Starting point is 00:39:34 And then it's Gabriel Moreno at 94 So there are I believe that seven catchers Higher than higher than Gabriel Marino I would like to have a word I don't I don't think it's egregious I mean honestly Gabriel Moreno if you just look at his first half from 2023.
Starting point is 00:39:49 Before he came back from the shoulder injury, he had an OPS under 700. And he was doing the catching thing. Like his defense was phenomenal the whole way through. But he really stepped things up toward the end of the year. So I think there's a world in which Gabriel Moreno next year on this list is, is pretty dang high if he finds a way to repeat what he did in the second half over the course of a full season offensively. But we're still pretty early in Gabriel Moreno's career.
Starting point is 00:40:15 I'm honestly kind of surprised that he made this list in the first place. I think his World Series performance has a lot to do with him being on this list. But what about L.A. Dela Cruz at number 100, right? L.A. Dela Cruz at 100 is ridiculous. Yeah, I'm just going to say that's dumb. He said it. I mean, I am as big of a believer as anyone that MLB needs to be better at, at, you know, marketing their young players and getting, you know, trying to, you know, put as much cool content
Starting point is 00:40:45 about Ellie De La Cruz and some of these young players out there as possible. But to put him on list that he just clearly doesn't belong on yet, not to say he won't. I mean, L.A. De La Cruz could be 30 on this list next year and it wouldn't shock me. But the player that we saw in 2023, valuable in some ways. I mean, defensively, the base running, you know, but offensively, he's still a little ways away. Jesse just called Ellie De LaCruz a TikTok baseball player. That's exactly what he just told him. He did.
Starting point is 00:41:12 He said he's a social media baseball player. Which means he will be on MLB the show. shows covered next year. When he steals home, that's great. Oh, it's so cute when he does that stuff. The one time he did it. But what about the other 900 times he struck out? He had an 89 OPS plus there.
Starting point is 00:41:28 An 89 OPS plus. You cannot put a player with an 89 OPS plus on a top 100 list. No matter how great you think they're going to be. He's just not there yet. And this really isn't a projection. I mean, I guess it is, but it's not. This should be about who they feel is the best. 100 right now right now right now and you know who didn't make it right now merrill kelly didn't make it right now
Starting point is 00:41:52 and ellie dale cruz is 100 and that once again is egregious uh i don't like it at all meryl kelly deserves better they talked about uh merrill kelly today and merrill you know he he he came into his final form almost in the postseason last year this guy was incredible for the diamondbacks for And again, we say this often about Arizona sports teams, especially ones that struggle. They don't get the stage. They don't get the platform for people to see them. So, of course, nationally, they won't get recognized. That's bullshit.
Starting point is 00:42:26 This team went to the goddamn World Series last year. And you got to watch Merrill Kelly go out there and... Seven innings, one run. That, do that. Nine strikeouts, I think it was. Do that. Right. So let's put some respect on Merrill's name.
Starting point is 00:42:40 Yeah, I mean, it's interesting. They have both Rangers pitchers on here. just the last two starters to make the list. He's my team right now. Nathan Evaldi at 91. Yeah, I mean, I think you could make a case for Merrill to be higher than potentially either of those guys. Heavaldi didn't throw that many innings last year.
Starting point is 00:42:59 He was outstanding throughout the majority of the playoffs. Montgomery also good in the playoffs for the Rangers. Had a pretty good season all the way around. Yeah, I don't know. Like, there's no one on this list that I'm clearly like, okay, Merrill Kelly is clearly a better starting pitcher than that player. You know, they have, who else is in here? They have Tyler Glass now, Kyle Bradish and George Kirby.
Starting point is 00:43:23 Those guys are all in the 70s. Those are all really good starting pitchers. I mean, I know Kyle Bradish, there's some injury questions there right now. So we'll see what that turns into for the Orioles. But he was about as good of a pitcher as anyone in the second half of last season for the Orioles. So I don't know if I find this to be super egregious to be totally. honest, but Merrill is right on the cusp. And I think you could argue, if anything, you could argue you should be higher than some of the position players that I think are on the list like L.A.
Starting point is 00:43:53 Daly Cruz. Elise says this list is overall pretty terrible. I don't take MLB or their rankings very seriously. I mean, I agree with you. It got to the point where it, like, the thought drifted into my head of asking Torrey his thoughts on Corbyn Carroll being considered a top 20 player. And I just really had a moment where I'm like if I was a manager would I give a shit about what they thought about my player I think all my players are fucking awesome and I think all my players are the best
Starting point is 00:44:21 and that's how I think about them and I don't know they're like yes if he's 18th no he's that's too low because in my mind Corby Carroll is a top five player and that might be how Tori considers it but that's why all of this ranking and all the stuff even stuff we do it's you know it's just a chance to have these conversations
Starting point is 00:44:38 but most of the time it's going to be wrong and it's going to be proven wrong as the season goes on. I think guys like Merrill Kelly, I think Eduardo Rodriguez is going to very much find a way to prove he belongs on this top 100 list. So we'll see how things evolve throughout the season. But I don't really care because I don't think the Diamondbacks need guys necessarily to be considered the best players in baseball.
Starting point is 00:45:02 It goes back once again to this team chemistry, this teamwork concept where, you know, at times you might take a, team where more guys are all hitting that 20 to 30 home run mark rather than you having that one guy that hits 50 and then everybody else kind of is whatever right or you might have two guys that hit you know 30 or 40 home runs and then the rest of the team doesn't I think this team is going to be a very well-rounded team and I think that that might be part of it is that we see contributions from all over the you know all over the lineup versus it just being the the superstars the corbin carols maybe you know kind of doing all the work they have maximum
Starting point is 00:45:40 Muncie at 79. Okay, I'm done. That's interesting. That one was nuts to me. Throw the goddamn list in the trash. Carlos Gray at 68. I mean, that's interesting. Like, Carlos Cray obviously has been such a good player in the past, but the player that
Starting point is 00:45:52 he was in 2023 was not that guy. He had a 94 OPS plus. I don't know if I'd still have him in the top 70. We could talk about this for a long time. I know. Fun fact, I was, I used to live in the same city in Puerto Rico that Carlos Cray was born in. That's where I went to high school for a short point of time. You guys are connecting.
Starting point is 00:46:10 in danger? We are connected in danger. Well, if we were Belgian draft horses, we would definitely pull more than two Belgian draft horses that fucking didn't grow up in the same city together or whatever. But anyway, speaking of Belgian draft horses and working together, you can work together like a pair of Belgian draft horses with the BetMGM Sportsbook app to bring home a similar prize. Maybe it's not a trophy, but you could bring home lots and lots of money.
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Starting point is 00:48:03 And then the end of the block, there's a restaurant. I will say getting there with a turn was really weird because it's a little. It felt like you were getting onto the freeway. Yeah, I missed, I missed two turns. Yeah, I missed it as well. It took me about 20 minutes to get to a place. The area was not that bad. No, it was fine.
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Starting point is 00:49:36 all of our spring training videos and stuff that we're going to be bringing you on social, so make sure to keep it locked there. If you haven't signed up for a diehard membership, make sure to do so now. It's a great time to get down on it. You will get discounts on our events, including our takeover on July 31st versus the Washington Nationals
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Starting point is 00:50:05 and our die-hard only content, which we are going to be doing a mailbag Wednesday episode this week, where we are going to be answering your questions from the Discord and bringing it to you. So, of course, do not miss on all this wonderful stuff we have to offer over here. Get yourself a membership today over at go phnx.com. Jesse, I am sick and tired of talking about jerseys in a negative way. I love jerseys.
Starting point is 00:50:30 You know I love jerseys. I own lots of jerseys. I wear them on the show. most of the time they're sons jerseys, but I do have some Diamondbacks jerseys. And I continue to see this saga continue with MLB
Starting point is 00:50:43 and these fanatics jerseys that they're producing. You're saying that when Major League Baseball makes pants that are see-through, it's a bit of a problem. I am saying that. The jerseys are getting all, like, it's weird because it's like, the discussion seems to be centered around the jerseys. Today on MLB.com,
Starting point is 00:51:00 they had an article dropped, kind of backing their, their own jersey. It's like it's an article explaining how the jersey was created based on feedback from teams and players and people around baseball and scientists. They had crazy, you know, rocket scientists and people that do things like that involved, you know, for viscosity and, you know, stretchability, all this bullshit. We get it.
Starting point is 00:51:29 The jerseys are fine. You can't argue with science. I don't think anybody has. said like they have a problem with the jersey itself, right? The complaints we have is from the way that they put the patches on the jerseys, where they put names, numbers, the size of those things, how they look. Like the material is fine and I have not heard, in fact, the players we've talked to very much like the jerseys.
Starting point is 00:51:53 They think they're great. They think they feel great to wear. That's not the problem. The problem is some of the visual things on the jersey, right? The logos, specifically the names across the back are tiny. Someone else said earlier that we can fit Belgian draft horse on the back of a horse now, thanks to how small the letters are. We absolutely could do that.
Starting point is 00:52:14 And that's not what people want. They want the letters to look quality. They want them to pop. They want them to have that same quality we've had for years. But like you said, the pants. Nobody's talking about how bad the pants situation is. And if you want to see, look at these pants. look at how transparent
Starting point is 00:52:32 the MLB's fanatics produced pants they sports illustrates they don't leave much to the imagination look at that look at show a like I can see a lot there Jesse I can see decoy in this picture
Starting point is 00:52:49 if you know what I mean like I can see it all there is a ridiculous amount of transparency through these pants now is it going to be a thing where you know You see something. No, it's not that.
Starting point is 00:53:02 It's not matter of like. Fortunately, jerseys are long enough that, you know, you tuck in your jersey. It goes down. It goes down pretty far. Hopefully you're wearing some, you know, spanks or whatever underneath. The thing here is, is that it just looks terrible, right? It's just a matter of the, like, this is photo day, and this is what the Dodgers players look like. And I mean, I don't know why this is important that it's the Dodgers, but like if you figure if anybody had money to fix a problem,
Starting point is 00:53:29 It would be the Dodgers. And if the Dodgers can't overcome fanatics' terrible pants, then nobody can. Jesse, this is a problem. And Major League Baseball Players Association has been in talks with MLB about getting this rectified. I don't know what they are exactly, you know, discussing with them or what the true pain points are. But I feel like transparent pants, the lack of options for pants, the fact that they've cut back and reduced the amount of sizing options that players can have to make them. fit the way they do and just the terrible way the numbers and letters look. I just this whole thing feels like a disaster. Yeah, it feels increasingly like MLB is going to have to change something here.
Starting point is 00:54:13 I know you mentioned the article that they had and, you know, they're doing everything they can from a PR standpoint to protect themselves and make sure people know the technology, the science, all these things. But yeah, I mean, again, we've heard, I've talked to a couple players about this and heard positive things, haven't talked to a ton about it. But there's clearly a consensus across the game at large right now that these uniforms have something going for them and that they feel great. No one's questioning the feel of these uniforms. But the look, you know, the quality of the patchwork, the way that the letters and numbers work, all these things you were talking about, there's a consensus there. It appears that it's kind of a problem. I think the main problem here is
Starting point is 00:54:57 that it doesn't feel like they're addressing what people are complaining about, right? So like, it's like being in an argument with someone that can't stay on topic. And you're like, you know, like, if I was telling you, Jesse, why does your polo shirt look so weird? You should have your little, you know, your little horse polo player over here. But it's like all off centered and weird in the center of your shirt. And then you're like, yeah, but the zipper works really well and the thread quality is great. And I'm like, yeah, I don't care. The fucking logo is wrong on that shirt.
Starting point is 00:55:29 Did you get this in like a discount ban or something? What the hell is this? Right. So it's like it's weird for people to be saying like, hey, we don't like the way the names look on the back. And they're like, but have you felt this fabric? It's amazing. And you're like, yeah, I don't give a shit. I didn't say there was a problem with the fabric.
Starting point is 00:55:44 I said it was a problem with the way that your tiny ass letters look on the back. Now, I still feel like seeing the Diamondback spring training jerseys up close that they look great. Yeah, they're still. I still think. I trust me, I took a really close look at that. Montya jersey yesterday as close of a look as I was allowed to without things getting weird. And the thread, everything looked great on it. I mean, it really did.
Starting point is 00:56:06 And I don't even think the Diamondbacks letters look that small or look that off-putting. Again, though, there's nothing to compare them to. So that's why it makes it easier for the Diamondbacks, considering they have the New Jersey's this year, that we don't look back on last years and say, oh, well, look at how different this looks from last years, right? So, I mean, from that perspective, we're not doing what some of the other teams around baseball are doing but their their gripes i think are fairly understandable yeah i think so too um transparent pants doesn't don't think that's gonna fly known known baseball gm lees says maybe this is why they are trying to get rid of the super tight pants players like yeah yeah can't have both can't
Starting point is 00:56:46 have them be transparent and super tight because then that goes back to that whole nudity issue and i know there might be some never nudes in baseball and we can't we have to worry about them but i just Why is Fanatics so bad at this? It infuriates me on so many levels because Fanatics did burst on the scene when it came to like fan wear, right? It's like one day Fanatics existed and the next thing you know, Fanatics was taking over the sports world. And again, we made our jokes.
Starting point is 00:57:17 We knew that Fanatics branded shit was low quality. And then stuff stopped getting funny when Fanatics made the NHL jerseys. We were like, wait. Seriously, not just the replicas, not just the ones fans buy. You're making the actual jerseys that the players wear. And I mean, that's where this feels like a really bad problem. Because it doesn't feel like fanatics, even though they've had time to deal with this and have time to adapt and get better at this, they're not.
Starting point is 00:57:44 And it doesn't really feel like at times they really care about getting it right. Yeah. And that's it. We're done. We're done with this. Again, the big takeaway here is what can I do? to swap jerseys with a mail in Montia. That's all I really want to know because I want his jersey bed.
Starting point is 00:58:03 Of course, maybe I could save some money and a good way to do so would be go check out Desert Financial Credit Union. Desert Financial did get me started on my home ownership journey, and I'm so glad they did because I don't know if I can afford rent with the way this world has gone. But for more than 84 years, Desert Financial has been Arizona's largest, most trusted local credit union, and they have been dedicated to creating an experience, for exceptional experience for their customers and for the community that they're in. You can look to Desert Financial for mortgages, checking, savings accounts,
Starting point is 00:58:33 loans, credit cards, investment options, and so much more. Make sure you bank with a financial institution that has your best interests in mind. When you open a free checking account online, you can get $200 in bonuses. Get started by visiting desertfinancial.com slash 200 right now. And I am, we talked about food. We talked about food too many times on the show. I'm so hungry. and I got some boroughs in my neighborhood.
Starting point is 00:58:57 So if you have some boroughs in your neighborhood, you're a lucky person like I am. They just have their new locations, one in Goodyear, one in Peoria, and of course the area of town. Jesse literally map, he put it into the map as Anthem, my house, which is the I-17 in Joe Max area. And oddly enough, his map basically did give an accurate time
Starting point is 00:59:17 as to far how long it would take me to get home. Of course, you can visit all of these locations or visit some boroughs.com to find one near you. you. You got to check out their Fiesta platters. It'll make throwing your events at your home and not somewhere else, somewhere else's place events at your home. Easy
Starting point is 00:59:34 with all their mouth watering, red and green chili beef mini chimis, homemade tequitos, chips, fresh guac, all of that stuff they have to offer and do not sleep on some burrows breakfast. It's incredible. They have some incredible deals out there. The coffee, I mean again, I would have never thought to
Starting point is 00:59:50 put horchata in my coffee until an angel said to me, would you like some horchata? in your coffee and now I can't live my life without it. So check out some burrows today because it is the only is the place to get time tested Sonoran recipes here in town that have been lovingly prepared since 1986. Let Some Burroughs cater your next event, big or small, order online or find one near you by visiting some burrows.com. Jesse, basically in 48 hours from now, I will be on a cruise ship heading out to the Bahamas. I'm happy for you. I know, I know you're not. I know you're not happy for me. I know that was a lie. I know those
Starting point is 01:00:26 words that came out of your mouth were inaccurate. I know that you do not care at all for me leaving you during this time. And I also know that the idea here that you won't be able to text me because I am not taking my phone on this trip with me. You're not taking your phone? I'm not
Starting point is 01:00:42 going to have internet though out on the ocean water. Derek, how are you going to do? Do not message me. Do not expect to respond. I'm going to live Jesse. I'm going to fucking live is what I'm going to do. I am going to to be drunk for 72 straight hours. So as long as they don't throw me off that boat,
Starting point is 01:00:59 I'm going to be having myself a good time. But when I come back, can't wait to watch some baseball games. Meanwhile, you're going to be here holding it down Friday. Make sure to check out the post-game show, I guess, of the first spring training game. Yeah, yeah, let's let's overreact a little bit.
Starting point is 01:01:13 Some spring training results. We love that. All right. Guys play two innings. Let's yell about it. But anyway, I can't wait for spring training games. Of course, we appreciate you guys being here. and we will be back tomorrow with our last,
Starting point is 01:01:26 I guess our last spring training camp kind of update before those games start. So join us for that. In the meantime, follow us on Twitter. I'm at K-M-U-K-M-A-M-W-D-K. Jesse is at Jesse N-Friedman. Our producer, the People's Producer, Damon is at Damon Dogg.
Starting point is 01:01:39 That's D-A-W-G. We are still Damon's dogs. Bark, bark. Our show is at P-N-X underscore D-Backs, but of course, all roads do lead to at P-HNX underscore Sports. The bars have gotten so sad. Instagram and Facebook. He didn't have a story.
Starting point is 01:01:53 hearting that one at all. I was going to address that. No one has their heart in any of us. It's because we still know deep down side of our Ryan's dogs. No, it's because you guys know deep down you cheated on me and then you can't, you can't live with yourself when you say, we are Damon's dogs. It's hard to even say it out loud. It is because I don't.
Starting point is 01:02:13 You know you betrayed me. I know. It's like, you know, it's like a relationship you know has ended, but the other person doesn't and those I love yous are so hollow. shallow. Groundhog mama says drunk Derek on the ship. Keep him off his phone. I will be off the bone. Connor said, is there not Wi-Fi on this boat? There is, but I'm not paying for it because I'm going on a real vacation. But I'll make sure to post plenty of pictures when I get back. Of course, we thank you guys, of course, for stopping by. We always appreciate your time. We love you. Thank you for being here. Have a wonderful rest of your day.
Starting point is 01:02:48 And remember, kids, baseball is fun, but it is so much more fun when you're, Belgian horse, I guess.

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