PHNX Arizona Diamondbacks Podcast - Yankees OR Dodgers? Making Our 2024 World Series Predictions With Archie Bradley

Episode Date: October 23, 2024

JOIN THE DIEHARDS FOR JUST $4 A MONTH! https://www.gophnx.com/intro-offer-youtube It’s a World Series that no Diamondbacks fans wanted, but the Fall Classic should still be an epic matchup between two of the best teams in MLB. Archie Bradley is in the house to preview the clash between the Yankees and the Dodgers, and we give our predictions for who will be crowned champions. We also discuss MLB testing check swing challenge technology in Arizona Fall League and ponder if baseball is going too far with some of their attempt to make the game perfect. Join Derek, Jesse, Archie, and Kevin for the PHNX Diamondbacks Show LIVE! An ALLCITY Network Production SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/phnx_youtube ALL THINGS PHNX: http://linktr.ee/phnxsports MERCH https://store.allcitynetwork.com/collections/phnx-locker ALLCITY Network, Inc. aka PHNX and PHNX Sports is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by the City of Phoenix PHNX Events: Get your tickets to PHNX events and takeovers here: https://gophnx.com/events/ bet365: https://www.bet365.com/olp/open-account?affiliate=365_03330244 Use the code PHNX365 to sign up, deposit $10 and choose your offer! Disclaimer: Must be 21+ and physically located in AZ. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-NEXT-STEP, text NEXTSTEP to 53342 or visit https://problemgambling.az.gov/ Bluechew: Try BlueChew FREE when you use our promo code ALLCITY at checkout--just pay $5 shipping. That’s https://bluechew.com promo code ALLCITY to receive your first month FREE. Visit for more details and important safety information, and we thank BlueChew for sponsoring the podcast.. Zbiotics: Go to https://zbiotics.com/phnxdbacks to get 15% off your first order when you use PHNXDBACKS at checkout. Pre-Alcohol is backed with 100% money back guarantee so if you’re unsatisfied for any reason, they’ll refund your money, no questions asked. Empire Today: Schedule a free in-home estimate today! All listeners can receive a $350 OFF discount when they use the promo code PHNX. Restrictions apply. See https://empiretoday.com/phnx for details. Branded Bills: Use code PHNX at https://www.brandedbills.com/ for 20% off your first order! Gametime: Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code PHNX for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. 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! Shady Rays: Exclusively for our listeners, Shady Rays is giving out their best deal of the season. Head to https://shadyrays.com and use code: PHNX for 35% off polarized sunglasses. Try for yourself the shades rated 5 stars by over 300,000 people. Check out FOCO merch and collectibles and use promo code “PHNX10” for 10% off your order on all non Pre Order items. Rugged Road: Gear up for your next adventure with Rugged Road Coolers - Your ultimate outdoor companion! Head to http://ruggedroadoutdoors.pxf.io/ALLCITY and use code PHNX for 10% off! Get 10 FREE meals at https://hellofresh.com/freedbacks. Applied across 7 boxes, new subscribers only, varies by plan. When 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's a World Series matchup. No Arizona Diamondbacks fan wants. We are previewing the fall classic between the Dodgers and the Yankees and giving our predictions for the winners. Don't go anywhere. We'll give you all that in 30 seconds. Happy Wednesday.

Welcome into another edition of the PHMXT Backs podcast, brought to you by our friends at Bet365. Go download the Bet365 app. Use our code of PHNX365. When you sign up, find out, choose your offer. And find out why it's never ordinary at Bet365. Welcome in again. My name is Derek Monti,

occasionally known as your mayor of PH&X. This man next to me is your thunderstick. Occasionally known as Jesse Friedman. And of course, we got the one and only Archie Bradley, our closer, on this show. Joining us today to talk about a lot of fun things, including a World Series matchup, like I said earlier, that nobody in the Arizona Diamondbacks community really wants to talk about or even watch. But first, before we get to that, we did have some fun stuff

from the Arizona Fall League last night, Jesse, in regards to more changes on the horizon for Major League Baseball, in regards to, you know, I guess challenges and challenging the calls in the strike zone. Yeah, I witnessed history yesterday and I had, I had no idea what I was walking into. Yeah, they tested out a Czech swing challenge system in the Arizona fall. I'm on board with this one. You're on board. There's a lot of the game I'll discuss that I think I'm okay with human error.

Yeah. This one I'm not. This one I agree has been needed. I've talked about this for years and I'm excited to talk about this one. Do you feel that way just in general about like an automated strike zone or like at least challenging Empire's calls? Again, I don't know how much time we have to talk about this subject, but the being in AAA, you know, the last year,

getting to see the automated zone, be a part of the challenge system. Right. I do think there is some very big positives to it. But I think very quickly the sport, which the players in the union and the higher ups decide, We need to figure out what direction we want baseball to go because we're running out a runway real quick on technology versus human interaction and human error and what this game was built on versus the direction is heading versus the business and how much the right call means and is worth in today's game.

So I guess I'll explain how this worked. It was it was history. It was the first time it was the first time. Yeah, I asked someone in the press box who's there for Major League Baseball that said never been tested in a minor league setting. This was literally the first time they've tested this out in a game setting. I guess it uses the Hawkeye technology, whatever it is, it's built into Salt River Fields. I don't believe this technology is in any of the other spring training facility. So I think you're only going to see this tested in Salt River Fields. But yeah, basically a batter

either swings or doesn't swing. We get the call from the umpire. And then they have the opportunity to challenge if they think that the call was missed. And then, And then at that point, we have a challenge, sort of like what you're used to seeing with the ABS challenge system. That's been going in the fall league for a while, as well as in the minors, as you said, Archie. And that challenge comes from the player. Yeah, the challenge comes from the player.

At least that's what I saw. Maybe it would be possible for, I don't think it's possible for like a manager or anyone else to challenge. Similar to the strike call, tap the helmet. Yeah, yep, they tapped the helmet. And then what would show on the screen is something like what you would see here. Here's the first example that we had in the game. So it does like a little illustration and then that's a swing. And then that is not a swing.

They're saying that line there. The yellow line is the indicator of the swing? Correct. What is that from you being there, what you've looked up? What is maybe you're going to get into that? What is defined? What are they defining that as? Right. So that's like the million dollar question because apparently there's nothing in the major league baseball rule book that actually defines the greatest.

Yeah. For such an instrumental call. Like that's why I wanted to talk about it. Like when you have to cross the plate. I thought it was like, do we have the visual rule? Can we pull it up? Yeah. So, so what was described to me was it is a 45 degree angle drawn from the knob of the bat.

So maybe maybe let's roll that one more time just the same. the same video. This is the rule for this, correct? Yeah. Yeah. So the rule that they've defined for this, you can see like from the knob of the bat,

you have a line drawn at 45 degrees, um, like sort of going out to in this case, right field. And as long as the bat does not cross that line, then it is a no swing. Uh, and you can see from,

from that illustration that the bat goes well past, uh, it goes far beyond like breaking the plane of plate. That's what I was to say. Do we have the old major league rule or like what the intent? because right I don't because it doesn't exist Archie that there's nothing

I've always been told or the way it's always been talked about by us and broadcasters analysts is right the intent of a swing the intention of swing no official definition is like any movement of hands going towards

the zone as a picture you're like if you do anything that's an attention to swing if you want to talk about like a certain point in the plate you know used to be a reference point if the barrel across a certain point but you're right for what I want to talk about in a second and being such a huge call, there's such a gray area and no rule. So, you know, I don't have exact percentages. I wish I don't know.

We're going to talk about this. Thanks for texting me, Jesse. Yeah, of course. No. Thanks for the prep, Jesse. No, I mean, when you go into these meetings where you talk about controlling counts and percentages and, I mean, now more than ever, especially with betting and everything, like the difference of a one-one-one-one-2-1-2-1-2-1.

Yeah. 2-0 going to 3-0 versus 2-1. You know, you can run through the percentages of what these counts mean. And then especially in big situations, man, or a strike three, I can roll through many of these where, again, these umpires are doing a great job. It is so hard to call balls and strikes. It is, I think, even harder to determine a check swing. Yeah. These guys are 90 plus.

I mean, first base is 90 feet. away. They're another 10, 15 feet behind these guys. These guys are judging a call that literally happens faster than a pitch at 100 plus feet away. And it's a huge part of being right. I mean, you know, statistically having an advantage of being up or down and in a bat. So I am so on board with this. Well, and a check swing is kind of the biggest like judgment call. Like Jesse said, there is no defined metric for what makes a check swing. I mean, Some of the factors listed here are whether the batter attempted to hit the pitch. Okay, there's that.

Whether the barrel of the bat was in front of the batter's body, whether the batter rolled their wrists, whether the batter swung through the ball or drew the bat back before the pitch. Now, what's interesting about the challenge system is that none of those things talk about a 45 degree angle from the knob of the bat or not passing that point. I mean, clearly Major League Baseball for the purpose of creating the system, they had to come up with like a quantifiable, like something that you can model with like math because that was the only way that they were going to be able to create the system to begin with.

And the system that they've created seems very, very generous for hitters. I don't know if it was a way. It does. I think again, I was a part of we'd have to go back. But 2014, my fall of year, we tested something with pitch clock. Oh, really? Or inning, maybe sped up innings in between innings or something like that. It was something new.

I'd have to, we'd have to look it up. But we tested something and it was like the baseline. And then I remember a couple of years later how much it had changed where I think you have to start somewhere. And again, from looking at, you know, what you showed us, the batonob makes a lot of sense. I think the angle could change a little bit. Yeah, maybe we should go 20 degrees.

I thought about this a lot with, you know, talks during games with other players. I like the batonob because there's so many variables in the swing. but to hit the ball, the knob generally is in this area when you're swinging. So you can base off that, where the plate or other factors can be manipulated by stance, positioning. And yeah, you have to,

that's what the Fall League, and I think why MLB owns some of these other leagues, the frontier, you know, where I think is, I don't know, or the, I think that's what it is, right? They have ways to implement these. And I think the Fall League, I mean, again,

I think this is something, that is going to make it to the big leagues faster than baller strike so i think this is much needed and i'm all for starting it testing it getting it to the big leagues how much how much in your opinion you brought this up briefly but does does sports gambling kind of impact all of this because you don't think it really you're you're not in general thinking that legalized you know sports betting and such is going to impact the game but it almost feels like like every sport needs to find a way to make things black and white and not have any portion of the game left up in the in the in the referees hands here's what i've learned from the outside looking in it's a business

yeah i it's this i love the sport i love growing up playing baseball but the further i've gotten into professional sports and it is still a game and we do play it for the love of the game every decision for the most part outside of a handful but in the the the you zoom out of the microscope every decision in sports is business yeah and especially now with sports betting what it's become the availability of it you look at again, I talk about my career. You talk about 2015, betting on a game, live betting, no chance to now it's on uniforms. It's on the back of bullpins where we literally talk about it to start the show, which

it's awesome. I understand we're evolving, you know, what is available. I was actually at a sports book and I refused to, I wanted to put in a bet. And I was like, no, I don't want to come back here to have to cash it in it. I'm just doing on my phone. Right. So, I mean, that's like that's how easy. But everything from that perspective,

we can go into other sports but the balls and strikes okay we started out with just showing the square zone right and that was really cool now I mean literally again pitches plays I you can go back a couple years a couple years away back

Armando Gala Raga like all these instances yeah you know where we just guys are out or safe or the ball of the strike or not now we know if it was a baller strike we know if he was out or safe and that play with all the numbers again outside of betting, but statistically, if he's safe there, the Dodgers have a 20% better chance

to win now because he's on second base safe with no outs. Sure. Well, you know what I mean? There's, and again, that you talk about swaying bets, and especially now where you can bet per inning per bat, basically. Right. If you're getting these calls wrong, Vegas, again, not a conspiracy guy, but the overall business, like the bottom dollar, there's, there's money to be made here.

and if you're missing calls that they can show are right, it's like I said, we got to decide here. We got to draw a line in the sand on how far we're going to let technology take sports in general. No, you're absolutely right because it started like with the K zone where we were like, oh, now we can see. It was cool. It was awesome.

But then like this challenge system, for instance, the one for balls and strikes, it takes that above the like the aerial view above, you know, the plate and shows you how it crossed and in what direction it went and all that kind of stuff. And can show you how like maybe, Even the K zone is flawed because what the umpire is seeing as far as the trajectory of the ball and the movement it had kind of might make a difference on what they saw.

Right. So we also we have another video of this check swing challenge. Yeah, there were there were two in the game yesterday. One for each team. Both of them were successful because as as as you guys can see, it's a generous enough system for hitters that. That one looks like a check swing. Yeah, this one is not nearly as egregious as the other one. See another one in front of home play? It's tough for me. Yeah.

That one I'm on board with. But again, you got to start somewhere. Yeah. So. Yeah. And I mean, I feel like it's not the worst thing in the world. I think, again, it's about making the game correct. And I, you know, I think we were hesitant in all sports to like bog down the game with challenges and reviews.

Correct. They just found a way to make them quick, make them not impact the enjoyment of the game. And in fact, even with the balls and strike system, it's kind of, it's kind of electric when they do go. to the call and you look up to the bar. Oh, well, that's what's going to be right? I think there's a beautiful marriage that needs to happen with technology and sport. I mean, it is happening, but it's, I think it's very technology heavy right now. And we are fading the human aspect of sports and referees and umpires.

And trust me, you guys have pissed me off many times in my career, but I love you guys. I don't want to see the human interaction. Yeah. Leave the sport. like I've again this is a great topic because I've talked about this a lot like are you okay knowing that baseball football whatever you want to say it that that that that Homer wasn't hit but they called it a Homer strike wasn't a strike they go to strike out and your team loses and misses the playoffs or doesn't win the world series but and that's the way it's called

that's the way it stands right the umpire called it even though you review like it got reviewed it still stands or it's technology and boom it's boom boom called reversed, your team now wins the World Series. Or maybe the World Series is deep, but that's where we're getting to. I mean, that's an extreme example, but it could be that big. It could be that big. I mean, we talk about Garla Aga's perfect game. If there's technology and then that gets reversed, it's a perfect game.

I think that one gets overturned. You know, my point is I brought up a couple of time is just, where is the line drawn of like, what are you okay with? Yeah. Yeah. In air, missing and losing game, which we've seen throughout history, right? or being able to, yeah, like reverse time and review and say, no, this was wrong. They win, you lose.

And I think in baseball, there are certain elements of the game that are easy for technology to figure out. Yes. Like balls and strikes are pretty, I mean, relatively speaking, easy for technology to figure out. Whereas, like, in football, like, past interference is, there's so much gray area. Like, in the NBA, there's so much gray area with all these foul calls. I don't, I've never understood, like, what is a foul? is not in the a great point and maybe it's coming i don't know if nfl maybe this is working i've been talking about this one we don't have a sensor in the football we trust again no offense referees

the chain game we trust the jangangangor this guy to run into the middle of a pile of guys pick up the football and determine where it goes to determine a first down or touch it's a it's why you don't know the sensor yeah this weekend was at least i felt was especially egregious and it was in games that i had zero interest in so it wasn't even like i was mad that the Cardinals were getting screwed over by the refs. No, no, no. These were other games I was just watching and I was like, that spot is terrible. That guy got like three yards further than that.

It pisses me off so bad because, again, being in AAA seeing the strike zone and what MLB is doing and what we see on TV. Like, again, there was exactly my point. Amazon the other day had an angle where the guy touched the ball and the rest didn't have that camera angle to review it. Yeah. How did they not have that angle? How do the refs not have an angle that we can see on TV?

We could see it. The refs got the call wrong. It changed the whole course of the game. Again, we're sitting at home. I, like, have a jaded view of this game now because I'm like, I know you can say, oh, you know, the game is a multiple. No, dude, that play right there. If you get the ball back is huge.

Yeah. So we need to talk about other stuff. But it fires me up because we're getting to a place where like we need to like merge or like, man, like I robot stuff. We're getting we're getting close to it. I agree with what you're saying though about the marriage like I don't really want there to be a purely Computer robot correct. You know kind of element to the game of calling it are are there any other aspects of baseball though that are like I think balls and strikes that that's something So I think out safe call have you been a triple a game with the review system I haven't been a triple a game but they've yeah, they've had a lot of ballie games like that I enjoyed it for me like again. I that's where I'm not fully ready to give up balls and strikes. I do agree it's the easiest one and the most accurate.

Yeah. It's like an obvious, like the fact that we think no offense to all of us that our human eyes are better than the technology we have right now. But challenging balls and strikes in AAA was electric. Like, and you got about momentum swings and like, you know, strategically kind of like challenges, only having a few of them. It was, it was great where the ones that get me in baseball are like, I forgot what they called it now. the roundabout play at second like when guys are sliding and their foot barely pops off. Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

I understand by definition and rule that they are out. But is that what we're really trying to, you know, like you're talking about pass interference? Is that what we're trying to review? Is that what we're trying to make the name? I know he's out or like he came off the bat. You know what I'm getting like. Oh, Catelle loves that. Contel loves that.

Catell will hold the ball. Of course. And pro no, too. Yeah. I get it. That's that that's my point. Like we're starting to focus on. and losing for me the aspects of some of the fundamentals and like yeah like his foot may have popped off sliding in hard to second yeah that's part of the game like he beat the throw beat the original tag everything now we're trying to get ticky tack like did he come off the bag for a split second yeah um so yeah i think i think like in tennis where they have the in and out when there's a close borderline call yeah yeah if it's foul fair or foul i think maybe that could be another time where maybe it doesn't even have to be challenged just like hey if you're unsure let's just go to the tape and

and see if the ball landed fair or foul, right? Like, that's pretty, that's pretty black and white, you know, when it comes to this stuff. We do have Tommy Troy from the Salt River Rafters talking about his thoughts on the check swing system. Here's what Troy had to say. I think it's pretty forgiving for the hitters. We got a challenge today, and I was like, wow. But, I mean, you know, it's part of the game. I love how we're trying it out in this setting, you know, like we can make adjustments from there.

But I like it. Well, of course he likes it as a hitter. Yeah. Yeah, you just preface that with that. It's pretty generous. I like it. I did follow up with Tommy about the definition of a swing versus the check swing and like how did how do we know the difference? Does he know the difference?

And this is pretty interesting. This is what he had to say about that. I've never, the definition's been pretty ambiguous like ever since I started playing. But like, yeah, it's they're saying it's like 45 degrees or whatever like down a lot. I don't really know. Before that I just thought if you were just crossing the plate at all, it would be a swing. I guess it's changing now, but, you know. So 45 degrees, like that seems very.

That is pretty. I mean, it's hard enough to hit, you know, why not? Sounds like me talking about playing MLB the show. It's hard enough to hit. Just let me play a rookie. I'll take any advantage you can take. The other thing I'll say about this real quick that I didn't mention earlier. What was explained to me is that each team gets two of these challenges per game.

And if you use both of them in the first eighth inning in the first eight innings, then you get another one for the ninth inning, apparently. If you use both of them or don't use both of them? If you, if you, I believe if you use both of them in the eighth, innings one through eight, then you get an extra one through nine.

You're gonna. Yeah. So basically it's just, if a team is out of them by the ninth inning, because it's the ninth inning, they want to give you an extra one. And then I imagine that in extra innings, you would get an additional one for each,

for each extra inning as well. What was also interesting to me is that if you are correct, then you actually don't, don't keep your challenge. So you, unlike the, the ABS, the ball strike system where if you're,

you get three challenges per game, but if you're right, then you don't lose one. In this case, you only get two challenges, at least in those first eight innings. You get the additional ones afterwards, but if you're right,

you still lose the challenge. So, uh, that seemed a little arbitrary to me. I don't know exactly why they, why they're doing it that way. Uh, but that's,

that's what was explained to me yesterday. It's getting, it's getting to the point where we have too many trash bins outside of our house. There's too many challenges. Like that's my point. Do I have three balls and strike challenges? I have two for the check swing. How many do I have for in or out of valve territory? You know, it's becoming where again, the manager instead of holding a lineup card, it's going to be a list of challenges. And you know, like truly like it may and now I mean, it's an iPad now. It's not it's not the old lineup card. And you know, grab the pencil behind the ear. It's scan or crap. There's an assistant standing next to them that's holding it. You know what I mean? It does seem like just a

a scenario where both the the ball strike challenge system and this challenge system are in the majors, it's going to be hard to keep track of. Like on a TV broadcast, you're going to have to have. They're going to have little boxes. I mean, imagine scoring. You just naturally like, oh, strike, check. Yeah. Yeah.

You're not using. Oh, the scorebugs going to look for us. It's going to have little Xs and green like check marks for when they got a challenge. And again, you're going to start like you've seen with analytics and the, you know, I understand them, but the woe buzz in these these made up you know categories you're going to start having they're not made i know i know i know they're not i know i understand they're real and i i believe in some of them like some of them i believe in the most where the hell's it goes super deep as i talk about the fact that we don't play on the same dimensions everywhere that's why we have to the staff for like

you know adjusted ballparks and all this shit right right right um it's it's yeah i mean we're just everything is getting to a point where it's just getting out of hand. And like we're losing what, what are we trying to accomplish here? You know, and still a game where you're throwing a ball and hitting it with a stick.

What stat are we're going to have to, you know, even the ghost runner in like these the extra innings. I understand it. And I believe in the value of it in terms of keeping guys healthy, keeping game shorter. Yeah. The roster moves that happen after these long inning games.

But it sucks. Yeah, you know. It sucks watching an extra innings game. Some of it's, you know, And like I said, I've said in these meetings where it's crazy, you vote on them and boom, rule changes. You're like, oh, okay, we're going ghost runner. Like, what did we just do? Yeah, right, right.

And then you get to watch a postseason game with extra innings and there's no ghost runner. And you're like, oh, this is delightful. I forgot what it was like to watch a game like this. Hitting, like Tommy Troy just said, hitting is hard. And so again, being, just looking at the game from a business, like, yeah, you have to generate more offense. one you know every every sport has role changes baseball is at a point where some of the rule changes are coming to be more relevant right now in big topics like the the clock and all these things and um people do need to score more runs eras do need to i say go up but the average of guys

throwing in the low ones and twos like it's going to adjust a good era will now be a two and a three but what fans want to see is often it's in action and so mlb as a business is trying to incorporate that and so from the the check swing to these other things. I mean, it's just, it's, it goes back to producing a content and a product that people want to come pay and see. Yeah, that's a, that's a good point, like, trying to figure out why MLB would at least start with this 45 degree angle. It's like, yeah, it's very friendly for hitters. Yeah. And that's kind of what MLB has been trying to do. I mean, heating is hard. I mean, the hardest it's ever been. Guys are from pitch shape and design to the

speed they're throwing like and again we can dive into it I've looked at but you look at I mean team averages like the amount of teams hitting below 230 like it's it's disgusting you know I mean like 245 it's yeah it's it's it's it's creating a game that is tough to watch and I don't want to sit here and sound like these old heads that I heard before me to talk about the game is yeah the game always changes yeah it's going to continuously change but as great as it is and and their baseball is still great and I love baseball but we are I'm not going to say we're in trouble but yeah we need to figure out some of these things with like I thought of the the technology merger and combining the love of the game and the passion of the game and the technology and human it's we need we need

to come together like it's like gates you know let's let's get let's get this technology well I got I'll say this I mean I like the check swing but I do feel like what you're saying like I mean it does feel like we're getting to almost a tipping point where they might be going too far with these improvements to the game and then this technology you know this situation when the technology might just be you know removing the the actual fun out of the game i mean football i think got to that point when football when they changed their kickoff rule yeah and it's like it makes all the sense in the world if i mean yes all the all the data tells you you can't argue right you're like you got guys running down like you know vehicles out of control on a highway smash

into each other. The highest percentage of injuries occur on kickoffs, especially devastating ones. And yet there's still a part of my soul that that dies every single time I watch a football game and they don't do a normal kick or they have this weird kickoff where the guys are close and everything is a touchback. So I refer to this, right? And then we've talked about this. You guys have asked me this. I think this is a great even thing to go in further. Like watching OU Texas this last weekend, my dad came up to my ranch in Oklahoma. And I'm not going to repeat them because I don't want to dog myself. But I probably made some comments towards Texas football players that I wouldn't,

if someone said to me like in person, I'm not going to say that in person on the field to a guy. Sure, sure. But as a true fan, like things I say or my dad was like, son, what? Like, what are you saying? I was like, dad, shut up right now. I'm talking my talk. it's it's you know we're what were we just talking about sorry maybe lose our trade of thought

no it was it was like kickoffs and the football changes in the game i know that this is like you said the right thing to do right that like for concussions and health but some of me is like that's what we pay these guys for that's what i get paid for right that's why you you know like it's a tough line right of like health and long term and longevity and especially when you're about someone's brain and head and right yeah what was happening on these kickoffs but again we're we're changing sports like this is a massive change like i'm maybe i think that if nca's next college football has got to be next right like next year the and and then hockey they're going to take fighting out of hockey we're just going to lose all of our violence again we we are like watch

i'm not saying they need to be the same but especially baseball football is still just physical but you watch any highlight pre-2000 yeah oh my gosh oh yeah i mean it's all we used to do sometimes it's just watch highlight reals of people getting credible yeah okay it is like it is and again like you know those guys talk about some were messed up and badly messed up and we're all from playing sports but i don't know it's it's a weird topic because i don't want to say i'm devaluing our health and longevity after no i get it but it does it there comes a point where it's like man, I feel like this kind of sucks. And I get it.

I get why they're doing it. Just like this stuff. I understand why they're doing it. And I understand they're trying to do it in a way that appeases or at least, you know, doesn't bog the game down too much and gets the calls right at the end of the day, which I think is what everybody wants. Even like we're putting the orange base on the other side of first base, such I actually kind of again makes sense.

Like I get it for collisions at first. But it's like, you know, like, I don't know. Like I'll just put a flag on our, you know, let's just put a flag and play wiffleball. Yeah. Like, you know, like, you know, it's just kind of like, just call it today. Yeah, you know, we're going to go. Let's just, let's all do it on with Nerf balls on soft turf. All right.

Well, we'll have more, of course, on baseball. We're not going anywhere. We got to talk about all this wonderful stuff with the World Series, even though we don't really care much for either of the teams. Of course, I do want to tell you to grab yourself a diehard membership. If you haven't done so already, right now is an incredible time to do so. We have our introductory introductory diehard offer for $48 for the first year. That's just $4 a month billed annually.

And you get all of our content. You get, of course, our wonderful, a free t-shirt of your choice, free hat of your choice from PHNX Locker.com. You get everything that Mr. Friedman here has to offer with his writing, which is some incredible content as well as our additional content like D-Backs after dark and Ask Archie. We got everything coming up here. So make sure you join us. It is a great time to be a member of the diehard family. also, of course, our Discord lounge, which is the best place to be in Arizona sports fan. So make sure to sign up today.

On the other side of this break, we are going to give you our World Series picks and preview this upcoming fall classic between the Dodgers and the Yankees. So don't you go anywhere. Again, time is running out this fall before the holiday season is upon us. So if you're looking to make some improvements around your home, check out Empire Today. You can get shop at home convenience, the right product for your needs, quick and professional installation, and a price match guarantee.

So Empire Today has been servicing. the valley for years. And of course, they keep shopping for floors simple with a curated product selection so you don't have to look through thousands of samples. They'll find out what you're looking for and find you the right product. They also offer their virtual floor designer, which is a great way to see how the new floors will look in any space. It's easy.

You just have to snap a picture of a room and instantly see how the new floors will look in that space. Empire today, of course, services their own warranties. So if an issue does arise, you can just call Empire. They service them themselves. We won't have to track down a manufacturer's. phone number can schedule a free in-home estimate today. All listeners can receive a $350 discount when they use promo code PHNX. Restrictions do apply. See Empire Today.com

slash PHNX for details. And of course, we are big fans of Bet365 around here. And that's because Bet365 does offer the widest range of games and markets available for live in-game betting across 78 sports. They pioneered live in-game betting. And right now, new customers can sign up using our code of PHNX365. Deposit $10 into your account. Choose either between a bet and get offer where you can place a $5 bet or more and receive $150 in bonus bets

or a first bet safety net offer where you can place up to $1,000 bet. And if you're qualifying bet loses, you will receive a matched refund in bonus bets. Not much time left to get down on the early baseball payout offer, but you are a winner if your team goes up by five runs ahead in the World Series with an instant payout. Parlay and same game parlay selections will be marked as winners as well.

Download the Bet365 app. use code PHNX365 when you sign up, choose your offer, and find out why it is never ordinary at that 365. Must be 21 or over and physically located in Arizona. If you are someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 100 next step, text next step to 53342 or visit problemgambling.az.com. All right. Well, it is time to talk about the 2024 World Series.

And of course, we did touch on it a little bit on Monday show about, you know, how many people are watching it and how much we hate. it. But we did want to actually give some credit where credit is due. We do think that this is going to be a pretty epic matchup between these two teams. I mean, they are two of the most stacked rosters as we've discussed. And here is the path that got them to the World Series with that game one starting on Friday. All the games are at 8 p.m. 5 p.m. R time, 8 p.m. Eastern time. What are your thoughts here? Jesse, I'll start with you just in regards to pitching matchups and these two teams kind of. how they fare against each other. Yeah, I think it's not just the name cred of Dodgers Yankees. It's also that these two teams are very, very good, and they were each the one seed in their league. And I think they're very evenly matched.

And this should be a heck of a fun series to watch beyond all of the, you know, the other narratives of Dodgers Yankees playing for the first time since the 80s. And it is crazy to think this is the most common a World Series matchup in Major League history, even though it hasn't happened in quite a while at this point. But yeah, there's a whole, there's a whole bunch of, a whole bunch of fun storylines here.

It's because baseball's been around for 150 years and there was only like six teams at one point. Yeah. That's part of it. That's part of it. But the Yankees and Dodgers played like, not every year, but almost every year in like the 50s and 60s for, for a while there,

which is, which is wild. I don't think about it. Well, there's a few of people still alive that's almost game. Most people did. But I'll say this, just in regards to that, like, we were talking about like how hard it would

be a fan, to be a fan of baseball, when you look and like, historically, there's this, this stretch where it's like the Yankees winning it every single year or it's like the same two teams in the championship. I get the history and the Yankees, all their world series, but I mean, some of those are just when there's only 14. Yeah. And they had the greatest lineup at baseball. I'm all about the history of our game in the Yankees.

I'm not talking trash. Yankee fans don't come at me. I don't want that rat on me. Every World Series is yours. Don't freaking get it twisted. So, yeah, I mean, looking at the starting pitching, I think that's where the Yankees probably have the upper hand. Dodgers obviously decimated with injuries.

The Yankees at least have four guys that you can run out there. Garrett Cole, Carlos Rodon, Clark Schmidt, and then Louise Heel. The lineups are both awesome with some huge names. I don't know if there's really a clear winner. on either side. The bullpen may be advantage Dodgers, but you know, Luke Weaver's doing it doing his thing.

What about usage there though? Like, I mean, like we're going to get to our predictions and this is probably going to go against my prediction. But like there's got to be a point where, you know, the Walker Bueller games aren't really Walker Bueller starts as much as their pseudo bullpen games potentially.

And then you actually have a bullpen game in here that's, that's kind of scheduled. That's part of the picture. matchup right like that just seems like i know this is it this is potentially the last seven games you'll play it just feels like there's got to be a point where that bullpen that dave roberts has been using so often gets a bit gassed i mean do do you or if you're in the world series are you just pumped so much that like yeah you know both i mean i haven't been able to pitch that deep into a season before i know that uh my 2017 18 19 years like i yeah i mean i was ready to go like you

could have given me any workload. I remember I thought it was so cool. I think it was that year. Brandon Morrow pitched in every game of the World Series. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Didn't do much after that. I mean, signed a big deal, but had some injuries, you know, maybe, you know, but,

again, this is like goes back to what I said, player health, longevity, longevity, contracts, you know, trying to win a World Series, man. This is a once in a lifetime thing. Like, for me, this is the one area that's really, I see. say gray in baseball for me pretty black and white i'm i'm laying it out there i want the rock yeah i may blow my arm out and like miss out on millions of dollars to take care of my family and that's freaking crazy to say out loud right but like winning a world series wearing a ring being a part of a championship in a game and a sport and what we're we've talked about numerous times in this

game of life and like what matters like to win a world series man again i know it for me is is above money. It's above any individual accolade. So yeah, that's where I don't know from a teen's perspective. I know you have to look after guys, but as a individual player, like, I'm healthy. I'm taking the ball every game. The only

time I will say is now being older, the only time I would check that is if I know that I may not be able to beat a guy. Like, if I'm just doing it to be tough, sure. Yeah. And I would be honest and like, hey, I don't got it tonight. I can't, I can't give you quality outs to get mooky soto whoever it is and like but outside that i'm strapping it on you need me later on you need

me extra innings i got you like let's roll that's and that's the reason why at times managers have to kind of say players from themselves of course right because it's like players attitude and and their willingness to go out there and give the team all that they have is is probably going to be there nine times out of ten you're you might every once in a while have somebody yeah like you said that's like no i don't got it's it's hard in the moment especially when you're talking about these high leverage situation. You look at the, through the Yankees of used to get to the World Series. The last

three guys that, you know, they were some of the worst pitchers in baseball. Weren't even big league pitchers consistently the last few years. It's the Yankees for you, man. It is. It's very ironic. But yeah, like, is there like back-end, high-leverage, left-handed relievers? It's wild. It's like a sub-2 since

he got released. It's crazy. So, yeah, I mean, I think this, I truly do think, in a weird way, they both, like, But they both went on and got help at the deadline. They've both had injuries, especially the Dodgers. Without Jack Flarety. That's what I'm saying.

Like, I mean, we just talk about it. Like not the best postseason pitcher, but what he did for them down the stretch to get them in. And I mean, what, Kopeck did? Yeah, Kopeck's been really good for the Dodgers. Again, I, it bothers me because I've never been able to be a part of it. And this isn't a diss in Arizona. But teams that have money are able to go address needs at the deadline. And these two teams did it very well.

The Yankees winning out and got jazz. They added pieces that for the first time put these teams over the hump and got them to where they needed to be. And I think it's the two best teams of baseball. My is the Phillies. I think the Phillies starting pitching and the again, they're bullpen pieces. But I really thought the Phillies were going to give me a little more out of the NL. I'm going to be honest. Yeah.

But outside that, I think these are two of the best three teams in baseball. Yeah, absolutely. And when it comes to a lineup comparison, I think that's where you might say pitching advantage Yankees, but the lineup, you got to say just a little bit, advantage Dodgers with just how stacked their lineup is and how well the guys that aren't honestly the superstars here that have been playing, you know, just really well for them. You know, Tommy Edmund, like you said, Max Muncie. Those guys have all been contributing in a huge way. But then you still have Freeman, Otani, Tiaska Hernandez, you know, Mookie Betts, all to deal with. It's just, it's like one guy after another. And it's the talk we talk about, uh, we asked,

would you rather face a lineup that's Homer strikeout or, you know, single double going to be on base walk like that's for me what we're like a lot of the risk reward versus that Yankees lineup like tough to get around some of those big guys, but there's also a lot of strikeouts there. There's a lot of swing and misses. And if you can navigate past the, the top guys like we were talking about this earlier, you can get through. the bottom of that Yankees lineup a lot easier

where the Dodgers, you have the top loaded and then weather continues, but the production they're getting from the bottom half of the order, it makes that lineup terrifying to me. Because Cole, you can throw whoever you want.

A couple mistakes and now the lineup's turned over and you're back to facing Otani Mets Freeman and you're just like, I was just trying to get Edmund out. You know what I mean? And it's like you have Otani as this leadoff guy now. right where you like want to pitch around him but then you're immediately loading one up for the rest of the lineup you know what i mean like one MVP to the next literally the three mvps playing behind each other in the order where like

i said you you get past those guys you try to take a breath and you really don't have a chance because you're not going to strike some of these guys out in the bottom where you have to make quality pitches or your pitch couch and to get up quick it's a it's a stressful lineup for me man yeah one of the biggest questions for me in this series is I guess Derek you mentioned earlier that the Dodgers have they have Walker Bueller theoretically we think we'll we'll pitch game three and then a bullpen game probably in game four the impact of of some of these really really good hitters seeing the same relievers over and over and over again because you feel like especially on the on the Yankee side where I think their bullpen is maybe a little bit

thinner like they're going to need Luke Weaver and Tommy Canley and Tim Hill like it feels like those guys are going to pitch in probably every game that the Yankees will at least if it's close that's what worries me on the bullpen side why i get to the dodgers is i think these guys are incredible and they're going to provide some great endings but i think boon is going to have to like i mean literally pick these guys in the perfect places to pitch because you go burn weaver in game one i say burn them but throw them multiple which he's you know been doing um and good or bad I'm just saying exactly what you're saying. Yeah.

You miss Weaver and you throw them and extend them and then you can't bring them back for two games. Like it's going to be really tough, I think, for Boone to pick and choose how to get, again, that's why the Dodgers lineup is so tough. Big outs in in these big situations, especially past the sixth inning. Like that's, that's really tough. Well, we will have our, give you our World Series predictions here on the other side of this break, as well as finding out what Archie was up to this weekend. I had some fun.

So don't you go anywhere. We'll be right back. Of course, with the World Series coming up, there's many people that want to attend that game, and those tickets are going to be expensive. So a great way to possibly get yourself a discount on those tickets is by buying them last minute through our friends at game time, where you can possibly save on tickets up to 60%.

I'm not making any guarantees on the World Series. Those tickets are averaging at like $2,500 a pop right now. But I'll tell you this much. If there's somewhere you're going to save, it's over at game time. And you can use their brand new game time picks feature that makes getting tickets for events like this even easier. Game Time picks filters out the fluff to show you only incredible deals on great seats

so you don't have to waste time searching through thousands of tickets. Of course, you can see what those tickets, what the view from your seat will look like, plus they have all-in pricing so you will know the total. No surprises at checkout. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with GameTime, download the GameTime app, create an account, and use code PHNX for $20 off your first purchase. Terms do apply. Again, create an account and redeem code PHNX for $20 off. Download game time today. What time is it, Jesse?

It is game time. It is game time. All right. Well, of course, if you're in the market for a new vehicle, you have to check out our friends at Sanderson Ford. They are our official vehicle sponsor, and Sanderson Ford is also America's most awarded Ford dealership for customer satisfaction. You can check out all Sanderson Ford has to offer, including the new 2024 F-150 trucks with a 3.9% APR financing for 60 months plus $1,000 cash back. And if you trade in your ram truck, you get an additional $2,000 cash back. So make sure to check out everything Sanderson Ford has to offer. We love working with them because all the things they do to support our community.

And you can get it all with no hassle, no pressure, and no nonsense at Sanderson Ford. Offers OAC from Ford credit and expire 1031 for your next vehicle purchase or lease, choose the dealership that gives back and pays it forward. See dealership for details. and if you go out to Sanderson Ford, don't miss out on eating lunch at the Starliner Diner. It's a five-star experience. All right, well, it is time for me to once again upset all the people in the live chat

by giving you our World Series predictions. These guys really hung me out to dry on this one. So Kevin, let's take a look. I predicted the Dodgers will win in seven. The seven games thing for me, that's mostly a, I guess that's more of a hope. Like I hope with these two teams, as much as I don't want to watch them actually play each other, I hope this goes to seven because I think that would be incredible.

Archie, I'll let you give it. I mean, I think the lineup, that's the main reason for me is it's just hard to get past this Dodgers lineup. Plus, like they've just been playing a different level of baseball since that series with the Padres. And it just feels like they can't be stopped right now. I chose the Yankees. I think that the starting pitching is going to hold the Dodgers in check. long enough for the Yankees to really build some leads that are tough to come back from. Yeah, I'm I'm pretty much right there with you.

I also have the also have the Yankees and six and it just, I mean, looking at your game one pitching matchup of Garrett Cole against Jack Flaherty. I know if you look at their numbers, Jack Flaherty actually has a lower ERA. I think you had a lower ERA in the regular season than Garrett Cole did, but Garrett Cole is Garrett Cole, right? Yeah. He is a guy that you want to be giving the ball to in game one of the world series. Whereas Jack Flaherty for the season that he just had, he really struggled in that last game against the Mets.

He gave up eight runs. His Velo was down a couple of ticks, which I think is particularly concerning for him and kind of what he does out there. So, yeah, I like Cole better than Flaherty. I think I like Carlos Rodan better than Yamamoto, even though Yamamoto is a really good pitcher and has shown flashes and I think was dominant against the Yankees when he faced him in the regular season. But yeah, I think the clearest difference, as you said, Archie, is I think it really comes down to starting pitching. And maybe there's a small part of me that looks at, you know, Soto, Judge Stanton.

And as hard as it is to pick a side between like that trio and Otani Betts, Freeman. Or really Otani Betts Tommy Edmund, as we were saying the other day. That's really the Dodgers victory. right. It's hard for me to pick a side there, but this is a short series and there probably is going to be a clear winner out of those two trios. And right now my gut is that the Yankees, I would rather have the Yankee side. I think that Judge and Soto are arguably better hitters than any of the three on the Dodgers side, even though again, you know, I mean, Otani is Otani. He's very, very, very good. It's a hard decision to make. But given what I saw from from the, from the Yankees big three in that Guardian series. I'm slightly leaning that direction. I saw, I don't know who said it, but in baseball,

which is very tough to expect guys to come through. Like, I feel like Soto and Judge are two guys that when they're at batting, I expect them to get it done. Like you know what I'm almost shot. Like Soto hitting that Homer, I'm not kidding. I know everyone it's so easy to say.

I was like, he's going to be, I didn't know he's hit a Homer. I knew he's going to do something productive. and for me just again I go back to watching the Yankees hit against Clause A this the the back end of Cleveland's bullpen had four relievers that posted under a sub to pass the All-Star break and two guys that did it for the whole season. Clause A was I mean I just I watched the abats the pitches these guys through these hitters

and they're the best hitters on the planet they are yeah Not only from a like just talent, but like strike recognition, plate recognition, plate discipline. You mean, these guys still strike out. But these are the best hitters. And you can throw standing there right now. Playoff stand is a different. Yeah, Stan. I mean, he's the ALCS MVP, right?

But judge and especially Soto, I mean, they are the best hitters on the planet right now. And they are watching them literally just spit and take and fight off and then beat the best, some of the best relievers in the game. is that's for me by getting back. That's why I'm picking the Yankees. It wouldn't feel right if you pick the Dodgers. No, I can't. No, you can't. That's also like, in all fairness,

if I really believe they win, I still probably won't. I try. And meanwhile, I'm just leaning into it because no one was going to let me off the hook, no matter what I said there. So I appreciate it. Oh, you are the,

you're the resident Dodgers. I'm the resident Dodgers fan. I did say that I have a crazy prediction that I don't know if any, if anyone's talked about. The only reason I could sway to the Dodgers if somehow Otani is pitching all of a sudden. What? Right.

I don't even know if it's been like a thing, but I had this crazy dream that I woke up and Otani was like three plus things in game two and everyone's like, okay, he's literally like bowed out. That would rock. That would be awesome. It would be awesome.

I mean, there's already enough storylines and intrigue with the series. But if Otani like heroically, like I don't know where we're at real quick, but like for baseball, for growing the, the fan base like as much as I do hate it like we got to see LA New York for the NLDS or the NLCS which is and now you're getting it for the world series yeah um and again with Otani

judge Soto like the true heroes and like for the first time like the guys that we hang up on billboards and promote on commercials are going head to head in New York in LA like this is as much as I hate it I love this I mean for baseball as a whole this is what I want to wanted to see. I hate to go this route and ask this, but I feel like, I mean, now this is just something I thought of. Like, with New York and L.A. being obviously such highly populated areas and like kind of trend, I guess trend setters, right? Like baseball being big in these cities again is is just good for the game of baseball. Like, yeah, they're going to all be Dodgers fans. No one's going to, like it's not going to change how people feel. They're just going to hate the Dodgers more

or whatever. But it's just going to, I think, grow the love and appreciation. the Yankee cat becomes way it already is but again from a winning perspective take away and I'm not saying take away but the the Dodgers COVID World Series their last world series is what 87 88 88 yeah you know quick that's what I'm talking about he's he's a big time the Yankees damn it the Yankees was 09 correct right their last one series is oh nine either way for the Dodgers way outdated and even for a Yankees team a long time between championships after that run in the 90s and early 2000.

Do you know what I mean? So it's huge because these fan bases were already huge and they've been in the playoffs a lot the last couple of years. But now these two fighting with MVP's everything. I mean, it's, I'll say, this is probably the biggest World Series in baseball history. Yeah, yeah, especially right now. From a media standpoint of talent and true MVP facing off and the best players that MLB wants to promote in the two most popular like Yankee Stadium and Dodgers Stadium are

are my two favorite places to play. Finway and Wrigley are up there. I could argue those for different reasons, but everyone wants to wear pinstrives and play in Yankee Stadium. New, old, doesn't matter. And Dodger Stadium, when there's 65 plus thousand people in there, the best sound system in baseball,

it's the two best places to play. Do you think that 2020 Dodgers World Series, do you think that's viewed around the game as being illegitimate in some way? It's not that illegitimate because that season sucked. It was hard to play. The only reason it's, scoffed at or

not, it's just because we played 60 games. Yeah. I mean, regardless for me, it doesn't matter if it's three on three basketball. If you're playing a season and a tournament and you win, there's a champion. You're the champion. I'm not disregarding their championship. It's just baseball is such a long season. Yeah.

And there's so many avenues to, but again, that was the start of, I mean, not the start of the continuation. The Dodgers, this is no fluke. That's why I still acknowledge that World Series championship. The Dodgers, I mean, go back, really, should probably be the 17 champions over the Astros. I mean, you know what I mean? Like we can't do that,

but this is consistency at its finest. And I do think that they better win. I mean, honestly, this is both sides. Yeah. Must win for. Yeah.

Boone and Dave Roberts. Yeah, that's true. It feels, it feels very, like there's a lot on the line for. Not, and I see that comment,

not Mickey Mouse ring. It's a ring. You know what I mean? Yeah. But it's just, it's different. It's different. It's different.

It's different. definitely is different. And speaking of things being different, the world will never be the same now without MLB legend Fernando Valenzuela who passed away at the age of 63. Fernando Mania took over Los Angeles the year I was born, 1981. And I mean, that's actually that it's just, there's just some amazing memories, not to, not to mention, you know, the impact that he had on the Hispanic community on just like, you know, just being. being one of the most dominant. Yeah, it absolutely was.

I'm speaking. I wasn't old enough. I wasn't even a lot. Yeah, old enough is not even the right word. But, you know, I'm old. I get it. That is one thing I will say, like, my hate for the Dodgers comes to between the lines, right, playing. But the history of the Dodgers and getting to play there for so long and learn and meet some of these guys, you know, throughout my time there.

It's the history of baseball is, my love of the game is, you know, that type of stuff is great. So to get to have met him there and seen him and obviously his passing is very sad. But what a, you know, very few people leave an impact on the game like that. And like you said, the Hispanic community in general is, you know, Fernando mania forever. Oh, forever. For now, me, forever. I just don't get in 1981.

Like, have you guys seen, you guys, oh, my gosh. It is incredible. So his first eight outings in 1981. I think he pitched a little bit in 1980 as a reliever, but he was in the Dodgers rotation to start 81. His first game of the year, complete game shutout, second game, nine innings, one run. Third game, complete game shutout.

Fourth game, complete game shutout. Fifth game, complete game shutout. Six game, nine innings, one run again. Seventh game, another complete game shutout. And then his eighth game, nine innings, two runs. So he threw a complete game. He threw a complete game eight straight time. to yeah that's it's just insanity I know that like back in the day it was more common to pitch deeper in

yeah certainly but even for the time this was outrageous especially for a guy who I think you're that you're right yeah rookie of the year I think so yeah yeah rookie of the year he was I think he was 20 years old when he did that so yeah like those numbers just don't even they don't even compute for me I can't even contemplate he had another game where he's 10 innings yeah that's It's like, those are the games I want to highlight more. Like I think, you know, there's a few Pedro through like 10 perfect innings or something like that, but they lost an extras or get. There's just some guys throwing nine plus innings is crazy.

Yeah, yeah. It's, it's crazy. Well, and I mean, like especially nowadays where nobody goes past 100 pitches, you know, it just doesn't. I mean, like, different, but like go. The Nolan Ryan numbers, obviously. but even Randy John, you look at some of these pitch counts in innings, like, I mean,

they're there, that's why some of these records, I mean, 300 wins, they'll never be touched. No, just not the same game. The longevity records are not going to be touched. They're not going to happen. I want to give a shout out to everybody watching on Samsung TV, by the way. Today is our first day on Samsung. So if you're watching over there,

hello, we love being on Samsung. And of course, right now, if you're watching on TV, we're going to continue the conversation over, at go p hnx.com so make sure not to miss out on the rest of the show so come on over and join us uh of course you you had a very fun weekend we kind of teased it a little bit uh with with with the one and only jake lamb had his datchelor party datchelor party might be my new favorite term that i've never i was new to that one too you know this there's a party for everything now with weddings and all these things so i was a little hesitant but uh you know jake's not one to ever ask for

anything, you know, especially a trip that's centered around him. But his wedding, the original bachelor trip was canceled due to COVID. So they, you know, had a beautiful wedding, private ceremony through an actual real wedding the following year, which was awesome. But never, never did the bachelor trip. Never just, you know, and Jake is a little inside info, a very sentimental person. He loves his friends. Like that's his friends and family and that time together is what, you know, gets him going over anything over baseball money all that so to not have that trip with the boys um was was tough so for sure like that's a that's a life thing right like like you don't want to miss out on to paint the picture bigger jake and i um became friends best friends in vizalia

oh wow actually that was when uh they only have one tub like a hot coal tub you'd have to drain it heat it back up and like in the minor league you would tub together like you'd get in the hot tub and cold tub together like this many tiny one. And like, at the time, I've slept in beds with my producers. Jake and I were like, we, we didn't really know each other. College kid, high school kid, first round pick, late round pick, honestly, way different. Whatever. End up in this cold tub together, shivering like, oh, we can stand each other.

Go to find out, play together, whatever. Jake moves in when we both made the big leagues, he made the team a little bit before me, but just hit it off. And the way we both rolled is just like large. large friend groups. So waste management, all these things, all these guys are all in. So Jake's friends became huge friends of mine. I mean, like still friends of mine today that I call and talk to that I met through Jake and these, you know, trips out to my house and us all. So this trip was, it was, it was big for me too because, you know, a couple of times. I say a couple of time.

Merrill Kelly was there. Um, which we only played with for a couple years, but goes to show, um, you know, kind of the power of AZ. Jake's. lives here in a Z. Merrill lives here. Obviously, he's from here, grew up here. I just moved back here. All in all, just the power of what Arizona means to us and why we've chosen to live here. But yeah, we threw the Datchel trip. Jake and his wife Hannah are expecting a beautiful little girl in the coming months. And so we loaded up in a sprinter van here in Palm Springs. And we took off towards California and or loaded up here in Arizona took off towards California. And we spent three days golfing, drinking, eating, kind of talking trash, and everyone offering what we

consider, especially that's non-dads, crucial dad advice. Yeah. There you go. For Jake to get prepared and be ready. There was a few dads on the trip. Merrill being one of them, his older brother, Jake's older brother, a few other guys that have actual dad advice. But I felt like, you know, I've got nieces and nephews.

I've changed some diapers. Sure. My advice to be a dad is valuable right now. What was a piece of advice you gave him? if you can share. Can you share? Yeah, I told him just like,

because again, Jake's grown up, again, Jake is my best friend. I know the way Jake is growing up. We grew up a little differently. Jake has a big family, but Jake isn't a big grab, you know,

your aunt's baby and hold it. I was like being handed them. My siblings are older than me, so I had their kids. I was changing diapers. I just told Jake like, hey, just take that first diaper,

did he? Just take it, get it out of the way and like, just learn. Like, I mean, it's gross.

But like, you got to wipe the butt. You got to hold the legs up. You can protect, you know, the whole thing. And just get comfortable with those first, you know, a couple months of how gross that poop is. And again, I don't have a kid. So I'm not here. But my sisters, my brothers, I've been around it and like, hey, Archie, you know, change my kid.

And it was like, oh, what? Yeah, do it. Figure it out. I'm not even giving you instructions. You're just going to have to figure out. So I love Jake. I'm not going to sit here and roast them because I didn't text them and tell him I was in the roast. But Jake's the type of.

guy and I love him. He just, he knows who he is. But at my house, when we live together, like, he didn't do shit. And like, not like in a bad way. He didn't get help with groceries. He didn't take trash out. But every year, it's end of the year. It's my, my favorite part. He would write me a check for like four to five to more grand extra than when I charged him. And he literally would say, hey, this is because I don't do anything. You do anything. I respect that. Yeah. I was like, yeah, okay. I'm okay with this. This is going to work. Jake isn't going to cook, but he's going to cook. going to pay for DoorDash.

Correct. It was more like, hey, you need to, instead of paying extra, you need to learn to do some of these things. That was, that was my advice. Like the diapers and like some of these day-to-day activities, you're going to need to learn to do them. Are you allowed to tell us how your golf swing compares to Jake and Merrill? I mean, Merrill's good. Merrill beat me. I actually had a, I've really upset.

I'm pissed off. He brought it up. I lost day one to Merrill. He did give me two strokes, but I had like a three or four-stroke lead. and melted on the back. And Merrill's not even trash talker. Merrill's the like most like kind of like about how he pitches.

Like you're like, damn, he's through seven and like I don't really know if he did anything. Golf is the same. Just kind of boring. But like damn, you're next to the pin again. So I lost to Merrill day one,

which that sucked. But me and Merrill are very close. Jake is what I was talking about why I love golf. Jake and I live together outside of playing park golf down the road. Like Jake Lamb wasn't a golfer. So to do this trip based around golf. Yeah. He is vastly improved.

Okay. Well, shit, the first two years we played together, he played right-handed. Yeah. And then next time he's like, hey, I'm back in the golf. I'm actually lefty. And I was like, huh. Well, you swung lefty. I don't know.

Maybe that made sense. You hit baseball left. Yeah. That would be weird to hit a baseball left. Dude, he can do both. He can hit golf clubs both ways. Not like good, good, but like better. Whatever.

But you figure out one way. But Jake's got a lot better. He's got a lot better. But it's cool. They got married at a place. The Parker Hotel, which little baseball history. It's where the Angels originated in spring training. Gene Autry when he owned the Angels.

and there was a Gene Autry suite and where Jake and them had their like next day wedding lunch, brunch was on the field, which was the original spring training field for the Angels. So it was really cool. So we went to a dinner there. It's really trippy.

There's this like restaurant and like, you have to wear a jacket. And so Jake texted the guys in the group like, hey, everyone bring a jacket. And I was like, I mean, Jake, Jake's not a dress up guy. Like, what are you doing? He's like, dude, you either bring one

or they have them there. Oh, wow. So I was just going to be lazy and wear one there. I'm like a lie. Thank God I didn't. Right. I texted the guys in the group. Everyone says bring in jacket.

And I was like, all right. Well, I'm going to go full suit. I'm just going to do it right. Wow. And the jeans I was going to wear for like, I'm not a big jacket over jeans guy. Yeah. That's just me. And the jeans all I have.

They're pretty skinny jeans. And I'm not skinny right now. So I was pretty nervous. So long story, sure, I went full suit. But the jackets at the place were gaudy, like, like, sparkly, loud. Oh, my God. Yes. But the restaurant is like curtains, dark, mirrors all over the ceilings.

Wow. I felt like I was in a Willy Wonka movie. I'm not kidding. Willie Wonka movie mixed in with a few beverages, of course. But it's just incredible. It's really fun. It was incredible, man. Like truly, I would say 50%, 60% of stories we told were Diamondback or Arizona,

waste management. What we built here in Arizona from as far as friends, a livelihood and just memories, you know, they can't, they can't be replaced like baseball was was a vessel for that but like what's come of that and because of Arizona and the dimebacks it's it's just special man it's cool yeah it's uh it's it's a hard place to get over it is you know like i've lived elsewhere myself i've lived in tropical paradises and i've still been like i want to go back to arizona i miss arizona but uh someone in the chat sean says derrick what's your dad advice for jake i got given the best piece of advice uh playing call of duty at two o'clock in the

morning with one of my friends one time. And that was to enjoy every diaper change, to enjoy every moment because having a child is the one thing in life that is like nothing else. And it goes by so incredibly fast. You'll blink and you'll have a teenager who wants to borrow your Cotel Marte jersey. And she doesn't even know Bapip or OPS Plus from last year. It's ridiculous. She's a fake fan.

But yeah, like I mean, honestly, having a child is so weird because right when you get used to that thing that they are, they're something different. You know, like you kind of get used to having a baby and now you don't have a baby anymore. And I have a toddler walking around. It's like, I just got used to having a baby. But I will say that like raising kids is wonderful. And I totally understand why people have so many of them because you do, that baby is in your life for such a short amount of time before they're a kid. And the next thing you know, you, uh, you kind of miss having a baby in your house. So, uh, but yeah, congrats to Jake. Congrats. I hope you guys had a blast out there. Yeah, we do. We have blast. And you know, you're, you're getting that next phase of life.

For like, even me, it's like, dang, dude, like, I kind of want to be a dad now. Yeah. I'll tell you that. It's like I often say this and I think that people think it's just something nice I say, but I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my daughter because like when you have somebody that you like now realize one day is going to go to school and tell their friends what you do, you're like, I don't want her to be like, I don't know, he works in a cube at an office somewhere. That's what I, that's what he did.

But yeah, I'm here because my daughter inspiring me. And of course, kids are amazing. But again, they also don't know anything about advanced metrics. So we do appreciate you guys. Do you know what? Can tell us Babbip and OPS spots for this guy? I'm not the one. I'm not on one of her scrutiny here.

It may be an old clip, but it makes me think about just this and that. And like, did you, have you seen that clip on Skip Bayless talking about what he told his wife when he married her before they like got serious? No. He's true because you have kids. Okay. He has kids. He's married and literally married to the game, his profession.

Yeah. Yeah. He said that in his life, for a dinner, he said this is like, too, I just saw this other day, 2005, New York. And he told her, he's like, hey, I just wanted to let you know before this takes off. I think it's going to. He's like, I really love this girl. I liked her. He's like, I'm not going to miss a LeBron game or miss going to this game. He's like, I will not put this before my work. Like he literally told her. He's like, this is my livelihood. This is why I breathe. This is who I am. You are second to my work. Which I just not. was crazy. How romantic. Right? But at the same time, like, I kind of, I respect the shit out of it. Yeah. I mean, obviously, I hope he loves his wife and I'm sure in a life-threatening situation when she's his wife over, you know,

going to see Brom of Bronte Jr. Maybe, maybe. I don't know. I decided, you know, being married to the game, you know, your priorities and like what you would give to what you love and your passion about. There's a viral post going around where a guy wrote a letter to his wife telling him, I'm sorry, but

during football i don't talk to me i'm not going to get up i'm not going to do anything i'm going to have a beer in my hand i'll be on the couch i don't know less the house on fire i'm gonna get myself in trouble too i'm just kidding oh by the way uh is ops plus is 155 and his back tip is 299 so don't ever question me all right anyway uh we do appreciate you guys for stopping by of course i was just checking i know you got to make sure i'm up to date on this stuff i'm at cap underscore caveman on twitter this maniac next to me is at jessie n friedman of course the legend down there is at uh what it was archie bradley seven yeah yeah but instagram yeah follow them on instagram that's where you're going to say twitter do you say x

i i say i say i say i refuse to say x i'm never it says x we have the x logo i've just it's a personal uh that's what i think of i think of x me my problem is is once again another thing that gave me my career is twitter and i refuse to let it die just because elon musk bought it so it will forever but you know how do you don't you don't have your uh my space anymore tom That's fair. You know, I miss my space. Tom sold out. Yeah, we need to talk, Tom.

How much money did you get Tom to go away? My space and then Xanga before that. Do you guys remember Jenga? Wow. Yeah, dude. Maybe a big club penguin before that. All right. We'll have old.

A of my message. I mean, we were out there. We were out there. But of course our shows at P.H. Oh, wait, I forgot. Kev on the ones and twos. We got Kev Tom Wrights. Again, you're going to have to figure out how to stole that.

Yeah. Yeah. That's kangaroos, right? I'm sorry. Of course, our shows at PHNX underscore debats, but all roads do lead to at PHNX underscore sports on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. We thank you guys so much for stopping by.

We will see you tomorrow again at 1 p.m. So hope to see you then. Until then, have a wonderful night, and remember kids, baseball is fun, but it's so much more fun, again, when your teams in the World Series.