Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Transition: Watching the Masters at Stadium Swim is the way to go

Episode Date: April 13, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Marshall Harris welcomed on Matt Spiegel and Laurence Holmes for the daily transition segment.

It is truly amazing that, like, through marriage, through fatherhood, he is not matured at all. Thanks to our guests. That was Andy Johnson, a Friday golf talking about Sergio Garcia. Thanks to A.J. Piersinski for coming on. Don't forget, he's got a city cruise coming up, Davis Martin. And he said, it has Shane Smith on here. No, it's not Shane Smith anymore. Yeah, you know, he was sent down.

Yes. They made that change. You know, you can make the trip. They made a city cruise lineup change as well. You can fly for city cruise if you want. So there's a city cruise coming up at April 26th and September 20th. Just talking socks.

Ozzy Gehan, members of the 2026 White Sox will be on there. And Alex Cohen. We thank Alex for coming on as well. Thanks to Ray Diaz, Tyler Beaterbaugh, Brandon Fryer, Cody Westerland,

Connor O'Donnell, Jacob Stutz, and Max Curtis. And thanks to Matt Spiegel, who is confessing on the Twitchmob chat that he just sang the Shea Languilier's song to see his chandeliers during the break

and thanks to Lawrence Holmes for having to rain it in. Nice to see you guys. I haven't rained anything in yet. Let's Pigs Run Wild and Spiegs. He said he quit. Can I hit you with my baseball stat? Please do. From one baseball man to another pair of baseball men?

Marshall Harris. Okay, so like, do you know the stat about Bobby Wood Jr.? That he's good at baseball? No, I do not. What's... I hear he plays it. What are your friends? I do know that the Brewer's pet turtle is named after him, which is amazing.

I will tell you this about Bobby Witt Jr. Pretty good baseball players. We all just admitted, right? Yeah. Bobby Witt Jr. 15 total war the last two years. Bobby Witt Jr. has been on base 30 times this season.

Do you know how many times he has scored a run? I do not. He has scored one run this season. That's amazing. He has been stranded. Yes. You know, it's funny. Like, I don't know what they were yesterday.

But as of the other day, the Royals had beaten the White Sox, as of yesterday, the Royals had beaten the White Sox twice in a row while being 0 for 30 with runners in scoring position. Yes. O for 30. That part I did know. Layla pointed out. This whole league is struggling. Scott Berkin. This whole league is struggling with runners in scoring position like crazy.

And that's why I don't put this whole onus on the weather that people keep talking about because people are still getting hits. They're just not getting as many hits with people on base and in scoring position as they had been in the past. Unless, you know, you play for the Dodgers or the Braves or some of these other teams. We talked about it a little before the show. Like, I'm fascinated by this moment. The ABS system is shrinking the strike zone so far and the walk rate is climbing. But the batting average is spiraling even more than it has been. Like this trend continues.

Pitchers are beaten the crap out of hitters and it just continues on. Well, the pitchers gets to use ABS too. Yes. Yes. But the pitchers are just so far ahead. They are. But I'm saying like it's not, it doesn't even things out. It actually, like, if you feel like pitchers are ahead,

ABS isn't just helping them. It's helping the pitchers too. But it's, it is shrinking the strike zone, but it's not leading to more hits at all. It is leading to more walks and a tighter zone by the umpires to begin with, but it is not increasing contact. He's going to retire some umpires too. I thought that AJ Prisinski, when he was on earlier with us,

made a great point. and I don't know the technical about how they fix this, but because it's a singular 2D plane on where they're measuring, whether a pitch is a ball or strike, if they change that to 3D, I think that the hitters would be even more trouble because then there's more real estate for a pitch to be called a strike as opposed to just at the center point in which they have determined.

There was a ball yesterday on Dansby that I thought actually did a really good job of, like, not that they were using three-dimensional, but it was like, you know what? That's a really good call that was made by the umpire that was then backed up by ABS. And it was like right at the kneecaps, right towards the right-handed batters box. And it was a beautiful pitch. And I'm like, wow, that's impressive tech and impressive eyes by the um. And that's the problem is I feel like a lot of these people, the ones who aren't as good at their job. in any situation where technology can be an assist will say, well, that's an impossible ask,

or you just can't do that. Well, yes, you can. And the better ones will show you they will be more in line with what is accurate. I'm not saying it's fail-safe and I'm not saying it's 100% correct all the time. Well, they're adjusting to this 2D zone. They're adjusting to what it is. It's 3D in the rulebook, but it's now 2D in reality. So what you're losing is that low strike.

that just clips the zone. Like, you might still get it now, but you've lost a bunch that they used to call on the front. So they're not calling those anymore, but you're getting the high-breaking pitches that sneak their way in a little bit. It's a different world. Anything that sweeps across the zone.

Well, then you're also getting hitters who, over the weekend, just really love swinging at everything that was to their shoulders. Like, we need some pitch selection discussion here. Well, that's what it is. It's like we blame the game. and we blame the trends, how about blaming the hitters? Should we blame the hitters?

But, I mean, they're so used to wanting to get paid via home runs, you know? That's why it's great that Nico got paid for what he is. It's amazing that he got paid for what he is. And you hope that's a harbinger of future contract. I just want guys to make contact with a ball. I mean, that's what I'm saying. But they're not paid for that. They're not paid for that usually, you know?

Well, wins and losses paid. Yeah, but they're contract-wise. Defense, base running, and contact. Yep. And so you dream of that being what guys can get paid for. Although now he's also adding slug, at least for the first two weeks of the season. Because that's what happens when you simply look at good pitches to hit and try to make contact with the ball. Like that's a frustrating.

I mean, how many times over the weekend were you seeing guys just swinging everything that was above their chest? It was just infuriating at times. I agree. Other than that, though. Sorry, I'm still mad about it. I should call my radio show. Your own radio show? You could just...

This is an extension of that. You could do just like a whole segment about being mad about that if you wanted. Yeah, we had other stuff to talk about. It fits into the purview. I'd rather talk about you being mad at stuff than things that can be pushed back to another day or that don't necessarily warrant the time.

Did I hear that there was that somebody relapsed in Vegas? I don't even know if you can call it a relapse. Don't call it a relapse. I feel like Ray has been open to the idea. He's been slowly creeping towards. Moving goalposts. Moving goalposts.

You know, there was the veganism phase for a while. It was like, you know what? I'm a pescatarian. But here's a lot of shrimp that's also been added to some steak. Maybe I'll try a little bit of that. Well, it was a surf and turf situation at Berries at Circa Resort and Casino. You can't resist at berries, man. And I was just like, you know what?

I'm going to do it. And then I thought, like, maybe I'm going to regret this if it's not absolutely delicious. And it was absolutely delicious. It was so good. So are you back on board? Not all the way back on board with red meat. I'm still going to remain pescatarian, but a nice surf and turf for a special occasion, I'm not going to feel bad about that. Good for you, Ray.

Thank you. And, you know, I believe in Dr. Michael Pollens, the eaters manifesto, which is this, eat real food, mostly plants. not too much. There you go. So that's it. Those are the only three rules you need. And real food does include meat and fish and shellfish. Mostly plants.

You should eat mostly plants. But you're okay to eat some real food. I just like the idea that that's the part that we often forget when all of us are in a health journey is that eating is a part of life. Like not just eating to live, but the joy of eating. Your senses are there for you to eat. your ability to taste, your ability to smell, like, all of that stuff. All I heard was bacon.

I mean... Hey man, that's real food. I mean, this is what... Not too much. This is what... You guys, of all, partner with Dan, what's Beth? A Bacon-Tarian. Oh, yeah, yeah.

So it's out there, but I had a piece of food last night, well, half of it, because it was just too much. I threw it on the Instagram. I went over to Sanders on 99th and got the sweet. sweet potato cornbread? Good Lord. He was my favorite ABA player. So good.

Sweet potato cornbread. He was so good. He had the finger roll before George Gervin. It was really about him. But they didn't call him the ice man. Called him the cornbread now. Sweet potato cornbread. Not to believe he's a cornbread because that's a whole other thing.

Oh, sweet potato cornbread. Yes. It was so good. I put it down. That's how good it was. Well, we had on the second night in Vegas, we had the chocolate pie for dessert,

like this huge slice, I couldn't even go for it, man. Marshall, you had something you immediately kind of got theitis going. I was made to eat something because I was full that they were like, but we're here, so you should order this. And I had one bite, and I was like, y'all don't understand how full I, like, you had no room. I was like, I can't even talk to you right now because all the blood that should be in my brain

is in my stomach trying to make work of what we just did. Yeah, I think that, one of the strategies that should be employed going forward if you're going to do a meal with Mitch at Berries. Okay. There needs to be a walk. Like there should be... Yeah, that's what I did.

I walk to the mantis. No, no, no. I don't mean all the way out to the mantis. I mean between courses. Oh. Like there should be a trip like through the casino, like just do a, just one time around and then come on back and you're like, okay. All right.

Now we have moved some blood or long and we can we can actually go and try and eat this thing between courses right you guys remember blackbird that used to be in the west loop great like yes great restaurant and we went one time um and the mater d was a listener so he gave us some free champagne up top and that'll fill you up to begin with and then as we got towards the end of the meal i just had no room left i had no room and they're like here comes some more stuff and i'm like i got i got nothing and i literally i got up and i left the restaurant and I walked around. And you never came back? No, I walked around the block and then I came back and I had unearthed a little bit more room. That is it. I am of humidity and I drink. It's got to be

twice as much water and everything as I usually do in Vegas. You have to. And then I have no room for food at the end of the day. But that's kind of the idea, right? No, but you want to go to berries and I'm eating like only one or two of the scallops and it's just, I'm like, I know, but the idea like overall is to drink so much water because we're usually not. not hungry, we're usually just dehydrated. I, yeah, well, and I, I'm not, I'm more built for that weather, like, hot and humid than I am cold and dry. Yeah, but that's hot and arid.

Like, that's why, yeah, the last two days, absolutely. Yeah, like that's, like, Vegas, Phoenix, like, that's where you're like, oh, I'm drinking all sorts of water because you have to, because you'll set on, set yourself on fire. Best sports moment of viewing over at Stadium Swim? What was, what was your best moment? Masters. I mean, the fact that you're just watching the greens. perfectly. You can see everything crystal clear.

That must have been gorgeous to watch it out there. Were you in the water? Did you have moments of watching it in the water with a beverage in your hand? I was out out at like on the pool deck. Nice. Because I get cold easily. So no water for me this time, but normally yeah, I'm in the water watching baseball or something. Yeah. But either way, like the giant screen outside in luxury watching a good sporting event. That's top notch. I was watching more of the small screen in the cabana, which is not small, but it's definitely smaller than that giant screen you're talking about. But you can be watching the screen and then look over and it's like, oh yeah, that's kind of massive

what I'm looking at. Isn't it fascinating that Rory McElroy had to go through over the weekend and in the final round a disaster and a reclamation within the final round? So even though like last year is like the pinnacle moment of like, oh, he conquered the beast and he's good, it's still golf. Like the sport is so freaking hard. There had to be trials, even as he's the first guy in a long time, what, to delete every round? You know, so you think of it as, well, he went wire to wire.

No, he didn't. Dude was two strokes back in the middle of the final round and had to find himself again. It's just, I don't think you can avoid it in a major. It's amazing. Well, even on Friday, on Friday, he was fixing his mistakes incredibly well. You know, there were times where he was off the fairway. So, I mean, it was, that was living dangerously. to say the least.

Yeah. The opposite of Shephler. That drive on 18 is like, everything's good. You just can't have a disaster. And then he had a disaster. And he rallied. And he rallied.

And he rallied. I also think that all the stuff that he did leading up to it is really interesting. I know people are mad at him for the carbon footprint. And because he has access to Augusta. Waited they hear about Exxon Mobil, man. Yeah. But the fact that he is,

he was playing there, playing rounds there instead of going to San Antonio and playing the other tournaments. But guess what? I've won the Masters. And you know what that means? I get to play there whenever I want. It's kind of amazing, right? It is.

Especially understanding what everybody else is having to do and what he can choose to do as far as his path to making sure ensuring return success, like doing it again. Why not? Like if you have an opportunity to live like that where you're flying from Jupiter to Augusta and you're like, hey, let me do that. And let me go shoot around, then have dinner with my daughter. Fly home and have dinner

with my daughter. Yeah. It's not going to be an Irish dinner, though. I can tell you that. No. Well, his dinner menu for this year's masters look pretty damn good. It was a wedding menu. It was like a big, like that's like the wedding greatest hits. Yeah, if you can live like that, I mean, who are we to harsh on it? I had a friend who was in Barry Manilow's band

for a while. I know. Name drop. I know. But anyway, it's not impressive. But anyway, it was in Barry Manilow's band, and he was, when he had his steady in Vegas, he was living in Palm Springs. And every day, he would take his helicopter from Palm Springs to Las Vegas to go do his show in Vegas and take the helicopter back to go. And that was his commute. Isn't that what Philip Rivers did on Game Day? When the Chargers went to Los Angeles, he stayed in San Diego.

And coptered? And he would helicopter to... How many kids? Because they had a compound. He had a compound. at home. He couldn't just, how many wives? You can't just drive the 18 passenger van? I always tried to figure out how they would do that. I figure it's got to be two sprinter vans, minimum. Well, they could borrow ours that we were using for Operation Wu-King-Tuck. We didn't

end up needing them. A luxury bus? You could do a luxury bus, but I'm thinking it's 10 kids, right? The wife and probably at least one nanny. It's just one wife, right? We're not dealing with the Mormon situation. No, no, she's just been pregnant, their whole marriage. Like, that's what's going on. is that she's been pregnant since they left NC State. Do you ever really know when you're the only wife? I say that having better wife. Taking a quick turn left.

There's been a lot of conversation about that over the last week. Yeah. About that. I didn't even think about that. You guys see any football coaches canoodling with reporters while you guys are out at the pool? Well, they saw former football player. I saw Doug Cootie. A texter said so.

I just brought this up. You saw Doug Flutty? I like you, like it too. Where? At the host stand at Andiyamo at the D. Oh. I was buzzing past him because I got to the ladies, which is outside of the restaurant entrance,

and then you go back in. And I was like, hey, guys, excuse me. Person in this really fun banana leaf print shirt. Oh, my God, it's Doug Flutie. That's what? Did you say hello? Introduce yourself? No, I just ran and told two tables loudly and he heard me.

I was like, that Flutie's there. You had the easy in. What? No. You know Frank. Frank. Thomas? I don't think the association

of that commercial and a random woman off the street is a good conceptual execution. You could be like, hey Doug, I worked with Frank Thomas in Chicago. I'm going to be weird about it.

I'm just not going to be weird about it to his face. Like he doesn't need to be inconvenienced by random woman just scooting past and you go to the bathroom. I mean, he could have been on the show today. It's funny. I remember...

He would have not come on the show. I saw Sidney Crosby in Vegas one time like in the gift shop at a casino. know, and I remember thinking I should really talk to him and introduce myself. About, I don't know. Yeah, that's the thing. You got to come up with something. You need something.

Big fan. Career's pretty amazing. Yeah, good life. Good job living life. Didn't he and Ovi just face off at like the 100th time or something? I don't know. Like what would you lead with with Doug Flutie? Hey, Doug, Bears fan here.

Greatest quarterback draft class ever. You're amazing. Mine's a little more simple. I was like, hey, Doug, just want to let you know. Big, big, lifelong Bill's fan. Thanks for enduring. And also, I love that cereal. Oh, there you go.

Flutie Flakes. You lead with the Flutie Flakes. He's like a very slim and trim person. Yeah, because of the stuff. She'll like it too. She'll like it too. Was he able to see over the Mater D stand? See, that's not necessary.

I was in heels and I was kind of impressed with my relative height. Yeah, you're over the top at that. My relative height. I know. I know. It's terrible. Marshall's what I'm going to top. The shirt was really cool.

I was like, I was like, oh, that's a fun shirt. It's being worn by Doug Flutie. There you go. Here's what we've got going on on today's show. 4 o'clock today. I'm going to turn right to you, camera, and let you know. Barry Rosner is going to join us to talk about the Masters. He was at Augusta last week.

He was. So that's happening. Also, Steve Stone's going to join us at 325. There's a lot to talk with Stoney about that's not even White Sox-related, but there's also a ton of White Sox-related stuff. Noah Schultz Day is tomorrow. Noah Schultz day. Let's go. Yeah, they've got a lot of stuff that's coming up. We are also going to spend some time talking about Bob Costas because I had a run-in with Bob Costas in a documentary and we happen to love Bob Costas. So we will talk about him. He was on hit and run yesterday.

At 425. See how it worked out? And to start things off, let's talk about Billy Donovan. Now that we've heard from the Bulls coach, question mark. what did he say and what was important from what he said? We will do all of that coming up after Tannies Open, which you know is must listen radio. It's next here on the score. And this segment is brought to by Duke's mayonnaise.