The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: Dan Le Batard Says "Jeter Stinks"

Episode Date: March 18, 2026

"The professional drinkers don't count; their wives count." "I'm like a donkey with a pack on trotting around the landscape." "It's like a packing house out here, there should be hams hanging from hooks." We're well on our way to one of the all-time great Greg Cote performances. And yeah, okay, Zas said the thing about Jeter, but who cares? Semantics. Today's cast: Dan, Greg, Zaslow, Chris, Jeremy, Mike, Roy, and Tony. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris Cody said to me just minutes ago, my dad is playing hurt. He's playing through it. Greg Cody needs a vacation from his vacation because he goes hard on vacation. And so I, Zaslo, am worried that Cody will not have the stamina to do today and tomorrow. Well, when did you get back from vacation? Very early Monday morning. But you have to understand.

If I know Greg Cody, if I know my friend of a lifetime, here's what's happening, okay? That drink package is expensive. He's going to get his money's worth. Yeah, hello. You got that right. At what point do you feel after how many drinks, first of all, what time do you start the drinking? And after how many drinks do you feel like, all right, the rest of these because of what I paid is like bonus drinks? The drinking starts with a Bloody Mary in the morning, which isn't really a drink.

You know, so you pound two, three bloody marries. Get a little kickstart to the day. Three Bloody Mary's a start the day. The trouble is their filling. The tomato juice is very filling. So that's your breakfast? That's breakfast. Breakfast is a champion.

It can't be that filling yet three. Put it on the poll at Levitard show is three Bloody Mary's for breakfast, the breakfast of champions. It really is. You got to have them spicy too. They do some good jobs. Father like son. I'm with them. Answer his question.

So like how many drinks, like at what point in the day do you feel like, all right, I've paid for this. snaw like this is just free drinks. The professional drinkers don't count. Their wives count. Like Erling could probably tell you about how many drinks I consume in a day. But you do like to get your money's worth. You're on board all day. And then when you're on a thing, on an excursion, on land, they have drinks too.

Jeremy just whispered to me he sounds like hell. Yeah, I look like hell. I feel like hell. He did cover WBC last night, too. He did. Ridiculous. He looks like he's been battered by the sea. Yes.

Thank you. WBC. Both, as a matter of fact. Stutter Island. I can't catch a break. I come home from vacation. The next morning, I'm getting ready to relax all day to go to the WBC. Then the dolphins trade waddle, so I got to write a column on that.

I tell you, they're working me, man. I'm like a donkey with a pack on. trotting around the landscape. Or is that on the catchphrase ranking? Although I thought of a new catchphrase on the way in today. Wow, you are. This is going to be a day. Wait till tomorrow.

Wait till tomorrow. Tomorrow is the one I'm worried about. Yeah? He's got thoughts on Cuba later. I do. Ooh, I'm excited. I know. It could be construed as a pro-Trump sentiment, which is unusual for me.

Okay. Not there's anything wrong with that. Let Greg Cody Cook. What do you mean there's not anything wrong with that? Well, I'm being facetious. I think you're just saying things. No, I'm not just saying things. Chris, we're in trouble.

We're in trouble. You want to join us on the high live stream? I revealed a catchphrase today that Christopher claims you'd never heard. You've never said it before. I've been saying it my whole life. Donkey with a pack on? No, it's like a... You got briars anywhere or no?

It was cold this morning, right? We were walking across the street. It was like 68 degrees. Were you asking him if it was... No, he said something. I'm verifying because it was cold out and I'm battling the elements. So I said to him, it's like a packing house in here. There should be hams hanging from hooks.

And he's like, I should add this with my list. I'm like, I've never heard you say it before. I have been saying that my entire life. Anyway, I digress. Christopher also claims I always say that I had a great time on my vacation even when I didn't, which is ridiculous. Fantastic. We had a fantastic time. We did.

Your glasses are foggy I know Purdue was a number one seed as Kirk Cousin look like JC Penny Looks long Northwestern is gone from the tournament Jim Harbaugh Looks like a casket salesman

Fairley Dickinson 16 seed rep by Mike McDaniel looked like a college student on the full-ride scholarship for e-sports What a run Zaz I need some editorial judgment from you here because Schaefter's reporting about shark circling the dolphins facility, wanting all the players. A-chan's not available.

And normally what's happening around the dolphins is something that we would ride into the sky. However, during the Shadow Show, and I'm sorry if you missed it, you didn't hear the Shadow Show. You missed what Jeremy is already describing today as an all-time Greg Cody performance. And there were bets in the back at when he's going to peter out. Will it be tomorrow or will it be by hour two today? Because he just blew a gasket. This show requires, if you've missed it for a while, getting back in the seat, there's some rustiness involved for all of us. No one is immune from this.

Greg Cody has just spent 10 days having three Bloody Mary's, the Breakfast of Champions. For breakfast, 10 straight days, he's exhausted. He's sick. And usually you want to ride that into the sky. So choose. Dolphins or Cody? I think I'd like to continue to explore Cody's vacation. How many days were you there?

It was a 10-day cruise. Boy, tens a lot. Across the Caribbean, Tortola, St. Lucia, Barbados, Neveson, St. Kitts. And I don't care if he mocks me. We did have a wonderful time. You were there with two. Your mouth sounds dry, though. No, the tongue is heavy.

Very heavy. We were there with two great friends of ours. People thought you were swinging with them. Well, they can think what they want. That's not a denial. You know about that pineapple on the door? I do. People also tell me the pinky ring implies something, but I've never heard that before.

I've never heard that many of times. Yeah, black wedding band on the right hand, too. Really? Yeah, Chris told me that one. Wow. Which actually kind of starting to make sense. You learn, that kind of thing. Put it on the poll at Levitard show.

Do you know about the pineapple on... I'm hearing this for the first time. My brother was on cruises all the time. You guys are saying pineapple on the door means upside down means what? The magnet. You have these magnets, and if you see a pineapple, you walk by upside down. Surely you walk past, like, all these cabins with pineapples on the door wondering, oh, wow, I guess they're really into the Caribbean?

Fruit of choice. Yeah, you do a little knock-knock when you see that. Exactly right, Greg Coddy. Dan, hey, hey. Cruise lines are often a haven, a safe haven. That's true. for those that like to indulge in hedonism. It's exciting to talk about swinging in front of your son.

Put it on the poll at Levitard show. Are cruises swinging hedonisms? Are cruises swinging hedonisms? I would agree with that. Everybody lets loose, man. You know, nobody's looking at you. Nobody's filming you. Okay.

Not true, necessarily. But 10 straight days, Greg Cody does this. He missed what is the greatest fumigation in the history of the Dolphins facility. Correct? You mean when they let two ago and they're signing a leave? All of it. All of it. All of it.

The greatest fumigation in the history of the Miami Dolphins, they've cleared out the building. Yeah. Well, that began when they fired, quote-unquote, mutually agreed to part with longtime GM Chris Greer. I mean, that had to happen, and that was the beginning. That was the first domino. The other domino didn't topple for a while, but that started it. And yeah, they're in a complete reboot right now, rebuild, whatever you want to call it, and it's a long time coming. And now the new regime is probably going to be given too much time to turn it around.

I'd give them a few years and see where it goes from here. But I think they've done the right things so far. Waddle, let's not retrofit Jalen Waddle. He's a good wide receiver, too. He had one great season with the dolphins and four or so injury marred season. Where would you think he ranked, if I told you, since he came in. into the league, give me a number, take a guess, yards. Since he came into the league?

Yeah, just rank in the entirety of the league. 20-ish? Because he's 11, and 11 usually makes you number one. Like there aren't that many number one receivers in the league. If I tell you that somebody who's been in the league since Waddle has been in the league is 11th in yards, you're usually looking at that person and saying that's a number one. We're not going to give him any credit for passing offense being distorted because... Is that right 11th?

Yeah, since he came into the league. Yeah. Feels high. It does feel high. Tony's going to double check that. Yeah, it feels high. That's why I guess 20. Well, he was overshadowed by Tyreek Hill for most of that time.

And like I say, he had one really good season. He had 1,300 plus yards. He didn't replicate that. He was injury prone toward the end. Battling. You know, we loved him for a minute. You know, we all love the little penguin waddle. We loved it.

It was cute. and then he became just another receiver. I think they got a good deal for him. Now, when you say they got a first and a third, there's an asterisk there because that's the 30th pick, which is tantamount to an early second round pick. But still, getting a first and a third for him, I thought it was fair get back.

Look, I don't think it's tantamount to an early second. I think it's tantamount to a first. It's a first round first. Look, I'll just put a... At what pick does that late first become tantamount to a second? Can I just put it to you guys? You guys tell me this, okay? You tell me this part.

If you draft someone in the top 10 and you win no playoff games with them and then you trade that pick for something 20 picks later where the Broncos don't think they could get somebody as good as Jalen Waddle at 30. You've wasted all of that. Yeah. That's all been wasted. They're just trying to get pennies on the dollar where they can. And they got good value for Waddle.

They don't have many things worth anything. But the experience, the entirety of it. You draft him that house. That needs to star for you for eight years. Yes, that needs to get through at least a second contract. That needs to be something. Well, it got to us. No, get through.

Yeah, he got to a bigger contract, though. They gave him money. Man, the amount of money that this team is spending in dead space for players who aren't going to play for them next year, like, it's confusing now to see Malik Willis in the uniform because they might, you know, win a few games here and there and draft well. But this is a dump. Like, they're just simply, they're janitors in their.

They're cleaning up $99 million here. We've got to send $5 million over there because we've got to get everybody out of here. What must Malik Willis be thinking? Because, I don't know. They must. I'm rich. No, but is he thinking all, okay, I probably could have went to Arizona and Arizona's got really good receivers, all right? I don't know.

Like, he looks at that wide receiver room right now. It's easily, right now, who knows what they're going to do. But right now, it's easily the worst wide receiver room in the entire NFL. And, yeah, you got to have somebody to throw to if you're Malik Willis to get some type of gauge if he's going to be a guy for you. So I'm a little bit confused. Do you understand what I'm saying, though, Greg? When I'm saying you take someone that high and what you get for him years later is a 30, you've just wasted all of that. Like, you've done nothing with it.

Well, you can say that about a handful of players who just got rid of it. But you're still at least getting a first-run pick for him with an asterisk. I mean, it's not nothing. I thought they got a fair deal for them. They were forced to make... I really apologize for my throat. Take care of that, and I'll carry it from here. Can I just say they were forced to make that trade?

That's plain. Okay, because... Battling. Because Miami and Denver are an exact opposite situations. Denver has a short window where they think they're good enough to get to the Super Bowl. They want to give Bo Nix another weapon to see how good he is, and the dolphins are in the complete opposite. situation. If they didn't have the

$100 million albatross of the curse of Tua, they would not have traded Jalen Waddle. That's plain and clear. Good job carrying that, Dan. My point on Waddle and how teams are built drink some more milk.

Is that when you draft a player like that an organization that functions develops that player into something that becomes the franchise's face and leads your team into the future so it can connect to kids and generations of kids because you have a team that matters and players that people care about

and fandom is emotional. It's not just all negative emotion. You hit on that pick. You now have wasted everything around it so much that you just have to get rid of it and start so completely over that a player you're supposed to develop around and build you have to get rid of because everything's been so mismanaged. They got the pick right. Like maybe he's not as good as you want him to be fine. He had way too many drops. But he's good enough that Denver thinks he's a final piece.

And that's the kind of player with that draft pick that you teach your kids to love for 10 years. Yeah. I might argue that they nailed that pick. I think given where they chose him, he was a marginally satisfactory pick looking back. on it. I don't think he was a great player. I don't want to retrofit it now and say that they're losing a perennial All-Star who was a young Tyreek Hill. He wasn't that. And Denver's getting him because they do think they're one or two pieces away and he could be that piece. The dolphins are building around Devon A-chan, the running back. That's silly. Well, I mean, they're going to

have Malik Willis, they got the deep threat for what he does best through the air. You got to have somebody. With Tutu Atwell. That's what Malik Willis does best. We don't have a lot of tape or stats to suggest intermediate short stuff. He's trusted all that much to do that. So maybe receivers aren't that important to what they're trying to do. Just deep target men are important to what he's trying to do. This is going to be a run game-based offense, both at the quarterback position and in the backfield. And I can understand if you want to get insight as to whether or not Malik Willis is a good quarterback,

a good solid running game is helpful in that regard. Folks, this episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Listen, money stress. I feel like nobody really teaches you how to deal with it. You just kind of wake up one day, you look at your bank account and you go, oh, cool, that's not ideal. And it's not just the money. It's everything around it, the overthinking, the bad sleep, I'll deal with it later, which never works. A lot of people feel that, but don't really talk about it.

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and if it's not the right fit, you can switch anytime. When life feels overwhelming, therapy can help. Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com slash DLB. That's BetterH-E-L-P.com slash DLB. Hey, Roy, buddy. You know that energy shift when the game gets good, and everybody altogether in unison knows to stand up on their feet? Oh, absolutely, Mike.

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Bet must win to receive bonus bets which expire in seven days. Minimumum odds required. Four additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see sportsbook.draftgings.com slash promos. Limited time offer. Don Libetard. Quiet man. Yes. You know, I'm married man. I don't cheat on my wife, despite that gratuitous line in back in my day.

Stugats. I wish you were here, my wife. I really miss her. No, I don't. That's the thing about being married. You know, you're not allowed to say, I don't miss my wife. I've been gone two days. I haven't been gone long enough to miss my wife.

I'm sorry. I call her. You just said you do miss her for 30 seconds. You know, what am I? Hello, all right. All right, we'll see you. All right. And then, you know, I'm going to see her in two days.

I was jumping Charlie. Good. This is the Dan Lebatar show. with these two gods. I didn't hate Malik Washington as like a discount. As like a number four. As like number four. Yeah.

You know, he's the best receiver they have, but he's... He's tough. He's better right now as a kickoff returner than he is as a receiver. Let's see him in a WR1 role. Look, my number one receiver, he's tough, is the blind date. He's got a good personality. He's tough. He's tough.

He'll catch a good bubble screen and turnoff field? All right. Unless you're an important. Bond Bolden? The tough is not what I need from my number one receiver. How about fast? He's fast. He's fast.

He's fast. He's fast. He's Ford. Good catcher. Oh, Heinz Ward. Julian Elman. Is Heinz Ward a good R&B singer's name?

That's a good one. Yeah, it's a lot. Callback. So for last night's baseball fans, I want to get to what was a fun game. Let me just put the question in front of the group.

Venezuela of the best team? You sure about that? they're the best team because with one game samples yes I thought the U.S. was the best team I thought the U.S. was the best team and they got shut down by an Arizona pitcher who's had an ERA of five for the last two seasons

imagine my surprise to see Rodriguez dealing. I'm like I was watching baseball. He came off the mound and the announcers first of all John Smoltz yelled what the hell is going on and then I heard the best performance from him in years

I was like, is this It was four and a third? Is this the same Roger Rikas? It was four to third. He's had an ERA. That guy's existed to be pelted for the last few years, and the U.S. loses to them and didn't get a base runner past first base until the eighth inning.

His World Baseball Classic ERA going into last night's start was 10.13. The U.S. has only had three hits or fewer in a WBC game once in 2006. Baseball's great. baseball's funny. Yeah. That's why the fourth best team in the tournament is the world champion. Why did you say it like that?

Yeah, why do you do that? Like this is why we play games. No, I didn't mean to imply anything by that. You did. Yeah, right. You threw your hands up in the air and you said world champions. Roll your eyes. I give all the credit in the world to Venezuela,

particularly with what that country's gone through in their political turmoil. I was happy for them. When I heard them singing their national anthem after the game, while the U.S. players were accepting the silver medals they didn't want and immediately took off their necks. I was happy for Venezuela. But am I going to say based on one result that they're a better team than Japan? That's how baseball does it. It was one inning between the Dodgers and Blue Jades.

It was one inning. Yeah, that's how we do it at the end of the season. No, I get that. But look, in a seven-game series, you're going to have a fluky champion less often than you are in a one-game winner-take-off. But let me get through some, because you may notice on some of the televisions here, we do not think all Latin players are Venezuela, and we are playing an assortment of highlights from the tournament because Zazzo came in today, and I was proud and happy to see it happen.

He got here late, but Zaz comes in today, and he says, Latin players are fun. I'm on the team. It's over. I'm on the team with you guys now. You missed the whole thing, though. The thing ended last night. Now, I haven't missed anything. Major League Baseball season is starting next week.

No, no, no, no. You said Major League Baseball. You missed a World Baseball Classic. These guys are going back to prison. Like that spring training, they're not allowed to do any of this. And they've got to respect everybody. But why not? Why can't they do it?

Like, this was fun. And you know what was actually the turning point for me? Zaz, in your defense, Mark DeRosa thinks game two starts tonight. You know what was actually the turning point for me? When Bryce Harper, and by the way, I know I'm not supposed to like Bryce Harper because, you know, he's Philadelphia, but boy, that guy's awesome. No, we all. That was a great moment last night.

He is so awesome. No, look, the United States did not have a better moment in this tournament than Bryce Harper. God, he's awesome. Getting to third base, saluting a flag, I don't think was there, and then pointing to the flag on his arm. Yeah, that was great. He is so awesome. He was the young guy they hated at the beginning who had too much personality. Now he's an old veteran, and he pales in the shadow of these Latin players in during baseball.

We hated him here. Remember when Ozzy Guyan was the manager of the Marlins, and Bryce Harper, he waved his bat in front of his pelvis. Like, you know, it's a penis. He's waving at him. As Marlin fans, like, oh, how dare you do that? You know, Bryce Harper's awesome. But anyway, it was the moment last night where he hits the home run Harper and, oh, my God, he threw that bat so high to his dugout. And I'm like, look, you even have the American players who hate that kind of stuff. American player.

Okay, well, I don't know. No one in his dugout seemed to think it was a bad thing. But look how much fun they're having playing like the Latin players. Why don't we do this? Yes, I agree totally. Bryce Harper did a Latin home run trot, and I mean that as a compliment to him. He took forever to round the bases. And you saw Aaron Judge being behind the plate waiting for him going like this,

going like this with a smile on his face, meaning take your time. enjoy yourself, and that's what Bryce Harper was doing. It was the moment of the game for me. I like how they play. I'm on team Latin players now. Wait, it can't be the moment of the game. It can't be the moment of the game when they lost the game. It was a moment of the game for the U.S.,

and their one-third of the crowd. He's an American, Jack. Yeah, that's right. But what do you mean it was the moment of the game for you went in the next half inning, Venezuela won? Yeah, that's true. That was a good hit by that guy. Swars at a shot in the gap.

That was a good hit by that guy. He was a good hit by that guy. He was a good hit by that guy. It's best here. All right. So a couple of things last night. You mentioned DeRosa, Garrett Whitlock, instead of Mason Miller, huh? You got Mason Miller's got an in nine innings.

He's got on pace for 22 and a half strikeouts per nine innings. He's unhittable. Unhittable. We need to fire DeRosa again. This is the weirdest situation because what he said after the game is he was honoring the Padre's request that Mason Miller only. pitch with a chance for a save, with a chance to win. Except when you go into the ninth inning in a tie game,

you will never have the lead again unless you've won. That's correct. So that is essentially a save situation. But the stuff is negotiated. So like I know I get your point of there's no difference there, but if one thing was negotiated, maybe his hands were. Yeah, I get it. But also that situation is essentially a save.

And it's really, it's crushing. And he was, I mean, Mason Miller was infuriated. He's ripping off the silver medal afterward. He wanted to pitch. You know we wanted to pitch. So the game, forgive me for not knowing the name of the closer for Venezuela. It is escaping me. He plays for the Cubs.

And they had to call the Cubs before the game. The Cubs were not going to allow him to pitch because he pitched in their last game. And they didn't want one of their pitchers throwing two games in a row. Palencia. Thank you. Palencia, they had to call. call the Cubs and say, it's for his country. Please, please.

And they said, okay, only under one condition if he's pitching for the save in the ninth inning. And they allowed him to go out there. Are we playing for real or for not? Like, are we playing? I believe there were negotiations like that for every pitcher before every day. Like they had to call their teams and be like, what are their availability? That's why doing this in March is a lot.

No, but what I'm saying is that Venezuela got the Cubs off of their position. They negotiated something better. They wasn't supposed to pitch back to back days. He wasn't supposed to pitch. The Cubs did not want him to pitch. Can I ask you something? No. And what?

Like what if he wasn't allowed to pitch last night? And the manager's like, I'm trying to win for Venezuela. And he wants to pitch. No, you can't do that. Why not? What happens? Because if you blow out his arm, if he blows out his elbow and you defied an order from the organization, they could sue you.

This also isn't the Olympics, right? Like, this is, this is. this is run by Major League Baseball. So it's a different thing than it being an independent event from Major League Baseball and going out to the Olympics and making those choices. Exactly. Yeah, but imagine that you defy the order of the big league club and a guy blows out his elbow. And Mason Miller in particular, by the way, who's like, what we've said,

280 pitches now he's thrown without allowing a hit. But the player should have a say in that, too. It shouldn't just be the club. the player should go to his club and say, this is my national team. I'm trying to win a world baseball classic. If they want me to pitch in the ninth inning on one day's rest, I'm going to do that. Yeah, and then what happens?

Like what does the club then say to that player? I mean, if you want this thing to be special, it's like Inter-Maiami calling up Argentina in the World Cup and being like, you know, can you limit our guy to like 30 minutes? It's a little soft jog in a knockout game. Like I get that this thing is still growing. understand the economy of these arms. The timing of the arms.

The arms aren't ready. And the timing, yeah. I mean, soccer season's like, the off season's like four weeks long. I mean, I get what you're saying, but I miss me with that. I don't like this for international competition. I get it. And I'm glad that it exists.

And if Major League Baseball is the one that made this exist and is the one governing it, that's also a different story. It's not an independent governing body like FIFA is. But I don't know. I don't like it. Well, at least one player from each of the finalist teams last night went on the record saying this is bigger than the World Series. Okay, and that's the first time that's ever been said about the World Baseball Classic.

If that's true... It's not the first time it's been said. No, no, but it's also not true. It's not true. I know, but if it has a chance to be true... They can blow out their arms in the World Series and people understand. If it has a chance to be true, though, you have to put your best team forward and try at all costs to win that championship.

Let me extend, though, a little bit of what Mike is saying, where it is the consumer, the customer, the person to be entertained gets boxed out here when he says, miss me with that. Well, no, not exactly, because these organizations have to protect their assets and you are seeing in basketball that the human body is not meant for how they're presently playing the game. Same for baseball. Same for pitchers in baseball. Yeah, no, I know all the arguments. No, but when I say that, an organization, if it's already a. risky bet to give these guys non-salary cap guaranteed money of $200 million and you don't know if they're going to miss the next 15 months, it's got to be on your time and on your dime. It can't be, it can't be playing for anybody else. You guys can't have part-time jobs here where you put in peril

this job here. I get it, but that's why statements like this is more important than the World Series, even though this is a player's perspective and he's probably, you know, drunk with the emotion. What is the player's perspective? I mean, I get it, but it's not true. You're right. Because like Paul Skeens is not being told, hey, you can only pitch twice in this postseason. No, you're right. There's just a disconnect. We're not going to agree. Like, this is a great exhibition. I love international competition. Look how fun this stuff

is. But this is not a serious competition if you're putting limits on some of the best players. If Yamamoto can only pitch twice, that's not, that's not truly best on best. Yeah, except I will say, like Major League Baseball, Steven Strassberg is a wonderful example. The Nationals limited his innings as they were chasing a playoff spot for the first time in a long time. Teams do this. This episode is brought to you by FedEx. These days, the power move isn't having a big metallic credit card to drop on the check at a corporate launch.

The real power move is leveling up your business with FedEx intelligence. And accessing one of the biggest data networks powered. by one of the biggest delivery networks. Level up your business with FedEx, the new power move. Don Libetard. You don't remember the idea for a home runoff? I was probably like, that kind of thing. Something.

Okay, no, the home run call was that kind of swing, that kind of thing. Stugats. Oh, it's a good call. Thank you. And plus, it doesn't matter who's hitting it. Like, you're not tailing it to a particular name. You know, all that jazz. You know, you don't got to do that.

You're just a generic call. That would be a great call. That kind of swing, that kind of thing. This is the Dan Levitar show with the Stugat. Classic, where we all do podcast based off where we were born. You know me and the whole Pat McAfee crew. Who are you guys with? Could I be like Posada and just play for the Italians?

Yep. Mike's right, though. If the teams... We make it the salad would be the name of the pot. Wait, wait, wait, wait. He said Mike's right, though. If the teams that are competing for the World Series are in charge, charge of what's happening in the world baseball classic and they're saying do or don't,

then the World Series inherently is more important. Right. In international soccer, for an example, which is the gold standard of international competition, sometimes a player has a soft tissue injury that the club is weary of, and they can collaborate with the football association. And depending on the gravity of the game, be it friendly or if it's a qualifier, Sometimes the football association of the country agrees, we're going to rest him this time. He won't be out there.

But, I mean, if it's a knockout stage or World Cup or an international competition on that level, the club's just crossing their fingers. Their investment doesn't get ruined. Dan, look at these clips. You see how excited these players? The Latin players, they have fun, man. They're so excited. These aren't the Venezuelans.

The best game of the tournament was Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. That was the best crowd. Without a doubt. That was the best. The energy, people dancing in the sides. This is an interesting thing to me, right? We're going to talk about, again, the fall of Cuba because Greg Cody has opinions and I don't know what they are. But when we talk about how homogenized the Brian McCanns of the world could make baseball

and make difficult baseball environments for the Latin player, the difference between this tournament is that it's run by the Latin. guys playing the way they do over in Mexico when they're allowed to be themselves. And what happens is they get here to spring training and now the business falls on them. So that 50 spring training innings, the way you guys have to understand, these athletes right now are machines. There aren't fat baseball players anymore. Like these players are physical machines and there are only so many pitches in an arm. So throwing 50 in spring training is not the same as throwing 35 here.

because 35 here he's all juiced up trying to throw the ball 104 miles an hour. Spring training, he's just trying to get his body right for three months from now. But this is what caring looks like. This is what you want your basketball all-star game to look like. This is what you want the athletes caring about what they're doing. The Latin players do care. They love baseball. It's the business that beats them out of it and beats it out of them and America.

Like America beats it out of them. Soto is joyless in a Mets uniform. He makes more than anybody. Here he's running around second base. He's going to go at this in the sky. He's like, yeah, I can be myself. It's amazing to watch. For two games.

Yeah, just for a couple. I can be myself, but just over two games. Six at bats. Starting tomorrow. Don't do that. Look at the excitement here and listen to it from Ujano Suarez when he's talking about what it feels like to win this for him. Can you describe what this means for your country?

I mean, what can I say about this? It's amazing. God is good. All the glory is more. Lord Jesus, he was with us the whole time. We have to glorify. Pull his name in front of everything. And nobody believe in Venezuela, but now we win the championship today.

And need this celebration for all the Venezuelan country. You'll go ahead double in the ninth inning. What were you thinking when you were standing on second base? I just pray at the time. Going to my family out there, they was happy for me. God is good, man. God is good. What made this team so special? The union. We are together the whole time.

We're not just teammate. We're all family. This team is awesome. We are family here. That's why we play with passion. We love. Because we feel the jersey. We feel in our country in front of us. That's why this is a lot for us as a players, as the people, as a human beings, and as a Venezuela, now we are the champion. And so pair that against multi-time champion Derek Jeter,

legend of American baseball, saying from his perch atop championship baseball, yeah, what you just won there, that silly thing. Don't talk to me about it. Passion's been unbelievable, and we've heard a lot of the players say, bigger than a World Series. Bigger than a World Series, Derek Jeter? I think the people have said it's bigger than the World Series and never played in the World Series.

Let's go to Eduardo Rodriguez, who has played in World Series. Gentlemen, congratulations from all of us. Is that the greatest moment of your baseball career, what you were able to do on the mound tonight? I mean, I'll tell you what, like, I win the World Series a couple years ago, and it's nothing that I can compare with this, you know. Like, this is the greatest moment I ever got on the mound, pitching like that in front of almost like our home crowd, you know. Like the whole Venezuela was here.

And I know our country back then, everybody was there too, you know. So I can't convert this moment to nothing. Be on the mountain like that. And how the whole crowd like on us all the time is just something that I can even tell you how I feel right now. It's not a home game for him. Like it felt like it because of the crowd. All of Doral was there, damn. Yeah.

Like, I mean, they packed the place. I was surprised actually. I was legitimately surprised at how loud a noise the U.S. made because I thought it was going to be even more Venezuelans in that ballpark. That part's interesting, though. Don't you find interesting what happened there with you? Jeter where he's sort of dismissing the emotion of the moment? No, him, it's the opposite of interesting to me, actually. What would make it interesting is if Jeter sitting up there would listen to what other people

are saying, including Aaron Judge, who started this narrative a couple of days ago, saying it's bigger than the World Series. He played in the World Series two years ago. But Jeter, it doesn't matter what other people are saying. Like, he has this one train thought word, no, this is the way. it is and it doesn't matter what other people are saying and what their experience are like he's, I'm not going to say he's a nothing. I'm very close. I'm very close to say it. I'm not going to say it's a nothing.

I'm not going to say he's a nothing. I'm not going to say he's a multi-time World Series champion, all right? You know, I'm not going to say he's a nothing. He's like really close to being a nothing. He's very close to being a nothing. He's very close. He's got nothing to say. He never has anything to say. He sits up there and he's like, yeah, you know. Alex and Big Poppy are having fun. They're joking to each other and he's they're like, ugh, you guys are making, ugh, he has no thoughts. Give me a break. That's all.

Big name with a shell around him. He stinks. I agree. He stinks. I agree. He does. He does. I watch it on mute.

I watch it on mute. There's nothing, there's nothing for him to say. I'm going to get aggregated. Lebitard says Jeter stinks. No. Why'd you say that? No, no. Jonathan Zaslow says Jeter stinks.

Don't aggregate Lebitzart. Just like that. I would love to see. I would love to see. What is it is. You were trying to nail the difference out there and you just. And you just slurred. Everyone understood that.

No. Jeter Stinks was one word. No. Zadl said Jeter Striek. It was a shit streak. It was one word. I'm going to say it again. John Zaslo said Jeter Sinks.

No aggregation. What? What? He doesn't stink. You like him, Dan? You sit down, you like him? You like, oh yeah, he's got some great stuff to say. He says nothing.

What would be worse at broadcasting or being a, uh, Or being a president of the Marlins. Do I like him is the question? Listen to me. You can't come on here and say that Jeter stinks. He's equally bad at everything not being shortstop. Fair. That's fair.

All right. Put it on the poll. Is Jeter equally bad at everything not being shortstop? That game was fun. That tournament is fun. And now you are in agreement that we will go back to the regular rhythms of start. baseball, not feeling like that until the Dodgers and the Blue Jays are playing the extra in game seven.

Right? Like that, that baseball can't reach this point. You'll have walk-off homers. You'll have exciting moments. But baseball has no way during the next 162 games plus spring training to recreate any of this. It's, I mean, opening day always gets crowds. But through the monotony of the regular season, you can have the most passionate, ardent fans

attend the game, it's still not a packed house. You need a packed house to get close to that atmosphere. And baseball does not have that kind of juice where night in, night out on a Tuesday evening or a getaway day, you're not going to match that energy. You're not going to come close. And what you say is accentuated when the championship game and a lot of the big games are at the Marlins Stadium, where a month from now, on a Tuesday, against the Padres, they're going to have the usual 11,000 fans. Mike, good crowd. I do love the idea of Manfred sending out an email to

the MLB right now of like, hey, mandated, fun. I need it. Every home, like, just, and now all these like spring training, meaningless games, you got guys like, let's go! Well, but the other element of this, we're not even talking about this, right? Because the reason all of this is seismic

is because there's nothing better in sports than patriotism, country pride around your flag. Like, everybody understands it. It crosses all the languages and now add to that the U.S. as an overwhelming favorite while randomly bombing boats in Venezuela as the regime is taken over and we've forgotten about that one because we're off to Cuba and we're off to Iran and the world is in disrepair, wounded, everyone bleeding, bleeding, exhausted and wheezing and in the middle of it you throw the politics of all that.

Hey, let me feel good about my country for a second. Let me feel not under threat and let me feel like I'm better than America for a day. For a day, I'm better than America. They came in with all the big guns, and for a day, I'm better than America. Jeter doesn't have anything like that on his resume. He's playing for New York, and he takes the pride. That's a regional pride. That is not a national pride.

That lives in his heart for New York, and he came down here, and he did a bunch of things here trying to recreate that. But there is nothing like what sports, patriotism, politics can make. when you throw the passion in there. Jeter did play in the 2001 World Series. That's important. It's an important point. Fair enough.

And that probably felt like the patriotism that you see from these guys right now, right after 9-11 coming back, playing in that game against the Mets, and then playing in that World Series representing New York, ultimately not winning, but that had to have felt for him

similar to what he's seeing here. A good correction. Then say that if you're Jeter, if you're sitting at the desk, being like, hey, you know what? He doesn't have thoughts. That's what I'm saying. Hey, I've played in 2001.

9-11 happened. It's a captain. Okay, but say it. It's implied. It was also a bar. He dropped a bar, too. Like, that was kind of a bar. No, it wasn't.

Like, do you remember Jeter's heroics in that World Series? Sure, but he doesn't have to explain his own. Yes, he does. There's people that were born in 2007 that have no idea. Give us an experience on the world stage here. I don't have to explain. It's crazy. Are you saying he's an oldie?

You could tell the way Kevin Burkart tossed that up to him. He said it in the pre-show meeting. He's like, hey, everyone's staying in the World Series. Jeeter, biggest thing in the World Series? Like, that was a setup. You're suggesting this is outcast as hey, realizing that it's a classic. It's older than that. And it's got to explain where it was in the charts to...

He said it before the show, and then Berkart's like, I'm going to tee up to that. You know what? I'm hearing this. New data point. Maybe you're right. Maybe Derek Jeter needs to explain to a baseball audience what he's done in his career. I hadn't considered that. You know what?

No, I think. I'm with Mike now. You've brought me all the way over because, no, that is the captain saying that and everyone who's listening to him knows exactly who's saying that, that he's saying it next to Ortiz and that Ortiz doesn't get to do shit because of how Jeter dragged them for several years before Ortiz got to feel like the Latin guy once, once he got to feel it. He's Mr. November. Please, he's at nothing. He's really close to him.

He's a nothing. I'm going to say it. I guess you're all or nothing, huh? Semi-nothing. He can't be a nothing. What are you doing? What are you doing? Near nothing.

Mike, you know I have one rule to live by, right? Don't place parlays on multiple long shots. Don't say a game is one when it hasn't hit triple zero. Always drink your Yeagermeister ice cold. That's the rule. Everything else is merely a suggestion. Everything else? Everything else.

Wearing clean underwear every day. Well, that's just a personal decision. Brushing your teeth? Obviously smart, but not a rule. Never pee pee on an electric fence. Okay, maybe there are two rules. But the one that is 100% that I insist on completely, Yeagermeister must be drank ice cold.

Or don't drink it at all. Damn, that's cold. Exactly. You're finally starting to get it. Drink responsibly. Yeagermeister liqueur 35% alcohol by volume imported by mass Yeagermeister U.S. White Plains, New York.