The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Inside the Parker - Acuña Superstar Status; Dodgers/Yankees Blockbuster WS?; Astros Cy Young Stranglehold; Guests: Jacque Jones

Episode Date: August 28, 2019

This week on Inside the (Rob) Parker, Rob explains why Ronald Acuña has already ascended to superstar status in only his second year, why a Dodgers/Yankees World Series would be a blockbuster would be huge for MLB, and looks at the Astros aces setting up for a rare 1/2 Cy Young finish. He also names his Top 3 MLB Teams of the Week, this week's 'Twitter Trash Talk' Winner, 'Fair or Foul' and the Analytic Stat of the Week.Guests: Jacque Jones - Former MLB Outfielder discusses going back to USC to get his degree at 44, which players from his generation would best be suited for today's game, and his connection to his early Twins team; Mark Willard - KNBR Host discusses the Giants and A's playoff chances.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise,

breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her.

What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Wreck, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Clifford Show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

The story I told myself can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown, If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Do you own or rent your home? Sure you do.

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it's not hoarding if it's cool stuff. And I hold that to be true. Yeah, Marie Kondo says differently. Everything brings me joy. Sorry, but. Yeah, but that's what everyone says. Everyone says everything brings them joy. That's her whole thing.

Okay, yeah, but when I stare at that limited edition box of cheese, it's in the corner of my room, that brings me joy. Or the, or the Pokemon Oreos that I keep, that brings me joy. that reminds me of my youth. It wasn't that long ago. Listen to the My Cultura Podcast Network, available on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you work in IT, you'll want to check out ChangeMakers, a podcast profiling IT industry leaders. We dive deep into IT profiles and learn what it takes to drive large-scale IT transformations for successful businesses. Visit changemakers.freshworks.com. From the Berkshires to the sound.

From wherever you live in MLB America, this is Inside the Parker. You give us 22 minutes and we'll give you the scoop on Major League Baseball. Now here's Baseball Hall of Fame voter number 103, Rob Parker. Welcome to Inside the Parker. We got a great show for you today. Coming up, we're going to talk with former Twins outfielder Jock Jones. He stops by, tells us about what he's doing post baseball. It'll be an interesting listen.

Plus, we'll do foul or fair with J.R. Gamble. J.R., of course, from the shadowleague.com. We've got that and much more. I'm Rob Parker, your host. I'm here, you there. Let's go. Better up. To lead off, it's getting robbed.

And keep him up. Rob's hot take on the three biggest stories in Major League Baseball. Number one. Don't look now, but Ronald Acuna Jr. is headed for stardom. I know people know about him, and he's been a really good player, but this year more so than ever, it's hard not to look at this guy and think that he could be like a Mike Trout kind of person with the numbers he's putting up. Acuna this past week became just the second. youngest player in baseball history behind, yes, Mike Trout, to hit 30 home runs and steal 30

bases in the same season. That's right. And Acuna, with about five weeks left to the baseball season, has 36 homers, 30 steals. This was as of Tuesday. And he could become, you ready for this? The fifth player in baseball history to join the 40-40 club. It's possible. It's reachable.

even more scary, that he'll be 22 in December. This guy's tearing up Major League Baseball. People in the Braves organization know that they got a bona fide star. They have a guy who could be the anchor of their team for the next 10, 15 years. That's why the name Mike Trout comes up. One thing that's never been done in baseball is the 50-50 club, 50 home run. 50 steals, especially since guys don't steal bases like they used to. But is it impossible?

Is the sky not the limit? This guy was the 2018 National League rookie the year for good reason. And there's no sophomore jinks, sophomore slump with Acuna. He has been lethal. That's why the Braves are in position to win the NLEs. The Braves are a really good team. And Ronald Acuna is a star. bigger than just a rookie in a year.

He's a star in baseball and could be the next 40-40 man. And you know what? That would be amazing. Number two. Yes, it lived up to the hype. The Yankees coming to Dodger Stadium the past weekend. And people talked about it as it was a preview, potential preview of the World Series. Two-storied franchises meeting in the,

L.A. The Yankees don't come west and don't come to L.A. often. And yes, the crowd, it felt like it was more than just a regular season game. It felt like a playoff game on the three nights that they had baseball. And it was amazing. And you know what? Not only did being in the ballpark feel like this was something special. It also played well on television. Sunday night's game, the Yankees and Dodgers on Sunday night baseball delivered a 1.9 metered market rating on ESPN matching the Yankees Red Sox on July 28th as the highest rated Sunday night baseball of the year.

That's according to Nielsen. And not only that, Sunday night's telecast was up 58% from last year's comparable game. And you know what? It's a dream matchup for Major League Baseball. I know Astros fans don't want to hear it. They want to rematch with the Dodgers, the Astros Dodgers from a couple years ago. But boy, would this be something for Major League Baseball if it's the Yankees and Dodgers? Two biggest cities, two-story franchises, home run hitters, up and down each lineup.

Star studded. It would be amazing. and I think baseball would flourish and all eyes would be on the Fall Classic if we round the clock and you know what? Went back to the two teams that have faced themselves, faced each other the most in World Series history, the Yankees and the Dodgers. Number three. Here we go.

Justin Verlander and Garrett Cole are the two most. dominant pitchers in the American League, and so it only makes sense that these two guys are battling for the AL Sa Young, two teammates. And most people think that one of those two guys could wind up being the Sy Young. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind.

Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the play. the controversies and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear.

The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games.

And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped. up in the chase, that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.

Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person.

Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about. on healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee.

We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Wreck. My mama want you to weigh better. What?

Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds.

Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win, no matter. what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows. Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective

on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reed. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when

IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash will get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers, why he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that, I said. You figure it out real quick.

Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. For the American League, right now, coming into Tuesday, Verlander, led the league with 239 strikeouts. Cole had just won fewer, and Cole leads the AL with a 2.75 ERA.

Verlander's ERA, 2.77. That's why a lot of people think that the Astros have a great chance to win a World Series because they have these two guys at the top of their rotation. They also went out and made the big trade to get Zach Granky to be their third man. Imagine going into a series with those three guys at the top of the rotation. The only bad part is I still have a hard time with Verlander, basically having a reporter banned from the press box, from the postgame meeting with him because he didn't like the guy from the Detroit Free Press.

Verlander's too good. He's a potential Hall of Famer to be worried. about reporters and doing stuff like that. The Astros were wrong for banning the reporter and not letting them talk to Verlander. And Verlander was wrong. Both of them were wrong. And the one part that I just still look at is I think the reporters, his fellow scribes were wrong to take part in any press conference that Verlander was doing, especially when they all knew

that the reporter from the Detroit Free Press was banned from taking part in a press conference. It sets a bad precedent. I know personally I would have never taken part of that press conference if another reporter had been banned. You know why? It could have been me. CareerBuilder is made for people who have that thing. You know, those superpowers that make you good at your job,

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All right, let's welcome in former Major League outfielder, Jock Jones, who came up with the Minnesota Twins in 1999, and he joins us on the Inside the Parker podcast. What's happening, Jock? Rob, how are you, man? Man, doing great. So I'm going to tell everybody, you know, people know that I'm an adjunct professor at USC. So I'm walking to campus on Monday, which was the first day of school. and who do I see with his backpack on his back? It's Mr. Jones himself.

Man, what's going on? You go to USC? I know you played there baseball. What's going on? So I came back to finish up. I had a year and a half left to finish. And I actually saw you on campus last year, but I didn't stop you.

And I was taking myself for not stopping you. But I saw you again. And I said, man, I'm going to stop this guy this time. and I've been going to school for the last year, and my last semester, which is the fall semester of 19. My last semester, and I'll graduate. Man, and what are you majoring in? What's your concentration?

Sociology, the study of people, and it's always been on my heart, and I was very active in the IBI program and the buses for baseball program with Major League Baseball, and just to go back to my neighborhood that I grew up in and mentor the kids that have come behind me. Man, that's an awesome thing. And was it hard to go back to school?

I mean, you're not a spring chicken now, 44 years old, to get back in the classroom with the kids and just say, I'm going to finish this and make this happen. Yeah, I mean, I didn't know what to expect, but I know. I mean, I have kids myself. I have a 21-year-old. He's a senior at the University of Alabama. He's a criminal justice major.

I've got a 13-year-old daughter, so I have a cold. on how kids are and how they act and how they interact, and I feel like I'm still a kid at heart. So I didn't feel like it was going to be that big of a deal. But the first three weeks were kind of tough because the educational part of my brain was turned off because all I knew were numbers and what pitchers were trying to do and how they were trying to get me out

and how, you know, as a coach, how to try to get the other, you know, get ahead of the other pitchers and the hitters and all that stuff. And so after about three weeks, everything seemed to settle in and it was back to normal. It still has been pretty fun and easy. Man, pretty amazing. Back in 1996, you played on the United States Olympic team, got a bronze medal.

We see in the NBA now, like a lot of NBA players who aren't really maybe interested in playing for those international kind of things. What was your experience like? And you think as we move forward and guys keep making bigger and bigger money, maybe, you know, playing in events like the Olympics won't be as appealing? For me, it was great because we can hold on to the fact that we were the last college team to participate in the Olympics. We had a good showing.

Looking back on it, though, it was, I don't know if it was more of an experience thing for us to gain experience, but it was a disservice because we were playing against grown mature men, especially on the Cuban side. You know what I mean? Right. But I think what kind of deterred people from maybe wanting to participate now is the freak thing that happened to Paul George. You know what I mean?

Michael Jordan and those guys were the first really dream team to go out there and participate in win gold medals, and then people, professional athletes, fell in love with that. But I think after this Paul George scene and the way the contracts are how much money these guys are making. I think they're having second thoughts about participating in this kind of thing. No doubt about it. You broke in, I said earlier, with the twins in 1999.

You wind up hitting 165 career home runs, 277 batting average. How many home runs would you hit in this baseball era with the tight baseball, with guys swinging for the fences, strikeouts don't matter? How many home runs would you hit a season? I'd probably, my career average would probably be 230, but I'd probably have a hundred or more home runs with the way you guys are going. I mean, it just seems like everyone's trying to lift the ball out of the ballpark. And it's funny and interesting at the same time because I heard King Grisbee Jr.

on the telecast last night say, you know, the guy's asking the home runs. He said, man, I just try to hit the ball hard on the line. And I miss hit like 40 every year, and they went over the fence. He goes, but I try to hit the ball on the hard on the line, which is how I taught hitting when I was with the nationals and how I, which was my, which was my approach to hitting, which should be what the approach of hitting is now. I'm glad you brought up Ken Griffey Jr. LeBron James said that, and you were a left-handed hitter,

LeBron James said that Ken Griffey Jr. had the sweetest swing in the history of baseball. I believe the best swing does come from a left-hander, but do you agree it's Ken Griffey Jr.'s swinging from the left side? I love Jr., and he had a sweet swing, but I think the sweetest swing is, I mean, it's probably a toss-up between Ted Williams and Barry Bond. I mean, Barry Bond swing was so short and direct to the ball, and he didn't try to lift it. I mean, his homers were on a line.

Right. And if he missed hit it a little bit and got under it, it went even further. But his homer, he hit the ball so hard, man, on a line. And it just, I mean, it left the park like yesterday. No, I'm with you. I do have, if I were to throw in, one as a secondary guy or close to it, I would say Daryl Strawberry's left-handed swing with that looping home run swing.

What do you think about strawberries? Yeah, it was short too. It was short and powerful. I mean, even him, man, he didn't, I mean, he was already strong enough, so he didn't try to do too much. He just tried to hit the ball hard. And they're just a short, quick, compact swing. No doubt about it.

So tell me about your major league career. You played in Minnesota, like I said, Chicago with the Cubs, Detroit, and the Marlins. What sticks out to you in your mind, your baseball career? What was your moment when you were like, man, that was pretty awesome? Just looking back on it, how we were in Minnesota. We were a family. We were brothers. We were 25 brothers.

We didn't all get along. But you couldn't, I mean, we could fight amongst each other, but the other team, we protected our own. You understand what I'm saying? No, absolutely. The further we get away from all that, like my friends are still, Tori Hunter, LaTrooy Hawkins, Matt Lawton, and Eddie Guardado.

Us five, we're still close-knit. We do family things together. Our kids are growing up. Our kids still interact. But you just don't find that, man. You don't find that family atmosphere and have good athletes and good baseball players all at the same time. Like, we had that in Minnesota, and it was awesome.

and we are all still in contact. All right. His name is Jock Jones, man. Sweet left-hand to swing. Former Major League outfielder. Hey, Jack, we appreciate your time, man. The best of luck, the school. And congratulations, man, at USC. Thanks, Rob.

It's time for the Pocket Protector Central. The analytic numbers you need to know. Well, maybe. FS-1's Anthony Masterson is his name. BS analytics is his game. What you got for, Anthony? All right, Rob, last week we talked about

pitch framing, so for this week, let's stay behind the plate and talk about pop time. Now, pop time isn't necessarily a new single metric, but all the new technology surrounding the game gives us more of an opportunity to appreciate what a catcher can do. Frankly put, pop time measures the time from the moment the pitch hits the catcher's

mitt, to the moment the ball hits a projected fielders mid, say, on a stolen base attempt. It's a combo of how quickly the catcher releases the ball and the velocity the catcher fires of baseball. Now, we can use all these metrics together to find the backstops that do the best at controlling the running game based on sheer physical talent and quickness. The average big league pop time on a steel attempt of second is just over two seconds.

This year, Philly's all-star catcher J.T. Realmuto leads all of baseball with an average pop time to second base of 1.88 seconds. Now, the quickest hands in the game, they go under the White Sox Wellington Castillo, with an average exchange from glove to hand of 0.63 seconds. while one of the top catching prospects in the entire game of baseball, the Padres Francisco Machia, has the strongest arm of any catcher in the game. The 24-year-old has been clocked at 89 miles per hour this season,

one-third a second. Rob, they are no longer the tools of ignorance. All right, Anthony, good stuff. We might just might be able to use that. That ball is. It was a big week in the big leagues. Who's up? Who's up? Or is it fair?

And now, here's shadowleague.com MLB insider, J.R. Gamble. NBA superstar LeBron James, we know he has an affinity for the Yankees, but he says the greatest swing in the history of baseball belongs to junior. That's Ken Griffey Jr. J.R., is that foul or is that fair? That's fair. It's a fair ball. I mean, Brahm might not be a baseball guy, but he was just about dead on with this one.

Griffey certainly has a top five all-time swing, not as far as beauty and effortlessness goes. But he does have some competition in my book. George Brett's swing was like picture perfect. You know, Will Clark had a pretty swing. Every swing he took, it was like he was taking a picture. You know, Tony Gwyn was like fundamentally omnipotent with his swing. Rod Carew was mechanical and pinpoint accurate. And let's not forget Dowell Strawberry.

He has a top 10 swing all time. He came through the zone like an extended laser. But no one will really put up an argument against the kid for best swing ever. It's an easy thing to put out there and not have anybody question your baseball gangster. So good move by Braun. JR, the one thing I will agree, and I think any baseball fan would agree, the left-handed swing is the prettier swing. Fasten your seat back.

Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies,

and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them.

Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo SlicLife 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't

realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid?

Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way.

Open your free, our heart radio app, Search learn the hard way and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff, like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game.

This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, Hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, miss.

Parker. Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast, Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game.

His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows. Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall.

And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get to fly. He running up the court, licking his fingers, why he got the ball like,

After you go through a training camp with that Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Here comes Parker's top three MLB teams this week. Number three. The Houston Astros coming into Tuesday, a record of 85 and 74. Yes. We know they're.

They have unbelievable pitching. Two of their stars, Justin Verlander and Garrett Kohler, neck-in-neck for the Sy Young Award winning the American League. They're number one and two in strikeouts, which is incredible. And Verlander as well has won the award once. He's finished second three times. And here he is, long in the tooth in his career, but in the mix. but the Astros still, as good as they are, I have them as the third best team in baseball. Number two.

The Los Angeles Dodgers coming into Tuesday, a record of 86 and 46. Incredible, 40 games over 500. And yes. But this past weekend, they had a chance to really solidify that they were that team. And instead, they lost two of three to the Bronx bombers. In L.A. and even to get one game that they won, they didn't hit in this series, they were able to escape with a two-to-one win for their only game in that series. The Yankees really dominated and hit better than the Dodgers.

So I have them as the second best team in baseball. Number one. The New York freaking Yankees. And here's the reason to be afraid of them. Aaron Judge has his home run bat again. The Yankees entered Tuesday 85 and 47. They've had nothing but injuries. We've chronicled that.

But Aaron George hit a home run in each of the three games in Los Angeles. Some were just monster shots. One on Sunday to right field was just a laser. The center fielder to right center. Center fielder didn't even move. And this is just telling you about how powerful. the Yankees are. Love their bullpen. Yes. Starting rotation is iffy. But if they can get five innings out of their starters, they will be in place to have a chance to win a World Series.

So right now, as I've been saying most of the season, the New York freaking Yankees are the best team in baseball. Take out the... Time for Trash Talk Twitter. Your chance to trash anyone or anything in Major League Baseball. This week's winner is at Canaan Cadwell. He's an Astros fan and he ain't happy. He sent this tweet. Wow, the Yankees are guaranteeing a World Series between them and L.A.? The disrespect to the Astros.

Can't wait till the postseason. End quote. If you want a chance to win a new era snapback, just like Canaan, send your trash to at Rob Parker FS1. on Twitter. Imagine the biggest secret of your life. Now, imagine trusting that big secret with the entire world. That is exactly what Tony Morrison did when he made the brave decision to share his HIV

positive status in an open essay on Good Morning America's website. Hi, I'm Zach Stafford, host of In The Deep, stories that shape us. In this episode, we sit down with Tony to talk about his identity as a Filipino-American, his work as a producer and the role trust plays in our own journeys. Because sometimes the road to healing can feel like a retrograde, forcing us to take a pause and reflect about what comes next. Listen to In the Deep, stories that shape us, an IHeartRadio original podcast coming to you on the IHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. The next chapter in your story includes knowing your status. Learn more and press play on your future at knowmystatus.com, sponsored by Gileadio. Why is it that the oldest child grows up with the strict rules, but the younger ones get away with everything? Shouldn't everyone get the same treatment? AT&T gets this, and that's why they've been given all their customers,

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It's a good thing, too, because you already have so much to do around your home. Go to geico.com, get a quote, and see how much you could save. It's GEICO easy. Visit geico.com today. That's Daico.com. When Rob was a newspaper columnist, he lived by this motto. If I'm writing, I'm ripping. Let's bring in a writer or broadcaster, old or new. All right, let's welcome into the podcast. My former radio partner and, of course, KMBR radio host in San Francisco.

His name is Mark Willard. Mark, welcome to the podcast. It's good to be with you, man. I'm set to challenge you now to be America's biggest baseball hunk. You know it. All right, let's do it. How are you doing? Everything good?

Everything is great. And I want to talk to you about both the Giants and the A's. The Giants are currently, as of Tuesday, four and a half games out of the wild card. Mark, was it a smart decision to hold on the players and not trade them away and make a push for the playoffs in Bruce Bochie's last season? Yeah, I don't think they were holding on and going for it as much as people. think. I think the reason Madison Bumgarner is still a giant is because they didn't like the offers. I don't think it was because they dug their heels in and decided we're going for it. If you look at the other moves they made, in fact, they did make moves that were established veterans

for younger players. In other words, moves looking to the future. They gave up Sam Dyson and Drew Pomerans and Mark Moulanson out of their bullpen and got young guys. In fact, the guy they got for Pomeran from the Brewers, their number three prospect, Mauricio Du Bonn, is joining the Giants tonight and has been called up. The only for now acquisition they made was Scooter Jeanette, which didn't cost them anything, and they just announced that they're releasing him as as of today. So they did have an eye on the future, but I think that it ended up making sense based on the lack of large offers the rental-type players were getting.

and so I just don't think they like the offers for Will Smith or Madison Bumgarner and it kind of works because they were winning some of the games at that point the fan base really wanted them to hold on to those guys anyway so I think that's why they did. Speaking of the fan base, we know how great baseball fans they're all in the Bay Area, especially the Giants. I mean, for years packed them in, of course,

won three World Series in a short period of time in six years. How tough is it to see this? stands not filled and people, you know, taking a break and figuring that they're going to reload and they'll be back? Yeah, I think everyone's gotten used to it because it's been a little bit of a steady decline for the last three years. And actually, they had a pretty good summer because right when the kids got out of school,

the Giants started winning and the ballpark was, while not sold out, I mean, it was north of 30,000 almost every night. And so that's certainly acceptable with everything. going back to school in the last week or so. They had a game last night against the Diamondbacks that was a pretty quiet and small crowd by their standards. I think they announced $29,000.

But it's something that, you know, it was a little jarring a couple years ago, but it's understandable at this point. It's a lot of the same players who are in decline. They've also had some PR issues with what happened with Larry Bear being suspended. Absolutely. Right, and so that factors into all this, but it's still a team that is very much involved with the heartbeat of the city.

And, you know, as soon as they start winning a few more ball games, I think it correct itself pretty quickly. Let's switch to the other team in the Bay, the Oakland A's, and they're going to make the playoffs again. It looks like it. They have a good team. They're always around the mix. They don't spend a lot of money. They don't have the biggest stars. they have some really good players

Chris Davis but this is the other thing at some point doesn't Billy Bean need to be able to win more than just make the playoffs before you can really say that this guy is worth all the accolades and all the talk and everybody else following his rule it's one thing to compete but not to be able to advance

and win in the playoffs do they have to do that at some point I don't know I mean first off there's not there isn't a fan-based drumbeat for anything, right? The fan base doesn't demand anything because it's just not that huge of a fan base. And when you also look at the resources, like he's given, making the playoffs with some consistency is actually amazing. And the fact that, you know, they have to be able to go deep into the playoffs. You know, it's kind of acceptable because every single year they find diamonds in the rough. They've got good young players.

When they get really good, they let them go. and then rinse repeat, they do it again. So every year they're good, yet it seems like every year it's a surprise again when they are. And so when it's a surprise when they're good, there's just not that much pressure to do much when you get there. And so same thing this year, the Astros are the big dog in the division and they'll win it. And if the A's can somehow grind out a wild card and then maybe do something with it if they get there, I think whatever fans they have will be satisfied.

And speaking of fans, that's the other part. When they get this new ballpark, do you think that will change things? Because as much as people look at the A's and think of them as the stepchild or whatever, that's a proud franchise that had some really great players and great teams at one point in Oakland. You think the ballpark will make that big of a difference, Mark? Well, the interesting thing you said there is when they get the ballpark. and I would tell you that just about anybody in the Bay Area would say it's rather presumptuous to assume that what they are proposing is actually going to happen.

And you know that stadiums, especially in the state of California, are incredibly, incredibly tricky, difficult. The city of Oakland, we don't need to tell you what's going on stadium-wise there. The Raiders are going to Vegas, and the Warriors have moved to San Francisco. It is really tricky, and again, it's a team that does not have. behind it a big loud fan base that's demanding things. So I would more say if that happens, then in a short sample, would it help?

Absolutely. But you know this, Rob. It's just like the charges landing in L.A. when they went through a stadium thing, and it's not being that successful out of the gate because there just isn't that love from the sand base. And here in the Bay Area, the love is reserved mostly for the Giants.

So I just, I don't, I don't know if anything long term or short term is going to be considered wildly successful in terms of numbers. All right, his name, Mark Willard from KMBR, one of the best talk show hosts in the Bay Area. We appreciate the knowledge, Mark. Thank you. My dude, any time. Now bring in the closer. Track one, drag two, right three. Here's why MLB is better than the NFL or NBA.

And it isn't even close. This is why baseball is better than the NFL and NBA, especially when you talk about the NFL. You just can play the game longer. We just saw this. We saw a 29-year-old quarterback and Andrew Luck have to call it quits because he can't do it anymore.

Can I run off the names and numbers of people who played Major League Baseball for 20 years? years? Derek Jeter played 20 years all in the Bronx. We know Cal Ripkin Jr. We can go Dave Winfield. I can go on and on and on. You can play baseball for a long time. We're looking at LeBron James coming in the year 17. Most of the guys in his draft class are long gone or not playing anymore. It's hard. You can play baseball for a long time as a player. Imagine logging 20 years making all that guaranteed cheese. You want to talk about bonding with the player,

not fearful that he's going to disappear after a cup of coffee and a sweet roll in the NFL? Doesn't happen. You buy a jersey. You're probably going to be pretty good. I know there's movement. But that player is going to be around for a long time. Baseball has longevity.

That's why people were like, Kyla Murray, are you sure you want to play in the National Football League? I get it. You're a quarterback. You're going straight to the pros. There's no minor leagues. There's no buses. You're going to be a household name overnight.

How long will you play in the NFL? Major League Baseball is the king when it comes to making money and having an extended career. That's why baseball is better than the NFL and the NBA. In the words of New York TV legend, the late Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time until next time. Rob Parker, out. He can't get it. This could be an inside of Parker.

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That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.

Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game.

This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref. My mom wants you to wave at her. What? My mom. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, red. My mama want you to wave at her.

What? Where's she at? Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. The story I told myself can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage. the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown

if you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole. This podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to Deeply Well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast.

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