The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Inside the Parker - Andrelton Simmons Opt Out; MLB Playoff 'Madness'; Biggest Reg. Season Surprise/Disappointment; Actor/Yankee Fanatic Matthew Modine

Episode Date: September 24, 2020

This week on Inside the (Rob) Parker, Rob discusses Angels SS Andrelton Simmons opting out of the final week of the season, the upcoming March Madness-like slate of first round playoff games, and gives his biggest surprise and disappointment from the 2020 regular season.Guests: Actor Matthew Modine discusses the re-release of Full Metal Jacket and his life long passion for the Yankees, why he thinks the Astros should have been hit harder for cheating, Yahoo MLB Writer Tim Brown looks at the playoff picture, the pressure on the Dodgers to win the World Series, and who's getting his NL MVP vote. Click here to subscribe and download all of the latest Inside the Parker podcasts!! 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. 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. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast.

From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this Valentine's with 1800flowers.com.

From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more. Surprise your Valentine with 1,800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stem enchanted wows. rose medley for $3999 or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more. Go to 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. 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 86. Rob Parker. Welcome into the podcast. I'm your host, Rob Parker. What a show we have for you today. Actor Matthew Modin, yes, the big-time Yankee fan will talk about as Bronx bombers and much more. Plus Yahoo Sports National Baseball writer Tim Brown.

That plus Phil Sanchez's diamond dust. Let's go. Off. It's getting robbed. And keep him up. Rob's hot take on the three. Read biggest stories in Major League Baseball. Number one.

I know, I know some people will not let this sit well with them. That Angel shortstop, Angleton Simmons has opted out of the Angels season with less than a week to go. And here's the bad part is that the angels are still mathematically in the playoff race for a wild car. But I'm going to err here on the side of caution and with the coronavirus, COVID-19, and just people worrying about their family and their health, it's hard for me to rip on Simmons if this is what he believes is the best thing for his family. It just seems strange that you would play almost the entire season. Come to the final week where your team needs you and then decide that you will not. finish the regular season, but it is what it is in 2020. Number two.

I don't know about you, but the playoffs are less than a week to start. And, you know, here we go. We're NBA, NHL-style playoffs with 16 teams making it and two out of three to start. But here's the real interesting thing. Next Tuesday, are you ready? ESPN and ABC begin televised. seven of the eight first round three-game major league baseball playoff series. That means that a possible 21 games in three days you'll be able to watch.

Did you hear what I said? A possible 21 playoff games in three days. So this will be uncharted territory. Out is the one game playing for the world. wild card. It is now 16 teams, but this will be a smorgasbore. It'll be like a college basketball on the first day of the tournament. There will be wall-to-wall baseball for three days. Enjoy it. Number three. It's time for me to give you my biggest surprise in a good way for the season and the biggest disappointment for the season. And the biggest surprise, I got to say the San Diego

Padres. I mean, I get it. They were making moves. You know, when they signed Manny Machado's, had a great year for them. But the emergence of Fernando Tatis Jr. just added another dimension there. And then to be able to also compete with the Dodgers and to be traders at the trade deadline and pick up Mike Clevenger from the Indians. That to me said a lot about the Padres and about having a chance in this postseason. And then again, don't forget that it's not going to be a one-year deal. They got young players, young stars, and Padres are going to be around to make some noise. So yes, they are the biggest surprise making their first playoff appearance in 14 years.

Amazing. The biggest disappointment could either be. the Washington Nationals, who of course, who will not be able to defend their World Series championship of a year ago, and the Boston Red Sox, who the bottom fell out of everything. I got it. Chris Sales was hurt. The Nationals had injuries as well. So both really suffered with injuries this year.

But it is disappointing that the Nationals couldn't make the playoffs when you think about the expansion. and for the Red Sox to be as awful as they have been is pretty shocking. Yes, we know they traded Mookie Betts and David Price, but for the bottom of fallout seems a bit extreme. Here comes the big interview. Listen and learn. Oh, it's so good.

All right, let's welcome into the podcast, Matthew Modin. Of course, the actor brought to you today here by Full Metal Jacket, which is available now on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray combo pack and digital. Stanley Kubrick's 1987 War Classic is available on 4K resolution for the first time. And Matthew, thanks for joining us. It's my pleasure. It's exciting to be here. Thank you for having me. Yes.

You know, I'm excited about this. Tell me about the re-release, you know, in this HD. Full metal jacket. You've got to be excited. Yeah, so Leon Vitale, who worked with Stanley Kubrick from Barry Lyndon on. So Barry Lyndon, the shining, full metal jacket, and eyes wide shut. There's not an aspect of filmmaking that he doesn't know about. And so Leon Vitale, actually, there's a documentary film that you can see that talks about him and his life called Film Worker. Amazing documentary. It's a great insight into Stanley Kubrick, but also Leon Vitale.

Talley. So Leon has remastered this film. He's gone in and framed by frame of full metal jacket, taken the negative of the film, and scanned each frame to create this 4K, you know, ultra HD experience. And I've only seen little pieces of it, but it's like a brand new movie. There's so much detail that when you make a, when you have a negative, there's information that the motion picture camera catches and puts on a negative, a piece of celluloid. And then when you make a positive of that negative, the prints can, you know, the prints are never as great as what of the amount of information that's in the negative. So to be able to go and frame by frame, scan each of those frames, there's so much information. that you couldn't see when you were watching the movie, the detail, and the remastering of the sound and the music. And it's a testament to Stanley Kubrick that after 33 years, that this film is still part of the conversation, that so many things from the film sentences, you know,

things, the lines that people spoke have become part of our everyday vernacular, you know. You talk to talk, do you walk to walk? you're the kind of guy that could suck a golf ball through a garden hose, you know, two-life crew with the sampling of the me-so-horny me-lucky long time in putting it in the song. No doubt. Our guest, Matthew Modine, of course, the actor, and he joins us here on Inside the Parker. And yes, you are a baseball fan, a Yankees fan, I know you are. This season, you know, it's been a little crazy, you know, it's almost a baseball.

down to the end, Matthew. 60 games, they had a rough patch in the middle of the season with a lot of injuries, but they're playing better. Are you happy where they're headed as playoffs are about to start? Yeah, I was happy they got those last 10 wins in a row. And, you know, we slipped a little bit now. We finally lost to Boston. We lost the game.

But I think the bombers are looking good. I'm excited. And, you know, it's a shortened season, so everything is really different. It's sad, but it's a part of life that we don't get to go to the games and, you know, cheer together and celebrate everything that's New York and the Yankees. But, you know, that's the situation. And we'll get through it. We'll get through it. And I think that we're going to come out the other side of this better.

I think that this has given us a lot of opportunities to look within and understand ourselves a little bit better. Yeah, I'm with you on that. And I know you did a 2018 preseason hype video for the Yankees. And, you know, the playoffs the last few years, the Yankees, despite all the injuries, Matthew, they've gone to the ALCS, had a chance to get to the World Series in two of the last three years losing to the Astros. When you see the Astros and know that they're cheating scandal, do you feel a little cheated about, you know, especially last year? Yeah, absolutely. I don't know why they didn't, I mean, they must have an asterisk next to their name,

but I don't know why the baseball commissioner didn't take it away, didn't take that championship away. I mean, we can't celebrate people for cheating. And, you know, I mean, I'm a New York Jets Giants fan as well. I say Jets Giants because I love them both. Right. You know, how many times Belichick got caught cheating up there in New England? No doubt about it.

I always say he can't be considered the greatest coach ever because of those marks of cheating. Yeah. The one thing, speaking of cheating, I think sometimes baseball and Yankee fans feel cheated because Aaron Judge just can't seem to stay healthy for a full year. When he was healthy to start the season, were you excited? because we've seen what the guy can do when he's out there and he can play every day. He's amazing. I mean, he's a specimen.

You know, I've never seen somebody that big move as fast as he does, swing a bat like he does. I mean, he's kind of a freak of nature. But he's one of the most exciting baseball players in the sports. So I think that, you know, he's, you know, he's. very young. And I think that every year that goes by, he's going to understand his body a little bit better and know how to train a little bit differently. And he's going to be fine. You know, he's got three or four, five really good years coming ahead of him. I think that we're all going to be proud that he's a Yankee. Matthew, before the season started, I picked the Dodgers

and the Yankees. I think they have the best two rosters. They haven't met since 1981. Would that be an awesome World Series if these two teams met? That's what I was hoping for a couple of years ago. That would have just, you know, East First West, the old Brooklyn Dodgers, you know, the history, the legacy. That would have been spectacular. But, you know, it wasn't our fate. But, you know, we can hope that that's a great rivalry there, you know.

No doubt. All right. Thank you so much. I do want to say in addition to the 4K release of full metal jacket, also put out a full metal jacket diary project, which was originally a limited edition book, you know, out of print, and is now an award-winning iPad, Applamentary, and Autobook. Matthew, again, thanks for joining the podcast,

and all the best of luck as you move forward. Thank you. Your listeners should know that the iPad app is free. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all,

embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app. Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying.

Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream,

this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode,

with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer 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 healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. For a limited time to celebrate this 4K release of the film,

so you can, if you don't have an iPad, borrow one from somebody and download it because it's free. And anything that you wanted to know about Stanley Kubrick that we didn't talk about today or the experience of making that movie, it's all in that, it's all in that appumentary, full metal jacket diary.

All right. Matthew, thank you so much for your time, man. That was fun. Appreciate you. All right. Thank you so much. Go Yankees. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this Valentine's with 1-800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more.

Surprise your Valentine with 1-800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stem enchanted rose medley for $39.99. or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more. Go to 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest?

Our imagination, our sense of wonder, and our family bonds grow too, because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other. The forest is closer than you think. think. Find a forest near you and start exploring at

Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest. It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard

with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles. They see a windy path that could lead to adventure. And they see you. Their fearless guide is this fascinating world. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org.

Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. It's time for the Pocket Protector Central. The analytic numbers you need to know, well, maybe. Anthony Masterson is his name. BS Analytics is his game. What do you got for me, Anthony?

Now that we've reached the final week of this truncated regular season, it's fun to look back can find the players who made the greatest strides in this crazy 2020 and those who took a step or two back. Baseball savant has a whole section of leaderboards where you can sort by the year-to-year changes of all their advanced metrics. You can see that, no surprise. Fernando Tatees Jr. has the largest increase in hard-hit percentage from last year, going from 44 to 64%. But would you be shocked to learn that second on that list was Braves catcher Travis Darno, who was hitting 80 points over his career average? The Orioles Anthony Santander had a break

campaign prior to his season-ending injury, increasing his OPS over 100 points from 2019, along with nearly doubling his home run rate. Is that because he had a league high increase in his launch angle from 15 degrees to nearly 25? Now, on the mound, the Braves Max Freed is having a Cy Young-type season with a 190 ERA and zero home runs allowed. Could that be because he decreased his average exit velocity by a league high 6.3 miles per hour from 89 to a league low 82.9.

And on the other end, we know that Madison and Bumgarner is having a season to forget in the desert with a career high 736 ERA. Now, the data tells us that his average fastball velocity has decreased a league high 3.7 miles per hour to just a tick under 86. And with four more years left on that deal, the debacks might feel a bit snake-bitten. And what's that? That ball is. It was a big week in the big leagues.

Who's up? Or is it fair? And now, here's shadowleague.com MLB insider, J.R. Gamble. Jacob de Grom struck out 14 Tampa Bay Rays Monday night in seven innings while surrendering just two earned runs and still lost two to one. The Mets are struggling. We know that. Looks like they're not going to make the playoff.

And he's clearly the only consistent star on that team. J.R., is it foul or fair to say that DeGrom regrets signing that five-year, $137.5 million contract, which will keep them in Queens through 2025. South. That is a foul ball. DeGrom is going to get over $30 million per season in the next five years. So that's just soft in the pain of having a play for a team that's only made the playoff twice since 2006 and hasn't seen the World Series win since 1986.

Some would say DeGram is wasting his best years on a Mets team that seems more worried about making headlines, overrating themselves, and pinching pennies than actually trying to go out and win. The 60-game season is no different. They came in with high hopes and are leaving without a playoff berth. Maybe the new ownership will improve things. but if DeGrom wants to win the World Series in the near future, then maybe he'll have some regret.

But if he can wait another three years for the mess to be good, then being the face of the franchise in the meantime isn't a bad deal. All you have to do right now is really stack his cash. Because at 32, he's no spring chicken, and they'll be pushing 40, nearly 40, when his contract ends. So for now, you have to enjoy the Cy Young and the all-star appearances, In the Big Apple with no regret. Take out the papers in the trash.

It's time for Trash Talk Twitter. Your chance to trash anyone or anything in Major League Baseball. This week's winner is at OSU Legacy, and he tweeted me this. Dick Williams and David Bell, they are scrambling to make the playoffs again. After missing seven straight years, we are tired of the Reds and their lack of winning. They let go of Dusty Baker and have been in the toilet ever since. If you want to be on trash talking Twitter, man, hit me up on my Twitter at Rob Parker, FS1. And if you come strong and hard to the mic, yes, you too will make it on the podcast.

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, now let's welcome to the podcast. One of my favorite people, a friend of mine, Tim Brown, a national baseball writer for Yahoo Sports. Tim, welcome to the podcast, buddy. Parkway. Thanks for having me, man. How are you? Man, doing good, hanging in. I can't believe the baseball season.

We'll be over next week in the playoffs in a couple of days after that. Let's just jump right into it. One team that most baseball fans and a lot of baseball players don't want to see make the playoffs is the Houston Astros, those cheating Houston Astros, but it looks like they're going to get in with the second spot. Will they be the most hated team in the playoffs? Yeah, yeah, I think so, you know, because I think fans feel like they never got a true shot at them, you know, this year, to go stand in front of them in ballparks all over the country and let

them know how they felt about that World Series and guys like, you know, Breggman and Altuve and Springer and all those guys. So, so I do think that, you know, first off, they can pitch a little bit on the front end. The bullpen has been young and funky, but they could be kind of dangerous. They've got enough good arms out front with, starting with Granky, that they, that that they could not be an easy out. But just in terms of, yeah, who they are, what they stand for, you know, the fact, again, that the world didn't get a clean shot at them all season long. I think that's the team that everyone, a lot of people are going to be rooting for

to bounce early. No doubt about it. Of course, the Dodgers, they do the same thing every year. They just clinched their eighth straight Western Division, which is nice. but they haven't won a World Series, Tim, since 1988. I've heard something about that, Parkway. Yeah, just something. And you can win all the divisions you want.

Don't they have to win the World Series? I mean, it's such an interesting year, right? Because, you know, now season after season, fall after fall, the talk has been, you know, 1988. And every night you see the Kirk Gibson replay and the highlights and all that. How do you feel if you break through in this kind of season? I mean, you certainly take it because of all of the obstacles, all of the other stuff that came along with this year.

But you and I both know it'll come with an asterisk. And even though the effort, the sort of the dedication to protocols, the being grown-ups during this period, you know, the isolation, now going into a bubble, all that stuff. I mean, I think you should, it's worthy of mention alongside of 60-game season, 16-team postseason, chaos, all this stuff. But wouldn't it be funny if this was the year they broke through and everyone thought, you know, okay, you won, but really, you know, win it in a real year.

Our guest is Tim Brown, National Baseball columnist for Yahoo Sports. Speaking of the Dodgers, Mookie Betts, came over, signed a big contract before the season started, has had a tremendous year for the Dodgers. But who would be your National League MVP? Is it Fernando Tatis Jr., who has put the Padres, in play, or is it Mookie Betz? You know, this has been a fascinating sort of topic for the last few weeks, because just about two and a half weeks ago, talking about the other league,

Mike Trout had a day in which he upped his OPS by 72 points in one day. And this is in, you know, the first week of September. So, you know, you start looking at these things, Parkway, as you probably always did around September 1st and thought to yourself, okay, who's the guy? But so much is changing. You know, just last week, you would have gotten a flood of votes for Jose Abraeu in the American League.

And now the conversation is Tim Anderson is a better player. He's not even the best player on his team. Maybe Tim Anderson is. Fernando Tatis Jr. has not had a great September. If you were to pick an MVP of that team right now, over two months, would probably beat Manny Machado. Now, Mookiee Betts has been amazing, really amazing, especially when you consider that Cody Bellinger's had it off here.

Max Muncie has not hit the way he's hit in the past. But I would say that Freddie Freeman down in Atlanta, as of today, and stuff can change over the next four or five days, is probably the most valuable player in the National League. Wow. There you go. And the Braves just won there, third. trade division. No, I got it. I love that. Speaking about off the board, but they're back on the board now.

Coming into the season, Tim, I picked the Yankees and Dodgers. I thought both have the two best rosters. Obviously, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton couldn't stay healthy. They're back now. People buried the Yankees before they ran off 10 wins in a row. They're back. They're getting healthier as the day goes on and as we get closer to the playoffs. Where do the Yankees factor in? The Yankees factor in as a really dangerous team. You know, I think there's a reason why the Reyes won that division, and that's because they can really...

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the pot. Podcasts Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast.

It's a space. For honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right what you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford

and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence.

Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way 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, 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, Keir Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose. On my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. We pitch.

And, in fact, I picked them to win the division because, you know, in a, in a clear, crazy year where you have to get creative and you have to have depth and you have to have certain sort of buy-ins and all those little dark corners where you win baseball games. The race are always really good at that. And so the fact that they're going to win the division, not the Yankees, not totally surprising. I think that as of right now, the Yankees draw the twins in that first best of three. and the twins have something about the Yankees, they just cannot get past that series.

So, you know, I mean, it's going to come down to who pitches well in the early innings of those games after Garrett Cole, right? I mean, you go to have Garrett Cole in game one, presumably, and then what happens after that, the Tanaka or half, the kid Garcia. You know, I think the bullpen is fine. I think that they're going to be able to hit. but I think they're going to have to work just to get through that division series. And as a bit of an older team, as a bit of a creaky team in places,

this is maybe not a great setup for them, not a single day off inside the Wild Card Series, which is best of three, inside the division series, which is best of five, or inside the LCS, which is best of seven. That to me sounds like you might want to be a little lighter on your feet, a little younger. But you know what? The Yankees, the punchers chance,

they could just freaking run you with that power. So we'll be. I think they're interesting. They will be. His name is Tim Brown, national baseball columnist for Yahoo. Tim, always Brownie, man. I appreciate your.

Thanks for the baseball knowledge. Pleasure, Parkway. Nice catching up, brother. No doubt. Stay safe. You too, man. At Walgreens, we know February is the season for L-O-V-E. It's also something sweet for your sweetheart season,

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Walk a mile in my shoes. Now it's time for some Diamond Dust with Wish TV's Phil Sanchez. Out of here! He played baseball in college. Now here is MLB knowledge. Well, that was fast. It's hard to believe, but it's the final week of the shortened season.

And by the way, remember when a lot of sports riders and hosts, not all, but a lot said that there was no way MLB could finish a season. Yeah, I do as well, but I digress. I personally have loved the almost 60 game season. In a way, it's been a lot like the NFL. fell where every game counted and fans are left wanting more. Now, old school baseball traditionalists are going to hate this, but I think Major League Baseball can learn a lot from this season. NLDH, loved it. Gira games? Love that as well. Seven-inning double-headers?

Yes, please. Sorry, Rob. In fact, I would suggest that all games are seven innings. Now, I know that it will never happen, but in a day and age, where people are busier than ever before and attention spans have diminished to the point of no return, or three and a half, sometimes four-hour games really a model for success. Now, I know what you're thinking. You're probably thinking of this guy even like baseball. The answer is yes. I actually love baseball, and that's why I'm for dramatically changing the game. Listen, if you're over 35 years old enough to remember when baseball was king, you're definitely old enough to remember that. Now, not so much. I would argue that baseball has fallen to the third most popular sport behind the NFL and

NBA and the NFL knocking on the door. So what if those leagues done that baseball hasn't? Well, they've been willing to adapt over time. Change as they go. In short, they've been progressive, whereas baseball has been traditional to a fault. If I know, you and me, we're not going anywhere. Well, we'll always watch baseball. We're the diehards.

But the younger generation, the generation that plays Fortnite and watches homemade videos on YouTube over actual TV, they're not hanging around for six hours. Yankees Red Sox games on the Saturday afternoon in September. I'm sorry to break that news to you. They're just not. As the same goes, if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten. And for Major League Baseball, that's just not good enough anymore.

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. Here's another reason why baseball is better than the NBA and NBA. the NFL as the playoffs are about to start the great thing about the playoffs and we've seen this as years gone by is that players out of nowhere rookies young players can somehow some way make a huge different and come up big time and change the course of playoffs and that's the stuff that you like to see and that's what baseball offers it's not very often it's not very often it's

the other sports where somebody you really, really don't know or a young player can have that moment and change the course of a playoffs. But I can always remember it was Bob Welch against Reggie Jackson in the World Series and he got the best of Reggie and changed the fortunes for the Dodgers. I can remember that. But there are a couple players out there to keep an eye on. Dustin May, the right-handed pitcher from the Dodgers, the 23-year-old. He's a guy that could come up big for the Dodgers in the postseason. He's had a really good season for L.A. Another right-handed pitcher to look out for is Devin Williams from the Brewers.

After moving from a starting role into the bullpen last year, Williamsman has emerged as a dominant force out of the pen in 2020. coming into Wednesday posting a 0.39 ERA and a 0.61 whip with, get this, 47 strikeouts in 23 innings. That's 18.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Yes, the 26-year-old has a devastating change-up, one of the best pitches we've seen in 2020. So there you go. Look out for kids in the postseason have an impact. 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. See you next week. Same bad time. Same bad station. If you love to be remembered as the person who gives the best birthday gifts, I'm here to tell you that 1-800 Flowers.com is your ultimate birthday gifting destination.

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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.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced. games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at a podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. Eighty-four was big to me.

Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care where you're saying. Yep, that's me. Cliford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey,

or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, the Cliford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Cliford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.