The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Inside the Parker - Scherzer Dodger Debut, Cole Hamels Comeback, Astros Unpleasant L.A. Visit with Ben Verlander

Episode Date: August 5, 2021

This week on Inside the (Rob) Parker, Rob reacts to Max Scherzer's Dodger debut and what he expects going forward, Cole Hamels surprisingly signing for a year with the Dodgers, and the release of the 2022 MLB schedule. Also, Pocket Protector Stat of the Week and Foul or Fair.Guests: Fox Sports Analyst Ben Verlander weighs in on Dodgers fans unleashing on the Astros over the cheating scandal, and the Cubs unloading the core of their title team at the trade deadline.Longtime Los Angeles Sports Reporter Ted Sobel discusses his book Touching Greatness which looks back on his interactions with countless celebrities during his long broadcasting career.Click here to subscribe and download all of the latest Inside the Parker podcasts and follow Rob on Twitter!! 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. 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. 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 grahammed.

Listen to Superhuman on the IHard 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, 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Why is it that the oldest child grows up with the strict rules, but the younger ones get away with everything?

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Check out smartphone pricing for everyone at ATT.com forward slash best deals. Restrictions and exceptions may apply. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this valentines 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 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.

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 83. Rob Parker. What a show we have for you today. Fox Sports Baseball analyst Ben Verlander drops by. We'll talk about the Major League's.

what's happening as we roll into August. Also, a new book by Ted Sobel, talking about the Hall of Famers that he's met, including a couple of baseball ones, so we'll do that. Plus foul or fair, let's go. Better up. To lead off, it's getting robbed.

And keep them up. Rob's hot take on the three biggest stories in Major League Baseball. Number one. All eyes were on Dodgers Stadium Wednesday night. Yes, Max Scherzer making his Los Angeles Dodger debut against the Houston Astros. You know, I mean, this is what fans were waiting for, the big trade. The Dodgers were able to get Tray Turner and Max Scherzer from the Nationals gave up a boatload of prospects and really good young players. But the Dodgers are about now.

They're trying to win now. It's not about down the road. It's about now. So this tells you a lot about where the Dodgers are and if he's going to be the missing piece. Because right now, if the Dodgers don't win the division, there's a good chance the Dodgers and Padres could play a playing game, a one game wild card game, in order to advance in the playoffs. Just think about that. And would you want Max Scherzer on the mound for that one game?

I think you would. So Dodger fans are excited about Scher, who's been a great. picture a guy I covered in Detroit years ago, and this will be interesting to see how he fits in, but as long as his arm is good, I think he'll fit in just great in Los Angeles. Number two. Speaking of the Dodgers, they're at it again. According to reports at MLB.com, they have agreed to a one-year contract with a veteran left-hander Cole Hamels. That's right. When official, they say the deal will be worth $1 million, and Hamils would get an additional $200,000 for every start he makes.

The deal hasn't been confirmed yet by the Dodgers, but that's what's out there now. So Hamils worked out for scouts last month. The Dodgers came away, impressed enough to continue conversations with the left-hander. And even though, you know, they went out and added Scherzer and Danny Duffy at the trade deadline, the Dodgers still felt like they needed more pitching depth in the final two months. So Cole Hamels, who was a big time performer, as we know, years ago, back in the fold, again, the Dodgers just continue to flex their muscles, spend money, bring in players. They're trying to go back to back after that nearly 32-year drought of not winning a world. series. The Dodgers are all in. Number three. Are you ready for the 2022 season?

On Tuesday, baseball announced the master schedule for the 2022 regular season, which will open up on Thursday, March 31st with all 30 teams in action. That's right. So we already have the schedule all set up. And the open. opening day is jam-packed with intrigue. Schedule features 11 division no matchups in addition to one inner league showdown between the Phillies and the Astros at Minutemay Park in Houston. Jackie Robinson Day, of course, is April 15th.

And also the site of the 92nd All-Star game will be on July 19th at Dodgers Stadium. Remember in 2020, the Dodgers. we're supposed to have the All-Star game. It was canceled, so they will have it in 2022. And there it is. Baseball schedule for 2020 is already out. And can't wait.

Well, I guess I can wait until after the postseason, but it's good to know where we're going to be in 2022. Here comes the big interview. Listen and learn. Oh, it's so good. All right. Now let's welcome to the podcast, Ben Verlander, the former minor leaguer, brother, of course, of Justin Verlander, and a Fox Sports Baseball analyst. Welcome to the podcast, Ben.

I appreciate that. Thank you for having me. No doubt. Hey, let's just start with Tuesday night at Dodgers Stadium, where Dodger fans went crazy and gave it to the Astros. Were they justified? Yeah, man, look, I was there in the stands. And it was madness. It was really, really, it was just chaos.

And to say where they justified, I would say no. You know, I understand. I understand being frustrated. But as time has gone on, I think more and more players have come out and said, look, guys, what are we doing here? Many teams were doing something. Let's, you know, let's pump the brace on that. And, you know, it seems like the most mad people are still the fans.

And look, I understand Dodgers. fans being frustrated. But to be there last night and to experience what was happening was really, it was crazy, man. It was scary being there. There were security guards everywhere. There were people getting beat up left and right just for being Astros fans. So I'll never say something like that was justified. Yeah, booing. Obviously, we're not talking about the physical aspect or, you know, touching people or fighting people. Of course, that's wrong. So I'm with you on that. You know, obviously it was a the big trade deadline.

I mean, the Cubs clean house. I mean, I don't know. If I'm a Cubs fan, I can't get with the idea of getting rid of everybody. You know, all those guys who were, you know, a part of that magical world series and whatnot. So did they do a disservice to Cubs fans or did they have to do this, disband the whole thing and start all over? I definitely believe they did a disservice and I spoke about it on my podcast this week and to be quite honest with you

as a guy that's not even a Chicago Cubs fan I'm not even a fan of that team if you will and it's sad and as a baseball fan quite frankly it pissed me off to see what happened what we see more and more these days is owners treating players like their numbers on a piece of paper and it's frustrating to see, especially this is the core group that got them over the curse.

It got them, you know, their first championship in forever. And it changed the way that. Yeah, exactly. And it just changed the Cubs organization forever. And to just ship them out when clearly guys like especially Rizzo and Baez have said, look, if we're going to go through struggles, I want to be there. And the fans love them. So it just really frustrated me to see them.

not care about the fans, not care about the players, and just say, look, I think it's better for our future if we do this. And to be quite honest with you, it just pissed me off the way it was all handled. And it's frustrating as a baseball fan. Our guest is Ben Verlander from Fox Sports, a baseball analyst. And Ben, you know, the Yankees made moves. I wasn't sure what they were going to do. You know, they were out big time in the AL East, fourth place, third place.

and they get Gallo and Rizzo, you know, two left-handed bats, which they needed desperately. Can they make a playoff run? They're playing better. Yeah, I was also, I'm with you. I was wondering what they do at the trade deadline. The Yankees are never going to be sellers. That's just not what they do. But I was wondering how aggressive they'd be. And they went out and got Gallo and Rizzo, which are two, when you look at that

lineup, that's exactly what they needed. two big left-handed bats that can get on base a ton. That's what they do. They're on-base percentage machines. But I don't love what they did at the deadline as a whole. I looked at the Yankees and I think, what is the glaring issue with this team? And it's pitching.

And I think, what are they going to do pitching-wise? And they did nothing, to be quite honest with you. They went out and the one move they made at the very end was Andrew Heaney. And you can't tell me he's the answer to the Yankees' pitching problem. and we saw him the first game he pitched. He wasn't, he's not the answer. So I really wanted them to do something in the bullpen. If they were going to go for it, they went out and made the sexiest moves they could.

They got Gallo and Rizzo, two big profile guys that are great additions to the lineup. So in terms of what they did to the lineup, I love it. But in terms of what they did in the trade deadline as a whole, I wish they would have gone out and gotten some pitching because I really think that's what they needed. Let's go to Detroit and Miguel Cabrera, Miggi, who of course I covered in Detroit for a long time. I worked there for 20 years. Your brother was a teammate with Miggi. And, you know, going into Wednesday night, he was two home runs short of 500.

And we always knew he was going to get there and get his 3,000 hits. But where does he rank when you think of like the great right-handed hitters, Albert Pooleholz, Mani Ramirez. I'm talking about modern day. Obviously, there's a lot of great right-handed hitters. But where does McGee rank? I know the last couple years he's been beat up. He hasn't had the same numbers, you know, that he had before.

But he's about to hit a big milestone. Yeah, he is. And I know you're a guy that spent a lot of time and covered the Tigers, so I assume you're a big fan. And I am as well. I absolutely love Miguel Cabrera. and everything he's done for the Tigers organization and for baseball. And when I think of where he is in terms of best right-handed hitters,

especially in the modern era, I put him right up there at, you know, a top three guy for sure. You know, you look at our pool holes who's kind of on the same timeline at town. Those guys are very, very similar. No, pool holes, not one? Yeah, pool holes probably, pool holes probably has to be one, in my opinion. and their numbers are so close. So Miggie is definitely a top three right-handed hitter, in my opinion.

And my bias puts him right, I'll put him neck in neck with Cool Holt, even though Cool Holt probably gets the edge. But I love Miggie and everything he's doing. And it's awesome to see him kind of these last couple, this last month, a couple months, he's been tearing the cover off the ball, and it's fun to see. And he's going to get 500 home runs here soon. That's going to be a pretty, that's a big milestone, man.

And I'm so happy for him and proud of him. And I'm going to be pretty excited watching that one for sure. I have a Hall of Fame vote. And for me, if you get 500 home runs, 3,000 hits or 300 wins, you automatically get my vote. I don't need to even look at the rest of your career. So, McGee obviously will get my vote. Yeah, those numbers are just, if you stick around that long enough to, play to amass those numbers. I think you're

a Hall of Famer. All right? So you're putting my brother in there, right? There we go. I was going to ask you about your brother. 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 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'll say. Yep, that's me. Clipper 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 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 Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett.

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 is 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast.

Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of ton-tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You know, what's going on? What's the latest with Justin and his return to the major leagues? Help us out. Yeah. Yeah, things have gone really, really well for him. And he's in a really good place. He feels

really good. I was actually just with him about a week ago. And he's really pleased with the way the recovery's coming. And look, Tommy John's something where there's no real, like, there's a timetable and there's no real beating it. You know, it's a very strenuous, long process. It's very regimented. And he's obviously nearing the end of that of that timetable. And I'm just happy to hear and really, you know, it really makes me somewhat emotional to get videos of him

and see him back on a mound and throwing a baseball because I know that's what makes him happy. And I know he's getting healthy. He's getting his arm back in good shape. And he's going to be back. And I can't wait for that day. His name is Ben Verlander. And Ben, your podcast, let everybody know where they can hear you? Of course, yeah.

It's with Fox Sports. It's called flipping bats pod on Apple, Spotify, wherever you listen to your podcast. And it's all about just talking about baseball in a fun way and talking to players and just being a younger voice and kind of making these players seem human and having locker room type conversations with them. And, yeah, so it's called flipping bat's pod. All right. We appreciate you, Ben.

Thanks a lot. Of course, man. I really appreciate you having me. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox SportsRadio.com. And within the IHeard Radio app, search FSR to listen live. 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-stand. 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. Adoption of teens from foster care is a topic not enough people know about and we're here to change that. I'm April Dinwiddie host of the new podcast, Navigating Adoption presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Each episode brings you compelling real-life adoption stories told by the families that live them with commentary from experts. Visit adoptuskids.org

or subscribe to navigating adoption presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families 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. 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? On the heels of one of the craziest trade deadlines in history, the contenders who added one of the 23 former All-Stars who swapped teams will look to make their playoff push over the next two months. The ringers Ben Lindberg had a fantastic breakdown of all the madness that transpired. According to baseball reference and their wins above replacement metric, there were more trades made in July, 62, and combined year-to-date war traded, 58.2, than any other year since the deadline was pushed to the end of July back in 1986. Considering the previous highs in trades were 46 in 2018 and 41.6 war in 2015, the 2021 deadline blew the other years out of the water. In total, 158 players or players to be named were moved by this year's deadline, easily blowing by the previous record of 128 in 2018. And 87 of those

were big league players, just eclipsing the record of 84 set in 2000. We saw six top 100 prospects dealt. Former Siong winners, former MVP's, former rookies of the year, gold glovers, hits leaders, postseason heroes. Hell, the Dodgers have 17 former all-stars on their roster now. And you can bet whoever ends up on top in October

will have made a big-time deal this past week. Take out the papers into trash. It's time for Trash Talk Twitter. Your chance to trash anyone or anything in Major League Baseball. This week's

trash comes from Benjamin Patrick at K.Y. Fit. And he sent this, quote, I would like to trash talk to Chicago Cubs brass. The long-suffering franchise breaks through after 108 years to win the World Series. Then five years later, they sell away every remnant of that glorious moment and historic season, including Chris Bryant. So there you go. Benjamin Patrick, not happy with the house cleaning by the Cubs at the trade deadline. If you want your trash to be read on Inside the Parker,

hit me up on my Twitter at Rob Parker FS1. 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, older new. All right, now let's welcome into the podcast, Ted Sobel, who's a long time Los Angeles Radio sportscaster and reporter. Also, he's written a new book called Touching Greatness, where he talks about the Hall of Famers and the legends that he's met throughout

his years of broadcasting, including a number of baseball players. And Ted, welcome to the podcast. How you doing, buddy? Great. Hear your voice again, Rob. It's always fun to talk baseball or anything with you, man. No doubt. Ted, tell me what made you write this book? And were you just thinking about all the people you had covered over the years and said, hey, because on the cover of the book, you have a picture of you and Kobe, and there's Aaron Rogers and Tiger Woods and Vince Scully and just a, you know, a slew of great players. What made you write this? Well, really, it's a combination of a lot of things, Rob.

So many times people have said to me, you have a million stories about this guy and that person and this event, and, you know, I've been around the world covering Wimbledon and the British Open and the Masters and Triple Crown of Horse Racing, a little bit of everything, and so many World Series and Super Bowls. And they said, you have a million stories. Why don't you write a book? and I started taking a few notes about 20 years ago,

put them on a bunch of just scratch sheets and threw them in a file in my drawer and forgot about it. And about five or six years ago, I thought, you know what, if I'm ever going to do it, I'll probably do it now. Well, I still have my memory, too. So I just went at it, and when I put my mind to it, I don't stop. So it took me several hundred hours to do it.

It was about a little over three years. And it's a culmination of, really, it's a prideful thing. You know, it's a legacy type of deal when you're gone. At least I left something. I don't have any kids. Nice. No, I hear you, my man. Tell me about Sandy Kofx is on the cover as well.

Is he the greatest baseball player, would you say that you've met? Or tell me your story with Sandy? Well, you know, I don't know about the greatest baseball player, because as you know, and you know more about baseball than most for sure. I don't always consider a pitcher being, an everyday player like is he better than Babe Ruth or Henry Aaron

it's hard to compare that but he's certainly one of the great pitchers I ever saw and I got a chance to see him pitch in the World Series in 1965 I saw him pitch several medium he's just a fascinating guy because he's a very quiet introvert

kind of person doesn't want to give the media any time because he's just private and that's the way he is and that's the way he's going to be. And that makes his legacy even more fascinating. Just for the fact, he's mysterious. Nobody really knows what's going inside Sandy Kofax because he doesn't tell us. So I think that will make him, and every time there's a book or there's a picture, it's almost like, you know, Where's Waldo? So he's a fascinating character, and I've had several interactions with him over the years, and he's just great to be around. It's one of those guys where you do, when you

walk away at sort of a almost a wow moment. No doubt about it. Ted Sobel is our guest here on the podcast. He has a new book out called Touching Greatness talking about Hall of Fame players he's covered over the years. Give me another baseball guy

that you appreciated in meeting throughout your career. Well, really my favorite player. And I have a whole chapter. As a kid growing up as Don Dry of the Dodgers, of course. Drysdale was the first pitcher I ever saw that I

recalled seeing in person at the Coliseum. He actually gave up home runs to Henry Aaron and Eddie Matthews in the first game I ever saw. And I'll never forget that and it was really an incredible opportunity. But last time I saw Henry Aaron at the Hodger Stadium in the World

Series when he was given up the and pay him Aaron Award, I call him Henry because it's been calling him Henry. I got you to tell him that the first game I ever went to was he, him held him home run against the Big D, and he had such a smile on his face. And that was really a fun little quitch that we had down in the bowels of the ravine. But Don Drysdale was my guy growing up.

I just loved the way he intimidated batters out there. And it just turned out to be one of those things where you were really lucky if you ever meet your idol. In this case, and that's part of the premise of my book. You know, there's a lot of people that they look up to, whether it's in sports, music, entertainment, or politics, or anything. And when you meet them, you're often disappointed, and I certainly was not disappointed with Don Drysdale, a fantastic guy. And just accommodating as a person, and I will never forget the many, many times that hang out with him in the press box at Dodgers Stadium or in Anaheim. And, you know, again, that's just a special moment when you can be appreciated by, the person that you always looked up to.

Ted, last thing, you're always out there at Dodgers Stadium. You cover the Dodgers. What about this franchise and what they did at the trade deadline? And have they turned, had the Dodgers turned into the evil empire? Are they the new New York? You know, they go out. They sign, you know, they go spend big money.

They had the blockbuster trade to get Turner and, of course, Scherzer from the Nationals. shook up Major League Baseball? Well, look, I guess a lot of our parents taught us if you've got it, flaunt it, so that's what the Dodgers are doing. And as far as their money is concerned, you can't blame them. They're just trying to win. And certainly if you're on just a regular roster guy and you're thinking,

this team really cares about winning, that's important in the clubhouse, as you know. So pick it up, Trey Turner and Max Scherzer is huge. Turner looks like if it works out, he could be the, the long-haul guy at shortstop because Corey Seeger's deal is going to have to be renewed soon, and he's got an injury history now, and I'm not so sure they want to give him a long-term deal. So that's going to be fascinating to see as we move forward. But right now, Max Scher is the guy that should be, you know, when you had Trevor Bauer go out the way he did,

and they really, they lost a couple of their potential aces this year due to injury. So let's see how much he fits in. but the Dodgers, I don't know, evil empire, maybe that's a little bit of a stretch. But people hate it when teams flaunt their money and able to win a championship because of it. But look, the Dodgers have been good for a long time now, especially the last decade.

Why not go for it again? All right. His name is Ted Sobel. His book, Touching Greatness. Pick it up, Ted. People can get it everywhere. Where can they pick up your book? Right now, actually, it's not in bookstores yet.

It's on Amazon. And at the publisher's website at Coaches, C-O-A-C-H-E-S-coacheschoice.com, but Amazon's the place. And I hope everybody gets a chance to touch greatness with me. All right. Thanks, Ted. Appreciate it. Good luck with the book. And thanks for the book.

It's a good read. Absolutely. My pleasure, Rob. We'll see you soon. That ball is. It was a big week in the big leagues. Who's up? Who's up?

Or is it fair? And now from MLB-B-B-B-B-B-B-D-B-R-E. Here's J.R. Gamble. J.R. Greg Allen has been a spark plug for the Yankees since being called up on July 16th. Is it foul or fair that with the addition of Joey Gallo and Aaron Judge returning from injury, that Allen has to be the fourth outfielder behind old man Brett Gardner? That's foul. That is a foul ball.

This obsession with Brett Gardner, who is over the hill and his best days way behind him, is unfathomable to me. The guy is in his 14th season, and he's hitting 199 for Christ's sakes. It's time to pull the plug and let the younger, more athletic, and hungry of player Greg Allen get his shot. In 44 at bats, Allen has stolen five bases, and he's hitting a respectable 260. and he's been an obvious energy booster for the team. He's not a rookie. He's 28 years old and in his fifth season. He's just never really gotten a shot to play every day.

The trade and a sore knee have slowed him down, but Gerardi needs to find space for him. Was the Gallo trade even needed? Even Yankee fans and announcers understood that the metrics-based marketing, that has become the former Yankees dynasty needed a facelift. That's all they were talking about

is the need to get more athletic, get more speed, acquire more juice in the lineup. Then they went out and got Anthony Rizzo. Okay, he's slow as heck, but he's a baller and he stabilizes first base. But Joey Gallo, another boom or bust hitter,

taking time away from a multi-deprived. dimensional guy like Alan, go figure. Yankees, play this man, Greg Allen. You're being stubborn and too worried about beating up on Giancarlo's stanton to focus on how to improve the team with players like Allen. They make a difference. Now bring in the closer. Track one, right two, right three.

Here's why MLB is better than the NFL or NBA. And it isn't even close. Reason number 1,015, why baseball is better than the NBA and the NFL, especially during this time, the NFL. Stop with how popular football is and all that. Most people never put on a helmet and never put on shoulder pads and have never been tackled. Okay? But most people in this country have played baseball or softball or hit a ball or caught a ball.

and that's why it's America's pastime. That's why when we watch in the Olympics, we see Olympic baseball. We don't see Olympic football. What? Most countries around the world, they don't even know what that is. Football is soccer.

Baseball reigns supreme. It was born here. It's translated all over the world. Look at all the great players now coming in from all over Japan and all over South America. I mean, it's incredible how the game started by Abner Doubleday has resonated across the globe. Yes, baseball is the national pastime. Do not forget that, all right?

Football's about gambling. Oh, I'm sorry. Football's a great game. My second favorite. But baseball will always be number one. 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. Get right to the romance and find the way to wow this valentines with 1,800flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries,

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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. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me.

84 is 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. It 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. 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. Human 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, 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 Clifford 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.