The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Day 2 At Spring Training: Astros Bring In Gold Glove Winning 2B, MAJOR Changes Coming To Texans Stadium

Episode Date: February 19, 2025

Matt Thomas and Ross Villarreal of "The Matt Thomas Show with Ross" go LIVE from the second day of full-squad workouts at the Astros spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Florida. Matt and Ross talk with pitcher Hayden Wesneski, manager Joe Espada and top prospect Cam Smith about the upcoming season. Matt and Ross also:discuss the latest plans for Jose Altuve to spend time in left fieldreact to a report that says the Texans will either look to renovate NRG Stadium or build a completely new stadium in the futurecomment on Pat Mahomes Sr. telling a court that the scuffle with John Rocker in New Orleans was staged to avoid violating his probationtalk about missing R&B singer Ne-Yo's visit to the Houston officetell people to "Shut Yo Bum Ass Up, Ain't Nobody Got Time" and more.

Lunch timers. This is the Matt Thomas show. 10-1 in H-town. Good morning. And welcome to a Wednesday edition of the Matt Thomas show at Ross from West Palm Beach, Florida. This is Sports Talk 790. Marlowe's 3-1. And Alvarez hits it well and hits it deep to right center.

This is goodbye. Over the Astros. The Astros hit a walk-off homer, and they beat the Kansas City Royal. by a final of 7 to 6. Alvarez's 24th home run of the year is the first walk-off home run of his big league career. Allen with the high set. A look to second, now the pitch.

And McCormick hits it in the year to right. It sends back McCarthy on the warning track at the wall. See you later! We're tied at two. Chas McCormick goes deep, a two-run shot. McCormick's 14th of the year. Two to two. 10th opposite field home run on the season for McCormick and none bigger than that one

pitch on the way breaking ball and that's hammered deep to left field and you can kiss that one goodbye off the community leader signs three-run blast for Jake Myers and the Astros lead five to three well you saw the bat coming alive in that series against the white socks it had been a struggle here in the month of June but Jake Myers able to Crank that one out. Ball that was a little bit in where he likes it. Gets it out of here, and the Astros come back and now are on top. The curveball from Rodriguez, Myers, all over it on that first pitch.

He can play the home to talk like anything. Two special things open up the show today. One, a song with dire straits. We don't play them a lot of the program. And second of all, a June Jake Myers highlight, Sports RV as a president of Jake Myers fan club. Must be pleased. One of the greatest of all time, Jake Myers. By the way, we are going to have a meeting tomorrow, the Jake Myers fan club.

It will be in the clubhouse tomorrow morning when we get here at a clock local time. So I'm going to let Ross Fawn over Jake over about three or four minutes tomorrow. I've interviewed him like three times, Matt. Yeah, but we're going to do it tomorrow. Have you had a fan club meeting yet? No. Have you talked about the enrollment fees? Have you talked about the bylaw changes?

There haven't been any bylaw changes. You love Jake, you're in. That's all it takes? If you respect Jake, you're in. If you love him in May, you better love him in June, July, August, September. It's a little harder to love him in June. Well, that's when the club becomes a more intimate group. It's easy to love your child when they're on the honor roll, Matt.

You've got to love them, too, when they're acting up in class. When they go to in-school suspension, I see how it is. All right, turn me up just all scosh your local. Thank you very much. Okay, are you all right? Yeah, I'm doing good. People, for those of you don't know, Matt is just like, he's very nitpicking. with his levels.

He makes me do it like I'm a little level. I'll do it if I'll me do it. You are my levels, bitch, but that's a different issue for a different time. We are here in West Paul Beach where it is a ridiculously sunny day. It is still very, very windy. So if we get blown away, it is what it is. It was a good run while it lasted. I did the pre-show tweet outside one of the many man-made lakes outside here of this ballpark,

which has a corporate sponsor to it since we don't spend any money with this. We're not going to get the run. But the third. thing that bothers me and I don't know this and we'll get to obviously some sports headlines we have a lot to get to today these are man-made little areas that say watch out for gators yes stay danger stay away from the water alligators in the area do not feed the wildlife how do the gators get from inside the gates to this small area of water well now he in a florida mat the gators go where the gators want to go i mean do they cross the street at

the gators are looking for water they're looking for place to the sunbathe, then for food. And if they're hungry, the gaiters are going to find the water. Why are we doing K Lafayette Radio? I don't know. Point being is this. You take 95, you get off at 45th Street. You take 45th Street to Havahill.

You turn left. You turn left again into the complex. A gator doesn't know that. No, he doesn't. So help me out again. He's not coming to check out the games. The gator's not heading over to see what Altuve looks like and left. But how does the gators get past security?

I don't know. Maybe it's just in case. In case of what? I think it'd be humanly impossible for a pair for gators to come to. No, sir. See, you're thinking this from a practical standpoint. Of course I am. You're not thinking of this from the legal department standpoint.

Oh, I see. The one in a million chance that a, that a gator gets over in this little made-made pond and eats up somebody's toddler, then you're going to get sued, Matt. So if your toddler gets eaten at a spring training game, it's not on the Astros of the National. is what you're trying to tell me. They're saying legally, read the sign. We had our quote-unquote basis covered. Yes, exactly.

All right. These are things I guess. Same thing. There's a Marriott at the Orlando Airport. For those of you've gone to Orlando before, same thing. There's a pond next to the airport, next to a runway. How does the Gator get from the runway to the pond to the airport? Gator's a resourceful.

I don't know they've lived for 500 million years so they can make it anywhere, basically. I get it in the Everglades. You got to worry about it. Yeah. But I just don't get it here. Okay. These are the things I just don't get. Uh-oh, that'll be tomorrow.

That'll be tomorrow. All right, on the radio program today, you will hear from... Manager Joe Espioness Spott is going to come by and say hello to us for a few minutes. Yes. You will hear from Spencer Erigetti. Spencer Erigetti? Okay. I thought it was more a Spencer Edegetti.

Can we get away from spaghetti puns with him? It's too on the nose. It's too easy. Low-hanging fruit, as they say. And we never take low-hanging fruit on this show. We are the official low-hanging fruit station. Yeah. Okay, here's a good.

Spencer Arrogatee from Savannah, Georgia. No, it doesn't sound right. Sounds like he's from Tuscana. Well, I'm trying to change it. Yeah, you're right. All right, so Spencer... Why don't we make him Irish? Oh, Spencer Heronigetti.

From Dublin? From Belfast. I always say Dublin, so I'd had to learn other cities in Ireland. Oh, yeah, from Limerick. All right, so Spencer Arrogate is going to join the show today. Yes. The future? Third baseman outfielder for the Astros,

Cam Smith's going to come by. Oh, I'm sure going to say Brendan Rogers. No, I don't think he's going to, I don't think he's here in camp just yet. The Astros did make a signing yesterday of Brendan Rogers, who if he walked up and said, Hi, Matt, I'm Brendan. I would say, hi, Brendan, what do you do for a living?

And I just said, well, I was a gold Glover with the Colorado Rockies in 2022. And my OPS at Coorsfield was like 1100. My OPS outside of Coorsfield, 423. Not just making that. It's not that. stark of a difference, but it's not great. It's significant. It's not great.

So we'll hear from him today. We also have shut you up on my ass up today at 1130, but I got time for that as well. Plus the news at noon, and you don't ever know what's going to happen. Surprise guest, ideas, thoughts, and we have some interesting Texans off-the-field news to get to. Something, frankly, I knew was going to happen.

I've been predicting it for a long period of time, and where there is smoke, there's going to be eventually a big fire. And I told you this before the show started today. As a young man in this business, I spent basically five years talking about stadiums and who should pay for them. We might be having some more of that coming up in the foreseeable future, so get ready for that. It will exhaust you. You think arguing about whether or not Matt Chob is a league quarterback exhaust you?

It did. You think about whether or not the Astros should go make a trade before the deadline should exhaust you? You think whether or not Alperin Shangoon is a Hall of Fame already is going to exhaust you. Joey Lopof Fido is a Hall of Famer. This will seriously exhaust you. So that will be coming up on the radio program. Plus, it didn't take long for two old athletes to get exposed for the frauds that they are. Huh.

That's a professional radio tease. I'm intrigued, Matthew. And I want you to look at it is because when I tell you who is involving, you be like, I should have figured this out. Okay. Because I feel stupid for you to bring it up a couple of days ago on the show. We'd love for you to be a part of our radio program at 713-212-2-5-7-9. 97-13-212-1-2-5-790.

If you want to visit with us through Twitter, you may do that as well. At SportsMT, at SportsRV, and at Connor D. McGovern. Headlines here today, nothing really notable except for when Jose Al-Tube makes his debut in spring training, he'll probably be penciled in as a lead-off hitter. That's no surprise. No. But the surprise will be he will be penciled in in the seven position on your scorecard, which is left field. A bit of a surprise, but Joe Espott is saying today, that is what's going to happen, and will that game be LTV?

I don't know. I don't know. Well, they haven't decided when you... I know where you can't catch it. All the games. Live and tape delay on sports talk. Every game. Every single game.

Yes. Even, I believe, the space cowboy games, too. Really? Like the two games they play in the three season. We are your home for Astros baseball. Yeah, all 162 regular season, and of course, I think what, 99% of the, you know, Spring training games? I had two postseason games last year.

Yeah, it was two. Could have been 10. Should have been 10. We'll talk more about that. But the reality is this. And I'm not kidding you when I say this. You're always trying to find some storylines. There is no other storyline than the right side of the infield who's going to play the most second base,

which I think at this point is going to be probably Mauricio Duvon. And how Tuba is going to be in left field? You tell me, am I missing anything at this point? I mean, minor storyline. Very minor. You know what? Well, as the radio professionals, we are, man. Right.

Let's pretend that that is not the top storyline. Okay. What would it be? Maybe Chas McCormick in right field. To me, the only storyline beyond that is staying in the outfield. Will McCormick be able to hold on the right field? Will Jake Myers' bat be able to hold him into center field? And the reality is, if those three,

including Altube in the mix, can't defensively and offensively produce, and I think Josel will still be able to do that. Are you looking at a situation where you might have to go bring up a minor leagueer one of the phenoms sooner than maybe they're ready? I don't think they'll do it sooner, but I got the impression from Dana. We talked to him on the show yesterday that there will be no holding back. There'll be no, none of this, well, I've got to watch for a super two time or worry about his clock. They know that the outfield, as it currently is put together,

is not something probably for the long term. I don't know if Jake Myers and Chas McCormick would feel that way at this point, but the reality is they're going to get every opportunity to be the starting out feel for the foreseeable future until those guys we've talked about. The Bryce Matthews, the Jacob Melton's, the Cam Smiths are ready to come contribute at the Major League level. I believe you are correct, and he is going to Dana Brown and has a track record of being aggressive and we expect it to continue. Yep. All right, 713-212-5-790. If you've got something Astro-related, you want to talk about.

about today on the show. We are here for you. Again, we are 90% about what's happening with the baseball team because we are here in West Palm Beach. But there is an interesting story today in the Houston Chronicle that we'll discuss when we return. And it's about that certain

facility in the dumpy part of Houston. Great stadium. Needs improvements. Do you want to pay for it? No. Or do you want a new palace? And if you build the palace, who will pay for it?

What's the segment we have signature on Wednesdays, Matt? Shut your bum ass out. Yeah, okay. Are you going to tell your favorite team, their ownership? I have Battle Red Ross. Stay, we'll get to it, and then we'll let you hold on to your commentary. Oh, well, we may not be able to do that. 713-1-2-5-790.

Matt and Ross with you from West Palm Beach as you listen to Sports Talk 790. This is the Matt Thomas show with Ross on Sports Talk 790. Matt and Ross with you from West Palm Beach. Lots of Astro chatter over the next three hours and 40 minutes of this radio. We go four hours. Wow. Love it. People love us so much.

They need four hours of this radio show. We're like the extended edition of Lord of the Rings movies. Four hours. Let's go. Yeah. You know when the Today show went to four hours, they broke it up. They had different people host the final hours of the show. They had like Jenna Bush host a show for an hour.

I didn't know that. Yeah. What about Jeb Bush? I think Jeb's in government still, or at least was, right? All right. So, I've been telling you folks about this for quite some period of time, and it's not because I'm not an insider on this. I just read the T-Leaps, right?

You read T-Leaps, correct? Sometimes. And I see things and hear things and put two and two together, and most times I get five. But John Alexander, who's on the Texans beat, writes a story alongside there was somebody else that writes it with them.

It's kind of weird. Oh, Dylan. Dylan McGuinness. Oh, Dylan McGillis. He's a nice jungle head from Limerick. I feel like we're going to have Dylan McGuinness on the show occasionally. I'd love to have Dylan McGillis on the show. We'll have a pint to talk about some Texan stadiums.

So they have an exclusive story, which is not longer exclusive because we're going to be talking about it. Here's the headline. The Houston Texans may seek public money to build new football stadium. I knew this was going to happen. They did an internal study. Now, again, I don't know if it was audited by anybody, if they really went outside of it, that says that, and again, I'm just having to paraphrase a little bit here,

the story is available in the Chronicle. They're saying over the next 30 years of the stadium, it's going to take $1.4 billion in renovations. Wow. Okay. So again, I don't know who's verifying that. This has just done a decision. This was according to a recent assessment.

And what they want is they want all the bells and whistles of the new stadiums. You have a new stadium in Minneapolis. You have a new stadium coming up in Buffalo. You've got SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. You've got Allegiance Stadium in Las Vegas. The Superdome just spent $560 million to renovate their facility. Wow. And that's a second renovation since Katrina.

So they've had two different renovations. Since NRG has not been renovated. Correct. NRG has not gone through renovation. Okay. And renovation is what the makes world goes around. Kyle Field, Darrell K. Royal. Yes.

All these old majestic stadiums. For Tita Center? Not for Tita Center. The Toyota Center is about to go through a rebuild. Oh. In the next couple of years, you've already seen the scoreboard. You're going to see more additions. Look, shelf life structurally is one thing.

Bells and whistles, Ross, are a number. other. Okay. And NRG has zero bells and whistles compared to the other places. Uh-huh. Well, Hannah and Canada, Cal, I should call him Cala. Hannah and Cal traveled every game. Yes. They get to see what other stadiums are doing. When Hannah's not sleeping. Like she was at Soldier Field. Yeah, that was a while ago. She's been wide awake ever since. That's good. In fact, she's so wide a week to go, Cal, we need some modern.

amenities. Yes, and you ask why do they need those modern amenities? It's because they want to be considered for things like the Olympics, the World Cup. Correct. Super Bowls. We, by the way, for Houston, are out of the rotation. We're never getting back in as energy is currently put together. It's not happening.

Yes. And I don't know if you build something just for one event, but you could say there is obviously an economic advantage to it now. The economist in the story that Alexander wrote and along with the other guy McGinnis says that the people, that they ask about the economic impact for such events to Super Bowls likely inflate their total because they're told to inflate the total. There's a lot of, not a lot of cross-checking

with this kind of stuff. Okay. So, you have to take everything with a grain of salt. You'd be foolish not to say that a Super Bowl does not bring hundreds of millions of dollars of the city. That's foolish not to think that there's not to it. But do you do it at a cost of what it costs to begin with? Again, that's

semantics. The reality is this. If you're going to spend $1.4 billion over 30 years to fix it, how do you weigh that against, let's get out of here. Let's go build our own palace for three, Billy, and put in all the bells and whistles we think we need to compete with the other stadiums around the national football, the other large venues, so that Taylor Swift comes to our building three times a year,

so that World Cup will think about us, so will major events like conventions and big fights like they had at 18. I mean, look, AT&T Stadium in Arlington gets everything. I mean, they, because it's a, it's a palace. It's got every bell and whistle that, first of all, it's got 100,000 seats. Second of all, it's got amazing premium seating. It's got more clubs you can possibly stand. And so when in doubt, NRG goes and competes against AT&T Stadium, SOFI, Vegas.

You're going to lose every single time. Plus, as other cities, frankly, have more of an entertainment aspect, especially Las Vegas and Los Angeles, do as compared to that. Dallas and Houston. But Dallas's facility is so strong that they're never going to not be in the mix on these things. Yeah. So it's going to come down to, ladies and gentlemen, two things. Do you spend the money, they being you and me, on refurbishing energy,

or does Hannah and Cal say, you know what, bro? We love you, Houston. We love you, Darlene. We love you, Battle Red Ross. We need our own facility with our own bells and whistles that we don't have to share with the rodeo so we can build this amazing new facility that everybody else has. So you can enjoy Texans football in the creature comforts and being able to walk on the field with the guys

and shake their hand as they get ready for pre-game warmups. So I'm what's going to tell you, Ross, you and I don't have the finances on it, and we're not going to get in the weeds on this just yet. But this is coming. I pulled up a couple things. Yeah. The two most recent stadiums to open up were Allegiance Stadium in Las Vegas

and SoFi Stadium in Eaglewood for L.A. Yeah. A SoFi Stadium cost $6 to $7 billion estimated to build. And that's because cost of real estate in Los Angeles is significantly higher than would be in Houston. So Las Vegas, it was $2.2 million. Billions. Right, right. And a smaller area of land, too, by the way.

Yes. It's literally the stadium and that's it. There's no parking lots really to speak of. They want everybody that lives or works in Vegas that goes to Allegiance Stadium, they want you to go stay at the hotels and let the hotels take advantage. the parking mean going in their casinos and make some money the Mercedes Ben Stadium Atlanta cost about $2 billion

Yeah so the issue is 1.4 to fix up over 30 years fix up NRG or build your own new place There's a segment of the population that's listening to the show right now going the hell with you

because here's the reality of it most stadiums not everything most stadiums are a partnership between the private sector and the ownership group and government. So it's a combination. Yeah, it's mentioned in the article by Jonathan Alexander

that there was $1.26 billion in public money for the Tennessee Titans Stadium. Yeah. So let me give you the but part of this. If there is any sports league, any individual sports franchise that can handle building a stadium on their own to reap all the benefits of their own.

It would be a National Football League franchise. So if you said, we'll give you the land, you build everything else, the Texans could say, all right, we'll pick up all the costs, but every single dollar that comes in, it's coming right to us. And I don't know how the logistics of that.

You and I are not a counselor or CPAs when Bill to figure that out. I'm just telling you the Texans have got to be very careful about this. Very, very careful. the NFL, I will, I will, this is put your name on it to the 10,000th degree. The NFL is not allowing the Texans to leave Houston. It ain't happening.

First of all, there's not that many places that can justify an NFL franchise? Is there a city in America that right now doesn't have an NFL team that probably deserves one? Portland doesn't have enough people to do it. No, they have a facility. They have nothing close to facility. So I'm not worried about Portland. Austin's not happening. You could worry about Mexico City.

You could worry about, that would be interesting. Toronto's not ready. Mexico City, I think, would present. its own issues. But I'm putting my name on, they're not leaving. So I don't want to think about that. The question is going to be, how do you massage the public that loves your football team, that loves the rodeo, that loves the Texans against, A, public money being spent,

and B, it's a lot harder of a sale, Ross, when you've come off championships, and you've come off consistent winning. The team is playing better now. two years and it did in the previous five. But there's still no AFC championship. There's no Super Bowl. Winning helps everybody, even in the pocketbook. Unless you're in Kansas City.

Didn't they vote against public money for the Kansas City? Arrowhead expansions or something like that, renovations? Yeah. Even winning doesn't solve everything. So I don't have any opinion on this except to say that when I saw the story this morning when I woke up, I'm like, zero surprise. And it's going to be something that's going to be brought up. Not every single day.

But we better be ready for a plan at some point because I don't think, here's the thing, another thing in the story they brought up. If they go ahead and refurbish NRG, something's going to have to be affected by it. Rodeo scheduling or the Texan scheduling. Somebody's going to have to say, all right, we're giving up our events so you can refurbish the facility. Who's going to do that? I don't know. Maybe you do it in the summertime.

You know, but whatever. You're going to need the stadium empty at some point to fix it. Months and months. You started after the, I don't know how long renovations to take. It all depends. I mean, it could take years. So you'd probably do it after the rodeo and then. But do you put lipstick on a pig?

And I'm going to missing energy is a pig. But is it worth it? Now, they've had some college football playoffs recently. But that's done too. The energy is we currently, and it's currently constructed, and as it's working, will never host a major, major sporting event. It may get some Cope America games and some of your soccer events. Yes, have that.

But they'll get that. But that's not a long term. They got passed over for World Cup. Right. Right? There's a couple games. Well, they're mine. They wanted the final, I think, is what they wanted.

Right. Exactly. It's in Dallas. Yeah. So I'm just saying, are we ready for this Houston? For us, for us, some of us, oh, geez? No, I'd rather not. It's exhausting, Ross.

It just is. I know. I'm just going to say, let's not worry about it. Okay. NFL's printing money. Build your own stadium. What precedent is there for that? All right.

Did the Raiders get public money? That I don't know. And again, I don't want to get... Did Arthur Blank get public money? I had to figure this out. Yeah. There are most stadiums do get public money. Some do it on their own, but most get public money.

So just throwing that out there as a, not kind of a told you so, but it seems about it. My personal belief is, this is just me just talking about this, if you're going to give the Texans a new stadium, which I think they're going to get at some point, because it is the NFL, and you do, and I told you just before, and I get some people that live over there get mad at me, but, you know, you can't be pleased with me all the time. I would get rid of NRG Stadium. I would get out of that area. I'd go to the west side or the northwest side or a big plot of land and create,

my little Megaplex. Because I think over there at OST, South Loop, 288, and ain't it. I would not want to put a lot of money into that area knowing that people, generally speaking, go to the game and come right back out. $200 million in public funding for Atlanta? Dropping a hat.

750 million public funding for Nevada, Las Vegas. Yes, every city is different. All right, let's take a time out here on the Matt Thomas show. Ross 1032 is our time. If you want to join our conversation, you may do so. At 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. There may be some of you out there going.

You know what? Go build a palace at, I don't know, what would you say? Clay Road and the Beltway. Huh. I'm just throwing up. Okay, that is very random. Very random. A lot of warehouses out there.

Build your Megaplex. Build your bars, restaurants, hotels. do what Jerry World's doing up in Dallas. Let's go. Or do you say, you know what? You want that damn? You pay it for yourself. You're going to need hotel rooms by there.

Yeah, you're in everything. You're in everything. Just like that. I mean, Jerry, the Texas live stuff is obviously very popular. And that was built in Arlington. Not even close to downtown Dallas. 1132. 10.32.

713212-5-790. 7-1-3-19 with Ross. I'm Matt. And this is Sports Talk 790. 1037, Sports Talk, 790. It is the Matt Thomas show. Ross. We have open lines available, as we normally do, because

nobody likes us anymore, Ross. They don't like the 10 o'clock hour. Oh, please. Everybody loves you, Matt. No, they don't. They love you. I'm getting annihilated on Twitter with this picture of you and me. No, you're not. What are you talking about? All right. Have you, if you've not seen it yet, there is a photo

that, is it on your Twitter account or is it on Sports Talk 790? Follow at Sports Talk 790. All right. There's a photo of me asking a question to Joe Espada, and you put no caption, please captioned this. Yeah, I said captioned this photo, SportsMT. And go ahead and read.

I'm sorry, whoever our social media person is did that. We don't have a social media person. Okay, with me. So go ahead and read the responses so far. Let's see. What have we got so far? Tiffany 722 says those lips. What about my lips?

What's the matter of my lips? Well, it looks like Joe Espada is pursing his lips a little because he's talking. Oh, it's on about him or me? Yeah, I was looking at my lips. I think my lips are okay. I don't know. I didn't say a word. I didn't say a word.

That was fine. Let's see. Valerie says, I left my tan back in 2024. I hope I'm not blinding you. That's kind of rude. It is. You know what I tried to put the legs out yesterday, and it didn't work. You didn't get them.

Well, it takes days, Matt. You got to put work in. Come on now. All right. Let's see. This is a good one from James. How do you and the team plan to proceed until the McRib is back? That's genius right there, James.

Shout out to you, my friend. Let's see. Houston Stresson says, sir, this is a Wendy's. I don't get that. It's a common phrase, but it doesn't really apply here. But that's okay. Kenny says, I don't know how to put this, but I'm kind of a big deal. People know me. Very important.

I have many leather-bound books and my house smells of rich mahogany. Rich mahogany. Definitely the house smells of rich mahogany. That's what Justin Verlinder put on his Twitter. Slim's caption was, is a hot. dog a sandwich again you can find the photo at sports talk seven add your captions well and if you're funny we'll give you run if you're mean to me we'll make fun of you no if you're mean to me if you're mean that i will definitely you'll definitely like you's what you're doing it on air

if it's rude than anything else that's not sorry okay unless it's like really mean spirited yep all right uh so we are here in west palm and again the guest's too will start coming in once they finish their workouts today uh they had a little media workshop before the game today how to deal with the media. And they did it. And I'm not trying to get away any company secrets here, but they said,

look, you are obviously, when you speak, you are a way to promote and market the baseball team in good times and bad. People are getting more forgiving. Frankly, the media would be more forgiving

if you address things in good times and bad. And I think the Astros typically have been pretty good about it. I wouldn't say they're a 10, but they're not certainly a one or a two. Yeah, they didn't go full Aggie baseball? Oh, by the way, did you see that?

And Phil's, I don't know. Aggie baseball last weekend said in their media guidelines that Aggie baseball players will only speak when they win. Yes. Which. That's not what they say, but that's effectively what they said. That's what they, yeah, right. After victories. Their wording was after losses, they will not be made available.

Right. Which means like we're only going to, what you said. They're only going to speak when they win. Right. Which is weak. Which is horse blank. And, you know, my son's an Aggie and my middle. one is and we are all things that we love him and he's going to graduate in may and very excited

about that but it's bush league it's absolutely ridiculous well thankfully 24 hours after that after getting crushed by everyone literally everybody and again it's not one of those situations that you can't sleep at night over this but you got grown-ass men and their 2019 20 21 have to learn that every conversation you have in life is it going to be about glory and rainbows and sunshines and butterflies that you're going to lose a game seven to three you can give up a grand slam of the ninth inning and you got to talk about it now the reporters are going to go to these 19 20 21 year old kids they're not going to be like what the hell were you thinking like we've i can tell you this i have been doing this for 30 years and i've been a lot of clubhouse in my life i've never in my entire life heard one

person go into a room and say josh hater what was that why couldn't you find the strike zone I mean, that's not how human beings operate. No. Now, you may be in an office where you've got a D-bag for a boss and says, why don't you hit your number? Or what did you say to that client? I mean, that can happen. But in our world of sports media, we're not going to do that.

And especially we're not going to do it for kids. But they're not kids anymore because they're frankly, probably that A&M roster is full of NAL money. So they're employees now. They're doing very well. So thankfully, A&M changed their stance and said, yes, we will make them available even losses. And look, A&M baseball is going to probably be a top 10 program this year. So there's not going to be a lot of losses.

Yeah, I want to say they're even top five. Yeah, that could be very, very good. So I just, so I hope that the Astros, and we're not going to talk to the guys about, I think that's her own private thing. But it is nice that somebody had said, hey, we need to do a better job because what they did is they're going to say, look, if you talk now and eloquently speak about your team, a lot of you are looking for life after baseball. One of the things you can do is work on your media training skills and work and become – because guys like Brian Bogusevic, Steve Sparks, Jeff Blum.

Jeff Blum are just in this baseball team, former Astros that have been through this. And every baseball team has got broadcasters that have worked for those teams, and they've got other jobs. They could be analysts on networks. They can do local radio. They can do national radio. They can be just, you know, pre-game post-game guys. there's plenty of jobs available for you if you want to stay in baseball and yet not go to the grind of being a coach or a manager so

I hope they take it seriously and I think Christian Walker ran on the show yesterday was very good I think Spencer Eragher when you guys hear him today he's destined for for television after his career is done he's really good now the question will be was will he keep his main at that point I hope so looks good who's got the best main in television he's at the best main in television he did oh you mean on TV as far as an Oh, yeah? I don't think there's many anybody else anymore.

Like Barry Melrose when he was an NHL analyst in ESPN, his mane was incredible. John Cruck, did he have a Maine when he was going? That was just a player, though. Yeah. We got to bring it back. You know what? We get you on TV. You got your going.

I'd free fall that bad boy. I don't know if I've been on TV ever, really. These glasses you wear are mesmerizing. Why? I'm just staring at you. It's just unbelievable. Well, it's sunny out here. I got sunglasses.

Well, I should have brought mine because I can't see a damn thing at this point. All right. You know what? I almost brought two pairs just for you, but I didn't. I should have. That's fine. That's fine. You've never really cared about me much anyway. Oh, my God.

All I do is take care of you. You do. Thank you very much. 1044 on Sports Talk 7. We're here at West Palm Beach, some of those players will stop by and say, look, I'm Cam Smith. I'm looking forward to seeing because every time I get a photo from McTaggart or Chandler Rome or somebody talking about or looking at Cam Smith, they're like the guy is cut.

He and Desenzo could be the, the WWE tag team champions. I agree. Absolutely. They could even be, I feel like they can get 10 rebounds a game in the league. Yeah, it's a vote to ask him about that. But apparently, Campton is the guy we're all going to fall in love with

because he's going to be really good and he's a good, well-spoken guy. All right, 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-2-1-2-5-7-90. When we come back, a manufactured argument turned out to be completely bogus and people found out about it. We'll tell you about that next. It's the Matt Thomasville Ross here from West Paul Beach on Sports Talk 790. Matt and Ross returned.

Return on Sports Talk 790. Joe Espite is going to join us on the show today. Spencer Araggetty, Cam Smith. We got Chet Joe Obama up coming up at 1130 today. The news at noon. We didn't do NFL rewind yesterday, but we had baseball stuff to get to. We'll get back to the rewind next week, don't you think? Sounds good.

We do have a football story to tell you about. A football and baseball story, actually. You ready for this? Yes. I remember that fight that was outside of New Orleans at the Super Bowl involving Pat Mahomes, Sr. and John Rocker? Yes. Well, it created quite a stir. Oh, no.

And John Rocker went to Pat Mahomes on Twitter and attacked him. Oh, no. Pat Mahom Sr. went back and attacked at John Rocker. Rossi was a bit. It was all a grift. It was all a grift. A work as the kids would stay in wrestling. Let me explain why.

Apparently that fight was a potential violation of Pat Mahom Sr.'s probation. He's currently on probation after third D-WI. Wow, his son's got three Super Bowls and he's got three DUIs. Yep. The fight arguably violated the terms of its limited freedom. Pat Mahom Sr. told the court last week the fight was, quote, a stage promotion for an April boxing match with Rocker at Barstools Rough and Rowdy. The contract showed the court was signed back on January the 17th.

It does keep Mahomes out of jail, but exposes the whole thing as a ruse almost aimed at hyping the fight. Not almost. It did hype it. So they are still, their fight is still on, though? Mahomes, Sr. is due to make at least $85,000 for the fight. He could get more money depending on the pay-per-view numbers. All right.

Come on. Let me tell you some America. He's a cut of a check. First of all, Pat Mahomes, Jr. has to be completely and utterly embarrassed. When you're an adult and your kids do stupid things like insult the teacher or pick a fight, you have to tell little Mikey or little Christy, stop. To have to do it as an adult to your parent to say, look, I've got more money than God.

If you need that much money, here's a check. Just go away. First of all, Pat Mahom Sr. was a majorly-based. basketball player. Didn't make crazy money, but he wasn't like he was broke. Well, maybe he, clearly he's broke. Well, yeah, you must be. And when the first DWI took place, do you kind of shake yourself and say, man, I've got to fix this? Yeah. The second one's like, man, I bet. That should be a real wake-up call. That's strike two. You get using baseball vernacular, three strikes in your round. He gets a third. And he was like,

yeah, I know I'm on probation. I probably should be in jail. I'm assuming that most people to get the third DWI have some sort of prison sentence coming their way, or some time of time in jail. He did that for $85,000 when the son is worth a half billion dollars right now? I mean, come on. That's interesting because, I mean, if you are

if you are Pat Mahomes, I mean, do you put your parents on salary? What do you do with that anyways? Give him money? I mean, has he maybe come to Pat Mahomes for money a bunch of times? And he said, no, I can't do it anymore. I'm trying to figure this out. Well, that makes sense of this. So let's deduce this being far from the situation. Yes.

My guess is that Pat the Home Senior has done this to go to son and say, I need some money. And the son's like, come on, Dad. No. You've got a lot of issues in your life. And until you get your life fixed up, my money is off limits. There could be something like that. Absolutely.

There could be a situation where he said, hey, I can't take care of you a list. If I had a parent that had three DWIs. Yeah. and didn't learn after the first one. I'd have a real problem with that having a relationship with my parent. But because of what he just did, I didn't even mention, look, I'll be truthful with you. I didn't know that Pat Mahomes Sr. had three DWIs. Oh, I did.

I don't know if America knew. Clearly, Chiefs fans probably knew because of the name of Holmes. But I don't know if the average, if you went to a bar and said, you know Pat Mahomes Sr. The third one was recent, right? It made news. It might have been, for sure. I'm just telling you, I didn't know to it. But now I clearly know.

And I'll never forget it because this got out, and they fought with John. I mean, again, who are you in bed with when it comes to this? I mean, John Rocker? I mean, come on. As we said, John Rocker looks like he's on Royds. Like, he looks like he's ready to whip some ass. I don't care if he's flabby or doughy or ripped.

Pat Mahom Sr. Do you need the 85 Gs? I mean, that's what I'm, if I'm junior, I'm like, do you need the 85 Gs that bad? I guess he does. And you could be right on track with the situation of where it's like, I'm cutting you off until I see some improvement in the day-to-day life or something. We don't know. We're speculating.

I don't follow Pat on Twitter or any of his social. I don't know if he's, do you? But I don't know if he said anything publicly about. I certainly don't have to see anything. But you got to be better than that. How about just fix your life and establish a relationship with your kid? If there is one, I don't know if there is. but Pat Mahomes Jr. is being drug

through this because of dad's assinine first of all idea. And then if you do the fight, that's stupid in itself. But to stage something and then go to Twitter to have a quote-unquote beef over it? 2025. Got to draw up interest somehow. It's like these fighters and these boxers and UFC,

how they get in Twitter fights. To be honest with you, I mean, I wasn't going to buy it anyway. but if you would have told me there was a fight between those two without all this I would have not bought it anyway this latest stuff the fake fight of New Orleans the Twitter beef didn't make me want to go

ooh that's got something I got to buy now not you but they probably get whatever number that was it probably went up yeah I couldn't have gone down I mean it's all you did was added to it yeah is this Barstools's fault uh no

they're the ones they're producing it though yeah they're producing and how did it come together they're doing look they got a couple of names john rocker how how high of a name you want to say they are i mean john rocker with this if this was 30 years ago i don't know how who else i told you jose canseco has been on one of these rough and rowdies and he got knocked out i believe do you have you ever watched one of these before no i don't know i feel very safe in saying this is a for or aged athletes go to look ridiculous for five 10 15 minutes i think it's like bar school people like their talent

and then some of their i don't know how honestly look it's somebody somebody who's into barstool can maybe fill a send on this. That's what was, again, Ross, I should have realized that the moment that happened. Because why would Pat the Home Senior and John Rocker get in a randolph? First of all, what does John Rocker doing in New Orleans begin with? They must have said, go to New Orleans. All the barstool people were in New Orleans.

All and get as many cameras on you fighting so you can make this look like a legit situation. Here's what Google AI says about a rough and rowdy history. They've had dwarfs fighting. They've had Toothless Hillbillies fighting a wrestling champion. A superhero takes on an acne-covered lumper jack. It's like street brawling, basically. They've been doing it since 2017. So basically it's Jerry Springer crowd buying this stuff.

Correct. And by the way, the Jerry Springer crowd, and I'm not saying the show itself because it's no longer there and he's deceased, obviously. But that is still alive. while in America. They've just gone to Barstool. Yeah, there's some of that, for sure. I mean, are we going to see another Tanya Harding versus Nancy Kerrigan fight? I mean, is that something that's on the agenda? It's basically

like that. Oh, my goodness. I don't know who's sanctioning these fights. I guess they're amateur fights. I don't know how this is... Yeah, there's no state board watching all these things. Maybe Texas. No one of those is like, yeah, I don't care. We have such debauchery in this state. I don't even know what the fight was going to be. I don't even know. I don't really care. But, yeah, anybody that thought that

it was legit beef? The old court docking docket showed that it's just a bit. 713-212-5-7-90. If you want to jump in our conversation, we are here today in West Palm Beach for Astro Spring Training, 2025. A couple of comments from Joe Espada.

We'll get to the start of the hour in just moments. 7-13-212-5-7-90. You know, sometimes things in life happen unexpectedly, and when they do, you've got to call somebody to get the legal advice you so richly need and deserve to get you back on your feet. And that's when you call Scott Callahan and Associates at 7138889,000. Call them on a Zoom call from the comfort of your own home.

They'll put you first. They'll fight hard to get you a voice, whether it's a situation involving a car accident, an 18-wheeler wreck, a work injury, construction, or oil field accident, or in some cases a wrongful death. Scott Callahan is board certified in personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. please visit with him.

Put your trust in his hands and he will not let you down. 713-888-9,000. That's 713-888-9,000, or wehelptexas.com. That's we helptexas.com for Scott Callahan and Associates, principal office, Katie, Texas. Lunch timers. This is the Matt Thomas show. All right, we are joined by one of the goats of Syfair High School.

That's right. Class of? 2016 Oh Boy, what do you? We're getting older, man. I'm 1990. Where'd you go to high school at?

Maid Creek. You ever been there? No. By the way. He played against Made Creek. Erigetty, no hit my high school twice when he was playing. Yeah. I already know what your high school's like.

It feels rude. Yeah. I mean, twice is... That's embarrassing. By the way, it's Hayden Westowski with us. It was in one day as well. No, I'm kidding. Say your name for the audience.

Hayden was Nesky. Hayden was Nesky. It's an enterprise in Youngfield. All right. Hey, okay, so you're in Chicago, you're getting a cup of coffee, and you're getting ready for camp, and all of a sudden you hear, boom. Kyle Tucker truck a trade. That's cool.

Oh, I'm part of the trade. So I was in Houston. That's right, because you are a same Houston bear cat. Yes, I'm born and raised Houston, Estonian, like a lot of guys on the team, right? But, yeah, I get a call. I was golfing with my family that I, I chose, the one I'm marrying into. Oh, it's the future father-in-law.

Yes. We're going to get to that a minute, by the way. So then, this is the second time we got traded, and both times were on a golf course. Oh, what was your first trade? I was with the Yankees, and I got traded to the Cubs. God, you're all over the place. You must have a friendly contract. No, bad teammate.

Oh, is that right? You come across the Role-A-hole. You really do. That's what the guys at the gym say. Oh, my God. Okay, so your reaction was the same as this time or different? Or I'd be happy. You'd be fired up coming home.

Yeah, I was it. And by the way, you're in the rotation. Yeah, you said he had the best round of his life, right? I did. I helped my golf game. Is that true? Are you making that up? No, no, no.

That's actually seriously. That's not a joke. What's your handicap? I don't know. What do you don't know? I don't play enough. I really, I seriously don't play. I don't play that much.

The last round you shot was a one. It sounds like a real gambler. The I don't know. Probably three digits. There you go. Is your follow along, future follow on, I approve of this or what? I play baseball. It's okay.

Yeah, now I was going to go far. I have a job. That's like that was the, he has a low bar. It's the hobby. It's the hobby. You're not asking, you're not asking for money just yet. It's side fare's finest. Is this the girl you met in college or high school?

After college and pro ball. Early in pro ball. Okay. Not a big baseball fan. Your girl isn't? She likes it because I do it. So what is her number one thing? Is she a big brabo watcher?

Yes. That's kind of a upper alley. Now, let me guess. The way to her heart was by watching the Real Housewives with her, correct? I don't watch, no, I let her watch it. I give her the time. You just sit in the bed and look at your baseball reference numbers, right? Yeah, whatever.

Whatever that day's mission is. Don't do it. Don't look at the numbers. All right, so you get to trade end of the phone call. And then, I mean, you're penciled in. First of all, congratulations on that. You've got to be fired up for that opportunity. Oh, pumped. Yeah, you have no idea.

Just, yeah, pumped. My family's really stoked about it. I packed lighter this spring training knowing I didn't have to I'm going to move back to where it just is just moving So mom and dad is still in town? Yes. Same house you grew up in? Yes.

Wow. Oh, yeah. I'm 20 minutes away from everybody. So are you going to live in that part of town or what are you going to do? We're not sure. I'm 45 minutes away. I live more in Tallball area. No, you got to get closer.

You can come over with me in Kingwood if you want to. That's very far too. It's a straight shot to 59 to the stadium. But you can do that. I don't know. I don't know. We've talked a few things me and my fiancee have. We've stuck with maybe getting hotel rooms, whenever we need to.

For like long term? No, no, no, no. Like, we'll get like this day, we'll get a hotel. Like, we'll pick a day. Oh, I see what you're saying. I get one day. Yeah, vacation. The day before your game. That makes a lot of sense. Like the night to day. So we'll play a night game on a third of Saturday and then Sunday we have a day game.

I'll get one Saturday night. I'm so jealous. That's life I want to live. Yeah. I'd rather go home, but that's just me. I'm sorry to do this. I'm going to ask you a baseball question. I'm not going to ask you. We talked to Fenfest.

You said your goal was to be a starter. Have there any many conversations with the people up here about your role coming up or just go out there and we'll see? They haven't changed. Nothing's really changed. Number five today, number two in a couple of years. I'm hoping. You tell Hunter Brown, get out of the way, I'm going to take your spot. It doesn't matter if it's not matter.

As long as you're one of the five, it doesn't matter. That's right. It is kind of one of the most overrated things about, well, you know, I'd be like he's a 3-4 guy. You don't know that. I mean, if 3-4 needed to win a game in late September, they're going to count on you to do so. Yeah, that's right. I'm telling you, yeah, the opening day starter, that's so cool. Right.

That's a whole other ball game. Two to five, I'm not, after the first opening day, it's kind of just whoever's throwing the next game, right? So I don't really care. I've been in such a point where in Chicago, they were telling me to start when I needed to start. And so I didn't know if I was the three or the one or the five. It's just kind of whatever. Yeah. Yeah. It was.

Okay. So what is the game plan in terms of what did you bring into camp this year that you have never brought to the camp in terms of? Is there a pitch? Is there a philosophy? Is there a workout routine? Have you changed from saying when you first became a professional baseball player? Oh, a lot has changed since I've been a professional baseball player.

From last season, not a whole lot. But when I got drafted, I was a sink or slider guy. Sinker slider change up. As pro ball's gone on, I had a cutter and a four seam. I throw a little harder. I was low 90s at Sam, and now I'm kind of two to five, right?

I'll run it up there if I have, like, things going well, feeling good. So we know you're going to be amped up if it hits 95 on the gun? No, I'm happy about it. Not amped. Amps above happy, I think, right? Okay, I got you. See what I'm saying?

Yeah, you want to be consistent. Yes, I'd rather, yeah, if I'm sitting three to five, we're in a good spot. Okay, I like it. Sam Houston State, there's a catcher. that, by the way, they just got drafted. You know that kid? I wear him out as much as I can.

Explain. Walker Yonick, that kid is... By way, another name is... You guys are giving us a bunch of names we're going to have to really get to know a little bit here. That's East Texas, baby. It is East Texas. Walker Yonick.

Walker Yonick... Walker Yon is an enterprise and young fellow. He is... Yeah, very country. Dude, he is... I'm sorry right now he's tough as a $2 stick. And dude can freaking swing it. It has all the power.

I try to help him out, because the biggest thing with young catchers is that the... you have to learn how to manage two parts of a game, right? And so I don't know anything about hitting. So I'm not going to try to help him on the hitting part. But when it comes to the pitching side, I'm going to tell him how to help him, right? I go, you need to talk to your pitchers.

Like, you've got to talk to them. I know it's exhausting, and you've got 13 of them on your team, 15 of them. In lower levels, it's up to 20, right, whatever it is. But I go, you've got to talk to them. Like, you've got to know what they do. You got to know them. and you have to be able to call a game. And I try to tell him, I go,

the easiest way to stick in the big leagues is being a pitcher. The second easiest is a catcher. So you got to figure out how to call a game. I know you have all the tools and stuff. But you have to understand. You have to know your guys. How do you like pitchcom? Love it.

Because it's just, it's quick clarity. There's no arguments. You can't. No, there's arguments, but with the clock, it speeds everything up. guy on second base, when we had the clock, and I was in AAA and they had the clock, and we didn't have a calm, dude, it was impossible. You can't shake. So whatever the guy calls, it's like you have to do multiple signs, so he doesn't steal it and relay it.

And then if you shake, then you're to zero, and you're throwing the piss shit call, really. So the calm is just, it's the best by far. Yeah, as long as there's no, it seems like there's always some kind of battery issue or something. Is that, are you guys making that up? You're like, I need, I need, like, 30 seconds. I'm going to act like my pitchcom's acting up. It feels like it's a trick of the trade. Yeah.

I assume every time that it happens, that they are doing that. Can you change the voice, like, on ways? No, I don't know. I haven't asked. I just kind of assumed. You're like some false suit? Curvebow. Basically.

Like, would you want James Earl Jones screaming your pitch to you? Or like an, like, a, a, a, uh, a, uh, a, uh, a, uh, a, uh, a, uh, a, uh, a, uh, a actress you like, I'm thinking I want something a little bit more. His wife, his fiance, Pat. No, no, no, no, we need something intense. Can't have, like, Morgan Freeman. Yeah, like, Morgan Freeman? Morgan Freeman.

Like, uh-uh. Oh, I don't know. Sit down. That's awesome. But we're so excited to have you. Again, the story about you being on the golf course is great. And your spot is here. I mean, that's, to see that in the, I don't know if you're much of a season preview guy,

but to have your spot, I have to kind of not trying to work your way up. It has to be, you get to a new team, and then they're saying, look, we need you every fifth day. Oh, man. You'll have no idea how much a big deal it is. With the Cubs, and I loved playing for him. It's just I didn't know what my role was. I didn't know where I stuck. I did everything.

I would show up to the park, and I wouldn't know what I was doing that day. And that's a weird feeling to have. Is that unfortunately the management, or is that just guys like yourself that just don't have a spot just yet? I think it's that. I think it's what they needed me to do, right? A lot of guys get hurt, and I think a lot of it has to do at the clock. That's another issue, another time. A lot of guys get hurt, and at some time, most of the guys get hurt, and at some time,

starter gets hurt, they need me go there, and then a guy getting the bullpen gets hurt, and I got to move there, right? It's just kind of what you have to do to balance out. How does your arm handle all that? I got hurt last year, so, you know, it happens, but for the most part, it's good. I'm pretty healthy. I mean, like, you get banged up, but it happens. Yeah, when we're going to see you out here for the first time?

25th, I think. What is today? That's 19. We get six days. 25th? Yeah, I throw live tomorrow, and then after that, I think the 25th. Do you like spring training? No. Sucks or just part of the business? Part of the business. It's just like, You get really frustrated. I get really frustrated.

Things aren't going. The ball's not coming out the way I want it to. You know, like, it's just like it's early on. You get through the season. It's like, okay, when something doesn't happen the way you want it to, you know how to fix it. You know how to spin it right or don't pull it back. Spring training, I just, for some reason, I'm like throwing a pitch.

And I go, why isn't it doing what I want it to do? And it's just you try to figure out how to fix it. And you put your head against the wall. I got great news. You got a month and nine days or something. to figure it out. Yeah, no, we'll figure it out, but it doesn't mean I'm not going to be frustrated the whole time. You know, you have an open invitation to this show anytime you want. We'll be back in Houston. You're going to be on with the shows all of our, you're our guy now.

What can we get you for a wedding gift? Do you have a registry just yet? No, I don't. I'm trying to think of something unique that. I mean, when I got married, 1997, back, you were, hey, I was born. I was born. I put a direct TV receiver on there, and people are like, we're not giving you that. That's not happening. Because that was back in the day, that was like the brand new direct TV. You know what you know what's satellite television, but that was the big thing. You know what I've heard nowadays is you put on really expensive gifts, and then the registry gives you like a discount on it.

So we're going to get like, for instance, you get, I'm trying to think of something that's like $1,000, right? Okay, you get something that's $1,000. You know no one's going to get it for you. It doesn't matter, though, because the registry is going to give you like 10% off or 20% off. So you buy it yourself. So you buy it yourself because you're going to get it for yourself anyway. What a sham that is. We bring them on.

I learned that. The life hacks. Yeah. Life hacks was Hayden. There's also some stuff about couples' massages and stuff on the other. As a grown-ass man or another man, I'm not giving you any money towards a couple's massage. If you want that freaking life, you handle it on your own. I cannot agree more.

We're on the same page there. All right. Well, congrats. What's her name, by the way? Jacey. All right, Jason, I want her to listen to this show because we are very lighthearted and fun. And you're going to win 15, 16 games this year. I hope it's more.

Every fifth day. Small steps, my friend. The Astros win. 35. Astros win the whole thing. No, they win a lot. No, they do win a lot. You got a new infield behind you, which is fine.

You got sluggers up and down the lineup. Always awesome. And your strikeout numbers are going to be good this year? I like outs. Okay. You know, like they just outs. Just watch out for that left field fence, you'll be all right. Strikeouts, and Blake's Nell is really good.

He doesn't go seven, eight, nine innings. He just, he punched out. the money he's making now. True. That's fair. He plays a different game than most people. Think about you pitch well, you're going to be insanely rich. I have thought about that every day.

Of course you should. I think of Ross and I think of our career is like, we're going to be okay. We're never going to be insanely rich. No. Especially him. I'm doing okay. All the jobs are, you trade a little money for a lot of fun. We have a good time.

It's the easiest job in the world. It's the dumbest job in the world. Seriously, we're hearing West Palm Beach. You throw a ball and we talk about you. I don't do anything. I just talk about you. And since we like you, so much. How stupid is that? If you give up six runs over three innings, we'll probably be kinder to you than guys we don't like.

I appreciate that. We'll say it's a tight strike zone. Yeah. Yes. Or ball hardly went out. Ball hardly went out. Aided or it'll only left out of two ballpark. Yeah. That's all right. Hayden Wisnowski. Did I get it okay? Yep. Perfect. Cyfare Bobcats. Cifere Bobcats. Yeah. And the same use in bear cats. Very confusing. But the K, by the way, it's Bearcats with the K. Back with a moment here. The Matt Thomas show with Ross. This is Sports Talk 790. The Matt Thomas show with Ross Continues on Sports Talk 790

All right, we're going to Perhaps bump, shut you a bum ass up Anybody got time for that till a little bit later in the day Or, well, we'll see Because Joe Spada is going to join us In about 10 minutes from now here from West Palm Beach We can have him do it He is so...

He's like Jose and Altuve and left field questions Ain't nobody got time for that We could try it No, no No It would be, he doesn't know the context ticks of it. I mean, I would like to help. We don't want to get him in trouble. Yeah, I would like for

him to know what the show is about, but he's busy managing a major league baseball team. Now, he could also be a list on the off season, but that's done here and right there. Hank Wesniewski, big fan. Yes. Houston kid, by the way, there's like, I think there's four or five guys that maybe from the 26 man roster. Five, I believe. Is that what it is?

Okay. That could be Houston guys. Yes. That's crazy. Bryce Matthews? We don't know on the list. It's fine. Bryce Matthews, Erigetti, Wesneski. there's a couple more. Yeah. But that's not unheard of, but it's rare.

It's great. And he's got a, I mean, I think it's his job to lose. Yeah. We got no other choice, Matt. Well, I mean, there are some guys. Okay, let's say he's out. Who's the five guy? Ryan Gusto?

Gusto, who's pitching, I think he's going to pitch the springturing opener on Saturday. Okay. I mean, there's a couple of guys. I mean, probably not on the radar. AJ Blueball. Blue ball is a guy that's going to be up there. Again, I wouldn't pencil in McCullers and or Luis Garcia

just yet. Although apparently today, Luis Garcia, if I'm correct on this, threw a little bit off of a mound there. Apparently he has thrown off a mound recently, yes. That's what Joe Espada said. So, you know, I don't want to, I'm not in the weeds on that, because we've got enough stuff going on here. Okay. But yeah, it was Hidden West Neski.

Good to visit with him, and congratulations on his upcoming marriage. 713-212-5-7-9. to join our conversation 713212.5. And look, it's easy to talk to these guys. And for him, who was in a Cub uniform in and out, I mean, think about this, Ross, not only did he not have his feet on the ground much as a major leagueer, but he's going to a baseball team that said, we brought you here to be a starter.

I mean, if he gives you anything this year, and Cam Smith gives you something, as much as we miss Kyle Tucker, all you're judging now on is do the guys that came over in this trade surpass what Kyle Tucker did this year because there was no chance, no way, no how, never going to happen that Kyle Tucker was going to be Houston Astro past 2025.

Yeah, I mean, it also factors into, I mean, how much impact. It doesn't matter for this year as well as far as, yeah, what you're saying. And losing Kyle Tucker in theory hurts your chances of winning a World Series this year. So it's balancing the long term and the short term, which is what Dana Brown has had to do since he's gotten here,

to where clearly Jim Crane, although he dipped into the attacks last year, wants to stay out of it as much as possible, and also wants to contend as much as possible, and you've got to tow that line between the two. So the pieces that come back, as you say, have to perform. Hayden Wisniewski has to be one of those.

I feel excited. He sounds excited to be here. Loves that he's going to be in a starter role. Astros have got him here in the building. He's got good stuff. And usually if that's the case, the Astros will get you in-house and get you dealing. Like we've seen numbers of time before. But it is a conundrum for the organization because as Dana brought up with us yesterday, Jim Crane says the door is always open.

The window, yeah. The window is always open. And it doesn't necessarily, when you, move a Ryan Presley or you move a Kyle Tucker or you don't re-sign Alex Spregman. The naysayers are saying, is that really the truth? The truth is that window is open, but you're not going to crash it down to hurt yourself financially long term. And having all those guys try to stick around and maybe overpay for them or pay them just to stick around would have probably hurt them in other areas. I don't think it's as easy.

And I think the logically thinking AstroFam thinks this. if you just spend any amount of money to keep Kyle Tucker, if you spend any amount of money to keep Bregman, something else is going to suffer. And I think Biasters is an organization and the smart organization say, look, we have placed priorities on this. We can't hurt ourselves financially

by sticking with long-term contracts that when those guys are five or six years older today than they are right now may ultimately hurt the future of this franchise. Yeah. It's a slippery slope. It is, and you don't necessarily, necessarily have to commit to long term, but Breggman did, Breggman signed a three-year deal.

It's also about the money there, too. It's obviously $40 million a year. We should put the a Asteros well over the threshold for a second consecutive year. Yes. And Jim Crane doesn't want to do that. And that's his right. Yeah, because he feels like the squad he's got with the improvements. Again, he feels like parades, or at least the organization,

feel like parades from an offensive standpoint will thrive. You went and spent money on Christian Walker, got him in good money. Hopefully he's better than the previous first base from you just. signed. But, you know, it's not like they just said goodbye to Kyle, goodbye to Bregman, and didn't have, they had a plan B. Is plan B a huge unknown at this point? Of course it is. Plan B is. Isok Paredes is going to come here and hit a bunch of bombs to left.

Hayden Winston-esque, they're going to, you know, he was good. He had an ERA under four last year, and he can go in here and be in a starting role and be a plus guy with that, you know, a ERA around 350-ish. Right. Be a really good four-five guy. then all that adds up to maybe more than what Kyle Tucker could as one person if you're talking about possible contributions from Cam Smith, possible from Chas McCormick coming back.

Because the alternative is this. The alternative is this. You knew, I mean, Brendman, you could have kept and you could have figured out a way to keep him longer. Rossi, we've talked about this for a couple of years. Kyle Tucker was never going to sign here. unless you just pistol whipped them with the wallet, right? I mean, you just said, hey,

here's a blank check, fill it out for whatever you take. Short of that, and the Astros have never done that, the Astros have been consistent about that, and the Astros are in a situation where they will never do that. Really, the only team that does that realistically, they're about three teams. The Mets will do it, the Yankees will do it, and the Dodgers will do it.

Yes. And collectively those three teams have what? Dodgers have two World Series. The Mets are still chasing, and the Yankees are still chasing. It doesn't, just because you handed player a blank check doesn't give you guaranteed 100 victories and deep postseason runs. Very clearly. If that was the case, the Phillies would ever been in the World Series,

the Nationals would ever won a World Series. The Braves spend money, but they don't go crazy bonkers over money. Ever spending spent? Correct. Those teams all have better farm systems than you, unfortunately. And I think part of what you did is, I mean, think about this. Cam Smith automatically bumped the Astros minor league system up.

That just shows you how weak it has been. And then you moved guys last year just because you felt like you needed to make a move to go get a Kikuchi, to go get Justin Verlinder back from New York. You didn't have much to begin with and you sent what you had left away.

Yeah. As you mentioned, Camp Smith, I believe, was the sixth prospect for the Cubs and immediately came the number one prospect for the Astro. That's right. 713, 212, 5.0. 790, 7-13, 2-1-2-5-7-90. This is the Matt Thomas show with Ross.

We're going to hold off, shut your bum ass up for a little bit because we're expecting to see Joe a spot. Oh, Joe Espada is here. Do not go to my headset. We're not paying you yet. Sit down and relax. Have some water. We're like some sun-chips. We'll talk to the skipper next on 7-90.

More Matt Thomas show with Ross. Now on Sports Talk 790. It is the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Every Tuesday during the course of the baseball season. you hear from this man at 1230, give or take, depending on if he's going out to get lunch or something and forgets about us. And the biggest thing I just found out about our manager, Joe, is spot at Ross,

is that he is personally responsible for the Rockets lost to the Brooklyn Nats. Absolutely. He's all me, yeah. I thought he's going to be an easy win, but things didn't go their way that night. I'm going to start going to y'all's games against the A's. You know what? I do. I do have to say that.

You know, when I first start watching them a couple of years ago and where they're at now, it's a very much improved team. You know, those guys just, you know, they were young a couple of years ago. They're still young, but they're more polished and actually a pretty good basketball team. It's a lot of fun. Let me ask you, I didn't win the reaction. What is your offseason like? I'm going to turn your microphone up a little bit.

There is. There we go. What are you doing the off season? You know what? I do some traveling with the family, and I go and catch a couple of sports events. You know, went to a few UH games, did the Rockets, you know, went over to Austin and watched the, you know, University of Texas basketball team, the women's basketball team. So, you know, my daughters, they like to do stuff like that when and watched the soccer games. So, you know, we can say no to sports events.

So it's a. I know why. I can always find AJ. It didn't take me very long about an hour north of town if you know what I'm saying. But you're all over the place. Yes, yes, I do. I enjoy them. All right, we're going to hold this. I'm going to ask one question.

Ross, you get one, and then we are done talking about... I don't even need one. No, I don't even need one. All right, let's get to L2. Let's hate it. I swear to God, we will not ask you about it again until the regular season. But if it's going to have to come up. Yeah, yeah, yeah, he has to. All right, I get it.

He is the consummate pro. You've talked about this for a period of time. You told us all fair and it's worthy of mentioning on air. This is not something you just pushed upon. Are you concerned at all? Not about him catching fly balls. He's been around forever, done it. Are you concerned about that runner trying to score from third to home?

Is that going to be something that you're going to keep a keen eye on when it comes to his working left field? I'm not concerned about it. I think he will figure that out and he'll get it. So as being as a middle infielder, you know exactly where you need to line up. You know exactly what the runner behind you is doing. Now he's the one executing that first throw. So that's the transition that he needs to make. And I'm sure that he'll do that.

So we're doing this by phases, right? I think phase one was, you know, at Diking Park. We worked for almost three weeks, fly balls. We deal our work. We did some video. We work on his techniques. You know, we talked about how challenging our wall is. Now phase two is spring training.

Now it's the sun, the elements, right? The sun, the wind. you know, now we'll, you know, it's the base runners, it's the strategy, it's running to go first to third, trying to challenge him. So we're going through all that for the next two weeks, but I'm sure that he'll figure it out. We're going to give it everything we got. You know, his mindset, it's where it needs to be. And I'm sure that we, if this works, it just makes our team that much better. He's such a smart player.

He's got baseball DNA in his blood. I think this is not just for him. It's for anybody you put out in left field. Baltimore is going to present some challenges. Detroit will pose some challenges. Cleveland a little bit. But if you knock down, if you're a minute-made park, you'll know the nuance of the cracks and how the ball lands off the fence.

Dikee Park. Excuse me, Dick. Hit me next time. There you got him. There we go. Yeah. That's what it is, right? That's not just for Jose L, too, but that's for anybody.

It's for anybody. It's for anybody. You know, challenges. That wall is a challenge for anyone. Fenway Park is challenging for anyone. You could have 10 years experience to five-year experience. There's things that he's going to have to learn. But for us, we believe that he can do it.

There's confidence that he can do it. do it. He's an athlete. He shows his speed, the awareness to do, to do the things that we expect them to do. And, you know, we've got five weeks here to continue to work on this. And, you know, we're not going to completely abandon second base. But I think by him playing some let field really opens the door for us. You do all the things on the baseball field. Yeah, speaking of learning as you go, take us through how you're doing, man. Your journey, the last year, obviously, the start wasn't the way that you wanted to go. You make the playoffs. Also, the early, it and now the team retooled this year. How are you have you been going through this and now in your

second year as the head man? You know what? So you know I had some time to um you know sit down and and kind of take all in what 24 uh meant for me personally and for our team and you know doing that time of reflection you you start writing down things that we could have done better things that I could have done better. Um and you know I when I met with our club yesterday I think we we told them that we We need to be proud of 2024. You know, we did not finish the race in what we wanted to, but we ran a strong race. We did what we wanted to do, which was win the West. I also told our club that, you know, our team was tested like never before.

You know, our culture got tested. Our, you know, our commitment to winning got tested from the very beginning. And we prevail. I think it was a good season for us despite, you know, early exit of the playoff. But I think we did some things well. And as a manager, I'm proud of the way we battle back about the way, you know, I stay calm and have confidence on my club to get us to where we want to get to. And I expected to be, you know, a better 20-25. We're ready for the challenge. And I think 2024 was a learning experience for all of us. If I went back and we went back and looked at the games and maybe talked to you right after the deficit was 10 games, tell me at that point what you were thinking.

and does Dana come to you and say, do we want to start selling? Because, look, he maintained the confidence. You did as well, but reality sits in. When that deficit gets to 10, that's as ugly of numbers against. Yeah, Matt, you know what one thing about, you know, you asked about Dana? He never used the word sale.

Never did. That's a huge thing. It's huge. And it just goes to, we really believe on our team, and we always felt like we still had 90, 100, games to fight back, right? We felt like once our guys came back

and, you know, our offense was going to click in. We know that we had a push in there and we did, but you know, the word sold never came in play, and I'm glad that we didn't. And I'm glad that we added Kikuchi,

who was a big boost to our team during that stretch. How excited are you to write three Christian Walker in the lineup almost every day? That's about what he doesn't want to be. He's already told us that. After what happened last year at first base. You know what?

D.H. It's not an option there. He's the best defender in the game over there at first. He will probably need a day off here and there. Not many. But I think that what Christian brings to our club is this level of, you know, leadership. He's ability to hit the ball. The ballpark quality.

a bat, something that as a club, we kind of struggled last year a little bit. Our offense kind of up and down and how we chase some pitches, so him and Perretti's kind of bring that dynamic back to our offense, but Christian is a pro, and I'm excited to have them. Let's get to the outfield.

Jake can cover everything. You're moving chance to right field. I don't want to say how long is the leash, because look, everybody's got a leash of some level to performance-wise. I would say if we took away the left-field situation, what's the thing that it probably not a but we're looking to see productivity-wise is what you're not the guys can do defensively but it's on the

offensive end uh what were some things you told to both those guys because we kind of joke up with jake a little bit about his mate was spectacular yeah we need that jake meyers for not to be that ops high number like it was but level out a little bit yeah let's start with jake you know and i had this conversation with jake uh during the off season and and we taught you on here and a couple of days ago like you know it's not you know that's the may carry it's You know, that's repeat May, June, July. No, it's just, you know, when there's a drop-down, which all players have that, it can be, you know, 200 points in the OPS.

You know, there's got to be a walk. You know, he can do things where he can lay down a bun. There's quality of bat where the contribution is still there. Because I told him this. I said, listen, you know, when I'm looking at my lineup card and the game, when the game is close, we have to lead, I want to keep you in the game. Because your defense matters. You meter, you know, your defense is game changing, but when the game is on the line and you're not swinging the bat, the way you're capable of, I need to make a move.

I need to try to create some runs. And now I'm taking my best defender out of the game because I'm trying to, you know, tack the lead. And I don't, and I told him I don't, I don't like doing that. But I told him, if I have to do it, I will do it again. But I believe that he made the adjustment. He needs to. Same conversation with Mack. You know, you know, you know, you mentioned.

the leash. And I told Mac, I said, Mac, last year, I think the leash was long. And maybe this year, the leash might not be that long. So it's early production. I want to see you contribute to our offense and putting some good at bats from the very beginning. And, you know, we brought in some left-hand of bats that could give me an opportunity to platoon if I have to. But I'm going to, you know, I want Mac and Myers to take over those jobs and do what they're capable of doing. What do you, man, it has to be a hard job because what do you look for when you win to pull the leash? Because, as you know, baseball is a game where Hall of Famers can struggle for 50 games or more. So what are you looking for to say, okay, this is time to make a change?

Is it conversations? Is it how the abats are looking? Is it, I mean, what do you do as a manager? You know, it first starts with, you know, with a conversation in spring training. The players want to know their roles and how big that leash is, right? You mentioned Hall of Famers. We have quite a few here that have a chance to be Hall of Famers. Obviously, those guys are in there, and they're going to put their numbers. But these young players who are starting to figure out in big leagues,

and you've got to balance that out with wins and losses, they've got to show you from the very first state that the quality of bats are there, that they're making adjustments, that they're not ignoring kind of the things that we wanted them to work on. But the bat's got to be productive. You've got to hit the ball hard. You've got to walk. You got to, you know, those bats need to mean something for you to be able to stay in there. Last question for you.

Joe Spotted with us here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Skip, where is the battle? Because everybody likes to put out their 26-man roster, and it feels pretty much set. You may have some things in your mind, but where is the competition for the next month, would you say? Well, you know, I think there's opportunities on some bench rolls. I think there is at least one or two spots there that I view as competition. and I mentioned some of those outfielder's left-handed hitters. There's competition there.

But also middle relief. I think that's where we are going to spend a lot of our time, where we got some of these young pitchers who are there who we like. Who can be that bridge to Abrao and Hayter on the 9th? Who can throw that 6th inning? Who can throw that 7th inning? Who's going to be the guy who's going to step up and hand the ball to a clean eighth inning to Abrao? That's where the big questions are.

We teased you a little bit last year about all the Abraeu appearances. Oh, goodness. Less Abraeu? Less. Or I got one for you. Less. Every game was close last year. You had to.

Or less a hater going to the second inning. Oh, boy. Dream World, you want both those. You know, I'm going to start with the first one. It's less getting Abraeo up in the seven to finish the seven. Less of that. Okay. You know, less of he having to go in the seven.

seven to finish the eighth the seventh and then going back in the eighth and then i potentially have to get up hater to pick him up so you could you know i need less of that and um that's for me where right now we are really spending a ton of time trying to figure that more offense yeah the key that is more off that also that also helps but you still got to you know prepare yourself for like i see you well know what happened last year we know we all left spring training feeling really good and sexy about our club and then all of a sudden you got I learned that very quickly. You got to have a plan B. Best late plans.

Yeah. All right, Skip, thank you very much for the time as always. We'll see you tomorrow and then our weekly business is looking forward to. You were great last year in good times and a bad and let's get away from this Owen whatever. Was it Owen four star? Oh, four, yeah. Yeah, and the 10 games behind. I forgot. That's Joe spotted with us here.

Matt Thomas Show with Ross continues at a moment here from West Palm Beach on Sports Talk 790. More Matt Thomas show with Ross. Now on Sports Talk 790. Thank you again to Joe and Spotted for joining us. If you missed that conversation, A, where were you? B, we're going to replay it at about 1.30th, Saturday, or at least part of that.

So, rooting for Joe. He loves the job. And I think he does a good job. I don't want to peel the curtain back a little bit, but we're going to open up. Dusty was amazing, too. Dusty was just different. Dusty, a little crankier. Yes.

He was also in his 70s. Yeah, it was significantly. crankier, but still mad props him. Right manager for the right time for this organization. Needed a steady hand and Dusty was that. Right, I should be clear. I was rooting for Dusty. Routed for age. I always, I mean, look, forget about

this microphone we've got on. I mean, I was an Astro fan since 1979. I mean, that's if I'm doing a show or not, it's not going to change. And so if the team plays well, I love on them. If the team doesn't play well, I get back, because I'm a fan. See, that's what I'm saying, Ross. I'm a fan of the Rockets and a fan of the Astros because I grew up with

those teams. Yes. And I'm I'm a fan of the Cougars who, by the way, beat Arizona State yesterday. Covered the spread. Cover the spread. You're welcome, Houston. I want a recorded line. Full matchup breakdown from Matt Thomas. I'm plenty of happy with the teams I'm fan boys of.

I just am. I'm good. I got plenty. At the Texas go to the Super Bowl, then I will be a fan of theirs. If you want to take on a little more. And I'll be a bandwagon. A little more disappointment. Take on the Texans.

Let's go. I'm good. I'm good. is going to come by. The top prospect of the Astros organization. Probably could see him at some point this year. You never know. And then we're going to also, I believe,

catch up with Spencer Araggetti. Real fast note that is gaining some steam in the television world. Are you ready for this? No. The Fox and CBS broadcast deals. They are the ones that carry, you know, the Saturday, noon, and 325 games, which the Texans are normally at noon. Yes.

I'm going to look. I want to look this up before I give you the official word on this. Are you going with the Netflix thing? Yeah. Their contract ends sometime. They can opt out in five years, apparently. So I saw something about this on Twitter. The network that wants to buy one of those packages, either the Fox NFL package or the CBS package, is Netflix.

Yes. And also, though, I saw the quotes. Apparently this got sensationalized by a lot of people. The person who runs Netflix or who, I don't even know, President of Business Ops or whatever. Joe Smow. Yeah. Was asked, was pushed basically into a corner saying, if that spot opened up, would you be interested in? He said yes.

And then the headline was, Netflix wants to buy 3 o'clock Sunday package. Netflix all in, Netflix, blah, blah, blah. So it did get a little sensationalized. If you look at the actual quotes, the guy was asked, hey, would you want these 3 o'clock NFL games? Or no, they asked, would you want Sunday games? he said yes, and they're like Sunday night or Sunday at 3, and he said Sunday afternoon. Okay, I think you were talking about the regional packages.

If Netflix gets asked, would you be interested in NFL games? Of course, their answer is yes. I got a question for you, and it's a little bit of a quasi-gut feeling on this. Okay. Do you think in the next 10 years that we're going to be able to get every NFL game available to every television set without having to pay for a, Direct TV. Big Sunday.

Well, the YouTube TV now. YouTube TV. We're going to have, you'll get your two on CBS, you're going to get your two on Fox, you're going to get your two on Amazon Prime, you're going to get your two on Netflix. Apple TV is going to buy two. I mean, could you see the world of the NFL? Because think about this, college football does that right now. When I was growing up, Ross, and you were part of this as well, you just don't remember much,

Saturday afternoons on ABC were four regional games or three regional games, and then they would regionalize the night games. Now, with all the money that is being spent, if you're a Big 12 fan or an SEC fan, let's use the SEC as a better example. Your games are either on ABC, ESPN, or the SEC network. Yeah. A few are on the SEC Plus, which is like the web streaming of it. And there's ESPN Plus for like some Cougar stuff or, you know, game.

But in theory, just about every ESPN, Big 12, and SEC and Big Ten game can be found on one of the networks they've aligned themselves with. Yeah. Could you see that with the NFL? The end of the regionalization? No. I think they're going to keep all the games at noon and three, and they're going to keep. Now, it also depends. If you recall, last year, there was a big judgment against the NFL.

There was an antitrust lawsuit. Right. There was like a lawsuit suing the NFL saying that the price of Sunday ticket was. The gouging, yeah. Exorbitant price. And they lost that case. They're appealing that case. I don't know what the latest.

No, it's already been appeal, I think. I think the NFL won. The NFL won. I believe so. I don't. I'm not 100% sure on that, but I believe the appeal has already been settled. So if the NFL won, then no, it's going to be Sunday ticket.

They must be making enough money off that. Now, that's the thing, too. If they lowered it to $50, you need rather than $300, whatever it is, you need six times the customers. Right? To make that balance. So I don't think that's going to happen. I think they're happy with Sunday tickets.

You still think there's going to be regional packages on CBS and Fox? As long as they keep paying, and as long as they keep paying, and as long as this Sunday ticket money keeps coming in, I don't know that they would see a reason why to change. But what if Netflix all of a sudden jacked up their rates and said, we're now covering seven NFL games a week? And if you're a Netflix subscriber, let's say you live in Pittsburgh, but you want to see the Texans play the Baltimore Ravens,

and that game was not supposed to be your area. Look, it could happen. Anything can change 10 years. Yeah. I just thought about that out lot. I was wondering if we're, because college football no longer is regionalized. When you watch, when there's a Big Ten game on that's on national TV, you're not, you're not fighting with another Big Ten channel. You're fighting with nobody.

Your game is exclusive. The NFL is king right now. They're getting all this money. They get all that money from Netflix. They're getting all this money for more games. They're going to add more games. Maybe with that, they're going to see more streaming stuff. With the 18th game added, are you going to see more games on Netflix, more on wherever else?

Probably. I think the 18th game is going to open up a revenue stream and my guess is you know what it's going to be could you I still believe and I don't know if this is going to happen but I still believe that at 18th game everybody's going to have to play internationally

you're going to have to play one international game per year it's going to be required and maybe you sell it to Netflix to say you're now our international partner that any game that is broadcast in Brazil Australia London because they're mornings

you're our partner. How much do they want to get those? They clearly try to build the stuff. I got news for y'all. Fans the NFL network, the NFL network. The NFL is trying to sell the NFL network. Yeah, they don't care about that. They don't care about the NFL network.

I'd be surprised they put games on that channel five years from now. Because they go sell them to somebody else. They can go. Exactly. Why put them on your own network that you're trying to build up that it's failing now? They're cutting hours on all these people. They're firing their shows. Because I think ESPN's going to buy it.

That's my guess. What's that going to be? NFL network brought to you by, ESPN, ESPN NFL, I guess? Yeah, I think it'll be NSPN, it'll be NFL, ES on ESPN. ESPN NFL. Whatever it is. Well, they'll figure something out.

All right, 713, 212-5-790. 719. 7-190. The news at noon is coming up after Ross. Talks about how you want to feel better about yourself. Well, yeah, that's a very easy way to feel about about yourself. If you've been lacking in motivation, energy, you said, you know what? Boom, 2025 new me. You haven't hit the gym.

You haven't been losing weight. you haven't done all those things you said you were going to do because the motivation hasn't been there. Maybe your testosterone levels are low. Get them checked at Centrogenics testosterone and weight loss by going to Centrogenicshealth.com. That's where you find the true TRT experts that give you personalized therapy. Other stuff's out of a bottle at other places. Other stuff's just that are going to hand you some stuff in your way. Personalized therapy at Centergenics, who also offers weight loss management with affordable prescription GLP.

one plans. Stop waiting. Book an appointment. Clinics over town. Centrogenicshealth.com. That's S-Y-N-E-R-GenXhealth.com. At CinergenicsHealth.com. Lunch timers. This is the Matt Thomas show. 1204 and H-Town.

What's happening at lunch timers? Normally we do the news at noon, but we have a newsmaker with us now. Astro Top Phenom. Future third base slash left field slash wherever you want. want to play. Cam Smith is with us on the program. Lake Worth, Florida. Is that correct? Yes, sir. 25 minutes from here? 25 minutes. Mom and dad cook a good meal for you? That's right. Every night. Every night. And I'm helping her out too, so I'm learning. Okay, so here's a chef. Here's the bit. He gets to keep all his travel money for the spring training, put in the piggy bank.

He's got out him immediately. He's been on one minute. I respect that game. Sinching on you. One minute. Snitching is just the truth. Sitching to be like, Matt, don't tell anybody this. It's true. No, it's true. It's very nice. All right, I've been asked all these guys. You get the phone call.

Yeah. You're going to play for the Houston Astros. Yeah. What was your initial reaction? And then how long did it settle in before you're leaving the Cubs organization to come play for the Houston Astros? Yeah, so at first I was definitely shook a little bit. Honestly, I didn't know it was possible that you could trade a player right after you draft them. But like I was talking to them, it's a business.

And once I got that call from Carter Hawkins telling me the trade happened, Dana Brown called me and welcomed me. And after that, everybody else in the front office called me and welcomed me. So it felt good that I was welcome with open arms. For sure. You know, it felt warming. It's kind of crazy. You know, that first round of the draft, they try to make it like the NFL and NBA draft.

They take pictures of you. We're wearing the Cubs gear and all this. Can't wait to see you. And then months later, you're wearing somebody else's gear. Right. Exactly, yeah. Well, I mean, think about who you got traded for. I mean, you didn't get traded for chop liver.

Right. So that's great. Yeah. And then immediately you're the number one prospect in the organization. That's got to, I mean, you worked your ass off for that. So take us through your life, because obviously you're built like a linebacker. You and Desenzo could be ends on the Houston, Texans and has zero issue with that, right? Yeah, no, Dezenzo is huge, man.

He's a different animal. Have you guys arm wrestled yet? No, no, I don't plan on doing it. I think he got me. No, we're supposed to be you two arm wrestling. We'll do that after, but I want them to break my arm. They're not very strong. You know what of them are.

All right. Shoot the organization. It'll be good. That's true. Give you a cut. Cam, you got good money coming your way. I know where I can find you. Easy money.

That's right. Okay, so tell us what Joe's told you so far, what Dana has, and what are your frankly expectations coming out of the camp this year. Yeah, so talking to Dana early on when I got here for the January camp, he mentioned right field to me. just taking reps there because he wants me to see how I move and how comfortable I am over there because obviously there needs there's some holes that need to be filled right talking to joe he he likes me at third base that's where I've been he said that's where I'm comfortable and he'd like to see me at third

as well so I'm gonna I'm probably going to do a mix of both um you know just to see what I can do at both positions we won't tell him but where are you most comfortable third base for sure 100% I've always been a short stop my whole life got to college in 22 and and became a third baseman but I've always been an infielder always who did you grow up watching learning the sport from man i watched a ton of a ton of players but my favorite player growing up was yassio puee yos really interesting yeah my all-time favorite what made him the guy he was just ahead of his game he was he was electric i love the energy he brought he was just swaggy smooth like i i just loved watching him play man who you're gonna uh so you're gonna pimp some home runs like ysio yeah i actually practiced it when i was

young to do what he does and try to swing like he does. Are you a bat flipper guy or a bat drop guy? I would say drop. Yeah, I would say drop. I like the slow drop. Yeah. So you're here now. Obviously, you've had these conversations.

Pressure for somebody like you, drafted in the first round. Now you're here. He mentioned top prospect in the system. What's that like for you to wanting to give it your all, to try your hardest, to work your hardest, but also maybe not be too hard on yourself and, feel too much pressure either. Right. Yeah, I've had all these coaches here behind my back and just telling me that, you know, you've got the stuff. It's just all it is now is just honing in on your craft and you'll get there with no issue. So it's just trusting that process.

It sounds corny, but it's real, you know, to not rush anything. You know, don't be anxious in anything. But, yeah, just go about it day by day, rep by rep, and just trust that you'll get to where you want to get to. Think about this. Just get to the ball, make a decent, throw because the guy at first base is going to grab everything. And he's on the day yesterday. He's like, he doesn't have to hit the middle of my chest every single time. Now, you don't want to take advantage of that, but you know that you've got

a great back step over there. The best. The best over there at first base. And what advice is, I mean, are you one of those guys say, how do you handle this? Or you just kind of letting things naturally come to you right now? I'm just kind of letting the thoughts come in my head. And I'm

purely watching instead of being vocal for now. you know, I'm pretty new. But yeah, I'm just being a sponge. I'm listening to what everybody has to say. I'm going to give you a little advice about Houston and the sports fans. They're going to love you when they see you, whether it's on TV here or when you come to the big league team.

But we have more folks that call us about minor league players than ever. So if you get off to a fast start, you're going to, I don't know if you check Twitter in it very much, but people are going to be asking you, when are you getting up here, when you get it up here. So don't put any, don't let the social media streets put pressure on you. Because the team's close in Sugar Lane. Yeah, I was going to say, that's not a terrible drive.

You're not going to Fresno, California. You're going to be not bad. It used to be Oklahoma City before that, and Fresno? Yeah, you're a good. You're a quick shuttle here. What about your defensive game do you want to work on? I mean, we've never seen you play. I've only seen the YouTube videos, and that's the good things out there.

So what are some nuances of third base that present, not necessarily challenges, but things you always want to work on? Always want to work on, a lateral movement, and just moving my feet. Like, kind of, they say dancing. Like, you know, dancing out there in the field being smooth. that's what it takes to stay at their base for a while. I don't really want to be a robot. I don't want to be flexible.

Yeah. And be able to get, you know, some range, some good range. Is there such a thing as infield chemistry? Do you believe in that? 100%. Yeah, 100%. Because you know the ranges of your shortstop. The shortstop knows the ranges of the second basement.

And same thing for the second basement and the first basement. So it's just like knowing each other and knowing what balls like you can get and what balls you should leave for the short stop. Yeah. So the short stop here, of course, Jeremy Payne, Gold Glover. Alex Bregman, reigning Gold Glover, now, of course, with the Red Sox. So kind of not necessarily to go back to the pressure well, but the bar has been kind of set defensively here at the Astros organization.

Yeah, 100%. They take pride in their defense, and that's what I love, because that's what I want to improve on the most. And they take pride in it. And, you know, I'm just, I'm being a sponge. Like I said, I'm listening to whatever they say, and I'm all in. Let's go. All right. You're going to hit your first home run at Dyken Park.

eventually. Where do you want to hit your first road home run? Right center. I mean it's a park. Park. Is there a certain park? Okay. I can go over all the fences. I don't care. I don't care what you go on. Okay, okay. Yeah, Dodger Stadium. Dodger Stadium. They don't like the Astros there. You know that right. You can get the right field at Yankee Stadium pretty easy. Yeah, no, yeah. It's a short porch over there. Yeah. So Dodger's the same is where you want at the first one. Yeah, it's just like all the lights are on you. All right. As a third basement in the minor league ballparks, you probably hear fans a little bit. Before we wrap things up, give me some good material you've heard and something

you're like, you have to shake your head and go, what are you talking about? I don't know. Honestly, I don't even know if I can say it. Oh, okay. We have a special internet only show. Actually, tell us during the break. And we'll clean it up for the audience. That's funny. Yeah, because going to Omaha

last year, those fans are in your year, man. The Tennessee fans, they're rough. That's right. Hey, Cam, it was great visiting with you. We wish you to know them the very best. Very excited. And man I'm so excited but have a great time. Hope it's a short trip down in Sugarland. Yes, sir.

It's going to be like 95 degrees outside. I've got to get the hell out of here. What are you used to that way? What am I talking about? You're used to this. You're at Palm Beach. What are you talking about? He's here all the time.

He's lived in it. All right. Cam Smith joining us here on the program. Thank you, friend. We appreciate it. Short time out. It is 1213. Matt Thomas Show with Ross continues here on Sports Talk 790.

Back to Matt Thomas and Ross via Real. on Sports Talk 790. All right, a little late than never. It is the Matt Thomas show with Ross on Sports Talk 790. Gene Dias, the Astros, Pierre Director, brought us lunch. He's actually taking the food away from us. Well, he says Eric Getty may be postponed until tomorrow. Oh, that's fine.

We'll see. You know what we got to do? We got to do the news at noon. Yes. And then we got to do some shut you all my ass up. Oh, yeah, that's right. We got people on the line. We're going to talk to Paul in a couple seconds too.

Wally, but first, we owe you. You need the news at noon. Here's Ross. Yes, Matthew. The news at noon, well, begins with, of course, Astro's stuff. We were out here at beautiful sunny West Palm Beach, Florida for the Astros spring training. There into the second day of full-team workouts. And, of course, the hot topic has been Jose Al-Tuve and his work out in left field.

Getting the news today from Joe Espada that he will be in the outfield for the first game of spring training. But coach Joe, I mean, manager Joe Espada, says there's a lot of work to be done before that happens. I'm thinking another week. I want him to,

I want us to cover a lot of information and go over some stuff before we put him out there in a game. So not going to, you know, share which game I'm thinking about, but, you know, I want him just to feel comfortable and make sure that we do cuts and relays, we throw to the bases. is we got fly ball communication today.

We got to cover a lot of ground before I giving those first reps in the game. And the guys working on outfield communication today as well as part of the workouts, Matt. You know, communication is important, Ross. Communication is key in any relationship. Yeah, we don't have great communication between the two of us, but we've still been able to work okay. Yeah, we're making it. Okay, we only communicate for a living, but probably we should be better. But that's okay.

So Jose Altovait needed to get some work done there. Still, though, going to be in game number one of the spring training, of spring training, expected to be in the outfield where Ryan Gusto will be starting, Matt. Your thoughts on Ryan Gusto starting the first game. He'll pitch probably an inning, inning in a third. 35 pitches. Felt good, feels good, can't wait to get out there. Take my job responsibility seriously and do the best we can to win some game. All right, Matt.

Thank you. That's very good coach speak there. Let's keep it going with some more news at noon. the exclusive dropping today from the Houston Chronicle, both Dylan McGuinness and Jonathan M. Alexander writing up a report. The headline, Houston Texans may seek public money to build new football stadium. New team president hired last month,

touted part of his resume, quote, extensive history in the stadium development. Matt Thomas, you had been the tea leaves on this in a while. And now the report dropping it today that the publicly financed home NRG Stadium has been open since 2002. It's going to take an estimated $1.4 billion needed to renovate the stadium.

So what's going to happen now? Because here's the thing. These are numbers we're seeing that are just astronomical. I mean, it's so flippant for us to say, well, if it's 1.4 to refurbish or 2.5 billion to recreate. What's the other billion among friends? Every dollar is accounted for.

Who wants to pay that? It's going to be us. Apparently, the taxpayers of Harris County are still paying off the NRG Stadium, according to this report. The stadium debt incurred 25 years ago, the Harris County Houston Sports Authority is still owing $1 billion in principal debt on the bonds that paid the bill in NRG back in the day.

So a billion still don't know on this stadium, and 1.4 billion needed to renovate it. I don't know how the public's going to react to possibly, possibly needing some more public money to line the pockets of people who are billionaires already. If any, I'll say this again, if any league has an ownership group that can pay for a stadium itself, it's the NFL ownership, perhaps more than the other ownerships of other sports leagues. But that doesn't work that way. I'm going to put a See, my Twitter poll question is not going to be I'm not battle red mat So it's kind of I don't think I'm going to get as large of a number

But I think if you went to the people in the next calendar year and said Will you will are you willing to help contribute tax dollars to a new facility Shorter than one of the Super Bowl it's going to be a resounding oh hell no As it should be These people are billionaires They want to renovate this stadium because they want more money from what World Cup finals and it doesn't enhance your experience. It enhances the corporate experience.

And, you know, if you're trying to sell us on all, there's going to be all these new businesses. Where's all the new businesses and things to do around NRG Stadium right now? You can't sell that at all. I'm telling you, if I'm going to contribute, which I bet you I'm going to as a taxpayer living in Harris County, I am under no circumstance want a refurbish NRG. Get me out of there.

It's a place where you go, you sit and then you leave. Actually, you tailgate, you sit there in the second quarter and you leave mid-fourth quarter to go tailgate for a little bit before you leave. Spending any dollars in that area town to refurbish that facility to create a clubs, restaurants, city walk, whatever you want to hell you want to call it. Rossi, we can't even get the damn Astrodome imploded. How in the hell are we going to now add a billion dollars to refurbish that area

with that albatross sitting around the NRG Stadium neck. It's an un-is-an-viable? Is that make sense? untenable? Untenable situation. Under no circumstance should we spend a dollar refurbishing NRG Stadium. If you want a new palace, come to the table with a lot more money than you're probably going to want to do it and build your facility.

Anything, woodlands, sugar land, you're not building east, nothing to the east. What do you mean? Baytown? No love for Baytown, Maddie? No, no, no. If you're going to go Baytown, I'm going to stay by Energy Stadium where it is now. Sorry, but that's just the truth. Well, some stadiums recently built.

Allegiance Stadium in Las Vegas used $750 million of public money. So-Fi Stadium in Englewood was privately built, but was also apparently helped by tax breaks from Englewood. And then Atlanta, Arthur Blanks' Mercedes-Benz Stadium that opened in 2017, used about 200 million. I don't finance stadiums, but the Texans brought a new president in that does. Good luck, bra. All right, moving along in the news at noon, Matt. Some more baseball news.

We talked about Jose Altova moving to left field, willing to do whatever it takes. We did earlier. Okay. Willing to do whatever it takes to improve the team. Alex Bregman asked about. about where he wants to play in Boston says, I will play wherever. I'm super excited just to be Devere's teammate.

He's a great player. I think everybody in this clubhouse is worried about winning and whatever it takes to help the team win. That's all I'm focused on. I will play wherever Cora tells me to play. Of course he's going to say that. He has to say that. We know Alex Brickman.

He doesn't necessarily wear his. his heart on his sleeve in these press availability. He's going to keep things close to the time. Yes. But he is taking infield at third base. Privately, I'm going to guess he wants to be third base. As he should, he's literally the reigning gold glove. That's what the gold glove is. Go for it.

Yeah, I totally agree. Let's keep it moving. Matt, here on the news at noon. Appreciate Brandon for sending this along. The NFL has announced yet another game week one in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The Los Angeles Chargers hosting the second ever game in Brazil, despite all the complaints about the turf and the stadium. And security. Yeah. And issues in South Palo, Brazil. Right. NFL said, hey, that check cleared last year. It's kind of clear again.

Let's go to Brazil. Would you put the Texans in week one against the Chargers? Or do to play a road game in Los Angeles. That is correct. Why not? That's a good matchup. Last year was what, Eagles Packers? early under. Texas were on

a network exclusive broadcast four times. Five? Was you counting Netflix? Yeah, anything? Okay, here we go. Stand alone, as they call it now. Dallas, Baltimore,

Kansas City, that's three. Detroit, four. Am I forgetting one? Chicago. Did you mention the Jets? Hold on. Jets for Thursday. night. Okay, so here we go. Chicago, NBC, Detroit, NBC, Dallas, Monday night. Baltimore. Baltimore

Four. New York Jets. New York Jets, five. That's, and then, uh, Kansas City six. On the Saturday, yeah. Yeah. Was it six? Six. Six stand-alones. The number will be no more than four this year for the Texas. Oh, you heard me? I disagree. Oh, you think they're going on no more than, well, I mean, okay. I mean, Okay, if you're setting the number at four and a half, I'll hit the under. That's a good line. I'm going over. Okay. Let me look at the old future schedule.

It's the first place schedule. I'm going over. Okay. No, I'm not going to bet you. Let's not bet it, though. And that, my friends, is the news at noon. Real quick, before we get to, we're going to shut your bum ass up to right in the next segment. How about that?

Sounds great. Let's talk to, can you put Paul up for me. I don't think I can hit it. There's Paul. You're on 790. Thank you for waiting. Good afternoon. Hey, thanks, guys. That was an awesome interview with Cam Smith.

I mean, I didn't really know much about the guy. Obviously, I haven't seen a play, but said all the right things, really smooth. And, I mean, the more I think about that trade, the better I'm actually feeling about it. I mean, we've got a guy that could be on the team for seven, eight, ten years, whatever, with Smith. Wesneski is talented. And, you know, Perrinis is going to be a contributor. So, I mean, I think we did a good job getting what we could get. But here's my best case scenario for the Astros in this upcoming season.

I want to hear what you guys think. All the starting pitchers that we have now pitch well. Oh, and by the way, Eric Getty is a great interview too. I'll look forward to hearing that tomorrow. Yeah, he's going to probably be tomorrow that we found out. But continue on, please. Yeah. So the starting pitchers we have now all pitch well, including Wuzniewski.

You've got five. You've got three guys coming back. Again, best case scenario. McCullors, Javier Garcia. That's eight starting pitchers, particularly. potentially, right? So obviously you could put one or two or three of them to the bullpen. But in by perfect scenario, these guys all pitching well, one of them, you can deal directly to another club that's got a hitting surplus, get an outfielder. What do you think?

It's hard for me to guess on trades right now. Thank you for the phone call. I mean, Paul, to your point, I think Dana likes to make moves. I don't think Dana is going to be gun-shy about doing something, especially to improve a particular spot. And I don't mean to speak in generics here, but I can't tell you right now, honestly, Chas McCormick and Jake Myers have little value.

Your pitching staff doesn't have tremendous value. You're not getting rid of Hunter. If things go sideways, you will move Farmer Valdez the deadline. You're not moving Hunter Brown. You're not moving Spencer Arroghetti. So there's two-fits of your rotation that you're not moving. you have no return on Garcia.

Waznowski, I don't think you've got any value. He's got very little major league experience. I don't think there's much that you can say, let's trade for this guy. And you're not moving Cam Smith. You just got him in the Kyle Tucker trade. So I don't know where the moves are coming from because we're still looking at about four months where we really get a real strong sample as of who this baseball team.

You don't have a surplus of assets at the major league level. position player or pitching like you're good, you're set, but you don't have a surplus. And you don't have a surplus in the farm system. So that means to me they're going to look internal more than external for the improvement. That means Cam Smith, who we just interviewed.

And two other guys. Bryce Matthews and getting up and getting ready. Bryce Matthews and getting ready at some point. All right, ladies and gentlemen, it's an hour late, but it's still worth doing because we like having it for some fun with this. If you want to tell somebody to shut their bum asses up, Very simply, you call 713-212-5-790. If you ain't run out of time for something, ain't anybody got time for something.

7-13-212-5-790. 7-13-212-5-7-90. Shut your bum ass up. Ain't nobody got time for that coming up after I tell you about Two Creeks Crossing Resort. These wonderful folks have a sale going on for another 10 days. It's running out of time for you to enjoy 40% off of their cabin rentals up in the Lake Living eastern area about 90 minutes of downtown Houston. You're going to get a hot tub.

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40% off. Now let's say you own an RV. Looking for a site to drop off that RV. 20% off today. At two creeks, crossing That's two creeks crossing resort.com. Ain't nobody getting time. Ain't nobody getting time for that? Hey, nobody getting time for that. All right, let's go.

It's our favorite part of the week, an hour later than usual, because of the great guests we've had so far. We had Hayden Wisniewski joined the show. We had Cam Smith joined the show. Joe Espada was on the program. If you missed the Joe Espada conversation, it's coming up a replay of the best of that in less than an hour. Right now, we talk with you at 713-212.

570. If someone will not shut up, someone that irritate you, someone that you're mad at, simply tell him to shut their bum asses up. Shit your bum ass up, man. If somebody at the office

you're trying to have lunch, and he's giving you a long story about his grandkids, or a long story about tough traffic trip he had that he going to the office, and you want to tell him, ain't nobody got time for that. That's what we're here for. And nobody got time for that.

713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. Ross, what's the matter with you? Let's see. You know, I was going to do the Schmunited Airlines. Yes. For the delays that we had. Yes.

But at the end of the day, if you just land safely, Matt, you're happy. The way things are going with the airlines. So I'm going to turn my attention to the Houston, Texas. If you think that I want to spend any public money. If you're still a billion dollars in debt from the last stadium, you're looking for a new stadium just so you can continue to line your pockets with bigger games and more bells and Willsills and all that type of stuff.

Texans, we don't want to pay for your stadium as the value of the franchise continues to go up and up and up and up into the billions. Shut your bum ass up. Shit your bum ass up, man. I just put a Twitter poll question up in less than two seconds ago. I don't like to do two yeses and one no as an option, but I'm going to do it anyway. My question is this, as long as it's deemed reasonable, should tax pay, should tax money be used to help the Texans build a new stadium? So yes, I love them 24-7, win a Super Bowl, then all in, or no, you want it your money. Again, I know, so I'm going to take the two yeses and combine them, and then a no.

So you guys get your vote in at 713-212-5-7.9 are on Twitter at Sports. That's why we call you the poll master, Matt. They call me a lot of things, but I don't think the poll master is one of the things they call me. You love polls. All right. 713-212-5-7-19. You look like you want to tell me to shut my bum ass up. No, no.

We've had a good time here so far. We have. To the hotel coffee. Oh, I'm with you. Ain't nobody got time. Sing it, Maddie. for this gross

house blend you call it burnt he's burnt burnt two days in a row crispy anybody got time for bad taste and coffee at the hotel that proudly says we'll serve you breakfast I like smoked ribs and brisket

I don't like smoked coffee ain't nobody got time for burnt coffee if I want burnt coffee I'll go to the state fair coffee on a stick those might have been powdered eggs too I didn't need to scramble eggs you know what I'm a scrambled eggs guy Well, let's do my tacos.

Whatever. I'm not even going to talk to you about this. But those were terrible. They were like literally powdered or something. That's fine. Horrible. Well, don't eat it tomorrow. I'm going to eat it.

I ate a bunch of cereal. You're going to eat something and bitch about it before and after? Shut you. We're on tight budgets and it's free. Shut your bum ass up, man. All right, that's fine. We're going against each other here. This is not good.

713-212-5-790 7-1-3-2-1-2-2-5-7-9 you know we've been together too much and we're in the same room together although I'll say this you've been quiet yeah this except for the occasional coughing fit yeah your coughing fits are worse in the morning anybody got time for your coughing fits I'm telling you you got this I ain't got time for it I get sick with the best of them you've been sick for like six weeks it's getting better man incrementally you were sick at 2024 yeah Connor for I go the 4th phones. Connor, what's the matter with you? So Valentine's Day was on Friday. Yes.

And then, so we went for a drink, had dinner and then we were going to go somewhere else for a drink. I had a reservation for that cocktail lounge, bar, whatever. They called me while I'm at dinner to confirm my reservation. I said, yes, we're still planning on coming. And I said, are you aware of the bar tab minimum? I'm like, no.

I didn't say that in the reservation. She's like, oh, okay, it's for parties two to five, it's a $150 bar tab minimum. Oh, no. So ain't nobody got time for 150 bar to have minimum for two people and also just not letting me know beforehand when making the reservation. Hey, nobody got time for that. I gladly canceled to that and we went somewhere else.

Everybody got time for that. How did you explain to your lady you're a cheescape? Oh, I told her straight of them. I'm not, I'm just kidding. I'm not paying for it. Okay, so where did you all, without naming the restaurant, unless they're a sponsor, where did you go eat your Valentine's dinner? I don't, I'm trying to.

You're trying to rhyme it? Motto? Oh, Motto! Yeah, I rhymed it. There you go. Motto. Why are you calling him out? Why are you putting him on Front Street like this?

Because I want to know where he went. And he chose to tell everyone. No, he can tell. He went to Motto, and that's an excellent call. You don't have to answer these questions, Connor. You get a Caesar salad and a brick oven pizza? That's reasonable. It's delicious.

And it's very, very classy. And Melman Martita is very happy. You went there. Melman Martita is very pleased. All right, one call before we get to the break. We got a lot of folks that want to get in. 713212-5-790. 7-1-3-21-2-5-7-90.

Brandon, what's the matter with you? Matt, I'm going to stick up for you here a little bit. The 790 social media team, whoever put the tweet out there to set Matt up with the captioned this photo and to all the Twitter users who complied with very rude comments about skin tone and McRibs and everything else, shut your bum asses up. Shit your bum-ass up, man.

Well, Brandon, it was me that did it. Get them, Brandon. Number one. Number two. You already hung up. I got full clearance from Matt. I said, hey, I put this picture and say, caption this photo or something. Matt Thomas said yes, and I didn't think there was anything bad about this photo?

Have you checked it lately in the last hour or so? It looks like it. No. It's a regular picture of you and Joe Espada, and it just says caption this photo. We'll read some of coming here. Shut your bum ass up. We'll read some of them a little bit. And I love you.

Thanks for participating online at Sports Talk 7. There you go. Yeah, follow us on Twitter. I thought it'd be. Look, I was taking it. pictures. Look, I'm under orders from certain people to put as much stuff on social media as possible, so I took that picture

of Matt and Joe, and I thought it'd be funny to put a caption contest. It was fine. You know what? I don't have that thin skin. Well, I mean, I do have thin skin, but I have thin skin, but I've been like that. I look like a seasoned reporter is what I looked like. Here's a nice one for Maddie B.

When you're bumping around town on a Friday, in your heart of hearts, do you really think Ross should win as many fantasy fives as he does? That's a funny one. is a hot dog a sandwich we read that one earlier okay this one's rude sir many male players are complaining

about the glare off your head where you have that's gonna leave that one's rude that is rude I didn't think anything you know it's not of a fun social media content

it's fine I've been offended by much worse the I don't know how to put this I'm a big deal people know me that's a funny one yeah that's fine how do you and the team plan to proceed until the McRib is back

that's a great one what if we serve McRibbs the team after like practice tomorrow This is a good one from Houston Bread. Five minutes left in the interview. What should we do? Exactly. I like that one.

All right. If you want to get in, let's go. We're on next segment for you at 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. Shut your bum ass up. Ain't nobody got time for that. It's a Matt Thomas Show with Ross here on Sports Talk 790. I want to tell you once again about Scott Callahan and Associates.

These are the people that I have. have been very happy to send a lot of you over to visit with. And I didn't want to, but the reality is you've got a lot of people that need people to help you when it comes to getting you back on your feet when it comes to injury, lawyer guidance. And that's what we help Texas.com is going to do for you. We HelpTexus.com is the website for Scott Callan Associates. If you've been involved in a car crash, you're no fault of your own,

if you've been in a situation where you were involved in an accident with a motorcyclist or whatever the case may be, if you want to get to wehelptexas.com and visit with Scott Callan Associates, he's going to talk with you. You don't have to go to his office. In fact, you can spend some time with him on a Zoom, visit with his staff, and they're going to take special care of you. He is a Texas Board of Certification in all sorts of injury trial situation. So I'm telling you, friends, you get to Scott Callan and Associates, you're going to be taken care of because he wants to get you the most money. I'm going to spend a lot of money on crazy commercials and throwing things against a wall to give you a fact.

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Houston Sports Talk continues with the Matt Thomas show. With Ross. Hey, apparently Neo is in the 790 area in the studios back in Houston. What's your favorite Neo song, Matt? I was glad you asked me that. darling you're good you're too good to me huh uh is that one of the deeper cuts it's super deep we can see that on friday as soon as soon as you guys uh as soon as we come back from break i had the speakers loud in the studio dan came in walked out and then as soon as we went live you said

i heard neo's in the studio and he's right outside the door so hopefully he didn't hear that oh i love where's where's dan matthews right now i think he just like i think he just dapped up neo actually Tell Dan to come in and run the board for one second, so you can go get your picture with Neo. Yeah, that's okay. Is it a single person or is it a group? Shouldn't we just start playing one of his songs super loud and open the door? Yeah, and he can start singing.

I'm going to say it's off the hook. 713-212-5-7-98. I really don't know who Neo is. What I recognize, any of their songs. No. His. Yeah, whatever. Javier on 790 at 1251.

Javier, what's the matter with you? They shut Joe bomb ass up goes out to one of our local sports teams' GMs. A few weeks ago we heard rumors that a third and second baseman was willing to go to the outfield to keep a third basin here. Well, the third basin's gone now. And this ding-dong of a guy gives us this word salad, just crap. He's like, we needed a bad in the outfield, so we got one now. It doesn't work like that, bro. Now you're just putting Dubon at second base.

Leave out to be at second base, as it should be. Put out of Dubon out there. You ding-dong, ain't nobody got time for that. Shut your bum ass up. Thank you, Javier. Shit your bum ass up, man. I might have thought of that like a week ago, but they've been talking to Jose about this for a long period of time.

Jose knows that he's a minus second baseman. I mean, probably... Yeah, this idea wasn't hatched because of Bregman coming back. Right. It sounds like the puzzle pieces were fitting in, but even if Breckman was coming back or not coming back, they were making the move. I mean, clearly, they're not.

They didn't abolish this idea because Alex Perman had signed with the boss at Red Sox. Right. As we discussed with Joe Spotted earlier today, and you can hear that again. Yeah, we've got that 1.30 coming up today. By the way, Brian on Twitter says, can't call in, but two weeks ago, I bought a bouquet of flowers with a wife for 10 bucks. Valentine's Day, the same store, exact same bouquet, $42. Woo! You know, nobody got time for that.

Well, I don't nobody got time for that. There it is. I got terrible news for you, Brian. it's called dynamic pricing and Valentine's Day is dynamic as it comes for flowers. It's called gouging. That's another word for it. Yeah, that's true.

But if we owned a flower shop, we do the exact same thing. Absolutely, I was. Welcome to America, baby. Capitalism. Let's go. Valentine's Day, Mother's Day. That's about it. You can drink my water.

That's your water. Okay. Relax. All right. Yeah, I'm sorry. I, um, it's Rosset. It's capitalism. Yeah, you know what you should do.

Well, now, build a rose orchard. And sell your own. Let's go. Or you know what? Give your wife's sweet love instead of the flowers. That's free. Huh. Well, that depends.

Nothing ain't free in this world of Mars, Matt. Brian, I'm sorry. You may be paying a heavier price for that. Oh, boy. Anyways. Were you going to say anything else? No, I'm done. All right.

I'm done. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. I can't see the... Greg in Oklahoma. Greg's in the entire state of Oklahoma? Yes. You pot them up because I can't see my... There it is.

Greg, where are you calling us from? Hey, what's going on, guys? I'm in Houston. The last time I called you guys, I was in Oklahoma coming home from the College World Series. But now I'm just in West Houston. Oh, I got it.

Our system saves your number, so... Yeah, that's pretty funny. No, I'm just here out and on the west side. So I'm Greg and Akegonne at Tweet sometimes. So what's the matter with you then? Hey, you guys, I ain't got no time for Channel 2 on their biggest night that's not NFL football related who cannot figure out how to not switch over from the Saturday Night Live special.

And it was like 15 or 20 minutes worth. And they didn't go back. Just disaster. And I don't think that they've done anything about, you know, we're going to show it again or anything like that. So I'm going to have to go to Peacock or something to try to get it. So it's just that was terrible. I totally agree with you, Greg. I'm very sorry.

Ain't anybody got time for you, Channel 2, screwing that up. Ain't nobody got time for that? I got terrible news for you. The NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C. They got the memo. We had no issues. Yeah, well, I thought it was okay most places. Does that, like, the news director's call or something?

No, I think something happened where the line of communication with people at Channel 2, the memo didn't get passed around. Because here's the bit. They had to know. Whoever switched at all. Even if you make that mistake, you're doing a live news show. you can come back and say, hey, there's more SNL.

Let's go back to SNL. More of the news coming up after this. They doubled down on their news. They said, you know what, not only we're not going to carry the 20 extra minutes, but we're going to keep giving you news about what's happening with the gunfire in the West Park of town. Here's five piping hot new murders.

Let's go. Local news. You know what? I'm going to back, let me tell you, I would have lost my ever-blank-and-blank because Paul McCartney is my guy. He's America's guy. He's from England

Well, he still is beloved by every American Not every American One of the greatest singers of all time Songwriters and a hell of a guitar player A songwriter we can talk Singer, not so much Oh my gosh Shut your bum ass up, man

Shit your bum ass up man Is this Connor or Dan Hit those fire on those bad boys off Did Connor get a we must know Did he get a picture with Neo? That's my fault, sorry I was still trying to look out the window Have you gotten your picture yet?

No, I think they're gone All right I'm gonna Oh, are you serious? Yeah. So Dan knew that you're such a big fan of Celo, or whatever his name is, and you get nothing? It's not Dan's fault. It's easier to blame, Dan. By the way, Adam Clanton, I cannot read your shut your bum ass up on the radio.

I know what you sent. I can't do it. Adam Clinton, shut your bum ass up. Yeah, Adam Clinton, shut your bum ass up. Shut your bum ass up, man. Anybody got time for you working about six hours over the next two weeks? Ain't nobody got time for that. Ooh, gonna be a slide.

It'll be a light schedule, too, Maddie. to Brian Erickson. Nobody wants to listen to the tape delay games. They want to hear the live games. Yeah, that's with pregame coverage, starting with Chris Gordy at 10 a.m. I like it. I like it.

All right. I think we're good. By the way, my poll question? Not going well. Sounds like the McNairs are getting told to shut their bum ass up. Let's see here. Again, the question is on Twitter at SportsMT. As long as it's deemed reasonable,

should tax money be used to help the Texans build a new stadium. You get two chances for a yes. Okay. And you get one for a no. Yes, love them 24-7. Win a Super Bowl and then all in. No, you want it your money.

68% say, no, you want it your money. 17% say love them 24-7. 50% say win a Super Bowl and all in. And our 150 votes in 18 minutes. So people have an opinion about this pretty quick. And that, my friends, wraps up. Shut your bum ass up. And nobody got time for that.

All right. News headline check coming up at 1 o'clock. Bottom of next hour in just 30 minutes, you are going to hear the replay, the best of, the conversation that Rossi and I had with one Joe Espada here on Sports Talk 790. I want to tell you about Uptown Appliance Repair. There's nothing more aggravating than you be in a position

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That's 281-758-9978 for our good friends at Uptown Appliance Repair. Lunch timers. This is the Matt Thomas Show. All right, final hour of the Matt Thomas Show here with Ross. We are coming to you from West Palm Beach. We have some more news that's not going to help the McNair's, chase or for public money for a new stadium if they so choose to ask

for it. But real quick, I really feel really sorry for anybody on our station. We're all compensated, I mean, different levels. And how? Sean Salisbury clearly way above everybody else, and that feels a little unfair,

but that's a different issue for a different time. Morning Drive, Matt. He's tone setter. It is a tone setter. Let's go, baby. But we do feel sorry for our hardworking producers, and we're going to eventually lose Connor at some point. Will you stop saying that? We're keeping

Connor forever. I hope we do because he's put up with more of our crap in the last... Don't put that into existence. Connor, how can only be with us a year? Has it been a year so far? It's been over a year, yeah. It was a year in October, right?

It was a year in late October, so... Oh, my God. We owe you a gift of some sort. Yeah. Well, we're waiting for that digital number to come in. Still waiting on that. But point being is this. You didn't get to see your hero Sarday.

Neal. Neoh, okay, sorry. Matt Shaw Day. My bad. Or C. Lowe. Or C. Lowe. Yeah. And then the worst thing is, let me tell you, Connor, we worked the middays.

We don't get to eat breakfast in a normal time. We don't get to eat lunch in a normal time. In fact, we probably skip the meals. Why can't you eat breakfast in a normal time? I guess you could. Oh, yeah, you commute for like four hours. That's different. Thank you.

You're right. There was barbecue in the office today. And nobody told you that. And not only do you not get to meet your R. be hero but you get no food on top of it oh was it just booties i'm sorry moody's i don't know what it was but it was food you think you think connor worries about whether it's from moody's or not that's fine i don't think he's going crazy i must have my must have nepus nepus uh the of the wine country no so sorry to connor for producing his show putting the show in front of his belly and i appreciate

that very much i'm gonna go i'm eating my sandwich now and we're gonna bring we're gonna bring him some lunch on Friday. We'll have Dan Matthews. We're going to be in the studio on Friday, so. We are? Yeah. You are? Yeah, why not? I'm shocked. I don't know. I don't ever know when you're there. But I've been with you. I'm there every day, baby. We've been with you guys shows, I'm there.

HIP to hip for the last three days. Don't you want a day off from me? Wouldn't be the worst thing. All right. That's what Saturday and Sunday are for. That's too bad. All right. So let's go. All right. So here's the bit. So we have the poll question again is, as long as deemed reasonable the tax money to be used for the Texans to build a new stadium. No is 69% win and win at Super Bowl and it's all in 15%.

16% says love them 24-7. Jonathan Alexander, who covers the Texans, says that the NFL is now getting new numbers on their salary cap that's going to help the players. Let me get this right here updates here. So, two years ago, last year was $255 million you can spend on salaries. I think you've got to spend 90% of that. Okay. It's going anywhere for a range between 277.5 and 281.5.

Now, that's just not a number that's blindly brought up. It's a number that is brought up based off of revenues the NFL has. So every team's salary cap is going somewhere between $277.5 million and $281.5. half million dollars that's 22 million dollars more minimum than last year dan graziano actually put this out from uh ESPN the salary cap in the NFL Ross has gone up 53 million dollars in the last two years and that's large that's largely television driven because of the fact that that new that two-game package that uh netflix put out for 150 million dollars yes if i was the NFL

and I was anybody looking for a new stadium, I wouldn't tell anybody any numbers because you put that out, and if the NFL players are getting a $22 million bump, and from one year, guess what the owners are getting? Significantly more than that. Yeah.

Basically, because isn't it a percent of the revenue that the PA negotiates for the salary cap? I think it's under 50-50 for the NFL players, but I think it's close. It's like, it could be 49. or something like that. It's something very minor. And maybe Ross wore a new stage here where it's just hard

for anybody to ask. So that's still pretty good. It's hard to ask for public money when the NFL... You said $2.80? Sorry, go ahead. It's up $52 million from two years ago. So about $2.80 a team. It's 277.5 to 281.5 in a range there. Well, let's call it $280 among friends.

Okay. And that is times 32 teams. Yes. That's 8.9. Basically, let's call it $9 billion. So 48% of their revenues is $9 billion. Okay. The quick math would be $18.5.19 billion.

So the revenues are now going to be split. 52% of that revenue of $19 million is now being split up between the 32 team. Now they have to obviously have to operate from that. Yes. So we can basically call it $300 million a team. Then there's operating. You get to operate off that, yes. I mean, this I don't know.

I don't know what it takes to operate a team. But I guarantee M.T. doesn't take you $300 million. I mean, no. Cal and Hannah, and really Hannah, I mean, she has struck it rich, if you know what I'm saying. Yeah. This says, Google says average operating income for an NFL team, $142 million. So it takes 142 to operate it.

So income, income. So basically, you subtract expenses and salaries from revenue, which we have. It's $142 million is which each team is making every year in profits. That strictly goes into the owner's piggy banks. Correct. $142. $142 million a year. Pay for your own stadium.

Cal and Hannah. Pay for your own stadium. I know your image has changed dramatically probably because of Hannah more than Cal, you don't get this team of the Super Bowl, you don't ask for a penny. It ain't going to fly Ross. It ain't going to fly. Especially when you just told me earlier, there is still a significant amount of money owed on the energy. And you didn't blow the dome.

We are in stadium hell right now. Meanwhile, the Rockets and Astros have to be pissed. They pay way more into their facilities than the Texas do. the story in the Chronicle said today, the government, meaning Harris County, actually pays the Texans to play in their stadium. That's what the story. Really? It says. Essentially, the government pays the Texans to play in energy.

This is all about my head. This is all for I just don't get it. Yeah, it's going to be very confusing. And I'm not trying to be scared of people. I'm just telling you we can start dealing some realities. And this is going to happen eventually in a minute to Dykin. it's going to eventually happen in the Toyota Center. I'm just telling you, in 2025,

maybe, not maybe, definitely more so than it was, say, 30 or years ago when people were afraid. People, I don't think, are afraid of losing franchise anymore, especially when you're in top 10 markets. The NFL needs Houston, Texas. There are six plus million people here. They're not allowing the city of Houston to lose a football team. Yeah, I'm curious what the latest is. happened with the chiefs.

I think it was another measure. One measure didn't pass, and then they did when they dialed back to public coming. They were thinking about building, getting a stadium downtown. I think the Royals also have been looking for that as well. There was also a thought to renovating both Kaufman Stadium and Arrowhead and putting a roof over it that moves from one side

to the other. They said no to that. That'd have been really kind of cool to watch, right? One roof covers two stadiums, or at least covers one thing in a meantime. It sounds insane. It sounds insane, yeah. But any you that are OGs that listen to me way back in the day in the 90s Rossi, you will see these stories start to pop up a lot more often because what you're going to then see is you're going to see the Texans are going to want to ultimately make a decision. We don't want to renovate energy.

We want our own facility. The rodeo is going to get involved. Then the Astros and the Rockets are going to say, wait a minute, if you're getting this deal, why can't we get the, I mean, this is a, and number one thing is, when you build these stadiums, they were supposed to have 40, 50 years shelf lives? We're talking about Atlanta getting out of the Georgia Dome, very young. We're talking about the Braves leaving Turner Field very young to go to their own little spectacle up in the northern Atlanta area. These stadium's lives are 25, 30 years.

Meanwhile, Kyle Fields like, hold my beer. Daryl, Hull my beer. Michigan Stadium. Why do college stadiums... There's public money there. I don't know how it goes. Why do college stadiums? lives 75, 80 years, and

go with the times. Meanwhile, the NFL stadiums don't do that. I don't know. I don't know what the revenue situation is there with what the colleges are making. First of all, you're getting $100,000 in the building for those home games. Yeah. That's definitely more money

from just that. But don't you think the high-end Texas fan wants to be closer to the field and have more luxury boxes and all that kind of I mean? Why would a NFL, why would a Texas fan not want the same bells and whistles that a high-end fan would Is it more traditional? It's more, I mean, because the fabric of college football is the traditions,

even though, of course, we know it's not an amateur and it's all for business. But you sell to yourself, you tell yourself that Kyle Field, the DKR and Memorial Stadium and Norman, like these are hallowed grounds that have been played on for 100 years, and we can't move off of them. Most of them are on campus. And it's for the students. Ohio Stadium. How old is Ohio State?

where Ohio State plays. I mean, these stadiums are, I mean, Neal and Stadium were Tennessee plays. Yeah. They're constantly working on that bad boy. But the NFL shelf life? 25, 30 years. I mean, the Rams were in St. Louis,

played at the year, whatever the dome was called there, Edward Jones. It wasn't a fossil. Is any of the World Cup games being played in college stadiums coming up? I don't know. I think, I just find it very intriguing the colleges that are high-end super mega stadiums. What do they call?

Where is Alabama plays? Jordan. Not Jordan here. That's Auburn. Brian Denny. Brian Denny. They constantly put lipstick on that bad boy. No one's clamoring for Alabama.

They're a new stadium. I don't know. It's just different because it's college and most of these are on campus. But those are multi-billion dollar facilities too. Ohio Stadium. built in 1921. Been around 100 plus years. Meanwhile, we got to get a new facility for the Texans.

After 22 years and no AFC championship appearances. We need a new place, and you're paying for it, Houston. Let's go. I'm just telling you that Rossi, knowing that our city like I do, and like most sports fans, they won one or two Super Bowls. This would be a moot conversation. How about this? Kyle Field broke ground on 1927. original construction costs

$650. That's it. They went bare bones. They went basic economy on their stadium. Which is 23,000. Even for now, that's $23,000 and $2,023,000.

Adjusted for inflation. Well, all right. $650 bucks is $23,000 now? That's pretty insane. It is crazy. It's crazy. All right. Short timeout. 116 is the time.

It is the Matt Thomas show with Ross. We take this program until 2 o'clock and then we'll hand it over to the A-Team up and then bottom of the hour you'll hear from manager Joe Espada. Right now, a word once again for Two Creeks Crossing Resort. I want you to take your family a little getaway, if not in the next couple of weeks, certainly during springtime, during spring break. Get them out in the country, let them smell the fresh air, let them enjoy the beautyiness. It is the Lake Livingston area and you can do that at Two Creeks Crossing Resort. They've got so many activities for all ages from a hot tub to a beautiful gas grill area.

They've got movies on the weekends. They've got a ice house that operates. And then when you get in one of these waterfront cabins, in fact, one of them is so nice, it's got a whirlpool hot tub in it. High-speed internet, televisions, stoves, plenty of popular amenities, and it's reasonable.

It's only 90 minutes of downtown Houston. So get away for a short period of time. Get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and try something different with you and the fan. It's two Creeks Crossing Resort, where if you get something before now or the end of the month, you get 40% off. a cabin rental, and if you have an RV, it's 20% off of one of their sites.

All at 2TWO Creek's Crossing Resort.com. Matt Thomas and Ross B. Real. Two guys extremely passionate about Houston Sports. You can tell them to go get a room. We've shared a hotel room. But they already have. And then I've been used to on. Truth be told.

That's true. Thanks for the visual. Pillow in between. There's no pillow between you and more lunchtime Houston sports talk. Sports Talk 790. Ross and I are going to the clubs tonight in Palm Beach. That's what the kids call this here. And they'll call it West Palm. They call them the BB.

Uh-huh. And we're going to see Relo there and look forward to... Mio. Mio. Mio. At C-Lo. I just tweeted at C-N-A-N-A-N-A-N-A-N-E-N-A-N-E-K Keep track of your stuff blowing away?

I just tweeted at him. Connor, I'm trying to get him back to the studio. Let me know if he gets to get it's there. All right, I'll have you know. I'll try to get him on the air. tweet. Yeah, I would have talked to him. I'd have lost to let Rawls handle the interview because I would have not.

I know of Neo. I'm not like a big Neo fan. Neo had some hits, Maddie. This song is so good. Jam. Can I tell you? This isn't bad, actually. I listen to this.

Let's listen to the way back to the hotel. You want to listen to this? Okay. We're going to stop by Rocco Rel on the way back. Can we get you anything, Connor? Oh, that's trying to have to blow up. Bring me back a cassidia. Okay.

Rock O'Rell's fine for Biden. So I'm not going to go to Bandy's for a Mubble Mac? Is that what you want? No. My treat. Whatever you're treating? I'll go to Rachel's. It's right here.

For those of you that like that kind of thing, Bachel's is a strip club in the Palm, in the beach. Yes. It's a tourist trap. Once you get in, you don't want to leave. You get trapped in there. Wasn't out a local spot? You want to go to the local strip club?

I don't know. They have hair underneath their arms. By the way, for those of you that know the show at the show at all, and I'm just going to leave this without any commentary, our girl Taylor is pregnant. And apparently she's seven months pregnant.

Oh. She's been hiding it fairly well. Because I didn't know. Yeah, I know. You're still dropping likes and views. So those of you asking for her only fans account, you're a creep. Some people are into that kind of thing.

So we were talking about if Nilo, is it Nio? Nio. Neo. Neo came in the studio. I wouldn't know what to ask him because I would have no idea what he's saying. I once did a final four when the final four was in Houston, this is like the first time. This company asked me to host a two-hour radio show on Sports Talk 790.

And all I was doing was interviewing coach after coach after coach after coach. Yes. I was given no prep of who was going to be. But they were bringing me these coaches. and I had no idea who they were. I forgot about that. Thank God the Internet was working decently at this restaurant we were at. But there was one interview with a coach that I did not know who it was.

He didn't have a logo on his shirt. You couldn't ask him? I don't think I brought up his name. I don't think I brought up his... I definitely didn't bring up his school. And I talked about generic... questions for about five or six minutes. And I'm wondering even to this day

if that coach realized that I had no idea who the hell he was. I mean, it wasn't even a top 40 program. And it was like, it had to be something like a Northern Iowa or a Montana State or something like that.

Turns out it was John Caliperi. There was nothing that hurts me more than having to do something like that not knowing anything about the person coming in. Man, that is gold. I forgot about that. It wasn't gold at the time.

It's gold now. I think I got paid $200 for that $200 for that $2. Oh, yeah. I was like, I will never do this again. And have to do. Sign me up. Let's go. Hey, coach, you get to call everyone, Coach.

That's a good thing. Well, you know, it was easy because I can say, Coach, what do you think about the current dynamic of college basketball? What do you think, you know, what helps a team get to a deep tournament run? And I was thinking, God, please tell me he went to the tournament. Please support the tournament. I was terrified. He was like, the CBI?

Well, Matt, we've never been to a tournament before, but I understand when I'm... Some of my assistant coaches have been to a tournament before. It's terrible. It's absolutely terrible. All right. Nope. We don't have any believe it or not today because we're on location.

Tomorrow on the show you're going to hear we think... I'm scheduled to talk to Jake Myers and a Chas McCormick. Wonderful. We're going to have Spencer Arrogatee. And you never know what else is going to pop up. All right. And we have... Oh, you know what else is going to pop up.

we have it on the show tomorrow? Eddie Nunez, athletic director at the University of Houston. What you say, well, why is that? Why is that? Well, because our Cougars kicked ass yesterday, beating Arizona State and covered. You're welcome. And college game day is coming to the University of Houston on Saturday for the second time. Really?

Yeah. Who are the Cougars playing? Iowa State. Oh, that is a big one. That's a big game. Huge. If I'm nervous about my one-loss prediction? Yeah.

I can't believe Texas Tech beat us. Overtime loss. And we return the trip. to Lubbock next week, I think. Yeah. All overtime losses except to Auburn, correct? That's correct. No, there has been a bunch of overtime games so far this year.

We're just rolling. Cougars should shoot, Big 12 road wins. Cougars got the shooting this year. They do. Tell me when you hit a casino, man. I'm getting that future. I'll be in New Orleans in a few weeks. Put down some bets.

How long they give us to cancel cash those bad boys? Put a 20 on it. 20 at 10 to 1, 200. Let's go. I'm in for that. I'll contribute as well. Okay. All right.

Joe Espata was on this show earlier today. If you missed it, you're like, oh, man, I'm so sorry. I missed it. Well, guess what we're going to help you out? I'm going to let you hear the majority of the conversation. Great stuff with Joe Espada. Right after we tell you about love volleyball. I love volleyball.

Do you love volleyball? If you do, you're going to really love League One volleyball. L-O-V-B.com. L-O-V-B-com is a brand-new league. They're playing the games in the Fort Bend epicenter, a brand-new facility in the Richmond-Rosemberg area. And if you want to check out, All-Americans from college, international stars, Olympians,

and you want to see a team that represents the city of Houston, you're going to want to check out League One Volleyball. L-O-V-B.com. L-O-V-B-D-C dot com. The games are coming up with matches at the end of next week and matches in March as well. Check the schedule to get your tickets and go check out something that has been such a big part of my daughter's life

and now a big part of mine. It's professional volleyball, the next major league. League 1 volleyball at L-O-VB.com to check out Houston's new team. Games coming up shortly in Fort Bend County. Back to Matt Thomas and Ross Villarreal. On Sports Talk 790. Oh, last thing for Connor and I won't bring this up anymore today. I just checked our receptionist IG account.

Sophia, we love her. She has a photo with her and Neo together. What? I know. I'm so sorry. Did everybody else in the office get one? I think literally everybody else got a picture with him except you. And he was right outside.

I saw him through the little glass window of the studio. He was literally right there. Did Dan get one? Did you ask Dan yet? No, Dan said he liked one of his albums. I think he talks about one, right? Did Wex get one? Wex, are you in there?

Can you hear us? Oh, I can hear you. Did you get one? Did you get a photo of Neo? No photo with Neo. Neo way. Oh, weekdays two to six. Wow

God, I feel awful Tomorrow, Dan needs to come in and help you So the next celebrity that comes in that I don't know He should get a picture with The worst thing is The worst thing Connor is She took a picture of him in 2014 When he came by the station

So she put both photos up Why is that the worst? Once you let Connor live He's already upset now You try to get him hired off And now you're pissing him off You know what I'm making him feel better Here for the manager of the Astros

You know what we're getting a word from Connor He says Shut Joe bum and he's always. ass up. No, he's like, I try. I just tweeted directly to Neal. We're proud of you. I did that. You got six million followers by the way. I did. You didn't. You didn't do squat. Yeah, but that's it. Guess what? It's going to get the same result. No, it's not. I try it harder than you did. All right. We talked to our man, uh, Joe's spot. I was drawn a blank here. The manager was. Joe's spot earlier today. And we had to get the obligatory, uh, Al-2Basches other way.

talking about him being able to catch a fly ball, but ultimately trying to use that arm of his to throw runners out as they're trying to advance from third to home. I'm not concerned about it. I think he will figure that out and he'll get it. So as being as a middle infielder, you know exactly where you need to line up. You know exactly what the runner behind you is doing.

Now he's the one executing that first throw. So that's the transition that he needs to make. And I'm sure that he'll do that. So we're doing this by phases, right? I think phase one was, you know, at Diking Park. We worked for almost three weeks, fly balls. We deal our work. We did some video.

We work on his techniques. You know, we talked about how challenging our wall is. Now phase two is spring training. Now it's the sun the elements, right? The sum, the win. You know, now we'll, you know, it's the base runners. It's the strategy. It's runners trying to go first to third.

to challenge him. So we're going through all that for the next two weeks. But I'm sure that he'll figure it out. We're going to give it everything we got. He's his mindset. It's where it needs to be. And I'm sure that we, if this works, it just makes our team that much better. He's such a smart player. He's got baseball DNA in his blood. I think this is not just for him. It's for anybody you put out in left field. Baltimore is going to present some challenges. Detroit will pose some challenges. Cleveland a little bit. But if you knock down, if you're a, if you're If you're at Minutemate Park, you'll know the nuance of the cracks and how the ball lands on the fence. Diking Park.

Dike me. Hit me next time. Hey, you got him. There we go. Yeah. Well, that's what it is, right? That's not just for Jose L, too, that's for anybody. It's for anybody.

It's for anybody. You know, the challenge is a challenge for anyone. Fenway Park is challenging for anyone. You could have 10 years experience to five-year experience. There's things that he's going to have to learn. But for us, we believe that he can do it. There's confidence that he can do it. He's an athlete.

He shows his speed, the awareness to do, to do the things that we expect him to do. And, you know, we got five weeks here to continue to work on this. And, you know, we're not going to completely abandon second base. But I think by him playing some let field really opens the door for us. You do all the things on the baseball field. Yeah, speaking of learning as you go, take us through how you're doing, man. Your journey, the last year, obviously, the start wasn't the way that you wanted to go. You make the playoffs.

Also, the early exit. And now the team retooled this year, how are you, have you been going through this? and now in your second year as the head man. You know what? So, you know, I had some time to, you know, sit down and kind of take all in, what, 2024 meant for me personally and for our team and, you know, doing that time of reflection, you start writing down things that we could have done better, things that I could have done better.

And, you know, when I met with our club yesterday, I think we told them that, you know, we need to be proud of 2024. You know, we did not finish the race and what we wanted to. But we ran a strong race. We did what we wanted to do, which was win the West. I also told our club that our team was tested like never before. Our culture got tested. Our commitment to winning got tested from the very beginning.

And we prevail. I think it was a good season for us despite early exit of the playoff. But I think we did some things well. And as a manager, I'm proud of the way we battled back about the way I stay, calm and have confidence on my on my club to get us to what we want to get to. And I expect it to be a better, a better 20-25. We're ready for the challenge. And I think 2024 was a learning experience for all of us. If I went back and we went back and looked at the games and maybe talked to you right after the deficit was 10 games, tell me at that point what you were thinking

and does Dana come to you and say, do we want to start selling? Because look, he maintained the confidence. You did as well. But reality sits in. When that deficit gets to 10, that's as ugly of numbers against. Yeah, Matt, you know what one thing about, you know, you asked about Dana, he never used the word sale. Never did. That's a huge thing. It's huge.

And it just goes to, we really believe on our team. And we always felt like we still had 90, 100 games to fight back, right? We felt like once our guys came back and, you know, our offense was going to click in. We know that we had a push in there, and we did. But, you know, the word sold never came in play. And I'm glad that we didn't. And I'm glad that we had a Kikuchi, who was a big boost to our team during that stretch. How excited are you to write three Christian Walker in the lineup almost every day?

He just about when he doesn't want to the age. He's already told us that. after what happened last year at first base. You know what? D.H is not an option there. He's the best defender in the game over there at first. He will probably need a day off here and there, not many. But I think that what Christian brings to our club is this level of, you know, leadership.

He's ability to hit the ball to the ballpark quality of bat, something that as a club we kind of struggled last year, little bit. Our offense kind of up and down and how we chase some pitches. So him and Perrette has kind of bring that dynamic back to our offense. But Christian is a pro, and I'm excited to have them. Let's get to the outfield.

Jake can cover everything. You're moving chance to right field. I don't want to say how long is a leash. Because, look, everybody's got a leash of some level to performance-wise. I would say if we took away the left-field situation, what's the thing that probably not alarming, but we're looking to see

productivity-wise is what you're... Not the guys can do defensively, but it's on the offensive end. What were some things you told to both those guys? Because we kind of joke with Jake a little bit about his mate was spectacular. We need that Jake Myers, not to be that OPS high number like it was, but level out a little bit. Yeah, let's start with Jake, you know, and I had this conversation with Jake during the offseason, and we talked on here a couple of days ago. You know, it's not, you know, that may carry, you know, that's repeat May, June, July.

No, it's just, you know, when there's a drop-down, which all players have that, it can be 200 points in the OPS. You know, there's got to be a walk. You know, he can do things where he can lay down a bun. There's quality of bat where the contribution is still there. Because I told him this, I said, listen, you know, when I'm looking at my lineup card and the game, when the game is close, we have to lead, I want to keep you in the game. Because your defense matters.

You meter, you know, your defense is game-changing. but when the game is on the line and you're not swinging the bat the way you're capable of, I need to make a move. I need to try to create some runs. And now I'm taking my best defender out of the game because I'm trying to, you know, tack the lead. And I don't, and I told him I don't like doing that. But I told him if I have to do it, I will do it again.

But I believe that he made the adjustment. He needs to. Same conversation with Mack. You know, you know, you mentioned the leash. And I told Mac, I said, Mac, I said, Mac, Last year, I think the leash was long. And maybe this year, the leash might not be that long. So it's early production.

I want to see you contribute to our offense and putting some good at bats from the very beginning. And, you know, we brought in some left-end of bats that could give me an opportunity to platoon if I have to. But I'm going to, you know, I want Mack and Myers to take over those jobs and do what they're capable of doing. What do you, man, it has to be a hard job because what do you? look for when you win to pull the leash because as you know baseball is a game where Hall of Famers can struggle for 50 games or more so what are you looking for to say okay this is time to make a change is in conversations is it how the abats are looking is it I mean what do you do as a manager you know it first starts with you know with a conversation in spring

training the players want to know their roles and how big that leash is right you know you mentioned Hall of Famers we we have we have we have quite a few here that have the chance to be Hall of Famers. So obviously those guys are in there and they're going to put their numbers. But these young players who are starting to figure out in big leagues and you've got to balance that out with wins and losses, they got to show you from the very first date that the quality of bats are there, that they're making adjustments, that they're not ignoring kind of the things that we wanted them to work on. But the abats got to be productive. You've got to hit the ball hard. You got to walk. You got to, you know, those abets need to mean something for you to be able to

stay in there. Last question for you, Joe Spotted with us here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Skip, where is the battle? Because everybody likes to put out their 26-man roster, and it feels pretty much set. You may have some things in your mind, but where is the competition for the next month, what you're saying? Well, you know, I think there's opportunities on some bench rolls. I think there is at least one or two spots there that I view as competition. And I mention some of those outfielder's left-downy hitters.

There's competition there, but also middle relief. I think that's where we are going to spend a lot of our time, where we got some of these young pitchers who are there, who we like, who can be that bridge to Abrao and Hayter on the 9th? Who can throw that sixth inning? Who can throw that seventh inning? Who's going to be the guy who's going to step up and hand the ball to a clean eighth inning to Abrao? That's where the big questions are.

We teased you a little bit last year about all the Abraeo appearances. Oh, goodness. Less of Brayu. Less. Or I got one for you. Less. Every game was close last year. You had to.

Or less a hater going to the second inning. Oh, boy. Dream World, you want both those. You know, I'm going to start with the first one. It's less of getting a bro up in the seven to finish the seventh. Less of that. Okay. You know, less of he having to go in the seven to finish the eighth, the seventh, and then

going back in the 8th and then I potentially have to get up a hater to pick him up so you could you know I need less of that and that's for me where right now we are really spending a ton of time trying to figure that out more offense yeah the key to that is more that also that also helps but you still got to you know prepare yourself for like I see you well know you know what happened last year we know we all left spring training feeling really good and sexy about our club and then all

a sudden you got I learned that very quickly you got to you got to have a plan B I love when he said Still feeling you felt good and sexy Coming out of spring training That's great First month of year he felt like you were unwanted Yeah With all the injuries

You don't want him feeling fat and fly Be good and sexy Let's go Or doughy Or doughy All right back to wrap things up here From West Palm Beach Where a windstorm is now

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Busting the wave since the stroves were in the dome. Who are you going to call? Wave busters. Houston Sports Talk continues. news with the Matt Thomas show. 152 on Sports Talk 790. It is the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Final segment for us here today from West Palm Beach.

And we've really, I want to say Dodge weather. It rained this morning, but nothing yesterday and something else in today. It's a bona fide hot mid-80s day. It's nice. I like it. Joan just sent me a text. She's like our message on Twitter that says that back in the age, it's a little frosty. 32 degrees.

Let's see where the return temperature is in my house. 32. What is going? It can't be 32 degrees in February in Houston, Texas. It's ridiculous. Why not? February. No.

It's winter. We live in Texas for warm winters. It's above freezing. Quit your whining. No. Put on a coat. No. You guys are a bunch of winers.

I'll say something. You've been frosty air going. You know why you've been sick so much a damn frosty air? No, that's not true. You come to Florida hang out. It's not good. Your porters will be good. It was 85 degrees when I first got sick, probably.

Okay. All right. Yeah, it's going to be 120. Can't wait. Feels like for like nine months. Let's go. Give me a little frost in the air. Shut your bum ass up.

Oh, I'm sorry. Is that segment over? Yeah, well, it feels like it's always available to us. All right, so we're back here tomorrow. We'll hopefully catch up with the outfielders, at least two of them. Jose just doesn't speak very much. We've effort to try to get Jose on the show. It's a little exhaust.

He's big time. It's fine. And there's going to be every team that's going to have one or two that are going to be hard to reach. And so Jose is our guy. Justin Verlander. Verlander never made an appearance, spring training or a regular season. Yeah, I feel like you got a better shot getting him now that he's a giant than before I was in Astro. He's going to ask for him. He's going to say it's minimal. So I think the answer is no.

We might have a couple streamers out there. Boy, Ben Van Verlander. He's just pouting like, I wish Alex Prime was the Detroit Tiger. Is he? Would you follow him? No, he shows him at my 4 U-Tab. Oh, he shows up in your 4-U tab because you always look at his tweets. He's a gravy train off of his brother.

It doesn't show up in my 4-U tab. You can mute him. Ah, I'd rather see what he's doing. It's better for material for the show. Keep an eye on him. Yeah. Today's a good date for Alex Breaker to be traded. By the way, ready?

We need to clear one notion up. We had a caller about this show last hour. And we've come to find out since being down here. This was, again, I want to make sure we continue to push this agenda along to you, folks. It's not an agenda. It's the truth. Alex, Jose Al-Tubei was going to start playing the outfield regardless of whether or not Alex Perman was going to sign here. The numbers, the metrics, for as, and I'm not saying that the asteros have backed off from the metrics,

but they're not all in like they were clearly when Jeff Luno was running things. It has been dialed back a little bit. But every team is using metrics. The metrics for Joseo Tube was you put them at second base, it's going to cost you games. You're going to have a better chance of winning. If Jose Al-Tube is in your lineup every single day and he's not de-hing playing left field, then it would be patrolling second base. And if that's what the decision are going with.

And oh, by the way, it takes a real man to be able to say, you know what? I can't do what I used to do. I'm in a better spot playing in left field. He's trying it out. I applaud him for it. It might be a disaster Ross. He may want him having to go back to second base.

But damn, he's doing it, just like Craig Bejo did it. And that's why we've been lucky. It's a Houston Astro fan to have two of the all-time greats on this roster for the history they've been on it because they have been willing to adapt and change. Exactly. This is not something that's necessarily done. It's not done on a whim. It's not somebody just looking and going to like, you know what?

Let's move out too many to lift. The Astros are a very smart organization. Yeah. They're a very forward-thinking organization, and they have been for years. And this is not something that they've done a billion times before. So that's why I'm saying you need to. to kind of trust the Astros on this, that this is the right move for them going forward.

And ultimately, it will add to the outfield OPS. Because right now, is it curly stood? If you put Dubon out there in left field every single day, it would be a little tough. Now, Dubon's going to get playing in playtime. You'd rather have him at second than left. And he's going to help you out defensively at second base. With Altu.

Yes, swapping Altuve from second to left and Dubon, that makes your defense better. Coming up next, should the 790 push Adam Clinton to overnights? Still a valuable member of the team. We're going to keep him in the same position. Are you sure? Yeah. The metrics say he's probably better off 1A to 4A.

The metrics are great. We'll find out next. It's Clinton. It's Wexler. It's the A team. Talk to you tomorrow at 10 here from West Palm on Sports Talk 790.