00:00:07
Speaker 1: Welcome back to foul territory and also splash hit territory. We thank you so much for joining our podcast. Scott's with me today. Susan is at the ball. We're actually recording this when Susan's actually at the ballpark. I had to be at a golf tournament for my son. So she's over there trying to watch a ball game. We're coming down to the last, what, four games or so of the season ish. Giants are looking for a potential sweep, which would be awesome. So we're going to talk about all those things. We got a lot. We have several things to talk about. We got potential next year scenarios. We got pitching. We got, you know, injuries. We have roster scenarios. We got all kinds of stuff, Scott. So thank you for joining me.
00:00:49
Speaker 2: Yeah, my pleasure, Jeremy. I know you just got back from watching your kid play golf. When you're in the gallery walking along, are you one of those dads that yells out advice and stuff? Don't go with that nine iron.
00:01:00
Speaker 3: Come on, man.
00:01:02
Speaker 1: I would be. I'm not allowed to. We're not allowed to. We actually are not allowed to coach at all. In fact, I find myself sometimes tying my shoe next to where my son's at to growl at him a few times and talk to him about course management. I don't ever tell him what club to hit. I just remind him about course management. But we're actually not allowed to talk, which is a good thing, or I think there's a lot of dads out there overcoaching and then getting in their kids' heads. And then the coach... that's there probably is not real thrilled with us because he can't do his job. So, but it's fun to watch, watch him try to make decisions and sometimes frustrated at the same time, but it's part of growing up. He's only 16. So it's been good.
00:01:43
Speaker 3: All right. Good. Yeah.
00:01:45
Speaker 1: It's been great. Thank you for that. But we got some stuff to talk about. I think that there is a couple of things I wouldn't mind starting with a guy that I'm seeing that could potentially based on, you see the rotation we see, and we'll talk about that a little bit later. There's not very many guys left from the opening day roster. The Root was the last guy that was on the opening day roster. It feels like he's now been shut down. We've got another UCL sprain and another guy that we've got. So we've got some stuff going down, but then we've got this Anthony Molina kid that seems to be pushing his way into a, hey– you better pay attention to me scenario with the way he's been pitching his last outing five and two thirds against St.
00:02:32
Speaker 3: Louis.
00:02:34
Speaker 1: And, and for me, I think that's a positive thing because he's a strike thrower, which is, I think the Giants need.
00:02:41
Speaker 3: Yes, exactly.
00:02:43
Speaker 2: I was just going to make that point because I've been looking it up and the Giants are number three in the national league and the most walks allowed, you know, and they got to find guys that are not either have the ability or are not.
00:02:54
Speaker 3: Afraid to throw the ball over the plate. Right. It looks like this guy has that ability. He has that fearlessness.
00:03:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, and they do have the ability. They do have the ability. You can't get to the big leagues unless you throw strikes because AAA weeds you out. Double AAA, you've got to throw the ball over the plate. Those hitters, even at AAA, they're 4A players, which means they understand the strike zone. Sometimes they can, or they're about to be in the big leagues, and they can hit a fastball. You can't get to the big leagues a lot of times. So you have to be able to throw it over the plate. The problem is when you get to the big leagues, is the triple-deck stadiums, not the double-deckers. You've got three decks. You've got bigger lights. You've got bigger names. You've got a bigger crowd. You've got bigger, better everything. And it becomes the intimidation factor where I think it's mental. Will you throw a strike? Not can you. You want to, and you want to allow hitters. They're really good. Let them make contact and let your really good defense play. But the problem is these young guys get up there and they're, they're, they're, they're, they're thinking numbers, right? Well, I can't give up any runs. I can't give up any hits, but then you walk guys because you're nitpicking and nibbling and you free passes translate into, into runs in the big leagues. Yeah.
00:04:08
Speaker 2: And one thing about Malina, I was noticing he's, he's only 22 years old, so he's still on the young side. So he's got some great, great upside and he's, he's got a great chance now because they're going to be some openings, right? Unless he goes out and hires five free agent, uh, starting pitchers, which is unlikely.
00:04:27
Speaker 1: He does have a shot. And I think that from how I would evaluate, and obviously I'm, I'm, I'm sometimes different. It feels like in how they evaluate now, but I'm going to evaluate, I'm going to want pitch ability, strike throwing. I can defend strike throwing. I can, I can, I can strategize strikes.
00:04:46
Speaker 3: Right.
00:04:46
Speaker 1: If it's a, if it's a metal of like what, what pitch or you threw a strike when you didn't need to, or you threw the strike, but in the wrong location, we can work with that. But if I don't know if you can even throw it over, if you're, if you're going to even have the guts to throw it over play consistently, I don't know what I'm getting. That's where it gets really frustrating. So some people say, well, I would rather have electric stuff and guys that are just like throwing a hundred and, but they're walking everybody. It doesn't matter because when you get people on bases, they have a chance to score. And so there's a lot of different strategies you work with with guys on base versus this guy is going to make us swing the bat, guys. He throws strikes. Don't take too many. You're going to be 0-2. Then and now it just becomes, you know, the approach of pitching. And I would rather take a guy that can throw strikes versus a guy that has electric stuff that can't hit the broad side of a bar. That would be my approach to the game, to be honest.
00:05:39
Speaker 2: Yeah, and you got the eight defensive guys on the field and And it doesn't sit well with them when you start walking guys, right?
00:05:45
Speaker 3: Because there's nothing they can do. They just sit and watch. Let's watch the backs get packed. And so, yeah, that's got to be a high priority, I would think.
00:05:54
Speaker 1: Yeah, in 2008, the Giants ran through a similar situation. They walked a lot of guys, especially late in the ballgame. The bullpen came in. And that was the whole reason, right? That's the whole reason they went out and got– I was actually– For me, I had a hard time early in my career. I kind of was a guy that would be 3-2 a lot or be throwing a lot of pitches or have some walks. Most of my walks in 2008, I had a lot of intentional walks because of the situation I came into. So when they called me, they said, hey, we're looking for guys that can throw strikes in the end part of the game, in the late part of the innings. We cannot walk, guys. Bochy's tired of seeing walks. So they went and get Bob Howery, which he's the, all he did is throw a fastball in the outside corner for a strike. He just painted that. He just painted, painted, painted. That's where he threw to, to both sides of the plate. And then I came in with not as many, probably high strike scenarios, but I got out and I didn't walk a lot of guys. And so, and even when I got there in 09, if I walked a guy, it was a lot of times more strategic because I was going to depend on my ability to double play ball and not give up a tough scenario. So that to me is, is workability, right? So it, I see that situation that they're in now get some strike throwers. If Anthony Molina is a strike, there is young. He's going to have as good a shot as anybody at the rotation next year because of his ability to throw strikes at the big league level. And that's what's going to, it's what he's going to be showing. And if he can show that, I think he's got a great opportunity.
00:07:21
Speaker 3: Yeah. Hey, the big four games left.
00:07:25
Speaker 2: And I was, I was noticing these file this under small victories, but if they, Giants were able to win the last four games.
00:07:32
Speaker 3: Which is not going to be easy. Yeah. It's not going to be simple, but if.
00:07:36
Speaker 2: They can win the last four, they would finish over 500 at home. They'd finish a game, half game over 500 at home, which is not a big deal, but it's a small victory.
00:07:45
Speaker 3: It also points out how.
00:07:47
Speaker 2: Bad they are on the road, but yeah, a nice little, you know, at least something to take away from the season.
00:07:53
Speaker 4: Right.
00:07:53
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah.
00:07:54
Speaker 1: It's a tiny victory. I don't think you're going to hang a banner for 41 and 40, but, uh, but, uh, But I definitely think that finishing strong does kind of matter because, one, the Dodgers are already in it. You're not changing their destiny in that situation of going to the playoffs. But to me, winning at home, at least trying to win out at home or trying to figure out how to end on a winning note, believe it or not, it's positive for the fans. It's positive for the players. They've sat through a pretty grueling season this year, everybody, the players and the fans. And so to me going out and trying to finish on a, on a, on a winning note is always a positive thing. It doesn't really matter the record.
00:08:36
Speaker 3: It's we finished.
00:08:38
Speaker 1: Our last thought process was not, we got blown out 10 to three against the Dodgers. It was no, man, we took two or three or we swept them or what, however you want to look at it. It can be a positive thing. And you've got right now, the more positives, the better in this situation.
00:08:55
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:08:55
Speaker 2: Plus, you don't want to book the end of the season because the season started out against the Dodgers, right, with just them wiping out the Giants in the series. You don't want to start and end the season in the same way.
00:09:05
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:09:06
Speaker 3: It must be competitive, right?
00:09:08
Speaker 1: That's right. That's right. I think that it's a– and this team's held their own. I mean, they– listen, they had 3-2. They ended up getting blown out because– the bullpen gave up eight or whatever, five in the eighth inning or how it was five. And I think five in the eighth inning, like the games can be, and would be competitive. I think that it's more of a matter of, they've got to believe that they can finish off these guys. Like the, the bullpen's got to come at the starters. I think did a pretty good job. I think, you know, the way tugboat came out there and did his thing, man, he's, he's doing his thing. I'm telling you, this guy could be an awesome story and he gets to face him again. And it's going to be a good another good thing for the Giants to see that he can go out and do well against the Dodgers. I mean, Webb kind of started his career like that. Also, that guy went out and he pitched really well against the Dodgers when he. first came up I believe and so that was the whole like oh hey man we got a guy that really that that's not afraid of the Dodgers we had a guy that wants to win and he's competing is like the best and he's taking this on and so you see another guy like that that's just a competitor so it's going to be really good this is to me a A big start. It shouldn't be, no, this is my last start of the year for a guy like Tugwell. There are guys no longer pitching because they've been shut down, which makes sense in some ways. They can see a lot of different guys. That this would be, oh, man, it's my last start of the season, so I just want to finish off strong and get this over with and move on. That's not this situation with this guy. This guy is still trying out. This guy is still auditioning for this team. So for him to go out and compete, This should be one of your– this should be, in my opinion, for a guy in his position, one of the most important starts of my career because I'm leaving basically– this is where I'm punching a hole in my stamp. Like I'm going to make sure these guys go to this offseason, and I thumped him right in the face, and I said, you better not forget about me. I just freaking knocked it out of the park twice against the Dodgers. Like that's the kind of situation he's in.
00:11:11
Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's not really a throwaway or an exhibition game, especially for a guy like that, because, you know, the Dodgers are, even though they've kind of got things wrapped up, but they don't want to go into the playoffs on a down thing. They don't want to lose three and then start the playoffs. And they're just getting warmed up. They're 15-3 the last 18 games I saw.
00:11:34
Speaker 3: Yeah. They're rolling, you know. Yeah. And they'll have Shohei back, so.
00:11:38
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:11:40
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:11:41
Speaker 1: Yeah. It'll be good to see. I'm not sure the Dodgers have had that all that tough a schedule, you know, in those 15, they're going to run into guys. They're going to run into some playoff teams and don't get me wrong. They're, they're great. I mean, they're, I mean, their numbers are, I think, what, second in baseball and wins. You've got to know they're there. I just am banking on Milwaukee to dethrone him, to be honest with you. But I think that it will be a positive thing for Tugboat to go out there and do his thing. And he does it. Maybe you're going to have some sweet bobbleheads and some really cool T-shirts next year. It'd be kind of awesome. But let's talk a little bit about this other guy, Scott, Jonah Cox. I think you made his point. I mean, I watched him the other day. He went to first, took second, went to third, scored a run. He's running all over the base pads. He's causing problems. In my opinion, I mean, he's hitting 294 after the St. Louis series. I mean, this guy is really kind of a fun little spark plug to me to watch. He's got that, you know, honestly, if you remember a guy named Ford, remember a guy named Ford that we used in, I think, 2010? He ran all over the bases. He just, all he was was Bochy brought him up to do one.
00:12:53
Speaker 3: Thing, right? Yeah.
00:12:54
Speaker 1: I remember that pitch run them and cause problems because he would steal bases. And it was, it was a good strategy, but it's this cat, that guy's speed with probably a little bit, obviously a little bit more hit ability talent. He's a better hitter and he plays better defense. So you've got this guy that's just, to me, changes the personality of an inning because of what he can do, right? He can, he can do all kinds of stuff out there and he can, he can get it done. He seems to be somewhat, in my opinion, pretty intelligent on the base pass too. He's just not fast. He knows when to take, take bags and knows when not to. And he's going to cause havoc for some guys. I really like this guy.
00:13:33
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:13:34
Speaker 2: One thing about him is some guys, if they get on base, you know, they're a threat, a possibility to steal with him.
00:13:39
Speaker 3: He gets on base. He's probably going to go. Yeah. That's a big part of his game. And he knows that. And he knows that's, one of his tickets to the big leagues.
00:13:47
Speaker 2: And so he's, he's looking to run all the time.
00:13:49
Speaker 3: He's got that weapon, man. And he's not afraid to bunt.
00:13:52
Speaker 2: He's not, he's aware of situations and, and he's one of the guys that, you know, has a lot to win and lose just over the last four games over the last part of the season here, because, you know, he's fighting for his future too.
00:14:05
Speaker 3: He wants to make an impression. He wants to have the team thinking about him in the, in the off season, you know, possible shot, man.
00:14:13
Speaker 1: Yeah, because if he makes an impression this offseason, you've got to go into this thing saying, okay, he doesn't have a job, but he's sure a favorite for center field. If I've got a scenario where I can have this guy running in center field, covering gaps, which makes the left and right field a lot more athletic, especially in San Francisco, in Oracle Park, because of the wind. If I know a guy can cover a little bit more ground, these other guys can hold the lines a little bit differently, and we can run down some balls. And then I got a guy that can hit, he can steal bags, he can cause problems. He's a guy, a spark plug situation. So does he guarantee the job?
00:14:54
Speaker 3: No.
00:14:55
Speaker 1: No one should be guaranteed a job right now unless they're under contract, to be honest with you. You do not have a season that allows for that. But he should be definitely a favorite or a frontrunner to win that. It should be his job to lose that. And for me, that's a serious conversation you've got to have with a guy like Jonah. Like, hey, don't go into this offseason, you know, just remissing about it. I got to the big leagues. You should go into this offseason and say, now I want to stay in the big leagues. Now my goal is to make this team, not just make the team, make the starting lineup of this team because I'm going to be the center fielder for this team. And for me, that drive is super important. So I want to talk about that. I want to talk about a couple other guys that I think we've seen come up, but we have a word from our sponsor.
00:15:37
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00:16:05
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00:16:37
Speaker 1: So we've got three guys, Scott. We've got Cox. These are guys where I think they're making some impressions, but you have decisions to make because they're not young guys. They're guys that are ready to go, but they're in that area of like, hey, man, I got to know now because there's no more developing. You've got Cox, you've got Perdomo, and you've got this Bo Davidson guy, which is very intriguing to me. So you've got this and you've got these and they're no longer the whole, like, give them three years. Let's develop these guys. This is their window. This is their, this is their situation. And, and for me, this is what is like, man, there's a convincing time of like saying, I've got to convince Buster in my limit time. And, and Bo Davis is a little age got brought up, but I love his numbers. I don't think I didn't even realize his numbers until I saw him, but this is a situation where Buster is, You can't replace me this winter. This is why. So can I convince Buster of that in this limited time that I have? Cox is doing it. I think Cox is putting a really, really, really good push to do that. Perdomo, still evaluating him a little bit. I'm not 100% sure on that. And then you have Bo Davidson, which I think is way too early. But, man, this guy. Come on, man. Like 29 jacks, undrafted, 2023. The guy wasn't even drafted. Now he's the number eight prospect with 29 homers this year. Hit 2994 RBIs, speed, power, batting average. Pretty awesome.
00:18:07
Speaker 3: And Pusher's got a little bit of swag, you know?
00:18:09
Speaker 2: I haven't talked to him personally, but at one of the press conferences, his first day up, he said something like, I want to show people who Bo is. You know, kind of using that Ricky Henderson kind of talking about himself. So a little bit of confidence, a little bit of swag, which I think is good. You know, You don't want a team full of just super quiet guys who just go about their business. It's okay to have one or two guys who kind of stand out and kind of walk with a different walk and stuff.
00:18:33
Speaker 3: So I think that's cool. He definitely has the tools, man. And he's got the speed, too. So we're talking.
00:18:40
Speaker 2: About infusing a little bit of speed and base running adventure into the Giants in the future. He certainly figures into that package. I can see him and Jonah Cox. you know, having a little rivalry about who can steal the most bases.
00:18:54
Speaker 1: Oh, my gosh. And plus power. The guy's got plus strength. He's got a strong arm. He can run. And how does– they missed the– I mean, undrafted free agent, how does all these teams miss the freaking boat on this guy? Like, I don't– this guy is like– it's not like he's like– I mean, he's got it. Like, the body, I mean, everything, he's explosive, you know. And I know four games. Four games, you're not going to be able to tell. You're not going to be able to say, oh, man– don't do anything. I think the four games, and he's got two hits in his first at-bats and stuff. I think I read a stat the other day that says something hasn't been done in a debut since 1940, getting his first hit and stolen base. Most of the time when you get your hit, you're like, I'm staying with the hit thing. That's it. Now he's taking a bag on top of it. He's like, I got this. You're saying, that's swagger.
00:19:44
Speaker 3: No, man.
00:19:44
Speaker 1: I'm here to make a difference. so for me I don't I don't think is he a future star I never am ever going to jump on that bandwagon this early but definitely earns a right for Scottsdale next year I mean he has the right to be in camp and to throw a wrinkle and make it competitive.
00:20:02
Speaker 2: That is weird how some guys just kind of sneak up on you they fall through the cracks early on I don't know scouts just miss them and they They're late developers or something like that.
00:20:11
Speaker 3: But whatever it is, this guy is kind of an out-of-nowhere guy.
00:20:15
Speaker 1: I mean, 290 with 29 homers and almost 100 RBIs. Like, that's pretty tough to do. Like, those numbers are– I don't care minor league, major league. Major league, that's stupid numbers in this era of game. But minor league, that's not easy to do either, considering the fact that you're jumping around. I mean, when you're putting up numbers consistently like that, you're getting moved. Well, when you get moved, now you've got to see different pitchers. You're not seeing the same pitchers. You don't have a game plan against them. You're not seeing the same guys over and over again. And now you jump to the next level, and he keeps putting up power. And, I mean, and then when he got put to AAA, usually you see like a hole. There's a pretty big little– it's different pitching. It's a lot different pitching than an A ball that you saw. And then he puts up 300 with seven jacks there too. Like, I mean, just in August. I mean, I– I'm intrigued by this guy, and I didn't realize that until I started looking into him after I saw his first couple games, and I'm like, wait. I mean, they missed it, but it's a good miss for the Giants that everybody missed it. This guy, I mean, I don't see why he wouldn't have a shot, you know?
00:21:26
Speaker 3: Yeah, and it's funny.
00:21:28
Speaker 2: You're talking about infusing some power into the outfield. Jonah Cox has some power. He's a base kind of guy.
00:21:35
Speaker 3: Yeah. With occasional home run power. And, uh, you know, Jungle Lee, uh, for.
00:21:41
Speaker 2: All his attributes is not a, he's not a big power guy. So you had him in center field for a long time. If you get a center fielder, he's got some power, man. That's, that's a, that's kind of a key thing, right?
00:21:51
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:21:51
Speaker 1: And then you got Mayer that came back finally, uh, Giants, the four punches were a little bit interesting. It looks like that slider was, uh, It looked like all four at bats that slider disappeared on his bat at the same time. So it's like almost the exact pitch that he kept swinging at, you know, so it's kind of, but I think it might be him just trying to do a little too much. I think getting him settled in coming off that stuff. I think he's going to be good. It'd be interesting to watch him play the next four games as well. Get all these guys. That's not enough either. I mean, mayor has a little bit more of a track record than these other guys, but, You know, I don't think it'll be enough, but it's just good to get him in the games and get him going and get him on that. So you have a lot of options. You can see where they don't. It's not like they're going out there, just throwing guys out there that don't have ability. The Giants actually have some young talent going out there right now, which is scary for teams sometimes because you can't set up young talent. A lot of time you don't have a I don't have an understanding of what this guy can and can't hit yet. But you can see that they do have guys that it is good for them to look at. So you're seeing the IL situation going to uptick a little bit and there's no use bringing anybody back that doesn't need to be brought back. Make sure these guys are on the shelf and they don't need to rush back. So you've got some scenarios in there, but you also got some pretty tough scenario. I mean, another, I mean, Tidwell, I mean, he's throwing, he was looking, starting to look so good. And now we have a UCL injury with him. I mean, it's just, I mean, it is, it has hit the giants pretty bad. And, and, and think about it. Just he's Kim going on the, on the aisle. Now you have like, there is literally with jungle Lee going on the aisle. There's nobody from the opening day roster. Excuse me.
00:23:37
Speaker 3: Lineup.
00:23:38
Speaker 1: That's active. Nobody.
00:23:40
Speaker 3: Yeah. Susan Slessor pointed it out that, that Christian cost is the only guy.
00:23:45
Speaker 4: Yeah.
00:23:46
Speaker 6: That was on the opening day roster.
00:23:48
Speaker 3: And he's. I think that's so. It's been crazy. It's been just a wholesale. It's not even a clubhouse. It's like a Greyhound bus station or something.
00:23:57
Speaker 2: With guys just coming and going, it's been crazy. Sending all kinds of records for most players used and most rookie debuts and all that stuff.
00:24:05
Speaker 3: It's been interesting.
00:24:08
Speaker 1: Yeah, and not easy. I mean, everybody wants this. Tony, should he have been here? Should he be at this level? I don't know. Give me any manager that has had to go through the amount of guys he's had to go through and find guys to play and put them into winning situations and deal with injuries and set records with all the injury roster moves and all this stuff. It doesn't matter really who you are. I don't care. I mean, you can throw Bochy's name in there. He wouldn't have done well with it. I can tell you that right now. Bochy would not have done well with it. The wine bottles would be getting pretty heavy. I can obviously see that. So like it would be, there'd be some shipments coming in. Right. So like for me, it, it doesn't really matter. It's a really hard thing to manage 70, 80 guys. I was brought in to manage 27 guys, bring a few up and down every now and then, but I didn't need to manage three different teams.
00:25:01
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:25:01
Speaker 1: So that's a, I'm sorry, but that's not easy for anybody. And we've got to figure out why these injuries are happening. What's happening to these guys and, What's I mean, you're going to start. I think you're going to because of how they're the pitching analytics now with the throw, like spin rate, really put everything into it. There's no like, hey, back it down and make a pitch, not your spin rate wasn't as fast as the last one.
00:25:25
Speaker 3: Cool.
00:25:26
Speaker 1: I actually want to back it off because I'm trying to get the guy on his front foot. Like we're not talking pitching anymore. And this is I think what I've said it for years. You want to run the game like this. then you might as well bank on three and four years on a pitcher and then rotate the next guy in because they're all, they're going to blow out. They're just not going to be able to handle this because their pitch ability is too much, man. You can throw a hundred. Great. But man, you're running through a hundred miles an hour, 70, 80 times in four innings. That's a lot of workload on an arm rather than I can throw a hundred and I'm only getting, I can get through seven innings in 80, 90 pitches. You know, that's different than all in three innings. So, It's a lot on the arm. You're going to see injuries continue to happen if they continue to want to pitch like they're pitching. And if they're walking the amount of guys are walking, that's that there's a lot of stress on innings. That's stress load. That's making pitches, you know, go into some pretty good torque pitches to get guys out. Like there's a lot. If you can cut back the walks, eliminate that, stay in the strike. So make early contact. You're not going to be as leveraged on the arm and start pitching and rather than throwing, I think you're going to see less of some of these other injuries, you know, especially pitching-wise. I mean, the position player injury, man, I honestly don't know. Like, that's just, man, that's just really frustrating, to be honest.
00:26:48
Speaker 2: When you got Bryce Eldridge walking into a door frame in a hotel and knocking himself and giving himself a concussion, that's, you know, things are not going well, man.
00:26:58
Speaker 1: Yeah, right. There's just a lot of shake your heads. Like, it just is what it is. I mean, it is for for some of these guys, coaching staff, front office. Let's can we just end the nightmare? Let's just end the nightmare and start evaluating because I've got to. The best way to move on is to close the chapter. Let's not keep the nightmare going. And so there are four games from it. And if I'm a coach on that coaching staff, that's where I'm at. I'm like, just. let's just end this nightmare. Let's just play hard. Let's just do our job, put our nose down, do our job, get these guys, keep these guys up and then take a big, deep breath. And we have some big, long meetings that coaching staff's in for it. Cause those meetings at the end of the year are going to be probably pretty long.
00:27:39
Speaker 3: Yeah. That'd be interesting to see what happens. Cause you know, I don't think anybody's job is safe, right?
00:27:44
Speaker 1: No, no, you can't.
00:27:46
Speaker 3: I think Tony, I think.
00:27:47
Speaker 2: We agree that he's, there's a small chance. There's almost no chance that they would let him go. So he's back next year. And certainly Buster's back unless he decides he's fed up with all this stuff.
00:27:57
Speaker 3: But those two guys are back, but next year they're going to be on the hot seat. They can't have back years like this.
00:28:04
Speaker 1: That's right.
00:28:05
Speaker 3: What the excuses are, you know, at some point it doesn't matter why.
00:28:08
Speaker 1: That's right. It's just baseball. At some point, that's just the nature of the game. Like, Hey man, you gotta wait. There's a lot of money being spent and, and I'm not getting a lot of it back because no one wants to watch anybody. Like it is a business. It is an entertaining business, and if you can't entertain, you've got to find guys that can. I mean, that's just what it is. It is an entertainment business. I mean, and I've said that, and in conclusion to all this, Scott, man, with this team, the one thing that I can tell you that if I had to leave these guys with anything is what I tried to start with when I talked to them in spring training. Not the whole team. I talked to the bullpen, but it would be a similar talk for me You guys are entertainers. Professional, yes. Competitors, yes. Do you want to win?
00:28:56
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:28:57
Speaker 1: But entertain, which meaning you guys got to have certain personalities. There's some that are going to be serious, 100%, and be that way. And if you like to have a lot of fun, be that way. But understand, if you want to have a lot of fun and you want to be goofy, you better back it up, win some games. Pablo was loud. He was super loud in the dugout. He'd say, hey, guy, and he'd smile and point and then do his– pick his dirt up and throw it at third base but he put his money where his mouth is and he entertained on both sides brian wilson entertained he entertained that's what he did romo entertained shooting all the whatever he did and do all stuff but he struck dudes out with sliders right Entertainment factor there. Hunter Pence with the big eyes. All I'm trying to say with all, I could go down the list, and I'm not trying to live in the past. I'm like, well, when we played, this is why we... I'm not trying to do that. I'm just trying to say be entertainers when... compete do your job well but go out there and you got to remember that you are entertainers you have to sell the sizzle part of selling the sizzle is not just playing in your character and playing in your personality and having a fun time but selling the sizzle is winning you can do all that if you don't win it doesn't matter win and be you but put it together and that's what these guys need to get is they need to figure out their personalities they need to figure out how to play in their personalities and they need to go out and have a freaking blast and have fun, but win the ball game. And then you need serious guys, too. And I just think that they've got to find that.
00:30:27
Speaker 2: You've got guys like Bo. It looks like he's the kind of guy that's not afraid to show a little bit of persona.
00:30:33
Speaker 3: Even Tugboat. You know, he's giving you the emotion as he walks off the field. Boom, he's fired up. He's in the dugout.
00:30:39
Speaker 2: He doesn't have this just blank face, man. He's out there ready to rock.
00:30:44
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:30:45
Speaker 6: I think you guys should start to develop that. It took you guys a while. You didn't all just show up as rookies. You all came in with different personalities. Because you won, you were able to showcase that.
00:30:58
Speaker 2: It might take a while, but I think these guys have some of the raw material to maybe do some of that stuff. Not only win games, but do it entertaining, fun.
00:31:10
Speaker 3: Put on a show. Why not?
00:31:12
Speaker 1: That's what needs to happen. They've got to do it. It is not all about I mean, my idea of entertaining is more like just be you and kind of have a little weirdness from time to time or have guys that can be that way. I mean, I get it. Now they shut the lights off and they create this all music, the lights flashing and guys running in. And that could be an entertainment thing. That wouldn't be my style. I would definitely not want that. I think it puts a target on my back to come in like that. But we can all do it our own way as long as you put it together. And we've said that to the young guys and we said it to guys. I remember Javi saying, it's no secret. I don't, I think I don't love, I don't use your reveal clubhouse talk, but I mean, hobby said it's a Romo. He's like, Hey man, do we got to do point the finger, yell at guys, laugh at them when they swing, make them all mad. Cool. But if it's going to affect our freaking families, because we're not winning ball games, then it's going to stop. But if you can do it and win, keep doing it. And Romo looked at us. And I'll give it to him. He said, I will keep doing it and I'll win. And he did. I mean, we said that's fine, but he did it.
00:32:17
Speaker 3: He did.
00:32:18
Speaker 1: And that's fine. We're okay with it when you're younger, especially, but you better put your money where your mouth is. And if you can find guys that can do that, you will entertain, you will sell the sizzle and you will win ball games. You will. And I think that that's what these guys didn't have. I felt like I didn't feel, I think they had some guys on the position player side that had that. They just didn't put up, the competitiveness with it, you know, but then we got the pitchers. I just felt like the bullpen was boring. I just felt like there were guys. They didn't come in with any kind of like, you know, I'm angry. I'm pitching angry. I'm going to beat you. I mean, we did, we had one, we traded him to Boston and it was a good trade, but he was the guy when he pointed at the entire Cincinnati reds dugout and said, you, you with some other language in there, pretty good, pretty, pretty good. And, and, and I'm not saying that I would have done that, But I actually would have been like, but I want that guy on my team because, hey, man, like that guy wants to win, and he's not afraid, and he gives a little sell the sizzle, man. You've got to have guys like that. And Buster knows it. I think he knows it. I think that a lot of guys know it, and they just didn't have it. And you go get some personalities to go with some of these guys, and you'll have a good time. I think they have a chance.
00:33:32
Speaker 3: Yeah, it wouldn't hurt to have a little Brian Wilson or Rod Beck. Yeah. Right? Yeah.
00:33:36
Speaker 1: No, it wouldn't. They all were there for a reason. Everybody had, they had teams like that. Like guys, there are a lot of guys like that, man. Like it was, there's, there's, there's some crazy people, honestly, way overboard, but he was still there and he was, and he did for a little bit, John Rocker. I mean, way, way, way too far at times, but I mean, you know who he is. I say, John Rocker, to anybody that actually watched baseball in the nineties, two thousands. And you know who he is.
00:34:10
Speaker 3: Why?
00:34:10
Speaker 1: Because he was an entertainer, man. The guy freaking came charging in with his eyes beaten. He's sprinting in angry. I mean, not necessarily the mad, the mad Hungarian, Hungarian for the Royals. And it's the Salos Cardinals. I mean, I didn't even watch baseball in that era, Scott. And I know who he is from the clips because he just, he just had that. I'm like, There is that exactly that, that is what is needed. You've got to have scenarios like that. And for me, we're losing that in the game. And, and, and it's not that I'm asking you to fake that. I'm asking the giants to find that, you know, that's what I'm asking for. Right. But I'm asking them to find it and don't apologize for it. You can go out and say, man, we went and got that guy. He is an odd duck. Yeah, he is. And he wouldn't be someone that I would act like, but he's good for the team. And that's why we're going with it. And to me, me, Matt Cain was professional, never showed him what didn't do a bunch of stuff. Just did his thing and walked off bum Gardner. He was weird in his own way, doing the stare down with Joe West and, and doing the snot rockets. Just the snot rocket itself was entertaining. I'm right. Like that's what I'm talking about. Just, just be what you gotta be, man. And, and, And that to me would be a big deal for all of these guys to be a part of. And I hope they can find that and have that and share that because this team, this city, the history of this team, the way this city embraces baseball, winning baseball, now they have a massive market taking on the Oakland market. they have a huge opportunity to have a lot of fun and do a lot of good stuff and to put their, put their, put that logo, that SF logo used to be pretty revered where it was like, when you saw them coming into play, people would make sure they go watch that game because that team's playing our team. We want to go watch them play. That's not it right now. And they need to get that back and they owe it to themselves and they owe it to the organization. They owe it to the city to be that.
00:36:12
Speaker 4: Yeah.
00:36:12
Speaker 2: Well, I think best case scenario, you got all these young kids, or fairly young kids, some of them 24, 25 years old, but, you know, they're all coming up together kind of at the same time.
00:36:21
Speaker 3: And I think they can all, you know, be more expressive. Yeah. Show a little more of that personality we're talking about. Yep.
00:36:29
Speaker 4: Yep.
00:36:29
Speaker 1: I agree with you. I agree with you, Scott. Well, I'm looking to see forward to see them sweep. It'd be good to see another sweep this month, to be honest with you. It would be good. We will see if that can happen. I don't know if it will, but we could hope. right so uh.
00:36:45
Speaker 3: They have to pick on the dodgers though.
00:36:47
Speaker 1: Man yeah hey man they're like sweep them that's great hey man at least get the last word in before you're right they're gonna have the last word because they're going to the playoffs but get the last word in before you roll off into the offseason there's no harm or foul on that that's a fun thing i'm looking forward to see if they can do it uh and then we'll go on and we'll have some fun podcasts this offseason as well but Thank you for coming on. Susan, thank you so much for your willingness. I know you're in the background. You're trying to watch the game and trying to help with this podcast. So we thank you for that as well, Susan. I know you're out there. But Scott, thank you so much for coming on. And until next time, thank you for joining Splash Hit Territory. We will see you in a couple days.
Speaker 1: Welcome back to foul territory and also splash hit territory. We thank you so much for joining our podcast. Scott's with me today. Susan is at the ball. We're actually recording this when Susan's actually at the ballpark. I had to be at a golf tournament for my son. So she's over there trying to watch a ball game. We're coming down to the last, what, four games or so of the season ish. Giants are looking for a potential sweep, which would be awesome. So we're going to talk about all those things. We got a lot. We have several things to talk about. We got potential next year scenarios. We got pitching. We got, you know, injuries. We have roster scenarios. We got all kinds of stuff, Scott. So thank you for joining me.
00:00:49
Speaker 2: Yeah, my pleasure, Jeremy. I know you just got back from watching your kid play golf. When you're in the gallery walking along, are you one of those dads that yells out advice and stuff? Don't go with that nine iron.
00:01:00
Speaker 3: Come on, man.
00:01:02
Speaker 1: I would be. I'm not allowed to. We're not allowed to. We actually are not allowed to coach at all. In fact, I find myself sometimes tying my shoe next to where my son's at to growl at him a few times and talk to him about course management. I don't ever tell him what club to hit. I just remind him about course management. But we're actually not allowed to talk, which is a good thing, or I think there's a lot of dads out there overcoaching and then getting in their kids' heads. And then the coach... that's there probably is not real thrilled with us because he can't do his job. So, but it's fun to watch, watch him try to make decisions and sometimes frustrated at the same time, but it's part of growing up. He's only 16. So it's been good.
00:01:43
Speaker 3: All right. Good. Yeah.
00:01:45
Speaker 1: It's been great. Thank you for that. But we got some stuff to talk about. I think that there is a couple of things I wouldn't mind starting with a guy that I'm seeing that could potentially based on, you see the rotation we see, and we'll talk about that a little bit later. There's not very many guys left from the opening day roster. The Root was the last guy that was on the opening day roster. It feels like he's now been shut down. We've got another UCL sprain and another guy that we've got. So we've got some stuff going down, but then we've got this Anthony Molina kid that seems to be pushing his way into a, hey– you better pay attention to me scenario with the way he's been pitching his last outing five and two thirds against St.
00:02:32
Speaker 3: Louis.
00:02:34
Speaker 1: And, and for me, I think that's a positive thing because he's a strike thrower, which is, I think the Giants need.
00:02:41
Speaker 3: Yes, exactly.
00:02:43
Speaker 2: I was just going to make that point because I've been looking it up and the Giants are number three in the national league and the most walks allowed, you know, and they got to find guys that are not either have the ability or are not.
00:02:54
Speaker 3: Afraid to throw the ball over the plate. Right. It looks like this guy has that ability. He has that fearlessness.
00:03:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, and they do have the ability. They do have the ability. You can't get to the big leagues unless you throw strikes because AAA weeds you out. Double AAA, you've got to throw the ball over the plate. Those hitters, even at AAA, they're 4A players, which means they understand the strike zone. Sometimes they can, or they're about to be in the big leagues, and they can hit a fastball. You can't get to the big leagues a lot of times. So you have to be able to throw it over the plate. The problem is when you get to the big leagues, is the triple-deck stadiums, not the double-deckers. You've got three decks. You've got bigger lights. You've got bigger names. You've got a bigger crowd. You've got bigger, better everything. And it becomes the intimidation factor where I think it's mental. Will you throw a strike? Not can you. You want to, and you want to allow hitters. They're really good. Let them make contact and let your really good defense play. But the problem is these young guys get up there and they're, they're, they're, they're, they're thinking numbers, right? Well, I can't give up any runs. I can't give up any hits, but then you walk guys because you're nitpicking and nibbling and you free passes translate into, into runs in the big leagues. Yeah.
00:04:08
Speaker 2: And one thing about Malina, I was noticing he's, he's only 22 years old, so he's still on the young side. So he's got some great, great upside and he's, he's got a great chance now because they're going to be some openings, right? Unless he goes out and hires five free agent, uh, starting pitchers, which is unlikely.
00:04:27
Speaker 1: He does have a shot. And I think that from how I would evaluate, and obviously I'm, I'm, I'm sometimes different. It feels like in how they evaluate now, but I'm going to evaluate, I'm going to want pitch ability, strike throwing. I can defend strike throwing. I can, I can, I can strategize strikes.
00:04:46
Speaker 3: Right.
00:04:46
Speaker 1: If it's a, if it's a metal of like what, what pitch or you threw a strike when you didn't need to, or you threw the strike, but in the wrong location, we can work with that. But if I don't know if you can even throw it over, if you're, if you're going to even have the guts to throw it over play consistently, I don't know what I'm getting. That's where it gets really frustrating. So some people say, well, I would rather have electric stuff and guys that are just like throwing a hundred and, but they're walking everybody. It doesn't matter because when you get people on bases, they have a chance to score. And so there's a lot of different strategies you work with with guys on base versus this guy is going to make us swing the bat, guys. He throws strikes. Don't take too many. You're going to be 0-2. Then and now it just becomes, you know, the approach of pitching. And I would rather take a guy that can throw strikes versus a guy that has electric stuff that can't hit the broad side of a bar. That would be my approach to the game, to be honest.
00:05:39
Speaker 2: Yeah, and you got the eight defensive guys on the field and And it doesn't sit well with them when you start walking guys, right?
00:05:45
Speaker 3: Because there's nothing they can do. They just sit and watch. Let's watch the backs get packed. And so, yeah, that's got to be a high priority, I would think.
00:05:54
Speaker 1: Yeah, in 2008, the Giants ran through a similar situation. They walked a lot of guys, especially late in the ballgame. The bullpen came in. And that was the whole reason, right? That's the whole reason they went out and got– I was actually– For me, I had a hard time early in my career. I kind of was a guy that would be 3-2 a lot or be throwing a lot of pitches or have some walks. Most of my walks in 2008, I had a lot of intentional walks because of the situation I came into. So when they called me, they said, hey, we're looking for guys that can throw strikes in the end part of the game, in the late part of the innings. We cannot walk, guys. Bochy's tired of seeing walks. So they went and get Bob Howery, which he's the, all he did is throw a fastball in the outside corner for a strike. He just painted that. He just painted, painted, painted. That's where he threw to, to both sides of the plate. And then I came in with not as many, probably high strike scenarios, but I got out and I didn't walk a lot of guys. And so, and even when I got there in 09, if I walked a guy, it was a lot of times more strategic because I was going to depend on my ability to double play ball and not give up a tough scenario. So that to me is, is workability, right? So it, I see that situation that they're in now get some strike throwers. If Anthony Molina is a strike, there is young. He's going to have as good a shot as anybody at the rotation next year because of his ability to throw strikes at the big league level. And that's what's going to, it's what he's going to be showing. And if he can show that, I think he's got a great opportunity.
00:07:21
Speaker 3: Yeah. Hey, the big four games left.
00:07:25
Speaker 2: And I was, I was noticing these file this under small victories, but if they, Giants were able to win the last four games.
00:07:32
Speaker 3: Which is not going to be easy. Yeah. It's not going to be simple, but if.
00:07:36
Speaker 2: They can win the last four, they would finish over 500 at home. They'd finish a game, half game over 500 at home, which is not a big deal, but it's a small victory.
00:07:45
Speaker 3: It also points out how.
00:07:47
Speaker 2: Bad they are on the road, but yeah, a nice little, you know, at least something to take away from the season.
00:07:53
Speaker 4: Right.
00:07:53
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah.
00:07:54
Speaker 1: It's a tiny victory. I don't think you're going to hang a banner for 41 and 40, but, uh, but, uh, But I definitely think that finishing strong does kind of matter because, one, the Dodgers are already in it. You're not changing their destiny in that situation of going to the playoffs. But to me, winning at home, at least trying to win out at home or trying to figure out how to end on a winning note, believe it or not, it's positive for the fans. It's positive for the players. They've sat through a pretty grueling season this year, everybody, the players and the fans. And so to me going out and trying to finish on a, on a, on a winning note is always a positive thing. It doesn't really matter the record.
00:08:36
Speaker 3: It's we finished.
00:08:38
Speaker 1: Our last thought process was not, we got blown out 10 to three against the Dodgers. It was no, man, we took two or three or we swept them or what, however you want to look at it. It can be a positive thing. And you've got right now, the more positives, the better in this situation.
00:08:55
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:08:55
Speaker 2: Plus, you don't want to book the end of the season because the season started out against the Dodgers, right, with just them wiping out the Giants in the series. You don't want to start and end the season in the same way.
00:09:05
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:09:06
Speaker 3: It must be competitive, right?
00:09:08
Speaker 1: That's right. That's right. I think that it's a– and this team's held their own. I mean, they– listen, they had 3-2. They ended up getting blown out because– the bullpen gave up eight or whatever, five in the eighth inning or how it was five. And I think five in the eighth inning, like the games can be, and would be competitive. I think that it's more of a matter of, they've got to believe that they can finish off these guys. Like the, the bullpen's got to come at the starters. I think did a pretty good job. I think, you know, the way tugboat came out there and did his thing, man, he's, he's doing his thing. I'm telling you, this guy could be an awesome story and he gets to face him again. And it's going to be a good another good thing for the Giants to see that he can go out and do well against the Dodgers. I mean, Webb kind of started his career like that. Also, that guy went out and he pitched really well against the Dodgers when he. first came up I believe and so that was the whole like oh hey man we got a guy that really that that's not afraid of the Dodgers we had a guy that wants to win and he's competing is like the best and he's taking this on and so you see another guy like that that's just a competitor so it's going to be really good this is to me a A big start. It shouldn't be, no, this is my last start of the year for a guy like Tugwell. There are guys no longer pitching because they've been shut down, which makes sense in some ways. They can see a lot of different guys. That this would be, oh, man, it's my last start of the season, so I just want to finish off strong and get this over with and move on. That's not this situation with this guy. This guy is still trying out. This guy is still auditioning for this team. So for him to go out and compete, This should be one of your– this should be, in my opinion, for a guy in his position, one of the most important starts of my career because I'm leaving basically– this is where I'm punching a hole in my stamp. Like I'm going to make sure these guys go to this offseason, and I thumped him right in the face, and I said, you better not forget about me. I just freaking knocked it out of the park twice against the Dodgers. Like that's the kind of situation he's in.
00:11:11
Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's not really a throwaway or an exhibition game, especially for a guy like that, because, you know, the Dodgers are, even though they've kind of got things wrapped up, but they don't want to go into the playoffs on a down thing. They don't want to lose three and then start the playoffs. And they're just getting warmed up. They're 15-3 the last 18 games I saw.
00:11:34
Speaker 3: Yeah. They're rolling, you know. Yeah. And they'll have Shohei back, so.
00:11:38
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:11:40
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:11:41
Speaker 1: Yeah. It'll be good to see. I'm not sure the Dodgers have had that all that tough a schedule, you know, in those 15, they're going to run into guys. They're going to run into some playoff teams and don't get me wrong. They're, they're great. I mean, they're, I mean, their numbers are, I think, what, second in baseball and wins. You've got to know they're there. I just am banking on Milwaukee to dethrone him, to be honest with you. But I think that it will be a positive thing for Tugboat to go out there and do his thing. And he does it. Maybe you're going to have some sweet bobbleheads and some really cool T-shirts next year. It'd be kind of awesome. But let's talk a little bit about this other guy, Scott, Jonah Cox. I think you made his point. I mean, I watched him the other day. He went to first, took second, went to third, scored a run. He's running all over the base pads. He's causing problems. In my opinion, I mean, he's hitting 294 after the St. Louis series. I mean, this guy is really kind of a fun little spark plug to me to watch. He's got that, you know, honestly, if you remember a guy named Ford, remember a guy named Ford that we used in, I think, 2010? He ran all over the bases. He just, all he was was Bochy brought him up to do one.
00:12:53
Speaker 3: Thing, right? Yeah.
00:12:54
Speaker 1: I remember that pitch run them and cause problems because he would steal bases. And it was, it was a good strategy, but it's this cat, that guy's speed with probably a little bit, obviously a little bit more hit ability talent. He's a better hitter and he plays better defense. So you've got this guy that's just, to me, changes the personality of an inning because of what he can do, right? He can, he can do all kinds of stuff out there and he can, he can get it done. He seems to be somewhat, in my opinion, pretty intelligent on the base pass too. He's just not fast. He knows when to take, take bags and knows when not to. And he's going to cause havoc for some guys. I really like this guy.
00:13:33
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:13:34
Speaker 2: One thing about him is some guys, if they get on base, you know, they're a threat, a possibility to steal with him.
00:13:39
Speaker 3: He gets on base. He's probably going to go. Yeah. That's a big part of his game. And he knows that. And he knows that's, one of his tickets to the big leagues.
00:13:47
Speaker 2: And so he's, he's looking to run all the time.
00:13:49
Speaker 3: He's got that weapon, man. And he's not afraid to bunt.
00:13:52
Speaker 2: He's not, he's aware of situations and, and he's one of the guys that, you know, has a lot to win and lose just over the last four games over the last part of the season here, because, you know, he's fighting for his future too.
00:14:05
Speaker 3: He wants to make an impression. He wants to have the team thinking about him in the, in the off season, you know, possible shot, man.
00:14:13
Speaker 1: Yeah, because if he makes an impression this offseason, you've got to go into this thing saying, okay, he doesn't have a job, but he's sure a favorite for center field. If I've got a scenario where I can have this guy running in center field, covering gaps, which makes the left and right field a lot more athletic, especially in San Francisco, in Oracle Park, because of the wind. If I know a guy can cover a little bit more ground, these other guys can hold the lines a little bit differently, and we can run down some balls. And then I got a guy that can hit, he can steal bags, he can cause problems. He's a guy, a spark plug situation. So does he guarantee the job?
00:14:54
Speaker 3: No.
00:14:55
Speaker 1: No one should be guaranteed a job right now unless they're under contract, to be honest with you. You do not have a season that allows for that. But he should be definitely a favorite or a frontrunner to win that. It should be his job to lose that. And for me, that's a serious conversation you've got to have with a guy like Jonah. Like, hey, don't go into this offseason, you know, just remissing about it. I got to the big leagues. You should go into this offseason and say, now I want to stay in the big leagues. Now my goal is to make this team, not just make the team, make the starting lineup of this team because I'm going to be the center fielder for this team. And for me, that drive is super important. So I want to talk about that. I want to talk about a couple other guys that I think we've seen come up, but we have a word from our sponsor.
00:15:37
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00:16:05
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00:16:37
Speaker 1: So we've got three guys, Scott. We've got Cox. These are guys where I think they're making some impressions, but you have decisions to make because they're not young guys. They're guys that are ready to go, but they're in that area of like, hey, man, I got to know now because there's no more developing. You've got Cox, you've got Perdomo, and you've got this Bo Davidson guy, which is very intriguing to me. So you've got this and you've got these and they're no longer the whole, like, give them three years. Let's develop these guys. This is their window. This is their, this is their situation. And, and for me, this is what is like, man, there's a convincing time of like saying, I've got to convince Buster in my limit time. And, and Bo Davis is a little age got brought up, but I love his numbers. I don't think I didn't even realize his numbers until I saw him, but this is a situation where Buster is, You can't replace me this winter. This is why. So can I convince Buster of that in this limited time that I have? Cox is doing it. I think Cox is putting a really, really, really good push to do that. Perdomo, still evaluating him a little bit. I'm not 100% sure on that. And then you have Bo Davidson, which I think is way too early. But, man, this guy. Come on, man. Like 29 jacks, undrafted, 2023. The guy wasn't even drafted. Now he's the number eight prospect with 29 homers this year. Hit 2994 RBIs, speed, power, batting average. Pretty awesome.
00:18:07
Speaker 3: And Pusher's got a little bit of swag, you know?
00:18:09
Speaker 2: I haven't talked to him personally, but at one of the press conferences, his first day up, he said something like, I want to show people who Bo is. You know, kind of using that Ricky Henderson kind of talking about himself. So a little bit of confidence, a little bit of swag, which I think is good. You know, You don't want a team full of just super quiet guys who just go about their business. It's okay to have one or two guys who kind of stand out and kind of walk with a different walk and stuff.
00:18:33
Speaker 3: So I think that's cool. He definitely has the tools, man. And he's got the speed, too. So we're talking.
00:18:40
Speaker 2: About infusing a little bit of speed and base running adventure into the Giants in the future. He certainly figures into that package. I can see him and Jonah Cox. you know, having a little rivalry about who can steal the most bases.
00:18:54
Speaker 1: Oh, my gosh. And plus power. The guy's got plus strength. He's got a strong arm. He can run. And how does– they missed the– I mean, undrafted free agent, how does all these teams miss the freaking boat on this guy? Like, I don't– this guy is like– it's not like he's like– I mean, he's got it. Like, the body, I mean, everything, he's explosive, you know. And I know four games. Four games, you're not going to be able to tell. You're not going to be able to say, oh, man– don't do anything. I think the four games, and he's got two hits in his first at-bats and stuff. I think I read a stat the other day that says something hasn't been done in a debut since 1940, getting his first hit and stolen base. Most of the time when you get your hit, you're like, I'm staying with the hit thing. That's it. Now he's taking a bag on top of it. He's like, I got this. You're saying, that's swagger.
00:19:44
Speaker 3: No, man.
00:19:44
Speaker 1: I'm here to make a difference. so for me I don't I don't think is he a future star I never am ever going to jump on that bandwagon this early but definitely earns a right for Scottsdale next year I mean he has the right to be in camp and to throw a wrinkle and make it competitive.
00:20:02
Speaker 2: That is weird how some guys just kind of sneak up on you they fall through the cracks early on I don't know scouts just miss them and they They're late developers or something like that.
00:20:11
Speaker 3: But whatever it is, this guy is kind of an out-of-nowhere guy.
00:20:15
Speaker 1: I mean, 290 with 29 homers and almost 100 RBIs. Like, that's pretty tough to do. Like, those numbers are– I don't care minor league, major league. Major league, that's stupid numbers in this era of game. But minor league, that's not easy to do either, considering the fact that you're jumping around. I mean, when you're putting up numbers consistently like that, you're getting moved. Well, when you get moved, now you've got to see different pitchers. You're not seeing the same pitchers. You don't have a game plan against them. You're not seeing the same guys over and over again. And now you jump to the next level, and he keeps putting up power. And, I mean, and then when he got put to AAA, usually you see like a hole. There's a pretty big little– it's different pitching. It's a lot different pitching than an A ball that you saw. And then he puts up 300 with seven jacks there too. Like, I mean, just in August. I mean, I– I'm intrigued by this guy, and I didn't realize that until I started looking into him after I saw his first couple games, and I'm like, wait. I mean, they missed it, but it's a good miss for the Giants that everybody missed it. This guy, I mean, I don't see why he wouldn't have a shot, you know?
00:21:26
Speaker 3: Yeah, and it's funny.
00:21:28
Speaker 2: You're talking about infusing some power into the outfield. Jonah Cox has some power. He's a base kind of guy.
00:21:35
Speaker 3: Yeah. With occasional home run power. And, uh, you know, Jungle Lee, uh, for.
00:21:41
Speaker 2: All his attributes is not a, he's not a big power guy. So you had him in center field for a long time. If you get a center fielder, he's got some power, man. That's, that's a, that's kind of a key thing, right?
00:21:51
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:21:51
Speaker 1: And then you got Mayer that came back finally, uh, Giants, the four punches were a little bit interesting. It looks like that slider was, uh, It looked like all four at bats that slider disappeared on his bat at the same time. So it's like almost the exact pitch that he kept swinging at, you know, so it's kind of, but I think it might be him just trying to do a little too much. I think getting him settled in coming off that stuff. I think he's going to be good. It'd be interesting to watch him play the next four games as well. Get all these guys. That's not enough either. I mean, mayor has a little bit more of a track record than these other guys, but, You know, I don't think it'll be enough, but it's just good to get him in the games and get him going and get him on that. So you have a lot of options. You can see where they don't. It's not like they're going out there, just throwing guys out there that don't have ability. The Giants actually have some young talent going out there right now, which is scary for teams sometimes because you can't set up young talent. A lot of time you don't have a I don't have an understanding of what this guy can and can't hit yet. But you can see that they do have guys that it is good for them to look at. So you're seeing the IL situation going to uptick a little bit and there's no use bringing anybody back that doesn't need to be brought back. Make sure these guys are on the shelf and they don't need to rush back. So you've got some scenarios in there, but you also got some pretty tough scenario. I mean, another, I mean, Tidwell, I mean, he's throwing, he was looking, starting to look so good. And now we have a UCL injury with him. I mean, it's just, I mean, it is, it has hit the giants pretty bad. And, and, and think about it. Just he's Kim going on the, on the aisle. Now you have like, there is literally with jungle Lee going on the aisle. There's nobody from the opening day roster. Excuse me.
00:23:37
Speaker 3: Lineup.
00:23:38
Speaker 1: That's active. Nobody.
00:23:40
Speaker 3: Yeah. Susan Slessor pointed it out that, that Christian cost is the only guy.
00:23:45
Speaker 4: Yeah.
00:23:46
Speaker 6: That was on the opening day roster.
00:23:48
Speaker 3: And he's. I think that's so. It's been crazy. It's been just a wholesale. It's not even a clubhouse. It's like a Greyhound bus station or something.
00:23:57
Speaker 2: With guys just coming and going, it's been crazy. Sending all kinds of records for most players used and most rookie debuts and all that stuff.
00:24:05
Speaker 3: It's been interesting.
00:24:08
Speaker 1: Yeah, and not easy. I mean, everybody wants this. Tony, should he have been here? Should he be at this level? I don't know. Give me any manager that has had to go through the amount of guys he's had to go through and find guys to play and put them into winning situations and deal with injuries and set records with all the injury roster moves and all this stuff. It doesn't matter really who you are. I don't care. I mean, you can throw Bochy's name in there. He wouldn't have done well with it. I can tell you that right now. Bochy would not have done well with it. The wine bottles would be getting pretty heavy. I can obviously see that. So like it would be, there'd be some shipments coming in. Right. So like for me, it, it doesn't really matter. It's a really hard thing to manage 70, 80 guys. I was brought in to manage 27 guys, bring a few up and down every now and then, but I didn't need to manage three different teams.
00:25:01
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:25:01
Speaker 1: So that's a, I'm sorry, but that's not easy for anybody. And we've got to figure out why these injuries are happening. What's happening to these guys and, What's I mean, you're going to start. I think you're going to because of how they're the pitching analytics now with the throw, like spin rate, really put everything into it. There's no like, hey, back it down and make a pitch, not your spin rate wasn't as fast as the last one.
00:25:25
Speaker 3: Cool.
00:25:26
Speaker 1: I actually want to back it off because I'm trying to get the guy on his front foot. Like we're not talking pitching anymore. And this is I think what I've said it for years. You want to run the game like this. then you might as well bank on three and four years on a pitcher and then rotate the next guy in because they're all, they're going to blow out. They're just not going to be able to handle this because their pitch ability is too much, man. You can throw a hundred. Great. But man, you're running through a hundred miles an hour, 70, 80 times in four innings. That's a lot of workload on an arm rather than I can throw a hundred and I'm only getting, I can get through seven innings in 80, 90 pitches. You know, that's different than all in three innings. So, It's a lot on the arm. You're going to see injuries continue to happen if they continue to want to pitch like they're pitching. And if they're walking the amount of guys are walking, that's that there's a lot of stress on innings. That's stress load. That's making pitches, you know, go into some pretty good torque pitches to get guys out. Like there's a lot. If you can cut back the walks, eliminate that, stay in the strike. So make early contact. You're not going to be as leveraged on the arm and start pitching and rather than throwing, I think you're going to see less of some of these other injuries, you know, especially pitching-wise. I mean, the position player injury, man, I honestly don't know. Like, that's just, man, that's just really frustrating, to be honest.
00:26:48
Speaker 2: When you got Bryce Eldridge walking into a door frame in a hotel and knocking himself and giving himself a concussion, that's, you know, things are not going well, man.
00:26:58
Speaker 1: Yeah, right. There's just a lot of shake your heads. Like, it just is what it is. I mean, it is for for some of these guys, coaching staff, front office. Let's can we just end the nightmare? Let's just end the nightmare and start evaluating because I've got to. The best way to move on is to close the chapter. Let's not keep the nightmare going. And so there are four games from it. And if I'm a coach on that coaching staff, that's where I'm at. I'm like, just. let's just end this nightmare. Let's just play hard. Let's just do our job, put our nose down, do our job, get these guys, keep these guys up and then take a big, deep breath. And we have some big, long meetings that coaching staff's in for it. Cause those meetings at the end of the year are going to be probably pretty long.
00:27:39
Speaker 3: Yeah. That'd be interesting to see what happens. Cause you know, I don't think anybody's job is safe, right?
00:27:44
Speaker 1: No, no, you can't.
00:27:46
Speaker 3: I think Tony, I think.
00:27:47
Speaker 2: We agree that he's, there's a small chance. There's almost no chance that they would let him go. So he's back next year. And certainly Buster's back unless he decides he's fed up with all this stuff.
00:27:57
Speaker 3: But those two guys are back, but next year they're going to be on the hot seat. They can't have back years like this.
00:28:04
Speaker 1: That's right.
00:28:05
Speaker 3: What the excuses are, you know, at some point it doesn't matter why.
00:28:08
Speaker 1: That's right. It's just baseball. At some point, that's just the nature of the game. Like, Hey man, you gotta wait. There's a lot of money being spent and, and I'm not getting a lot of it back because no one wants to watch anybody. Like it is a business. It is an entertaining business, and if you can't entertain, you've got to find guys that can. I mean, that's just what it is. It is an entertainment business. I mean, and I've said that, and in conclusion to all this, Scott, man, with this team, the one thing that I can tell you that if I had to leave these guys with anything is what I tried to start with when I talked to them in spring training. Not the whole team. I talked to the bullpen, but it would be a similar talk for me You guys are entertainers. Professional, yes. Competitors, yes. Do you want to win?
00:28:56
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:28:57
Speaker 1: But entertain, which meaning you guys got to have certain personalities. There's some that are going to be serious, 100%, and be that way. And if you like to have a lot of fun, be that way. But understand, if you want to have a lot of fun and you want to be goofy, you better back it up, win some games. Pablo was loud. He was super loud in the dugout. He'd say, hey, guy, and he'd smile and point and then do his– pick his dirt up and throw it at third base but he put his money where his mouth is and he entertained on both sides brian wilson entertained he entertained that's what he did romo entertained shooting all the whatever he did and do all stuff but he struck dudes out with sliders right Entertainment factor there. Hunter Pence with the big eyes. All I'm trying to say with all, I could go down the list, and I'm not trying to live in the past. I'm like, well, when we played, this is why we... I'm not trying to do that. I'm just trying to say be entertainers when... compete do your job well but go out there and you got to remember that you are entertainers you have to sell the sizzle part of selling the sizzle is not just playing in your character and playing in your personality and having a fun time but selling the sizzle is winning you can do all that if you don't win it doesn't matter win and be you but put it together and that's what these guys need to get is they need to figure out their personalities they need to figure out how to play in their personalities and they need to go out and have a freaking blast and have fun, but win the ball game. And then you need serious guys, too. And I just think that they've got to find that.
00:30:27
Speaker 2: You've got guys like Bo. It looks like he's the kind of guy that's not afraid to show a little bit of persona.
00:30:33
Speaker 3: Even Tugboat. You know, he's giving you the emotion as he walks off the field. Boom, he's fired up. He's in the dugout.
00:30:39
Speaker 2: He doesn't have this just blank face, man. He's out there ready to rock.
00:30:44
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:30:45
Speaker 6: I think you guys should start to develop that. It took you guys a while. You didn't all just show up as rookies. You all came in with different personalities. Because you won, you were able to showcase that.
00:30:58
Speaker 2: It might take a while, but I think these guys have some of the raw material to maybe do some of that stuff. Not only win games, but do it entertaining, fun.
00:31:10
Speaker 3: Put on a show. Why not?
00:31:12
Speaker 1: That's what needs to happen. They've got to do it. It is not all about I mean, my idea of entertaining is more like just be you and kind of have a little weirdness from time to time or have guys that can be that way. I mean, I get it. Now they shut the lights off and they create this all music, the lights flashing and guys running in. And that could be an entertainment thing. That wouldn't be my style. I would definitely not want that. I think it puts a target on my back to come in like that. But we can all do it our own way as long as you put it together. And we've said that to the young guys and we said it to guys. I remember Javi saying, it's no secret. I don't, I think I don't love, I don't use your reveal clubhouse talk, but I mean, hobby said it's a Romo. He's like, Hey man, do we got to do point the finger, yell at guys, laugh at them when they swing, make them all mad. Cool. But if it's going to affect our freaking families, because we're not winning ball games, then it's going to stop. But if you can do it and win, keep doing it. And Romo looked at us. And I'll give it to him. He said, I will keep doing it and I'll win. And he did. I mean, we said that's fine, but he did it.
00:32:17
Speaker 3: He did.
00:32:18
Speaker 1: And that's fine. We're okay with it when you're younger, especially, but you better put your money where your mouth is. And if you can find guys that can do that, you will entertain, you will sell the sizzle and you will win ball games. You will. And I think that that's what these guys didn't have. I felt like I didn't feel, I think they had some guys on the position player side that had that. They just didn't put up, the competitiveness with it, you know, but then we got the pitchers. I just felt like the bullpen was boring. I just felt like there were guys. They didn't come in with any kind of like, you know, I'm angry. I'm pitching angry. I'm going to beat you. I mean, we did, we had one, we traded him to Boston and it was a good trade, but he was the guy when he pointed at the entire Cincinnati reds dugout and said, you, you with some other language in there, pretty good, pretty, pretty good. And, and, and I'm not saying that I would have done that, But I actually would have been like, but I want that guy on my team because, hey, man, like that guy wants to win, and he's not afraid, and he gives a little sell the sizzle, man. You've got to have guys like that. And Buster knows it. I think he knows it. I think that a lot of guys know it, and they just didn't have it. And you go get some personalities to go with some of these guys, and you'll have a good time. I think they have a chance.
00:33:32
Speaker 3: Yeah, it wouldn't hurt to have a little Brian Wilson or Rod Beck. Yeah. Right? Yeah.
00:33:36
Speaker 1: No, it wouldn't. They all were there for a reason. Everybody had, they had teams like that. Like guys, there are a lot of guys like that, man. Like it was, there's, there's, there's some crazy people, honestly, way overboard, but he was still there and he was, and he did for a little bit, John Rocker. I mean, way, way, way too far at times, but I mean, you know who he is. I say, John Rocker, to anybody that actually watched baseball in the nineties, two thousands. And you know who he is.
00:34:10
Speaker 3: Why?
00:34:10
Speaker 1: Because he was an entertainer, man. The guy freaking came charging in with his eyes beaten. He's sprinting in angry. I mean, not necessarily the mad, the mad Hungarian, Hungarian for the Royals. And it's the Salos Cardinals. I mean, I didn't even watch baseball in that era, Scott. And I know who he is from the clips because he just, he just had that. I'm like, There is that exactly that, that is what is needed. You've got to have scenarios like that. And for me, we're losing that in the game. And, and, and it's not that I'm asking you to fake that. I'm asking the giants to find that, you know, that's what I'm asking for. Right. But I'm asking them to find it and don't apologize for it. You can go out and say, man, we went and got that guy. He is an odd duck. Yeah, he is. And he wouldn't be someone that I would act like, but he's good for the team. And that's why we're going with it. And to me, me, Matt Cain was professional, never showed him what didn't do a bunch of stuff. Just did his thing and walked off bum Gardner. He was weird in his own way, doing the stare down with Joe West and, and doing the snot rockets. Just the snot rocket itself was entertaining. I'm right. Like that's what I'm talking about. Just, just be what you gotta be, man. And, and, And that to me would be a big deal for all of these guys to be a part of. And I hope they can find that and have that and share that because this team, this city, the history of this team, the way this city embraces baseball, winning baseball, now they have a massive market taking on the Oakland market. they have a huge opportunity to have a lot of fun and do a lot of good stuff and to put their, put their, put that logo, that SF logo used to be pretty revered where it was like, when you saw them coming into play, people would make sure they go watch that game because that team's playing our team. We want to go watch them play. That's not it right now. And they need to get that back and they owe it to themselves and they owe it to the organization. They owe it to the city to be that.
00:36:12
Speaker 4: Yeah.
00:36:12
Speaker 2: Well, I think best case scenario, you got all these young kids, or fairly young kids, some of them 24, 25 years old, but, you know, they're all coming up together kind of at the same time.
00:36:21
Speaker 3: And I think they can all, you know, be more expressive. Yeah. Show a little more of that personality we're talking about. Yep.
00:36:29
Speaker 4: Yep.
00:36:29
Speaker 1: I agree with you. I agree with you, Scott. Well, I'm looking to see forward to see them sweep. It'd be good to see another sweep this month, to be honest with you. It would be good. We will see if that can happen. I don't know if it will, but we could hope. right so uh.
00:36:45
Speaker 3: They have to pick on the dodgers though.
00:36:47
Speaker 1: Man yeah hey man they're like sweep them that's great hey man at least get the last word in before you're right they're gonna have the last word because they're going to the playoffs but get the last word in before you roll off into the offseason there's no harm or foul on that that's a fun thing i'm looking forward to see if they can do it uh and then we'll go on and we'll have some fun podcasts this offseason as well but Thank you for coming on. Susan, thank you so much for your willingness. I know you're in the background. You're trying to watch the game and trying to help with this podcast. So we thank you for that as well, Susan. I know you're out there. But Scott, thank you so much for coming on. And until next time, thank you for joining Splash Hit Territory. We will see you in a couple days.
