WEBVTT
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Coming to you live from the Elliet
Avenue studios of Sports Radio ninety three point
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three KJRFM. This is our weekly
visit with former Mariners outfielders Steven Susa Junior,
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powered by Taco Time. For all
your favorites and to order ahead from
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App Store or the Google Play Store. Taco Time a Pacific Northwest favorite since
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nineteen sixty two. Now with Steven
SUSA Junior. Here's SOFTIANDIG. All right,
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the web and check out the catering
options right now at Taco Time inw dot
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com. Here he is courtesy at
Taco Time our friend Steven Susa Junior.
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How are you man? I'm doing
good, just finished watching that US Open
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Big shouts to my buddy Greg Bodine, the caddy for Bryson de Shambo winning
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yesterday was really cool to watch on
Father's Day. Did you hear our show
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at four o'clock today? By the
way, I didn't. He was on
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the air with us. Thanks for
listening. Yeah he was, Yeah,
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he was appreciate, you know,
not kidding. Yeah, Greg, Greg
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was on with us an hour ago. Man, what a what a cool
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moment for him, dude, being
on the bag for Bryson for the US
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Open. He told the story about
the Dave Bryson called him and offered him
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the job and what him and his
wife were going through with the miscarriage.
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Man, But what an awesome guy
and what a great moment for him.
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Huh Yeah, I mean really one
of the quality guys that you root for
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in the game. And he's really
persevered from you know, Tony cutting him
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as a caddy and him trying to
find his way with Evergreen and then you
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know, Bryson was going through something
with his dad and Greg's going through something
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with his own family, and for
them to come together and be this successful
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has been really cool to get behind. Very cool. What's what's your proximity
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to the Hole from eighteen on the
bunker out of the bunker. How close
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are you getting out to the hole
in those situations, I'm one hitting another
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bunker shot out of that bunker.
I mean unbelievably close. I mean,
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I know he said it's the best
shot of his life, but I mean
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he had a long way to go
to get to that hole, and they
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were rolling out hard yesterday. So
to landed where he did and get it
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within four feet to win, it
was and that was something special. Yeah,
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well, no question about it,
man. And now he gets to
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go to Nashville with the live guys
this weekend and enjoy the thing down there.
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But Steven Susan Junior's with us Man
eight and a half games up on
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first place, pal biggest lead in
twenty three years since two thousand and one.
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Is it time for fans to start
believing these guys could accomplish something pretty
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awesome this year? Yeah? For
sure. I think just if you watch
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the game alone and the way they
responded to certain situations. I mean,
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the Rangers came out and hit Luisca
and punched them right away, you know,
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and they responded right away with a
Mitch Garver homer, And you know,
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I still think they need another bat, I really do. I think
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to set it home, they're going
to need another bat, maybe a good
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bullpen arm. But these guys,
this starting pitching is so special that it
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doesn't matter. They're going to be
in every game the rest of the year,
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playoffs, the regular season. Well, the pressure burden was clearly on
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Texas coming in down five and a
half games, so you would have thought
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that, hey, they saw this
as a big series. So how much
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mentally does this affect the Texas Rangers
When they go from five and a half
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games to eight and a half games
in one weekend in mid jem that's big,
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right, Like, I don't care
at what point of the season you
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are. Eight and a half is
a lot to overcome. It's not like
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the Mariners are going to all of
a sudden have a crazy collapse. I
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mean, this starting pitching, like
I said, is so good that they're
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they're gonna be right where they are
regardless if they go on another run.
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And so that's if I'm on a
Texas Rangers, I'm concerned. I'm you
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know, it's they're gonna get healthy
here and they're gonna make their run.
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But I just, you know,
I think they realize the Mariners have recognized
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some of the holes in that lineup, which is four teams at the top
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of the zone, and they exposed
it, and they exposed it and exposed
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it. And if I'm Texas,
I'm leaving there thinking we got to either
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figure this out or we're not gonna
have a chance against these guys. Yeah,
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it's actually amazing the way they exposed
it. To be totally honest with
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you, it was a hell of
a game plan. It's almost like the
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Mariner offense dealing with breaking stuff early
in the year, which doesn't feel to
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be as big of an issue now
as maybe it was a couple months ago.
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But when they get healthy though,
when they get sure's or they get
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guys like the Grom back in that
rotation. I mean, eight and a
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half seems like a lot, but
it's not insurmountable. Man, are you?
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Are you kind of getting close to
saying this division race is over?
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You still want to wait a month
or so? No, I wouldn't say
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it's over. It's gonna be a
real the hard climb. The reality is
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is that Texas will go on a
run. There's no doubt about it.
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I just I don't think that the
Mariners are gonna go on to collapse to
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give them an opportunity to take it
over. Now, if the bats go
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quiet like they have for a couple
of weeks, we could be talking about
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a different story. But I believe
with the trade deadline coming up, I
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think they're gonna put some additions in
the lineup. I think the guys are
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starting to hit their stride a little
bit offensively. It's starting to warm up.
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And we know again in Seattle,
when the weather warms up, the
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bats warm up, and the pitching's
gonna stay the same. And so I
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have all the confidence more so in
the Mariners. But the Rangers are gonna
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go on a run, but I
don't think they'll be able to catch the
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Mariners at all. Well, we
know that t mobiles gotten too the heads
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of some Mariner bats in the past. I've talked to Mariner hitters that it's
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gotten into the head. They've admitted
it's gotten into their heads. But has
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it gotten into the heads of the
road teams that come in. I mean,
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my god, they have a road
teams have a one to ninety five
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batting average and a four to seven, six to one strikeout the walk ratio
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in that park, is it mental
for them? Yeah? You know,
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I think actually across the board of
Major League Baseball, homers are down.
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I think they're on pace right now
for eight hundred home runs less than last
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year, which is a significant amount, right, And so you take that
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with something's going on with the way
the ball is traveling, whether you admit
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it or not. You bring in
the seattle in a ballpark that's pitcher friendly,
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and everybody's gonna struggle a little bit. I think, you know,
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earlier on the other Mariners wanted to
take advantage of the ballpark and use it
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and collect the hits early, knowing
that it heat up. And I think
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it took them a while to really
buy into that. But these last couple
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home stands, they've done a really
good job of just buying into what they
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can do and providing runs in different
ways. You know, you watch Rojas
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steel home yesterday and stealing bases all
around and only having to get one hit.
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That's great Mariner baseball, especially when
you have the pitching staff you do,
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and they're they're they're finding their identity
really quick, and I think it's
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awesome. So are you seeing Steven
and again Steven Susie with us to see
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a taco time every Monday here on
the show. Are you seeing enough out
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of Tyler Lockley or to tell ty
France to just hold off a bit when
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he comes off the al Well,
it's more so like I want to make
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sure that you don't feel like you
have to rush back to help us,
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Like, listen, we want you
on the roster. I think ty Franz
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has a place on this roster going
forward, no doubt about it, especially
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with the last couple of weeks he
finished with. But listen, let's make
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sure you're healthy. We have an
eight and a half game lead. We
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have a kid, a young kid
at first base, so we're trying to
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figure out if he has a place
on this roster. Let's see what we
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got in him. Take your time, make sure you're healthy, because we
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need you more at the end than
to rush this thing back and you have
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to go back on the il.
Well, do you think Tyler Lockley's got
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a place on this roster when he
comes back, either at first or maybe
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at DH. I do think I
think he's got a spot in dah.
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If if Garber keeps going, it's
going to be a little bit tougher to
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find spots. But I think he
can play third base if I'm not mistaken.
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I may be wrong there, but
I think I was looking at his
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gut and report and he can try
and play third base. It's not as
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easy if he hasn't done it in
the minor leagues out to look into that,
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but I think his bat alone is
worth it to me, whether it's
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a pinshit opportunity into lefty. He
does a fantastic job of staying inside the
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ball. You saw from his first
pitch that he saw. He's aggressive,
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he's not scared of the moment.
He's good defensively to give Tye a break,
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and I think it gives them more
options from the right side. So
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I do I think when ty comes
back, he's still got a spot.
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Yeah. He played fifty four games
at third at VCU in twenty twenty one.
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It looks like he got twenty two
games there at Modesto in twenty twenty
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two. So as recently as two
years ago and then a ton in college,
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he was playing third base and he
got moved to first when he got
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caught up to Arkansas and beyond.
But Steven Susan Junior is with us on
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the year. So Julio Rodriguez the
last twenty two games is on a thirty
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seven home run one hundred and ten
rbipace hitting three zero six with an eight
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to sixty yes. I think I
asked you a week ago if Julio was
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back, and you said almost.
Is he now back in your opinion?
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Uh? No, he's still.
He's just answered a little bit more forward.
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I want to see what's it gonna
take to oppress you. For God's
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sakes, man, I want to
see that run. I want to see
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that Julio run where he goes on
for a week and it's a thousand yes,
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and it's special, and it's maybe
four homers in a in a week
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or player of the week mentality,
which is not out of the realm for
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him. I mean, those aren't
high expectations. It's what he's come to
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do. And when I see something
like that and I and I'm there's no
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doubt it's coming. I can see
it coming. It's still not there yet.
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I think we can finally announce he's
back. Do the home road splits
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for the pitching staff concern you at
all. They've got a two five four
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era at home, it's two runs
higher on the road or is it still
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you know, too small a sample
size. Yeah. Again, I think
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that that's a byproduct of our conversation
we had early right where it's like,
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hey, we're pitching in the pitcher's
park, where a flyball pitching team.
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We can be aggressive with it here. We know what's we're successful with at
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home, and we're going to exploit
that. I think they're trying to find
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their identity on their road a little
bit and having to kind of step away.
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And they've played in some some hitter
friendly parks on the road, which
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you know a couple are, and
honestly gave up a lot of runs in
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Kansas City, which wasn't a hit
of friendly park. But you know,
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I'm still not quite ready to figure
out to say that they've got a problem
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with the road. I just think
the stuff is so special that they'll figure
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it out. And Woody and the
staff, they do a good job of
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making adjustments on the pitching staff.
We've known that historically. So let's give
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it to the end of June and
if they already the same in this next
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next road trip, they don't figure
it out, they're going to have to
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find something to figure out. Well, there's a lot of people Steven again
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that are pointing to the firing of
Brent Brown as kind of a reason why
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the offense is starting to maybe turn
things around a little bit. I mean,
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I know you talked to Brent a
little bit last week or a couple
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of weeks go when he was let
go. Do you buy any of that
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that them making that move is a
reason why things are starting to turn around.
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No, I don't buy it for
a second. I think it's coincidental.
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And I think, you know,
Honestry, sometimes just a fresh voice
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can can do do wonders at the
end of the day. But you know,
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they ran into Chicago, the Angels
in a banged up Rangers rotation right
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now, right like, so after
the firing, they had some good matchups
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on their side, And you know, I don't think that by any means
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it was him. I mean,
you know, in talking to him,
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he did the same game plan in
Miami that he did in LA and both
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of those teams held him in high
regards. So I don't think he comes
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over here to Seattle and all of
a sudden it doesn't work anymore. You
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know, now the team may have
not wanted to Puye into it, and
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you know, without you know,
giving too much away. There is some
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pushback in the way that he was
developing the plans from upstairs. And so
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I think that these guys have figured
out who they want to be, and
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you know, they're not giving away
at bats, but there's still really there's
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still a problem. I think offensively, there are very sporadic teams at times,
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and as long as they continue to
keep the games close timely hitting will
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matter, and they've done a good
job of that so far. Steven,
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how big is the gap between the
Mariners and the Yankees right now? Poof?
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You know it's I think now you
look at you're gonna start a series,
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right, I just plant it out
like that, if they played in
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the PLAYFFS, and you're gonna get
Garrett Cole against Louis Castillo, You're gonna
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get skill against you know, one
of Logan Gilbert or George Kirby or Brian
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wu and and then you're gonna get
either Marcus Stroman or Carlos Rodon, which
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Rodon is throwing the ball, and
so I think those are pretty even matchups.
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And then the bullpens are pretty similar
in the way they don't, so
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then for me, it becomes offensively, and they have a massive edge on
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the Mariners offensively, Like you know, if one of those guys happens to
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give it up, they can they
can combat that with a big game offensively
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from Aaron Judge or Juan Soto's on, Carlos Stanton and even Verdugo is having
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a great year, and so I
think if you add another guy Julio gets
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going, maybe that shrinks the gap
a little bit. But I still think
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they're a little bit ways ahead,
but they'll figure out a way. That
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pitching staff always figures out a way. Are you ready to put Andres Munoz
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back in that closer role every game
full time? Now? Is it time
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now for that? Yeah? I
think so. I thought I think it
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was yesterday. I thought Scott did
a really good job where it was two
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to one and he had Ezekiel Duran
and that might have been Saturday, Ezekiel
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00:13:35.080 --> 00:13:39.799
Duran, Corey Seeger and Marcus Simon
coming up, and it was in the
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eighth inning, and he decided to
go with Munios in that inning, which
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is the highest leverage because he's got
to go get the two best hitters in
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the game out. That essentially was
a safe situation. So I don't mind
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things like that where it's like these
are the most important outs and then the
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next guys we feel like we can
get out with Stanek or somebody else.
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So other than that, yeah,
he's he's the guy. I mean,
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he's a guy I want to when
I need to get four out three outs,
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or I'm in a tough spot,
he's the number one guy to that.
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Ben. All right, here's your
trade scenario of the week, Steven,
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I love this. Jim Bowden.
Today, Cave gave up five mock
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trades. The one that involved the
Mariners was Emerson Hancock to the Rockies for
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Ryan McMahon, who, by the
way, outside cors Field. Ryan McMahon
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is a two to twenty three career
hitter with a six eighty two ops.
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What's say you about Ryan McMahon.
Yeah, that's an interesting one. I
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you know, I like Emerson a
lot. I think with six years of
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control and him being that young and
being competitive and coming back, I think
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he has a really high upside.
That being said, Ryan McMahon's a quality
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big leaguer. I think you're asking
him to step into a role that he
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hasn't quite had yet in Colorado and
be the guy coming over here. Or
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I guess what I'm trying to say
is you need to go get somebody that's
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the guy. You need, a
Pete, a Lonza, somebody that like
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when they went and got Luis Castillo
and we were all fired up about it
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and it moved the team to really
feel like we're pushing for it. That's
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the move you need to make this
this season. Put it in the in
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in the heads that we are going
for the World Series and we're going to
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collect somebody that can handle the pressure
of that. I'm not sure that Ryan
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McMahon has ever been put in that, and I wouldn't go for him right
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now. Well I could. I
could tell you who would not want that
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trade is Frickin Emerson Hancock. There's
no way Ierson Hando wants to go pitch
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in Colorado, no chance he wants
to do something like that. Hey,
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uh, Steven, let me ask
you this, because Dick and I had
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this conversation. I don't even know
what the genesis was about. Brian Wu
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is Brian Wu for the most part. And look when we say untradeable obviously
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if the Yankees offer Aaron Judge goodbye. But in reality, in general terms,
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is Brian Wu untradeable for you?
Um? And listen, nobody's untradable,
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right, I mean if you put
the right package of wants and knees
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and and you get somebody in the
minor leagues that gives you a surplus.
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I mean, everybody's available for the
right price. And I mean said,
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I know that there was a deal
that involved him, this winner with uh
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offered for Evan Carter, So clearly
in the Mariner's eyes, he's not that
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untradable, right, that was before
this year. That was before this year
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the start direct correct, Yeah,
yeah, I would agree. The only
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concern I have Thofty is that elbow, right, Like, I know that
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the MRI I came back clean,
and that's that's great. But you know,
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if if you get him for to
pitch rest of the year and then
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something happens next year, you're going
to lose a year a half of them.
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And I don't want to speak in
in a negative way, but if
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he can stay healthy, he's on
for me. He's Yeah, he's close
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to untradable for how young he is
and how dominant he is, no doubt
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about it. How much more valuable
is he than Emerson Hancock. I mean
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he's gotten the opportunities more than Hancock
has, but he has been less durable
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than Handcock has. Yeah, for
sure. Right, you measure it in
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how how much time available do I
have before a free agency, which for
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Wo it's still six years. And
then you measure have you shown consistent success
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in the big leagues? And I
think afore he's got Emerson right. Emerson
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has been good in the big league, but Wu has been special, right,
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Like, he's been really good.
He's done on this run where he's
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looked like he's been there around it's
been easy for him. That fastball's effortless
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is repeatable with his mechanics. We're
still kind of find trying to find out
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who Emerson Hancock is in the big
leagues. I think we know who Brian
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Wu is or who he can be, and so I think the value for
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him is much greater than Emerson.
Well, I hope they could do better
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than Ryan McMahon. No, I'm
just looking at some numbers for him,
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and he's a he's a course field
baby all the way. I mean,
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my god, that would say if
that's the best they can do, is
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adding a guy like that, that's
not good enough man for me, not
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at all? So, uh,
trade Hancock? Would you trade Hancock in
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00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:53.680
the package for Alonso or vlad Guerrero
Junior or or Boba Schett those names float
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00:17:53.680 --> 00:17:57.839
your boat? Yeah, I mean, if you're gonna get Boba Schett.
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My question would be, what are
you going to do with Jorge Polonka when
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he comes back? Is he going
to end up being a bench bet?
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For what I think he's making seven
to nine million, that ends up being
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an expensive bench bat, which you
do need those guys in the playoffs.
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But I think Pete Alonso moves the
needle for me, right Like, unless
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you're confident a lot he's gonna do
it, I would say, Pete Alonso's
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the move right there. It's a
big power hitter. He adds to the
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strikeouts, he adds to the slug. But listen, if you keep your
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pitching that close, you can live
and die with the slug, no question.
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All right, dude, great stuff. Man, appreciate this, and
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we're talking a week palace, all
right, guys. Sounds good, all
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right, steven Susan junior, by
the way, is hitting like a Mariner
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this year. Yeah, two thirty
seven average six twenty nine. People fit
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right in perfect. How many years
left on his contract? Because if it's
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club control, he's coming to Seattle. We got a break. We'll do
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a little uh you uh, you
make the call. Excuse me, almost
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00:18:52.599 --> 00:18:55.960
said fun with audio. We've already
done that. Well, you make the
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00:18:56.000 --> 00:18:59.079
call. Let's come back and shot
about where this baseball team is at because
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00:18:59.079 --> 00:19:03.240
I want to get the pole of
the people. Do the people believe now
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00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:06.359
in this baseball team? Next on
ninety three to three KJRFM,
1
00:00:00.840 --> 00:00:05.160
Coming to you live from the Elliet
Avenue studios of Sports Radio ninety three point
2
00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:11.560
three KJRFM. This is our weekly
visit with former Mariners outfielders Steven Susa Junior,
3
00:00:11.880 --> 00:00:15.919
powered by Taco Time. For all
your favorites and to order ahead from
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any Taco Time restaurant, download the
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App Store or the Google Play Store. Taco Time a Pacific Northwest favorite since
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00:00:26.199 --> 00:00:31.760
nineteen sixty two. Now with Steven
SUSA Junior. Here's SOFTIANDIG. All right,
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00:00:31.800 --> 00:00:35.960
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birthday parties, office gatherings. How
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potentially deliver. So have Taco Time cater
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the web and check out the catering
options right now at Taco Time inw dot
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com. Here he is courtesy at
Taco Time our friend Steven Susa Junior.
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00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:03.680
How are you man? I'm doing
good, just finished watching that US Open
15
00:01:03.760 --> 00:01:08.079
Big shouts to my buddy Greg Bodine, the caddy for Bryson de Shambo winning
16
00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:12.000
yesterday was really cool to watch on
Father's Day. Did you hear our show
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00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:17.400
at four o'clock today? By the
way, I didn't. He was on
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00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:19.280
the air with us. Thanks for
listening. Yeah he was, Yeah,
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00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:26.040
he was appreciate, you know,
not kidding. Yeah, Greg, Greg
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00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:27.719
was on with us an hour ago. Man, what a what a cool
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00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:32.159
moment for him, dude, being
on the bag for Bryson for the US
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00:01:32.280 --> 00:01:34.920
Open. He told the story about
the Dave Bryson called him and offered him
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00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:40.599
the job and what him and his
wife were going through with the miscarriage.
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00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:42.239
Man, But what an awesome guy
and what a great moment for him.
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Huh Yeah, I mean really one
of the quality guys that you root for
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00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:52.319
in the game. And he's really
persevered from you know, Tony cutting him
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00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:55.719
as a caddy and him trying to
find his way with Evergreen and then you
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00:01:55.719 --> 00:01:59.159
know, Bryson was going through something
with his dad and Greg's going through something
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with his own family, and for
them to come together and be this successful
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00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:06.079
has been really cool to get behind. Very cool. What's what's your proximity
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00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:07.919
to the Hole from eighteen on the
bunker out of the bunker. How close
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00:02:07.919 --> 00:02:14.319
are you getting out to the hole
in those situations, I'm one hitting another
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00:02:14.360 --> 00:02:20.240
bunker shot out of that bunker.
I mean unbelievably close. I mean,
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00:02:20.280 --> 00:02:22.840
I know he said it's the best
shot of his life, but I mean
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00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:24.560
he had a long way to go
to get to that hole, and they
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00:02:24.599 --> 00:02:29.199
were rolling out hard yesterday. So
to landed where he did and get it
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00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:32.000
within four feet to win, it
was and that was something special. Yeah,
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00:02:32.039 --> 00:02:35.120
well, no question about it,
man. And now he gets to
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00:02:35.159 --> 00:02:38.120
go to Nashville with the live guys
this weekend and enjoy the thing down there.
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00:02:38.199 --> 00:02:43.039
But Steven Susan Junior's with us Man
eight and a half games up on
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00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:46.759
first place, pal biggest lead in
twenty three years since two thousand and one.
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00:02:47.960 --> 00:02:52.560
Is it time for fans to start
believing these guys could accomplish something pretty
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00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:58.120
awesome this year? Yeah? For
sure. I think just if you watch
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00:02:58.199 --> 00:03:01.960
the game alone and the way they
responded to certain situations. I mean,
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00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:08.080
the Rangers came out and hit Luisca
and punched them right away, you know,
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00:03:08.319 --> 00:03:12.560
and they responded right away with a
Mitch Garver homer, And you know,
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00:03:12.599 --> 00:03:15.159
I still think they need another bat, I really do. I think
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to set it home, they're going
to need another bat, maybe a good
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bullpen arm. But these guys,
this starting pitching is so special that it
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doesn't matter. They're going to be
in every game the rest of the year,
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playoffs, the regular season. Well, the pressure burden was clearly on
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Texas coming in down five and a
half games, so you would have thought
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00:03:32.240 --> 00:03:37.400
that, hey, they saw this
as a big series. So how much
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00:03:38.080 --> 00:03:42.080
mentally does this affect the Texas Rangers
When they go from five and a half
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games to eight and a half games
in one weekend in mid jem that's big,
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right, Like, I don't care
at what point of the season you
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are. Eight and a half is
a lot to overcome. It's not like
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the Mariners are going to all of
a sudden have a crazy collapse. I
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mean, this starting pitching, like
I said, is so good that they're
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they're gonna be right where they are
regardless if they go on another run.
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And so that's if I'm on a
Texas Rangers, I'm concerned. I'm you
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know, it's they're gonna get healthy
here and they're gonna make their run.
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But I just, you know,
I think they realize the Mariners have recognized
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some of the holes in that lineup, which is four teams at the top
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of the zone, and they exposed
it, and they exposed it and exposed
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it. And if I'm Texas,
I'm leaving there thinking we got to either
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figure this out or we're not gonna
have a chance against these guys. Yeah,
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it's actually amazing the way they exposed
it. To be totally honest with
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you, it was a hell of
a game plan. It's almost like the
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Mariner offense dealing with breaking stuff early
in the year, which doesn't feel to
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be as big of an issue now
as maybe it was a couple months ago.
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But when they get healthy though,
when they get sure's or they get
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guys like the Grom back in that
rotation. I mean, eight and a
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half seems like a lot, but
it's not insurmountable. Man, are you?
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Are you kind of getting close to
saying this division race is over?
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You still want to wait a month
or so? No, I wouldn't say
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it's over. It's gonna be a
real the hard climb. The reality is
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is that Texas will go on a
run. There's no doubt about it.
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I just I don't think that the
Mariners are gonna go on to collapse to
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00:05:08.279 --> 00:05:11.720
give them an opportunity to take it
over. Now, if the bats go
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quiet like they have for a couple
of weeks, we could be talking about
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a different story. But I believe
with the trade deadline coming up, I
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think they're gonna put some additions in
the lineup. I think the guys are
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starting to hit their stride a little
bit offensively. It's starting to warm up.
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And we know again in Seattle,
when the weather warms up, the
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bats warm up, and the pitching's
gonna stay the same. And so I
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have all the confidence more so in
the Mariners. But the Rangers are gonna
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go on a run, but I
don't think they'll be able to catch the
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Mariners at all. Well, we
know that t mobiles gotten too the heads
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of some Mariner bats in the past. I've talked to Mariner hitters that it's
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gotten into the head. They've admitted
it's gotten into their heads. But has
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it gotten into the heads of the
road teams that come in. I mean,
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my god, they have a road
teams have a one to ninety five
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batting average and a four to seven, six to one strikeout the walk ratio
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in that park, is it mental
for them? Yeah? You know,
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I think actually across the board of
Major League Baseball, homers are down.
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I think they're on pace right now
for eight hundred home runs less than last
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year, which is a significant amount, right, And so you take that
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with something's going on with the way
the ball is traveling, whether you admit
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it or not. You bring in
the seattle in a ballpark that's pitcher friendly,
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and everybody's gonna struggle a little bit. I think, you know,
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earlier on the other Mariners wanted to
take advantage of the ballpark and use it
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and collect the hits early, knowing
that it heat up. And I think
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it took them a while to really
buy into that. But these last couple
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home stands, they've done a really
good job of just buying into what they
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can do and providing runs in different
ways. You know, you watch Rojas
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steel home yesterday and stealing bases all
around and only having to get one hit.
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That's great Mariner baseball, especially when
you have the pitching staff you do,
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and they're they're they're finding their identity
really quick, and I think it's
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awesome. So are you seeing Steven
and again Steven Susie with us to see
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a taco time every Monday here on
the show. Are you seeing enough out
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of Tyler Lockley or to tell ty
France to just hold off a bit when
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he comes off the al Well,
it's more so like I want to make
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sure that you don't feel like you
have to rush back to help us,
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Like, listen, we want you
on the roster. I think ty Franz
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has a place on this roster going
forward, no doubt about it, especially
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with the last couple of weeks he
finished with. But listen, let's make
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sure you're healthy. We have an
eight and a half game lead. We
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have a kid, a young kid
at first base, so we're trying to
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figure out if he has a place
on this roster. Let's see what we
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got in him. Take your time, make sure you're healthy, because we
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need you more at the end than
to rush this thing back and you have
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to go back on the il.
Well, do you think Tyler Lockley's got
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a place on this roster when he
comes back, either at first or maybe
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at DH. I do think I
think he's got a spot in dah.
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If if Garber keeps going, it's
going to be a little bit tougher to
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find spots. But I think he
can play third base if I'm not mistaken.
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I may be wrong there, but
I think I was looking at his
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gut and report and he can try
and play third base. It's not as
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easy if he hasn't done it in
the minor leagues out to look into that,
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but I think his bat alone is
worth it to me, whether it's
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a pinshit opportunity into lefty. He
does a fantastic job of staying inside the
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ball. You saw from his first
pitch that he saw. He's aggressive,
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he's not scared of the moment.
He's good defensively to give Tye a break,
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and I think it gives them more
options from the right side. So
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I do I think when ty comes
back, he's still got a spot.
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Yeah. He played fifty four games
at third at VCU in twenty twenty one.
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It looks like he got twenty two
games there at Modesto in twenty twenty
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two. So as recently as two
years ago and then a ton in college,
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he was playing third base and he
got moved to first when he got
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caught up to Arkansas and beyond.
But Steven Susan Junior is with us on
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the year. So Julio Rodriguez the
last twenty two games is on a thirty
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seven home run one hundred and ten
rbipace hitting three zero six with an eight
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to sixty yes. I think I
asked you a week ago if Julio was
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back, and you said almost.
Is he now back in your opinion?
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Uh? No, he's still.
He's just answered a little bit more forward.
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I want to see what's it gonna
take to oppress you. For God's
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sakes, man, I want to
see that run. I want to see
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that Julio run where he goes on
for a week and it's a thousand yes,
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and it's special, and it's maybe
four homers in a in a week
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or player of the week mentality,
which is not out of the realm for
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him. I mean, those aren't
high expectations. It's what he's come to
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do. And when I see something
like that and I and I'm there's no
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doubt it's coming. I can see
it coming. It's still not there yet.
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I think we can finally announce he's
back. Do the home road splits
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for the pitching staff concern you at
all. They've got a two five four
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era at home, it's two runs
higher on the road or is it still
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you know, too small a sample
size. Yeah. Again, I think
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that that's a byproduct of our conversation
we had early right where it's like,
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hey, we're pitching in the pitcher's
park, where a flyball pitching team.
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We can be aggressive with it here. We know what's we're successful with at
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home, and we're going to exploit
that. I think they're trying to find
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their identity on their road a little
bit and having to kind of step away.
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And they've played in some some hitter
friendly parks on the road, which
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you know a couple are, and
honestly gave up a lot of runs in
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Kansas City, which wasn't a hit
of friendly park. But you know,
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I'm still not quite ready to figure
out to say that they've got a problem
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with the road. I just think
the stuff is so special that they'll figure
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it out. And Woody and the
staff, they do a good job of
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making adjustments on the pitching staff.
We've known that historically. So let's give
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it to the end of June and
if they already the same in this next
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next road trip, they don't figure
it out, they're going to have to
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find something to figure out. Well, there's a lot of people Steven again
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that are pointing to the firing of
Brent Brown as kind of a reason why
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the offense is starting to maybe turn
things around a little bit. I mean,
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I know you talked to Brent a
little bit last week or a couple
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of weeks go when he was let
go. Do you buy any of that
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that them making that move is a
reason why things are starting to turn around.
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No, I don't buy it for
a second. I think it's coincidental.
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And I think, you know,
Honestry, sometimes just a fresh voice
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can can do do wonders at the
end of the day. But you know,
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they ran into Chicago, the Angels
in a banged up Rangers rotation right
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now, right like, so after
the firing, they had some good matchups
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on their side, And you know, I don't think that by any means
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it was him. I mean,
you know, in talking to him,
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he did the same game plan in
Miami that he did in LA and both
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of those teams held him in high
regards. So I don't think he comes
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over here to Seattle and all of
a sudden it doesn't work anymore. You
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know, now the team may have
not wanted to Puye into it, and
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you know, without you know,
giving too much away. There is some
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pushback in the way that he was
developing the plans from upstairs. And so
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I think that these guys have figured
out who they want to be, and
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you know, they're not giving away
at bats, but there's still really there's
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still a problem. I think offensively, there are very sporadic teams at times,
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and as long as they continue to
keep the games close timely hitting will
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matter, and they've done a good
job of that so far. Steven,
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how big is the gap between the
Mariners and the Yankees right now? Poof?
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You know it's I think now you
look at you're gonna start a series,
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right, I just plant it out
like that, if they played in
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the PLAYFFS, and you're gonna get
Garrett Cole against Louis Castillo, You're gonna
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get skill against you know, one
of Logan Gilbert or George Kirby or Brian
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wu and and then you're gonna get
either Marcus Stroman or Carlos Rodon, which
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Rodon is throwing the ball, and
so I think those are pretty even matchups.
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And then the bullpens are pretty similar
in the way they don't, so
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then for me, it becomes offensively, and they have a massive edge on
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the Mariners offensively, Like you know, if one of those guys happens to
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give it up, they can they
can combat that with a big game offensively
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from Aaron Judge or Juan Soto's on, Carlos Stanton and even Verdugo is having
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a great year, and so I
think if you add another guy Julio gets
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going, maybe that shrinks the gap
a little bit. But I still think
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they're a little bit ways ahead,
but they'll figure out a way. That
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pitching staff always figures out a way. Are you ready to put Andres Munoz
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back in that closer role every game
full time? Now? Is it time
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now for that? Yeah? I
think so. I thought I think it
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was yesterday. I thought Scott did
a really good job where it was two
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to one and he had Ezekiel Duran
and that might have been Saturday, Ezekiel
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Duran, Corey Seeger and Marcus Simon
coming up, and it was in the
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eighth inning, and he decided to
go with Munios in that inning, which
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is the highest leverage because he's got
to go get the two best hitters in
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the game out. That essentially was
a safe situation. So I don't mind
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things like that where it's like these
are the most important outs and then the
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next guys we feel like we can
get out with Stanek or somebody else.
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So other than that, yeah,
he's he's the guy. I mean,
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he's a guy I want to when
I need to get four out three outs,
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or I'm in a tough spot,
he's the number one guy to that.
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Ben. All right, here's your
trade scenario of the week, Steven,
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I love this. Jim Bowden.
Today, Cave gave up five mock
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trades. The one that involved the
Mariners was Emerson Hancock to the Rockies for
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Ryan McMahon, who, by the
way, outside cors Field. Ryan McMahon
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is a two to twenty three career
hitter with a six eighty two ops.
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What's say you about Ryan McMahon.
Yeah, that's an interesting one. I
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you know, I like Emerson a
lot. I think with six years of
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control and him being that young and
being competitive and coming back, I think
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he has a really high upside.
That being said, Ryan McMahon's a quality
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big leaguer. I think you're asking
him to step into a role that he
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hasn't quite had yet in Colorado and
be the guy coming over here. Or
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I guess what I'm trying to say
is you need to go get somebody that's
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the guy. You need, a
Pete, a Lonza, somebody that like
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when they went and got Luis Castillo
and we were all fired up about it
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and it moved the team to really
feel like we're pushing for it. That's
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the move you need to make this
this season. Put it in the in
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in the heads that we are going
for the World Series and we're going to
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collect somebody that can handle the pressure
of that. I'm not sure that Ryan
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McMahon has ever been put in that, and I wouldn't go for him right
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now. Well I could. I
could tell you who would not want that
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trade is Frickin Emerson Hancock. There's
no way Ierson Hando wants to go pitch
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in Colorado, no chance he wants
to do something like that. Hey,
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uh, Steven, let me ask
you this, because Dick and I had
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this conversation. I don't even know
what the genesis was about. Brian Wu
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is Brian Wu for the most part. And look when we say untradeable obviously
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if the Yankees offer Aaron Judge goodbye. But in reality, in general terms,
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is Brian Wu untradeable for you?
Um? And listen, nobody's untradable,
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right, I mean if you put
the right package of wants and knees
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and and you get somebody in the
minor leagues that gives you a surplus.
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I mean, everybody's available for the
right price. And I mean said,
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I know that there was a deal
that involved him, this winner with uh
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offered for Evan Carter, So clearly
in the Mariner's eyes, he's not that
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untradable, right, that was before
this year. That was before this year
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the start direct correct, Yeah,
yeah, I would agree. The only
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concern I have Thofty is that elbow, right, Like, I know that
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the MRI I came back clean,
and that's that's great. But you know,
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if if you get him for to
pitch rest of the year and then
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something happens next year, you're going
to lose a year a half of them.
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And I don't want to speak in
in a negative way, but if
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he can stay healthy, he's on
for me. He's Yeah, he's close
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to untradable for how young he is
and how dominant he is, no doubt
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about it. How much more valuable
is he than Emerson Hancock. I mean
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he's gotten the opportunities more than Hancock
has, but he has been less durable
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than Handcock has. Yeah, for
sure. Right, you measure it in
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how how much time available do I
have before a free agency, which for
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Wo it's still six years. And
then you measure have you shown consistent success
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in the big leagues? And I
think afore he's got Emerson right. Emerson
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has been good in the big league, but Wu has been special, right,
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Like, he's been really good.
He's done on this run where he's
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looked like he's been there around it's
been easy for him. That fastball's effortless
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is repeatable with his mechanics. We're
still kind of find trying to find out
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who Emerson Hancock is in the big
leagues. I think we know who Brian
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Wu is or who he can be, and so I think the value for
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him is much greater than Emerson.
Well, I hope they could do better
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than Ryan McMahon. No, I'm
just looking at some numbers for him,
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and he's a he's a course field
baby all the way. I mean,
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my god, that would say if
that's the best they can do, is
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adding a guy like that, that's
not good enough man for me, not
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at all? So, uh,
trade Hancock? Would you trade Hancock in
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the package for Alonso or vlad Guerrero
Junior or or Boba Schett those names float
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your boat? Yeah, I mean, if you're gonna get Boba Schett.
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My question would be, what are
you going to do with Jorge Polonka when
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he comes back? Is he going
to end up being a bench bet?
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For what I think he's making seven
to nine million, that ends up being
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an expensive bench bat, which you
do need those guys in the playoffs.
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But I think Pete Alonso moves the
needle for me, right Like, unless
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you're confident a lot he's gonna do
it, I would say, Pete Alonso's
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the move right there. It's a
big power hitter. He adds to the
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strikeouts, he adds to the slug. But listen, if you keep your
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pitching that close, you can live
and die with the slug, no question.
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All right, dude, great stuff. Man, appreciate this, and
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we're talking a week palace, all
right, guys. Sounds good, all
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right, steven Susan junior, by
the way, is hitting like a Mariner
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this year. Yeah, two thirty
seven average six twenty nine. People fit
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00:18:44.359 --> 00:18:47.160
right in perfect. How many years
left on his contract? Because if it's
301
00:18:47.160 --> 00:18:49.279
club control, he's coming to Seattle. We got a break. We'll do
302
00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:52.599
a little uh you uh, you
make the call. Excuse me, almost
303
00:18:52.599 --> 00:18:55.960
said fun with audio. We've already
done that. Well, you make the
304
00:18:56.000 --> 00:18:59.079
call. Let's come back and shot
about where this baseball team is at because
305
00:18:59.079 --> 00:19:03.240
I want to get the pole of
the people. Do the people believe now
306
00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:06.359
in this baseball team? Next on
ninety three to three KJRFM,
