WEBVTT
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This is the Morning Drive.
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Welcome on in. It is the Morning Drive. Sports Talks.
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Seven ninety is the Astros and the rest of Major
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League Baseball. A couple more days off before you restart
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this season. Home run derby last night Jordan Walker of
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the Saint Louis Cardinals being able to beat the hometown
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favorite Kyle Schwarber, and the home run derby derby was
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actually kind of fun last night, I mean, for those
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of you that got to watch it. Because here's the thing, too,
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is in the age of streaming. First of all, it's
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not new, like this is something that's been part of
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our society now for over ten years, Like we've had
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streaming options, and I understand now it's kind of a
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little annoying and frustrating with all the ala carte options.
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But I don't know if Netflix was probably running the
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free trial right now. But usually whenever there are major
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events like this, and I don't even necessarily know if
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you want to call the home run derby a major event,
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but when it's something like that, they'll give you a
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free trial. Just remember to cancel it if you don't
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want it, And most of us want Netflix because it's
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also too I mean, this was very much a promotional arm.
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You have Will Ferrell part of it last night, I guess,
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Luke Wilson and him or doing some new show or
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something like that, and then of course Kevin Hart doing something.
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The one thing though, even though I am a Burt
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Kreischer fan, thank you God for not having Burt Kreischer
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part of this thing. Like it's just it's one of
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those that it kind of almost reaches a point of
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oversaturrization and you're just like, oh God, man, like no more,
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no more, stop please. But anyway, I mean in the
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formats everything I mean to say that like I was
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directly watching it last night would be a lie. I
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mean I was doing show prep, lawn whatever it might
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have been, taken, the dog outs, I mean, it was
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all of those things, and you know, just not really
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necessarily paying close attention to it. I mean I did,
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at least from what I paid attention to. I like
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the format because the clock and timeouts and all that
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kind of stuff that you had was kind of goofy.
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And then for this one, I mean just straight up
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doesn't matter if it's an out, doesn't matter if it
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goes out until you reach the Magenta ball that they had,
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and that was almost like their money ball at the
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end that if you hit a home run on that,
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you can get another one, then he can get another one,
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that he can get another one until you didn't hit
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a home run. So it was fun. It was it
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was actually kind of fun to watch, and as I mentioned,
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Jordan Walker able to beat Kyle schwarb before it, but
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seemed like it was a good crowd in there and
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seemed like it was a lot of fun. And then
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the All Star Game itself is like any other All
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Star game. Now, it's more or less like for us,
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we'll probably watch the first couple of innings. I mean,
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it'll be in to see if Jordon gets more than
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one at bat, but when he gets that one at bat,
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to be able to see what's he able to do
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in it? So you gonna hit a home run because
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usually the guy that hits like the biggest home run
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in the game is the one who wins Most Valuable Players.
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So maybe Jordon can make something happen right there and
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be able to get out of there and get back
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to Houston and get ready for the second half of
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the season. With any other real Newsworthy things happening to him.
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But anyway, as I mentioned, it is the All Star break,
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of course, and that means that the Astros kind of
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sitting and waiting with the rest of the baseball world
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and then Friday they'll get back to work as the
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Baltimore Orioles are in town. But you've got that. You
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also have France and Spain today two o'clock for the
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semi finals of the World Cup. Winner gonna move on
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and face either England or Argentina for the entire thing
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on Sundays. So sad thing is all around, the World
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Cup is coming to an end. What are you gonna do?
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But got that also to talk about. A former Houston
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Cougar has a new job too, and somebody that I
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know a lot of you. When he left, it was
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kind of a little bit of okay, well, you know,
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not very sad to see you leave, and then his
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career kind of fizzled out after that. So I know
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that some of you know exactly who I'm talking about there.
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But we will be pretty heavy on the Astros discussion
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because not only are they waiting until Friday to get
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back on the field, but also got a little bit
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of news yesterday is Mike Burrows going on the IL
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with right elbow neurritis. I had never ever heard of neurritis,
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and I heard Matt and Ross looking it up yesterday.
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I guess Ross probably got on like web MD or
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something like that to see, like, what is actually neurritis.
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I guess it's like swelling of like the nerve, I
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think is what it is. It's something that again, it's
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one of those that you know it's not being made
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up like because it actually does sound like an actual condition.
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I just had never heard of it. I've heard of persidas,
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like I know that, you know that's a thing. But again,
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I mean, I didn't go to seven plus years of school. Hey,
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a lot of people go to school for seven years. Yeah, Tommy,
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they're called doctors. See. I mean I can't help myself
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sometimes with being able to weave in movies. But anyway,
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So the second time now that the Astros have had
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a player that was initially optioned and then all of
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a sudden they do some medicals on them and they're like, oh, yeah,
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you've got this, so that's why you've been struggling. Okay, fine,
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then you're gonna go on the IL and It's gonna
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be interesting to see what the corresponding move is because
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not only did you do that, but then after the
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game on Sunday, you sent Alimbersonta back to TRIPAA. So
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I would probably have to venture a guess that that
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means that Renel Blanco is back with the team. I
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think that that probably would signify that to start up
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the second half and maybe even that weekend series, that
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Renel Blanco is going to be in the rotation for you.
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So that's a little bit of good news at least,
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you know, perceived good news on that, So we'll see
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how it goes. And then on the farm front, on
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the minor league front, Xavier Nians is going to be
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even closer to the major league level as he got
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bumped up to High A yesterday to Ashville. So that
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was another bit of news that the Astros throughout as
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they moved a few players around in their minor league
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system and Xavier and Nions of course, along with Kevin
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Alvarez taking part in the future scheme on Sunday, so
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maybe the future of the Astros is even up closer
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to being a reality. And speaking of that and the
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rest of the Astros, farm system, Carlos Claso of Baseball America,
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and of course, if you're watching the draft this weekend
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as part of MLB Network, you probably saw and heard
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Colaso talking about not only the Astros draft picks, but
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you know, just like an Ey draft show, reacting to
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every single one of them and talking about what a
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guy can you know, can can project to be if
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indeed they do sign with your team, which I mean
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at least for people that I trust when it comes
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to the minor league system and everything, because you have
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to also remember with baseball it's a little bit of
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a cottage industry in terms of knowing these prospects because
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number one, there's so many more of them. Like for
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the NFL, if you're an NFL draft person, you've got
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a pretty fixed amount of group that you're going to
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be looking at. The NBA it's a little bit more complicated,
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just with the international market, you know, the European players,
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all of that kind of stuff, and you don't have
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to worry about the high school guys anymore. But with
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Major League Baseball you do. I mean, there are full
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on I remember this when I worked in my previous spot,
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because we used to do our shows from basically the
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Baseball USA of the area is a place it was
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called Lake Point, which some of the dads out there
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listening and some of the moms out there you probably
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know about lake Point because your son is played out
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at Lake Point out there, and it is a part
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of the Prep Baseball Report. I think it's perfect game.
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Maybe out there, maybe it's not perfect game, but anyway,
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it's one of those those groups. So of course, you know,
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like perfect Games got their people. Prep Baseball Report obviously
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you've got their people. So I mean there's a lot
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more collaboration when it comes to being able to scout
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and evaluate these guys. And then of course you know
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teams are doing it themselves, so you got all of that.
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So Carlos Clazo has a pulse on all of that.
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So it's gonna be interesting to hear his thoughts about
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not only the Astros draft but also too. I mean,
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is this something to kind of add fuel in life
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to their farm system? Again, I mean, some of these
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guys that they were able to get and with this
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being the highest that they've drafted in a really long time,
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I mean, is they're actually reasonab believe that, Okay, you're
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actually starting to make this into a viable system again.
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And I mean this was one of the first years
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that they had as many picks as they have had
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and also that they've drafted as high as they did,
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so I mean, chances are you're getting better prospects that
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are coming into your system. So those are things to
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keep an eye on, especially as the Astros, I mean,
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they're not anywhere close to being in a rebuild right now,
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so you're just trying to be able to find your
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way to being able to keep this thing competitive. And
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that's of course what the charge was for Dana Brown,
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Campandino and the entire staff over there in the Astros
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front office. So again, we'll catch up with Carlos Colazo
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coming up at eight thirty. But one thing though that
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I do want to get the show started with today,
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and again you can get in on the phone lines.
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It's seOne three two on two five seven ninety can
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it's someone three two one two five seven nine Dean.
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We'll carry this over into the second segment. But what
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are the actual expectations? You got sixty four games left
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to go this season for the Astros. Actual viable expectations, Well,
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just off the top of my head. Number one is
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get above five hundred. That's the first and foremost. And
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you didn't really later on in the season play all
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that well at home, but you do get a home
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start here to come out of the All Star Break,
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So it'd be nice to be able to take advantage
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of it. And you're gonna be facing teams like the
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Orioles are, just without looking at standings, pretty much in
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the same position that you are right now. Not out
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of the wild card race, not I mean necessarily out
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of their division race, although I think that Tampa and
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New York are a little bit further ahead than the
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rest of that division. But still, I mean, you've got them,
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You've got the Red Sox, who are charging i think
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nearly one ten games in a row going into the
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All Star breaks, so they'll probably start believing that they're
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still in this thing. So you're gonna be facing a
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tough team right out of the gate, and then you're
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gonna be facing one of the toughest teams in Major
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League Baseball right now. Like I was listening to Mark
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de Rossi yesterday on the Pat McAfee show, he was saying,
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I don't count out the Marlins for being able to
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win the National League East. I mean, it looked like
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they're to start off the season the Braves, one of
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the hottest teams all in baseball, and then Roald Acunya
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Junior got hurt. Austin Riley has struggled a lot, and
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they've been dealing with their own injury issues there. So
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I mean they're kind of starting to leak a little
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bit of oil and opening it up for either the
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Phillies or the Marlins to be able to jump in
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there too. The only team that seemingly is out of
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it in the East is the New York Mets, and
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you'll face them a little bit later on the season.
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Which was one of those things too of you know,
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looking at the schedule this year and wondering, hey, is
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there maybe a weekend series that I can pop over
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to go see the Astros play? And there was actually
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a week series where they're gonna spend an entire week
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in New York taking on the Yankees and then taking
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on the Mets. So I've been to New Yankee Stadium,
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hadn't been to City Field yet, so thought about maybe
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getting over there. But that's first and foremost. Get about
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five hundred. I mean, as I have continued to say,
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you get about five hundred, you can start to really
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think about the postseason. And until then I think that
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that's your number one goal. It's kind of like one
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of those where you know, you talk about goal setting
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and it's, hey, I want to lose one hundred pounds.
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All right, Well, you're not going to lose it all
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at once, so how about just try to get some
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losses first. You get back on the scale and it's
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three pounds, okay, hey, ninety seven more to go. It
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seems daunting, but still you stack up those wins and
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you're able to get there. I mean, the Astros had
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been kind of doing that. But then here's the issue
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you run into as well. They hadn't gone on prolonged
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winning streaks, and they really just haven't gone on very
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many winning streaks just in general. It's been a lot
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of win one lose one when one lose one, and
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that's not the way to get back into this thing.
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So if the Astros are going to find a way
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to get back into this thing and not only do that,
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but then afterwards start to think about the next goal
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that you have right there, it is going to be
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important in these finals sixty four games for them to
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find a four or five six game win streak in there,
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like to put together a winning week where you're undefeated
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and you're able to go through it that way, or
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at least like five and one something like that. That's
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what this Astros team is going to need going forward.
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And I know that there's probably some doubts that this
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team has the ability to be able to do it.
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It's a very top heavy lineup, so starting rotation that
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at least right now without any other changes is not
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really all that good. And it's a bullpen that at
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least started to give you a little bit of cause
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of concern over the weekend, Fir. Maybe it's leaking a
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little bit of oil now. So got a lot of
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things working against you. I know that Dana Brown and
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the crew they're working the phones over there trying to
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figure out if there's anybody that they can add at
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the trade deadline. So these are all things to think about.
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So it's not only that, I mean, just continuing the
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Astros expectations conversation. You want to get in on it again,
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someone three to two, two five, seven ninety and it's
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someone three two one two five, seven ninety. The biggest
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expectation that I do think is reachable for the astros.
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We'll talk about it here as again we're just getting
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going here on a Tuesday edition of The Morning Drive.
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Again it's Dan Matthews, Triple E, Emmanuel Elmore, Chris Gordy
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gonna be hopping in with us from eight until ten.
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So we got all that much more. Do you want
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to sprinkle in some Texans today too, because well it
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sounds like at least some in NFL front offices have
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some thoughts about CJ. Stroud, But my response is who cares.
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We'll talk about it right here as we continue. It
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is The Morning Drive Sports Talk seven ninety Age Town
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Dull Morning Drive continues. Now, now here's Dad Matthews. You know,
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of course, uh with euros and all of those other things.
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So it's gonna be a lot of fun. But I
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gotta tell you my money's on France. France plays the
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way that they're capable, because that's the thing too, is
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not only with him and dim Balle. They're incredibly talented.
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They just are like a team that doesn't lose, like
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they just they don't make mistakes. They work incredibly well
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as a team out there, and you would think with
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the amount of stars they've got on the on the
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pitch that it would kind of allow for some egos
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to come in. But good on Didier the chomp he
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he kind of coaches that out of them, and they
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play incredibly well. I mean, in a way, it's almost
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like the prime Houston Astros. How I remembered Jake Arietta
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talking about them and saying they just don't lose, Like
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that's France. They just they just don't lose.
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I don't think they've been down in a Cup game.
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I can't remember one. Yeah, I don't. I don't think so.
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And I mean I think when they're even like an
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amount of time where they weren't even scored upon. Yeah,
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Like I think that the Morocco match was the first.
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Oh didn't Morocco get out to a lead?
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I think? Yeah? Okay, now take that back, Okay.
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Yeah, I think I think Morocco got out to a lead.
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So anyway, it's been a lot of fun and it's
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going to continue to be a lot of fun. So
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you've got that today and then you've got England and
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Argentina tomorrow and we'll set that up for the final
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on Sunday. But enough soccer talk Astros expectations and know
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a lot of you want to get in on that
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at someone three two, one, two, five seven ninety at
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least I think that the overall expectation for this team.
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It's not ALCS, it's not World Series. I'll go ahead
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and get that out of the way. The expectation for
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me to be able to call this a successful season
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is two part Number one. Get into the postseason, that's
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number one. But just getting there, I know, is not
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going to be enough. Winning a series is going to
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be the ultimate success. Now is it like what we
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saw in the past, where it was you got into
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the postseason, it was almost a foregone conclusion, no matter
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if you started off in the ALDS or if you
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had to play in a wildcard series, that the ALCS
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was part of your future. I mean, I just think
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that again, looking at the sum of this parts, if
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you just get into the postseason and you are able
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to win said series in the postseason, I think you
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come out of it saying, you know what, Joe, Dana,
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the crew, they actually did okay, they did more than okay.
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They actually did well this season. Like, that's one that
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I think you could come out of it and say, Okay,
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I can live with that. I mean, again, is it
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what we want? No, it's not. We want championships around here.
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We want whether that's winning the American League or getting
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to the World Series. I mean, that's the expectation.
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Now.
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Remember I say it all the time, Expectations can change
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in real time, and they do so for us. Obviously,
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once you got to the World Series and you want
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it in twenty seventeen, then those expectations changed immediately because
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in the following year, like I told you, one of
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the most anxiety riddled seasons that I've ever watched with
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the Astros was twenty eighteen, because again I remembered being
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in downtown, coming back in for the parade and seeing
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and just being like, I can't believe that this is
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my city. I can't believe that the team that got
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me into doing this professionally and that really ignited my
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love of sports finally actually could win a World Series.
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And they finally did it, and then I actually got
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to see the fun that comes with it, and I
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mean I remembered even that Christmas as well, coming back here,
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and it's kind of like one of those Matthew's Men tradition.
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Me and my brother and my dad would always, of
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course Christmas Eve go and get last minute gifts at
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the mall. And I remember that I was at Memorial
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City and seeing like Astros championship gear, and I stopped
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for a second and I was just like, Okay, it
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is real, like this this is real, and like even
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like seeing like the big time bats ads and all
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of the others for like the commemorative gear, and I'm
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just like it just still it still doesn't feel real.
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I remember talking with my buddy John kyn Kaid about
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it and just being like, John, I gotta be honest, man,
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Like I still kind of feel like I'm in a
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fever dream with it. So that's a good feeling. It is.
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And I think in some ways too, a little bit
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of this attrition for a fan base is good in
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a way. Now, let me unpack that a little bit.
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I note that, you know, going on harder times is
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not necessarily good, But I'm also a believer that anything
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worth having, you gotta go through a little bit of
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attrition for it. You got to you gotta go through
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some hard times. You gotta go through some lean times
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with then, and the Astros aren't going through lean times.
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I mean, that's that's something that you don't have to
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worry about right now, Like they're competitive at least where
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I mean, we remember those early twenty tens. I mean
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that's where sometimes I shudder to think watching some of
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these games and I see sparsely attended games and I'm
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just like, oh my god, are we getting back to
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those days? Like that was the absolute worst. I mean
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I remember going to the ballpark and almost being able
390
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to count how many people on my hands were in
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the building for those for those games, and you're not
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right there. That's the good thing, but it is also too.
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I mean sometimes you do have to take a little
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bit of a step backwards. And I mean with this
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draft that you just had, maybe that's a way to
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be able to reignite this farm system. Who knows too,
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I mean you don't even know what deals they're going
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to possibly make over the off season as well. I
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Mean we've talked about it numerous times. Is this an
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off season that you explore moving on from Jeremy Paniam
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with one year left on his deal or even Hunter Brown,
402
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I mean, whoever it is now. I've said it numerous times,
403
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even with the struggles, that probably I would take Brown
404
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over Painia. But the one over all of them is
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that I would work on the contract extension for Jordon Alvarez.
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So I think Jordon's the key to being able to
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keep this thing going. You got ord On in the building,
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you got a shot. You don't have ord On in
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the building, then you might as well just tear this
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thing down and rebuild it all over again, because that's
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what I think you would be signifying to the fan
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base if you did that. But luckily you're not there
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right now. They have enough talent to be able to
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win the AL West. They have enough talent to be
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able to get into the postseason one way or another.
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And I also think that in a three game series,
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I would like their chances of being able to move on.
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I have some serious doubts if they get to the DS,
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and I think that most of us too. Just again,
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with this starting pitching, I mean right now, and that's
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again been the two key words that I've been saying
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about this pitching rotation. Right now, because right now your
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second best pitcher is Peter Lambert, But how much of
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a shelf life is on that. Let's be honest here.
425
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I mean Lambert's is a more high powered version I
426
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think in some ways of Jason Alexander, Like Alexander was
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a guy last year that we're watching him along with
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Brandon Walter and we're just like, Okay, how are you
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guys doing this? Like I'm honestly asking, how are you
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guys getting hitters out? Like for real, how are you
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doing it? And I mean with Lambert's, I mean he's
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got a little bit of a better fastball, he's got
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a little bit of better secondary stuff, and who knows.
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I mean that might be a guy that could be
435
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a pretty decent middle to backend of your rotation guy
436
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if you are able to get some of the other
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guys that are able to step in. But I mean
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this is where the charge also goes to some of
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the guys that you've been counting on. Totsuo am I.
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It's needed, man, it's needed. These finals sixty four games
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of the season, you're halfway through, so all of the
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adjustments and the new baseballs and the mound and all
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that other stuff that's out the window. It's done. You
444
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got your chance to be able to get adjusted to
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major League Baseball. Now you're here, and now it's time
446
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for you to live up to what you were brought
447
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in here to do. That's a must for the Astros.
448
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It's not a want. It's a must for the Astros
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to be able to get to the postseason. So second
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half of this, I can't have any more of you
451
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going out in the first inning like it's just that
452
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that is something that needs to be a thing of
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the past for sure. So I mean, clearly there's a
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lot more questions than are our answers to the twenty
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twenty six Astros. But again, at least I have those
456
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questions with a team that is within striking distance of
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the AO West and within striking distance of making a
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postseason spot as a wildcard, and that's a much better
459
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place to be than where they could possibly be, which
460
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is even further below five hundred and looking at it
461
00:23:36.079 --> 00:23:38.960
and saying, you know, realistically, you probably should be selling
462
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and that's where the Astros are not at right now.
463
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And that's a good thing. So continue that conversation you
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want to get in on it. Seven one, three, two,
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one two, five seven ninety against someone three two on
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two five seven ninety. Jason Conros, You're right there and
467
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always know I can count on you. You want to
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join them? Sebon one three two one two five seven ninety.
469
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As we continue to roll along here, but just kind
470
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of picking up on this conversation, I hear this all
471
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the time from Astros fans that some of those lean
472
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times I mentioned that this reminds you of the precursor
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to that. I'm going to push back on that. I
474
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think that there are reasons to be optimistic. You are
475
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not in that position right now. Talk about it as
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we continue. It is the morning Drive Sports Talk seven ninety.
477
00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:25.640
Real takes, real reaction, Real Houston Sports Talk seven ninety.
478
00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:30.720
Guarantee human someone three two one two five seven ninety
479
00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:32.759
is the number to get in real quick here before
480
00:24:32.759 --> 00:24:35.759
we work Chason in. I mentioned something before we stepped
481
00:24:35.759 --> 00:24:39.079
aside there momentarily, and that was something that I see
482
00:24:39.160 --> 00:24:41.839
a lot on Astros Twitter, and that is that this
483
00:24:41.960 --> 00:24:45.039
reminds me of two thousand and seven to two thousand
484
00:24:45.079 --> 00:24:48.240
and nine, and that's what led you into what the
485
00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:51.440
Astros would become. I'm going to push back on that
486
00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:55.799
because I think that in a lot of ways it
487
00:24:55.920 --> 00:24:58.440
was kind of fooling yourself into believing that you were
488
00:24:58.480 --> 00:25:01.000
still a competitor. And I I think that it actually
489
00:25:01.039 --> 00:25:05.119
starts before that two thousand and five wasn't an anomaly
490
00:25:05.240 --> 00:25:09.000
season for the Astros. That team had no business being
491
00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:11.839
able to make it to the World Series, none whatsoever,
492
00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:16.720
outside of just outstanding pitching that you had from not
493
00:25:16.839 --> 00:25:20.920
only Clemens pettit Oswalt Brandon Backy would every once in
494
00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:22.359
a while be able to step in and give you
495
00:25:22.359 --> 00:25:26.480
a decent enough start at the bullpen. With Wheeler Qualls
496
00:25:26.920 --> 00:25:29.599
and with Brad Lidge at the back of the bullpen,
497
00:25:30.039 --> 00:25:32.039
they were able to make things happen. But then, like
498
00:25:32.200 --> 00:25:34.720
look at that lineup, you had a career year out
499
00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:38.200
of Morganensburg, which the following season that completely fell off
500
00:25:38.240 --> 00:25:42.039
the map. Same deal with Jason Lane, Mike Lamb. I mean,
501
00:25:42.079 --> 00:25:44.119
those were guys that were basically driving the bus for you,
502
00:25:44.599 --> 00:25:49.920
and you probably got a owner who was not as
503
00:25:49.960 --> 00:25:54.039
baseball adept as the owner that you have now to believe, Oh, yeah, hey,
504
00:25:54.079 --> 00:25:56.559
you know what, we're we're very much a competitor. Yeah,
505
00:25:56.559 --> 00:25:58.799
you know what, bringing Carlos Lee two years later you
506
00:25:58.839 --> 00:26:03.160
do that, and bringing Pedro Felice and bringing all of
507
00:26:03.160 --> 00:26:05.839
these other players Miguel Tahada, I mean, you know, just
508
00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:10.480
names that at that point in their career were guys
509
00:26:10.519 --> 00:26:14.519
that were past their best years of their careers. And
510
00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:16.319
of course, I mean the Carlos Lee deal was the
511
00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:19.119
one that really sent you into the tailspin because you
512
00:26:19.200 --> 00:26:22.200
realize that, oh, we've got a guy that is a
513
00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:24.680
nothing for a glove out there in the outfield. We're
514
00:26:24.680 --> 00:26:26.759
in the National League, so at the time you didn't
515
00:26:26.799 --> 00:26:30.160
have the DH so you can't DH them. And he's
516
00:26:30.200 --> 00:26:32.720
also not as productive as the amount of money that
517
00:26:32.759 --> 00:26:34.960
you're paying for him. So I think all of those
518
00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:37.720
things kind of boil in together. And then once you
519
00:26:37.799 --> 00:26:44.599
got to twenty ten, Lance Berkman was probably past his
520
00:26:44.680 --> 00:26:47.160
best years at the plate and he wasn't good enough
521
00:26:47.160 --> 00:26:50.480
to be able to carry your team. Same deal with
522
00:26:50.640 --> 00:26:52.960
I think that Hunter Pence was a good player and
523
00:26:53.119 --> 00:26:54.880
probably if you had a little bit more of a
524
00:26:54.920 --> 00:26:57.599
talented roster, would be a little bit more impactful for you.
525
00:26:58.079 --> 00:27:00.880
But you were able to flip him for some guys
526
00:27:01.119 --> 00:27:03.599
and Michael Bourne. I mean, the list goes on and
527
00:27:03.640 --> 00:27:07.000
on of just your roster not being as talented as
528
00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:10.880
you thought they were. You didn't have Yordon Alvarez, you
529
00:27:11.400 --> 00:27:16.400
didn't have an Esak Perettis, you didn't have a Cam Smith,
530
00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:20.079
you didn't have any of those guys. Now, the talent
531
00:27:20.200 --> 00:27:21.559
is not as deep as it used to be for
532
00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:24.359
the Astros, we all can agree on that for sure,
533
00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:27.240
but you at least have players that can help you
534
00:27:27.759 --> 00:27:30.440
be a competitive team. Now, are you good enough right
535
00:27:30.440 --> 00:27:32.799
now to be able to go deep into the postseason?
536
00:27:32.839 --> 00:27:36.039
You're not, I'll give you that, But like to say that,
537
00:27:36.079 --> 00:27:39.279
like this thing needs to be completely bottomed out and
538
00:27:39.359 --> 00:27:42.720
completely demoed and built back up from the foundation again,
539
00:27:43.319 --> 00:27:46.000
is just really not looking at the overall big picture
540
00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:48.599
of this team. You got a yord On Alvarez, You
541
00:27:48.640 --> 00:27:51.160
got a shot for whatever you've got right now out
542
00:27:51.160 --> 00:27:53.480
of Jose al Tuve. Ride that for as long as
543
00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:56.039
you can, and then you get Carlos Korea back next year.
544
00:27:56.400 --> 00:27:58.799
Hopefully he's able to have a bounce back season and
545
00:27:58.960 --> 00:28:01.000
he's able to stay Hell the I mean there are
546
00:28:01.079 --> 00:28:06.960
a lot more hopefullies because this is where the I
547
00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:11.400
guess rotation of a history can lead to. As you
548
00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:13.519
spin the wheel and it gets to that point of
549
00:28:13.599 --> 00:28:16.640
you're saying hopefully for a lot more guys. But that's
550
00:28:16.680 --> 00:28:19.720
where the Astros are at this moment, and I think
551
00:28:19.759 --> 00:28:22.400
that it is also too for them. I mean, again,
552
00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:25.160
the reason why I'm harping on this most recent draft
553
00:28:25.440 --> 00:28:28.160
is because that's part of being able to build this
554
00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:31.400
system back up. And another thing that's really lost on
555
00:28:31.440 --> 00:28:33.559
a lot of people for when they were building this thing,
556
00:28:33.559 --> 00:28:36.759
you know a contender, was the Astros were experts in
557
00:28:36.839 --> 00:28:39.599
terms of the international market, and that's something that I think,
558
00:28:39.640 --> 00:28:41.920
with that money coming back again that you lost from
559
00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:44.279
the cheating scandal, that you need to get back to
560
00:28:44.599 --> 00:28:46.960
and you need to really be able to have that
561
00:28:47.000 --> 00:28:49.400
international scouting ramped up again. I mean, I know that
562
00:28:49.400 --> 00:28:52.519
they're trying to do it in Japan and in the
563
00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:55.839
Pacific Rim right now and trying to be able to see,
564
00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:57.680
all right to other players that we can add from
565
00:28:57.720 --> 00:29:00.480
over there. I mean, you've been incredible good and the
566
00:29:00.519 --> 00:29:03.920
Dominican in Venezuela in places like that. That's another thing
567
00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:07.440
that's going to be incredibly important for this team going forward.
568
00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:09.359
And I know a lot of those people who were
569
00:29:09.400 --> 00:29:11.720
really good at finding those players are no longer in
570
00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:14.920
your organization. But still I mean, I think that that's
571
00:29:14.960 --> 00:29:17.920
something else that you could have working for you in
572
00:29:18.039 --> 00:29:20.480
order to be able to keep this team competitive and
573
00:29:20.640 --> 00:29:23.400
keep them very much in the running too not only
574
00:29:23.400 --> 00:29:25.440
make the postseason, but then be able to make runs
575
00:29:25.480 --> 00:29:28.680
in the postseason. So again, I just I push back
576
00:29:28.720 --> 00:29:31.720
on that wholeheartedly. I don't think that you are to
577
00:29:31.759 --> 00:29:36.200
that point just yet, but if you don't really make
578
00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:38.519
a lot of these changes, you can get there very quickly.
579
00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:41.240
I will give you that, I mean. And that's what
580
00:29:41.359 --> 00:29:45.640
happened is those players got older, they missed out on opportunities.
581
00:29:45.640 --> 00:29:48.240
I mean, two thousand and six, it was a season
582
00:29:48.279 --> 00:29:50.319
where you were chasing your tail the entire time, and
583
00:29:50.359 --> 00:29:52.759
it was about the final two weeks of the season
584
00:29:52.839 --> 00:29:55.240
is when you finally saw the Astros play good baseball
585
00:29:55.480 --> 00:29:58.960
and it wasn't enough to overtake the Cardinals, who stumbled
586
00:29:59.240 --> 00:30:01.480
and looked like that they were not going to be
587
00:30:01.519 --> 00:30:04.440
a team that was going to be competitive in the postseason.
588
00:30:04.799 --> 00:30:06.039
And then they were able to go on a run
589
00:30:06.039 --> 00:30:08.519
and they beat Justin Verlander and the Tigers that year
590
00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:11.519
and won the World Series. So baseball is a weird thing,
591
00:30:11.759 --> 00:30:13.839
there's no question about it. Real quick here, before we
592
00:30:13.920 --> 00:30:16.559
hit the jump around. Let's get Jason and Conroe and Jason.
593
00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:28.640
Good morning Jason. Oh all right, yea yeah, yeah, so Jason,
594
00:30:28.759 --> 00:30:30.799
we'll get you. I guess our phones are having a
595
00:30:30.799 --> 00:30:32.839
little bit of an issue. It's all good, we'll work
596
00:30:32.880 --> 00:30:36.559
through it. But we'll get him in. You want to
597
00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:39.000
join them? seOne three two on two five seven ninety
598
00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:41.799
gets Sebone three two one two five seven nine. You will
599
00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:43.480
also hit the jump around here to close out six
600
00:30:43.519 --> 00:30:47.440
o'clock Cower because a former face has a new job.
601
00:30:47.599 --> 00:30:51.240
Some grudges never die and he's back. All three of
602
00:30:51.240 --> 00:30:53.160
those coming your way as we close out six o'clock
603
00:30:53.160 --> 00:30:55.200
Howard's the Morning Drive Sports Talk seven to ninety.
604
00:30:57.480 --> 00:31:02.279
Back to the Morning Drive. Here's Dad Matthews.
605
00:31:03.680 --> 00:31:05.200
Get to the phone lines here before we hit a
606
00:31:05.279 --> 00:31:07.920
quick jump around to close out the six o'clock cour
607
00:31:08.400 --> 00:31:11.200
Jason and Conro will give you another shot Jason, good morning,
608
00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:11.720
how you doing?
609
00:31:13.319 --> 00:31:15.160
Good morning, my friend. You know why I love this
610
00:31:15.240 --> 00:31:17.400
show is because you hit on a lot of stuff
611
00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:20.240
that needs to be talked about. Man, you hit on
612
00:31:20.359 --> 00:31:23.000
so many points I get hit on this morning. That's
613
00:31:23.039 --> 00:31:25.759
what I love about the show. Appreciated, But the main thing,
614
00:31:26.400 --> 00:31:29.160
but the main thing is my expectation before I get
615
00:31:29.200 --> 00:31:31.039
to what I really want to talk about. My expectation
616
00:31:31.160 --> 00:31:34.720
for this team is at least have a winning record
617
00:31:34.799 --> 00:31:38.440
when Jordan Alvarez wins the MVP, as I hope he does.
618
00:31:38.839 --> 00:31:41.079
I know that's probably gonna be a tight race between
619
00:31:41.119 --> 00:31:44.799
him and Caminero. But if Jordan Alvarez is gonna do that,
620
00:31:44.880 --> 00:31:47.799
you gotta have at least the winning records, so be
621
00:31:47.880 --> 00:31:50.680
above five hundred, have a winning record, and at least
622
00:31:50.799 --> 00:31:54.680
do that for him, because I've never seen an MVP
623
00:31:56.119 --> 00:31:59.200
type player win it with a team on the losing records,
624
00:31:59.240 --> 00:32:02.960
so hopefully they have a winning record. He also brought
625
00:32:03.039 --> 00:32:07.440
up a lot of good names earlier, like Lamb and
626
00:32:07.799 --> 00:32:13.200
Born and you know what, I loved the big Booma Berkman,
627
00:32:14.160 --> 00:32:18.279
and I think what Albaz is doing right now is
628
00:32:18.319 --> 00:32:24.039
a version of Berkman, but way better. And then with honestly,
629
00:32:24.079 --> 00:32:27.640
with Jim Crane, he could probably he's already won his
630
00:32:27.680 --> 00:32:30.359
two championships. If he ever decided to go out, he
631
00:32:30.400 --> 00:32:32.680
could go out a winner. He's already he's already done
632
00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:35.440
what he said he was gonna do. And last but
633
00:32:35.599 --> 00:32:40.599
not least, with the world Cup. I absolutely love what
634
00:32:40.599 --> 00:32:44.720
we're gonna see today, and honestly, a lot of people
635
00:32:44.759 --> 00:32:47.039
want to talk about you Maul and Mbape, but I
636
00:32:47.279 --> 00:32:51.519
I personally think at least is the guy that's probably
637
00:32:51.559 --> 00:32:54.400
gonna score the goal today that puts France over the top.
638
00:32:55.079 --> 00:32:58.000
And I really really hope England wins tomorrow because there's
639
00:32:58.039 --> 00:33:02.440
a huge debate on who's better on Real Madrid, either
640
00:33:02.559 --> 00:33:06.799
Umbape or Bellingham. And if you get Bellingham versus Jumbape
641
00:33:06.920 --> 00:33:10.359
in the Rook Cup final, that's your moneymaker right here.
642
00:33:10.799 --> 00:33:12.039
And that's all I want to just kick.
643
00:33:12.240 --> 00:33:14.440
I appreciate the call, Chase, and I mean, you know
644
00:33:14.519 --> 00:33:18.079
with the Jordon Alvarez points, I mean, yes, that would
645
00:33:18.119 --> 00:33:19.799
be something that would help you, because you're not wrong.
646
00:33:19.880 --> 00:33:21.960
Junior Cameronnaro is putting together a hell of a year
647
00:33:22.039 --> 00:33:24.000
for the Rays, and if they're able to get into
648
00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:26.319
the postseason, they're able to win the AL West well
649
00:33:26.480 --> 00:33:29.440
or the AL East. Uh the complete opposite of the West,
650
00:33:30.039 --> 00:33:33.680
and he probably gets a lot more votes for him
651
00:33:33.680 --> 00:33:35.480
to win the MVP. I mean, I don't think there's
652
00:33:35.480 --> 00:33:37.400
any question about it. I mean, as much as it's
653
00:33:37.400 --> 00:33:40.480
an individual award, it very much is a Team Award too.
654
00:33:41.200 --> 00:33:44.960
And in terms of you know, those past Astros teams
655
00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:47.720
and you mentioned Jordon Alvarez. I mean that's where it's
656
00:33:47.720 --> 00:33:49.839
a little bit of there is no comparison because you've
657
00:33:49.839 --> 00:33:52.559
never had a Yordon Alvarez. Berkman was incredibly good for you.
658
00:33:52.640 --> 00:33:56.240
I don't want to underscore and kind of devalue what
659
00:33:56.359 --> 00:33:59.240
Lance Berkman did for you when he was with the Astros.
660
00:33:59.279 --> 00:34:01.319
He was out standing for you, and he lived up
661
00:34:01.359 --> 00:34:04.119
to every bit of being the first round pick. And
662
00:34:04.200 --> 00:34:06.599
I think as a guy that really should get stronger
663
00:34:06.720 --> 00:34:09.679
Hall of Fame consideration. Now does he eventually get there?
664
00:34:09.800 --> 00:34:13.519
I think he does, because along with your career, if
665
00:34:13.559 --> 00:34:17.039
you're a good guy to the media, eventually those people
666
00:34:17.079 --> 00:34:19.519
will say, you know what, Yeah, looking back at it,
667
00:34:19.559 --> 00:34:21.079
he probably should be in the Hall of Fame. And
668
00:34:21.119 --> 00:34:22.639
I think that he could be one of those guys
669
00:34:22.679 --> 00:34:24.760
that could get that chance a little bit later on
670
00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:27.000
in life. But Jason, I know you're gonna get this comparison.
671
00:34:27.039 --> 00:34:28.760
I think in some ways Lance Berkman is in that
672
00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:30.920
same category as Dale Murphy where you look at him
673
00:34:30.920 --> 00:34:32.840
and you're like, man, look at those numbers, why are
674
00:34:32.840 --> 00:34:36.159
they Why are they not in Cooperstown, So maybe he
675
00:34:36.199 --> 00:34:38.159
will eventually get the nod, and I think Dale will
676
00:34:38.159 --> 00:34:41.360
eventually too, So I mean, it just kind of works
677
00:34:41.400 --> 00:34:43.239
out that way. I know, it's the old Hey, you're
678
00:34:43.239 --> 00:34:44.719
either a Hall of Famer or you're not, So why
679
00:34:44.719 --> 00:34:47.079
wouldn't you be a Hall of Famer now as opposed
680
00:34:47.079 --> 00:34:49.320
to twenty years later? I think that these are all
681
00:34:49.360 --> 00:34:53.320
things that you play into the equation. All right, let's
682
00:34:53.440 --> 00:34:55.159
go ahead and hit a quick jump around here before
683
00:34:55.159 --> 00:35:00.800
we hit seven o'clock hour. All right, So, former UAH
684
00:35:00.840 --> 00:35:03.840
head coach Tom Herman, he's got himself a new job,
685
00:35:04.159 --> 00:35:08.239
as it was reported yesterday that he has been hired
686
00:35:08.280 --> 00:35:11.199
on by Florida States and is going to join their
687
00:35:11.239 --> 00:35:15.880
coaching staff. Now, his role has not yet been announced
688
00:35:16.119 --> 00:35:20.159
or even determined, but war Chant, which is an on
689
00:35:20.199 --> 00:35:24.159
three website that covers Florida States, they had the news
690
00:35:24.199 --> 00:35:28.320
that Herman had been hired. And it's one of those
691
00:35:28.400 --> 00:35:32.119
where Florida States they lost their oc over the offseason
692
00:35:32.199 --> 00:35:35.840
as Gus Malzon decided to retire. And I think that
693
00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:38.679
that's also too a little bit of you know, just
694
00:35:38.800 --> 00:35:40.960
kind of keep an eye on whenever you see coaches
695
00:35:41.039 --> 00:35:45.480
leaving a program like Malzon retiring, I think signifies one thing,
696
00:35:45.719 --> 00:35:47.400
and I think that this is a huge reason why
697
00:35:47.440 --> 00:35:50.199
Tom Herman was hired. Mike Norvell is gonna get fired
698
00:35:50.239 --> 00:35:52.239
during the middle of the season. Florida State's gonna be bad.
699
00:35:52.360 --> 00:35:54.960
They're gonna be really bad this year, and they were
700
00:35:55.000 --> 00:35:57.840
really bad after the highlight of their season last year,
701
00:35:57.840 --> 00:36:00.159
beating Alabama in that very first game, and he thought
702
00:36:00.159 --> 00:36:03.519
to yourself, all right, maybe Norvell has pulled another rabbit
703
00:36:03.519 --> 00:36:04.840
out of the hat and found a way to stay
704
00:36:04.840 --> 00:36:07.199
there in Tallahassee. I don't think that's gonna happen now.
705
00:36:07.559 --> 00:36:10.800
I think that Tom Herman's been hired for one particular reason,
706
00:36:11.000 --> 00:36:13.719
and that is to be the interim coach there when
707
00:36:14.079 --> 00:36:16.360
it's all said and done, maybe the final six games
708
00:36:16.360 --> 00:36:19.159
of the season, and then he won't be in consideration
709
00:36:19.239 --> 00:36:21.519
for it afterwards, so then he'll be looking for another
710
00:36:21.599 --> 00:36:24.400
job after that. But I mean, despite what you might
711
00:36:24.400 --> 00:36:28.840
think of the guy personally an outstanding coach offensively, I mean, look,
712
00:36:28.960 --> 00:36:32.360
you of aged football in terms of actually being able
713
00:36:32.400 --> 00:36:36.519
to think about high expectations was created by Tom Herman,
714
00:36:36.800 --> 00:36:39.360
and I understand that his exit was unceremonious and it
715
00:36:39.400 --> 00:36:42.400
was frustrating to a lot of people. But still, I mean,
716
00:36:42.440 --> 00:36:43.719
I think a guy that did a lot of really
717
00:36:43.760 --> 00:36:46.199
good things over there in third wards. So we'll see
718
00:36:46.239 --> 00:36:49.960
what he does at Florida State. Freddie is back, German
719
00:36:50.079 --> 00:36:52.719
super fan Freddie. So remember a few weeks ago he
720
00:36:52.760 --> 00:36:56.480
said I'm deactivating my Twitter account, he just got too toxic. Well,
721
00:36:56.559 --> 00:37:00.599
yesterday he goes on Twitter and shows and the group
722
00:37:00.760 --> 00:37:04.239
of course with the faces blocked. He with the Rinaldo
723
00:37:04.719 --> 00:37:09.199
picture on his face, and they were at Clemson. They
724
00:37:09.199 --> 00:37:12.119
were at Memorial Stadium right there, and I'd even decide
725
00:37:12.119 --> 00:37:14.000
to jump in with a quote tweet and said, run
726
00:37:14.039 --> 00:37:15.320
down the hill, see if you can get in there.
727
00:37:15.360 --> 00:37:17.800
See you can go meet old Dabo if he's a round.
728
00:37:18.280 --> 00:37:21.239
And he then also did a short recap of what
729
00:37:21.280 --> 00:37:23.519
they've been doing, said swam in a lot of lakes
730
00:37:23.559 --> 00:37:25.920
in Pennsylvania because of the heat wave, watched a pie
731
00:37:25.920 --> 00:37:29.719
eating contest in Virginia, celebrated the fourth and Washington, d c.
732
00:37:29.920 --> 00:37:33.280
Relaxed on the beaches in Delaware, went to the outer
733
00:37:33.360 --> 00:37:37.360
banks of North Carolina, had a baby bear block our
734
00:37:37.519 --> 00:37:41.199
road in North Carolina. Tried new fast food jeans like
735
00:37:41.239 --> 00:37:44.360
Bojangles and Sonic boa Jangles is solid and they're in
736
00:37:44.360 --> 00:37:47.400
the Houston area. Now, I'm telling you, you see a Bojangles,
737
00:37:47.559 --> 00:37:50.800
stop in, get you some Chicken Supremes, You're gonna enjoy him.
738
00:37:51.119 --> 00:37:54.440
And then probably too much. Taco Bell played mini golf
739
00:37:54.519 --> 00:37:58.320
and Myrtle Beach, visited beautiful cities like Charleston and Savannah.
740
00:37:58.320 --> 00:38:01.280
I can agree on that, and also saw an alligator
741
00:38:01.360 --> 00:38:03.760
in a lot more cool wildlife. So welcome back, Freddy.
742
00:38:03.960 --> 00:38:07.079
It's good to have you. All right, that's the jump around,
743
00:38:07.159 --> 00:38:10.719
that's the six o'clock hour. Seven o'clock hour is straight ahead,
744
00:38:10.719 --> 00:38:12.119
because do you want to continue a little bit of
745
00:38:12.159 --> 00:38:15.519
the Astros conversation because I thought about this and I
746
00:38:15.559 --> 00:38:17.519
know that it's been kicked around a little bit of
747
00:38:17.719 --> 00:38:20.599
did the Astros maybe pull a Bob Ross over the weekend?
748
00:38:20.760 --> 00:38:23.400
And that happy accident can be an idea that he
749
00:38:23.519 --> 00:38:26.199
used going forward? Talk about it as we start second
750
00:38:26.239 --> 00:38:29.840
hour of the show. As we continue here on a Tuesday,
751
00:38:29.880 --> 00:38:31.400
it is the morning Drive here on your home of
752
00:38:31.440 --> 00:38:33.960
the Astros and the Rocket Sports Talk seven ninety.
753
00:38:34.519 --> 00:38:37.559
At Houston ATVHD two Houston.
754
00:38:37.320 --> 00:38:40.679
The Astross, the Rockets, Rockets.
755
00:38:40.880 --> 00:38:43.519
Thanks before your home for your home teams.
756
00:38:44.119 --> 00:38:49.400
This is Sports Talk seven ninety and iHeartRadio Station Guaranteed Human.
757
00:38:53.639 --> 00:38:55.679
This is the Morning Drive.
758
00:39:00.320 --> 00:39:03.400
All Star Break continues on with the actual All Star
759
00:39:03.599 --> 00:39:07.559
Game tonight. Homerun Derby last night, Jordan Walker of the
760
00:39:07.760 --> 00:39:12.480
Saint Louis Cardinals able to out hit Kyle Schwarber to
761
00:39:12.960 --> 00:39:17.760
win the event. And you also have Jordan Alvaroz in
762
00:39:17.800 --> 00:39:20.079
the starting lineup tonight as part of the All Star Games.
763
00:39:20.079 --> 00:39:24.519
The Astros will get back to action on Friday with
764
00:39:24.760 --> 00:39:27.159
the Baltimore Orioles here in town. And you also have
765
00:39:27.719 --> 00:39:30.880
the World Cup coming your way with the semifinals a
766
00:39:30.880 --> 00:39:33.199
little bit later on. It's gonna be Spain and France.
767
00:39:33.280 --> 00:39:37.239
Winner of that moves on to face Argentina or England
768
00:39:37.719 --> 00:39:41.519
on Sunday in the finals of said World Cup. It's
769
00:39:41.559 --> 00:39:44.199
almost coming to an end. It's one of those where
770
00:39:44.199 --> 00:39:46.679
it's like once it happens and once it's gone, it's
771
00:39:46.760 --> 00:39:49.280
just kind of like, oh, man, like this is Christmas
772
00:39:49.280 --> 00:39:52.199
on steroids as a little kid, because remember that where
773
00:39:52.480 --> 00:39:55.440
presidents are already opened, and you know, December twenty sixth
774
00:39:55.519 --> 00:39:58.079
hit and you were just like, there's just a tree.
775
00:39:58.079 --> 00:39:59.920
There's just a light in some ways, it just didn't
776
00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:01.760
I have the same meaning to you anymore. It was
777
00:40:01.880 --> 00:40:04.760
just it was that week in between, and then like
778
00:40:04.840 --> 00:40:07.800
that week before New Year's like you're just kind of like, Okay,
779
00:40:07.880 --> 00:40:09.840
this is like just like another week, but it's not
780
00:40:09.920 --> 00:40:12.360
because it's the holidays, so you still see all the
781
00:40:12.440 --> 00:40:15.519
decorations and everything. And then of course New Year's hits,
782
00:40:15.559 --> 00:40:18.280
and I don't know, like I've I've never really gotten
783
00:40:18.360 --> 00:40:20.199
up for New Years. Like it's more or less just
784
00:40:20.239 --> 00:40:22.480
like it passes and I'm just like, Okay, I guess
785
00:40:22.480 --> 00:40:27.400
we're into the following year. So anyway, Yeah, it's gonna
786
00:40:27.440 --> 00:40:29.400
be interesting to see. It's gonna be interesting to see, like,
787
00:40:29.440 --> 00:40:32.119
for example, like if the attendance over at Dynamo Matches
788
00:40:32.719 --> 00:40:34.800
tick ticks up a little bit, like if people still
789
00:40:34.800 --> 00:40:37.679
have that soccer fix a little bit and they want
790
00:40:37.679 --> 00:40:39.599
to be able to like continue to see it. But
791
00:40:39.639 --> 00:40:42.079
then you know, they're like, oh, it's not as high powered.
792
00:40:42.079 --> 00:40:43.920
It is the stuff that we were just watching. So
793
00:40:44.159 --> 00:40:46.280
I get it. I get it. I totally understand it.
794
00:40:46.719 --> 00:40:49.800
But anyway, it's coming to a close, and we get
795
00:40:49.920 --> 00:40:52.440
a couple more matches here over the next couple of
796
00:40:52.519 --> 00:40:55.639
days someone three two on two five seven ninety is
797
00:40:55.639 --> 00:40:57.239
the number to get in where I wanted to start this.
798
00:40:57.480 --> 00:41:04.039
Steven o'clock hour was something that happened on Sunday that afterwards,
799
00:41:04.079 --> 00:41:07.000
I saw at least Chandler Rome and Tyler Stafford on
800
00:41:07.079 --> 00:41:10.480
the Crush City Territory podcast talk about it. And as
801
00:41:10.519 --> 00:41:12.000
soon as I saw that, I was just like, you
802
00:41:12.000 --> 00:41:14.000
know what, I think these guys are on to something.
803
00:41:14.039 --> 00:41:18.760
Here is remember Bob Ross on PBS. You know he's
804
00:41:18.800 --> 00:41:21.039
painting the trees, he's painting the mountains, doing all of that,
805
00:41:21.079 --> 00:41:22.880
and he used to call it say that you know,
806
00:41:22.920 --> 00:41:25.800
there are no mistakes, there's only happy accidents. I think
807
00:41:25.840 --> 00:41:28.199
the Astros might have stumbled upon a happy accident, and
808
00:41:28.199 --> 00:41:31.880
that's Camp Smith out in center field. And it's something
809
00:41:31.960 --> 00:41:34.320
that at least they toyed with the notion of and
810
00:41:34.360 --> 00:41:36.239
gave him a little bit of work in spring training,
811
00:41:36.679 --> 00:41:39.199
but then pretty quickly backed off of that and then
812
00:41:39.199 --> 00:41:43.960
on Sunday just buy sheer need for it because you
813
00:41:44.079 --> 00:41:46.400
lose Bryce Matthews and it's going to be interesting to
814
00:41:46.400 --> 00:41:48.760
see how long he might be out for. I mean,
815
00:41:48.840 --> 00:41:51.400
at least with yesterday that Mike Burrows News all of that,
816
00:41:51.440 --> 00:41:54.880
there wasn't anything that I saw on Bryce Matthews, so
817
00:41:54.960 --> 00:41:58.280
maybe that evaluation is still happening. If I probably had
818
00:41:58.320 --> 00:42:01.440
to guess, he will probably be on the IL. And
819
00:42:01.480 --> 00:42:04.320
then you had Taylor Tremmel also get hurt in that
820
00:42:04.400 --> 00:42:08.719
game on Sunday with whatever that warning track was out
821
00:42:08.719 --> 00:42:12.679
there in the power alleys and in center field. I
822
00:42:12.679 --> 00:42:15.760
mean I saw Matt Thomas's tweet and he wasn't necessarily
823
00:42:15.800 --> 00:42:18.000
wrong where he was like is there ice out there?
824
00:42:18.039 --> 00:42:21.400
Like what's going on on the warning track? Because it
825
00:42:21.480 --> 00:42:24.199
got the astros pretty good in that one. But eventually
826
00:42:24.239 --> 00:42:26.039
I had to put Cam Smith out in center field,
827
00:42:26.679 --> 00:42:28.719
and I started to think about it, and I was like,
828
00:42:28.840 --> 00:42:32.400
you know what, you might be onto something here. It
829
00:42:32.480 --> 00:42:35.800
might have opened some things up because even with either
830
00:42:35.960 --> 00:42:38.239
or maybe even both of those guys possibly going on
831
00:42:38.280 --> 00:42:40.880
the IL again we don't know one hundred percent, but
832
00:42:41.119 --> 00:42:43.239
if they do have to go on the IL, then
833
00:42:43.239 --> 00:42:45.679
that probably brings back Joey lo Berfdo and that brings
834
00:42:45.719 --> 00:42:50.440
back Jake Myers. So you could ride with an outfield
835
00:42:50.559 --> 00:42:54.800
still of more than likely most games, Lamont Wade out
836
00:42:54.800 --> 00:42:57.400
in left field, Cam and right, and then either of
837
00:42:57.440 --> 00:43:00.559
those guys out in center field, because let's be honest here,
838
00:43:00.599 --> 00:43:03.239
if he had designs of making Jake Myers your everyday
839
00:43:03.280 --> 00:43:05.320
center fielder, he would have never been in TRIPLEA. He
840
00:43:05.320 --> 00:43:07.239
would have been able to be up here work his
841
00:43:07.280 --> 00:43:09.559
way through his hitting struggles. I think the Astros have
842
00:43:09.599 --> 00:43:12.239
finally kind of realized that last year was the outlier
843
00:43:12.760 --> 00:43:15.079
and that for the most part, offensively, this is what
844
00:43:15.199 --> 00:43:18.960
Jake Myers is. The problem is now, at least in
845
00:43:19.000 --> 00:43:21.719
the past with Myers, with all the strikeouts, he still
846
00:43:21.719 --> 00:43:24.719
had the power in there. The power is tailed off
847
00:43:24.760 --> 00:43:27.280
these last couple of years. It's not as prevalent as
848
00:43:27.280 --> 00:43:29.800
it used to be, and even then it was still
849
00:43:30.000 --> 00:43:33.039
infrequent and not enough to outweigh the amount of strikeouts
850
00:43:33.039 --> 00:43:35.119
that he had. But this year, that's the problem, is
851
00:43:35.159 --> 00:43:37.239
that he's not hitting for average, at least good enough
852
00:43:37.239 --> 00:43:38.840
for you to be able to play him every single day,
853
00:43:39.320 --> 00:43:43.159
and he's not hitting you the long ball. So that's
854
00:43:43.199 --> 00:43:45.679
another thing that kind of got you to a point
855
00:43:45.679 --> 00:43:47.920
where you're like, all right, we already have in anemic
856
00:43:47.960 --> 00:43:52.159
outfield offensively as is, this is making us even more anemic,
857
00:43:52.320 --> 00:43:54.719
and that is not a winning strategy for us to
858
00:43:54.719 --> 00:43:56.920
be able to go over five hundred and start to
859
00:43:56.920 --> 00:44:00.719
think about anything else after that. So I think that
860
00:44:00.760 --> 00:44:03.519
things open up for you a little bit again with
861
00:44:03.960 --> 00:44:08.199
what the perceived once are at the trade deadline for
862
00:44:08.239 --> 00:44:11.280
the Astros. Of finally being able to get that left
863
00:44:11.280 --> 00:44:14.880
handed hitting outfield bat is something that you've heard Dana
864
00:44:14.920 --> 00:44:17.480
Brown say time and time again that they want to
865
00:44:17.480 --> 00:44:19.440
be able to add I mean, we thought that they
866
00:44:19.440 --> 00:44:20.960
were probably even gonna be able to add that in
867
00:44:21.000 --> 00:44:23.760
spring training because remember after they made the low Berfito trade,
868
00:44:24.159 --> 00:44:28.239
Dana Brown famously saying, hey, we're not done yet, and
869
00:44:28.400 --> 00:44:31.199
of course in the immediate they were done because they
870
00:44:31.239 --> 00:44:34.880
didn't make any really any other moves. I mean, I
871
00:44:34.920 --> 00:44:37.960
don't know, maybe he was kind of projecting that Lamont
872
00:44:38.000 --> 00:44:40.199
Way Junior would be that, but it kind of felt
873
00:44:40.239 --> 00:44:43.159
like that Lamont Way Junior was more of a reactionary
874
00:44:43.199 --> 00:44:46.840
move because of the injuries that you had. But also too,
875
00:44:47.000 --> 00:44:50.920
I mean, again, your offense wasn't great, but sticking with
876
00:44:51.199 --> 00:44:53.639
Smith out in center field and is this going to
877
00:44:53.639 --> 00:44:56.199
be in every game thing, I'd give it a shot
878
00:44:56.480 --> 00:44:59.519
at least right out of the break. I absolutely would,
879
00:44:59.599 --> 00:45:02.679
because again, if it plays out that way where you've
880
00:45:02.679 --> 00:45:05.639
got low Berfido and Myers back here. I think that
881
00:45:05.719 --> 00:45:08.119
Myers becomes your fourth outfielder at that point. I think
882
00:45:08.119 --> 00:45:11.000
for the time being, you ride with an outfield of
883
00:45:11.719 --> 00:45:15.840
low Berfido out and left. Camp are lamont Way Junior
884
00:45:16.039 --> 00:45:17.679
proved that he could play right field. He did on
885
00:45:17.719 --> 00:45:20.039
Saturday because you didn't have Cam Smith in the lineup
886
00:45:20.320 --> 00:45:21.960
and you had him out there, you had jord on
887
00:45:22.039 --> 00:45:23.880
and left, which of course you know that that's going
888
00:45:23.920 --> 00:45:25.559
to be a once in a blue moon thing, but
889
00:45:25.679 --> 00:45:28.400
still you can have enough flip platoon out there where
890
00:45:28.440 --> 00:45:30.239
you can give him a game or two every once
891
00:45:30.280 --> 00:45:32.360
in a while out there in left field and be
892
00:45:32.440 --> 00:45:34.519
able to have the lineup look the way that it
893
00:45:34.559 --> 00:45:37.559
does where Jiner Diaz starting to swing the bat a
894
00:45:37.599 --> 00:45:39.800
little bit better, so you don't want to necessarily take
895
00:45:39.880 --> 00:45:42.239
him out of the lineup. So you have him as
896
00:45:42.239 --> 00:45:45.559
the DH and Christian Vasquez is able to catch for
897
00:45:45.639 --> 00:45:47.559
you in some of those games, and you know that
898
00:45:47.599 --> 00:45:50.599
at least from the game planning perspective, all of that
899
00:45:50.599 --> 00:45:53.639
that you're able to, you know, have the lineup that
900
00:45:53.639 --> 00:45:56.559
you want out there. So I think with Smith, at
901
00:45:56.639 --> 00:45:59.519
least in the immediate it opens up possibilities for you
902
00:45:59.559 --> 00:46:02.280
that you haven't before. You have him out in right field,
903
00:46:02.840 --> 00:46:05.559
and you have either lit Berfito or Myers out in center,
904
00:46:05.639 --> 00:46:08.119
and then you know Lamont Wade out there and left.
905
00:46:08.559 --> 00:46:10.320
Then I think you're kind of fixed in terms of
906
00:46:10.320 --> 00:46:13.440
what this lineup can be. But I think just having
907
00:46:13.519 --> 00:46:16.039
Cam and center field, you've got a little bit more
908
00:46:16.039 --> 00:46:18.280
options at least here for the next couple of weeks
909
00:46:18.320 --> 00:46:20.559
while you've tried to figure out what you're going to
910
00:46:20.559 --> 00:46:23.360
add or what you can add at the trade deadline,
911
00:46:24.079 --> 00:46:27.599
and who knows, maybe it's something that you figure out
912
00:46:27.599 --> 00:46:29.159
that you're like, you know what, we're getting just enough
913
00:46:29.199 --> 00:46:32.159
offense now out of the outfield that we don't have
914
00:46:32.239 --> 00:46:34.519
to shoot as high at the trade deadline and we
915
00:46:34.559 --> 00:46:36.800
don't have to give up as much to try to
916
00:46:36.800 --> 00:46:39.400
get a Mickey Moniac or at Jake McCarthy in here.
917
00:46:39.519 --> 00:46:41.679
Either of those guys would absolutely make your team better.
918
00:46:41.719 --> 00:46:43.639
I don't think there's any question about it. And Ninderstein
919
00:46:43.760 --> 00:46:47.039
with Moniac, you look at the splits and you say, well,
920
00:46:47.079 --> 00:46:50.960
look at them away from corus Field. I also think that, yes,
921
00:46:51.199 --> 00:46:52.760
there is a little bit of a drop off, but
922
00:46:52.800 --> 00:46:56.280
it's not like that precipitous, like it's not enough where
923
00:46:56.599 --> 00:46:59.119
you look at it. I mean, is it eye popping
924
00:46:59.239 --> 00:47:02.360
in terms of just the overall numbers, Yes, it is,
925
00:47:02.559 --> 00:47:05.239
I mean because it is like almost like a seventy
926
00:47:05.280 --> 00:47:08.119
to eighty point swing there in terms of average and
927
00:47:08.159 --> 00:47:12.039
the other metrics. But I think also two, I mean,
928
00:47:12.199 --> 00:47:14.840
you add a guy like Moniac, even with him not
929
00:47:14.880 --> 00:47:18.800
playing at coors Field, that you don't have a guy
930
00:47:19.159 --> 00:47:22.679
that is productive as he is at the plate at
931
00:47:22.880 --> 00:47:26.280
or outside of cors Field. And that's somebody that at
932
00:47:26.360 --> 00:47:28.920
least with those numbers, I can slot into the back
933
00:47:29.039 --> 00:47:31.119
end of my batting order, and he's better than anything
934
00:47:31.119 --> 00:47:34.400
that I've have right now. With Smith, the biggest thing
935
00:47:34.440 --> 00:47:37.119
with him is consistency. You know that he's got the power.
936
00:47:37.159 --> 00:47:39.599
He showed that on Sunday, and that's what kind of
937
00:47:39.599 --> 00:47:42.039
frustrates you with him, is that he can run into
938
00:47:42.079 --> 00:47:44.440
some baseballs and you're just like, can you just do
939
00:47:44.480 --> 00:47:46.800
that a little bit more? Can you cut down on
940
00:47:46.840 --> 00:47:50.280
the strikeouts? Can you actually be able to have a
941
00:47:50.320 --> 00:47:52.920
lot more forceful contact? And we see it at times.
942
00:47:53.320 --> 00:47:55.800
It's just the problem with him is it comes in spurts.
943
00:47:55.920 --> 00:47:57.840
It's about two or three games that you get it,
944
00:47:58.039 --> 00:48:00.760
and then after that he drops off and he goes
945
00:48:00.800 --> 00:48:05.159
back to being a relatively unproductive hitter. And for a
946
00:48:05.320 --> 00:48:09.199
guy that I'm asking to be a back end of
947
00:48:09.199 --> 00:48:12.280
my order to even to the middle of it, of
948
00:48:12.400 --> 00:48:15.079
hitting fifth and sixth at times, I need a little
949
00:48:15.079 --> 00:48:17.400
bit more out of him. So I mean, it does
950
00:48:18.239 --> 00:48:21.159
come down to him, there's no question about it. But
951
00:48:21.239 --> 00:48:23.360
I think that also too for some of the other
952
00:48:23.400 --> 00:48:27.599
guys that I mentioned, because low Braffido, again even more
953
00:48:27.639 --> 00:48:32.639
so than camp Smith, is really inconsistent. I mean that's
954
00:48:32.679 --> 00:48:34.960
the problem though, is because then you see the at
955
00:48:34.960 --> 00:48:37.639
bats that he had in Toronto and you're like, okay,
956
00:48:37.880 --> 00:48:42.039
like more of that man, And I understand. I mean again,
957
00:48:42.320 --> 00:48:44.639
it's one of those that hope is not a strategy,
958
00:48:45.039 --> 00:48:48.280
and you are asking for some of these guys to
959
00:48:48.320 --> 00:48:50.639
have career years. I mean, remember some of the conversations
960
00:48:50.639 --> 00:48:52.519
we've had in the past of guys that you need
961
00:48:52.559 --> 00:48:54.519
to have career years in order for you to be
962
00:48:55.159 --> 00:48:58.800
a contending team. I mean, that's I think another thing
963
00:48:58.840 --> 00:49:00.679
that you're asking for coming out this is that you
964
00:49:00.760 --> 00:49:03.280
need a strong second half in a return here, and
965
00:49:03.360 --> 00:49:06.119
maybe going down to TRIPAA was exactly what Joey libraffdo
966
00:49:06.239 --> 00:49:09.039
needed and being able to get those at bats, get
967
00:49:09.039 --> 00:49:11.480
that confidence back in the bat and get out there
968
00:49:11.480 --> 00:49:13.840
because you know that speed and defensively he can help
969
00:49:13.840 --> 00:49:16.199
you out there. But that's the problem with this team.
970
00:49:16.400 --> 00:49:20.400
You don't necessarily need the defensive part of it because
971
00:49:20.480 --> 00:49:23.639
that's not really the issue. The issue for this team
972
00:49:23.760 --> 00:49:28.880
is getting more offense. That's number one. But right in
973
00:49:28.920 --> 00:49:32.360
line with that is your starting rotation and being able
974
00:49:32.360 --> 00:49:35.000
to get that group to improve and be a lot
975
00:49:35.039 --> 00:49:38.400
better than they have been because that's been a problem
976
00:49:38.519 --> 00:49:41.039
so far for you, there's no question about it. And
977
00:49:41.079 --> 00:49:43.599
the moves that you made this offseason have not panned
978
00:49:43.599 --> 00:49:45.519
out the way that you had hoped. And at least
979
00:49:45.559 --> 00:49:48.000
one of those guys in Tatsu and Maya, is still here.
980
00:49:48.119 --> 00:49:50.599
As we talked about earlier, you need more of that
981
00:49:50.639 --> 00:49:54.440
guy going forward. And another bit of news happened yesterday
982
00:49:54.480 --> 00:49:56.920
Mike Burrows going on the IL and when I think
983
00:49:56.920 --> 00:49:59.199
that that signifies for him the rest of the season.
984
00:49:59.239 --> 00:50:01.679
We'll talk about that as we continue here in the
985
00:50:01.679 --> 00:50:05.000
seven o'clock hour again. Carlos COLASO Baseball America going to
986
00:50:05.079 --> 00:50:07.360
join us at eight thirty. Chris Cordy gonna hop on
987
00:50:07.440 --> 00:50:10.159
with me at eight o'clock. As we continue here, it
988
00:50:10.239 --> 00:50:12.800
is the Morning Drive Sports Talk seven ninety.
989
00:50:13.880 --> 00:50:19.079
One Morning Drive. Get in and hold on. Here's Dan Matthews.
990
00:50:20.880 --> 00:50:23.760
Seven three two one two five, seven ninety is the
991
00:50:23.840 --> 00:50:26.880
number to get in. In addition to the roster moves
992
00:50:26.920 --> 00:50:29.159
that were not only made at the minor league level,
993
00:50:29.199 --> 00:50:33.760
the astro is also making one particular roster move yesterday
994
00:50:33.880 --> 00:50:36.840
that was of interest, and it was a little after
995
00:50:37.199 --> 00:50:39.039
we got off the air with you at ten o'clock
996
00:50:39.079 --> 00:50:41.400
and during the Matt Thomas Show with Ross heard them
997
00:50:41.440 --> 00:50:46.679
talking about it that you had Mike Burrows go on
998
00:50:46.719 --> 00:50:52.760
the IL with right elbow neuropathy or nearritis. Neurritis was
999
00:50:52.800 --> 00:50:55.480
the name of it, Not neuropathy. Haven't we heard that
1000
00:50:55.519 --> 00:50:59.199
in like one of our spots before something anyway? Neuritis
1001
00:50:59.280 --> 00:51:02.639
which again I had no idea what it was and
1002
00:51:02.840 --> 00:51:05.920
still don't one hundred percent have any idea what that means.
1003
00:51:05.920 --> 00:51:08.920
But it's a right elbow issue for Mike Burrows. We
1004
00:51:08.960 --> 00:51:11.079
saw this about a couple of weeks ago with Kyway
1005
00:51:11.159 --> 00:51:15.920
dung To where he went down the TRIPAA and then
1006
00:51:16.320 --> 00:51:18.320
when he was on his way there, I guess they
1007
00:51:18.320 --> 00:51:20.840
did some medicals on him and they're like, turns out
1008
00:51:20.840 --> 00:51:23.000
he's got a knee injury, so we've got to be
1009
00:51:23.000 --> 00:51:25.159
able to take a step back with that. He started
1010
00:51:25.159 --> 00:51:27.199
to throw again a little bit. I know that last
1011
00:51:27.239 --> 00:51:29.880
week he threw in the Florida Complex League and they're
1012
00:51:29.880 --> 00:51:32.679
trying to work his way back to return as a reliever.
1013
00:51:33.000 --> 00:51:35.639
So that's something that could help a bullpen that desperately
1014
00:51:35.719 --> 00:51:40.079
needs help right now. And Burrows going on the il yesterday,
1015
00:51:41.199 --> 00:51:43.360
I think it signifies one thing. I know that the
1016
00:51:43.599 --> 00:51:46.360
Matt Thomas show, Ross does gut feelings, and these aren't
1017
00:51:46.400 --> 00:51:49.800
gut feelings, at least necessarily. It's just a gut feeling
1018
00:51:50.039 --> 00:51:52.280
from me. I think we've seen the last of Mike
1019
00:51:52.320 --> 00:51:55.719
Burrows in twenty twenty six. I think that this is
1020
00:51:56.079 --> 00:51:58.599
something that gives the Astros a runway to really take
1021
00:51:58.639 --> 00:52:01.400
their time with them. Sure, he'll probably be no throw
1022
00:52:01.679 --> 00:52:04.039
all of those things that you see right now from
1023
00:52:04.320 --> 00:52:07.639
pitchers whenever they get hurt, and then I just think
1024
00:52:07.679 --> 00:52:10.039
that they're really going to take their time with him.
1025
00:52:10.480 --> 00:52:13.519
I think that the way that this season has gone
1026
00:52:13.719 --> 00:52:17.280
there doesn't necessarily lead you to have any belief that
1027
00:52:17.480 --> 00:52:20.559
it's going to get any better this season. I think
1028
00:52:20.639 --> 00:52:22.239
in some ways they just kind of look at it
1029
00:52:22.280 --> 00:52:24.960
as take your time, and then we'll retee it next
1030
00:52:25.039 --> 00:52:27.639
year and see how it works. Mike Burrows might not
1031
00:52:27.679 --> 00:52:29.960
be a starting pitcher, and if that's the case, it's
1032
00:52:30.000 --> 00:52:31.960
not the worst thing in the world. I mean, how
1033
00:52:32.000 --> 00:52:35.400
many times have we seen guys not only here in Houston,
1034
00:52:35.440 --> 00:52:38.360
but just in Major League Baseball as a whole. I mean, take,
1035
00:52:38.400 --> 00:52:40.639
for example, a guy and I'm not saying that he
1036
00:52:40.679 --> 00:52:43.679
could become Eric Ganie, but a guy like Eric Ganie
1037
00:52:43.920 --> 00:52:47.159
who was just ho home as a starter, and then
1038
00:52:47.159 --> 00:52:49.880
somewhere along the way, the Dodgers decided, you know what,
1039
00:52:49.960 --> 00:52:51.760
let's try this guy as a reliever and then you
1040
00:52:51.800 --> 00:52:54.800
figure it out pretty quickly with his stuff. Oh man,
1041
00:52:55.079 --> 00:52:58.039
that fastball is even more high powered. Oh the rest
1042
00:52:58.039 --> 00:53:00.719
of his stuff is really good. Yeah, that's what that
1043
00:53:00.760 --> 00:53:03.840
guy is. I'm almost starting to believe that that's what
1044
00:53:03.880 --> 00:53:07.039
Mike Burrows could become. I think that Burrows could become
1045
00:53:07.119 --> 00:53:11.400
a really really good reliever. I think that his stuff
1046
00:53:11.440 --> 00:53:14.599
can play in short bursts. I think the problem is
1047
00:53:14.800 --> 00:53:17.960
just being able to have that play out for you,
1048
00:53:17.960 --> 00:53:20.400
you know, along the way, and I think that in
1049
00:53:20.440 --> 00:53:23.760
many ways getting him was a little bit of a gamble,
1050
00:53:23.800 --> 00:53:26.360
because I mean you heard even when the Astros traded
1051
00:53:26.400 --> 00:53:28.239
for him, they talked about how impressed they were the
1052
00:53:28.239 --> 00:53:30.360
start he made against him up in Pittsburgh last year.
1053
00:53:30.400 --> 00:53:33.360
He was tough on the Astros in that start. So
1054
00:53:33.480 --> 00:53:35.360
I mean, at least you've seen that, and we saw
1055
00:53:35.400 --> 00:53:38.880
it at times this year. But the problem is we
1056
00:53:38.920 --> 00:53:42.360
didn't see it enough. And it was not only that
1057
00:53:42.440 --> 00:53:46.199
the struggles were pronounced, but they also were just at
1058
00:53:46.199 --> 00:53:49.159
the absolute worst times that you could have them. I mean,
1059
00:53:49.760 --> 00:53:54.039
there was no better example than the other night in Washington,
1060
00:53:54.039 --> 00:53:55.719
where you're taking all the Nationals. You got a six
1061
00:53:55.760 --> 00:53:59.079
to one lead, and he can't get it out in
1062
00:53:59.159 --> 00:54:01.760
the third inning until you give up five runs, and
1063
00:54:01.760 --> 00:54:03.760
then all of a sudden he starts getting guys out,
1064
00:54:03.760 --> 00:54:05.719
and at that point, I think the books were pretty
1065
00:54:05.800 --> 00:54:08.880
much cooked at that point for him as an Astro
1066
00:54:09.400 --> 00:54:12.840
in twenty twenty six, as a starting pitcher, because you
1067
00:54:12.880 --> 00:54:15.119
send a guy down the triple A. I know a
1068
00:54:15.159 --> 00:54:17.559
lot of times that scenario is thrown out by a
1069
00:54:17.559 --> 00:54:20.079
lot of people, and we've done it with almost half
1070
00:54:20.079 --> 00:54:22.400
the roster this year in our minds. We've put them
1071
00:54:22.400 --> 00:54:25.199
in Triple A in our minds. And I've said numerous
1072
00:54:25.199 --> 00:54:27.519
times and will continue to say, you can't just send
1073
00:54:27.599 --> 00:54:31.320
everybody down. Number one, you don't have enough players to
1074
00:54:31.320 --> 00:54:33.519
be able to replace them. Here at the major league level,
1075
00:54:33.559 --> 00:54:36.360
they're going to be better than what these guys can
1076
00:54:36.400 --> 00:54:40.119
give you, even at their lowest. And the other part
1077
00:54:40.119 --> 00:54:42.440
of it, too is sometimes you gotta let guys work
1078
00:54:42.440 --> 00:54:45.320
through their struggles. I think the Astros allowed for Burrows
1079
00:54:45.360 --> 00:54:47.800
to work through his struggles, no question about it. I
1080
00:54:47.800 --> 00:54:50.800
mean this skipping them for a start, and when he
1081
00:54:50.840 --> 00:54:54.599
came back from that, it looked incredibly promising because he
1082
00:54:54.679 --> 00:54:57.000
has the start in Toronto where he was really good
1083
00:54:57.000 --> 00:54:58.360
and I'm trying to think of the other one that
1084
00:54:58.400 --> 00:55:01.280
he had, but he had a really good starts where
1085
00:55:01.280 --> 00:55:04.360
you're like, Okay, maybe we finally found something, maybe we've
1086
00:55:04.400 --> 00:55:09.039
worked on some things mechanically and even kind of getting
1087
00:55:09.039 --> 00:55:11.480
a little bit of that mental refresher right there that
1088
00:55:11.559 --> 00:55:13.960
he can come back with a new lease on pitching
1089
00:55:14.159 --> 00:55:18.239
and he's going to be an actual strong contributor to
1090
00:55:18.280 --> 00:55:21.440
this pitching rotation this year. But then it became pretty
1091
00:55:21.480 --> 00:55:24.440
apparent in DC against the Nationals that that was not
1092
00:55:24.519 --> 00:55:29.400
the case. So again I think that it's going to
1093
00:55:29.440 --> 00:55:31.639
be one of those where you take the rest of
1094
00:55:31.679 --> 00:55:36.000
this year, he's able to work on things either here
1095
00:55:36.440 --> 00:55:40.119
or in West Palm Beach and work his way back.
1096
00:55:40.199 --> 00:55:42.599
You might hear about him pitching at the Triple A
1097
00:55:42.760 --> 00:55:46.239
level a little bit, but it wouldn't shock me, to
1098
00:55:46.280 --> 00:55:48.119
say the least, if we get the spring training next
1099
00:55:48.159 --> 00:55:51.159
year and you have Mike Burrows being slated as being
1100
00:55:51.159 --> 00:55:53.440
a bullpen option for you, because I mean, you also
1101
00:55:53.480 --> 00:55:56.519
have to think about something else probably after this season.
1102
00:55:56.719 --> 00:55:59.440
I mean, despite his struggles, Brian A. Bray you won't
1103
00:55:59.440 --> 00:56:01.639
be out there, so you're gonna need to find somebody
1104
00:56:01.639 --> 00:56:04.800
else that could project to be a high leverage guy
1105
00:56:04.840 --> 00:56:07.920
for you. Because that's another thing too, of talking about
1106
00:56:07.920 --> 00:56:11.079
the expectations for the last sixty four games of this season,
1107
00:56:11.719 --> 00:56:13.719
that you need more out of Brian to Bray. You
1108
00:56:13.719 --> 00:56:16.119
you need him to be closer to being the version
1109
00:56:16.159 --> 00:56:18.679
that we've seen. And I know that last week we
1110
00:56:18.960 --> 00:56:23.000
thought that we saw some glimpses of, you know, maybe
1111
00:56:23.039 --> 00:56:25.199
something to give you some hope that he could be
1112
00:56:25.239 --> 00:56:28.159
getting back to that guy. And then he has the
1113
00:56:28.320 --> 00:56:30.440
outing that he does on Sunday and you're just like,
1114
00:56:30.519 --> 00:56:33.800
I mean, I think it was me and most other
1115
00:56:33.840 --> 00:56:37.119
people watching that game and tweeting about it on Astros
1116
00:56:37.119 --> 00:56:39.400
Twitter of just being like, dude, you got to help
1117
00:56:39.440 --> 00:56:42.440
yourself out here, like we want to believe in you.
1118
00:56:43.280 --> 00:56:46.559
There's nobody that is an Astros fan that wants Brian
1119
00:56:46.559 --> 00:56:49.559
to pray you to struggle. Nobody, I mean, and if
1120
00:56:49.599 --> 00:56:52.239
you do, then you're probably not an Astros fan. But like,
1121
00:56:52.760 --> 00:56:54.920
that's been the frustrating part of this season with him,
1122
00:56:55.119 --> 00:56:56.800
is that like you almost like want to stand in
1123
00:56:56.800 --> 00:56:58.119
front of him and shake him and.
1124
00:56:58.039 --> 00:57:02.199
Just be like find it, find dates, like they be
1125
00:57:02.360 --> 00:57:03.239
that guy again.
1126
00:57:04.320 --> 00:57:06.199
I mean, it's just it's it's a little bit of
1127
00:57:06.239 --> 00:57:08.440
like it's a labor of love. Like it's almost like
1128
00:57:08.480 --> 00:57:11.800
you want to show tough love at that point. That's
1129
00:57:12.079 --> 00:57:15.360
I mean, him being back to that guy would solve
1130
00:57:15.360 --> 00:57:19.400
a lot of issues for you. But it's again, it's
1131
00:57:19.440 --> 00:57:21.920
one of those where Burrows is kind of the one
1132
00:57:21.920 --> 00:57:24.199
that's got the spotlight on them for the pitching staff
1133
00:57:24.239 --> 00:57:26.760
struggles this year, but I've mentioned a host of other
1134
00:57:26.840 --> 00:57:30.039
names too. It's not just a Burrows thing. It's been
1135
00:57:30.079 --> 00:57:32.840
the problem this team this season with this team is
1136
00:57:32.880 --> 00:57:36.679
you took chances on a lot of different guys. Ideally,
1137
00:57:37.000 --> 00:57:40.719
with a pitching staff, either the starting or the bullpen,
1138
00:57:41.440 --> 00:57:43.360
you want to take a chance on maybe a guy
1139
00:57:43.519 --> 00:57:45.960
or two because if they don't work out, then it's
1140
00:57:46.039 --> 00:57:48.039
kind of a all right, somebody else picks up the slack.
1141
00:57:48.079 --> 00:57:50.639
We're all good. That's the problem with the Astros this
1142
00:57:50.719 --> 00:57:53.280
year is that you've taken chances on probably about four
1143
00:57:53.360 --> 00:57:56.679
or five guys, and for the most part, other than
1144
00:57:56.679 --> 00:57:59.480
Peter Lambert, that's been the only guy that's worked. And
1145
00:57:59.480 --> 00:58:02.039
you can throw tatsu am I in there too, because yeah,
1146
00:58:02.079 --> 00:58:05.119
you did take a chance. You took a huge financial
1147
00:58:05.199 --> 00:58:07.880
chance on him, and probably gonna be stuck with that
1148
00:58:08.039 --> 00:58:10.519
because the way that this season has gone. He ain't
1149
00:58:10.559 --> 00:58:12.679
gonna get that money elsewhere. I mean, you think there's
1150
00:58:12.679 --> 00:58:15.559
a major league team that's gonna look at him and say, oh, yeah, hey,
1151
00:58:15.559 --> 00:58:17.360
we'll pay you more than the Astros are paying you.
1152
00:58:17.400 --> 00:58:19.639
They're gonna be like, no, do it again the following
1153
00:58:19.719 --> 00:58:22.679
year and actually be what they thought you were getting,
1154
00:58:22.760 --> 00:58:25.039
and then we can talk if you opt out of
1155
00:58:25.079 --> 00:58:28.119
that third year of your deal. But it ain't gonna happen. Now,
1156
00:58:28.239 --> 00:58:30.559
the Astros are gonna have Tatsui am I here next
1157
00:58:30.559 --> 00:58:34.199
season unless he just completely goes on like a Spencer
1158
00:58:34.280 --> 00:58:37.320
Arraghetti earlier in the season like run where he's giving
1159
00:58:37.360 --> 00:58:40.840
up almost no runs and he's striking out everybody under
1160
00:58:40.840 --> 00:58:43.400
the sun, and he's one of the more dominant pitchers
1161
00:58:43.679 --> 00:58:46.480
in Major League Baseball. But at least the track record
1162
00:58:46.519 --> 00:58:49.360
that we've seen through ninety eight games what necessarily gives
1163
00:58:49.400 --> 00:58:51.599
you a belief that the final sixty four are going
1164
00:58:51.639 --> 00:58:53.559
to be that way with him. So I think that
1165
00:58:53.599 --> 00:58:56.239
you're gonna have Tatsui in my next year. But again,
1166
00:58:56.599 --> 00:58:59.639
I just think that twenty twenty six is caput. It's
1167
00:58:59.679 --> 00:59:02.679
all done for Mike Burrows. I think that going on
1168
00:59:02.719 --> 00:59:04.960
the IL yesterday pretty much showed you that. And you're
1169
00:59:05.000 --> 00:59:07.199
also too, I mean, exactly like what me and Gordy
1170
00:59:07.239 --> 00:59:10.280
talked about yesterday with me saying that they need to
1171
00:59:10.639 --> 00:59:13.800
add some help at the All Star or the trade
1172
00:59:13.800 --> 00:59:16.039
deadline in the starting rotation, where he was just like,
1173
00:59:16.079 --> 00:59:19.239
you're gonna start dfaing guys. I think that you kind
1174
00:59:19.280 --> 00:59:21.880
of gave yourself a little bit of a runway yesterday
1175
00:59:22.159 --> 00:59:24.880
with Mike Burrows going on the IL and I think
1176
00:59:24.920 --> 00:59:27.960
that probably you're going to be hearing about him staying
1177
00:59:28.000 --> 00:59:30.639
there the rest of the way, and that works in
1178
00:59:30.800 --> 00:59:33.800
Ronel Blanco and some other options for you to try
1179
00:59:33.840 --> 00:59:35.840
to be able to piece this thing together and try
1180
00:59:35.880 --> 00:59:37.840
to do everything you can to get into the postseason.
1181
00:59:37.840 --> 00:59:41.159
Here when it's all said and done this season seven
1182
00:59:41.199 --> 00:59:43.800
one three two one two five seven ninety. Again it's
1183
00:59:43.800 --> 00:59:46.920
Sebone three two one two five seven ninety. I do
1184
00:59:47.000 --> 00:59:49.199
want to break away from the Astros conversation here a
1185
00:59:49.239 --> 00:59:53.400
little bit talk some Texans because well, NFL front offices
1186
00:59:53.519 --> 00:59:56.760
were asked about one CJ. Stroud, and my response to
1187
00:59:56.800 --> 01:00:00.000
them is who cares? And another one it doesn't matter.
1188
01:00:00.320 --> 01:00:02.440
Both of those coming your way right here as we continue,
1189
01:00:02.440 --> 01:00:05.800
it's the Morning Drive Sports Talks seven to ninety. Real quick, though,
1190
01:00:06.400 --> 01:00:09.519
my good buddy Kobe and the crew over at Kobe
1191
01:00:09.519 --> 01:00:12.800
Stevens Apparel. You know they're always running great sales both
1192
01:00:12.840 --> 01:00:16.480
online at Kobe Stevens dot Com and in store sixty
1193
01:00:16.519 --> 01:00:18.920
four h two Lueta Road right there in spring, which
1194
01:00:18.920 --> 01:00:21.760
again I wish him a happy belated birthday. How about
1195
01:00:21.760 --> 01:00:26.280
another happy belated birthday for Kobe? And I mean just
1196
01:00:26.360 --> 01:00:29.199
what he's been able to do with not only the polos,
1197
01:00:29.239 --> 01:00:31.480
the T shirts, the hats, the shorts, the pants, the
1198
01:00:31.559 --> 01:00:33.920
ladies and the youth options. You got those fishing shirts.
1199
01:00:33.960 --> 01:00:35.880
I mean, I know, with this wet whether we got
1200
01:00:35.920 --> 01:00:38.320
outside right now, it's kind of making you not really
1201
01:00:38.360 --> 01:00:41.320
think about golf or fishing, but at least with those polos.
1202
01:00:41.559 --> 01:00:43.519
Ride with me on this. You're heading in the work
1203
01:00:43.559 --> 01:00:46.519
this morning, right You're in the closet right now, you're
1204
01:00:46.559 --> 01:00:48.440
looking around, You're trying to figure out what you're gonna
1205
01:00:48.440 --> 01:00:51.119
be wearing in the work to look presentable. And you're
1206
01:00:51.119 --> 01:00:53.239
just saying, yeah, these polos, they look fine. Yeah, that
1207
01:00:53.280 --> 01:00:56.159
collar's a little ratty, this one. I've kind of worn
1208
01:00:56.239 --> 01:00:59.199
that out a little bit. It's time to refresh the polos,
1209
01:00:59.280 --> 01:01:01.679
is what I'm telling you. And Kobe Stevens dot com
1210
01:01:01.760 --> 01:01:03.559
is the way to do that, or in store sixty
1211
01:01:03.559 --> 01:01:06.519
four oh two Lewetter Road there in spring. Because it's
1212
01:01:06.559 --> 01:01:10.079
not only being able to look presentable, look good, feel
1213
01:01:10.079 --> 01:01:11.920
good at work, it's also too you head out to
1214
01:01:11.960 --> 01:01:14.360
a nice dinner, you want to look good, and I'm
1215
01:01:14.400 --> 01:01:16.360
telling you you head on out in public and these
1216
01:01:16.440 --> 01:01:19.519
Kobe Stevens polos, it's happened to me on numerous occasions. Dude,
1217
01:01:19.519 --> 01:01:21.559
I love that shirt. Where'd you get it? Cobe Stevens
1218
01:01:21.559 --> 01:01:25.639
dot Com Online, Kobe Stevens dot com, Cobby Stevens dot Com,
1219
01:01:25.719 --> 01:01:29.079
Coby Stevens with the VS at the end, it's Kobe
1220
01:01:29.079 --> 01:01:30.880
Stevens dot Com, Cobe Stevens apparel.
1221
01:01:32.079 --> 01:01:37.800
We don't run on algorithms. We run on Altuve, Durant and.
1222
01:01:37.920 --> 01:01:43.239
Stroud for Stock seven ninety eight guaranteed human.
1223
01:01:44.760 --> 01:01:48.320
Talking a lot of baseball this morning, and for good reason,
1224
01:01:48.360 --> 01:01:51.880
because again, Stros still very much in contention, and you
1225
01:01:52.000 --> 01:01:54.239
got a team that's got a shot at the postseason.
1226
01:01:54.320 --> 01:01:57.639
But we're just about a couple of weeks away from
1227
01:01:57.880 --> 01:02:01.000
the start of training camp for the Texans and the
1228
01:02:01.039 --> 01:02:04.039
rest of the league. As again, as I mentioned, me
1229
01:02:04.079 --> 01:02:06.280
and Gordy gonna be in Tampa next week for SEC
1230
01:02:06.440 --> 01:02:10.159
media Days. It's the following week is when training camp
1231
01:02:10.239 --> 01:02:12.840
gets underway, and then you know, as soon as that happens,
1232
01:02:12.840 --> 01:02:14.760
you can have preseason games. And then as soon as
1233
01:02:14.760 --> 01:02:17.880
you have preseason games, whila, We're right there. Sorry, the
1234
01:02:17.960 --> 01:02:21.239
NFL season is upon us and we're all excited. So
1235
01:02:21.599 --> 01:02:24.719
this is the time of year when either it is
1236
01:02:25.199 --> 01:02:30.679
media driven, or they talk with anonymous coaches, executives, scouts,
1237
01:02:30.800 --> 01:02:34.480
everything of the sort. It's lists season. This is when
1238
01:02:34.480 --> 01:02:38.559
we get it, and especially two with quarterbacks, which it's
1239
01:02:38.559 --> 01:02:40.480
not that I have a blind spot when it comes
1240
01:02:40.559 --> 01:02:43.280
to doing the whole quarterback thing. I just think that
1241
01:02:43.320 --> 01:02:47.000
most of you don't necessarily care, and you shouldn't because
1242
01:02:47.000 --> 01:02:50.119
it's subjective at a certain point, because for some it's
1243
01:02:50.159 --> 01:02:53.000
gonna be, Oh, Josh Allen's the best quarterback in the NFL. No,
1244
01:02:53.239 --> 01:02:55.840
Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL. No,
1245
01:02:56.039 --> 01:02:58.239
it's this guy. I mean, it's just you get my
1246
01:02:58.280 --> 01:02:59.960
point here. I mean, it's just kind of like one
1247
01:03:00.079 --> 01:03:02.800
of those where it's just an exercise and then it's
1248
01:03:02.880 --> 01:03:04.679
more or less just a chance to be able to
1249
01:03:04.719 --> 01:03:08.559
fill time on air. And I understand that you get
1250
01:03:08.599 --> 01:03:11.039
to a certain point of the season there's certain things
1251
01:03:11.079 --> 01:03:13.440
that become a little bit of a clock gobbler for you.
1252
01:03:13.599 --> 01:03:15.840
I mean, that's really what it becomes. And I did
1253
01:03:15.880 --> 01:03:18.280
say it correctly. Get your mind out of the gutter.
1254
01:03:18.440 --> 01:03:22.639
But in this case, right here, it's a list of
1255
01:03:22.679 --> 01:03:25.920
the top twenty quarterbacks in the NFL. That again, Jeremy
1256
01:03:25.920 --> 01:03:29.480
Fowler of ESPN catching up with executives, coaches, and scouts
1257
01:03:29.519 --> 01:03:34.239
to rank the top qbs in the NFL. I'm gonna
1258
01:03:34.239 --> 01:03:35.679
go ahead and spoil the ending for you.
1259
01:03:35.719 --> 01:03:35.960
C J.
1260
01:03:36.119 --> 01:03:39.119
Stroud is not a top twenty quarterback, at least according
1261
01:03:39.119 --> 01:03:41.000
to the group that they caught up with, and they
1262
01:03:41.000 --> 01:03:44.760
even did an honorable mention part of it, because number
1263
01:03:44.760 --> 01:03:47.760
three you had Matthew Stafford. Number four you had Joe Burrow.
1264
01:03:48.159 --> 01:03:50.840
Lamar Jackson was number five. And then from there it
1265
01:03:50.880 --> 01:03:53.920
gets again very subjective, where you know the names that
1266
01:03:53.960 --> 01:03:56.320
are in there of people, Oh they're good, but they're
1267
01:03:56.320 --> 01:03:59.400
not elites. I mean, that's Dak Prescott, that's justin Herbert
1268
01:03:59.480 --> 01:04:02.840
Drake May of course Jared Golf. You get my point here.
1269
01:04:02.840 --> 01:04:05.639
It just goes on and on and on. But then
1270
01:04:05.679 --> 01:04:09.280
you get to the honorable mentions part and c. J.
1271
01:04:09.440 --> 01:04:11.719
Stroud is not even in that part, at least in
1272
01:04:11.920 --> 01:04:15.840
the group that Jeremy Fowler caught up with. Sam Darnold
1273
01:04:16.599 --> 01:04:19.920
a good quarterback, But again, I think that Donald is
1274
01:04:19.960 --> 01:04:21.400
one of those guys that you look at and you
1275
01:04:21.440 --> 01:04:23.400
say you can win with him. You don't win because
1276
01:04:23.440 --> 01:04:26.239
of him. He did make some plays in the playoffs.
1277
01:04:26.360 --> 01:04:28.599
I don't think that that can be underscored. But still
1278
01:04:28.920 --> 01:04:31.960
he's not necessarily somebody that you look at and you're like, oh, yeah, hey,
1279
01:04:32.199 --> 01:04:35.880
that's that's a franchise guy right there. Jaden Daniels rough
1280
01:04:35.920 --> 01:04:38.760
season last year, Jordan Love, I mean, kind of up
1281
01:04:38.800 --> 01:04:42.719
and down over in Green Bay, Brock Purdy, injuries, all
1282
01:04:42.719 --> 01:04:45.119
of those things, but still trying to see if you
1283
01:04:45.119 --> 01:04:46.960
can get thing back on track out there in the
1284
01:04:46.960 --> 01:04:50.800
Bay area. Baker Mayfield, he's always kind of in that
1285
01:04:50.840 --> 01:04:53.159
group right there. Like Baker Mayfield I think has kind
1286
01:04:53.159 --> 01:04:55.039
of become like the safe option for a lot of
1287
01:04:55.079 --> 01:04:57.760
people out there. And that's why there's been the whole
1288
01:04:57.800 --> 01:05:01.920
thing this offseason with having a long term contract extension
1289
01:05:01.960 --> 01:05:04.920
of oh, the Texans, you know, pivot to Baker Mayfield,
1290
01:05:04.920 --> 01:05:07.320
because it doesn't really seem like that Tampa Bay is
1291
01:05:07.360 --> 01:05:10.280
committed to him. Short of c J. Stroud completely falling
1292
01:05:10.320 --> 01:05:11.199
off the map this year.
1293
01:05:11.280 --> 01:05:11.519
C J.
1294
01:05:11.639 --> 01:05:14.920
Stroud will be signing a contract extension next year. I
1295
01:05:14.960 --> 01:05:18.039
think that if he is productive enough and he is
1296
01:05:18.239 --> 01:05:22.760
able to show you that you are at least warranted
1297
01:05:23.119 --> 01:05:26.719
in staking your immediate future to him, c J. Stroud
1298
01:05:26.719 --> 01:05:29.639
will get that contract extension and it's also too just
1299
01:05:29.679 --> 01:05:31.760
take a look at how Nick Cassio does his business.
1300
01:05:31.840 --> 01:05:35.760
Casario's not giving out these long term deals. He's given
1301
01:05:35.800 --> 01:05:38.760
out three year deals basically, and at that point it's
1302
01:05:38.800 --> 01:05:40.840
pretty much just a two year deal really, because in
1303
01:05:40.880 --> 01:05:43.360
that final year it's either you can just walk or
1304
01:05:43.840 --> 01:05:46.800
you can be able to you know, move on from there,
1305
01:05:47.119 --> 01:05:48.840
however you want to be able to do that. So
1306
01:05:49.079 --> 01:05:52.400
Mayfield's on here. Trevor Lawrence, I think in some ways
1307
01:05:52.480 --> 01:05:54.320
is kind of in the same position that CJ was,
1308
01:05:54.320 --> 01:05:57.440
because remember Lawrence was right almost kind of in that
1309
01:05:57.599 --> 01:06:00.440
Joe Burrow category for the longest time where it was
1310
01:06:00.760 --> 01:06:04.159
a strong postseason run there in either his first or
1311
01:06:04.199 --> 01:06:06.320
second year, I can't remember exactly which one it was,
1312
01:06:06.840 --> 01:06:09.320
but at least you looked like that the future was bright.
1313
01:06:09.599 --> 01:06:11.760
Then he went through some really lean times and last
1314
01:06:11.840 --> 01:06:14.519
year getting Liam Cohen it really helped him out, and
1315
01:06:14.559 --> 01:06:16.079
then you got Jalen Hurts on here.
1316
01:06:16.440 --> 01:06:16.760
C J.
1317
01:06:16.840 --> 01:06:19.920
Stroud was in the also receiving votes category with Bo
1318
01:06:20.039 --> 01:06:22.679
Nicks and with Daniel Jones. Again at a certain point,
1319
01:06:22.760 --> 01:06:27.480
what are we doing? But the overarching point of all
1320
01:06:27.519 --> 01:06:29.599
of this when it comes to c J. Stroud is
1321
01:06:29.639 --> 01:06:34.039
exactly what I said. It's two answers, who cares and
1322
01:06:34.079 --> 01:06:38.039
it doesn't matter the who cares is In some ways
1323
01:06:38.119 --> 01:06:41.239
you also have to remember what these lists are, especially
1324
01:06:41.480 --> 01:06:44.639
when you're talking to other team executives, coaches and scouts.
1325
01:06:45.239 --> 01:06:48.320
What is their primary job to make their team better?
1326
01:06:48.440 --> 01:06:52.280
To focus on their team. The only time that they
1327
01:06:52.360 --> 01:06:55.400
necessarily look at C. J. Stroud or any other team
1328
01:06:55.960 --> 01:06:58.800
is if they're playing them, or if they've got a
1329
01:06:58.800 --> 01:07:01.800
little downtime. At that point, they're just like, you know what,
1330
01:07:01.880 --> 01:07:04.079
I still need to self evaluate and look at my
1331
01:07:04.159 --> 01:07:07.400
own team. So that's that part of it. The it
1332
01:07:07.480 --> 01:07:11.039
doesn't matter is we've seen now the last couple of
1333
01:07:11.079 --> 01:07:15.679
Super Bowls that quarterback play is not necessarily a giant
1334
01:07:15.719 --> 01:07:18.440
indicator that you're going to be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy
1335
01:07:18.440 --> 01:07:21.119
when it's all said and done. The Philadelphia Eagles two
1336
01:07:21.159 --> 01:07:23.960
years ago, did anybody look at Jalen Hurts and say, oh,
1337
01:07:24.039 --> 01:07:26.320
he's the reason why this team is winning a Super Bowl.
1338
01:07:26.599 --> 01:07:26.679
No.
1339
01:07:27.239 --> 01:07:30.239
They looked at their defense, especially their defensive front, and
1340
01:07:30.280 --> 01:07:33.360
they looked at Saquon Barkley last year with the Seattle Seahawks,
1341
01:07:33.400 --> 01:07:36.159
and anybody look at Sam Donald and say Sam Donald
1342
01:07:36.199 --> 01:07:38.000
is the reason why the Seahawks were able to win
1343
01:07:38.039 --> 01:07:40.280
the Super Bowl. No, they looked at that defense, they
1344
01:07:40.280 --> 01:07:42.960
looked at Kenneth Walker, they looked at other parts of
1345
01:07:43.000 --> 01:07:46.239
that team as being reasons why you won the Super Bowl.
1346
01:07:46.519 --> 01:07:49.400
When it comes to CJ. Stroud, it's really pretty simple.
1347
01:07:49.440 --> 01:07:52.159
First and foremost this season for him, don't wreck the
1348
01:07:52.199 --> 01:07:55.119
car in the playoffs. Last year, you wrecked the car.
1349
01:07:55.199 --> 01:07:58.000
You totaled the car. As a matter of fact, the
1350
01:07:58.079 --> 01:08:00.719
insurance money is now in in your having to buy
1351
01:08:00.800 --> 01:08:03.440
a new car. And that's what the Texans did this offseason.
1352
01:08:03.840 --> 01:08:06.039
You finally looked at the offensive line and you said
1353
01:08:06.079 --> 01:08:08.760
it's time to spend money on that group. Kudos to
1354
01:08:08.800 --> 01:08:11.079
Nick SiO on that. You go out and get David
1355
01:08:11.079 --> 01:08:14.960
Montgomery again, kudos to Nick Cassario on that. So at
1356
01:08:15.000 --> 01:08:17.439
this point the excuses are out the window for CJ.
1357
01:08:17.640 --> 01:08:19.399
Like at least those last couple of years, you could
1358
01:08:19.399 --> 01:08:22.560
look at it and say, somewhat decent run game in
1359
01:08:22.560 --> 01:08:26.560
his second season and almost non existent in his third,
1360
01:08:26.920 --> 01:08:28.680
so you had a little bit more pressure on him.
1361
01:08:28.920 --> 01:08:31.359
He doesn't have that excuse anymore. You've spent the money
1362
01:08:31.399 --> 01:08:33.399
on the offensive line. You think that that group's going
1363
01:08:33.439 --> 01:08:34.960
to be able to come together and at least be
1364
01:08:35.079 --> 01:08:37.159
capable for you, which is something that I think a
1365
01:08:37.199 --> 01:08:39.720
lot of us when it comes to the Texans offensive line,
1366
01:08:39.720 --> 01:08:43.279
have been looking for. And then with Montgomery being here,
1367
01:08:43.560 --> 01:08:47.319
now you've got your primary back and Woody Marx can
1368
01:08:47.359 --> 01:08:49.760
go to being exactly what you planned on what he
1369
01:08:49.840 --> 01:08:51.840
Marx being, which is a guy that's about a ten
1370
01:08:51.880 --> 01:08:54.479
to fifteen touch a game type of guy and not
1371
01:08:54.600 --> 01:08:56.760
somebody that you're having to put an extra workload on
1372
01:08:57.039 --> 01:08:59.439
and is leaving games because he's got a knee issue
1373
01:08:59.479 --> 01:09:02.119
or an ankle or something like that, because he's just
1374
01:09:02.159 --> 01:09:04.079
not that player. He doesn't have that build. He's not
1375
01:09:04.119 --> 01:09:05.880
gonna be able to take on that type of workload
1376
01:09:05.960 --> 01:09:08.479
for you. In a pinch a game or two when
1377
01:09:08.520 --> 01:09:11.439
you have David Montgomery down, maybe he can, but for
1378
01:09:11.479 --> 01:09:13.439
the most part, you don't want to put that on him.
1379
01:09:13.840 --> 01:09:16.720
So I think that you've taken away a lot of
1380
01:09:16.760 --> 01:09:18.640
the things that you could point to with CJ and
1381
01:09:18.680 --> 01:09:21.800
Stay it's trying too much, it's trying too hard. In
1382
01:09:21.880 --> 01:09:24.399
this season, you would like to think that he is
1383
01:09:24.439 --> 01:09:26.760
able to be a little bit more free flowing, like
1384
01:09:26.800 --> 01:09:29.000
he was as a rookie, because that's the thing. I
1385
01:09:29.000 --> 01:09:31.520
think we expected a lot of this in his rookie
1386
01:09:31.600 --> 01:09:35.600
season and it never got to that point. It was
1387
01:09:35.800 --> 01:09:37.920
the complete opposite. As a matter of fact, we came
1388
01:09:37.920 --> 01:09:40.199
out of that rookie season being like, this is gonna
1389
01:09:40.199 --> 01:09:41.720
be fun, and this is gonna be fun for a
1390
01:09:41.720 --> 01:09:44.279
really long time. Then the league caught up to him.
1391
01:09:44.640 --> 01:09:47.560
You fired that oc, you brought in a new one.
1392
01:09:47.720 --> 01:09:49.159
There was a little bit of the growing pains with
1393
01:09:49.199 --> 01:09:52.880
that last year too. Again, everything's out the window now
1394
01:09:53.000 --> 01:09:54.760
for him in terms of what you can point to
1395
01:09:54.880 --> 01:09:57.479
because c J. Stroud plays poorly this year, it's c J.
1396
01:09:57.600 --> 01:10:00.359
Stroud is the problem. It's not everybody else is the problem.
1397
01:10:00.560 --> 01:10:03.399
You've alleviated a lot of those other things. Now it's
1398
01:10:03.439 --> 01:10:06.960
on him. But it is also important for him to remember,
1399
01:10:07.479 --> 01:10:09.520
you got that group on the other side, so you
1400
01:10:09.600 --> 01:10:11.920
don't have to be reckless out there, you don't have
1401
01:10:12.000 --> 01:10:13.800
to try too hard, you don't have to do all
1402
01:10:13.840 --> 01:10:16.680
these things. Because that's what the most frustrating part of
1403
01:10:16.720 --> 01:10:19.319
that loss to the Patriots was in the playoffs last year,
1404
01:10:19.399 --> 01:10:22.000
is it's like, if you throw two interceptions, you're probably
1405
01:10:22.039 --> 01:10:24.479
moving on and playing against New Englan or against Denver
1406
01:10:24.520 --> 01:10:27.399
the following week in the AFC Championship game. And that's
1407
01:10:27.439 --> 01:10:29.359
what hurts the most because you actually had a chance
1408
01:10:29.439 --> 01:10:31.800
last year to be able to move on to somewhere
1409
01:10:31.800 --> 01:10:34.279
that you'd never been in the past, and the Texans
1410
01:10:34.359 --> 01:10:37.119
just were unable to do that. So just a little
1411
01:10:37.159 --> 01:10:39.439
bit of thoughts on that when it comes to again
1412
01:10:39.720 --> 01:10:43.600
list season, and told talked about Peter King theory before,
1413
01:10:43.640 --> 01:10:46.439
and then I think is in many ways the executive
1414
01:10:46.520 --> 01:10:49.479
and coach and scout version of Peter King theory playing
1415
01:10:49.479 --> 01:10:52.359
out in real time. All Right, let's get back to
1416
01:10:52.359 --> 01:10:55.119
a little bit of baseball, and in this case it's
1417
01:10:55.199 --> 01:10:59.960
baseball adjacent. Because something happened with someone yesterday. Then I'm sorry,
1418
01:11:00.119 --> 01:11:02.079
I just can't shake it. I'm not buying it to
1419
01:11:02.159 --> 01:11:04.039
a certain point. We'll talk about it here. To close
1420
01:11:04.079 --> 01:11:07.239
out seven o'clock HOURDS the Morning Drive Sports Talk seven ninety.
1421
01:11:08.159 --> 01:11:13.000
Come back to Dan Matthews as the Morning Drive cruises off.
1422
01:11:14.399 --> 01:11:17.159
Sure some of you saw this news come down yesterday
1423
01:11:18.079 --> 01:11:21.880
as Bryce Harper had to release a statement as there's
1424
01:11:21.920 --> 01:11:26.439
a lawsuit out there, somebody is suing FanDuel And the
1425
01:11:27.079 --> 01:11:32.159
part that is that is part of this lawsuit is
1426
01:11:32.520 --> 01:11:38.479
a cameo that Harper did to the client of FANDUL,
1427
01:11:38.560 --> 01:11:43.680
who is suing them as means of he believes that
1428
01:11:44.079 --> 01:11:49.159
they influenced his gambling addiction and were a huge part
1429
01:11:49.199 --> 01:11:52.039
of why he had over two million dollars in losses,
1430
01:11:52.479 --> 01:11:55.560
and as part of it, Harper had supposedly done a
1431
01:11:55.560 --> 01:11:59.000
cameo where he reached out, and part of the opening
1432
01:11:59.000 --> 01:12:01.960
of the video that the Philadelphia Inquirer was able to
1433
01:12:02.000 --> 01:12:06.920
get was Harper saying, what's up, Terry? Your host Brittany
1434
01:12:06.920 --> 01:12:10.279
from FANDEL wanted to make sure your Thanksgiving was extra special?
1435
01:12:10.840 --> 01:12:14.840
And Thompson as Terry Thompson is the guy's name In
1436
01:12:14.920 --> 01:12:18.840
March suit FanDuel and VIP host Britney Morgan, along with DraftKings,
1437
01:12:18.880 --> 01:12:23.439
the NFL, and the league's official distributor, Genius Sports, claiming
1438
01:12:23.439 --> 01:12:27.199
that the sportsbooks caused him to become addicted and leading
1439
01:12:27.239 --> 01:12:32.039
to approximately two million dollars in betting losses. And Harper
1440
01:12:32.079 --> 01:12:37.039
released a statement yesterday saying, had I known Fandel's true intent,
1441
01:12:37.239 --> 01:12:39.760
I would not have made the video. The same is
1442
01:12:39.800 --> 01:12:42.800
true had I known anything about Terry or his situation,
1443
01:12:43.239 --> 01:12:47.880
about any alleged partnership between Cameo and FanDuel, saying that
1444
01:12:47.920 --> 01:12:50.680
he did not consent to being used as part of
1445
01:12:50.720 --> 01:12:53.359
a promotion with FanDuel or anything else of the sort.
1446
01:12:53.880 --> 01:12:55.960
The part that I just can't get by with this
1447
01:12:56.399 --> 01:12:59.640
is that line and exactly what they had here in
1448
01:12:59.640 --> 01:13:04.840
the art from Philadelphia Enquire of what Harper said in
1449
01:13:04.880 --> 01:13:07.119
the video, It's like, what did you think you were doing?
1450
01:13:07.159 --> 01:13:07.359
Then?
1451
01:13:07.720 --> 01:13:11.279
Like, that's the part that I can't get past. I'm like, Okay,
1452
01:13:11.640 --> 01:13:15.680
you're clearly saying and reading a script here that's part
1453
01:13:15.720 --> 01:13:19.199
of this video that you did with Cameo, and you're
1454
01:13:19.239 --> 01:13:23.239
mentioning a company by name, and you're also mentioning somebody
1455
01:13:23.319 --> 01:13:26.640
with said company by name. Do you not think that
1456
01:13:26.640 --> 01:13:28.399
that's going to be used that way? Like, in some
1457
01:13:28.439 --> 01:13:29.960
ways it is one of those that you've got to
1458
01:13:30.039 --> 01:13:35.439
use discretion because obviously part of this business is live reads, promotion,
1459
01:13:35.760 --> 01:13:37.880
all of those things. I get all of that, but
1460
01:13:37.960 --> 01:13:40.159
all the time you'll have people who will, hey, can
1461
01:13:40.199 --> 01:13:41.720
you do us a favor? Can you do us this?
1462
01:13:42.279 --> 01:13:43.239
What's this about?
1463
01:13:43.439 --> 01:13:43.760
Oh?
1464
01:13:43.800 --> 01:13:46.800
You know we're having this event? Are you a sponsor?
1465
01:13:47.439 --> 01:13:47.520
No?
1466
01:13:48.119 --> 01:13:51.159
Okay, well then no, I can't do it, Like it's
1467
01:13:51.760 --> 01:13:54.319
if I'm representing the company that's pay all of that's
1468
01:13:54.319 --> 01:13:57.319
plug aal that it can't do it. Like just you
1469
01:13:57.399 --> 01:13:59.880
got to say no in those situations because it's against
1470
01:14:00.079 --> 01:14:03.680
rules first and foremost. So that's the part with me
1471
01:14:04.239 --> 01:14:06.279
that I'm just kind of like, Okay, you can say
1472
01:14:06.279 --> 01:14:10.119
that you didn't know, but it's like the benefit of
1473
01:14:10.159 --> 01:14:12.560
the doubt that I could possibly give Harper on this
1474
01:14:13.000 --> 01:14:15.640
is that I mean you kind of more or less
1475
01:14:15.720 --> 01:14:18.000
just did this as a throwaway, because that's what it is.
1476
01:14:18.039 --> 01:14:20.039
I mean, you get a cameo, you're just kind of like,
1477
01:14:20.159 --> 01:14:22.199
you know, just do a quick video, Hey, what's going on.
1478
01:14:22.239 --> 01:14:24.000
I hope you have a great graduation, hope you have
1479
01:14:24.039 --> 01:14:26.479
a merry Christmas or whatever it is, and you just
1480
01:14:26.560 --> 01:14:28.279
send it on and it's just kind of out of side,
1481
01:14:28.279 --> 01:14:31.319
out of mind. I could totally understand that part of it.
1482
01:14:31.680 --> 01:14:33.840
But when you're mentioning somebody and you're mentioning a company
1483
01:14:33.880 --> 01:14:36.000
by name, like it is kind of like for me,
1484
01:14:36.159 --> 01:14:39.119
that goes out the window a little bit. Like it's like, okay,
1485
01:14:39.359 --> 01:14:41.720
like think about it at this point, like if somebody
1486
01:14:41.960 --> 01:14:44.640
say I we're on cameo and you know, I've got
1487
01:14:44.680 --> 01:14:49.000
a sponsor that's a sports bar, but a competitive sports bar.
1488
01:14:49.439 --> 01:14:51.239
Somebody reached out and was like, you know, hey, can
1489
01:14:51.279 --> 01:14:53.720
you read doing this? Then I'm gonna look at it
1490
01:14:53.880 --> 01:14:57.079
and read it hopefully and say no, like I have
1491
01:14:57.119 --> 01:14:59.520
a sponsor, like and then I can understand that they're
1492
01:14:59.520 --> 01:15:02.239
gonna be piss at me for doing this for a
1493
01:15:02.279 --> 01:15:05.039
competitor out there that could possibly take away business from them.
1494
01:15:05.239 --> 01:15:08.079
Then I could lose that business. Like It's like, I
1495
01:15:08.079 --> 01:15:10.319
guess if nothing else, it's kind of a lesson here
1496
01:15:10.439 --> 01:15:13.359
of using a little bit more discretion, which for a
1497
01:15:13.399 --> 01:15:15.760
guy in the public spotlight as long as Harper has been,
1498
01:15:16.159 --> 01:15:18.279
I'm really kind of surprised that he put himself in
1499
01:15:18.279 --> 01:15:20.880
this position. I don't think he intentionally did it. I
1500
01:15:20.880 --> 01:15:23.359
will ride with them on that, but I also too
1501
01:15:23.399 --> 01:15:25.880
him a little bit like, dude, like, you're not a
1502
01:15:25.880 --> 01:15:28.359
babe in the woods here, okay, Like you've been doing
1503
01:15:28.359 --> 01:15:31.359
this long enough. You understand too that people are going
1504
01:15:31.399 --> 01:15:33.720
to approach you in a lot of ways. It's going
1505
01:15:33.800 --> 01:15:36.760
to benefit them more than it's going to benefit you. So,
1506
01:15:37.119 --> 01:15:39.680
I mean, it is part of why they tell a
1507
01:15:39.720 --> 01:15:41.840
lot of these guys when they're young in their careers
1508
01:15:41.960 --> 01:15:45.119
get used to saying no, because you will have people
1509
01:15:45.119 --> 01:15:47.800
who will take advantage of situations like this. You'll have
1510
01:15:47.840 --> 01:15:49.760
people all the time. I get dms all the time,
1511
01:15:49.760 --> 01:15:51.000
Hey can you promote this event?
1512
01:15:51.359 --> 01:15:51.439
No?
1513
01:15:51.520 --> 01:15:56.560
I cannot. Like no, it's and in some ways it's
1514
01:15:56.680 --> 01:15:59.079
a lot of all right, are you are you promoting,
1515
01:15:59.279 --> 01:16:01.560
like with paid promotion to do this?
1516
01:16:02.039 --> 01:16:02.159
Then?
1517
01:16:02.279 --> 01:16:04.079
Is because if that's the case, and I clear up
1518
01:16:04.079 --> 01:16:06.479
the bosses, then yeah, maybe we can work something out.
1519
01:16:06.840 --> 01:16:09.399
But unless it's that, no, it's exactly the things that
1520
01:16:09.439 --> 01:16:12.479
are against the rules that we've talked about. So just
1521
01:16:12.840 --> 01:16:15.760
I saw that yesterday and I you know, again, I
1522
01:16:15.760 --> 01:16:18.039
don't think there was any ill intent here, but it
1523
01:16:18.159 --> 01:16:21.640
is one of those that sometimes your intent doesn't necessarily
1524
01:16:21.680 --> 01:16:23.399
matter at a certain point, kind of like I heard
1525
01:16:23.399 --> 01:16:26.000
this example years ago. Oh that wasn't my intent. Well
1526
01:16:26.000 --> 01:16:28.119
did you intend to hit somebody with your car? Because
1527
01:16:28.159 --> 01:16:31.680
you did so. I mean, your intent doesn't necessarily matter
1528
01:16:31.720 --> 01:16:34.680
at that point. The act itself, even if you didn't
1529
01:16:34.720 --> 01:16:38.039
intentionally do it, was still done. So that's what I
1530
01:16:38.079 --> 01:16:39.760
think kind of was at play here. All Right, eight
1531
01:16:39.800 --> 01:16:42.880
o'clock hour is upon us. Don't forget bottom of this hour.
1532
01:16:42.960 --> 01:16:45.960
Carlos Colaso Baseball America, gonna hop in with us, Gordy
1533
01:16:46.239 --> 01:16:49.880
hopping in with us. Next, what are the actual expectations
1534
01:16:49.880 --> 01:16:52.960
for the Astros? Sixty four games left to go in
1535
01:16:53.000 --> 01:16:55.199
this season. Talk about that much more as we continue.
1536
01:16:55.239 --> 01:16:58.359
It's the Morning Drive Sports Talk seven ninety.
1537
01:16:58.560 --> 01:17:03.319
He used to ah Houston, home of the Astro and
1538
01:17:03.399 --> 01:17:08.319
the Rockets. Sports Talk seven ninety your home for your
1539
01:17:08.399 --> 01:17:17.600
home teams, an iHeartRadio station, guaranteed youman, this is the
1540
01:17:17.840 --> 01:17:18.960
Morning Drive.
1541
01:17:23.359 --> 01:17:25.800
MLB All Star Game coming up tonight. You were on
1542
01:17:25.880 --> 01:17:28.079
Alvarez in the starting lineup as a DH with the
1543
01:17:28.119 --> 01:17:32.840
American League Home run Derby. Last night the Cardinals, Jordan
1544
01:17:32.920 --> 01:17:38.119
Walker winning it over Kyle Schwarber and World Cup semifinals.
1545
01:17:38.439 --> 01:17:41.880
Today you're gonna get France and Spain tomorrow, England and
1546
01:17:42.199 --> 01:17:46.199
Argentina for a chance of the finals on Sundays. Seven
1547
01:17:46.199 --> 01:17:49.239
one three, two, one two five, seven ninety is number
1548
01:17:49.279 --> 01:17:51.680
to get in. Gordy's gonna hop in with us here
1549
01:17:51.720 --> 01:17:54.960
in just a couple of minutes, says, don't forget Carlos
1550
01:17:55.039 --> 01:17:58.920
Colaso from Baseball America, gonna hop on with us here
1551
01:17:58.960 --> 01:18:01.079
in the bottom of the hour is the Astros at
1552
01:18:01.159 --> 01:18:03.920
least time of the year, we can start looking and
1553
01:18:03.960 --> 01:18:06.359
seeing what does the future look like. I mean, when
1554
01:18:06.399 --> 01:18:08.000
you've got a little bit of a pause here, you
1555
01:18:08.039 --> 01:18:09.640
can start to do a little bit of not only
1556
01:18:09.760 --> 01:18:12.439
evaluation of the twenty six man roster you got, but
1557
01:18:12.560 --> 01:18:15.199
also too, I mean, what could be coming up, you know,
1558
01:18:15.439 --> 01:18:19.119
sometime down the road. And the Astros added twenty two
1559
01:18:19.119 --> 01:18:20.960
players as part of the draft, so a couple of
1560
01:18:21.039 --> 01:18:22.920
days removed from that. And I want to be able
1561
01:18:22.960 --> 01:18:26.880
to pick Carlos's brain on that one, as he was
1562
01:18:27.119 --> 01:18:30.119
part of MLB Networks coverage of the draft too, so
1563
01:18:30.600 --> 01:18:33.239
if you're watching it over the weekend, you probably saw him.
1564
01:18:33.319 --> 01:18:36.840
But the expectations though for the final sixty four games
1565
01:18:36.880 --> 01:18:41.640
of the regular season for the Astros and Gordy at
1566
01:18:41.720 --> 01:18:44.720
least you know where the Astros sit right now. It
1567
01:18:44.800 --> 01:18:47.039
is kind of one of those you know, what do
1568
01:18:47.079 --> 01:18:48.359
we have working for us?
1569
01:18:48.600 --> 01:18:48.840
You know?
1570
01:18:48.960 --> 01:18:52.399
Is kind of the question that I think you ask yourself. Well,
1571
01:18:52.399 --> 01:18:54.880
they said four games under five hundred, they're forty seven
1572
01:18:54.880 --> 01:18:57.439
and fifty one. They're three games out of first behind
1573
01:18:57.439 --> 01:19:01.279
the Rangers in the Al West, and they are what
1574
01:19:01.520 --> 01:19:04.640
half a game a game back in the wildcard, so
1575
01:19:04.680 --> 01:19:07.800
they're very much in this thing. I think the expectation
1576
01:19:08.159 --> 01:19:10.920
is pretty simple when it comes to the Astros is
1577
01:19:12.159 --> 01:19:15.800
make the postseason, win a postseason series. Is that just
1578
01:19:15.880 --> 01:19:18.920
a wildcard series? I think if you're able to do that,
1579
01:19:19.199 --> 01:19:21.479
then you can look at this twenty twenty six season
1580
01:19:21.640 --> 01:19:24.680
and at least say, Okay, this thing isn't completely off
1581
01:19:24.680 --> 01:19:27.720
the rails. There's still a competitive enough team, but it's
1582
01:19:27.760 --> 01:19:31.119
competitive enough enough to be able to keep people around.
1583
01:19:33.119 --> 01:19:35.520
Yeah, I think just make the playoffs since would be
1584
01:19:35.600 --> 01:19:39.840
an accomplishment considering on you know, what was it earlier
1585
01:19:39.960 --> 01:19:43.920
earlier this year on May eighteenth, you were eleven games
1586
01:19:43.960 --> 01:19:47.640
below five hundred. You were nineteen and thirty. So you know,
1587
01:19:47.760 --> 01:19:50.039
to me, that would be just to make the playoffs
1588
01:19:50.039 --> 01:19:51.199
would be quite accomplishment.
1589
01:19:51.239 --> 01:19:52.880
Now, yeah, you'd love.
1590
01:19:52.760 --> 01:19:55.960
To see them win a series, even if it's just
1591
01:19:56.000 --> 01:19:59.079
a wildcard series. It would be a step forward. I mean,
1592
01:20:00.359 --> 01:20:02.039
and that's the kind of thing that sucks. Is as
1593
01:20:02.159 --> 01:20:04.920
nice of a guy as Joe a Spot is, you know,
1594
01:20:04.960 --> 01:20:06.680
as good of a guy as he as I think
1595
01:20:06.680 --> 01:20:11.159
he is, it's a tough you know, it's a tough
1596
01:20:11.720 --> 01:20:14.680
sell that, you know, if if they make the lock
1597
01:20:14.720 --> 01:20:17.600
card and then don't win this year, it'll be three
1598
01:20:17.680 --> 01:20:21.600
years under his watch and having not won anything coming
1599
01:20:21.600 --> 01:20:25.279
off of what seventh straight ALCS appearances, So it is
1600
01:20:25.359 --> 01:20:27.680
quite a step back. You know, you want to see
1601
01:20:27.720 --> 01:20:32.359
them get back to some kind of postseason success. You
1602
01:20:32.399 --> 01:20:35.359
know again that that that bar has has moved from
1603
01:20:35.520 --> 01:20:38.159
the expectation of, man, we are a World Series contender
1604
01:20:38.239 --> 01:20:40.800
year in a year out to now just hey, can
1605
01:20:40.800 --> 01:20:42.119
we can we make the playoffs?
1606
01:20:42.199 --> 01:20:43.199
Can we win the division?
1607
01:20:43.359 --> 01:20:47.159
So again, give them credit for what they've dug themselves
1608
01:20:47.159 --> 01:20:49.319
out of, but I would say just the fact that
1609
01:20:49.359 --> 01:20:52.279
you were eleven games below five hundred and in late
1610
01:20:52.399 --> 01:20:55.319
May would be it would be quite an accomplishment just
1611
01:20:55.359 --> 01:20:56.319
to make the postseason.
1612
01:20:56.600 --> 01:20:59.680
Well, and that's the thing too, is that I understand
1613
01:20:59.800 --> 01:21:04.039
XS changing, Like I get that and I'm fully there
1614
01:21:04.079 --> 01:21:07.239
for it, Like you should never apologize for wanting your
1615
01:21:07.279 --> 01:21:10.960
team to reach set expectations. And when you started making
1616
01:21:11.039 --> 01:21:15.079
world serious and even before that ALCS is then yeah,
1617
01:21:15.159 --> 01:21:17.920
that became the expectation. Just making the postseason was not
1618
01:21:17.960 --> 01:21:20.760
good enough anymore. And I think that that's what was
1619
01:21:20.800 --> 01:21:23.479
probably a little jarring in twenty twenty four, where you
1620
01:21:23.560 --> 01:21:26.479
lose that series of the Tigers, and you're kind of like, WHOA,
1621
01:21:26.560 --> 01:21:28.520
what do you mean? Like we don't even make it
1622
01:21:28.560 --> 01:21:31.439
to the ALDS. Like it's been in the past, the
1623
01:21:31.520 --> 01:21:34.039
ALDS has almost been a footnote. I mean, it was
1624
01:21:34.199 --> 01:21:36.960
more or less except for the year against the Tampa
1625
01:21:37.000 --> 01:21:40.239
Bay Rays, which is twenty nineteen, that you've been able
1626
01:21:40.239 --> 01:21:43.159
to get through the DS in three four games at
1627
01:21:43.159 --> 01:21:46.199
the worst and be able to move on to the ALCS.
1628
01:21:46.239 --> 01:21:49.079
Now that you always win in the ALCS. No, So
1629
01:21:49.279 --> 01:21:51.800
I get that part of it, But I think it
1630
01:21:51.840 --> 01:21:55.359
is also though, too, even with those high expectations, don't
1631
01:21:55.399 --> 01:21:58.079
you think that it is also kind of incumbent upon
1632
01:21:58.159 --> 01:22:01.680
us to be honest with what you actually have at
1633
01:22:01.680 --> 01:22:04.359
this point, Because this is a team right now that
1634
01:22:04.399 --> 01:22:07.800
you look at. It's a starting rotation that is shaky
1635
01:22:07.880 --> 01:22:11.800
at best. It is a bullpen that probably outside of
1636
01:22:11.880 --> 01:22:14.359
Josh Hater, you look at everybody else and you're kind
1637
01:22:14.399 --> 01:22:17.119
of like, I hope at a certain point. And it's
1638
01:22:17.119 --> 01:22:20.279
a starting lineup too that is incredibly top heavy, and
1639
01:22:20.319 --> 01:22:23.079
even the part that is supposed to be more productive
1640
01:22:23.159 --> 01:22:25.279
for you at times is inconsistent.
1641
01:22:27.800 --> 01:22:31.079
Well, I would just say, look, punch your ticket to
1642
01:22:31.119 --> 01:22:34.000
the postseason. Anything can happen. We've seen teams get hot.
1643
01:22:34.079 --> 01:22:36.840
I mean, you you covered the Braves that year when
1644
01:22:36.880 --> 01:22:39.640
they were not looking so hot, hit you know, midway
1645
01:22:39.680 --> 01:22:42.199
through the season and then made some moves at the
1646
01:22:42.239 --> 01:22:44.159
trade deadline and got hot and became one of the
1647
01:22:44.359 --> 01:22:47.680
hottest teams in baseball into the postseason, ended up winning
1648
01:22:47.680 --> 01:22:48.479
a World Series.
1649
01:22:49.000 --> 01:22:50.880
You know, the Washington Nationals is the same thing that
1650
01:22:51.000 --> 01:22:52.000
year that they beat you.
1651
01:22:52.119 --> 01:22:56.000
So you know, I look at the Blue Jays last
1652
01:22:56.079 --> 01:22:59.800
year and you know, yes, they won the Al e,
1653
01:23:00.159 --> 01:23:03.039
but you know, we're people predicting them to take the
1654
01:23:03.079 --> 01:23:05.840
Dodgers to seven games and possibly and almost win the
1655
01:23:05.840 --> 01:23:06.560
World Series.
1656
01:23:06.600 --> 01:23:09.600
It's just once you get in, anything can happen.
1657
01:23:10.119 --> 01:23:14.560
And so that's that's the thought, is this team has talent,
1658
01:23:15.199 --> 01:23:17.760
you know, and and who knows. Maybe you get to
1659
01:23:18.000 --> 01:23:20.479
remember Spencerraghetti that that month and a half where he
1660
01:23:20.600 --> 01:23:23.359
was just lights out, you know, your best pitcher, hands down.
1661
01:23:24.079 --> 01:23:25.319
What if something like that happens.
1662
01:23:25.319 --> 01:23:28.359
What if you get to the playoffs and Tatsuyami suddenly
1663
01:23:28.399 --> 01:23:31.399
decides to pitch like his you know, throw his best
1664
01:23:31.439 --> 01:23:32.039
of the season.
1665
01:23:32.319 --> 01:23:33.439
Something like that could happen.
1666
01:23:33.560 --> 01:23:36.319
So that's why I always say, just just punch your ticket,
1667
01:23:36.399 --> 01:23:39.399
because you know, when you get into these series, particular
1668
01:23:39.479 --> 01:23:41.840
wildcard series, man, you just gotta you just gotta have
1669
01:23:41.880 --> 01:23:46.159
two good pitching performances and that's it. So you know,
1670
01:23:46.239 --> 01:23:48.560
again the askers are starting to get healthy, they're starting
1671
01:23:48.560 --> 01:23:51.319
to get some of their big arms back, you know,
1672
01:23:51.399 --> 01:23:54.840
adding some depth. Just just get in, just get in.
1673
01:23:54.960 --> 01:23:55.720
Anything can happen.
1674
01:23:55.920 --> 01:23:57.880
Well, I mean the tot seum I part of it.
1675
01:23:57.880 --> 01:24:01.119
It's necessary, like it's it's a non negotiable. Actually, like
1676
01:24:01.520 --> 01:24:03.399
as I said earlier when I was talking about it,
1677
01:24:03.399 --> 01:24:05.279
and I know that me and Josh Jordan talked about
1678
01:24:05.279 --> 01:24:07.920
it about a week and a half ago, where at
1679
01:24:07.920 --> 01:24:10.239
the time he had made twelve starts and in four
1680
01:24:10.279 --> 01:24:11.720
of those starts he had not gotten out of the
1681
01:24:11.760 --> 01:24:14.760
third inning. I got to have those out of his system, Gordy,
1682
01:24:15.039 --> 01:24:16.880
Like the rest of the way, the money that you're
1683
01:24:16.880 --> 01:24:19.800
paying them, I understand the expectations you put on them,
1684
01:24:19.840 --> 01:24:22.319
and you can say that they're unfair, but the moral
1685
01:24:22.319 --> 01:24:25.039
of the story is is that this is what us
1686
01:24:25.079 --> 01:24:28.119
as the fan base, we're being sold on him, that
1687
01:24:28.239 --> 01:24:31.359
he was a front of the rotation, dominant pitcher and
1688
01:24:31.399 --> 01:24:34.279
we've seen it at times, but the problem is now
1689
01:24:34.359 --> 01:24:37.239
it's one of those that we're over the excuses. We
1690
01:24:37.239 --> 01:24:39.600
don't want to hear any more about adjustments, and we're
1691
01:24:39.640 --> 01:24:42.600
trying to get them used to baseball. Over here. You've
1692
01:24:42.600 --> 01:24:45.199
played ninety eight games in the season. You've made a
1693
01:24:45.520 --> 01:24:48.520
really good amount of a sample size of starts for
1694
01:24:48.680 --> 01:24:51.239
us to start to wonder, all right, are you ever
1695
01:24:51.359 --> 01:24:53.880
even going to right have reached that point? And that's
1696
01:24:53.920 --> 01:24:55.800
what's needed out of them. Am I expecting for him
1697
01:24:55.840 --> 01:24:57.800
to go out there and give you quality outings every
1698
01:24:57.800 --> 01:25:01.439
single time ten to eleven strikeout? No, But I'm also
1699
01:25:01.600 --> 01:25:03.079
expecting you to be able to get out of the
1700
01:25:03.119 --> 01:25:05.359
first inning, which at times has been a challenge for him.
1701
01:25:07.199 --> 01:25:10.600
Yeah, And I mean it's it's just been frustrating all around.
1702
01:25:11.039 --> 01:25:13.840
For so long, we the askers just had an embarrassment
1703
01:25:13.840 --> 01:25:16.279
of riches when it came to starting pitching, and you
1704
01:25:16.439 --> 01:25:19.039
just felt like it was it felt like it was
1705
01:25:19.079 --> 01:25:21.399
always a spot you didn't really have to worry about.
1706
01:25:21.560 --> 01:25:23.399
And and yeah, you go back to the years of
1707
01:25:24.119 --> 01:25:28.399
Garrett Cole and uh and Justin Verlander and you know,
1708
01:25:28.640 --> 01:25:30.920
Zach Greggy and all that. I mean, that was possibly
1709
01:25:30.960 --> 01:25:34.960
the best, the best rotation in baseball. But even with
1710
01:25:35.039 --> 01:25:37.600
the emergence of Hunter Brown and then Ronel Blanco was
1711
01:25:37.640 --> 01:25:38.520
really good for you.
1712
01:25:38.720 --> 01:25:41.159
And Frombert was you know, was solid every year. You
1713
01:25:41.239 --> 01:25:42.239
knew what you were getting in him.
1714
01:25:42.279 --> 01:25:44.439
It just felt like, I felt like starting pitching you
1715
01:25:44.439 --> 01:25:46.880
didn't have to really worry about. And it is crazy
1716
01:25:46.960 --> 01:25:51.079
considering all these additions you made this offseason and you
1717
01:25:51.079 --> 01:25:53.800
know they were it was a priority. Dana Brown made
1718
01:25:53.840 --> 01:25:57.680
pitching a priority this offseason. It just has not panned
1719
01:25:57.720 --> 01:26:02.279
out for whatever reason. Mike Burrows, Uh, just total disaster
1720
01:26:02.479 --> 01:26:02.880
so far.
1721
01:26:03.479 --> 01:26:03.640
Uh.
1722
01:26:03.720 --> 01:26:07.279
Tatsuya my pretty much a disaster in terms of a
1723
01:26:07.279 --> 01:26:10.319
guy that you spent big free agent money on and
1724
01:26:10.399 --> 01:26:13.239
he took a flyer on Ryan Weiss that backfire that
1725
01:26:13.319 --> 01:26:14.039
didn't work out.
1726
01:26:14.840 --> 01:26:15.000
You know.
1727
01:26:15.079 --> 01:26:17.239
Nate Pearson you brought in with the thought of maybe
1728
01:26:17.279 --> 01:26:19.239
he could, you know, be a spot starter.
1729
01:26:19.319 --> 01:26:20.319
We haven't seen that yet.
1730
01:26:20.840 --> 01:26:20.960
Uh.
1731
01:26:21.039 --> 01:26:23.239
Kywa Tungue, we saw that. You know, it was good
1732
01:26:23.279 --> 01:26:25.560
for a stretch, but I think you exhausted that one
1733
01:26:26.079 --> 01:26:28.399
and then you're younger guys that you thought maybe there
1734
01:26:28.439 --> 01:26:33.880
could be something there. Colton Gordon not you know, not great.
1735
01:26:34.039 --> 01:26:34.840
You know, Jason.
1736
01:26:34.600 --> 01:26:36.800
Alexander was a guy took a flyer on last year
1737
01:26:37.199 --> 01:26:39.920
was pretty good for you, not good this year. So
1738
01:26:40.800 --> 01:26:43.199
you know, aj Blue Boss basically been relegated to an
1739
01:26:43.199 --> 01:26:47.359
extended bullpen guy. So you know, Peter Lambert is the
1740
01:26:47.359 --> 01:26:50.039
one big bright spot of this pitching staff so far
1741
01:26:50.119 --> 01:26:50.520
this year.
1742
01:26:50.920 --> 01:26:52.239
You know, Hunter Brown's back.
1743
01:26:52.319 --> 01:26:55.199
He seems to be healthy now, but hasn't been as
1744
01:26:55.279 --> 01:26:58.439
dominant self yet. You got to get this thing settled
1745
01:26:58.439 --> 01:27:00.000
in the second half. The Astros are gonna make up
1746
01:27:00.119 --> 01:27:04.119
season run. They've got to get this rotation settled. And again,
1747
01:27:04.159 --> 01:27:05.800
the good news is you're gonna have options. Ron El
1748
01:27:05.840 --> 01:27:10.039
Blanco's knocking on the door. You know, Christian Havier obviously
1749
01:27:10.079 --> 01:27:15.000
made his first start back. You know, Hayden wiz Nesky
1750
01:27:15.119 --> 01:27:16.960
is gonna be back real soon. So you're gonna have
1751
01:27:17.039 --> 01:27:20.359
some options. And you can say, well, we're just gonna
1752
01:27:20.359 --> 01:27:23.000
throw the best five guys out there, but man, you
1753
01:27:23.079 --> 01:27:26.159
need some names to emerge. Like you know, it's if
1754
01:27:26.159 --> 01:27:29.039
they're going out there sticking up the joint. You know,
1755
01:27:29.079 --> 01:27:31.840
what do you do if you got eight guys and
1756
01:27:32.079 --> 01:27:33.039
six of them stink?
1757
01:27:33.239 --> 01:27:35.319
How do you figure out who your best five is?
1758
01:27:36.239 --> 01:27:37.960
Yeah, it's kind of the problem. I mean, you took
1759
01:27:37.960 --> 01:27:39.760
a gamble on a lot of guys this year, and
1760
01:27:39.880 --> 01:27:42.079
I mean, as you know, I've been talking about Gordy.
1761
01:27:42.119 --> 01:27:44.800
I mean, it seems like that ideally you want to
1762
01:27:44.840 --> 01:27:46.960
take a chance on a guy or two because then
1763
01:27:46.960 --> 01:27:49.159
if it doesn't work out, then you can kind of
1764
01:27:49.159 --> 01:27:51.000
fill it in the rest of the way. But I mean,
1765
01:27:51.039 --> 01:27:53.239
as you just laid out for us right there, I mean,
1766
01:27:53.359 --> 01:27:55.439
Dana Brown and the Astros took a chance on about
1767
01:27:55.439 --> 01:27:57.439
four or five guys this year, and really only one
1768
01:27:57.479 --> 01:28:00.159
of them, Peter Lambert, has worked out so far. But
1769
01:28:00.560 --> 01:28:03.840
maybe just with the Astros, they need some stabilization in
1770
01:28:03.880 --> 01:28:08.800
the starting rotation and possibly, just possibly the key to
1771
01:28:08.920 --> 01:28:11.840
being able to stabilize this rotation is in their back pocket.
1772
01:28:12.199 --> 01:28:14.199
Talk about it next right here as we continue, it's
1773
01:28:14.239 --> 01:28:16.920
the Morning Drive Sports Talks seven to ninety. Hey, Mari
1774
01:28:17.079 --> 01:28:19.399
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1775
01:28:19.439 --> 01:28:21.880
him again because I can't talk about him enough. I mean, again,
1776
01:28:22.600 --> 01:28:25.399
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1777
01:28:25.760 --> 01:28:28.840
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1778
01:28:28.880 --> 01:28:31.359
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01:28:31.399 --> 01:28:34.479
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1780
01:28:34.520 --> 01:28:36.840
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1781
01:28:36.920 --> 01:28:39.479
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1782
01:28:39.479 --> 01:28:42.560
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1783
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01:28:45.399 --> 01:28:47.159
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1785
01:28:47.199 --> 01:28:49.319
Same goes for those polos too. It's great for the
1786
01:28:49.319 --> 01:28:52.159
golf course, great for a nice dinner, great to be
1787
01:28:52.199 --> 01:28:54.760
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1788
01:28:54.800 --> 01:28:57.000
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1789
01:28:57.000 --> 01:28:58.800
way of the water cooler scene. Hey man, it's a
1790
01:28:58.800 --> 01:29:01.520
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1792
01:29:04.119 --> 01:29:06.640
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1793
01:29:06.640 --> 01:29:09.239
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1794
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which was twenty five percent off. They're running sales all
1796
01:29:13.800 --> 01:29:16.159
the time. So anytime you open up Cobe Stevens dot com,
1797
01:29:16.159 --> 01:29:18.359
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1804
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It's all gas, no breaks, Each time Sports.
1805
01:29:37.880 --> 01:29:43.079
This is the Morning Drive with Dan Matthews.
1806
01:29:44.079 --> 01:29:45.840
I mean, just talking about a lot of the guys
1807
01:29:45.880 --> 01:29:48.920
that they have where Hunter Brown, even with some of
1808
01:29:48.920 --> 01:29:51.399
his struggles, I mean, you do appreciate that he did
1809
01:29:51.439 --> 01:29:54.000
what an ace is supposed to do on Friday. He
1810
01:29:54.039 --> 01:29:55.840
didn't have his best stuff, but he still got you
1811
01:29:55.920 --> 01:29:59.039
deep into the game, so that's appreciated. It's just a
1812
01:29:59.079 --> 01:30:01.399
little bit of the the first four starts after the
1813
01:30:01.479 --> 01:30:04.399
shoulder injury, two of them have been incredibly shaky. One
1814
01:30:04.439 --> 01:30:08.000
of them it was a really good game plan by
1815
01:30:08.079 --> 01:30:11.479
the Toronto Blue Jays, and then in the Rays start
1816
01:30:11.520 --> 01:30:13.239
he just got hit around. I mean, there was just
1817
01:30:13.319 --> 01:30:16.239
no ways to be able to talk about it other
1818
01:30:16.319 --> 01:30:19.640
than that. The guy that's been the second most reliable,
1819
01:30:19.640 --> 01:30:23.720
at least in the most recent times has been Peter Lambert.
1820
01:30:23.720 --> 01:30:26.159
There's no question about it. So then it's everybody else,
1821
01:30:26.279 --> 01:30:30.720
which that's been the problem. Everybody else has been incredibly inconsistent.
1822
01:30:30.800 --> 01:30:33.600
You got consistency early on in the season from Spencer
1823
01:30:33.600 --> 01:30:36.720
Araghetti that has since kind of gone by the wayside,
1824
01:30:36.720 --> 01:30:38.960
and especially his last start, and then Tatsu and I
1825
01:30:39.119 --> 01:30:41.520
throw him in there too. I think a guy that's
1826
01:30:41.520 --> 01:30:43.439
a key to being able to stabilize this thing in
1827
01:30:43.479 --> 01:30:45.319
the immediate and you brought him up in the last
1828
01:30:45.319 --> 01:30:48.680
segment is Renel Blanco. I think that Renel Blanco is
1829
01:30:48.720 --> 01:30:51.159
a type of guy that, yes, he is coming off
1830
01:30:51.159 --> 01:30:53.520
to Tommy John and there probably is going to have
1831
01:30:53.560 --> 01:30:55.560
to be some patients in terms of him being able
1832
01:30:55.560 --> 01:30:58.720
to build up. But if the Astros are able to
1833
01:30:58.720 --> 01:31:01.479
reach the postseason this year and you are able to
1834
01:31:01.479 --> 01:31:04.199
get better starting pitching, I think that Renel Blanco is
1835
01:31:04.239 --> 01:31:05.600
going to be a guy that you're gonna look at
1836
01:31:05.600 --> 01:31:07.920
and say, he stabilized the middle of this rotation.
1837
01:31:10.000 --> 01:31:13.520
Yeah, and you go back to you know, a couple
1838
01:31:13.560 --> 01:31:16.560
of seasons ago. I mean he was a he comes up,
1839
01:31:17.920 --> 01:31:20.399
you know, make some make some appearances. In twenty two
1840
01:31:20.600 --> 01:31:22.560
kind of showed you a little bit of what he
1841
01:31:22.600 --> 01:31:26.279
could do, but twenty twenty three got kind of got
1842
01:31:26.279 --> 01:31:28.880
a little bit more of an opportunity, you know, the
1843
01:31:28.920 --> 01:31:32.520
middle of that season, got a chance to show himself
1844
01:31:32.520 --> 01:31:35.279
as a starter. But the twenty twenty four breakout was
1845
01:31:35.279 --> 01:31:38.520
was really the season that he was you know, made
1846
01:31:38.520 --> 01:31:41.199
a name for himself and you know, really settled it
1847
01:31:41.239 --> 01:31:44.000
in as one of your best pitchers. What you know,
1848
01:31:44.119 --> 01:31:47.800
through seven no hit innings in that game against Detroit
1849
01:31:48.039 --> 01:31:52.680
junor that year. But man, he's a guy that he's
1850
01:31:52.680 --> 01:31:55.079
a little bit older, right, he's thirty two. I think
1851
01:31:55.079 --> 01:31:57.920
he turns thirty three next month. And that was kind
1852
01:31:57.960 --> 01:32:01.439
of thought when the Astros found something in him and
1853
01:32:01.800 --> 01:32:03.479
twenty twenty four were like, oh, okay, he can be
1854
01:32:03.520 --> 01:32:07.159
a big part of this rotation. You were like, he's
1855
01:32:07.199 --> 01:32:08.760
a little bit older. I don't know how many years
1856
01:32:08.800 --> 01:32:11.920
he'll have of being good. And then you know, obviously
1857
01:32:12.000 --> 01:32:14.359
the big injury last year and you lose him for
1858
01:32:15.079 --> 01:32:19.319
an entire year. You know, but again, like if he
1859
01:32:19.359 --> 01:32:21.800
can come back and look like he did back in
1860
01:32:21.880 --> 01:32:24.239
twenty twenty four, that would be huge for this team.
1861
01:32:24.239 --> 01:32:28.119
It'd be massive and would really just start to figure
1862
01:32:28.119 --> 01:32:31.640
out this this rotation a little bit. You know, he
1863
01:32:31.720 --> 01:32:34.319
went into last season kind of saying, man, we have
1864
01:32:35.119 --> 01:32:38.079
a little bit of riches of pitching. And that's what
1865
01:32:38.119 --> 01:32:40.800
it will feel like if you start to get healthy here.
1866
01:32:41.880 --> 01:32:44.680
With getting Wiznsky and Blanco back, I mean we forget
1867
01:32:44.720 --> 01:32:47.439
like was Nesky was a big part of that Kyle
1868
01:32:47.479 --> 01:32:50.600
Tucker trade as well. You know, we think of eastoc Paratus,
1869
01:32:50.600 --> 01:32:53.720
we think of camp Smith. Hayden was Eski's a local
1870
01:32:53.760 --> 01:32:57.159
guy that man. I remember talking with him at Banfest
1871
01:32:57.279 --> 01:32:59.920
last year. His whole family was there watching him get interviewed,
1872
01:32:59.920 --> 01:33:02.319
and he was just super excited to be back home
1873
01:33:02.399 --> 01:33:06.960
and and and pitch for the hometown team. And you know,
1874
01:33:07.239 --> 01:33:09.399
and he was pretty effective, you know, in his in
1875
01:33:09.439 --> 01:33:10.920
his few starts he had last year.
1876
01:33:10.960 --> 01:33:13.119
So you know, if he could get back here and.
1877
01:33:13.119 --> 01:33:16.720
Ronald Blanco could get back to being just some sort
1878
01:33:16.760 --> 01:33:19.279
of you know, give me six innings of two run ball,
1879
01:33:19.439 --> 01:33:20.920
you know what I mean, Like, give me something that
1880
01:33:20.960 --> 01:33:23.880
I can feel good about and then you know, take
1881
01:33:23.960 --> 01:33:27.560
It'll take the pressure off this this bullpen that overall
1882
01:33:27.560 --> 01:33:30.119
I think has been pretty good this year. But you know,
1883
01:33:30.159 --> 01:33:31.960
we saw we saw it a little bit on Sunday.
1884
01:33:31.960 --> 01:33:34.479
I think just getting a little tax Brian, like Steven
1885
01:33:34.520 --> 01:33:36.560
Ochred and Brian King, I think have been used more
1886
01:33:36.600 --> 01:33:39.000
than just about anybody out of a bullpen and.
1887
01:33:39.000 --> 01:33:39.760
Baseball this year.
1888
01:33:40.319 --> 01:33:43.600
Yeah, and it's a conversation that we can continue after
1889
01:33:43.880 --> 01:33:48.039
we talk about the immediates and even expanded a future
1890
01:33:48.119 --> 01:33:50.479
of the Astros with their farm system and who they
1891
01:33:50.479 --> 01:33:53.800
added over the weekend, and a guy that can help
1892
01:33:53.880 --> 01:33:56.800
us understand who's coming into the organization and maybe even
1893
01:33:56.840 --> 01:34:00.640
what's ahead for the Astros, Carlos Colaso Baseball. He's gonna
1894
01:34:00.680 --> 01:34:03.479
hop on with us here as we continue along in
1895
01:34:03.560 --> 01:34:05.880
the eight o'clock hour. It is the morning drive Sports
1896
01:34:05.880 --> 01:34:06.680
Talk seven ninety.
1897
01:34:07.760 --> 01:34:14.439
We run on Danger's dumpson Drive not Codd Sports.
1898
01:34:14.119 --> 01:34:17.239
Talk seven ninety guarantee human.
1899
01:34:18.439 --> 01:34:20.319
We head out to the phone lines right now. Is
1900
01:34:20.399 --> 01:34:23.600
the Astros over the weekend making twenty two picks as
1901
01:34:23.680 --> 01:34:26.680
part of the two day Major League Baseball Draft. Also
1902
01:34:26.720 --> 01:34:30.119
had some news yesterday on the farm front with the
1903
01:34:30.159 --> 01:34:33.680
club and a man to help us understand the future
1904
01:34:33.840 --> 01:34:36.319
of the Stros a little bit more from Baseball America.
1905
01:34:36.359 --> 01:34:38.000
And you also saw him over the weekend as part
1906
01:34:38.000 --> 01:34:41.680
of the draft coverage. He is Carlos Colazzo, and Carlos
1907
01:34:42.239 --> 01:34:45.319
appreciate you joining us this morning. And when it comes
1908
01:34:45.319 --> 01:34:48.199
to the twenty two picks that the Astros made. I
1909
01:34:48.279 --> 01:34:51.199
was watching when they made their first selection Logan Hughes
1910
01:34:51.239 --> 01:34:53.840
over the weekend. You guys were a little bit surprised
1911
01:34:54.079 --> 01:34:58.439
with that pick. What necessarily surprised you with the Astros
1912
01:34:58.479 --> 01:34:59.960
going with the outfielder from Texas Tech.
1913
01:35:01.199 --> 01:35:03.520
Yeah, I don't remember who was surprised on the broadcast
1914
01:35:03.600 --> 01:35:07.119
at the time, but I don't necessarily think I was personally.
1915
01:35:06.720 --> 01:35:07.640
Surprised by the pick.
1916
01:35:07.800 --> 01:35:11.600
Maybe for seventeen specifically in my final mock draft, I
1917
01:35:11.600 --> 01:35:14.000
actually think I had Logan He's going twenty eight to
1918
01:35:14.039 --> 01:35:16.600
the Astros. We heard they were interested in his profile
1919
01:35:17.079 --> 01:35:19.520
throughout the spring, and I do think that, like in
1920
01:35:19.600 --> 01:35:22.520
this draft in particular, once you got outside of the
1921
01:35:22.560 --> 01:35:26.159
top ten players or so, the next thirty forty players
1922
01:35:26.239 --> 01:35:28.720
are really difficult to separate, and I was mostly just
1923
01:35:28.760 --> 01:35:31.479
curious to see how teams would line those guys up.
1924
01:35:31.520 --> 01:35:36.560
But I think Logan Hugh's offensive profile fit in this range.
1925
01:35:36.800 --> 01:35:40.399
The more you dig into his contact ability and power,
1926
01:35:40.560 --> 01:35:43.119
I think the more can come away pretty confident in
1927
01:35:43.159 --> 01:35:45.560
his hitting ability. And I do think on draft day
1928
01:35:45.960 --> 01:35:49.159
we saw teams really drawn towards hitters who make a
1929
01:35:49.159 --> 01:35:51.640
lot of contact, and I think Logan Hughes does that
1930
01:35:52.119 --> 01:35:56.119
maybe at better level than any kind of slugging college
1931
01:35:56.119 --> 01:35:58.760
player in the class. One nugget I found on him
1932
01:35:58.800 --> 01:36:03.600
when diving into his over the last few years at
1933
01:36:04.159 --> 01:36:07.239
on college hitters with at least forty five home runs
1934
01:36:07.239 --> 01:36:10.680
in the last three seasons, Logan's career twelve point two
1935
01:36:10.720 --> 01:36:14.279
percent strakeout rate is second behind only Rock Chalowski.
1936
01:36:14.760 --> 01:36:16.840
So I think that's a good offensive company to be in.
1937
01:36:17.760 --> 01:36:20.279
And I mean with the twenty two players that they added,
1938
01:36:20.319 --> 01:36:22.399
I was just reading the coverage that you guys had,
1939
01:36:22.560 --> 01:36:24.520
you know, just after the draft, of course you know
1940
01:36:24.600 --> 01:36:26.880
what they added. Who you guys liked all of those
1941
01:36:26.880 --> 01:36:30.680
different players. Keon Johnson, the high school shortstop they got
1942
01:36:30.920 --> 01:36:33.680
on day one, that's one that you guys really seem
1943
01:36:33.840 --> 01:36:35.079
very high on. Why so.
1944
01:36:36.560 --> 01:36:39.239
Yeah, And in particular with me personally, every time I
1945
01:36:39.279 --> 01:36:42.039
watch Keon Johnson play, I think there's just an ease
1946
01:36:42.079 --> 01:36:44.560
and a professionalism to what he does on the field.
1947
01:36:44.880 --> 01:36:46.680
I think there are players in this class who maybe
1948
01:36:46.720 --> 01:36:50.079
have more explosive physical tools and jump out at you
1949
01:36:50.199 --> 01:36:53.600
in a workout environment more than Keon might. I don't
1950
01:36:53.600 --> 01:36:55.279
think he has the biggest power in the world. He's
1951
01:36:55.279 --> 01:36:57.800
not the fastest player in the world, but he really
1952
01:36:57.880 --> 01:37:02.680
understands the zone, swings at the right pitches. He has
1953
01:37:02.800 --> 01:37:05.520
solid takes. Just every at bad I saw from him
1954
01:37:05.560 --> 01:37:07.720
throughout the summer circuit against some of the best pitching
1955
01:37:08.159 --> 01:37:10.720
in this twenty twenty sixth high school class, I just
1956
01:37:10.800 --> 01:37:13.880
came away impressed with his quality abs. The same was
1957
01:37:13.920 --> 01:37:18.359
true defensively. I thought, it's a really reliable defender at
1958
01:37:18.399 --> 01:37:23.880
short stop with good instincts, good body control, good baseball IQ. Generally,
1959
01:37:23.960 --> 01:37:25.359
I think he's going to be the sort of player
1960
01:37:25.359 --> 01:37:28.239
who kind of converts all the plays you expect him
1961
01:37:28.279 --> 01:37:32.319
to make. I think he's got power, not exceptional power.
1962
01:37:32.960 --> 01:37:36.039
Maybe like what he grows into physically will determine what
1963
01:37:36.079 --> 01:37:38.439
the upside is going to be here. But I do
1964
01:37:38.520 --> 01:37:40.880
think in the third round a player like Keon Johnson
1965
01:37:40.960 --> 01:37:44.800
fits really really well. Getting him out of his Vanderbilt commitment,
1966
01:37:44.880 --> 01:37:47.399
I think is a good win.
1967
01:37:47.319 --> 01:37:48.960
For the Astro. This is a player that I would
1968
01:37:48.960 --> 01:37:49.800
be really excited with.
1969
01:37:49.760 --> 01:37:51.720
And it does like when I'm looking at their top
1970
01:37:51.760 --> 01:37:55.600
four picks, it feels like Polish is a trade that
1971
01:37:55.600 --> 01:37:57.600
you could really use for all of these players, look
1972
01:37:57.720 --> 01:38:00.800
he's offensively, and then Jack Redell and Us Mendez on
1973
01:38:00.840 --> 01:38:04.039
the pitching side through the better pitchability college guys we.
1974
01:38:04.000 --> 01:38:04.720
Saw this spring.
1975
01:38:04.760 --> 01:38:07.680
And then Keon Johnson on the side with how advanced
1976
01:38:07.680 --> 01:38:09.560
he is in really both sides of the ball.
1977
01:38:10.079 --> 01:38:13.199
Again, he's Carlos colaso Baseball America. You can find him
1978
01:38:13.199 --> 01:38:17.399
on Twitter at Carlos A Colazo, and we were talking
1979
01:38:17.439 --> 01:38:20.880
the Astros not only draft over the weekend, but also too.
1980
01:38:20.960 --> 01:38:23.159
I mean, just how these guys can profile once they
1981
01:38:23.520 --> 01:38:27.000
join their minor league system, assuming you get most of
1982
01:38:27.039 --> 01:38:31.239
these guys signed it to join it into their farm, Carlos,
1983
01:38:31.319 --> 01:38:33.359
I mean, you know we've talked about Logan Hughes already.
1984
01:38:33.399 --> 01:38:37.319
You just mentioned Mendez and also Riddell that they were
1985
01:38:37.319 --> 01:38:40.840
able to add over the weekend. Those three guys in particular,
1986
01:38:40.960 --> 01:38:44.239
I mean college age guys one position player, two pitchers.
1987
01:38:44.800 --> 01:38:47.199
Are those guys that you can see making it to
1988
01:38:47.239 --> 01:38:48.720
the major league level pretty quickly.
1989
01:38:50.039 --> 01:38:51.960
Yeah, I think all three of those guys could move
1990
01:38:52.119 --> 01:38:55.319
pretty fast. I mean Jack Riddell has been a reliable
1991
01:38:55.359 --> 01:38:58.239
starter for three seasons with Notre Dame. I mean his
1992
01:38:58.960 --> 01:39:02.760
quality of performance in college is exceptional. I think he's
1993
01:39:02.760 --> 01:39:05.439
also one of the better command pitchers in the class.
1994
01:39:05.479 --> 01:39:08.359
We have plus future control on him. It's a really
1995
01:39:08.439 --> 01:39:12.359
deep pitch mix. He has elite extension getting down the
1996
01:39:12.399 --> 01:39:14.520
mound that I think is going to allow his fastball
1997
01:39:14.800 --> 01:39:17.119
to play up. And he threw I think with three
1998
01:39:17.239 --> 01:39:20.199
pitches for strikes seventy percent of the time this spring.
1999
01:39:20.319 --> 01:39:22.680
So when pitchers are getting to that threshold at the
2000
01:39:22.720 --> 01:39:26.079
amateur level, I'm always pretty excited about just how advanced
2001
01:39:26.079 --> 01:39:28.159
they are from a control and command standpoint. And then
2002
01:39:28.680 --> 01:39:30.880
West Mendes was the a SEC Pitcher of the Year
2003
01:39:31.039 --> 01:39:32.920
in twenty twenty six. Is a bit of a breakout
2004
01:39:32.920 --> 01:39:36.439
season for him. The strikeout rate john significantly, the walk
2005
01:39:36.520 --> 01:39:41.239
rate he cuts significantly. It's a pretty loose, easy arm action. Again,
2006
01:39:41.359 --> 01:39:44.079
another pitcher with a deep mix. Maybe this is something
2007
01:39:44.119 --> 01:39:45.840
the Astros are really targeting this year.
2008
01:39:45.920 --> 01:39:46.680
Just pitchers who.
2009
01:39:46.840 --> 01:39:49.479
Can throw a lot of shapes with conviction and confidence
2010
01:39:49.520 --> 01:39:52.520
and strike throwing ability. Neither of these guys are the
2011
01:39:52.520 --> 01:39:55.039
biggest stuff pitchers in the world in this class, but
2012
01:39:55.479 --> 01:39:57.680
because of what you saw from them this spring.
2013
01:39:57.479 --> 01:39:59.560
Because of the ability to throw strikes at a high rate.
2014
01:40:00.239 --> 01:40:03.000
Mendez is another player who he cleared that seventy percent
2015
01:40:03.039 --> 01:40:06.199
threshold with this basketball this spring. Yeah, I do think
2016
01:40:06.239 --> 01:40:09.399
all of them logan heat as well in the first round.
2017
01:40:10.159 --> 01:40:12.000
He's not a player I would expect be doing a
2018
01:40:12.039 --> 01:40:16.000
lot of a lot of defensive work in the outfield's corner.
2019
01:40:16.039 --> 01:40:18.520
Outfielder I think is going to be really driven by
2020
01:40:18.520 --> 01:40:21.880
the offensive profile. And because he's not playing a really
2021
01:40:21.880 --> 01:40:25.199
demanding defensive position and you're not expecting too much of
2022
01:40:25.279 --> 01:40:26.920
him with the glove, I think he can move quickly
2023
01:40:26.960 --> 01:40:28.439
as well on the offensive side.
2024
01:40:28.800 --> 01:40:31.239
And I mean just the Astros as a farm system
2025
01:40:31.279 --> 01:40:33.560
as a whole. I mean, obviously it's been a constant
2026
01:40:33.960 --> 01:40:36.520
topic conversation around here. I mean, gone are the days
2027
01:40:36.560 --> 01:40:38.840
of when Jeff Luna was able to load this thing
2028
01:40:38.960 --> 01:40:42.199
up and it was seemingly anybody that was called up
2029
01:40:42.279 --> 01:40:45.159
you expected them to make a pretty significant impact with
2030
01:40:45.199 --> 01:40:47.319
the club, either as a starter or somebody that could
2031
01:40:47.359 --> 01:40:50.760
provide depth. But with this group right here, assuming that
2032
01:40:50.800 --> 01:40:54.000
you get most of this group signed into the farm system,
2033
01:40:54.159 --> 01:40:57.560
is this a group that you, in vision can jumpstart
2034
01:40:57.920 --> 01:41:00.920
that that part of the Astras and be able to
2035
01:41:01.000 --> 01:41:04.880
kind of get them back to respectability in that front.
2036
01:41:06.079 --> 01:41:06.720
Yeah, I think so.
2037
01:41:06.840 --> 01:41:10.079
When our pro guys were doing our mid season talent rankings.
2038
01:41:10.680 --> 01:41:14.680
Our organizational rankings at the mid season had the Astros
2039
01:41:14.720 --> 01:41:17.680
and kind of the back five at twenty six overall,
2040
01:41:18.159 --> 01:41:20.800
and one of the items that we highlighted for the
2041
01:41:20.840 --> 01:41:24.800
system weaknesses was just consistent pitching. There are a number
2042
01:41:24.840 --> 01:41:27.079
of pitchers that are exciting on the farm, but a
2043
01:41:27.119 --> 01:41:29.520
lot of them struggled to throw strikes. And what I
2044
01:41:29.520 --> 01:41:31.840
think is interesting about this draft class on the pitching
2045
01:41:31.840 --> 01:41:34.680
side is just the control and command and feel that
2046
01:41:34.960 --> 01:41:36.840
these guys throw strikes with. So maybe just trying to
2047
01:41:36.880 --> 01:41:38.920
add a little bit of pitching diversity to the farm
2048
01:41:38.920 --> 01:41:41.800
here Gavin Eddie in the fifth round. This was one
2049
01:41:41.840 --> 01:41:44.159
of my favorite sleeper picks in the class. We ranked
2050
01:41:44.199 --> 01:41:46.680
them towards the back of our BA five hundred, but
2051
01:41:46.720 --> 01:41:48.520
he was one of the better pitchers in the ACC
2052
01:41:48.760 --> 01:41:52.199
this spring. And another strikes. It's the most fastball slider
2053
01:41:52.199 --> 01:41:56.159
combination now Michael Ladari at Illinois State. This is another
2054
01:41:56.239 --> 01:41:58.520
player who throws a lot of strikes. He's a little
2055
01:41:58.520 --> 01:42:01.680
bit older for the draft, he's already twenty two. I
2056
01:42:01.720 --> 01:42:04.880
believe another could move quickly. So I kind of always
2057
01:42:04.960 --> 01:42:08.600
diverse of like Polish college players on the pitching side,
2058
01:42:08.600 --> 01:42:12.079
and then some exciting young hitters to add as well,
2059
01:42:12.119 --> 01:42:16.199
to join a group of young bats with Xavier Nyons,
2060
01:42:16.399 --> 01:42:19.560
Kevin Alvarez, exciting hitters on the farm. You got guys
2061
01:42:19.560 --> 01:42:23.359
like Kean Johnson who are joining at BOE Peterson in
2062
01:42:22.800 --> 01:42:25.399
the supplemental fourth round pick. There, I think is a
2063
01:42:25.439 --> 01:42:27.600
really exciting player as well that we could get into.
2064
01:42:28.319 --> 01:42:30.560
And I mean, you know, you just mentioned a couple
2065
01:42:30.560 --> 01:42:32.359
of those guys right there, and that's where I wanted
2066
01:42:32.359 --> 01:42:35.079
to close out the conversation with you again. Carlos Colazo
2067
01:42:35.199 --> 01:42:37.800
Baseball America jumping on with us here on the morning
2068
01:42:37.880 --> 01:42:40.800
Drive Sports Talks seven ninety as he was part of
2069
01:42:40.800 --> 01:42:42.880
the draft coverage over the weekend if you're watching it
2070
01:42:42.960 --> 01:42:47.560
on MLB Network. Nian's and Alvarez in particular, they both
2071
01:42:47.600 --> 01:42:49.840
took part in the Futures game over the weekend. These
2072
01:42:49.840 --> 01:42:52.279
seem like these are the guys that Astros fans look
2073
01:42:52.319 --> 01:42:54.439
at and say, Okay, those can be some of the
2074
01:42:54.479 --> 01:42:58.000
impact players that are down the line, but there are
2075
01:42:58.000 --> 01:43:01.039
a couple three years away at the point. But if
2076
01:43:01.079 --> 01:43:02.880
those guys get up to the point to come up
2077
01:43:02.920 --> 01:43:05.199
to the major leagues, what do you envision for them
2078
01:43:05.279 --> 01:43:07.399
as major leaguers.
2079
01:43:07.800 --> 01:43:13.000
Yeah, Zavi and Ninas are really exciting power, high ob off,
2080
01:43:13.079 --> 01:43:15.920
tense profile. He's kind of been the hitter we thought
2081
01:43:15.960 --> 01:43:19.039
he was as an amateur in low way.
2082
01:43:18.920 --> 01:43:19.840
This year so far.
2083
01:43:20.079 --> 01:43:22.479
So it's a lot of strikeouts, it's a lot of walks,
2084
01:43:22.479 --> 01:43:26.079
and it's a lot of power. The thirty percent strikeout
2085
01:43:26.159 --> 01:43:29.159
rate for me at this level is a bit concerning,
2086
01:43:29.880 --> 01:43:32.960
but he's still been a very productive hitter despite that.
2087
01:43:33.000 --> 01:43:35.560
I mean that's partially because he's walking twenty five percent
2088
01:43:35.600 --> 01:43:37.800
of the time. He's getting to his power. So those
2089
01:43:37.840 --> 01:43:39.680
are going to be keys for him moving forward, because
2090
01:43:39.720 --> 01:43:41.159
I do think we've seen a lot of players in
2091
01:43:41.199 --> 01:43:44.319
the past with strikeout rates this high. Those numbers are
2092
01:43:44.319 --> 01:43:48.520
only more likely to increase as he climbs climbs the ladder,
2093
01:43:48.600 --> 01:43:52.119
faces more challenging pitchers, pitchers who can challenge in the
2094
01:43:52.199 --> 01:43:54.319
zone with better breaking balls. I think that's going to
2095
01:43:54.359 --> 01:43:56.399
be something he's going to need to continue to make
2096
01:43:56.439 --> 01:44:00.000
adjustments with. I think if he can maintain a strikeout
2097
01:44:00.039 --> 01:44:04.279
outrate around this range moving up the ladder, you're probably
2098
01:44:04.319 --> 01:44:05.960
fine with that. I do think he's one of these
2099
01:44:06.000 --> 01:44:10.319
outlier offensive profiles that his power and ability to draw
2100
01:44:10.399 --> 01:44:12.279
walks and not expand the zone are just going to
2101
01:44:12.319 --> 01:44:14.880
make him profile. Is one of those three true outcome
2102
01:44:14.960 --> 01:44:18.159
type offensive players. Defensively, I think he could be a
2103
01:44:18.159 --> 01:44:21.119
really good third basement as well. I haven't heard specifically
2104
01:44:21.199 --> 01:44:23.159
how the defense has come along, but he always had
2105
01:44:23.159 --> 01:44:25.960
a really impressive throwing arm. He's a good athlete for
2106
01:44:26.039 --> 01:44:30.119
his size as well. I'm less familiar personally with Kevin Alvarez,
2107
01:44:30.159 --> 01:44:32.359
but I know just talking to our guys and hearing
2108
01:44:32.399 --> 01:44:35.199
of him from the people on the BA staff who
2109
01:44:35.199 --> 01:44:37.840
are more focused on the pro side, it's a really
2110
01:44:37.880 --> 01:44:41.399
exciting combination of hitting ability and power. So you're maybe
2111
01:44:41.399 --> 01:44:44.520
looking at a more balanced offensive profile for him, and
2112
01:44:44.520 --> 01:44:47.119
then with the secondary tool set as well, really solid
2113
01:44:47.159 --> 01:44:50.399
average or maybe above average across the board from him.
2114
01:44:50.720 --> 01:44:53.840
Can run solidly, can field solidly in the outfield, and
2115
01:44:53.880 --> 01:44:56.199
he's got a good throwing arm as well. So I
2116
01:44:56.199 --> 01:44:58.239
think this is a fun kind of one two punch
2117
01:44:58.279 --> 01:45:00.960
at the top, and I think the Astros layer on
2118
01:45:01.000 --> 01:45:03.119
a lot of really exciting depths beyond that in this
2119
01:45:03.199 --> 01:45:04.439
draft class.
2120
01:45:04.159 --> 01:45:06.199
Well, a lot to be excited about. There's no question
2121
01:45:06.279 --> 01:45:08.800
about that. And the Astros were definitely busy over those
2122
01:45:08.840 --> 01:45:11.920
couple of days. Dana Brown, camp Pendino, everybody over there
2123
01:45:11.920 --> 01:45:14.319
putting in work and see what these guys look like
2124
01:45:14.359 --> 01:45:17.319
once they get into the farm system and hopefully eventually
2125
01:45:17.439 --> 01:45:20.000
up here to the major league level again. Carlos Colaso
2126
01:45:20.079 --> 01:45:23.319
Baseball America with us here on the morning Drive. Find
2127
01:45:23.359 --> 01:45:26.880
them on Twitter at Carlos A. Colaso. Hey Carlos, A
2128
01:45:26.880 --> 01:45:29.199
big fan of your work. Great stuff over the weekend.
2129
01:45:29.399 --> 01:45:32.119
Hopefully you get a few days of rest before they
2130
01:45:32.159 --> 01:45:34.479
send you back out there at a perfect game and
2131
01:45:34.560 --> 01:45:37.800
all of these other showcases and all this other stuff.
2132
01:45:37.800 --> 01:45:40.439
I guess that the work never necessarily stops in terms
2133
01:45:40.479 --> 01:45:42.199
of the baseball evaluation, does it.
2134
01:45:43.319 --> 01:45:45.840
No, back at it this week, USA Baseball for the
2135
01:45:45.840 --> 01:45:48.199
twenty twenty sevens. We'll get started for next year's class
2136
01:45:48.279 --> 01:45:48.640
right now.
2137
01:45:48.840 --> 01:45:50.840
There you go, Thanks for having me, No for sure
2138
01:45:50.880 --> 01:45:54.359
again Carlos Caloso, Baseball America. Carlos again, appreciate it.
2139
01:45:54.399 --> 01:45:54.520
Man.
2140
01:45:54.520 --> 01:45:56.000
We'll catch up with you again here very soon.
2141
01:45:56.880 --> 01:45:58.560
Yeah, thanks so much. Take care all right, there you.
2142
01:45:58.600 --> 01:46:01.199
Go again at least with the Astros. A couple of
2143
01:46:01.239 --> 01:46:04.399
things that I think can excite you about the group
2144
01:46:04.439 --> 01:46:06.960
that's coming into this farm system, so we'll talk about
2145
01:46:06.960 --> 01:46:09.880
that also to some of the moves that were made yesterday.
2146
01:46:09.920 --> 01:46:11.520
One of the names that we mentioned as part of
2147
01:46:11.560 --> 01:46:15.439
our conversation another step closer to the major league level
2148
01:46:15.479 --> 01:46:18.039
with the Stros. We'll do all that as we continue.
2149
01:46:18.119 --> 01:46:20.560
It's the morning Drive here on your home of the
2150
01:46:20.600 --> 01:46:23.119
Astros and the Rockets, Sports Talk seven ninety.
2151
01:46:24.319 --> 01:46:28.000
Good Morning Drive with Dan Matthews lined Sports Talk seven ninety,
2152
01:46:28.399 --> 01:46:33.199
home of the Strolls, Rockets, and Houston's best Sports Talk.
2153
01:46:34.560 --> 01:46:37.840
Seven two one two five, seven ninety is the number
2154
01:46:37.840 --> 01:46:40.000
to get in. I think we've got Gordy back with
2155
01:46:40.079 --> 01:46:44.520
us as the Astros over the weekend, as I mentioned,
2156
01:46:44.640 --> 01:46:47.239
adding to this farm system, and uh, you know, just
2157
01:46:47.279 --> 01:46:50.920
that conversation we had with Carlos Colaso. I mean, I guess,
2158
01:46:50.960 --> 01:46:54.399
if nothing else, encouraged with what the Astros added, because
2159
01:46:54.439 --> 01:46:57.600
I liked what he said about the balance that they
2160
01:46:57.640 --> 01:47:00.359
added where they did have a strong focus on the
2161
01:47:00.399 --> 01:47:02.760
college front. Because I think that this is a front
2162
01:47:02.760 --> 01:47:05.680
office right now, whether Dana Brown and crew are still
2163
01:47:05.720 --> 01:47:09.119
here past this season, at least, if nothing else, feel
2164
01:47:09.159 --> 01:47:11.039
like that they have set them on a path of
2165
01:47:11.199 --> 01:47:15.479
at least guys that are closer to being being major
2166
01:47:15.560 --> 01:47:17.920
leaguers as opposed to if you went with a draft
2167
01:47:17.960 --> 01:47:20.039
that was very high school heavy.
2168
01:47:21.920 --> 01:47:25.199
I think that's the thing with with Dana Brown in
2169
01:47:25.279 --> 01:47:29.720
the urgency here is you know, he understands this, this
2170
01:47:29.760 --> 01:47:31.920
could be it for him that if they missed the
2171
01:47:31.960 --> 01:47:35.359
playoffs and and under tie this year, that Jim Crane
2172
01:47:35.399 --> 01:47:38.159
could could opt to make a move to uh, you know,
2173
01:47:38.239 --> 01:47:40.119
for for Joe's spot as well. I mean, I think
2174
01:47:40.680 --> 01:47:43.079
this is an important season for both the spot and
2175
01:47:43.159 --> 01:47:46.720
Dana Brown. But I think Dana realizes the urgency of
2176
01:47:46.840 --> 01:47:51.119
not just making the playoffs this year, but sustaining a contender,
2177
01:47:51.239 --> 01:47:53.359
a team that can and I say contender, a team
2178
01:47:53.359 --> 01:47:56.560
that that can contend for the playoffs. I don't know
2179
01:47:56.600 --> 01:47:58.479
if they contend for the for a World Series, but
2180
01:47:58.520 --> 01:48:01.399
you never know. Yeah, I mean, I pointed it out
2181
01:48:01.479 --> 01:48:04.000
on social media. The three of their top picks are
2182
01:48:04.039 --> 01:48:07.359
all twenty one year old college guys with a lot
2183
01:48:07.399 --> 01:48:10.600
of experience. And you know, we've seen more often than
2184
01:48:10.600 --> 01:48:13.920
not in recent years that some of these college guys
2185
01:48:13.960 --> 01:48:18.079
taken in the first and second round, they tend to
2186
01:48:18.119 --> 01:48:20.279
fast track them a little bit more. They tend to
2187
01:48:20.279 --> 01:48:22.159
pick up things a little bit more. They don't need
2188
01:48:22.199 --> 01:48:26.119
those years of development in the minor leagues if they're
2189
01:48:26.159 --> 01:48:29.039
performing well. You know cam Smith most notably, he is
2190
01:48:29.079 --> 01:48:32.399
a guy who performed very well and was rewarded for it.
2191
01:48:32.479 --> 01:48:34.920
Waited no time once he got here to the Astros
2192
01:48:34.960 --> 01:48:36.880
after a year in the Cubs minor league system.
2193
01:48:37.000 --> 01:48:39.119
So you know, Logan Hughes.
2194
01:48:39.159 --> 01:48:41.880
You look at the numbers, batted three seventy five with
2195
01:48:42.119 --> 01:48:45.560
Texas Tech, eighteen homers, drove in seventy runs. I mean,
2196
01:48:47.039 --> 01:48:49.680
he also led the team and walks with fifty So
2197
01:48:50.520 --> 01:48:53.319
he showed a great, you know, great approach at the
2198
01:48:53.319 --> 01:48:57.159
plate there in Big twelve baseball. How quickly does does
2199
01:48:57.199 --> 01:49:00.239
that adjust in the minor league system? So well, see
2200
01:49:00.239 --> 01:49:02.359
when he gets here. But certainly, I mean you look
2201
01:49:02.359 --> 01:49:05.720
at the current outfield position for the Astros, Dan, and
2202
01:49:06.479 --> 01:49:08.640
there are jobs to be had for the future if
2203
01:49:09.119 --> 01:49:11.359
he wants to grab one in the near future.
2204
01:49:11.560 --> 01:49:13.600
Well, I mean, and also too, I mean, focusing on
2205
01:49:13.640 --> 01:49:15.800
the college guys, that's part of this. I mean, just
2206
01:49:16.039 --> 01:49:18.560
you know, that conversation that we have with Carlos, it
2207
01:49:18.640 --> 01:49:22.520
sounds like at least those guys were looked to be
2208
01:49:22.600 --> 01:49:25.239
able to try to fix some of the issues that
2209
01:49:25.279 --> 01:49:28.119
you're having right now. Because you mentioned it with the outfield,
2210
01:49:28.159 --> 01:49:30.319
Logan Hughes, I mean, you need some production out there
2211
01:49:30.319 --> 01:49:33.399
in the outfield. They feel like against high powered fastballs,
2212
01:49:33.439 --> 01:49:35.439
he can do that. Now, how quickly he gets up there,
2213
01:49:35.479 --> 01:49:38.159
I guess it's up to him. But and then pitching
2214
01:49:38.199 --> 01:49:41.279
side of it, I mean, especially with Raydel and with Mendez,
2215
01:49:41.680 --> 01:49:44.119
sounds like these are guys that not only can find
2216
01:49:44.159 --> 01:49:47.520
the strike zone, but they also can go deep into games.
2217
01:49:47.560 --> 01:49:49.800
And these have been problems at least in the starting
2218
01:49:49.880 --> 01:49:53.279
rotation that have been fast and furious for the Astros.
2219
01:49:54.880 --> 01:49:56.640
Yeah, I was just looking real quick at some of
2220
01:49:56.680 --> 01:50:00.640
the guys who've made that jump very quickly. Camps played
2221
01:50:01.399 --> 01:50:04.239
thirty two minor league games before he made an opening
2222
01:50:04.319 --> 01:50:08.680
day roster, Wyatt Langford played forty four games in the
2223
01:50:08.760 --> 01:50:12.319
Ranger system before he made the team, and Nolan Seanuel
2224
01:50:12.399 --> 01:50:14.239
with the Angels played fifty one.
2225
01:50:14.119 --> 01:50:15.800
Minor league games before making the jump.
2226
01:50:15.920 --> 01:50:18.720
So just saying the track record is there, I mean
2227
01:50:18.760 --> 01:50:21.920
it might seem a little bit premature to say Logan
2228
01:50:22.000 --> 01:50:25.439
Hughes a twenty twenty seven Houston Astro, but you never know.
2229
01:50:25.600 --> 01:50:27.600
Give us get a chance see what he does in
2230
01:50:27.640 --> 01:50:30.279
the minors, and maybe he could make that jump.
2231
01:50:30.319 --> 01:50:31.880
But yeah, certainly, look pitching.
2232
01:50:32.520 --> 01:50:34.920
Astros have a good bit of pitching in their farm system,
2233
01:50:35.119 --> 01:50:37.560
some names that they're very high on and still trying
2234
01:50:37.600 --> 01:50:40.520
to develop. So you know, maybe you could take a
2235
01:50:40.520 --> 01:50:43.960
little bit more time on a Mendez and those guys.
2236
01:50:44.000 --> 01:50:48.600
But yeah, again, it's it's all about stockpiling your system
2237
01:50:48.600 --> 01:50:51.640
and rediveloping this farm system. I mean, that was the
2238
01:50:51.640 --> 01:50:53.840
big reason why Dana was brought here. Dan, and yet
2239
01:50:54.119 --> 01:50:56.319
every trade deadline, what do we wanting to do? We
2240
01:50:56.319 --> 01:50:58.119
wanted to get rid of all of our prospects. Let's
2241
01:50:58.119 --> 01:50:59.880
go get some players of the big league club. Okay,
2242
01:51:00.000 --> 01:51:02.880
that's great, but we came into the season the Astros
2243
01:51:02.920 --> 01:51:05.680
ranked twenty ninth as far as farm system. You're never
2244
01:51:05.720 --> 01:51:08.560
going to get this farm system back to top fifteen
2245
01:51:08.720 --> 01:51:10.680
if you're you know, if you keep trading away your
2246
01:51:10.680 --> 01:51:12.039
best prospects every deadline.
2247
01:51:12.119 --> 01:51:14.760
Well you heard what Carlos Colaso said, though too is
2248
01:51:14.960 --> 01:51:17.800
at least in their rankings over at Baseball America, they're
2249
01:51:17.840 --> 01:51:20.520
all the way up to number twenty six, So I guess,
2250
01:51:20.600 --> 01:51:22.520
I mean, again, it's kind of like a little bit
2251
01:51:22.560 --> 01:51:25.199
of you know, the offensive struggles you had last year,
2252
01:51:25.520 --> 01:51:29.000
go out and get you know, Vick Rodriguez and Anthony
2253
01:51:29.039 --> 01:51:31.399
Ioposi to be able to try to make you at
2254
01:51:31.479 --> 01:51:33.800
least a little bit more of a presentable offense. Now
2255
01:51:33.840 --> 01:51:36.880
you're at least middle of the pack in some categories
2256
01:51:37.000 --> 01:51:40.319
even you know, top five and certain others. So I
2257
01:51:40.319 --> 01:51:42.760
guess you could look at the farm system and say, hey, look,
2258
01:51:42.760 --> 01:51:44.359
if you can get this one in the next year
2259
01:51:44.399 --> 01:51:48.159
or two, back to say fifteen sixteen, then at least
2260
01:51:48.239 --> 01:51:51.039
you start to believe, Okay, the evaluators think that they
2261
01:51:51.119 --> 01:51:53.720
actually have some major league talent there that can join
2262
01:51:53.760 --> 01:51:54.960
this club here pretty quickly.
2263
01:51:56.439 --> 01:51:57.760
Yeah, well, it's.
2264
01:51:57.800 --> 01:52:01.039
It's only a matter of Dana be here to see
2265
01:52:01.079 --> 01:52:02.880
this thing out. And again, I hate to keep putting
2266
01:52:02.880 --> 01:52:05.199
them on the hot seat, but the pressure is on.
2267
01:52:05.279 --> 01:52:08.600
I mean, Jim Crane, you know, enjoyed those those great
2268
01:52:08.680 --> 01:52:11.960
years of you know, almost a decade of these postseason
2269
01:52:12.079 --> 01:52:15.279
runs and greatness, and now you are, you know, two
2270
01:52:15.359 --> 01:52:19.720
straight years of you know of nothing, at least the
2271
01:52:19.760 --> 01:52:22.279
wild card in twenty four. You missed the playoffs last year.
2272
01:52:22.680 --> 01:52:25.560
Right now you're third in the AL West. You know
2273
01:52:25.600 --> 01:52:27.760
it's if you miss the playoffs again this year. I
2274
01:52:27.880 --> 01:52:30.439
just think and I'm never a fan of making a
2275
01:52:30.520 --> 01:52:33.319
change just to make a change, but I just feel like,
2276
01:52:33.960 --> 01:52:36.279
and go ask fans out there. I think most fans
2277
01:52:36.279 --> 01:52:37.840
would be on board with it and say, look, you
2278
01:52:37.960 --> 01:52:43.680
gotta results matter. You have to, you know, you have
2279
01:52:43.760 --> 01:52:46.760
to have the skins on the wall to get the
2280
01:52:46.800 --> 01:52:50.000
benefit of the doubt. And so yeah, I mean they
2281
01:52:50.359 --> 01:52:52.560
have to, they have to be a playoff team. I
2282
01:52:52.640 --> 01:52:55.159
just feel like this year, if Dana Brown's going to survive.
2283
01:52:54.920 --> 01:52:57.680
This, no, I don't think there's any question about that.
2284
01:52:57.760 --> 01:53:00.880
And I think that, you know, it's also just a
2285
01:53:01.239 --> 01:53:03.960
you know, situation of where you are as an organization
2286
01:53:04.079 --> 01:53:05.800
and the people that you have running it. I mean,
2287
01:53:05.880 --> 01:53:09.359
until you have that figured out of Dana and Joe
2288
01:53:09.479 --> 01:53:12.479
have extensions or that they will not be brought back
2289
01:53:12.520 --> 01:53:15.000
next year, you're kind of in this limbo right now,
2290
01:53:15.079 --> 01:53:17.319
and that's where the Astros find themselves. Hey, one thing
2291
01:53:17.359 --> 01:53:19.960
you had actually touched on as part of our conversation,
2292
01:53:20.039 --> 01:53:23.319
Gordy was the outfield. What if I maybe told you
2293
01:53:23.520 --> 01:53:28.159
that the Astros just happened upon an idea that can
2294
01:53:28.199 --> 01:53:30.800
benefit them the rest of the way this season. Explain
2295
01:53:30.880 --> 01:53:32.640
what I mean there as we get into the nine
2296
01:53:32.680 --> 01:53:35.800
o'clock hour, it's the Morning Drive, Dan Matthews, Chris Gordy, Triple,
2297
01:53:35.840 --> 01:53:41.000
Emmanuel Elmore. As we continue here Sports Talk seven ninety, KD.
2298
01:53:41.119 --> 01:53:43.720
Houston, KTVHD two Houston.
2299
01:53:45.840 --> 01:53:50.520
As a rocket, this is Sports Talk seven ninety, your
2300
01:53:50.600 --> 01:53:55.079
home for your home teams and iHeartRadio stations guaranteed.
2301
01:53:55.199 --> 01:54:02.000
You mean, this is the Morning Drive.
2302
01:54:06.399 --> 01:54:08.279
Coming up a little bit later on Today, You're gonna
2303
01:54:08.279 --> 01:54:11.199
get to Spain and France. Tomorrow you're going to get
2304
01:54:11.239 --> 01:54:14.239
to England and Argentina for a chance in the finals
2305
01:54:14.319 --> 01:54:17.680
on Sundays. Someone three two, one, two five, seven ninety
2306
01:54:17.840 --> 01:54:20.960
is the way to get in on the phone lines. Gordy.
2307
01:54:21.159 --> 01:54:23.479
You know, over the weekend it was more or less
2308
01:54:23.680 --> 01:54:26.800
by necessity that this had to play out for the Astros.
2309
01:54:26.800 --> 01:54:30.159
But it got me thinking as I saw that Chandler
2310
01:54:30.239 --> 01:54:33.359
Rome and Tyler Stafford part of the Crush City Territory
2311
01:54:33.399 --> 01:54:37.520
podcast talking about the possibility of camp Smith out in
2312
01:54:37.640 --> 01:54:40.199
center field, and once I heard them talking about I said,
2313
01:54:40.199 --> 01:54:44.119
you know what, this might, at least in the immediate
2314
01:54:44.880 --> 01:54:48.840
solve some issues for you as an Astros outfield because
2315
01:54:48.880 --> 01:54:51.439
it seems like at this moment, and we saw a
2316
01:54:51.479 --> 01:54:56.279
playout on Saturday that Lamont Way junior, they're good with
2317
01:54:56.319 --> 01:55:00.239
moving him from left to rights, and of course when
2318
01:55:00.239 --> 01:55:02.520
he played right field, then that took Cam Smith out
2319
01:55:02.520 --> 01:55:04.720
of the lineup on Saturday and you had to try
2320
01:55:04.720 --> 01:55:09.199
to build up from there. So at least for the
2321
01:55:09.239 --> 01:55:12.680
time being, and we'll wait and see what happens with
2322
01:55:13.319 --> 01:55:16.560
Bryce Matthews, Taylor Trammell same deal as he had to
2323
01:55:16.640 --> 01:55:20.079
leave the game with an injury and you had Cam
2324
01:55:20.199 --> 01:55:22.720
Smith out there in center field. It almost makes me
2325
01:55:22.840 --> 01:55:25.520
wonder if you can put him out there in center
2326
01:55:25.560 --> 01:55:28.840
field because you've seen what you've gotten out of him
2327
01:55:28.840 --> 01:55:32.960
defensively and right it's been gold Glove worthy because I mean,
2328
01:55:33.000 --> 01:55:35.600
he was a finalist for the award last year, eventually
2329
01:55:35.680 --> 01:55:38.079
did not win it, but still played good enough defense
2330
01:55:38.119 --> 01:55:40.680
out there that it's almost kind of like, at this point,
2331
01:55:40.680 --> 01:55:44.159
if you're the astros, hey he learned right field. Centerfield
2332
01:55:44.239 --> 01:55:47.439
is a much different animal. But athletically he can absolutely
2333
01:55:47.479 --> 01:55:49.560
do it. You know that he can track down the baseballs.
2334
01:55:50.000 --> 01:55:52.239
And I also think too that it kind of opens
2335
01:55:52.279 --> 01:55:54.840
up your outfield picture where, yeah, you want to put
2336
01:55:54.920 --> 01:55:56.800
Lamont Wade one day out in right field. Put him
2337
01:55:56.800 --> 01:55:57.960
out in right field, you want to put him in
2338
01:55:58.000 --> 01:56:00.479
left field, put him in left field, and then you
2339
01:56:00.520 --> 01:56:03.359
probably have to believe that Jake Myers, Joey Liberfido come
2340
01:56:03.399 --> 01:56:05.880
back up. So then that puts more of low Berfido
2341
01:56:05.960 --> 01:56:07.840
out there and left. You're not gonna put Myers out
2342
01:56:07.880 --> 01:56:11.000
in left field, but at least, if nothing else, you've
2343
01:56:11.039 --> 01:56:14.560
got more options in the outfield and hopefully a chance
2344
01:56:14.560 --> 01:56:16.199
to be able to up your offensive production.
2345
01:56:18.039 --> 01:56:22.239
Well, the problem is Dan, nobody's hitting in the outfield,
2346
01:56:22.319 --> 01:56:25.720
So it doesn't matter to me. Like again, if you
2347
01:56:25.760 --> 01:56:29.399
had a really awesome hitting right fielder and that's oh man,
2348
01:56:29.439 --> 01:56:31.279
that's why we need to move Cam Smith to center
2349
01:56:31.319 --> 01:56:32.640
because that guy needs to play more.
2350
01:56:32.680 --> 01:56:35.560
Like it's me, it doesn't matter like well, mart.
2351
01:56:35.359 --> 01:56:37.800
Waite's been fine in left field, camp Smith's been great
2352
01:56:37.840 --> 01:56:41.560
defensively in right field. You know, I expect we're gonna
2353
01:56:41.560 --> 01:56:44.199
get some kind of update on Bryce Matthews, you know,
2354
01:56:44.279 --> 01:56:48.399
bumping the neon on Sunday to not look good, you know,
2355
01:56:48.439 --> 01:56:50.640
if he misses any significant time. And by the way,
2356
01:56:50.680 --> 01:56:53.199
he's turned out to be a really good outfielder too. Defensively,
2357
01:56:54.000 --> 01:56:56.760
I think Jake Myers is on you know, if he
2358
01:56:56.800 --> 01:56:58.800
hasn't already, he's coming back from sugar Land.
2359
01:56:58.840 --> 01:56:59.920
He's gonna be elevating.
2360
01:57:00.000 --> 01:57:01.600
He's going to be back with this club the start
2361
01:57:01.640 --> 01:57:05.279
of the second half of the season. But and we
2362
01:57:05.359 --> 01:57:08.039
know how good Jake is defensively. But I just there's
2363
01:57:08.119 --> 01:57:10.520
no there's no rhyme or reason. Like the reason they
2364
01:57:10.520 --> 01:57:12.880
did it the other day was because Bryce Matthews got
2365
01:57:12.920 --> 01:57:14.840
hurt and then Tremmell got hurt and they had to
2366
01:57:14.840 --> 01:57:17.479
put Decenzo in. They're not putting Decenzo in center. They
2367
01:57:17.520 --> 01:57:19.800
put him and left, and so they shifted everything around.
2368
01:57:20.840 --> 01:57:23.680
But I don't know, like, there's no there's no exact
2369
01:57:23.720 --> 01:57:25.880
reason why you would move camp Smith from right field
2370
01:57:25.920 --> 01:57:28.920
to center field. You know, when there's no like there's
2371
01:57:28.960 --> 01:57:31.720
no awesome hitter that's pushing for playing time to play
2372
01:57:31.800 --> 01:57:34.399
right field, Like you have a bunch of guys, a
2373
01:57:34.399 --> 01:57:36.119
bunch of outfields, and not way you can play left
2374
01:57:36.159 --> 01:57:38.479
or right camp Smith, Okay, you want to move the center, Like,
2375
01:57:39.199 --> 01:57:40.399
what what good does that do?
2376
01:57:40.520 --> 01:57:42.439
You have a bunch of dudes batting around two hundred.
2377
01:57:42.960 --> 01:57:44.680
Well no, and I get that, but I mean I
2378
01:57:45.000 --> 01:57:47.680
think that the way it plays out though, is that
2379
01:57:48.359 --> 01:57:50.680
you can put low Brafito and right, you probably can't
2380
01:57:50.720 --> 01:57:53.800
put Dezenzo and right, as you even mentioned, and that's
2381
01:57:53.840 --> 01:57:55.399
the way we saw it play out the other day.
2382
01:57:55.399 --> 01:57:57.600
But at least with Cam Smith, I know he's got
2383
01:57:57.600 --> 01:58:00.239
the power potential. The rest of the bat I need
2384
01:58:00.279 --> 01:58:02.000
to come around a little bit more than it has.
2385
01:58:02.359 --> 01:58:04.960
And I think that the Astros feel the exact same way,
2386
01:58:05.000 --> 01:58:07.800
and probably so to Cam Smith from that regard, and
2387
01:58:07.840 --> 01:58:10.560
then you're getting good enough production on Lamont Way Junior.
2388
01:58:10.560 --> 01:58:13.520
It's just not enough of sample size to wonder if
2389
01:58:13.560 --> 01:58:15.760
he can be somebody that can help you out every
2390
01:58:15.800 --> 01:58:18.079
single day the rest of the way, which again is
2391
01:58:18.199 --> 01:58:20.880
sixty four games the rest of this season. I just
2392
01:58:20.920 --> 01:58:24.279
think that it it unclouds a picture a little bit more.
2393
01:58:24.399 --> 01:58:27.279
I at least have potential this way. I don't think
2394
01:58:27.319 --> 01:58:29.439
I have potential with Jake Myers out in center.
2395
01:58:29.319 --> 01:58:33.119
Field, well, you know you're getting good to you. And
2396
01:58:33.159 --> 01:58:36.159
by the way, like I feel like I need to
2397
01:58:36.159 --> 01:58:39.680
bring this up all the time. The Dana and Joe
2398
01:58:39.680 --> 01:58:42.439
Spot and those guys, a lot of times they will
2399
01:58:42.479 --> 01:58:45.399
take a guy who sucks at the plate because he's
2400
01:58:45.399 --> 01:58:48.000
a plus defender, and that's just the reality of how
2401
01:58:48.039 --> 01:58:49.159
they can struck a lot.
2402
01:58:49.359 --> 01:58:51.880
When your pitchers can't throw strikes. What does that matter?
2403
01:58:52.199 --> 01:58:55.000
Like at a certain point. No, I mean I'm being serious,
2404
01:58:55.119 --> 01:58:57.680
Like what does it matter? Yeah, I mean that's like,
2405
01:58:57.960 --> 01:58:59.399
you know, hey, we got to have this guy in
2406
01:58:59.399 --> 01:59:01.600
the lineup because of his glove. Well, can your guy
2407
01:59:01.680 --> 01:59:04.800
throw strike one, two, and three? Or if the ball's
2408
01:59:04.840 --> 01:59:07.439
put in play, is the play gonna be made? I mean,
2409
01:59:07.479 --> 01:59:10.880
if it's again put in play. But then the problem is, Gordy,
2410
01:59:10.880 --> 01:59:13.399
that you've been running into is that you're not throwing strikes.
2411
01:59:13.399 --> 01:59:15.520
And when you do throw strikes, they get hammered over
2412
01:59:15.520 --> 01:59:15.920
the wall.
2413
01:59:17.720 --> 01:59:20.479
Yeah, I'm just justifying. I'm telling you. When we look
2414
01:59:20.520 --> 01:59:21.399
at lineups and we.
2415
01:59:21.399 --> 01:59:25.199
Go, god, the bottom of that lineup, like you know,
2416
01:59:25.319 --> 01:59:28.640
Cam Smith, Well Mount Wade, Bryce Matthews, this is it
2417
01:59:28.720 --> 01:59:30.880
doesn't look like a great Big league lineup.
2418
01:59:31.479 --> 01:59:32.279
They don't care.
2419
01:59:32.520 --> 01:59:34.880
They will put guys in there that are just good
2420
01:59:34.880 --> 01:59:38.319
defenders that don't hit. Jake Myers this year has not hit,
2421
01:59:38.960 --> 01:59:40.840
but they kept running him out there because he's a
2422
01:59:40.880 --> 01:59:44.119
good defender. And you know, again, but it sucks when
2423
01:59:44.119 --> 01:59:45.800
you look at the bottom of the organ, you go, man,
2424
01:59:45.920 --> 01:59:50.520
like my seven, eight, nine are all batting below two twenty, Like, yeah,
2425
01:59:51.039 --> 01:59:52.520
you know what you're gonna be getting at the plate
2426
01:59:52.560 --> 01:59:56.199
because those guys don't produce. But you know, again, they
2427
01:59:57.000 --> 02:00:00.880
are willing to sacrifice offense for good defense, and they've
2428
02:00:01.119 --> 02:00:02.239
shown it time and time again.
2429
02:00:02.520 --> 02:00:04.840
Well, I mean the problem is too. I mean, as
2430
02:00:04.920 --> 02:00:06.920
we've even talked about with some of the struggles that
2431
02:00:06.960 --> 02:00:08.840
you've had with Cam Smith. And it's not just an
2432
02:00:08.840 --> 02:00:11.399
outfield thing too. I mean a guy that you need
2433
02:00:11.399 --> 02:00:14.880
to have a much better offensive second half is Jianer
2434
02:00:14.960 --> 02:00:17.079
Diez too. I mean that's somebody else that can help
2435
02:00:17.159 --> 02:00:20.159
uncloud that picture. But I mean the way that it
2436
02:00:20.239 --> 02:00:23.920
currently is, I mean that's why really you look at it, Gordias.
2437
02:00:24.000 --> 02:00:26.520
I think the lineup is one through five. You can
2438
02:00:26.560 --> 02:00:29.159
count on them. Are they necessarily productive all the time?
2439
02:00:29.279 --> 02:00:32.039
Who is? It's major League Baseball. You're gonna run through slumps.
2440
02:00:32.479 --> 02:00:34.880
Six is a wildcard and then seven, eight to nine
2441
02:00:34.960 --> 02:00:37.520
is pretty much a nothing right now. And you know
2442
02:00:37.600 --> 02:00:40.520
you're talking about having guys in there defensively, like I
2443
02:00:40.600 --> 02:00:46.079
could get past the having Martin Maldonado in there defensively
2444
02:00:46.279 --> 02:00:48.520
and what he gave you from a game planning perspective,
2445
02:00:48.840 --> 02:00:50.840
because I knew that the other eight guys could be
2446
02:00:50.880 --> 02:00:53.800
productive for you at the plate, and it was anything
2447
02:00:53.880 --> 02:00:56.279
offensively that you got out of him was an added bonus.
2448
02:00:56.319 --> 02:00:58.199
But the fact that maybe I've got about two or
2449
02:00:58.239 --> 02:01:01.159
three of those guys vomit.
2450
02:01:01.479 --> 02:01:02.000
I can't.
2451
02:01:02.000 --> 02:01:03.159
I can't live a life like that.
2452
02:01:05.279 --> 02:01:07.079
Well that's the life we're living right now.
2453
02:01:07.119 --> 02:01:11.520
When you got you know, three your top five hitters
2454
02:01:11.520 --> 02:01:15.439
are batting two fifty four below Paradi said two fifty four,
2455
02:01:15.560 --> 02:01:19.159
Christian Walker two thirty seven, ho'sl too, Mada dismal two
2456
02:01:19.199 --> 02:01:21.600
thirty five, and then you're outfitlers.
2457
02:01:21.640 --> 02:01:23.199
Cam Smith's betting two eighteen.
2458
02:01:24.119 --> 02:01:27.359
Bryce Matthews before the injury was batting one ninety seven.
2459
02:01:27.479 --> 02:01:30.840
I mean, good lord, we're gonna we're gonna replace the
2460
02:01:30.880 --> 02:01:34.399
Mendoza line with the Matthews line pretty soon. If Bryce Matthews,
2461
02:01:34.439 --> 02:01:37.520
you know, doesn't pick it up offensively. But you know,
2462
02:01:37.560 --> 02:01:40.479
even Christian Vasquez his his his bat cooled off from
2463
02:01:40.840 --> 02:01:41.439
earlier in the year.
2464
02:01:41.439 --> 02:01:42.479
He's down to two twenty.
2465
02:01:42.920 --> 02:01:45.560
And Yanner Diaz, who's supposed to be one of the
2466
02:01:45.560 --> 02:01:49.359
best hitting catchers in baseball, back two forty eight. I mean, like,
2467
02:01:49.439 --> 02:01:51.960
how many how many dudes in your lineup can bat
2468
02:01:52.000 --> 02:01:55.239
sub two fifty this year and keep getting run out.
2469
02:01:55.159 --> 02:01:55.720
There every day?
2470
02:01:55.720 --> 02:01:58.840
It's it's it's like it's we are. We are in
2471
02:01:58.880 --> 02:02:00.880
a world Dan where it is boom or bust. Either
2472
02:02:00.960 --> 02:02:02.920
Jordan Alvarez is gonna go off and hit a couple
2473
02:02:02.960 --> 02:02:05.479
of home runs and that's gonna be our offensive production
2474
02:02:05.880 --> 02:02:08.920
or we're gonna lose eight to nothing because nobody.
2475
02:02:08.640 --> 02:02:09.359
Could score a run.
2476
02:02:09.640 --> 02:02:13.880
Well, if you do rename the Mendoza line after Bryce Matthews,
2477
02:02:13.920 --> 02:02:16.239
just make sure you spell it correctly, not with one T,
2478
02:02:16.680 --> 02:02:18.760
you know, I just I don't want that confusion for
2479
02:02:18.880 --> 02:02:21.119
my own family name's sake. You know, it's one of
2480
02:02:21.119 --> 02:02:24.560
those I bat above two hundred Gordy, so I wouldn't
2481
02:02:24.600 --> 02:02:30.600
be in danger of being being in that category. But regardless, Yeah,
2482
02:02:30.640 --> 02:02:32.840
I mean I don't know. I haven't gone back to
2483
02:02:32.840 --> 02:02:35.800
ask my ancestors, Hey, why did you go with one T? Like,
2484
02:02:35.920 --> 02:02:37.760
you know, like why didn't we just like go ahead
2485
02:02:37.760 --> 02:02:39.319
and just like blend in with the crowd and go
2486
02:02:39.359 --> 02:02:41.920
with two Which can you imagine with all the basic
2487
02:02:41.960 --> 02:02:44.159
white guys Whenever I tell them my name, and they're like, oh,
2488
02:02:44.199 --> 02:02:46.520
your parents should have named you Dave. Thanks buddy. Yeah.
2489
02:02:46.560 --> 02:02:47.720
You know what, as a matter of fact, I'll go
2490
02:02:47.720 --> 02:02:50.439
back to nineteen eighty five and be like, hey, actually
2491
02:02:50.479 --> 02:02:51.880
I want you to call me this. It'd be like
2492
02:02:51.920 --> 02:02:54.560
that Will Ferrell skit. Oh we were gonna name you Michael,
2493
02:02:54.640 --> 02:02:57.399
Well it's Ted. I could have done that.
2494
02:02:58.840 --> 02:02:59.159
Yeah.
2495
02:03:00.239 --> 02:03:03.680
Well, anyway, the bigger issue, I mean, this is why
2496
02:03:03.720 --> 02:03:06.640
we're going to continue to hear their name, the Astros,
2497
02:03:07.359 --> 02:03:12.119
you know, possibly being in the market for an outfielder,
2498
02:03:12.279 --> 02:03:14.159
and I get when they say like, well, we're looking
2499
02:03:14.159 --> 02:03:15.840
for a left handed bat, we're looking for a left
2500
02:03:15.840 --> 02:03:19.600
hand outfielder. I'll take a what do you call that
2501
02:03:19.640 --> 02:03:22.800
where you're ambidextrous outfielder.
2502
02:03:22.800 --> 02:03:25.079
I don't care. Give me a guy who that's left
2503
02:03:25.159 --> 02:03:27.560
right both. I don't care. Give me somebody who can hit.
2504
02:03:27.680 --> 02:03:28.359
That's what I need.
2505
02:03:28.520 --> 02:03:30.159
Yeah, well, lot Wade's giving you, you know, in a
2506
02:03:30.239 --> 02:03:32.920
small sample size, giving you a good, good action. I'm
2507
02:03:32.960 --> 02:03:35.520
all for him get more playing time because he seems
2508
02:03:35.560 --> 02:03:37.520
to be making the most out of it now.
2509
02:03:37.640 --> 02:03:39.319
I mean, it's definitely been a lot better than what
2510
02:03:39.359 --> 02:03:41.960
you'd been getting out of that group, for sure. And uh,
2511
02:03:42.159 --> 02:03:44.199
I mean, we'll get a couple of weeks to see
2512
02:03:44.319 --> 02:03:47.239
what that outfield picture can look like and if indeed
2513
02:03:47.279 --> 02:03:49.199
you do need to make a pretty significant move there
2514
02:03:49.199 --> 02:03:51.079
at the trade deadline. As I know that that's what
2515
02:03:51.159 --> 02:03:53.520
Brian and Parland wants to talk about. Give you that
2516
02:03:53.560 --> 02:03:55.840
opportunity you want to get in on the Astros discussion.
2517
02:03:55.960 --> 02:03:56.279
Do so?
2518
02:03:56.399 --> 02:03:58.880
Someone three two one two five seventy ninety get it's
2519
02:03:58.920 --> 02:04:02.319
someone three two one two five seven nineties. We continue
2520
02:04:02.319 --> 02:04:05.279
to roll along here. He's Chris Gordy, Dan Matthews, Tripley,
2521
02:04:05.279 --> 02:04:08.560
Emmanuel Elmore hanging out with you here on the Morning Drive.
2522
02:04:08.880 --> 02:04:12.600
In addition to any of the potential trades the Astros
2523
02:04:12.600 --> 02:04:16.159
could make Gordy, we did get some news yesterday on
2524
02:04:16.159 --> 02:04:18.720
one Mike Burrows and what I think that spells for
2525
02:04:18.840 --> 02:04:21.079
the rest of his twenty twenty six season. We'll talk
2526
02:04:21.119 --> 02:04:23.199
about it right here as we continue. It's the Morning
2527
02:04:23.239 --> 02:04:25.920
Drive Sports Talk seven to ninety told you about him
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02:04:59.720 --> 02:05:02.279
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head through the doors over there at Kobe Stevens Apparel.
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the fishing shirts, the ladies and youth options. I mean,
2550
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you're gonna be coming out there and you're gonna be saying, man,
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I got a lot of clothes, and I didn't really
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02:05:26.359 --> 02:05:28.960
have to spend all that much money. That's what Kobe
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at the end. It's Kobe Stevens dot Com, Cobe Stevens Apparel.
2559
02:05:50.920 --> 02:05:57.760
Down set Drive. This is the Morning Drive with Dan Matthews.
2560
02:05:59.279 --> 02:06:02.560
We'll get to see Mike Burrow's top conversation here in
2561
02:06:02.640 --> 02:06:04.239
just a second. But see a couple of you on
2562
02:06:04.279 --> 02:06:05.800
the phone lines. Want to give you a chance to
2563
02:06:05.840 --> 02:06:08.840
be able to weigh on in at someone three two
2564
02:06:08.840 --> 02:06:12.079
on two five seven ninety. Brian Appareland wants to get in. Brian,
2565
02:06:12.119 --> 02:06:14.439
good morning, by good mornen.
2566
02:06:15.039 --> 02:06:17.520
Dan Gordy, Hey, y'all are talking real quick, and I'll
2567
02:06:17.520 --> 02:06:20.039
get to the kind of the trade deadline. A couple
2568
02:06:20.079 --> 02:06:23.399
of players that I've heard names of and kind of
2569
02:06:23.439 --> 02:06:26.239
intrigued me. But y'all were talking right tow the top
2570
02:06:26.279 --> 02:06:28.920
of the Hour Break about you know, a spot in Danum,
2571
02:06:29.159 --> 02:06:31.199
you know, possibly being on the hot seat. And I
2572
02:06:31.199 --> 02:06:34.000
would say Dana more so than Joe because what is
2573
02:06:34.000 --> 02:06:37.680
still it's like, what have you given me to work with?
2574
02:06:37.760 --> 02:06:41.159
Like you've given me a bunch of trash or nuts
2575
02:06:41.159 --> 02:06:44.239
crashing theory, but you know you've given me a bunch
2576
02:06:44.279 --> 02:06:47.600
of four eight players top to my guys have been hurt.
2577
02:06:47.840 --> 02:06:49.199
What am I supposed to do?
2578
02:06:49.359 --> 02:06:49.479
Like?
2579
02:06:49.520 --> 02:06:51.520
What am I supposed to make.
2580
02:06:51.319 --> 02:06:51.800
Out of this?
2581
02:06:52.159 --> 02:06:54.279
I can't help my guys under performer. Now, some of
2582
02:06:54.319 --> 02:06:57.680
it is roster construction and all that, but overall, I
2583
02:06:57.720 --> 02:07:02.039
don't think he's made terrible decisions about who to go
2584
02:07:02.119 --> 02:07:06.640
to win or you know who maybe give maybe okay,
2585
02:07:06.640 --> 02:07:08.760
you shouldn't have given this guy a day off year
2586
02:07:09.239 --> 02:07:13.319
maybe sometimes the Sunday lineup. But in theory, when you're
2587
02:07:13.560 --> 02:07:17.840
running out Bryce Matthews and Dustin Harrison Junior, and you know,
2588
02:07:18.119 --> 02:07:21.640
and then you don't really have a bona fide big
2589
02:07:21.760 --> 02:07:25.199
league outfielder, Like what am I supposed to do it?
2590
02:07:25.239 --> 02:07:28.840
I'm running out Peter Lambert and Jason Alexander and Pulton
2591
02:07:28.880 --> 02:07:32.119
Gordon powerfully out there now. Credit Peter Lambert has been
2592
02:07:32.319 --> 02:07:36.119
a fine, but my pitching staff has been in shambles, Like,
2593
02:07:36.439 --> 02:07:39.119
I think that has to give Joe at least one
2594
02:07:39.159 --> 02:07:41.359
more year of reprieved to go. Can I at least
2595
02:07:41.399 --> 02:07:44.920
get a healthy roster once or a mostly healthy roster
2596
02:07:45.000 --> 02:07:47.199
to play with and then judge me on that. So
2597
02:07:47.600 --> 02:07:49.479
that's where I think Joe could at least have a
2598
02:07:49.560 --> 02:07:53.239
leg up. I get it, Hey, you miss you've underperformed
2599
02:07:53.239 --> 02:07:57.039
in the other two seasons. But you know, I think
2600
02:07:57.119 --> 02:07:57.760
Joe would at.
2601
02:07:57.720 --> 02:07:58.479
Least get it.
2602
02:07:58.640 --> 02:08:02.319
Get a pass on from the aspect. I heard a
2603
02:08:03.359 --> 02:08:08.399
followed on social media the other day. Another Houston sports
2604
02:08:08.399 --> 02:08:12.840
personality who's a free agent right now called the Lot
2605
02:08:12.920 --> 02:08:15.800
mentioned something. I didn't think it was that terrible of
2606
02:08:15.840 --> 02:08:19.399
an idea, assuming the blue days, you know, keep going down,
2607
02:08:19.720 --> 02:08:22.399
he'd mentioned, And I don't think it's a terrible idea.
2608
02:08:22.399 --> 02:08:24.039
I'm not advotating to say we should do it or
2609
02:08:24.079 --> 02:08:27.319
I would even happen. He mentioned, would you would you
2610
02:08:27.359 --> 02:08:29.760
cause around the idea of bringing back George Springer for
2611
02:08:29.760 --> 02:08:31.600
the rest of the season. I think it would be
2612
02:08:31.640 --> 02:08:34.079
a half season. The rental, you probably wouldn't have to
2613
02:08:34.119 --> 02:08:37.319
give up much. You know, you're probably only paying maybe
2614
02:08:37.760 --> 02:08:41.880
what seven million left or so on that contract for
2615
02:08:41.920 --> 02:08:44.840
the rest of the year. So I'm sure there's some
2616
02:08:44.920 --> 02:08:47.319
other moves you can make to free up that money
2617
02:08:47.319 --> 02:08:49.279
if you don't already have it, I think you would
2618
02:08:49.279 --> 02:08:50.960
give you a shot in the arm kind of just
2619
02:08:51.159 --> 02:08:56.039
energy wise, he's better than Bryce Matthews and probably Lamont
2620
02:08:56.079 --> 02:09:01.239
Waite Junior. So I thought it was an interesting ideas, like, hey,
2621
02:09:01.159 --> 02:09:05.640
they brought back old guys before, between Perlander and Prey
2622
02:09:05.720 --> 02:09:09.600
and all that, so assuming Springer would even consider coming back,
2623
02:09:10.199 --> 02:09:13.720
it was an interesting idea anyway. And then I don't
2624
02:09:13.800 --> 02:09:16.520
follow the dive deep into the box scores, but I
2625
02:09:16.600 --> 02:09:20.000
followed the like summary headlines on X and I always
2626
02:09:20.039 --> 02:09:23.439
see Cavin Bigio having a decent year at Triple A.
2627
02:09:23.520 --> 02:09:26.640
And I'm curious to know he's played outfield before with
2628
02:09:26.680 --> 02:09:29.039
the Blue Jays and with the Dodgers. He has a
2629
02:09:29.159 --> 02:09:32.079
left handed bat. He can also spell at first faith
2630
02:09:32.600 --> 02:09:36.960
either paying a first second or outfield because is he
2631
02:09:37.079 --> 02:09:40.000
out of minor league auctions And that's why they haven't
2632
02:09:40.000 --> 02:09:41.720
brought him up, because if they bring him up, they
2633
02:09:41.720 --> 02:09:45.000
have to leave him here. I just I don't understand
2634
02:09:45.159 --> 02:09:47.520
why he hasn't at least had a shot to say,
2635
02:09:49.000 --> 02:09:51.760
I can't be worth standing else you're running out on
2636
02:09:51.800 --> 02:09:53.760
a day to day basis. I mean, plus, he's the
2637
02:09:54.359 --> 02:09:57.079
Saint Thomas all of not always helped. You know, he's
2638
02:09:57.119 --> 02:09:59.640
a good man, good character, you got to know that.
2639
02:09:59.720 --> 02:10:02.039
But I'm just curious. He's a left hand in Betty's
2640
02:10:02.079 --> 02:10:04.640
kind of what you're looking for. He's you know, I
2641
02:10:04.680 --> 02:10:06.800
always see he's hitting the home run every two or
2642
02:10:06.840 --> 02:10:10.479
three games, like he can't be any worse than the
2643
02:10:10.560 --> 02:10:13.159
what you're trotting out on a daily basis. So I
2644
02:10:13.159 --> 02:10:16.039
thought that was kind of interesting, and I'd be curious
2645
02:10:16.039 --> 02:10:18.000
to see him get a shot at least before the
2646
02:10:18.039 --> 02:10:20.600
deadline to see what's there and if he be a trade
2647
02:10:20.640 --> 02:10:21.520
ship for somebody.
2648
02:10:21.640 --> 02:10:27.199
So I appreciate it. Brian efn d, Yeah, it doesn't
2649
02:10:27.239 --> 02:10:31.159
hurt that you've got a guy that's a former Saint
2650
02:10:31.199 --> 02:10:35.279
Thomas Eagle Gordy. But as Brian asked, yes, he is
2651
02:10:35.319 --> 02:10:37.439
out of minor league options, and I think that probably
2652
02:10:38.039 --> 02:10:40.439
is part of the reason why they haven't called him up,
2653
02:10:40.479 --> 02:10:43.399
because then if you find yourself in a roster crunch,
2654
02:10:43.840 --> 02:10:46.680
then you probably have to dfam, and if you dfam,
2655
02:10:46.680 --> 02:10:49.039
you run the risk of somebody else jumping in picking
2656
02:10:49.079 --> 02:10:51.399
him up, and then you don't have the option to
2657
02:10:51.399 --> 02:10:53.319
be able to run him back here. So I think
2658
02:10:53.319 --> 02:10:56.880
that's probably been a huge reason. I would probably have
2659
02:10:56.920 --> 02:11:00.479
to guess if they have any remote ideas of having
2660
02:11:00.560 --> 02:11:02.199
him be part of this roster, that it's going to
2661
02:11:02.239 --> 02:11:05.640
happen here pretty quickly. Who knows, Maybe this is right
2662
02:11:05.680 --> 02:11:09.159
now where we've been talking about Myers and low Brafito
2663
02:11:09.199 --> 02:11:12.159
coming back, that it's just one of those guys come back,
2664
02:11:12.239 --> 02:11:14.039
and the other one that comes up is going to
2665
02:11:14.039 --> 02:11:16.279
be Cavin Bigio and finally just give him a chance
2666
02:11:16.319 --> 02:11:18.239
and see, all right if it works out, keeping the
2667
02:11:18.279 --> 02:11:20.399
rest of the way. If it doesn't, then move on
2668
02:11:20.479 --> 02:11:22.079
and you're probably going to make a trade anyway.
2669
02:11:23.239 --> 02:11:27.119
Well, let me jump in here. The Kevin Bigio.
2670
02:11:27.239 --> 02:11:29.720
The last couple of weeks, the average is picked up
2671
02:11:29.760 --> 02:11:31.600
a little bit, but he's still bat around two fifty
2672
02:11:31.640 --> 02:11:35.479
two sixty. You know it's and that's in triple A.
2673
02:11:35.680 --> 02:11:37.479
What do you think he's gonna do against big league pitching?
2674
02:11:37.520 --> 02:11:40.760
It probably translates more to a two ten average, right
2675
02:11:40.960 --> 02:11:43.199
he has did a couple of home runs. I'm kind
2676
02:11:43.199 --> 02:11:45.760
of with you. I thought, you know at one point,
2677
02:11:45.920 --> 02:11:47.800
you know where he was the bat was heating up
2678
02:11:47.840 --> 02:11:50.239
that that maybe they might give him a chance, just.
2679
02:11:50.159 --> 02:11:51.960
Give him an opportunity to show what he can do.
2680
02:11:52.039 --> 02:11:53.239
And when Dana always.
2681
02:11:53.000 --> 02:11:55.680
Talks about left handed bat, left handed bat, well, he
2682
02:11:55.760 --> 02:11:58.560
is a left handed bat. But uh, the other part
2683
02:11:58.560 --> 02:12:02.159
of that is no Apps, absolutely not on George Springer.
2684
02:12:03.239 --> 02:12:06.800
First off, he is primarily dhing this year. They're not
2685
02:12:06.800 --> 02:12:09.800
even putting him the outfield because he's he's aging. I
2686
02:12:09.840 --> 02:12:11.960
know he's in the last year of his contract, but
2687
02:12:12.039 --> 02:12:14.880
have you seen his numbers. He's betting two eighteen. He's
2688
02:12:14.920 --> 02:12:17.239
worse than He's worse than what you're running out there
2689
02:12:17.279 --> 02:12:19.800
in the outfield right now. So we need to stop
2690
02:12:19.840 --> 02:12:22.560
with the whole we get attached to guys and fan
2691
02:12:22.600 --> 02:12:25.159
favorites and all that. You gotta remove that stuff, man,
2692
02:12:25.239 --> 02:12:28.680
I mean the Karia thing. Look, you're stuck with him.
2693
02:12:28.760 --> 02:12:30.600
He's gonna be here the next handful of years. He's
2694
02:12:30.600 --> 02:12:33.600
already we're concerned about injuries while he already is injured
2695
02:12:33.600 --> 02:12:37.399
and missing this in almost entire season. So we got
2696
02:12:37.399 --> 02:12:41.239
to stop with the aging lovable you know guys that
2697
02:12:41.279 --> 02:12:43.960
were here once, Like, look, George is gonna come back
2698
02:12:43.960 --> 02:12:46.279
here when his career is done and we're going to
2699
02:12:46.359 --> 02:12:47.960
retire his jersey and he's going to be an aster
2700
02:12:48.119 --> 02:12:50.840
for life and all that. But stop with the emotional
2701
02:12:50.880 --> 02:12:53.159
attachments to wanting to bring guys back. He's not a
2702
02:12:53.159 --> 02:12:56.600
good baseball player right now. He would not help this team.
2703
02:12:57.079 --> 02:12:59.520
Carlos Korey is not helping this team. Heck, Jose Al
2704
02:12:59.520 --> 02:13:02.520
Tuovay's hurting this team right now batting two thirty five.
2705
02:13:02.760 --> 02:13:04.560
Like we got to stop with the.
2706
02:13:04.520 --> 02:13:08.680
Old guys from seventeen and twenty two and all reunion. Yeah,
2707
02:13:08.720 --> 02:13:10.760
it would be great, it'd be a great storyline. Guess what,
2708
02:13:10.800 --> 02:13:13.159
We're trying to win baseball games. I need guys who
2709
02:13:13.199 --> 02:13:14.840
can help me win baseball games right now.
2710
02:13:15.000 --> 02:13:18.239
Well, I think it's twofold with Springer, is I mean,
2711
02:13:18.279 --> 02:13:20.279
you know, and Brian brought it up. I mean I
2712
02:13:20.319 --> 02:13:23.279
heard the same thing last week. I think that one,
2713
02:13:23.720 --> 02:13:28.039
it's perception that things like this can happen because you
2714
02:13:28.079 --> 02:13:30.439
did it last year with Carlos Korea. But I mean
2715
02:13:30.479 --> 02:13:32.640
it is also, to your point, Korea a little bit
2716
02:13:32.640 --> 02:13:36.000
more productive when you added him back, and I mean
2717
02:13:36.039 --> 02:13:38.279
he at least for the rest of last season and
2718
02:13:38.319 --> 02:13:40.520
in the beginning part of this season was still at
2719
02:13:40.600 --> 02:13:43.920
least give you decent enough middle of the order production there.
2720
02:13:44.319 --> 02:13:46.279
I think the other one, too, is that there's the
2721
02:13:46.319 --> 02:13:50.159
perception that Jim does have still a strong affinity and
2722
02:13:50.199 --> 02:13:54.159
attachment to those years, which I get, but I mean
2723
02:13:54.359 --> 02:13:56.359
it is kind of one of those Gordy that at
2724
02:13:56.439 --> 02:13:59.399
least thinking about it from that perspective of look at
2725
02:13:59.439 --> 02:14:01.760
the ballpark right now, look at Dyke and Park. You're
2726
02:14:01.760 --> 02:14:04.640
not filling that thing up at the moment. And I
2727
02:14:04.640 --> 02:14:07.560
mean I could understand kind of the temptation of it
2728
02:14:07.600 --> 02:14:10.039
of hey, you bring back a Springer, you get some
2729
02:14:10.079 --> 02:14:11.920
of those jerseys back in the building, you get some
2730
02:14:11.960 --> 02:14:14.039
people that are at least excited about it. I'm not
2731
02:14:14.039 --> 02:14:16.279
saying that it's a good baseball savvy move. I'm with
2732
02:14:16.319 --> 02:14:19.039
you on that, but I'm just saying that, like, at least,
2733
02:14:19.039 --> 02:14:21.479
if nothing else, it kind of starts to turn the
2734
02:14:21.479 --> 02:14:22.880
wheels in your mind about it.
2735
02:14:24.920 --> 02:14:26.039
No, absolutely not.
2736
02:14:26.079 --> 02:14:26.279
We're not.
2737
02:14:26.399 --> 02:14:28.199
We're not. We're trying to win baseball games.
2738
02:14:28.239 --> 02:14:31.199
We're not trying to put butts in seats for entertainment
2739
02:14:31.319 --> 02:14:34.439
value of nostalgia. We can we can have a we
2740
02:14:34.439 --> 02:14:37.560
could have a reunion night next year, we'll we'll have
2741
02:14:37.600 --> 02:14:40.239
a we'll have the ten year reunion of the seventeen
2742
02:14:40.279 --> 02:14:42.560
championship team, and we'll bring back all those guys and
2743
02:14:42.600 --> 02:14:46.039
we'll all shed tears and get emotional. But I just
2744
02:14:46.039 --> 02:14:49.159
think it's stupid to want to bring back guys who
2745
02:14:49.239 --> 02:14:52.159
suck at baseball. Right now, again, Kray is back, and
2746
02:14:52.439 --> 02:14:54.840
he wasn't exactly tearing the cover off the ball and
2747
02:14:54.920 --> 02:14:58.000
rip it home runs and then he gets hurt hitting
2748
02:14:58.000 --> 02:15:00.680
a foul ball off his foot and be and misses
2749
02:15:00.720 --> 02:15:03.600
the rest of the year. I'm not bringing back George
2750
02:15:03.640 --> 02:15:07.039
Springer to do the same thing. It's just it's again.
2751
02:15:07.239 --> 02:15:09.520
He will always be a great, great astro. But I mean, like,
2752
02:15:09.760 --> 02:15:12.920
should the Texans bring back Arian Foster because of nostalgia? No,
2753
02:15:13.079 --> 02:15:16.039
he's a crappy football player. Now, Like, we're not bringing
2754
02:15:16.119 --> 02:15:17.199
back guys for nostalgia.
2755
02:15:17.399 --> 02:15:19.479
Okay, how about bringing back DeAndre Hopkins?
2756
02:15:19.520 --> 02:15:19.680
Then?
2757
02:15:20.439 --> 02:15:21.600
Can we can we meet in the middle?
2758
02:15:22.760 --> 02:15:26.680
No, I mean maybe what the new flag football team
2759
02:15:26.720 --> 02:15:29.600
the Texans are starting. Maybe, but not for the not
2760
02:15:29.680 --> 02:15:31.239
for the professional football team.
2761
02:15:31.279 --> 02:15:34.039
No, he's better than that. Come on, Gordy, don't be
2762
02:15:34.079 --> 02:15:34.560
so mean.
2763
02:15:36.399 --> 02:15:37.920
God, we get we got to get out of our
2764
02:15:37.960 --> 02:15:40.600
feelings sometimes Houston with some of this crap. It's like
2765
02:15:40.840 --> 02:15:44.239
it's again, great, great players, great memories and all that,
2766
02:15:44.279 --> 02:15:46.159
but we're not We're not going backwards.
2767
02:15:46.159 --> 02:15:46.960
We're going forwards.
2768
02:15:46.960 --> 02:15:49.760
We need we need new stars to emerge. We don't
2769
02:15:49.760 --> 02:15:51.560
need to bring back old washed up stars.
2770
02:15:51.960 --> 02:15:54.640
All right, Well, speaking of people that you want to emerge,
2771
02:15:54.680 --> 02:15:56.840
the Astros had hopes for Mike Burrows to do that
2772
02:15:56.920 --> 02:15:59.439
this year now kind of feels like that. Twenty twenty
2773
02:15:59.479 --> 02:16:02.840
six has been written the newest development yesterday. Talk about
2774
02:16:02.880 --> 02:16:06.319
that as we continue. It's the Morning Drive. He's Chris Gordy, Triple,
2775
02:16:06.319 --> 02:16:10.079
Emmanuel elmart Dan Matthews. We make up the Morning Drive
2776
02:16:10.239 --> 02:16:12.199
right here. Sports Talk seven ninety.
2777
02:16:13.920 --> 02:16:20.079
Reeal takes real reaction, real Houston. Sports Talk seven ninety
2778
02:16:20.359 --> 02:16:21.720
guarantee human.
2779
02:16:23.039 --> 02:16:25.399
I think most of Astro's Twitter agrees with you. Gordy.
2780
02:16:25.520 --> 02:16:30.039
By the way, you know about the idea of George Springer, Well,
2781
02:16:30.119 --> 02:16:32.600
I guess in your case poo pooing on the idea.
2782
02:16:32.920 --> 02:16:35.840
But it doesn't really seem like that there is a
2783
02:16:35.879 --> 02:16:39.440
massive appetite like okay, fine, let's just say that they
2784
02:16:39.479 --> 02:16:43.120
did that, Like how quickly would those turn into oh,
2785
02:16:43.159 --> 02:16:44.680
he's not the same guy anymore.
2786
02:16:47.280 --> 02:16:50.040
Yeah, I mean they did it with Correa last year
2787
02:16:50.159 --> 02:16:53.120
and you know after the trade deadline when they got him.
2788
02:16:53.280 --> 02:16:55.600
Here's the other part too. The Blue Jays are two
2789
02:16:55.639 --> 02:16:57.920
and a half out of a wild card spot. Why
2790
02:16:57.959 --> 02:17:00.200
are they sellers? Why would they give up, you know,
2791
02:17:00.200 --> 02:17:03.280
a guy that's supposed to be one of their main pieces.
2792
02:17:04.000 --> 02:17:06.639
Other than the fact that he's sucking right now, which again,
2793
02:17:07.000 --> 02:17:08.639
why would you want a player that's sucking.
2794
02:17:09.000 --> 02:17:10.479
It doesn't make any sense.
2795
02:17:10.840 --> 02:17:14.239
Other than he's one of bus We love him, Okay, great,
2796
02:17:14.600 --> 02:17:16.319
you can still love him and him not be part
2797
02:17:16.360 --> 02:17:19.399
of this team. He stinks he's making twenty four million
2798
02:17:19.399 --> 02:17:21.680
dollars right now, so like, I just I'm not.
2799
02:17:22.840 --> 02:17:24.760
It doesn't make any sense on any front.
2800
02:17:25.479 --> 02:17:28.000
He was hitting better, and the Blue Jays had some
2801
02:17:28.040 --> 02:17:31.000
better you know, some better young talent that was up
2802
02:17:31.040 --> 02:17:33.120
and coming. You're like, yeah, maybe it's best to turn
2803
02:17:33.159 --> 02:17:36.440
the page and move on. It makes zero sense on
2804
02:17:36.520 --> 02:17:37.120
all fronts.
2805
02:17:37.399 --> 02:17:39.520
Don't you love me? I can love you from a distance.
2806
02:17:39.520 --> 02:17:42.280
It's okay, that's that's that's Chris Gordy in a nutshell
2807
02:17:42.399 --> 02:17:46.479
right there. You throw the love around very willy nilly
2808
02:17:46.520 --> 02:17:47.520
there Gordy.
2809
02:17:47.559 --> 02:17:49.719
It's like running into an x Stan and she's put
2810
02:17:49.760 --> 02:17:52.319
on thirty pounds and she's kind of ugly near now,
2811
02:17:52.719 --> 02:17:54.799
but she's like take me back, and you're like, oh,
2812
02:17:54.840 --> 02:17:56.440
but I remember all the good times.
2813
02:17:56.760 --> 02:17:58.639
No, sorry, not a good fit.
2814
02:18:00.799 --> 02:18:03.079
Don't we all deep down want that to be the case.
2815
02:18:03.479 --> 02:18:05.879
Don't we like want to have some satisfaction right there
2816
02:18:05.920 --> 02:18:08.559
where it's like, see, I was right to move on.
2817
02:18:10.280 --> 02:18:12.319
I I was in the right, but I'm sure probably
2818
02:18:12.319 --> 02:18:14.200
it's the other way around too, where it's just like, oh,
2819
02:18:14.239 --> 02:18:16.799
he's gotten fat, all right, I dodged a bullet there
2820
02:18:16.959 --> 02:18:19.840
it happens. Don't act like yeh haven't been that way before,
2821
02:18:20.000 --> 02:18:25.120
any of you judgmental in the audience. Whatever. Anyway, Hey,
2822
02:18:25.440 --> 02:18:30.079
Mike Burrows, Yesterday, Gordy, at about eleven o'clock, we got
2823
02:18:30.079 --> 02:18:33.559
the news that, just like Kaiwai Dung, that his option
2824
02:18:33.799 --> 02:18:36.920
was rescinded because he was going on the IL. And
2825
02:18:37.399 --> 02:18:40.280
just after eleven o'clock yesterday, I had heard the words
2826
02:18:40.399 --> 02:18:43.239
newritis for the first time in my entire life. Like
2827
02:18:43.280 --> 02:18:45.520
it almost is like with some of these injuries that
2828
02:18:45.600 --> 02:18:48.280
I'm just like that doesn't even sound like it makes sense,
2829
02:18:48.399 --> 02:18:52.879
Like I guess persida is Okay, neuropathy, sure, but like,
2830
02:18:52.959 --> 02:18:55.440
do you even know what neuurritis is? Like I heard
2831
02:18:55.440 --> 02:18:57.559
Matt and Ross talk about this yesterday and I was
2832
02:18:57.680 --> 02:18:59.799
just like, I don't even know if that's a thing.
2833
02:19:00.159 --> 02:19:02.559
Then again, I didn't go to medical school for seven years.
2834
02:19:03.799 --> 02:19:04.959
Yeah, I had to google it.
2835
02:19:04.959 --> 02:19:08.559
It's inflammation of the the nerve on your old nerve
2836
02:19:09.920 --> 02:19:10.559
in the elbow.
2837
02:19:10.600 --> 02:19:12.680
Basically, okay, but you.
2838
02:19:12.680 --> 02:19:17.399
Remember the old John Lovett's character on SNL where he
2839
02:19:17.479 --> 02:19:20.159
was like, yeah, that's the ticket. I feel like that's
2840
02:19:20.239 --> 02:19:23.200
every time the Astros have a player that stinks and
2841
02:19:23.239 --> 02:19:25.799
they send him down, they're like, yeah, and he's hurt.
2842
02:19:25.959 --> 02:19:27.079
Yeah, that's the ticket.
2843
02:19:27.159 --> 02:19:29.680
Like it's they did it with Tongue, they did it
2844
02:19:29.719 --> 02:19:30.360
with Burrows.
2845
02:19:30.399 --> 02:19:32.680
It's like I don't know why.
2846
02:19:32.840 --> 02:19:34.760
I mean, does is it a thing where like it
2847
02:19:34.799 --> 02:19:37.479
opens up another spot because the guy's hurt or whatever,
2848
02:19:37.920 --> 02:19:39.760
so it gives you some roster flexibility.
2849
02:19:39.840 --> 02:19:41.920
I don't know whatever the whatever the issue.
2850
02:19:41.680 --> 02:19:44.559
Is, but it just does feel like that's kind of like, yeah,
2851
02:19:44.559 --> 02:19:46.840
we sent Burrows down because he sucks. No, actually, he
2852
02:19:47.000 --> 02:19:50.319
was hurt after all. That's that's why all this happened.
2853
02:19:50.360 --> 02:19:52.239
I think I think it's just opened up an extra
2854
02:19:52.959 --> 02:19:54.079
spot on the active roster.
2855
02:19:54.319 --> 02:19:56.719
I think he just stumbled upon something right there. I mean,
2856
02:19:56.760 --> 02:19:58.719
you know, usually the best way to be able to
2857
02:19:58.799 --> 02:20:01.319
kind of laugh your way through struggles is exactly that,
2858
02:20:01.479 --> 02:20:04.600
to have humor. So now I'm going to imagine that
2859
02:20:04.680 --> 02:20:07.520
Dana Brown in the Astros front office actually have John
2860
02:20:07.559 --> 02:20:11.399
Lovetz's character in there with them. That's like, hmm, you
2861
02:20:11.479 --> 02:20:13.840
know he's hurt.
2862
02:20:14.239 --> 02:20:16.680
Right, And that's and that's what I mean.
2863
02:20:16.719 --> 02:20:18.760
It's like it's been all these guys like you said
2864
02:20:18.799 --> 02:20:20.319
him down, No, he was actually hurt.
2865
02:20:20.360 --> 02:20:22.920
It wasn't it wasn't a demotion. He was. He was
2866
02:20:23.000 --> 02:20:25.040
hurt this whole time. That's why we put him down there.
2867
02:20:25.079 --> 02:20:27.719
But I think that's just to give you a little
2868
02:20:27.719 --> 02:20:29.360
bit of rock rouster flexibility.
2869
02:20:29.479 --> 02:20:31.440
Well, I mean, and that's where you know we've been
2870
02:20:31.479 --> 02:20:33.600
talking about this a little bit later or earlier on.
2871
02:20:33.680 --> 02:20:36.040
I mean, I think that this means that Renel Blanco
2872
02:20:36.200 --> 02:20:38.479
is all but back with the club as soon as
2873
02:20:38.479 --> 02:20:40.399
you get out of the All Star break. And I mean,
2874
02:20:40.479 --> 02:20:42.120
you know we talked about that too. I mean, of
2875
02:20:42.159 --> 02:20:44.879
what he can bring to this rotation. I think what
2876
02:20:45.000 --> 02:20:47.159
this spells out and you know, I know that the
2877
02:20:47.159 --> 02:20:50.040
Matt Thomas show of Ross does gut feelings. My gut
2878
02:20:50.079 --> 02:20:52.680
feeling is twenty twenty six, we've seen the last of
2879
02:20:52.719 --> 02:20:55.639
Mike Burrows in an astros UNI. Like, I think it's
2880
02:20:55.719 --> 02:20:58.799
just to that point that you have done what you
2881
02:20:58.920 --> 02:21:01.479
can in terms of trying to put him in the
2882
02:21:01.520 --> 02:21:04.200
right position. All right, skip a start and then let
2883
02:21:04.239 --> 02:21:06.040
him come back, and then he pitches good for a
2884
02:21:06.079 --> 02:21:09.680
couple of outings. But DC, I think right there they
2885
02:21:09.760 --> 02:21:11.879
kind of just looked at it and just took the
2886
02:21:12.399 --> 02:21:15.399
holistic view at that point and just said this ain't
2887
02:21:15.399 --> 02:21:17.200
gonna get any better in twenty twenty six.
2888
02:21:19.200 --> 02:21:21.639
See, I'm I'm a little bit more optimistic on Burrows.
2889
02:21:21.680 --> 02:21:25.239
I think he's he's young enough and you got team
2890
02:21:25.239 --> 02:21:29.000
control for for years on him. So I'm look, I'm
2891
02:21:29.040 --> 02:21:30.920
hoping he still figures it out this year and that
2892
02:21:31.079 --> 02:21:33.520
and that would solve a lot of problems for you.
2893
02:21:33.600 --> 02:21:36.479
But you know, I think, however this season ends for
2894
02:21:36.559 --> 02:21:38.879
Mike Burrows, you go into the offseason, you get them,
2895
02:21:38.920 --> 02:21:41.440
you work on some things with him. You know, he's
2896
02:21:41.440 --> 02:21:43.920
stole only twenty six years old. Like, I think I
2897
02:21:43.959 --> 02:21:46.680
think you can you can fix this. They liked what
2898
02:21:46.680 --> 02:21:48.200
they saw in him last year. I bring this up
2899
02:21:48.239 --> 02:21:50.479
all the time when the when Astros played the Pirates
2900
02:21:50.559 --> 02:21:54.799
last year they actually beat Paul Skeins. It was Mike
2901
02:21:54.840 --> 02:21:57.360
Burrows that shut them down, that that had great stuff.
2902
02:21:57.440 --> 02:22:00.680
And so yeah, look, anybody who.
2903
02:22:00.600 --> 02:22:03.000
Still got your one a guy that you traded for,
2904
02:22:03.079 --> 02:22:05.719
but two a guy's got years of team control left.
2905
02:22:05.920 --> 02:22:07.280
I'm not going to kick him to the curb.
2906
02:22:07.719 --> 02:22:10.440
Oh I'm not saying kick him to the curb. I'm
2907
02:22:10.440 --> 02:22:12.760
just saying that, like they're going to take their time
2908
02:22:12.840 --> 02:22:15.879
with this injury. It's going to be no throw then
2909
02:22:15.920 --> 02:22:19.120
get back to flat ground and then getting back to
2910
02:22:19.200 --> 02:22:22.440
throwing out like it's going to be a laborious recovery
2911
02:22:22.479 --> 02:22:24.159
from this is the way that I'm reading this.
2912
02:22:25.760 --> 02:22:28.239
See, I don't know. I I think this might have
2913
02:22:28.360 --> 02:22:28.959
just been.
2914
02:22:29.680 --> 02:22:32.479
What do you call it, circumstantial, just to you know,
2915
02:22:34.200 --> 02:22:36.719
to free up free up a spot for the time being.
2916
02:22:36.799 --> 02:22:39.760
Like I he just pitched on a week ago on
2917
02:22:39.879 --> 02:22:43.360
July sixth, So I think even if this is an
2918
02:22:43.399 --> 02:22:46.319
injury that takes a week or two, he can get
2919
02:22:46.319 --> 02:22:49.239
back to throwing and be, you know, get back on
2920
02:22:49.319 --> 02:22:51.360
track pretty quickly. I don't think this is something where
2921
02:22:52.120 --> 02:22:53.520
he's missing for the next month.
2922
02:22:53.920 --> 02:22:55.920
I just I mean, even with some of the names
2923
02:22:55.920 --> 02:22:58.479
too that you've mentioned that are coming down the pike,
2924
02:22:58.559 --> 02:23:00.479
I mean, at least in the immediate I think we'll
2925
02:23:00.479 --> 02:23:02.959
get Blanco first. It sounds like, and at least if
2926
02:23:03.000 --> 02:23:06.440
I was reading this right, mccullar's gonna throw a rehab
2927
02:23:06.440 --> 02:23:09.239
outing on Friday, so then quickly he'll be back, and
2928
02:23:09.280 --> 02:23:11.559
then probably about a couple of weeks behind them, Hayden
2929
02:23:11.600 --> 02:23:13.680
was Nesky starts to work his way back in maybe
2930
02:23:13.680 --> 02:23:15.680
at the end of this month or even the beginning
2931
02:23:15.680 --> 02:23:17.799
part of August, and you start to have those guys,
2932
02:23:18.040 --> 02:23:19.879
I just think that there's others that would be in
2933
02:23:19.959 --> 02:23:22.440
line in front of him before you would eventually come
2934
02:23:22.479 --> 02:23:25.040
back around to all right, let's let's see what Mike
2935
02:23:25.079 --> 02:23:27.040
Burrows has this year, and I just think they're going
2936
02:23:27.079 --> 02:23:29.799
to take their time on that. Someone three two on two,
2937
02:23:29.840 --> 02:23:32.079
five seven ninety is the number to get in the
2938
02:23:32.079 --> 02:23:34.639
Matt Thomas Show with Ross comes your way at ten o'clock.
2939
02:23:34.760 --> 02:23:37.520
And of course, you know, Gordy, I'm just reminded of
2940
02:23:37.559 --> 02:23:39.760
something that you know, me and you we'll have our
2941
02:23:39.879 --> 02:23:41.799
fair share of complaints all the time, but I just
2942
02:23:41.840 --> 02:23:45.200
think us as a society, we look for reasons to complain,
2943
02:23:45.479 --> 02:23:48.639
and it was it was on full focus last night.
2944
02:23:48.680 --> 02:23:50.360
We'll talk about it here as we close out this
2945
02:23:50.479 --> 02:23:54.319
edition of the Morning Drive Sports Talk seven ninety Center
2946
02:23:54.399 --> 02:23:58.319
Genics and the low T Center and on Mondays after
2947
02:23:58.360 --> 02:24:00.079
the show, usually know what you can count on, and
2948
02:24:00.120 --> 02:24:01.879
it's gonna be me out in front of the Greenway
2949
02:24:01.959 --> 02:24:06.040
Plaza location for Centergenics because just got my injection and
2950
02:24:06.440 --> 02:24:10.079
soon enough gonna be in there for another round of testing.
2951
02:24:10.120 --> 02:24:11.639
And you just see, all right, do we need to
2952
02:24:11.680 --> 02:24:14.440
adjust and maybe taper back a little bit on the TRT,
2953
02:24:14.680 --> 02:24:17.680
go up on the PEP sides, or even you know,
2954
02:24:17.719 --> 02:24:20.000
do I need to continue with the estrogen blockers any
2955
02:24:20.040 --> 02:24:23.040
of those things. These are all things that are personally
2956
02:24:23.079 --> 02:24:25.840
tailored to you. Whenever you go in there and you
2957
02:24:25.879 --> 02:24:28.879
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2958
02:24:28.920 --> 02:24:31.600
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2959
02:24:32.000 --> 02:24:33.959
and you go ahead and do it by heading over
2960
02:24:33.959 --> 02:24:36.879
to fix mylow T dot com. That's fixedmlow t dot com.
2961
02:24:36.879 --> 02:24:38.719
And when you head to fix mylow T dot com
2962
02:24:38.799 --> 02:24:41.200
right now, you're gonna see that this is the month
2963
02:24:41.600 --> 02:24:45.079
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02:24:45.079 --> 02:24:47.920
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2965
02:24:48.000 --> 02:24:51.040
four two fifty sale. What does that mean? Right now?
2966
02:24:51.079 --> 02:24:52.920
Like I said, step one, get in there and get
2967
02:24:52.959 --> 02:24:55.680
that free T test. When you do at any Centergenics
2968
02:24:55.760 --> 02:24:58.639
Low T Center location, you start up on test ostero
2969
02:24:58.680 --> 02:25:02.000
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2970
02:25:02.000 --> 02:25:04.000
they're going to receive a two hundred and fifty dollars credit.
2971
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2972
02:25:07.879 --> 02:25:10.799
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02:25:10.840 --> 02:25:13.079
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2974
02:25:13.120 --> 02:25:15.360
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02:25:15.440 --> 02:25:18.040
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started right now. Fixmlow t dot com. That's fixmilow t
2977
02:25:21.639 --> 02:25:23.879
dot com for Center Genics and the Low T Center.
2978
02:25:25.760 --> 02:25:31.399
Page Town Belt Morning Drive continues. Now now here's Dad Matthews,
2979
02:25:33.879 --> 02:25:34.840
got a handful.
2980
02:25:34.479 --> 02:25:37.280
Of more minutes here again, Dan Matthews, Chris Gordy, Triple,
2981
02:25:37.280 --> 02:25:39.799
Emmanuel Elmore hanging out with you, The Max Show with
2982
02:25:39.879 --> 02:25:41.840
Ross coming your way next. Yes, please go ahead?
2983
02:25:42.719 --> 02:25:45.120
Can I throw out a you know Charlie Morton's available.
2984
02:25:45.680 --> 02:25:47.600
You want to you want to just get into reunions.
2985
02:25:47.639 --> 02:25:48.520
We can bring him back.
2986
02:25:49.399 --> 02:25:51.760
I think Dallas Kichel is still kicking around like a
2987
02:25:51.799 --> 02:25:55.040
Mexican League somewhere, so maybe you can bring him back. Uh.
2988
02:25:55.120 --> 02:25:57.719
Colin mccub's been retired, but I mean, you know, he
2989
02:25:57.840 --> 02:25:59.559
was doing a podcast for a while. Maybe he can
2990
02:25:59.600 --> 02:26:02.239
throw a little bit. Let's just make this a whole
2991
02:26:02.280 --> 02:26:03.239
seventeen reunion.
2992
02:26:03.280 --> 02:26:03.559
Why not?
2993
02:26:03.760 --> 02:26:07.520
What about you know the uh one of the greatest
2994
02:26:07.600 --> 02:26:09.639
number thirty six is of all time? Or did he
2995
02:26:09.680 --> 02:26:12.239
wear number thirty eight? I can't remember what Brad Peacock wore,
2996
02:26:12.280 --> 02:26:15.120
but Brad Peacock could Could Brad Peacock come back.
2997
02:26:16.440 --> 02:26:18.520
I'm sure he's hanging around. I'm sure he could throw it,
2998
02:26:18.600 --> 02:26:20.719
throw an inning or two. Why not, We'll just make
2999
02:26:20.760 --> 02:26:23.639
a whole reunion tour. I mean, we're not gonna win games,
3000
02:26:23.799 --> 02:26:25.840
and it's not about making the playoffs anymore. It's just
3001
02:26:25.879 --> 02:26:29.079
a It's we'll call it the Nostalgia Run the r.
3002
02:26:29.159 --> 02:26:31.959
We're just bringing back old names. I mean, maybe Hunter
3003
02:26:32.040 --> 02:26:34.680
Pence can sign a ten day or something. We can
3004
02:26:34.680 --> 02:26:36.799
get him out there, like that's a thought. Just try
3005
02:26:36.799 --> 02:26:37.440
it out.
3006
02:26:37.680 --> 02:26:40.559
Hey, if if Roly hills Walt, maybe he can, you know,
3007
02:26:40.680 --> 02:26:43.520
touch the alternator again and it shocks him. Then you know,
3008
02:26:43.959 --> 02:26:46.319
it makes the shoulder work enough that he can get
3009
02:26:46.360 --> 02:26:48.280
out there and throw a little bit. Now, maybe we're
3010
02:26:48.280 --> 02:26:51.840
stumbling onto a thought right there, Gordy. Who knows, well, I.
3011
02:26:51.840 --> 02:26:55.319
Mean, Julie Guriella is hanging around. I mean, he's like
3012
02:26:55.360 --> 02:26:57.360
forty two or forty three. Now, I'm sure he might
3013
02:26:57.399 --> 02:26:58.479
want to pick up a boat again.
3014
02:26:58.680 --> 02:27:02.680
Sure, sure, I mean Robinson RINOs wherever you are. Maybe,
3015
02:27:02.760 --> 02:27:04.639
so who knows? All right?
3016
02:27:05.200 --> 02:27:08.479
I saw Tyler White the other day, took his nephew
3017
02:27:08.559 --> 02:27:10.280
or something to the game, and he posts on social
3018
02:27:10.319 --> 02:27:12.520
media and he's just sitting in the stands, I think,
3019
02:27:12.520 --> 02:27:15.680
in the upper deck amongst fans. And I'm like, Tyler White,
3020
02:27:15.920 --> 02:27:18.280
the Great White, the guy that was he had some
3021
02:27:18.559 --> 02:27:21.000
nice moments for the Astros, but just sitting as an
3022
02:27:21.000 --> 02:27:22.079
average joe in the stands.
3023
02:27:22.079 --> 02:27:25.360
Now, yeah, And I mean, you know he was part
3024
02:27:25.399 --> 02:27:28.000
of those times. I mean, I'm trying to remember who
3025
02:27:28.120 --> 02:27:31.000
was the guy that everybody called Andre the Giant. It
3026
02:27:31.079 --> 02:27:34.280
was a reliever and then you had Anoli Perettis. You know,
3027
02:27:34.520 --> 02:27:37.159
you could have a second Parrettis as part of the team.
3028
02:27:37.639 --> 02:27:40.399
But who was it? Andre? God? What was what was
3029
02:27:40.399 --> 02:27:41.239
his last name.
3030
02:27:41.959 --> 02:27:47.360
Andre Scrub Andre Scrub, Yes, which he basically he was
3031
02:27:47.399 --> 02:27:48.920
more of a scrub than a giant.
3032
02:27:49.000 --> 02:27:51.520
That's not nice, Gordy. See, you don't have to say
3033
02:27:51.520 --> 02:27:53.200
things like that. You don't have to kick the man
3034
02:27:53.239 --> 02:27:54.360
while he's down. That's me.
3035
02:27:57.280 --> 02:28:01.159
It's mean happen to Brian McGahn.
3036
02:28:01.239 --> 02:28:04.000
By the way, he completely disappeared from the spotlight.
3037
02:28:04.120 --> 02:28:07.239
Yeah, pretty much after you know, the cheating stuff in
3038
02:28:07.280 --> 02:28:09.879
twenty twenty. I think mccanna just said, I don't I
3039
02:28:09.920 --> 02:28:12.559
don't need this. I'm not part of the organization anymore.
3040
02:28:12.600 --> 02:28:14.879
I'll just I'll just go in the low profile mode.
3041
02:28:14.920 --> 02:28:19.280
Which that's his decision. Hey, like I said, we like
3042
02:28:19.360 --> 02:28:22.920
to complain like it's just something that like it dawned
3043
02:28:22.920 --> 02:28:24.799
on me last night as I'm watching the home run
3044
02:28:24.840 --> 02:28:28.079
Derby and almost everybody in Unison on Twitter. This is
3045
02:28:28.159 --> 02:28:31.040
ridiculous that it's on Netflix. I have to you know,
3046
02:28:31.079 --> 02:28:33.280
get a Netflix subscription to be able to watch this.
3047
02:28:33.879 --> 02:28:35.920
You do realize that you're going to have to have
3048
02:28:35.959 --> 02:28:39.520
Netflix for Christmas Eve to watch the NFL correctly, Like
3049
02:28:40.079 --> 02:28:41.760
if you want to watch the Texans that day, which
3050
02:28:41.840 --> 02:28:44.920
locally because it is in the NFL rules that you
3051
02:28:44.959 --> 02:28:47.040
do have to have it locally available, so we're not
3052
02:28:47.079 --> 02:28:48.920
gonna have to worry about it here. But you want
3053
02:28:48.959 --> 02:28:51.120
to watch the other games, you're gonna need Netflix.
3054
02:28:53.680 --> 02:28:56.559
Yeah, well, this is where everything's involved. Wasn't one of
3055
02:28:56.600 --> 02:28:59.840
the playoff games on Peacock or Amazon Prime last year?
3056
02:29:00.159 --> 02:29:03.479
This is Thursday night football move exclusively to Amazon Prime
3057
02:29:03.520 --> 02:29:06.000
the last two years. So this is I mean, this
3058
02:29:06.040 --> 02:29:08.040
is the day and age we live in now. Look,
3059
02:29:08.079 --> 02:29:11.079
we're we're blessed. We have every streaming service in the
3060
02:29:11.079 --> 02:29:13.200
world because my wife watches everything.
3061
02:29:12.799 --> 02:29:15.799
Out there, so we've got it. But I get where
3062
02:29:15.840 --> 02:29:16.520
some people will.
3063
02:29:16.440 --> 02:29:19.440
Be frustrated where it's like a random Friday night Astro's
3064
02:29:19.520 --> 02:29:21.680
game is on Apple TV. I don't have Apple TV,
3065
02:29:22.239 --> 02:29:26.639
Astro's game on a Sundays on Peacock or uh, you know,
3066
02:29:27.719 --> 02:29:29.879
Tooby or one of these other ones. It's like, I
3067
02:29:30.159 --> 02:29:33.559
get it. Not everybody has everything, and it can be frustrating.
3068
02:29:33.639 --> 02:29:35.280
I saw one guy post the last night he goes
3069
02:29:35.799 --> 02:29:37.319
I didn't even know the all. I didn't even know
3070
02:29:37.360 --> 02:29:39.879
the Home Run Derby was on because I don't have Netflix,
3071
02:29:39.879 --> 02:29:42.079
so he's like, I was just watching regular TV.
3072
02:29:42.239 --> 02:29:44.559
So I get some of the some of.
3073
02:29:44.559 --> 02:29:46.879
The old heads maybe a little bit more resistant to it.
3074
02:29:47.200 --> 02:29:49.959
But let me tell you, younger people, they'll find it if
3075
02:29:50.120 --> 02:29:52.280
you know. And that's that's what they're trying to appeal
3076
02:29:52.319 --> 02:29:55.040
to with the Peacocks and Netflix and all. This is
3077
02:29:55.280 --> 02:29:57.520
trying to get the younger generation. And oh, by the way,
3078
02:29:58.600 --> 02:30:00.680
getting big money, and they're getting money.
3079
02:30:00.399 --> 02:30:02.280
For these for these games and the rights.
3080
02:30:02.399 --> 02:30:04.799
You just touched on it right on the head right there,
3081
02:30:04.840 --> 02:30:07.159
because I mean, this isn't a money maker for the
3082
02:30:07.200 --> 02:30:09.360
most part. So you could just throw it on ESPN
3083
02:30:09.479 --> 02:30:11.559
and just have it continue to be what it has been,
3084
02:30:12.120 --> 02:30:13.680
or you can have somebody say, hey, we'll give you
3085
02:30:13.719 --> 02:30:16.239
fifty million dollars, just what I think they gave them
3086
02:30:16.319 --> 02:30:18.760
for it, and Major League Baseball said, yeah, we like
3087
02:30:18.799 --> 02:30:23.200
fifty million dollars, We'll take it. Sure, why not. I mean, again,
3088
02:30:23.239 --> 02:30:26.239
it's a throwaway event. It's not like you necessarily missing everything.
3089
02:30:26.319 --> 02:30:29.239
Last night like I had it on, but I wasn't, like,
3090
02:30:29.760 --> 02:30:32.920
you know, fully focused on it. I was doing laundry
3091
02:30:32.959 --> 02:30:34.840
other things. And then I would just be like, oh,
3092
02:30:34.879 --> 02:30:36.399
all right, that was a pretty nice home run, and
3093
02:30:36.399 --> 02:30:39.399
then I go about my night, like you know, the NFL.
3094
02:30:39.479 --> 02:30:41.239
I get it, but it's also too Gordon. I mean
3095
02:30:41.399 --> 02:30:44.120
you touched on it. I mean having all the streaming services,
3096
02:30:44.239 --> 02:30:47.680
like streaming has been a thing for over ten years now,
3097
02:30:47.719 --> 02:30:50.120
Like it's not necessarily like this is a surprise to us,
3098
02:30:50.159 --> 02:30:53.600
and most of them whenever it's a benchmark event, they
3099
02:30:53.680 --> 02:30:56.079
offer a free trial. Just remember to cancel it at
3100
02:30:56.079 --> 02:30:56.479
the end of it.
3101
02:30:57.840 --> 02:31:00.479
Yeah, And if I had to pick one street service,
3102
02:31:00.520 --> 02:31:03.520
the majority of us have, or just like if you
3103
02:31:03.559 --> 02:31:05.680
only have one, I think most people default.
3104
02:31:05.360 --> 02:31:08.799
The Netflix, saying yeah, yeah, that's the one. I mean,
3105
02:31:08.840 --> 02:31:10.680
I do the cheap option, I do the one that's
3106
02:31:10.680 --> 02:31:13.040
got the commercials in it. What do I care? I mean,
3107
02:31:13.440 --> 02:31:15.120
most of the time i'm watching it, I'm just watching
3108
02:31:15.159 --> 02:31:18.040
it for like one of the comedy specials or something like.
3109
02:31:17.959 --> 02:31:20.799
That, Yeah got hard, or yeah.
3110
02:31:20.120 --> 02:31:23.280
Yeah, Tim Dillon, somebody like that Williams, which I mean
3111
02:31:23.319 --> 02:31:25.440
I did have the Tim Dillon video in the background
3112
02:31:25.479 --> 02:31:27.959
the other day where he says, and to kill your children.
3113
02:31:28.600 --> 02:31:30.319
I was like, well, that's probably not the part that
3114
02:31:30.360 --> 02:31:32.159
I wanted to have playing. As I'll step in out
3115
02:31:32.159 --> 02:31:33.479
of the sauna. But what are you gonna do? You
3116
02:31:33.479 --> 02:31:34.159
can't win them all.
3117
02:31:34.360 --> 02:31:38.040
Well, look, the real elite nests is if you have
3118
02:31:38.559 --> 02:31:42.000
YouTube premium where you don't have to watch ads. That's
3119
02:31:42.000 --> 02:31:43.840
where you know you're really on another level.
3120
02:31:43.959 --> 02:31:46.079
That's it, that's it. We all strive to get there.
3121
02:31:46.399 --> 02:31:50.319
He's Chris Gordy, Triple, Emmanuel Elmore, Dan Matthews again. Special
3122
02:31:50.319 --> 02:31:54.600
things to Carlos COLASO Baseball America for joining us as
3123
02:31:54.959 --> 02:31:56.959
the Matt Thomas Show. With Ross coming your way next,
3124
02:31:57.000 --> 02:31:58.159
we'll talk to you in twenty hours
1
00:00:02.680 --> 00:00:04.719
This is the Morning Drive.
2
00:00:09.400 --> 00:00:11.960
Welcome on in. It is the Morning Drive. Sports Talks.
3
00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:15.160
Seven ninety is the Astros and the rest of Major
4
00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:18.719
League Baseball. A couple more days off before you restart
5
00:00:18.760 --> 00:00:21.640
this season. Home run derby last night Jordan Walker of
6
00:00:21.719 --> 00:00:26.399
the Saint Louis Cardinals being able to beat the hometown
7
00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:30.399
favorite Kyle Schwarber, and the home run derby derby was
8
00:00:30.440 --> 00:00:33.039
actually kind of fun last night, I mean, for those
9
00:00:33.079 --> 00:00:36.920
of you that got to watch it. Because here's the thing, too,
10
00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:41.719
is in the age of streaming. First of all, it's
11
00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:45.320
not new, like this is something that's been part of
12
00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:49.560
our society now for over ten years, Like we've had
13
00:00:49.719 --> 00:00:53.280
streaming options, and I understand now it's kind of a
14
00:00:53.280 --> 00:00:56.600
little annoying and frustrating with all the ala carte options.
15
00:00:56.640 --> 00:00:59.640
But I don't know if Netflix was probably running the
16
00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:03.719
free trial right now. But usually whenever there are major
17
00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:06.599
events like this, and I don't even necessarily know if
18
00:01:06.599 --> 00:01:08.640
you want to call the home run derby a major event,
19
00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:12.079
but when it's something like that, they'll give you a
20
00:01:12.120 --> 00:01:14.799
free trial. Just remember to cancel it if you don't
21
00:01:14.840 --> 00:01:17.680
want it, And most of us want Netflix because it's
22
00:01:17.719 --> 00:01:21.159
also too I mean, this was very much a promotional arm.
23
00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:23.480
You have Will Ferrell part of it last night, I guess,
24
00:01:23.519 --> 00:01:25.840
Luke Wilson and him or doing some new show or
25
00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:29.319
something like that, and then of course Kevin Hart doing something.
26
00:01:29.719 --> 00:01:31.840
The one thing though, even though I am a Burt
27
00:01:31.879 --> 00:01:35.640
Kreischer fan, thank you God for not having Burt Kreischer
28
00:01:35.799 --> 00:01:38.840
part of this thing. Like it's just it's one of
29
00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:41.560
those that it kind of almost reaches a point of
30
00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:46.239
oversaturrization and you're just like, oh God, man, like no more,
31
00:01:46.439 --> 00:01:50.560
no more, stop please. But anyway, I mean in the
32
00:01:50.760 --> 00:01:53.680
formats everything I mean to say that like I was
33
00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:57.000
directly watching it last night would be a lie. I
34
00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:01.519
mean I was doing show prep, lawn whatever it might
35
00:02:01.560 --> 00:02:04.000
have been, taken, the dog outs, I mean, it was
36
00:02:04.120 --> 00:02:07.079
all of those things, and you know, just not really
37
00:02:07.239 --> 00:02:10.400
necessarily paying close attention to it. I mean I did,
38
00:02:10.599 --> 00:02:12.759
at least from what I paid attention to. I like
39
00:02:12.840 --> 00:02:16.520
the format because the clock and timeouts and all that
40
00:02:16.599 --> 00:02:18.639
kind of stuff that you had was kind of goofy.
41
00:02:19.319 --> 00:02:21.960
And then for this one, I mean just straight up
42
00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:24.199
doesn't matter if it's an out, doesn't matter if it
43
00:02:24.240 --> 00:02:28.039
goes out until you reach the Magenta ball that they had,
44
00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:29.800
and that was almost like their money ball at the
45
00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:31.960
end that if you hit a home run on that,
46
00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:34.080
you can get another one, then he can get another one,
47
00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:35.840
that he can get another one until you didn't hit
48
00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:39.000
a home run. So it was fun. It was it
49
00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:42.840
was actually kind of fun to watch, and as I mentioned,
50
00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:46.759
Jordan Walker able to beat Kyle schwarb before it, but
51
00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:49.319
seemed like it was a good crowd in there and
52
00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:51.159
seemed like it was a lot of fun. And then
53
00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:53.919
the All Star Game itself is like any other All
54
00:02:53.960 --> 00:02:57.080
Star game. Now, it's more or less like for us,
55
00:02:57.159 --> 00:02:59.439
we'll probably watch the first couple of innings. I mean,
56
00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:02.159
it'll be in to see if Jordon gets more than
57
00:03:02.199 --> 00:03:05.439
one at bat, but when he gets that one at bat,
58
00:03:05.479 --> 00:03:07.639
to be able to see what's he able to do
59
00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:09.560
in it? So you gonna hit a home run because
60
00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:12.639
usually the guy that hits like the biggest home run
61
00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:15.240
in the game is the one who wins Most Valuable Players.
62
00:03:15.240 --> 00:03:18.479
So maybe Jordon can make something happen right there and
63
00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:21.280
be able to get out of there and get back
64
00:03:21.280 --> 00:03:23.240
to Houston and get ready for the second half of
65
00:03:23.240 --> 00:03:29.280
the season. With any other real Newsworthy things happening to him.
66
00:03:29.400 --> 00:03:33.120
But anyway, as I mentioned, it is the All Star break,
67
00:03:33.159 --> 00:03:36.360
of course, and that means that the Astros kind of
68
00:03:36.840 --> 00:03:39.840
sitting and waiting with the rest of the baseball world
69
00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:42.840
and then Friday they'll get back to work as the
70
00:03:43.080 --> 00:03:46.520
Baltimore Orioles are in town. But you've got that. You
71
00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:50.319
also have France and Spain today two o'clock for the
72
00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:52.879
semi finals of the World Cup. Winner gonna move on
73
00:03:53.319 --> 00:03:57.479
and face either England or Argentina for the entire thing
74
00:03:57.599 --> 00:04:01.520
on Sundays. So sad thing is all around, the World
75
00:04:01.560 --> 00:04:04.599
Cup is coming to an end. What are you gonna do?
76
00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:10.960
But got that also to talk about. A former Houston
77
00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:15.479
Cougar has a new job too, and somebody that I
78
00:04:15.479 --> 00:04:17.399
know a lot of you. When he left, it was
79
00:04:17.560 --> 00:04:20.000
kind of a little bit of okay, well, you know,
80
00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:23.120
not very sad to see you leave, and then his
81
00:04:23.160 --> 00:04:25.319
career kind of fizzled out after that. So I know
82
00:04:25.399 --> 00:04:28.399
that some of you know exactly who I'm talking about there.
83
00:04:29.240 --> 00:04:32.759
But we will be pretty heavy on the Astros discussion
84
00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:36.319
because not only are they waiting until Friday to get
85
00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:39.240
back on the field, but also got a little bit
86
00:04:39.240 --> 00:04:43.120
of news yesterday is Mike Burrows going on the IL
87
00:04:43.160 --> 00:04:48.040
with right elbow neurritis. I had never ever heard of neurritis,
88
00:04:48.040 --> 00:04:51.040
and I heard Matt and Ross looking it up yesterday.
89
00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:53.319
I guess Ross probably got on like web MD or
90
00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:56.240
something like that to see, like, what is actually neurritis.
91
00:04:56.800 --> 00:05:00.639
I guess it's like swelling of like the nerve, I
92
00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:04.920
think is what it is. It's something that again, it's
93
00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:06.759
one of those that you know it's not being made
94
00:05:06.839 --> 00:05:09.759
up like because it actually does sound like an actual condition.
95
00:05:10.480 --> 00:05:13.040
I just had never heard of it. I've heard of persidas,
96
00:05:13.560 --> 00:05:16.759
like I know that, you know that's a thing. But again,
97
00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:20.040
I mean, I didn't go to seven plus years of school. Hey,
98
00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:22.560
a lot of people go to school for seven years. Yeah, Tommy,
99
00:05:22.600 --> 00:05:25.720
they're called doctors. See. I mean I can't help myself
100
00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:29.439
sometimes with being able to weave in movies. But anyway,
101
00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:33.040
So the second time now that the Astros have had
102
00:05:33.079 --> 00:05:38.160
a player that was initially optioned and then all of
103
00:05:38.199 --> 00:05:41.439
a sudden they do some medicals on them and they're like, oh, yeah,
104
00:05:41.560 --> 00:05:46.360
you've got this, so that's why you've been struggling. Okay, fine,
105
00:05:46.519 --> 00:05:50.040
then you're gonna go on the IL and It's gonna
106
00:05:50.040 --> 00:05:52.240
be interesting to see what the corresponding move is because
107
00:05:52.519 --> 00:05:54.839
not only did you do that, but then after the
108
00:05:54.839 --> 00:05:59.720
game on Sunday, you sent Alimbersonta back to TRIPAA. So
109
00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:03.639
I would probably have to venture a guess that that
110
00:06:03.800 --> 00:06:06.480
means that Renel Blanco is back with the team. I
111
00:06:06.519 --> 00:06:10.720
think that that probably would signify that to start up
112
00:06:10.759 --> 00:06:14.920
the second half and maybe even that weekend series, that
113
00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:17.920
Renel Blanco is going to be in the rotation for you.
114
00:06:18.120 --> 00:06:20.439
So that's a little bit of good news at least,
115
00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:23.639
you know, perceived good news on that, So we'll see
116
00:06:23.639 --> 00:06:26.920
how it goes. And then on the farm front, on
117
00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:32.360
the minor league front, Xavier Nians is going to be
118
00:06:32.600 --> 00:06:35.199
even closer to the major league level as he got
119
00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:37.959
bumped up to High A yesterday to Ashville. So that
120
00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:40.519
was another bit of news that the Astros throughout as
121
00:06:40.839 --> 00:06:43.759
they moved a few players around in their minor league
122
00:06:43.800 --> 00:06:46.680
system and Xavier and Nions of course, along with Kevin
123
00:06:46.680 --> 00:06:50.639
Alvarez taking part in the future scheme on Sunday, so
124
00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:54.160
maybe the future of the Astros is even up closer
125
00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:57.240
to being a reality. And speaking of that and the
126
00:06:57.399 --> 00:07:02.199
rest of the Astros, farm system, Carlos Claso of Baseball America,
127
00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:04.600
and of course, if you're watching the draft this weekend
128
00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:07.879
as part of MLB Network, you probably saw and heard
129
00:07:08.040 --> 00:07:11.959
Colaso talking about not only the Astros draft picks, but
130
00:07:12.199 --> 00:07:14.160
you know, just like an Ey draft show, reacting to
131
00:07:14.199 --> 00:07:16.639
every single one of them and talking about what a
132
00:07:16.680 --> 00:07:20.639
guy can you know, can can project to be if
133
00:07:20.839 --> 00:07:23.240
indeed they do sign with your team, which I mean
134
00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:26.519
at least for people that I trust when it comes
135
00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:29.040
to the minor league system and everything, because you have
136
00:07:29.079 --> 00:07:32.720
to also remember with baseball it's a little bit of
137
00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:37.240
a cottage industry in terms of knowing these prospects because
138
00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:40.079
number one, there's so many more of them. Like for
139
00:07:40.120 --> 00:07:43.680
the NFL, if you're an NFL draft person, you've got
140
00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:46.600
a pretty fixed amount of group that you're going to
141
00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:49.480
be looking at. The NBA it's a little bit more complicated,
142
00:07:50.040 --> 00:07:53.120
just with the international market, you know, the European players,
143
00:07:53.160 --> 00:07:55.160
all of that kind of stuff, and you don't have
144
00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:57.560
to worry about the high school guys anymore. But with
145
00:07:57.759 --> 00:08:01.079
Major League Baseball you do. I mean, there are full
146
00:08:01.160 --> 00:08:04.240
on I remember this when I worked in my previous spot,
147
00:08:04.279 --> 00:08:08.519
because we used to do our shows from basically the
148
00:08:08.560 --> 00:08:12.120
Baseball USA of the area is a place it was
149
00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:14.560
called Lake Point, which some of the dads out there
150
00:08:14.600 --> 00:08:16.920
listening and some of the moms out there you probably
151
00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:19.160
know about lake Point because your son is played out
152
00:08:19.160 --> 00:08:22.680
at Lake Point out there, and it is a part
153
00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:25.560
of the Prep Baseball Report. I think it's perfect game.
154
00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:28.399
Maybe out there, maybe it's not perfect game, but anyway,
155
00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:31.279
it's one of those those groups. So of course, you know,
156
00:08:31.399 --> 00:08:35.320
like perfect Games got their people. Prep Baseball Report obviously
157
00:08:35.480 --> 00:08:37.320
you've got their people. So I mean there's a lot
158
00:08:37.399 --> 00:08:41.519
more collaboration when it comes to being able to scout
159
00:08:41.559 --> 00:08:44.559
and evaluate these guys. And then of course you know
160
00:08:44.639 --> 00:08:47.440
teams are doing it themselves, so you got all of that.
161
00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:50.200
So Carlos Clazo has a pulse on all of that.
162
00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:53.159
So it's gonna be interesting to hear his thoughts about
163
00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:57.039
not only the Astros draft but also too. I mean,
164
00:08:57.120 --> 00:08:59.360
is this something to kind of add fuel in life
165
00:08:59.480 --> 00:09:02.440
to their farm system? Again, I mean, some of these
166
00:09:02.480 --> 00:09:04.600
guys that they were able to get and with this
167
00:09:04.720 --> 00:09:07.519
being the highest that they've drafted in a really long time,
168
00:09:07.559 --> 00:09:10.639
I mean, is they're actually reasonab believe that, Okay, you're
169
00:09:10.679 --> 00:09:13.600
actually starting to make this into a viable system again.
170
00:09:13.879 --> 00:09:16.000
And I mean this was one of the first years
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that they had as many picks as they have had
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and also that they've drafted as high as they did,
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so I mean, chances are you're getting better prospects that
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are coming into your system. So those are things to
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keep an eye on, especially as the Astros, I mean,
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they're not anywhere close to being in a rebuild right now,
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so you're just trying to be able to find your
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way to being able to keep this thing competitive. And
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that's of course what the charge was for Dana Brown,
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Campandino and the entire staff over there in the Astros
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front office. So again, we'll catch up with Carlos Colazo
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coming up at eight thirty. But one thing though that
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I do want to get the show started with today,
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and again you can get in on the phone lines.
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It's seOne three two on two five seven ninety can
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it's someone three two one two five seven nine Dean.
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We'll carry this over into the second segment. But what
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are the actual expectations? You got sixty four games left
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to go this season for the Astros. Actual viable expectations, Well,
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just off the top of my head. Number one is
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get above five hundred. That's the first and foremost. And
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you didn't really later on in the season play all
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that well at home, but you do get a home
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start here to come out of the All Star Break,
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So it'd be nice to be able to take advantage
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of it. And you're gonna be facing teams like the
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Orioles are, just without looking at standings, pretty much in
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the same position that you are right now. Not out
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of the wild card race, not I mean necessarily out
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of their division race, although I think that Tampa and
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New York are a little bit further ahead than the
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rest of that division. But still, I mean, you've got them,
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You've got the Red Sox, who are charging i think
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nearly one ten games in a row going into the
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All Star breaks, so they'll probably start believing that they're
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still in this thing. So you're gonna be facing a
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tough team right out of the gate, and then you're
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gonna be facing one of the toughest teams in Major
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League Baseball right now. Like I was listening to Mark
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de Rossi yesterday on the Pat McAfee show, he was saying,
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I don't count out the Marlins for being able to
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win the National League East. I mean, it looked like
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they're to start off the season the Braves, one of
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the hottest teams all in baseball, and then Roald Acunya
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Junior got hurt. Austin Riley has struggled a lot, and
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they've been dealing with their own injury issues there. So
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I mean they're kind of starting to leak a little
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bit of oil and opening it up for either the
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Phillies or the Marlins to be able to jump in
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there too. The only team that seemingly is out of
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it in the East is the New York Mets, and
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you'll face them a little bit later on the season.
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Which was one of those things too of you know,
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looking at the schedule this year and wondering, hey, is
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there maybe a weekend series that I can pop over
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to go see the Astros play? And there was actually
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a week series where they're gonna spend an entire week
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in New York taking on the Yankees and then taking
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on the Mets. So I've been to New Yankee Stadium,
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hadn't been to City Field yet, so thought about maybe
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getting over there. But that's first and foremost. Get about
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five hundred. I mean, as I have continued to say,
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you get about five hundred, you can start to really
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think about the postseason. And until then I think that
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that's your number one goal. It's kind of like one
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of those where you know, you talk about goal setting
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and it's, hey, I want to lose one hundred pounds.
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All right, Well, you're not going to lose it all
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at once, so how about just try to get some
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losses first. You get back on the scale and it's
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three pounds, okay, hey, ninety seven more to go. It
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seems daunting, but still you stack up those wins and
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you're able to get there. I mean, the Astros had
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been kind of doing that. But then here's the issue
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you run into as well. They hadn't gone on prolonged
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winning streaks, and they really just haven't gone on very
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many winning streaks just in general. It's been a lot
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of win one lose one when one lose one, and
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that's not the way to get back into this thing.
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So if the Astros are going to find a way
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to get back into this thing and not only do that,
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but then afterwards start to think about the next goal
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that you have right there, it is going to be
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important in these finals sixty four games for them to
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find a four or five six game win streak in there,
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like to put together a winning week where you're undefeated
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and you're able to go through it that way, or
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at least like five and one something like that. That's
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what this Astros team is going to need going forward.
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And I know that there's probably some doubts that this
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team has the ability to be able to do it.
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It's a very top heavy lineup, so starting rotation that
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at least right now without any other changes is not
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really all that good. And it's a bullpen that at
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least started to give you a little bit of cause
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of concern over the weekend, Fir. Maybe it's leaking a
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little bit of oil now. So got a lot of
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things working against you. I know that Dana Brown and
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the crew they're working the phones over there trying to
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figure out if there's anybody that they can add at
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the trade deadline. So these are all things to think about.
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So it's not only that, I mean, just continuing the
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Astros expectations conversation. You want to get in on it again,
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someone three to two, two five, seven ninety and it's
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someone three two one two five, seven ninety. The biggest
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expectation that I do think is reachable for the astros.
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We'll talk about it here as again we're just getting
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going here on a Tuesday edition of The Morning Drive.
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Again it's Dan Matthews, Triple E, Emmanuel Elmore, Chris Gordy
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gonna be hopping in with us from eight until ten.
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So we got all that much more. Do you want
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to sprinkle in some Texans today too, because well it
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sounds like at least some in NFL front offices have
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some thoughts about CJ. Stroud, But my response is who cares.
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We'll talk about it right here as we continue. It
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is The Morning Drive Sports Talk seven ninety Age Town
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Dull Morning Drive continues. Now, now here's Dad Matthews. You know,
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of course, uh with euros and all of those other things.
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So it's gonna be a lot of fun. But I
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gotta tell you my money's on France. France plays the
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way that they're capable, because that's the thing too, is
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not only with him and dim Balle. They're incredibly talented.
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They just are like a team that doesn't lose, like
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they just they don't make mistakes. They work incredibly well
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as a team out there, and you would think with
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the amount of stars they've got on the on the
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pitch that it would kind of allow for some egos
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to come in. But good on Didier the chomp he
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he kind of coaches that out of them, and they
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play incredibly well. I mean, in a way, it's almost
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like the prime Houston Astros. How I remembered Jake Arietta
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talking about them and saying they just don't lose, Like
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that's France. They just they just don't lose.
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I don't think they've been down in a Cup game.
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I can't remember one. Yeah, I don't. I don't think so.
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And I mean I think when they're even like an
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amount of time where they weren't even scored upon. Yeah,
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Like I think that the Morocco match was the first.
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Oh didn't Morocco get out to a lead?
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I think? Yeah? Okay, now take that back, Okay.
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Yeah, I think I think Morocco got out to a lead.
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So anyway, it's been a lot of fun and it's
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going to continue to be a lot of fun. So
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you've got that today and then you've got England and
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Argentina tomorrow and we'll set that up for the final
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on Sunday. But enough soccer talk Astros expectations and know
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a lot of you want to get in on that
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at someone three two, one, two, five seven ninety at
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least I think that the overall expectation for this team.
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It's not ALCS, it's not World Series. I'll go ahead
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and get that out of the way. The expectation for
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me to be able to call this a successful season
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is two part Number one. Get into the postseason, that's
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number one. But just getting there, I know, is not
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going to be enough. Winning a series is going to
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be the ultimate success. Now is it like what we
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saw in the past, where it was you got into
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the postseason, it was almost a foregone conclusion, no matter
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if you started off in the ALDS or if you
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had to play in a wildcard series, that the ALCS
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was part of your future. I mean, I just think
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that again, looking at the sum of this parts, if
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you just get into the postseason and you are able
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to win said series in the postseason, I think you
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come out of it saying, you know what, Joe, Dana,
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the crew, they actually did okay, they did more than okay.
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They actually did well this season. Like, that's one that
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I think you could come out of it and say, Okay,
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I can live with that. I mean, again, is it
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what we want? No, it's not. We want championships around here.
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We want whether that's winning the American League or getting
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to the World Series. I mean, that's the expectation.
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Now.
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Remember I say it all the time, Expectations can change
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in real time, and they do so for us. Obviously,
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once you got to the World Series and you want
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it in twenty seventeen, then those expectations changed immediately because
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in the following year, like I told you, one of
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the most anxiety riddled seasons that I've ever watched with
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the Astros was twenty eighteen, because again I remembered being
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in downtown, coming back in for the parade and seeing
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and just being like, I can't believe that this is
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my city. I can't believe that the team that got
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me into doing this professionally and that really ignited my
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love of sports finally actually could win a World Series.
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And they finally did it, and then I actually got
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to see the fun that comes with it, and I
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mean I remembered even that Christmas as well, coming back here,
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and it's kind of like one of those Matthew's Men tradition.
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Me and my brother and my dad would always, of
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course Christmas Eve go and get last minute gifts at
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the mall. And I remember that I was at Memorial
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City and seeing like Astros championship gear, and I stopped
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for a second and I was just like, Okay, it
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is real, like this this is real, and like even
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like seeing like the big time bats ads and all
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of the others for like the commemorative gear, and I'm
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just like it just still it still doesn't feel real.
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I remember talking with my buddy John kyn Kaid about
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it and just being like, John, I gotta be honest, man,
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Like I still kind of feel like I'm in a
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fever dream with it. So that's a good feeling. It is.
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And I think in some ways too, a little bit
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of this attrition for a fan base is good in
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a way. Now, let me unpack that a little bit.
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I note that, you know, going on harder times is
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not necessarily good, But I'm also a believer that anything
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worth having, you gotta go through a little bit of
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attrition for it. You got to you gotta go through
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some hard times. You gotta go through some lean times
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with then, and the Astros aren't going through lean times.
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I mean, that's that's something that you don't have to
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worry about right now, Like they're competitive at least where
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I mean, we remember those early twenty tens. I mean
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that's where sometimes I shudder to think watching some of
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these games and I see sparsely attended games and I'm
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just like, oh my god, are we getting back to
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those days? Like that was the absolute worst. I mean
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I remember going to the ballpark and almost being able
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to count how many people on my hands were in
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the building for those for those games, and you're not
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right there. That's the good thing, but it is also too.
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I mean sometimes you do have to take a little
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bit of a step backwards. And I mean with this
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draft that you just had, maybe that's a way to
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be able to reignite this farm system. Who knows too,
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I mean you don't even know what deals they're going
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to possibly make over the off season as well. I
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Mean we've talked about it numerous times. Is this an
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off season that you explore moving on from Jeremy Paniam
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with one year left on his deal or even Hunter Brown,
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I mean, whoever it is now. I've said it numerous times,
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even with the struggles, that probably I would take Brown
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over Painia. But the one over all of them is
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that I would work on the contract extension for Jordon Alvarez.
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So I think Jordon's the key to being able to
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keep this thing going. You got ord On in the building,
408
00:20:53.920 --> 00:20:55.440
you got a shot. You don't have ord On in
409
00:20:55.440 --> 00:20:57.720
the building, then you might as well just tear this
410
00:20:57.759 --> 00:21:00.400
thing down and rebuild it all over again, because that's
411
00:21:00.440 --> 00:21:02.160
what I think you would be signifying to the fan
412
00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:04.200
base if you did that. But luckily you're not there
413
00:21:04.279 --> 00:21:07.079
right now. They have enough talent to be able to
414
00:21:07.160 --> 00:21:09.839
win the AL West. They have enough talent to be
415
00:21:09.880 --> 00:21:12.319
able to get into the postseason one way or another.
416
00:21:13.279 --> 00:21:18.880
And I also think that in a three game series,
417
00:21:19.559 --> 00:21:21.440
I would like their chances of being able to move on.
418
00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:24.519
I have some serious doubts if they get to the DS,
419
00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:27.720
and I think that most of us too. Just again,
420
00:21:27.960 --> 00:21:31.240
with this starting pitching, I mean right now, and that's
421
00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:33.799
again been the two key words that I've been saying
422
00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:37.240
about this pitching rotation. Right now, because right now your
423
00:21:37.240 --> 00:21:40.559
second best pitcher is Peter Lambert, But how much of
424
00:21:40.599 --> 00:21:42.920
a shelf life is on that. Let's be honest here.
425
00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:48.519
I mean Lambert's is a more high powered version I
426
00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:51.960
think in some ways of Jason Alexander, Like Alexander was
427
00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:53.920
a guy last year that we're watching him along with
428
00:21:53.960 --> 00:21:56.119
Brandon Walter and we're just like, Okay, how are you
429
00:21:56.200 --> 00:22:00.319
guys doing this? Like I'm honestly asking, how are you
430
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:04.079
guys getting hitters out? Like for real, how are you
431
00:22:04.119 --> 00:22:07.359
doing it? And I mean with Lambert's, I mean he's
432
00:22:07.400 --> 00:22:09.319
got a little bit of a better fastball, he's got
433
00:22:09.319 --> 00:22:12.400
a little bit of better secondary stuff, and who knows.
434
00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:14.680
I mean that might be a guy that could be
435
00:22:14.839 --> 00:22:17.839
a pretty decent middle to backend of your rotation guy
436
00:22:18.519 --> 00:22:20.200
if you are able to get some of the other
437
00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:22.559
guys that are able to step in. But I mean
438
00:22:23.039 --> 00:22:24.799
this is where the charge also goes to some of
439
00:22:24.839 --> 00:22:26.880
the guys that you've been counting on. Totsuo am I.
440
00:22:27.400 --> 00:22:31.200
It's needed, man, it's needed. These finals sixty four games
441
00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:35.960
of the season, you're halfway through, so all of the
442
00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:39.799
adjustments and the new baseballs and the mound and all
443
00:22:39.799 --> 00:22:42.880
that other stuff that's out the window. It's done. You
444
00:22:42.920 --> 00:22:45.799
got your chance to be able to get adjusted to
445
00:22:45.839 --> 00:22:48.880
major League Baseball. Now you're here, and now it's time
446
00:22:48.920 --> 00:22:50.839
for you to live up to what you were brought
447
00:22:50.839 --> 00:22:53.920
in here to do. That's a must for the Astros.
448
00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:56.519
It's not a want. It's a must for the Astros
449
00:22:56.559 --> 00:22:59.480
to be able to get to the postseason. So second
450
00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:01.480
half of this, I can't have any more of you
451
00:23:01.519 --> 00:23:05.160
going out in the first inning like it's just that
452
00:23:05.160 --> 00:23:06.880
that is something that needs to be a thing of
453
00:23:06.920 --> 00:23:11.720
the past for sure. So I mean, clearly there's a
454
00:23:11.720 --> 00:23:14.960
lot more questions than are our answers to the twenty
455
00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:18.400
twenty six Astros. But again, at least I have those
456
00:23:18.519 --> 00:23:21.799
questions with a team that is within striking distance of
457
00:23:21.799 --> 00:23:25.039
the AO West and within striking distance of making a
458
00:23:25.119 --> 00:23:29.200
postseason spot as a wildcard, and that's a much better
459
00:23:29.240 --> 00:23:32.319
place to be than where they could possibly be, which
460
00:23:32.359 --> 00:23:36.039
is even further below five hundred and looking at it
461
00:23:36.079 --> 00:23:38.960
and saying, you know, realistically, you probably should be selling
462
00:23:39.519 --> 00:23:41.960
and that's where the Astros are not at right now.
463
00:23:41.960 --> 00:23:44.720
And that's a good thing. So continue that conversation you
464
00:23:44.759 --> 00:23:46.200
want to get in on it. Seven one, three, two,
465
00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:48.400
one two, five seven ninety against someone three two on
466
00:23:48.519 --> 00:23:51.279
two five seven ninety. Jason Conros, You're right there and
467
00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:53.480
always know I can count on you. You want to
468
00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:56.720
join them? Sebon one three two one two five seven ninety.
469
00:23:56.759 --> 00:23:59.200
As we continue to roll along here, but just kind
470
00:23:59.200 --> 00:24:01.759
of picking up on this conversation, I hear this all
471
00:24:01.799 --> 00:24:04.839
the time from Astros fans that some of those lean
472
00:24:04.920 --> 00:24:08.240
times I mentioned that this reminds you of the precursor
473
00:24:08.279 --> 00:24:10.200
to that. I'm going to push back on that. I
474
00:24:10.279 --> 00:24:13.480
think that there are reasons to be optimistic. You are
475
00:24:13.480 --> 00:24:15.799
not in that position right now. Talk about it as
476
00:24:15.799 --> 00:24:18.480
we continue. It is the morning Drive Sports Talk seven ninety.
477
00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:25.640
Real takes, real reaction, Real Houston Sports Talk seven ninety.
478
00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:30.720
Guarantee human someone three two one two five seven ninety
479
00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:32.759
is the number to get in real quick here before
480
00:24:32.759 --> 00:24:35.759
we work Chason in. I mentioned something before we stepped
481
00:24:35.759 --> 00:24:39.079
aside there momentarily, and that was something that I see
482
00:24:39.160 --> 00:24:41.839
a lot on Astros Twitter, and that is that this
483
00:24:41.960 --> 00:24:45.039
reminds me of two thousand and seven to two thousand
484
00:24:45.079 --> 00:24:48.240
and nine, and that's what led you into what the
485
00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:51.440
Astros would become. I'm going to push back on that
486
00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:55.799
because I think that in a lot of ways it
487
00:24:55.920 --> 00:24:58.440
was kind of fooling yourself into believing that you were
488
00:24:58.480 --> 00:25:01.000
still a competitor. And I I think that it actually
489
00:25:01.039 --> 00:25:05.119
starts before that two thousand and five wasn't an anomaly
490
00:25:05.240 --> 00:25:09.000
season for the Astros. That team had no business being
491
00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:11.839
able to make it to the World Series, none whatsoever,
492
00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:16.720
outside of just outstanding pitching that you had from not
493
00:25:16.839 --> 00:25:20.920
only Clemens pettit Oswalt Brandon Backy would every once in
494
00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:22.359
a while be able to step in and give you
495
00:25:22.359 --> 00:25:26.480
a decent enough start at the bullpen. With Wheeler Qualls
496
00:25:26.920 --> 00:25:29.599
and with Brad Lidge at the back of the bullpen,
497
00:25:30.039 --> 00:25:32.039
they were able to make things happen. But then, like
498
00:25:32.200 --> 00:25:34.720
look at that lineup, you had a career year out
499
00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:38.200
of Morganensburg, which the following season that completely fell off
500
00:25:38.240 --> 00:25:42.039
the map. Same deal with Jason Lane, Mike Lamb. I mean,
501
00:25:42.079 --> 00:25:44.119
those were guys that were basically driving the bus for you,
502
00:25:44.599 --> 00:25:49.920
and you probably got a owner who was not as
503
00:25:49.960 --> 00:25:54.039
baseball adept as the owner that you have now to believe, Oh, yeah, hey,
504
00:25:54.079 --> 00:25:56.559
you know what, we're we're very much a competitor. Yeah,
505
00:25:56.559 --> 00:25:58.799
you know what, bringing Carlos Lee two years later you
506
00:25:58.839 --> 00:26:03.160
do that, and bringing Pedro Felice and bringing all of
507
00:26:03.160 --> 00:26:05.839
these other players Miguel Tahada, I mean, you know, just
508
00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:10.480
names that at that point in their career were guys
509
00:26:10.519 --> 00:26:14.519
that were past their best years of their careers. And
510
00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:16.319
of course, I mean the Carlos Lee deal was the
511
00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:19.119
one that really sent you into the tailspin because you
512
00:26:19.200 --> 00:26:22.200
realize that, oh, we've got a guy that is a
513
00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:24.680
nothing for a glove out there in the outfield. We're
514
00:26:24.680 --> 00:26:26.759
in the National League, so at the time you didn't
515
00:26:26.799 --> 00:26:30.160
have the DH so you can't DH them. And he's
516
00:26:30.200 --> 00:26:32.720
also not as productive as the amount of money that
517
00:26:32.759 --> 00:26:34.960
you're paying for him. So I think all of those
518
00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:37.720
things kind of boil in together. And then once you
519
00:26:37.799 --> 00:26:44.599
got to twenty ten, Lance Berkman was probably past his
520
00:26:44.680 --> 00:26:47.160
best years at the plate and he wasn't good enough
521
00:26:47.160 --> 00:26:50.480
to be able to carry your team. Same deal with
522
00:26:50.640 --> 00:26:52.960
I think that Hunter Pence was a good player and
523
00:26:53.119 --> 00:26:54.880
probably if you had a little bit more of a
524
00:26:54.920 --> 00:26:57.599
talented roster, would be a little bit more impactful for you.
525
00:26:58.079 --> 00:27:00.880
But you were able to flip him for some guys
526
00:27:01.119 --> 00:27:03.599
and Michael Bourne. I mean, the list goes on and
527
00:27:03.640 --> 00:27:07.000
on of just your roster not being as talented as
528
00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:10.880
you thought they were. You didn't have Yordon Alvarez, you
529
00:27:11.400 --> 00:27:16.400
didn't have an Esak Perettis, you didn't have a Cam Smith,
530
00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:20.079
you didn't have any of those guys. Now, the talent
531
00:27:20.200 --> 00:27:21.559
is not as deep as it used to be for
532
00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:24.359
the Astros, we all can agree on that for sure,
533
00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:27.240
but you at least have players that can help you
534
00:27:27.759 --> 00:27:30.440
be a competitive team. Now, are you good enough right
535
00:27:30.440 --> 00:27:32.799
now to be able to go deep into the postseason?
536
00:27:32.839 --> 00:27:36.039
You're not, I'll give you that, But like to say that,
537
00:27:36.079 --> 00:27:39.279
like this thing needs to be completely bottomed out and
538
00:27:39.359 --> 00:27:42.720
completely demoed and built back up from the foundation again,
539
00:27:43.319 --> 00:27:46.000
is just really not looking at the overall big picture
540
00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:48.599
of this team. You got a yord On Alvarez, You
541
00:27:48.640 --> 00:27:51.160
got a shot for whatever you've got right now out
542
00:27:51.160 --> 00:27:53.480
of Jose al Tuve. Ride that for as long as
543
00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:56.039
you can, and then you get Carlos Korea back next year.
544
00:27:56.400 --> 00:27:58.799
Hopefully he's able to have a bounce back season and
545
00:27:58.960 --> 00:28:01.000
he's able to stay Hell the I mean there are
546
00:28:01.079 --> 00:28:06.960
a lot more hopefullies because this is where the I
547
00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:11.400
guess rotation of a history can lead to. As you
548
00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:13.519
spin the wheel and it gets to that point of
549
00:28:13.599 --> 00:28:16.640
you're saying hopefully for a lot more guys. But that's
550
00:28:16.680 --> 00:28:19.720
where the Astros are at this moment, and I think
551
00:28:19.759 --> 00:28:22.400
that it is also too for them. I mean, again,
552
00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:25.160
the reason why I'm harping on this most recent draft
553
00:28:25.440 --> 00:28:28.160
is because that's part of being able to build this
554
00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:31.400
system back up. And another thing that's really lost on
555
00:28:31.440 --> 00:28:33.559
a lot of people for when they were building this thing,
556
00:28:33.559 --> 00:28:36.759
you know a contender, was the Astros were experts in
557
00:28:36.839 --> 00:28:39.599
terms of the international market, and that's something that I think,
558
00:28:39.640 --> 00:28:41.920
with that money coming back again that you lost from
559
00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:44.279
the cheating scandal, that you need to get back to
560
00:28:44.599 --> 00:28:46.960
and you need to really be able to have that
561
00:28:47.000 --> 00:28:49.400
international scouting ramped up again. I mean, I know that
562
00:28:49.400 --> 00:28:52.519
they're trying to do it in Japan and in the
563
00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:55.839
Pacific Rim right now and trying to be able to see,
564
00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:57.680
all right to other players that we can add from
565
00:28:57.720 --> 00:29:00.480
over there. I mean, you've been incredible good and the
566
00:29:00.519 --> 00:29:03.920
Dominican in Venezuela in places like that. That's another thing
567
00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:07.440
that's going to be incredibly important for this team going forward.
568
00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:09.359
And I know a lot of those people who were
569
00:29:09.400 --> 00:29:11.720
really good at finding those players are no longer in
570
00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:14.920
your organization. But still I mean, I think that that's
571
00:29:14.960 --> 00:29:17.920
something else that you could have working for you in
572
00:29:18.039 --> 00:29:20.480
order to be able to keep this team competitive and
573
00:29:20.640 --> 00:29:23.400
keep them very much in the running too not only
574
00:29:23.400 --> 00:29:25.440
make the postseason, but then be able to make runs
575
00:29:25.480 --> 00:29:28.680
in the postseason. So again, I just I push back
576
00:29:28.720 --> 00:29:31.720
on that wholeheartedly. I don't think that you are to
577
00:29:31.759 --> 00:29:36.200
that point just yet, but if you don't really make
578
00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:38.519
a lot of these changes, you can get there very quickly.
579
00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:41.240
I will give you that, I mean. And that's what
580
00:29:41.359 --> 00:29:45.640
happened is those players got older, they missed out on opportunities.
581
00:29:45.640 --> 00:29:48.240
I mean, two thousand and six, it was a season
582
00:29:48.279 --> 00:29:50.319
where you were chasing your tail the entire time, and
583
00:29:50.359 --> 00:29:52.759
it was about the final two weeks of the season
584
00:29:52.839 --> 00:29:55.240
is when you finally saw the Astros play good baseball
585
00:29:55.480 --> 00:29:58.960
and it wasn't enough to overtake the Cardinals, who stumbled
586
00:29:59.240 --> 00:30:01.480
and looked like that they were not going to be
587
00:30:01.519 --> 00:30:04.440
a team that was going to be competitive in the postseason.
588
00:30:04.799 --> 00:30:06.039
And then they were able to go on a run
589
00:30:06.039 --> 00:30:08.519
and they beat Justin Verlander and the Tigers that year
590
00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:11.519
and won the World Series. So baseball is a weird thing,
591
00:30:11.759 --> 00:30:13.839
there's no question about it. Real quick here, before we
592
00:30:13.920 --> 00:30:16.559
hit the jump around. Let's get Jason and Conroe and Jason.
593
00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:28.640
Good morning Jason. Oh all right, yea yeah, yeah, so Jason,
594
00:30:28.759 --> 00:30:30.799
we'll get you. I guess our phones are having a
595
00:30:30.799 --> 00:30:32.839
little bit of an issue. It's all good, we'll work
596
00:30:32.880 --> 00:30:36.559
through it. But we'll get him in. You want to
597
00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:39.000
join them? seOne three two on two five seven ninety
598
00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:41.799
gets Sebone three two one two five seven nine. You will
599
00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:43.480
also hit the jump around here to close out six
600
00:30:43.519 --> 00:30:47.440
o'clock Cower because a former face has a new job.
601
00:30:47.599 --> 00:30:51.240
Some grudges never die and he's back. All three of
602
00:30:51.240 --> 00:30:53.160
those coming your way as we close out six o'clock
603
00:30:53.160 --> 00:30:55.200
Howard's the Morning Drive Sports Talk seven to ninety.
604
00:30:57.480 --> 00:31:02.279
Back to the Morning Drive. Here's Dad Matthews.
605
00:31:03.680 --> 00:31:05.200
Get to the phone lines here before we hit a
606
00:31:05.279 --> 00:31:07.920
quick jump around to close out the six o'clock cour
607
00:31:08.400 --> 00:31:11.200
Jason and Conro will give you another shot Jason, good morning,
608
00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:11.720
how you doing?
609
00:31:13.319 --> 00:31:15.160
Good morning, my friend. You know why I love this
610
00:31:15.240 --> 00:31:17.400
show is because you hit on a lot of stuff
611
00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:20.240
that needs to be talked about. Man, you hit on
612
00:31:20.359 --> 00:31:23.000
so many points I get hit on this morning. That's
613
00:31:23.039 --> 00:31:25.759
what I love about the show. Appreciated, But the main thing,
614
00:31:26.400 --> 00:31:29.160
but the main thing is my expectation before I get
615
00:31:29.200 --> 00:31:31.039
to what I really want to talk about. My expectation
616
00:31:31.160 --> 00:31:34.720
for this team is at least have a winning record
617
00:31:34.799 --> 00:31:38.440
when Jordan Alvarez wins the MVP, as I hope he does.
618
00:31:38.839 --> 00:31:41.079
I know that's probably gonna be a tight race between
619
00:31:41.119 --> 00:31:44.799
him and Caminero. But if Jordan Alvarez is gonna do that,
620
00:31:44.880 --> 00:31:47.799
you gotta have at least the winning records, so be
621
00:31:47.880 --> 00:31:50.680
above five hundred, have a winning record, and at least
622
00:31:50.799 --> 00:31:54.680
do that for him, because I've never seen an MVP
623
00:31:56.119 --> 00:31:59.200
type player win it with a team on the losing records,
624
00:31:59.240 --> 00:32:02.960
so hopefully they have a winning record. He also brought
625
00:32:03.039 --> 00:32:07.440
up a lot of good names earlier, like Lamb and
626
00:32:07.799 --> 00:32:13.200
Born and you know what, I loved the big Booma Berkman,
627
00:32:14.160 --> 00:32:18.279
and I think what Albaz is doing right now is
628
00:32:18.319 --> 00:32:24.039
a version of Berkman, but way better. And then with honestly,
629
00:32:24.079 --> 00:32:27.640
with Jim Crane, he could probably he's already won his
630
00:32:27.680 --> 00:32:30.359
two championships. If he ever decided to go out, he
631
00:32:30.400 --> 00:32:32.680
could go out a winner. He's already he's already done
632
00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:35.440
what he said he was gonna do. And last but
633
00:32:35.599 --> 00:32:40.599
not least, with the world Cup. I absolutely love what
634
00:32:40.599 --> 00:32:44.720
we're gonna see today, and honestly, a lot of people
635
00:32:44.759 --> 00:32:47.039
want to talk about you Maul and Mbape, but I
636
00:32:47.279 --> 00:32:51.519
I personally think at least is the guy that's probably
637
00:32:51.559 --> 00:32:54.400
gonna score the goal today that puts France over the top.
638
00:32:55.079 --> 00:32:58.000
And I really really hope England wins tomorrow because there's
639
00:32:58.039 --> 00:33:02.440
a huge debate on who's better on Real Madrid, either
640
00:33:02.559 --> 00:33:06.799
Umbape or Bellingham. And if you get Bellingham versus Jumbape
641
00:33:06.920 --> 00:33:10.359
in the Rook Cup final, that's your moneymaker right here.
642
00:33:10.799 --> 00:33:12.039
And that's all I want to just kick.
643
00:33:12.240 --> 00:33:14.440
I appreciate the call, Chase, and I mean, you know
644
00:33:14.519 --> 00:33:18.079
with the Jordon Alvarez points, I mean, yes, that would
645
00:33:18.119 --> 00:33:19.799
be something that would help you, because you're not wrong.
646
00:33:19.880 --> 00:33:21.960
Junior Cameronnaro is putting together a hell of a year
647
00:33:22.039 --> 00:33:24.000
for the Rays, and if they're able to get into
648
00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:26.319
the postseason, they're able to win the AL West well
649
00:33:26.480 --> 00:33:29.440
or the AL East. Uh the complete opposite of the West,
650
00:33:30.039 --> 00:33:33.680
and he probably gets a lot more votes for him
651
00:33:33.680 --> 00:33:35.480
to win the MVP. I mean, I don't think there's
652
00:33:35.480 --> 00:33:37.400
any question about it. I mean, as much as it's
653
00:33:37.400 --> 00:33:40.480
an individual award, it very much is a Team Award too.
654
00:33:41.200 --> 00:33:44.960
And in terms of you know, those past Astros teams
655
00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:47.720
and you mentioned Jordon Alvarez. I mean that's where it's
656
00:33:47.720 --> 00:33:49.839
a little bit of there is no comparison because you've
657
00:33:49.839 --> 00:33:52.559
never had a Yordon Alvarez. Berkman was incredibly good for you.
658
00:33:52.640 --> 00:33:56.240
I don't want to underscore and kind of devalue what
659
00:33:56.359 --> 00:33:59.240
Lance Berkman did for you when he was with the Astros.
660
00:33:59.279 --> 00:34:01.319
He was out standing for you, and he lived up
661
00:34:01.359 --> 00:34:04.119
to every bit of being the first round pick. And
662
00:34:04.200 --> 00:34:06.599
I think as a guy that really should get stronger
663
00:34:06.720 --> 00:34:09.679
Hall of Fame consideration. Now does he eventually get there?
664
00:34:09.800 --> 00:34:13.519
I think he does, because along with your career, if
665
00:34:13.559 --> 00:34:17.039
you're a good guy to the media, eventually those people
666
00:34:17.079 --> 00:34:19.519
will say, you know what, Yeah, looking back at it,
667
00:34:19.559 --> 00:34:21.079
he probably should be in the Hall of Fame. And
668
00:34:21.119 --> 00:34:22.639
I think that he could be one of those guys
669
00:34:22.679 --> 00:34:24.760
that could get that chance a little bit later on
670
00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:27.000
in life. But Jason, I know you're gonna get this comparison.
671
00:34:27.039 --> 00:34:28.760
I think in some ways Lance Berkman is in that
672
00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:30.920
same category as Dale Murphy where you look at him
673
00:34:30.920 --> 00:34:32.840
and you're like, man, look at those numbers, why are
674
00:34:32.840 --> 00:34:36.159
they Why are they not in Cooperstown, So maybe he
675
00:34:36.199 --> 00:34:38.159
will eventually get the nod, and I think Dale will
676
00:34:38.159 --> 00:34:41.360
eventually too, So I mean, it just kind of works
677
00:34:41.400 --> 00:34:43.239
out that way. I know, it's the old Hey, you're
678
00:34:43.239 --> 00:34:44.719
either a Hall of Famer or you're not, So why
679
00:34:44.719 --> 00:34:47.079
wouldn't you be a Hall of Famer now as opposed
680
00:34:47.079 --> 00:34:49.320
to twenty years later? I think that these are all
681
00:34:49.360 --> 00:34:53.320
things that you play into the equation. All right, let's
682
00:34:53.440 --> 00:34:55.159
go ahead and hit a quick jump around here before
683
00:34:55.159 --> 00:35:00.800
we hit seven o'clock hour. All right, So, former UAH
684
00:35:00.840 --> 00:35:03.840
head coach Tom Herman, he's got himself a new job,
685
00:35:04.159 --> 00:35:08.239
as it was reported yesterday that he has been hired
686
00:35:08.280 --> 00:35:11.199
on by Florida States and is going to join their
687
00:35:11.239 --> 00:35:15.880
coaching staff. Now, his role has not yet been announced
688
00:35:16.119 --> 00:35:20.159
or even determined, but war Chant, which is an on
689
00:35:20.199 --> 00:35:24.159
three website that covers Florida States, they had the news
690
00:35:24.199 --> 00:35:28.320
that Herman had been hired. And it's one of those
691
00:35:28.400 --> 00:35:32.119
where Florida States they lost their oc over the offseason
692
00:35:32.199 --> 00:35:35.840
as Gus Malzon decided to retire. And I think that
693
00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:38.679
that's also too a little bit of you know, just
694
00:35:38.800 --> 00:35:40.960
kind of keep an eye on whenever you see coaches
695
00:35:41.039 --> 00:35:45.480
leaving a program like Malzon retiring, I think signifies one thing,
696
00:35:45.719 --> 00:35:47.400
and I think that this is a huge reason why
697
00:35:47.440 --> 00:35:50.199
Tom Herman was hired. Mike Norvell is gonna get fired
698
00:35:50.239 --> 00:35:52.239
during the middle of the season. Florida State's gonna be bad.
699
00:35:52.360 --> 00:35:54.960
They're gonna be really bad this year, and they were
700
00:35:55.000 --> 00:35:57.840
really bad after the highlight of their season last year,
701
00:35:57.840 --> 00:36:00.159
beating Alabama in that very first game, and he thought
702
00:36:00.159 --> 00:36:03.519
to yourself, all right, maybe Norvell has pulled another rabbit
703
00:36:03.519 --> 00:36:04.840
out of the hat and found a way to stay
704
00:36:04.840 --> 00:36:07.199
there in Tallahassee. I don't think that's gonna happen now.
705
00:36:07.559 --> 00:36:10.800
I think that Tom Herman's been hired for one particular reason,
706
00:36:11.000 --> 00:36:13.719
and that is to be the interim coach there when
707
00:36:14.079 --> 00:36:16.360
it's all said and done, maybe the final six games
708
00:36:16.360 --> 00:36:19.159
of the season, and then he won't be in consideration
709
00:36:19.239 --> 00:36:21.519
for it afterwards, so then he'll be looking for another
710
00:36:21.599 --> 00:36:24.400
job after that. But I mean, despite what you might
711
00:36:24.400 --> 00:36:28.840
think of the guy personally an outstanding coach offensively, I mean, look,
712
00:36:28.960 --> 00:36:32.360
you of aged football in terms of actually being able
713
00:36:32.400 --> 00:36:36.519
to think about high expectations was created by Tom Herman,
714
00:36:36.800 --> 00:36:39.360
and I understand that his exit was unceremonious and it
715
00:36:39.400 --> 00:36:42.400
was frustrating to a lot of people. But still, I mean,
716
00:36:42.440 --> 00:36:43.719
I think a guy that did a lot of really
717
00:36:43.760 --> 00:36:46.199
good things over there in third wards. So we'll see
718
00:36:46.239 --> 00:36:49.960
what he does at Florida State. Freddie is back, German
719
00:36:50.079 --> 00:36:52.719
super fan Freddie. So remember a few weeks ago he
720
00:36:52.760 --> 00:36:56.480
said I'm deactivating my Twitter account, he just got too toxic. Well,
721
00:36:56.559 --> 00:37:00.599
yesterday he goes on Twitter and shows and the group
722
00:37:00.760 --> 00:37:04.239
of course with the faces blocked. He with the Rinaldo
723
00:37:04.719 --> 00:37:09.199
picture on his face, and they were at Clemson. They
724
00:37:09.199 --> 00:37:12.119
were at Memorial Stadium right there, and I'd even decide
725
00:37:12.119 --> 00:37:14.000
to jump in with a quote tweet and said, run
726
00:37:14.039 --> 00:37:15.320
down the hill, see if you can get in there.
727
00:37:15.360 --> 00:37:17.800
See you can go meet old Dabo if he's a round.
728
00:37:18.280 --> 00:37:21.239
And he then also did a short recap of what
729
00:37:21.280 --> 00:37:23.519
they've been doing, said swam in a lot of lakes
730
00:37:23.559 --> 00:37:25.920
in Pennsylvania because of the heat wave, watched a pie
731
00:37:25.920 --> 00:37:29.719
eating contest in Virginia, celebrated the fourth and Washington, d c.
732
00:37:29.920 --> 00:37:33.280
Relaxed on the beaches in Delaware, went to the outer
733
00:37:33.360 --> 00:37:37.360
banks of North Carolina, had a baby bear block our
734
00:37:37.519 --> 00:37:41.199
road in North Carolina. Tried new fast food jeans like
735
00:37:41.239 --> 00:37:44.360
Bojangles and Sonic boa Jangles is solid and they're in
736
00:37:44.360 --> 00:37:47.400
the Houston area. Now, I'm telling you, you see a Bojangles,
737
00:37:47.559 --> 00:37:50.800
stop in, get you some Chicken Supremes, You're gonna enjoy him.
738
00:37:51.119 --> 00:37:54.440
And then probably too much. Taco Bell played mini golf
739
00:37:54.519 --> 00:37:58.320
and Myrtle Beach, visited beautiful cities like Charleston and Savannah.
740
00:37:58.320 --> 00:38:01.280
I can agree on that, and also saw an alligator
741
00:38:01.360 --> 00:38:03.760
in a lot more cool wildlife. So welcome back, Freddy.
742
00:38:03.960 --> 00:38:07.079
It's good to have you. All right, that's the jump around,
743
00:38:07.159 --> 00:38:10.719
that's the six o'clock hour. Seven o'clock hour is straight ahead,
744
00:38:10.719 --> 00:38:12.119
because do you want to continue a little bit of
745
00:38:12.159 --> 00:38:15.519
the Astros conversation because I thought about this and I
746
00:38:15.559 --> 00:38:17.519
know that it's been kicked around a little bit of
747
00:38:17.719 --> 00:38:20.599
did the Astros maybe pull a Bob Ross over the weekend?
748
00:38:20.760 --> 00:38:23.400
And that happy accident can be an idea that he
749
00:38:23.519 --> 00:38:26.199
used going forward? Talk about it as we start second
750
00:38:26.239 --> 00:38:29.840
hour of the show. As we continue here on a Tuesday,
751
00:38:29.880 --> 00:38:31.400
it is the morning Drive here on your home of
752
00:38:31.440 --> 00:38:33.960
the Astros and the Rocket Sports Talk seven ninety.
753
00:38:34.519 --> 00:38:37.559
At Houston ATVHD two Houston.
754
00:38:37.320 --> 00:38:40.679
The Astross, the Rockets, Rockets.
755
00:38:40.880 --> 00:38:43.519
Thanks before your home for your home teams.
756
00:38:44.119 --> 00:38:49.400
This is Sports Talk seven ninety and iHeartRadio Station Guaranteed Human.
757
00:38:53.639 --> 00:38:55.679
This is the Morning Drive.
758
00:39:00.320 --> 00:39:03.400
All Star Break continues on with the actual All Star
759
00:39:03.599 --> 00:39:07.559
Game tonight. Homerun Derby last night, Jordan Walker of the
760
00:39:07.760 --> 00:39:12.480
Saint Louis Cardinals able to out hit Kyle Schwarber to
761
00:39:12.960 --> 00:39:17.760
win the event. And you also have Jordan Alvaroz in
762
00:39:17.800 --> 00:39:20.079
the starting lineup tonight as part of the All Star Games.
763
00:39:20.079 --> 00:39:24.519
The Astros will get back to action on Friday with
764
00:39:24.760 --> 00:39:27.159
the Baltimore Orioles here in town. And you also have
765
00:39:27.719 --> 00:39:30.880
the World Cup coming your way with the semifinals a
766
00:39:30.880 --> 00:39:33.199
little bit later on. It's gonna be Spain and France.
767
00:39:33.280 --> 00:39:37.239
Winner of that moves on to face Argentina or England
768
00:39:37.719 --> 00:39:41.519
on Sunday in the finals of said World Cup. It's
769
00:39:41.559 --> 00:39:44.199
almost coming to an end. It's one of those where
770
00:39:44.199 --> 00:39:46.679
it's like once it happens and once it's gone, it's
771
00:39:46.760 --> 00:39:49.280
just kind of like, oh, man, like this is Christmas
772
00:39:49.280 --> 00:39:52.199
on steroids as a little kid, because remember that where
773
00:39:52.480 --> 00:39:55.440
presidents are already opened, and you know, December twenty sixth
774
00:39:55.519 --> 00:39:58.079
hit and you were just like, there's just a tree.
775
00:39:58.079 --> 00:39:59.920
There's just a light in some ways, it just didn't
776
00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:01.760
I have the same meaning to you anymore. It was
777
00:40:01.880 --> 00:40:04.760
just it was that week in between, and then like
778
00:40:04.840 --> 00:40:07.800
that week before New Year's like you're just kind of like, Okay,
779
00:40:07.880 --> 00:40:09.840
this is like just like another week, but it's not
780
00:40:09.920 --> 00:40:12.360
because it's the holidays, so you still see all the
781
00:40:12.440 --> 00:40:15.519
decorations and everything. And then of course New Year's hits,
782
00:40:15.559 --> 00:40:18.280
and I don't know, like I've I've never really gotten
783
00:40:18.360 --> 00:40:20.199
up for New Years. Like it's more or less just
784
00:40:20.239 --> 00:40:22.480
like it passes and I'm just like, Okay, I guess
785
00:40:22.480 --> 00:40:27.400
we're into the following year. So anyway, Yeah, it's gonna
786
00:40:27.440 --> 00:40:29.400
be interesting to see. It's gonna be interesting to see, like,
787
00:40:29.440 --> 00:40:32.119
for example, like if the attendance over at Dynamo Matches
788
00:40:32.719 --> 00:40:34.800
tick ticks up a little bit, like if people still
789
00:40:34.800 --> 00:40:37.679
have that soccer fix a little bit and they want
790
00:40:37.679 --> 00:40:39.599
to be able to like continue to see it. But
791
00:40:39.639 --> 00:40:42.079
then you know, they're like, oh, it's not as high powered.
792
00:40:42.079 --> 00:40:43.920
It is the stuff that we were just watching. So
793
00:40:44.159 --> 00:40:46.280
I get it. I get it. I totally understand it.
794
00:40:46.719 --> 00:40:49.800
But anyway, it's coming to a close, and we get
795
00:40:49.920 --> 00:40:52.440
a couple more matches here over the next couple of
796
00:40:52.519 --> 00:40:55.639
days someone three two on two five seven ninety is
797
00:40:55.639 --> 00:40:57.239
the number to get in where I wanted to start this.
798
00:40:57.480 --> 00:41:04.039
Steven o'clock hour was something that happened on Sunday that afterwards,
799
00:41:04.079 --> 00:41:07.000
I saw at least Chandler Rome and Tyler Stafford on
800
00:41:07.079 --> 00:41:10.480
the Crush City Territory podcast talk about it. And as
801
00:41:10.519 --> 00:41:12.000
soon as I saw that, I was just like, you
802
00:41:12.000 --> 00:41:14.000
know what, I think these guys are on to something.
803
00:41:14.039 --> 00:41:18.760
Here is remember Bob Ross on PBS. You know he's
804
00:41:18.800 --> 00:41:21.039
painting the trees, he's painting the mountains, doing all of that,
805
00:41:21.079 --> 00:41:22.880
and he used to call it say that you know,
806
00:41:22.920 --> 00:41:25.800
there are no mistakes, there's only happy accidents. I think
807
00:41:25.840 --> 00:41:28.199
the Astros might have stumbled upon a happy accident, and
808
00:41:28.199 --> 00:41:31.880
that's Camp Smith out in center field. And it's something
809
00:41:31.960 --> 00:41:34.320
that at least they toyed with the notion of and
810
00:41:34.360 --> 00:41:36.239
gave him a little bit of work in spring training,
811
00:41:36.679 --> 00:41:39.199
but then pretty quickly backed off of that and then
812
00:41:39.199 --> 00:41:43.960
on Sunday just buy sheer need for it because you
813
00:41:44.079 --> 00:41:46.400
lose Bryce Matthews and it's going to be interesting to
814
00:41:46.400 --> 00:41:48.760
see how long he might be out for. I mean,
815
00:41:48.840 --> 00:41:51.400
at least with yesterday that Mike Burrows News all of that,
816
00:41:51.440 --> 00:41:54.880
there wasn't anything that I saw on Bryce Matthews, so
817
00:41:54.960 --> 00:41:58.280
maybe that evaluation is still happening. If I probably had
818
00:41:58.320 --> 00:42:01.440
to guess, he will probably be on the IL. And
819
00:42:01.480 --> 00:42:04.320
then you had Taylor Tremmel also get hurt in that
820
00:42:04.400 --> 00:42:08.719
game on Sunday with whatever that warning track was out
821
00:42:08.719 --> 00:42:12.679
there in the power alleys and in center field. I
822
00:42:12.679 --> 00:42:15.760
mean I saw Matt Thomas's tweet and he wasn't necessarily
823
00:42:15.800 --> 00:42:18.000
wrong where he was like is there ice out there?
824
00:42:18.039 --> 00:42:21.400
Like what's going on on the warning track? Because it
825
00:42:21.480 --> 00:42:24.199
got the astros pretty good in that one. But eventually
826
00:42:24.239 --> 00:42:26.039
I had to put Cam Smith out in center field,
827
00:42:26.679 --> 00:42:28.719
and I started to think about it, and I was like,
828
00:42:28.840 --> 00:42:32.400
you know what, you might be onto something here. It
829
00:42:32.480 --> 00:42:35.800
might have opened some things up because even with either
830
00:42:35.960 --> 00:42:38.239
or maybe even both of those guys possibly going on
831
00:42:38.280 --> 00:42:40.880
the IL again we don't know one hundred percent, but
832
00:42:41.119 --> 00:42:43.239
if they do have to go on the IL, then
833
00:42:43.239 --> 00:42:45.679
that probably brings back Joey lo Berfdo and that brings
834
00:42:45.719 --> 00:42:50.440
back Jake Myers. So you could ride with an outfield
835
00:42:50.559 --> 00:42:54.800
still of more than likely most games, Lamont Wade out
836
00:42:54.800 --> 00:42:57.400
in left field, Cam and right, and then either of
837
00:42:57.440 --> 00:43:00.559
those guys out in center field, because let's be honest here,
838
00:43:00.599 --> 00:43:03.239
if he had designs of making Jake Myers your everyday
839
00:43:03.280 --> 00:43:05.320
center fielder, he would have never been in TRIPLEA. He
840
00:43:05.320 --> 00:43:07.239
would have been able to be up here work his
841
00:43:07.280 --> 00:43:09.559
way through his hitting struggles. I think the Astros have
842
00:43:09.599 --> 00:43:12.239
finally kind of realized that last year was the outlier
843
00:43:12.760 --> 00:43:15.079
and that for the most part, offensively, this is what
844
00:43:15.199 --> 00:43:18.960
Jake Myers is. The problem is now, at least in
845
00:43:19.000 --> 00:43:21.719
the past with Myers, with all the strikeouts, he still
846
00:43:21.719 --> 00:43:24.719
had the power in there. The power is tailed off
847
00:43:24.760 --> 00:43:27.280
these last couple of years. It's not as prevalent as
848
00:43:27.280 --> 00:43:29.800
it used to be, and even then it was still
849
00:43:30.000 --> 00:43:33.039
infrequent and not enough to outweigh the amount of strikeouts
850
00:43:33.039 --> 00:43:35.119
that he had. But this year, that's the problem, is
851
00:43:35.159 --> 00:43:37.239
that he's not hitting for average, at least good enough
852
00:43:37.239 --> 00:43:38.840
for you to be able to play him every single day,
853
00:43:39.320 --> 00:43:43.159
and he's not hitting you the long ball. So that's
854
00:43:43.199 --> 00:43:45.679
another thing that kind of got you to a point
855
00:43:45.679 --> 00:43:47.920
where you're like, all right, we already have in anemic
856
00:43:47.960 --> 00:43:52.159
outfield offensively as is, this is making us even more anemic,
857
00:43:52.320 --> 00:43:54.719
and that is not a winning strategy for us to
858
00:43:54.719 --> 00:43:56.920
be able to go over five hundred and start to
859
00:43:56.920 --> 00:44:00.719
think about anything else after that. So I think that
860
00:44:00.760 --> 00:44:03.519
things open up for you a little bit again with
861
00:44:03.960 --> 00:44:08.199
what the perceived once are at the trade deadline for
862
00:44:08.239 --> 00:44:11.280
the Astros. Of finally being able to get that left
863
00:44:11.280 --> 00:44:14.880
handed hitting outfield bat is something that you've heard Dana
864
00:44:14.920 --> 00:44:17.480
Brown say time and time again that they want to
865
00:44:17.480 --> 00:44:19.440
be able to add I mean, we thought that they
866
00:44:19.440 --> 00:44:20.960
were probably even gonna be able to add that in
867
00:44:21.000 --> 00:44:23.760
spring training because remember after they made the low Berfito trade,
868
00:44:24.159 --> 00:44:28.239
Dana Brown famously saying, hey, we're not done yet, and
869
00:44:28.400 --> 00:44:31.199
of course in the immediate they were done because they
870
00:44:31.239 --> 00:44:34.880
didn't make any really any other moves. I mean, I
871
00:44:34.920 --> 00:44:37.960
don't know, maybe he was kind of projecting that Lamont
872
00:44:38.000 --> 00:44:40.199
Way Junior would be that, but it kind of felt
873
00:44:40.239 --> 00:44:43.159
like that Lamont Way Junior was more of a reactionary
874
00:44:43.199 --> 00:44:46.840
move because of the injuries that you had. But also too,
875
00:44:47.000 --> 00:44:50.920
I mean, again, your offense wasn't great, but sticking with
876
00:44:51.199 --> 00:44:53.639
Smith out in center field and is this going to
877
00:44:53.639 --> 00:44:56.199
be in every game thing, I'd give it a shot
878
00:44:56.480 --> 00:44:59.519
at least right out of the break. I absolutely would,
879
00:44:59.599 --> 00:45:02.679
because again, if it plays out that way where you've
880
00:45:02.679 --> 00:45:05.639
got low Berfido and Myers back here. I think that
881
00:45:05.719 --> 00:45:08.119
Myers becomes your fourth outfielder at that point. I think
882
00:45:08.119 --> 00:45:11.000
for the time being, you ride with an outfield of
883
00:45:11.719 --> 00:45:15.840
low Berfido out and left. Camp are lamont Way Junior
884
00:45:16.039 --> 00:45:17.679
proved that he could play right field. He did on
885
00:45:17.719 --> 00:45:20.039
Saturday because you didn't have Cam Smith in the lineup
886
00:45:20.320 --> 00:45:21.960
and you had him out there, you had jord on
887
00:45:22.039 --> 00:45:23.880
and left, which of course you know that that's going
888
00:45:23.920 --> 00:45:25.559
to be a once in a blue moon thing, but
889
00:45:25.679 --> 00:45:28.400
still you can have enough flip platoon out there where
890
00:45:28.440 --> 00:45:30.239
you can give him a game or two every once
891
00:45:30.280 --> 00:45:32.360
in a while out there in left field and be
892
00:45:32.440 --> 00:45:34.519
able to have the lineup look the way that it
893
00:45:34.559 --> 00:45:37.559
does where Jiner Diaz starting to swing the bat a
894
00:45:37.599 --> 00:45:39.800
little bit better, so you don't want to necessarily take
895
00:45:39.880 --> 00:45:42.239
him out of the lineup. So you have him as
896
00:45:42.239 --> 00:45:45.559
the DH and Christian Vasquez is able to catch for
897
00:45:45.639 --> 00:45:47.559
you in some of those games, and you know that
898
00:45:47.599 --> 00:45:50.599
at least from the game planning perspective, all of that
899
00:45:50.599 --> 00:45:53.639
that you're able to, you know, have the lineup that
900
00:45:53.639 --> 00:45:56.559
you want out there. So I think with Smith, at
901
00:45:56.639 --> 00:45:59.519
least in the immediate it opens up possibilities for you
902
00:45:59.559 --> 00:46:02.280
that you haven't before. You have him out in right field,
903
00:46:02.840 --> 00:46:05.559
and you have either lit Berfito or Myers out in center,
904
00:46:05.639 --> 00:46:08.119
and then you know Lamont Wade out there and left.
905
00:46:08.559 --> 00:46:10.320
Then I think you're kind of fixed in terms of
906
00:46:10.320 --> 00:46:13.440
what this lineup can be. But I think just having
907
00:46:13.519 --> 00:46:16.039
Cam and center field, you've got a little bit more
908
00:46:16.039 --> 00:46:18.280
options at least here for the next couple of weeks
909
00:46:18.320 --> 00:46:20.559
while you've tried to figure out what you're going to
910
00:46:20.559 --> 00:46:23.360
add or what you can add at the trade deadline,
911
00:46:24.079 --> 00:46:27.599
and who knows, maybe it's something that you figure out
912
00:46:27.599 --> 00:46:29.159
that you're like, you know what, we're getting just enough
913
00:46:29.199 --> 00:46:32.159
offense now out of the outfield that we don't have
914
00:46:32.239 --> 00:46:34.519
to shoot as high at the trade deadline and we
915
00:46:34.559 --> 00:46:36.800
don't have to give up as much to try to
916
00:46:36.800 --> 00:46:39.400
get a Mickey Moniac or at Jake McCarthy in here.
917
00:46:39.519 --> 00:46:41.679
Either of those guys would absolutely make your team better.
918
00:46:41.719 --> 00:46:43.639
I don't think there's any question about it. And Ninderstein
919
00:46:43.760 --> 00:46:47.039
with Moniac, you look at the splits and you say, well,
920
00:46:47.079 --> 00:46:50.960
look at them away from corus Field. I also think that, yes,
921
00:46:51.199 --> 00:46:52.760
there is a little bit of a drop off, but
922
00:46:52.800 --> 00:46:56.280
it's not like that precipitous, like it's not enough where
923
00:46:56.599 --> 00:46:59.119
you look at it. I mean, is it eye popping
924
00:46:59.239 --> 00:47:02.360
in terms of just the overall numbers, Yes, it is,
925
00:47:02.559 --> 00:47:05.239
I mean because it is like almost like a seventy
926
00:47:05.280 --> 00:47:08.119
to eighty point swing there in terms of average and
927
00:47:08.159 --> 00:47:12.039
the other metrics. But I think also two, I mean,
928
00:47:12.199 --> 00:47:14.840
you add a guy like Moniac, even with him not
929
00:47:14.880 --> 00:47:18.800
playing at coors Field, that you don't have a guy
930
00:47:19.159 --> 00:47:22.679
that is productive as he is at the plate at
931
00:47:22.880 --> 00:47:26.280
or outside of cors Field. And that's somebody that at
932
00:47:26.360 --> 00:47:28.920
least with those numbers, I can slot into the back
933
00:47:29.039 --> 00:47:31.119
end of my batting order, and he's better than anything
934
00:47:31.119 --> 00:47:34.400
that I've have right now. With Smith, the biggest thing
935
00:47:34.440 --> 00:47:37.119
with him is consistency. You know that he's got the power.
936
00:47:37.159 --> 00:47:39.599
He showed that on Sunday, and that's what kind of
937
00:47:39.599 --> 00:47:42.039
frustrates you with him, is that he can run into
938
00:47:42.079 --> 00:47:44.440
some baseballs and you're just like, can you just do
939
00:47:44.480 --> 00:47:46.800
that a little bit more? Can you cut down on
940
00:47:46.840 --> 00:47:50.280
the strikeouts? Can you actually be able to have a
941
00:47:50.320 --> 00:47:52.920
lot more forceful contact? And we see it at times.
942
00:47:53.320 --> 00:47:55.800
It's just the problem with him is it comes in spurts.
943
00:47:55.920 --> 00:47:57.840
It's about two or three games that you get it,
944
00:47:58.039 --> 00:48:00.760
and then after that he drops off and he goes
945
00:48:00.800 --> 00:48:05.159
back to being a relatively unproductive hitter. And for a
946
00:48:05.320 --> 00:48:09.199
guy that I'm asking to be a back end of
947
00:48:09.199 --> 00:48:12.280
my order to even to the middle of it, of
948
00:48:12.400 --> 00:48:15.079
hitting fifth and sixth at times, I need a little
949
00:48:15.079 --> 00:48:17.400
bit more out of him. So I mean, it does
950
00:48:18.239 --> 00:48:21.159
come down to him, there's no question about it. But
951
00:48:21.239 --> 00:48:23.360
I think that also too for some of the other
952
00:48:23.400 --> 00:48:27.599
guys that I mentioned, because low Braffido, again even more
953
00:48:27.639 --> 00:48:32.639
so than camp Smith, is really inconsistent. I mean that's
954
00:48:32.679 --> 00:48:34.960
the problem though, is because then you see the at
955
00:48:34.960 --> 00:48:37.639
bats that he had in Toronto and you're like, okay,
956
00:48:37.880 --> 00:48:42.039
like more of that man, And I understand. I mean again,
957
00:48:42.320 --> 00:48:44.639
it's one of those that hope is not a strategy,
958
00:48:45.039 --> 00:48:48.280
and you are asking for some of these guys to
959
00:48:48.320 --> 00:48:50.639
have career years. I mean, remember some of the conversations
960
00:48:50.639 --> 00:48:52.519
we've had in the past of guys that you need
961
00:48:52.559 --> 00:48:54.519
to have career years in order for you to be
962
00:48:55.159 --> 00:48:58.800
a contending team. I mean, that's I think another thing
963
00:48:58.840 --> 00:49:00.679
that you're asking for coming out this is that you
964
00:49:00.760 --> 00:49:03.280
need a strong second half in a return here, and
965
00:49:03.360 --> 00:49:06.119
maybe going down to TRIPAA was exactly what Joey libraffdo
966
00:49:06.239 --> 00:49:09.039
needed and being able to get those at bats, get
967
00:49:09.039 --> 00:49:11.480
that confidence back in the bat and get out there
968
00:49:11.480 --> 00:49:13.840
because you know that speed and defensively he can help
969
00:49:13.840 --> 00:49:16.199
you out there. But that's the problem with this team.
970
00:49:16.400 --> 00:49:20.400
You don't necessarily need the defensive part of it because
971
00:49:20.480 --> 00:49:23.639
that's not really the issue. The issue for this team
972
00:49:23.760 --> 00:49:28.880
is getting more offense. That's number one. But right in
973
00:49:28.920 --> 00:49:32.360
line with that is your starting rotation and being able
974
00:49:32.360 --> 00:49:35.000
to get that group to improve and be a lot
975
00:49:35.039 --> 00:49:38.400
better than they have been because that's been a problem
976
00:49:38.519 --> 00:49:41.039
so far for you, there's no question about it. And
977
00:49:41.079 --> 00:49:43.599
the moves that you made this offseason have not panned
978
00:49:43.599 --> 00:49:45.519
out the way that you had hoped. And at least
979
00:49:45.559 --> 00:49:48.000
one of those guys in Tatsu and Maya, is still here.
980
00:49:48.119 --> 00:49:50.599
As we talked about earlier, you need more of that
981
00:49:50.639 --> 00:49:54.440
guy going forward. And another bit of news happened yesterday
982
00:49:54.480 --> 00:49:56.920
Mike Burrows going on the IL and when I think
983
00:49:56.920 --> 00:49:59.199
that that signifies for him the rest of the season.
984
00:49:59.239 --> 00:50:01.679
We'll talk about that as we continue here in the
985
00:50:01.679 --> 00:50:05.000
seven o'clock hour again. Carlos COLASO Baseball America going to
986
00:50:05.079 --> 00:50:07.360
join us at eight thirty. Chris Cordy gonna hop on
987
00:50:07.440 --> 00:50:10.159
with me at eight o'clock. As we continue here, it
988
00:50:10.239 --> 00:50:12.800
is the Morning Drive Sports Talk seven ninety.
989
00:50:13.880 --> 00:50:19.079
One Morning Drive. Get in and hold on. Here's Dan Matthews.
990
00:50:20.880 --> 00:50:23.760
Seven three two one two five, seven ninety is the
991
00:50:23.840 --> 00:50:26.880
number to get in. In addition to the roster moves
992
00:50:26.920 --> 00:50:29.159
that were not only made at the minor league level,
993
00:50:29.199 --> 00:50:33.760
the astro is also making one particular roster move yesterday
994
00:50:33.880 --> 00:50:36.840
that was of interest, and it was a little after
995
00:50:37.199 --> 00:50:39.039
we got off the air with you at ten o'clock
996
00:50:39.079 --> 00:50:41.400
and during the Matt Thomas Show with Ross heard them
997
00:50:41.440 --> 00:50:46.679
talking about it that you had Mike Burrows go on
998
00:50:46.719 --> 00:50:52.760
the IL with right elbow neuropathy or nearritis. Neurritis was
999
00:50:52.800 --> 00:50:55.480
the name of it, Not neuropathy. Haven't we heard that
1000
00:50:55.519 --> 00:50:59.199
in like one of our spots before something anyway? Neuritis
1001
00:50:59.280 --> 00:51:02.639
which again I had no idea what it was and
1002
00:51:02.840 --> 00:51:05.920
still don't one hundred percent have any idea what that means.
1003
00:51:05.920 --> 00:51:08.920
But it's a right elbow issue for Mike Burrows. We
1004
00:51:08.960 --> 00:51:11.079
saw this about a couple of weeks ago with Kyway
1005
00:51:11.159 --> 00:51:15.920
dung To where he went down the TRIPAA and then
1006
00:51:16.320 --> 00:51:18.320
when he was on his way there, I guess they
1007
00:51:18.320 --> 00:51:20.840
did some medicals on him and they're like, turns out
1008
00:51:20.840 --> 00:51:23.000
he's got a knee injury, so we've got to be
1009
00:51:23.000 --> 00:51:25.159
able to take a step back with that. He started
1010
00:51:25.159 --> 00:51:27.199
to throw again a little bit. I know that last
1011
00:51:27.239 --> 00:51:29.880
week he threw in the Florida Complex League and they're
1012
00:51:29.880 --> 00:51:32.679
trying to work his way back to return as a reliever.
1013
00:51:33.000 --> 00:51:35.639
So that's something that could help a bullpen that desperately
1014
00:51:35.719 --> 00:51:40.079
needs help right now. And Burrows going on the il yesterday,
1015
00:51:41.199 --> 00:51:43.360
I think it signifies one thing. I know that the
1016
00:51:43.599 --> 00:51:46.360
Matt Thomas show, Ross does gut feelings, and these aren't
1017
00:51:46.400 --> 00:51:49.800
gut feelings, at least necessarily. It's just a gut feeling
1018
00:51:50.039 --> 00:51:52.280
from me. I think we've seen the last of Mike
1019
00:51:52.320 --> 00:51:55.719
Burrows in twenty twenty six. I think that this is
1020
00:51:56.079 --> 00:51:58.599
something that gives the Astros a runway to really take
1021
00:51:58.639 --> 00:52:01.400
their time with them. Sure, he'll probably be no throw
1022
00:52:01.679 --> 00:52:04.039
all of those things that you see right now from
1023
00:52:04.320 --> 00:52:07.639
pitchers whenever they get hurt, and then I just think
1024
00:52:07.679 --> 00:52:10.039
that they're really going to take their time with him.
1025
00:52:10.480 --> 00:52:13.519
I think that the way that this season has gone
1026
00:52:13.719 --> 00:52:17.280
there doesn't necessarily lead you to have any belief that
1027
00:52:17.480 --> 00:52:20.559
it's going to get any better this season. I think
1028
00:52:20.639 --> 00:52:22.239
in some ways they just kind of look at it
1029
00:52:22.280 --> 00:52:24.960
as take your time, and then we'll retee it next
1030
00:52:25.039 --> 00:52:27.639
year and see how it works. Mike Burrows might not
1031
00:52:27.679 --> 00:52:29.960
be a starting pitcher, and if that's the case, it's
1032
00:52:30.000 --> 00:52:31.960
not the worst thing in the world. I mean, how
1033
00:52:32.000 --> 00:52:35.400
many times have we seen guys not only here in Houston,
1034
00:52:35.440 --> 00:52:38.360
but just in Major League Baseball as a whole. I mean, take,
1035
00:52:38.400 --> 00:52:40.639
for example, a guy and I'm not saying that he
1036
00:52:40.679 --> 00:52:43.679
could become Eric Ganie, but a guy like Eric Ganie
1037
00:52:43.920 --> 00:52:47.159
who was just ho home as a starter, and then
1038
00:52:47.159 --> 00:52:49.880
somewhere along the way, the Dodgers decided, you know what,
1039
00:52:49.960 --> 00:52:51.760
let's try this guy as a reliever and then you
1040
00:52:51.800 --> 00:52:54.800
figure it out pretty quickly with his stuff. Oh man,
1041
00:52:55.079 --> 00:52:58.039
that fastball is even more high powered. Oh the rest
1042
00:52:58.039 --> 00:53:00.719
of his stuff is really good. Yeah, that's what that
1043
00:53:00.760 --> 00:53:03.840
guy is. I'm almost starting to believe that that's what
1044
00:53:03.880 --> 00:53:07.039
Mike Burrows could become. I think that Burrows could become
1045
00:53:07.119 --> 00:53:11.400
a really really good reliever. I think that his stuff
1046
00:53:11.440 --> 00:53:14.599
can play in short bursts. I think the problem is
1047
00:53:14.800 --> 00:53:17.960
just being able to have that play out for you,
1048
00:53:17.960 --> 00:53:20.400
you know, along the way, and I think that in
1049
00:53:20.440 --> 00:53:23.760
many ways getting him was a little bit of a gamble,
1050
00:53:23.800 --> 00:53:26.360
because I mean you heard even when the Astros traded
1051
00:53:26.400 --> 00:53:28.239
for him, they talked about how impressed they were the
1052
00:53:28.239 --> 00:53:30.360
start he made against him up in Pittsburgh last year.
1053
00:53:30.400 --> 00:53:33.360
He was tough on the Astros in that start. So
1054
00:53:33.480 --> 00:53:35.360
I mean, at least you've seen that, and we saw
1055
00:53:35.400 --> 00:53:38.880
it at times this year. But the problem is we
1056
00:53:38.920 --> 00:53:42.360
didn't see it enough. And it was not only that
1057
00:53:42.440 --> 00:53:46.199
the struggles were pronounced, but they also were just at
1058
00:53:46.199 --> 00:53:49.159
the absolute worst times that you could have them. I mean,
1059
00:53:49.760 --> 00:53:54.039
there was no better example than the other night in Washington,
1060
00:53:54.039 --> 00:53:55.719
where you're taking all the Nationals. You got a six
1061
00:53:55.760 --> 00:53:59.079
to one lead, and he can't get it out in
1062
00:53:59.159 --> 00:54:01.760
the third inning until you give up five runs, and
1063
00:54:01.760 --> 00:54:03.760
then all of a sudden he starts getting guys out,
1064
00:54:03.760 --> 00:54:05.719
and at that point, I think the books were pretty
1065
00:54:05.800 --> 00:54:08.880
much cooked at that point for him as an Astro
1066
00:54:09.400 --> 00:54:12.840
in twenty twenty six, as a starting pitcher, because you
1067
00:54:12.880 --> 00:54:15.119
send a guy down the triple A. I know a
1068
00:54:15.159 --> 00:54:17.559
lot of times that scenario is thrown out by a
1069
00:54:17.559 --> 00:54:20.079
lot of people, and we've done it with almost half
1070
00:54:20.079 --> 00:54:22.400
the roster this year in our minds. We've put them
1071
00:54:22.400 --> 00:54:25.199
in Triple A in our minds. And I've said numerous
1072
00:54:25.199 --> 00:54:27.519
times and will continue to say, you can't just send
1073
00:54:27.599 --> 00:54:31.320
everybody down. Number one, you don't have enough players to
1074
00:54:31.320 --> 00:54:33.519
be able to replace them. Here at the major league level,
1075
00:54:33.559 --> 00:54:36.360
they're going to be better than what these guys can
1076
00:54:36.400 --> 00:54:40.119
give you, even at their lowest. And the other part
1077
00:54:40.119 --> 00:54:42.440
of it, too is sometimes you gotta let guys work
1078
00:54:42.440 --> 00:54:45.320
through their struggles. I think the Astros allowed for Burrows
1079
00:54:45.360 --> 00:54:47.800
to work through his struggles, no question about it. I
1080
00:54:47.800 --> 00:54:50.800
mean this skipping them for a start, and when he
1081
00:54:50.840 --> 00:54:54.599
came back from that, it looked incredibly promising because he
1082
00:54:54.679 --> 00:54:57.000
has the start in Toronto where he was really good
1083
00:54:57.000 --> 00:54:58.360
and I'm trying to think of the other one that
1084
00:54:58.400 --> 00:55:01.280
he had, but he had a really good starts where
1085
00:55:01.280 --> 00:55:04.360
you're like, Okay, maybe we finally found something, maybe we've
1086
00:55:04.400 --> 00:55:09.039
worked on some things mechanically and even kind of getting
1087
00:55:09.039 --> 00:55:11.480
a little bit of that mental refresher right there that
1088
00:55:11.559 --> 00:55:13.960
he can come back with a new lease on pitching
1089
00:55:14.159 --> 00:55:18.239
and he's going to be an actual strong contributor to
1090
00:55:18.280 --> 00:55:21.440
this pitching rotation this year. But then it became pretty
1091
00:55:21.480 --> 00:55:24.440
apparent in DC against the Nationals that that was not
1092
00:55:24.519 --> 00:55:29.400
the case. So again I think that it's going to
1093
00:55:29.440 --> 00:55:31.639
be one of those where you take the rest of
1094
00:55:31.679 --> 00:55:36.000
this year, he's able to work on things either here
1095
00:55:36.440 --> 00:55:40.119
or in West Palm Beach and work his way back.
1096
00:55:40.199 --> 00:55:42.599
You might hear about him pitching at the Triple A
1097
00:55:42.760 --> 00:55:46.239
level a little bit, but it wouldn't shock me, to
1098
00:55:46.280 --> 00:55:48.119
say the least, if we get the spring training next
1099
00:55:48.159 --> 00:55:51.159
year and you have Mike Burrows being slated as being
1100
00:55:51.159 --> 00:55:53.440
a bullpen option for you, because I mean, you also
1101
00:55:53.480 --> 00:55:56.519
have to think about something else probably after this season.
1102
00:55:56.719 --> 00:55:59.440
I mean, despite his struggles, Brian A. Bray you won't
1103
00:55:59.440 --> 00:56:01.639
be out there, so you're gonna need to find somebody
1104
00:56:01.639 --> 00:56:04.800
else that could project to be a high leverage guy
1105
00:56:04.840 --> 00:56:07.920
for you. Because that's another thing too, of talking about
1106
00:56:07.920 --> 00:56:11.079
the expectations for the last sixty four games of this season,
1107
00:56:11.719 --> 00:56:13.719
that you need more out of Brian to Bray. You
1108
00:56:13.719 --> 00:56:16.119
you need him to be closer to being the version
1109
00:56:16.159 --> 00:56:18.679
that we've seen. And I know that last week we
1110
00:56:18.960 --> 00:56:23.000
thought that we saw some glimpses of, you know, maybe
1111
00:56:23.039 --> 00:56:25.199
something to give you some hope that he could be
1112
00:56:25.239 --> 00:56:28.159
getting back to that guy. And then he has the
1113
00:56:28.320 --> 00:56:30.440
outing that he does on Sunday and you're just like,
1114
00:56:30.519 --> 00:56:33.800
I mean, I think it was me and most other
1115
00:56:33.840 --> 00:56:37.119
people watching that game and tweeting about it on Astros
1116
00:56:37.119 --> 00:56:39.400
Twitter of just being like, dude, you got to help
1117
00:56:39.440 --> 00:56:42.440
yourself out here, like we want to believe in you.
1118
00:56:43.280 --> 00:56:46.559
There's nobody that is an Astros fan that wants Brian
1119
00:56:46.559 --> 00:56:49.559
to pray you to struggle. Nobody, I mean, and if
1120
00:56:49.599 --> 00:56:52.239
you do, then you're probably not an Astros fan. But like,
1121
00:56:52.760 --> 00:56:54.920
that's been the frustrating part of this season with him,
1122
00:56:55.119 --> 00:56:56.800
is that like you almost like want to stand in
1123
00:56:56.800 --> 00:56:58.119
front of him and shake him and.
1124
00:56:58.039 --> 00:57:02.199
Just be like find it, find dates, like they be
1125
00:57:02.360 --> 00:57:03.239
that guy again.
1126
00:57:04.320 --> 00:57:06.199
I mean, it's just it's it's a little bit of
1127
00:57:06.239 --> 00:57:08.440
like it's a labor of love. Like it's almost like
1128
00:57:08.480 --> 00:57:11.800
you want to show tough love at that point. That's
1129
00:57:12.079 --> 00:57:15.360
I mean, him being back to that guy would solve
1130
00:57:15.360 --> 00:57:19.400
a lot of issues for you. But it's again, it's
1131
00:57:19.440 --> 00:57:21.920
one of those where Burrows is kind of the one
1132
00:57:21.920 --> 00:57:24.199
that's got the spotlight on them for the pitching staff
1133
00:57:24.239 --> 00:57:26.760
struggles this year, but I've mentioned a host of other
1134
00:57:26.840 --> 00:57:30.039
names too. It's not just a Burrows thing. It's been
1135
00:57:30.079 --> 00:57:32.840
the problem this team this season with this team is
1136
00:57:32.880 --> 00:57:36.679
you took chances on a lot of different guys. Ideally,
1137
00:57:37.000 --> 00:57:40.719
with a pitching staff, either the starting or the bullpen,
1138
00:57:41.440 --> 00:57:43.360
you want to take a chance on maybe a guy
1139
00:57:43.519 --> 00:57:45.960
or two because if they don't work out, then it's
1140
00:57:46.039 --> 00:57:48.039
kind of a all right, somebody else picks up the slack.
1141
00:57:48.079 --> 00:57:50.639
We're all good. That's the problem with the Astros this
1142
00:57:50.719 --> 00:57:53.280
year is that you've taken chances on probably about four
1143
00:57:53.360 --> 00:57:56.679
or five guys, and for the most part, other than
1144
00:57:56.679 --> 00:57:59.480
Peter Lambert, that's been the only guy that's worked. And
1145
00:57:59.480 --> 00:58:02.039
you can throw tatsu am I in there too, because yeah,
1146
00:58:02.079 --> 00:58:05.119
you did take a chance. You took a huge financial
1147
00:58:05.199 --> 00:58:07.880
chance on him, and probably gonna be stuck with that
1148
00:58:08.039 --> 00:58:10.519
because the way that this season has gone. He ain't
1149
00:58:10.559 --> 00:58:12.679
gonna get that money elsewhere. I mean, you think there's
1150
00:58:12.679 --> 00:58:15.559
a major league team that's gonna look at him and say, oh, yeah, hey,
1151
00:58:15.559 --> 00:58:17.360
we'll pay you more than the Astros are paying you.
1152
00:58:17.400 --> 00:58:19.639
They're gonna be like, no, do it again the following
1153
00:58:19.719 --> 00:58:22.679
year and actually be what they thought you were getting,
1154
00:58:22.760 --> 00:58:25.039
and then we can talk if you opt out of
1155
00:58:25.079 --> 00:58:28.119
that third year of your deal. But it ain't gonna happen. Now,
1156
00:58:28.239 --> 00:58:30.559
the Astros are gonna have Tatsui am I here next
1157
00:58:30.559 --> 00:58:34.199
season unless he just completely goes on like a Spencer
1158
00:58:34.280 --> 00:58:37.320
Arraghetti earlier in the season like run where he's giving
1159
00:58:37.360 --> 00:58:40.840
up almost no runs and he's striking out everybody under
1160
00:58:40.840 --> 00:58:43.400
the sun, and he's one of the more dominant pitchers
1161
00:58:43.679 --> 00:58:46.480
in Major League Baseball. But at least the track record
1162
00:58:46.519 --> 00:58:49.360
that we've seen through ninety eight games what necessarily gives
1163
00:58:49.400 --> 00:58:51.599
you a belief that the final sixty four are going
1164
00:58:51.639 --> 00:58:53.559
to be that way with him. So I think that
1165
00:58:53.599 --> 00:58:56.239
you're gonna have Tatsui in my next year. But again,
1166
00:58:56.599 --> 00:58:59.639
I just think that twenty twenty six is caput. It's
1167
00:58:59.679 --> 00:59:02.679
all done for Mike Burrows. I think that going on
1168
00:59:02.719 --> 00:59:04.960
the IL yesterday pretty much showed you that. And you're
1169
00:59:05.000 --> 00:59:07.199
also too, I mean, exactly like what me and Gordy
1170
00:59:07.239 --> 00:59:10.280
talked about yesterday with me saying that they need to
1171
00:59:10.639 --> 00:59:13.800
add some help at the All Star or the trade
1172
00:59:13.800 --> 00:59:16.039
deadline in the starting rotation, where he was just like,
1173
00:59:16.079 --> 00:59:19.239
you're gonna start dfaing guys. I think that you kind
1174
00:59:19.280 --> 00:59:21.880
of gave yourself a little bit of a runway yesterday
1175
00:59:22.159 --> 00:59:24.880
with Mike Burrows going on the IL and I think
1176
00:59:24.920 --> 00:59:27.960
that probably you're going to be hearing about him staying
1177
00:59:28.000 --> 00:59:30.639
there the rest of the way, and that works in
1178
00:59:30.800 --> 00:59:33.800
Ronel Blanco and some other options for you to try
1179
00:59:33.840 --> 00:59:35.840
to be able to piece this thing together and try
1180
00:59:35.880 --> 00:59:37.840
to do everything you can to get into the postseason.
1181
00:59:37.840 --> 00:59:41.159
Here when it's all said and done this season seven
1182
00:59:41.199 --> 00:59:43.800
one three two one two five seven ninety. Again it's
1183
00:59:43.800 --> 00:59:46.920
Sebone three two one two five seven ninety. I do
1184
00:59:47.000 --> 00:59:49.199
want to break away from the Astros conversation here a
1185
00:59:49.239 --> 00:59:53.400
little bit talk some Texans because well, NFL front offices
1186
00:59:53.519 --> 00:59:56.760
were asked about one CJ. Stroud, and my response to
1187
00:59:56.800 --> 01:00:00.000
them is who cares? And another one it doesn't matter.
1188
01:00:00.320 --> 01:00:02.440
Both of those coming your way right here as we continue,
1189
01:00:02.440 --> 01:00:05.800
it's the Morning Drive Sports Talks seven to ninety. Real quick, though,
1190
01:00:06.400 --> 01:00:09.519
my good buddy Kobe and the crew over at Kobe
1191
01:00:09.519 --> 01:00:12.800
Stevens Apparel. You know they're always running great sales both
1192
01:00:12.840 --> 01:00:16.480
online at Kobe Stevens dot Com and in store sixty
1193
01:00:16.519 --> 01:00:18.920
four h two Lueta Road right there in spring, which
1194
01:00:18.920 --> 01:00:21.760
again I wish him a happy belated birthday. How about
1195
01:00:21.760 --> 01:00:26.280
another happy belated birthday for Kobe? And I mean just
1196
01:00:26.360 --> 01:00:29.199
what he's been able to do with not only the polos,
1197
01:00:29.239 --> 01:00:31.480
the T shirts, the hats, the shorts, the pants, the
1198
01:00:31.559 --> 01:00:33.920
ladies and the youth options. You got those fishing shirts.
1199
01:00:33.960 --> 01:00:35.880
I mean, I know, with this wet whether we got
1200
01:00:35.920 --> 01:00:38.320
outside right now, it's kind of making you not really
1201
01:00:38.360 --> 01:00:41.320
think about golf or fishing, but at least with those polos.
1202
01:00:41.559 --> 01:00:43.519
Ride with me on this. You're heading in the work
1203
01:00:43.559 --> 01:00:46.519
this morning, right You're in the closet right now, you're
1204
01:00:46.559 --> 01:00:48.440
looking around, You're trying to figure out what you're gonna
1205
01:00:48.440 --> 01:00:51.119
be wearing in the work to look presentable. And you're
1206
01:00:51.119 --> 01:00:53.239
just saying, yeah, these polos, they look fine. Yeah, that
1207
01:00:53.280 --> 01:00:56.159
collar's a little ratty, this one. I've kind of worn
1208
01:00:56.239 --> 01:00:59.199
that out a little bit. It's time to refresh the polos,
1209
01:00:59.280 --> 01:01:01.679
is what I'm telling you. And Kobe Stevens dot com
1210
01:01:01.760 --> 01:01:03.559
is the way to do that, or in store sixty
1211
01:01:03.559 --> 01:01:06.519
four oh two Lewetter Road there in spring. Because it's
1212
01:01:06.559 --> 01:01:10.079
not only being able to look presentable, look good, feel
1213
01:01:10.079 --> 01:01:11.920
good at work, it's also too you head out to
1214
01:01:11.960 --> 01:01:14.360
a nice dinner, you want to look good, and I'm
1215
01:01:14.400 --> 01:01:16.360
telling you you head on out in public and these
1216
01:01:16.440 --> 01:01:19.519
Kobe Stevens polos, it's happened to me on numerous occasions. Dude,
1217
01:01:19.519 --> 01:01:21.559
I love that shirt. Where'd you get it? Cobe Stevens
1218
01:01:21.559 --> 01:01:25.639
dot Com Online, Kobe Stevens dot com, Cobby Stevens dot Com,
1219
01:01:25.719 --> 01:01:29.079
Coby Stevens with the VS at the end, it's Kobe
1220
01:01:29.079 --> 01:01:30.880
Stevens dot Com, Cobe Stevens apparel.
1221
01:01:32.079 --> 01:01:37.800
We don't run on algorithms. We run on Altuve, Durant and.
1222
01:01:37.920 --> 01:01:43.239
Stroud for Stock seven ninety eight guaranteed human.
1223
01:01:44.760 --> 01:01:48.320
Talking a lot of baseball this morning, and for good reason,
1224
01:01:48.360 --> 01:01:51.880
because again, Stros still very much in contention, and you
1225
01:01:52.000 --> 01:01:54.239
got a team that's got a shot at the postseason.
1226
01:01:54.320 --> 01:01:57.639
But we're just about a couple of weeks away from
1227
01:01:57.880 --> 01:02:01.000
the start of training camp for the Texans and the
1228
01:02:01.039 --> 01:02:04.039
rest of the league. As again, as I mentioned, me
1229
01:02:04.079 --> 01:02:06.280
and Gordy gonna be in Tampa next week for SEC
1230
01:02:06.440 --> 01:02:10.159
media Days. It's the following week is when training camp
1231
01:02:10.239 --> 01:02:12.840
gets underway, and then you know, as soon as that happens,
1232
01:02:12.840 --> 01:02:14.760
you can have preseason games. And then as soon as
1233
01:02:14.760 --> 01:02:17.880
you have preseason games, whila, We're right there. Sorry, the
1234
01:02:17.960 --> 01:02:21.239
NFL season is upon us and we're all excited. So
1235
01:02:21.599 --> 01:02:24.719
this is the time of year when either it is
1236
01:02:25.199 --> 01:02:30.679
media driven, or they talk with anonymous coaches, executives, scouts,
1237
01:02:30.800 --> 01:02:34.480
everything of the sort. It's lists season. This is when
1238
01:02:34.480 --> 01:02:38.559
we get it, and especially two with quarterbacks, which it's
1239
01:02:38.559 --> 01:02:40.480
not that I have a blind spot when it comes
1240
01:02:40.559 --> 01:02:43.280
to doing the whole quarterback thing. I just think that
1241
01:02:43.320 --> 01:02:47.000
most of you don't necessarily care, and you shouldn't because
1242
01:02:47.000 --> 01:02:50.119
it's subjective at a certain point, because for some it's
1243
01:02:50.159 --> 01:02:53.000
gonna be, Oh, Josh Allen's the best quarterback in the NFL. No,
1244
01:02:53.239 --> 01:02:55.840
Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL. No,
1245
01:02:56.039 --> 01:02:58.239
it's this guy. I mean, it's just you get my
1246
01:02:58.280 --> 01:02:59.960
point here. I mean, it's just kind of like one
1247
01:03:00.079 --> 01:03:02.800
of those where it's just an exercise and then it's
1248
01:03:02.880 --> 01:03:04.679
more or less just a chance to be able to
1249
01:03:04.719 --> 01:03:08.559
fill time on air. And I understand that you get
1250
01:03:08.599 --> 01:03:11.039
to a certain point of the season there's certain things
1251
01:03:11.079 --> 01:03:13.440
that become a little bit of a clock gobbler for you.
1252
01:03:13.599 --> 01:03:15.840
I mean, that's really what it becomes. And I did
1253
01:03:15.880 --> 01:03:18.280
say it correctly. Get your mind out of the gutter.
1254
01:03:18.440 --> 01:03:22.639
But in this case, right here, it's a list of
1255
01:03:22.679 --> 01:03:25.920
the top twenty quarterbacks in the NFL. That again, Jeremy
1256
01:03:25.920 --> 01:03:29.480
Fowler of ESPN catching up with executives, coaches, and scouts
1257
01:03:29.519 --> 01:03:34.239
to rank the top qbs in the NFL. I'm gonna
1258
01:03:34.239 --> 01:03:35.679
go ahead and spoil the ending for you.
1259
01:03:35.719 --> 01:03:35.960
C J.
1260
01:03:36.119 --> 01:03:39.119
Stroud is not a top twenty quarterback, at least according
1261
01:03:39.119 --> 01:03:41.000
to the group that they caught up with, and they
1262
01:03:41.000 --> 01:03:44.760
even did an honorable mention part of it, because number
1263
01:03:44.760 --> 01:03:47.760
three you had Matthew Stafford. Number four you had Joe Burrow.
1264
01:03:48.159 --> 01:03:50.840
Lamar Jackson was number five. And then from there it
1265
01:03:50.880 --> 01:03:53.920
gets again very subjective, where you know the names that
1266
01:03:53.960 --> 01:03:56.320
are in there of people, Oh they're good, but they're
1267
01:03:56.320 --> 01:03:59.400
not elites. I mean, that's Dak Prescott, that's justin Herbert
1268
01:03:59.480 --> 01:04:02.840
Drake May of course Jared Golf. You get my point here.
1269
01:04:02.840 --> 01:04:05.639
It just goes on and on and on. But then
1270
01:04:05.679 --> 01:04:09.280
you get to the honorable mentions part and c. J.
1271
01:04:09.440 --> 01:04:11.719
Stroud is not even in that part, at least in
1272
01:04:11.920 --> 01:04:15.840
the group that Jeremy Fowler caught up with. Sam Darnold
1273
01:04:16.599 --> 01:04:19.920
a good quarterback, But again, I think that Donald is
1274
01:04:19.960 --> 01:04:21.400
one of those guys that you look at and you
1275
01:04:21.440 --> 01:04:23.400
say you can win with him. You don't win because
1276
01:04:23.440 --> 01:04:26.239
of him. He did make some plays in the playoffs.
1277
01:04:26.360 --> 01:04:28.599
I don't think that that can be underscored. But still
1278
01:04:28.920 --> 01:04:31.960
he's not necessarily somebody that you look at and you're like, oh, yeah, hey,
1279
01:04:32.199 --> 01:04:35.880
that's that's a franchise guy right there. Jaden Daniels rough
1280
01:04:35.920 --> 01:04:38.760
season last year, Jordan Love, I mean, kind of up
1281
01:04:38.800 --> 01:04:42.719
and down over in Green Bay, Brock Purdy, injuries, all
1282
01:04:42.719 --> 01:04:45.119
of those things, but still trying to see if you
1283
01:04:45.119 --> 01:04:46.960
can get thing back on track out there in the
1284
01:04:46.960 --> 01:04:50.800
Bay area. Baker Mayfield, he's always kind of in that
1285
01:04:50.840 --> 01:04:53.159
group right there. Like Baker Mayfield I think has kind
1286
01:04:53.159 --> 01:04:55.039
of become like the safe option for a lot of
1287
01:04:55.079 --> 01:04:57.760
people out there. And that's why there's been the whole
1288
01:04:57.800 --> 01:05:01.920
thing this offseason with having a long term contract extension
1289
01:05:01.960 --> 01:05:04.920
of oh, the Texans, you know, pivot to Baker Mayfield,
1290
01:05:04.920 --> 01:05:07.320
because it doesn't really seem like that Tampa Bay is
1291
01:05:07.360 --> 01:05:10.280
committed to him. Short of c J. Stroud completely falling
1292
01:05:10.320 --> 01:05:11.199
off the map this year.
1293
01:05:11.280 --> 01:05:11.519
C J.
1294
01:05:11.639 --> 01:05:14.920
Stroud will be signing a contract extension next year. I
1295
01:05:14.960 --> 01:05:18.039
think that if he is productive enough and he is
1296
01:05:18.239 --> 01:05:22.760
able to show you that you are at least warranted
1297
01:05:23.119 --> 01:05:26.719
in staking your immediate future to him, c J. Stroud
1298
01:05:26.719 --> 01:05:29.639
will get that contract extension and it's also too just
1299
01:05:29.679 --> 01:05:31.760
take a look at how Nick Cassio does his business.
1300
01:05:31.840 --> 01:05:35.760
Casario's not giving out these long term deals. He's given
1301
01:05:35.800 --> 01:05:38.760
out three year deals basically, and at that point it's
1302
01:05:38.800 --> 01:05:40.840
pretty much just a two year deal really, because in
1303
01:05:40.880 --> 01:05:43.360
that final year it's either you can just walk or
1304
01:05:43.840 --> 01:05:46.800
you can be able to you know, move on from there,
1305
01:05:47.119 --> 01:05:48.840
however you want to be able to do that. So
1306
01:05:49.079 --> 01:05:52.400
Mayfield's on here. Trevor Lawrence, I think in some ways
1307
01:05:52.480 --> 01:05:54.320
is kind of in the same position that CJ was,
1308
01:05:54.320 --> 01:05:57.440
because remember Lawrence was right almost kind of in that
1309
01:05:57.599 --> 01:06:00.440
Joe Burrow category for the longest time where it was
1310
01:06:00.760 --> 01:06:04.159
a strong postseason run there in either his first or
1311
01:06:04.199 --> 01:06:06.320
second year, I can't remember exactly which one it was,
1312
01:06:06.840 --> 01:06:09.320
but at least you looked like that the future was bright.
1313
01:06:09.599 --> 01:06:11.760
Then he went through some really lean times and last
1314
01:06:11.840 --> 01:06:14.519
year getting Liam Cohen it really helped him out, and
1315
01:06:14.559 --> 01:06:16.079
then you got Jalen Hurts on here.
1316
01:06:16.440 --> 01:06:16.760
C J.
1317
01:06:16.840 --> 01:06:19.920
Stroud was in the also receiving votes category with Bo
1318
01:06:20.039 --> 01:06:22.679
Nicks and with Daniel Jones. Again at a certain point,
1319
01:06:22.760 --> 01:06:27.480
what are we doing? But the overarching point of all
1320
01:06:27.519 --> 01:06:29.599
of this when it comes to c J. Stroud is
1321
01:06:29.639 --> 01:06:34.039
exactly what I said. It's two answers, who cares and
1322
01:06:34.079 --> 01:06:38.039
it doesn't matter the who cares is In some ways
1323
01:06:38.119 --> 01:06:41.239
you also have to remember what these lists are, especially
1324
01:06:41.480 --> 01:06:44.639
when you're talking to other team executives, coaches and scouts.
1325
01:06:45.239 --> 01:06:48.320
What is their primary job to make their team better?
1326
01:06:48.440 --> 01:06:52.280
To focus on their team. The only time that they
1327
01:06:52.360 --> 01:06:55.400
necessarily look at C. J. Stroud or any other team
1328
01:06:55.960 --> 01:06:58.800
is if they're playing them, or if they've got a
1329
01:06:58.800 --> 01:07:01.800
little downtime. At that point, they're just like, you know what,
1330
01:07:01.880 --> 01:07:04.079
I still need to self evaluate and look at my
1331
01:07:04.159 --> 01:07:07.400
own team. So that's that part of it. The it
1332
01:07:07.480 --> 01:07:11.039
doesn't matter is we've seen now the last couple of
1333
01:07:11.079 --> 01:07:15.679
Super Bowls that quarterback play is not necessarily a giant
1334
01:07:15.719 --> 01:07:18.440
indicator that you're going to be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy
1335
01:07:18.440 --> 01:07:21.119
when it's all said and done. The Philadelphia Eagles two
1336
01:07:21.159 --> 01:07:23.960
years ago, did anybody look at Jalen Hurts and say, oh,
1337
01:07:24.039 --> 01:07:26.320
he's the reason why this team is winning a Super Bowl.
1338
01:07:26.599 --> 01:07:26.679
No.
1339
01:07:27.239 --> 01:07:30.239
They looked at their defense, especially their defensive front, and
1340
01:07:30.280 --> 01:07:33.360
they looked at Saquon Barkley last year with the Seattle Seahawks,
1341
01:07:33.400 --> 01:07:36.159
and anybody look at Sam Donald and say Sam Donald
1342
01:07:36.199 --> 01:07:38.000
is the reason why the Seahawks were able to win
1343
01:07:38.039 --> 01:07:40.280
the Super Bowl. No, they looked at that defense, they
1344
01:07:40.280 --> 01:07:42.960
looked at Kenneth Walker, they looked at other parts of
1345
01:07:43.000 --> 01:07:46.239
that team as being reasons why you won the Super Bowl.
1346
01:07:46.519 --> 01:07:49.400
When it comes to CJ. Stroud, it's really pretty simple.
1347
01:07:49.440 --> 01:07:52.159
First and foremost this season for him, don't wreck the
1348
01:07:52.199 --> 01:07:55.119
car in the playoffs. Last year, you wrecked the car.
1349
01:07:55.199 --> 01:07:58.000
You totaled the car. As a matter of fact, the
1350
01:07:58.079 --> 01:08:00.719
insurance money is now in in your having to buy
1351
01:08:00.800 --> 01:08:03.440
a new car. And that's what the Texans did this offseason.
1352
01:08:03.840 --> 01:08:06.039
You finally looked at the offensive line and you said
1353
01:08:06.079 --> 01:08:08.760
it's time to spend money on that group. Kudos to
1354
01:08:08.800 --> 01:08:11.079
Nick SiO on that. You go out and get David
1355
01:08:11.079 --> 01:08:14.960
Montgomery again, kudos to Nick Cassario on that. So at
1356
01:08:15.000 --> 01:08:17.439
this point the excuses are out the window for CJ.
1357
01:08:17.640 --> 01:08:19.399
Like at least those last couple of years, you could
1358
01:08:19.399 --> 01:08:22.560
look at it and say, somewhat decent run game in
1359
01:08:22.560 --> 01:08:26.560
his second season and almost non existent in his third,
1360
01:08:26.920 --> 01:08:28.680
so you had a little bit more pressure on him.
1361
01:08:28.920 --> 01:08:31.359
He doesn't have that excuse anymore. You've spent the money
1362
01:08:31.399 --> 01:08:33.399
on the offensive line. You think that that group's going
1363
01:08:33.439 --> 01:08:34.960
to be able to come together and at least be
1364
01:08:35.079 --> 01:08:37.159
capable for you, which is something that I think a
1365
01:08:37.199 --> 01:08:39.720
lot of us when it comes to the Texans offensive line,
1366
01:08:39.720 --> 01:08:43.279
have been looking for. And then with Montgomery being here,
1367
01:08:43.560 --> 01:08:47.319
now you've got your primary back and Woody Marx can
1368
01:08:47.359 --> 01:08:49.760
go to being exactly what you planned on what he
1369
01:08:49.840 --> 01:08:51.840
Marx being, which is a guy that's about a ten
1370
01:08:51.880 --> 01:08:54.479
to fifteen touch a game type of guy and not
1371
01:08:54.600 --> 01:08:56.760
somebody that you're having to put an extra workload on
1372
01:08:57.039 --> 01:08:59.439
and is leaving games because he's got a knee issue
1373
01:08:59.479 --> 01:09:02.119
or an ankle or something like that, because he's just
1374
01:09:02.159 --> 01:09:04.079
not that player. He doesn't have that build. He's not
1375
01:09:04.119 --> 01:09:05.880
gonna be able to take on that type of workload
1376
01:09:05.960 --> 01:09:08.479
for you. In a pinch a game or two when
1377
01:09:08.520 --> 01:09:11.439
you have David Montgomery down, maybe he can, but for
1378
01:09:11.479 --> 01:09:13.439
the most part, you don't want to put that on him.
1379
01:09:13.840 --> 01:09:16.720
So I think that you've taken away a lot of
1380
01:09:16.760 --> 01:09:18.640
the things that you could point to with CJ and
1381
01:09:18.680 --> 01:09:21.800
Stay it's trying too much, it's trying too hard. In
1382
01:09:21.880 --> 01:09:24.399
this season, you would like to think that he is
1383
01:09:24.439 --> 01:09:26.760
able to be a little bit more free flowing, like
1384
01:09:26.800 --> 01:09:29.000
he was as a rookie, because that's the thing. I
1385
01:09:29.000 --> 01:09:31.520
think we expected a lot of this in his rookie
1386
01:09:31.600 --> 01:09:35.600
season and it never got to that point. It was
1387
01:09:35.800 --> 01:09:37.920
the complete opposite. As a matter of fact, we came
1388
01:09:37.920 --> 01:09:40.199
out of that rookie season being like, this is gonna
1389
01:09:40.199 --> 01:09:41.720
be fun, and this is gonna be fun for a
1390
01:09:41.720 --> 01:09:44.279
really long time. Then the league caught up to him.
1391
01:09:44.640 --> 01:09:47.560
You fired that oc, you brought in a new one.
1392
01:09:47.720 --> 01:09:49.159
There was a little bit of the growing pains with
1393
01:09:49.199 --> 01:09:52.880
that last year too. Again, everything's out the window now
1394
01:09:53.000 --> 01:09:54.760
for him in terms of what you can point to
1395
01:09:54.880 --> 01:09:57.479
because c J. Stroud plays poorly this year, it's c J.
1396
01:09:57.600 --> 01:10:00.359
Stroud is the problem. It's not everybody else is the problem.
1397
01:10:00.560 --> 01:10:03.399
You've alleviated a lot of those other things. Now it's
1398
01:10:03.439 --> 01:10:06.960
on him. But it is also important for him to remember,
1399
01:10:07.479 --> 01:10:09.520
you got that group on the other side, so you
1400
01:10:09.600 --> 01:10:11.920
don't have to be reckless out there, you don't have
1401
01:10:12.000 --> 01:10:13.800
to try too hard, you don't have to do all
1402
01:10:13.840 --> 01:10:16.680
these things. Because that's what the most frustrating part of
1403
01:10:16.720 --> 01:10:19.319
that loss to the Patriots was in the playoffs last year,
1404
01:10:19.399 --> 01:10:22.000
is it's like, if you throw two interceptions, you're probably
1405
01:10:22.039 --> 01:10:24.479
moving on and playing against New Englan or against Denver
1406
01:10:24.520 --> 01:10:27.399
the following week in the AFC Championship game. And that's
1407
01:10:27.439 --> 01:10:29.359
what hurts the most because you actually had a chance
1408
01:10:29.439 --> 01:10:31.800
last year to be able to move on to somewhere
1409
01:10:31.800 --> 01:10:34.279
that you'd never been in the past, and the Texans
1410
01:10:34.359 --> 01:10:37.119
just were unable to do that. So just a little
1411
01:10:37.159 --> 01:10:39.439
bit of thoughts on that when it comes to again
1412
01:10:39.720 --> 01:10:43.600
list season, and told talked about Peter King theory before,
1413
01:10:43.640 --> 01:10:46.439
and then I think is in many ways the executive
1414
01:10:46.520 --> 01:10:49.479
and coach and scout version of Peter King theory playing
1415
01:10:49.479 --> 01:10:52.359
out in real time. All Right, let's get back to
1416
01:10:52.359 --> 01:10:55.119
a little bit of baseball, and in this case it's
1417
01:10:55.199 --> 01:10:59.960
baseball adjacent. Because something happened with someone yesterday. Then I'm sorry,
1418
01:11:00.119 --> 01:11:02.079
I just can't shake it. I'm not buying it to
1419
01:11:02.159 --> 01:11:04.039
a certain point. We'll talk about it here. To close
1420
01:11:04.079 --> 01:11:07.239
out seven o'clock HOURDS the Morning Drive Sports Talk seven ninety.
1421
01:11:08.159 --> 01:11:13.000
Come back to Dan Matthews as the Morning Drive cruises off.
1422
01:11:14.399 --> 01:11:17.159
Sure some of you saw this news come down yesterday
1423
01:11:18.079 --> 01:11:21.880
as Bryce Harper had to release a statement as there's
1424
01:11:21.920 --> 01:11:26.439
a lawsuit out there, somebody is suing FanDuel And the
1425
01:11:27.079 --> 01:11:32.159
part that is that is part of this lawsuit is
1426
01:11:32.520 --> 01:11:38.479
a cameo that Harper did to the client of FANDUL,
1427
01:11:38.560 --> 01:11:43.680
who is suing them as means of he believes that
1428
01:11:44.079 --> 01:11:49.159
they influenced his gambling addiction and were a huge part
1429
01:11:49.199 --> 01:11:52.039
of why he had over two million dollars in losses,
1430
01:11:52.479 --> 01:11:55.560
and as part of it, Harper had supposedly done a
1431
01:11:55.560 --> 01:11:59.000
cameo where he reached out, and part of the opening
1432
01:11:59.000 --> 01:12:01.960
of the video that the Philadelphia Inquirer was able to
1433
01:12:02.000 --> 01:12:06.920
get was Harper saying, what's up, Terry? Your host Brittany
1434
01:12:06.920 --> 01:12:10.279
from FANDEL wanted to make sure your Thanksgiving was extra special?
1435
01:12:10.840 --> 01:12:14.840
And Thompson as Terry Thompson is the guy's name In
1436
01:12:14.920 --> 01:12:18.840
March suit FanDuel and VIP host Britney Morgan, along with DraftKings,
1437
01:12:18.880 --> 01:12:23.439
the NFL, and the league's official distributor, Genius Sports, claiming
1438
01:12:23.439 --> 01:12:27.199
that the sportsbooks caused him to become addicted and leading
1439
01:12:27.239 --> 01:12:32.039
to approximately two million dollars in betting losses. And Harper
1440
01:12:32.079 --> 01:12:37.039
released a statement yesterday saying, had I known Fandel's true intent,
1441
01:12:37.239 --> 01:12:39.760
I would not have made the video. The same is
1442
01:12:39.800 --> 01:12:42.800
true had I known anything about Terry or his situation,
1443
01:12:43.239 --> 01:12:47.880
about any alleged partnership between Cameo and FanDuel, saying that
1444
01:12:47.920 --> 01:12:50.680
he did not consent to being used as part of
1445
01:12:50.720 --> 01:12:53.359
a promotion with FanDuel or anything else of the sort.
1446
01:12:53.880 --> 01:12:55.960
The part that I just can't get by with this
1447
01:12:56.399 --> 01:12:59.640
is that line and exactly what they had here in
1448
01:12:59.640 --> 01:13:04.840
the art from Philadelphia Enquire of what Harper said in
1449
01:13:04.880 --> 01:13:07.119
the video, It's like, what did you think you were doing?
1450
01:13:07.159 --> 01:13:07.359
Then?
1451
01:13:07.720 --> 01:13:11.279
Like, that's the part that I can't get past. I'm like, Okay,
1452
01:13:11.640 --> 01:13:15.680
you're clearly saying and reading a script here that's part
1453
01:13:15.720 --> 01:13:19.199
of this video that you did with Cameo, and you're
1454
01:13:19.239 --> 01:13:23.239
mentioning a company by name, and you're also mentioning somebody
1455
01:13:23.319 --> 01:13:26.640
with said company by name. Do you not think that
1456
01:13:26.640 --> 01:13:28.399
that's going to be used that way? Like, in some
1457
01:13:28.439 --> 01:13:29.960
ways it is one of those that you've got to
1458
01:13:30.039 --> 01:13:35.439
use discretion because obviously part of this business is live reads, promotion,
1459
01:13:35.760 --> 01:13:37.880
all of those things. I get all of that, but
1460
01:13:37.960 --> 01:13:40.159
all the time you'll have people who will, hey, can
1461
01:13:40.199 --> 01:13:41.720
you do us a favor? Can you do us this?
1462
01:13:42.279 --> 01:13:43.239
What's this about?
1463
01:13:43.439 --> 01:13:43.760
Oh?
1464
01:13:43.800 --> 01:13:46.800
You know we're having this event? Are you a sponsor?
1465
01:13:47.439 --> 01:13:47.520
No?
1466
01:13:48.119 --> 01:13:51.159
Okay, well then no, I can't do it, Like it's
1467
01:13:51.760 --> 01:13:54.319
if I'm representing the company that's pay all of that's
1468
01:13:54.319 --> 01:13:57.319
plug aal that it can't do it. Like just you
1469
01:13:57.399 --> 01:13:59.880
got to say no in those situations because it's against
1470
01:14:00.079 --> 01:14:03.680
rules first and foremost. So that's the part with me
1471
01:14:04.239 --> 01:14:06.279
that I'm just kind of like, Okay, you can say
1472
01:14:06.279 --> 01:14:10.119
that you didn't know, but it's like the benefit of
1473
01:14:10.159 --> 01:14:12.560
the doubt that I could possibly give Harper on this
1474
01:14:13.000 --> 01:14:15.640
is that I mean you kind of more or less
1475
01:14:15.720 --> 01:14:18.000
just did this as a throwaway, because that's what it is.
1476
01:14:18.039 --> 01:14:20.039
I mean, you get a cameo, you're just kind of like,
1477
01:14:20.159 --> 01:14:22.199
you know, just do a quick video, Hey, what's going on.
1478
01:14:22.239 --> 01:14:24.000
I hope you have a great graduation, hope you have
1479
01:14:24.039 --> 01:14:26.479
a merry Christmas or whatever it is, and you just
1480
01:14:26.560 --> 01:14:28.279
send it on and it's just kind of out of side,
1481
01:14:28.279 --> 01:14:31.319
out of mind. I could totally understand that part of it.
1482
01:14:31.680 --> 01:14:33.840
But when you're mentioning somebody and you're mentioning a company
1483
01:14:33.880 --> 01:14:36.000
by name, like it is kind of like for me,
1484
01:14:36.159 --> 01:14:39.119
that goes out the window a little bit. Like it's like, okay,
1485
01:14:39.359 --> 01:14:41.720
like think about it at this point, like if somebody
1486
01:14:41.960 --> 01:14:44.640
say I we're on cameo and you know, I've got
1487
01:14:44.680 --> 01:14:49.000
a sponsor that's a sports bar, but a competitive sports bar.
1488
01:14:49.439 --> 01:14:51.239
Somebody reached out and was like, you know, hey, can
1489
01:14:51.279 --> 01:14:53.720
you read doing this? Then I'm gonna look at it
1490
01:14:53.880 --> 01:14:57.079
and read it hopefully and say no, like I have
1491
01:14:57.119 --> 01:14:59.520
a sponsor, like and then I can understand that they're
1492
01:14:59.520 --> 01:15:02.239
gonna be piss at me for doing this for a
1493
01:15:02.279 --> 01:15:05.039
competitor out there that could possibly take away business from them.
1494
01:15:05.239 --> 01:15:08.079
Then I could lose that business. Like It's like, I
1495
01:15:08.079 --> 01:15:10.319
guess if nothing else, it's kind of a lesson here
1496
01:15:10.439 --> 01:15:13.359
of using a little bit more discretion, which for a
1497
01:15:13.399 --> 01:15:15.760
guy in the public spotlight as long as Harper has been,
1498
01:15:16.159 --> 01:15:18.279
I'm really kind of surprised that he put himself in
1499
01:15:18.279 --> 01:15:20.880
this position. I don't think he intentionally did it. I
1500
01:15:20.880 --> 01:15:23.359
will ride with them on that, but I also too
1501
01:15:23.399 --> 01:15:25.880
him a little bit like, dude, like, you're not a
1502
01:15:25.880 --> 01:15:28.359
babe in the woods here, okay, Like you've been doing
1503
01:15:28.359 --> 01:15:31.359
this long enough. You understand too that people are going
1504
01:15:31.399 --> 01:15:33.720
to approach you in a lot of ways. It's going
1505
01:15:33.800 --> 01:15:36.760
to benefit them more than it's going to benefit you. So,
1506
01:15:37.119 --> 01:15:39.680
I mean, it is part of why they tell a
1507
01:15:39.720 --> 01:15:41.840
lot of these guys when they're young in their careers
1508
01:15:41.960 --> 01:15:45.119
get used to saying no, because you will have people
1509
01:15:45.119 --> 01:15:47.800
who will take advantage of situations like this. You'll have
1510
01:15:47.840 --> 01:15:49.760
people all the time. I get dms all the time,
1511
01:15:49.760 --> 01:15:51.000
Hey can you promote this event?
1512
01:15:51.359 --> 01:15:51.439
No?
1513
01:15:51.520 --> 01:15:56.560
I cannot. Like no, it's and in some ways it's
1514
01:15:56.680 --> 01:15:59.079
a lot of all right, are you are you promoting,
1515
01:15:59.279 --> 01:16:01.560
like with paid promotion to do this?
1516
01:16:02.039 --> 01:16:02.159
Then?
1517
01:16:02.279 --> 01:16:04.079
Is because if that's the case, and I clear up
1518
01:16:04.079 --> 01:16:06.479
the bosses, then yeah, maybe we can work something out.
1519
01:16:06.840 --> 01:16:09.399
But unless it's that, no, it's exactly the things that
1520
01:16:09.439 --> 01:16:12.479
are against the rules that we've talked about. So just
1521
01:16:12.840 --> 01:16:15.760
I saw that yesterday and I you know, again, I
1522
01:16:15.760 --> 01:16:18.039
don't think there was any ill intent here, but it
1523
01:16:18.159 --> 01:16:21.640
is one of those that sometimes your intent doesn't necessarily
1524
01:16:21.680 --> 01:16:23.399
matter at a certain point, kind of like I heard
1525
01:16:23.399 --> 01:16:26.000
this example years ago. Oh that wasn't my intent. Well
1526
01:16:26.000 --> 01:16:28.119
did you intend to hit somebody with your car? Because
1527
01:16:28.159 --> 01:16:31.680
you did so. I mean, your intent doesn't necessarily matter
1528
01:16:31.720 --> 01:16:34.680
at that point. The act itself, even if you didn't
1529
01:16:34.720 --> 01:16:38.039
intentionally do it, was still done. So that's what I
1530
01:16:38.079 --> 01:16:39.760
think kind of was at play here. All Right, eight
1531
01:16:39.800 --> 01:16:42.880
o'clock hour is upon us. Don't forget bottom of this hour.
1532
01:16:42.960 --> 01:16:45.960
Carlos Colaso Baseball America, gonna hop in with us, Gordy
1533
01:16:46.239 --> 01:16:49.880
hopping in with us. Next, what are the actual expectations
1534
01:16:49.880 --> 01:16:52.960
for the Astros? Sixty four games left to go in
1535
01:16:53.000 --> 01:16:55.199
this season. Talk about that much more as we continue.
1536
01:16:55.239 --> 01:16:58.359
It's the Morning Drive Sports Talk seven ninety.
1537
01:16:58.560 --> 01:17:03.319
He used to ah Houston, home of the Astro and
1538
01:17:03.399 --> 01:17:08.319
the Rockets. Sports Talk seven ninety your home for your
1539
01:17:08.399 --> 01:17:17.600
home teams, an iHeartRadio station, guaranteed youman, this is the
1540
01:17:17.840 --> 01:17:18.960
Morning Drive.
1541
01:17:23.359 --> 01:17:25.800
MLB All Star Game coming up tonight. You were on
1542
01:17:25.880 --> 01:17:28.079
Alvarez in the starting lineup as a DH with the
1543
01:17:28.119 --> 01:17:32.840
American League Home run Derby. Last night the Cardinals, Jordan
1544
01:17:32.920 --> 01:17:38.119
Walker winning it over Kyle Schwarber and World Cup semifinals.
1545
01:17:38.439 --> 01:17:41.880
Today you're gonna get France and Spain tomorrow, England and
1546
01:17:42.199 --> 01:17:46.199
Argentina for a chance of the finals on Sundays. Seven
1547
01:17:46.199 --> 01:17:49.239
one three, two, one two five, seven ninety is number
1548
01:17:49.279 --> 01:17:51.680
to get in. Gordy's gonna hop in with us here
1549
01:17:51.720 --> 01:17:54.960
in just a couple of minutes, says, don't forget Carlos
1550
01:17:55.039 --> 01:17:58.920
Colaso from Baseball America, gonna hop on with us here
1551
01:17:58.960 --> 01:18:01.079
in the bottom of the hour is the Astros at
1552
01:18:01.159 --> 01:18:03.920
least time of the year, we can start looking and
1553
01:18:03.960 --> 01:18:06.359
seeing what does the future look like. I mean, when
1554
01:18:06.399 --> 01:18:08.000
you've got a little bit of a pause here, you
1555
01:18:08.039 --> 01:18:09.640
can start to do a little bit of not only
1556
01:18:09.760 --> 01:18:12.439
evaluation of the twenty six man roster you got, but
1557
01:18:12.560 --> 01:18:15.199
also too, I mean, what could be coming up, you know,
1558
01:18:15.439 --> 01:18:19.119
sometime down the road. And the Astros added twenty two
1559
01:18:19.119 --> 01:18:20.960
players as part of the draft, so a couple of
1560
01:18:21.039 --> 01:18:22.920
days removed from that. And I want to be able
1561
01:18:22.960 --> 01:18:26.880
to pick Carlos's brain on that one, as he was
1562
01:18:27.119 --> 01:18:30.119
part of MLB Networks coverage of the draft too, so
1563
01:18:30.600 --> 01:18:33.239
if you're watching it over the weekend, you probably saw him.
1564
01:18:33.319 --> 01:18:36.840
But the expectations though for the final sixty four games
1565
01:18:36.880 --> 01:18:41.640
of the regular season for the Astros and Gordy at
1566
01:18:41.720 --> 01:18:44.720
least you know where the Astros sit right now. It
1567
01:18:44.800 --> 01:18:47.039
is kind of one of those you know, what do
1568
01:18:47.079 --> 01:18:48.359
we have working for us?
1569
01:18:48.600 --> 01:18:48.840
You know?
1570
01:18:48.960 --> 01:18:52.399
Is kind of the question that I think you ask yourself. Well,
1571
01:18:52.399 --> 01:18:54.880
they said four games under five hundred, they're forty seven
1572
01:18:54.880 --> 01:18:57.439
and fifty one. They're three games out of first behind
1573
01:18:57.439 --> 01:19:01.279
the Rangers in the Al West, and they are what
1574
01:19:01.520 --> 01:19:04.640
half a game a game back in the wildcard, so
1575
01:19:04.680 --> 01:19:07.800
they're very much in this thing. I think the expectation
1576
01:19:08.159 --> 01:19:10.920
is pretty simple when it comes to the Astros is
1577
01:19:12.159 --> 01:19:15.800
make the postseason, win a postseason series. Is that just
1578
01:19:15.880 --> 01:19:18.920
a wildcard series? I think if you're able to do that,
1579
01:19:19.199 --> 01:19:21.479
then you can look at this twenty twenty six season
1580
01:19:21.640 --> 01:19:24.680
and at least say, Okay, this thing isn't completely off
1581
01:19:24.680 --> 01:19:27.720
the rails. There's still a competitive enough team, but it's
1582
01:19:27.760 --> 01:19:31.119
competitive enough enough to be able to keep people around.
1583
01:19:33.119 --> 01:19:35.520
Yeah, I think just make the playoffs since would be
1584
01:19:35.600 --> 01:19:39.840
an accomplishment considering on you know, what was it earlier
1585
01:19:39.960 --> 01:19:43.920
earlier this year on May eighteenth, you were eleven games
1586
01:19:43.960 --> 01:19:47.640
below five hundred. You were nineteen and thirty. So you know,
1587
01:19:47.760 --> 01:19:50.039
to me, that would be just to make the playoffs
1588
01:19:50.039 --> 01:19:51.199
would be quite accomplishment.
1589
01:19:51.239 --> 01:19:52.880
Now, yeah, you'd love.
1590
01:19:52.760 --> 01:19:55.960
To see them win a series, even if it's just
1591
01:19:56.000 --> 01:19:59.079
a wildcard series. It would be a step forward. I mean,
1592
01:20:00.359 --> 01:20:02.039
and that's the kind of thing that sucks. Is as
1593
01:20:02.159 --> 01:20:04.920
nice of a guy as Joe a Spot is, you know,
1594
01:20:04.960 --> 01:20:06.680
as good of a guy as he as I think
1595
01:20:06.680 --> 01:20:11.159
he is, it's a tough you know, it's a tough
1596
01:20:11.720 --> 01:20:14.680
sell that, you know, if if they make the lock
1597
01:20:14.720 --> 01:20:17.600
card and then don't win this year, it'll be three
1598
01:20:17.680 --> 01:20:21.600
years under his watch and having not won anything coming
1599
01:20:21.600 --> 01:20:25.279
off of what seventh straight ALCS appearances, So it is
1600
01:20:25.359 --> 01:20:27.680
quite a step back. You know, you want to see
1601
01:20:27.720 --> 01:20:32.359
them get back to some kind of postseason success. You
1602
01:20:32.399 --> 01:20:35.359
know again that that that bar has has moved from
1603
01:20:35.520 --> 01:20:38.159
the expectation of, man, we are a World Series contender
1604
01:20:38.239 --> 01:20:40.800
year in a year out to now just hey, can
1605
01:20:40.800 --> 01:20:42.119
we can we make the playoffs?
1606
01:20:42.199 --> 01:20:43.199
Can we win the division?
1607
01:20:43.359 --> 01:20:47.159
So again, give them credit for what they've dug themselves
1608
01:20:47.159 --> 01:20:49.319
out of, but I would say just the fact that
1609
01:20:49.359 --> 01:20:52.279
you were eleven games below five hundred and in late
1610
01:20:52.399 --> 01:20:55.319
May would be it would be quite an accomplishment just
1611
01:20:55.359 --> 01:20:56.319
to make the postseason.
1612
01:20:56.600 --> 01:20:59.680
Well, and that's the thing too, is that I understand
1613
01:20:59.800 --> 01:21:04.039
XS changing, Like I get that and I'm fully there
1614
01:21:04.079 --> 01:21:07.239
for it, Like you should never apologize for wanting your
1615
01:21:07.279 --> 01:21:10.960
team to reach set expectations. And when you started making
1616
01:21:11.039 --> 01:21:15.079
world serious and even before that ALCS is then yeah,
1617
01:21:15.159 --> 01:21:17.920
that became the expectation. Just making the postseason was not
1618
01:21:17.960 --> 01:21:20.760
good enough anymore. And I think that that's what was
1619
01:21:20.800 --> 01:21:23.479
probably a little jarring in twenty twenty four, where you
1620
01:21:23.560 --> 01:21:26.479
lose that series of the Tigers, and you're kind of like, WHOA,
1621
01:21:26.560 --> 01:21:28.520
what do you mean? Like we don't even make it
1622
01:21:28.560 --> 01:21:31.439
to the ALDS. Like it's been in the past, the
1623
01:21:31.520 --> 01:21:34.039
ALDS has almost been a footnote. I mean, it was
1624
01:21:34.199 --> 01:21:36.960
more or less except for the year against the Tampa
1625
01:21:37.000 --> 01:21:40.239
Bay Rays, which is twenty nineteen, that you've been able
1626
01:21:40.239 --> 01:21:43.159
to get through the DS in three four games at
1627
01:21:43.159 --> 01:21:46.199
the worst and be able to move on to the ALCS.
1628
01:21:46.239 --> 01:21:49.079
Now that you always win in the ALCS. No, So
1629
01:21:49.279 --> 01:21:51.800
I get that part of it, But I think it
1630
01:21:51.840 --> 01:21:55.359
is also though, too, even with those high expectations, don't
1631
01:21:55.399 --> 01:21:58.079
you think that it is also kind of incumbent upon
1632
01:21:58.159 --> 01:22:01.680
us to be honest with what you actually have at
1633
01:22:01.680 --> 01:22:04.359
this point, Because this is a team right now that
1634
01:22:04.399 --> 01:22:07.800
you look at. It's a starting rotation that is shaky
1635
01:22:07.880 --> 01:22:11.800
at best. It is a bullpen that probably outside of
1636
01:22:11.880 --> 01:22:14.359
Josh Hater, you look at everybody else and you're kind
1637
01:22:14.399 --> 01:22:17.119
of like, I hope at a certain point. And it's
1638
01:22:17.119 --> 01:22:20.279
a starting lineup too that is incredibly top heavy, and
1639
01:22:20.319 --> 01:22:23.079
even the part that is supposed to be more productive
1640
01:22:23.159 --> 01:22:25.279
for you at times is inconsistent.
1641
01:22:27.800 --> 01:22:31.079
Well, I would just say, look, punch your ticket to
1642
01:22:31.119 --> 01:22:34.000
the postseason. Anything can happen. We've seen teams get hot.
1643
01:22:34.079 --> 01:22:36.840
I mean, you you covered the Braves that year when
1644
01:22:36.880 --> 01:22:39.640
they were not looking so hot, hit you know, midway
1645
01:22:39.680 --> 01:22:42.199
through the season and then made some moves at the
1646
01:22:42.239 --> 01:22:44.159
trade deadline and got hot and became one of the
1647
01:22:44.359 --> 01:22:47.680
hottest teams in baseball into the postseason, ended up winning
1648
01:22:47.680 --> 01:22:48.479
a World Series.
1649
01:22:49.000 --> 01:22:50.880
You know, the Washington Nationals is the same thing that
1650
01:22:51.000 --> 01:22:52.000
year that they beat you.
1651
01:22:52.119 --> 01:22:56.000
So you know, I look at the Blue Jays last
1652
01:22:56.079 --> 01:22:59.800
year and you know, yes, they won the Al e,
1653
01:23:00.159 --> 01:23:03.039
but you know, we're people predicting them to take the
1654
01:23:03.079 --> 01:23:05.840
Dodgers to seven games and possibly and almost win the
1655
01:23:05.840 --> 01:23:06.560
World Series.
1656
01:23:06.600 --> 01:23:09.600
It's just once you get in, anything can happen.
1657
01:23:10.119 --> 01:23:14.560
And so that's that's the thought, is this team has talent,
1658
01:23:15.199 --> 01:23:17.760
you know, and and who knows. Maybe you get to
1659
01:23:18.000 --> 01:23:20.479
remember Spencerraghetti that that month and a half where he
1660
01:23:20.600 --> 01:23:23.359
was just lights out, you know, your best pitcher, hands down.
1661
01:23:24.079 --> 01:23:25.319
What if something like that happens.
1662
01:23:25.319 --> 01:23:28.359
What if you get to the playoffs and Tatsuyami suddenly
1663
01:23:28.399 --> 01:23:31.399
decides to pitch like his you know, throw his best
1664
01:23:31.439 --> 01:23:32.039
of the season.
1665
01:23:32.319 --> 01:23:33.439
Something like that could happen.
1666
01:23:33.560 --> 01:23:36.319
So that's why I always say, just just punch your ticket,
1667
01:23:36.399 --> 01:23:39.399
because you know, when you get into these series, particular
1668
01:23:39.479 --> 01:23:41.840
wildcard series, man, you just gotta you just gotta have
1669
01:23:41.880 --> 01:23:46.159
two good pitching performances and that's it. So you know,
1670
01:23:46.239 --> 01:23:48.560
again the askers are starting to get healthy, they're starting
1671
01:23:48.560 --> 01:23:51.319
to get some of their big arms back, you know,
1672
01:23:51.399 --> 01:23:54.840
adding some depth. Just just get in, just get in.
1673
01:23:54.960 --> 01:23:55.720
Anything can happen.
1674
01:23:55.920 --> 01:23:57.880
Well, I mean the tot seum I part of it.
1675
01:23:57.880 --> 01:24:01.119
It's necessary, like it's it's a non negotiable. Actually, like
1676
01:24:01.520 --> 01:24:03.399
as I said earlier when I was talking about it,
1677
01:24:03.399 --> 01:24:05.279
and I know that me and Josh Jordan talked about
1678
01:24:05.279 --> 01:24:07.920
it about a week and a half ago, where at
1679
01:24:07.920 --> 01:24:10.239
the time he had made twelve starts and in four
1680
01:24:10.279 --> 01:24:11.720
of those starts he had not gotten out of the
1681
01:24:11.760 --> 01:24:14.760
third inning. I got to have those out of his system, Gordy,
1682
01:24:15.039 --> 01:24:16.880
Like the rest of the way, the money that you're
1683
01:24:16.880 --> 01:24:19.800
paying them, I understand the expectations you put on them,
1684
01:24:19.840 --> 01:24:22.319
and you can say that they're unfair, but the moral
1685
01:24:22.319 --> 01:24:25.039
of the story is is that this is what us
1686
01:24:25.079 --> 01:24:28.119
as the fan base, we're being sold on him, that
1687
01:24:28.239 --> 01:24:31.359
he was a front of the rotation, dominant pitcher and
1688
01:24:31.399 --> 01:24:34.279
we've seen it at times, but the problem is now
1689
01:24:34.359 --> 01:24:37.239
it's one of those that we're over the excuses. We
1690
01:24:37.239 --> 01:24:39.600
don't want to hear any more about adjustments, and we're
1691
01:24:39.640 --> 01:24:42.600
trying to get them used to baseball. Over here. You've
1692
01:24:42.600 --> 01:24:45.199
played ninety eight games in the season. You've made a
1693
01:24:45.520 --> 01:24:48.520
really good amount of a sample size of starts for
1694
01:24:48.680 --> 01:24:51.239
us to start to wonder, all right, are you ever
1695
01:24:51.359 --> 01:24:53.880
even going to right have reached that point? And that's
1696
01:24:53.920 --> 01:24:55.800
what's needed out of them. Am I expecting for him
1697
01:24:55.840 --> 01:24:57.800
to go out there and give you quality outings every
1698
01:24:57.800 --> 01:25:01.439
single time ten to eleven strikeout? No, But I'm also
1699
01:25:01.600 --> 01:25:03.079
expecting you to be able to get out of the
1700
01:25:03.119 --> 01:25:05.359
first inning, which at times has been a challenge for him.
1701
01:25:07.199 --> 01:25:10.600
Yeah, And I mean it's it's just been frustrating all around.
1702
01:25:11.039 --> 01:25:13.840
For so long, we the askers just had an embarrassment
1703
01:25:13.840 --> 01:25:16.279
of riches when it came to starting pitching, and you
1704
01:25:16.439 --> 01:25:19.039
just felt like it was it felt like it was
1705
01:25:19.079 --> 01:25:21.399
always a spot you didn't really have to worry about.
1706
01:25:21.560 --> 01:25:23.399
And and yeah, you go back to the years of
1707
01:25:24.119 --> 01:25:28.399
Garrett Cole and uh and Justin Verlander and you know,
1708
01:25:28.640 --> 01:25:30.920
Zach Greggy and all that. I mean, that was possibly
1709
01:25:30.960 --> 01:25:34.960
the best, the best rotation in baseball. But even with
1710
01:25:35.039 --> 01:25:37.600
the emergence of Hunter Brown and then Ronel Blanco was
1711
01:25:37.640 --> 01:25:38.520
really good for you.
1712
01:25:38.720 --> 01:25:41.159
And Frombert was you know, was solid every year. You
1713
01:25:41.239 --> 01:25:42.239
knew what you were getting in him.
1714
01:25:42.279 --> 01:25:44.439
It just felt like, I felt like starting pitching you
1715
01:25:44.439 --> 01:25:46.880
didn't have to really worry about. And it is crazy
1716
01:25:46.960 --> 01:25:51.079
considering all these additions you made this offseason and you
1717
01:25:51.079 --> 01:25:53.800
know they were it was a priority. Dana Brown made
1718
01:25:53.840 --> 01:25:57.680
pitching a priority this offseason. It just has not panned
1719
01:25:57.720 --> 01:26:02.279
out for whatever reason. Mike Burrows, Uh, just total disaster
1720
01:26:02.479 --> 01:26:02.880
so far.
1721
01:26:03.479 --> 01:26:03.640
Uh.
1722
01:26:03.720 --> 01:26:07.279
Tatsuya my pretty much a disaster in terms of a
1723
01:26:07.279 --> 01:26:10.319
guy that you spent big free agent money on and
1724
01:26:10.399 --> 01:26:13.239
he took a flyer on Ryan Weiss that backfire that
1725
01:26:13.319 --> 01:26:14.039
didn't work out.
1726
01:26:14.840 --> 01:26:15.000
You know.
1727
01:26:15.079 --> 01:26:17.239
Nate Pearson you brought in with the thought of maybe
1728
01:26:17.279 --> 01:26:19.239
he could, you know, be a spot starter.
1729
01:26:19.319 --> 01:26:20.319
We haven't seen that yet.
1730
01:26:20.840 --> 01:26:20.960
Uh.
1731
01:26:21.039 --> 01:26:23.239
Kywa Tungue, we saw that. You know, it was good
1732
01:26:23.279 --> 01:26:25.560
for a stretch, but I think you exhausted that one
1733
01:26:26.079 --> 01:26:28.399
and then you're younger guys that you thought maybe there
1734
01:26:28.439 --> 01:26:33.880
could be something there. Colton Gordon not you know, not great.
1735
01:26:34.039 --> 01:26:34.840
You know, Jason.
1736
01:26:34.600 --> 01:26:36.800
Alexander was a guy took a flyer on last year
1737
01:26:37.199 --> 01:26:39.920
was pretty good for you, not good this year. So
1738
01:26:40.800 --> 01:26:43.199
you know, aj Blue Boss basically been relegated to an
1739
01:26:43.199 --> 01:26:47.359
extended bullpen guy. So you know, Peter Lambert is the
1740
01:26:47.359 --> 01:26:50.039
one big bright spot of this pitching staff so far
1741
01:26:50.119 --> 01:26:50.520
this year.
1742
01:26:50.920 --> 01:26:52.239
You know, Hunter Brown's back.
1743
01:26:52.319 --> 01:26:55.199
He seems to be healthy now, but hasn't been as
1744
01:26:55.279 --> 01:26:58.439
dominant self yet. You got to get this thing settled
1745
01:26:58.439 --> 01:27:00.000
in the second half. The Astros are gonna make up
1746
01:27:00.119 --> 01:27:04.119
season run. They've got to get this rotation settled. And again,
1747
01:27:04.159 --> 01:27:05.800
the good news is you're gonna have options. Ron El
1748
01:27:05.840 --> 01:27:10.039
Blanco's knocking on the door. You know, Christian Havier obviously
1749
01:27:10.079 --> 01:27:15.000
made his first start back. You know, Hayden wiz Nesky
1750
01:27:15.119 --> 01:27:16.960
is gonna be back real soon. So you're gonna have
1751
01:27:17.039 --> 01:27:20.359
some options. And you can say, well, we're just gonna
1752
01:27:20.359 --> 01:27:23.000
throw the best five guys out there, but man, you
1753
01:27:23.079 --> 01:27:26.159
need some names to emerge. Like you know, it's if
1754
01:27:26.159 --> 01:27:29.039
they're going out there sticking up the joint. You know,
1755
01:27:29.079 --> 01:27:31.840
what do you do if you got eight guys and
1756
01:27:32.079 --> 01:27:33.039
six of them stink?
1757
01:27:33.239 --> 01:27:35.319
How do you figure out who your best five is?
1758
01:27:36.239 --> 01:27:37.960
Yeah, it's kind of the problem. I mean, you took
1759
01:27:37.960 --> 01:27:39.760
a gamble on a lot of guys this year, and
1760
01:27:39.880 --> 01:27:42.079
I mean, as you know, I've been talking about Gordy.
1761
01:27:42.119 --> 01:27:44.800
I mean, it seems like that ideally you want to
1762
01:27:44.840 --> 01:27:46.960
take a chance on a guy or two because then
1763
01:27:46.960 --> 01:27:49.159
if it doesn't work out, then you can kind of
1764
01:27:49.159 --> 01:27:51.000
fill it in the rest of the way. But I mean,
1765
01:27:51.039 --> 01:27:53.239
as you just laid out for us right there, I mean,
1766
01:27:53.359 --> 01:27:55.439
Dana Brown and the Astros took a chance on about
1767
01:27:55.439 --> 01:27:57.439
four or five guys this year, and really only one
1768
01:27:57.479 --> 01:28:00.159
of them, Peter Lambert, has worked out so far. But
1769
01:28:00.560 --> 01:28:03.840
maybe just with the Astros, they need some stabilization in
1770
01:28:03.880 --> 01:28:08.800
the starting rotation and possibly, just possibly the key to
1771
01:28:08.920 --> 01:28:11.840
being able to stabilize this rotation is in their back pocket.
1772
01:28:12.199 --> 01:28:14.199
Talk about it next right here as we continue, it's
1773
01:28:14.239 --> 01:28:16.920
the Morning Drive Sports Talks seven to ninety. Hey, Mari
1774
01:28:17.079 --> 01:28:19.399
told you once about Kobe Stevens apparel. Let's talk about
1775
01:28:19.439 --> 01:28:21.880
him again because I can't talk about him enough. I mean, again,
1776
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1777
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1778
01:28:28.880 --> 01:28:31.359
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the youth options, and even those fishing shirts too that
1780
01:28:34.520 --> 01:28:36.840
you wear out there. It's got that great breathable material
1781
01:28:36.920 --> 01:28:39.479
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1782
01:28:39.479 --> 01:28:42.560
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1783
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to make you feel good and look good when you're
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01:28:45.399 --> 01:28:47.159
out there on the water and you're casting a line.
1785
01:28:47.199 --> 01:28:49.319
Same goes for those polos too. It's great for the
1786
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golf course, great for a nice dinner, great to be
1787
01:28:52.199 --> 01:28:54.760
able to wear to work and look presentable at work
1788
01:28:54.800 --> 01:28:57.000
and have people then stopping you use you're on your
1789
01:28:57.000 --> 01:28:58.800
way of the water cooler scene. Hey man, it's a
1790
01:28:58.800 --> 01:29:01.520
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1793
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1794
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the time. So anytime you open up Cobe Stevens dot com,
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It's all gas, no breaks, Each time Sports.
1805
01:29:37.880 --> 01:29:43.079
This is the Morning Drive with Dan Matthews.
1806
01:29:44.079 --> 01:29:45.840
I mean, just talking about a lot of the guys
1807
01:29:45.880 --> 01:29:48.920
that they have where Hunter Brown, even with some of
1808
01:29:48.920 --> 01:29:51.399
his struggles, I mean, you do appreciate that he did
1809
01:29:51.439 --> 01:29:54.000
what an ace is supposed to do on Friday. He
1810
01:29:54.039 --> 01:29:55.840
didn't have his best stuff, but he still got you
1811
01:29:55.920 --> 01:29:59.039
deep into the game, so that's appreciated. It's just a
1812
01:29:59.079 --> 01:30:01.399
little bit of the the first four starts after the
1813
01:30:01.479 --> 01:30:04.399
shoulder injury, two of them have been incredibly shaky. One
1814
01:30:04.439 --> 01:30:08.000
of them it was a really good game plan by
1815
01:30:08.079 --> 01:30:11.479
the Toronto Blue Jays, and then in the Rays start
1816
01:30:11.520 --> 01:30:13.239
he just got hit around. I mean, there was just
1817
01:30:13.319 --> 01:30:16.239
no ways to be able to talk about it other
1818
01:30:16.319 --> 01:30:19.640
than that. The guy that's been the second most reliable,
1819
01:30:19.640 --> 01:30:23.720
at least in the most recent times has been Peter Lambert.
1820
01:30:23.720 --> 01:30:26.159
There's no question about it. So then it's everybody else,
1821
01:30:26.279 --> 01:30:30.720
which that's been the problem. Everybody else has been incredibly inconsistent.
1822
01:30:30.800 --> 01:30:33.600
You got consistency early on in the season from Spencer
1823
01:30:33.600 --> 01:30:36.720
Araghetti that has since kind of gone by the wayside,
1824
01:30:36.720 --> 01:30:38.960
and especially his last start, and then Tatsu and I
1825
01:30:39.119 --> 01:30:41.520
throw him in there too. I think a guy that's
1826
01:30:41.520 --> 01:30:43.439
a key to being able to stabilize this thing in
1827
01:30:43.479 --> 01:30:45.319
the immediate and you brought him up in the last
1828
01:30:45.319 --> 01:30:48.680
segment is Renel Blanco. I think that Renel Blanco is
1829
01:30:48.720 --> 01:30:51.159
a type of guy that, yes, he is coming off
1830
01:30:51.159 --> 01:30:53.520
to Tommy John and there probably is going to have
1831
01:30:53.560 --> 01:30:55.560
to be some patients in terms of him being able
1832
01:30:55.560 --> 01:30:58.720
to build up. But if the Astros are able to
1833
01:30:58.720 --> 01:31:01.479
reach the postseason this year and you are able to
1834
01:31:01.479 --> 01:31:04.199
get better starting pitching, I think that Renel Blanco is
1835
01:31:04.239 --> 01:31:05.600
going to be a guy that you're gonna look at
1836
01:31:05.600 --> 01:31:07.920
and say, he stabilized the middle of this rotation.
1837
01:31:10.000 --> 01:31:13.520
Yeah, and you go back to you know, a couple
1838
01:31:13.560 --> 01:31:16.560
of seasons ago. I mean he was a he comes up,
1839
01:31:17.920 --> 01:31:20.399
you know, make some make some appearances. In twenty two
1840
01:31:20.600 --> 01:31:22.560
kind of showed you a little bit of what he
1841
01:31:22.600 --> 01:31:26.279
could do, but twenty twenty three got kind of got
1842
01:31:26.279 --> 01:31:28.880
a little bit more of an opportunity, you know, the
1843
01:31:28.920 --> 01:31:32.520
middle of that season, got a chance to show himself
1844
01:31:32.520 --> 01:31:35.279
as a starter. But the twenty twenty four breakout was
1845
01:31:35.279 --> 01:31:38.520
was really the season that he was you know, made
1846
01:31:38.520 --> 01:31:41.199
a name for himself and you know, really settled it
1847
01:31:41.239 --> 01:31:44.000
in as one of your best pitchers. What you know,
1848
01:31:44.119 --> 01:31:47.800
through seven no hit innings in that game against Detroit
1849
01:31:48.039 --> 01:31:52.680
junor that year. But man, he's a guy that he's
1850
01:31:52.680 --> 01:31:55.079
a little bit older, right, he's thirty two. I think
1851
01:31:55.079 --> 01:31:57.920
he turns thirty three next month. And that was kind
1852
01:31:57.960 --> 01:32:01.439
of thought when the Astros found something in him and
1853
01:32:01.800 --> 01:32:03.479
twenty twenty four were like, oh, okay, he can be
1854
01:32:03.520 --> 01:32:07.159
a big part of this rotation. You were like, he's
1855
01:32:07.199 --> 01:32:08.760
a little bit older. I don't know how many years
1856
01:32:08.800 --> 01:32:11.920
he'll have of being good. And then you know, obviously
1857
01:32:12.000 --> 01:32:14.359
the big injury last year and you lose him for
1858
01:32:15.079 --> 01:32:19.319
an entire year. You know, but again, like if he
1859
01:32:19.359 --> 01:32:21.800
can come back and look like he did back in
1860
01:32:21.880 --> 01:32:24.239
twenty twenty four, that would be huge for this team.
1861
01:32:24.239 --> 01:32:28.119
It'd be massive and would really just start to figure
1862
01:32:28.119 --> 01:32:31.640
out this this rotation a little bit. You know, he
1863
01:32:31.720 --> 01:32:34.319
went into last season kind of saying, man, we have
1864
01:32:35.119 --> 01:32:38.079
a little bit of riches of pitching. And that's what
1865
01:32:38.119 --> 01:32:40.800
it will feel like if you start to get healthy here.
1866
01:32:41.880 --> 01:32:44.680
With getting Wiznsky and Blanco back, I mean we forget
1867
01:32:44.720 --> 01:32:47.439
like was Nesky was a big part of that Kyle
1868
01:32:47.479 --> 01:32:50.600
Tucker trade as well. You know, we think of eastoc Paratus,
1869
01:32:50.600 --> 01:32:53.720
we think of camp Smith. Hayden was Eski's a local
1870
01:32:53.760 --> 01:32:57.159
guy that man. I remember talking with him at Banfest
1871
01:32:57.279 --> 01:32:59.920
last year. His whole family was there watching him get interviewed,
1872
01:32:59.920 --> 01:33:02.319
and he was just super excited to be back home
1873
01:33:02.399 --> 01:33:06.960
and and and pitch for the hometown team. And you know,
1874
01:33:07.239 --> 01:33:09.399
and he was pretty effective, you know, in his in
1875
01:33:09.439 --> 01:33:10.920
his few starts he had last year.
1876
01:33:10.960 --> 01:33:13.119
So you know, if he could get back here and.
1877
01:33:13.119 --> 01:33:16.720
Ronald Blanco could get back to being just some sort
1878
01:33:16.760 --> 01:33:19.279
of you know, give me six innings of two run ball,
1879
01:33:19.439 --> 01:33:20.920
you know what I mean, Like, give me something that
1880
01:33:20.960 --> 01:33:23.880
I can feel good about and then you know, take
1881
01:33:23.960 --> 01:33:27.560
It'll take the pressure off this this bullpen that overall
1882
01:33:27.560 --> 01:33:30.119
I think has been pretty good this year. But you know,
1883
01:33:30.159 --> 01:33:31.960
we saw we saw it a little bit on Sunday.
1884
01:33:31.960 --> 01:33:34.479
I think just getting a little tax Brian, like Steven
1885
01:33:34.520 --> 01:33:36.560
Ochred and Brian King, I think have been used more
1886
01:33:36.600 --> 01:33:39.000
than just about anybody out of a bullpen and.
1887
01:33:39.000 --> 01:33:39.760
Baseball this year.
1888
01:33:40.319 --> 01:33:43.600
Yeah, and it's a conversation that we can continue after
1889
01:33:43.880 --> 01:33:48.039
we talk about the immediates and even expanded a future
1890
01:33:48.119 --> 01:33:50.479
of the Astros with their farm system and who they
1891
01:33:50.479 --> 01:33:53.800
added over the weekend, and a guy that can help
1892
01:33:53.880 --> 01:33:56.800
us understand who's coming into the organization and maybe even
1893
01:33:56.840 --> 01:34:00.640
what's ahead for the Astros, Carlos Colaso Baseball. He's gonna
1894
01:34:00.680 --> 01:34:03.479
hop on with us here as we continue along in
1895
01:34:03.560 --> 01:34:05.880
the eight o'clock hour. It is the morning drive Sports
1896
01:34:05.880 --> 01:34:06.680
Talk seven ninety.
1897
01:34:07.760 --> 01:34:14.439
We run on Danger's dumpson Drive not Codd Sports.
1898
01:34:14.119 --> 01:34:17.239
Talk seven ninety guarantee human.
1899
01:34:18.439 --> 01:34:20.319
We head out to the phone lines right now. Is
1900
01:34:20.399 --> 01:34:23.600
the Astros over the weekend making twenty two picks as
1901
01:34:23.680 --> 01:34:26.680
part of the two day Major League Baseball Draft. Also
1902
01:34:26.720 --> 01:34:30.119
had some news yesterday on the farm front with the
1903
01:34:30.159 --> 01:34:33.680
club and a man to help us understand the future
1904
01:34:33.840 --> 01:34:36.319
of the Stros a little bit more from Baseball America.
1905
01:34:36.359 --> 01:34:38.000
And you also saw him over the weekend as part
1906
01:34:38.000 --> 01:34:41.680
of the draft coverage. He is Carlos Colazzo, and Carlos
1907
01:34:42.239 --> 01:34:45.319
appreciate you joining us this morning. And when it comes
1908
01:34:45.319 --> 01:34:48.199
to the twenty two picks that the Astros made. I
1909
01:34:48.279 --> 01:34:51.199
was watching when they made their first selection Logan Hughes
1910
01:34:51.239 --> 01:34:53.840
over the weekend. You guys were a little bit surprised
1911
01:34:54.079 --> 01:34:58.439
with that pick. What necessarily surprised you with the Astros
1912
01:34:58.479 --> 01:34:59.960
going with the outfielder from Texas Tech.
1913
01:35:01.199 --> 01:35:03.520
Yeah, I don't remember who was surprised on the broadcast
1914
01:35:03.600 --> 01:35:07.119
at the time, but I don't necessarily think I was personally.
1915
01:35:06.720 --> 01:35:07.640
Surprised by the pick.
1916
01:35:07.800 --> 01:35:11.600
Maybe for seventeen specifically in my final mock draft, I
1917
01:35:11.600 --> 01:35:14.000
actually think I had Logan He's going twenty eight to
1918
01:35:14.039 --> 01:35:16.600
the Astros. We heard they were interested in his profile
1919
01:35:17.079 --> 01:35:19.520
throughout the spring, and I do think that, like in
1920
01:35:19.600 --> 01:35:22.520
this draft in particular, once you got outside of the
1921
01:35:22.560 --> 01:35:26.159
top ten players or so, the next thirty forty players
1922
01:35:26.239 --> 01:35:28.720
are really difficult to separate, and I was mostly just
1923
01:35:28.760 --> 01:35:31.479
curious to see how teams would line those guys up.
1924
01:35:31.520 --> 01:35:36.560
But I think Logan Hugh's offensive profile fit in this range.
1925
01:35:36.800 --> 01:35:40.399
The more you dig into his contact ability and power,
1926
01:35:40.560 --> 01:35:43.119
I think the more can come away pretty confident in
1927
01:35:43.159 --> 01:35:45.560
his hitting ability. And I do think on draft day
1928
01:35:45.960 --> 01:35:49.159
we saw teams really drawn towards hitters who make a
1929
01:35:49.159 --> 01:35:51.640
lot of contact, and I think Logan Hughes does that
1930
01:35:52.119 --> 01:35:56.119
maybe at better level than any kind of slugging college
1931
01:35:56.119 --> 01:35:58.760
player in the class. One nugget I found on him
1932
01:35:58.800 --> 01:36:03.600
when diving into his over the last few years at
1933
01:36:04.159 --> 01:36:07.239
on college hitters with at least forty five home runs
1934
01:36:07.239 --> 01:36:10.680
in the last three seasons, Logan's career twelve point two
1935
01:36:10.720 --> 01:36:14.279
percent strakeout rate is second behind only Rock Chalowski.
1936
01:36:14.760 --> 01:36:16.840
So I think that's a good offensive company to be in.
1937
01:36:17.760 --> 01:36:20.279
And I mean with the twenty two players that they added,
1938
01:36:20.319 --> 01:36:22.399
I was just reading the coverage that you guys had,
1939
01:36:22.560 --> 01:36:24.520
you know, just after the draft, of course you know
1940
01:36:24.600 --> 01:36:26.880
what they added. Who you guys liked all of those
1941
01:36:26.880 --> 01:36:30.680
different players. Keon Johnson, the high school shortstop they got
1942
01:36:30.920 --> 01:36:33.680
on day one, that's one that you guys really seem
1943
01:36:33.840 --> 01:36:35.079
very high on. Why so.
1944
01:36:36.560 --> 01:36:39.239
Yeah, And in particular with me personally, every time I
1945
01:36:39.279 --> 01:36:42.039
watch Keon Johnson play, I think there's just an ease
1946
01:36:42.079 --> 01:36:44.560
and a professionalism to what he does on the field.
1947
01:36:44.880 --> 01:36:46.680
I think there are players in this class who maybe
1948
01:36:46.720 --> 01:36:50.079
have more explosive physical tools and jump out at you
1949
01:36:50.199 --> 01:36:53.600
in a workout environment more than Keon might. I don't
1950
01:36:53.600 --> 01:36:55.279
think he has the biggest power in the world. He's
1951
01:36:55.279 --> 01:36:57.800
not the fastest player in the world, but he really
1952
01:36:57.880 --> 01:37:02.680
understands the zone, swings at the right pitches. He has
1953
01:37:02.800 --> 01:37:05.520
solid takes. Just every at bad I saw from him
1954
01:37:05.560 --> 01:37:07.720
throughout the summer circuit against some of the best pitching
1955
01:37:08.159 --> 01:37:10.720
in this twenty twenty sixth high school class, I just
1956
01:37:10.800 --> 01:37:13.880
came away impressed with his quality abs. The same was
1957
01:37:13.920 --> 01:37:18.359
true defensively. I thought, it's a really reliable defender at
1958
01:37:18.399 --> 01:37:23.880
short stop with good instincts, good body control, good baseball IQ. Generally,
1959
01:37:23.960 --> 01:37:25.359
I think he's going to be the sort of player
1960
01:37:25.359 --> 01:37:28.239
who kind of converts all the plays you expect him
1961
01:37:28.279 --> 01:37:32.319
to make. I think he's got power, not exceptional power.
1962
01:37:32.960 --> 01:37:36.039
Maybe like what he grows into physically will determine what
1963
01:37:36.079 --> 01:37:38.439
the upside is going to be here. But I do
1964
01:37:38.520 --> 01:37:40.880
think in the third round a player like Keon Johnson
1965
01:37:40.960 --> 01:37:44.800
fits really really well. Getting him out of his Vanderbilt commitment,
1966
01:37:44.880 --> 01:37:47.399
I think is a good win.
1967
01:37:47.319 --> 01:37:48.960
For the Astro. This is a player that I would
1968
01:37:48.960 --> 01:37:49.800
be really excited with.
1969
01:37:49.760 --> 01:37:51.720
And it does like when I'm looking at their top
1970
01:37:51.760 --> 01:37:55.600
four picks, it feels like Polish is a trade that
1971
01:37:55.600 --> 01:37:57.600
you could really use for all of these players, look
1972
01:37:57.720 --> 01:38:00.800
he's offensively, and then Jack Redell and Us Mendez on
1973
01:38:00.840 --> 01:38:04.039
the pitching side through the better pitchability college guys we.
1974
01:38:04.000 --> 01:38:04.720
Saw this spring.
1975
01:38:04.760 --> 01:38:07.680
And then Keon Johnson on the side with how advanced
1976
01:38:07.680 --> 01:38:09.560
he is in really both sides of the ball.
1977
01:38:10.079 --> 01:38:13.199
Again, he's Carlos colaso Baseball America. You can find him
1978
01:38:13.199 --> 01:38:17.399
on Twitter at Carlos A Colazo, and we were talking
1979
01:38:17.439 --> 01:38:20.880
the Astros not only draft over the weekend, but also too.
1980
01:38:20.960 --> 01:38:23.159
I mean, just how these guys can profile once they
1981
01:38:23.520 --> 01:38:27.000
join their minor league system, assuming you get most of
1982
01:38:27.039 --> 01:38:31.239
these guys signed it to join it into their farm, Carlos,
1983
01:38:31.319 --> 01:38:33.359
I mean, you know we've talked about Logan Hughes already.
1984
01:38:33.399 --> 01:38:37.319
You just mentioned Mendez and also Riddell that they were
1985
01:38:37.319 --> 01:38:40.840
able to add over the weekend. Those three guys in particular,
1986
01:38:40.960 --> 01:38:44.239
I mean college age guys one position player, two pitchers.
1987
01:38:44.800 --> 01:38:47.199
Are those guys that you can see making it to
1988
01:38:47.239 --> 01:38:48.720
the major league level pretty quickly.
1989
01:38:50.039 --> 01:38:51.960
Yeah, I think all three of those guys could move
1990
01:38:52.119 --> 01:38:55.319
pretty fast. I mean Jack Riddell has been a reliable
1991
01:38:55.359 --> 01:38:58.239
starter for three seasons with Notre Dame. I mean his
1992
01:38:58.960 --> 01:39:02.760
quality of performance in college is exceptional. I think he's
1993
01:39:02.760 --> 01:39:05.439
also one of the better command pitchers in the class.
1994
01:39:05.479 --> 01:39:08.359
We have plus future control on him. It's a really
1995
01:39:08.439 --> 01:39:12.359
deep pitch mix. He has elite extension getting down the
1996
01:39:12.399 --> 01:39:14.520
mound that I think is going to allow his fastball
1997
01:39:14.800 --> 01:39:17.119
to play up. And he threw I think with three
1998
01:39:17.239 --> 01:39:20.199
pitches for strikes seventy percent of the time this spring.
1999
01:39:20.319 --> 01:39:22.680
So when pitchers are getting to that threshold at the
2000
01:39:22.720 --> 01:39:26.079
amateur level, I'm always pretty excited about just how advanced
2001
01:39:26.079 --> 01:39:28.159
they are from a control and command standpoint. And then
2002
01:39:28.680 --> 01:39:30.880
West Mendes was the a SEC Pitcher of the Year
2003
01:39:31.039 --> 01:39:32.920
in twenty twenty six. Is a bit of a breakout
2004
01:39:32.920 --> 01:39:36.439
season for him. The strikeout rate john significantly, the walk
2005
01:39:36.520 --> 01:39:41.239
rate he cuts significantly. It's a pretty loose, easy arm action. Again,
2006
01:39:41.359 --> 01:39:44.079
another pitcher with a deep mix. Maybe this is something
2007
01:39:44.119 --> 01:39:45.840
the Astros are really targeting this year.
2008
01:39:45.920 --> 01:39:46.680
Just pitchers who.
2009
01:39:46.840 --> 01:39:49.479
Can throw a lot of shapes with conviction and confidence
2010
01:39:49.520 --> 01:39:52.520
and strike throwing ability. Neither of these guys are the
2011
01:39:52.520 --> 01:39:55.039
biggest stuff pitchers in the world in this class, but
2012
01:39:55.479 --> 01:39:57.680
because of what you saw from them this spring.
2013
01:39:57.479 --> 01:39:59.560
Because of the ability to throw strikes at a high rate.
2014
01:40:00.239 --> 01:40:03.000
Mendez is another player who he cleared that seventy percent
2015
01:40:03.039 --> 01:40:06.199
threshold with this basketball this spring. Yeah, I do think
2016
01:40:06.239 --> 01:40:09.399
all of them logan heat as well in the first round.
2017
01:40:10.159 --> 01:40:12.000
He's not a player I would expect be doing a
2018
01:40:12.039 --> 01:40:16.000
lot of a lot of defensive work in the outfield's corner.
2019
01:40:16.039 --> 01:40:18.520
Outfielder I think is going to be really driven by
2020
01:40:18.520 --> 01:40:21.880
the offensive profile. And because he's not playing a really
2021
01:40:21.880 --> 01:40:25.199
demanding defensive position and you're not expecting too much of
2022
01:40:25.279 --> 01:40:26.920
him with the glove, I think he can move quickly
2023
01:40:26.960 --> 01:40:28.439
as well on the offensive side.
2024
01:40:28.800 --> 01:40:31.239
And I mean just the Astros as a farm system
2025
01:40:31.279 --> 01:40:33.560
as a whole. I mean, obviously it's been a constant
2026
01:40:33.960 --> 01:40:36.520
topic conversation around here. I mean, gone are the days
2027
01:40:36.560 --> 01:40:38.840
of when Jeff Luna was able to load this thing
2028
01:40:38.960 --> 01:40:42.199
up and it was seemingly anybody that was called up
2029
01:40:42.279 --> 01:40:45.159
you expected them to make a pretty significant impact with
2030
01:40:45.199 --> 01:40:47.319
the club, either as a starter or somebody that could
2031
01:40:47.359 --> 01:40:50.760
provide depth. But with this group right here, assuming that
2032
01:40:50.800 --> 01:40:54.000
you get most of this group signed into the farm system,
2033
01:40:54.159 --> 01:40:57.560
is this a group that you, in vision can jumpstart
2034
01:40:57.920 --> 01:41:00.920
that that part of the Astras and be able to
2035
01:41:01.000 --> 01:41:04.880
kind of get them back to respectability in that front.
2036
01:41:06.079 --> 01:41:06.720
Yeah, I think so.
2037
01:41:06.840 --> 01:41:10.079
When our pro guys were doing our mid season talent rankings.
2038
01:41:10.680 --> 01:41:14.680
Our organizational rankings at the mid season had the Astros
2039
01:41:14.720 --> 01:41:17.680
and kind of the back five at twenty six overall,
2040
01:41:18.159 --> 01:41:20.800
and one of the items that we highlighted for the
2041
01:41:20.840 --> 01:41:24.800
system weaknesses was just consistent pitching. There are a number
2042
01:41:24.840 --> 01:41:27.079
of pitchers that are exciting on the farm, but a
2043
01:41:27.119 --> 01:41:29.520
lot of them struggled to throw strikes. And what I
2044
01:41:29.520 --> 01:41:31.840
think is interesting about this draft class on the pitching
2045
01:41:31.840 --> 01:41:34.680
side is just the control and command and feel that
2046
01:41:34.960 --> 01:41:36.840
these guys throw strikes with. So maybe just trying to
2047
01:41:36.880 --> 01:41:38.920
add a little bit of pitching diversity to the farm
2048
01:41:38.920 --> 01:41:41.800
here Gavin Eddie in the fifth round. This was one
2049
01:41:41.840 --> 01:41:44.159
of my favorite sleeper picks in the class. We ranked
2050
01:41:44.199 --> 01:41:46.680
them towards the back of our BA five hundred, but
2051
01:41:46.720 --> 01:41:48.520
he was one of the better pitchers in the ACC
2052
01:41:48.760 --> 01:41:52.199
this spring. And another strikes. It's the most fastball slider
2053
01:41:52.199 --> 01:41:56.159
combination now Michael Ladari at Illinois State. This is another
2054
01:41:56.239 --> 01:41:58.520
player who throws a lot of strikes. He's a little
2055
01:41:58.520 --> 01:42:01.680
bit older for the draft, he's already twenty two. I
2056
01:42:01.720 --> 01:42:04.880
believe another could move quickly. So I kind of always
2057
01:42:04.960 --> 01:42:08.600
diverse of like Polish college players on the pitching side,
2058
01:42:08.600 --> 01:42:12.079
and then some exciting young hitters to add as well,
2059
01:42:12.119 --> 01:42:16.199
to join a group of young bats with Xavier Nyons,
2060
01:42:16.399 --> 01:42:19.560
Kevin Alvarez, exciting hitters on the farm. You got guys
2061
01:42:19.560 --> 01:42:23.359
like Kean Johnson who are joining at BOE Peterson in
2062
01:42:22.800 --> 01:42:25.399
the supplemental fourth round pick. There, I think is a
2063
01:42:25.439 --> 01:42:27.600
really exciting player as well that we could get into.
2064
01:42:28.319 --> 01:42:30.560
And I mean, you know, you just mentioned a couple
2065
01:42:30.560 --> 01:42:32.359
of those guys right there, and that's where I wanted
2066
01:42:32.359 --> 01:42:35.079
to close out the conversation with you again. Carlos Colazo
2067
01:42:35.199 --> 01:42:37.800
Baseball America jumping on with us here on the morning
2068
01:42:37.880 --> 01:42:40.800
Drive Sports Talks seven ninety as he was part of
2069
01:42:40.800 --> 01:42:42.880
the draft coverage over the weekend if you're watching it
2070
01:42:42.960 --> 01:42:47.560
on MLB Network. Nian's and Alvarez in particular, they both
2071
01:42:47.600 --> 01:42:49.840
took part in the Futures game over the weekend. These
2072
01:42:49.840 --> 01:42:52.279
seem like these are the guys that Astros fans look
2073
01:42:52.319 --> 01:42:54.439
at and say, Okay, those can be some of the
2074
01:42:54.479 --> 01:42:58.000
impact players that are down the line, but there are
2075
01:42:58.000 --> 01:43:01.039
a couple three years away at the point. But if
2076
01:43:01.079 --> 01:43:02.880
those guys get up to the point to come up
2077
01:43:02.920 --> 01:43:05.199
to the major leagues, what do you envision for them
2078
01:43:05.279 --> 01:43:07.399
as major leaguers.
2079
01:43:07.800 --> 01:43:13.000
Yeah, Zavi and Ninas are really exciting power, high ob off,
2080
01:43:13.079 --> 01:43:15.920
tense profile. He's kind of been the hitter we thought
2081
01:43:15.960 --> 01:43:19.039
he was as an amateur in low way.
2082
01:43:18.920 --> 01:43:19.840
This year so far.
2083
01:43:20.079 --> 01:43:22.479
So it's a lot of strikeouts, it's a lot of walks,
2084
01:43:22.479 --> 01:43:26.079
and it's a lot of power. The thirty percent strikeout
2085
01:43:26.159 --> 01:43:29.159
rate for me at this level is a bit concerning,
2086
01:43:29.880 --> 01:43:32.960
but he's still been a very productive hitter despite that.
2087
01:43:33.000 --> 01:43:35.560
I mean that's partially because he's walking twenty five percent
2088
01:43:35.600 --> 01:43:37.800
of the time. He's getting to his power. So those
2089
01:43:37.840 --> 01:43:39.680
are going to be keys for him moving forward, because
2090
01:43:39.720 --> 01:43:41.159
I do think we've seen a lot of players in
2091
01:43:41.199 --> 01:43:44.319
the past with strikeout rates this high. Those numbers are
2092
01:43:44.319 --> 01:43:48.520
only more likely to increase as he climbs climbs the ladder,
2093
01:43:48.600 --> 01:43:52.119
faces more challenging pitchers, pitchers who can challenge in the
2094
01:43:52.199 --> 01:43:54.319
zone with better breaking balls. I think that's going to
2095
01:43:54.359 --> 01:43:56.399
be something he's going to need to continue to make
2096
01:43:56.439 --> 01:44:00.000
adjustments with. I think if he can maintain a strikeout
2097
01:44:00.039 --> 01:44:04.279
outrate around this range moving up the ladder, you're probably
2098
01:44:04.319 --> 01:44:05.960
fine with that. I do think he's one of these
2099
01:44:06.000 --> 01:44:10.319
outlier offensive profiles that his power and ability to draw
2100
01:44:10.399 --> 01:44:12.279
walks and not expand the zone are just going to
2101
01:44:12.319 --> 01:44:14.880
make him profile. Is one of those three true outcome
2102
01:44:14.960 --> 01:44:18.159
type offensive players. Defensively, I think he could be a
2103
01:44:18.159 --> 01:44:21.119
really good third basement as well. I haven't heard specifically
2104
01:44:21.199 --> 01:44:23.159
how the defense has come along, but he always had
2105
01:44:23.159 --> 01:44:25.960
a really impressive throwing arm. He's a good athlete for
2106
01:44:26.039 --> 01:44:30.119
his size as well. I'm less familiar personally with Kevin Alvarez,
2107
01:44:30.159 --> 01:44:32.359
but I know just talking to our guys and hearing
2108
01:44:32.399 --> 01:44:35.199
of him from the people on the BA staff who
2109
01:44:35.199 --> 01:44:37.840
are more focused on the pro side, it's a really
2110
01:44:37.880 --> 01:44:41.399
exciting combination of hitting ability and power. So you're maybe
2111
01:44:41.399 --> 01:44:44.520
looking at a more balanced offensive profile for him, and
2112
01:44:44.520 --> 01:44:47.119
then with the secondary tool set as well, really solid
2113
01:44:47.159 --> 01:44:50.399
average or maybe above average across the board from him.
2114
01:44:50.720 --> 01:44:53.840
Can run solidly, can field solidly in the outfield, and
2115
01:44:53.880 --> 01:44:56.199
he's got a good throwing arm as well. So I
2116
01:44:56.199 --> 01:44:58.239
think this is a fun kind of one two punch
2117
01:44:58.279 --> 01:45:00.960
at the top, and I think the Astros layer on
2118
01:45:01.000 --> 01:45:03.119
a lot of really exciting depths beyond that in this
2119
01:45:03.199 --> 01:45:04.439
draft class.
2120
01:45:04.159 --> 01:45:06.199
Well, a lot to be excited about. There's no question
2121
01:45:06.279 --> 01:45:08.800
about that. And the Astros were definitely busy over those
2122
01:45:08.840 --> 01:45:11.920
couple of days. Dana Brown, camp Pendino, everybody over there
2123
01:45:11.920 --> 01:45:14.319
putting in work and see what these guys look like
2124
01:45:14.359 --> 01:45:17.319
once they get into the farm system and hopefully eventually
2125
01:45:17.439 --> 01:45:20.000
up here to the major league level again. Carlos Colaso
2126
01:45:20.079 --> 01:45:23.319
Baseball America with us here on the morning Drive. Find
2127
01:45:23.359 --> 01:45:26.880
them on Twitter at Carlos A. Colaso. Hey Carlos, A
2128
01:45:26.880 --> 01:45:29.199
big fan of your work. Great stuff over the weekend.
2129
01:45:29.399 --> 01:45:32.119
Hopefully you get a few days of rest before they
2130
01:45:32.159 --> 01:45:34.479
send you back out there at a perfect game and
2131
01:45:34.560 --> 01:45:37.800
all of these other showcases and all this other stuff.
2132
01:45:37.800 --> 01:45:40.439
I guess that the work never necessarily stops in terms
2133
01:45:40.479 --> 01:45:42.199
of the baseball evaluation, does it.
2134
01:45:43.319 --> 01:45:45.840
No, back at it this week, USA Baseball for the
2135
01:45:45.840 --> 01:45:48.199
twenty twenty sevens. We'll get started for next year's class
2136
01:45:48.279 --> 01:45:48.640
right now.
2137
01:45:48.840 --> 01:45:50.840
There you go, Thanks for having me, No for sure
2138
01:45:50.880 --> 01:45:54.359
again Carlos Caloso, Baseball America. Carlos again, appreciate it.
2139
01:45:54.399 --> 01:45:54.520
Man.
2140
01:45:54.520 --> 01:45:56.000
We'll catch up with you again here very soon.
2141
01:45:56.880 --> 01:45:58.560
Yeah, thanks so much. Take care all right, there you.
2142
01:45:58.600 --> 01:46:01.199
Go again at least with the Astros. A couple of
2143
01:46:01.239 --> 01:46:04.399
things that I think can excite you about the group
2144
01:46:04.439 --> 01:46:06.960
that's coming into this farm system, so we'll talk about
2145
01:46:06.960 --> 01:46:09.880
that also to some of the moves that were made yesterday.
2146
01:46:09.920 --> 01:46:11.520
One of the names that we mentioned as part of
2147
01:46:11.560 --> 01:46:15.439
our conversation another step closer to the major league level
2148
01:46:15.479 --> 01:46:18.039
with the Stros. We'll do all that as we continue.
2149
01:46:18.119 --> 01:46:20.560
It's the morning Drive here on your home of the
2150
01:46:20.600 --> 01:46:23.119
Astros and the Rockets, Sports Talk seven ninety.
2151
01:46:24.319 --> 01:46:28.000
Good Morning Drive with Dan Matthews lined Sports Talk seven ninety,
2152
01:46:28.399 --> 01:46:33.199
home of the Strolls, Rockets, and Houston's best Sports Talk.
2153
01:46:34.560 --> 01:46:37.840
Seven two one two five, seven ninety is the number
2154
01:46:37.840 --> 01:46:40.000
to get in. I think we've got Gordy back with
2155
01:46:40.079 --> 01:46:44.520
us as the Astros over the weekend, as I mentioned,
2156
01:46:44.640 --> 01:46:47.239
adding to this farm system, and uh, you know, just
2157
01:46:47.279 --> 01:46:50.920
that conversation we had with Carlos Colaso. I mean, I guess,
2158
01:46:50.960 --> 01:46:54.399
if nothing else, encouraged with what the Astros added, because
2159
01:46:54.439 --> 01:46:57.600
I liked what he said about the balance that they
2160
01:46:57.640 --> 01:47:00.359
added where they did have a strong focus on the
2161
01:47:00.399 --> 01:47:02.760
college front. Because I think that this is a front
2162
01:47:02.760 --> 01:47:05.680
office right now, whether Dana Brown and crew are still
2163
01:47:05.720 --> 01:47:09.119
here past this season, at least, if nothing else, feel
2164
01:47:09.159 --> 01:47:11.039
like that they have set them on a path of
2165
01:47:11.199 --> 01:47:15.479
at least guys that are closer to being being major
2166
01:47:15.560 --> 01:47:17.920
leaguers as opposed to if you went with a draft
2167
01:47:17.960 --> 01:47:20.039
that was very high school heavy.
2168
01:47:21.920 --> 01:47:25.199
I think that's the thing with with Dana Brown in
2169
01:47:25.279 --> 01:47:29.720
the urgency here is you know, he understands this, this
2170
01:47:29.760 --> 01:47:31.920
could be it for him that if they missed the
2171
01:47:31.960 --> 01:47:35.359
playoffs and and under tie this year, that Jim Crane
2172
01:47:35.399 --> 01:47:38.159
could could opt to make a move to uh, you know,
2173
01:47:38.239 --> 01:47:40.119
for for Joe's spot as well. I mean, I think
2174
01:47:40.680 --> 01:47:43.079
this is an important season for both the spot and
2175
01:47:43.159 --> 01:47:46.720
Dana Brown. But I think Dana realizes the urgency of
2176
01:47:46.840 --> 01:47:51.119
not just making the playoffs this year, but sustaining a contender,
2177
01:47:51.239 --> 01:47:53.359
a team that can and I say contender, a team
2178
01:47:53.359 --> 01:47:56.560
that that can contend for the playoffs. I don't know
2179
01:47:56.600 --> 01:47:58.479
if they contend for the for a World Series, but
2180
01:47:58.520 --> 01:48:01.399
you never know. Yeah, I mean, I pointed it out
2181
01:48:01.479 --> 01:48:04.000
on social media. The three of their top picks are
2182
01:48:04.039 --> 01:48:07.359
all twenty one year old college guys with a lot
2183
01:48:07.399 --> 01:48:10.600
of experience. And you know, we've seen more often than
2184
01:48:10.600 --> 01:48:13.920
not in recent years that some of these college guys
2185
01:48:13.960 --> 01:48:18.079
taken in the first and second round, they tend to
2186
01:48:18.119 --> 01:48:20.279
fast track them a little bit more. They tend to
2187
01:48:20.279 --> 01:48:22.159
pick up things a little bit more. They don't need
2188
01:48:22.199 --> 01:48:26.119
those years of development in the minor leagues if they're
2189
01:48:26.159 --> 01:48:29.039
performing well. You know cam Smith most notably, he is
2190
01:48:29.079 --> 01:48:32.399
a guy who performed very well and was rewarded for it.
2191
01:48:32.479 --> 01:48:34.920
Waited no time once he got here to the Astros
2192
01:48:34.960 --> 01:48:36.880
after a year in the Cubs minor league system.
2193
01:48:37.000 --> 01:48:39.119
So you know, Logan Hughes.
2194
01:48:39.159 --> 01:48:41.880
You look at the numbers, batted three seventy five with
2195
01:48:42.119 --> 01:48:45.560
Texas Tech, eighteen homers, drove in seventy runs. I mean,
2196
01:48:47.039 --> 01:48:49.680
he also led the team and walks with fifty So
2197
01:48:50.520 --> 01:48:53.319
he showed a great, you know, great approach at the
2198
01:48:53.319 --> 01:48:57.159
plate there in Big twelve baseball. How quickly does does
2199
01:48:57.199 --> 01:49:00.239
that adjust in the minor league system? So well, see
2200
01:49:00.239 --> 01:49:02.359
when he gets here. But certainly, I mean you look
2201
01:49:02.359 --> 01:49:05.720
at the current outfield position for the Astros, Dan, and
2202
01:49:06.479 --> 01:49:08.640
there are jobs to be had for the future if
2203
01:49:09.119 --> 01:49:11.359
he wants to grab one in the near future.
2204
01:49:11.560 --> 01:49:13.600
Well, I mean, and also too, I mean, focusing on
2205
01:49:13.640 --> 01:49:15.800
the college guys, that's part of this. I mean, just
2206
01:49:16.039 --> 01:49:18.560
you know, that conversation that we have with Carlos, it
2207
01:49:18.640 --> 01:49:22.520
sounds like at least those guys were looked to be
2208
01:49:22.600 --> 01:49:25.239
able to try to fix some of the issues that
2209
01:49:25.279 --> 01:49:28.119
you're having right now. Because you mentioned it with the outfield,
2210
01:49:28.159 --> 01:49:30.319
Logan Hughes, I mean, you need some production out there
2211
01:49:30.319 --> 01:49:33.399
in the outfield. They feel like against high powered fastballs,
2212
01:49:33.439 --> 01:49:35.439
he can do that. Now, how quickly he gets up there,
2213
01:49:35.479 --> 01:49:38.159
I guess it's up to him. But and then pitching
2214
01:49:38.199 --> 01:49:41.279
side of it, I mean, especially with Raydel and with Mendez,
2215
01:49:41.680 --> 01:49:44.119
sounds like these are guys that not only can find
2216
01:49:44.159 --> 01:49:47.520
the strike zone, but they also can go deep into games.
2217
01:49:47.560 --> 01:49:49.800
And these have been problems at least in the starting
2218
01:49:49.880 --> 01:49:53.279
rotation that have been fast and furious for the Astros.
2219
01:49:54.880 --> 01:49:56.640
Yeah, I was just looking real quick at some of
2220
01:49:56.680 --> 01:50:00.640
the guys who've made that jump very quickly. Camps played
2221
01:50:01.399 --> 01:50:04.239
thirty two minor league games before he made an opening
2222
01:50:04.319 --> 01:50:08.680
day roster, Wyatt Langford played forty four games in the
2223
01:50:08.760 --> 01:50:12.319
Ranger system before he made the team, and Nolan Seanuel
2224
01:50:12.399 --> 01:50:14.239
with the Angels played fifty one.
2225
01:50:14.119 --> 01:50:15.800
Minor league games before making the jump.
2226
01:50:15.920 --> 01:50:18.720
So just saying the track record is there, I mean
2227
01:50:18.760 --> 01:50:21.920
it might seem a little bit premature to say Logan
2228
01:50:22.000 --> 01:50:25.439
Hughes a twenty twenty seven Houston Astro, but you never know.
2229
01:50:25.600 --> 01:50:27.600
Give us get a chance see what he does in
2230
01:50:27.640 --> 01:50:30.279
the minors, and maybe he could make that jump.
2231
01:50:30.319 --> 01:50:31.880
But yeah, certainly, look pitching.
2232
01:50:32.520 --> 01:50:34.920
Astros have a good bit of pitching in their farm system,
2233
01:50:35.119 --> 01:50:37.560
some names that they're very high on and still trying
2234
01:50:37.600 --> 01:50:40.520
to develop. So you know, maybe you could take a
2235
01:50:40.520 --> 01:50:43.960
little bit more time on a Mendez and those guys.
2236
01:50:44.000 --> 01:50:48.600
But yeah, again, it's it's all about stockpiling your system
2237
01:50:48.600 --> 01:50:51.640
and rediveloping this farm system. I mean, that was the
2238
01:50:51.640 --> 01:50:53.840
big reason why Dana was brought here. Dan, and yet
2239
01:50:54.119 --> 01:50:56.319
every trade deadline, what do we wanting to do? We
2240
01:50:56.319 --> 01:50:58.119
wanted to get rid of all of our prospects. Let's
2241
01:50:58.119 --> 01:50:59.880
go get some players of the big league club. Okay,
2242
01:51:00.000 --> 01:51:02.880
that's great, but we came into the season the Astros
2243
01:51:02.920 --> 01:51:05.680
ranked twenty ninth as far as farm system. You're never
2244
01:51:05.720 --> 01:51:08.560
going to get this farm system back to top fifteen
2245
01:51:08.720 --> 01:51:10.680
if you're you know, if you keep trading away your
2246
01:51:10.680 --> 01:51:12.039
best prospects every deadline.
2247
01:51:12.119 --> 01:51:14.760
Well you heard what Carlos Colaso said, though too is
2248
01:51:14.960 --> 01:51:17.800
at least in their rankings over at Baseball America, they're
2249
01:51:17.840 --> 01:51:20.520
all the way up to number twenty six, So I guess,
2250
01:51:20.600 --> 01:51:22.520
I mean, again, it's kind of like a little bit
2251
01:51:22.560 --> 01:51:25.199
of you know, the offensive struggles you had last year,
2252
01:51:25.520 --> 01:51:29.000
go out and get you know, Vick Rodriguez and Anthony
2253
01:51:29.039 --> 01:51:31.399
Ioposi to be able to try to make you at
2254
01:51:31.479 --> 01:51:33.800
least a little bit more of a presentable offense. Now
2255
01:51:33.840 --> 01:51:36.880
you're at least middle of the pack in some categories
2256
01:51:37.000 --> 01:51:40.319
even you know, top five and certain others. So I
2257
01:51:40.319 --> 01:51:42.760
guess you could look at the farm system and say, hey, look,
2258
01:51:42.760 --> 01:51:44.359
if you can get this one in the next year
2259
01:51:44.399 --> 01:51:48.159
or two, back to say fifteen sixteen, then at least
2260
01:51:48.239 --> 01:51:51.039
you start to believe, Okay, the evaluators think that they
2261
01:51:51.119 --> 01:51:53.720
actually have some major league talent there that can join
2262
01:51:53.760 --> 01:51:54.960
this club here pretty quickly.
2263
01:51:56.439 --> 01:51:57.760
Yeah, well, it's.
2264
01:51:57.800 --> 01:52:01.039
It's only a matter of Dana be here to see
2265
01:52:01.079 --> 01:52:02.880
this thing out. And again, I hate to keep putting
2266
01:52:02.880 --> 01:52:05.199
them on the hot seat, but the pressure is on.
2267
01:52:05.279 --> 01:52:08.600
I mean, Jim Crane, you know, enjoyed those those great
2268
01:52:08.680 --> 01:52:11.960
years of you know, almost a decade of these postseason
2269
01:52:12.079 --> 01:52:15.279
runs and greatness, and now you are, you know, two
2270
01:52:15.359 --> 01:52:19.720
straight years of you know of nothing, at least the
2271
01:52:19.760 --> 01:52:22.279
wild card in twenty four. You missed the playoffs last year.
2272
01:52:22.680 --> 01:52:25.560
Right now you're third in the AL West. You know
2273
01:52:25.600 --> 01:52:27.760
it's if you miss the playoffs again this year. I
2274
01:52:27.880 --> 01:52:30.439
just think and I'm never a fan of making a
2275
01:52:30.520 --> 01:52:33.319
change just to make a change, but I just feel like,
2276
01:52:33.960 --> 01:52:36.279
and go ask fans out there. I think most fans
2277
01:52:36.279 --> 01:52:37.840
would be on board with it and say, look, you
2278
01:52:37.960 --> 01:52:43.680
gotta results matter. You have to, you know, you have
2279
01:52:43.760 --> 01:52:46.760
to have the skins on the wall to get the
2280
01:52:46.800 --> 01:52:50.000
benefit of the doubt. And so yeah, I mean they
2281
01:52:50.359 --> 01:52:52.560
have to, they have to be a playoff team. I
2282
01:52:52.640 --> 01:52:55.159
just feel like this year, if Dana Brown's going to survive.
2283
01:52:54.920 --> 01:52:57.680
This, no, I don't think there's any question about that.
2284
01:52:57.760 --> 01:53:00.880
And I think that, you know, it's also just a
2285
01:53:01.239 --> 01:53:03.960
you know, situation of where you are as an organization
2286
01:53:04.079 --> 01:53:05.800
and the people that you have running it. I mean,
2287
01:53:05.880 --> 01:53:09.359
until you have that figured out of Dana and Joe
2288
01:53:09.479 --> 01:53:12.479
have extensions or that they will not be brought back
2289
01:53:12.520 --> 01:53:15.000
next year, you're kind of in this limbo right now,
2290
01:53:15.079 --> 01:53:17.319
and that's where the Astros find themselves. Hey, one thing
2291
01:53:17.359 --> 01:53:19.960
you had actually touched on as part of our conversation,
2292
01:53:20.039 --> 01:53:23.319
Gordy was the outfield. What if I maybe told you
2293
01:53:23.520 --> 01:53:28.159
that the Astros just happened upon an idea that can
2294
01:53:28.199 --> 01:53:30.800
benefit them the rest of the way this season. Explain
2295
01:53:30.880 --> 01:53:32.640
what I mean there as we get into the nine
2296
01:53:32.680 --> 01:53:35.800
o'clock hour, it's the Morning Drive, Dan Matthews, Chris Gordy, Triple,
2297
01:53:35.840 --> 01:53:41.000
Emmanuel Elmore. As we continue here Sports Talk seven ninety, KD.
2298
01:53:41.119 --> 01:53:43.720
Houston, KTVHD two Houston.
2299
01:53:45.840 --> 01:53:50.520
As a rocket, this is Sports Talk seven ninety, your
2300
01:53:50.600 --> 01:53:55.079
home for your home teams and iHeartRadio stations guaranteed.
2301
01:53:55.199 --> 01:54:02.000
You mean, this is the Morning Drive.
2302
01:54:06.399 --> 01:54:08.279
Coming up a little bit later on Today, You're gonna
2303
01:54:08.279 --> 01:54:11.199
get to Spain and France. Tomorrow you're going to get
2304
01:54:11.239 --> 01:54:14.239
to England and Argentina for a chance in the finals
2305
01:54:14.319 --> 01:54:17.680
on Sundays. Someone three two, one, two five, seven ninety
2306
01:54:17.840 --> 01:54:20.960
is the way to get in on the phone lines. Gordy.
2307
01:54:21.159 --> 01:54:23.479
You know, over the weekend it was more or less
2308
01:54:23.680 --> 01:54:26.800
by necessity that this had to play out for the Astros.
2309
01:54:26.800 --> 01:54:30.159
But it got me thinking as I saw that Chandler
2310
01:54:30.239 --> 01:54:33.359
Rome and Tyler Stafford part of the Crush City Territory
2311
01:54:33.399 --> 01:54:37.520
podcast talking about the possibility of camp Smith out in
2312
01:54:37.640 --> 01:54:40.199
center field, and once I heard them talking about I said,
2313
01:54:40.199 --> 01:54:44.119
you know what, this might, at least in the immediate
2314
01:54:44.880 --> 01:54:48.840
solve some issues for you as an Astros outfield because
2315
01:54:48.880 --> 01:54:51.439
it seems like at this moment, and we saw a
2316
01:54:51.479 --> 01:54:56.279
playout on Saturday that Lamont Way junior, they're good with
2317
01:54:56.319 --> 01:55:00.239
moving him from left to rights, and of course when
2318
01:55:00.239 --> 01:55:02.520
he played right field, then that took Cam Smith out
2319
01:55:02.520 --> 01:55:04.720
of the lineup on Saturday and you had to try
2320
01:55:04.720 --> 01:55:09.199
to build up from there. So at least for the
2321
01:55:09.239 --> 01:55:12.680
time being, and we'll wait and see what happens with
2322
01:55:13.319 --> 01:55:16.560
Bryce Matthews, Taylor Trammell same deal as he had to
2323
01:55:16.640 --> 01:55:20.079
leave the game with an injury and you had Cam
2324
01:55:20.199 --> 01:55:22.720
Smith out there in center field. It almost makes me
2325
01:55:22.840 --> 01:55:25.520
wonder if you can put him out there in center
2326
01:55:25.560 --> 01:55:28.840
field because you've seen what you've gotten out of him
2327
01:55:28.840 --> 01:55:32.960
defensively and right it's been gold Glove worthy because I mean,
2328
01:55:33.000 --> 01:55:35.600
he was a finalist for the award last year, eventually
2329
01:55:35.680 --> 01:55:38.079
did not win it, but still played good enough defense
2330
01:55:38.119 --> 01:55:40.680
out there that it's almost kind of like, at this point,
2331
01:55:40.680 --> 01:55:44.159
if you're the astros, hey he learned right field. Centerfield
2332
01:55:44.239 --> 01:55:47.439
is a much different animal. But athletically he can absolutely
2333
01:55:47.479 --> 01:55:49.560
do it. You know that he can track down the baseballs.
2334
01:55:50.000 --> 01:55:52.239
And I also think too that it kind of opens
2335
01:55:52.279 --> 01:55:54.840
up your outfield picture where, yeah, you want to put
2336
01:55:54.920 --> 01:55:56.800
Lamont Wade one day out in right field. Put him
2337
01:55:56.800 --> 01:55:57.960
out in right field, you want to put him in
2338
01:55:58.000 --> 01:56:00.479
left field, put him in left field, and then you
2339
01:56:00.520 --> 01:56:03.359
probably have to believe that Jake Myers, Joey Liberfido come
2340
01:56:03.399 --> 01:56:05.880
back up. So then that puts more of low Berfido
2341
01:56:05.960 --> 01:56:07.840
out there and left. You're not gonna put Myers out
2342
01:56:07.880 --> 01:56:11.000
in left field, but at least, if nothing else, you've
2343
01:56:11.039 --> 01:56:14.560
got more options in the outfield and hopefully a chance
2344
01:56:14.560 --> 01:56:16.199
to be able to up your offensive production.
2345
01:56:18.039 --> 01:56:22.239
Well, the problem is Dan, nobody's hitting in the outfield,
2346
01:56:22.319 --> 01:56:25.720
So it doesn't matter to me. Like again, if you
2347
01:56:25.760 --> 01:56:29.399
had a really awesome hitting right fielder and that's oh man,
2348
01:56:29.439 --> 01:56:31.279
that's why we need to move Cam Smith to center
2349
01:56:31.319 --> 01:56:32.640
because that guy needs to play more.
2350
01:56:32.680 --> 01:56:35.560
Like it's me, it doesn't matter like well, mart.
2351
01:56:35.359 --> 01:56:37.800
Waite's been fine in left field, camp Smith's been great
2352
01:56:37.840 --> 01:56:41.560
defensively in right field. You know, I expect we're gonna
2353
01:56:41.560 --> 01:56:44.199
get some kind of update on Bryce Matthews, you know,
2354
01:56:44.279 --> 01:56:48.399
bumping the neon on Sunday to not look good, you know,
2355
01:56:48.439 --> 01:56:50.640
if he misses any significant time. And by the way,
2356
01:56:50.680 --> 01:56:53.199
he's turned out to be a really good outfielder too. Defensively,
2357
01:56:54.000 --> 01:56:56.760
I think Jake Myers is on you know, if he
2358
01:56:56.800 --> 01:56:58.800
hasn't already, he's coming back from sugar Land.
2359
01:56:58.840 --> 01:56:59.920
He's gonna be elevating.
2360
01:57:00.000 --> 01:57:01.600
He's going to be back with this club the start
2361
01:57:01.640 --> 01:57:05.279
of the second half of the season. But and we
2362
01:57:05.359 --> 01:57:08.039
know how good Jake is defensively. But I just there's
2363
01:57:08.119 --> 01:57:10.520
no there's no rhyme or reason. Like the reason they
2364
01:57:10.520 --> 01:57:12.880
did it the other day was because Bryce Matthews got
2365
01:57:12.920 --> 01:57:14.840
hurt and then Tremmell got hurt and they had to
2366
01:57:14.840 --> 01:57:17.479
put Decenzo in. They're not putting Decenzo in center. They
2367
01:57:17.520 --> 01:57:19.800
put him and left, and so they shifted everything around.
2368
01:57:20.840 --> 01:57:23.680
But I don't know, like, there's no there's no exact
2369
01:57:23.720 --> 01:57:25.880
reason why you would move camp Smith from right field
2370
01:57:25.920 --> 01:57:28.920
to center field. You know, when there's no like there's
2371
01:57:28.960 --> 01:57:31.720
no awesome hitter that's pushing for playing time to play
2372
01:57:31.800 --> 01:57:34.399
right field, Like you have a bunch of guys, a
2373
01:57:34.399 --> 01:57:36.119
bunch of outfields, and not way you can play left
2374
01:57:36.159 --> 01:57:38.479
or right camp Smith, Okay, you want to move the center, Like,
2375
01:57:39.199 --> 01:57:40.399
what what good does that do?
2376
01:57:40.520 --> 01:57:42.439
You have a bunch of dudes batting around two hundred.
2377
01:57:42.960 --> 01:57:44.680
Well no, and I get that, but I mean I
2378
01:57:45.000 --> 01:57:47.680
think that the way it plays out though, is that
2379
01:57:48.359 --> 01:57:50.680
you can put low Brafito and right, you probably can't
2380
01:57:50.720 --> 01:57:53.800
put Dezenzo and right, as you even mentioned, and that's
2381
01:57:53.840 --> 01:57:55.399
the way we saw it play out the other day.
2382
01:57:55.399 --> 01:57:57.600
But at least with Cam Smith, I know he's got
2383
01:57:57.600 --> 01:58:00.239
the power potential. The rest of the bat I need
2384
01:58:00.279 --> 01:58:02.000
to come around a little bit more than it has.
2385
01:58:02.359 --> 01:58:04.960
And I think that the Astros feel the exact same way,
2386
01:58:05.000 --> 01:58:07.800
and probably so to Cam Smith from that regard, and
2387
01:58:07.840 --> 01:58:10.560
then you're getting good enough production on Lamont Way Junior.
2388
01:58:10.560 --> 01:58:13.520
It's just not enough of sample size to wonder if
2389
01:58:13.560 --> 01:58:15.760
he can be somebody that can help you out every
2390
01:58:15.800 --> 01:58:18.079
single day the rest of the way, which again is
2391
01:58:18.199 --> 01:58:20.880
sixty four games the rest of this season. I just
2392
01:58:20.920 --> 01:58:24.279
think that it it unclouds a picture a little bit more.
2393
01:58:24.399 --> 01:58:27.279
I at least have potential this way. I don't think
2394
01:58:27.319 --> 01:58:29.439
I have potential with Jake Myers out in center.
2395
01:58:29.319 --> 01:58:33.119
Field, well, you know you're getting good to you. And
2396
01:58:33.159 --> 01:58:36.159
by the way, like I feel like I need to
2397
01:58:36.159 --> 01:58:39.680
bring this up all the time. The Dana and Joe
2398
01:58:39.680 --> 01:58:42.439
Spot and those guys, a lot of times they will
2399
01:58:42.479 --> 01:58:45.399
take a guy who sucks at the plate because he's
2400
01:58:45.399 --> 01:58:48.000
a plus defender, and that's just the reality of how
2401
01:58:48.039 --> 01:58:49.159
they can struck a lot.
2402
01:58:49.359 --> 01:58:51.880
When your pitchers can't throw strikes. What does that matter?
2403
01:58:52.199 --> 01:58:55.000
Like at a certain point. No, I mean I'm being serious,
2404
01:58:55.119 --> 01:58:57.680
Like what does it matter? Yeah, I mean that's like,
2405
01:58:57.960 --> 01:58:59.399
you know, hey, we got to have this guy in
2406
01:58:59.399 --> 01:59:01.600
the lineup because of his glove. Well, can your guy
2407
01:59:01.680 --> 01:59:04.800
throw strike one, two, and three? Or if the ball's
2408
01:59:04.840 --> 01:59:07.439
put in play, is the play gonna be made? I mean,
2409
01:59:07.479 --> 01:59:10.880
if it's again put in play. But then the problem is, Gordy,
2410
01:59:10.880 --> 01:59:13.399
that you've been running into is that you're not throwing strikes.
2411
01:59:13.399 --> 01:59:15.520
And when you do throw strikes, they get hammered over
2412
01:59:15.520 --> 01:59:15.920
the wall.
2413
01:59:17.720 --> 01:59:20.479
Yeah, I'm just justifying. I'm telling you. When we look
2414
01:59:20.520 --> 01:59:21.399
at lineups and we.
2415
01:59:21.399 --> 01:59:25.199
Go, god, the bottom of that lineup, like you know,
2416
01:59:25.319 --> 01:59:28.640
Cam Smith, Well Mount Wade, Bryce Matthews, this is it
2417
01:59:28.720 --> 01:59:30.880
doesn't look like a great Big league lineup.
2418
01:59:31.479 --> 01:59:32.279
They don't care.
2419
01:59:32.520 --> 01:59:34.880
They will put guys in there that are just good
2420
01:59:34.880 --> 01:59:38.319
defenders that don't hit. Jake Myers this year has not hit,
2421
01:59:38.960 --> 01:59:40.840
but they kept running him out there because he's a
2422
01:59:40.880 --> 01:59:44.119
good defender. And you know, again, but it sucks when
2423
01:59:44.119 --> 01:59:45.800
you look at the bottom of the organ, you go, man,
2424
01:59:45.920 --> 01:59:50.520
like my seven, eight, nine are all batting below two twenty, Like, yeah,
2425
01:59:51.039 --> 01:59:52.520
you know what you're gonna be getting at the plate
2426
01:59:52.560 --> 01:59:56.199
because those guys don't produce. But you know, again, they
2427
01:59:57.000 --> 02:00:00.880
are willing to sacrifice offense for good defense, and they've
2428
02:00:01.119 --> 02:00:02.239
shown it time and time again.
2429
02:00:02.520 --> 02:00:04.840
Well, I mean the problem is too. I mean, as
2430
02:00:04.920 --> 02:00:06.920
we've even talked about with some of the struggles that
2431
02:00:06.960 --> 02:00:08.840
you've had with Cam Smith. And it's not just an
2432
02:00:08.840 --> 02:00:11.399
outfield thing too. I mean a guy that you need
2433
02:00:11.399 --> 02:00:14.880
to have a much better offensive second half is Jianer
2434
02:00:14.960 --> 02:00:17.079
Diez too. I mean that's somebody else that can help
2435
02:00:17.159 --> 02:00:20.159
uncloud that picture. But I mean the way that it
2436
02:00:20.239 --> 02:00:23.920
currently is, I mean that's why really you look at it, Gordias.
2437
02:00:24.000 --> 02:00:26.520
I think the lineup is one through five. You can
2438
02:00:26.560 --> 02:00:29.159
count on them. Are they necessarily productive all the time?
2439
02:00:29.279 --> 02:00:32.039
Who is? It's major League Baseball. You're gonna run through slumps.
2440
02:00:32.479 --> 02:00:34.880
Six is a wildcard and then seven, eight to nine
2441
02:00:34.960 --> 02:00:37.520
is pretty much a nothing right now. And you know
2442
02:00:37.600 --> 02:00:40.520
you're talking about having guys in there defensively, like I
2443
02:00:40.600 --> 02:00:46.079
could get past the having Martin Maldonado in there defensively
2444
02:00:46.279 --> 02:00:48.520
and what he gave you from a game planning perspective,
2445
02:00:48.840 --> 02:00:50.840
because I knew that the other eight guys could be
2446
02:00:50.880 --> 02:00:53.800
productive for you at the plate, and it was anything
2447
02:00:53.880 --> 02:00:56.279
offensively that you got out of him was an added bonus.
2448
02:00:56.319 --> 02:00:58.199
But the fact that maybe I've got about two or
2449
02:00:58.239 --> 02:01:01.159
three of those guys vomit.
2450
02:01:01.479 --> 02:01:02.000
I can't.
2451
02:01:02.000 --> 02:01:03.159
I can't live a life like that.
2452
02:01:05.279 --> 02:01:07.079
Well that's the life we're living right now.
2453
02:01:07.119 --> 02:01:11.520
When you got you know, three your top five hitters
2454
02:01:11.520 --> 02:01:15.439
are batting two fifty four below Paradi said two fifty four,
2455
02:01:15.560 --> 02:01:19.159
Christian Walker two thirty seven, ho'sl too, Mada dismal two
2456
02:01:19.199 --> 02:01:21.600
thirty five, and then you're outfitlers.
2457
02:01:21.640 --> 02:01:23.199
Cam Smith's betting two eighteen.
2458
02:01:24.119 --> 02:01:27.359
Bryce Matthews before the injury was batting one ninety seven.
2459
02:01:27.479 --> 02:01:30.840
I mean, good lord, we're gonna we're gonna replace the
2460
02:01:30.880 --> 02:01:34.399
Mendoza line with the Matthews line pretty soon. If Bryce Matthews,
2461
02:01:34.439 --> 02:01:37.520
you know, doesn't pick it up offensively. But you know,
2462
02:01:37.560 --> 02:01:40.479
even Christian Vasquez his his his bat cooled off from
2463
02:01:40.840 --> 02:01:41.439
earlier in the year.
2464
02:01:41.439 --> 02:01:42.479
He's down to two twenty.
2465
02:01:42.920 --> 02:01:45.560
And Yanner Diaz, who's supposed to be one of the
2466
02:01:45.560 --> 02:01:49.359
best hitting catchers in baseball, back two forty eight. I mean, like,
2467
02:01:49.439 --> 02:01:51.960
how many how many dudes in your lineup can bat
2468
02:01:52.000 --> 02:01:55.239
sub two fifty this year and keep getting run out.
2469
02:01:55.159 --> 02:01:55.720
There every day?
2470
02:01:55.720 --> 02:01:58.840
It's it's it's like it's we are. We are in
2471
02:01:58.880 --> 02:02:00.880
a world Dan where it is boom or bust. Either
2472
02:02:00.960 --> 02:02:02.920
Jordan Alvarez is gonna go off and hit a couple
2473
02:02:02.960 --> 02:02:05.479
of home runs and that's gonna be our offensive production
2474
02:02:05.880 --> 02:02:08.920
or we're gonna lose eight to nothing because nobody.
2475
02:02:08.640 --> 02:02:09.359
Could score a run.
2476
02:02:09.640 --> 02:02:13.880
Well, if you do rename the Mendoza line after Bryce Matthews,
2477
02:02:13.920 --> 02:02:16.239
just make sure you spell it correctly, not with one T,
2478
02:02:16.680 --> 02:02:18.760
you know, I just I don't want that confusion for
2479
02:02:18.880 --> 02:02:21.119
my own family name's sake. You know, it's one of
2480
02:02:21.119 --> 02:02:24.560
those I bat above two hundred Gordy, so I wouldn't
2481
02:02:24.600 --> 02:02:30.600
be in danger of being being in that category. But regardless, Yeah,
2482
02:02:30.640 --> 02:02:32.840
I mean I don't know. I haven't gone back to
2483
02:02:32.840 --> 02:02:35.800
ask my ancestors, Hey, why did you go with one T? Like,
2484
02:02:35.920 --> 02:02:37.760
you know, like why didn't we just like go ahead
2485
02:02:37.760 --> 02:02:39.319
and just like blend in with the crowd and go
2486
02:02:39.359 --> 02:02:41.920
with two Which can you imagine with all the basic
2487
02:02:41.960 --> 02:02:44.159
white guys Whenever I tell them my name, and they're like, oh,
2488
02:02:44.199 --> 02:02:46.520
your parents should have named you Dave. Thanks buddy. Yeah.
2489
02:02:46.560 --> 02:02:47.720
You know what, as a matter of fact, I'll go
2490
02:02:47.720 --> 02:02:50.439
back to nineteen eighty five and be like, hey, actually
2491
02:02:50.479 --> 02:02:51.880
I want you to call me this. It'd be like
2492
02:02:51.920 --> 02:02:54.560
that Will Ferrell skit. Oh we were gonna name you Michael,
2493
02:02:54.640 --> 02:02:57.399
Well it's Ted. I could have done that.
2494
02:02:58.840 --> 02:02:59.159
Yeah.
2495
02:03:00.239 --> 02:03:03.680
Well, anyway, the bigger issue, I mean, this is why
2496
02:03:03.720 --> 02:03:06.640
we're going to continue to hear their name, the Astros,
2497
02:03:07.359 --> 02:03:12.119
you know, possibly being in the market for an outfielder,
2498
02:03:12.279 --> 02:03:14.159
and I get when they say like, well, we're looking
2499
02:03:14.159 --> 02:03:15.840
for a left handed bat, we're looking for a left
2500
02:03:15.840 --> 02:03:19.600
hand outfielder. I'll take a what do you call that
2501
02:03:19.640 --> 02:03:22.800
where you're ambidextrous outfielder.
2502
02:03:22.800 --> 02:03:25.079
I don't care. Give me a guy who that's left
2503
02:03:25.159 --> 02:03:27.560
right both. I don't care. Give me somebody who can hit.
2504
02:03:27.680 --> 02:03:28.359
That's what I need.
2505
02:03:28.520 --> 02:03:30.159
Yeah, well, lot Wade's giving you, you know, in a
2506
02:03:30.239 --> 02:03:32.920
small sample size, giving you a good, good action. I'm
2507
02:03:32.960 --> 02:03:35.520
all for him get more playing time because he seems
2508
02:03:35.560 --> 02:03:37.520
to be making the most out of it now.
2509
02:03:37.640 --> 02:03:39.319
I mean, it's definitely been a lot better than what
2510
02:03:39.359 --> 02:03:41.960
you'd been getting out of that group, for sure. And uh,
2511
02:03:42.159 --> 02:03:44.199
I mean, we'll get a couple of weeks to see
2512
02:03:44.319 --> 02:03:47.239
what that outfield picture can look like and if indeed
2513
02:03:47.279 --> 02:03:49.199
you do need to make a pretty significant move there
2514
02:03:49.199 --> 02:03:51.079
at the trade deadline. As I know that that's what
2515
02:03:51.159 --> 02:03:53.520
Brian and Parland wants to talk about. Give you that
2516
02:03:53.560 --> 02:03:55.840
opportunity you want to get in on the Astros discussion.
2517
02:03:55.960 --> 02:03:56.279
Do so?
2518
02:03:56.399 --> 02:03:58.880
Someone three two one two five seventy ninety get it's
2519
02:03:58.920 --> 02:04:02.319
someone three two one two five seven nineties. We continue
2520
02:04:02.319 --> 02:04:05.279
to roll along here. He's Chris Gordy, Dan Matthews, Tripley,
2521
02:04:05.279 --> 02:04:08.560
Emmanuel Elmore hanging out with you here on the Morning Drive.
2522
02:04:08.880 --> 02:04:12.600
In addition to any of the potential trades the Astros
2523
02:04:12.600 --> 02:04:16.159
could make Gordy, we did get some news yesterday on
2524
02:04:16.159 --> 02:04:18.720
one Mike Burrows and what I think that spells for
2525
02:04:18.840 --> 02:04:21.079
the rest of his twenty twenty six season. We'll talk
2526
02:04:21.119 --> 02:04:23.199
about it right here as we continue. It's the Morning
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head through the doors over there at Kobe Stevens Apparel.
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the fishing shirts, the ladies and youth options. I mean,
2550
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you're gonna be coming out there and you're gonna be saying, man,
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02:05:24.760 --> 02:05:26.319
I got a lot of clothes, and I didn't really
2552
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have to spend all that much money. That's what Kobe
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Stevens Apparel offers to you. There's always great deals online
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oh too, Lowetta Road, go out there, check them out.
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That's Koby Stephens dot Com, Coby Stevens with the VS
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at the end. It's Kobe Stevens dot Com, Cobe Stevens Apparel.
2559
02:05:50.920 --> 02:05:57.760
Down set Drive. This is the Morning Drive with Dan Matthews.
2560
02:05:59.279 --> 02:06:02.560
We'll get to see Mike Burrow's top conversation here in
2561
02:06:02.640 --> 02:06:04.239
just a second. But see a couple of you on
2562
02:06:04.279 --> 02:06:05.800
the phone lines. Want to give you a chance to
2563
02:06:05.840 --> 02:06:08.840
be able to weigh on in at someone three two
2564
02:06:08.840 --> 02:06:12.079
on two five seven ninety. Brian Appareland wants to get in. Brian,
2565
02:06:12.119 --> 02:06:14.439
good morning, by good mornen.
2566
02:06:15.039 --> 02:06:17.520
Dan Gordy, Hey, y'all are talking real quick, and I'll
2567
02:06:17.520 --> 02:06:20.039
get to the kind of the trade deadline. A couple
2568
02:06:20.079 --> 02:06:23.399
of players that I've heard names of and kind of
2569
02:06:23.439 --> 02:06:26.239
intrigued me. But y'all were talking right tow the top
2570
02:06:26.279 --> 02:06:28.920
of the Hour Break about you know, a spot in Danum,
2571
02:06:29.159 --> 02:06:31.199
you know, possibly being on the hot seat. And I
2572
02:06:31.199 --> 02:06:34.000
would say Dana more so than Joe because what is
2573
02:06:34.000 --> 02:06:37.680
still it's like, what have you given me to work with?
2574
02:06:37.760 --> 02:06:41.159
Like you've given me a bunch of trash or nuts
2575
02:06:41.159 --> 02:06:44.239
crashing theory, but you know you've given me a bunch
2576
02:06:44.279 --> 02:06:47.600
of four eight players top to my guys have been hurt.
2577
02:06:47.840 --> 02:06:49.199
What am I supposed to do?
2578
02:06:49.359 --> 02:06:49.479
Like?
2579
02:06:49.520 --> 02:06:51.520
What am I supposed to make.
2580
02:06:51.319 --> 02:06:51.800
Out of this?
2581
02:06:52.159 --> 02:06:54.279
I can't help my guys under performer. Now, some of
2582
02:06:54.319 --> 02:06:57.680
it is roster construction and all that, but overall, I
2583
02:06:57.720 --> 02:07:02.039
don't think he's made terrible decisions about who to go
2584
02:07:02.119 --> 02:07:06.640
to win or you know who maybe give maybe okay,
2585
02:07:06.640 --> 02:07:08.760
you shouldn't have given this guy a day off year
2586
02:07:09.239 --> 02:07:13.319
maybe sometimes the Sunday lineup. But in theory, when you're
2587
02:07:13.560 --> 02:07:17.840
running out Bryce Matthews and Dustin Harrison Junior, and you know,
2588
02:07:18.119 --> 02:07:21.640
and then you don't really have a bona fide big
2589
02:07:21.760 --> 02:07:25.199
league outfielder, Like what am I supposed to do it?
2590
02:07:25.239 --> 02:07:28.840
I'm running out Peter Lambert and Jason Alexander and Pulton
2591
02:07:28.880 --> 02:07:32.119
Gordon powerfully out there now. Credit Peter Lambert has been
2592
02:07:32.319 --> 02:07:36.119
a fine, but my pitching staff has been in shambles, Like,
2593
02:07:36.439 --> 02:07:39.119
I think that has to give Joe at least one
2594
02:07:39.159 --> 02:07:41.359
more year of reprieved to go. Can I at least
2595
02:07:41.399 --> 02:07:44.920
get a healthy roster once or a mostly healthy roster
2596
02:07:45.000 --> 02:07:47.199
to play with and then judge me on that. So
2597
02:07:47.600 --> 02:07:49.479
that's where I think Joe could at least have a
2598
02:07:49.560 --> 02:07:53.239
leg up. I get it, Hey, you miss you've underperformed
2599
02:07:53.239 --> 02:07:57.039
in the other two seasons. But you know, I think
2600
02:07:57.119 --> 02:07:57.760
Joe would at.
2601
02:07:57.720 --> 02:07:58.479
Least get it.
2602
02:07:58.640 --> 02:08:02.319
Get a pass on from the aspect. I heard a
2603
02:08:03.359 --> 02:08:08.399
followed on social media the other day. Another Houston sports
2604
02:08:08.399 --> 02:08:12.840
personality who's a free agent right now called the Lot
2605
02:08:12.920 --> 02:08:15.800
mentioned something. I didn't think it was that terrible of
2606
02:08:15.840 --> 02:08:19.399
an idea, assuming the blue days, you know, keep going down,
2607
02:08:19.720 --> 02:08:22.399
he'd mentioned, And I don't think it's a terrible idea.
2608
02:08:22.399 --> 02:08:24.039
I'm not advotating to say we should do it or
2609
02:08:24.079 --> 02:08:27.319
I would even happen. He mentioned, would you would you
2610
02:08:27.359 --> 02:08:29.760
cause around the idea of bringing back George Springer for
2611
02:08:29.760 --> 02:08:31.600
the rest of the season. I think it would be
2612
02:08:31.640 --> 02:08:34.079
a half season. The rental, you probably wouldn't have to
2613
02:08:34.119 --> 02:08:37.319
give up much. You know, you're probably only paying maybe
2614
02:08:37.760 --> 02:08:41.880
what seven million left or so on that contract for
2615
02:08:41.920 --> 02:08:44.840
the rest of the year. So I'm sure there's some
2616
02:08:44.920 --> 02:08:47.319
other moves you can make to free up that money
2617
02:08:47.319 --> 02:08:49.279
if you don't already have it, I think you would
2618
02:08:49.279 --> 02:08:50.960
give you a shot in the arm kind of just
2619
02:08:51.159 --> 02:08:56.039
energy wise, he's better than Bryce Matthews and probably Lamont
2620
02:08:56.079 --> 02:09:01.239
Waite Junior. So I thought it was an interesting ideas, like, hey,
2621
02:09:01.159 --> 02:09:05.640
they brought back old guys before, between Perlander and Prey
2622
02:09:05.720 --> 02:09:09.600
and all that, so assuming Springer would even consider coming back,
2623
02:09:10.199 --> 02:09:13.720
it was an interesting idea anyway. And then I don't
2624
02:09:13.800 --> 02:09:16.520
follow the dive deep into the box scores, but I
2625
02:09:16.600 --> 02:09:20.000
followed the like summary headlines on X and I always
2626
02:09:20.039 --> 02:09:23.439
see Cavin Bigio having a decent year at Triple A.
2627
02:09:23.520 --> 02:09:26.640
And I'm curious to know he's played outfield before with
2628
02:09:26.680 --> 02:09:29.039
the Blue Jays and with the Dodgers. He has a
2629
02:09:29.159 --> 02:09:32.079
left handed bat. He can also spell at first faith
2630
02:09:32.600 --> 02:09:36.960
either paying a first second or outfield because is he
2631
02:09:37.079 --> 02:09:40.000
out of minor league auctions And that's why they haven't
2632
02:09:40.000 --> 02:09:41.720
brought him up, because if they bring him up, they
2633
02:09:41.720 --> 02:09:45.000
have to leave him here. I just I don't understand
2634
02:09:45.159 --> 02:09:47.520
why he hasn't at least had a shot to say,
2635
02:09:49.000 --> 02:09:51.760
I can't be worth standing else you're running out on
2636
02:09:51.800 --> 02:09:53.760
a day to day basis. I mean, plus, he's the
2637
02:09:54.359 --> 02:09:57.079
Saint Thomas all of not always helped. You know, he's
2638
02:09:57.119 --> 02:09:59.640
a good man, good character, you got to know that.
2639
02:09:59.720 --> 02:10:02.039
But I'm just curious. He's a left hand in Betty's
2640
02:10:02.079 --> 02:10:04.640
kind of what you're looking for. He's you know, I
2641
02:10:04.680 --> 02:10:06.800
always see he's hitting the home run every two or
2642
02:10:06.840 --> 02:10:10.479
three games, like he can't be any worse than the
2643
02:10:10.560 --> 02:10:13.159
what you're trotting out on a daily basis. So I
2644
02:10:13.159 --> 02:10:16.039
thought that was kind of interesting, and I'd be curious
2645
02:10:16.039 --> 02:10:18.000
to see him get a shot at least before the
2646
02:10:18.039 --> 02:10:20.600
deadline to see what's there and if he be a trade
2647
02:10:20.640 --> 02:10:21.520
ship for somebody.
2648
02:10:21.640 --> 02:10:27.199
So I appreciate it. Brian efn d, Yeah, it doesn't
2649
02:10:27.239 --> 02:10:31.159
hurt that you've got a guy that's a former Saint
2650
02:10:31.199 --> 02:10:35.279
Thomas Eagle Gordy. But as Brian asked, yes, he is
2651
02:10:35.319 --> 02:10:37.439
out of minor league options, and I think that probably
2652
02:10:38.039 --> 02:10:40.439
is part of the reason why they haven't called him up,
2653
02:10:40.479 --> 02:10:43.399
because then if you find yourself in a roster crunch,
2654
02:10:43.840 --> 02:10:46.680
then you probably have to dfam, and if you dfam,
2655
02:10:46.680 --> 02:10:49.039
you run the risk of somebody else jumping in picking
2656
02:10:49.079 --> 02:10:51.399
him up, and then you don't have the option to
2657
02:10:51.399 --> 02:10:53.319
be able to run him back here. So I think
2658
02:10:53.319 --> 02:10:56.880
that's probably been a huge reason. I would probably have
2659
02:10:56.920 --> 02:11:00.479
to guess if they have any remote ideas of having
2660
02:11:00.560 --> 02:11:02.199
him be part of this roster, that it's going to
2661
02:11:02.239 --> 02:11:05.640
happen here pretty quickly. Who knows, Maybe this is right
2662
02:11:05.680 --> 02:11:09.159
now where we've been talking about Myers and low Brafito
2663
02:11:09.199 --> 02:11:12.159
coming back, that it's just one of those guys come back,
2664
02:11:12.239 --> 02:11:14.039
and the other one that comes up is going to
2665
02:11:14.039 --> 02:11:16.279
be Cavin Bigio and finally just give him a chance
2666
02:11:16.319 --> 02:11:18.239
and see, all right if it works out, keeping the
2667
02:11:18.279 --> 02:11:20.399
rest of the way. If it doesn't, then move on
2668
02:11:20.479 --> 02:11:22.079
and you're probably going to make a trade anyway.
2669
02:11:23.239 --> 02:11:27.119
Well, let me jump in here. The Kevin Bigio.
2670
02:11:27.239 --> 02:11:29.720
The last couple of weeks, the average is picked up
2671
02:11:29.760 --> 02:11:31.600
a little bit, but he's still bat around two fifty
2672
02:11:31.640 --> 02:11:35.479
two sixty. You know it's and that's in triple A.
2673
02:11:35.680 --> 02:11:37.479
What do you think he's gonna do against big league pitching?
2674
02:11:37.520 --> 02:11:40.760
It probably translates more to a two ten average, right
2675
02:11:40.960 --> 02:11:43.199
he has did a couple of home runs. I'm kind
2676
02:11:43.199 --> 02:11:45.760
of with you. I thought, you know at one point,
2677
02:11:45.920 --> 02:11:47.800
you know where he was the bat was heating up
2678
02:11:47.840 --> 02:11:50.239
that that maybe they might give him a chance, just.
2679
02:11:50.159 --> 02:11:51.960
Give him an opportunity to show what he can do.
2680
02:11:52.039 --> 02:11:53.239
And when Dana always.
2681
02:11:53.000 --> 02:11:55.680
Talks about left handed bat, left handed bat, well, he
2682
02:11:55.760 --> 02:11:58.560
is a left handed bat. But uh, the other part
2683
02:11:58.560 --> 02:12:02.159
of that is no Apps, absolutely not on George Springer.
2684
02:12:03.239 --> 02:12:06.800
First off, he is primarily dhing this year. They're not
2685
02:12:06.800 --> 02:12:09.800
even putting him the outfield because he's he's aging. I
2686
02:12:09.840 --> 02:12:11.960
know he's in the last year of his contract, but
2687
02:12:12.039 --> 02:12:14.880
have you seen his numbers. He's betting two eighteen. He's
2688
02:12:14.920 --> 02:12:17.239
worse than He's worse than what you're running out there
2689
02:12:17.279 --> 02:12:19.800
in the outfield right now. So we need to stop
2690
02:12:19.840 --> 02:12:22.560
with the whole we get attached to guys and fan
2691
02:12:22.600 --> 02:12:25.159
favorites and all that. You gotta remove that stuff, man,
2692
02:12:25.239 --> 02:12:28.680
I mean the Karia thing. Look, you're stuck with him.
2693
02:12:28.760 --> 02:12:30.600
He's gonna be here the next handful of years. He's
2694
02:12:30.600 --> 02:12:33.600
already we're concerned about injuries while he already is injured
2695
02:12:33.600 --> 02:12:37.399
and missing this in almost entire season. So we got
2696
02:12:37.399 --> 02:12:41.239
to stop with the aging lovable you know guys that
2697
02:12:41.279 --> 02:12:43.960
were here once, Like, look, George is gonna come back
2698
02:12:43.960 --> 02:12:46.279
here when his career is done and we're going to
2699
02:12:46.359 --> 02:12:47.960
retire his jersey and he's going to be an aster
2700
02:12:48.119 --> 02:12:50.840
for life and all that. But stop with the emotional
2701
02:12:50.880 --> 02:12:53.159
attachments to wanting to bring guys back. He's not a
2702
02:12:53.159 --> 02:12:56.600
good baseball player right now. He would not help this team.
2703
02:12:57.079 --> 02:12:59.520
Carlos Korey is not helping this team. Heck, Jose Al
2704
02:12:59.520 --> 02:13:02.520
Tuovay's hurting this team right now batting two thirty five.
2705
02:13:02.760 --> 02:13:04.560
Like we got to stop with the.
2706
02:13:04.520 --> 02:13:08.680
Old guys from seventeen and twenty two and all reunion. Yeah,
2707
02:13:08.720 --> 02:13:10.760
it would be great, it'd be a great storyline. Guess what,
2708
02:13:10.800 --> 02:13:13.159
We're trying to win baseball games. I need guys who
2709
02:13:13.199 --> 02:13:14.840
can help me win baseball games right now.
2710
02:13:15.000 --> 02:13:18.239
Well, I think it's twofold with Springer, is I mean,
2711
02:13:18.279 --> 02:13:20.279
you know, and Brian brought it up. I mean I
2712
02:13:20.319 --> 02:13:23.279
heard the same thing last week. I think that one,
2713
02:13:23.720 --> 02:13:28.039
it's perception that things like this can happen because you
2714
02:13:28.079 --> 02:13:30.439
did it last year with Carlos Korea. But I mean
2715
02:13:30.479 --> 02:13:32.640
it is also, to your point, Korea a little bit
2716
02:13:32.640 --> 02:13:36.000
more productive when you added him back, and I mean
2717
02:13:36.039 --> 02:13:38.279
he at least for the rest of last season and
2718
02:13:38.319 --> 02:13:40.520
in the beginning part of this season was still at
2719
02:13:40.600 --> 02:13:43.920
least give you decent enough middle of the order production there.
2720
02:13:44.319 --> 02:13:46.279
I think the other one, too, is that there's the
2721
02:13:46.319 --> 02:13:50.159
perception that Jim does have still a strong affinity and
2722
02:13:50.199 --> 02:13:54.159
attachment to those years, which I get, but I mean
2723
02:13:54.359 --> 02:13:56.359
it is kind of one of those Gordy that at
2724
02:13:56.439 --> 02:13:59.399
least thinking about it from that perspective of look at
2725
02:13:59.439 --> 02:14:01.760
the ballpark right now, look at Dyke and Park. You're
2726
02:14:01.760 --> 02:14:04.640
not filling that thing up at the moment. And I
2727
02:14:04.640 --> 02:14:07.560
mean I could understand kind of the temptation of it
2728
02:14:07.600 --> 02:14:10.039
of hey, you bring back a Springer, you get some
2729
02:14:10.079 --> 02:14:11.920
of those jerseys back in the building, you get some
2730
02:14:11.960 --> 02:14:14.039
people that are at least excited about it. I'm not
2731
02:14:14.039 --> 02:14:16.279
saying that it's a good baseball savvy move. I'm with
2732
02:14:16.319 --> 02:14:19.039
you on that, but I'm just saying that, like, at least,
2733
02:14:19.039 --> 02:14:21.479
if nothing else, it kind of starts to turn the
2734
02:14:21.479 --> 02:14:22.880
wheels in your mind about it.
2735
02:14:24.920 --> 02:14:26.039
No, absolutely not.
2736
02:14:26.079 --> 02:14:26.279
We're not.
2737
02:14:26.399 --> 02:14:28.199
We're not. We're trying to win baseball games.
2738
02:14:28.239 --> 02:14:31.199
We're not trying to put butts in seats for entertainment
2739
02:14:31.319 --> 02:14:34.439
value of nostalgia. We can we can have a we
2740
02:14:34.439 --> 02:14:37.560
could have a reunion night next year, we'll we'll have
2741
02:14:37.600 --> 02:14:40.239
a we'll have the ten year reunion of the seventeen
2742
02:14:40.279 --> 02:14:42.560
championship team, and we'll bring back all those guys and
2743
02:14:42.600 --> 02:14:46.039
we'll all shed tears and get emotional. But I just
2744
02:14:46.039 --> 02:14:49.159
think it's stupid to want to bring back guys who
2745
02:14:49.239 --> 02:14:52.159
suck at baseball. Right now, again, Kray is back, and
2746
02:14:52.439 --> 02:14:54.840
he wasn't exactly tearing the cover off the ball and
2747
02:14:54.920 --> 02:14:58.000
rip it home runs and then he gets hurt hitting
2748
02:14:58.000 --> 02:15:00.680
a foul ball off his foot and be and misses
2749
02:15:00.720 --> 02:15:03.600
the rest of the year. I'm not bringing back George
2750
02:15:03.640 --> 02:15:07.039
Springer to do the same thing. It's just it's again.
2751
02:15:07.239 --> 02:15:09.520
He will always be a great, great astro. But I mean, like,
2752
02:15:09.760 --> 02:15:12.920
should the Texans bring back Arian Foster because of nostalgia? No,
2753
02:15:13.079 --> 02:15:16.039
he's a crappy football player. Now, Like, we're not bringing
2754
02:15:16.119 --> 02:15:17.199
back guys for nostalgia.
2755
02:15:17.399 --> 02:15:19.479
Okay, how about bringing back DeAndre Hopkins?
2756
02:15:19.520 --> 02:15:19.680
Then?
2757
02:15:20.439 --> 02:15:21.600
Can we can we meet in the middle?
2758
02:15:22.760 --> 02:15:26.680
No, I mean maybe what the new flag football team
2759
02:15:26.720 --> 02:15:29.600
the Texans are starting. Maybe, but not for the not
2760
02:15:29.680 --> 02:15:31.239
for the professional football team.
2761
02:15:31.279 --> 02:15:34.039
No, he's better than that. Come on, Gordy, don't be
2762
02:15:34.079 --> 02:15:34.560
so mean.
2763
02:15:36.399 --> 02:15:37.920
God, we get we got to get out of our
2764
02:15:37.960 --> 02:15:40.600
feelings sometimes Houston with some of this crap. It's like
2765
02:15:40.840 --> 02:15:44.239
it's again, great, great players, great memories and all that,
2766
02:15:44.279 --> 02:15:46.159
but we're not We're not going backwards.
2767
02:15:46.159 --> 02:15:46.960
We're going forwards.
2768
02:15:46.960 --> 02:15:49.760
We need we need new stars to emerge. We don't
2769
02:15:49.760 --> 02:15:51.560
need to bring back old washed up stars.
2770
02:15:51.960 --> 02:15:54.640
All right, Well, speaking of people that you want to emerge,
2771
02:15:54.680 --> 02:15:56.840
the Astros had hopes for Mike Burrows to do that
2772
02:15:56.920 --> 02:15:59.439
this year now kind of feels like that. Twenty twenty
2773
02:15:59.479 --> 02:16:02.840
six has been written the newest development yesterday. Talk about
2774
02:16:02.880 --> 02:16:06.319
that as we continue. It's the Morning Drive. He's Chris Gordy, Triple,
2775
02:16:06.319 --> 02:16:10.079
Emmanuel elmart Dan Matthews. We make up the Morning Drive
2776
02:16:10.239 --> 02:16:12.199
right here. Sports Talk seven ninety.
2777
02:16:13.920 --> 02:16:20.079
Reeal takes real reaction, real Houston. Sports Talk seven ninety
2778
02:16:20.359 --> 02:16:21.720
guarantee human.
2779
02:16:23.039 --> 02:16:25.399
I think most of Astro's Twitter agrees with you. Gordy.
2780
02:16:25.520 --> 02:16:30.039
By the way, you know about the idea of George Springer, Well,
2781
02:16:30.119 --> 02:16:32.600
I guess in your case poo pooing on the idea.
2782
02:16:32.920 --> 02:16:35.840
But it doesn't really seem like that there is a
2783
02:16:35.879 --> 02:16:39.440
massive appetite like okay, fine, let's just say that they
2784
02:16:39.479 --> 02:16:43.120
did that, Like how quickly would those turn into oh,
2785
02:16:43.159 --> 02:16:44.680
he's not the same guy anymore.
2786
02:16:47.280 --> 02:16:50.040
Yeah, I mean they did it with Correa last year
2787
02:16:50.159 --> 02:16:53.120
and you know after the trade deadline when they got him.
2788
02:16:53.280 --> 02:16:55.600
Here's the other part too. The Blue Jays are two
2789
02:16:55.639 --> 02:16:57.920
and a half out of a wild card spot. Why
2790
02:16:57.959 --> 02:17:00.200
are they sellers? Why would they give up, you know,
2791
02:17:00.200 --> 02:17:03.280
a guy that's supposed to be one of their main pieces.
2792
02:17:04.000 --> 02:17:06.639
Other than the fact that he's sucking right now, which again,
2793
02:17:07.000 --> 02:17:08.639
why would you want a player that's sucking.
2794
02:17:09.000 --> 02:17:10.479
It doesn't make any sense.
2795
02:17:10.840 --> 02:17:14.239
Other than he's one of bus We love him, Okay, great,
2796
02:17:14.600 --> 02:17:16.319
you can still love him and him not be part
2797
02:17:16.360 --> 02:17:19.399
of this team. He stinks he's making twenty four million
2798
02:17:19.399 --> 02:17:21.680
dollars right now, so like, I just I'm not.
2799
02:17:22.840 --> 02:17:24.760
It doesn't make any sense on any front.
2800
02:17:25.479 --> 02:17:28.000
He was hitting better, and the Blue Jays had some
2801
02:17:28.040 --> 02:17:31.000
better you know, some better young talent that was up
2802
02:17:31.040 --> 02:17:33.120
and coming. You're like, yeah, maybe it's best to turn
2803
02:17:33.159 --> 02:17:36.440
the page and move on. It makes zero sense on
2804
02:17:36.520 --> 02:17:37.120
all fronts.
2805
02:17:37.399 --> 02:17:39.520
Don't you love me? I can love you from a distance.
2806
02:17:39.520 --> 02:17:42.280
It's okay, that's that's that's Chris Gordy in a nutshell
2807
02:17:42.399 --> 02:17:46.479
right there. You throw the love around very willy nilly
2808
02:17:46.520 --> 02:17:47.520
there Gordy.
2809
02:17:47.559 --> 02:17:49.719
It's like running into an x Stan and she's put
2810
02:17:49.760 --> 02:17:52.319
on thirty pounds and she's kind of ugly near now,
2811
02:17:52.719 --> 02:17:54.799
but she's like take me back, and you're like, oh,
2812
02:17:54.840 --> 02:17:56.440
but I remember all the good times.
2813
02:17:56.760 --> 02:17:58.639
No, sorry, not a good fit.
2814
02:18:00.799 --> 02:18:03.079
Don't we all deep down want that to be the case.
2815
02:18:03.479 --> 02:18:05.879
Don't we like want to have some satisfaction right there
2816
02:18:05.920 --> 02:18:08.559
where it's like, see, I was right to move on.
2817
02:18:10.280 --> 02:18:12.319
I I was in the right, but I'm sure probably
2818
02:18:12.319 --> 02:18:14.200
it's the other way around too, where it's just like, oh,
2819
02:18:14.239 --> 02:18:16.799
he's gotten fat, all right, I dodged a bullet there
2820
02:18:16.959 --> 02:18:19.840
it happens. Don't act like yeh haven't been that way before,
2821
02:18:20.000 --> 02:18:25.120
any of you judgmental in the audience. Whatever. Anyway, Hey,
2822
02:18:25.440 --> 02:18:30.079
Mike Burrows, Yesterday, Gordy, at about eleven o'clock, we got
2823
02:18:30.079 --> 02:18:33.559
the news that, just like Kaiwai Dung, that his option
2824
02:18:33.799 --> 02:18:36.920
was rescinded because he was going on the IL. And
2825
02:18:37.399 --> 02:18:40.280
just after eleven o'clock yesterday, I had heard the words
2826
02:18:40.399 --> 02:18:43.239
newritis for the first time in my entire life. Like
2827
02:18:43.280 --> 02:18:45.520
it almost is like with some of these injuries that
2828
02:18:45.600 --> 02:18:48.280
I'm just like that doesn't even sound like it makes sense,
2829
02:18:48.399 --> 02:18:52.879
Like I guess persida is Okay, neuropathy, sure, but like,
2830
02:18:52.959 --> 02:18:55.440
do you even know what neuurritis is? Like I heard
2831
02:18:55.440 --> 02:18:57.559
Matt and Ross talk about this yesterday and I was
2832
02:18:57.680 --> 02:18:59.799
just like, I don't even know if that's a thing.
2833
02:19:00.159 --> 02:19:02.559
Then again, I didn't go to medical school for seven years.
2834
02:19:03.799 --> 02:19:04.959
Yeah, I had to google it.
2835
02:19:04.959 --> 02:19:08.559
It's inflammation of the the nerve on your old nerve
2836
02:19:09.920 --> 02:19:10.559
in the elbow.
2837
02:19:10.600 --> 02:19:12.680
Basically, okay, but you.
2838
02:19:12.680 --> 02:19:17.399
Remember the old John Lovett's character on SNL where he
2839
02:19:17.479 --> 02:19:20.159
was like, yeah, that's the ticket. I feel like that's
2840
02:19:20.239 --> 02:19:23.200
every time the Astros have a player that stinks and
2841
02:19:23.239 --> 02:19:25.799
they send him down, they're like, yeah, and he's hurt.
2842
02:19:25.959 --> 02:19:27.079
Yeah, that's the ticket.
2843
02:19:27.159 --> 02:19:29.680
Like it's they did it with Tongue, they did it
2844
02:19:29.719 --> 02:19:30.360
with Burrows.
2845
02:19:30.399 --> 02:19:32.680
It's like I don't know why.
2846
02:19:32.840 --> 02:19:34.760
I mean, does is it a thing where like it
2847
02:19:34.799 --> 02:19:37.479
opens up another spot because the guy's hurt or whatever,
2848
02:19:37.920 --> 02:19:39.760
so it gives you some roster flexibility.
2849
02:19:39.840 --> 02:19:41.920
I don't know whatever the whatever the issue.
2850
02:19:41.680 --> 02:19:44.559
Is, but it just does feel like that's kind of like, yeah,
2851
02:19:44.559 --> 02:19:46.840
we sent Burrows down because he sucks. No, actually, he
2852
02:19:47.000 --> 02:19:50.319
was hurt after all. That's that's why all this happened.
2853
02:19:50.360 --> 02:19:52.239
I think I think it's just opened up an extra
2854
02:19:52.959 --> 02:19:54.079
spot on the active roster.
2855
02:19:54.319 --> 02:19:56.719
I think he just stumbled upon something right there. I mean,
2856
02:19:56.760 --> 02:19:58.719
you know, usually the best way to be able to
2857
02:19:58.799 --> 02:20:01.319
kind of laugh your way through struggles is exactly that,
2858
02:20:01.479 --> 02:20:04.600
to have humor. So now I'm going to imagine that
2859
02:20:04.680 --> 02:20:07.520
Dana Brown in the Astros front office actually have John
2860
02:20:07.559 --> 02:20:11.399
Lovetz's character in there with them. That's like, hmm, you
2861
02:20:11.479 --> 02:20:13.840
know he's hurt.
2862
02:20:14.239 --> 02:20:16.680
Right, And that's and that's what I mean.
2863
02:20:16.719 --> 02:20:18.760
It's like it's been all these guys like you said
2864
02:20:18.799 --> 02:20:20.319
him down, No, he was actually hurt.
2865
02:20:20.360 --> 02:20:22.920
It wasn't it wasn't a demotion. He was. He was
2866
02:20:23.000 --> 02:20:25.040
hurt this whole time. That's why we put him down there.
2867
02:20:25.079 --> 02:20:27.719
But I think that's just to give you a little
2868
02:20:27.719 --> 02:20:29.360
bit of rock rouster flexibility.
2869
02:20:29.479 --> 02:20:31.440
Well, I mean, and that's where you know we've been
2870
02:20:31.479 --> 02:20:33.600
talking about this a little bit later or earlier on.
2871
02:20:33.680 --> 02:20:36.040
I mean, I think that this means that Renel Blanco
2872
02:20:36.200 --> 02:20:38.479
is all but back with the club as soon as
2873
02:20:38.479 --> 02:20:40.399
you get out of the All Star break. And I mean,
2874
02:20:40.479 --> 02:20:42.120
you know we talked about that too. I mean, of
2875
02:20:42.159 --> 02:20:44.879
what he can bring to this rotation. I think what
2876
02:20:45.000 --> 02:20:47.159
this spells out and you know, I know that the
2877
02:20:47.159 --> 02:20:50.040
Matt Thomas show of Ross does gut feelings. My gut
2878
02:20:50.079 --> 02:20:52.680
feeling is twenty twenty six, we've seen the last of
2879
02:20:52.719 --> 02:20:55.639
Mike Burrows in an astros UNI. Like, I think it's
2880
02:20:55.719 --> 02:20:58.799
just to that point that you have done what you
2881
02:20:58.920 --> 02:21:01.479
can in terms of trying to put him in the
2882
02:21:01.520 --> 02:21:04.200
right position. All right, skip a start and then let
2883
02:21:04.239 --> 02:21:06.040
him come back, and then he pitches good for a
2884
02:21:06.079 --> 02:21:09.680
couple of outings. But DC, I think right there they
2885
02:21:09.760 --> 02:21:11.879
kind of just looked at it and just took the
2886
02:21:12.399 --> 02:21:15.399
holistic view at that point and just said this ain't
2887
02:21:15.399 --> 02:21:17.200
gonna get any better in twenty twenty six.
2888
02:21:19.200 --> 02:21:21.639
See, I'm I'm a little bit more optimistic on Burrows.
2889
02:21:21.680 --> 02:21:25.239
I think he's he's young enough and you got team
2890
02:21:25.239 --> 02:21:29.000
control for for years on him. So I'm look, I'm
2891
02:21:29.040 --> 02:21:30.920
hoping he still figures it out this year and that
2892
02:21:31.079 --> 02:21:33.520
and that would solve a lot of problems for you.
2893
02:21:33.600 --> 02:21:36.479
But you know, I think, however this season ends for
2894
02:21:36.559 --> 02:21:38.879
Mike Burrows, you go into the offseason, you get them,
2895
02:21:38.920 --> 02:21:41.440
you work on some things with him. You know, he's
2896
02:21:41.440 --> 02:21:43.920
stole only twenty six years old. Like, I think I
2897
02:21:43.959 --> 02:21:46.680
think you can you can fix this. They liked what
2898
02:21:46.680 --> 02:21:48.200
they saw in him last year. I bring this up
2899
02:21:48.239 --> 02:21:50.479
all the time when the when Astros played the Pirates
2900
02:21:50.559 --> 02:21:54.799
last year they actually beat Paul Skeins. It was Mike
2901
02:21:54.840 --> 02:21:57.360
Burrows that shut them down, that that had great stuff.
2902
02:21:57.440 --> 02:22:00.680
And so yeah, look, anybody who.
2903
02:22:00.600 --> 02:22:03.000
Still got your one a guy that you traded for,
2904
02:22:03.079 --> 02:22:05.719
but two a guy's got years of team control left.
2905
02:22:05.920 --> 02:22:07.280
I'm not going to kick him to the curb.
2906
02:22:07.719 --> 02:22:10.440
Oh I'm not saying kick him to the curb. I'm
2907
02:22:10.440 --> 02:22:12.760
just saying that, like they're going to take their time
2908
02:22:12.840 --> 02:22:15.879
with this injury. It's going to be no throw then
2909
02:22:15.920 --> 02:22:19.120
get back to flat ground and then getting back to
2910
02:22:19.200 --> 02:22:22.440
throwing out like it's going to be a laborious recovery
2911
02:22:22.479 --> 02:22:24.159
from this is the way that I'm reading this.
2912
02:22:25.760 --> 02:22:28.239
See, I don't know. I I think this might have
2913
02:22:28.360 --> 02:22:28.959
just been.
2914
02:22:29.680 --> 02:22:32.479
What do you call it, circumstantial, just to you know,
2915
02:22:34.200 --> 02:22:36.719
to free up free up a spot for the time being.
2916
02:22:36.799 --> 02:22:39.760
Like I he just pitched on a week ago on
2917
02:22:39.879 --> 02:22:43.360
July sixth, So I think even if this is an
2918
02:22:43.399 --> 02:22:46.319
injury that takes a week or two, he can get
2919
02:22:46.319 --> 02:22:49.239
back to throwing and be, you know, get back on
2920
02:22:49.319 --> 02:22:51.360
track pretty quickly. I don't think this is something where
2921
02:22:52.120 --> 02:22:53.520
he's missing for the next month.
2922
02:22:53.920 --> 02:22:55.920
I just I mean, even with some of the names
2923
02:22:55.920 --> 02:22:58.479
too that you've mentioned that are coming down the pike,
2924
02:22:58.559 --> 02:23:00.479
I mean, at least in the immediate I think we'll
2925
02:23:00.479 --> 02:23:02.959
get Blanco first. It sounds like, and at least if
2926
02:23:03.000 --> 02:23:06.440
I was reading this right, mccullar's gonna throw a rehab
2927
02:23:06.440 --> 02:23:09.239
outing on Friday, so then quickly he'll be back, and
2928
02:23:09.280 --> 02:23:11.559
then probably about a couple of weeks behind them, Hayden
2929
02:23:11.600 --> 02:23:13.680
was Nesky starts to work his way back in maybe
2930
02:23:13.680 --> 02:23:15.680
at the end of this month or even the beginning
2931
02:23:15.680 --> 02:23:17.799
part of August, and you start to have those guys,
2932
02:23:18.040 --> 02:23:19.879
I just think that there's others that would be in
2933
02:23:19.959 --> 02:23:22.440
line in front of him before you would eventually come
2934
02:23:22.479 --> 02:23:25.040
back around to all right, let's let's see what Mike
2935
02:23:25.079 --> 02:23:27.040
Burrows has this year, and I just think they're going
2936
02:23:27.079 --> 02:23:29.799
to take their time on that. Someone three two on two,
2937
02:23:29.840 --> 02:23:32.079
five seven ninety is the number to get in the
2938
02:23:32.079 --> 02:23:34.639
Matt Thomas Show with Ross comes your way at ten o'clock.
2939
02:23:34.760 --> 02:23:37.520
And of course, you know, Gordy, I'm just reminded of
2940
02:23:37.559 --> 02:23:39.760
something that you know, me and you we'll have our
2941
02:23:39.879 --> 02:23:41.799
fair share of complaints all the time, but I just
2942
02:23:41.840 --> 02:23:45.200
think us as a society, we look for reasons to complain,
2943
02:23:45.479 --> 02:23:48.639
and it was it was on full focus last night.
2944
02:23:48.680 --> 02:23:50.360
We'll talk about it here as we close out this
2945
02:23:50.479 --> 02:23:54.319
edition of the Morning Drive Sports Talk seven ninety Center
2946
02:23:54.399 --> 02:23:58.319
Genics and the low T Center and on Mondays after
2947
02:23:58.360 --> 02:24:00.079
the show, usually know what you can count on, and
2948
02:24:00.120 --> 02:24:01.879
it's gonna be me out in front of the Greenway
2949
02:24:01.959 --> 02:24:06.040
Plaza location for Centergenics because just got my injection and
2950
02:24:06.440 --> 02:24:10.079
soon enough gonna be in there for another round of testing.
2951
02:24:10.120 --> 02:24:11.639
And you just see, all right, do we need to
2952
02:24:11.680 --> 02:24:14.440
adjust and maybe taper back a little bit on the TRT,
2953
02:24:14.680 --> 02:24:17.680
go up on the PEP sides, or even you know,
2954
02:24:17.719 --> 02:24:20.000
do I need to continue with the estrogen blockers any
2955
02:24:20.040 --> 02:24:23.040
of those things. These are all things that are personally
2956
02:24:23.079 --> 02:24:25.840
tailored to you. Whenever you go in there and you
2957
02:24:25.879 --> 02:24:28.879
get that free T test from Centergenics and the Low
2958
02:24:28.920 --> 02:24:31.600
T Center, and you make that commitment to your health,
2959
02:24:32.000 --> 02:24:33.959
and you go ahead and do it by heading over
2960
02:24:33.959 --> 02:24:36.879
to fix mylow T dot com. That's fixedmlow t dot com.
2961
02:24:36.879 --> 02:24:38.719
And when you head to fix mylow T dot com
2962
02:24:38.799 --> 02:24:41.200
right now, you're gonna see that this is the month
2963
02:24:41.600 --> 02:24:45.079
that you can declare independence from low testosterone at Centergenics,
2964
02:24:45.079 --> 02:24:47.920
the Low T Center, and it's daring. They're two fifty
2965
02:24:48.000 --> 02:24:51.040
four two fifty sale. What does that mean? Right now?
2966
02:24:51.079 --> 02:24:52.920
Like I said, step one, get in there and get
2967
02:24:52.959 --> 02:24:55.680
that free T test. When you do at any Centergenics
2968
02:24:55.760 --> 02:24:58.639
Low T Center location, you start up on test ostero
2969
02:24:58.680 --> 02:25:02.000
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2970
02:25:02.000 --> 02:25:04.000
they're going to receive a two hundred and fifty dollars credit.
2971
02:25:04.079 --> 02:25:07.799
Two and fifty dollars coming back to you to help
2972
02:25:07.879 --> 02:25:10.799
you in your quest to be in better health and
2973
02:25:10.840 --> 02:25:13.079
to have a better quality of life because you are
2974
02:25:13.120 --> 02:25:15.360
in better health. That's what centaer Jencks and the Low
2975
02:25:15.440 --> 02:25:18.040
TI Center are offering to you right now again, get
2976
02:25:18.040 --> 02:25:21.479
started right now. Fixmlow t dot com. That's fixmilow t
2977
02:25:21.639 --> 02:25:23.879
dot com for Center Genics and the Low T Center.
2978
02:25:25.760 --> 02:25:31.399
Page Town Belt Morning Drive continues. Now now here's Dad Matthews,
2979
02:25:33.879 --> 02:25:34.840
got a handful.
2980
02:25:34.479 --> 02:25:37.280
Of more minutes here again, Dan Matthews, Chris Gordy, Triple,
2981
02:25:37.280 --> 02:25:39.799
Emmanuel Elmore hanging out with you, The Max Show with
2982
02:25:39.879 --> 02:25:41.840
Ross coming your way next. Yes, please go ahead?
2983
02:25:42.719 --> 02:25:45.120
Can I throw out a you know Charlie Morton's available.
2984
02:25:45.680 --> 02:25:47.600
You want to you want to just get into reunions.
2985
02:25:47.639 --> 02:25:48.520
We can bring him back.
2986
02:25:49.399 --> 02:25:51.760
I think Dallas Kichel is still kicking around like a
2987
02:25:51.799 --> 02:25:55.040
Mexican League somewhere, so maybe you can bring him back. Uh.
2988
02:25:55.120 --> 02:25:57.719
Colin mccub's been retired, but I mean, you know, he
2989
02:25:57.840 --> 02:25:59.559
was doing a podcast for a while. Maybe he can
2990
02:25:59.600 --> 02:26:02.239
throw a little bit. Let's just make this a whole
2991
02:26:02.280 --> 02:26:03.239
seventeen reunion.
2992
02:26:03.280 --> 02:26:03.559
Why not?
2993
02:26:03.760 --> 02:26:07.520
What about you know the uh one of the greatest
2994
02:26:07.600 --> 02:26:09.639
number thirty six is of all time? Or did he
2995
02:26:09.680 --> 02:26:12.239
wear number thirty eight? I can't remember what Brad Peacock wore,
2996
02:26:12.280 --> 02:26:15.120
but Brad Peacock could Could Brad Peacock come back.
2997
02:26:16.440 --> 02:26:18.520
I'm sure he's hanging around. I'm sure he could throw it,
2998
02:26:18.600 --> 02:26:20.719
throw an inning or two. Why not, We'll just make
2999
02:26:20.760 --> 02:26:23.639
a whole reunion tour. I mean, we're not gonna win games,
3000
02:26:23.799 --> 02:26:25.840
and it's not about making the playoffs anymore. It's just
3001
02:26:25.879 --> 02:26:29.079
a It's we'll call it the Nostalgia Run the r.
3002
02:26:29.159 --> 02:26:31.959
We're just bringing back old names. I mean, maybe Hunter
3003
02:26:32.040 --> 02:26:34.680
Pence can sign a ten day or something. We can
3004
02:26:34.680 --> 02:26:36.799
get him out there, like that's a thought. Just try
3005
02:26:36.799 --> 02:26:37.440
it out.
3006
02:26:37.680 --> 02:26:40.559
Hey, if if Roly hills Walt, maybe he can, you know,
3007
02:26:40.680 --> 02:26:43.520
touch the alternator again and it shocks him. Then you know,
3008
02:26:43.959 --> 02:26:46.319
it makes the shoulder work enough that he can get
3009
02:26:46.360 --> 02:26:48.280
out there and throw a little bit. Now, maybe we're
3010
02:26:48.280 --> 02:26:51.840
stumbling onto a thought right there, Gordy. Who knows, well, I.
3011
02:26:51.840 --> 02:26:55.319
Mean, Julie Guriella is hanging around. I mean, he's like
3012
02:26:55.360 --> 02:26:57.360
forty two or forty three. Now, I'm sure he might
3013
02:26:57.399 --> 02:26:58.479
want to pick up a boat again.
3014
02:26:58.680 --> 02:27:02.680
Sure, sure, I mean Robinson RINOs wherever you are. Maybe,
3015
02:27:02.760 --> 02:27:04.639
so who knows? All right?
3016
02:27:05.200 --> 02:27:08.479
I saw Tyler White the other day, took his nephew
3017
02:27:08.559 --> 02:27:10.280
or something to the game, and he posts on social
3018
02:27:10.319 --> 02:27:12.520
media and he's just sitting in the stands, I think,
3019
02:27:12.520 --> 02:27:15.680
in the upper deck amongst fans. And I'm like, Tyler White,
3020
02:27:15.920 --> 02:27:18.280
the Great White, the guy that was he had some
3021
02:27:18.559 --> 02:27:21.000
nice moments for the Astros, but just sitting as an
3022
02:27:21.000 --> 02:27:22.079
average joe in the stands.
3023
02:27:22.079 --> 02:27:25.360
Now, yeah, And I mean, you know he was part
3024
02:27:25.399 --> 02:27:28.000
of those times. I mean, I'm trying to remember who
3025
02:27:28.120 --> 02:27:31.000
was the guy that everybody called Andre the Giant. It
3026
02:27:31.079 --> 02:27:34.280
was a reliever and then you had Anoli Perettis. You know,
3027
02:27:34.520 --> 02:27:37.159
you could have a second Parrettis as part of the team.
3028
02:27:37.639 --> 02:27:40.399
But who was it? Andre? God? What was what was
3029
02:27:40.399 --> 02:27:41.239
his last name.
3030
02:27:41.959 --> 02:27:47.360
Andre Scrub Andre Scrub, Yes, which he basically he was
3031
02:27:47.399 --> 02:27:48.920
more of a scrub than a giant.
3032
02:27:49.000 --> 02:27:51.520
That's not nice, Gordy. See, you don't have to say
3033
02:27:51.520 --> 02:27:53.200
things like that. You don't have to kick the man
3034
02:27:53.239 --> 02:27:54.360
while he's down. That's me.
3035
02:27:57.280 --> 02:28:01.159
It's mean happen to Brian McGahn.
3036
02:28:01.239 --> 02:28:04.000
By the way, he completely disappeared from the spotlight.
3037
02:28:04.120 --> 02:28:07.239
Yeah, pretty much after you know, the cheating stuff in
3038
02:28:07.280 --> 02:28:09.879
twenty twenty. I think mccanna just said, I don't I
3039
02:28:09.920 --> 02:28:12.559
don't need this. I'm not part of the organization anymore.
3040
02:28:12.600 --> 02:28:14.879
I'll just I'll just go in the low profile mode.
3041
02:28:14.920 --> 02:28:19.280
Which that's his decision. Hey, like I said, we like
3042
02:28:19.360 --> 02:28:22.920
to complain like it's just something that like it dawned
3043
02:28:22.920 --> 02:28:24.799
on me last night as I'm watching the home run
3044
02:28:24.840 --> 02:28:28.079
Derby and almost everybody in Unison on Twitter. This is
3045
02:28:28.159 --> 02:28:31.040
ridiculous that it's on Netflix. I have to you know,
3046
02:28:31.079 --> 02:28:33.280
get a Netflix subscription to be able to watch this.
3047
02:28:33.879 --> 02:28:35.920
You do realize that you're going to have to have
3048
02:28:35.959 --> 02:28:39.520
Netflix for Christmas Eve to watch the NFL correctly, Like
3049
02:28:40.079 --> 02:28:41.760
if you want to watch the Texans that day, which
3050
02:28:41.840 --> 02:28:44.920
locally because it is in the NFL rules that you
3051
02:28:44.959 --> 02:28:47.040
do have to have it locally available, so we're not
3052
02:28:47.079 --> 02:28:48.920
gonna have to worry about it here. But you want
3053
02:28:48.959 --> 02:28:51.120
to watch the other games, you're gonna need Netflix.
3054
02:28:53.680 --> 02:28:56.559
Yeah, well, this is where everything's involved. Wasn't one of
3055
02:28:56.600 --> 02:28:59.840
the playoff games on Peacock or Amazon Prime last year?
3056
02:29:00.159 --> 02:29:03.479
This is Thursday night football move exclusively to Amazon Prime
3057
02:29:03.520 --> 02:29:06.000
the last two years. So this is I mean, this
3058
02:29:06.040 --> 02:29:08.040
is the day and age we live in now. Look,
3059
02:29:08.079 --> 02:29:11.079
we're we're blessed. We have every streaming service in the
3060
02:29:11.079 --> 02:29:13.200
world because my wife watches everything.
3061
02:29:12.799 --> 02:29:15.799
Out there, so we've got it. But I get where
3062
02:29:15.840 --> 02:29:16.520
some people will.
3063
02:29:16.440 --> 02:29:19.440
Be frustrated where it's like a random Friday night Astro's
3064
02:29:19.520 --> 02:29:21.680
game is on Apple TV. I don't have Apple TV,
3065
02:29:22.239 --> 02:29:26.639
Astro's game on a Sundays on Peacock or uh, you know,
3066
02:29:27.719 --> 02:29:29.879
Tooby or one of these other ones. It's like, I
3067
02:29:30.159 --> 02:29:33.559
get it. Not everybody has everything, and it can be frustrating.
3068
02:29:33.639 --> 02:29:35.280
I saw one guy post the last night he goes
3069
02:29:35.799 --> 02:29:37.319
I didn't even know the all. I didn't even know
3070
02:29:37.360 --> 02:29:39.879
the Home Run Derby was on because I don't have Netflix,
3071
02:29:39.879 --> 02:29:42.079
so he's like, I was just watching regular TV.
3072
02:29:42.239 --> 02:29:44.559
So I get some of the some of.
3073
02:29:44.559 --> 02:29:46.879
The old heads maybe a little bit more resistant to it.
3074
02:29:47.200 --> 02:29:49.959
But let me tell you, younger people, they'll find it if
3075
02:29:50.120 --> 02:29:52.280
you know. And that's that's what they're trying to appeal
3076
02:29:52.319 --> 02:29:55.040
to with the Peacocks and Netflix and all. This is
3077
02:29:55.280 --> 02:29:57.520
trying to get the younger generation. And oh, by the way,
3078
02:29:58.600 --> 02:30:00.680
getting big money, and they're getting money.
3079
02:30:00.399 --> 02:30:02.280
For these for these games and the rights.
3080
02:30:02.399 --> 02:30:04.799
You just touched on it right on the head right there,
3081
02:30:04.840 --> 02:30:07.159
because I mean, this isn't a money maker for the
3082
02:30:07.200 --> 02:30:09.360
most part. So you could just throw it on ESPN
3083
02:30:09.479 --> 02:30:11.559
and just have it continue to be what it has been,
3084
02:30:12.120 --> 02:30:13.680
or you can have somebody say, hey, we'll give you
3085
02:30:13.719 --> 02:30:16.239
fifty million dollars, just what I think they gave them
3086
02:30:16.319 --> 02:30:18.760
for it, and Major League Baseball said, yeah, we like
3087
02:30:18.799 --> 02:30:23.200
fifty million dollars, We'll take it. Sure, why not. I mean, again,
3088
02:30:23.239 --> 02:30:26.239
it's a throwaway event. It's not like you necessarily missing everything.
3089
02:30:26.319 --> 02:30:29.239
Last night like I had it on, but I wasn't, like,
3090
02:30:29.760 --> 02:30:32.920
you know, fully focused on it. I was doing laundry
3091
02:30:32.959 --> 02:30:34.840
other things. And then I would just be like, oh,
3092
02:30:34.879 --> 02:30:36.399
all right, that was a pretty nice home run, and
3093
02:30:36.399 --> 02:30:39.399
then I go about my night, like you know, the NFL.
3094
02:30:39.479 --> 02:30:41.239
I get it, but it's also too Gordon. I mean
3095
02:30:41.399 --> 02:30:44.120
you touched on it. I mean having all the streaming services,
3096
02:30:44.239 --> 02:30:47.680
like streaming has been a thing for over ten years now,
3097
02:30:47.719 --> 02:30:50.120
Like it's not necessarily like this is a surprise to us,
3098
02:30:50.159 --> 02:30:53.600
and most of them whenever it's a benchmark event, they
3099
02:30:53.680 --> 02:30:56.079
offer a free trial. Just remember to cancel it at
3100
02:30:56.079 --> 02:30:56.479
the end of it.
3101
02:30:57.840 --> 02:31:00.479
Yeah, And if I had to pick one street service,
3102
02:31:00.520 --> 02:31:03.520
the majority of us have, or just like if you
3103
02:31:03.559 --> 02:31:05.680
only have one, I think most people default.
3104
02:31:05.360 --> 02:31:08.799
The Netflix, saying yeah, yeah, that's the one. I mean,
3105
02:31:08.840 --> 02:31:10.680
I do the cheap option, I do the one that's
3106
02:31:10.680 --> 02:31:13.040
got the commercials in it. What do I care? I mean,
3107
02:31:13.440 --> 02:31:15.120
most of the time i'm watching it, I'm just watching
3108
02:31:15.159 --> 02:31:18.040
it for like one of the comedy specials or something like.
3109
02:31:17.959 --> 02:31:20.799
That, Yeah got hard, or yeah.
3110
02:31:20.120 --> 02:31:23.280
Yeah, Tim Dillon, somebody like that Williams, which I mean
3111
02:31:23.319 --> 02:31:25.440
I did have the Tim Dillon video in the background
3112
02:31:25.479 --> 02:31:27.959
the other day where he says, and to kill your children.
3113
02:31:28.600 --> 02:31:30.319
I was like, well, that's probably not the part that
3114
02:31:30.360 --> 02:31:32.159
I wanted to have playing. As I'll step in out
3115
02:31:32.159 --> 02:31:33.479
of the sauna. But what are you gonna do? You
3116
02:31:33.479 --> 02:31:34.159
can't win them all.
3117
02:31:34.360 --> 02:31:38.040
Well, look, the real elite nests is if you have
3118
02:31:38.559 --> 02:31:42.000
YouTube premium where you don't have to watch ads. That's
3119
02:31:42.000 --> 02:31:43.840
where you know you're really on another level.
3120
02:31:43.959 --> 02:31:46.079
That's it, that's it. We all strive to get there.
3121
02:31:46.399 --> 02:31:50.319
He's Chris Gordy, Triple, Emmanuel Elmore, Dan Matthews again. Special
3122
02:31:50.319 --> 02:31:54.600
things to Carlos COLASO Baseball America for joining us as
3123
02:31:54.959 --> 02:31:56.959
the Matt Thomas Show. With Ross coming your way next,
3124
02:31:57.000 --> 02:31:58.159
we'll talk to you in twenty hours
