TRANSCRIPT: Ep. 24: Brewers Hiura on Target (field), Cubs pitching, Fans vs. Grumpy Umps

Text Transcript of Ep. 24

00:00:00 – 00:05:06

Woah to. Welcome to the new best rivalry in baseball. Welcome to another episode of ninety miles podcasts. I’m here with Jesse who is Burs fan. I’m the cubs fan and were were fighting it out here every week and, you know, basically I win in the cubs win. And that’s great. Except last week’s not been a lot of fun which will help suck buddy. Oh, yeah. Well, the brewers haven’t been much better and but the game to game on the old Cubbies in the standings. Yeah. Well, they’re still behind the cubs. So anyways, you got a good week coming. Yeah, yeah, we’ll see. Oh, yeah. Hey, Miami’s finally on our schedule. Yeah. Yeah. Well, yeah, that that’ll you need all the help you can get so, yeah, we’ll plenty. We’ll be talking about the last what’s been happening so far with the cubs birds with us last week, and also in general, and also, I guess we’re going to be talking about some brewers rookies cast in here. And, and actually time back to personal experience a game that we both happened to be at back in two thousand five so you. Was that a little bit of a piece? A little piece of history for sure. So that’s pretty cool that we were there for that. Yeah. Get to it and we got a couple tweets of the week kind of again coming back. We just did a stretch episode about robot umpires and our tweets of the week, had Thai. Little bit to that in this except in recent. There’s been a lot of recent events going on with empires that have not made fans very happy. No bruising cubs fans, not so pleased with umpiring over the last couple of weeks now. So that’ll be interesting. Yeah, I don’t know how to feel about it sometimes. But we’ll talk about it for sure. Yeah. And then we got, you know, the previews predict we’ll make some predictions, we got and then we’ll do our National League central breakdown. So, yeah, that’s what we got coming up. We’re gonna have a stretch of so this weekend. I guess we should mention that will be. Yeah. You bet your, we actually did a stretch episode where we thought it was the first cubs Burs game. It was their first National League central brewers game. We want to get the very first one, we kinda made a little bit of a goof. We thought nineteen ninety eight the first season that those teams were together in division was actually the first game. We forgot nineteen Ninety-seven. They introduced interleague play. And I didn’t actually think they had played interleague. I knew it came the year before. But here we are they played Nancy ninety seven. So this weekend stretch episode will be a, a throwback to the very first game will of try and put in the ballpark and tell you how it all went. Yeah. So, so, yeah. Yeah, let’s get going. So you were. You’re at a game yesterday. That’s correct. Yes. Today is Wednesday may something or another. And yesterday I was at the. I think yesterday was may twenty eighth. I think I I don’t know something like that. And yeah I went to the brewers twins game at target field. Beautiful target field. It was a really great time. The my fan Chai’s crew diso specifically hooked us up with some tickets that she had at acquired and went and saw actually really good game. It went about seven inning scoreless before the twins put a five spot up, Bruce. Cam back made it a game in the ninth. But the twins did prevail. Yes, I did. Yeah, they did. Yeah. Of course, the bruised, it come back from Ford nil deficit the day before to beat the team with the best record in baseball. It’s funny. The bruise just keep having to play the best teams over and over. Have you noticed that this year? Ryen. Yeah. Well, the cubs have had their share that now there as you may notice they are playing Houston, which pretty good team. They are. Yeah. Milwaukee’s got them here about two weeks from now have fun with that. But it’s. Not. Yeah, not a lot of fun. And they don’t even have all their big players in there to as our right now and stuff. And still, it’s been and the cubs still couldn’t get a win that’s hard to. Well, you know, as it is, is the other team better the cubs losing the games for themselves. It’s a little bit of that, too. Their bullpen has had some struggles yet again and now they’re starting rotation has had some issues Leicester’s had a couple bad starts now.

00:05:06 – 00:10:01

And, and, you know, so there’s, there’s some things some of the hitting has gotten bad Scelzo. Not good. He’s, he’s playing a lot more than he should probably was planned on being played. And, and it’s you know he he’s not a he shouldn’t be playing as much as he’s playing Benz injuries and. Actually, the big thing is benzoate breast has been out now for three weeks tending to some personal matters. My guests going through a divorce and, and it’s hard to say at this point whether he’s even gonna come back at all. I mean he’s you know. Up at that age where it’s possible. He’s nearing the end of his career, and something like that. He’s one of those things where he might just, you know, especially with kids involved. So I you know, yeah, get your get your personal stuff straightened out. This is still just baseball. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, does definitely affect the cubs on the field a lot. And it does mainly because scowl so has to play a lot more than he should be. And he wasn’t a bad piece. I, I liked to early in the season. He he had some nice at bats. I’m like, okay, this is he’s, he’s a good piece. But I, I don’t know if I don’t know what’s going on, because he’s been absolutely terrible recently, not good. And, and that’s been that’s been pretty frustrating. In fact, he’s I see. He’s, he’s batting one ninety four now. Well, so I guess you can stop giving Travis Shaw so much crap now maybe. Yeah. Well, Dr is supposed to be a little more. Full-time discolor. Never was okay. Okay. Bad example, I mean, to scale so has played in forty seven games Anthony Rizzo has played in forty nine Wilson contraire assist played in forty nine you know, by as Fidel two variant and fifty I mean, discuss. Oh was not supposed to be playing that many games like cut that in half would be more appropriate but without Zober. Well, yeah. Without Zuber’s these picked up a lot more starts, he was going to be a piece off the bench and double switches and pinch hitting though. And the chunk those are from before Zubrus left how long ago did zobrist leave the team three would have been a month. Nine three weeks three weeks. So. Thing for may well by as to had a little bit of ankle issue. So, like I know they had they actually had by as be the D H and then had to scale so in playing so like that in that situation, you wouldn’t when see that too, I mean that that’s another thing. But yeah, he’s still playing than he would be. Especially as they come up, you know, but. That D H spot. That’s not the game where by as bought himself a platinum sombrero is at. I’m sorry. We had to get a Jabeen somewhere. Yeah. I had to do it. That’s a pretty special night, anyway. Yeah. Then okay. I letting event but I’m gonna pile on. You would do the same. Well, that’s true would have been, I would have been a lot is my tougher on that. But anyways. I think just mentioning it is probably plenty, so you know. Yeah, by as really racking up to strike outs. And that’s really alarming. He’s still batting three. Oh, seven you know, and he’s got a nine twenty five so it’s like well. You know, I mean, oh if you could just cut those strikeouts down a little bit. I mean you say this that’d be incredible. You can afford to have you can have you can afford to have a players striking out a lot when the rest of the lineup is performing. Well, but when the rest of the lineup starts to take a dive. Yeah. Even if by as is still hitting for a high, you know, average, those strikeouts can turn into inning killers part when the rest of the lineup isn’t performing the strikeout is a bad bad thing. No. The ball in play has been has been a little bit of a lost art for sure. Because now we’re the quote unquote shrew outcome, you know, either strike out, you walk or your Homer, having a bunch of those guys in a lineup can be. It can be hit and miss, you know, not to be making a bad pun, but it really can be. So when the other guys are struggling if you’ve got a guy striking out a lot, and it’s not like the Bruce don’t have guys that do it once in a, while to it, can, it can really slow ally.

00:10:01 – 00:15:01

Lineup down. Yeah. Well, yeah. I mean putting the bomb players one thing. And then I mean, another thing with the cubs to has been there. I think there I I was in a try to see if I could find that, but their batting average on balls in play hasn’t been great either in some of that’s been some bad luck as well. But, but that, that can be a killer, as well in the same, same sense, but, but not even putting the Bom play at all can yeah. That definitely can be pretty bad doubt. Well as from the bruise perspective, the birds have been putting a lot of people on bass, even loading the bases in the last few weeks last three weeks. Specifically, you know, one oh no outs and not scoring runs in those innings. That’s the kind of thing that drives anybody crazy. Yeah. A strikeout prone batter is going to lead to more of those types of things. It was last night’s game that we were at leadoff triple from grand. All right against in Byron Buxton looks to be okay if you saw the game. He went. Flying into the wall to make the catch overran at a bit. It was behind him. He got dinged up pretty good. They ended up taking him out of the game. Looks like he was okay. He walked up under zone power, but a leadoff triple, and the Bruce, did not turn that into a run mind you this is a game that went seven innings basically, scoreless. Yeah. There was a I think the twins put up five spot in the bottom of the seventh and that was what opened the gates. But then, the, the Burs did bring back, you know, score three more runs. It’s fun to watch how resilient the are. But it’s so frustrating when you see some of these games over the last couple of weeks, both clubs have been in that five hundred range the last couple of weeks. Not converting on bases loaded one out bases loaded. No out, first and third one out. That’s these are the results yet. And that’s kind of is that kind of what’s been the vibe with the cubs to get a guy on all. Yeah. Oh, yeah. They they’ve been getting there’s been some games. They’ve been getting people on base. But then nothing happening. You know then, then now the new trend has been hitting home runs, but nothing else in fact that happened in the game yesterday against the Astros. They hit five home runs. Bodey hit two home runs in the game. Second time in his career. He’s at a two home run game but they still lost. Of course, I was more Lester, not having as good start. And of course, than the bullpen as well not being so good. But I you know, I mean Houston is crazy park. I mean that park is. Well, it’s small the ball seems a fly out of there and then it’s got the weird outfield. You know in laughed with that where cuts back that the couple balls. Houston hit a couple out in that that spot, which, you know. A little bit like the green monster out in left field. It’s a little different how that setup. Yeah. These the hill in center field is out of play. Now the the hills guy. Yeah. Yeah. For that being a big deal. Yeah, I always for years, right? Yeah. And I guess that, you know, and the reason I bring that up is, I know we you, you wanted to talk a little bit about ballparks, which. And roofs, you were at target field, which I I’ve been there as well as a cool park. It’s much better than the Metrodome other than the fact that it has a roof. But yes. Yes. And that’s something, you know, I even tweeted out something this morning. We had, we had the seats that we had thanks to deal with the my Fanshawe’s fantasy podcast. We all got to hang out. It was a blast. I think one of the best things about baseball. And it’s something that I wish I could do more of I don’t live really close to any ballparks just getting there and hanging out with some people the pace of the game. The conversation last night was a beautiful night, gametime temperatures in the high sixties, it was really about perfect, whether you wear some jeans and a jersey or shirt, you know good. Beautiful weather data were you wearing. I was wearing my I was wearing my throwback. Paul Molitor jersey. So a little bit twins. A little bit of bruise. Right. That’s appropriate choice. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Of course, I was in Bruce gear. I’m not a twins fan. I don’t dislike the twins but I certainly don’t like the twins. But I like the twins. They’re, they’re you know, I think I, I should mention that I grew up in Minnesota, my dad grove in Chicago. So he’s huge cubs fan. And then I we had w GSI the cubs won out for sure. But, you know, twins of always been my American League team really exciting to see him play as well as they’ve been playing. I indeed I am pretty pumped about that. I remember you know, prior to interleague play.

00:15:01 – 00:20:06

You know, I always used to say, well, my favorite teams the cubs, second favorite team is the twins. You know if the cubs in twins ever play each other. I’d have to go cubs. But the only way that would happen is the World Series. And yeah, maybe maybe that’ll happen someday. Although that would be kind of tough, but it easily cubs at easily still it’s the cubs for sure. But I’ve always liked the twins you know, grown up. I got to see, you know, see them win a couple World Series. And you got you know, they had some good players Kirby Puckett for sure. You know. Does. And yes out a lot of games at the Metrodome wizard. I was that was a ballpark, something actually played actually played baseball in the Metrodome a couple of hours. Yeah. I was a second baseman because I never. Yeah. In little, it doesn’t matter. But as I started playing second base, and I never moved over to short. I never really develop the right arm for it until I got to college play outfield softball. And it’s like, oh, this is how you’re supposed to throw a baseball anyway. Long story. Short. Yeah. I had played at the dome. I’ve been to plenty of games there. It was something right? Yeah. Yeah. It was a loud stadium. Yeah. Give it that it was very loud. And there’s some history there, but I went to anyway. Bears Vikings game there one time as well. Sure. But that was loud. And crazy. Well, yeah, getting back a little target field. So last night, perfect weather. We had really way up high seats and the beautiful thing about that ballpark the way it’s designed. There’s not a bad seat in the house. It reminds me a Miller park that way, the really is not a bad view of the ball game. You know, the difference is that’s an open air stadium. Whereas Miller park is a little bit more closed off. It’s got the retractable roof on it, and that roof when it opens, you get the airflow a little bit. But in a true, open air stadium like target field the air was blowing in right over the top. You know, it’s open to the back. It’s open all the way around. It was really a beautiful night for baseball. However, that was last night. Two nights ago, it was in the mid forties, fifties and raining. So as much as I love that ballpark. I would never trade Miller park for anything. Like it too reasons I’m guaranteed a ballgame. And I can tailgate at Miller park. Well, it’s so it’s a beautiful stadium down there, too. It’s a great atmosphere as much as I love target field. I don’t go there in April anymore. I’ve been there in April I won’t go back if I can avoid it. Yeah. Let’s the brewers are playing there in April. It’s going to be there. It’s interesting. I mean, you know, then comparing to Wrigley field in Chicago. I mean, I, you know, weather wise and having spent time in all those areas, I mean, kind of, like Chicago Chicago has some rough win winters in the spring, and certainly be can have some it’s moment. Don’t know, for sure, but as you move out, you know, Milwaukee, you know, is, is slightly less than Minneapolis than it. It’s different it gets. It’s different there. It’s colder it’s a little more harsh. And then, of course she go keep going north where I grew up in Duluth while then that’s another story. But anyways, yeah, there’s no Duluth, beautiful area you right? Yeah. Yeah. I grew up in west central Wisconsin. That’s why I know a lot of. Twins fans. The cool part is when the twins are relevant for me. I have a lot, more better baseball conversations as a move about because I’ve got a lot of people around that are still twins fans because we’re within that hour and a half to our range of the twin cities and a lot of time in Minnesota. Getting back to the, the Chicago. You know, Wrigley field you’re on the lake so you get some funky weather, but it also helps you at times, you get over to Minneapolis Saint Paul, and that’s the end of the western plains, essentially. Yeah. Flatland running into the twin cities before the hill start. It’s a different type of weather system that you get there, then you get Milwaukee or Chicago, and I can’t really explain it very well, if I had my druthers I’m just glad that, that’s not my home ballpark. I’ll put it that way. Yeah. I want the most important thing to me is the baseball the product on the field, but that atmosphere, if you haven’t been there Bruce fans and you get a chance to go and June something or July. It’s awesome. Yeah. June, July, August three months of summer and the three summer and then you’re in winter the rest of the US, I’m just I’m just getting. It’s a beautiful ballpark. It really is. I’m just you know if the thing about it for me is the product on the field. I’ll take that roof and I’ll take Miller park every time. Miller park beautiful stadium. Even I’m will be slightly. Nice. It’s a nice stadium. You know it apparently it it works pretty well for stealing signs and stuff like that, too, for the brewers.

00:20:06 – 00:25:01

You know. But anyways, it’s the roof can. No. It’s a nice Bernie brewer, you know. Yeah. Yes. Bernie slides down the slide. He sends the signs now. Yellow with his laser vision so you can see how many fingers he’s holding up Backley football fields away. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. So anyway, what I did want to talk about. That’s that’s something about stadiums. The atmosphere. Just hanging out with some friends. I wasn’t even on Twitter last night, which is, you know, something that I’ve been enjoying but when I’m actually at the game, it was, it was just a nice night to hang out with some friends and some family anytime, you can get out and do that. It’s awesome. Yeah. I wanted to touch on something to yes related to a little brewers history. And I don’t mean to bore the cubs fans. But Ryan, I actually went on a baseball trip. Back in two thousand five we are both going to school in Duluth Minnesota. And we decided we wanted to see some cubs, Bruce games. And in the middle were twins games, which is why it’s important that Ryan mentioned. He was a twins fan. Oh, yes. Well, I never loved the twins, but never hated them. I saw tons of baseball. I saw Ken Griffey junior against the twins in the Metrodome. I saw Kirby puck. There to seen some history where older guys now but speaking a history June twenty fifth two thousand five Miller park, you know, we went down a couple of days before we saw the cubs and brewers last game of that series and couple of days later, we would go to Wrigley field. Sit in the bleachers. Watch the cubs improves again, I remember Lyle over bay home run that day but June twenty fifth two thousand five was the brewers in the twins and Rickie weeks. And prince fielder were two of the biggest prospects the Bruce, at had in a very, very long time, and we were in the outfield seats and that day was the day that Rickie weeks and prince fielder both hit their first career home runs. And it was really, really kind of cool to be there because you go back and Bruce history. That’s one of the big one of the bigger moments. That’s not postseason related since probably the early nineties is that that day both would go on to have relatively good careers. Prince’s was cut short due to a neck injury. Ricky. Hit his off Johan Santana twins fans will remember that name really, well, actually any baseball fan should know that name and prince fielder hit his off Jesse Crain just one of those cool things that we get to talk about. And last night, I got to see Casten hero hit his third career home run against the twins. So kind of a cool little tie-in on history and anything you want to add before Boral your cubs. Oh here. Well, no. I was a trip. I think in fact that trip probably deserves its own stretch episode. Yeah. We went to five games and it was cubs brewers Milwaukee than brewers twins three-game series in Milwaukee. And then cubs brewers in Chicago, five-game trip. And yeah, I was, you know, I’m yeah, I guess I could say I was there, but I can’t say I know. Imagine thrill. Yeah. It’s like, okay, well it’s, it’s. Yeah, but I remember I do remember. I mean, prince fielder had extra little bit of attention. I think is of his dad, right. You know, any tie that in with what’s going on with Toronto right now with fled jewelry. Great, right. Same thing with Bowe. Yep. Exactly. Some really cool stuff happening with that. But yeah, I remember fielder. I mean I remember collecting baseball cards at that time. And you know when he hit the fifty one home runs prince. Yeah. That sessile. Oh, you’re talking sessile. I think, oh, okay. He had fifty one home runs in nineteen ninety forty four home runs in ninety one and yeah you had. But I so I mean, there was a lot, you know, a lot of hype in that sense for prince fielder because, you know. Right. And it turned out, I think if I’m not mistaken and I’m pulling this off, that’s out of my head. I do believe prince fielder was the youngest youngest player ever to fifty home runs in Ceesay hit, fifty home run on in two thousand seven he was twenty three years old. He had fifty home runs. Yup. Yeah. Yup. And I think he’s still may hold that record. I think so that’s like it’s been a while. That’s yeah. He got third in the MVP voting that season that was two thousand seven. Yeah, he that very well could be the case. He had one hundred and forty one RBI in two thousand nine but yeah, says, oh, feel there was twenty six when he hit, fifty one home runs.

00:25:04 – 00:30:32

So. Yup. Yeah. And prince ended up with a a pretty great career. He only ended up with three hundred nineteen home runs. Because injury or career to eighty three batting average at twenty three point six war, a great ball player Rickie weeks. There is a lot of high hope for, and he played fairly well, but he was a bit of a liability defensively. I remember just how quick is wrists were and things like that. What I wanted to touch on that relates to today and going to mention one, one last thing quick. I never noticed this, but Cecil Fielder played thirteen years. Prince fielder played twelve and they both actually ended up with exactly three hundred nineteen home runs. Yelp. Isn’t that crazy? Yeah. That is crazy. Yeah. One of those little interest Kasese that really make this, this game special add-ons say about it. Exactly. Yeah. I just wanted to touch on how cast in heroes doing so far boys, thirteen games into his big. Hey now, there’s some comparison here Casten here is by far the biggest bat to come along in. I would say since weeks and fielder. The most yeah. Bad fair Rickie weeks was drafted in two thousand three he made his major league debut in two thousand three but it was a Cup of coffee. Hey, let’s Schoff. The new first round draft. Pick two thousand five was really his rookie season Casten hero drafted in twenty seventeen first round, high pick ninth pick overall. I believe this is his twenty nineteen season. So he’s the first player to come up from that twenty seventeen draft. He’s thirteen games in his slash line. Looks like to sixty one three oh six and four fifty seven that gives them a seven sixty three Opie which is pretty solid through thirteen games just to give you an idea prince fielders numbers and his two thousand five rookie year. He had sixty two plate appearances currently casting. Here’s at forty nine plate. Appearances fielder went to eighty eight three oh six and four fifty eight so that three zero six OB P is shared by both players four, fifty eight and four fifty seven slugging prince fielders Opie his rookie season versus Casten heroes right now, seven sixty four to seven sixty three prince fielder and sixty two plate appearances to home runs Casten here in forty nine plate appearances three home runs. So just some really, really kind of crazy numbers. I didn’t really think I hadn’t thought about prince and Ricky’s kind of rookie year that two thousand five season in a while and seeing hero do what he’s doing now. Is pretty impressive. When you look back and see, you know, the plus careers that those two guys had, so it’s exciting times something I wanted to talk about, you know, between that and witnessing his third career home run. It wasn’t as I, but to see weeks and fielder kit, their first together, I’m gonna do a there’s going to be a blog about that. I’ve been working on for really a month or so. I’m going to drop it next next month. Probably round the anniversary dated June twenty fifth. The day we were down there. Yeah. Yes. That, that would be fun. So that probably board. Oliver cubs fans to death. I felt a little bit interesting. You know, whatever did you watch did you go back and watch the Kerry wood, twenty twenty strikeout game. Then while I was talking. Yeah. I did. I put in fact, that’s what you usually throw that on quick and fast forward, I need to. And it’s easy to does own you out with something, you know, as spectacular as that, you know on so. My hero kissed it anyway. Moving. Yeah. So what when he hit that bomb last night, I did stand up. And that’s exactly what came out in my mouth. I had a couple of twins fans pointing laughing what happens when a Bruce fan has a beer at a game, whatever. Right. Yeah. Well, you know. Yeah, I guess we should move on here. Yeah. We gotta get to the tweet of the week. We’ve burned a lot of time already. Yeah. Yeah. As good stuff. And and let’s talk tweet of the week. We actually have a couple like like we mentioned. So we got one while I’ll do one here you do the other. But basically sure let’s see the first one is from at Craig kimbrel. Cub whose whose name he’s changed his name to ’em. LB umpires suck ass. Obviously, there’s been seeking stretch episode about that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So he said, on may twenty third, this is actually in reply. I you know, this was may twenty third Jason Heyward was up. He had he was zero for zero with four walks and he was up and basically, what should’ve been both for ended up being called a strike, and it clearly I mean clearly was and, and yeah, he, you know, should’ve been should been a walk wasn’t anyways, you know, but cake Craig kimbrough replied, you know, are the worst you know, I kind of his he had changed that to that.

00:30:32 – 00:35:02

And said, yeah, you’re right. We had done that stretch episode on robot on Pires and we talked about that. Of course, we, yes. You know, we I think the conclusion what we kind of conclude was maybe it’s not necessarily that that has to be the next step. But the next step should actually be just holding accountable. You know, comparing their calls to what, you know, pitch casts or whatever says, and the ones who are bad, you know. Shouldn’t be out there as much or maybe not at all if they’re under a threshold in the best should be out there, the most and paid the most. And you know, be in the games that matter, the most in the playoffs, of course and things like that. And, and but anyways, that’s yeah, we go deeper into it in the stretch episode that gets into union things. Yes, that’s a whole nother right? It gets into a whole different. That’s whole different racket the long short of it was, we both agreed that things could be better. I had my heels dug in a little bit this week. But then kinda you changed your room. No. Well. Your mind any size? Completely change your mind completely. No. About that a little bit. We. You know what it should be completely robot, umpires? I’m done. Yeah. No, I know I didn’t say that. I definitely think there’s room for room for better training. We talked about the age of empires, things like that. And it brings into play to something that is unrelated to the strike zone that happened with the brewers. Yes. Couple of games with the Philadelphia Phillies in Miller park. There were a couple of issues we Bruce had run around third. Lorenzo Cain was up a three one count. The unpire Esther Brooke called strike two on them led to him. Grounding are out Craig counsel started arguing a little bit balls and strikes, which is always a no no mind you, but he ended up getting tossed and then somehow Ryan Braun who’s usually very, very mild mannered, despite whatever you wanna say about ROY because he just doesn’t have it because he doesn’t do Royds anyway, he ended up getting tossed as well. The next day Esther Brooks at third base. And this does relate to tweet of the week when I I’ll get there. He ends up tossing. Mike moustache from the field because dacas just wanted to ask him about a check wings checks, check swing strike, call Esther Brooke apparently said, I don’t wanna talk about it and moussaka apparently asked one more question. He got tossed from third base from playing defense that you just don’t see often that leads me to the second half of the tweet of the week at burner yelich. So. Christian yelich burner on Twitter at burner yelich there’s a tweet here with a video, it’s important to see the video Estra Brooke is looming over Jason KENDALL. Basically, they’re having a discussion he come or so. Jason Kendall’s a catcher for the royals Esther Brooks lined up behind him. Kendall must say something he comes around and stands and leans kind of into him with his hands on his knees. So it’s kinda like if you picture this, you know, a thirty five year old dad leaning down talking to a five year old and giving them a stern lecture. Yeah. Not that I would know anything about that. But that’s exactly what it looks like. And this is a grown man. Jason KENDALL who is respected catcher in the league. If you listen to the announcers. Looks pretty disrespectful. Ned Joost comes over the royals ends up, getting tossed, the tweet is look at the way Esther, Brooke talks down to Jason KENDALL. Absolutely ridiculous. Is it possible? This guy’s a bigger clown than Joe west or angel her Hernandez, and then stars has listened to the announcers, Esther Brooke did not make Pires look good this week. No matter how you shake it out. It looked really really bad from brewer’s perspective and then you see videos like this and it’s one thing when somebody starts to argue with you, as an empire you know, to get a little defensive, it’s another thing to bring the defensive to the offensive and that’s exactly what it looks like in that video. So am I for robot umpires? Not yet. But I am I am for better training. There’s got to be something. I mean where you add on some of this stuff.

00:35:02 – 00:40:06

I know we covered it in the stretch a little bit. But like have you seen that video, what were your thoughts on it? You know, I. I’m not sure. I think it’s getting it seems to be getting pretty ridiculous, as far as a general trend and I don’t know if there’s some kind of a growing tension there. But, but yeah, I you know, I mentioned the stretch, I just think it’s it’s frustrating when game swing, you know, one way or another because of calls. You know, I don’t know. I don’t know. But I you know, I think I think anyone interested in deeper conversation about to check out the stretch episode, I think we’ll touch on it some more, and we may even have to another stretch on that. It’s. I don’t know. I’m with you. You know, I go back and forth on the balls and strikes thing. But I think tossing one of the best players on your team over a discussion between Braun and moose stocks. That, that’s feting the game in a much different and much higher level way. Oh, yeah. So I’m okay with talking about balls and strikes. But I’m not okay with thin skinned umpires tossing guys without they’re even looking like there was much of an argument going on, especially on the move stocks, when I didn’t see anything. Yeah. I didn’t see anything at all now. So anyway, we should probably. Yeah. Let’s let’s move on. So, yeah, those, that’s. We’ll, we’ll be doing to talk about on Pires. I’m sure but, but yeah, let’s for sure looking at the week ahead here I guess we just touch on that. I you know, cubs are playing Astros and they’re tough team. So it’s been a little bit of a tough part of the schedule, and it doesn’t help when you got some bats, like discuss. Oh, not doing a lot and you got starters having some rough starts after being pretty solid for while and then you got the bullpen not being good again bit. That doesn’t help. When you’re playing good teams cubs finish up with the Astros. Actually today is the last last game and then they have tomorrow off and then they got the cardinals. So fortunately, the cardinals haven’t been great lately, so maybe that’ll, we all can agree. That’s a good. That’s a good thing. They’re under five hundred. I won’t be I won’t be rooting for the cubs cardinals are so far down. Right. Well, yeah. Cardinals fan. You know your cardinals fan for a day or year. Oh, wow. Yeah. Cardinals fan. I love it when the Colonel suck. But let’s the cubs are still a half a game by the way only half the game. I head of the brewers have the easy part of their schedule while quote unquote, easy part, they have a more relaxed schedule coming up at the guest seven games against Pittsburgh sandwiched with three against Miami in the middle, if they get through these ten games in good shape with the cubs having a tougher part of the schedule. Then I get to listen to you whine about the schedule for a little while. Yeah. If the Burs don’t take care of business in the ten games against Pittsburgh Miami. If they go, something less than five and five I mean, I’m hoping for seven and three here. Yeah, then I’m not gonna have the schedule excuse any more. We’ll see. No. But they you know the the brewers have made it through their only half the game back they’re getting some days off. They’re finally getting some rest again. This is looking to set up. Well, it should be really, really good week between other. The cubs having a tougher part and the bruise, you know, getting Pittsburgh in Miami, Miami’s the weak sister, and their Pittsburgh can play some decent ball at. Yeah. Colorado after well. They have a one game make up against the angels. And then they play the Rockies for three games. But then they get the cardinals again. So. Yep. You know, this is a big part of the schedule for the cubs in that case, big, big big and actually it might be arguably bigger for the cardinals. Yes. Really big over this stretch. Yeah. Yeah. With the colonels being where they are. And we’ll just kind of wrap up our we’ll put our central breakdown rate in the mix here and do predictions at the end. I think the whig the cardinals are stacking up. You know, they’re sitting at twenty six and twenty seven today. They’re three games out of first place. Only if the cubs barium, and they go back down to five or six out of I or five or six behind the cubs, it’s gonna be a much tougher road.

00:40:06 – 00:45:01

Ho. It’s going to take a couple of months more than likely to dig out of that hole, considering Milwaukee in Chicago seemed to be the top two teams in this division. Yeah, I would. Yeah. If I were a cardinals fan, I’d be I’d be very concerned right now. Oh, yeah. From the cubs perspective. This is a great opportunity to step on somebody’s throat. Yes. Yes. Yeah. Absolutely. It might be if the cubs can get. Right. Right now. It would be I wouldn’t be all that upset. Honestly, I’m not rooting for either team. The more think about if the cardinals down that much farther and the Bruce, stay rate on pace with the cubs that’s about what I’d like to see in a lot of ways, I’m not going to be rooting for the cubs, but I’m not going to be rooting against them necessarily either with these cardinals games. Yeah, boy, that’s hard to say what’s wrong with me? I’m liking it. I you know, I know you’re coming coming around going around. It’s not coming. I would like to bury the cardinals. I hate the cardinals. Honestly, I hate the cardinals as much as the cubs, maybe even more. Sometimes remember the corals took the eighty two World Series from the brewers saying there there’s a chance. Chance. Van cubs version, hell no. Oh. All right cubs. Now, keep work. I’ll keep working on it. It’s all right. Right. Yeah. Okay. By the way, I, what’s that disease, Ochoa? Well. Okay. I just wanna finish one thing on the previews real quick is we, you had a full about who would be the most important starter for the brewers come into the season, and I did a similar one for the cubs, which I said, Hendricks Hendrix starts tonight, you know, cubs are trying to avoid the sweep by Houston, which, by the way, I was looking at team Opie s leaders and the twins are number one with eight fifty six Houston is number two, eight forty one and Chicago is number three eight ten the cubs, Jaya’s, eight oh, seven behind there. So I mean, these are some potent offenses here, and, you know, for sure that you guys are playing the twins cubs plan, Houston. So, but I you know, going back to that Hendrix, I think Hendrix, his star tonight. Is extremely important to turn it around to avoid the sweep against Houston. Get a day off to reset. And then and then they got the cardinals. I think you know, it’s tonight I think Hendrix, this is where, you know, like I said, in that poll Hendrix, being the most important piece the consistent piece in the rotation for the cubs. He really needs have a good start tonight against Houston. I really think that’s extremely important. That’s a tough. That’s a tall order against that Houston lineup. But, you know. Well, it is too, because Houston’s a very solid team. We know that they’re deep and the cubs, it looks like to me, if I’m reading this writer only twelve and fifteen against teams five hundred or equal to five better than five hundred. The brewers have had a tough schedule, but they’re seventeen and fourteen against those teams. This is a spot where the cubs have to prove something in my opinion, the you’re getting into that portion of the schedule where, you know if the cardinals get back to five hundred or better, that’s it’s gonna make a difference sitting at seventeen and fourteen against five hundred team. I mean, that’s really solid say it’s unlikely to say when the season’s done that the cardinals are going to be under five hundred. They’re they’ll be over five hundred. So even though you know in these numbers, you know, at this point, they are under five hundred you know, I’m I’m considering them an above five hundred team, a tough team that definitely is going to have a fire here, given their circumstances. They’re going to be a tough team. So I yeah, I I just think that’s important there. But, but yeah, yeah, I agree. I’m just I’m just pointing out the cubs have definitely beaten up on sub five hundred teams which is what you’re supposed to do their ten games over there. Eighteen and eight against sub five hundred teams Milwaukee is done not quite what they’re supposed to do. Their only fourteen in eleven against sub five hundred teams. Of course, Saint Louis right now counts as a sub five hundred team. So it’s kind of a funky thing but yeah, it’s gonna be fun this week this week will be interesting Bruce start the week a half game back the cubs. They got ten games against teams that in theory, they should do well against we will find out and the cubs are certain the tougher part of the schedule.

00:45:01 – 00:50:00

This is a little bit of a role reversal for the from the first two months. Let’s let’s let’s just do some predictions and, and get out of here. How about? Yeah. That sounds good. I like that. Okay. Well you got wonder okay? Oh, you want me to go first? Okay. Yeah, why not? So we just talked about the brewers schedule how it’s lightning up a little bit while back when the cubs had a well they did have the dodgers in there. You did make a prediction that they would go eight and three over there. Next eleven yes. I would like to use that same criteria and say, the brewers will go eight and three over the next eleven. Yeah. Yeah. With these seven. Gets seven Pittsburgh has the same record Saint Louis, and you’re telling me Saint Louis dangerous. I dunno Spitzberg twenty six twenty seven. They’re also you know, they are also week against over five hundred teams they’re ten and seventeen the eleventh game. That’s the one that I haven’t checked on, let me check and see who’s the eleventh game if Milwaukee’s got Pittsburgh Miami. Pittsburgh the eleventh game would be against Houston. How do you want me to do that? Eight and eighty three over eleven games including a game against Houston. I don’t know if that’s quite a the same cubs had a series against the dodgers. And when I made that predict the dodgers at home. Yeah, they did. And I’d say, sure argue what you want about Pittsburgh, but, but then you got Miami. So. I’ve got Pittsburgh, you’ve got you’ve got this love affair with Cincinnati over pit spite and I do, Pittsburgh’s the better, I think Cincinnati’s Fitchburg better. Can I remind you that Pittsburgh? Pittsburgh did sweep the brewers in a five-game set going into the all star break last year. Pittsburgh plays well against Milwaukee. There was a period of years back were Milwaukee was dominating. All right. Are I think three’s not good? I mean if you look at the pet Aaron win loss, and considering Lux luck, and then, and then, of course that works in and run differential. Pittsburgh should be twenty and thirty three and Cincinnati should be thirty two and twenty three. So wins and losses pitching pitching. I don’t believe in those numbers at all. No, I don’t know. It’s Berg has pitching. I don’t know. My gosh. All right. Eight and to the next ten et doesn’t matter who you’re playing eight and twos hot. That’s a pretty bold Purdue. Action. How ’bout nine into the next eleven? Nine into you want me to project, Bruce to win nine or their next eleven gay as I mean you got. I preach preach winning series win two out of three every time. Well, no kidding. But we’re talking about bold predictions here. All right. I think that’s part of the one I made considering I mine had three games against the dodgers. You only got one game against Houston and the rest of the team’s, no good. You had Miami in your all right? Nine nine three nine three over the next twelve that includes two games against Houston, which you would say, Milwaukee should lose. That’s like me calling it nine in one nine three over the next twelve. Okay. I’ll accept that. All right. You’d better come with something strong because I’m gonna fight you, if it’s no. I got a good one, and it’s sort of a similar kind of prediction through. Okay. In some ways through June ninth the cubs play the cardinals six times three and Saint Louis. Three in Chicago. I wanna predict that the cubs will take five of those six games. Five oh two six from the cardinal. Yes, in those in those next six. I feel like you kind of should do that, but they’ve been struggling. So I kinda see how it looks a little more bold. I mean, well, mil- Milwaukee started out what five and two against the cardinals five and one. And you already took a three-game set from him that corrected. The cubs sweep the cardinals once. Yeah. That was okay. Yep. May they, they took took a three-game series call three. Yep. Yeah. Okay. I guess five and one put five and one or better. I mean right.

00:50:01 – 00:52:02

That would mean that would mean I expect the cardinals the beat the cubs twice. I’m just trying to figure out if I actually believe that or do you think the cartels beat the cubs is? I think they could they should or will. Well, I I don’t believe in the cardinals much right now. They’re they’re not good. All right. Yeah. Find go with it. That’s okay. We don’t need to keep prediction segment going on for. Oh, look, listen excited. He sound you know it’s a week on. No, no, no, no. That’s that’s wrong. Prediction. Nine in three is stronger than five and one against the cards. But you know what? It’s fine. It’s fine because the cubs can, we know okay suck, too? So it’s going to be hard to. Yeah. All right. Well, then that I feel like we’re putting a ram. Let’s get out of here for all right. Fine. What are you gotta say? Oh, Brandon Woodruff had a heck of pitching performance the other night, eight innings strong. Drove in a couple of runs had a no hitter, going for while something that I meant to mention earlier you said, you got Hendrix going tonight. The poll that I did the pull where you said Hendrix is the key cog, most of the voters picked Brandon Woodruff in my poll it was over fifty percent and they may well be right. It’s gonna be fun to watch these two teams kind of tighten things up. So that’s really all I wanted to little, Brandon Woodruff love meant to do it or okay. Well, now if, if any, any comes fans are still hanging in there and getting dozy. They fell asleep this now. Yeah. No, whatever any footnotes, you need, or should we just get out get out of here. I’m I’m done cubs are better. Yeah. Well let’s the cups now. Doc. All right. Go astros. Oh, yeah. All right. Well, we’ll catch you next week. Yeah, watch for the Strahl. Don’t forget the contests by. All right. Bye.