- 4 days ago
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00It's a drive by Derry Dyson. Charles Chisholm goes deep.
00:09Hello and welcome to the Pinstripe Post. My name is Ryan Sampson, but he's the star of the show, Joel
00:12Sherman.
00:13Today is Tuesday, September 8th, coming off of Labor Day. Three-day weekend for a lot of people out there.
00:18But Joel, Labor Day ended for a lot of Yankees fans with good news. The captain is back, Aaron Judge.
00:24It was announced by the Yankees that he will be making his return to the lineup and to the team.
00:30The team went 45-39 without him in his absence. So they were able to skate by pretty much over
00:37500 throughout that time.
00:39There were other injuries. Obviously, they had to deal with two. But when you're talking about Aaron Judge, it's one
00:44of a kind.
00:45So we're going to talk about that, his return, where the Yankees are pushing themselves now with the captain back
00:51in the lineup
00:51and what you expect to see from him on today's episode.
00:53But before we get to any of that, as always, Joel Sherman, how are you doing today, sir?
00:58Good, good. Long day ahead. I'm talking to you from the network. I got this.
01:03I'm doing the podcast with John Heyman a little bit after we do this.
01:07We got Joe Espada from the Astros as our guest this week.
01:11Got to do some shows at the network. Then, of course, to Yankee Stadium.
01:15And then home to get up early. Nobody should have to do this a long time.
01:20I went bed shopping over the weekend. I needed a new bed. This one had died a good soldier.
01:27It had lasted too long. And that was one of the most miserable experiences of my life.
01:32And I've got an early delivery tomorrow. But we got Yankees.
01:37We got Pinstripe Post today. So let's do that.
01:40Yeah, no doubt, Joel. One thing I will say about mattress shopping.
01:43Oh, my God.
01:44It's expensive.
01:45It's the seventh circle of hell.
01:47It is. But at the end of the day, though, it's something that, in my opinion, you have to spend
01:51the top dollar on.
01:52Because it's something you're going to be using every day, you know?
01:55Yes.
01:55So it's funny how it works that way.
01:58So I got to take care of it.
02:00No doubt.
02:01So, look, Joel, let's break down the return of Aaron Judge.
02:05He was out, I think, longer maybe than some had expected when they first revealed the diagnosis.
02:11But we know how Judge's camp feels about the whole, like, what I'll let you know about the injury and
02:17recovery.
02:18And the information comes out in pieces when it comes to Aaron Judge whenever he does deal with a long
02:23-term injury like this.
02:24But ultimately now, I think the big question that a lot of Yankees fans are going to be asking themselves
02:30is,
02:31what kind of player is Aaron Judge going to be now that he's returning to the lineup?
02:36Are we expecting the full Aaron Judge, you know, the impact that he's going to have not only with the
02:42bat but also in the field defensively?
02:45So I think that's a big major part of this I would love to hear your thoughts on.
02:48And the other part would be, Joel, even if he's 80% to 85% of Aaron Judge that we
02:54normally see,
02:55is that enough for this Yankees team to push them over the edge and be the best team in the
03:01American League
03:02and coming out of the American League as the pennant winner?
03:06Yeah, look, I do think the Yankees are clouded, cloudy on injuries in general,
03:11specifically just about a blackout when it comes to Aaron Judge.
03:16But I do want to say that this was a rather unique injury for a baseball player.
03:21The rib that was fractured and really almost everything is unique on healing with a 6'7 guy
03:29who does everything with the force and the torque that Aaron Judge did.
03:33And so, you know, I do think there was probably some uncertainty
03:38because I think we've detailed this quite a bit over the time.
03:42This injury could only be dealt with when there was no pain left.
03:47Like it wasn't like, oh, I could work through it.
03:49You know, my finger still hurts, but I could play with it.
03:52This was, it had to heal, otherwise it was going to fracture again,
03:56and then he's lost for the rest of the year.
03:58And so I think that this was, there was some cloud to it.
04:02So there's that, I do want to give some grace that this was a different kind of injury.
04:09Number two, I do not think this makes sense at all to bring him back unless he's,
04:15I don't, 100% is always a mystery thing.
04:18Do any of us ever really feel 100% athlete or not?
04:22I think that unless you think you're getting the full Aaron Judge,
04:26there was no sense in waiting three months and not waiting three months a week
04:30or three months and two weeks.
04:31So at some point he had to come back, obviously, if he was going to play in the playoffs.
04:37And so you're getting him now.
04:40I expect to see something close to the fully capable Aaron Judge.
04:45Major League Baseball's tough.
04:46It's tougher when you haven't played for three months.
04:49Will there be a rest period?
04:52Perhaps.
04:53Super players, and he's certainly a super player,
04:56have a way of collapsing what other players need.
04:59I do think one of the biggest things that Aaron Judge brings,
05:03so I think there's a plus and minus.
05:05I think oftentimes teams have this tendency,
05:09even though they say they're not doing it,
05:11of looking to the door when the big guy's going to return.
05:14Sure.
05:14And then everybody entails, and you actually let go of the rope a little bit.
05:18You would think if you're, and in your situation, a Yankee fan,
05:23hope that the importance of the moment, you know,
05:31you're still trying to catch Tampa Bay four back.
05:34You're trying to hold off Boston, who just doesn't lose a lot of baseball games.
05:38They're two back.
05:39And the playoffs are so close, you know, three weeks away,
05:42that the sense of urgency would stay high, even with Aaron Judge there.
05:47So that's the potential downside is always the big guy comes back,
05:51and everyone goes, big guy's back.
05:53Now that's, the positive is Aaron Judge seems to have an impact
05:58on a whole team and a whole lineup that makes everybody else.
06:03I think when you bring back the Goliath, all the Davids feel a little better about life.
06:10I do think it all began, like Ben Rice has hit much better recently,
06:14but I do think it all began to like get to Ben Rice after a while,
06:18both mentally and physically trying to carry the team when he's a very good hitter,
06:23but he's certainly, I mean, Aaron Judge is one of the best hitters
06:27in the history of the sport.
06:28So, you know, you begin to try to do too much.
06:31So I do think that there's a domino effect on the clubhouse,
06:38on the lineup, and everything else to do this.
06:42I also would not downplay if you get the full Aaron Judge
06:46that you might get to a much better outfield defense than we've seen,
06:52including it'll be interesting, you know, seeing,
06:55I think Spencer Jones is going to play quite a bit of center field now,
06:58especially against righty pitching, though.
07:01He's hit lefty pitching pretty good, pretty well.
07:04I'm sorry, grammar people.
07:06And yeah, I think, I think there's just a linked benefit.
07:14Sure.
07:14Judging back where everyone feels a little better about it.
07:18And obviously, it means a great deal to the Yankees.
07:22No doubt, Joel.
07:23And look, the Yankees have had to deal with multiple injuries.
07:28It's not just Judge.
07:29Cody Bellinger was out for a while.
07:31Trent Grissom just went down.
07:32They lost Freed for a little bit.
07:34They lost Rodon.
07:36So, like, it's been a rotation of injuries this year.
07:40They've gone and taken their hits.
07:41But there's no equivalent, in my opinion, humbly,
07:46when you're taking Aaron Judge out of the clubhouse
07:49and out of the lineup every day,
07:50the impact that he can provide, like you said,
07:54not just what he can do with the bat,
07:56but what he helps the rest of the team.
07:58I think Cody Bellinger is going to miss,
08:00like, he's going to be so happy to have Aaron Judge back
08:02because I think Bellinger is someone that we were seeing
08:05and you were talking about earlier this year, Joel.
08:07You're like, Cody, this is the Bellinger we were expecting.
08:09Like, great defense, he gets on base, does great left-on-left,
08:13and he's a high contact and give you some pop
08:16when you need it at home, too.
08:17So, it feels like this can be, I don't know,
08:21like, hopefully the thing that propels them forward.
08:23But I also, I am someone who's trying to observe everything
08:28from a 1,000-foot-eye view.
08:31The Red Sox are right on your tail.
08:33You're only four games back of the race.
08:36Is this going to be like, oh, man, we're pressing now.
08:39Everyone's going to be pressing.
08:40Like, we've got to put a ton of pressure on Judge
08:42and everyone else to give us immediate returns
08:44because we want to push for that division.
08:47Wouldn't you think Boone and them are pushing
08:49for the division win here with only four games back?
08:52Yeah.
08:53I mean, unless they're, you know,
08:55the Rays have a very tough schedule coming up.
08:58The Yankees should have an easier schedule,
09:02though Yankee games are always tricky
09:06and the Mets are obviously playing a little better
09:08than they have for most of the season.
09:10And it will be a very emotional weekend at Yankee Stadium
09:14starting with the 9-11 game Friday night.
09:18So, there's that.
09:21And so, yeah, I think you always have to think
09:23if the Yankees, whoever wins the AL East
09:26is going to have the best record in the American League,
09:29it means a buy.
09:31So, if you get a buy, if you finish with the first,
09:33the best record or the, you know,
09:36this is a messed up year,
09:37maybe we should talk about playoff seeding if you want,
09:40but the second best division winning record,
09:43it's like winning a round to the playoffs
09:45because you don't have to deal with the danger
09:48of a best two out of three.
09:50Like, use this as an example.
09:51I'm sure we'll probably talk about Garrett Cole,
09:53but like, if that's game one of the playoffs,
09:56say you've decided you're playing Boston
09:58in a two or three and you start Cole in one
10:00because you're like, we're comfortable with Schlittler
10:02in two or the way the season ended with two.
10:05Well, if that's Garrett Cole's game
10:07in a best of three from the other night
10:09where he gives up three homers to begin the game,
10:12you know, now you're 24 hours away from elimination.
10:16And you want to avoid that at all.
10:18Of course, you want to give yourself
10:19as much wiggle room for a post-season loss as possible.
10:24You know, it's why you want to get to the five game series.
10:27It's why you want to get to a seven game series.
10:29It gives you some ability to escape a bad loss.
10:33You have a bad loss in that first round.
10:35You have to go undefeated in all the other,
10:38you know, after you, if it was game one.
10:41So obviously I think they'll push for it within reason.
10:44And I think that they're in a tricky spot
10:49because if you're not going to win it,
10:51you don't want to go so full bore
10:53that Will Warren is starting game one
10:55against the Red Sox or something like that.
10:58You also are going to have to sometime,
11:01probably starting seven to 10 days from now,
11:05begin to work Clark Schmidt and Ryan Weathers
11:08into your bullpen perhaps.
11:09And you're going to have to get them into the game
11:12to see what they could give you
11:14for the biggest games in October.
11:16Well, what if that costs you a game in September?
11:18Finding out like, well, you know what?
11:20Ryan Weathers isn't a reliever or Clark Schmidt.
11:22And yet you have to do it.
11:24You have to do it because you have to begin,
11:27you have to get those guys sharp in that role
11:29and familiar with the role as possible
11:31in a very short period of time.
11:32And of course you got to load up judges at bats.
11:35It does suggest like the next three days,
11:40the Rockies are not a very good team.
11:42They're in your ballpark.
11:43Like I often say baseball is too close together.
11:50They really need to sweep the Rockies
11:52and put themselves in a situation with the Mets
11:55because that will, again, it will be a very,
11:57regardless of the Mets record,
11:58the Mets are playing better.
12:00You know, you'll get a very focused Juan Soto
12:03for the weekend, getting booed at Yankee Stadium.
12:08You'll get the best effort from the Mets.
12:10Subway series are often very tight,
12:13regardless of records.
12:14It will, again, it will be very heightened
12:17because of 9-11.
12:18So like, I think they need these three games
12:20to kind of like,
12:22Boston's not going to do a lot of losing
12:24the rest of the way.
12:28And, you know,
12:29if you want to make sure those games
12:30are at Yankee Stadium also,
12:33even though the Yankees have a very good road record,
12:35you don't want to go to Fenway
12:37to play those three games.
12:38So they've got essentially,
12:40you know, what amounts to a three-game lead
12:43because they won the season series.
12:44It's two in the standings,
12:45but it's three in the real world.
12:48They've got to hold that for three weeks.
12:51And the way you hold that is
12:52you better win the ones you're supposed to win
12:54and the Rockies are ones you're supposed to win.
12:57Yeah.
12:57And theoretically, the Mets, you should win.
12:59But like you said,
13:00there's going to be a lot at stake
13:01just in terms of the emotions
13:03and the, you know,
13:05the fact that you're playing cross-city rivals.
13:06Juan Soto's coming back to the Bronx.
13:08There's a lot there.
13:09But I agree with you, Joel.
13:10Like, they should beat up on the Rockies.
13:12I just assume the Yankees are going to finish the season 13-5.
13:16Do you know why?
13:17Because it will mean they'll win 94 games again.
13:19They're kind of addicted to 94 games.
13:21That would be the third straight year they did that,
13:23which would, and I'm not sure,
13:25I'm not sure that 94 would win the division,
13:28but it would be, again,
13:29a reminder that they're a very good team.
13:3194 wins is lots and lots of wins.
13:34It's a high 500 winning percentage.
13:37It's a fun thought for us to think about, though.
13:40Like, could they potentially be playing for the division
13:43against the Rays in a couple weeks?
13:44Well, you know, like, that's the thing is,
13:46you've got to, it's got to be no more than four.
13:50And you'd like to not be in a position where,
13:53though, of course, they have to sweep
13:56if they're not finished tied,
13:58because the Rays have the tiebreaker with one more win.
14:01So, you know, in theory, it's four games now,
14:05but unless the Yankees winning the rest of the way
14:08includes four straight wins over Tampa Bay,
14:10which I would think is not likely,
14:12it's really a five-game lead with three weeks left.
14:15That's very, very difficult to make up.
14:18And again, in some ways, clarity would help them
14:21if they could distance themselves from Boston,
14:23even if they know for sure they're not going to get Tampa Bay,
14:27which it should still be the goal.
14:28Again, it's like winning a round of the playoffs.
14:30It should be the goal.
14:31Clarity would help last week,
14:33because then it's like Weathers is going to pitch on Monday,
14:37Schmidt's going to pitch on Tuesday,
14:38Weathers is going to pitch on Thursday,
14:40Schmidt's going to pitch on Friday,
14:42and they're both going to pitch on Sunday to end the season.
14:44That's three relief appearances each.
14:45We get a better feel for who they are
14:48because you formulated it and you know it.
14:51And then you'll line up however you want for the three games,
14:53which I'm sure in a perfect world
14:55is Schlittler, Kohl, and Fried in some way.
14:59Well, I think what's also a fun thought here, Joel,
15:02is about Judge.
15:05There's this 18 games now
15:07where they're going to be sprinting to that playoff
15:09and whatever version of Judge you get, you get.
15:13Do you think this will be enough playing time for him?
15:15I know he's doing the high traject.
15:17I know he faced a lot, you know, live throwing BP,
15:21but like is this enough for him
15:24to get back into that rhythm every day
15:26of I'm seeing top quality pitching,
15:28I can handle it,
15:30and he can actually make that impact
15:31in the lineup like the way we've known him to be?
15:35You know, sometimes you got to make the omelet
15:38with what's in the fridge, right?
15:40Like you can't, and this is all there is.
15:43Uh, and, uh, he's a great player.
15:48Uh, obviously one of the, again,
15:49one of the special hitters in the history of the game.
15:52Uh, I suspect he can do more than most.
15:55Uh, and, uh, there is just no other option.
16:00So, you know, we'll see.
16:03Uh, but, you know, like we might have a situation.
16:06Boston might use Garrett Crochet in the postseason
16:09without him pitching a single game,
16:11a game since late April.
16:12Like he's trending back,
16:14but there might not be games.
16:16Right.
16:16For him to get into, uh, by its back.
16:19And yet in the sixth inning
16:21to get a couple of lefties out
16:23against the Yankees in game one,
16:25do you think they're not going to go
16:26to Garrett Crochet?
16:27I do.
16:28And then, you know, we're going to ask the question.
16:30He's either going to like get a couple of punch outs
16:32or maybe he's going to be spraying the ball
16:35and we're going to be saying,
16:36why did they do that?
16:37Like, this is just, you know,
16:38the clock is working against teams.
16:40I believe, uh, tonight Corbin Burns
16:42starts his first game of the season
16:43for the, for, for the Diamondbacks.
16:46Is he ready?
16:47He's Corbin Burns.
16:48He won a Cy Young.
16:49You're paying him a $35 million a year.
16:52He's, you know, the answer is
16:54he's got to be ready.
16:55Uh, and oftentimes the, the other answer Ryan is
16:59if not him, who like, like at this point,
17:02we're dealing with, would you rather Aaron judge
17:04at whatever he is, take the abats to Elliot Ramos?
17:07Like, that's just, you know, it is what it is.
17:10It's Aaron judge.
17:11I'm going to live with the result.
17:13So, uh, again, it works out in,
17:16in the classic Joel Sherman, uh, saying Ryan,
17:20it always works out.
17:21And it did work itself out when it came to Trent Grisham
17:24going down on the IL.
17:26Cause there was talk from us on this show
17:27and in weeks prior about, you know,
17:29Hey, Spencer Jones looks pretty good.
17:31Lefty on lefty.
17:32And, you know, defensively, he's got some mishaps,
17:34but also the same time, he's a heck of an athlete.
17:36You know, I wonder if he can earn some more playing time
17:38in center field.
17:39We discussed that.
17:40Well, Trent Grisham goes down on the IL
17:41with the hammy hamstring injury.
17:43Spencer Jones now is being elevated into,
17:45you would expect a more, uh, more playing time
17:48here going forward.
17:49Is there a real chance for Spencer Jones
17:52to earn every day center field role
17:54going even into the playoffs here, Joel?
17:57Or again, I have to ask you this
17:59just because of my history with Aaron Boone
18:01and Brian Cashman
18:02and the way the Yankees organization has worked.
18:04They team, they tend to lean more towards the veterans,
18:07uh, despite who might even be playing better
18:10at that moment, just because they,
18:12they believe in those guys.
18:13That's who they invested in originally.
18:15Um, and they feel, I think more safe and secure.
18:18Maybe I'm wrong in reading it that way
18:19with a veteran player,
18:21especially in those playoff games.
18:23So you tell me, Joel,
18:24how is this going to play out here
18:25in the next couple of weeks?
18:27Yeah, well, I have two thoughts is like,
18:29look, I understand how the content world works.
18:32It's also how a newspaper works.
18:33You know, you got to fill the space.
18:35Uh, but I will never change my mind
18:38on these things almost always solve themselves.
18:41And we do a lot of,
18:43oh, they better not do this.
18:45And I'm like, well, they might not do it.
18:46Let's see what happens.
18:48So, uh, you know, and, and here we are.
18:52And by the way, they'll be lucky,
18:53like Spencer Jones doesn't get hurt
18:55or Aaron judge doesn't have a recurrence.
18:57So, you know, this is where you're at.
18:59Uh, and oftentimes, uh, you know,
19:02the people who are made that make the paid
19:04to make the decisions,
19:05don't make them very often that the,
19:07you know, fate comes in
19:09and makes the decision for you.
19:10Number two, I'm not really sure
19:12I agree with your premise.
19:14Like what are the positions
19:15where there was a very deserving young player
19:19who didn't get a shot?
19:20And a lot of ways they stuck with Volpe too long.
19:23They stuck with Jason Dominguez too long,
19:26uh, right in certain situations.
19:28Uh, so, uh, I think that they're looking to win
19:32and the answer is the best guy
19:35and Spencer Jones going to get
19:36a lot more runway now.
19:38It's been pretty impressive
19:39since he came back up in late July.
19:42Look, there's going to be four strikeout games.
19:44There's going to be games
19:46where you just have to cook this in,
19:49uh, that there's days where,
19:51and I'm not elevating him to Kyle Schwarber,
19:55but like to get to the fit 40 to 50 home runs
19:58of Kyle Schwarber,
19:59you're going to deal with 210, 220 strike,
20:02you know, like a lot of strikeouts.
20:03Now the question is,
20:05do you do enough around the strikeouts
20:07to make it worthwhile?
20:09In Jones's case,
20:10because he plays defense
20:11and can run the base as well.
20:12He's bringing you a little more.
20:14I think the left on left stuff
20:16has been good.
20:17And he's been really,
20:19I would venture to say
20:22he's probably been a top 30 or 40 player
20:24in the American league
20:25since he came back in late July.
20:26I mean, he's been really good.
20:29Like, like, like, if I'll say this is
20:31if Trent Grisham were doing
20:32what Spencer Jones did since late July,
20:35we'd be saying, oh man,
20:36that was a good use of $22 million
20:38by the Yankees.
20:40Uh, so Jones has played well
20:43and he's the best choice, uh, right now.
20:47And we're going to see so far he's handled.
20:49These have been important games
20:50and he's handled it well.
20:52Uh, you know, we went back home,
20:54seemed to handle that well in San Diego.
20:56Uh, he's gotten some big hits for them.
21:00So he doesn't seem to be afraid of a moment.
21:03And like, I would say it's a little bit
21:07the Gary Couchet, Aaron Judge thing.
21:08If not him and Lombard, for example, who?
21:12Like the next thing is you put Bellinger
21:15and Senna and Ramos in the outfield.
21:17And by the way, that means Ramos
21:20has to go to left field at Yankee Stadium.
21:22I would, I'm not even sure
21:24against the Red Sox lefties.
21:26I'm playing Ramos in the outfield.
21:29Really?
21:29Like, even though,
21:30even though he does hit lefties better than.
21:33Well, the question is,
21:34does he hit lefties better than Spencer Jones?
21:37I don't know.
21:38I guess we'd have to see
21:39over the next couple of weeks.
21:40Because the other choice
21:40is not to play Bellinger, right?
21:42Like judges playing right.
21:43Well, no.
21:44Yeah.
21:44Yeah.
21:45I'm playing Bellinger.
21:46Right.
21:46Like the question then becomes,
21:48do you think he's got,
21:49going to have better at bats
21:50against lefties than Ben Rice
21:52or Garcia or Luis Garcia?
21:54And then you DH him.
21:55Right.
21:56That's what I'm saying.
21:56You could DH him
21:58and Ben Rice is your bat off the bench.
22:00But again,
22:00And Garcia is the bat off the bench, right?
22:02Because Goldschmidt will play first
22:04against the lefties.
22:05If you put Goldschmidt at first.
22:06Yeah.
22:06But I also,
22:06I mean,
22:07you're going to put Goldschmidt
22:07at left against the lefties.
22:09He's done terrific
22:10and you get the defense.
22:12And so the question becomes,
22:15who's the DH?
22:16I would not.
22:17I think we talked about this
22:18a little last week.
22:18I wrote about it for the post.
22:20I'm playing my defense
22:21as much as possible.
22:23I'm playing my best defenders.
22:25I just don't,
22:27like the Red Sox,
22:28for example,
22:29are also a run prevention team.
22:30The scores could probably be low
22:32and I just,
22:33I've got to limit them to 27 outs.
22:36I've got to make sure
22:37my pitching staff
22:38doesn't throw extra pitches
22:39and have to get extra outs
22:41for no reason.
22:42And,
22:42you know,
22:43like my one,
22:46I think he's going to play Rosario
22:48at third base against the lefties.
22:50I think that's a mistake.
22:52I would not trade
22:55the potential of a few hits
22:57for the runs.
22:58You know,
22:59would I play Caballero there?
23:01No,
23:01I just play McMahon
23:02and live with it, man.
23:03That's what I would do.
23:04I'd play McMahon
23:05and live with it.
23:07And I know that's a different way
23:09of thinking,
23:09but I think with Judge
23:10back,
23:11your offense should be better
23:12and I'm going to play the defense.
23:15I just,
23:15we want,
23:16one of the reasons
23:17they didn't win a World Series
23:18in 2024
23:18is they just gave too much away
23:20in the field.
23:21And,
23:22I think the Yankees
23:23could get to four or five runs
23:25playing the defense.
23:27and I,
23:28with their pitching,
23:29I would take a shot at that.
23:31Again,
23:31that's three weeks from now.
23:32It might solve itself.
23:33We'll see what,
23:34we see what happens.
23:35You know,
23:35Spencer Jones could go over
23:37the rest of the season
23:38and suddenly you have no,
23:39you know,
23:40you have to put Bellinger
23:41in center
23:41and Ramos in left
23:42and live with it.
23:44But,
23:46for now,
23:47I just think I'd favor
23:49the defense.
23:50Yeah,
23:51it's an interesting thought.
23:52Again,
23:53the three weeks from now,
23:54you know,
23:54you're wondering what this lineup,
23:56if they are facing the Red Sox,
23:57all those lefty starters,
23:59who's going to be in that lineup
24:00and who's going to be playing
24:02the,
24:02you know,
24:03all over the field.
24:04McMahon,
24:05it's tough,
24:06right?
24:06It's tough because
24:07it's not been pretty
24:08at the plate
24:09and I just,
24:11are you doing more,
24:12are you doing more damage
24:13in the lineup?
24:14I don't know.
24:14I don't know.
24:15That's something the Yankees
24:16are going to have to answer themselves
24:17in three weeks,
24:18like you said,
24:18Joel.
24:19I do want to ask you about
24:20But it's probably going to be,
24:22if you think about it,
24:23it could be more.
24:26Two at-bats for Rosario,
24:27right?
24:28Like if you had the lead,
24:29you'd rush McMahon into the game.
24:31How much are those,
24:32maybe those two at-bats
24:33get you the lead.
24:36And I think it's not,
24:37I'll say this is,
24:38I don't think this is
24:39a hundred to zero decision.
24:41I think it's 52-48.
24:44And I strongly suspect
24:47that Boone is going to play
24:48Rosario at third base
24:50against the Red Sox lefties.
24:54You know,
24:55but one of the other ways
24:56to look at it is
24:57the Red Sox are probably
24:58going to have
24:59no fewer than
25:00four lefty relievers.
25:02You also could save
25:03Rosario for the at-bat.
25:04Like,
25:05like if you're trailing
25:06in the fifth,
25:07you could hit Rosario
25:08for McMahon then.
25:10A short,
25:11you know,
25:11and,
25:12and play it that way.
25:13And,
25:13but,
25:14but,
25:14or,
25:14see,
25:15I would begin the game
25:16and say,
25:16I'm ahead.
25:17Once I'm ahead,
25:18I'm going to keep playing
25:19the defense.
25:20If I'm behind,
25:22they're going to unleash
25:23their lefty relievers
25:24because they're going to
25:25want to keep
25:26either Rice
25:26and or Garcia
25:27on the bench.
25:29And then I could use
25:30a very focused
25:31Rosario at bat
25:33and then I got to live
25:33with him
25:34at defensively
25:35to the end
25:35or put Caballero in.
25:38I just,
25:38I just think that
25:39I,
25:40I,
25:40I would play the defense.
25:42Yeah.
25:43It's a strong case,
25:44I think for,
25:45for your making
25:46and it's something
25:48we'll see how it plays out,
25:49but I am just intrigued again.
25:51Like you said,
25:52with Spencer Jones,
25:54I want to see the kid
25:55continue to flourish
25:55hopefully and develop
25:56and,
25:57and win that starting
25:58center field job
25:59because he,
26:01he's kind of the future
26:02also,
26:02right?
26:02Future.
26:03That says,
26:03that's what I'm about to say.
26:04It's the future here.
26:04Like him and Lombard,
26:06if you can see
26:06those guys flourish
26:08and actually develop here
26:10and be impact
26:11and contributors
26:11both offensively
26:12and defensively.
26:14I mean,
26:14you're dreaming with that
26:15and judge playing more DH
26:17probably next year,
26:18but I know he wants to play
26:19the outfield as much as possible,
26:20but like that
26:21with Ben Rice
26:22and Luis Garcia,
26:24Bellinger,
26:24it's a fun lineup,
26:25Joel,
26:26and it should be able
26:26to be effective
26:27as long as everyone
26:28stays healthy,
26:29obviously.
26:30Joel,
26:31the starting rotation,
26:32you know,
26:32look,
26:33we,
26:33we get Max Freed,
26:34we get,
26:35Garrett Cole
26:36struggled over the weekend,
26:37Cam Schlittler
26:38dominated again
26:39this past week.
26:42This was always
26:43the strength of this team
26:45if they were fully healthy
26:46and ready to rock and roll.
26:48Freed is building himself
26:49back up.
26:50Rodon,
26:51he's trying to build himself
26:52back up.
26:52Where do you see
26:53this rotation going
26:55in the next couple weeks?
26:57and how does the impact
26:59of Schmidt
27:00and Weathers
27:01trying to be bullpen pieces?
27:03And I also saw
27:03LaGrange
27:04was activated,
27:05I believe,
27:06for AAA as well.
27:07So,
27:07where do you see
27:09all this playing out
27:09between the starting rotation
27:11and even into the bullpen
27:12as well?
27:13Yeah,
27:14you know,
27:14everybody's on the
27:15speed reading course now,
27:17right?
27:18You got to,
27:20you know,
27:20we'll see what they have
27:21in a couple of weeks.
27:24You know,
27:25as guys do it
27:26because,
27:26again,
27:28Schmidt and Weathers
27:29are not back yet.
27:30Obviously,
27:30LaGrange is not back.
27:32We've done this show
27:32long enough,
27:33Brian.
27:33You know one of my things.
27:34I'll believe a player
27:35is playing in the major leagues
27:36when he's playing
27:37in the major leagues.
27:38I'll be at Yankee Stadium
27:39tonight.
27:39They'll announce Judge
27:40when he goes to run out
27:41to right field
27:42or maybe he's DH-ing tonight.
27:43He thinks he's a bat.
27:44I'll go,
27:44Aaron Judge is back
27:46because I've certainly
27:47seen setbacks
27:48at the last second.
27:50You know,
27:50it wasn't a few weeks ago,
27:52right?
27:52Schmidt had some
27:53thing with forearm stuff
27:55if I remember.
27:56Yep.
27:56So, like,
27:57let's see guys get back.
27:59Let's not forget
28:00that
28:01it's got to be all
28:02if you told the Yankees
28:04they were in
28:06a division series
28:07against Boston
28:08and they would
28:09automatically win
28:11the series
28:11if they were willing
28:12to start Will Warren
28:14in game one
28:14of the division series
28:15against you,
28:16pick it.
28:16Houston
28:17or,
28:18you know,
28:19the White Sox
28:20or Tampa.
28:21I'm not sorry.
28:21It would be against
28:22Tampa Bay,
28:22right?
28:23Right.
28:23So,
28:24against Tampa Bay.
28:25They'd say,
28:26yeah,
28:26where do we sign up
28:27for that?
28:27Because don't forget,
28:28Rodon will probably
28:30be lined up
28:30for that
28:31a game one.
28:32But if they need
28:33Carlos Rodon
28:34in the division series,
28:35Carlos Rodon's
28:36going to pitch
28:37in the division series.
28:38They'll start
28:38Ryan Yarborough
28:39and get,
28:40like,
28:40you've got to
28:41survive and advance.
28:43So, like,
28:43I think it's
28:44all hands on deck
28:46and,
28:46you know,
28:47one of the
28:48fringe benefits,
28:49perhaps,
28:50of getting Schmidt
28:51and or Weathers
28:52back
28:53is trying to
28:54back off
28:55Hedrick
28:58and Blackburn
28:59a little bit,
29:01you know,
29:02along the way here
29:03because,
29:04of course,
29:04they've been heavily
29:05used this season
29:07and,
29:08you know,
29:08there's been a little
29:09recently with both guys.
29:12You know,
29:13no knocks.
29:14Those two guys
29:14is one of the reasons
29:15they're even in this position
29:16is the surprise season
29:17by those two guys.
29:19But you want to
29:20kind of see
29:20if you could ease them
29:21towards the finish line.
29:22It's again why
29:23it is what it is.
29:25You've got to play
29:25the season.
29:26But definition
29:27of their spot
29:28would really help them
29:30because think about
29:31if they
29:33finish the
29:34Tampa Bay series
29:35tied.
29:36Well,
29:37then you've got to
29:37play the Orioles series
29:38like a playoff series.
29:39And you do have to
29:40use those guys
29:41and then suddenly
29:42if somehow on Sunday
29:43you finish your second,
29:45you've got to play again
29:46in 48 hours
29:48and you've treated
29:49probably the Tampa Bay
29:51and Baltimore series
29:52like playoff series
29:53going into the beginning
29:54of a month
29:56of what you hope
29:56is a month of playoffs.
29:57But most importantly,
29:59best of three,
30:00whereas the Red Sox
30:01will have probably
30:02at that point,
30:03no,
30:03we're third.
30:06Right?
30:06Like the Red,
30:07you know what's crazy
30:08about the playoff system?
30:11Right now
30:12is
30:14if somehow
30:15the Blue Jays
30:17make the playoffs,
30:18they will finish
30:20fourth in the AL East
30:21and have a much easier
30:22run to the ALCS
30:24than any of the three
30:25teams that finish
30:25in front of them.
30:26Just because they're
30:27going to be facing
30:28that,
30:28uh,
30:29they're facing,
30:29they're,
30:30they're in the bracket
30:31with,
30:32with,
30:33uh,
30:33let's assume
30:34the White Sox.
30:35The White Sox,
30:36right,
30:36right.
30:36Whereas it's a round
30:37Robin between the Red Sox,
30:39the Red Sox,
30:40the Rays and the Yankees
30:41and only one of those
30:42teams could emerge.
30:43They've been,
30:44the,
30:44the,
30:44the Yankees and Rays
30:46have had the best record,
30:47best two records
30:48in the American League
30:49for every day
30:50since April 22nd,
30:51except for one day,
30:52May 23rd.
30:53So for essentially
30:54this entire season,
30:56the Yankees and Rays
30:57have had the best two records
30:58starting in late July
31:00at the end of their
31:01great run,
31:02the Red Sox became three.
31:04They've been one,
31:04two,
31:05three best records
31:06in the league
31:06since the,
31:07since late July.
31:09And only one of them
31:11could get to the ALCS
31:12as,
31:12as the most likely scenario
31:14plays out
31:16because instead of doing,
31:18uh,
31:18you know,
31:19like seeding it best record
31:20to six best record,
31:22there's,
31:23continuing on honoring
31:24of the division winners.
31:26I would argue,
31:27and I wrote about this
31:27on post plus
31:28that will be posted
31:29this morning.
31:30I think that they should
31:31recede after the first round.
31:34I think they should
31:34go even further
31:35if the,
31:36like whoever,
31:36like say for example,
31:37the C the,
31:38the seeds were frozen
31:39right now.
31:40I think the Rays
31:41should get to choose
31:42their division,
31:43division series opponent.
31:45You know,
31:46like,
31:46do they want to,
31:47maybe they'd pick
31:47the Yankees or Red Sox.
31:48I have a feeling
31:49they would pick
31:50somebody else.
31:51And I think
31:52they've spent the year
31:53as the number one seed.
31:54They should really get
31:55a much better benefit
31:56than having to play
31:57the Yankees or Red Sox
31:58in a best of five.
32:00Or if the Yankees
32:02ended up with the best record,
32:03or by the way,
32:03it's not impossible
32:04that the Red Sox,
32:05Yankees,
32:05Red,
32:06Rays kind of have
32:07a troubled week.
32:08Yankees get beat up
32:09by the Rays
32:10and somehow we're
32:11looking up
32:11and it's like,
32:11wow,
32:12the Red Sox won
32:13the AL East.
32:14It's a long shot,
32:15but it's not impossible.
32:17Whoever wins
32:18the AL East
32:19should get a much
32:20better benefit
32:21than they're about to.
32:22And really,
32:23the Yankees
32:24and Rays
32:25have distinguished
32:26themselves as the
32:27best two teams
32:27in the league
32:28for 162 games.
32:30And,
32:31you know,
32:32like,
32:32like only one of them
32:34could get to the ALCS.
32:35The Ray,
32:36you know,
32:37the Blue Jays,
32:38if they got in,
32:41avoid those,
32:42the three teams
32:43who've been better
32:44than them all year.
32:45No doubt.
32:45That just seems
32:46like a terrible system.
32:48It's,
32:49and it's part of the thing
32:50that we're talking about here
32:51where the Yankees
32:51in a short series
32:52would have to
32:54really,
32:54really,
32:55like make hard decisions
32:56with the lineup,
32:57right?
32:57In a short series,
32:58it's like,
32:58do we go for the bat
32:59with Rosario
33:00versus all these lefties?
33:01Do we go for McMahon
33:02for defense?
33:02That's coming anyway.
33:03But I feel like
33:04in a five-game series,
33:05Joel,
33:06wouldn't you agree?
33:06You have a little bit
33:07more leniency.
33:07It's like,
33:07you know,
33:08you got one loss
33:09you could survive.
33:10You could survive.
33:11Series.
33:12Right.
33:12Exactly.
33:13In wild card,
33:13it's like one loss.
33:14You're like,
33:15oh crap,
33:15we're facing another lefty tonight.
33:17What do we do?
33:17Rosario won 0 for 404
33:18strikeouts last night.
33:19It's like,
33:20that's where it is.
33:21The Red Sox lost game one
33:22last year,
33:23right?
33:23Yeah.
33:24Am I right?
33:24And what the threat of
33:26is if you lose game one
33:27is what if a guy
33:29in the other team
33:30throws one of the best
33:30playoff games in history,
33:32then your season's over.
33:34And that's what happened
33:35in game three.
33:36There was no,
33:37because you,
33:41it is what it is.
33:42You got to have some play.
33:43If you could play,
33:44it was a single elimination
33:45not long ago
33:46in that wild card series.
33:48And that was really felt fickle.
33:50But again,
33:51I would talk about
33:52the top of the heap.
33:54One and two seeds
33:55should probably be
33:56the two best records,
33:59especially starting,
34:00I think it was in 2022.
34:01We went to a balanced,
34:03more balanced schedule.
34:04We went from 19 games
34:05in the division to 13.
34:08So teams play schedules
34:09that are a little more similar now
34:10than in the past.
34:11Everybody plays everybody.
34:13So I would just line it up
34:14one to six.
34:15But again,
34:15if you don't want to line it up
34:16one to six,
34:16at least re-seed
34:17after the wild card series
34:19and say one plays four,
34:22two plays three
34:22as far as records,
34:23you know,
34:25kind of situation.
34:26Or again,
34:27imagine the television show
34:29right after the wild card's over,
34:31the Rays,
34:32president of baseball operation
34:33as our owners,
34:34comes on and says,
34:35gentlemen,
34:36we'd like to play the Astros.
34:37Now the Astros have a,
34:38oh, you want to play us?
34:39You have this great drama.
34:41But the Rays get the benefit
34:42of picking their opponent.
34:45After 162 games
34:46of an or,
34:48and the Brewers get
34:49to pick their opponent.
34:51This isn't just in America.
34:52Like the Brewers
34:53have dominated again.
34:55They're very likely
34:55to finish with the best record
34:57in the division series.
34:58they should get to pick
34:59their opponent.
35:01I've never seen
35:02the thought or theory
35:04of picking your opponent
35:05before the playoffs.
35:06MLB played with this
35:07a couple of years ago
35:08doing this.
35:09And I do.
35:10I think it would be,
35:11think about that television show.
35:12Hey,
35:13tune in to the post-game show
35:15after Yankees-Red Sox.
35:18We're going to have
35:19Rays,
35:20president of baseball operation,
35:21Eric Neanderon,
35:22to hear who he's playing.
35:23And then you'll know
35:24who the winner
35:25of Yankees-Red Sox
35:26are playing.
35:27Also.
35:27It would definitely
35:28up the stakes,
35:29no doubt.
35:29Would you watch
35:30the post-game show?
35:31I would watch
35:31the post-game show.
35:32Yeah, we would.
35:34So,
35:35speaking of that guy
35:36who threw
35:37an historic game
35:37last year,
35:38Cam Schlittler,
35:39again,
35:39continues to just
35:40shove all year long.
35:42We saw Dylan Cease
35:43had a rough outing
35:44and it looks like
35:45Cam,
35:46right now,
35:47obviously things can change
35:48in the next couple weeks,
35:49but he looks like
35:50the favorite
35:50for the AL Cy Young.
35:52I keep asking you this,
35:53Joel,
35:53just because the kid
35:54continues to just
35:55throw these games
35:56of multiple innings,
35:57one run or less,
35:58and he's putting himself
36:00in the likes of
36:01Ron Guidry
36:01and even better
36:02in all-time Yankees history.
36:04So,
36:05you tell me,
36:05Joel,
36:06what has this kid
36:07shown to you this year
36:08as you continue
36:09to watch him
36:10go throughout 2026?
36:13I think one of the
36:13most enjoyable stories
36:14in New York baseball
36:15this year
36:16is we've seen
36:16the firm establishment
36:17of two young aces,
36:19McClain with the Mets
36:21and Schlittler even better
36:23with the Yankees.
36:24Both of them
36:25had really impressive
36:27cameos later
36:27and made a case
36:28who's going to be
36:29better this year.
36:31I do think
36:32that there's a shot
36:34that McClain
36:35could win rookie
36:35of the year.
36:36He's still eligible for it.
36:38I think Sal Stewart
36:39or J.J. Weatherholt
36:40the question is
36:40is he a better rookie
36:41than even Carson Benj
36:42on his own team
36:43which is an interesting thing.
36:45You know,
36:45a good moment
36:45for the future
36:46for the Mets
36:47is having both
36:48Benj and McClain
36:48on their team.
36:50Schlittler has been
36:50the class pitcher
36:51in the city though
36:53and in the sport
36:55in the AL.
36:57I do think
36:58that Cease
36:58stumbling last night
37:01gave the,
37:02I think Schlittler
37:03had an edge
37:04and the edge
37:05got bigger
37:06with Cease.
37:07I think
37:08if he finishes
37:09strong
37:09he's going
37:10to win
37:10but it's still
37:12close enough
37:12like if
37:13his next outing
37:14looks exactly
37:15like Cease's last night
37:16they're back
37:16to the same place.
37:18I think Schlittler's
37:18advantage is
37:19I think he's got
37:20you know,
37:21when they're online
37:22about 10 to 15
37:24more innings
37:24because Cease
37:25missed a couple
37:26of starts
37:26and so if it's close
37:28you go to bulk.
37:29I'm a big guy
37:30to look at road
37:30stuff to neutralize
37:33like make sure
37:33somebody isn't
37:34taking advantage.
37:34By the way,
37:35Cease before last
37:36night again
37:36in a tough place,
37:38right?
37:38That ballpark
37:39in Sacramento
37:39makes people look bad
37:41but his numbers
37:42on the road
37:43were great Cease
37:44but Schlittler's
37:45numbers on the road
37:45this year
37:46are historic.
37:48Schlittler's
37:48they both have
37:49great results
37:50against the better
37:51teams.
37:52I always look at that
37:53to make sure
37:53you're not just
37:54beating up the
37:54last place team
37:55in your division
37:56four or five times
37:57and taking advantage
37:59both have that
37:59but I think
38:00Schlittler's
38:00are a slight bit
38:01better than Cease.
38:03He just has him
38:04in a bunch of
38:05areas by a hair
38:07and so I think
38:09if he keeps
38:09pitching this way
38:10and again
38:12we're thinking
38:13of the Yankees
38:15trying to renew
38:16themselves.
38:16This is probably
38:17the back end
38:18of Judge.
38:19He is in his
38:20mid-30s
38:20and the emergence
38:22of Rice,
38:23the emergence
38:23of Schlittler,
38:24who is Spencer
38:25Jones,
38:26who is George
38:26Lombard Jr.
38:28These are
38:29for a team
38:30that gets
38:30knocked a lot
38:31for they don't
38:32develop well.
38:34That's some
38:35pretty good
38:35development stories
38:37right there.
38:38Will Warren
38:39has turned
38:39into a pretty
38:41sturdy
38:42back of the
38:43rotation guy.
38:44That's what he is.
38:44He's number five.
38:45This is what
38:46a number five
38:46starter looks like
38:49and teams
38:50kill to develop
38:51them because
38:51they cost too
38:52much money
38:52on the market
38:53unless you want
38:54to Frankie Montas
38:55your money
38:56away.
38:57So you want
38:58to try to
38:58develop as many
38:59of these as
38:59possible.
39:01So yeah,
39:02this is
39:03Schlittler's,
39:04you know,
39:05to me,
39:05the MVP
39:07of the team
39:09because pitching
39:09saved them
39:10while Judge
39:11was gone
39:12and he's
39:13been the
39:14rock,
39:15right?
39:15Two IL stints
39:16for Freed,
39:17Cole not pitching
39:18at the beginning,
39:19Rodon not pitching
39:20at the beginning,
39:21again,
39:21Warren sturdy,
39:22make it like
39:22last year,
39:23making all his
39:24starts,
39:24but still
39:25it is a
39:25number four
39:26or five
39:26starter profile.
39:28Schlittler has
39:29been the MVP
39:30of the team.
39:31Yeah,
39:31no doubt,
39:32Joel,
39:32and possibly
39:33the side
39:34young of the
39:34league.
39:34His mindset
39:35is so damn
39:36impressive too,
39:37just because he
39:38he cares about
39:39winning more than
39:40anything else.
39:40You could see it
39:41on the just
39:41from his post
39:42game remarks,
39:42but also how
39:43he attacks the
39:44game.
39:44He wants to
39:45win.
39:46I think
39:46personal accolades
39:47aside,
39:48I think he's
39:49obviously proud
39:49of those things.
39:50There's no doubt,
39:50but that guy
39:52that he just
39:53feels like,
39:54you know,
39:55feels old school
39:56Yankee type
39:57where he's all
39:57about the team
39:58winning and
39:58performance.
39:59And,
39:59and it's,
40:01it's been
40:01remarkable to
40:02watch this year
40:03and I'm
40:03continuing.
40:04The innings
40:05have really
40:05mattered to
40:06protect the
40:07bullpen,
40:07which is already
40:08heavily used.
40:09Yeah,
40:10his ability
40:10and,
40:11and again,
40:12in his first
40:12full season,
40:13you know,
40:13you just keep
40:14waiting.
40:14Does he hit
40:15a wall?
40:16And if he
40:17does,
40:17it just would
40:18be expected.
40:19We're seeing a
40:20little bit,
40:21right,
40:21with Jacob
40:21Mizoroski
40:22hitting a wall
40:23a little bit,
40:23who's the NL
40:24Cy Young
40:25front runner
40:26and favorite.
40:29He's kind
40:29of,
40:30the velocity's
40:31down,
40:32the performance
40:33strikeouts are
40:34down a little
40:35bit.
40:35He's hit a
40:36wall.
40:37So far,
40:38Schlittler seems
40:38to be wall
40:39resistant,
40:41but the thing
40:42to remember is
40:43he doesn't,
40:44in the,
40:44in the greatest
40:45year for the
40:46Yankees,
40:47he doesn't have
40:48three weeks
40:48left.
40:49He has seven
40:49weeks left.
40:50Yeah.
40:51Yeah,
40:51no doubt.
40:52And that'd be
40:53fun to watch him
40:53continue to push
40:55and shove in the
40:56playoffs.
40:57Joel,
40:57I want to finish
40:58up with Joel's
40:58notebook,
40:59just because I
41:00think,
41:00you know,
41:01like you said
41:02earlier in the
41:02show,
41:03it is something
41:05that's coming up
41:05on a 25th year
41:06anniversary.
41:07You know,
41:08all New Yorkers,
41:10Americans remember
41:11this day.
41:12If you were alive
41:13during when it
41:14happened,
41:15but I,
41:15I always,
41:17you know,
41:17I'm interested
41:18because everyone
41:19has a different
41:19story when they
41:20think about 9-11.
41:21So I'm,
41:22I'm interested to
41:23hear what your
41:24thoughts are and
41:25when you're
41:25remembering and,
41:26and when the
41:27emotions come by
41:28on Friday night,
41:30what will you
41:31remember about,
41:32about 9-11 in
41:34your time of
41:34covering baseball
41:35and just being
41:35here as a local
41:37native New Yorker
41:38yourself?
41:40Yeah.
41:41I mean,
41:41it's,
41:41you could hear it
41:42in my voice,
41:43right?
41:43You know where
41:43I'm from.
41:45You know,
41:45I'm born and
41:46raised here.
41:48I live a couple
41:50of hundred feet
41:50from the Freedom
41:51Tower.
41:53So I see it
41:54every day of my
41:54life when I'm
41:55not on the road.
41:58The city means
41:59a great deal to
42:00me.
42:01It's,
42:01I think it's part
42:01of who I am.
42:03It's the speed I
42:04work at,
42:05the way I work
42:05is in,
42:07you know,
42:08part of it is
42:09about here
42:12and being proud
42:14of here
42:16and,
42:18you know,
42:20obviously,
42:21I was,
42:23you know,
42:24I can't use the
42:25word blessed.
42:25So many people
42:26died that day,
42:27but like,
42:29everybody knew
42:30somebody somehow
42:31and I was
42:33like four people
42:34removed,
42:34like it was
42:35friends of mine,
42:36lost people.
42:38But like,
42:39I didn't lose
42:39anybody,
42:41like really close
42:42and it was like,
42:43like I,
42:44and,
42:45but I remember
42:45going to like
42:46vigils and
42:47other people's,
42:49you know,
42:49funerals to
42:50support friends
42:51and,
42:52and so yeah,
42:54that stood out.
42:55the baseball
42:56I thought was
42:57renewing for
42:59the city.
43:00I was at the
43:01Piazza off a
43:03Carse game,
43:04you know,
43:05still feels like
43:06I could hear
43:06Liza Minnelli
43:07singing.
43:09I felt the
43:10unity of the
43:11moment.
43:12You know,
43:13I was in the
43:13ballpark when
43:14George Bush
43:15threw a strike
43:15to Todd Green
43:16in the aftermath
43:18of that.
43:19I was,
43:20I went to
43:21Chicago
43:22for the,
43:23a game
43:25with the
43:25Yankees
43:26and walking
43:27through like
43:28an empty
43:28airport because
43:29people weren't
43:30flying really
43:31yet.
43:33And so,
43:34yeah,
43:34you know,
43:35lots,
43:35lots of
43:35memories of
43:37the time,
43:40the resiliency
43:41of the people
43:42in general
43:43in our city
43:44and specific
43:47and,
43:48you know,
43:49the Yankees
43:50were very
43:50important,
43:51the Mets
43:51were very
43:52important
43:53right away
43:53because their
43:54team in
43:55particular,
43:55like they
43:55did so
43:57much
43:58in and around
43:59the city
44:01to try to
44:02help.
44:02Bobby Valentine
44:04was like,
44:05like his
44:05second job
44:06was managing
44:07the Mets.
44:08He was doing
44:08so much
44:09of that.
44:10But then the
44:10Yankees kind
44:11of had a
44:11magic carpet
44:12ride to
44:12game seven
44:13of the
44:13World Series.
44:14Like,
44:14I think you
44:15could have
44:15argued they
44:16should have
44:16lost in
44:16every round
44:17of that.
44:18You know,
44:19like I thought
44:19they were
44:20outplayed probably
44:21by the A's
44:21and they
44:22beat the
44:22A's.
44:25The Mariners
44:26had won
44:27116 games
44:28that year.
44:28They beat
44:28the Mariners.
44:29And then I
44:30think if you're
44:30at that
44:31World Series
44:31and you're
44:32being fair,
44:34the Diamondbacks
44:35should have
44:35probably won
44:35the World Series
44:36seven games
44:36to nothing.
44:37And somehow
44:38in game seven
44:39of the World Series,
44:39the ball was
44:40in Mariano Rivera's
44:41hand with a chance
44:42to win.
44:42And that was
44:43the surest thing
44:43in the world.
44:44He had actually
44:44saved,
44:45he had 23
44:46straight converted
44:47saves in the
44:48postseason and
44:50only there
44:51did,
44:51was there
44:52a falter,
44:52you know,
44:54and still
44:55if you go
44:55back,
44:55if Scott
44:56Brocious,
44:56who was a
44:57very aware
44:57player,
44:59throws the
44:59ball to
45:00first base,
45:00it's a
45:00double play
45:01on the
45:01J-Bell
45:02bunt and
45:03they probably
45:04get out of
45:05it and win
45:05the World
45:05Series again.
45:07And I think
45:07I've told
45:08this story,
45:10but if you'll
45:11indulge me,
45:11I'll tell it
45:11one more time.
45:12The auxiliary
45:13press box in,
45:15there were so
45:16many people
45:16covering the
45:17World Series,
45:17there was
45:17overflow.
45:19It wasn't
45:19a very big
45:20box.
45:20So the
45:21overflow in
45:21Arizona was
45:23left field.
45:24The left field
45:25stands.
45:26So John
45:27Heyman and
45:28I, our
45:29friend, my
45:30partner here
45:31at the
45:31network, at
45:31the post,
45:32I'm doing a
45:32podcast with
45:33him later
45:33today.
45:34We are
45:34sitting next
45:35to each
45:35other in
45:36left field.
45:37He's at
45:37Newsday.
45:38I'm at the
45:39post.
45:40We actually
45:40sat next to
45:41each other
45:41for years.
45:42Those are
45:42the two
45:42seats in
45:42the old
45:43Yankee
45:43stadium.
45:43We're
45:43next to
45:44each other
45:44also when
45:45we were
45:45beat guys
45:46in the
45:46early 90s.
45:48And, you
45:48know, he's
45:49one of my
45:49best friends
45:50and we're
45:51sitting next
45:51to each
45:52other.
45:52And because
45:53of the
45:53lateness of
45:53the game
45:54and the
45:54deadlines for
45:55a newspaper,
45:56and it's a
45:57tie game,
45:58it's 1-1.
45:59in the top
46:00of the
46:00inning, I'm
46:01writing a
46:02column because
46:02I've got to
46:02send it as
46:03soon as the
46:03game ends
46:04to hit
46:04deadline.
46:05Like, there
46:05is no
46:05time.
46:06So I'm
46:07writing top
46:07of the
46:07innings,
46:08Yankees
46:08dynasty
46:08continues,
46:09and in
46:10the bottom
46:10of the
46:10innings,
46:10I'm
46:11writing a
46:11column as
46:12if they're
46:12going to
46:12lose.
46:13Well, now
46:14Rivera's in
46:14the game.
46:17And so
46:19Soriano's up
46:19against Schilling
46:20and it's
46:201-1.
46:22And all of
46:23a sudden,
46:23the ball is
46:24coming right
46:25at me and
46:26Heyman.
46:27I mean,
46:28Soriano's
46:28ball is
46:29coming at
46:30us.
46:30And before
46:31it lands,
46:32I turn to
46:32him and
46:33I'm going to
46:34actually say
46:35it's a curse.
46:37So forgive
46:38me.
46:38I turn to
46:39him and in
46:39real time,
46:40I said,
46:40I can't
46:41believe they're
46:41going to win
46:42the fucking
46:42World Series
46:43again because
46:44the ball is
46:44coming.
46:44I know it's
46:45a homer and
46:45I know Rivera
46:46is warming
46:46up and it's
46:48going to be
46:492-1.
46:49And I'm
46:50like, they
46:50should have
46:51lost this
46:51World Series
46:51seven games
46:52to nothing.
46:52And it did
46:53feel like there
46:53was some magic
46:54in the moment
46:55for them.
46:55Like, they're
46:56going to pull
46:57this out.
46:57A World Series
46:58they should not
46:59probably have
46:59won a single
47:00game.
47:00And now, here
47:01comes this
47:02ball and I'm
47:03like, Schilling
47:05had been
47:05great.
47:06Soriano,
47:07Homerson,
47:07Rivera's
47:08warming up.
47:08Well, now I
47:11commit totally
47:12to only one
47:13column.
47:14Yankees are
47:15going to win
47:15again.
47:15So you
47:16should have
47:16seen the
47:17frantic finger
47:18scrambling in
47:20the bottom of
47:20the inning of
47:21the ninth as
47:22the World Series
47:23falls apart for
47:23the Yankees and
47:24the Diamondbacks
47:25win their World
47:25Series in
47:262001.
47:26But that
47:27ball coming
47:28at us is
47:30one of my
47:30strongest
47:31memories in
47:3140 years of
47:33doing it.
47:33because I
47:34just like
47:35on one
47:36hand, the
47:37Yankees were
47:38addicted to
47:38winning those
47:40Yankees.
47:40And I was
47:42like, I
47:42thought they'd
47:42find a way,
47:43but they had
47:44been so badly
47:45outplayed that
47:46I was like,
47:46they're not
47:47really going to
47:47win this World
47:48Series.
47:48And I, and
47:49then the ball
47:50is coming right
47:50at us and
47:51I'm like,
47:52holy freaking
47:54shit, they're
47:54going to win
47:55the World
47:55Series again.
47:56And I was
47:57just like, it
47:57was the only
47:58time during
47:58the World
47:59Series that I
47:59thought they
48:00were going to
48:00win that World
48:01Series is the
48:02ball coming at
48:03us.
48:03Because of
48:04who's warming
48:04up in the
48:04bullpen.
48:05Right.
48:06I mean, look
48:07for me, that
48:08that game and
48:09that memory, that
48:11was probably the
48:12first time Ryan
48:13ever experienced
48:14heartbreak.
48:14Just because I
48:15grew up with the
48:16Yankees being
48:16this dynasty.
48:17I'm nine years
48:18old at the
48:18time.
48:19I'm like, man,
48:20they're going to
48:20win another
48:20World Series.
48:21And when they
48:22lost.
48:23And what should
48:24scare everyone
48:24else in baseball
48:25now is the
48:26Dodgers try to
48:27become the first
48:27team to do what
48:28those Yankees were
48:28trying to extend
48:29when three, three
48:30in a row is
48:32those Yankees had a
48:33feeling of
48:33inevitability about
48:34them.
48:34Even when they
48:35played poorly, they
48:36found a way.
48:37Watch the Dodgers
48:38the last few days.
48:39They haven't really
48:40played well, but
48:41then somebody just
48:41hits a three-run
48:42homer in the
48:43seventh inning and
48:43they win the
48:44game.
48:45And you look up
48:46and say, huh,
48:47they didn't play
48:47well, but they
48:48won again.
48:49That's how those
48:49Yankees were.
48:52On their best
48:53day they won and
48:54on their worst
48:55day somebody would
48:56be a hero.
48:57And like these
48:58Dodgers, the
48:59heroes these last
48:59few days have
49:00been like Teoscar
49:01Hernandez and
49:01Tommy Edmond.
49:02It could be
49:03Scott Brocious.
49:04It could be
49:04Chuck Nava.
49:05It didn't have
49:06to be Jeter or
49:07Bernie Williams.
49:09They had a lot
49:10of heroes.
49:11And as somebody
49:12tries to stop
49:13these Dodgers,
49:14it's the closest
49:15memory I have of
49:17how inevitable it
49:19felt watching those
49:20Yankees.
49:21No doubt, Joel.
49:22Thank you,
49:23obviously, for
49:24hopping on here,
49:24sharing us all
49:25your insight.
49:27Looking forward to
49:27your coverage.
49:28It's a very busy
49:29day today and it's
49:30going to be very
49:30busy the next
49:31couple of weeks
49:31and next two
49:32months, you could
49:33argue, just because
49:34of the stretch run
49:34here and now that
49:36the Yankees get
49:36their captain back.
49:37I'm looking forward
49:38to seeing how you
49:38think he looks and
49:40how this team is
49:41operating now that
49:42they get their
49:42biggest piece back,
49:44their biggest weapon.
49:45There's no doubt
49:46about it.
49:46It's going to be a
49:47lot of fun
49:47coming here in
49:48New York for
49:48baseball,
49:49specifically for
49:50the Yankees.
49:50Joel, thank you
49:51so much and we'll
49:53catch up with you
49:53next week, man.
49:54All the best,
49:55Ryan.
49:55Thanks and thanks
49:56everyone for
49:56watching.
Comments