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NCAA March Madness Review & MLB Baseball Preview ft. MLB Insider Mike Wheby
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The Professor's Semanalmente #22 ft. Omar "Sports Professor" Fonseca
RIP George Foreman Tribute + NCAA March Madness Review + NBA & NHL Power Rankings
& MLB Baseball Preview ft. MLB Insider Mike Wheby
Click Link to Follow @BALLandBUDS on Social Media!
https://linktr.ee/BALLandBUDS #sports #entertainment #news
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Transcript
Introduction and Guest Announcement
00:00:03
Speaker
Peace with the millions
00:00:07
Speaker
World Heavyweight Float Championship belt Wrapped around my waist yo I got that Ric Flair for your throat Slam you on the face that's why they call me Street Pro Create, eat on beat, close Like Jordan after the second time he 3 peated, folks Get ready, set, let's go Fight toe to toe, release the flow Created by this Mike Pro Lights, camera, get low Action back, back to bag and back In fact this monster will grow y'all better let him know Sports professor.
00:00:51
Speaker
Yo, what up, friends? Sports Professor here with another installment of The Professor's Seminal Mente. a Yes, yes.
00:01:04
Speaker
Thank you for tuning in Make sure that you are subscribed to Ball and Buds, E-A-L-L-A-N-D.com. B-U-D-S, and please hit that like button. It helps us out in the algorithm, shares us with other people around the interwebs so they can get a little of this goodness as well, this beautifulness, this beautiful face you see.
Tribute to George Foreman
00:01:27
Speaker
We come to you on a happy Monday, don't we? Let's get it popping. You know we're going to kick this ad boy off. First of all I'm happy to say going to have our guest here. MLB insider Mike Weavey will be joining us today. He has been a longtime member of the Ball and Buds crew, and we are super happy to have him on today to preview the MLB season coming up.
00:01:49
Speaker
That'll be in about 10-15 minutes, but first, I want to go ahead and go through the headlines and as well talk a little bit of March Madness, and we'll get ah Michael's opinion on March Madness as well. So,
00:02:02
Speaker
Why waste any more time? Why shall we? Let's keep this thing moving. First of all, sad news. Rest in power. Rest in power to George Foreman, former heavyweight champion of the world, passed away over the weekend at the age of 76.
00:02:22
Speaker
Again, a former two-time heavyweight champion, including one time at 45 years old. Then he parlayed that into a career of ah being a salesman for products including most famously the Foreman Grill, which I actually have one sitting on my countertop, and I still use to cook steaks and burgers from time to time.
00:02:46
Speaker
ah obviously he was huge in the boxing world for so many years and we'll get Clubber D's thoughts on this later in the week when we get our banter, brawls, and bravado on Thursday, which I'll talk more about in a second. But, you know, ah he just left a legacy of a huge Olympian, a a person who cared about his family, who fought for legacy and and all of the good things. So,
00:03:14
Speaker
um And, yes, thank you, my brother. i appreciate it. Canteen coming through from The Bottom Line Sports. Make sure you check us out tomorrow night, The Bottom Line Sports, 8 p.m. Eastern. Like I said, y'all, it's going to be a huge, huge week for Ball and Buzz. I'll get to that in just a second because the George Foreman news is more important at this point. But thank you for sharing, sir. I appreciate that.
00:03:33
Speaker
George Foreman again passed away over the weekend at the age of 76. We send his family and obviously, you know, our deepest condolences and prayers here from Ball and Buzz. But a salute to a long-lived and, you know, formidable life. A lot of success, not only in the boxing world, but also in the business this world.
00:03:56
Speaker
He was just a well-known personality. Including the Rumble in the jungle when he fought Muhammad Ali, right? that's That's probably the most famous match I assume that he had. I can't think of any one other more famous.
00:04:13
Speaker
so But then again, parlaying that in bigger business career afterwards was something that is not
Inspiring Story of J.C. Eschera
00:04:20
Speaker
done by many. Also, hold on for. you As you can see with fame, sometimes comes some of that bad part, as we saw with OJ Simpson, who had a similar career arc, and then ended up, well, allegedly.
00:04:36
Speaker
That's what we'll say. ah Moving on to more happier news, J.C. Eschera, I should say, because they're Colombian, was driving Uber, working as a substitute teacher. Y'all, he made the Yankees roster on the active roster. You got to go see this video.
00:04:59
Speaker
It's emotional. He calls his mother. He tells his mother he made the team. His mother starts bawling, says, we're going to New York. And you can hear all the practices she had to drive him to, all the things she had to sacrifice for him to get there. You can hear it in her tears and her happiness and all that. So I absolutely despise the Yankees, and I don't really like saying positive things about them.
00:05:24
Speaker
And this isn't really positive about them more than just the family. But shout out to Jay-Z. Jay-Z. I mean, it's New York, so it's probably valid if I start calling him Jay-Z. Jay-Z.
00:05:35
Speaker
Ascara. Salute. Moving on.
Sports Highlights: Hockey and Wrestling
00:05:38
Speaker
Salute to Wisconsin's women's hockey team on their eighth national championship coming from behind to defeat their nemesis, the Ohio State Buckeyes, 4-3 in overtime. This is a rematch of the past two years' championships game.
00:05:53
Speaker
with Wisconsin losing to the Ohio State last year. And now this year, junior Kristen Sims, shout out to her, scored a penalty late in the third period, and then in overtime sunk a sudden death game winner. So salute to Kirsten Sims and the Wisconsin women's hockey team, the Lady Badgers.
00:06:16
Speaker
In a absolutely crazy, mind-boggling upset, you've got to go see the video. it It could be the most shocking upset in wrestling, NCAA wrestling history. I mean the NCAA wrestling, not the WWE w kind.
00:06:35
Speaker
Gable Stevenson, y'all, he's an Olympian. He's won world champions championships for us here in the United States. He took a two-year hiatus to actually go work for WWE w wrestling and then decided to come back to college as a graduate student only to be the best wrestler again.
00:06:56
Speaker
Now, let me put this in context. He wrestled... for now four years, and he's only got three losses, and two of them came in his freshman season, which means he didn't lose for a years-long period.
00:07:14
Speaker
Let me set the scene for you. Saturday, little Daniel Cormier, little DC on the mic. Shout-out, brother. Shout-out to DC. We love him here.
00:07:24
Speaker
Uh-huh. Just the most shocking thing ever. Gable Stevenson is up five points to two in the third period. Seconds winding down, like 25 seconds left.
00:07:37
Speaker
Wyatt Hendrickson, the underdog, just somehow goes for a single leg and was able to flip Gable Stevenson over and hold him for the three-point takedown to go up 5-4. I apologize. It was 4-2, not 5-2.
00:07:56
Speaker
So he went up 5-4 and had to hold the best wrestler in the world down for 15 seconds, he was or 10 seconds about. He was able to do it, and that has got to be, as DC called it, the most shocking upset.
March Madness and College Basketball Changes
00:08:12
Speaker
In NCAA amateur wrestling history, Wyatt Hendrickson beats the absolute best wrestler in the world for the past four years, at least, Gable Stevenson.
00:08:28
Speaker
Mind blown is all I got to say about that. That is crazy. Um... And I see perfect timing. I want to ask him if he actually saw this, and then we'll talk a little bit of basketball and then get into our baseball preview. But as I mentioned, we are happy to have on a member of Ball & Buds, a longtime member, actually.
00:08:53
Speaker
ah Him and Clubber D were the first. uh members and friends of mine to join the crew here with me at ball and buds and do this on a consistent basis uh with me and so i really appreciate him for all the time he's put in uh to help this network get off the ground and as well as cupboard and uh you know all the others that have uh streamed with us so uh that being said let me give him a little uh we'll give him a little conan i think just as uh we say prayers up to our brother conan as always hope he's doing well
00:09:24
Speaker
um but We will give him a little aie about ah ah while we bring him in. Let me go ahead and get that up. How
00:09:36
Speaker
are you doing today? Wanted to get that hyped up. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Clibber D tuning in. Yes. 8 p.m. Eastern. Check us out. We will be doing that. ah First, before we get into baseball and everything, I was just going to go into NCAA football.
00:09:51
Speaker
March Madness, but before, did you hear my story about Gable Stevenson ah in the most shocking wrestling upset ever? And while you talk that, I'm going to be right back. I'm going jump out and jump back in so I can get these headphones working.
00:10:04
Speaker
Fire away. yeah Yeah, I heard about that the other day, and it was pretty interesting. You know, um think it would have been more impactful nationally if Gabriel Stevenson hadn't been kind of out of the scene for the the previous two years.
00:10:19
Speaker
I know he came back because he had some eligibility left, and you know I heard about him um kind of fizzing out of you know his WWE training, and um taking a shot at the NFL with the with the Buffalo Bills and um you know finding that to be a little more difficult than he might have expected.
00:10:39
Speaker
So you know it was it was unexpected, but you know it wasn't like he lost to me. I mean, he lost to to a guy that was ah ah a previous champion too.
00:10:50
Speaker
So he took two years off, came back. I think it's just as incredible that he got back there. as it is that you know that but he actually took that loss. But good for both of them. It is not just some rando, but a ah formal champion, a really great wrestler, but just the magnitude of the upset is kind of, I guess, what everybody was really surprised at.
00:11:16
Speaker
Yeah, it's a big name to big name to to get a win over. Yeah, yeah. Well, thank you for that, and thank you for carrying that while i jumped out. Once I jumped back in, the headphones were working, so it just must have been a glitch or something.
00:11:28
Speaker
So let's keep it moving. We are back. ah let's talk Do you mind talking a little March Madness before we get into some baseball? Yeah, we can talk a little bit. I haven't watched a whole lot, um but, you know, it hasn't been out in my wheelhouse this this spring, so...
00:11:46
Speaker
you know The only team I've watched. Yeah, no no, that's okay. Let's just go real quick over a little bit of stuff. So, first of all, this is the first Sweet 16 March Madness without a mid-major. So, all of the schools will be for major conferences, including a record seven from the SEC as well as the Big Ten and the Big 12. And it's funny. I want you to comment on this.
00:12:06
Speaker
um 10 most watched games of the college basketball season featured 12 teams, and nine of those teams are in the Sweet 16, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Duke, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, and Tennessee.
00:12:23
Speaker
So the the teams that get the most viewership are so are the teams that are being represented in Sweet 16, those bigger schools. A lot of people are saying today coming out, oh, this is due to NIL and i yell and you know the bigger schools now grabbing up all the people from the JUCOs and lower conferences and things like that. So please tell us how you feel about all this noise coming out of this this March Madness.
00:12:49
Speaker
Yeah, i thought I thought Drake had a chance to to actually push it a little bit, make it make it a little bit farther from and what I saw that their coach, he came over from, you know,
00:13:01
Speaker
the lower conference and and basically brought his whole team with him. So, um, but yeah, I'm not surprised that the biggest schools with the most money have the best players and the best basketball teams. I mean, that's not, it's not like football where you have to have, you know, you have to have 15 to 18 phenomenal players to be a ah great, you know, college football team.
00:13:24
Speaker
college basketball, you can have you can have two studs, and and the next thing you know, you're in the Sweet 16. Much smaller, there's only five men on the court at one time.
00:13:35
Speaker
um It's a lot different than, you know, that the big SEC football that you see, but it's also kind of the same. With with the NCAA changing those rules, like you know, I I think you're right. I think it has a lot to do with larger schools having more money, being able to spend more on better players. And I have a feeling that you're going to see this. This is what you're going to see.
00:13:56
Speaker
If there's a good player playing for Canisius or Old Dominion, he's not going to be there very long. He's going to be playing for Auburn or South Carolina or somewhere very quickly.
00:14:10
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, that that's pretty much what the the major detractor is today is that you know obviously the the cream rises to the top. So the players that are in the JUCO that haven't been found yet, they're going to be found by these larger schools who are then going to take them to the top. But, I mean, that's where they deserve to be due to the talent commensurate that they're providing. Just because they haven't been spotted yet doesn't mean they don't necessarily deserve the chance. And even vice versa, if you talk about some people maybe being
00:14:41
Speaker
retracted or, you know, ah relegated, for lack of a better term, in terms of like soccer, ah European soccer, that could help some of these kids who can now go down to the lower levels and dominate where maybe they weren't able to. So there's pros and cons to all this coming out, obviously.
00:14:58
Speaker
Yep, I agree. I'm not mad at them for making moves and getting their money, and welcome to America. Go get them. I mean, i completely agree with you. I am in full favor of the NIL.
00:15:11
Speaker
I believe that amateurism was a bunch of BS that perpetrated for so long, almost 100 years or over 100 years, and finally was put to pasture when there's so many people, including coaches, administrators, ah fundraisers, boosters, making so much money off of the backs of the players who were making nothing. I'm with you.
00:15:32
Speaker
go get Go get paid. Yeah. Right now, Duke is the favorite, but shout out to our local Maryland Terrapins with the crazy, crazy, let me bring out Testudo for y'all. That's Maryland mascot. I am an alumni of the University of Maryland.
00:15:49
Speaker
What a game winner last night, Derek Queen. From Beemore, when you come at the queen, you best not miss, as they say in the wire with the one-foot jumper. So shout out to that.
00:16:03
Speaker
Did you see that shot? I did. I did. It was definitely an old man moment for me where I looked over at my kids and I went, that boy traveled. But i'm i'm glad he I'm glad that it was an exciting ah finish to the game for sure.
00:16:17
Speaker
yeah he He definitely took three steps. He definitely took three, but I would not have called it either. Three times a game. Yeah, the see see the color of the beard?
00:16:29
Speaker
It comes out when I watch basketball games. but You got to swallow your whistle at that point, though. Yeah, I guess so. Yeah, all right, cool. All right, well, ah just as side before we move on, and on the women's side of things, number one, UCLA, number one, South Carolina have advanced. Number two, CSTCU and Duke, and number three, Notre Dame as well. The really main point ah that was put out this weekend was that South Carolina, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Texas, UConn, and LSU, that's six teams all put up over 100-plus first-round points, which is a new single-round women's March Madness record. The average margin of victory was 26.5. So you can say whether that's good or bad. Again, that could be due the NIL and to the transfer portal and things like that. Now, again, don't think it fully is.
00:17:20
Speaker
But those things are why maybe this year we saw a little more chalkiness in terms of team advancing. Yep, it's not hurting. yeah Yeah, right, exactly.
00:17:31
Speaker
All right, cool. Thank you for
MLB Season Preview
00:17:33
Speaker
your thoughts on that. Make sure you all subscribe to Ball and Buds, B-A-L-L-A-N-D-B-U-D-S as well. You can find me Mike Weedy, our MLB insider, on X at Mike W. u It is at the bottom of the box. Nope, nope, not Nope, i am off I am off the socials. If you want to you want to find me, come to Virginia Beach.
00:17:52
Speaker
All right. Or find me here on Ball and Buds. you fight you You send a message to on Buzz, we'll get it to him. That's great. That's tremendous. I just figured you still were. I hadn't even got on X and and looked for you in a while. I just figured you were.
00:18:04
Speaker
ah So anyways, all right, let's keep it moving into baseball, what we're here for. Opening day, again, we say that because the season technically opened last week.
00:18:19
Speaker
Japan, we had the Shohei Otani, Roki Sasaki, Yamamoto ah Festival there versus the Cubs. So a lot of Japanese players really leveraging that fan base. But that was also a week and a half.
00:18:34
Speaker
before we're going start on the real traditional opening day, this Thursday, when 28 teams, because obviously those teams are not going to play, 28 teams will play in 14 games scheduled throughout the day starting at 3 p.m.
00:18:50
Speaker
What do you think about that pro, that that kind of prorated is a horrible word, that ah disjointed start to the season? Yeah, you know, I don't mind it. I kind of i kind of like being able to – I'm up early anyway, so I kind of like being being able to turn a game on in the morning and watch that, you know, the hype, you know, Japanese crowd getting loud, watching Bay. It really did get me kind of primed for the for the season. I wish it was a little bit closer to to opening day, maybe, you know, the the weekend before or something like that. But, yeah, I think it's great. I loved watching it and I think as long as the Dodgers kind of have this
00:19:28
Speaker
This pack of players, they should probably be there every year to to give the the Japanese fans an opportunity to go and cheer for their heroes and ah people they've watched being built up throughout their their youth and you know the early stages of their you know of their professional career, too. So I think it's great. I love it.
00:19:48
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, baseball may be America's pastime, but obviously they've got a lot of Japanese stars that are starting to come into the league, especially with what should be changing in Japanese free agency in the future, which will allow for players can come over earlier and things like that. We're going to be seeing a lot more of the Japanese players. And so, of course, it's a business. So, yeah, we know they want to make the money. They know they they they need to go there and and and leverage this fan base.
00:20:19
Speaker
But I agree with you. i mean, do it the weekend before at the most. I mean, Yeah.
00:20:30
Speaker
and i'm supposed to be the sports guy making myselflf look like a damn fool i'm going to rapade opening days thursday i'm doing um to find i nos on the wrong damn we yeah i It's this Thursday, though, Omar, just so you don' ah you don't get mixed up.
00:20:46
Speaker
Yes, thank you. I'm glad we had you on this week and not last week, been because I guess that wouldn't have made sense, which is yeah why I asked you originally. weeks ago, thinking that was right.
00:20:58
Speaker
Whatever. Anyways, you talked about the Dodgers having this this throng of players that are immensely talented. Shohei Otani, who we talk about all the time on this program, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, right? You got the Suzuki, you got the Yamamoto. Everybody's saying they had the best offseason in the NL season.
00:21:20
Speaker
the Red Sox and the AL, however you want look at it. But what are we thinking about the Dodgers? Don't give me your championship pick yet, but obviously they are favorites to repeat for a lot of people, not everybody, but the majority of them, probably a little over half,
00:21:37
Speaker
um but they also have a little bit of a worry in their pitching staff. None of their pitchers that are currently on their staff have pitched over 150 innings. And any time recently, Shohei Ohtani is coming back from an injury.
00:21:51
Speaker
So you need pitching when it comes to the playoffs, but they do have a good enough offense. Tell us your thoughts on the chip world champion Dodgers. Yeah, don't I don't necessarily think the pitching is going to be their problem. I mean, they they signed Blake Snell and no one even noticed in the offseason, right? That's true. I mean, they're therere seven could-be Hall of Fame pitchers deep starting pitchers.
00:22:15
Speaker
They've got they've gotten nowhere for Clayton Kershaw to pitch right now. I mean, that it's an absolute spoil of riches. um There really is. i really do think they're turning into like the you know, late nineties, Yankees, evil empire, you know, they know about Tanner Scott and no one blinks an eye. No one even notices that, you know, that, that they're, they're getting all these players and just building a, you know, we're not an all-star team. And that's how the rules are set up. I'm i'm not knocking them. Like, you know, they're spending the money. That's real, you know, United States, American currency. They have to write checks for.
00:22:51
Speaker
So I'm not, uh, you know, I'm not hating on them, but, um you know, it does it does kind of, you know, build this scenario where it's Tiger versus the field, it feels like, going into this season.
00:23:04
Speaker
And i don't I don't think it's going to change anytime soon.
00:23:09
Speaker
Yeah, i I feel like that's the impression a lot of people have, and I'm with you. I mean, it's even more than just an all-star team. It's like a Hall of Fame team. Now, obviously, some of these people are still young, but, I mean, if if you're just looking alone at their offense, you're looking at three of the best offensive players in the last 10 years in baseball.
00:23:32
Speaker
um And as you mentioned, they don't have a spot. And, yeah yeah, you're completely right, right, yeah. ah but As we look at their starting rotation, not not any of them recently have pitched over 150 innings, but it doesn't mean that they're not talented. It doesn't mean they're not capable, and that's proven by, as you mentioned, Clayton Kershaw possibly not even having a spot in the rotation and he being their Hall of Fame franchise player for the past 15 years.
00:24:00
Speaker
yeah yeah Not to mention they've got Dustin May i mean coming off of, Off with Tommy John, I mean, they really, there their farm system is loaded with arms. They've they've they just got people that can come in one by one and just do absolute darts.
00:24:15
Speaker
So it's going to be an interesting season. If they can stay healthy, they definitely will. We'll get into our championship picks here in a little bit. We'll also give you our AL and NL MVP and Cy Youngs as we do every year. Shout out, David.
00:24:30
Speaker
yeah Pleasure. Thank you for tuning in, sir. We really appreciate it. Everybody, make sure you subscribe to Ball & Buds, B-A-L-L-A-N-D-B-U-D-S. Hit that like button. It is free. It helps us out in the algorithm.
00:24:41
Speaker
All right. Before we get to our teams, which will be the last questions I ask, let's keep going through so a couple other teams here. Obviously, I hate the Yankees, but a lot of people, maybe be Yankees fans that watch this show.
00:24:52
Speaker
Aaron Judge no longer has Juan Soto behind him as he is now signed with my New York Mets on that note. Let me just go ahead and get my Mets hat on for the rest of the program. um yeah by hit get ah And now Giancarlo Stanton is hurt. Yes, they did bring in ah players to round out the roster, but will he really have the support he needs without Juan Soto behind him to have an MVP year?
00:25:25
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's tough. It depends. you know what What version of Cody Bellinger are you getting? one How long can Paul Goldschmidt stay a productive player that's feared in the lineup?
00:25:38
Speaker
right the the The bottom part of that lineup is not good. there are some real issues there with that team and that lineup that need to be worked out. And they'll do it. They'll go out and they'll they'll do whatever they have to do to get some players.
00:25:55
Speaker
But losing Garrett Cole was, I mean, I'm not sure that there's another single player that's more important to their team in the league than Garrett Cole is to the Yankees. Losing him is,
00:26:07
Speaker
just an absolute knife in the back for them. there's I'm not sure that they're going to be able to come back. I still think they're going to be a really good team, though. i would I would think they're probably going to finish right around the wild card when it becomes time. So, um you know, I think they're going to be good, but they've really got to work on that that lineup, that not just the starting part of the lineup, but the depth, because we know these players aren't goingnna um going to stay healthy all year, and And right now, what they're going to be bringing out there is a good team, but it's not what you would expect the Yankees to have put together at the beginning of the season.
00:26:45
Speaker
It's not what you expect him to to put out, and that's been the case the past few years, and right? As people are looking at the Yankees and we're like, man, they're not making these free agent splashes aside from obviously signing Aaron Judge the long term. They're not making the trades that they used to make. They did trade for Judge Chisholm. But, you know, aside from that, they were not the Yankees. They were not our fathers and – or fathers' Yankees, not grandfathers. That would have been too long ago.
00:27:09
Speaker
They were not our fathers' Yankees. agree. Yeah. They think they're still going to make the wild card, but. I say that, and I say that, and they went out and they got Max Fried and they got the best closer in baseball, Devin Williams. i mean, they went out and they they made some real, some real important pickups here.
00:27:26
Speaker
um They still have Jazz Chisholm. They still have Anthony Volpe. um You know, they have who I think is the best offensive player in the world. um Is it enough?
00:27:39
Speaker
And do they stay healthy? Again, is is is what I want to agree with you most on because that's with the players they have in and how they're built. um You know, they're they're relying an awful lot on health. And again, Stanton's already hurt.
00:27:54
Speaker
And as you mentioned, I completely agree. 100% on Garrett Cole. When he went down and I heard that news, I immediately said, well, that's it for the Yankees. They're done for the season. but yeah And i probably would not have said that about any other player except maybe Aaron Judge for the Yankees. Yeah.
00:28:09
Speaker
Yeah. And also, one thing before we get off that topic is, you know, we're going to have to figure out what Jason Dominguez is. He can't be this wonder kid prospect eight years in a row.
00:28:22
Speaker
I don't understand how this, like you can't. how someone can't lose rookie eligibility or if he's so great, why has he been in the minors for seven years or however long he's been.
00:28:34
Speaker
It's time for him to, you know, let it loose or get off the pot one way or the other. We're going to find out. We're going to find out this year, though because I think he's going to get a lot of at-bats. I mean, as you mentioned, he better because he's been a prospect for 18 million years since we' were all born.
00:28:49
Speaker
And they call him the alien. Well, these questions need to be answered because Bamuyama is the real alien doing what he did in his first two years in the league in the
MLB Team Challenges and Player Health
00:28:58
Speaker
NBA. So, yeah. um All right, cool.
00:29:03
Speaker
Well, let's keep it moving then. How about the Philadelphia Phillies? A lot of people are asking, is this the end of their window? Have they run out of time? They still got Bryce Harper, who still may be in his prime, but everybody else is getting a little older.
00:29:19
Speaker
Pitching staff is still there. Zach Wheeler, obviously one of the best in the in the league. Aaron Nola, if he can stay healthy, great. What are your thoughts on this Philadelphia Phillies team? yeah I think that's a big, huge no.
00:29:31
Speaker
They've got... but they've got five really good starting pitchers. They've got them under contract going out and getting his, his Lizardo was, was huge for them this off season. Um, they've got a really good team that is really deep.
00:29:44
Speaker
Um, they've got, you know, above average players at every single position. That lineup is, is as dangerous as they come. I think it's probably the best lineup in baseball is, you know, their ah offense is going to be better than the Dodgers.
00:29:58
Speaker
Um, that team can hit one to nine. So, um Yeah, I don't think so. i think I think they're just as good as they were last year, if not better. um and And I think we're going to see them really make a push, but it's tough being in the National League right now. So their their window gets a little shorter every every day, but you know right now, no, I wouldn't wouldn't worry too much about that.
00:30:29
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. I thought it was kind of a ludicrous question when I saw it in the article, but I was like, well, I'll ask it anyways because obviously somebody's asking it. But I think you're right. I think they did make the right moves around the edges. The only thing is, you're right, the gauntlet that is the NL, not just the NL in general with the Dodgers, but the NL East, which going to have them, the Braves, and my Mets, which are just going to be beating each other up all year long. so All year, yep.
00:30:54
Speaker
All right, cool. Speaking of players who may be past their prime, we'll talk about a couple more here. Los Angeles Angels, can Mike Trout get 500 plate appearances? We haven't seen it since 2019, but when he did, he was MVP in the top five of the MVPs like eight seasons in a row. So what do you think about Mike Trout comeback?
00:31:17
Speaker
I can answer that question. Yes. we can And that's okay. That's all right. He can't. um But that the team's not great.
00:31:27
Speaker
They're better than have been. They were honestly one of my – the team that I think did like one of the best jobs at going from where they were to where they are now. That seems a lot better than it was last year. It's still not good.
00:31:39
Speaker
But it's so much better than it was last year. And I love the the idea of them bringing in guys like ah Travis Darnot and ah Tim Anderson, guys with a lot of experience to, you know, to fill bench roles.
00:31:54
Speaker
And, you know, Kikuchi was a pretty good signing. they might have gave him a little more than anybody else would have. But when you're a bad team trying to acquire good players, sometimes you have to do that.
00:32:06
Speaker
um So are they good? no They'll be fun. i mean, they've got Joe Dell and Jorge Soler hitting bombs out there. um Hopefully they have Mike Trout. and um Yeah, I think they're going to be an interesting team. I think they'll be a fun team to watch. But i am you know outside of you know watching at the end of a game, watching Ben Joyce and Kenley Jansen out there mowing people down, I'm just not sure they're going to be able to ah pitch well enough to to make any real debt in that division.
00:32:36
Speaker
Wouldn't be surprised if this is the year that that child actually gets traded.
00:32:42
Speaker
Hmm. Yeah. And, uh, uh, Steinburn, uh, you know, who's not going to be playing for him. the Anthony. Don't. Got him.
00:32:53
Speaker
gotny <unk> be Got um ah it. Side question. How do you feel about that? As a baseball purist, I am personally and angry that Anthony Rendon would take such a contract leaving the Nationals knowing that he did not want to truly play baseball anymore.
00:33:16
Speaker
Yeah, it's weird. it's hard it's It's a hard thing to to mash up, right? like i I don't know where he was then when he signed that contract. um he took the money.
00:33:28
Speaker
Would you have not taken the money if someone offered you that? um The Angels could have not offered that ridiculous contract. um I remember the, ah you mean, you see what hat I'm wearing. You see that I had to spend five years watching Chris Davis strike out hundreds and hundreds of times every year.
00:33:47
Speaker
I can say one thing, at least he's not playing because if he doesn't want to play and he's, and he can't play anymore, and he's playing, it's worse than what's happening now, right? They're able to ah play Luis Renivo and get some of these young guys in there. they they pra young got that They're able to play other people that want to play and that can play as opposed to having to to watch what what I watched for four years, which was pumping dead weight into this lineup every single day, every day, just watching someone that that just couldn't play anymore.
00:34:24
Speaker
No disrespect to Chris Davis. He was trying, but um yeah. They'll... You'll hear when he plays again, if he plays again. um But, no, I'm not mad at him.
00:34:37
Speaker
Get the money. the Angels, be better. don't Don't pay guys like that. There's a reason that the Nationals let him go. I mean, at least as you mentioned, it at least not Anthony, at least Chris Davis actually cared enough to feel bad about his performance, which many people in that situation don't do. Like you said, many people in that situation will take the money and not care or think a second thought about it. But I mean, to just to play advocate and kind of defend the Angels,
00:35:06
Speaker
he was coming off of one of the best seasons for a third baseman, you know, and ah in a while. So they gave him a contract commensurate with his talent. They just didn't know that his mental health or his headspace or his love for the game or whatever it is, just didn't allow him to want to compete anymore. It would rather just sit out, which again, as a baseball appearance, just, it kind of hurts more than anything, I guess.
00:35:29
Speaker
Yeah. But you know, it's the nature of the beast. Now people, you know, there's ah There's a whole lot of money, generational money getting thrown around, and not i don't blame him. It's not like this just happened. Like last year, he was like Shawn Michaels and lost his smile for baseball, right? This is this isn't good.
00:35:47
Speaker
He's always been a player that played, but didn't necessarily it wasn't necessarily the most important thing to him. um we got He took generational money. He probably can't play anymore.
00:35:59
Speaker
He's going to keep cashing those checks, though. And they decided to write those checks. So that it's just something they have to deal with, just like those Bobby Bonilla checks. Ah!
00:36:11
Speaker
No, don't bring that up. Don't you dare. Why would you do that to me? It's not even Bobby Bonilla day yet. My season is already ruined. ah Yeah, that horrible contract. I still can't believe we we decided to do that. But ah you're right. he is going to continue to cash the checks. You're also right. There's no way he can come back because I agree with Champ Ross. Shout out c Champ Ross for tuning in. We appreciate you.
00:36:34
Speaker
He will be booed everywhere he he went. I think at this point most fans, ah at least, you know, real baseball fans that watch the game every week know his story and know what happened and know, you know, kind of how they feel about him at this point. So I agree with that.
00:36:53
Speaker
That, you know, another good thing about the angels is that they've, they've, dave They've got like a real, real superstar in the minor leagues right now named Nelson Rada that's working his way up. I think he think he just turned 20. I think he's in AA, so we might have to wait another year or two to see him.
00:37:10
Speaker
But the dude is electric. He's five tools. He can play. Incredible defense in center field I think i think he might be pushing Mike Trout out as much as Mike Trout. Yeah, yeah, right. It might be time to to cut bait on.
00:37:30
Speaker
So looking like a little Ellie de la Cruz is what you're saying. and what i'm not not thating sizes he's Definitely not that size, but he is. okay He's he's got it All right.
00:37:43
Speaker
Well, you know who else had it and a team that once had it, even though they used trash cans to bang around to win a championship, allegedly? The Houston Astros lost Alex Bregman to to the Red Sox and then decided to move their franchise player off of his career-long position of second base to throw Jose Altuve into left field where he has never played a day in his life.
00:38:16
Speaker
Are the Houston Astros throwing this all away when they have such good young pitching like Frambois Valdez in the end rotation? I don't think so. I don't think they are. and Everyone – You know what, I don't understand why everyone talks so much about Alex Bregman leading that line leaving that lineup.
00:38:33
Speaker
And i don't I didn't hear anybody talking about Kyle Tucker leaving the lineup. It's true. Kyle Tucker's just as important, just as an important piece of that lineup as such Alex Bregman was.
00:38:45
Speaker
Him getting traded to the Cubs was a big jaw-dropper to me. I was... shocked I thought that they were you know they were packing up and they were you know putting the for sale sign in the yard. And then they saw a walker. And you're in yourre like, what what's happening here?
00:39:01
Speaker
um i don't know what's I don't know what they're doing. um But you know what? I look at them kind of the same way that I look at the Rays, where I go, it doesn't make any sense to me. And that's why i work the job that I work.
00:39:15
Speaker
And they were their GMs work the job that they work. Um, and those, those two teams have earned the trust for me to, to say, let's see how it plays out. Let's see what we get.
00:39:26
Speaker
Um, Do I think Isak Perides Christian Walker or Tucker and Alex Bregman? Absolutely not. um You know, they lost Justin Verlander and Ryan Presley. it's ah That's tough.
00:39:38
Speaker
It's going to be tough to come back from that. and <unk> But, you know, they've they deserve at least the benefit of the doubt to see where it goes. But you're right. i also wouldn't be surprised if, you know, they're 75-win team too.
00:39:54
Speaker
A lot of turnover.
Stadium Issues and Franchise Relocations
00:39:55
Speaker
That's what I'm thinking. I'm going with about 75 wins, maybe 80 if they get lucky, but I'm with you on that 75 area. Now, it's a great segue. You mentioned one team, the Tampa Bay or now the Sarasota ways, and then you got the...
00:40:13
Speaker
Oakland, not really, you know, D-Club's the Originals team. Now the Las Vegas, ah but there's Sacramento in the meantime. Tell us about these two teams that will not be playing in a major league ballpark this year.
00:40:27
Speaker
Yeah, I looked yesterday. I took a look and I was wondering how they were going to. put the athletics in like all the, how they what what they what were they going to say? What's the ah branding going to be?
00:40:38
Speaker
And every site that I went to, it just said athletics. Like there was no, there was no sitting name, no nothing. um So. to Even though they're playing in Sacramento, they're going to be in, we know where they're playing. yeah we in gacramento and And it's going to be tough for them to play in a tiny little, not tiny dimension wise, but small fan wise.
00:41:01
Speaker
place like that, but it's not like they were selling out in the the Coliseum last year either. so um it might be It might be better for them to you know play in a smaller park where they can you know fill the place up and have it feel like ah you know not feel like you're playing inside of a side of the Grand Canyon.
00:41:20
Speaker
um The Rays is a totally different situation. It it kind stinks what happened to their stadium, but their stadium was what it was. Anyone that's ever been there or even looked at it on TV can can tell that it probably wasn't a terrible loss at that that stadium lost some of its um but structure and they'll have to try again to rebuild that thing. so um ah be interesting It'll be interesting. I think it'll be cool to see some of these teams, especially those two teams that don't get a lot of fans there, getting to see them play in at least full houses.
00:41:55
Speaker
They'll be smaller houses, but they'll be full houses.
00:42:01
Speaker
Yeah, D-Club's chimes in, leave my hazel. Not mad at all. I like what they did this offseason, too. they've they've They've gotten a lot better. They've got they got some real stars on their team. so that That is super fun.
00:42:15
Speaker
That is super funny you say that because a lot of, not a lot, but ah some people have talked about how good this offseason was for a team that is not does not have a home anymore.
00:42:26
Speaker
But another thing that people talk about is not just maybe the dimensions or the fans, but also the luxuries that a major league stadium would have versus minor. Now, I say that, and while I was thinking about that in my head, i then thought,
00:42:39
Speaker
Okay, but the Oakland Coliseum has to be one of the worst stadiums in the history of stadiums. And as you so astutely mentioned, I've been with D-Clubs to the Tampa Stadium, and it is a horrendous ah stadium. So you're right on both accounts.
00:42:56
Speaker
Yep. and they need to go to Nashville. Bring them to Nashville. They don't need them in Tampa Bay. Sorry, y'all didn't support them anyways. When D-Clubs took us, it was like maybe 5,000 people there. it was like, this is horrid.
00:43:11
Speaker
Horrid. I've seen that um that AAA stadium they have in Memphis is absolutely gorgeous. It's right in the middle of downtown. They've got trains that – public transit that stops directly in front of the stadium. Yeah, so I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up somewhere in Tennessee.
00:43:30
Speaker
Hey, ah ah if my pops is watching right now, ah check on if there's a game this weekend because we will be in Memphis for the Grizzlies-Shelters game Monday night on ESPN.
00:43:42
Speaker
So if there's a game on Sunday, pops, we should go hit up the Memphis stadium. All right. Yep. Yeah. He says on a Friday night, too, it was dead. Yeah. I mean, again, they just don't support their team there. That's all.
00:43:55
Speaker
Champ says Sacramento will support. They've been dying for MLB franchise for a long time. Fuck John Fisher. Coliseum was a dump, but that was our dump. We love that place. Champ is a West Coast fan. He comes from the Bay Area, so we will take him at his word on all of this.
00:44:15
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, they' they've lost three teams in the last but five years. That is that is such a tough such a tough pill. feel I do really feel bad for that for the fans out there. It's that stinks.
00:44:28
Speaker
Like if i if I wasn't a Raiders fan, I wouldn't feel as bad because I wouldn't know. But when they moved from obviously being my team, I see the message boards. I see the articles.
00:44:40
Speaker
I see the people, you know, very upset because they're losing their football team to Las Vegas. So I can empathize and I can say, geez, yeah, that sucks. And then as you mentioned, just the magnitude of losing three teams on top of that within such a small period of time is, yeah, that's horrid, man.
00:44:57
Speaker
Sorry, champ. Sorry, brother. We apologize to you. Hopefully Sacramento will be able to keep around for a little bit, but it doesn't seem like that'll be the case. It seems like they're going to be in Las Vegas within the next three years if they can get that stadium built. So we'll see what happens.
00:45:13
Speaker
Moving on to the other club's member, because you know we got a pile on Clubber Diaz. We're going to be talking some trash with him on our pop culture adventure, Brawls and Bravado. Tune in Thursday night at 8 p.m. Shameless plug.
00:45:25
Speaker
His Chicago White Sox lost 121 games last season, the most hard. since nineteen hundreds it is super hard to lose 121 games, and they're also the first time in franchise history they had consecutive 100 loss seasons.
00:45:43
Speaker
Of the six teams that previously lost 115 the Braves made the best improvement winning 32 more games the next season, going from 115 losses to 83. So still be a losing non-playoff team.
00:46:02
Speaker
Where do you see the White Sox? Because mean, 60 102, if they could get that much improvement, but actually be really good for them, which is sad to say.
00:46:12
Speaker
Yeah. They did something really difficult, right? They, they lost all those games and then they got worse in the off season. Um, i I really didn't think that that would be possible, but they traded basically the only two good players they had. They let Moncada go. I know he hadn't been playing well, but he was a ah warm body that could play third base or second base for you.
00:46:38
Speaker
um That team's in a bad spot. that's that's It's tough. there're They're not good right now, and they don't have a ah lot in the minors. There's no hope.
00:46:50
Speaker
um it's it's really It's really tough. Another – Cobbardee retorts and says they will win the division this year. ah The the the ah baseball division? The baseball division?
00:47:05
Speaker
Or what division? What's that? The toilet bowl division. That's what division. And it's weird because, the you know, that division is not – I mean, if they're they're there are two pretty good teams in that division, you know,
00:47:19
Speaker
with the Royals in the and the Tigers, but you know it's not not a powerhouse like the NL East where there would even be a you know ah chance. It's it's tough.
00:47:32
Speaker
It's going to be a tough year for all these games. And as you mentioned, right, they they did trade away some of their good players, their best pitcher who, I mean, honestly still had a five ERA last month of the season in crochet. um when did When are they going to trade? I know Club D brings them up now, but at some point they're going to end up trading Luis Robert. He's not, I mean, they can't hold on to him if they're going to suck that bad, right?
00:47:54
Speaker
They got to get something for him too. It doesn't have any value right now. I mean, you can't get nothing back. So, you know, the reason they held on to him was to see if he could, get it back on the rails and create some value for himself and trade him at the at the deadline. But that's not the same guy from three years ago. It's not the same player. He doesn't have the ball he had.
00:48:16
Speaker
The ball just sounds different coming off his bat than it used to. It's not the same guy, and that's tough. I feel bad for him, too. I'm just over here feeling bad for him today.
00:48:27
Speaker
Well, because he's because he's still a young player. He's still 29? Yep. if If I remember correctly? Okay. All right. So maybe he can come back, hopefully. He's playing and MLB The Show.
00:48:38
Speaker
Mike, have you played MLB The Show and in forever? My kids will not let me play it. that they Every second of the day, they're on it. Okay. yes as chair as they should That's great. I actually should break out my PlayStation and and play some MLB. I haven't done that in a while. All right, let's move on into our teams before we get some predictions and get out of here for the evening.
00:49:01
Speaker
First of all, let's go with, ah we'll save you you for last since you're the special guest, my New York Mets. We went out and got Juan Soto this year, so re-signed Pete Alonso. The offense is going to be awesome.
00:49:17
Speaker
But we don't have a number one pitcher, and actually, our opening day starter will be a converted reliever who was relieving for the New York Yankees last year in Clay Holmes.
00:49:30
Speaker
Our best pitcher, Konai Senga, is coming back from an injury where he didn't pitch all year last year, and we're rolling out a bunch of other bums because Minaya and Frankie Montaz, Sean Minaya and Frankie Montaz, both got hurt in spring training. Please save me from my woes. I thought we were going to go to the championship, maybe even the league championship against the Dodgers. Help me here.
00:49:53
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, the team's good. The team's going to be able to play. I mean, therere they're going to be able to hang. I mean, that offense is going to be unreal with Lindor and Soto and Alonzo, and they're they're going to be able to mash the ball around if when Alvarez comes back.
00:50:12
Speaker
It's going to be a really, really, really dangerous team. um Can they pitch? That's the question. can they Are they going to be able to pitch? They're going to have enough in there. It's a tough division. The Braves are good.
00:50:24
Speaker
You know it. Everyone knows that that team is deep, deep, deep. um so I'm worried about that. I mean, yeah. mean they're they're going to They're going to have some problems. i Do I think they're as good as the Braves and the Phillies? know but didn't think that last year either and look what they did.
00:50:41
Speaker
um So they're they're going to find ways to to win games. White play 162, you know, so you could have been in a lot worse situation than than landing Juan Soto in the offseason and the Clay Holmes experiment actually working. So i think I think you guys are in a pretty good spot, especially since I'm not the one i'm not the one writing the checks every week. So you guys...
00:51:07
Speaker
Neither am I, so I don't care. I stopped caring about that sort of thing a long time ago when I realized these owners are going to have all this money, any waste to waste. oh but And the other good part about this is right that Frankie Montaz, Sean and I are both going to come back at some point in the season. If they come back around the trade, and let's say we go ahead and trade for Dylan Seas, like now you're looking at probably a formidable pitching staff to go into offseason or into the playoffs.
00:51:35
Speaker
And you've got the one thing that every team that's going to win World Series usually needs, and that's like a real ace, an actual number one dangerous feared starting pitcher in saying so all Most of the pieces are there. I think you guys are in a good place tough division I agree. I'm worried about the Braves. I know the Phillies are are tough. Like you said, it's not going to be easy. It's just going to be a ah ah brutal grind the whole season. And I could see us going anywhere from 75 wins and not even making the wild card to, you know, 85 wins and being, you know, a winning the division. So I could see either of them. But, yeah, the Braves fully healthy are very, very scary.
00:52:19
Speaker
All right, cool. Well, then we finally move on to the last team we're going to cover today.
MLB Awards Predictions
00:52:24
Speaker
Your Orioles, the Baltimore Be More Orioles.
00:52:31
Speaker
ah Man, hey, we've been saying, we've been talking about them the last few years since they started stocking up all the young talent, including, who we'll talk about in just a second, Adley Rushman, who unfortunately had a Had a bad year last year, let's just be honest.
00:52:46
Speaker
Gunnar Henderson, Cedric Mullins, um yeah yeah you traded Corbin Burns away, which I thought was a mistake, but still got a good young pitching staff there. How do you feel about your Orioles? Is it finally their time? We've been talking about you and I, how they were too early.
00:53:04
Speaker
is it that time? um i mean, I hope so. i think they've got a chance. i don't feel as good going into this season as I did last year, although I probably should feel a little better than I do.
00:53:16
Speaker
So, you know, i I just said, you know, you guys have the the thing that I think is most important when it comes to the playoffs, and that's a true ace, a a one one and we don't have that. Baltimore doesn't have them. They'll have to go get one if they want one.
00:53:30
Speaker
They had one in Corbin Burns, but he left them for agency. There's nothing you can do about it. You know, they it's it's tough to get players to, you know, come to Baltimore. You got to go get them other ways. But but there are so many young players on the team.
00:53:45
Speaker
And the natural progression of all of these players is going to be better. Russman was hurt last year. um So he's healthy now. He was mashing in spring training for whatever that's worth. You know, all the all the young guys, Mountcastle and Holiday and Westberg and Henderson and Colton Couser have won rookie of the year last year.
00:54:03
Speaker
um theyre There's going to be a natural progression with all of them. So, so You know, in the off season, they went and they just built depth. That's what killed us at the end of the year. Last year was that at the end of the year, we just didn't have the the bullets in the chamber at the end of the year when it came playoff time to be to hit the ball anymore.
00:54:22
Speaker
because of all the injuries. So, you know, they went out and got Tyler O'Neal and Gary Sanchez, these guys that are really building up the the bottom half of the roster, Ramon Laureano, and ah just guys that can that can build up that depth and make the the bulk of the club better, as opposed to just kind of building in those this those frontline pieces.
00:54:43
Speaker
um So, I mean, I still think they they probably should win this division. i think the Red Sox are... a lot better. They, they, they did an awful lot in the off season.
00:54:55
Speaker
They went out and they got their ACE. They got their one, one, they got their, their Friday night guy. um And we don't have that. So um if I was going to Vegas, I'd probably put a little money on Baltimore to win the division. um So I think it's going to be a good year. I think there's going to be a lot of wins, a lot of beating up on, on teams in, in that division, but you know, it's tough to say that we're going to be better than we were last year when,
00:55:21
Speaker
you know, we lost Corbin Burns and Anthony Santander. um I don't think we won for one, replaced those players. But I think that in the aggregate, the amount of depth that we got makes up for it. I think, you know, signing guys like Charlie Morton and, you know, and Tyler O'Neal, like I talked about earlier, and this Sugano guy from Japan looks amazing.
00:55:44
Speaker
um looks like he's going to be a nice little addition. I think it's going to be a good year. I think there's going to be a lot of wins, and I just hope that you know if we make the playoffs, the outcome is a little bit better than it had been the last two years.
00:55:57
Speaker
Yeah, and that's why i was – I know he left – I get he leaves – he left in free agency. I get Baltimore is a hard place to sell, but – I mean, I felt he had such a great year for y'all, and I felt that, you know, I mean, it's still one of the best stadiums in the league. You had a good young team. I was really hoping that he was going to resign with y'all so that you could have that ace because you're right, that is one thing that will hold you down when it comes to these playoffs if the young pitchers that you have are not able to progress as as as we hope they they will. Yep.
00:56:33
Speaker
Yeah, I think that Arizona team getting him is a big deal. I think that team is, there's some real, there are probably, I think, four or five teams in the National League that are better than any American League team. Those, I mean, awesome that Arizona team's good.
00:56:49
Speaker
That's going to be a really good team. League, that's going to be an absolute mash fest. They're going to beat the tar out of each other. Mm-hmm.
00:57:02
Speaker
Yeah, no, that's a really good point that you say that. Now that I'm thinking about, you know, the NL East and the NL West together. And then, I mean, yeah, NL is a tough place to be. So now that you say that, that's a great segue.
00:57:14
Speaker
Let's just go ahead and get everything out in the open. Let's go ahead and make our awards picks first, and then we will give our World Series predictions. So first, go ahead and give me your MVP and shy young winners for both the AL. Just do one at a time.
00:57:31
Speaker
ahead and do the AL first. I'll give him on. Yeah, I think as long as Aaron Judge vertical and able to hold a bat, there's no reason to pick anybody else. He's the best hitter on the planet. There's no no reason to choose anybody else for MVP. I think even if the Yankees aren't good, um you know, his ability go up there and, you know, hit 290 and hit 57 home runs and drive in 140, you know, is going to be enough, so.
00:58:01
Speaker
Yeah, I would i would and mash the ah ah mash Aaron Judge to as an MVP prediction. I mean, look, you're you're never going count Aaron Judge out of the MVP race. He was my ah two a in this conversation when I'm thinking about MVP for this year. But I have to look at something that happened last year with a very good young player.
00:58:31
Speaker
He's only 24 years old, going to be 25 in June. And the Royals are a feisty team. Bobby Witt Jr. hit 330 last year with 30 home runs, 109 RBIs, 31 stolen bases for an 8-war.
00:58:51
Speaker
And so if I'm going to have my pick, ah because I believe earlier, as I mentioned, that that losing Soto and not having Stanton is going to hurt Aaron Judge's production And while I don't think it'll hurt it that much, I'm going to go with Bobby Wood Jr. Not a bad pick. i mean, he's a great player. went and saw him in person twice last year.
00:59:13
Speaker
he is ah He is a dangerous player. he said he fire he followed it He followed it up in the in the spring training with 1.129 OPS, four home runs, and eight RBIs. He's the kind of guy that's going to win triple crown. He'll win a triple crown, I think, sometime in his career. He's that kind of player.
00:59:33
Speaker
Yeah. Oh, you're yeah, definitely. And I'm also rooting for him because I bought his rookie card, hoping that I can ah flip that for a bigger amount of later. So we'll see. Who is your A.L. Cy Young pick, my friend?
00:59:45
Speaker
um You know, I'm going to hang around the ah that Royals team, and I'm going to look real hard at Cole Reagan's um left-handed pitcher.
00:59:56
Speaker
You know, i've i've I've seen him in person twice as well, and his stuff is electric. If he can stay healthy, I think he's – you know, one of the best two or three pitchers in the American League up there with Scoobal. And, um yeah, he's he's somebody I really love watching pitch. His stuff is absolutely disgusting. If you haven't gotten a chance to see him because he plays in KC, you know, do yourself a favor and find a way to to to punch a Royals game up one day and and give him a look. His stuff is incredible.
01:00:30
Speaker
And so we must think that the Royals rotation is going to be just as incredible as the Tigers are projected to be. Because if you're choosing him and have in my top two and who I am going to pick, because it's not often, no, that's not I shouldn't say that. I was about to say something that's true. Tarek Skubal is in my top two, and I believe he probably will.
01:00:52
Speaker
But I'm going with another KC Royal, Seth Lugo, baby. The redemption story from a Mets reliever. We didn't start. Year after year, he has to start.
01:01:05
Speaker
And they kept telling him no. And I was like, why are y'all telling him no? He's a good pitcher. Let him pitch and try to start. They didn't. He goes to the Royals. He blows up. Man, they're going a good rotation. I'm going with Seth Lugo barely over Tarek Skubal.
01:01:18
Speaker
are Yeah, then well eventually those those bullets are going to run out with Lugo. i i want i Trust me, I watched him absolutely tear down my favorite team in the in the playoffs last year, but that age was about 36, something like that. it's yeah Yeah. The is going to run out eventually.
01:01:36
Speaker
Yeah, he's 36 years old, so you're right. Father time catches up, and yeah, so hopefully he can have another good year, but he did have a great year last year. All right, let's move on into the National League.
01:01:47
Speaker
Who is your National League MVP? And I don't even think I need to ask this, but whatever, come on. At this point, think everybody knows. Yeah, it's going to be a time. Well, same thing with Aaron Judge. Like, as long as he's vertical, there's absolutely no reason to pick anyone else or even think about anybody else.
01:02:07
Speaker
um You know, the the guy is absolutely incredible. i think he's, I think, i don't you know, i'm not saying he's going to fifty fifty again, but um You know, yeah, hes I think he's going to be the MVP. He's got protection. He's got a great team.
01:02:22
Speaker
They'll be able to give him some rest. Yeah, he's incredible. Is he most likely going to be the MVP when it's all said and done? Yes, most likely he will, not only. Because he's going to pitch. yeah there will be some There will be some games where he gets on the mountain this year. So I think when you add that, yout you can't discount that.
01:02:42
Speaker
It matters. Boom, boom. That's exactly what I was going to say. Because he's also going to end pitching back in. If he doesn't have to have 50-50, he could go 40-40 and have a really good year or ah even a decent year pitching.
01:02:55
Speaker
um So will he win? Yeah, most likely. But I'm not going to choose that. I'm going to be a homer. I'm going with the new man in town, Juan Soto, to have a MVP season and lead the Mets.
01:03:09
Speaker
to hopefully what is a championship victory. So that's my pick. they I know Homer. I don't care. But I didn't want to go with Otani, and I knew you were going to – I already knew you were gonna go with Otani. So I was like, well, I'll just go so. All right, who is your NL Cy Young?
01:03:24
Speaker
Sure. NL Cy Young, Corbin Burns. I don't i mean, I was lucky enough to get to watch him pitch for a whole year, and the guy's amazing. He's – I could see throughout the year he was changing the way that he pitches. He was changing the shape of his slider all year. And, I mean, it really it he really was was was like watching Greg Maddox. It was masterful. So, yeah, I i think he's going to be home hes from Arizona, back to the National League. He'll be comfortable. won't have to worry about it.
01:03:55
Speaker
Yeah, he won't have to be, you know, worrying about – You know, being in a strange place, you know, he'll be able to go home to his family every night. I think that stuff matters. husband mayor and And I think it's going to make him even better than he was last year.
01:04:10
Speaker
And a better version of what he was last year is the Cy Young Award. So he'd be my pick. um i would I would take him this year. yeah Yeah, you might be convincing me to change my pick because I had him in my top three, but I didn't know he was from Arizona. So, yeah, know that that does change a lot because when you're able to sleep in your own bed and see your family all the time, that is a huge boost in morale.
01:04:35
Speaker
ah So, wow. Okay, because I was going to go with the trendy pick, Libby Dunn's boyfriend, ah Pittsburgh Pirates, Paul Skeens.
01:04:47
Speaker
Because I do want him to win. What were you going to say? Go ahead. This is going to be tough to beat him for sure. and I mean, look at the season he had last year. And as long as he can stay healthy, which is my only worry with any young pitcher these days.
01:05:01
Speaker
And those dudes that are out there throwing 100, I mean, we all know we all know what happens to him, unfortunately. just I hope for the best. I hope he's up a uniform and it doesn't happen to him enough.
01:05:12
Speaker
Spot on everything you said. I hope so as well. But as you know, the history tells itself. um I'm going to say i was going to go with schemes, but now that you give me this Arizona, because I had Burns in my top three. Oh, Zach Wheeler was my other one up there.
01:05:27
Speaker
um another great Yeah, I'm going with Burns. I'm going with you on this one. I'm going Burns. So there you go, y'all. Y'all got the AL MVP for Mike Wiebe is Aaron Judge.
01:05:38
Speaker
His Cy Young is Cole Reagans with the Kansas City Royals. ah My AL MVP. excuse me, was Bobby Witt Jr. and my Cy Young, also for the Kansas City Royals, Seth Lugo. And then in the NL side, Shohei Otani was Mike Wiebe's MVP pick. Mine is Juan Soto. Yes, I'm being a homer. And then for the Cy Young pick, we both picked the Arizona Diamondbacks, Corbin Burns,
01:06:03
Speaker
after our MLB insider, Mike Weeby, so astutely convinced me with his argument of being home with family and how much that matters, because it does.
World Series and Other Sports Rankings
01:06:13
Speaker
And now we bring you to the end of our program where we give you our World Series predictions.
01:06:20
Speaker
and MLB insider, Mike Weeby, is here with us. First, let me go ahead and tell us, I went to Baseball America. I read what the insiders there had to say five times. of the nine picked the Dodgers to win the championship.
01:06:33
Speaker
All the others were spread over a bunch of teams with the Red Sox being three-time winners, the Rangers being three-time winners, the Evil Orioles are in there ah time or two. So who is your World Series matchup and champion?
01:06:51
Speaker
ah if um If five of the people pick the Dodgers, that means that there are four people that might not need to be writing for baseball America because there's no reason to ah who expect anyone else to win the national league. I mean, it's 1998 tiger woods.
01:07:08
Speaker
It's Michael Jordan in the, in the the mid nineties it's, it's tiger versus the field here. There's no reason that any team should with that roster should lose.
01:07:19
Speaker
um So as, as boring as it sounds, I think that the, I think it's going to be the Dodgers in my, my American league team is probably going to come as a surprise to a lot of people, but I really think the Rangers are going to find a way to, put it all back together this year. Um, they were really struck with the injury bug last year.
01:07:42
Speaker
if they can stay healthy with that, with that lineup and, um, They've got DeGrom. They've got the 1-1. They've got the ace. If they can stay healthy, um I think that in a short series, that team can beat anybody.
01:07:56
Speaker
So um that would be my World Series prediction would be Dodgers over ranger u Rangers.
01:08:04
Speaker
And i think it'll I think it'll be a great season, though. I think there's goingnna there's a lot of good teams, um so anything can happen. Yeah, and... I also thought about the Rangers, took a deep look at their roster, and I agree with you. If they can stay healthy, they are going to be there in the playoffs and be a formidable a team to deal with. And obviously there's nothing else you need to say about the Dodgers, but I don't want them becoming this. And I think this ah ah think you'll like this one. Only five times, five times, five times, five times, five times WCW champion. Now can you think that's what?
01:08:46
Speaker
I don't want them becoming like a Booker T and yelling in my face that they're world champions over, over and over. Shout out Booker T. We love you here. um So that being said, I'm going to go storyline. You know me, the professor loves his storylines.
01:09:00
Speaker
And back in 1969,
01:09:04
Speaker
Mike Weavey will know this quite well. My Miracle Mets defeated his Baltimore Orioles in the World Series, and I'm going with it to happen it again in 2025, the New York Mets and Orioles, so that way we can go see a game together Camden Yards.
01:09:22
Speaker
A few games. In a few games. Thank you, my brother. I really appreciate you coming on today, friend. Anytime, man. Anytime. ah He will be on again with us Thursday night, so y'all make sure to tune in Thursday night, 8 p.m. Eastern.
01:09:35
Speaker
Mike Weeble will join Clubber D. The Combat G, Bajo Malave, and myself, and we will have our pop culture show, banter, brawls, and bravado. It's going to be hilarious, so please make sure you tune in Thursday night at 8 p.m. Make sure you subscribe to Ball & Buds.
01:09:48
Speaker
P-A-L-L-A-N-D-B-U-D-S. There's a handy QR code up top you can use to find all our social media as well. Hit that like button. It helps us in the algorithm and will get us out to a larger audience. We appreciate that. And we say thank you again to our MLB insider, Mike Weeby. Appreciate you, my brother.
01:10:06
Speaker
Thank guys. Talk to you on two on Thursday. Yes, sir. All right. So we thank him for coming in. Yes, and I just got a couple of wrap-up notes to get into.
01:10:17
Speaker
I did not get to the rankings earlier when before I i got to the NCAA March Madness, so I definitely want to go through our professional sports rankings for the week. So first of all, let's start with our NHL hockey power rankings. And y'all got to remember, I've been giving y'all the OV watch today.
01:10:36
Speaker
Alex Ovechkin chasing down Wayne Gretzky for a record number of goals in the career with 895. Well, well, well, Alex Ovechkin scored another one over the past week, and he is seven goals shy of Wayne Gretzky's record. He is at 888 goals which 12 games to go. That means he has to have a goal every 1.5 game average.
01:11:04
Speaker
ah So it's going to come down to the wire. We'll see if he's able to break it this season or if it has to wait till next season. But what's not going to wait till next season is his capitals will be in the playoffs. Shout out to our NFL insider, page Shane Peacher.
01:11:20
Speaker
who has a tattoo of the aforementioned Ovi. Washington, got a beautiful tattoo. Washington Capitals, 45 wins, 14 losses, 8 draws are the number one team in your NHL power rankings.
01:11:35
Speaker
Number two, Winnipeg Jets, 47 wins, 18 losses, 4 draws. At number three, the Dallas Stars, 43 wins, 21 losses, and draws.
01:11:46
Speaker
The Colorado Avalanche come in at number four with a 41-win, 25-loss, three-draw record. And rounding out the top five of your NHL hockey power rankings for the week, the Carolina Hurricanes, 41 wins, 22 losses,
01:12:03
Speaker
and for ties Moving into the and NBA, yes, into our 23rd week. Let's take a look. The number one team new this week, excuse me moving up from number two, the Oklahoma City Thunder, 59 wins,
01:12:23
Speaker
12 losses. They lead the Cleveland Cavaliers by two games for best record in the league and subsequently home court advantage. At number two, the aforementioned Cleveland Cavaliers, 57 wins, 14 losses.
01:12:41
Speaker
At number three, cannot forget, and let me put it because it'll probably be the only time I can do it this show, my Boston Celtics. 52 wins, 19 losses. You're reigning, defending, undisputed and NBA champions of the world. And we'll be repeating again. The Boston Celtics are 10-1 over their last 11. Don't sleep on the Golden State Warriors.
01:13:06
Speaker
I told y'all when Jimmy Butler got traded, I said this was going to boost the Warriors up to be one of the best and contending teams in the league. I just thought this was the piece that they were missing. It turned out that that is exactly what the case is, I believe, and I have to go back and and check, so forgive me if I'm mistaken here, but I believe they are 13-2 since Jimmy Butler came over. I know they just lost again the other day, so that's it.
01:13:33
Speaker
believe they're I have to get a check on that, but I'm sure it's somewhere around there. And at number five, the team I hate the most in the NBA, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and the Los Angeles Fakers.
01:13:46
Speaker
LeBron and Luka are, well, we'll see what happens once they get them both ah back healthy, as obviously LeBron has been out with an injury.
01:13:59
Speaker
but he did just come back from that absence on Saturday. So we'll see how they start to mesh going forward. And I think they'll be just fine. You don't have two great players like that and have an issue.
01:14:11
Speaker
So I think they'll be just dandy in the playoffs, even though I i hate them with all my heart. um And then finally, i was going to show you, the men's and women's NCAA brackets, but we talked about it earlier.
01:14:26
Speaker
I told you the main teams that were moving in to it, and you can obviously look up a bracket on your own, so you probably don't need me to show you. And I can always update you next week after we have the next second round games, but what a crazy week of NCAA March Madness that we had.
01:14:42
Speaker
ah shout-out again to ah The UCLA Bruins number one ah women's basketball. If you haven't checked out my limerick that I created for them, go to YouTube. It's a one-minute short, hilarious.
01:14:55
Speaker
You'll love it. um And as well, shout out to those Maryland Terrapins. I am an alumni of the Terrapins of Maryland. Both the women and men both advanced into the Sweet 16.
01:15:10
Speaker
Ain't that right, Testudo? Yeah. And yes, Testudo is a Puerto Rican-American like myself. Don't be hating on his ethnicity like some of y'all be hating on Paddington because he's from Peru and not from the UK.
01:15:26
Speaker
Well, that's not my fault. You didn't know that and you had to learn the hard truth from your brother, the professor. But here I am. And you know what other truths you need to learn? What's that, Testudo? Tell them.
01:15:37
Speaker
Subscribe at Ball and Buds, B-A-L-L-A-N-D-B-U-D-S, for live shows all week, tomorrow night, B, Bottom Line Sports, 8 p.m. Eastern, Wednesday night, the Professor Seminole Mendez.
Special Announcements and Future Topics
01:15:56
Speaker
returns again with his special news episode. Since we weren't able to do sports, or since we only did sports today, we'll do news on Wednesday. And then finally, Thursday night at 8 p.m. Eastern, banter, brawls, bravado.
01:16:13
Speaker
It'll be Clubber D to combat ge comedian Bajuan Malavey. our friend from today, Mike Wiebe, and yours truly, The Street Professor.
01:16:24
Speaker
We will give you updates on the Diddy lawsuit. We will talk about the hot to a girl and her meme coin that she's rug pulled. We'll talk about Fox Sports harassment lawsuit.
01:16:35
Speaker
We'll talk LeBron versus Stephen And so much more. It's going to be effing
Conclusion and Farewell
01:16:41
Speaker
hilarious. Make sure you're there. Subscribe at Ball and Buds. B-A-L-L-A-N-D-B-U-D-S.
01:16:48
Speaker
Thank you, Testudo. You're welcome, Omar. All right, now that completely acting like a nerd in front everybody, I am going to go and hang out and watch some basketball on the couch.
01:17:01
Speaker
Y'all be well. Be blessed. Be kind to each other. Have an amazing week. I love y'all. Holla! You know what comes next? 5,000. five thousand
01:17:18
Speaker
He's with the millions
01:17:22
Speaker
World Heavyweight Float to toe release the flow created by this micro Lights cameras get low Action back back to bagit back in fact this monster will grow yo
01:17:51
Speaker
man with the master playing and You have no need to know. and You came prepared. Now get ready for the show. Sports Professor. Oh.