Very Baseball!

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[00:00:31] [SPEAKER_01]: This is a production of The Very Dental Podcast Network.

[00:00:46] [SPEAKER_02]: Welcome to The Very Clinical Podcast.

[00:00:49] [SPEAKER_02]: In about the time it takes to do an MO on three, we will entertain and amaze you with tips and tricks on regular daily dentistry.

[00:00:57] [SPEAKER_02]: Here's Kevin and Zach.

[00:00:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Well, hello, Very Dental Podcast Network listeners.

[00:01:02] [SPEAKER_01]: I'd like to welcome you to a very special episode of The Very Clinical Podcast.

[00:01:06] [SPEAKER_03]: I know this is on a Wednesday. We don't normally release Wednesday.

[00:01:10] [SPEAKER_03]: We're bringing Friday's episode a little early because it's very topical.

[00:01:14] [SPEAKER_03]: Turns out, Kevin and Zach and myself, we all have teams in the MLB playoffs.

[00:01:21] [SPEAKER_03]: And so the fellows and I decided we'd do a little baseball talk for the episode this week.

[00:01:28] [SPEAKER_03]: So why don't you guys sit back, relax, take a listen to us talk October baseball.

[00:01:33] [SPEAKER_00]: What is up?

[00:01:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Listeners, we have a very, very special edition of The Very Sports Podcast.

[00:01:41] [SPEAKER_00]: The Very Baseball Podcast.

[00:01:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Very baseball.

[00:01:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Now Zach Miners coming to you from Kansas City, Missouri, home of the Kansas City Royals.

[00:01:51] [SPEAKER_00]: With me, Dr. Kevin Herr Friar, home of the Cleveland Indians slash Guardians.

[00:01:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Kevin, how's it going?

[00:01:59] [SPEAKER_00]: October baseball. You got 11.

[00:02:01] [SPEAKER_00]: And all the way from Michigan, we've got Dr. Alan Mead of the Detroit Tigers.

[00:02:09] [SPEAKER_03]: Indeed. Indeed.

[00:02:12] [SPEAKER_03]: So very dental listeners, you're probably wondering why you're getting an episode on this day,

[00:02:17] [SPEAKER_03]: which probably is the first Wednesday of the playoffs, more than likely,

[00:02:22] [SPEAKER_03]: probably in the evening sometimes.

[00:02:24] [SPEAKER_03]: This is a weird time for us to drop an episode.

[00:02:26] [SPEAKER_03]: And guess what? This is your episode for the rest of the week,

[00:02:31] [SPEAKER_03]: because we, the three of us all have teams in the playoffs.

[00:02:36] [SPEAKER_03]: And it's happening right now.

[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_03]: In fact, it's actually really cool that Detroit Tigers, their first three games are in Houston at 2.30 Eastern.

[00:02:48] [SPEAKER_03]: And I have TVs in my office.

[00:02:50] [SPEAKER_03]: So I have watched almost no baseball at all this season.

[00:02:53] [SPEAKER_03]: And yet the playoffs are here and it's being watched in my office.

[00:02:58] [SPEAKER_03]: So it's kind of exciting, I have to say.

[00:03:00] [SPEAKER_03]: And just for the record, it's Tuesday and the Tigers won 3-1 against Houston today.

[00:03:06] [SPEAKER_03]: So we're on our way.

[00:03:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Love it. Love it.

[00:03:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Zach, how did the Royals do today?

[00:03:12] [SPEAKER_00]: The Royals have beaten the Baltimore Royals.

[00:03:15] [SPEAKER_00]: They are playing three games in Baltimore.

[00:03:16] [SPEAKER_00]: And Tuesday's game was a pitchers duel, just a slight 1-0 win for the Royals, which is great.

[00:03:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Alan, the statistics are that since they have switched to these three game series,

[00:03:29] [SPEAKER_00]: the Game 1 winner wins 88% of the time.

[00:03:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Interesting.

[00:03:34] [SPEAKER_00]: And almost all those were asleep, meaning they just kept the very next day and just ended it.

[00:03:39] [SPEAKER_03]: So potentially tomorrow could be the end of the first series for some of these teams, right?

[00:03:45] [SPEAKER_03]: It could be. It could be.

[00:03:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, Alan, if you win your series against Houston, you will be advancing too, none other than...

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Ha ha! Yes, we'll be.

[00:03:54] [SPEAKER_04]: ...the Cleveland Guardians.

[00:03:57] [SPEAKER_04]: Cleveland, Ohio.

[00:04:00] [SPEAKER_04]: And we're right across the lake.

[00:04:03] [SPEAKER_04]: So all we've got to do is take an armada across Lake Erie and Storm Detroit.

[00:04:08] [SPEAKER_04]: Actually, you'll be coming to us because we have a home field of damage.

[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_03]: We'll be coming to you exactly.

[00:04:12] [SPEAKER_04]: And we'll have some little fun, a little Lake Erie fun.

[00:04:18] [SPEAKER_03]: So whoever comes to play you after this series, that's your first...

[00:04:24] [SPEAKER_03]: Cleveland has a bye, is that right?

[00:04:25] [SPEAKER_03]: We have a bye.

[00:04:26] [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, wow.

[00:04:27] [SPEAKER_03]: We won the division.

[00:04:28] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, so you get to sit on your butts and eat sugar babies while the other teams are playing for the spot to play you.

[00:04:39] [SPEAKER_03]: I like this.

[00:04:40] [SPEAKER_04]: Likely some Almond Joy is also...

[00:04:42] [SPEAKER_04]: Oh, yeah, wow.

[00:04:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Wow, good.

[00:04:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Kevin, will you be attending Game 1 or 2 of this DS series?

[00:04:49] [SPEAKER_04]: I did not have pickets yet.

[00:04:50] [SPEAKER_04]: There has been some mitigating circumstances, but we will see if I can make that happen since the game is on Saturday.

[00:04:58] [SPEAKER_04]: However...

[00:04:59] [SPEAKER_04]: Saturday and Monday?

[00:05:00] [SPEAKER_04]: Saturday and Monday, yeah.

[00:05:01] [SPEAKER_04]: I do have a...

[00:05:04] [SPEAKER_04]: I just want to mention this because do you, Zach, do you know what happened to the Guardians on April 6th, 2024?

[00:05:16] [SPEAKER_00]: That would be pretty early in the season.

[00:05:19] [SPEAKER_00]: I would imagine that they played a game and won on that particular day.

[00:05:25] [SPEAKER_04]: I would imagine that our ace, Shane Bieber, screwed up his arm and was out for the season.

[00:05:33] [SPEAKER_04]: That's right.

[00:05:33] [SPEAKER_04]: Remember when that was happening?

[00:05:35] [SPEAKER_04]: I remember that.

[00:05:36] [SPEAKER_04]: I can remember that.

[00:05:37] [SPEAKER_04]: Oh my God.

[00:05:37] [SPEAKER_04]: All the aces on all the major...

[00:05:41] [SPEAKER_04]: So here's me on April 6th or whatever like, okay, season's over.

[00:05:47] [SPEAKER_04]: I don't know how you could possibly overcome that.

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_04]: That's what my thought was at the time.

[00:05:54] [SPEAKER_04]: And yet we just kept on winning, winning, winning and especially winning early in the season, which I think is a pretty big advantage.

[00:06:05] [SPEAKER_04]: Now the Tigers came storming back and made the playoffs and that does happen.

[00:06:11] [SPEAKER_04]: But honestly, if you would have told me on April 6th that we would have been in the playoffs at all, I'd have thought you were crazy because I thought the season was over.

[00:06:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Was it a Tommy John thing?

[00:06:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Tommy John, yeah.

[00:06:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, so he's not...

[00:06:24] [SPEAKER_00]: There's no chance of him coming back till middle of next year.

[00:06:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Right.

[00:06:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Alan, have you been to a Detroit Tigers game ever?

[00:06:32] [SPEAKER_03]: When I was a kid at Tiger Stadium.

[00:06:36] [SPEAKER_03]: So this is before Comerica Park.

[00:06:38] [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, it was a long time ago.

[00:06:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Tiger Stadium was famous for every seat was a terrible seat.

[00:06:44] [SPEAKER_03]: It was as good as the old time plays.

[00:06:47] [SPEAKER_03]: Every seat was a horrible seat.

[00:06:49] [SPEAKER_03]: It was an old time baseball, but I guess Comerica, every seat is fantastic.

[00:06:53] [SPEAKER_03]: So I haven't been there.

[00:06:54] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm not a huge baseball fan, but I have to say the narrative for Detroit is really funny because what I think with the statistics said like in mid-August they had like a 0.7% chance of having a wild car.

[00:07:06] [SPEAKER_04]: What happened to the twins?

[00:07:08] [SPEAKER_03]: Well that is the question.

[00:07:09] [SPEAKER_03]: Thank God, whatever happened to the twins is what got us there.

[00:07:12] [SPEAKER_00]: No, it's not just the twins.

[00:07:15] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean you guys have been over the last 50 games of the season.

[00:07:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Hot streak.

[00:07:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Detroit is...

[00:07:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Just the last 50 games.

[00:07:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Detroit is number one and that's a scary team to play.

[00:07:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Exactly.

[00:07:29] [SPEAKER_00]: It's an interesting tough out.

[00:07:30] [SPEAKER_03]: The narrative is to die for because literally two months ago the Detroit fans were tuning out in the same way that Kevin figured he was going to be tuning out because of the injury.

[00:07:38] [SPEAKER_03]: The narrative is kind of fun now.

[00:07:42] [SPEAKER_00]: They traded away their best player.

[00:07:44] [SPEAKER_00]: One of their best players.

[00:07:45] [SPEAKER_03]: The coach has said as much as he's going to run with the whole underdog thing until it runs out.

[00:07:51] [SPEAKER_03]: You know what I'm saying?

[00:07:52] [SPEAKER_03]: You have to.

[00:07:53] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, so it's pretty fun and it was a fun game to watch today.

[00:07:57] [SPEAKER_03]: They were convincing against Houston.

[00:08:00] [SPEAKER_03]: They really were.

[00:08:01] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, it looked good.

[00:08:03] [SPEAKER_04]: Dangerous when you get to play loose like that.

[00:08:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you're right.

[00:08:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Nothing to lose.

[00:08:07] [SPEAKER_00]: The whole nothing to lose mentality.

[00:08:09] [SPEAKER_00]: That's an amazing one.

[00:08:12] [SPEAKER_00]: That is the narrative for them right now.

[00:08:15] [SPEAKER_03]: Even the guys, even the people that were calling the game were sort of...

[00:08:20] [SPEAKER_03]: Let me tell you this.

[00:08:22] [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, so knowing that Cleveland is doing really well but if Detroit sweeps here does that make Cleveland nervous?

[00:08:31] [SPEAKER_03]: Just because we're coming in on it.

[00:08:33] [SPEAKER_03]: Coming in with momentum or not so much?

[00:08:34] [SPEAKER_04]: Here's the thing.

[00:08:35] [SPEAKER_04]: In the short series in baseball anything can happen.

[00:08:40] [SPEAKER_04]: Always comes down to pitching and you guys have an amazing pitcher so who knows?

[00:08:51] [SPEAKER_04]: It just completely comes down.

[00:08:53] [SPEAKER_00]: One pitcher in a five game series can pitch twice and if he pitches a gym twice...

[00:09:01] [SPEAKER_04]: Even if he pitches one and a half basically, you only got to get through five innings and let someone else take over on that second game.

[00:09:10] [SPEAKER_04]: I do like playoff baseball where the rules kind of...

[00:09:16] [SPEAKER_04]: In terms of your pitching rotation and when it really is do or die you see some things that you wouldn't see in the regular season.

[00:09:28] [SPEAKER_04]: Bringing your star pitcher back to pitch again is one of those things.

[00:09:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it is especially in the...

[00:09:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, those elimination games have a very different set of rules to them than another baseball.

[00:09:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Not knowing how this works with pitchers.

[00:09:44] [SPEAKER_03]: Is it just that pitchers can't pitch back-to-back physically?

[00:09:47] [SPEAKER_03]: It's too much or are they not allowed to?

[00:09:50] [SPEAKER_04]: It's physically they can't.

[00:09:52] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, physically.

[00:09:53] [SPEAKER_04]: It needs some recovery time.

[00:09:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, physically a starting pitcher who throws 800 pitches.

[00:09:58] [SPEAKER_04]: Unless you're Nolan Ryan or Bob Teller and you can just pitch.

[00:10:02] [SPEAKER_00]: But no, I mean they need a minimum of...

[00:10:05] [SPEAKER_00]: No one pitches on less than three days rest.

[00:10:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Three days rest is the very best...

[00:10:09] [SPEAKER_00]: No, the relievers can pitch multiple games in a row because they only throw three.

[00:10:12] [SPEAKER_03]: The reality is that our wonder kid...

[00:10:16] [SPEAKER_03]: He's not gonna pitch the next two games, you don't think?

[00:10:18] [SPEAKER_00]: No, no way.

[00:10:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Not even like an elimination game.

[00:10:22] [SPEAKER_00]: He'll pitch Monday against us.

[00:10:24] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:10:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, he could pitch Saturday.

[00:10:28] [SPEAKER_04]: It's possible, yeah.

[00:10:29] [SPEAKER_00]: It's depending on what happens.

[00:10:31] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, that's true.

[00:10:33] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, the only scenario where he would pitch on Thursday's elimination game,

[00:10:40] [SPEAKER_00]: I would feel like it'd be some kind of extra innings oddball scenario.

[00:10:43] [SPEAKER_04]: Come in as a reliever or some weird scenario.

[00:10:47] [SPEAKER_04]: How many games did you go to this year's act?

[00:10:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Oh man, you know I'm a huge baseball guy.

[00:10:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Nine.

[00:10:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that's great.

[00:10:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, nine games.

[00:10:57] [SPEAKER_00]: I even went to those two games in Tampa Bay with the Royals from the road.

[00:11:03] [SPEAKER_04]: Oh, that's right.

[00:11:03] [SPEAKER_04]: What month was that?

[00:11:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Back in May.

[00:11:05] [SPEAKER_00]: That was Memorial Day.

[00:11:06] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, that was early on.

[00:11:07] [SPEAKER_04]: I remember that.

[00:11:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so it's happy for me.

[00:11:10] [SPEAKER_00]: But you got to do that.

[00:11:11] [SPEAKER_00]: I was very successful at Royals game.

[00:11:14] [SPEAKER_00]: So I'm just...

[00:11:14] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm really hoping we can get to this next round.

[00:11:17] [SPEAKER_00]: The Royals unfortunately would draw the Yankees

[00:11:19] [SPEAKER_00]: if they beat Baltimore, if they can beat them tomorrow or Thursday.

[00:11:23] [SPEAKER_00]: And I think that the Yankees are the best team in the American League.

[00:11:29] [SPEAKER_04]: But everybody hates the Yankees.

[00:11:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Everyone hates the Yankees.

[00:11:31] [SPEAKER_00]: I hate the Yankees with a passion.

[00:11:33] [SPEAKER_04]: I was raised to hate the Yankees.

[00:11:35] [SPEAKER_00]: I would get...

[00:11:37] [SPEAKER_00]: If the Royals were to finish this off against Baltimore,

[00:11:40] [SPEAKER_00]: we would get a game three next Wednesday,

[00:11:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Wednesday, October 9th.

[00:11:45] [SPEAKER_00]: I will try very hard to be at that game.

[00:11:49] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't have the tickets for it.

[00:11:50] [SPEAKER_00]: I won't buy it.

[00:11:51] [SPEAKER_00]: I'll buy them aftermarket and overpay for them.

[00:11:53] [SPEAKER_00]: That's just what I do.

[00:11:54] [SPEAKER_00]: That's one of my advice is just wear the tickets.

[00:11:57] [SPEAKER_00]: That's fair.

[00:11:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Yep.

[00:11:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Yep.

[00:12:00] [SPEAKER_00]: So you've got Saturday, Monday's game coming up

[00:12:03] [SPEAKER_00]: and then Alan will be in the same boat.

[00:12:05] [SPEAKER_00]: There will be a game in Detroit next Wednesday if you were to advance.

[00:12:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Is Detroit Tiger baseball as big of a deal as Lions football in your area?

[00:12:15] [SPEAKER_03]: I was wondering if you're going to say that.

[00:12:17] [SPEAKER_03]: Here's the funny thing.

[00:12:19] [SPEAKER_03]: I can't remember a time where both teams have been good the same year,

[00:12:25] [SPEAKER_03]: like maybe ever.

[00:12:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Yes.

[00:12:27] [SPEAKER_00]: So that's a rare thing too.

[00:12:29] [SPEAKER_00]: We just did this.

[00:12:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, I'll say this.

[00:12:31] [SPEAKER_03]: We have...

[00:12:31] [SPEAKER_03]: There have been times when the Pistons and the Red Wings were really good.

[00:12:36] [SPEAKER_03]: Honestly, the Red Wings were probably the most consistent team

[00:12:38] [SPEAKER_03]: in Detroit's ever had.

[00:12:40] [SPEAKER_03]: For a long time, they were the team to beat.

[00:12:42] [SPEAKER_03]: So it was more common to see that

[00:12:44] [SPEAKER_03]: and occasionally to see the Red Wings and the Tigers.

[00:12:47] [SPEAKER_03]: The Lions have just sucked for so long

[00:12:49] [SPEAKER_03]: and honestly, they look good this year too.

[00:12:52] [SPEAKER_03]: They do.

[00:12:53] [SPEAKER_03]: My name is football.

[00:12:54] [SPEAKER_03]: They were really good.

[00:12:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Even when they got beat, it was really close.

[00:12:57] [SPEAKER_03]: So the reality is having...

[00:12:58] [SPEAKER_03]: Now that the Tigers are on fire, it's pretty fun.

[00:13:03] [SPEAKER_03]: It's pretty fun.

[00:13:04] [SPEAKER_03]: Like it's definitely...

[00:13:05] [SPEAKER_03]: You can feel it.

[00:13:06] [SPEAKER_03]: There's a lot more people wearing Lions and Tigers gear now.

[00:13:09] [SPEAKER_03]: And like I said, I love this daytime baseball.

[00:13:13] [SPEAKER_03]: It's so fun.

[00:13:14] [SPEAKER_03]: It makes the day go a little faster.

[00:13:16] [SPEAKER_03]: My afternoons are blast now.

[00:13:18] [SPEAKER_03]: And I got two more days where we're going to have a game at 2.30.

[00:13:21] [SPEAKER_03]: It's awesome.

[00:13:21] [SPEAKER_03]: I can hardly wait.

[00:13:22] [SPEAKER_03]: Or maybe just one.

[00:13:23] [SPEAKER_03]: If you sweep.

[00:13:25] [SPEAKER_03]: That's true.

[00:13:25] [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe not Thursday.

[00:13:26] [SPEAKER_03]: That's right.

[00:13:27] [SPEAKER_03]: We can hope.

[00:13:28] [SPEAKER_03]: Go ahead, Kevin.

[00:13:28] [SPEAKER_04]: I have a fun fact for you that Zach, you can relate to.

[00:13:31] [SPEAKER_04]: In 2024, the Browns, the Cavs and the Guardians have all been in the playoffs.

[00:13:38] [SPEAKER_00]: That's a good run.

[00:13:40] [SPEAKER_00]: The numbers of viewers...

[00:13:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Go ahead.

[00:13:43] [SPEAKER_04]: I don't know how if that's ever happened or it may have never happened.

[00:13:49] [SPEAKER_04]: But I can say that but you're a Chief Supporter in the Super Bowl numerous times.

[00:13:54] [SPEAKER_00]: But the Royals and the Chiefs have also very rarely been good simultaneously, mostly because

[00:14:01] [SPEAKER_00]: the Royals have spent the vast majority of my lifetime not being good.

[00:14:07] [SPEAKER_00]: They were good when I was a kid.

[00:14:09] [SPEAKER_00]: They were very bad for a long time.

[00:14:11] [SPEAKER_00]: They had that very short window of awesome.

[00:14:13] [SPEAKER_00]: And then they've been very bad until right now.

[00:14:16] [SPEAKER_00]: So this is a rare window here.

[00:14:18] [SPEAKER_04]: Were you around during the George Brett era?

[00:14:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Oh yeah, for sure.

[00:14:21] [SPEAKER_00]: George Brett played from the...

[00:14:24] [SPEAKER_00]: I caught him kind of latter part of career.

[00:14:28] [SPEAKER_00]: He started in the mid-70s.

[00:14:31] [SPEAKER_00]: I was born in the late 70s but we won that first World Series in 1985.

[00:14:36] [SPEAKER_00]: I was an eight year old kid.

[00:14:38] [SPEAKER_00]: I didn't hang on the games but I had the George Brett jersey and he was my dude.

[00:14:43] [SPEAKER_00]: And he got his 3000th hit around 1992 and three.

[00:14:47] [SPEAKER_00]: That was very memorable for me.

[00:14:49] [SPEAKER_00]: So yes, George Brett was very much a big part of my life.

[00:14:52] [SPEAKER_00]: And Bobby Witt is going to be that guy for my kids.

[00:14:56] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean today it was where your Royals stuff to school stuff...

[00:15:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Where your Royals geared to school day and they both have their Witt stuff on.

[00:15:05] [SPEAKER_00]: And that's their dude.

[00:15:06] [SPEAKER_00]: And he's 24 so he's going to be their dude for like...

[00:15:10] [SPEAKER_00]: He'll be there for a long time.

[00:15:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Because I'll see the Leafs.

[00:15:13] [SPEAKER_03]: The last time I was paying any attention to the Tigers would be 1984.

[00:15:18] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, they won the last World Series.

[00:15:21] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, exactly.

[00:15:23] [SPEAKER_03]: It's really...

[00:15:23] [SPEAKER_00]: But they've been to World Series since then.

[00:15:26] [SPEAKER_00]: You just weren't on there.

[00:15:28] [SPEAKER_00]: You weren't paying attention.

[00:15:29] [SPEAKER_00]: That's fine.

[00:15:31] [SPEAKER_03]: This is fun because it kind of came out of nowhere for me.

[00:15:34] [SPEAKER_03]: I haven't been paying attention but like I said, daytime baseball.

[00:15:38] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm here for it.

[00:15:38] [SPEAKER_04]: I love it.

[00:15:39] [SPEAKER_04]: Jack Morris, right?

[00:15:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Yes, Jack Morris.

[00:15:41] [SPEAKER_03]: And you know where Jack Morris finished up?

[00:15:44] [SPEAKER_03]: He was playing for the St. Paul Saints.

[00:15:45] [SPEAKER_03]: He was playing for a farm team.

[00:15:48] [SPEAKER_03]: And he...

[00:15:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Jack Morris was great.

[00:15:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Who else?

[00:15:54] [SPEAKER_03]: Lou...

[00:15:55] [SPEAKER_03]: God, what's his name?

[00:15:56] [SPEAKER_03]: Lou Whitaker.

[00:15:57] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, there's a bunch of...

[00:15:58] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, Lou Whitaker was on that team.

[00:16:01] [SPEAKER_03]: We had a bunch of kind of classic players and all that stuff.

[00:16:04] [SPEAKER_03]: I remember knowing some stuff about the Tigers at that point.

[00:16:08] [SPEAKER_04]: I went to undergrad at Purdue.

[00:16:10] [SPEAKER_04]: A lot of my friends were Chicago Cubs fans.

[00:16:14] [SPEAKER_04]: I had a couple were White Sox fans,

[00:16:17] [SPEAKER_04]: but I also had a good friend who was from Detroit

[00:16:19] [SPEAKER_04]: who was a Tigers fan.

[00:16:21] [SPEAKER_04]: And one April day, April or May, probably April,

[00:16:28] [SPEAKER_04]: we went to Chicago and watched the Tigers play the White Sox

[00:16:32] [SPEAKER_04]: in Old Comiskey Park.

[00:16:35] [SPEAKER_04]: And Jack Morris was pitching.

[00:16:37] [SPEAKER_04]: And he pitched a no-hitter.

[00:16:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, wow.

[00:16:41] [SPEAKER_04]: So we were in Comiskey Park with all the White Sox fans.

[00:16:45] [SPEAKER_04]: And you know how that goes?

[00:16:47] [SPEAKER_04]: Around the 6th or 7th inning, you're like,

[00:16:49] [SPEAKER_04]: hey, wait a minute.

[00:16:50] [SPEAKER_04]: We might be watching something special here.

[00:16:53] [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah.

[00:16:53] [SPEAKER_04]: So our whole section, now I wanted to see a no-hitter live.

[00:16:58] [SPEAKER_04]: So we're all clapping for the Tigers

[00:17:00] [SPEAKER_04]: even though we're at Comiskey Park.

[00:17:02] [SPEAKER_04]: And I remember this kind of drunk Chicago girl fan

[00:17:05] [SPEAKER_04]: like, why are you clapping?

[00:17:08] [SPEAKER_04]: The White Sox are losing.

[00:17:09] [SPEAKER_04]: She's saying, like, we've never seen a no-hitter before.

[00:17:11] [SPEAKER_04]: No-hitter.

[00:17:11] [SPEAKER_00]: I know, right?

[00:17:12] [SPEAKER_00]: That's huge.

[00:17:13] [SPEAKER_00]: I think I might cheer for the opposing team

[00:17:15] [SPEAKER_00]: if I was about on the cusp of seeing a no-hitter.

[00:17:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Kind of have to.

[00:17:18] [SPEAKER_00]: You know, just to say I've seen a no-hitter.

[00:17:20] [SPEAKER_03]: So I went to undergrad.

[00:17:22] [SPEAKER_03]: I went to Miami of Ohio, which is outside of Cincinnati.

[00:17:25] [SPEAKER_03]: And I had a bunch of friends in my freshman dorm

[00:17:28] [SPEAKER_03]: that were from Cincinnati.

[00:17:30] [SPEAKER_03]: And I had a car.

[00:17:31] [SPEAKER_03]: I was the only thing special about it.

[00:17:33] [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, I had a car.

[00:17:34] [SPEAKER_03]: So I was a pickup truck.

[00:17:35] [SPEAKER_03]: And so we loaded a bunch of guys into the pickup truck

[00:17:37] [SPEAKER_03]: several times.

[00:17:37] [SPEAKER_03]: And for five bucks, you'd get the nosebleed seats

[00:17:41] [SPEAKER_03]: in the Riverfront Stadium.

[00:17:44] [SPEAKER_03]: And shitty cigars and nosebleed seats,

[00:17:48] [SPEAKER_03]: like the worst seats.

[00:17:49] [SPEAKER_03]: And I don't even know if we watched it.

[00:17:50] [SPEAKER_03]: It was so fun though.

[00:17:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh my gosh, that was a blast.

[00:17:53] [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, it cost nothing to go there.

[00:17:55] [SPEAKER_03]: You paid more than hot dogs

[00:17:57] [SPEAKER_03]: and you did for your stupid seat.

[00:17:58] [SPEAKER_03]: It was great, man.

[00:17:59] [SPEAKER_03]: It was fantastic.

[00:18:00] [SPEAKER_04]: So off air, Zach mentioned the romance of baseball.

[00:18:04] [SPEAKER_04]: And that's what all of that...

[00:18:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, it is.

[00:18:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, 100%.

[00:18:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, absolutely.

[00:18:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Kevin, I have a question.

[00:18:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, so you are a two baseball team state.

[00:18:15] [SPEAKER_00]: You've got the Reds and you've got the Guardians Indians.

[00:18:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Missouri is also a two baseball state.

[00:18:22] [SPEAKER_00]: In Missouri, 90% of the state is a Cardinals fan

[00:18:28] [SPEAKER_00]: simply because of the legacy.

[00:18:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Because the Royals didn't join here until the late 60s.

[00:18:33] [SPEAKER_00]: The Cardinals have been here since the dawn of time.

[00:18:37] [SPEAKER_00]: So the only Royals fans are basically in the

[00:18:40] [SPEAKER_00]: North Coast, the whole corner of the state.

[00:18:45] [SPEAKER_00]: And then Royals fandom extends into Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska.

[00:18:49] [SPEAKER_00]: That kind of range.

[00:18:50] [SPEAKER_00]: What is the story in the state of Ohio?

[00:18:53] [SPEAKER_00]: What's the spread of Reds?

[00:18:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

[00:18:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Reds Guardians.

[00:18:59] [SPEAKER_04]: So if you look at the map, we're at the North Coast.

[00:19:03] [SPEAKER_04]: And Cincinnati is at the southern tip of Ohio.

[00:19:06] [SPEAKER_03]: South Western, yeah, exactly.

[00:19:09] [SPEAKER_04]: It is a total different country to me.

[00:19:13] [SPEAKER_04]: I am not a Reds fan.

[00:19:15] [SPEAKER_04]: I would never be a Reds fan.

[00:19:16] [SPEAKER_04]: They don't exist to me.

[00:19:19] [SPEAKER_04]: Also, Cincinnati in terms of other sports,

[00:19:22] [SPEAKER_04]: we hate the Bengals because they're in the same division.

[00:19:29] [SPEAKER_04]: So I would say that also the big red machine in the 70s,

[00:19:35] [SPEAKER_04]: people would have gone.

[00:19:37] [SPEAKER_04]: So the middle of the state, Columbus, south of Columbus,

[00:19:44] [SPEAKER_04]: most of those people are Reds fans.

[00:19:48] [SPEAKER_04]: And then I would say north of Columbus,

[00:19:50] [SPEAKER_04]: most of them are Indians fans.

[00:19:51] [SPEAKER_04]: However, when the Indians started to be good in the 90s,

[00:19:57] [SPEAKER_04]: when you had those good teams in the 90s,

[00:20:00] [SPEAKER_04]: people like to follow a winner and people will flip,

[00:20:04] [SPEAKER_04]: which I've got no respect for.

[00:20:07] [SPEAKER_04]: Like, you're either, to me, you're either an Indian fan

[00:20:11] [SPEAKER_04]: or a Reds fan, but they don't even really exist in my mind.

[00:20:16] [SPEAKER_04]: Sorry to my relatives who are Reds fans.

[00:20:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Would you say the state is pretty well,

[00:20:20] [SPEAKER_00]: like it's closer to a 50-50 split then?

[00:20:22] [SPEAKER_00]: I would say so, yeah.

[00:20:25] [SPEAKER_04]: North of Wisconsin.

[00:20:27] [SPEAKER_03]: I went to Mindville, Ohio for undergrad,

[00:20:29] [SPEAKER_03]: which is outside of Cincinnati.

[00:20:31] [SPEAKER_03]: It's an Ohio State school.

[00:20:33] [SPEAKER_03]: And what's really interesting is that the Cleveland fans,

[00:20:36] [SPEAKER_03]: whether it was Browns or the Indians at the time,

[00:20:40] [SPEAKER_03]: were much more serious sports fans than Cincinnati fans.

[00:20:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, I think they were more likely to be rabid,

[00:20:46] [SPEAKER_03]: insane sports fans than, I think Cincinnati was.

[00:20:50] [SPEAKER_03]: And that's probably not fair,

[00:20:52] [SPEAKER_03]: because I'm sure plenty of Cincinnati fans were serious,

[00:20:53] [SPEAKER_03]: but it always seemed to me that if you were a Cleveland fan,

[00:20:56] [SPEAKER_03]: you were a serious Cleveland fan.

[00:20:57] [SPEAKER_04]: Here's my take on that.

[00:20:58] [SPEAKER_04]: We never won anything.

[00:21:01] [SPEAKER_04]: The Reds had won.

[00:21:02] [SPEAKER_04]: The Bengals had been to the Super Bowl,

[00:21:04] [SPEAKER_04]: but didn't win.

[00:21:06] [SPEAKER_04]: So it's almost like you had a swagger

[00:21:08] [SPEAKER_04]: of you don't have anything to prove.

[00:21:09] [SPEAKER_04]: We've always had a chip on our shoulder.

[00:21:11] [SPEAKER_04]: We never win anything.

[00:21:13] [SPEAKER_03]: When I was in Miami, too,

[00:21:15] [SPEAKER_03]: it was at the peak of Bernie Kosar and Slymur Ciesin.

[00:21:19] [SPEAKER_04]: Right.

[00:21:20] [SPEAKER_03]: So you got these two quarterbacks

[00:21:22] [SPEAKER_03]: with different personalities and different styles.

[00:21:25] [SPEAKER_03]: And they hated each other.

[00:21:28] [SPEAKER_03]: Like the Bengals fans and Browns fans.

[00:21:30] [SPEAKER_03]: Well, who's ugly?

[00:21:31] [SPEAKER_04]: The Bernie days were some of the best.

[00:21:34] [SPEAKER_03]: They really were.

[00:21:36] [SPEAKER_03]: It just brings me back because, you know,

[00:21:38] [SPEAKER_03]: I didn't grow up in Ohio, but spending four years there,

[00:21:41] [SPEAKER_00]: I kind of know the lay of the land pretty well.

[00:21:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Very cool.

[00:21:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Very cool.

[00:21:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Any other baseball?

[00:21:48] [SPEAKER_00]: What's the point of this thing?

[00:21:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Where are you going all the way?

[00:21:55] [SPEAKER_04]: You know, I would love...

[00:21:59] [SPEAKER_04]: We predicted sort of the same thing

[00:22:01] [SPEAKER_04]: when we did the football thing, right?

[00:22:04] [SPEAKER_04]: And none of that came true except for that.

[00:22:08] [SPEAKER_04]: We either wanted the Chiefs Lions Super Bowl

[00:22:13] [SPEAKER_04]: or the Browns Lions Super Bowl.

[00:22:17] [SPEAKER_04]: Chiefs Lions was that close to happening?

[00:22:20] [SPEAKER_00]: That Lions was so close.

[00:22:24] [SPEAKER_00]: It was a bummer.

[00:22:25] [SPEAKER_00]: I wanted to see that.

[00:22:28] [SPEAKER_04]: That, to me, would have been the ultimate.

[00:22:30] [SPEAKER_04]: In this case, we have to eliminate each other.

[00:22:34] [SPEAKER_04]: Right. It can't be Tigers.

[00:22:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Someone's got to go.

[00:22:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Someone's got to go.

[00:22:40] [SPEAKER_03]: I got to say there's a similar...

[00:22:44] [SPEAKER_03]: By the end of the football season last year,

[00:22:46] [SPEAKER_03]: the Lions were America's team.

[00:22:48] [SPEAKER_03]: Except for the Swifties.

[00:22:50] [SPEAKER_03]: There's a little bit of a similar feeling

[00:22:52] [SPEAKER_03]: because the Tigers are coming in on such a tear

[00:22:55] [SPEAKER_03]: after being not so good.

[00:22:57] [SPEAKER_03]: So I feel like there's a little bit of an interesting narrative there too.

[00:22:59] [SPEAKER_04]: I'm going to answer this question

[00:23:02] [SPEAKER_04]: as best I can from my heritage.

[00:23:05] [SPEAKER_04]: I'm going to channel my father right now.

[00:23:08] [SPEAKER_04]: Anybody but Yankees.

[00:23:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, yes.

[00:23:10] [SPEAKER_00]: So I hope so too.

[00:23:13] [SPEAKER_04]: If it's the Indians slash Guardians

[00:23:15] [SPEAKER_04]: or the Royals or the Tigers and the Yankees,

[00:23:18] [SPEAKER_04]: I'm okay with that.

[00:23:18] [SPEAKER_00]: I move root for EAL Central team

[00:23:22] [SPEAKER_00]: the whole way.

[00:23:25] [SPEAKER_00]: Royals can't beat the Yankees.

[00:23:27] [SPEAKER_00]: I hope to God the Tigers or the Indians do.

[00:23:31] [SPEAKER_00]: And then I root for the EAL World Series always.

[00:23:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Unless it's the Yankees.

[00:23:36] [SPEAKER_04]: And I also say this has happened to us before

[00:23:40] [SPEAKER_04]: where beating the Yankees

[00:23:42] [SPEAKER_04]: and not winning the World Series...

[00:23:44] [SPEAKER_04]: Sense of accomplishment?

[00:23:45] [SPEAKER_04]: You still get something out of that.

[00:23:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Hey, thanks guys for sports casting.

[00:23:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for your energy.

[00:23:53] [SPEAKER_00]: They're very gentle.

[00:23:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Sort of very sports.

[00:23:56] [SPEAKER_00]: For all we know,

[00:23:57] [SPEAKER_00]: we might have more sports.

[00:24:00] [SPEAKER_00]: If the Royals and the Tigers

[00:24:03] [SPEAKER_00]: make it to round two,

[00:24:04] [SPEAKER_00]: we might have to have another meeting in the mines.

[00:24:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Impromptu.

[00:24:09] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm all for it.

[00:24:10] [SPEAKER_00]: I guess I can't say the next two.

[00:24:13] [SPEAKER_00]: See you when we see you.

[00:24:15] [SPEAKER_03]: That's right.

[00:24:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Take me out to the ball game.