Bob Nightengale | MLB Insider

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To say thanks, we're inviting you to our friends and family sale with up to 45% off site-wide, plus doorbusters. Ordering custom window treatments online doesn't have to mean sacrificing style or service. Shop the latest styles of curtains, shades, shutters, and more. Need help making a selection? Blinds.com's design experts are always available for free consultations.

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Blinds.com. Rules and restrictions may apply. Baseball Insider, he's also a longtime columnist for the USA Today sports section.

And Bob Nightingale, pleased to connect with you for the first time this season, so longtime no talk. What's your impression of Wildcard Weekend, the way baseball set it up for the first time this year? Yeah, well it's interesting that everybody's fighting for a home field advantage and it meant absolutely nothing. I'm the only team that had, you know, that won with home field advantage, the Cleveland Guardians, and didn't even sell after either game.

So, you know, what does that really mean? I think it means that home field advantage is, it doesn't really mean anything in baseball. Remember even going back to 2019 with the Nationals and the Astros, nobody won a home game. You know, the Nationals won four world games and the Astros won three world games. Why is that, do you think?

Why has it become so not effective or not important in the baseball playoffs? I don't know. You know, I was talking to, you know, Rob Thompson of the Phillies the other day about this, and he had been in the road for about two, two and a half weeks. And, you know, he was saying, and, you know, I asked, is it sometimes even better to be on the road?

And he agreed. Just, you don't have the distractions, family and friends and tickets. You know, it brings some camaraderie together because, you know, everybody's on the road together.

Should get to see each other for breakfast and, you know, grab some dinner, that sort of thing. So yeah, I don't think it's, you know, nearly the disadvantage, you know, like it is in the other sports. We're already down to the division series because Wild Card Weekend was set up with three days in a row, although we only needed the third day for the Padres and the Mets. So let's start with that one. The Mets win 101 games in the regular season, actually have the same record as the Atlanta Braves, who ended up edging them out for the NLE's title, and they're done. How did San Diego do it? You know, I always thought there was two sleepers going to the playoffs, and it was San Diego and Seattle, just because of the pitching. I mean, you Darvish, you won game one as pitching as good as anybody, if not better, than anybody in baseball. Joe Musgrove, as we saw tonight, is a stud, you know, to the first no-hitter in pottery history. Blake Snell, up until yesterday, had pitched very well on this rich.

You know, you got Josh Hinn in the bullpen. So a dangerous team, a dangerous pitching staff, just like Seattle, you know, when they can throw, you know, Luis Castillo at you and Robbie Ray and Logan Gilbert, you know, tough teams to beat in both teams of bands. You know, obviously Ray didn't have a great outing by any means, but the Padres, you know, they line up that rotation perfectly. Considering all the moves they made at the Tread deadline, and the fact that it took a while for them to settle into the new lineup, once they clicked, they really took off.

Yeah, they did. And, you know, Machado really led the way. But it's funny, I mean, a guy like Trent Grisham, you know, his series, he would have been the MVP of a series if they had it for division series, you know, when he hit, you know, close to 500, three, you know, two home runs, three or four ribbies, just, you know, just on fire. And, yeah, fun team to watch, you know, Juan Soto, you know, really disappeared when he got to San Diego. And he started to show, you know, a little bit more, you know, what he was in Washington during this postseason series, where, you know, the past couple months in San Diego, same with Josh Bell, you know, just, you know, weren't the same guys. Bob Nightingale is with us from the road.

He'll be on the road for about five weeks around the end of the regular season and on through this blitz of October. We're always excited to talk to him about baseball. It's after hours here on CBS Sports Radio. You were in St. Louis for the Cardinals series. And man, talk about a stunner, the way that they gave up those six runs in the ninth inning on Friday night, and then really couldn't hit on Saturday. What was it like at Busch Stadium? Yeah, I mean, the first game when they coughed up the six runs, it got so quiet there, you could actually hear the Phillies bench cheering and clapping, that sort of thing.

It was that quiet. You know, they kept, you know, starting to get excited in game two, every time Pujols came up and Yadi Molina came up, you know, they had their chances. They could just never capitalize. You're not going to win a series when you have Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. You'll go one for 15 with six strikeouts.

It's just not going to happen. Obviously, the end of two Hall of Fame careers with Albert Pujols, who had an incredible second half, and then Yadi or Molina, who had a hit in the ninth inning when they were attempting to rally. What did they say and how did the fans treat them at the end? Well, Yadi Molina's last at bat, you know, and Pujols got pulled for a pinch runner in the eighth inning. He had a nice ovation, but with Yadi getting the last hit, you know, that kind of saved the season, you know, a lot of chance of Yadi, Yadi, Yadi.

So it's pretty cool. I mean, even though, you know, I mean, Pujols obviously, you know, much better player, Pujols left. Yadi stayed. Yadi spent, you know, all 19 seasons there. So yeah, it was special. You know, neither, what's funny in the clubhouse, neither really, you know, sad or expressing tears, but some of his teammates were, but not those two guys. How would you describe the last two months with Albert Pujols and his chase for 700? Well, just phenomenal.

I mean, you know, what he did the last two months is what he did for 11 straight years, you know, with St. Louis. It kind of reminded everybody just how great he was. And I think with the Cardinal fans, all they saw, you know, was greatness. They didn't see those, those years or nine and a half years you struggled with Anaheim.

So yeah, it was, it was very cool. Just standing ovation every single time he came to play. And, you know, everybody's buying new Pujols jerseys.

There they had a closet full of the old ones, but they wanted new ones. They are a great fan base there in St. Louis. Obviously disappointed, but the Phillies have been in playoff mode for a couple of months, right?

Fighting, scratching, clawing. They've been living on the edge. They were the last team to get into the postseason field. And of course they fired their manager, Joe Girardi going back earlier in the season. How did they turn it around, Bob? Yeah, I mean, they love Rob Thompson. He'll certainly be back, but give him a, you know, two, three year contract here, you know, maybe a little bit happening in Toronto, who knows, but I think they wanted a new voice in there.

See what happens. And guys, he's funny to Thompson. They really did. Uh, you know, Cal Swarber, you know, kind of led the way.

He was the most studied guy with all the home runs. Harper was hurt for a while. Uh, you know, you got Rimmer and Nola, who kind of led the way as far as the Pidgey staff.

But yeah, just hung tough. I mean, there for a while in September, look like they might blow this thing. You know, they're playing so bad and just got, you know, got hot again at the right time. Bob Nightingale of USA Today is with us here after hours on CBS Sports Radio, spent the weekend in St. Louis. And what series are you headed to for the divisional round? So I want to see a Dodgers and Padres. So the I-5, I-5 World Series go up and down the freeway. Very, very easy to travel.

Easiest travel I've ever had since the, uh, 2000 World Series with the Yankees and Mets and Subway series. So yeah, it'd be interesting. We, uh, we'll see what happens. I mean, in the last 28 games, the Padres will play the Dodgers.

They're a, uh, you know, five and 23. So something's got to, something's got to kick at some point. You imagine the Padres are like, not again. We have to see them again. The big boys on the block would shake sand in the Padres' face. We'll see if that happens again. Dodgers finished with 111 wins, obviously for them, a franchise record, also the first national league team to hit that mark.

In a century. But is there something to be said for not playing meaningful baseball over the last, my gosh, five weeks maybe? Yeah, I'm also, you know, sitting up for five, six days, Amy, and the fact that, you know, you're not playing any games at all. I'd be very curious to see how it affects, you know, the other teams, you know, whether it's the Yankees, you know, Astros, you know, Dodgers, that sort of thing. Uh, we'll see. Uh, you know, Dodgers have a lot of question marks, you know, after, after Tershon Urias, you know, who's going to pitch game three? Who's going to close out games in the bullpen? I still think in the national league, it's not all baseball. The World Series goes through Atlanta. I just think Atlanta is that good once again.

Right. The Braves surging at the end, catching the Mets where they did not hold the lead in the national league games for only but a handful of days during the regular season. And they also get a familiar foe in the Phillies.

So that's interesting, right? Because we have two series in which they are divisional match-ups. In the American league, the Mariners, they are a team that has a flair for the dramatic with the back-to-back walk-offs to make their first postseason in 21 years. Then the way they rally against Toronto, which was just phenomenal. What makes this team tick like they do? Yeah, they sort of believe themselves as a young team and like you said, a great pitching staff. I mean, so in the business series against Houston, I think you're going to get the Astros fits.

I really do. You know, where this thing's going to go five games, but you know, in game one, you're going to have Logan Gilbert, who's been unbelievable, you know, first full season. Then you come back with Luis Castillo, who was easily the best pick at the trade deadline. You know, team's missed out by not grabbing him. The Mariners got him. And then, you know, you'll go Robbie Wright is a fitting, you know, Cy Young Award winner.

So yeah, they can, they can cause a lot of problems. I know Hasros beat them up during this season, but you know, she held in half Lucas field ball season. They had him at the trade deadline. They were a team that obviously last year got so close to the playoffs. So maybe not unexpected that they would finally punch their ticket in 22.

The guardians though, they kind of come out of nowhere. Youngest team in major league baseball. They've got the management of Terry Francona. I mean, he's been around baseball forever.

He's a lifer. The dude still gets nervous and anxious around games like this. They have to walk off in the 15th inning to be able to move on to the next round. What do you like about that ball club and the way that they've carried themselves this year? They play, you know, old school baseball. They don't hit home runs, but they don't strike out either.

Put the ball in play, play great defense. You know, you're right, Amy, with the, you know, Francona is going to be in the hall of fame one day. You know, it's fun. You know, he talks about because he lives right downtown there by the ballpark. He'll ride a scooter, you know, to and from work.

Fans are stopping and, you know, give me a pizza. So like, yeah, a great dude. So yeah, it's good for him.

And, you know, just a great character for the game and really one of the best managers we've seen in probably the last 50 years. Yeah. Of course, guiding Cleveland to a World Series appearance in 2016 after winning the AL pennant, the Yankees didn't end up allowing the rest of the East to get super close, but obviously had some angst over the course of about the six weeks or so after the All-Star break. What are their, what are the elements that might make you nervous about them actually capitalizing on what was a real strong season? You know, a little bit like the Dodgers, you know, I mean, who's going to close the games. I mean, obviously champions having a playoff roster, clay Holmes is, you know, struggled and been banged up. So yeah.

Yeah. You wonder how that's going to work, uh, rotation wise, you know, a lot of questions too, after Garrett Cole and, uh, in Cortez, you know, Nestor Cortez, you know, what happens there? So I think similar teams, I mean, it's a very good team, but it's very flawed. Uh, you know, I think, you know, if they get to the World Series, it'd be a, you know, a big upset because Houston Astros would be very favored. Bob Nightingale with us here after hours, CBS sports radio, before I let you go, we did this fun show last week in which we asked the fans the best and brightest of baseball in 2022, whether moments, whether memories, whether milestones, Bob, you've watched the whole thing, man, we put 162 games in the rear view mirror plus wildcard weekend.

So what would you say are the best and brightest of 2022? Well, I still got to go the old school though, just a home run chase. I'm going to see, uh, you know, be in Arlington, Texas and watch Aaron judge at that 62nd home run.

Just so much relief on space, the way the, uh, the teammates react, you know, jumping over the railing, you know, very cool. And then on the, uh, another side, you know, Albert Pohol sitting, you know, several home run, nobody thought that was going to happen. You know, he only had six home runs the first half, you know, looked like he might even retire.

And then he does that, uh, which, you know, monster second half. So I think the home run races, both of them really kind of made baseball, you know, fun again, you know, other guys, young guys, whether it be Rodriguez, you know, Bobby with those guys, you know, kind of, uh, electrified fans. But in the end, it was the homework, just the old school home run stuff that I think made so much news and it was so popular. You know, what I really loved is seeing how the Yankees and the Cardinals respectively were so energized by the chase of those iconic numbers, 62 and 700. It certainly seemed like just those individual pursuits really electrified their clubhouses and certainly propelled them to a bunch of wins.

Oh, absolutely. I mean, Pohol spent the world to the Cardinals, you know, what he did on the stretch, stay with judge. I mean, judge, you know, when the Yankees were struggling, he was the only guy hitting.

I mean, he carried that team. That's why I think, you know, he's a runaway winner for the MVP award. Uh, there's, you know, 30, 30 ballots. I bet he gets 25 or 26 of the 30 votes. Um, you know, you take him away, you know, they may not even make the playoffs. They totally don't win the division.

There might be a wildcard team at best. All excited now for what's to come. The division series start in all their glory, four of them on Tuesday and Bob Nightingale, our Odyssey baseball insider, as well as USA Today columnist will be in Los Angeles for the Dodgers and the Padres. It's always great to catch up with you. Thank you so much.

You can find Bob on Twitter at B Nightingale. All right. My pleasure.

Thank you so much, Amy. From outdoor shades for relaxing in the yard to blackout shades that help your newborn and your family get a good night's sleep. Blinds.com is grateful to be part of your home to say, thanks. We're inviting you to our friends and family sale with up to 45% off site-wide plus doorbusters ordering custom window treatments online. Doesn't have to mean sacrificing style or service shop, the latest styles of curtains, shades, shutters, and more. Need help making a selection? Blinds.com's design experts are always available for free consultations.

Need help with measuring or installing? We've got you covered there too. Plus there's no hidden fees or misleading quotes and no showrooms or retail markups. See for yourself why Blinds.com is the number one online retailer of custom window treatments. Shop our Blinds.com friends and family sale now through October 12th for up to 45% off everything. Plus doorbusters save up to 45% site-wide at Blinds.com Blinds.com rules and restrictions may apply from outdoor shades for relaxing in the yard to blackout shades that help your newborn and your family get a good night's sleep Blinds.com is grateful to be part of your home to say, thanks. We're inviting you to our friends and family sale with up to 45% off site-wide plus doorbusters ordering custom window treatments online.

Doesn't have to mean sacrificing style or service. Shop the latest styles of curtains, shades, shutters, and more. Need help making a selection? Blinds.com's design experts are always available for free consultations.

Need help with measuring or installing? We've got you covered there too. Plus there's no hidden fees or misleading quotes and no showrooms or retail markups. See for yourself why Blinds.com is the number one online retailer of custom window treatments. Shop our Blinds.com friends and family sale now through October 12th for up to 45% off everything plus doorbusters save up to 45% site-wide at Blinds.com Blinds.com rules and restrictions may apply.