10-5-23 After Hours with Amy Lawrence PODCAST: Hour 2

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For important information, visit principle.com slash disclosures. I hate to tell you, but we do not have any. Winner take all games coming up on Thursday. I can assure you, this is not what Major League Baseball had in mind. And honestly, if this is the trend, I don't know why they wouldn't consider going back to the one wild card game to fill out the division series in the playoff bracket.

Now, I guess, practically, I can tell you why. It's not that they don't care that there are no game threes, because they don't care. Because they would love that. But they also aren't likely to give up the TV rights to a series, quote unquote, even if they were all two game series. And they're not likely to give up the gate either, meaning the ticket sales. Although in Tampa, that doesn't really amount to much. Do you think that the number of tickets they sold covers the overhead for having the stadium open and keeping the lights on and paying the security and the workers to be there? I'm speaking in jest, of course. I'm sure they, well, I shouldn't say I'm sure.

I hope they made some money. But it was quiet. And I mean quiet at the end of this game, because the Rays didn't really mount much of a challenge. But I'm not telling you that the Rays would have won this series if the stands, if Tropicana Field had been full. I'm not telling you that.

But it is at least a question to be asked. When you have the lowest playoff attendance for a series opener, well, for any game, the lowest playoff attendance for a playoff game in over a century, other than the pandemic years, of course, and when there's no energy in the building. Isn't it possible that could affect your team? Isn't it possible that can affect how your team comes out, maybe flat also with a lack of energy? Now, you could say that the Rays are used to it, and that might be the case. Kind of sad, but maybe they don't need that energy.

They did win 99 games. But it would at least, at least add an element to their playoff games if they could fill that place up, because when the drop is full, it's obnoxiously loud. Have you ever been to a gym full of little kids?

It's a different decibel level. Have you ever been to maybe a camp or, I don't know, you've been to an elementary school or something like that, whether you work in a school, you're a teacher, you're an aide, maybe you're a parent and you've been there for an event. Or gosh, maybe you just remember it when you were a kid. I've done women's college basketball games on radio and TV that were celebrated as kids' day, or these mid-afternoon games where schools were bringing out busloads of kids. And an arena that seats, oh, I don't know, 8, 9,000, something like that, jammed with screaming children. Oh, it can hurt your ears like nothing else. The pitch with little kids screaming, boys and girls, it's different. It's like a dog whistle for humans. Now, think about Tropicana Field. When that place is full, oh, it's a different kind of loud because the noise has no place to go. It's trapped. And it's obnoxious.

It's the kind that hurts your ears. And I'm disappointed for the Rays. I don't know whether or not it would have made a difference against the Rangers because they did not score.

But I wish we had seen it. I wish we had heard an atmosphere in Tampa like I know the fans can generate. They go to Bucs games. It's not like there are no sports fans in Tampa.

The Lightning have been Stanley Cup winners multiple times. We know what those arenas sound like. Again, I'm not ripping on the fans. I don't think the facility is great. I don't love it when you lose baseballs in the ceiling on the catwalk. I do not like the playing surface either. Players routinely complain about it.

But it's loud, and I mean obnoxiously loud, under a closed roof when it's full. I wish we had seen that. For the sake of the Rays. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio.

Which division series has got you all jazzed up? Jazz Hands. I don't even know where that came from. It's not like from the same exercise video. Jazz Hands. It's from a movie. Is it?

Bring It On, I believe. Oh, okay. Oh, well that would make sense. Jazz Hands.

Not a cheerleader, but I certainly can understand why that would make sense. Oh, wait. I think that's Spirit Fingers.

I lied. Spirit Fingers. Yeah, I got those mixed up. Aren't those the foam fingers?

Those too. That you stick on your hand and you got the big pointer finger pointing to the sky? We're number one. We're number one. Aren't those the Spirit Fingers?

Or are we completely off base here? No, I think those are the Spirit Fingers as well. But the Spirit Fingers are like the jazz.

Alright. Spirit Fingers! Actually, Jazz Hands sounds better. Well, they both sound corny, but Spirit Fingers!

From now on, Jay, when we need some validation, we should ask you as the listeners. Spirit Fingers! Like everybody, wave your hands in the air. We need some Spirit Fingers. We need some Spirit Fingers right now. That and some chicken fingers and we'd be all good. Sign me up.

What else do you need in life other than Spirit Fingers and Chicken Fingers? Can we get people to do that? Can we get people to send them the videos of themselves doing the Spirit Fingers? Jazz Hands just sounds better. It rolls off the tongue a little easier.

I would repost it. How did we get on that? Huh. What was I talking about? That we got on the show? The tendons set in Tampa Bay. I know, but it was something else. And now they're a lack of Spirit Fingers.

Yeah, I'm not sure how that piece of spaghetti fell off the plate that's known as my brain. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio, on Twitter After Hours, CBS, and on our Facebook page. Oh, I know! Which Division series has you most jazzed up? And then it went from that to Jazz Hands! Spirit Fingers!

You all wish that you had a camera in my studio right now because what I've looked like the last two minutes waving my hands around. Right now, Phillies and Braves are running away with it. They're a runaway train. They've got more than 55% of the vote, but we will extend the poll, of course.

Check it out on Twitter or Facebook. A lot of you already weighing in. I saw one fan, I don't know if he was a fan of Diamondbacks or Dodgers or just a fan of the NL West because there are a few of those, too. He's very upset. He's taking it personally that people are ignoring Diamondbacks and Dodgers. How dare you?

I'm looking forward to all of these series. Can't wait until Saturday. Bob is no longer in New Jersey. He has gone back to Texas now. Landed safely. Truck started, thankfully, in the parking lot at the airport because he'd had some issues with it on his way to the airport. We got a little stressed about that, but everything's fine.

It's all fine. Jazz Hands! We need some audio for Jazz Hands, Jay.

We need some kind of, we need audio to go along with Spirit Fingers and Jazz Hands. Let me see what I can do. Can you work on that? Okay. Anyway, Bob is no longer with me, but I did, he asked me what I was doing this weekend. We were talking about our plans for when we'll do our phone calls and if we're going to have a date night this weekend. And I said, well, here's my weekend. I'm going to be sitting on my rear end watching sports all weekend. It's the first time in a long time I have a weekend where I can just sit around and not do a whole lot outside the house.

I do have yard work to do, but Saturday is supposed to be a washout again. I can't believe it. So last Saturday we did a trip to the Statue of Liberty for Bob's birthday. He wanted to go to the crown. So we had a really cool afternoon. His first taste of anything touristy in New York.

He'd never been to New York before. So we did Liberty Island. We were on the ferry. We got to see really cool views of lower Manhattan.

Actually, it had been raining all morning. And then as we got to Liberty Island, we were getting off the ferry and the sun kind of breaks through. We got some really cool views from the boat as well as on the island and into the crown.

Awesome. So we enjoyed that. But yeah, it was it was such a washout for most of the week beforehand. We didn't have a chance to do anything else outdoors much.

And so the weekend before was the start of Ophelia. I was running my half marathon in a tropical storm because who doesn't want to do that? And so it's been a while since I've been able to have a weekend with not a whole lot to do because I've been training for this half marathon and good weather. So one out of two ain't bad for this weekend coming up. I will be sitting on my rear end watching baseball and college football on Saturday. And of course, Sunday NFL. There are no baseball games, by the way, either Thursday or Friday.

So Jay, what are you going to do with your open Friday night? Let's be fair, that's rare in October. The way that this has played out in the way that the the Major League Baseball schedulers, the powers that be, have set up these series. It was supposed to be three game series, right? So there would be teams traveling or finishing up on Thursday, traveling on Friday and then starting Saturday. But as it turns out, early in October, this never happens. We have back to back days with no games. That's not optimal for Major League Baseball. But seriously, that's what's happening. Back to back days with no baseball in early October.

I was not prepared for that. Yeah, I mean, I feel like I have never watched a show or like a movie or anything in forever. So maybe I'll catch up on something like that. That would be fun. A couch potato Friday night in addition to both Saturday and Sunday.

Yeah, right. Just a couch potato weekend if it's going to be raining in the New York area anyway. On Saturday, yes. It's supposed to be heavy rains again. I've got yard work to do Friday, so I can't really camp out on the couch Friday.

I've got to get some yard work done. But weird. It'll be a weird void. It's like when the NBA ends its conference championships only to start its NBA finals four weeks down the road. Remember this last postseason? It was like the first round took a month. And then we have 12 days in between conference finals.

The matchups were not that compelling. We could speed it up a little bit. Seriously, let's. Jazzins! All right, I hope you're feeling that way for Major League Baseball Division Series, even though we do have a delayed gratification situation.

So take the poll. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. Let's quick talk to Todd in Tampa because Jay answered the phone. So I feel like we need to get Todd in Tampa here to defend the Rays' attendance.

Hi, Todd. Amy, I'm not, I'm, you know, that was a classic choke job. OK, that was it. That's what that was. OK, I've been here since 76.

And that was that was the classic joke. We had we had no business losing that series. OK. And I you know, I'm just saying, no, don't. I know. I know this team. We had no business losing to the Texas Rangers when the man. I know Kevin Cash wins manager of the year with the low payroll and all that crap.

No, no. You know, if you know the team, we won ninety nine games. We we we should we should have swept them to straight. The manager puts the we had to shortstop name Osabi because we wonder was out. So we had Osabi who's played the last 30 games at shortstop since our star young kid was taken off the field.

OK, for misbehaving. So so so we have this. What do we do in the playoffs? We put somebody else that we put we take that guy out and we put Taylor Walz, who should have been playing second base because Brandon Loud heard his knee. So he should have been in second base.

Osabi should have been in shortstop and parades would have been a third. And then Josh Lowe was in right. He screwed everything up. He choked. He's like the Detroit, you know, Matt Millen with the Detroit Lions. He's going to pick this guy to pick this guy in the draft comes.

And all of a sudden at the last second, he picks the other guy who turned out to be a bus. So that was a classic choke job. OK, I've been here since seventy six. The lightning got it done. OK, we fell on the mat. We lost to Columbus and then they won two, three Stanley Cups.

Right. We get we get Brady over here when I call the Bucks and tell them to sign Tom Brady because Seamus Winston was a free agent and the Patriots were having trouble. We tasted like reached out. We signed Brady for twenty five, thirty million. We win the Super Bowl. This team right here is this cash is not a good coach at the playoffs.

He's just he chokes under pressure. And that's the bottom line. We had no business losing to Bruce Bochy and the Texas Rangers, who was twenty more games than we were. They they won seventy and we won ninety nine.

OK, there's no at home. There's no excuse. And the 308 start is a tough time because everybody in Tampa is busting their butts in this hundred degree heat to make money. And that's if it was at seven thirty, the place would have been rocking and we should have been because we had ninety nine wins. Well, I would agree with that. I would agree with that.

Let me just cut in there, Todd. I do not like that Major League Baseball set up the schedule on three consecutive days. The Rays would have been hosting mid-afternoon. Life is not fair. I don't love that.

It didn't give them an opportunity for an evening game. I would agree with that. Right. We're ninety nine wins.

So we're the top playoff seed. Well, you know, that's not how they do things, right? I know they go by.

They go by. They go by, you know, media market. I understand. I understand how that works.

Well, it's not so much media market. It's the most enticing matchups. I mean, Philadelphia has a huge fan base and they wanted those games in primetime. We earned the right to be at nighttime when ninety nine wins.

The top the playoff, the top seed should have been at night and then hosting at nighttime to give more fans a chance for winning ninety nine. But that doesn't excuse the fact that that was a classic joke job by Cash, who I've said in the before, who does not know how to win the big games. And we had no business doing that because that messed up the pitchers because they are the our team is defense first.

Forget about all that. We had the second most home runs or the most second most home runs in baseball. We are team is defense first. So the pitcher goes out there going, wait a minute.

OK, this dude over here is better than that guy and that guy over there. Now I'm now you've entered my my my mind and you and you've heard the team because that was a terrible coaching job and that was a choke job. And that and if you say that in Tampa, they get mad at you and the team doesn't need to be in St. Pete. They're they're going to St. Pete. That's not Tampa.

That's St. Pete. I got you. Yeah. Yeah. That's not that's not the same thing.

That's like Jersey and and and Manhattan. OK. I mean, it is kind of the same thing, though.

I mean, if you're if we're. Hold on, dude. I live here. Hold on.

I live here. So. So, Todd, it's the it's the same thing in the eyes of the meat. You're talking media markets. It's the same thing when it comes to media markets.

Right. Those two are grouped together in a media market. Same as New Jersey on the other side of the Hudson River, where MetLife Stadium is. It's grouped in with the New York media market. So that's why they do it. It's not so much about people thinking that those aren't two separate cities.

It's about the media market. Also, I got to take I got to get to my. Oh, J. J. J. Thank you, Todd. I appreciate it.

I appreciate hearing what you had to say. I can understand that you're frustrated and upset with the fact that the Rays didn't put a much of a fight. And you're right about that.

But a couple of things you're not right about. Let's not diss Bruce Bochy. He is a three time World Series winning manager. And with the San Francisco Giants, he maybe earned a spot in the Hall of Fame.

We shall see. But one heck of a manager, one heck of a veteran voice. And also, just to clarify, the Rangers won 90 games, not 70 games, as you said. So I understand you're frustrated and I don't think Major League Baseball did the Rays any favor at the same time. The Rangers are no slouch. They led their division for most of the year, most of the season. And only lost it at the end with a rough finish inside their own division. But that's a really good team. And they spent a ton of money trying to put that team together. Just like the Rays, who are dealing with injuries, the Rangers also dealing with injuries to their pitching staff and injuries to other positions. And so I do believe that they're a quality contender. But I wish we had seen the Rays fans and the Rays as an organization put their best foot forward because we did not get that in this series.

I will agree with you there. On Twitter, ALawRadio, coming up, we'll dive into that series. And then, also, Minnesota. Really impressive to see the role that Carlos Correa has played in helping the Twins to become a division winner. And now, on into the division series, breaking what was an extensive drought.

First time advancing in a series in 21 years on the American League side of things. I've got a crazy penny story to tell you. I'm sure you're not surprised or won't be surprised after getting to know my dog over the last 11 plus years.

But even with two humans in the house, she still outsmarts us. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. You are listening to the After Hours Podcast. That comes up. That's swung on and that's lifted high in the air to deep left field. Rosarena is back and that ball is history.

Rosarena didn't even really turn and look. He backpedaled a few feet and that one went soaring out of here. Adolis Garcia puts the Rangers in front. One to nothing in the fourth. Now two outs. Carter the batter with the runner at third. And that one is swung on and hit deep to right. Way back there. That ball is history.

The kid has done it again. Evan Carter with a laser two run homer. The Rangers lead four to nothing.

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Eric Nadel on Rangers Radio. Seven runs on 12 hits to close out the Rays. And it really wasn't much of a fight from the home team Tampa. But what a big deal for the Rangers. Their first playoff series win since 2011. Remember, they've been to the World Series. They were stopped in their tracks.

They were stopped short. They've not won that World Series title. But maybe it's different now that they have a World Series winning manager.

Even though our last caller, our friend Todd, did not want to acknowledge the history and the experience of one Bruce Bochy. I think he's a great addition to the Rangers. So they use the home run in the fourth. They get plenty of offense for the win.

Why? Because they outscored the Rays 11 to 1 in this. It sounds so dumb to call it a series. A series and a sweep. Nah, it's just two games. Instead of one game, one winner take all game, they make them do it twice.

Go out there and do it again. Just to prove that you actually can move it all. We're going to run you through two hoops, not just one. It's like a gathering really. Yeah, and in Tampa, I know, again, I know they did not do the Rays any favor by making both of these games 3 o'clock Tampa time starts.

That's rough in the middle of a week. I get it. But at the same time, we saw fans show up at Target Field in Minneapolis. And it was roughly the same time central in Minneapolis when the Twins hosted their two games against the Blue Jays. So excuses, excuses.

I do understand it. But the Rangers were playing the same situation. They also had to play in the mid-afternoon. And their pitchers were unaffected. And the pitch swung on and missed. He struck him out on a fastball. Showed him slow stuff on the first two pitches and fanned him on a fastball. That's seven strikeouts in four innings for Nate. And that is a shut down inning. LaKirk comes to the belt. He kicks.

He fires. He struck him out looking and the ballgame's over. The Rangers have swept the wildcard series and are heading to Baltimore for the division series. For the first time since 2011, the Rangers have won a postseason series. And they have streamed out of the dugout and are celebrating behind the mound.

7-1, the Rangers win it today to complete a two-game sweep. So different there in the trop than it was at some of the other. I mean, think Philadelphia. Even Milwaukee, the fans were loud.

Even though twice the Diamondbacks came back, rallied to take them out in those two games, I was impressed with the way the Brewers fans showed up. Just mentioned Target Field in Minneapolis. It's crazy to me that behind Eric Nadel, now he's in a press box and this is how it works, he's in a booth more than likely. And every booth has a connection to the sound system in the press box. So they likely have a speaker there or the speaker is right outside and it's turned up loud. So they make announcements in the press box and they want everybody to be able to hear it.

The media, the broadcasters, blah, blah, blah. You can hear the announcements in the press box that clearly. Even though the window's open.

You can tell the window is open in his booth or there in that section of the press box. It's like a tomb at the trop. For the first time since 2011, the Rangers have won a post-season series.

Yeah, it's flat, there's no energy. Granted, they just lost and they were getting steamrolled by the Rangers. But I almost feel like the Rays fans didn't put up much of a fight and because of that they didn't see much of a fight from their team.

Or maybe it's chicken and egg. Maybe, even in limited numbers, if the Rays had put up more of a fight, well then the fans would have come along too. But I'm generally in the school of thought that fans can create such an atmosphere that actually gives their teams that electricity, that adrenaline, that edge. You don't feel like you're in the fight or the battle by yourself.

Nah, you've got 19,000 of your closest friends or 25,000 of your closest friends. I mean, the Phillies have mentioned it. Every single guy that's been asked has mentioned the atmosphere there. And same thing at Target Field.

It's after hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Sports Radio. If you're a Rangers fan or you're watching the end of the regular season, you know how this played out for Bruce Bocce, for the Rangers. It was the second time in a couple months in which they had a major swoon at the wrong time. Remember they backpedaled badly in August and lost the division lead for a while. Then they took it back from the Astros only to finish up with four losses in their last six games, including three of four in Seattle. The Astros win the tiebreak. They snatch the AL West title away. They get out of the wild card round, not that it really mattered. And honestly, maybe for the Rangers, it was better that they ended up in the wild card so they could get their mojo back, so they could step on the neck of the Rays and they could kind of find that feel, that swagger. But yeah, it was a punch to the gut when they lost the division title, and they all admitted it.

They were dejected. We lost a tough win there in Seattle, but they came back here with the right attitude, got refocused, got the day off, had a chance to reset, and we couldn't have played two better games than what we did here. I couldn't be prouder of these guys right now.

It was just a little bit longer road than we expected and wanted, but hey, we're there now and we're ready to get after it. Nathan Evaldi was fantastic. Eight strikeouts into the seventh inning. He allows just one run. That was the only run the Rays managed in two games.

The only one. The offense found no signs of life against Jordan Montgomery or Nathan Evaldi. I'm glad we scored the run, because if not, we would have been talking about that a lot. So look, our bats just didn't come to life. They pitched really, really well. Pretty frustrating way to end the season, I think.

I would say that that's probably collective. But to deal with both the on-the-field and off-the-field things that we have dealt with and to come away with 99 wins and have a pretty productive season, I think is something to enjoy while we are here and then spend the next four months getting ready to hopefully expand on it when we show up back in Port Charlotte. It's the same thing for every team that has an early exit, and we heard this so many times from Tom Brady, but it's true. Every team except for one feels the dejection of the end, but some exits are more painful than others. The Braves last year, the Mets last year, both 101-game winners, real painful. This for the Rays, this is not who they were all season.

Now, I would agree that the Rangers are a force to be reckoned with. We've seen that from them. And so they ran into a buzzsaw and a team that was motivated, motivated to fix it, if you will. They were embarrassed.

They were so disappointed by how they played at the end of the year, and so they needed to figure it out, and they did. At the expense of the Rays. But this has got to be painful for Tampa, for Tampa fans who did support their team, even if they're fewer in numbers in terms of showing up.

Obviously, Tampa's got great sports fans. This hurts. Ninety-nine wins and a whimper in a two-game series that you play in your own building, but you mount almost no challenge to the visiting Rangers.

All right, coming up. The Twins make some more history, and we get a rematch of sorts. Not between two teams necessarily, but between familiar, familiar, can we call them foes now? I guess they weren't foes.

We'll just call them bros. Jay. Foes good. The faces you make at me sometimes when you're like, what are you doing? What was that? Caught me off guard with that one. I liked it though.

Wait, is it the same as I did? What did they say last night that was so goofy? I guess it was early this morning.

Early Wednesday morning, and I said something and you, yeah, your face. We'll have to remember. We'll have to revisit. I'm sure it was something to do with the NFL because I think we were chattering about the NFL. Speaking of that, we're going to get to the NFL and week five on the horizon. That's coming up next hour. Also, Drew Holliday and his first practice with the Celtics.

I don't know if you saw the post that his wife put out there on, I think it was Instagram, on social media, but it blows me away sometimes how business is done in pro sports. And then, Whenby. Whenby fever. Remember it was there. It was Vegas. It was Britney Spears.

It was everything, and then it was gone. Because that was just summer league. Kind of feels the same way about Messi. Messi was as hot as Taylor Swift going back, what should we say, two months ago? Yeah, we made that poll about a month and a half, two months ago, and it was neck and neck.

I think it was the final was 52% to 48. Taylor Swift won. Taylor Swift barely beat out Messi when we asked you who was hotter right now. And now, Messi's not playing, the Miami club is fading, likely not to make the playoffs, and the buzz is gone.

I'm sure the MLS will recreate when it comes to the playoffs, but right now it's gone. When was the last time you actually thought about Messi? Messi, Messi, Messi, Messi, Messi. I'm not going to ask you the last time you thought about Taylor Swift.

Travis Kelce wishes you wouldn't. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Here's our latest sports update.

Messi, Messi, Messi, Messi. You are listening to the After Hours Podcast. And here it comes, there's a line drive, base hit into left center field. Lewis scores, they're going to hold up Kepler as the ball gets kind of thrown in. So everybody's going to advance one, twins on the board, one nothing.

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. That noise at target field in Minneapolis made the play-by-play pretty tough on twins radio. Carlos Correa with an RBI single helping the twins break through early.

This was a series with a little less margin for error. It took not just the offense but the defense and also some strong pitching. And I do love it when you've got some veterans on the mound who are more comfortable, maybe not as flummoxed or maybe not flummoxed at all, in a situation where there's pressure. Pick up a tip to second and they got him. They got him in second base. Sonny Gray and Correa picked off Guerrero at second base. Guerrero saying no way.

Schneider the manager waiting and they're going to ask to have it looked at. The twins have run that play with Sonny Gray all year. What a pivotal moment there in the fifth inning. Runners at second and third and Sonny Gray is able to pick off Vlad to end that threat. And then very next inning you get a bases loaded situation and what happens?

Double play. So there were opportunities here for the Blue Jays. They just couldn't slam through. Maybe you could use the imagery of this crazy crowd of fans, this mob scene if you will, the noise at Target Field. They just couldn't slam through that and force their way through and come up with a big hit that would quiet down the fans. It seemed like even when they were on the cusp, the fans just provided such an intimidating atmosphere.

I was really impressed with what we saw. And so as much as we could point to an early start time for the Rays on back to back days and the fans not showing up there in Minneapolis, about the same start time, zero problem putting butts in the seats. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. A long time coming for those Twins fans. Twins 2, Blue Jays nothing, ninth inning.

The 0-2 to Verschow. Twins win! Twins win! The Minnesota Twins are moving on! The Twins win their first post-season series in more than 20 years. 2-0 shutting out the Blue Jays. The celebration is underway as the players hug and begin the celebration around the pitcher's mound.

The bullpen guys, they want in. Twins territory, wherever you are right now, you will not forget this moment. The post-season losing streak that ended yesterday. And tonight, when was the last time the Twins won a post-season series? Well, you know what?

That's history too. Like everything you imagine that it feels like. It's elation. I feed off of all the energy of all of our guys because our guys bring it every day on the field and they can celebrate too. That feeling, watching them go at it.

It's one of the best feelings in the world because we work our whole lives to get to moments like this. Just to have a chance and we took advantage of our chance. Rocco Baldelli leading these Minnesota Twins past the Blue Jays for their first series victory in 21 years. I thought the place was going to split open and melt.

We now know that's a fish song. We've had an edumacation when it comes to Rocco Baldelli and his pop culture references. Now, let's talk about Carlos Correa who got a huge contract. What was it?

$200 million something along those lines. Got a huge contract to stay with the Twins this season. Gosh, what team was it? Was it the Giants that he almost ended up with? The Giants and the Mets actually.

Okay, Giants and Mets. It was some weird kind of... Ankle. It was the ankle injury, but like weird Twilight Zone dimension. Where it kept happening that Carlos Correa was with this team. Then he was with this team and then he was available. And finally, the only candidate in the room were the Twins. And so he signs the contract with the Twins.

He stays there. But then he suffers through a bunch of injuries and the worst offensive season of his career. But the defense?

Certainly the experience of being on this stage. That's got to come into play when you think about the pick off with Sonny Gray to erase the threat in the 5th. I talked to Sonny earlier in the game and I told him there were some free outs on the bases. And he was like, what do you mean? I'm like, they're taking big leads.

And if you look at me, I'll give you a sign and key spots where you can get some outs there. It felt like the right situation to do it. 3-2 count. Baldelli was getting a huge lead. Obviously he's trying to score on a single. He's a pure hitter. Knows how to hit the ball the other way.

Knows how to find holes. Always pretty much leading the league in hits. And I felt like that was the right spot to do it.

And I gave him the sign and we executed it. Yeah, it's tough. You get arguably probably your best hitter at the plate.

Sonny's at the end of his pitch count, probably his last hitter. Yeah, it's tough. It's tough. As much as we talk about it, we've talked about it since February 14th. I think that we can all look each other in the face and say, collectively, we fell short of executing what we wanted to do.

So it's not for a lack of information or prep. In that moment, that can't happen. John Schneider talking about that moment in the fifth inning. Boy, it was pivotal. But so was that bases loaded. Well, the bases loaded situation in which they weren't able to generate.

He runs there either. I mean, both of those huge opportunities for the Blue Jays and they could not break through. And so now you've got the Twins on the road at the Astros.

And boy, that's going to be flashback for Carlos Correa. Feel great. Obviously, they got a great team and so do we. So we're going out there with the mentality that we can compete against anybody. And when I look at our roster, we're everywhere you look, we're ready. And our bullpen, our side rotation, our lineup is deep.

So I feel really good about the team we have and I feel confident going into Houston. Won a World Series with them in 2017, was part of the Astros building what they are today. It was one of those high draft picks, if I remember correctly. And remember, they had a bunch of young guys that they brought in kind of all at the same time or on consecutive years because they had been so bad. People accused them of tanking.

Okay, we'll go ahead and we'll suffer through a few years where it's really awful. That was the Astros. They get some high draft picks. Jose Altuve they bring up. Alex Bregman, right? Carlos Correa, that's their core group. Now, it's a little bit different, of course, because George Springer, he's gone now. Well, I guess there's some familiarity there between Correa and Springer. For seven years, Correa was with the Astros.

But he brings that wisdom and his experience forward with him now into Minnesota and they're changing the culture there. So congratulations to the Twins. Which series are you most jazz handed up about? Jazz hands! I haven't seen you do it yet.

Domination, domination, domination. Y'all ready for this? Oh, that's perfect for jazz hands.

I'm doing it. We've got lots of people sending us their responses about jazz hands versus... What do we call it? Spirit fingers?

That's just dumb. No spirit fingers. We're not doing spirit fingers. Spirit fingers are those big foam things where you stick up in the air and annoy people who are sitting behind you at sporting events. Man, you remember those?

Those were really popular at college and high school games. Like foam finger, right? Foam fingers, yeah. Spirit fingers.

Jazz hands. I have no idea. Sell them. They should be giving them away.

They should. That'd be a good giveaway. Alright, we're going to pivot to football and Penny coming up next.

It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence, CBS Sports Radio. We'll be right back. We'll be right back. We'll be right back.