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Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Andre Smith, 56 yards. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. You know, to get a big victory against a division rival.
I mean, this is what you dream about. Today's guests: Royals first baseman Vinny Pasquantino, former NFL head coach Sean McDermott, Academy Award-winning actor Mahershala Ali, and now Rich Eisen. To this edition of the Rich Eisen Show, live on Disney Plus, the ESPN. ESPN Radio, Sirius XM Channel eighty eight four four two zero four. Rich is the number to dial to have a conversation with us on our WeatherTech Fan Line today.
We've got three guests: Vinny Pasquantino talking about the divisional playoff round that is now set, and Atlanta coming to Los Angeles to bake in the unseasonably warm heat coming up over the weekend here in Southern California. After the Braves took care of business against the Phillies in Game Three, the only Game Three. The wild card series on Thursday night. Vinnie Pasquantino of the Royals, one of our favorites in our Guillotine League, and we're in his. And well, some of us are.
And and he's going to be joining us in the first hour of this program. Sean McDermott returns, and Marhershal Ali also returns. Years and years and years ago, he was on this program, and now he's back as an Academy Award winner. And we take full credit for that. He's in.
Our rundown for hour number three. It's a what's more likely Friday as well, and I just want to let everybody know who I'm about to introduce on this program. Just be careful in how you communicate with me because I don't want to be caught on camera mouthing you're an f and a hole.
Okay, still want to do that as the leader of this program. But then he kind of like things happen on streamers. She was just like, "Yeah, good to see you over there, Chris." Hey, I'm doing great, man. Jason Fellers in his spot, getting is ready for his three and O Raiders to take on the three and O Chiefs in Las Vegas, Nevada this weekend. Good to see you, TJ Jefferson.
How are you? I mean, sometimes if you're acting like an a hole, you need to be called out. Thank you. You know, eight four four two zero four. Rich, number to dial to have a conversation with us.
We begin the show by hopping in the Rich Eisen Show Delorean. Hey, that's a no contest. The Rich Eisen Show, DeLorean, back to the future. We go. You starts on November twenty third, nineteen eighty six.
Whoa, that was a day that the Browns welcomed in the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chuck Noll. Ah, they were four and seven. Mark Malone was their quarterback. I remember him. And even though the Steelers weren't playing very well.
The Browns needed overtime and have Bernie Kosar fling one to Webster Slaughter. Whoa, for thirty-six yards to win this game, thirty-seven, thirty-one. That's our boy Bernie, Chris. Marty Schottenheimer's Browns made it all the way to the AFC Championship game. Based on play like this, this was the last time.
The Browns beat the Steelers for a fifth straight time in Cleveland, Ohio, at home until last night. And of course, as we all know, the Browns made the AFC Championship game and gave up a long drive to John Elway. Lost in overtime with on a Rich Carlos field goal. We're going, we're going down that historical wormhole that we always like to do here on the program. Barefoot Rich Carlos, right?
And last night was the first time since that the Browns could say we've beaten the Pittsburgh Steelers for a fifth straight time at home. Those Browns, by the way, beat the Steelers two more times in in the mistake by the lake, if you will, that old stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. These Browns are a complete surprise for most. Maybe not to everyone in that locker room, but they now have a three game win streak. After getting boat-raced by the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week One, causing everyone to wonder if Deshaun Watson would even be the starter for Week Three, based on his relationship with the fans and they with him.
And so, yeah, this is a surprise. As Watson played a first half reminiscent of his heydays in Houston, and. Watson in the second half had some troubles turning it over and matriculating, so the Steelers come back and tie the game at 24-24. But that's when they put their foot in the ground and put enough plays together to set things up for one of their many young studs on this roster. Syracuse Orange.
He's kind of an old, an OG now. He's twenty eight years old. Yeah, right. Andre Schmitt. Although his his last name is spelled like something you don't want to have spelled as a kicker because it looks like submit.
You don't want him to submit it when he's kicking it right there at a point where if he submits it. The Steelers get the ball back with a few ticks left on the clock, right around midfield, and they have that what their assassin of a of a kicker, serial killer, serial killer. That's the yeah serial killer. But you have to give it up, man, because that fifty-six yarder that was the longest of his career looked like it would be good from seventy. That thing was poked through the uprights, and the Browns.
Didn't Browns? They tried. I get it. I understand. You know, Jared Verse jumps off sides on a two-point conversion, allowing Aaron Rodgers to quarterback sneak it easily to tie the game.
A lot of penalties. A lot of penalties too. A lot of penalties. I just doubled on him. But Browns are going to Browns.
No more. As a matter of fact, they're now three and zero since Mike Tomlin's Browns is the Browns on NBC. And they're two and zero since Todd Munkin said Browns are going to Browns. F that after their first win of the year in Tampa against a team quarterbacked by a former quarterback that was coming to work, having woken up dangerous to stick it to the Browns, but you have to give it up. Andrew Berry, the general manager of this team.
Over the last couple years, he has drafted some studs. And last night, Denzel Boston four catches, eighty nine yards, first big field flipper for the Browns last night. Casey Concepcion sixty four yards on five catches. Quinshon Judkins seventeen carries, fifty three yards and a touchdown. And then in the air, six catches, forty three yards.
Harold Fannin Jr. two touchdowns last week, one last night. Carson Swezinger, your reigning defensive rookie of the year, led the team in tackles with nine, three solo. Emmanuel McNeil Warren led the team with two passes defensed. All with a quarterback who's trying to redeem himself in every possible way.
Football-wise, he's well on his way. Off the field-wise, trust me, I threw out something last night about how he looked like he turned back the clock, and the responses from most fans that follow me on Threads were livid with me to talk about Deshaun Watson.
So he's got a long way to go there. Fans are cheering him. That helps football-wise. That's for sure. Yeah, winning will do that.
All being put together by a head coach that, when he was hired by the Browns, I mean everybody in Cleveland, I would say, and certainly around the football world, would like why are they hiring Todd Munkin? I don't think we're asking that anymore, are we? No, sir. Sixty-year-old Todd Munkin, in his first crack at it, is crushing it. Crushing it.
Not in the only way that we're seeing them play. And again, there's mistakes being made. But what this guy has put together for a young roster of players that are, in some cases, a third of his age, almost. You got to give it up. And he was talking about the Browns now being three and one atop the division all by themselves.
The Ravens have a winnable game against Tennessee, and Cincinnati has its hands full with Jacksonville. I mean, Cleveland has won three of its first four. Who would have thought? And on the first night of October. Looked up at no one in the standings, and Todd Munkin, formerly of the Ravens organization, talked about his journey.
First of all, you said it. We've only got three wins, right? But I've said this all along. Like, if you'd have gotten me at forty-five, you wouldn't have gotten the best version of me. And this has nothing to do with me.
First off, I'm not saying that. I'm very humble. Because I've always been around really good players and really good coaches, but the last years, you know, I think that experience has helped. You know, and feel like I still got juice. Still feel like I go to practice and get after our guys.
And but it's still only three, and there's a lot of things we can continue to get better at, and we will. Because our guys are humble and they're still hungry, and it just—it's really cool. Because it means the next one continues to matter. That's all you want to be. You just want to be in a position where the games matter, right?
That's what we want to be in. That's what our fans want to be in, and that's what we're going to fight for every day. Good for that, dude. Right? Yeah, for sure.
It's awesome.
Next up at the Jets—that matters. They're going to be favored in that game. Expected to win that one. Nothing's, you know, given and granted. And then you want to talk about the next one at home?
Ravens are coming into town. That place is going to be lit if they're four and one, taken on a Ravens team that, if they win that game, they're in first place, all by their lonesome, having held serve against the Steelers and the Ravens at home. This is serious. What's being cooked up right now? That's a fact, you know, and everybody's feeling good about themselves in Cleveland, Ohio, one hundred percent, no doubt.
Wow, what a story unfolding! As for the Steelers, I mentioned at the top how the Steelers last time they lost five straight in Cleveland was nineteen eighty six. They lost two more times in a row in Cleveland. After that, so this five-game losing streak Pittsburgh has in Cleveland is the longest they have suffered since those '80s days. And how those Browns in 1986 went on and lost to the Broncos in the AFC Championship game for the drive.
And the Steelers started this game with quite a drive. The numbers jump out at you. On the way that the Steelers started the game, seventeen plays, four eye rolls, one f bomb in seventy-eight yards, one touchdown. That was funny. Kudos to my guy team man, Mark Tittleman is the producer of Thursday Night Football.
Love him. Worked with him forever. I hope to continue work with him at the combine and the draft, but that's for another day. That's the TV business side of things. Reason why I bring it up: the way that this broadcast covered Rogers receiving the plays from Mike McCarthy in that drive was absolute cinema.
Because at one point, the microphone I imagine on the center that you'll sometimes hear turned on, so you could hear the cadence and things like that, caught Rogers being very angry. About not receiving the plays fast enough from McCarthy, and he profanely barked at the sideline. And they cut away to McCarthy, who could—I mean, you don't need to be John Boy good at reading lips. Nope.
Okay. Very obvious. Stevie Wonder read his lips, and man, it was on. And I think what did was it Al or or or Kirk Herbstreit who said it it was like an old married couple that got divorced and got back together again. I don't you know, well whatever analogy you want to use, they're definitely two guys that have been around the block with each other and without each other as well.
Sure enough, I mean that ends in a touchdown. Call on the seventeenth play of the drive, after again the f bomb this and the f and a hole that and you know and all of this, um and multiple eye rolls after that about play calls, and and then it didn't work. The flip to Roman Wilson touchdown. They took a seven nothing lead, and then the Steelers gave up twenty one unanswered, missed field goal by the serial killer. Yeah.
TJ Watt did his best, man. You saw him; he was barking. It seemed in a profane manner with the, with I don't know. He was on the phone with, I guess, the coordinator upstairs. Yeah, yeah, he had a headset on.
So, man, is this guy the king of the force fumble game changer, needing to give the Steelers life when it all looks bleak? He is the king of that, man. That's forget about everything else that he's done. That would put him in the Hall of Fame to begin with, and he's going there. He and his brother will share busts in that room as he came out with a sack and a forced and recovered fumble all in one swoop.
He's the king of the trifectas, man. Um, he's got 119 and a half career sacks. That's tied with Derek Thomas for the fifth most in the player's first ten seasons. You only trails Reggie White, Jared Allen, Demarcus Ware, and Miles Garrett. You know, three are already in the hall, and others going to go.
At any rate, the Steelers, though on defense, our guy Cam Hayward, who comes on every single Tuesday, you could see he was livid as well. Just things didn't go their way. Second half, they flipped it. They did, and then Rogers tied it. But Rogers missed a couple throws.
He got a few back and made some great throws. It just wasn't consistent enough.
Now his touchdown throw to Darnell Washington was a thing of beauty. Beautiful. It was like straight out of Lambeau Field in the McCarthy Rogers. The roll right, throw back across, but to the back shoulder where only only he only he get it. I know.
I know, so close to three and one, but they made more mistakes than Cleveland when the chips were down. And then that final drive of the game—you know, there was one moment where Judy caught the ball, and I think was Asante Samuel's Jr. celebrated like like Swaggy P thought he made a three-pointer, and yet Judy caught it, and they made the plays. Even though, even though Watson took a sack, oh my goodness gracious! It was it it was one of those things.
So Steelers fans, more stuff to hang your hat on, and other stuff to say: Are we going to be nine and eight again? Straight up, you know it's Jalen Warren is really good. Yeah, he's right. Really shine the last two. Darnell Washington is a wagon, like.
If McCarthy's going to turn him into what I think he's turning him into, which is a red zone threat, like throw it up to him, nobody can guard him. Although Rogers went to him, it was interesting multiple times in a row. He plays it a row. I did get the flag on the third one, but I was surprised. Nothing for DK.
Nothing to warn out of the backfield. He's was having a great game. He's unguardable. It feels like.
So there, and and then Fryar Muth catches the the touchdown that gives them a chance to tie it, which they did.
So the weapons are there. You know, Pittman still hasn't really come to the fore yet. No, not yet. You're just two and two. You're in the mix.
You came close against the Browns team that's feeling good about themselves. But what about the the business with McCarthy and Rogers? Right? What McCarthy had this to say after the game about it: communication sometimes is not the best choice of words, but we're everybody's competing on the field. I think.
You know, would set on the field the way I grew up in this game. You know, usually stays on the field. That's not the case today. I understand that, but yeah, any negative communication on my part, I wish I wouldn't use those words. Pardon me.
I love Mike McCarthy. You know, Rogers is just the part of his career where he's out of you know what's to give, and and he doesn't suffer any fools. And I'm not calling McCarthy a fool, but he just—that's the phrase that you use when it's just like things aren't going to your liking, and you just start barking around at people. And I think it was just a human moment for, I guess, both of them. This is why you know we're not miked up live.
Throughout every second of every game for any sport, because this is the stuff that goes down. And when we see it, it was great. It's it's alarming. It's jarring. It's funny.
Funny. It's funny because if you barked at me like that, and everybody's seeing it on national television. I I might have the same reaction, you folks. Like it's just like, where's the respect here? Where's the respect?
That's also two guys who've known each other and worked with each other a long time. I think the closest that Rogers came to answering any question about it. We have the crowd noise one. Is that the one that you have queued up there? All right, hit it.
I mean, it was loud. It was definitely a good crowd tonight. It was loud. Just some of the calls, it was hard to hear for sure.
Okay, man, I bet you that happens. On listen, we'll ask Sean McDermott when he joins us. It just happens a lot. But the question is, what about moving forward? Two and two, not the end of the world.
Some stuff to be excited about.
Some stuff to feel like nothing's changed. Also, you know. But the Browns, man. If Browns, if these, if these is the Browns, pretty cool, man. Pretty cool.
Because they are in the mix for the division and the playoffs through four games, nobody saw that as a possibility with Watson being cheered at home. Then they have the Jets next, and then the Ravens in a monster contest, monster. Before they visit Tennessee, and then have to go back to Pittsburgh to start November, and then it's on, then it's on. Then we get some seriously meaningful games, but that's what you heard Monken say. Just the games matter; they matter.
These games matter. That Week Six game—you bet it matters. Home for Baltimore, the former Browns. Oh, it's going to be on, and that's fun. It's fun.
It's very fun. Let's take a break. Vinnie Pasquantino, kind enough to join us. To talk about what he has seen in the wild card series and the divisional series, but before we take a break, our friends at Pella Windows and Doors want to remind you that when it comes to you and your home, let Pella Windows and Doors and their experts take care of you and your home because they're experts at that. At Pella, they find the products that meet your needs.
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Everybody, Vinnie Pasquintino of the Royals and Team Italy coming up next. Hiring for a small business is hard. You don't often have a team of people helping out. That's why LinkedIn built Hiring Pro. It's like having a true hiring partner, and you can chat with it just like you would a recruiter.
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Tough, Vinnie Pasquantino here on the Rich Eisen show. Our radio audience has just returned. The Kansas City Royal, Vinnie Pasquantino, is kind enough to say, "Zoom into this program throughout the baseball playoffs here and there, surfing and talk about what we've already seen." Here he is. Let's talk about that Red Sox Yankees series, Vinnie, and the way you know it played out. Starting with the Red Sox first, the The decision by you know Chad Tracy, their manager, no longer in him now, the real the real thing now, full time decides to take Sonny Gray out with seventy pitches.
I'm sitting at home going, why would he take out an eighteen game winner and arguably one of the best pitchers in both leagues right there? And after the game, you saw Wilson Contreras when asked what what he thought, and he just zipped his mouth shut. You see that. What's your interpretation of all that? Yeah, I think the players definitely feel a certain way about it, and the staff definitely feels a certain way about it too.
And that's how I mean that's how games are managed, right? And analytics is a hot topic word, and it's very general, but. At least in my view, the point of it is to get you through 162 games, not a three-game set.
So they're using the same model they would use in July or May, whatever it is, to get through a ball game. And when you get into these, I mean, essentially, turns into it's right. It's a must-win game. You lose, you go home. You're going to do what you know, and what they know is play the matchups.
And they're going to live or die by that because it's not just Chad Tracy making those decisions. There's probably I bet after games, there's a whole team of people in his office that are discussing the game, the game that just happened, the game the next day, different things like that.
So they they have a game script and. As much as it sucks for Sonny Gray in the Red Sox, they followed that script, and that's how front offices are. They're going to live and die on their sword, and there's a piece of it you respect because they they feel a certain way. But then, as a player and as somebody not involved at the front office, you you want to trust your guy that you you know you're paying 25 million dollars to you traded for last year. That's why you traded for him.
As for moments like this, and It sucks to be going home on a on a note like that. Yeah, and and I am just wondering how it rests with players, Vinny, because you you you do know, okay, the numbers, the analytics might put me in a a good position to succeed every here and there, but it also assumes you are just a, am I? I'll just say it like a cookie cutter. You know what I mean? Like that the the heart that beats.
The brain that thinks. You know that's what they want us to be, though. That that is kind of what teams want players to be is kind of fall in line, do your job, and it's kind of how they're teaching it throughout the minor leagues too.
So then when you get to the big leagues, you understand your role, what you're trying to do, and they they try to take the emotion out of it. And in a way, they're doing it to help you, of to take the pressure off. Of we're going to put you in advantage situations. I think the problem is, is like you know a lot of teams don't bunk throughout the year, and then all of a sudden these big games happen, and you're asking. Guys, to bunt, you haven't done it all year.
Yes, you can practice it all you want, but when you're doing it off of a, you know, a hard throwing lefty or a sinker ball or whatever, and and it's a big situation and it's a must have, it's just tough.
So I think a lot of teams you play for the one sixty two, and then you get to these three game sets, five game sets, seven game sets, and I think as the series get longer, things equal out a little bit more the way you want them. But especially in these short game sets, it Man, like it's just tough, and it's baseball's not really built for short game series. But that's how you determine who a champion is.
So you gotta you gotta play to the to the rules that we have. And you want to take a swing at what was possibly on Sonny Gray's neck, and whether the Yankee dugout was noticing that he kept touching the back of his neck, that certainly looked like there was some dirt or something on it, Vinny.
So I've faced Sonny for years. I don't know if it's a tick of his or whatever, but he always goes to his neck, and it could have simply been he had rousing on his hands, went to the dirt, and when he goes to his neck, the dirt gets stuck up there because he's sweating. I'm not going to speculate on what it could have been. What I do know is his spin rate was not any different than it was in the regular season.
So when you and I talked about it this morning, I went and looked it up. It was. The way he spins the ball was the same.
So, unless I'm completely wrong in that, but I'm based off of looking it up this morning, I'm not.
So, I don't think it's anything too concerned to be too concerned about. It's always a weird look, especially in these playoff games when something is something looks to be a little off. But he's one of the higher spin rate guys. He he's got multiple different pitches that spin really high, and I don't think it's too big of a cause for concern because nothing was abnormal in this game. Vinnie Pasquantino of the Royals here on the Rich Eisen show.
Let's talk a little bit more playoffs. How real are the White Sox, Vinny? What do you what do you think here? They they certainly believe they're certainly the last Chicago team or last team with the name Socks in their title left in these playoffs. How real are they?
So with what I was just talking about about being built for a long season, the White Sox, in my opinion, are built for these series because they just go to that bullpen. You look at some of the names in the bullpen, and if you're you know. Casual fan or don't really know the White Sox, you don't really think much of it. But having faced these guys, they're it's uncomfortable at bats. He knows I don't want to give him any credit, but their pitching coach Zach Bove, I think he really does a good job.
He was with us the past few years in Kansas City. He does a really nice job with game planning and and the movement profiles with the pitchers to make it tough to match up to the different planes that they have. You know, you got guys coming out of the bullpen that are just uncomfortable. Brian Hudson, Sean Newcomb, Anthony Kay, Grant Taylor, who I think is one of the best arms in the league, is at the back end of their bullpen. They don't really have a closer, but he would be the guy.
They're just uncomfortable now. I think the disadvantage for them is that they're playing a team they played all year.
So if anybody knows them, it's Cleveland. I think. I think this series is going to go five. I think it's going to be a tight series throughout. And honestly, whoever plays the little things better is going to win that series, which typically would go to Cleveland in that regard.
But I do think the White Sox are alive in the series for sure. And and in terms of the pen that you mentioned there, Vinny, about the White Sox, I mean, the Brewers versus the Padres feels to me like. If you're not leading by the fourth inning in this series, it's over. You know what I mean? Like, because it's just nuts to me how many arms, obviously in those two franchises, but just in general, guys are touching 100, and and then their off speed is like what 94, 95, or it it's or 105 to 95.
What is it like to be a hitter? Knowing that if you're not taking the lead in the first four or five, you're you're going to face two, three, four different people, specialists maybe in the pen just for folks like you, Vinnie. What is that like as a hitter to try and deal in that situation when when it's the playoffs on the line too? It's tough, and every game you're gonna you're gonna see the same guys. Like when we played the Yankees in 2024, it was Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver every single night, no matter what.
I mean, for four games that we played them, every night those guys are coming in. The Padres have the two weapons at the back end, like Morajone and Mason Miller. Like you get to the sixth inning in a playoff series when. They're going to be more willing to throw those guys multiple innings. It's just going to be insane.
I haven't seen how they match up. I'm assuming Misurak's going game one. Is he facing King? Is King starting for the Padres? We might be in the TBD zone right now still.
So, but but Misurak, I mean. The game plan again. I haven't faced them, so it's not an actual game plan that I've discussed with a team. But I would assume it's try to get them out of the game as quick as possible. The problem is, is you get them out of the game, and now you have Aaron Ashby coming into the game, who's throwing 100 mile an hour sinkers from the left side.
Like it's just this series. I I can't imagine there's going to be a whole lot of runs scored. Like it's going to be two one, three one, tight games throughout, and it's just. What those two teams have done this year, the Padres getting super hot late. Not that they weren't good the whole year, but the way that they were able to put together the the end of the year, Tatis getting going, you know, starting off a series with Tatis and Machado hitting homers in the first—that's pretty incredible.
That's what that's what those guys are there for. And yeah, I'm looking to that series to probably be the best one, just in terms of tight games, like making your heart hurt a little bit, just because the pitching is just insane over there. Yeah, you're right, Vinny Mizz. Is tomorrow for Milwaukee? No, nobody announced TBD for San Diego.
Okay, and so what do you do? Do you go to like the the tablet? You know, when somebody's coming out, like I am constantly seeing these players on the tablets as soon as they're done with an app bat or a new pitcher's coming in. Yeah, like is that what? Yeah, what's that all about?
They're not playing. They're not Minecrafting, are they? T here is no Minecraft. They're not Minecrafting. They're just looking at their swings.
That's it. That's it. You are getting the side because. We have different angles. Every stadium has the same one, so you get the broadcast view.
First base and third base hitter view, first base and third base pitcher view, and then a high home.
So you can whether it's a defensive play you want to look at, or and you don't get the broadcast view until the following inning.
So you can't look at it right away to see where pitches are, because that's that's what I use it for. Is the following inning after I hit, I'll click the A B. There's an ABS button now too, where you can see the strikes on and see where every pitch was against you. And so I like doing that. I don't really like watching a whole lot of video in the middle of the game because I'll try to change things.
And I feel like once the once the bet is made, you might as well just go out there and compete. But I I know a lot of guys like after every single at bat, they're look or they'll have the coach looking at it like. What do I need to do? I'm, you know, back heels leaving the ground, or I'm getting too far on my front side. Like you're making those constant adjustments every single inning, really, to try to get to where you want to be.
All right, so Yankees Rays, how do you see that one playing out, Vinny? It's. It's tough, like these division series. When you know teams that well, playing in the trop is going to help Tampa. Obviously, just being at home.
I know there's been a lot done on Tampa this year about how they've thrown the most same side change ups in the league this year. A lot of that has to do with they have Brian Baker at the back end, their closer, and and Nick Martinez, who they got this year from. I don't think he got traded, but from Cincinnati, that's where he was last year, and those guys just. They they can pronate with the best of them, which means they're they're really getting on top of those change ups, and it makes it really uncomfortable for hitters. I I'm assuming Judge is not playing.
I making assumptions is bad, but I would it's tough to bring a guy back even when he's the best player in the league when he hasn't seen action in a while, and you're facing these and you're playing on turf too.
So if you're asking him to go out to the outfield on that turf, that'd be really tough. You got the contact of the Rays versus the power of the Yankees, and it's going to be what? It's Cole Schlitter, Freed probably.
So you got Cole and Schlitter for four and five. Like it's going to be it's going to be a really good series. Who do you think's on top? Who do you think wins it? Oof!
I don't want to make predictions, Rich.
Some of these—I've got friends on these teams.
Okay, we can hold away. We can hold off on it.
So then, do you think? How about this? Do you think the Dodgers are happy that the Braves are their the one that they're playing, or or they're they they they wanted the Phillies? What do you think? I think they wanted, or the Braves are are are somebody that they're not concerned about.
How about that? I think I think they're concerned, but I think when you look at the top end starting pitching of the Phillies with Lizardo and Sanchez, that and and that's including Zach Wheeler too and Aaron Nola. When you don't have to see those guys, especially if you're Shohei or Freddie Freeman, and you're hitting from the left side, and you don't have to deal with now you got to deal with Sale. Like, but he's you know he's won. Like they've got Tyler, Tyler, Miley, Grant, Holmes.
They've got some really good arms in Atlanta. But I think if you're looking at the the super powerful, like day in and day out starting pitchers, you don't have to see those Philly guys. You like where you're at. And now I know they can they beat the Phillies last year, so they're not really worried about anything. their Their season has now started, the Dodgers.
So I'm sure they're just looking forward to not be doing inner squads at Dodger Stadium anymore. And actually, be playing in a real game. Did you? Did you ever hear from the Pope? You ever get a letter from the Pope saying good luck?
Did you ever get one of those, Vinnie? No, we did get honored at the United Nations, though, but we didn't hear anything from the Pope. But Team Italy got got honored at the United Nations, which is pretty cool.
So we got that. That's good.
So you were maybe because again, if he's sending letters to the White Sox saying good luck and. That means he's definitely watching some American League Central baseball, and then you just got to sit here and wonder if he was locked in to Team Italy, yeah, Publio. You know, I know they gave him a hat, like our like. The guy who runs Italy baseball, Marco Mattiari. I know they met, and he gave him a gave him a team Italy hat.
So he's he's aware. And the cool thing about him being a White Sox fan is how many Italian guys are on that team.
So, which Cooper's favorite, Sam Antonacci on the team. Listen, I just find like again. I know you and your wife are expecting, and you found a love of your life. Hopefully, she loves you as much as Cooper loves the World Baseball Classic. I've never met another.
Human being who cannot love the he loves he loves the WBC perhaps more than the commissioner. I really think so. Yeah, he might, but apparently all the players hate the WBC. That's what I keep seeing. I saw that Paul Skeens didn't Skeens say that was the the that was the bane of why he had yeah bad velocity this year.
What do you think about that? Vinnie with Skeens' velocity down. I don't know. It seemed pretty up to me when we faced him, but I had never seen him before then, so I don't know if he's got a different gear in there. But he was throwing ninety eight, so that's pretty firm to me.
All right. One last thing: the schedule. Yankees and Rays in the American League. That they're they're all they're playing Saturday, then Monday, then Wednesday and Thursday, and then Saturday. Like.
It's like an NBA playoff series. It's it's so weird, and they do it for TV, I guess.
So there is not four games on every day. We had the same same situation in New York in twenty twenty four. We went up, we beat the Orioles in the wild card. We go up there, we had like two off days. Played an eight fifteen game at night.
Had Sunday off, which ended up being kind of funny because all of us just went to like a bar in New York and watched football games because it was a Sunday off. Yeah, and then we played Monday night and then went back home, but had another off day. Like it was, you go all year where you play. You know, you'll get twenty in a row at some point, and then you get to the playoffs, and it's like, okay, you're gonna be off for two, play off, play off. Like it's just a weird.
But I get why they're doing it. It's all money related, and there's a business behind it.
So, guys, completely understand that. But yeah, it it does throw off your rhythm a little bit when that happens. But that means both pens can be treated like it's a game seven, right? On the for for games one and two, just everybody's everyone's alive because the next day's off, right? And it makes and it not in a real way, but it makes starters less important too for that.
For that aspect, because you feel more comfortable going going to your bullpen, because you get a if you get a day off in the playoffs, it's like having a week off in the regular season, where you're going to go to these guys whenever you can. Vinny, you're the man. Let's chat next week. I'll hit you up.
Sounds good. Appreciate you guys. All right, ladies and gentlemen, Vinny Pasquintino, the man who is yet to be chopped in both of the leagues. Yep, that we're in. Yep.
All right, Vinny. Then not everyone in this room can say that. Nope, not at all. Not at all. I'm still in the group chat.
Okay, Vinny. Vinny, I love the fact that you use the word pronate because I used to have to memorize that to take my Footlocker assistant manager test back in the day. Pronation and supination, rolling in and out. It's a big deal. You got to know what pitchers can do because you'll know if they can throw changeups or sliders or curveballs.
It's a big deal. See what I'm saying? Genius. That's why we. We've got Vinnie Pasquantino on right now.
All right, Vinnie, have a great weekend, pal. Enjoy. Yeah, you guys too. You got it. We're back with more of your phone calls in a moment.
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Look at you. See everything I just said is correct, right? Totally. Thank you for backing it up. I greatly appreciate it.
Okay, Todd Munkin's awesome. I can't get enough of him. It's Munkin mania, man. All right, what else do we got in the in the the Munkin hopper in the in the cash? Oh, what do we got here?
What's the first one? Oh yeah, what did he say to Schmidt before he kicked the field goal? You know, because if he missed it, there would have been big time issues. Hit it. I mean, he said he could make it, so I said, "We'll go kick it and make it." I said, "No pressure," but they're gonna have the ball about midfield with one of the best kickers in the history of the NFL.
No pressure. I am joking. I hate to say that. I was thinking that, though. I hope he makes it, Monkman.
Your guy Segura must be out of his mind. Being around this guy, without question, because he's been out of his mind when they're not doing well.
So the fact that he's got this guy and they're doing well, him and Andrew are having so much fun. Yeah, Siciliano too. The radio calls, it's great. I like to listen to them sometimes. You know, whenever I can.
Yeah. First of all, it's a treat to see too your friends doing the thing. But yes, now that they're good, doing well. Yeah, feel good. He had this to say about cleaning up some mistakes, including his own.
We still have a ways to go collectively. He does, we do, offensively, putting it all together, being able to stack plays. For the, for the most part, Browns didn't hurt Browns, but we still too many, too many alignment. You know, we turned it over twice. The one was unfortunate.
The you know of the batted ball. You know the exchange. What a great play by TJ Watt! That's dumb. By me to run a zone read at him.
Thank you. To learn your lesson over seven time, seven times playing him. You know, just dumb. It's dumb. My buddy Paul thinks he's a coaching Funkhouser.
Oh, for sure. You sound. He does sound. Yeah. You know, that's great.
That always or just after games. He's always sounds. He does sound like the the the Funk man is coaching. Coaching the Browns. The best nickname I saw online was he's Chill Parcells.
Wow, because he does sound like Bill. He's got that sort of attitude, sort of no nonsense, old school, telling you straight to your face what's up. Browns are gonna Browns. F that might be the the moment. Of the year that we'll talk about for a long time.
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