Climbing the Standings + Vlad Jr.'s Adjustment with John Schneider

0:00I'm gonna go out and come back. God, I love Friday. So welcome back to Blair and Barker on Sportsnet 5 Night in the Band of Sports. He's Jeff. Our producer. He is Jeff. He was Jeff. It must have been something you said. Is it certain he wasn't anything I said because I haven't spoken today. No. That's not true. Jeff. Jeff. And we'll join us at 538 10 is the first pitch tonight 810. Yeah, as a J's open to three games theories against the Royals, that means we'll be on blue J's talk late. Winning edition. Yeah. I think so. There it is. I think so. I think I can take two or three from these guys. Three might be two or three.

1:01Yeah. Okay. I think so. I think so. Oh, I'm sitting right beside you. So I'm saying I'm on that train. I'm saying it. But yeah, I know you're on that train. You're on that train. Bring in John Schneider. He is the manager of the Toronto Blue J's. And he's in Kansas City. Hey, buddy. 97. Yeah. Well, I know that the team is in the right place. I think so. According to Dan Schulman, is that the temperature? Thought. Feel like, yeah, here Cleveland. Run into like a heat wave. It's a warm one. Warm one today for sure. So what do you do? How do you? I all jokes aside. I used to try and play in this. Baltimore played in it when I was in the Mexican league. I played in it like I had to actually think about how I got past it. How do you as a manager sort of work your everyday players through things like that. You know, when you're in the back of the game, so what do you do to help you out? I guess you know, you know, then you're going to come to the heat. It's kind of being smart before the game. No one that it's going to be hot. You know,

2:01like. Push things back today a little bit. You know, team that we just played that we're familiar with. And. Just be smart before the game, you know, you don't have to be out there. Taking full rounds of B P. You know, get yourself ready and go. And take care of yourself. I'll feel that's it really. You know, I think the boys are ready to go. I've not seen the lineup yet. Any surprises for us? And does that come out? No, not crazy. No, nothing out of the ordinary. George back in there, Kerkie back in there, Oak back in there. I don't know if you guys were on the train to give him some crap or not playing him yesterday. No, well, no, okay. No, no, no, no. Here's the thing. The train was in the station when we weren't on the air, well, in the text line, just Kevin and myself texting. The train was in that station, but we decided to take the other train. And then of course we came on St. John's a freaking genius. I mean, it just took a long time. Long as it worked. Well, a long as it worked, but that's part of it too, Kev.

3:01Like, you know, Kerkie wasn't going to catch you as you're a, you know, a day game after night game. And then it was just kind of using some field with Oak watching him. And, you know, it's tough to take all those guys out of the lineup, but at the same time, it's you're trying to protect them. It's, you know, really hot. It's a day game kind of what version you're going to get out of everyone and, you know, talking to the staff and talking to, you know, players is kind of like, let's get some fresh guys in there and stack his beta lefties as we could and worked out. Yeah. And of course, and, and by being his, that he has given up a lot of home runs to lefties. This really once you look into it, you kind of go, yeah, that's been a way to write. He's some of those writings that you gave days off to no like. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. You know, the cutter that he has, it's more like a slider and it's got the curveball and, you know, lefties it and better, you know what I mean. So again, it's kind of, you know, giving an opportunity to, you know, smitty and keys and, you know, hoping that one of those guys pops one. They didn't ultimately, but got the big hit from Lukey.

4:01Question before he move on, I was interested here yesterday about Anthony Santondair just wondering when we might see him up here. Like what, what has to, what does he have to do? I guess at Triple A to get up here and also tray his savage. If I don't know if he's had a chance to throw today or not, but what might the plans for Trey? Encouraging for both of them really, you know, straight through 23 pitch pen today. He was up to 92 miles an hour, said he felt great. He's going to throw another one on Monday. And then if that goes well, he'll throw probably a two up live on Thursday of next week. So that's positive news. And Tony got like five at bats today in a live VP setting. He's going to hit off, reject tomorrow, do another live session on Monday. And then if everything continues to feel good, probably get him into rehab games in the middle of next week in Triple A. And then from there, you know, he'll need some at bats for sure. You know, we're talking about kind of like a normal spring

5:04training, you know, build up a little bit, but we're trying to cram as many of these live at bats as we can now. And then he's going to have to play in some games. If he continues to feel good, start in the middle of next week. Would Trey have to play pitch in a game as well? Or is it one of those things where you could, you know, just do drills to see how he's moving? And then if he's, if everything's fine, use them, however you're going to use them in a major league game. I think probably most beneficial to do at least one game. Okay. But I think if he continues to feel good, it'll be like 30 pitches on Thursday to live hitters after another pen and then you can kind of bump him up to like 4550 and then kind of make a vision. But I think I'll need at least one game. Uh, John, I think the telecast, uh, it was yesterday. May has showed Vlad. He doing a little something different with his lower half. Maybe his, his heel on his front foot is a little higher. Maybe he's a little bit more open. I got to be honest with you. I've watched video in 2025 till I can't watch it anymore. I really don't see any difference. You know, I see him. He gets right on two breaking balls from a lefty who throws a lot

6:05of breaking balls. He stayed behind two fast balls for a righty. Like that's kind of what you're looking for from him. Is, is there something that he's done differently to his lower half? That's allowed him just to be a little bit more consistent to stay behind the baseball. The thing that we always talk about and have Vlad always talks about is, is just being on time, you know what I mean? Being on time with the tap. And then in terms of the foot thing, like, I think, you know, we've talked to him. He knows he's kind of at his best when it's almost a little bit more of a, I don't want to say leg kick, but a little bit more aggressive move kind of with that front foot. And that kind of engages the lower half to get rolling a little bit. So encouraging that he's pulling breaking balls in the air for extra bases and, you know, shooting 99 for a hit, you know, staying behind some pretty good fast balls, whether it's a hit, sack fly. Yeah, I think it's just, it kind of, kind of comes down to timing. But over the last couple of weeks, man, me and him have talked and psyched.

7:05When he's at his best and Kevin, you know, it Jeff, you know, it like he's staying middle of the field on haters and pulling spin in the air. You know what I mean? That's basically what it comes down to. So encouraging series, definitely doing some good things and hopefully you can keep it rolling. Yeah, the reality is if he is like he was in game two, oh, what? I mean, your team just looks. It just really does. Yeah, like that, like you take advantage of a mistake, you know, you get an error with two outs and you, you know, you clip it through on Homer, I mean, it just, it totally flips the trajectory of a game when you get that from him. So, yeah, that's, that would make things a lot easier. Absolutely. sticking with the theme of the lower half of Sal Bateman and also our telecast showed Bateman moving around. I think it was all piece off speed pitches. You know, there's moving around. Then there's that moving around. Have you ever seen him do that before? Are you okay with him doing that? And when he does it, why does he do it? That's kind of free and one.

8:06Yeah, first, first time I saw, I've seen him do it since he's been here. You know, this, this dude's smart. You know, we face in the guy with the really good change of, I believe it was Yohau. So it was, it was a little bit of a cat and mouse game, you know, you're watching him do that. You're watching hedges kind of move accordingly and probably call pitches accordingly. I think the face city guy was on a fastball. I might be wrong, but he's trying to just kind of take away the guy's best pitch. Not many guys do that, but I think that he's, he's got to feel for what he's trying to do, you know, to mean and it's, it's, it's nice for a young guy to not be able, you know, not afraid to take some chances and not, not afraid to do some stuff or sit on some pitches. So I think that's why he does it to try to get, you know, take away the guy's best pitch and to have the change of not be as low in the zone to where he can't hit it. So kind of a, you know, first time for everything with this dude, he's, he's, he's pretty he's a player.

9:07Yeah. John, have you guys been able to figure out yet sort of the, the, the checkpoints with Jose Soriano, the days where, you know, he might give you six or seven, the days where he might give you four and a third or four and two thirds. Have you guys been able to figure out those checkpoints yet? It's, yeah, it's just, I mean, the stuff was great, you know, in a vacuum life on the, on the fastball, I think it was just putting away hitters, like a putting away hitters, you know, it's usually, we talk about ending it bats, you know, with his stuff, try to end it at bat with a ground ball or end it at bat with two strikes and not let it get to two, two, Cleveland makes it out of contact. We kind of know that going in and he pitched out a trouble on the first pitch, try to trouble on the second. And I think it was kind of one of those days, just didn't, just didn't really put, there was a lot of close pitches to it, didn't, didn't quite put guys away or end the bat when he came. So that's really the only difference, you know, I think that he's going to be just fine. Yeah, I think it was a combination of a little bit of execution and a really stubborn lineup.

10:08I expectations round tie on tonight are a what and early on, what will you be looking for as the manager, having that little mini conversation with PD back and forth, just what you guys are seeing and what you want to see. Yeah. I mean, for a guy like it's location, you know what I mean, it's, it's, he knows he's not going to wow you with stuff for V low, there's some deception and there's some extension and things like that on the fast ball, but it's, it's locating, you know, to be in and getting some quick outs. You know, I think that, you know, pitch kind of wise, you know, we'll, we'll see how he feels as he goes, but try to build off of what he did last time and he's throwing a couple of times off the mountain since, but it's locating, you know, it's, it's pitching a weak contact. It's kind of limiting hard content, you know, limiting hard contact. There's some guys with some, some lefties with some thumb over here. And, you know, just pitch his game, you know, I mean, I think he was kind of starting to trend that way before he went down kind of understanding how to use his stuff a little bit. And for me, I'll be, I'll be looking for where he's, where he's locating everything. You know, we had Rex Hadler on a couple of minutes ago and he was talking about Daniel Lynch

11:13starting tonight and talking about how he's been over the plate and awful lot. He's had trouble putting hitters away. And, and you know, essentially as he was talking, I think Kevin and I both looked at each other and thought, given the way you guys have been driving up pitch counts lately, this is, you know, this, this could be a pretty good, pretty good matchup for you guys. And I'm wondering, when we talk about driving up pitch counts, how do you find a balance? Like, when you set up the lineup, do you try to find a balance between dudes who are going to, you know, foul off a ton of pitches and guys who are just going to go up and take their best shot? Yeah, I try to diversify it, if you will, based on guys track record, but then it's like, it's having the intent to do it. It's like, I want some guys that throw some haymakers and I want some guys that throw some jabs. You know, so it's, I think if you're doing that up and down and everyone's kind of doing their part, that's where the pitch count can get elevated quickly, you know? So it's, again, it's kind of just asking guys to do what they're good at.

12:13But you try to separate it to where you're not really like a one trick pony, you know, what I mean, where you're just waiting for a two run, three run homer or something like that, you can, you can work a walk, get on base, move a guy, you know, drive a guy in, similar to what they came in Cleveland against Cantio, you know what I mean? It was kind of, you know, take your walks, throw a couple of jabs, you get a big hit and then you can get a pitch count up and you can get the score in your favor too. So that'll be key. I think that the guys are doing a good job with that kind of understanding, you know, tapins on a great job at the top kind of setting the tone a little bit and working some, working some at bat. See, even, you know, like Valley and Smitty yesterday, like just working at bat, swaps are going to be okay, you know what I mean? And then hopefully someone gets a big hit like Nate did yesterday. But you try to separate those guys as much as you can. Yeah, but speaking of the big hits, Ernie got a big hit too. Yes, sir. What have you been seeing from him in August with just the grind of trying to get through an offensive year? Yeah, sorry if you hear that. I've heard next to the training room, I got a whirlpool buzzing.

13:15I don't know if that's loud right now, but Ern's been, you know, he's been battling injuries. He's been, you know, playing through stuff, whether it's quad or, hey, whatever. He's battling and I think that, you know, yesterday was a big knock for him. You know, he's never going to doubt himself, but it's been a long year for him. He's played a lot, you know, he played a lot last year. He's playing a lot this year. And I think it's just, when you're at this point, you got to kind of take a step back and almost less is more, you know what I mean, not try to swing your way out of it. You know, just try to really look for a good pitch and, hey, whatever you got that night, man, try to put your best swing on it. So he's battling through that because he is so aggressive. And sometimes you got to take a little bit of a step back and just get a good pitch to hit. You know, I obviously, you guys, you've got a lot in your plate right now, trying to get that, trying to nail this wild card spot down. But when you see what the dodgers are going through this year and you're seeing how, you know, Shohei O'Tani, he's just, I mean, they're at the point now where they're basically,

14:19Dave's just saying, I'm just going to give him some time off. He just needs some time off. Sometimes I think we kind of overlook the fact that these guys are humans, right? And I'm wondering, John, and again, I know you haven't had time necessarily to reflect in this. But as this season has gone on, have you sort of tried to take note a little more of just how your guys, the guys were with you last year are handling the quick turnaround, you know, and going into the regular season. Yeah, tried to try to stay ahead of the best we could in the off season. It's hard, you know, it's just, it's different. It's first time for a lot of guys and it's hard to navigate that. And I think that you can put some of that on a slow start and injuries or injuries, but I think you can put a little bit of that into the beginning part of the season. So we tried to manage that as best we could. And then when injuries happen, you're kind of forced to play guys a bit more than you want,

15:19you know, forced to play. Oh, a little bit more than we wanted to early with Barger going down and, you know, kind of just was a domino effect from there. So tried to make up for it a little bit in the middle of the season. And right now you have to still be aware of it, but still really try to ride the guys that are out there every day as much as you can. So it's tough, but I think it's, it's, it's something that we all kind of went through early in the, early in the year where physically and mentally, you know, it's just the season that was last year just takes more out of you, whether you're aware of it or not. It just takes more out of you. Yeah, from where you guys started about two months ago to where you guys are at now record wise and just you guys got a chance. I mean, I, we wouldn't have said that two months ago, which is just a feather. And your guys kept everything you're doing on every day basis and, and your players going out there and doing every, whatever you ask is, is Max predictable now? I ask you this a lot about certain guys, certain older guys. Just if John, do you think now that you feel and pity feels that if he needs to go to something, he can go to it no matter what it is that he needs to go to?

16:27Yeah, I mean, you look, I mean, last outing was great. And obviously, but we're talking about like five or six in a row where it's been pretty reliable, pretty, pretty standard procedure, even on, you know, he had an outing where he walked a bunch. But I think it was five innings and two runs. So I think, yeah, I think that he's kind of at the point. He's basically at the middle of end of May of a starting pitcher schedule because of the time that he's missed. So when he's physically right, he said it a million times when he feels physically right, he still can go reach back and get 95 96 and execute with his breaking stuff. So yeah, I mean, it's been, it's been a while, you know, last year, yeah, there was a stretch where he was pretty consistent. But I think it's been a while to where he's had regular work in between and, you know, comes in feeling normal, feeling like the pitcher that, you know, maybe not that he was, but the pitcher that he can be. So you feel good with him on the mound, you really do, you know, or earlier in the year, it was kind of, or even when he came back off the IL, you know, you're not sure where you're going to cap the outing and how many pitches is going to be and things like that.

17:32But he's been pretty damn resilient for for an old man for 42 year old, you know, and, and hold this stuff. So it's pretty good feeling having him out there. Yeah, he's must watch now. How's Vance Well, I handled the lack of playing time when he does get in the game, the ABS thing, the, just all everything that goes in to be in a backup catcher. How's he handled that? He's done, he's done a good job. And then Drew Bucharest done really good work with him kind of in between to keep him ready. So it's, it's different. Obviously, you know, I mean, he plays every day in the minors. He was playing a lot, you know, with Kirk, he'd be in a outing. He's adjusted his work in between and it's tough to get into rhythm offensively. Like I get it, you know, we all get it to where, you know, it's your play and your off for two, your playing might be a tough matchup, whatever it may be. Just the flow of the game kind of starts over every time he's in there. So it's he's handled it well, you know, yesterday, you know, a couple of punch ups, but a couple of walks kind of got the game turned around with the challenge offensively, working a walk and kind of getting the in and going.

18:34So he's been good for a young guy. You kind of, you kind of forget how young he is. He's still, he's still going to experience things for the first time, but he's been working the right way. Drew has been taking care of him and I think he's doing a good job. John, we appreciate your time as always. Try to stay cool and go get him. Yeah, good luck, buddy. Yeah, I'll be, yeah, I'll be in the shade as much as I can or you're not top step in it today. All top step fit, but hopefully the fan pointed out me or something, but they man players doing the hard part. You know, we're just kind of standing there sweating. They're out there. They're out there grinding. So the boys are ready to go. Yeah, we can't wait to watch him. Take care, John. Yeah, see you, buddy. Good luck. Yeah. Appreciate it. And always. John Schneider manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. And yeah, it's. I was going to say that for my days covering baseball, the hottest city was was St. Louis in the. Pretty hot in the summer. Yeah, and that was one of the reasons I can remember guys saying.

19:36Bush Stadium was, I mean, it was a bowl, right? But they're also used to used to be sweets or, yes, sweets in the in left and right field. And they had glass in front. So guys would always the sun would be, especially if you're playing a day game, the sun would be deflecting off the glass. And that's where guys were putting, we're putting cabbage. Yeah. And, you know, in their hats and because it was just it was so hot. Yeah, yeah. And the turf, I mean, that, and that you know, I don't know, that artificial turf back in those days was just, it was like a carpet. And it was so hot. Yeah, I know I used to wear turps in the, in the field when I, when I was on the defensive side, I'd go and change my shoes when I was playing or when I was on the offensive side. When I went to hit whether I wanted to wear plastic spikes, where I wanted to wear metal spikes, depending on how it was played in Baltimore bunch. Yeah, I played in the summer league there when I was 15, man, it's just different. It's different kind of heat that you're, you just, I don't, there is no way to get used to it.

20:37Like, yeah, even if you play there every day, if you're, if you're the home team, I just don't think there's any way to, to prepare yourself for the heat, how much you sweat, how much you have to change batting gloves. Even the glove that you use in the field, how much it sweats through your hand, the sweat rolling down your arm. Yeah, it's problems we're talking about here, but it, you know, it is something that there, you know, I was carrying a rag in my back pocket, just to wipe my arm off to keep my glove from sweating because you didn't want to, you know, balls to bounce out of your glove, because I was the first baseman. I was catching a lot of those balls. I didn't want them bouncing out because it gets a little harder when the, the wetter it gets. So it's just things you have to think about that you normally don't have to think about like tie on and I use the little older guy, which will probably help the velocity a little bit, but it's just the sweat factor, how you handle that? How much you're changing your jersey or, you know, you're, you're a shirt under your jersey. Like there's all kind of how Kirk, he's going to handle that catching. I know it's eight, 10 start, but it's still going to be toast. Yeah, it'll be interesting. See all these guys handle that and, you know, you're, you're, you're swanched.

21:41There'd be quicker though. So it sounds very much as if we are going to see both Mr. Yassavitch and Mr. Santondaren, you know, knock on wood. Maybe not at the start of the next home stand. Maybe towards the tail end. I didn't seem to be like he was in too much of a hurry to, to, to, to commit to Santander. Why? Yeah, you have to see him in, I mean, yeah, you didn't see him in game. Yeah, Yassavitch, I kind of got the sense that they're, if he's healthy and he can walk around and he can finish. Yeah, a pitch sounds to me like he's going to be a part of whatever they want him to be a part of. Now, the good thing about Santondaren too is you, you know, you're not, you don't necessarily need him to start. I mean, if he can, if you can get him ready, that he can help you down the stretch. He can be a guy off the bench or something like that. You don't, you don't need to, it's not like he has to go out there and be a everyday first baseman or, you're everyday D. A. Yeah, I'd be intrigued to know too. And I haven't asked him, I will ask you if they want him to only concentrate on one side of the plate.

22:42That's offensively right. Right. I mean, if you call him up and you don't want him to have to worry about both sides, you know, he's not great at both sides. It'd be fair. He's got power from both sides, but if you wanted him and each said to him, we're only going to use him, or only go to use you against right handed pitching. Now that means you don't have to swing right handed. It's that kind of thing, right? So you'd have to, or you could kind of just hone in on very specific things that you'd like him to go up and concentrate on. That's interesting. Maybe that he could come and pinch yet against. I don't know. I'm just spitballing this and because I haven't asked. And, and you know, the other thing, the fact that he is a switch hitter. I mean, you could, you know, you know, you know, John, you get into a playoff game where you start playing, playing games to the other manager. You know, you get your switch hitter up in the on deck circle. It could have an impact on which end of it. Okay. I asked the Vladie question. You took anything away from that sound like he's made mechanical changes. I did them. It didn't, it's, it just, no, didn't them. Either. No, I didn't. I mean, again, it gets back to that thing.

23:44You know, when he has success, everybody wants to know why he did it. Man, look at that. It's the hills off the ground higher or the he's a little bit more open like he was to begin the season or all those things. Yeah. Watch it. I mean, the fact that he had success against that type of pitching would end to that may have played. I mean, I want to do so as a pitch 60% of the time. I mean, I'm not a brand surgeon, but I could probably go up there and look for that pitch. I'm not saying I'm, I'm downplaying that because the Homer's a Homer and a hard hit balls a hard hit ball. Hopefully, right? Well, that just means after hearing John, people are going to have to go back and do more digging. And that's good. Y'all can go ahead and do it because I'm sure it's hell not going to. We've been giving you the chance to win. What? I've done it for you. Yeah, that's why you're here. Yeah. We've been giving you the chance to win Blue Jays tickets all season long here in Blaringbroker. I wouldn't even know what to look for. That's not hard. All you have to do is text the correct answer to our daily baseball trivia question to 59590. Standard message and data rates may apply. I mean, I know my limitation. You do, right? Stay in your lines.

24:44Our last question to answer was he made his MLB debut and played the majority of his career with the Tigers. He's a three time world series champion and even won in consecutive years with two different teams. Never want to saw a young award in his career, but finished in top five and voting five separate times. Name him the answers, Jack Morris. I keep forgetting that he never want to saw a young award and still feel it. Very easy stuff. Anyhow, today's question is to win Texas. See the Jays and Tigers on September 15th at the Roger Center. He pitched for nine different major league teams, including the Jays, whom he joined or who he joined in a mid-season trade. He made his final postseason appearance in 2016. And while he never won a championship in his lengthy career, he did participate in the world series as a as a member of the Tigers name him. Yeah, you budget that. Can you read that over? Yes, I will. He pitched for nine different major league teams, including the Jays, who he joined in a mid-season trade. He made his final postseason appearance in 2016. And while he never won a championship in his lengthy career, he did participate in the world series as a member of the Tigers name him.

25:47That better. One for two, okay. Text, text, he answered a 595 90 for your shot. The Wednesday rules at SportsNet.ca slash 590. And as we always like to tell you, standard message and data rates may apply. I never get to. What if they ever don't apply? What? Talking about standing in your lanes. Don't know. I mean, if you say standard message and data rates may apply, theoretically, that would mean they may not apply. Right? Only you. Anyhow, doesn't really make anything that all we are against it. No, we're not. Oh, anything. John, anything. John said that you were like, Oh, not really. No. Like this, not like him talking about the rotation, give you any more comfort. I didn't talk about the guys just pitching a game three, but the first two guys that we were having a conversation back, give you any more confidence that they feel okay that they're going to be in the chance.

26:48I think they feel okay. I think they feel okay with Max. And I think that the story, John, John told, and I think it was Dan about Max coming into the office. And I can't remember which game it was. It was not a particularly good game. Walking into John's office and basically saying, don't give up on me. I got this. And my understanding is from that point on, he got it. So I will. You didn't have a choice because it was nobody else. No, but still. Hey, at least you did it. Yeah. I mean, they're all gamers right now. They're all doing their thing. And I meant that about two months ago, there's no way we were, you know, we were more talking about what they were going to do in the off season, how they were going to maneuver around the lockout. And, you know, then we were now we're having a conversation at their right there. And I also, you really get the sense that I'm not going to turn Brett Bateman into Brett Butler or anything like that. But you really do get the sense that he has.

27:49He's given that team a job. He just has. He's given that team a boost of energy. He's given them a job. There's always on base. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Jeff pass in his ESPN's MLB insider. He is host of sources tell Jeff pass and he'll join us next. It's Boyer and Barker on sports and at 590 to fan and sports. Hey, it's Aelage for a far and I'm Justin Cusbert. Join us as we discuss the most important sports stories of the day and tee up the biggest games of the night. It's the fan pregame 6 p.m. weekdays on sports that sports at 590 to fan and wherever you get your podcasts. All right. Welcome back to a Lairn Barker on sports and at 590 to fan and sports. I shouldn't make it sound that little too dramatic. Came back. Yeah, your family. I'm a man. Am I asked as big right? The long weekend coming up. Is it not for us? Oh, well, you got all that.

28:50She's a central stuff. You're going to be in this show. Boy, at least they could have done is given us. Give me this show off. And then they said that big fella has a little tough time. What did they say? The big fella. Yeah, because I've never done two hours of radio by myself. They said that they told me that the answer you give me. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I've done two hours of radio. I've done plenty of time two hours of radio with the where I wish I'd done it by myself. That's fair. Yeah. Oh, you're saying that right now? No, right now is rude. Right now is different. Right now is different. 810 is the first pitch tonight though from Kansas City. Yeah. And we'll be doing Blue Jays talk following the game. Yeah. And you can see Mr. Barker's. Well, see me. Well, see, we'll see you on Blue Jays Central Saturday Sunday. Monday, Tuesday. Wednesday.

29:50I mean, all you have to know is that game starts at 10 o'clock. Old Cavalze on Blue Jays. That's funny. That's funny. I'm burning your steak too. Yeah. I'm Jays of Burnett. I never burn steak. Oh, if you do. Never. The Jays, by the way, have me stop it. That's not nice. The Jays have made a roster move to get James and Ty on on the roster for tonight's game. They've sent Ricky Tiedemann down to AAA. Oh, so there you go. Ricky Tiedemann riding the AAA expressed. Mm-hmm. It's bringing Jeff pass and MLB insider with the SPN and host of sources tell Jeff pass. And how you doing, Jeff? Hey, buddy. Yeah, so many how are you? We're doing well. We're doing. Yeah, I mean, woke up this morning and I'm told the Jays have a 33.2% chance to make in the wild. Wow. I was just going to say, um, I think they're going to make the playoffs, guys. Oh, yeah, I we've kind of, I mean, we've been trying to pump the brakes a little bit on it, but it just.

30:57It kind of feels that way. I it just it kind of it kind of feels that way. Now they do have six against Baltimore. So that would concern me, you know, the whole tie break or scenario, but yeah, taken two of three from Cleveland and looking the way they looked that to me was a bit of a bit of a litmus test. And of course, now they're going to can't sit in loose three straight, but I mean, that that would just be the most American league thing to happen to, right? Oh, it would. Every every time somebody looks like they're taking over that third wild card spot, they inevitably go into a slump and someone else just comes right up and grabs it. And I feel like at the end of the day, that's going to be what this is. I don't think this thing's going to be determined until like last week of the season. They're just the teams just aren't good enough. I don't think anyone is good enough at this point to run away with it. Yeah, no, you know, Kevin and I talked about this. I mean, I think the the J's biggest hope is that

32:00going into that Cincinnati series, the final series that you'd like to be able to not need to use both Dylan Sees and Jose Soriano to get into the playoffs. I mean, that would be essentially pointless. I mean, you I think that's their kind of their biggest hope right now is that at least you can say you can hold one of those guys back. You don't I think Sees I think Sees pitches the day before the final series starts the Wednesday before it starts. So yeah, you'd you'd want to, you know, you'd want to at least you know what they should be concerned with right now. Though get getting in. Yeah, that's true. If it takes Jose Soriano and Dylan Sees to do that, I get your point that the the easiest path to advancing is with your two best pitchers, especially. You want Sees to be pitching at some point in that series, but I don't know man, big beggars can't be choosers in the situation.

33:02This season has sunk and to have a season that stinks wind up with a postseason birth. I know it's not, you know, if they bomb out in the first round, it's certainly not going to be like 2025 by any means. But I think that in and of itself would be an enormous victory just going that they had the. Fortitude to shake off poor seasons from their best players and injuries and all the stuff that they've gone through and. Still make it and give themselves an opportunity. Jeff, go ahead. I was going to ask you why does nobody pick Texas to win the third wall, Kurtz. I don't know anybody. I'll turn this back on you. Why would you pick Texas? I mean, I you could probably say that about the other teams that are fighting. Right there, just like the Orioles and the. I guess you could probably eliminate the Twinkies, but you got the Orioles, the J's, the Rangers, the guardians like. Yeah. Many of them.

34:03I mean, just. Yeah. And any of them could do it. And any of them could lose them and row. That's fair. That's that's that's what these teams are. And so if somebody if somebody said, I think Texas is going to win the third wild third in the American league, I'd be like, no, that that sounds reasonable enough to me. I'm not counting them out this point guys. I almost feel like it's less about talent and more about what the numbers are telling us. And by numbers, I mean the standings like if you know, I look at a team like Seattle, I always go back to Seattle. I feel like Seattle among all of these teams that are ostensibly in the mix. Seattle's the most talented of them. And yet it feels like they're deficit at this point just too much when you consider how many teams they would have to leave over. And how bad all of those teams would have to be. You know, you mentioned Seattle and let me ask you this question because they have had.

35:04You know, there've been a lot of focus in Cal Rally's year, obviously. But you know what, I'm looking at Holy O'Ride regas. And I wonder if maybe we don't need to rethink what we think about Holy O'Ride regas. Like, you know, from from from my point of view, well, I'll ask you this. From your point of view, never mind my point of view. Are you more confident in 2027, Cal Rally being having a bounce back year than 2027, Holy O'Ride regas? I look at Holy O'Ride regas and I just, I mean, man, there just seem to be a lot of empty Cal Rally's there, Jeff. They're really do. It's really interesting when you look at wins above replacement because in the first four years of his big league career, Holy O'Ride regas, according to baseball reference, had the 22nd most wins above replacement for any player in his position player in his first four years in history. I mean, that's the it's pretty good, man. Like it was consistent, too.

36:05It was, you know, five, six in that range. Like he had proven himself to be an extremely capable all-star caliber center fielder. But I think when Holy O'Ride came up and I think the way a lot of people still look at him was that the ceiling was going to be higher than this, that there were going to be MVP type seasons mixed in there. And that's just what we haven't seen to this point. And this year, you know, he's on track for like a three-win season. And so I'm not going to, I'm not going to recalibrate my expectations of Holy O'Ride regas yet because he's going to be 26 next year. I mean, he's still a baby. He's still in those prime years. But do I have quite the career that I would have even a year or two ago for him? No, probably not at this point. I really do wonder what it's going to take to get that superstar type season, you know, that eight, nine-win year.

37:05I'm not saying like, who he needs to go full TCA or anything. But I think there's a lot more there in the tank. Who was the A L. S. I young? Right now, I have Cam Schlippler. And the only reason I have Schlippler is because he's thrown 15 more innings. And I understand that he's had more starts than Dylan Seats. You could look at innings per start and Seats is better than Schlippler there. But all of their numbers are almost identical at this point. Like I get it. Seats has struck out more. Seats is better. It's just that when you have two guys who are as close as they are to me, innings is a differentiator or should be. But I wrote this on thread a couple days ago. It's like, can I see Dylan Seats winning the CY Young? Absolutely. I think you could argue that Dylan Seats might be the favorite for the CY Young at this point based on the way that he's pitched recently.

38:07But it's going to be a great race. And I think it might be one of those that comes down to the last start. And I'll say this pretty strongly. If either of them has a bad start, I think that could be the one thing that separates two of them. Okay. Do you think if Cam had one bad start, the innings that he has that he'd thrown more than Dylan would make up for one bad start? No. That's how close I think it is. Okay. Good. Because if he has one bad start and goes, you know, two innings and Seats goes eight suddenly that gap is down to single digits. And, you know, I look at Schlittler's the RA right now. And it's what isn't about a quarter point better than Seats. Yeah. Yeah. Somewhere in there. And the combination of those two things has been the main selling point for me. But if you want to say, hey, Seats has done the things that pitchers have out of their hands, whether it's striking, you know, out of the defense his hands, whether it's striking guys out walking guys allowing home runs the three categories that contribute to the open independent pitching.

39:18I would not, if somebody says to me, guys, I think Dylan, you should win the American League. I'm not going to say, oh, no, it's Schlitt. It's not. No, I'll say, no, totally reasonable take. So I'm wondering with Shohei O'Connor, he's current situation, Jeff, are we at the point where at some point a call is going to have to be made on whether or not he is a hitter or a pitcher. And the two way stuff is just going to have to be put to the side. And I may be I'm over reacting to what's happened this year. You know, I know the sad Thursday after that, over four, four strikeout performance does have a biceps issues got a neck issue. Yeah, but I didn't look. It's wonderful what he's done and he's been spectacular. But do you think at some point somebody's going to have somebody's going to have to make a call here. He's going to have to make a call. That you just you just said the operative thing right there, Jeff, when in Shohei O'Connor use major league career as the team ever made a call on anything really.

40:23That's correct. I mean fair point. Like like he's the one who has dictated the terms of his career of his training. He'll listen. He'll take input. But at the end of the day, he's the one who says what goes and because he's the best player in the world. That's that's a, you know, that's something that's afforded him. So I think the only person who's going to get to dictate whether Shohei O'Connor pitches or doesn't is Shohei O'Connor himself. Would you. Would you be disappointed if he decides to hit and forget about pitching. I would. Okay. I. I just think he still can. And I understand it puts on due stress on his body and maybe at the end of the day, it just makes more sense to have him be a hitter because not only is it the one thing he can focus on, but you're not going to have external things in next and, you know,

41:24you know, you're not going to have to be affected. His ability at the plate like it would on the mound, but I want, I want Shohei O'Connor to be a two way player forever because it's the coolest thing. And I just, I just enjoy the idea of the guy throwing six scoreless and hitting two bombs in the same game. This is, this is unlike anything we've seen. And I believe it's unlike anything we're going to see. And on account of that, I would like to keep seeing it. I think this is why nobody does it. I don't think it's because, you know, some people can't do it. I just think some people don't want to go through what he's going through right now. I think that is the big issue. It's just too hard on your body to find routine. That's how we talk about Jeff with with John is routines of all these different guys. How do they get on the right track with the right routine? I mean, it's got two different ones. I mean, it's just, it's crazy stuff. What he's done. Okay, let me ask you because of what the Dodgers have gone through because of what their record is because basically for me anyway, the everyday guy, some of them look old.

42:27Yeah. Who in the National League other than the cup is. Do you think could get the Dodgers? I'm talking about just slip up on them, get them, beat them and eliminate the Dodgers early because somebody is the way it looks right now. They're going to have to play in that early wildcard thing because of their record. Who do you think can get them in that? It's very interesting Kevin that you went to the team that I believe is like eight games behind another in the standings. You think the cups are better than the Brewers? I think they have a superstar and I don't and I think that time of the year you need superstars. I think PCA is a superstar. I think the blu the Brewers have never been more equipped than this year. I think I think they're the most complete team they've been in a while. We had police sack on the other day and he's a die hard brewer. He knows more about the Brewers than anybody. He's saying the same thing. They've ever been more equipped than this year. I just it's like the race. How can I believe in the race or the Brewers until I actually see it play out? What's the thing?

43:31I think that's actually very fair until they've done it until they show the ability to climb and conquer that mountain. We're more or less conditioned. But are we self conditioned or are we conditioned by a past that's indicating that they can't do something because they haven't done it. That's the thing that that's the unknowable to me just because they haven't doesn't mean they can't but it makes us think that they won't. And that's what I struggle with when trying to figure out or you know to the raise and do the Brewers have to do I think they do. And I think it's going to be very interesting if the raise end up facing the Yankees, for example, or the Red Sox or whoever it may be. And if the Brewers even even beyond the Cubs, you know, the Brewers face the Braves or the Phillies. I think that the five I think you can make a very good argument that the five best teams in baseball are in the National League. Yeah, no question. No question. Jeff, we appreciate your time as always my friend. Be well.

44:35Way to go, buddy. Have a good weekend. Enjoy the heat. You guys do the same. Yeah, do the heat. Yeah, thanks. I did. Disgusting. Take care, Jeff. See you. Bye. See Jeff passing the ZSBN's MLB inside a resource of sources tell Jeff passing by the way the Tigers and the Guardians are tied at six in the top of the night. Thennings. So there you go. You got a day night double header, possibly extra innings. That's that you can push Stephen votes going to be sitting there like just pulling his hair out. Is it hard and Cleveland to their their playing and Cleveland playing and Cleveland. I bet it's hot there too. Thank you. Oh, man. Hey, let's take a look at the J's lineup before we scoot. The J's lineup is that we already mentioned Ricky Teet consent down. I like James and Ty on the has been added to the roster. It's a nice game. Together with the Leitos flavor Mag ki do, invert Pokemon leading off springer hitting second in the DH spot. Aware Kirk, Okamoto, M****du. He is hitting 6th and second base Ernie 01. Nathan Lucas Milestraw. Um what was funny what I had.

45:48in the last two years. Well, I mean, if he's on the team next year and you don't have to, you know, flip him for something that you want that would make your team better, you may have to, you may have to make an adjustment there. You may have to start giving him a few more days off if you want to see the best out of him. Like this is, you know, that free swing and thing run all over the place in the middle. The infield is not the easiest thing to do. I will say this, you know, you, you, you also, I think that maybe your Ernie has been damaged by the absence of barge or more than just about anybody else, not because he plays the same position, but it would have allowed like it's just, you can't. Ernie's hard to not have in your lineup, especially if he's playing defense. He's hard not to have in your lineup. And I am with you though, I, I, he, he's played a lot of baseball. He's played a lot of baseball. And I mean, some would say that's your job. Yeah, but I do, but I do think in this error, you need to see what's playing out right

46:50in front of you. Ernie's not the biggest guy. No, he's not. Yeah, I don't mean that in a pejorative sense. We need not. You need leverage sometimes. Yeah, he's not, he's not, he's an athlete. He gets the things that most don't. Yeah. Like that, that's hard on the body. All the bend and over all the, you know, swinging at everything's not easy to do. No, it's hard on your body. And they just, they're, there've been too many times this year where they're just, there hasn't been enough offensively to warrant having him, warrant having him out of the line. Yeah, I mean, give the front off of some mess. Don't need to help. Yeah. I think that I tend to think that'll take, I tend to think that'll take care of itself. Once you, you know, once you, you've addressed some of your offensive issues, I, I think, I think that'll take care of itself. I really do. Mostly. You know, and at some point, one of those young infield is just going to, is going to have to be on this team. I mean, are any playing four days a week, starting four days a week, not the worst of things? Oh, God no. No, I'm not saying that I don't, I like, I'm not saying Ernie doesn't have a spot in

47:50the team. I need to stretch the imagination. No, no, I'm saying, yeah, he's starting more than half, half the games every week for a day. But I might want to be able to give him a, give him a blow every now and then. But I am, I, my goal was to make my team better. Yeah. However, I have to do that. Sometimes you can't thank your heart. I'm not saying that to you, you're trading, but I'm saying if you had to, I think you got to make some, you got to make some adjustments. You got to get you a clean up itter or two. There's some, there's some, there's some folks in this team you've got to make a decision on. Yeah. They're really are. Yeah. Um, and that's just, and that frankly is to their credit. It's the Ernie's credit that his career has gotten to this point. I'm not saying by no means he's done a good player. I'm just saying you can, you can see maybe if you, if you gave him a little time to not have to go out there and, and do what they ask him to do all the time that maybe you'd see a better version of it. Yeah. That's all I'm saying. I get why they've done it because they don't have a choice.

48:52But I'm saying when they do have a choice, which they will, maybe that's what's best for the player and not best for the organization. That's all I'm saying. Maybe he's, you know, maybe he transitions into a, then it's the overest kind of guy, but nothing wrong with that. Yeah. Every day at different positions and then getting a couple of days off. Well, you're good, Jeff. Yeah. I suppose. That's it for us. It is a long weekend, but we'll be doing Blue J's talk tonight. Barker's going to be all over your television set this weekend. You're not going to be able to avoid them. So sorry for that. And we'll be back on Monday with the player and Barker. So enjoy the weekend. Enjoy the baseball. Take care of yourself.