World Baseball Business with Shi Davidi & David Samson

You're not ready, you say?

Not really.

No, not today.

What's up today?

I don't know.

Feeling a little out of the weather.

Not really.

I haven't been sick in 25 years.

I don't know why.

I just should know that you had COVID that one time, so you were sick.

I didn't really even know I had it until you called me and said, I got it.

You told me I had it.

So I must have had it.

So, you know, then I got locked in a room for two weeks didn't even know I had anything.

So, yeah, I live it to you, boy, just to make my life a living, you know what?

So, yeah, I mean, it's okay.

How are you doing?

I'm doing good.

You know what?

You know what?

You are overachieving today at that shirt and you smell really nice.

Huh?

Why do you smell so good?

It's weird.

How good you smell.

Like, I've never, like, walked by, you can be like, whoa, like, you know, did you buy something

that you don't know?

Like, deodorant, cloned.

What's going on, dude?

Like, I do wear a deodorant.

Midlife crisis, that kind of thing.

What's happening?

Yeah.

My midlife.

No shirt.

Nobody my age has a midlife crisis.

No.

At this point, it's a late life crisis.

Oh, right.

I just wanted it.

I just wanted to smell after that shirt you were yesterday.

No.

Yeah.

Yeah.

They were shirt.

It's a soccer thing on it.

Nobody's ever heard of.

I asked Amsterdam.

They're a big team.

Everybody's heard about the more team.

More people know about them than any major league baseball team.

Let's put it that way.

Not me.

I don't know.

Yeah, but I mean, you're from, you know, where?

Well, we're from the back.

The other side of the mountain.

You're from the backwoods.

You probably still think the NFL is the biggest league in the world.

It is pretty good.

There's higher continents that couldn't name you one NFL player.

Oh, really?

Africa couldn't name you one NFL player.

Got all name.

You somebody in an Iax back when Iaxe was good.

Never.

Anyhow.

Enough of that.

It's player and barker.

We're from smelling good.

Whatever you just said.

Wow.

It's just that you took a shot at my Iaxe.

I'm sure.

I thought, souvenir I got from my trip to Amsterdam, Oregon.

I thought I'd wear it.

I thought I, I mean, we're the only show where everybody always wears shirts.

That's fair.

Yeah.

Guys got t-shirts with band names on it.

My first underarmored shirt today.

Yeah.

Dollar shirt.

There you go.

It's nice outside.

I thought I'd wear it.

Where it represent.

You represent.

You're going down.

You're going down to spring training.

So you'll be coming back with a whole new supply of underarmored shirts.

You bought for 1999 at the retail.

I know you.

Oh, why?

Against colors.

I used to get it for free.

I don't do that anymore.

So I got to go where they're cheap.

You'll be bring him.

You'll be bringing back colors.

We've never seen before.

When I was good and got it down, got it saying.

And I used to get them.

Thanks for free.

All right.

Let's move on.

People don't give a.

Well, they do.

Brats asked about.

They know they're a witty band or they don't care about it.

No.

It is Boyron Barker.

And there will be.

Oh, loads and loads and loads of baseball.

Today, we'll have the Jays and the Braves that want to clock on sports.

And TV broadcasts.

Simul cast a radio.

You can listen to it in the alternate radio stream.

It's sportsnet.ca slash 590.

Or on the sportsnet app.

And then tonight.

Canada.

In the world baseball classic taking on Puerto Rico.

Shia Davidi is going to join us in a few minutes.

And we'll talk about that.

And then David Samson will join us.

As well.

Have not seen.

All right.

I know the Jays lineup is that today's going to be kind of bullpen day.

For the Toronto blue Jays.

Against the.

Against the breeze.

Where is it?

Where is it?

Come on, Jeff.

Come on, Jeff.

Louis Varyland.

Believe it's Varyland.

Rodgers Hoffman.

Cast of millions pitching today is the Jays.

All the big boys are thrown in there.

All the big boys are thrown in there.

Yeah.

The day for reals gets to start.

Yeah.

As well.

Yeah.

And I guess kind of the story of the day if you want to call it that.

Or I guess the focal point of the day was Louis Varyland.

We're at that stage now in spring training where people look and go.

Hmm.

Boy, that guy's got way more at bats than I thought.

Or I didn't know that guy's in play in 10 days.

Hmm.

Or.

Jesus.

We haven't seen that guy throw yet.

You know, in John Schneider talking a little bit about Louis Varyland.

They're being a little careful with him.

Trey is savaged by the way.

We'll pitch in the simulated game.

So all he out there who are concerned.

He's still alive.

Yeah.

Don't worry about it.

I was in the simulator.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Who cares?

You know the way these people and don't get me started.

Doesn't this organization convince you last year they know what they're doing when it comes

to pitching.

So let's just stop that.

It's a topic of conversation.

I mean, their best players were their best players.

So that helped a little.

But to your point.

Yeah.

Yeah.

They know what's your stuff.

Their rotation is pretty decent.

Absolutely.

They figured this out.

They know way about.

I mean, people who were yapping and yapping about Trey is shot up.

You don't know anything about what's going on with Trey's savage compared to the other.

Yeah.

The people.

That's just shut up.

Well, because I was yapping about it.

Get me a break.

Well, God almighty.

Might as he shows up with his arm and a sling.

I don't care.

Yeah.

Anyhow it works out.

Oh, Louis, Varlin.

Yeah.

How do you see the Jays utilizing?

I think they'll abuse him when they have to abuse him.

I think that's it.

I mean, I think he's that big of a deal to them.

I think he can throw, you know, give you more than three outs, which is a big deal.

You know, that up down guy.

That's a high leverage.

Don't grow trees.

And, you know, he's just, he's just crazy enough like his crazy right word.

I think that's the right word.

He's just crazy enough not to care.

So it's, you know, he's got good stuff.

It's just how do you get him to have a little bit more?

How do you have him to have a little bit more swing and miss?

I think that's the, you know, that's the thing.

I'm sure PD and all the khakis and all the machines that they're hooking him up to trying to figure out.

You know, if you throw this then some amount of times and stuff wise,

stuff wise, they would love to abuse him.

Well, if you got, well, he's got five pitches.

You know, we talked about that in the playoffs.

When you started to see him using all five of them,

he got more swing and miss with the two pitches that he loved to throw.

The, that's sort of how it is.

Now, if you throw him those two all the time,

it's probably not going to work out the way you want it to work out.

So yeah, I'm sure, you know, again, they're, they're being careful with that.

You don't pay any attention to bullpen, guys.

You know, they use them so much.

They use them as so many high leverage spots.

You know, no matter what part of the season it is.

You know, I think you pay more attention to the, to the, you know,

the starters and the long relief relief guys.

Then you do the high leverage guys.

They'll figure it out.

They've been around long enough to know how to figure themselves out.

So I'm assuming he's one of the highest leverage guys.

I'm sure he'll get some run in the, in the nine, nine thinning.

So hopefully, you know, he takes it and runs with it a little bit.

You want to know the J's lineup?

Let's hear it, buddy.

All right.

Springer, Sanchez, Heinemann, Barger, Farshall, Schneider, Lucas,

Cassavage, Cassavage, Cassavage, Tarrata, Cassavage, Cassavage.

Yeah.

Yeah.

He's been really good too.

He's really, he's opened some eyes.

Yeah.

It's been really impressive.

Yeah.

I talk about that next man mentality, right?

That, you know, when you do get sent down, he's not making the team probably less somebody gets

hurt or something happens.

But he's, you know, he's open enough eyes and spring that whenever John goes, well,

this guy got hurt, this guy can do that because we've seen it play out.

And I got to tell you, I got to tell you, between seeing him, him,

and his probably won't make the team.

And Brandon Valenzuela, you do have a little bit, I, I know Valenzuela offensively is,

but I got no problem with, with Valenzuela coming up and being part of a,

part of a tandem due to an injury or something like that.

He knows his way around the home plate.

People seem to really like him.

Just, you know, some of the stuff we've heard from John, repeating and some of the stuff

the pictures have said, they got those three guys in, you know, that,

that, and frankly in class A as well, just because he can go get it in the outfield.

There's, there's a little bit of positional depth there.

Yeah, that's math late.

So I think that's, I think that's the point, right?

You can't teach that.

You can sort of mold it into what you want it to look like at the big league level.

Yeah, I'm with you.

It's, you know, the catching position.

I, you know, that's a, you got to be careful.

I would think a little bit with that, bringing up younger guys, especially when you're a contender.

You know, you want to be the best team in the American League with some new J's.

The good thing about that, but you like what you see?

Yeah, the good thing about Kirk, he being gone is that you've really gotten a chance to see

balance away all the work with everybody.

Hell yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Kirk.

Let's talk about Alejandro Kirk.

I love Kirk.

Oh, it's just that the five three, the, the, the, the, the U.S. beating, the U.S. beating Mexico yesterday.

You were not, you were not impressed with the four sliders to.

Yeah.

I mean, we love a lot of things.

Kirk, he does.

You know, there's no perfect player on planet earth.

It's just not.

Well, I mean, there's some that are really close.

Show, he's pretty perfect.

Yeah.

I mean, you know, you, you could argue some of the things he does in the playoffs.

She'd like to see a little bit more.

I mean, if you really want me to dig at that, I can't.

But, you know, again, I, I just think you throw the same pitches to the best hitter in the American League.

You're probably not going to get the fourth one back.

And I, you know, I, I made a joke to you before we walked in here.

You know, once the last time we've seen that, I could give you multiple spots.

No, I know.

I know.

In the playoffs where that's happened, right?

Where, you know, I'm not saying he lifted the card up in the WBC, you know, the thing he wears on this wrist.

That thing's telling you whip percentages, right?

Where can I get a whiff?

But I got to set it up.

If I throw it two and four times, the fourth one, I got a pretty good chance of, you know, sort of timing that thing up.

And after judge took the nice little swing on the second one.

Yeah, that was it.

Probably don't want to throw him four in a row because he's going to back like it.

Now I've rooting for it because, you know, I was, I was rooting for the team that won.

But man alive, it's just like everyone wants them while occasionally you'd like to go.

Okay, I've thrown him a couple.

He took a base at swing.

Let's stand him up with a hater.

I mean, the guy on the mail was throwing 93 94.

I wasn't like he's throwing 83 84.

That's what I was going to say.

Yeah.

You know, again, it's, I'm picking a little here.

But it is again, you, you can tell why I think the, you know, the blue chase went out and brought in some catching coaches.

Yeah.

Right in those big time moments where you never wants to why you just need to, why you throw four in a row for it?

That was a, by the way, that's all.

That was a fun game.

The first, it was awesome.

That was a fun game to watch.

Yeah.

And our base running was, you know, a little off and there's a couple of, oh, geez.

It's really, I mean, you know, you don't need, your mind doesn't go through spring training.

Why?

Your mind.

I mean, your mind doesn't go through spring training.

You played up baseball to know that, you know, with the dude coming up on the on deck circle,

and in a rose arena.

And if I had a little lobby, lollipop single to one of the best right filters in the sport,

I couldn't throw last year.

Yeah.

I was rolling the ball.

Yeah.

If you paid attention, I had no problem with that.

Oh, geez.

Yeah.

How did that work out?

Aggressive.

It was aggressive.

You know what?

That's called third out of an inning.

Yeah.

At third base.

That's what that's called.

And that kills rallies.

You know how you beat a team.

You're not supposed to be beaten.

You don't do that.

You let somebody like a rose arena run into one.

Now everybody's pulling their hair out because they can't believe her down three nothing.

That's.

So it is, you know, again, and even, you know, the states with which junior coming up.

I think it's the second inning.

You know, to have that second and third one out.

Yeah, that's fair.

And second base with two outs.

And then you have a long fly out and you don't score any runs.

It's little things like that, especially when you move it on a little further.

And the pitching gets better and the talent you're facing.

You see that they are.

Holy moly.

Exhibition series.

It's spring.

You see that too.

Man.

Yeah.

That was that was fairly.

I mean, that's some that's some easy cheese at the top of the zone with movement.

Good luck hitting that.

Uh, I mean, it didn't ask you really unfair question.

I mean, last night, I'm a boy.

He was, he was grinding through how to make adjustments.

You know, after every pitch, which is, that's a leaked stuff.

I get it.

Yeah.

I'm fair question.

You got a five year contract to give out.

Skins are scooble.

I think Skins is probably the guy just because he's, you know,

I think he's a, I want to say he's a little bit more mechanical sound.

I just think it's, it's an easier cheese.

I think the secondary stuff that he throws, he's used to throwing it.

That may not be fair, but.

No, I, I mean, I'm sure I'm sure because of how hard both of them throw.

They're going to go through whatever they're going to go through.

It is, it's just easy.

It's, you know, I throw one here.

It goes there where I didn't want it to go because I'm really smart.

I'm smarter than most people.

I can correct that.

It won't go there again.

That's how you consistently get people out and make them look silly.

And he starts throwing that book's money.

Change up.

It's just like, I'm toying with you.

And there's nothing you can do about it.

Speaking of smarter than most people, let's bring in shy to VD.

Sports and it's MLB insider.

How are you doing, shy?

I'm not sure.

That's right at all.

Right.

All right.

Thanks.

That's what I'm going with.

That's what I'm going with.

How's Puerto Rico treating you?

It's been fun.

The weather's a little erratic.

Like each day, it feels like each day is a drunk to a radium day where

cloudy.

You're raining.

You're sunny.

You're hot.

You're humid.

You're cool.

It's constantly changing.

But they've gotten all the games in, which is the most important part.

And the baseball has been a ton of fun.

So Canada takes on Puerto Rico.

The host tonight, seven o'clock on sports.

And Canada is one and one.

Puerto Rico is three and oh.

Breakdown Canada's road to advance here for me, shy.

I mean, if they win both against Puerto Rico and Cuba, they're in.

Right?

Right.

I'll let you take it from me.

Right.

So that's the best day scenario.

It's the easiest.

It's the cleanest.

And then they win the group.

And they avoid.

They avoid the first place team, which we expected in the United States in the

quarter finals.

Now, if they go one and one, they have to beat Cuba.

Right.

If they go, if they beat Puerto Rico, then lose the Cuba.

That's not good to them.

So as long as they beat Cuba tomorrow, then they move on as well.

They finished second in the group.

And presumably they get the United States in the quarter finals.

So pretty straightforward Panama by losing to Colombia.

Yes, they really helped clear the deck.

If Panama had ended up two and two, then there could have been a number of

funky permutations and the potential for a three way tie break.

None of that is necessarily now.

And it's nice, clean and math free.

Shy, how's the atmosphere there?

I tell you what, I was at the Puerto Rico.

Cuba game last night and Puerto Rico wins and punches their birth in the quarter

finals and just walking down from the press box through the stands to the media

area afterwards.

And it is just electric.

Like the atmosphere of the whole game is obviously wild.

But post game, the Puerto Ricans gather, Puerto Ricans players gather around

to do a little prayer.

They join the fans or celebrating everybody singing Mark Anthony songs.

And it's just incredible atmosphere.

And I can't, I can't under, I can't overstate just how fun it is.

And it's about, crowd was about 19,000 yesterday.

That's the capacity at Hiram Bethlehem Stadium.

But it honestly, it sounds like 40.

It sounds like any playoff game that you've been a part of.

People are dancing, people there's music.

When Maldonado hit that three run, three run double to put Puerto Rico up.

Just the place just explodes and just the fan reaction, the way they're jumping

around in the stands reminded me of the vibe at the dome after the Springer

home run and in game seven, it was that kind of celebration.

Just a really, really cool atmosphere.

Very different from North American parks, which obviously have their own passion.

But just a totally different vibe here, which is really, really fun.

Shaggy, give me a player to pay attention to with Canada.

That's very important for them to move on.

That has to be huge in the game.

So, look, and the obvious takeser Josh Neller and Tyler O'Neill.

But Owen Casey's been sneaky hot.

You know, he's got the home run.

He had the double that was nearly a home run that put a tie things up against Panama.

I can't have had him lower down in the lineup.

I know they were having serious conversations about moving him up.

And obviously, you know, this is a long time, a big frost act,

who's going to get his chance with the Marlins this season after being traded

from the Cubs system.

You know, he's he's on one.

It feels like him and he can do some damage.

And Abraham Toro has been pretty good too.

I know he had the pop-up with the bases loaded, but he's also got three RBI.

He's got a number in that number of nice moments.

So, those are a couple guys to think of.

Ultimately, he's going to come down to pitching.

Always does, but I think if the offense can open this up a little bit,

create some breathing room, then that's really Canada's best formula to get out of here.

Shaggy, does Canada have the bullpen to get through this thing?

Because I think that was our concern going in.

Maybe even more so than starting pitching.

Do they have the bullpen to get through here?

I mean, look, the bullpen's been fine, right?

Through the first two games, and yeah, we haven't seen them against Puerto Rico.

We haven't seen them against Cuba yet, and those are the best two teams,

other than them and the pool.

So we're going to figure it out.

But I think they have enough guys.

The question is, will they get, you know, restriction?

Will they get locked in by restrictions?

So, you know, they used Adam Mako on Sunday games Panama.

And he was supposed to be down for two days afterwards.

But, you know, their national team's gotten permission from the blue jays to use them again,

either tonight or tonight, if they want to.

They were hoping to get permission from Cleveland to use Matt Wilkinson again.

If they wanted to tonight, if they needed him.

So I think that it's in a lot of ways, the challenge is it's not just who you have,

but who you have available and how much you can use them.

And I think that is, it's going to be a lot of the tough.

No, would it be nice for them to have that brush and he'd smith.

Yeah, I mean, that'd be great.

Making things a lot easier.

But I think Canada would be fine without those guys.

At least at this stage of the tournament.

And he talked about it playing a cleaner game, Shia.

You know, the catch and the balls at first, you know, throwing it to the right base.

You know, pitchers stand on the mound being cut off guys when they shouldn't be.

You know, when you're not the DR and you're not scoring 15 runs a game,

you got to do the little things, right?

Any talk about sort of playing a cleaner baseball game.

They got to do that to move on.

Yeah, tons of talk before that game after that game.

Yeah, yesterday during their workouts.

I'm sure today as well.

And look, they had one very terrible inning and a possible.

They really eliminated their margin for error at this tournament.

And they're, they're going to have to live with the consequences of that.

In theory, they should be a team that is able to out hit some of those things.

But you don't want to have to put yourself in that position.

And, you know, they were fine against Columbia.

They had a couple of moments that weren't great.

There was a.

Denzel Clark in auto Lopez, you know, bumping into each other on a.

On a mid ball in center field.

And that was something that they wanted to clean up from one game to the next.

And.

Then just have one anywhere.

Just just some things happen.

So that was definitely a focus about their workouts.

Ernie would actually was talking before that game about how you play.

If you don't play clean baseball, it'll kill you.

And I'm not at end of that happening.

So I think that is absolutely been a focus.

And we'll continue to be a focus heading into the final two.

I mean, you talked about the weather a little bit.

I didn't play winter ball there, but it's been a long time ago.

And can remember it's there.

The parks are very, very big.

How does that park play?

Any talk with.

You know, the position players about, you know, you can't hit the ball over there.

The wind blows here.

Like, is there any been any problems about you have to make the adjustment there quicker than you would in other parks?

So.

I would say that it's just really been erratic, right?

Like, if you think about the Panama game, there was like the ball that.

Action gave up to.

I'm trying to remember.

I think it was Sosa who had it.

And it was just a laser beam.

And I'm like, oh, that's gone.

And then the wind.

You look at the flags.

They're blowing in.

From left field.

And that ball just dies at the track.

And then there are going some other times where, you know, the wind's blowing in a different direction and smashing it up.

So I think that's one element where.

It hasn't been consistent in terms of.

How the what the wind patterns been like.

So.

That's really a game to game thing.

The other thing that I have noticed is it's like an all birth in field.

There's no dirt out.

And.

There are probably some balls that infielders are used.

Are used to them playing differently, but they skip up.

So you see a lot of ground balls that will chop off, take high bounces as they're getting up the middle.

They just bound through the couple through the infield a lot differently.

So I think that's one adjustment that that the infielders here have definitely had to make.

Shy, listen, we really appreciate your time.

Really enjoyed your work continued.

You know, continue to have fun.

Keep it rolling man and have fun.

Yeah, be safe.

Yeah, travel safe.

Absolutely.

I appreciate you guys.

Talk to you soon.

Yeah, see.

Well, Shy Davidi sports and its MLB insider.

He and Hazler, of course, with team Canada as they attempt to advance out of that pool.

And I think Kevin, you made the point earlier.

It will be I think for a lot of Canadian baseball fans.

Previous world baseball classics beating the U.S.

The one game, some of the stuff that went on with Mexico.

There have been a highlight.

This is probably the first time that I think people expected Canada to move on.

I mean, you I am I am too.

Absolutely.

I'm.

Because of the pitching, I I'm not surprised they lost a game.

And I like I didn't think there was any way that they were going to they were going to run the table on this.

Yeah.

Because I just I just don't think frankly the pitchings.

See, I thought it was more their defense.

I remember we saw him play against the blue jays and you know the defense.

I got it all over the place.

And I think you made the point of you got to clean that up.

You got to be better at that when you don't have the pitching that you'd like to have.

One of the problems.

You got to defend the ball better.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And I think I keep thinking of that, you know, that play with James Paxton.

What you saw there was what happens when you have a guy who just hasn't played competitive baseball for a while on, you know, the speed of the game is fast.

And that was almost Taylor made for that for that to happen.

And having said that, you, you are right.

And then you went made this point, you know, you.

You always say you can't give the other team extra outs.

Yeah.

Especially in this tournament, we're run scored as a factor where there's all of these right.

All of these things going into it.

I mean, look at Australia.

You can't, you can't give away a run because that run could end up.

Yeah.

Yeah.

For me, you know, Puerto Rico is going to be tough, but their pitching is not great.

Other than the dude at the end.

Yeah.

I think what you, what you have to do is.

Well, one through five.

One through five in the order can't go three for 20.

Correct.

And they can't go to for tail runners.

Yeah.

Because I think that's where it starts.

You need Casey or Josh Naylor to have a big big like a three for four with a couple big ones.

Like you need to, you know, get it down and get it saying a little bit.

And they do that and clean up the little thing.

Get the outs you're supposed to get.

Right.

I mean, you think the game threw a little bit before the play actually happens.

It's like the packs them thing.

I'm sure if you ask him because he's been around forever, he knows better.

Like ball, bit, put in play.

Get out of it.

You know, it's better if you're out of the way.

Yeah.

Kind of thing.

So, you know, it's just it'll make it better.

It's more fun.

I think it's.

I mean, I don't think this is a surprise that they're sort of in it where they're at right now.

But I think they got a chance.

Right.

They're already advanced, you know, they're going to.

I don't want to take their, you know, say take their foot off the gas pedal.

But it gets down.

It gets down to Cuba.

Yeah.

You made that point.

It gets down to Cuba.

And the thing with Cuba is, you know, less about them than any other team in this tournament.

Yeah.

You just, you just do.

And I've covered the WBC and I've covered Cuba in the Olympics enough to know.

They've always got a guy in the bullpen.

It just comes out into something weird.

Yeah.

It's got weird stuff for all of a sudden.

He comes out.

He's throwing 98.

You're going, who the hell is this guy?

They always have that.

It's like a landmine.

The Cubans always have that guy just kind of sitting there.

And that you've never heard about for a variety of reasons.

And.

This is why you load talent on your roster.

Because that's exact reason, right?

It's not so much about, you know, I got a track record with that guy.

And that work goes how he throws it.

I'm just more talented than you are.

Like I said, I'm going to have a better result than you because I'm a better player.

And you know, you are, I think that's where the Canadians are.

Yeah.

Everybody, everybody talks about, you know, this is a big event.

This is a big event.

This is a big event for the Cubans because none of them are going to the World Series for the most part.

Yeah.

This is a big event for them.

Yeah.

This is so.

Anyhow, it'll be fun.

It'll be fun.

Yeah.

And.

Do we have time real quick before we get the break?

Okay.

And.

Did you like that or didn't like it?

I.

I mean, I had it happened the same thing happened with Will Smith last year or the last WBC.

I don't like it, but.

I can't say, I can't say I'm surprised.

Does that make sense?

Yeah, I don't like it, but I'm not surprised.

Yeah, I think it's the dumbest thing you could ever try and do on a baseball field.

How many, how many actual hairs have you seen walk up to a catcher during a game

during a game and want to shake their hand.

They always tap the shin pad to shin guard.

You always like give them a head nod,

you put your head down while you're digging into the thing.

Yeah, you tap it with your bat.

I don't shin guard.

You never reach out your hand to shake there.

It's the weirdest thing.

I mean, it's almost like look at me

pay attention to me.

Yeah.

You know, it's like, I just don't understand that part,

but the big GoPro's having none of it.

No, I don't.

And their teammates, I would just even better.

And really think of it one way or another.

Yeah.

I mean, I'm okay with him doing it.

I'm okay with with Rally not responding to.

Yeah, I did.

I mean, if there's a dugout clearing incident

involving the Mariners on May 19th,

I'm sure the big dumpers going to be out there

with Randy or Rosemary.

That doesn't bother me.

Doesn't bother me at all.

Yeah, again, it gets back to that.

There's times to do things, but it's also the time to do.

You know, somebody pointed out

that one of the fascinating things,

I didn't know we're up against club.

One of the fascinating things in these tournaments,

muffled, is watching the personality of the team.

And Aaron Judge is the captain of the Yankees.

And Aaron Judge isn't going to stick a lampshade

on his head and walk around, you know what I mean?

He's a pretty serious guy.

He's like Derek Jeter when Derek Jeter

was captain of the Yankees and captain of Team US.

No, these are serious guys.

I'm not saying this in a bad way.

Yeah, yeah.

I think this team, this US team reflects

their kind of no nonsense.

Yeah, we're here to win.

Yeah, they're not as flat as you as say the DR.

I think that's your point.

Yeah, I think it's well known that Cal,

you know, don't mess around when it comes to one.

He doesn't like a person.

Well, I think that's just, you know,

there's no turnin' back from that.

Let me turn this on you.

Knowing the two person with the blue jazzy

doesn't like knowing the two personalities involved,

knowing the two personalities involved.

Are you surprised?

No, I just think it's a dumb time to reach out

your hand to want to shake it.

Why would I shake your hand?

It's like, get in the box.

You're overthinking it.

Get in the box.

You're overthinking it.

Or you throw it as neck and you won't do it again.

David Samson is host of nothing personal with David Samson,

which is a great name for a podcast

and when it's hosted by David Samson,

he's also the former MLB president of the Marlins.

We'll join us next.

Blair and Barker on the SportsNet radio network.

It's SportsNet.

Hey, it's Ben Ennis.

And I'm Brent Cunning.

We got you covered on all things

Leafs, Raptors, and Blue Jays

every weekday morning, six to nine.

It's the fan morning show SportsNet,

five, nine to the fan.

And wherever you get your podcasts.

All right.

Welcome back to Blair and Barker

on the SportsNet radio network in SportsNet.

Hey, we have Blue Jays baseball

on the TV and Simon Cascade

as the Jays and Dylan Seese

taking on the Atlanta Braves.

First pitches at one o'clock.

I lose my voice.

No, I thought you said Jose Barrios

was throwing about 25 minutes ago.

No, I said see.

When we were out in the in the hallway,

that was just it.

No, it's no, it's which what is it?

It's somebody throw.

Sees.

Sees, it doesn't.

All right.

Dylan Seese against J.R. Richie.

Yep.

Pretty the Atlanta Braves.

We'll be at one o'clock.

And of course tonight seven o'clock

on SportsNet Canada takes on Puerto Rican.

Before we bring our guests on,

it is amazing how this is kind of the first spring train

since being you've been doing this.

That we could care less his pitching for the Jays.

Like that's where they're at.

They're some of it.

They're at the part of the earth.

They're at the part of their seven inning

with their organization that.

Well, I mean, you know, you go out there,

you do your thing, you move on to the next day

and start the season's the best team in the American League.

Yep.

Oh, yeah, you're right.

Yeah, somebody's pitching for the Jays day.

I do know that the, that most of the big,

big bullpen arms named the entire rotation.

So just pick one.

All right, well, it's bringing David Samson hosted

nothing personal with David Samson.

There he is.

There he is.

How are you doing, man?

Hi, buddy.

Man, I miss you guys.

No, you know, banter is just first class

and the information is just flowing.

Yeah, it is.

Yes.

Yes.

Stop trying for us, dude, but stuff flows here, all right?

I'm not certain it's information, but at least it's flowing.

Hey, everybody loves the WBC, right, David?

Yeah.

How do owners feel about it, really?

They do not like it.

Yeah, I didn't think.

Now, I'm sorry to say it because I was a part of it

and I was on the committee where I was there

when I first started and you want to love it, of course,

and you want the US to win.

You just want, it's sort of like a nuclear power plant

or a cell tower.

Like they sound good, just not in my backyard.

That's pretty much how you feel about your players being in it

because you're just worried.

You just don't want them to get hurt.

And I'm watching these games.

These are not March games, folks.

These are not July games.

These are October games except it's not October.

And Parker, you know this, when you're a baseball player,

it's hard to get your body to think it's a month that it's not.

Yeah, I think that's fair.

It's the heart rate, I think.

It's the, you don't want to screw it up

for your country kind of thing.

But you know, whenever you were talking there

about the honors, not liking this.

And I heard Mark DeRosa, I think it was on the MLB network

maybe earlier or yesterday.

And he was talking about the conversations he has,

I guess with presidents, GMs, about their players.

Can you talk a little bit about like sort of,

I don't know, is it hated, is it, how dare you?

Is it, you better make sure this,

like, what's the conversation like?

Yes, yes.

So, so it's all planned.

And I guess I would just say that without getting too far

under the kimono, it's not like the pirates

are watching skiing pitch last night and saying,

oh, I wonder how many innings he'll go.

Or I wonder how many at bats my position player will get

or when he'll play.

It is all predetermined.

And the commissioner's office and Michael Hill,

the GM of the USA team, and frankly,

the every GM of every team,

when there is a major league baseball player involved,

there is full communication with the team

and a full understanding of usage.

And that's a critical part to this

because the communication matters.

And that's how you're supposed to give comfort to executives,

but it doesn't mean they're not holding their breaths,

which they are and I understand it.

Is anybody making money off this thing?

Hey, really?

Is it a money maker?

Well, how are you measuring that?

Is it profitable on its own?

The answer is on an operating basis

when I was involved, it was not profitable on its own,

but there's a whole lot of things that grow from it.

So there's a lot of sort of sponsorship tentacles.

There's a lot of broadcast revenue tentacles

where I could mess around totally legally

with the accounting of numbers and make it profitable.

Overall, it's really good for the industry

to have games that matter, whether it's in March

or the middle of the season,

anything other than October,

you're trying to build more inventory

and that's what the World Baseball Classic

has definitely become.

They've just done a great job in the commissioner's office

of making it the type of tournament that it is,

but these players take a look at what you're watching.

They care.

Now, do they care more about this than a World Series?

I could argue with Kike Hernandez

till I'm blue in the face.

And they want to win, don't get me wrong,

but would they trade it for a World Series?

Let me ask you another question.

All of that great hockey stuff that we watched

in the Olympics.

Would any of those players on USA hockey trade

the gold medal for a Stanley Cup?

If you ask them and they had truth serum,

I think they'd all say yes,

but I got a lot of slack on nothing personal for saying that.

I mean, we had this conversation

with Chris Rose yesterday

and hockey players are wired differently.

I mean, I made the point.

I think hockey players would pay to play in the Olympics.

It's just it's a different thing,

but you know what else is it work with hockey in the Olympics?

And this is why, and I'm gonna,

I know you wanted to ask about Randy Rose Arena,

but I want to talk a little bit about the Olympics

because this point was made yesterday

and I thought it was made really well.

The Olympics are a big deal for hockey players.

I don't think they will ever be a big deal

for baseball players because, you know, first of all,

it's, you're gonna have, if you go to LA,

you're gonna have six teams in the middle of the year.

You're not gonna have 20 teams.

But secondly, it's a one off.

A one off Olympic medal.

That's not the same thing as winning the Olympics in LA

then, well, I'm coming back in four more years

and I'm gonna defend my Olympic medal against a Dominican

or the Minicans are gonna say,

you gotta can't believe we lost in the US.

I can't wait for another four years.

That's why people who are saying,

oh, the Olympics would be great and baseball would be great in LA.

I don't think they know what the hell they're talking about.

I, I, I, that's my opinion.

No, your point is great,

which is that winning the World Baseball Classic,

it's really cool.

The players love it.

They view it as a cool thing to have,

but I still think Giancarlo Stan won the World Baseball Classic.

If I asked him today,

would you trade that for a World Series ring?

If you were being truthful, I think he'd say yes.

And I'll just push back on the hockey issue.

Jack Hughes has a lifetime memory.

He has the picture of the year.

No teeth, he doesn't miss a shift,

he wins a gold medal, I get it.

But on the other hand,

when they skate around the ice in the circle,

holding the cup above their head

and their name is on it,

I think from a legacy standpoint,

I just, I, I'm not able to be convinced by you

that players wouldn't make that trade.

And in terms of baseball,

I don't think it's relatively close, actually.

Okay, yeah, I, you know,

the, the, the Miracle and Ice Team

kind of ruined it for everybody

because that was such a great story.

Like I, I don't think this story

is as great as a Miracle and Ice Team.

This team was full of NHL stars.

The Miracle and Ice Team was full of college dudes

and, and, and guys who weren't playing.

But I know Kevin, Kevin wants to jump in

because you want to talk about.

I do, I do, but I got a question before that.

I asked this question to pass in the other day

when he came on and, and then sort of Jeff jumped in

and yelled at me and said,

it's spring training, it doesn't matter.

This is probably the greatest team

U.S. has ever put in this thing.

Yes, you would think that just the,

the talent and, you know,

it's been sort of named like the dream team.

It's the, we put, we can't put any better talent

in the field.

What if they lose going forward?

Does that matter?

Like, you know, if I'm a,

if I'm a manager like D-Road,

D-Road taking, he's taking this serious.

Like he's been recruited.

He's been recruiting for this thing forever.

Like I'm getting the best players around.

He wants to manage in the majors.

If he loses this, you think going forward,

like it'll be as big a deal for players to do this now,

they'd be like, you know,

see the, see the 20, 20, 16?

They lost. Why would we do it?

Does it matter?

No, they really, they want to win,

but the fact of the matter is that they're a bunch

of really good teams.

If you're watching the Dominican or Venezuela,

if you're watching Japan,

I'm not going to say anything about Canada

because you're in one game.

You just don't know what can happen.

Yeah.

But the reality is that what makes this team better

than the other teams that I saw when we hosted the WBC,

when you've got a one, two punch of schemes in school bull,

there's no better one, two punch on any of the teams,

but school bulls now gone,

schemes will get another start,

but when you look at what'll happen in the finals,

I believe, and I don't know whether I'm doing the math right,

but I think the starting picture for the US

and the finals would be the new,

the new Met, oh my God.

No way.

No way.

Yeah, McClean.

Yeah.

And that's not schemes, that's not school bull.

Now you got to get there first,

and those guys help you get there.

But at the end of the day it's about pitching,

and as you know, like anything.

The electrician for Chatchania makes me smile,

because you know, you can get four and two thirds,

you know, in a miracle situation.

But better pitching is what this USA team has.

Yeah, it's fair.

I mean, you listen to D-Road talk too.

He's talking about the future.

You know, I'm going to use my bull pin in the future the way I want to use it.

I'm assuming that's how he's going to make up for whoever's starting in the championship

game.

He's put the car before the horse.

Got a thing.

Yeah.

And you don't get to use it.

He's not making up his bullpen usage.

It's just inaccurate.

No.

It is absolutely predetermined when you're they don't you do not send a picture to the

World Baseball Classic and say good luck.

See you when you're back.

It just doesn't work that way.

But it's fun to say and I guess the fans want to hear that, oh, the manager's deciding

where do I go on this matchup and the seventh inning, it's a bunch of horse hockey.

You know exactly the order of the pitchers that you're using and for how long you're allowed

to use them.

Okay.

Well, you were watching last night.

You're watching Rosa Reyna walk up and put his hand out to Cal Raleigh like, hey, buddy,

you know, it's worked out.

Let's let's, you know, hug it out before I hit big deal or should we care less?

So I don't speak Spanish and he gave the interview in Spanish, but I saw the translation.

I don't, I didn't hear the tone because I only speak one language, which is embarrassing,

but was he actually angry or was he joking?

I did the same thing.

I listened to it and it's hard to tell from the raw translation.

Yeah.

I think he leaned in more than once to Cal when you lean in more than once.

You're expecting a different thing out of a person's mouth.

I'm just saying.

Come on, man.

I grew up in the world of Pat Riley, where when you knock someone to the ground during

a game, you don't reach out your hand to pick them up.

I was of the opinion with my players when there's a collision at second pace, you don't

reach down and let them up.

You step on them.

You know, we are competing in between the lines.

I don't like fraternization on the field and maybe that makes me old school.

But there's a little, you know, the Otani hack tip, I'm fine.

The lean in and the handshake and the magic Johnson Isaiah Thomas kiss at center of

court.

And it's not being homophobic.

I just give me a break.

We're competing here.

So I don't find it to be so outrageous.

And I just encourage you to watch Ted Lasso where they went out and they played for different

teams and they had major, you know, issues and then came back and it was all fine.

Yeah.

I mean, I looked at the thing with the Rose Arena and I thought very in character for

both of them.

You know, that's a way I look at it.

It doesn't surprise me.

Randy Rosarena does.

I think Randy Rosarena is in his own world.

I don't think he meant anything by it other than being really friendly.

I think Cal Raleigh just kind of I'm Cal Raleigh screw off stand up at the play.

Like I just it.

It's.

It didn't.

They're teammates in Seattle.

But I guess not everybody has to go to dinner after games.

You know, it's not, you know, doesn't make a good, you don't have to be a, everybody

don't have to go to dinner to be a good team.

You just don't.

It would be interesting that I would count and my early days in the game, I would count

the number of guys and who was hanging out with who and by the end, it's pretty much

26 guys, 26 taxis.

But in they don't, there's not as much hanging out in the club houses.

There used to be everyone's on their phones or they're leaving immediately.

In my early part of my career in the early 2000s, Jeff, they would, we hang out like for

an hour or two after the game.

It just doesn't work that way anymore.

But in terms of teammates, I think about that was soccer a lot where you've got players

on the same team who then go to different teams for their World Cup and they're representing

their countries.

They're not loving on each other.

They are playing to win and then they come back and then they keep playing.

So I was totally fine with every side of that.

I just don't want to say that I know what Randy's tone was because I really didn't understand

it or was able to extrapolate what it was.

That's fair.

This is a question right in your wheelhouse, I'm watching those games in Miami.

That place is electric.

It's awesome.

Don't say it.

You know where I'm going.

But what it don't say it.

I've always thought Miami should be one of the best baseball markets in the world.

Come on, man.

Don't be that guy.

Oh, but you know what I mean, I'm watching how come you're attending sucks when you

can have all those people, but I'm just, and that's what he's asked, no, what I'm asking,

no, no, he's asking that.

I see.

That's what I heard.

He's a pure.

My job is president because I couldn't replicate.

No, I'm not.

Exactly what he said.

I was with him on a Wednesday with the blue jays playing the Marlins.

No, I'm what he said.

No, I'm looking at it.

I'm looking at it.

I'm looking at it differently.

I think it should.

He is not.

I am.

Just say it, Jeff.

I think that should be a really good baseball market.

And I can see why I mean, I can, yeah, we'll move on.

You know what I'm saying, David, it's, no, we don't, we don't, okay, explain to me,

explain to me.

I'm so fast, Jeff.

Here's the thing.

You know, I tried to sell season tickets.

We set up a table in the concourse when it was the World Baseball Classic.

We had sales people in a suit and tie.

Hey, do you want to buy tickets to the Marlins?

We've got a great 10 game Saturday package.

Give me a break.

It's just a different world of people who are coming into town or who live there who

are willing to allocate their disposable income for the love of the front of the Jersey.

You can't match that sort of national patriotism or pride that fans have.

It just doesn't translate.

And by the way, Miami's not the only one.

How about Houston?

Last night.

That's better.

You think they had season ticket people out there, sales people saying, hey, everyone cheering

for Mexico.

Are you going to come to a 20 game package to watch the stroze?

It's just it's no.

Come on.

Okay.

I just let it go, Jeff.

I listen.

I'm seeing it because I really like Miami.

I haven't just been in it.

I haven't affinity for any place that's got Miami Beach on the South Beach is a great.

I don't know.

I've just always.

Anyhow.

Okay.

I got it.

I do want to ask you one one question about the James because Jeff is just only stuck

his foot in his mouth.

So I do want to ask you one.

These are really good team.

You come to spring training as a front office.

I don't want to say what's your job in spring training, but like what are you trying to

accomplish with a really good team in spring training?

Please, please just get me to September.

Really?

And it sounds crazy, but I want to try to avoid season ending injuries if possible.

I want to try to avoid a slow start where somehow we cannot recover from it and we keep

waiting to turn it on to be as good as I think we're going to be.

And all of a sudden you end up with a season that doesn't work out.

You want the team to be the way you put it together.

You're not expecting to win 110 games.

You don't need that.

What I'm going to be very interested in when I watch the Blue Jays, they're highly motivated

obviously because they're still climbing the ladder to win the World Series as opposed

to defending it as reigning champion where you can be motivated in other ways.

But the reality is that the Blue Jays are hungry.

The players want it.

They made additions.

You could argue the subtraction with bow, but you know, you bring in someone like cease.

What I'm saying in spring training, please, God, 30 starts.

That's just what I want from you, please.

So I think that your evaluation of your team, you expect to be right and then you watch

the play unfold over the course of a six month season and you're just wishing you could

close your eyes and wake up and have a piece of cake.

Okay, I have a follow up.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

What if you have a 41 year old that you're bringing in who has a really good first start

in spring?

You read anything into that?

Did you care?

Get your care less.

I could really care less.

I would say that you don't really evaluate.

I love when the front office says, oh, we've got a very big battle going on in spring training

and there's a guy hitting 143 and there's a guy hitting 400.

So that changes the evaluation.

The true evaluations are really done prior to spring training and you've got, you've put

your team together on the board in your office before the first pitch is even thrown and

you're looking for confirmation bias if you can find it.

But if not, then you just say you just miss it is, hey, you know, not ready or they're

just not getting luck or whatever, whatever excuse you want to make on the fringes.

Maybe we have an opening on the 25th or 26th guy.

But my favorite is when, oh, we've got a competition for the 4th and 5th starter.

No, we don't.

We've lined up the rotation before the first game.

That's number one.

Number two, you're going to need 10 starting pictures through the course of the season.

So we never really cared about who the first five are.

We very much cared on who the first 10 were.

Great answer.

David, we appreciate your time.

You're the best, buddy.

You are the best.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I mean, you're like the fourth person.

It's the heart.

You're the fourth person to yell at me.

It's us.

Not even one.

Listen, it's early.

I understand you're tired.

You're trying to get your sea legs under you.

All of a sudden, the show moves fast, you know, what you're saying or how to say it.

You feel uncomfortable.

You're making Flemmi noises.

I get it, man.

I feel for you.

Thanks, David.

Yeah.

Be well.

Take care.

Thank you, buddy.

Have fun.

Thank you.

David Samson is hosted nothing personal with love that guy.

I'm making Flemmi noises, Jesus.

I still think Miami would be a good baseball.

You basically told him he was awful at his joke.

No, I didn't.

I'm saying that I did.

But it's the, it sounds like it's an impossible place to get a bunch of baseball fans

there.

Well, and also, even if they were good, it's also seems like it's impossible.

Yeah.

I mean, it's also.

For numerous reasons.

I've been looking into, you know, the large half of the communities there and they're

going to numerous reasons.

I'm sure.

But listen, I, I, um, yeah, I just, I, there's, I know you've played it, played in it.

Yeah.

And I've been lucky enough to be down in it and cover it and everything.

And I just, if you were baseball fan at some point, at some point, do yourself a favor.

Do yourself a favor and go and watch Winterball, whether it's in the ball, the Dominican

and particularly are some, the DR something else, but just the whole vibe is, um, first

time I took my wife, she couldn't believe it.

Oh, I see more baseball.

I have.

Yeah, it is.

She couldn't believe it.

It is.

She's like every night.

I'm like, every night.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's why I went.

That's why, you know, when, when I'm watching this tournament and I see that somebody,

when an MVP award in the Caribbean World Series or in the league, I look, I go, dude,

had a good year.

Like, that's something.

That was me.

That's a big.

I know why.

That's a big deal.

It was awesome.

It was the greatest, the greatest.

You still don't have to pay for a beer in, uh, the DR.

I know.

You're the man in the DR.

Well, one of them.

There's a lot of them.

Yeah.

That was fun.

And with that.

Yes.

I've annoyed enough people.

Yeah.

Have a great day.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.