Bret hops on with Shan & RJ to talk about the All-Star Game, HR Derby and if we should consider moving the mound back.
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up in Seattle well actually a charity event and I came home and you know I was I was in and out I didn't watch the whole thing in its in its entirety but so Tony hit the Homer they come I wanted to see schemes how he handled that first inning handled a fine hand in the like a champ saw the Otani Homer to ran hits the Homer ends up winning the MVP you know I've watched so many all-star games and yeah I like to tune in but at this stage it's kind of a it's an exhibition and it's I'll take it in pieces did you watch the Derby a little bit of the Derby Derby how did you spice it up if you feel like it needs to be spiced up because we were kind of bored with it here here's where I've gone on the Derby okay back in our day when we hit it was it was 10 outs there were a lot less home runs a lot less action it was fine then they tweaked it it got a little bit better a few years ago I would say it's really exciting because of the amount of home runs and I used to think well puts a lot of pressure on the batting practice guy to throw strikes now I was watching the Derby and it looks like it's so easy to hit a home run now it seems like the BP guy is five feet away and it's like a flip to him there's no there's no batting practice it's just kind of here you go like like I would do to my to my son because my arm shot I don't know it it seems like it's gotten really really easy to hit the home runs and I see as a fan what you're saying when I'm kind of bored of it just kind of the same old same old I think years ago four or five years ago when it with this format was tweaked to the current format I thought it was exciting but I'm with you I'm kind of getting bored like I need something else I need something new I don't I can't put my finger on it though I don't know what it is I don't know what it is but I'm with you it's kind of getting to the point where okay we've seen this enough what are we gonna do next right when we talk about specifically on the dirt we trying to get people like Aaron judge or show hey Otani you get some of those bigger names involved right what moves what would move the needle for a player from your perspective as a player what would is it just more prize money would it be some other thing that they would get more interested in it the display or the actual format what moves the needle for them to want to participate do you think I don't know if there's anything you can do at this stage it's like a million bucks yeah go out there for a half hour and kind of put on a good showing and all you're worried about is kind of don't embarrass myself and and at least at least return serve I don't know I've never I've never quite understood the mindset of someone that didn't I think we've talked about this before I'll tell you I think when you you have such a little short time in this game you know you figure that out a little bit more when you retire but once you're in it to just appreciate embrace everything that comes your way as a Major League Baseball player I think as players we get caught up in the rut and it's go go go and it's grinding it's 162 games and you don't take the time to appreciate what we get to do for a living now as far as the awards that the all-star games every all-star game and I didn't get to make nine or ten all-star games I made three and every one I cherish I thought this is awesome I got selected big league all-star game I want a gold glove wow that's unbelievable I get invited to to participate in the home run Derby and my attitude wasn't I've been at a Derby I don't need to go no I'm gonna soak in everything I can and I don't understand the mindset of the guys my my ankles a little sore I'm gonna sit this one out no big deal and I'm thinking I don't know I just can't get into that mindset for a Derby I don't care how many durries I hit it you invite me that's an honor I'm going I'm going if you're inviting me that means I move the needle a little bit I've hit a lot of home runs I've had a really good first half so I don't know what the what the incentive is more than a million bucks we had nothing when when we were hit now playing participating in the home run Derby Brett for the times and you didn't make the the the all-star festivities did you feel that much more refreshed with this time off than when you participated I really didn't I really didn't I don't buy into the the you know it's gonna mess with your swing or I need a break when you're in the game and you're of that age yeah it's a long season but it's more mentally mentally grueling than physically every year yeah everybody likes to say when you don't make the all-star game yeah I let I need these days off well that's because you didn't make it what else you're gonna say but if it were up to me and I could redo it I would have got selected every single year of my career and I wouldn't have worried about being tired we could be tired we were tired honestly insider Brett Boone join us here 105 of the fan one of our baseball insiders suggested maybe moving the mound back that it's yes that it's time yeah and oh wait wait a minute you're talking in the and the actual game perhaps yeah just because you know the mounds been 60 feet six inches for you know a hundred years and you now we're seeing pitchers throwing you know ten miles an hour faster at the at the peak then you know then they were even 15 years ago right 20 years ago and is it is it just time is the game evolved the players evolved to the point where it's just harder to keep up and that's why pitching so dominant and you get in the all-star game and from the sixth inning on your face and elite closures and it's just very very hard to score you're talking about moving them out that's now that's big time to go to to that degree I don't think I'm right I'm not ready for it here's what I think about this pitching dominant hitting all that okay I think I think the reason the pitching is becoming more dominant is because of the way we're we're bringing these hitters up and what we're telling them is important I think you're getting away from playing the game the way it's supposed to be played it's all about getting on base walks hitting the ball over the wall and I think it's a horrible approach and I think it results in low averages when you're talking about moving the mound back yeah I think the velocity is up maybe even from my generation you know 10 15 years ago I'd say it's up probably two points across the board which sounds like a little bit but it is a lot when it comes to that this discussion can go somebody depending on who you're talking about arguments with current players I've had arguments with my dad I've had arguments with my generation and it comes that here's my lame intake when my grandfather was playing I'm sure they weren't throwing that hard I'm sure in my dad's generation the velocity was up and my dad probably looked at my grandfather's general what what you know how hard were you guys throwing 86 I looked at my dad's generation you go back and you look at the 80s and 70s tape it's different it's different the game evolves this generation definitely throw it's the greatest hitters on earth against the greatest pitchers on earth and it's always been 60 feet six inches so to change I don't think it's a big deal for the hitters because they come up in this generation they've been facing this velocity a little bit more than then when I was a kid facing that velocity so I think it's all relevant in the end they all train the same the pitchers are are throwing harder they train a different way the hitters are bigger stronger faster they train a different way so I don't know I don't know I don't think I'm ready to move the mound back that would that would kind of creep me out Brett Boone here on the home of the Rangers via the D&M leasing hotline on 1053 the fair all right let's move it forward now to the second half the Rangers are five back seven and three in their last 10 took the Astros series right before the break have you altered or changed your mind with the way the Rangers finished out the first half about how they should approach the deadline in the second half there are only five games out in the division I think I think the Rangers root if there is going to be a route to the postseason this year is more division than the wild card you know I see a lot of a wild card and the American League wild cards really interesting you know with Kansas City being a play all of a sudden Tampa Bay is 500 and they were dead and gone to me Minnesota is a good team Minnesota someone that I didn't take that series out of the gate of Minnesota's good they can pitch that's that's a good team Yankees they'll rebound they had a rough run so so what I'm saying is the wild card a lot of quality there I look at the Rangers in the wild card there's seven and a half out and that's just I think too many too many teams to leapfrog you now go over to the A.L. West where that Seattle Mariner team three four weeks ago at a 10 game lead over the Houston Astros it's down to one I've said it since the beginning I think the A.L. West is the most vulnerable it's ever been I think the Rangers have been beat up the offenses and even close to what it was a year ago but then you look at a Carter and a young and and the key and and I think you're all going to agree with it's the ground it's the ground you got Scherzer back he's pitching good you got Evaldi is proven that he's a horse he's a number one I think the pitching staff the starting rotation for the Rangers during the first half with all the the injuries that you've had have done a pretty good job when you talk about Lorenzo and Haney and Gray and you've all he's been in and out on and off the E.I.L. you get Scherzer back do you get de Grom back and is he the de Grom were used to seeing when healthy if so this this American League West is completely up for grabs the Rangers easily could do that I think they have to at the trading deadline I think they've got to assess I think they need some bullpen help but by no means is this division over Brett Brett isn't it sorry is it is in a case where when you you have that situation where you feel like you're teetering on figuring out if you're gonna buy or sell when you have a run like that going into the also break is it the case where you'll have veterans on the team in these situations kind of go to management say like hey fight for us a little bit here like like we're having some success or do they generally keep those separate from players in the front office it all depends on a case by case basis you've got a guy like Bruce Bocey believe me he's gonna be having discussions they're gonna be having discussions with him because Bruce has that way about him he's approachable Bruce is a guy after the game sitting around having a beer you go to Bruce go we need some help Bruce would we will talk you through it I think that Rangers team if they if they prove that they can stay somewhat close I think they're gonna be buyers at this stage you're coming off a World Series Championship you've just got the biggest bite of the apple that's fresh in your mind yeah it hasn't been a good half first half for you but if they're even relatively close I don't think they're sellers at all I think they're buyers to go for it again which is probably the hardest thing to do in sports when back-to-back World Series I just see a lot of positive things on the horizon you know Carter's gonna start hitting young's gonna close to going on a rehab I was just looking at this yesterday Boceys really encouraged he's he's saying with de Grom's progress at this point but for me it all comes down to de Grom you get de Grom a healthy de Grom for the second half or a good fortune of it that's a game changer right there but that bullpen you need to go out and address a bullpen which a lot of teams have to that Seattle Mariner team they can pitch one through five they're as good as anybody they're bullpen they need a little help and and they're they've got the worst offense not only in the American League in both leagues Houston to me really good offense I don't know that Verlander's gonna be Verlander of the past he's out with a neck injury they they lost who they lose at the beginning of the season Javier that's a big loss yeah still got Valdez you got Valdez you got Blanco brown I gotta see a little more brown to think if if he's a difference maker but Houston's gonna be there that they need to address some things too if they want to make a run them only being won out I don't they don't have the pitching close to what they had a year ago that but that offenses is formidable as any offense in the American League still it's gonna be an interesting race a good race Ranger can sit stay close I think that organization goes for it they become buyers and and not sell it but I think what's great about baseball now in the real changes two months out man that gets you strategic when in the past it was kind of easy we got a month ago yeah there's only eight playoff spots we're out of it it was pretty cut and dry now a days 12 playoff spots two months out you got to make a decision I think it's it's great from an entertainment value in major league baseball awesome stuff thank you brother we'll talk to you next time thanks guys Brett Boone host the Brett Boone podcast and Odyssey original make sure to follow the Brett Boone podcast on the Odyssey app or subscribe wherever you get your podcast let's find out what it was like inside the globe last night crosstalk with the K&C masterpiece right after this take your business further with a smart and flexible American Express business gold card it offers flexible spending capacity that adapts to your business you can also earn up to $395 in annual statement credits on eligible purchases at select business merchants that's the powerful backing of American Express terms apply learn more at American Express dot com slash business gold card
