Ben & Woods On Demand Podcast
Sam Levitt On Padres Successful Weekend, Injury Updates, And More!
We all belong outside. We're drawn to nature, whether it's the recorded sounds of the ocean we doze off to, or the succulents that adorn our homes. Nature makes all of our lives, well, better. Despite all this, we often go about our busy lives removed from it. But the outdoors is closer than we realize. With all trails, you can discover trails nearby and explore confidently. With offline maps and on-trail navigation, download the free app today and make the most of your summer with all trails. You don't just live in your home. You live in your neighborhood as well. So when you're shopping for a home, you want to know as much about the area around it as possible. Luckily, Homes.com has got you covered. Each listing features a comprehensive neighborhood guide from local experts. Everything you'd ever want to know about a neighborhood, including the number of homes for sale, transportation, local amenities, cultural attractions, unique qualities, and even things like median lot size and a noise score. Homes.com, we've done your homework. Nice! Today's episode is sponsored by NerdWallet Smart Money Podcast. Get your head in the financial game with smart investing and budgeting tips straight from the nerds. NerdWallet's experts will set future you up for success. With dependable, fact-based insights, no financial misinformation allowed. Learn how to save on your summer vacation. Find your next credit card or loan for a big purchase and invest in your next index fund. Make smarter decisions in 2024. Follow NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast on your favorite podcast ad. All right, let's talk to Sammy here. We got Sam Levitt with us here on 97.3. The fan is a Monday morning. Sammy, good morning to you. How was your weekend? Good morning, guys. Good weekend. A pretty fun couple of games in Boston to begin the series. And everything was great in the studio. So a good weekend. You had some FOMO too, I bet. You know, I mean, I've been to Boston a few times. I've been to Fenway a couple times. Watching that series, the weather, they had those first two games, Sammy. I was like, "God damn it!" I made the trip up to Boston and go watch these guys. Just kick the hell out of the red socks for the first two days, at least. I feel like we had a missed opportunity there, buddy. Yeah, it would have been great. I would have loved to have been there. And, you know, from both the work perspective and just enjoying baseball, I've been to Fenway Park one time, it was not to see a red socks game. But it was actually for the Cape Cod Baseball League workout. They would do that every year for all the guys in the Cape Cod League when I worked there for two summers. And it's actually a really cool experience because there are scouts all over the Cape League all summer. Around the Cape Cod League all-star game, they bring each team into dual workout where they have tons and tons of scouts sitting in the stands at Fenway. And it's a really cool opportunity for those guys, not just to work out in front of every scout you could imagine, but also get an experience of being on the field at Fenway. Back in the day, I think they actually played the all-star game at Fenway. Or maybe they do it again now. When I was there, they didn't do that. They only had the workout. But I remember the broadcast crew I was with at the time, and we were all in college and just really starting out. It was my friend Kevin, my friend Susie, my friend Matt. And we went up to the Green Monster. And actually, this weekend, I looked at that photo that we have on top of the Green Monster. And it was pretty cool. So Boston, I've been to Boston a lot growing up in New York. And when I was in Cape Cod, I mean, I spent two summers there. So I know that area pretty well. And yeah, I would have loved to have been there maybe next time. What was that terrible Cape Cod movie that they did? Summer! The Freddy Prince Catch. Jessica Beale. Jessica Beale. Yeah, Jessica Beale and Freddy Prince Jr. Yeah. I will say this, and I've seen that movie. It's not, I mean, it's obviously not realistic, I would say. But there were definitely aspects to it that were bought on. You know, when you think about like classic, you know, ballplayers showing up in the Cape Cod League and going around from field to field. I mean, I've said this to a lot of people. I think the Cape Cod League, not to get on two of a tangent on it. But I think the Cape Cod League is like a must-do baseball experience. Yeah, I'm into that. I really, really think that it is by far the best summer league in the country, you know, like you don't have to pay to go to the games. People literally put their blankets and chairs down in the morning and then they show up later and sit down and like, you know, they're playing at middle school fields and high school fields. And there really is sort of a mystique to it. And just sort of a love of the game field to it. And there's tons of scouts and everything's within an hour. You know, you just play one game and then that's it. And you play another game against another team the next night. It really is, I think for a baseball fan, a must experience. I really do because there is something really special about it. And they've had that. They've had that collegiate league out there forever, you know, with some of the best players going back a long way playing out there and getting their names out, you know, to go play with Woodback out there was originally kind of the real reason. So Jessica Beel there, Ben. So it's a great reason to go to see Jessica Beel. Right? I mean, can you promise? I can't promise you. That's the experience. I don't think you can. We got Sammy potential. Sammy Levitt with us in and woods. I just have to say, Sammy does such a great job on the pre and the post game shows, especially so unflappable. I was listening on Friday night after the game to Sammy's post game show. And you know, it was a Friday and it was Padres had won. It was a celebratory mood. And he took two or three straight calls in which the caller was less, let's just say less than 100% sober. And you could tell well, you could tell when they wanted to talk about Kyle Higashiosha. Sorry. Good morning. But Sammy does such a good job. And Josh Yosha. Higashiosha. Amazing. And I could just tell and you know, got a couple of those in a row. But Sammy is a pro. He keeps it lively, keeps it fun. He treats everyone with respect no matter how many three or four cocktails in before they give him a call. And I realized we don't ever get that experience in the morning. No, that would be a problem. That would be a problem. That means you have a problem. Generally, the people calling us are stone cold, sober it, you know, it's between six and 10 a.m. when we do take phone calls. But you, you have a lot of late evening programs, Sammy. So you get, you get some different clientele as part of your show. Yeah. Yeah. And it's all good. I mean, you know, people having to come on a Friday night after a Padres win. I mean, you know, what, especially when the team is, is I would say at home. Yeah. I mean, very often I am on the air still in the 10 30 to 11 p.m. hour, right, depending on how long the game goes. So I always say it on the post game, like we appreciate you wherever you're listening from. If you're on the way to your Friday night plans on the way home, maybe you're just going out. So what we are always happy to hear from you no matter what you've done earlier in the night, what you're going to do. If you're going to party, that's fine. Yeah, it's, it's all good. So it's, it's all part of the fun, I think, of the, of the post game life. Sammy, injury updates from the San Diego Padres. We saw a couple of new ones this morning. It's kind of mixed bag right now for the team. They've got some good news and they've got some more. I don't want to say concerning, but certainly news that gives you a little bit of pause right now. Yeah. If you guys wouldn't mind updating me, I, I, I, I, I, what was there something new that came out this morning before I helped them. I mean, the good news, the good news is is Andrew Bogart's is, is all track. Yeah, getting a CT scan today. And if it goes well, it could start a rehab assignment, Luis Camposana, rehab assignment in Lake Elsa today. But in the athletic, Dennis Lynn, right, talking to doctors. And basically, we're getting the sense that the, the optimistic timeline of Fernando Tete, Jr. returning maybe after the all star break is pretty darn optimistic. And then a more realistic view is this could be closer to a two month type injury to fully return from a stress reaction. And then we really shouldn't expect to see Fernando back anytime this month, if we're being honest with ourselves. Yeah. And I see Dennis's piece. I got, I got to read this once I get off. So I apologize for that for not being fully up to date on what Dennis wrote. But, you know, look, obviously with Dander with the CT scan, we heard about that on, on, on Friday in Boston. So, you know, look, it sounded like if that, you know, if the results from that came back favorable, like he was not all that far away from maybe going out on a rehab assignment at some point, you know, look, without reading specifically with Dennis wrote this morning, you know, I'm not super surprised, you know, if, if, you know, Fernando is going to be out of while. I mean, it, it, it sort of sounded that way. Now when the injury first happened, you know, it was sort of a murky timeline, right? I mean, I felt like there was, there was really no timeline put on it. But then you heard what Fernando said in the clubhouse later that day. And I, I felt like you could just kind of feel it and see it that this was going to be something that was long term. I will say, you know, I don't know if I expected, you know, two months or something like that. But look, the bottom line is this, they're going to have to continue to figure out how to stay afloat. And I think, you know, in an overall sense, you know, no matter how long Bogart takes to come back or Fernando is going to be out of really, really extended period of time. To me what, what they need to avoid is just sort of, you know, sort of going down one of those real downward spirals, right, that we've seen. Okay, because I actually, before I came on with you guys, I wasn't reading Dennis's article, but I was just jotting down what they've done since May 26th. And it really, I think says something because they won five of six, then they lost five in a row, then they won five of six, then they lost five in a row, and then they won nine of eleven to finish the month of June. And I think it just makes the point of, you know, look, they are going to have to continue to win the way they have won through these injuries. And that's planting baseball and getting contributions all over the place. But the one thing they just can't really afford to do, no matter how many off days they have, no matter some of the really good opponents they have coming up in July, one thing they just, you know, have to avoid is letting yesterday's loss turn into losing a bunch in a row. Yeah, for more. We're doing that, right? Right. Like yesterday I kept thinking about that Sunday game in Kansas City. And again, I'm not saying this is going to happen, but that was like a stretch where the Padres have played really well, not for as long as they have this time around. But somehow, some way that sort of surprisingly went and so losing five in a row and totally changing how you felt about what they were doing. So, you know, guys, I think maybe you're looking at a situation with this team where, look, if they end up playing at some sort of level like they played last week and a half, two weeks, that's awesome. But at bare minimum, you're just hoping they can, they can stay afloat, stay right in the mix of that wild card race and hopefully when they get these guys back or right there and it's like you're getting trade deadline acquisitions essentially. And again, I got to read what Dennis wrote this morning on Fernando, but I'm not, you know, I'm not super surprised just based on his reaction later that night when it came out that he was going on the IEL and this was not a little thing. This was something that was going to take some time. We all belong outside. We're drawn to nature, whether it's the recorded sounds of the ocean we doze off to or the succulents that adorn our homes. Nature makes all of our lives, well, better. Despite all this, we often go about our busy lives removed from it, but the outdoors is closer than we realize. With all trails, you can discover trails nearby and explore confidently with offline maps and on trail navigation, download the free app today and make the most of your summer with all trails. You don't just live in your home, you live in your neighborhood as well. So when you're shopping for a home, you want to know as much about the area around it as possible. Luckily, homes.com has got you covered. Each listing features a comprehensive neighborhood guide from local experts, everything you'd ever want to know about a neighborhood, including the number of homes for sale, transportation, local amenities, cultural attractions, unique qualities, and even things like median lot size and a noise score. Homes.com. We've done your homework. Nice. Today's episode is sponsored by NerdWallet Smart Money Podcast. Get your head in the financial game with smart investing and budgeting tips straight from the nerds. NerdWallet's experts will set future you up for success. With dependable, fact-based insights, no financial misinformation allowed. Learn how to save on your summer vacation, find your next credit card or loan for a big purchase and invest in your next index fund. Make smarter decisions in 2024. Follow NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast on your favorite podcast app. I don't think the message has changed really at all from us. You got to hang around. You know, that's it. Just hang around. And if you play 500 baseball through the month of July, which again, you're going to have a ton of off days, but the schedule is pretty difficult with some really difficult teams. You've played well against tough teams so far this season, that can't change certainly. And you do need to try to handle up on the teams that may be struggling a little bit. That would be a nice change of pace for the San Diego Padres. But really at the end of the day, man, get through July, you should be able to get a little healthier with many, many off days in there, Sammy. But really, hang around, hang around till the end of July, reevaluate. I mean, I just don't think anything's changed. I love the 9 out of 10. Certainly, it's not something I'm expecting more of with more guys going down and more guys, you know, getting drilled in the arm with 100 mile an hour base hits up the middle. It just you just have to hang around because the NL is really nothing to write home about. But don't be that team that just goes off the cliff that we've seen. We've seen that here in San Diego. So I understand why people are on edge about it a little bit. But man, watching this team play, watching what they're capable of has been awesome. It's awesome. I hope that continues it. If you lose a few here and there, you just got to staunch the bleeding. You can't have those five gamers anymore. Those have killed us. Right, right. Because I don't know, you know, it's a good point. Like, again, I just think they need to find a way to avoid losing streaks, right? To avoid the kind of stretches that we saw earlier this year. Now, look, that may be easier said than done because I think this team, especially in the last, you know, 10, 11 games, look, they've played great. And it's because they're getting contributions all over, whether it's Higgie, whether it's Jackson Merrill, whether it's, you know, just, you know, even the bullpen this weekend was really good. And I know they were dealing with big leads, but that was, I guess, somewhat encouraging that the bullpen was better. And obviously, Manny heating up the way he has. That goes an enormously long way. But yeah, when you zoom out and you look at the picture like, yeah, I mean, you Darvish is out and there's not a ton of information on when he's going to come back. Joe Musgrove, we know it's going to be at least a while for him. And then, you know, now the situation with Fernando may be being lengthier than what he originally anticipated. And Sanders still a, you know, a ways away. It's going to be at least I would imagine a couple of weeks based on what the results are today of that scan. So yeah, it's, they're in a really interesting spot guys, right? Like they're, they are playing well and they're, they're more than staying afloat right now. And then you've got the trade deadline looming and how do they add and what do they want to add and what would they be willing to trade? Like, and then in the context of this really wide open NL. So it's, it's an interesting spot. And, you know, look, you hope those guys, whether it's you or Joe or Fernando or Xander, yeah, I mean, you want those guys back as pick as, as humanly possible. But, you know, that, that help is obviously just even on Xander's front still appears to be a bit of a ways away. Well, first up in July is a three game series against the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers who had lost six in a row, seven in a row, I think, or six in a row before yesterday. And then they won yesterday. But one match up, I mean, not that they're head to head, but the two rookies, Wyatt Langford, who has been playing really well, including a cycle yesterday. First in base watching a season incredible yesterday against Jackson Merrill, who's probably at least in consideration for, you know, nationally player of the week or even player of the month with the kind of month that he put together going to be some rookie, rookie people looking at rookies this, this week when the Padres take on the Rangers. Yeah, for sure. And look, Wyatt Langford, he played better. He did not get off to a great start, you know, unlike Jackson Merrill, who kind of hit the ground running at the start of the year. But, you know, just on Merrill, man, it just, I think we talked about him last week, but it just continues to be remarkably impressive. And the way this guy rises to the moment and to do what he did at Fenway and his mom sitting out in center field, and he nearly hits a home run right into her lap in center. I mean, it's just, it's remarkable. And I actually, not that, you know, I'm not a betting guy, but I did want to go look up at one of the major sports books, just like what are the odds, right? For Merrill and rookie of the year right now. And I think when I looked over the weekend, he had the second best odds to win rookie of the year of the NL. And, you know, right now, I, you know, and look, I know Imanaga was, had been really, really good. And yeah, Moto had been really, really, really good, you know, and now was injured. But like, if you just want to look at him, Merrill, and schemes, you know, look, you may be ultimately looking at a two man race there. And when what I'll be curious about is aid as Paul schemes, you know, keep, keep up the pace. He's that and he's been terrific. You know, how many innings is he going to throw? Is that going to be enough to win a rookie of the year? We're going to find out. But I, I said this, if there's somebody on the phones over the weekend, like, I think, you know, we all would love to see him do something like that and win that kind of award. But regardless of that, just on Jackson, he is certainly having a rookie of the year caliber season. So, you know, whether he ends up winning the hardware or not, you know, I guess really isn't the point. But man, he, he just, he's got something about him. And again, I, I think I said it to you last week that, you know, we all showed up at spring training and it was clear he was going to get an opportunity. And I think a credit to the Padres, they were right. He was ready. And I think he's certainly, you know, even exceeded the expectations we could have had to this point. Well, Sammy, I enjoy the day off here. And then we'll, we'll catch you tomorrow. We got, I believe a 405 eco water SoCal pregame show 505 first pitch against the Texas Rangers in the series opener. We'll hear from you then. All right, sounds good guys. Have you heard? I think I'm, I think I'm doing six, the 10 on Friday. Oh, are you feeling it for us? You got to cover our ass? I did not know that. I thought the whole station was off. I believe, I believe, unless, unless I'm, unless something is changed during Adam, we're on traveling. I mean, I, I somehow have been so sorry. Now I feel bad taking the day off. And there's a game that night. And then you've got a game that night against Arizona at home. I don't know. We'll talk to Adam. We'll talk to the. It's okay. No, no, no. I, I kind of, I kind of volunteered. Of course. I volunteered. He's probably calling a minor league game tonight somewhere. It's, she's crazy. He works all the time. I'll talk NBA. I'm going to have fun. I, I think I'm going to try not to talk baseball from six to seven. All right. So you're not allowed just so, you know, Sammy. We do have rules. We do have rules. What kind of programs does this school have? How are the test scores? How many kids do a classroom? Homes.com, those, these are all things you ask when you're home shopping as a parent. That's why each listing on homes.com includes extensive reports on local schools, including photos, parent reviews, test scores, student teacher ratio, school rankings, and more. The information is from multiple trusted sources and curated by homes.com's dedicated in-house research team. It's also you can make the right decision for your family. Homes.com. We've done your homework. Today's episode is sponsored by NerdWallet Smart Money Podcast. Get your head in the financial game with smart investing and budgeting tips straight from the nerds. NerdWallet's experts will set future you up for success with dependable fact-based insights. No financial misinformation allowed. Learn how to save on your summer vacation. Find your next credit card or loan for a big purchase and invest in your next index fund. Make smarter decisions in 2024. Follow NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast on your favorite podcast ad. Trying to figure out what to eat for dinner yet again? With north sides and bouillon as you're not so secret ingredient, you can skip the drive through and do dinner at home. Nor taste combos provide a menu of delicious, affordable, and well-balanced meals that you can prepare in 30 minutes or less. Visit nor.com to get quick and easy recipe ideas for your home-cooked weeknight dinners. It's not fast food, but it's so good. How do you fantasy football fans? Do you want to be the owner who was doing a crime session the night before the draft? I didn't think so. You need to start your prep now. This is Faraz from Upper Hand Fantasy. Zach and I are here to get you ready for your fantasy football drafts with insights and advice from sleepers to bust. We've got you covered and give it the upper hand on your friends. Today is the day to start getting ready for the draft. So join us and stay ahead of the competition. Follow and listen to Upper Hand Fantasy on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your