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It's nothing you did. It's not you, it's me. It's not you, it's you, but you didn't cross me. And the Bulldog. Why did I choose women to stay in school? Now WGR Sports Radio 550. Happy to have you with us here on this Wednesday afternoon, I am the Bulldog Mike Shope is on vacation this week. We are pleased to be joined right now on the western hotline by Odyssey Major League Baseball Insider Brett Boone. Insider calls are presented by Granger with supplies and solutions for every industry Granger has the right product for you. Call click Granger dot com or just stop by. Brett is also the host of the Brett Boone podcast featuring the most notable names in Major League Baseball and around sports every week. Brett, it strikes me here, we've been doing this since last season. I feel like one or the other of us is almost always not here when we have you on. I don't know why it's happened this way, but it seems to be happening that way. So Mike is away again. When you're, when you're monthly things like that, right? And it's baseball season, which also happens to be summer. So you know, we, we don't exactly get to take time off during football season over here, Brett. That's how things go. Anyway, how you been? How's summer treating you? Good. Traveling a lot. You know, we're going station to station right now, we did a little New Jersey trip and a wide trip. And I just got back from Seattle. I did a few of Mariner events headed off to Indiana that I got braved weekend. I'm busy. I'm busy. It's busy time of year. Sounds like it, but we're glad you still have time for us here in Buffalo. I wanted to start with you. The White Sox ended a 21 game losing streak yesterday. And I don't know. I'm a little reluctant. We don't know each other very well at all here. We've been doing this, like I said, since last season. So I don't know if there's scar tissue here, but like the losing streak. I mean, from afar, like it's easier for me to just go, boy, the White Sox, holy cow. Look at this historic, you know, bad run there on, but they ended last night. Like what is it like on a team? I mean, it's August, right? Dog days time and they hadn't won a game, I think, since early July. But what comes to mind when I bring up losing streaks to you, are you going to hang up on me? It's unbelievable. I mean, you're right. I mean, since July, it's like, it's almost like they're in the NFL. You know, sometimes you go four weeks without a win. Right. Baseball. That's not very good. Man, what a year the White Sox and what a change of events from four years ago. I was so optimistic about the future of the White Sox three, four years ago and it's just not gone as planned, they ended up, you know, selling off what they could. They kept crochet at the trading deadline, but they got rid of some guys at the deadline. They need a revamping complete. I kind of I feel for a Pedro Grifal who's the skipper there because a lot falls on your shoulders and you're the skipper. It doesn't matter if the players play good, they play bad at the end of the day. The wins and losses are hung around your neck. So it's just been such a tough. I couldn't imagine. I've been on some tough teams, believe me, I, you know, I've been on some great teams. I've been on three or four really, really, you know, World Series caliber team and then I've been on some tough teams too and I've been on some OK teams, you know, so I've run the gamut in my career on the teams I've been on. But my bad teams, I couldn't imagine losing that many in a row. I mean, we've been on some losing streaks. I remember an 07 man, we had a tough red team, more and very good. I think in 2000 we came in dead last when I was with the Padres, we are actually better than that. We just didn't pitch very much. We had some offense, but I couldn't imagine losing that many games in a row. And I was thinking about it after a while, I'm thinking, man, it's just one pitcher's got to step up and have a big day. That's it and the game's over when you put out. I don't care if you put out a triple A or double A offense. It's just all you need is one good pitcher's performance and you're going to win a game at the big leg level, so it was actually nice to kind of, I'm sure for them they could breathe a little bit. It probably felt like for them, they were never going to win another game. But yeah, I've definitely been on the short side when it comes to winning and losing streaks. But man, that was one for the ages. How much does that test the medal? You mentioned the manager's role in this, but man, I just imagine you've got, it's not a huge roster, but you've got a lot of personalities. And is it the kind of thing that really tests whether you guys are together or not? I might be more curious to hear you talk about a good team that had a bad stretch and how you handled it versus a bad team that knows they're not going anywhere and are just mired in a slump. Well, I mean, I looked at my teammates over the years and great teammates are guys that kind of say even keel, they're pros. So I'm not saying when you're going good and you're rolling it personally, you're in a really good stretch. I'm not saying after the game not to play a little music and have a smile on your face. There's nothing wrong with that. But also I expect when you're in the dog days and you've lost five in a row and you're one for your last 15. I don't expect you to be in the fetal position in the corner either. I expect you to be pro and I expect you to stay on kind of an even keel, you know, that line in the middle is we don't get too high. We don't get too low. I know it's an old cliche, but it's true. And the more I played in this game, it's easy to do car wheels when things are going great. But I want to see, I want to see what kind of teammate you are, what kind of men are in that room that make up that 26th man roster when the blank hits the fan. I mean, because that shows me who I want to be in the foxhole with, you know, there's never been a winning losing team that I've been on where the camaraderie was all that great. I mean, there's finger pointing and that's just what happens when you lose, you know, it's just a part of the deal. And then when you win, you know, I was on a team in 2001 to 116 games that believe me. Twenty six guys were the best friends in the world and tends to happen. I remember a quote from, you know, a reporter came up to me in the middle of that madness and we had like a 14 game lead at the break. I mean, we were just having one of those years and he said, I put the mic on my face and he said, you know, it's really, it's really amazing to watch how Lou Panell has really grown and kept his temperament and I looked at him and started laughing. I said, if he can't keep a smile on his face on this team, there's no hope for him. But it has nothing to do with Lou, he's still a crazy bad. He just wins every night so he can't help but smile. So it's just one of those things. It's tough when you're losing, it's really tough and that's why I mentioned the manager. There's only so much these guys can do and so much is put on their shoulders. All you can do is get your players in the best position that you can from a managerial position to succeed and once that national anthem ends and the game starts, there's not too much you can, yeah, you can bring the right in and you can bring the left in a computer these days can do that. But it's really about managing personnel, no different than really the business world. What can I say to player A to get the best result and maybe player B, I have to treat in a different manner to get the same results in the end. So yeah, you feel for the manager at this point but you also feel for those players because they've been through a long haul and it's definitely a humbling experience when you're going through it but the guys that get through it and get off the ground, dust themselves off and start next year with a different attitude and learn from it. Well, those are the guys that usually have that longevity in the game. Being in this gig as long as my normal partner Mike and I have been, believe me, we've been all over the chicken or the egg conversation about chemistry winning, like you need good chemistry to win or does winning breed good chemistry and it sounds from you like the latter has been your experience. We win, we're all good. Oh, yeah, it's easy to be good when you win, yeah, pop another bottle of champagne, let's get it going. We win every day. Yeah, that's easy. I want to see you when you're down. I'll tell you this, I got to Atlanta in 1999 and I was one of those guys that you told me about chemistry and yeah, that's all great but give me the best talent in the world. Let me steamroll my opponent on a daily basis. That's 1999 Atlanta team. It was workman like we got to the ballpark, we put our lunch pails down, we kicked somebody's butt, we went on, I think we won 100, 400, 60 games right here, lost in the world series to the Yankees. So that's what I always thought. Now chemistry is overrated. I got to the Seattle in the early 2000s and we had a great team. Don't get me wrong, we won 116 games, the greatest, regular season ever team. I don't know if we were the most talented but I'll tell you what, we had all the famers on that team, we had batting chance, we had gold gloverers, silver sluggers all over that lineup and it just so happens that everything went perfect for us too, we had three or four guys have career years all at the same time, we stayed healthy or starting rotation especially. We just didn't miss a beat. It was one of those magic, magic years. It was a veteran based team and I remember it wasn't a very egotistical team. It was the most confident team I've ever been around but it wasn't from an ego standpoint. It was just matter of fact and it was a look, it was a wink, it was a nod when we were in the dugout. We didn't have to say much but if it was, we were down by two in the seventh, it was a look to a teammate and a look to another teammate and without using words, it was basically you know we're going to come back and score three and win this game, right? Without saying words and it was kind of a nod and a smile and off we go and the next thing you know we're tied, we end up winning that game. It's something that permeated on the field and I don't mean to get hokey or woo woo on you but I'm telling you, I can't really give it due diligence to explain what it was like going through. I don't think we lost a series till September that year. Oh my gosh. I mean it's like our worst series we went to and to and you know the only thing and there's an asterisk by that team now and kind of a negative connotation because oh yeah that 116 Maritine but they got the, they didn't win the World Series which is true because when you set the bar that high you're expected to win it all and looking back man what could we have done different? Did we take the Yankees for granted in the ALCS who knows but always be proud to be a part of it and you know I just to this day when I get together with the guys from that team we just look at each other and go how did we not finish the deal but it's baseball it's hard that's why World Series trophies are elusive after the Dodgers of recent time that had an 111 game season won over a hundred a few times and really outside of 2020 have nothing you know from a World Series standpoint to show for it. They're really elusive and I watch every year when the World Series champion you know emerges on that field and I just look at the player and I said I hope you embrace this man I take that thing for a long time I never got to win one but they're pretty dark special. We are enjoying our monthly visit with Brett Boone on the Western Hotline here and Sider Calls are brought to you by Granger for the ones who get it done Granger offers professional grades supplies and solutions made for every industry and backed by product experts call clickgranger.com or just stop by so Trade Deadline came and went last week I don't know winners losers like who impressed you and maybe who do you think didn't do enough? Well I look at I made my list that's all the things all the moves around baseball a lot of players change uniforms change club houses during there was a lot of volume but I look at it this way with the new format 12 teams making it to the postseason and the trade deadline mean move back to two months before the end of the season it's a real sellers market because there's not too many sellers anymore because of the way it's constructed there's a lot more teams in the race for a lot longer so teams that are hey one or two games out of the wildcard we're not sellers here they were the obvious sellers the white socks the Miami Marlins but in past years there's been a lot more sellers so so it was kind of thin you heard about the crochets of the world you heard heard about the scoobles of the world maybe a Vladimir Guerrero junior but none of the big guys went at the deadline if I look at it and for my winners I think the Mariners did a really good job with what was out there that I know they were trying to get Diaz from the Tampa Bay race and then I'm not getting him but they got a Rosarina who got off to the worst start of his career got a real postseason track record in the positive and you got a you got a Justin Turner who for me is one of my favorite players to watch I think he's had such a really good career professional hitter well respected he's age 39 now so he's not the guy from five six years ago but the presence he can have going back to chemistry the presence he can have in that locker room in Seattle a Rosarina with the big personality I think that's going to bode well for a Julio Rodriguez who hasn't had a great year Mariners star almost a little bit of competition there Turner sitting there it kind of reminds me of the Edgar Martinez in my day the old man that sits at the end of the locker room that has the respect of the entire locker room and if you got a question he's there to kind of comfort you and give a little stability that clubhouse also low-key they got Garcia from the Blue Jays I think that's great to put in their bullpen because they needed some help in the bullpen Mariners have the best starting kitchen in all of baseball and and one of the one of the worst offenses so I think they improved I also think the Padres improved they're really they got a Jason Adam and Tanner Scott to really solidify that bullpen to go around go go with Suarez who is their closer I think they've got the best bullpen in baseball right now Tati's coming back soon they got a really good offense top in the league and and three pretty good starting pitchers right now so I think the Padres did well for themselves that's improved a little bit Dodgers improved a little bit but other than that I don't think there were any huge winners just a lot of guys changing uniforms did it surprise you Toronto didn't move any of their big guys there's a lot of chatter up here I mean it's been a very very I know we bring them up every you know the farm team is here triple A teams here in Buffalo and you know we have a significant audience in southern Ontario so I do like to mention the blue Jays when we have the pleasure to talk to you that the the build has gone awry and there was talk about maybe jettisoning jettisoning some of the big guys they didn't do that what do you think of the way forward is for the blue Jays no I I agree I was very you know the blue Jays ended up parting ways with with Turner Trevor Richards Garcia Kukuchi did go to the Astros and Connor Folefa he moved on but I really thought they were going to break it up and I heard the talk that no we're going to we're going to keep gladi and we're going to we're going to keep Boba shet and we're going to make another run but then I'm looking at their pitching staff and you got a burials you got a gossment you got to pass it and the way it was looking this year I thought it was going to be a fire sale in Toronto but I did have Jim Bowden on my podcast right before the deadline the day of the deadline and he said booney from what I'm hearing gladi is off limits they're not going to trade the farm they're going to they're going to try to read they're going to try to go with this core group of guys and try to do it one more time now even when a guy like Jim who's well connected that's it his thing trade deadline behind the scenes I still didn't believe him and then when he came to fruition yeah he was he was dead on because I was pulling for the Seattle Mariners to get a Vladimir Guerrero that would have been a huge boon to their offense and that that didn't happen so yes I was very surprised because I had high expectations I remember doing the pre-game the pre-season opening and you know given all our picks what do we know but it's fun to really break it down I had to I had to run a win in that division this year how long was I you know they're in last place Baltimore and the Yankees are top of the division killing it but yeah to me Blue Jays along with that White Sox that I mentioned at the top of the show being a disappointment with that talent level with that pitching staff at starting rotation this year I think they're one of the biggest under-achieving teams in all of baseball and and yeah it was interesting at the deadline it didn't happen they didn't have a fire sale and they're going to go for a one more time we'll see Brett you mentioned the you know the wildcard the expanded playoffs keeps more teams in it so there's fewer sellers so sellers that were willing to sell did did you know did well it strikes me like not just the wildcard races the the pennant rate the the division races at least in the American League are all pretty close I mean you got a uh almost a dead heat in the AL East with the Yankees and the Orioles the Guardians who have the best record in baseball only have three and a half game lead on the twins the Mariners only a half game up on the Astros the National League's a little more stretched out but they we're having a pretty pretty good summer as far as the races go absolutely the parody's been great and the Dodgers have really been beat up this year with all their big the Yamamoto and the Otani signing in the off season there was a lot of excitement and you know in Dodgerland like this was a super team well it's a super team if everybody's healthy but you've lost a lot of guys a lot of key guys on that team for for an extended period so they've kind of gone taking their lumps a little bit still a great team but San Diego's playing really good right now and so are the Arizona Diamondbacks and they're only four and four and a half games out respectfully so that race isn't over I don't think in the in the NL West with all the with all the bumps and bruises the Dodgers have had you go to the AL you go to the AL West with the Mariners man they get the best pitching in baseball that Houston started off he thought that end of that juggernaut and winning division every year was was coming to an end and all of a sudden they're right back in it you know Texas Rangers I don't know I keep my eye on them with the Grom coming back they could can you make a run they seem that they just can't get it going so I think that's going to come down between Houston and Seattle Yankees and Baltimore they're both going to be playoff teams if it's interesting look out for Boston too by the way in that division Boston's been sneaky quiet all year and they're pretty darn good they pitch they can hit they can really hit don't have the huge name recognition like a lot of the other teams you always think of a Raphael Devers I'll tell you what that Boston team's really good I think this new format from a fans perspective from an ex-players perspective entertainment value good for the game of baseball I think it's wonderful the 12 teams the pennant races man you're talking I know in Buffalo you're talking a lot of football but there's usually a lot more cities right now have completely dismissed their baseball team and they're forced to talk about it because of this race so I think for the overall good of the game I think it's tremendous now I put my player hat on I hate it because I loved as a player playing the 162 and that grind and at the end how rewarding it was to be atop that division because that's hard to do and usually the best team to one I think in today's game it's easiest well I don't think I know it's the easiest it's ever been to get to that postseason it's kind of watered down the postseason you know you guys can put postseason on their resume that back in the day you had to really earn it so as a player I like the old way I like that grind and usually the best two teams were sitting there in the World Series these days not necessarily so there's a lot of teams that get to the table and like a year ago with Arizona and Texas if you tell me anybody predicted that I'd say you're crazy or you're lying because that doesn't happen but it shows the parody in the game it shows the exciting and as a baseball fan and now I don't have to play and nothing's on my resume I love watching the postseason I think it's really entertaining and good for the game of baseball I was thinking about this point when you were talking about your 116 win season that you lost the Yankees and the playoffs like more playoffs now make it even more likely for a team that has that great year that runs away with a division title and hides to have to go through an extra lay or a playoffs it increases the likelihood of them not winning the World Series which is yeah that's that's right to your point you just made it's tough without a doubt there's so many landmines now just to get there's great but then you know it's almost like in today's game it's so much that there's so many injuries everybody's hurt all the time it seems like the key is play pretty good get a seat at the table and be a hundred percent healthy going into that playoff run if you can do that in this current format anything can happen and anybody can win so not necessarily years or even if you go 10 years ago breaking down the playoffs you pretty had yet a pretty good idea who the best teams were and who should probably get I look at the playoffs now I have no clue are you good yeah they're great but but I could see Baltimore winning too I can see the Phillies I never count the Braves out they've had a tough offensive year I'd never count them out I never count the Dodgers out look at the Padres coming all off strong and making their bullpen the Seattle Mariners have the best pitching baseball so if you had to nail me down right now say who's gonna win the world I got no clue I could throw four teams out there and whatever sticks sticks so like I said the parody the inability to really truly handicap and say who's gonna win the World Series is really tough now but I think it makes for a lot of surprises and a lot of postseason excitement Brett really enjoy the visits very much look forward to talking with you in a month again and maybe let's talk to our guys your people call my people see if we could do it a little more than once a month maybe we'll get on every I don't know by weekly or something but yeah I always enjoy talking with you guys good deal Brett thank you very much again appreciate it thank you that is Major League Baseball Insider excuse me Odyssey Major League Baseball Insider Brett Boone insider calls are presented by Granger with supplies and solutions for every industry Granger has the right product for you call click Granger.com or just stop by we'll get back into some football conversation maybe a little Olympics as we go five o'clock will be on the Bears with Chris Emma the Bears of course are coming to town to take on the Bills on Saturday so with the low down on that end of that matchup as we move into the five o'clock hour as well lines are open if you've got anything you want to get off your chest here feel free to join me 803 0550 is the number Mike Schope is on vacation this week along with Zach Jones I'm the Bulldog and this is WGR take your business further with a smart and flexible American Express business gold card you can earn four times points on your top two eligible spending categories every month like transit US restaurants and gas stations that's the powerful backing of American Express four times points on up to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars and purchases per year terms apply learn more at american express comm slash business gold card
