Ben Ennis is back! and is joined alongside Brent Gunning to kick off The FAN Morning Show. Ben gets to weigh in on the Leafs transferring the captaincy from John Tavares to Auston Matthews. The re-united morning duo ponders whether this counts as making things uncomfortable for this group of TML players and what its effect is on Auston Matthews. They then turn their attention to the Blue Jays and their recent record against subpar squads, which usually keeps teams in the postseason hunt and if it tells us anything about this franchise being able to compete next season (31:03).
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliate.
I'm truly honored to be here to announce and pass on the seat to the 26th Capitol of Illinois Police Austin Matthews. It just means the world to me and I look forward to continuing our journey to obviously get to the top of the mountain and I'm going to Stanley Cup and bring it back to Toronto. You know that's the goal is to purely for life to win here. I just wonder if this is, I don't know if admission is the right word but a signal that maybe Tavares role is about to change. Maybe he's not necessarily going to be get the same kind of minutes, the same kind of role he's had in the past. When it comes to Mitch Marner I mean I don't know how to say this anymore clearly than this. I think there's been a healthy dose of friction there. You've seen it you know publicly on the bench. In him and his teammates he's definitely not, I can say for sure he's definitely not the most popular Toronto Maple Leafs in that locker. That's that's that. Just a reminder that he holds ultimate control and their hands are tied and that's a really uncomfortable position to be in but it's also now getting to the point where it's going to be a really uncomfortable situation for Mitch Marner to be in with all the questions to answer not to say nothing of going out and performing in an all important contract here. I don't know getting that too much today, I'm just going to say that I love being here. I've said that for day one I'm very fortunate and lucky to be a Maple Leafs. It's a welcome back to me I guess. Fan morning shows, 4-7-5-9 at the fan band and some brain gunning. It has been a moment I was going buddy. I'm good. Missed your face. Happy to have you back. Good morning to you buddy. Good morning to you. It's good to be back. I love you. No, that was too much. Why never? You once said a thing to me. I don't know. I don't know. Okay. Anyways yeah it was all over the place as usually happens in summer filling in on Blair and Barker. Jeff's back so I'm back here and we'll be for the duration. Now do you think they had you fill in there because you're the fan personality that most enjoys like soccer as well? Like it's like there's no Jeff Blair like he loves his Bundesliga action or do you think it's your big baseball, baseball acumen that got you there? I don't know. Maybe just your nice face. Maybe they're like got to get that mug on TV. I don't know. I would never hazard to guess as to the motivations behind decisions in this building. Anyways that was fun. A little respite and then now we're back and you know what? When I agreed, it wasn't un-agreeing it was like hey here's what you're doing. And when I was told I was filling in on Blair and Barker I was like oh well that's you know what? Kind of like the right time of the sporting calendar to be doing that because baseball is the only thing going right now. Just finished the Olympics boy like we'll make content in a three hour radio show when I get back to that but it's it's this is where you get more creative and that's fun as well. There's no obvious thing. And then as it was gone like mana from heaven, I mean the Austin Matthews captaincy thing just not out of nowhere because it's something we've been talking about ad nauseam, necciprios, put it on our our radars at the end of the season apparently that's exactly when it was broached to John Tavares like they they lose to the Bruins in game seven and then you know Brad for living sidles up to John Tavares like this is your fault so would you like to fall on the sword for this thing and apparently just took a couple months after that but wow in the in the middle of August down at real sports what a time for the Toronto Maple Leafs to announce this thing that is huge because of the Toronto Maple Leafs not as huge if it were somewhere else I suppose but it's just just the timing was perfect for the people in sports media. This is not like a Ross Atkins media availability on the Friday of a long weekend this is middle of the week where nothing else is happening and you know all the NHL insiders are they're wrapping up their vacation their their cottage plans or at least can maybe come back for a day or two to report on this this is something they wanted eyeballs on. I won't name names but there was at least one person who was covering that presser who we tried to endeavor to just like hey let's have a check-in conversation with I think three days before and they were on a golf trip so yeah you're interrupting people's summers for it guess what great job I I would imagine they thought about the timing with all this but they even waited till the Olympics were done there was nothing else that was gonna overshadow this I think rightfully so it is you know in a leaf Sarah that's been what it is like we don't need to rehash it all this was as good a news day as you could have kind of had from a off season perspective especially when we know everything that kind of didn't happen so yeah just timing wise oh my god it was so perfect so this is it now well trot ground right you have the like oh it's happening and then it happened and now it's the day after it happened for me I haven't gotten to talk about it yeah you're gonna have you have you like any takes like crystallize for you have you have you espoused them all are you at the at the bottom of the take barrel when it comes to Austin Matthews being the captain of the trauma beliefs what I thought you were gonna ask me is if there was literally any opinion you could find that has not been like power through already it's like that's tough I gotta admit say well no no you have I've read everything I don't know if I've heard everything so this see this is good too as well because I don't know how you work with these things but I actually like have not read I've read a little but tried not to listen because what it was such a big picture topic where it's not a game where we all see the same thing it's a little bit of like a I was about to say a Ouija board but that doesn't work it tells you what you're seeing it's like those like magic those like magic books you would look out when you're a kid you're like oh I could see the picture in there now I feel like that's what this is there's so many ways you could take it because there's not one true hard and fast I mean there are some true hard and fast truths that I think we can take out of this but I think everyone's kind of had their own perspective so yeah I think the actual most interesting thing about it is with the rollout and how it happened it really allowed my evolution of thinking to kind of change on it throughout the week at first it was whoa what's what's going on here what is happening they're strictly doing this because they couldn't trade Mitch Marner and they needed some change of scenery or change of look which I don't discount I think that's very true but then I watched the press error on I don't know whatever day it was and times flat circle now Wednesday okay I think Wednesday and it was just so much more about clearly giving Matthews something he deserved and I'm not saying they didn't do it part and parcel because of what didn't happen this offseason but it really shone through how much everybody there rightfully so just looked at this is something that should have been his probably at least a year ago yeah I mean but this could have happened a little bit more organically next season right whether John Tavares is coming back at a reduced number or John Tavares is not coming back at all yeah right like whether they're like oh my god another playoff failure and really like we actually have an off ramp here with Mitch Marner and John Tavares and we're gonna bring them both back and yeah that so it could have been easier in theory to hand it to him next offseason but they decided to skip the line a year right well and I also I also think the thing with that I also think the thing with kind of jump in the line is that we've talked about this how many times of so long as Austin Matthews is alive and well there's no such thing as well it's a bit of a pun ear we'll see what happens really go no if you think this is a change that has to happen it has to happen now there's no waiting for John Tavares to age out of his contract much like you shouldn't be sitting there going well you know we'll kind of hold the fourth this year and then we'll really go to one of those contracts come off the book no Austin Matthews here William Nieland is here Mitch Marner here John Tavares and whatever you may think about him still here still productive so the idea that you could look at it as anything other than well okay we'll let this play out the string and then go from there it just it would have been counterintuitive to the way this team's gone about their business well you hit on something okay fragile living obviously believes that there is something tangible that is impacted with removing excuse me removing the C from John Tavares and giving it to Austin Matthews not just a ceremonial thing it's not just hey Austin Matthews you get to be on that Wikipedia page of all the Toronto Maple Leafs captains and you get a picture of yourself in the jersey with the C and we get to sell more jerseys that also might be part of it he's probably a specifically stated not here to do that but you can't say that all of this is just you know window dressing and this is irrelevant meaningless Joe managers telling you there is at least some meaning and to me this is one of the this is one of the areas of this this story that have been that has not yet been well covered okay this week is how awesome it is that we have a thing in pro sports that you cannot put a number on mmm there are precious few things as you know I came back from two weeks of baseball talk where numbers numbers numbers there's a little bit of non-numbory stuff it's like hey the manager and what's his impact and the good the vibes and the momentum but numbers really have you seen the numbers are so many we're trying to to put a number on everything in hockey and I like those numbers there of all the sports and all the numbers that we have in all North American pro sports it's it's the numbers that are least applicable and and most wishy washy this thing more than than anything I can think of in all of pro sports giving the C naming somebody captain and believing that that has some impact on the play of the team and maybe that individual person is the most unquantifiable thing we have in pro sports in a pro sports in 2024 where everything is quantifiable everything has a number the general manager we all agree whether you think Bradger living's done a good job or not he's a smart guy right yep we think he's is very smart hockey person I would agree and we also think Bradger living probably take some of those numbers in in using his evaluations and and what players he goes after and what roster moves he makes right we all agree that you it's hard to be an executive in 2024 and just throw the numbers out entirely now some people use them more some people use them less but we can all agree that Bradger lives in using them to some degree yes or at least at the very least listening to someone who uses them exactly right but Brad true living also believes that this thing that can't possibly have a number attached to it is impactful to his hockey team I love that that exists in pro sports I mean soccer also has the armband thing and that's in north american pro sports I think we think of that as european in the rest of the world mostly when I'm talking about north american pro sports I'm talking about hockey I'm talking about baseball I'm talking about basketball I'm talking about football and there's captains in in I don't know if there's a captain in basketball I can't ever think of somebody with a C on their like call people captain captain yeah captain jack of the bar oh god my favorite actually so much better and in baseball like the hilarious Jason veritec wearing the C is how dare you it's a joke it's not that's like it's a but how dare yeah and there's captains in football too it's multiple that come to the coin for even where a C on their jersey who cares yeah really actually this is the most important captain in north american pro sports and the people that are in positions to know and also taking the numbers will tell you that there's an impact there and I think I'm just so glad that there's something like that that's really disrespectful to you for whoever wears the armband for real salt lake obviously that is the most steamed honor in north american pro sport but I'm happy you touched on this because I kind of talked about not not quite this but the idea of there are certain positions in sports that just come with a crushing weight and it is totally a matter of talent alone is not the thing that is going to define how you succeed in that it's can you handle the weight of that I think of Dallas Cowboys quarterback or like you know whoever wears the number 10 shirt and Barcelona or you know Notre Dame football has some famous number that I'm blanking on right now but all of those things are just what like if you're the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys it's because you're the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys it is tangible stuff because that's the position you play or you know you're the man for the Yankees and the the it's still tangible to what you do on the field the hockey competency is the most wishy washy fugazi and I don't say fugazi as it's fake but just you can read into it whatever you want and I think it means completely different things to different people I love that you hit on that the idea that there is something that we can't touch we can we can we can look at it we can almost smell it but we can't we can't quite quantify it and I love the idea of that mattering so much and I think it's impossible not to wonder what it does for for Matthews in that regard the idea of having that kind of mantle put on him as well yeah we'll see we'll see if he's a different dude he's not the most verbose as I think we saw in the press conference as well I don't think John Tavares was the most verbose either but it feels different does it not like John Tavares and I don't say this is a knock on him but it feels like he's not talkative because it's just so stressful and there's such a weight on him like Brad for living the the analogy I made yesterday was tree looked like he was at a open mic night up there he looks so comfortable he's like give me some improv suggestions let's act something out here and then Tavares comes up with his written statement because part of that is who he is and he wants to be prepared yada yada but it's just the weight it seems to crush him quite honestly and Matthews is not overly verbose but it never seems to come from a place of stress from annoyance maybe occasionally but it's not I think he's very careful I don't disagree but that but I think Tavares is careful as well but it's from worrying about every little thing that goes wrong with John Tavares needs to be careful because here's what I think John Tavares thinks about hockey all the time in like my family and like he doesn't have many thoughts that agree to offend anyone anyways and not that Austin Matthews has like offensive thoughts but I think Austin Matthews is more of a dude he's like person yeah yeah like Austin Matthews exists in the world that you and I like and the Austin Matthews likes being a famous person he went to UFC stuff yeah who wouldn't like enjoy being a famous person I mean I can think of one guy and it was the guy who just handled over the scene Tavares he's like yeah like this comes with being a person like a player but yeah he would more he would probably prefer that you never saw him in public although he does share pictures of his kids on his uh Instagram account anyways they're different people in that regard and I do feel like you know this gets to my next point about Austin Matthews and and maybe this is informative to Matthews throughout his career that yeah he knows how it can go sideways for you in the media and especially when you have the spotlight of Toronto especially now when you're the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs you know this worked out perfectly for Austin Matthews because there was and it was very early in his career and it was what you know early 20s and 2019 yeah he was very much in the running to be the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019 when the thing happened in Arizona it felt like a coin flip quite frankly between the men Tavares it really with a with a little bit of just out of respect or more or Morgan Riley yeah like we had to say that a lot of respect for him but it was never gonna be there was also the story it's like hey how come nobody's talking about Mitch Marner here and we need to play the frank clip again or but yeah he was right there and then it did feel like that narrative took you'll never convince me that him pulling his pants down showing that security guard is underwear yeah didn't have at least some impact on the decision-making uh kind of doobles i won't i won't i will go farther than some i'm not gonna say they were locked ready to name him captain but that 1000 percent took him out of the running it was the timing that if this happened a year like if that was a year earlier if it wasn't five days before basically there was still like a legal process to play itself out which shockingly didn't result in anything right uh not shocked you um but yeah that so he was not named captain in 2019 and John Tavares the previous captain long island guy who just by virtue of being older it seemed like a fine choice at the time to be the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and what happens is everybody eats what has happened in the post-season sense but and this is part of the discussion going forward John Tavares was the captain yep and now you get the guy who's now established himself as a multiple times 60 plus gold score a heart trophy winner as the next guy and sure that the the failures couldn't continue and god why wouldn't they for the Toronto Maple Leafs but like we could all agree also like if you just take your like cursed glasses off and being a Toronto Maple Leafs fan for whatever almost 60 years here you will understand that there is enough talent here and that eventually there's got to be more success than winning one round okay and if that happens he gets to be the guy that's the captain of this era of Toronto Maple Leafs dumb did John Tavares is over like the he was the captain they won around that's it and he scored the goal to win that round so kudos to him but now because of the pant pulling down in 2019 for Austin Matthews he gets to be the next captain where he doesn't necessarily get to where the the the stank of being the captain during the previous five years yeah and I think the I think the growing up that he's done and like you know I don't say that like he was super immature when he came in like this guy wouldn't played pro hockey before he played in the NHL so it's not like it's a it's a maturity thing but it's just the the ebbs and flows of being 22 years old or whatever it is and having a rough night or you have a tough loss and everyone wants to shove a mic in your face and you have to be the most mature person in the room it was just a lot to ask and I'm not saying he couldn't have handled it like there is absolutely a world where that never happens and they name him captain and maybe that's the difference and he reaches the heights he reached now you know a season and a half earlier or whatever I'm not blind to to that reality this sets him up really well the other thing I think about it is that it is a it's a no-lose for Tavares as well it feels very tough in the moment for him of course but let's say the Leafs go on and maybe it's this year maybe it's next year with him back in the fold and have some run the story yes will be Austin Matthews and his leadership and what took over but so long as John Tavares is a part of it he gets to be the martyr he's the great teammate who fell on his sword he kept the captaincy warm until it was ready for this guy yeah I think that that is what you're going to see like this is not a and if the Leafs you know blow up for the next three four five years I think we're going to remember that as the failures of Austin Matthews in the Leafs I don't know that it's always going to go to Tavares so I actually think this kind of works out in the moment sucks for Tavares no one's going to sit here and say it's great to lose your captain you know this came from me so I think that there is just a world where this turns out very rosy for Tavares as well if there's any team success that follows and he's here yeah I think everybody that's on this team if they have obviously ultimate success you get to live you're you're immortalized in all of pro sports lore in North America in the city go ask go ask a cop go ask a red song they'll have to build another legends row just for the entire roster of whatever Toronto may beliefs team wins a Stanley Cup I'm fine for it quite frankly yeah actually I think they should do it well people like playing the parade how about this playing the statues I'd like them just kind of spread out in that area not on a legends row but the whole team as though it's the cup celebration like guys are milling about somebody's got it above their head yeah another guy's like got his hands over like I can't believe it somebody's on the phone with their dad like yeah give me that yeah that's a that's a little too much daydreaming for a team that began has been nothing but a failure no it's all positive now all these failures in the past are gone this is the dividing line yeah between that's old least that's john tomorrow's leaves this is Austin bath is his leaves okay can we for for half a second like just dream on a world where this is not they win the cup but just like this the switch flips and they win two series and they're in a conference final yeah because that's what that would be viewed as a tremendous success that'd be basically winning I mean I love that that's like the what was it was it the Marlow yes just captaincy stripping or was it the Thornton captain one of them resulted in like them going to that cup final against the penguins like see yeah look at this here yeah that would be I was playing golf with the buddy yesterday and he made par and he's like I refer to that as a me eagle and it's like that'd be the Leafs like basically making a me eagle huh if they got it to the to the conference final or anything like that but like what does it do it feels as though there's no greater step for math use lower but if it it's one thing if this happens three four years down the line and it's of a triculation can you imagine if it is seen as just the switch flip right away that that's all it took god the questions would have about yeah why not a year ago and why not to and yeah I think if that's the case it's probably hey oh you went out and spent on the blue line like you address that in a meaningful way it's probably reason number one or that I just again spitballing here like William Newvender and Austin Matthews come combining to play 14 games in the second game series maybe needed that I even take like 12 honestly anyways um we mentioned this a little bit earlier I am curious to see how this impacts Austin Matthews dealings with the media post-game because we can all recall some hey we talked to Dion Fenneth this summer yes we did I remember god forbid it was like an innocuous regular season game for a horrible Leafs team where he was not made available post-game right and remember the days of content we got as sports media boy in this city and the apology tour that Dion Fenneth had to partake in yeah in the following days yeah there the it's the spotlight's always on Austin Matthews a guy that's you know he's a heart trophy winner and he's a near 70 goals score but it is different when you have the sea ever so slightly like literally you have to be made available each and every game day or else yeah you're going to be seen as someone shirking your responsibilities yeah I think that it is something that is quite frankly probably going to annoy him as the season goes on like I don't think it will be something that you know bothers him a great ton but I think there'll be the you know look at all these guys like we hear from marner after nearly every game but not every game we hear from knee lander after nearly every game but not every game right every game every game every single game guess what pre-game probably going to talk to I just think that this is a guy who can completely kind of handle it I think the I think I don't look at it as somebody who will be defensive or guarded I've never the only thing he's ever really been that way about is any health stuff and I mean he'd be answering those questions if they were available anyways so that I don't look at it that way the other thing about this is unfortunate well not unfortunate it's just a fact the matter is when Tavares had to answer those questions a lot of the hey you guys didn't have it tonight is you hey hey you 91 with the sea on your chest you didn't have it tonight in the way you would have liked and I just wonder does it take on a different tenor when not the Matthews hasn't had bad games when the Leafs have had bad games but you know his bad game is a lot of people's games heaven of the Stanley Cup final with what he's able to put forward there so I think that that just makes it quite frankly easier as well that when it's the best guy on the team that has to answer the questions and not that he is not going to have the odd night that he has to answer for or whatever but it's just so much easier when you know it's just as likely you're talking about a you know a two-goal night as it is you're talking about one where you're dashed to he's going to be more responsible uh lastly this is a very uh specific one okay my kid has a Tavares 91 sea jersey is that cool to have I think so yeah like it is like vintage yeah I think it's like I think it's you were a like your leaf fan when Tavares was the captain I have the like opposite problem I have Tavares jersey with no letter on it so now he has them wow yeah you don't have to do any well you can throw an a on there I suppose I don't know yeah that that that part was I it's that one has been well trod ground as well that uh it was announced that John Tavares has to wear an a where it could have been easy enough to just remove him from that and then you know make Mitch Marner of the full-time a he already fell on the sword that's what I would have done I would say John I'm sorry like we've already embarrassed you yeah please be embarrassed slightly more I suppose but do you know Morgan Riley who's never shared it or at least not in any time reason awesome Matthew's and Mitch Marner used to share it shares his home and road and remember which was which it was an out like they so Brad your living made a very curious comment that that will come down the road but here's for certain John Tavares will be wearing an a just does leave Mitch Marner in a weird spot it also weird that he was in attendance that's what I was going to say it's very weird to when you have the four guys that have worn letters for your team huh and all four of them are attended or in attendance two of them are being on stage fended for various reasons and you say these two guys love letters and we'll talk about the rest like god I would have loved to have known where Mitch Marner was standing when Brad your living said that like did he glare in his direction maybe Morgan Riley's on the hot scene I mean what's more awkward coming to John Tavares who's like a borderline Hall of Famer who's been a captain in a couple of different spots just captain Team Canada right his careers in the back nine and he's he hasn't reached the ultimate goal but he's done some things and saying hey man would have had an art Ross we didn't lie about the points yeah hey man it's time for you to take a step back what's more embarrassing that or hey uh Mitch Marner you're not wearing an a like I know you're in the prime of your career you just keep racking up near 100 point seasons and you're gonna be paid whether it's by us or somebody else but guess what you're also not you're not part of this group I I think it really depends on what you think this move is supposed to do if this move is strictly just about giving Austin Matthews what he deserves then I think the easiest thing in the world to do is say hey John Tavares like you've already fallen on the sword yeah be the greatest teammate ever like God everyone talk about what how many let's say he didn't have a letter how many conversations when he has like like a good heart heart and soul game would we have of you know that's why he's a leader doesn't even need a letter and look at him out there again it'd be great for the legacy but I also think that there's a world where you go take Mitch Marner's A away from him and this is the accountability that everybody's been asking for and I don't like not being in the room I don't know I it's hard to sit here and say who deserves it who doesn't deserve it but if I just show people the clip of William Neeland or screaming at him on the bench and I asked somebody hey who has a letter here I don't I don't think it'd be the guy who was getting screamed at about you know quick crying or whatever was was said in the moment I just think that the easiest thing the thing that keeps everybody the most comfortable would have been the strip Tavares of all letters let Marner wear his A let Riley wear his A and there you go the new generational Leafs but I also think there's an element of this that is about not making people comfortable yeah eating John Tavares felt super comfortable in his exit meeting hearing uh you're probably not the captain next year do you think that was super comfortable for him I bet not and honestly of all the guys on this team that need to feel less comfortable John Tavares kind of at the bottom of that list for me I agree I think we could all agree but yeah this counts as being uncomfortable it's not God forbid you being involved in trade discussions and everybody has no trade clauses it's hey what what letter are you wearing are you wearing a letter on on your well and I should clarify I did a little research by that I mean to clicked an Instagram link that the Leafs put out of like hey buy all the new jerseys and if you go to buy Mitch Marner's jersey right now it does come with an A on it for what that's worth so does Tavares not a lot remember when like Sergei Ganchar showed up on like that the team shop played a page when he was supposed to be a leaf and yeah that didn't happen can we get a honking pot Jersey yet that's the question probably not probably not all right the iconic Canadian rock band Blue Rodeo hits Budweiser stage on Saturday August 24th along with guests Matt Mays and begonia to celebrate we're giving away one last pair of tickets enter all you have to do is tune into the fan morning show listen for the codeword then text the codeword to 59590 standard message and data rates may apply today's codeword is a many a mile text many a mile to 59590 right now for your chance to win today is the last day we're giving away tickets for this event but if you don't win with us make sure to go to ticketmaster.ca to secure your tickets when we come back Toronto Blue Jays with the well-earned day off yesterday after hammering the hapless angels in a three-game series sweep they got another sub 500 opponent coming up this afternoon at Wrigley Field in the Cubs what is their record which is very good against bad teams indicate about next season and also Major League Baseball considering a massive massive rule change that and more next is the fan morning show continues band and a sprint gunning sports at 590 the fan dive deep into Toronto sports and the NFL the JD bunk is podcast subscribe and download the show on apples spotify or wherever you get your podcasts you bed morning show sports at 590 the fan bed and a sprint gunning angels smelly angels were smelly bad and awful when they had two of the greatest players in baseball yep now they have none it's like really even two and a half because like show Hays doing both yep yeah what an embarrassment of a franchise well done Blue Jays though take care of business as they sweep them away in three games just quickly on that that's so much more embarrassing than just being like a downtrodden sad sack we have those in all sports in every sport there is team that can just never get it together trips over themselves walking up to the draft they had like the rock is embarrassing and like the White Sox this year but like the White Sox have made the playoffs in recent vintage yeah and at least they gave us Tony LaRoucin those are hilarious Southside jerseys but to be this to have and not just to hey like well look at these all stars to build around two all-time greats in the prime of primes and have literally nothing to show for it it's just honestly it's so embarrassing and I don't know I'm sure you like spend enough time thinking about it but I don't think society at large spends enough time thinking about what genuine failures they are it's it's hard and then they go out and find the guy who hates baseball the most and give him the most money they possibly can't you and I have as many home runs as Anthony Rendon this season and we're all as happy about it he's like great good I mean the the stat is hilarious however many home runs Aaron Judge and shoyo Tony combined have hit between Anthony Rendon home runs is like it's obviously unreal it's everything this season because he has zero and yeah it's amazing he's making 40 million dollars anyways tough life man like he's got to go to work every day angels are even the weekend he's got to go to work angels are very very bad they are 17 games under 500 and yeah they're they're 29 and 38 against teams above 500 which actually means that they're a half decent against teams under below 500 but that took a hit in that three-game series sweep of the Blue Jays Blue Jays also you may remember are below 500 Blue Jays now seven games okay this I've got to use different terminology because this gets confusing okay let's just say they're 27 and 20 against teams at or below 500 so against the bad teams Blue Jays have a good record it's a very good way to put it you did a good job um they just lost a series to the A's before that angel series but they have a winning record in their last two series against teams below 500 of course what that means conversely is they have a bad record against good teams which makes sense because guess what the Blue Jays are not good I haven't thought so for a very long time they're 30 and 44 against teams above 500 guess who else is not very good against teams above 500 lots of teams okay including a couple that are in the playoffs right now Minnesota Twins the second American League wildcard team and they are still in the running to win the American League Central four games back of Cleveland today are 28 and 35 against above 500 teams the Kansas City Royals but the guy is probably going to finish second in MVP voting Bobby Whit Jr. and what an incredible coup that contract extension looks like for him he's one of the most unbelievable players in baseball at the sprint speed the defensive shortstop the homerun all of it they are 24 and 32 against teams above 500 they're in a playoff spot right now Boston Red Sox we can all agree despite them not being in a playoff spot they've exceeded expectations not an exciting end of the season it must be for the Boston Red Sox who are in the mix in the American League playoff chase they're 13 games under 500 against good teams they're 24 and 37 now what does that tell you okay I have some like sobering news okay because I was gonna say the thought the place I was arriving is not necessarily the okay what's that well it's just like great you could be one of these teams that has precious little shot in the playoffs next year Congrats that is my honest takeaway because all those teams you just mentioned it's like okay sure I was waiting to hear the like the Phillies or you know like a team I I think strongly no no Brent here's the thing yeah the good teams are actually good yeah of course there's above 500 teams because good right Dodgers are 38 and 31 the Phillies are 32 and 27 the Brewers are 500 but that's like they're on the outside of the discussion as far as like legit World Series contenders the Yankees are 41 and 27 the Orioles are 34 and 23 no the good teams are good against the good teams but Brent yeah what do we know about baseball in 2024 and then 2025 as well you don't have to be a good team to make a playoff no you just you do not you have to be exceedingly bad to not be in the mix in August the Blue Jays have done an incredible job of being like insanely bad yeah they couldn't sniff it if they tried they're so bad to not be in it so yeah can they turn or despite the fact they need a left field or a third baseman another bat and probably another major league starter and like half of the bullpen this offseason who cares like the road to contention this season even with this crappy team with more games against sub 500 team like it possibly exists they can finish at 500 this year with this crappy mess of a team so yeah congratulations Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins you're going to be able to I think cash in on your bet that we can turn this thing around and be in contention for a playoff spot in 2025 because this season you're almost doing the thing that results in a playoff spot for bad teams just beat the hell up on the bad teams now that the reason why the royals and the twins are kind of a bad example is because they got to hammer the worst team in major league baseball 13 times this season the twins are literally 12 and 1 against the White Sox this season actually I think that's the the royals are 12 I think that twins still have three more games anyways there's some similar what five and one they went five and one okay so even the J like if the imagine the J's had seven more games against that team this is good this is like a this like a throwback to conversations that yesterday if I cough only the Blue Jays are in the central yeah now I to my knowledge that's not coming I don't believe Rob Manfred and Co are just going to completely realign the divisions in in the offseason I'm I'm one for news you know that but I don't think that that's going to happen the path to contention is very much there the thing I again contention for a playoff spot not actual real life contention the thing I keep coming back to and you know this may be segues into the other thing we want to talk about in terms of like what we're most keeping an eye on is what is the floor of your rotation I think that's actually the biggest thing that's going to keep this group afloat next year is that if you believe that you can be one of these teams that hangs around and has a shot and Bo has his bounce back year and Vlad is looking similar to how he looks now with a whole bunch more money in his jeans what is Chris Bassett what is Kevin Gosman what are Jose burrios like those are the questions that you need answers burrios I think with the age you can maybe understand that all right this is a tip of a season you maybe see him come back a little next year with Bassett and Gosman like the father time thing it's undefeated we've seen this movie before I think that's the question for me it's not about can what you've seen here be close enough to this next year to maybe have a chat yeah I believe in all that it's what is Bassett what is Gosman next year yeah is the roof closed or is it open for Chris Bassett who I mean yeah there's a lot of questions and did is Kevin Gosman now a guy that's a pitch to contact dude as he's gone seven at least seven you know three of his last four starts including a complete game and an eight inning performance against the Orioles of all teams but yeah the strikeout numbers very much down yeah you know you don't have to be great though no yeah Blue Jays certainly not that this year but they're they're just not not they're too much not great too much if they're a little less not great next year they'll be in contention at this point in this season doesn't mean they're gonna be a World Series favorite by any stretch of the imagination but it'll satiate the people at the top of the front office oh okay I was gonna say them we will satiate I don't know I don't know how many people who are listening us right now or just clamoring to be five games out of a wild card spot in you know may or whatever not ideal um what do you care more about what are you more interested in when Vladimir girl junior steps to the plate or when will Wagner steps to the plate which he didn't do in the final game of the the Angels series and John Schneider gave us the heads up on Wednesday on Blair Barker that was going to be the case against the lefty despite Spencer Horowitz being in there and will Wagner do you have in five hits in his first games anyways he'll be I imagine back in the lineup today against the Cubs oh it's flat it's flat only bad can come with will Wagner stepping to the dish now like I hate to be the bearer of bad news for everyone he's not going to continue to hit 600 or whatever he's he's hit as a blue j so far so this shoe the other shoe will drop and that doesn't mean he's not going to be a productive player that doesn't mean I don't have hopes for him all those things are true but one of these things is actually true and it's what you've seen from Vlad and you know I don't think a cool final month of the season changes a ton but you'd love to see him stamp this year home and finish super strong so for me and also I don't know you may have heard this take for me in conversations revolving Austin Matthews I really like watching elite players when they're going well yeah just watching Vlad it's fun right now quite frankly so that's the guy that matters more for me I don't like not to disparage will Wagner there but yeah it's all above Vlad for me yeah the only thing and it's parsing because Vlad has been unbelievable I know what Vlad is and I know him at his best I mean this is as good if not better than anything we've ever seen from Vlad this is I think now the OPS plus is above what he had what he put forth in 2021 and we know the circumstances that surrounded that season and how much of the offensive performance was put up in Dunedin and Buffalo and he was good the second half when he returned to Rogers Center but he's like OPS 800 guy not an OPS 1200 guy like he was in those minor league ballparks but we we know he's capable of being the best hitter in baseball we've at least seen it will Wagner there's just more that I'm learning there so like for me I'm just a little more intrigued when will Wagner comes in because I hey he hasn't hit a home run but he's hit the ball very hard everything I read about him and heard about him is that he had an incredible eye and we've seen that as well and working himself back into hitter's counts after being in O2 counts and can that continue can he hit the lefty I'm interested in the will Wagner thing um Bluejay started serious against the Reds on Monday this is now the people are are they're they're writing they're like hey Joey Votto I could tell you're back it they're writing well have you seen what Joey Votto's done yes I am yeah which is a lot of striking out like not a lot of hitting of minor league pitching yes in an offense environment in the international league where like the OPS average OPS is 800 well Joey Votto has a 548 OPS and 12 games with the bizans after he did return to minor league action uh this coming after he had a robot 716 OPS with the 211 batting average in Dunedin in 13 games um he's he's done he's washed he's cooked and like I can't imagine this continues next season why he continues to do it this season is a bit of a head scratcher as well I I guess you'd be throwing a bone to the fans of the Toronto Bluejay's to call I don't there's a money component to this as well because they're nip and tuck to the CBT yeah competitive balance acts which I know they they they go above and beyond the the call of duty to tell us they're not that concerned with because it's that makes it sound like they're cheap but fans also understand that there's a real baseball cost to going over that and in a season in which you're not contending why would you go over it makes no sense but sure could you get a few more butts in the seats for a red series Joey Votto and his major league swan song I suppose but if it's Joey Votto and he said he needs to reassert himself as a professional baseball player in the mile that hasn't happened so like this is and I'm not saying that this is the worst thing in the world because it's pro sports it's entertainment totally and the Reds are out of it and you're not messing with a playoff spot if you're calling of Joey Votto to play in that red series it's just pure craven hey we're making a show of this and and wins and losses obviously don't matter but they really don't matter because Joey Votto's washed and stinks yeah but here he is he's now a Bluejay at the major leagues playing the only other team he's ever played for in his entire career he's going to have in a batter too and then he's gonna wave goodbye is it worth doing I don't think so not if it messes up the CBT 1iota quite frankly like again like we do not the my opinions on Joey Votto or well trot and we don't need to go back down that route but honestly like how many people and you are the right guy to ask and I am the I'm the right guy to ask the question because I'm the wrong guy to answer it is honestly like the Bluejay's with a week a lead time announced we will be calling up Joey Votto for the red series is it not more likely that more people from Cincinnati are excited about that than people in this market like I don't know I think it'd be a fun tv thing and people go oh Votto's there I don't know how many people are saying to themselves oh my god Votto's a J I got to get down to the park again I am the wrong guy to have the answer for that because for me no chance but do you think that like it's not gonna cause a rush like 10,000 tickets or something but what do you think the actual it becomes a thing it becomes a thing it becomes a destination event and it takes what is like hey Ellie Delacruz is way more interesting and fun and exciting and entertaining than Joey Votto in 2024 but how many just sports fans in Toronto that aren't hardcore baseball fans know who the hell Ellie Delacruz is like people don't know who Aaron judges I know I know okay yeah Aaron Judge is eight feet tall hundred feet tall and he hits 100 foot homers is a bit like who air and hungry plays for the Yankees okay Ellie Delacruz hits home runs and steals spaces very fast for the Cincinnati Reds yeah so people don't know who the hell he is but if you like baseball and I'm going down to the ballpark with my young child on on Monday to see Ellie Delacruz good you know secondarily get a Joey Votto appearance I mean it's something it's a it's a I don't hate it I really don't if I was Joey Votto and I wanted any illusion of this being performance-based and this being anything other than a publicity stunt which I honestly believe Joey Votto wanted to prove maybe not to anybody else other than himself totally that he had like the way he departed with the Cincinnati Reds was not truly where he is physically even being 40 years old that he had something in the tank and that hey Justin Turner can have a prolonged career into his late 30s as a DH and what Nelson Cruz retired at what like 43 like maybe that's in the cards for me and it hasn't worked out that way at all like he's been abysmal and he's been hurt constantly so I don't know how you can convince yourself that this is anything other than a publicity stunt but if you're cool with that and that's truly how you want to go out and you want it to be like a nice little paragraph in your Wikipedia entry I really it's entertainment like we don't have to get up in arms about it and I'd be fine with it I don't think the Blue Jays owe anything to him I think they gave him the nice landing spot of the minor league deal that he accepted where nobody else was even talking to him but sure in a law season in a year in which there's been perilously few positive storylines and be fine with it I am as well it just can't mess with the CBT like it cannot be there's no way where this should hamper this team in any way shape or form quite frankly ever that's how little they owe it to him if they can do it and it's a nice story and everybody gets to you know be happy and all the folks from the Canadian baseball Hall of Fame make good honestly like doesn't have to work for me but I know it would work for a lot of you great but it can't come at the expense of literally anything that helps this team compete and I'm sure there's a way to figure it out oh no don't I don't take that as me understanding whether they can or not I'm just saying if it does yeah there is some belief that whatever contract he signed has to if it's converted to a majorly contract he is owed the pro-rated version of a two million dollars the humble block I'd imagine whatever the two million sure they can tear that up and it's on him do a new deal or whatever one dollar because how's it working majorly Joey Vados made almost 300 million dollars in his career so probably not gonna be too upset it got he must be hundred grand he must be hooking the boys up in buffalo with breads you would hope you would hope because he's not hooking him up with any offensive performance no he's just like I got chest tips if you boys want him all right we'll get to the the proposed rule change by major league baseball coming up in the next segment also like I have a few more lingering Leafs captaincy thoughts yeah that need to be kind of protected in a form that I'd like to debut oh coming up next also very excited man there's ray gun Australian breakdancer I did a little bit of ray gun talk obviously did you yeah obviously did you did you I guess you probably didn't do any hawk to a girl talk I mean she's in the news she throws first pitch of the Mets game yesterday not about that but I uh let's just say there was a joke I didn't make that I'm really happy I didn't a couple weeks ago all right there's a lot to get to in the next segment it's fan morning show continues Ben and his spring gun exports at 590 the fan
