Grant and Danny
5 Years Ago Today Howie Kendrick Beat The LA Dodgers
This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Whether you love true crime or comedy, celebrity interviews or news, you call the shots on what's in your podcast queue, and guess what? Now you can call them on your auto insurance too, with the name of your price tool from Progressive. It works just the way it sounds. You tell Progressive how much you want to pay for car insurance, and they'll show you coverage options that fit your budget. Get your quote today at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates, price and coverage match limited by state law. Hey NFL fans, you can start the season with a big return on FanDul, America's number one sports book. So when you get a hunch in the middle of the game, you can check out the latest stats, view live play-by-play, and so much more on the same page where you place your bets. You'll get started with $200 in bonus bets guaranteed when you place your first $5 bet. That's FanDul.com/sportsfan. Never waste a hunch and make every moment more with FanDul, an official sports book partner of the NFL. Must be 21 plus and present in Colorado. First online real money weights are only $10 first deposit required. Bonus issued is now a throwable bonus bets that expire seven days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanDul.com, gambling problem, call 1-800-522-4700. Hey Mike Vellini here, host the cash to take it alongside my partner, Jim Costa. It's really simple. Are you tired of podcasts claiming there are a bunch of pro betters when they live in their mommy's basement? Are you tired of podcasts that claim they hit 80% of the games when really they just lose like most of us? Think cash to tickets the spot for you. We're real, we're transparent, we're having a hell of a good time with it and we sit there and we're there for the sweat with you guys. We're just trying to figure it out just like you. Follow and listen to Cash the Ticket on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. 5 years ago today, October 10th or 9th, I guess, 2024. I'll tell you where I was. I was living in Kingstown at a townhouse with my wife and our brand new baby and I was the only one to wake downstairs and I started screaming at the top of my lungs because Howie Kendrick had a grand slam to help the Nationals beat the Dodgers in game five of the division series. As I'm watching these playoff games like the rest of you are, I'm longing for playoff baseball and I'm increasingly more annoyed, frustrated and devastated that the nats haven't been back in the playoffs since 2019. But we've got an anniversary today, my friend, the division series, the fifth game, it's five years ago, man, and the grand slam in the 10th inning by Howie Kendrick against the Dodgers. I'll field shades right in field in all the way around to her and see girl on the left side Hernandez and Muncie on the right. Kelly's one strike pitch. So we got a fly ball center field deep. Bellinger going back to the warning track to the wall. It's a grand slam. Howie Kendrick has done it. They're going crazy and the Nationals dug out. Howie Kendrick with a grand slam here in the 10th inning of game five, the Nationals seven, the Dodgers three. Do you believe it? What a call by Jags. First of all, A plus second of all. Let me take you back if you don't mind. Bottom nine. Enrique Hernandez, who destroys the Nationals, thank God they kept him in the yard, base it to left field, one out will Smith up at bat. Sitting on a pitch, he drills a ball to right field deep. Adam Eaton is sprinting back towards the one and track towards the wall. The Dodger bench empties onto the field. Arms raised. We got it. We just did it. We just beat him. We're going to the NLCS. Adam Eaton touches the wall, snaps it in, catches it, delivers it back into the infield. Everybody goes back quietly. I thought it was over right then. Next batter, Chris Taylor hits a ball 247,000 miles an hour to dead center field right at Michael A. Taylor. We go to the 10th. Adam Eaton works a walk off Joe Kelly. Anthony Rendon, of course, hits an absolute piss missile to left field that would have gone out if it had any air on it at all, but it didn't. Yeah, doubled off the bottom of the wall. Juan Soto intentionally walk. You don't want to mess with Juan Soto. How Kendrick bases drunk. Nobody out. I'm going. If there's ever a time, if there's ever a time how we Kendrick who struggled on the series was putting balls around in the field like he'd never put a glove on before. Why not? How he Kendrick, the veteran used to play in LA swings in a first pitch slider rolls over a ground ball found going, Oh my God, he's going to hit in a double play. This is the worst case scenario. What are we doing? Fast ball down and then off the plate, lower below his knees. He gets it out to center field. I'm going, okay, maybe it's deep enough for a sack fly. There's Freddie Prince Jr. A.K. Cody Belanger, turning back on his horse running backwards. Disbelief gives way to joy. I have never, as a sports fan, screamed that loud in my life. That's the moment to me that everything changed. I rewatched that eighth, ninth and tenth inning, you know, in spurts with Clary today before the show, because the eighth inning people sleep, Washington was down by two runs three to one. And so many times in the past in October, you've had your heart broken as a nat fan and as a DC sports fan, because the team just didn't come up with hits, didn't come up with runs, couldn't score. And in that situation down three to one, Anthony Rendon, it's a home run off Clayton Kershaw to lead off the inning. And then the next pitch, Juan Soto at 20 years old, crosses the ball, a new complete no doubt or the right center field to tie the game three to three. Kershaw drops down onto his knees in disbelief and despair on the mound, staring at the ground because once again, this future hall of famer who at that time had no positive recollections and playoff baseball had been gotten. They immediately come out and get them. Dave Roberts yanks the ball out of his hand. Kershaw goes and every other shot the rest of the game was Kershaw staring on and disbelief. After the Ken just feel like man facing in the dugout three to three back-to-back home runs. Then they go to the ninth. You referenced what happened when the Dodgers almost walked it off. And then in the 10th, the inning that led to the Kendrick Grand Slam change in the world. But, you know, for me that the hit against the Brewers was kind of my reckoning that this is different, that this thing can actually happen. But that's when you knew they're a buzzsaw. They are a juggernaut. Yeah, this was the one to me. This is a magical carpet ride. They had been the hit against the Brewers was amazing. I'm not knocking it, but we're comparing like epic moments, you know, like, so it's we're moving on our own, not Rushmore here. That was to get to where they'd been. And they got to that place again where there's a winner take all game. And you just have that pit in your stomach where you're going, is it going to happen again? Are we going to get Dodger again? Totally. Here's my argument, though. The feeling being in the ballpark that I had had so many times before in the Cubs series, in the Cardinal series, in a game five, certainly. And namely, the worst was the Dodger series previously. That feeling of being in the ballpark all night waiting for the big hit, the giant series I would throw in there from way back and 14. And the hit never came. It's like being on a deserted island, thinking every time the airplane light is flying overhead, that maybe this one's going to see. Maybe once this helicopter is going to stop and hover and go, Oh my God, they saw me. And every time you're going, he might get a hit. No, he might get a hit. You do that for nine innings, and then you score once and you lose, right? That's what happened year after year after year. And the Milwaukee game, the same vibe, same feel. And they punch through with that inning, and it's bedlam in the ballpark at home. So that's why I put that one like higher for me. But it doesn't change the fact that my screams, again, baby upstairs, wife asleep, and my wife knew what had happened. So that wasn't like she was upset, but screaming at the top of my lungs. In fact, Clary showed us a video today of him at his house. His dad's in the living room. He's laying in his own bed. He didn't want to watch the game with his dad for some reason, which is odd. We'll cover that another time, but he starts screaming in a way that you would have thought someone was stabbing him. I mean, and he's running around his house. It's a great video. We try to pull the audio, but it's it's on Snapchat from like eight updates ago. So yeah, it's it's tough. And I actually, I convinced myself during that postseason run that when the nationals were on the road, we would only win if I was watching the game in my bedroom. Makes sense. Pull those covers up. Yeah. We won. It was great. So that's why your dad was because on the video, you can hear your dad, like in the other room going, come on, get a hit, Howie. Exactly. Get hit. And Clary, a little Clary is sitting this 19 year old with probably Ryan Clary. Yep. Now, yeah, 19 years old then, laying in his bed, watching the game, and then you jump up screaming and run out to the room. This is a big gap. Like, like as soon as Howie made contact and I knew off the bat that it was gone and my life changed five years ago today, five years, man. Andrews and Stafford. What's up, Andrew? Andrew, you will get nothing. Andrew. And you will like it. Disappointing. Very much so. I wonder how that happens because he's still on the phone. Uh huh. So like, what is he hearing when we go to him? And so I was wondering about that. Sometimes I actually spoke to somebody who said they they called us once and something was happening in their life at that moment. So they hit mute. And then they forgot that they'd muted themselves. And they're sitting there going, hey, guys, they've taken my call and we're not responding. And nothing happens. And then it's over. That really hates us. One of the two could be that. It could be these like, I like them enough to call them, but I give them the silencer because I hate their guts. The question on the call screener that made me want to pick it up before we moved on was he wanted to ask, did you scream louder after the Howie home run or after the Coosie goal? Howie home run. And because the Coosie goal wasn't instantaneous in terms of viewing. So if you remember it, you couldn't see the puck live. Now people right behind the goalie at Pittsburgh saw it and they headed for the exits. He went five hole. You're right. And it was kind of like, uh, he started reacting like skating off, but it was not an easy it beat him moment. Yeah. So there's a delay and you're sitting there going, did he? Like, so what happened was my buddy who I watched these games with goes, he saved it. And then I said, no, he didn't. And then we're sort of sitting there and disbelief, and we all hugged and went nuts. But that instantaneous, I'm thinking it's a sack fly, and you can see the ball and it's beyond the wall. Yeah. That primal, euphoric scream. I haven't had the grand slam is also there's something about that. Yes, there is. It gives you a little more juice. That's hard to say. My reaction for Coosie was wilder. I ran around. I was hugging people. I was kind of squealing. I would describe it as I was definitely screaming. I laughed a lot. Like, you know what I mean? I just sort of was like nervously cackling for how we I was by myself, which is different. Uh huh. And I was top of my lungs yelling. So I probably screamed louder for howie, but my reaction was more like if it's on camera for both better for Coosie, if that makes sense. That was this like finally that I just sank down just relief in the drink scotch. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Whether you love true crime or comedy, celebrity interviews or news, you call the shots on what's in your podcast queue. And guess what? Now you can call them on your auto insurance too, with the name of your price tool from Progressive. It works just the way it sounds. You tell Progressive how much you want to pay for car insurance, and they'll show you coverage options that fit your budget. Get your quote today at progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates price and coverage match limited by state law. Hey NFL fans, you can start the season with a big return on Fandal, America's number one sports book. So when you get a hunch in the middle of the game, you can check out the latest stats, view live play by play, and so much more on the same page where you place your bets. You'll get started with $200 in bonus bets guaranteed when you place your first $5 bet. That's fandool.com/sportsfan. Never waste a hunch and make every moment more with Fandal, an official sports book partner of the NFL must be 21 plus and present in Colorado, first online real money wage are only $10 first deposit required bonus issued is now a withdrawable bonus bets that expire seven days after receipt restrictions apply see terms at sportsbook.fandool.com gambling problem call 1-800-522-4700. Hey Mike Vlinny here host the cash to take it alongside my partner Jim Costa. It's really simple. Are you tired of podcast claiming there are a bunch of pro betters when they live in their mommy's basement? Are you tired of podcast that claim they hit 80% of the games when really they just lose like most of us? Think cash to tickets the spot for you. We're real, we're transparent, we're having a hell of a good time with it and we sit there and we're there for the sweat with you guys. We're just trying to figure it out just like you. Follow and listen to Cash the Ticket on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.