On hour two of The FAN Morning Show, Ben Ennis & Brent Gunning continue with the excitement of having a Leafs’ game to watch tonight. They hit on expectations for this team after a bit of a break tonight against a John Tortorella-less Philadelphia Flyers and what they hope to see from Toronto minus Mitch Marner. Next, the morning duo turn their attention to golf and The Players’ Championship starting today from down in Palm Valley, Florida. B&B brings on Sportsnet reporter Adam Stanley, who is down there, to help preview the tournament and talk about the play we’ve seen from Scottie Scheffler recently. The guys then check in with Kevin Barker of SN 590’s Blair & Barker show (28:11). They discuss Joey Votto finally seeing some pitches, what he can bring to the team and how much to expect from new Jay Justin Turner this season. The hour ends with the daily Wake and Rake!
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 mean, of course, you'd like to solidify some things and keep things consistent, but these tend to be years, basically, thanks, right, right now, it's bitches injury, and that's a significant fire that changes the upload of our team pretty dramatically, so you've got to adjust accordingly, so that's really it, but I think we have a pretty good stance of how our lines and combinations are working with pretty consistent through the season for the most part. Obviously, you know, an adjustment to John and how he finished him during the last month or so, but throughout the season we've prepared to consistent all the way through. In addition, we have the tours, you know, not a lot of change to the forward group. Van Mornik, Joe Sportson, 5'9" of the Van Ben, Ana Spring Gunning, got, of course, Sheldon Keith, getting set for Leafs, Flyers from Philadelphia, no John Tortorella for tonight's game, which is a serious bomber Bradshaw, acting as Flyers head coaches, Tortorella services, two-game suspension, two of the most electric players, or sorry, two of the most electric people that could have been involved in tonight's matchup will not Mitch Marner not playing, and John Tortorella is not coaching. Yeah, it's a shame. At least it's not in Toronto, because it would have hated to have missed out on the opportunity for the Toronto media to get John Tortorella quotes. I told you, I actually do think that the league would have said, like let's just say this game was in Toronto, it would have said you were suspended two games, not included in those two games will be the media circus in Toronto that you must endure, and it will be a minimum ten-minute presser for morning skate, and they're sorry after morning skate, and then after game we're gonna need ten minutes from each time. Yeah, punish people the way they want, they don't want to be punished. That's the thing. Mm-hmm. It's like pulling teeth. Yeah. It's like I actually feel like you'd rather do that. Yeah, you're right. If towards that is is brothers, you might be right. All right, 18 games to go for the Leafs this regular season. This is I guess one of those that matter, like the Flyers at the deadline indicated the thing that they should have indicated that they're not like they're not like this is we're not ready to compete this year and we're not despite the impressive showing that we had and being ahead of where we expected to be in our development curve. This is not a season in which we are rewarding those players by making some massive addition to the deadline. They are who we thought they were but still in a playoff position right now and the players aren't punting on being a Metro top three team. So they have something to play for. What is there to learn from a game like tonight against the Flyers? I think the Flyers are one of the teams that checks the box. There's kind of two things you're going to look for the rest of the way. They're true, or I guess three has a better way to put it. They're true cup contenders that you're going to face. We've seen it in games against Boston. You're going to see it against the team like Carolina. I think they're a cup contender. Now I'm somebody who believes there are 10 11 cup contenders in the league on any given year. Maybe that colors your perception. Philly's not that. But you know what they do? They work like a playoff team. There is not going to be an easy night to be had against Philly. And I think that with the Leafs, we have less questions about this now than we've had in one previous iterations and two previous points of this season. But I think that you finally, this is a team that can test the Leafs in that way. It's Travis Connectney, dog on a bone. They're all going to be playing for torts in this one. Sean Caturier is tough a center match up to go against. So I don't think this I don't want to overstate how tough a test this is for the Leafs. There's a reason they are where they are and the Flyers are where they are. But I think that there are a lot you can glean out of this one one way or another. Special teams for me is going to be an interesting test because we'll so one. Flyers have the worst power play in all of the National Hockey League. So goodness gracious, as we we see some new faces on the penalty kill for this Leafs team, can you kill off all the penalties that you are forced to kill off in tonight's game? Like all of them like you you that needs to be the goal for the Leafs penalty killers against the worst power play in the National Hockey League. Kill off all the penalties as that's one of the key indicators for success. I think headed towards the playoffs for the Maple Leafs. Yeah, I like that. And secondarily, I know no Mitch Marner on the power play is is a tough one, but this this power play is going through a pretty significant fallow period right now. The Flyers do kill off penalties at a pretty good rate. The top three NHL team in penalty kill this season. Can you look better than you've looked recently with honestly Morgan Riley quarterbacking this first unit. And if we're looking for reasons to or ways to get Timothy Lillegrine, his mojo back a little bit, I'm not adverse to the idea of giving him another kick of the can on the top power play unit. The no marner makes me feel differently about that because with no marner there actually think it is better to have Riley and a guy who kind of over handles it a little bit norm having one less pure skill pure past guy. I suppose you put Domie in that spot and then that allows you to kind of continue with that, that tact, but I'm more likely to want to keep Riley in that spot without marner. I'm not opposed to giving Lillegrine some burn there. It just hasn't been what we or it hasn't been what the Leafs have needed from Riley. So I have no problem going to Lillegrine there. I also just don't know how much. And this isn't to say the Leafs power play can't be good without Mitch Marner, but I don't think you can much like I wouldn't read anything into how the Leafs power play looks without Austin Matthews. It's those are the two guys that stir the drink for for the Leafs power play. It's like Tavares is important, but Pertusi can do it. Tavares impersonation or Matthew and I's can pop in there and be the kind of big body guy, but Matthews and marner and just the two singular talents there. You know, I don't mean to say Neelander can't replicate it, but you know, there's he kind of melds the two of them as opposed to marner pure pure paths or Matthews peer shooter. Yeah. Callie Onkroc will take marner's spot on power play one in tonight's game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Again, Ilya Sampsonov getting the start. I'm also like, yeah, doing a day to day thing with Ilya Sampsonov and trying to evaluate whether there's, is there what we saw in the first half of the season still in him or is he over that entirely? Like, like, is that gone? Is that dead and buried? Are we, are we done seeing the two and three and not four, but like two and three horrible goals, a game against Ilya Sampsonov or is he so over those issues that we're going to see the, the guy that had a near 9 20 say percentage last season. Okay. So it's going to be like a touch of a tortured metaphor, but just bear with me here. I would like to think of Ilya Sampsonov's struggles as like a meat cleaving murderer. Okay. We've buried them in the ground. I'm still watching that plot in the cemetery to make sure a hand doesn't jolt up. Like I'm still on high alert. Until I see, and not that Sampsonov has to be transcendent every night, but until I see bad Sampsonov, I do think that's by and large buried, but it doesn't mean that just one of those games can't allow that monster to kind of break free again. And I think that is the, for me, the scariest part of the entire proposition with him. Yeah, it's, uh, it's the very low floor for Ilya Sampsonov. We know the ceiling is extremely high. Yeah, it was during the six game series against the champions. Beautiful. Yeah. Yeah, the ceiling is, is high. And all season long, he put it together. The track record is longer than Joseph Wall. It must be stated, but man, the floor is, yeah, it's, it's untenably low for this guy. And I do think largely, and, and I think evidence would also back this up that the early season problems that he had were between the years. And you would think that a returning from that, if you can overcome that and return to not just relevance, but being the number one starter on this team that once again has Stanley Cup playoff or Stanley Cup championship aspirations, that that's an, that's, that does indicate that you're, you're good to go because that's, that's quite a low to overcome being a minor leaguer while you didn't play a game for the Marley's. You're like, Oh, maybe my, my NHL career is over. And in the same season, just weeks later, you're back to being maybe the game one postseason starter. I'd like to think that that indicates that mentally you're in a good spot. But yeah, the fact that we've seen it this year does still put you on high alert. Yeah, I, I am, I'm right there with you. And in terms of goaltending, I, I think the best thing that can happen for the Leafs, I guess this is where I'll kind of leave it on, on cold tending. The best thing that can happen for the Leafs is for him to go on a run where he feels like the undeniable number one guy. That doesn't mean I'm not well as bullish on Joe Wall. I just don't know that there's as much time for him to build up to that, given what Sam's and I was been slowly building here. So that's where I'm at. All right, we'll get back into the Leafs after eight o'clock with Luke, Stan Stanley would sit here and listen to me talk Leafs forever. Let's be honest. I mean, he would have no choice. But yeah, he certainly would because he's just that type of polite guy. Adam Stanley side guy. He loves the Leafs. Sports net golf reporter in Pawnavidra Beach, Florida getting ready for the players championship is Scotty Scheffler trying to become the first back-to-back winner of this event. How's it going Adam? Doing pretty good. Thanks for having me on guys. Thanks for doing it. It feels like Scotty Scheffler's on the verge of something big here and it's just one one week is seeing him with the mallet putter but it's the one hole in his game hole in his and I'm doing the air quotes hole in his game is still the world's number one player and does have a master's title and is the defending champion at this event. What are we on the verge of seeing with Scotty Scheffler here? Yeah, it's been so fascinating to see how Scotty Scheffler's managed to put together this body of work over the last couple of years like it's hard to like quantify like how good he has been hitting the golf ball and then how poor his putting has been. I think he was 162nd in strokes game putting last year and he was first in every single like statistical category as it relates to hitting the golf ball. He just he just couldn't do it on the greens and he still won twice including the players and was firmly in the mix for a couple of the majors and got to world number one. So the just the opposite end of the spectrum of how good he is at hitting the ball and how bad he is at putting the ball was just so jarring. So yeah Rory McElroy gets on the TV broadcast a couple weeks ago and was like if I was Scotty I'd try a mallet and then lo and behold Rory he tries a mallet and he finishes fifth in strokes game putting last week when he won at Bay Hill that's only the third time in his career that he's ever finished in the top five in that stat in a tournament. So you're right not only does he come into this week as the defending champ he comes into the week having one last week's PGA tour event and he comes into the week having an all career week on the putting surfaces last week combined with his basically all-time statistical greatness in actually hitting the golf ball. So it's the big question it's the only question really as we inch ever closer to the start of the player's championship is can anyone beat Scotty Scheffler. Yeah that's the way I've been looking at it as well I I posed it to Ben when we were getting ready to do the show the other day when we were going to talk about it is is this Tiger like or Tiger light and I think the answer is creeping closer and closer to Tiger like it's it's kind of incredible what he's done now if you're going to poke to a hole in his resume and again much like the hole in his game I'm going to use air quotes here but just and boy wouldn't we all kill for one major but just the one major how much does he need to win and again it just proves the player he is that I phrase it this way at least a major this year to stamp this home because you know you and me have had a lot of conversations about all the great golf Rory McElroy has played over the last three four honestly five years Stanley but guess what what's the one thing everybody mostly Sam McKee throws in our face no majors so how bad does he need a major or two to kind of stamp home this not just best player in the world but best player in a while kind of status he has right now yeah I mean the the way that the majors have you know transcended the noise of men's professional golf over the last almost three years now just has made them that much more important because yeah no matter how you're feeling about just you know the game right now it is the only time when the best in the world are getting together to compete against one another so to be able to say that you are you know truly a world beater you've got to win majors and I think the the unique thing about Scotty is that he's only 27 right like Rory is you know in his mid 30s you know some of these other guys even Brooks you know he's in his kind of early mid 30s as well like you know I don't want to again to borrow you guys his term here this morning I'm going to use air quotes but they're getting you know a little bit older and Scotty is probably so firmly in his prime you know maybe he's just one or two years into a five to six year prime that I don't think it's the end of the world if he doesn't want a major kind of this year but then once he starts getting into his 30s then there's going to be a lot more questions about oh what could have been now I do think that obviously he's won the Masters so should be considered a favor at Augusta National you know Pinehurst and Valhalla are very kind of classic Americana style golf courses and I think that Scotty's game is really built for those two golf courses as well at least with respect to the US based majors so yeah I mean he's got his greatest chances any to go and have a career defining season in the biggest event on the golfing calendar and I think you know that all has to do with the fact that we've long known that he is the best at hitting the golf ball from point A to B and putting all about confidence and it's all about these little things it's all about these fields and there's no doubt that he found something last week and this is kind of the first biggest event of the season and we'll have to see how that how that tested this week it's really hard to win a major I mean no matter how good you are but I think if I set the over under on Scotty Scheffler majors at a half we're all taking the over what if I set it at one and a half are you taking the over on on Scotty Scheffler majors this season at one and a half no is going to be the short answer I think it's like I was like how how can how roundabout can I go before I get to my actual answer you would take over a half though right like if it like you would not yeah no I'd go over I would go over yes okay but I would go under for sure on one and a half and I think you know you know whose fault this is this is like the Adam Shanks of the world fault because like the guys who are you know 120th on the PGA tour right now are like are so good and you can just put together four really really solid rounds and and figure it out and it kind of doesn't really matter the stage you look at you know golf obsessed like my my literal job is golf reporter and I love the stories that we've seen at the beginning of this season like Jake Knapp was a bouncer at a Californian restaurant two years ago and now he's a winner on the PGA tour but he did you know the needle is not moved and and I think that that's really what we what professional golf needs we need these stars to kind of do star things but at the same time with respect to major championships there are some people who get into major championships who aren't superstars that have kind of transcended the game and are really in in people's in people's conscious right now and the fact the matter is they can still win so it is very very difficult to win a major even if you're Scotty Scheffler even if you're some of the best in the world as we fared witness to over the last couple years but Scotty's got all the tools and his tools are just working that much better than everyone else's so over 0.5 majors but I think just given the the wide breadth of competition it's gonna be pretty hard to win more than one yeah it is but I mean what like I I don't know if there is a line on that like at 0.5 majors for Scotty Scheffler that's that feels like even odds yeah the the value on over one and a half is is much higher like what if I put it at plus 2000 Scotty Scheffler one and a half majors with a sprinkle with a sprinkle for sure yeah so and and again it just it just kind of goes back to the example set by him and his game he's just been a constant presence no matter if it's you know a run of the mill pj tour of it or a major championship excuse me he's kind of been right there and and I think that that just kind of breathes confidence and it breathes good play and the fact that he's kind of put it all together at least for one week last week um should be one of those things that it's like well this is going to be kind of unexorbable as as the year goes on this is going to be the first time this sentence has been uttered outside of the ropes at a pj tour event but interesting you mentioned adam shank there uh because I think one it's like tough for him he just has the name that he'll always be the easiest of the guys to pick from because it's right there like shank it's so easy for us to grab I thought you were going to go the exact other way I thought you were going to say this is brooks kept his fault and that we say okay you're the best guy go into a year that's what the best guy does right and wrong that is not what the best guy does like the best of all time do that in tiger and jack but go look at all the other players that we hold up throughout history is the greats of all time they're not ripping off to a year on any kind of regularity so I actually think that's been the thing that is kind of warped our perception if scottie sheffler just ripped off a major every year and even took a few years off for the next four five six years you're looking at him in that club so I think that's the thing that's kind of broken people's brains and this is is what kep guy has been because I still think he is the the guy people think of in the majors like rightfully so right now yeah I mean when when we do our you know master's preview radio hit in a in a couple weeks like brooks kept his name is going to be probably one of the top three that are out of my mouth that relates to favorites and we haven't seen brooks kept to play you know play golf in a while so I think it just is what it is you know he gets up for the majors he's made it very very clear that he gets up only for the majors and we kind of bear witness to the guys on the PGA tour weekend and week out and we can kind of nitpick their games and their kind of approaches a little bit more often and you know I think it's a it's a great point about kind of all-time greats because you're right like let's say let's say we're we're in the we're in the start of a 10 year golden time for first Scottie Scheffler you know if he wins one if he wins one major every other year and he gets to sick and he gets to six by the time he's 35 right it's a six major championships you know who's he you know who's he he's in the conversation with like Arnold Palmer and people like that right like and it's not like brooks kept I mean brooks is already in that mix which is even more impressive so yeah I think it's it's a fascinating thing that the competition right now to win on the PGA tour and win majors has never been you know tighter but also we've had guys like brooks kind of do things that we don't normally see as it relates to kind of historical evidence so regardless this week you know obviously a crown jewel event on the on the PGA tour schedule but I'm hoping for stars I'm hoping for the stars to really shine this week because you know just casual golf fans kind of deserve that that Sunday leaderboard we talked about the numbers uh one place I'm looking Scotty Scheffler is uh plus 1200 to win two majors or more Rory right behind a plus 1,400 yeah well only 12 yes yes 1,200 it is that but that is that's the level of respect no it's not no it's not that's the level of respect he gets uh last one from me before you let you go Stanley you mentioned it who gets into the majors this is going to be a topic of of conversation you know I do a lot of live squawking uh you might you might recall this from conversations pass with us but I think for most people the thing they care about with the live and PGA fight is it's not going to affect the majors is it or starting to see the trickle down of you know your Taylor Gucci's of the world not getting invited to the masters uh and now there's going to be an asterisk on it I can't believe it joking but what do you make of the idea that we are in this flux period now where you're starting to see some players who you know I can make my jokes but I think it's safe to say Taylor Gucci deserves to play in majors uh what do you what do you make or what's going to happen here in just the current state of where the tour is at with the piff and the live and the Saudi investment fund and you know all of that yeah it's um it's definitely been a fascinating week listening to obviously J Monahan was first to speak on on Tuesday he flew to Saudi Arabia had a meeting uh with Yasser who leads the piff uh in January talked to them their talks are accelerating the that s SG group the American base group they've invested in 1.5 billion dollars in the into this new PGA tour enterprise so the money is coming in the negotiations are ongoing uh and to be frank I think the players themselves are just like ready to be done like they just want like they're I wouldn't say they're at the point of like rolling their eyes but it does seem like everyone just wants like the Saudis are not going away the Saudis and all their money are not going away and you know the the poaching of John Ron was a little bit of like listen we can take whoever so just stop what you're doing and let us be part of this and they bullied their way their way in and they spent their money on the way in and unfortunately it's going to be kind of it is what it is but I think the players are ready to just have some semblance of uh a joined together uh schedule what that looks like how that looks like how team golf is involved who's who stays who goes those are all questions still in need of answering unfortunately but basically every every guy who spoke in the media center over the last couple days are just ready to move on and I think who's going to benefit from that the fans the fans are are kind of done listening to all of this the fans are done you know only hearing the headlines about money and who's doing what and where they just want to see the best players in the world be at the peak of their sport more often and I think that that has now become sort of the the north star with respect to what it is that both the players want and the fans want and I think as long as we're working towards that it's going to be good for the game that seems to be the general consensus from certainly the players Jay Monahan's kind of POV is a little bit different he kind of wants what what's best for you know these business entities and that's kind of where the disconnect lays so yeah I mean the masters are not they are not going to want anything to you cert the power in the spotlight that is the master so you know unless something happens over the next three weeks you know probably RBC Canadian Open is going to say I wish you could I wish you could wager on May 29th being the day that this merger has finally announced the day before the the first round of the RBC Canadian Open in Hamilton yeah yeah I just I kind of rolled my eyes but then like a couple of my American golf writer colleagues are like hey man we'll see at Hamilton I'm sure there's gonna be something going on right and I was like please don't say that you know like please stop right now we craved a tournament with some identity we thought we found it with the rink and they're like yeah the rink that's cute what about complete chaos in the golfing world every time we come to your backyard yeah hey say what you want but what this is going to be one of the most talked about periods of time in pro golf however this shakes out one way or another and Canada will always have a a place in it kind of funny it really is funny ha ha I haven't oh I haven't finished the the new season of full swing I just started it do you make an appearance oh my god I'm in I make some background appearances in the first two episodes excuse me but then they start to go across the pond to the British and obviously the writer couple tries not add but yes I'm I'm briefly in the back I will say Netflix cameras a little bit around some of our Canadian fellows this week whether or not they're going to be actually focused an episode on on them or if they're just going to be maybe part of something I was very much both miked and reported as I was interviewing one of the guys in the last couple days so there may be some Canadian content for season three cool everything weirsey presidents cup I know it's like a supposed to be PGA to come on give it to me and also just how close are you now to getting your like sag card between that and your wonderful TPC Toronto commercial you're just like my gosh I have been calling you a content beast for a while you're taking it too far you're like an actor now basically your model Stanley I got I got to work in my like slow motion pouring and just like my my big like smile and cheers the TPC Toronto folks really really did me nice with that one but yeah I don't know I maybe I got to go to the four or something I don't know makeup but I don't really know how this works I cannot help you with makeup but if you do need help learning how to pour a beer on a golf on a on a 19th hole somewhere that I am very well practiced it I don't know how to pour it I don't know how to consume it I'm really good at that all right Adam enjoy the tournament get to work buddy see ya get to work yeah all right it was Adam Stanley sports that golf reporter I love that man the players championship yeah it's like find somebody who has a bad word to say about Adam Stanley I double dog certainly none of the Canadians on the PGA tour yeah it's like best friends with all of them not actually like you know reporter like there's just some familiarity there and the guys like them it's pretty clear and yeah that's awesome that the Canadian guys are getting love on full swing well we have to take a break yeah I know but and Kevin Barker would love nothing more than to discuss as I know the Canadians they're all they're a tight knit group yeah like Adam had when getting tackled trying to celebrate with Nick Taylor those guys all their buddy buddy yes they are it's an interesting time though because you got you're talking about making the president's cup team but you're also talking about the Olympic team as well like I wonder how the relationships are evolving like and nobody's like rooting for somebody else to fail but like there's a who competition amongst them here's what you're getting at is who will be the Martin St. Louis to Mike Weir's Steve Iserman like leaving them off the president's cup he's gonna they're trade me out of Canada like changing their citizenship that'd be tough please don't do that Mack and Corey because I think those would be the ones but yeah like it's it's gonna be it's an awesome time for golf that Mike Weir has hard decisions to make about the Canadians he's gonna put on the president's cup team that are gonna be played in our wonderful country that was nice tiering up just thinking about it yeah tiering up about the prospect of Joey Votto, Swadinger's and I thought you were gonna say about hearing Kevin Barker talk about the jacket well that's that's also something I'm very much looking forward to Kevin Barker of Blair and Barker next as the fan morning show continues Ben and his Brent Gunning Sportsnet 590 the fan. Big guests and bigger opinions on everything happening in leafsland real kipper and born be sure to subscribe and download the show on Apple spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Man Morning Show Sportsnet 590 the fan man and his Brent Gunning. I wish I was involved in an inside joke that involves my own program but no not a lot I don't know something about this song I'm not familiar with what this song is but maybe Kevin Barker is he of Blair and Barker from Florida long time no talk how's it going buddy hey boys what's up hey you guys got a lot of nerve I mean last time I checked I'm bigger than most of you guys are on that show and producing that show he knows who he is he's listening yes what what okay what are you talking about so confused right now and I have to be honest I'm a little scared because you seem a little mad at me well I'm sure it has something to do when it starts with Redneck oh I say the way I talk and do you shy away from that listen I thought you you kind of lean into that like you don't care yeah I don't care what people think Ben yeah well but you do you seem a little bothered that they played the Redneck song though like so maybe you feel because I know who you're producer is I know why that's happening I'm sure he's smiling as I'm saying this out loud for sure hiding under a desk actually absolutely it's okay I mean he can poke fun I poke fun at him all the time too you know what's funny is I got on I hopped on a little early and I and I heard the traffic report and for whatever reason when you're in a different country yes boy it just makes you feel good about yourself it really does yeah so you guys wear that traffic for a little while yeah I know you'll be back in it soon enough and yeah next couple of years where they like reduce the gardener by a lane that'll be a good time I love flying cars by then it's fine sure whatever yeah all right uh Joey Votto playing in a minor league game well what do you what are you hearing what are you seeing from from 40 year old Joey Votto well I talked to him uh day before yesterday when he got here I talked to him yesterday uh he's gonna do his best like it's you know I don't think there's any expectations I saw him well I saw his first bat yesterday I stand right behind home plate whenever he had his first to bat he looked like the old Joey like he was you know he wasn't over swinging he wasn't trying to hit a home run he was trying to stay big part of the field I think he lined out the second base but he you know it was off the left he hit the ball hard like I either just don't know coming into this thing what the expectations are I've talked to some coaches I talked to the manager you know I don't know if there is any like I think it's I wouldn't save trying to find lightning in a bottle because I when I have talked to Joey he said the difference between last year and this year is he's healthy and that's a big deal for a 40 year old you know you want to go into this thing healthy I don't know what the timeline is I like how you know how many games you're going to play in the minors I don't think he'll he'll break with the team I just don't think he's ready to do that just yet uh vocal box been having a pretty decent spring right they they sort of need that predictability of coming off the bench late in the game against the dude that throws a hunter who's right handed right now I think just me listening to the way everybody talks it probably will be vocal box but I know the conversation when I talk to Joey and when I talk to John Snyder they want to keep the lines of communication open like it's be honest right if if Joey feels like he's 40 and can't contribute to a team he's going to tell him I mean I think that's the beauty of Joey is they're not going to have secrets Joey's not in this thing to make money like he's made enough money it's more about playing for his country plan for his his team and thinking that he has one more little decent run at this and you know again there will have to be some other things happening right Justin Turner might have to play a little bit more third if he comes here you want to get Joey Smith bats you know it's not 500 at bats but you get him somewhere between that 250 300 at bat and it can be Joey at bats it's those tough you know grind them out make it real tough for that dude even if Joey does get out for you know that guy's going to have to throw some pitches and get the big hit when it matters they didn't work very good at it last year the runners in scoring position we've talked about this a lot and I've talked to a lot of people here that say you know we've seen it the last couple days especially with Turner man just how different it looks when that guy's up instead of bar show it's I know Vince Dalton bar show but they did him with this just this last year by by hitting and clean off to start the season clean up excuse me and I think just having somebody else getting those at bats will help this team I got to get off to a good start they know what everybody else knows that the American League is a little tougher now some injuries have happened to the Yankees that will help a little but they're still going to score some runs and they're still going to win some games and getting off to a hot start and I do think they're trying to take the best 26th north if they feel like and Joey feels like that Joey's one of those I don't think Joey will be there the first week but it might happen the first home stand you know Joey might be a Toronto Bluejack yeah that's the thing I've been wondering is exactly like today if they have a threshold in mind and obviously it's not some slash line that they need to see in these games with you know odd rules because they're played on backfields against minor leaguers but I do wonder what is the threshold for them and if there's do you think there's anything he could do before camp finishes to break camp with the big club because I mostly agree with you that I think it'll be Vogelbach and I think he's gonna get his time in Buffalo and then as long as he looks like some version of you know Joey Votto then he'll eventually make his way with this team but do you think there is you know I won't say anything because I guess it looks like a perfect player you're gonna take him but do you think anything can be done for him to break club with the big team yeah I'm not sure yeah I don't look again it gets back to the expectation thing I mean why rush it like you know I think Joey was hanging out you know on park matches taking pictures of himself and tweeting it because he was waiting for a better deal and when that better deal didn't come around and the Bluejays came a calling and you know I this will tell you whenever they bring Joey and they're not real happy with their left-handed hitters like Horowitz look he he I think is what Horowitz is he ain't most of the time gonna hit a home run in the eighth inning they need sort of that threat of uh oh here he comes it's either that super super tough at bat because his future Hall of Famer or it's you better not throw one down the middle or he'll bridge you and it'll be three nothing like they need that I think coming off the bench and again I just think it's more about expectations and making sure that a 40-year-old feels like when he is ready in live action to be able to come off a bench and you know or start D.H. and or occasionally give uh Vladie a break at first base now again this is going to sort of disrupt things right Turner's gonna have to play a little bit more third yeah he's almost 40 like there well that's you know they went they went from the when Joey does you know come to the Bluejays they went from the oldest lineup of the American legis to the oldest lineup in the American legis so it's just you they got to be careful here I understand they're trying to get off the good starts but you also want the best product like you you want to especially where the the rotations at you know Gosman and Manoa I look Manoa once he's pitching like I haven't seen him pitch I've seen him throw flat ground what's that mean like I I haven't talked to PD enough to to know when or what the next step is when he's going to throw you know Mitch White just sounds like he's lurking around the corner how much excitement does that you know ooze throughout Jay's land does he really yeah so you know I know where they're trying to sell it to you by throwing 98 look he throws he's throwing 98 he ain't pitching at 98 there's a giant difference so we want everything again it's and I talked to the president of the company yesterday the president of the Bluejays look there there's some urgency there for for dudes to get healthy figure it out because they need to get off to a good start they know it everybody else knows it because of what the Orioles are and the Yankees are now the Rays are painting the but the Red Sox gonna have to score them like they're they're a bad team when it comes to the pitching side of the ball but offensively they're gonna score much runs you're gonna have to match that and you know they just need everything clicking all in the right direction so yeah well also if you do talk to the president of the company just let him know like we're good like be like hey I talked to Ben and Brent in the morning so those guys really talented like put in a good word for us if you do talk to that guy barre I will well I know both I occasionally talk to both so you do this this this this one drags the truth by me when I was said when I was walking back to my car that's Marc Shapiro and asked me how I got in the building so yeah it's funny this this team is just full of 40 year old right Joey Votto won no Justin Turner sorry he's 39 there's a huge huge difference you keep talking about the possibility of him playing in the field a little bit more that's what has me interested in what exactly the Votto Vogelbach role is on this team because they already have full-time DH and especially for Vogelbach who is he's a zero against left-handed pitching so he has to do one job I guess come in and pinch it for like Isaiah Kiner-Folefa if the the opportunity arises in like the eighth inning but I mean Joey Votto if you get like everything works out to the best possible degree with Joey Votto and he's all the sudden a guy that you want to play every day is your DH how much third base first base second base can Justin Turner play so he he started was at 46 games last year in the field for the Red Sox now 35 of those starts came at first base which isn't you played first base I I guess I'm gonna go out on the limb here and say that the the amount of movement that you have to make it first base not not the same as third base I would say the third base probably a little more taxing physically how much could they reasonably expect expect 39 year old Justin Turner to play at third base I would say at the most three days a week I mean they I think if they get the guys back probably Joey that they want to play a little bit more and you know getting the lineup against them right-handed pitching not Joey's probably not going to play against lefty see through like they got enough righties that they could stack all together that would be real tough on some lefty so Joey's probably not going to be in there against left you see it'll only be against righties and you know I talked to John about this and John said he'd had a conversation with Justin and Justin's willing to to help out when needed that doesn't mean he's playing five days a week at third that ain't half 39 like and you know again it's about keeping that dude on the field and not having somebody else hitting cleanup this is the point like it it's I said this last year when I came down here to spring training and have a cleanup pitter they still really don't have a cleanup pitter just in turn really never hit cleanup because he hasn't had to I mean with the Dodgers he's hit more second and third he hadn't had hadn't had to hit cleanup now he does have to do that and you've seen again the last couple of days how the bats look it's it's not trying to hit the three run homer with a dude standing at second that it's not that it's staying within yourself it's okay to drive that guy in and that's all and I think that's a great mindset nobody else that I know that's after latte those really how to do that so it's imperative that they keep that dude in the lineup and again just everybody that I've talked to doesn't seem like it's going to be four or five days a week that's what I said what's the expectations with Joey I don't see Joey playing every day either like he again I don't want to harp on the 40 thing but he is 40 and he was sitting on a park bench like two weeks ago we got to be realistic I know he's Canadian and you know he's tremendous to follow and Twitter because of the things he says and how he speaks and I play with Joey for three years I know how it is but we got to remember he's 40 and it's about the team whatever is best for the team because they realize what this means to to everybody around here sorta you know I get the vibe it's me against the world which I'm not sure that's it's to that extreme but there's some putting up that needs to happen because a lot of people don't think they can hit and and I'm sorta maybe in the camp of that I think you know sometimes you can have too many cooks in the kitchen and it just seems like there's a lot of information being given in a lot of different directions and when that happens that you tend to not look the way you want to look when you walk to the place so it just seems like the conversations I have that's a little quieter when it comes to that it's very specific the message which just I when I was in the big leagues I just don't I can't fathom this when I have this conversation and I can hear myself saying it out loud it's just amazing to me that that this level that you can let somebody else dictate how you haven't at that who's never hadn't it back before just blows my mind I just I especially when you're doing it at elite levels like some of these dudes are doing it for the Blue Jays but it's a thing and they seem to accept the people that I've talked to seem to have figured it out maybe it's a step in the right direction yeah they accept it until it stops working then they go back to their own thing generally speaking um okay before we let you go yeah you were you were a teammate of Joey Vottos and we only know him through the interactions he has through social media through his post-game media availabilities um and the quirkiness that that we see there what kind of a teammate is he uh well I may be the wrong person to ask about teammates look like okay you guys do this no you know that sounds like you're the right person to ask about teammates barker what are you talking about you guys give me a definition of what you guys think a great teammate I don't know I've never been in a major league clubhouse you tell me what a good teammate I tend to think it's somebody that doesn't that doesn't annoy you because you have to spend every waking moment of every day with that person baseball is different from other sports that way in which there is very few days where you get to separate yourself from this person it's hours and hours every single day I think that's part of it yeah you have never been in a clubhouse before because let me tell you this right now like I say I I played I tried to play first when I when I was a player it would rare that I would hang out with the shortstop or the second baseman I would show up I would do my work I would go in a room and eat whatever I needed to eat my pre-game meal I would go on the field he'd throw the ball to me that was it it's like it's not like we go in a clubhouse and and everybody gets together and we sit in a corner we tell everybody how your day's been like how are you doing what are you going to do after the game how's your family no it just doesn't work that way it's you're in a mad clubhouse no it wasn't I've been in a bazillion clubhouse every single clubhouse is the same like as long as you're cordial and you can actually walk by a dude and go hey john how's it going or hey sam how's it going and they actually want to turn around and go hey bark how's it going man hope you have a good day that's about it it's not like everybody I mean how many rooms or how many times have you seen that you have 25 other dudes in a room and all 25 of those like you yeah I've been to back parties before guess what there's a little schism here there usually it's just you guys way overthink this clubhouse thing I like you just like it's like it's it does to an extent when you're performing it's it's like with the three headed monster that used to be here in 2015 the dude who played third the guy that played right and the guy that played first or dh all three of those all the time didn't hang out with each other like it just didn't happen that way they mash baseballs they were a lot of fun because if you don't do it I'm going to do it and in fact I ain't doing it I'm going to do it that's sort of how that whole mesh together it wasn't in the clubhouse you're hanging out I mean they have their little groups but they're very small so it's just it's man it's just like every time I I have this conversation it obeyses me how much effort and time is put into boy joey's going to fix the clubhouse it's like yeah joey's a good dude but joey's here to break joey ain't here to hang out and take people to dinner like it it just it just doesn't work that way it's sort of you know like we went 20 minutes here and you have not asked me about the jack oh my god i just got attacked from producer jeff i was a party about yeah we got to bring up the jacket come on what a good teammate have a home run jacket true or false i think a teammate that has lost a couple of buddies to a to a different team yeah and just wants to have fun the jacket is his friend I got you he feels like no he feels like that will help him be the best Vladimir Guerrero jr that he could possibly be he's not pushing on that on boba shit or anybody else that does not want to wear the jacket he wants to wear it it will be folded up in a corner where nobody will see it he hits a home run he will wear it he's not asking anybody else to wear it if they want to do something else he'll go and do something else it's bladdied like that's the thing right baseball's very individual sport it's whatever makes you the best player you can possibly be and again you're going to get that 10% right uh hazel showed me the tweet she sent out because she's the one that had this conversation with bladdie first yes and it was 90% bring it back right it's whatever it takes we want to see the best flatty and then it's the other well you know it's just about hitting why do we care and bring it why why why do we care i did you're that group right you're a hockey guy we're plus the other dude in the face and it's better off that way i it's does that ever work how does that leave so let's go like i it's better than it's going for the james i don't understand the jace made the playoffs the last couple years like it's true no same level of success no it's you're absolutely right yeah like i it's just you everybody for everybody wants something to yell and scream about when it's just not that big of a deal it's from one it's basically for one guy and whoever else wants to come along for that part of it like he's not glad he is such a nice dude it's not like he's standing up in a room going dang it i'm using it you guys are going to use no what do you mean you won't wear the jacket yeah it seems like i got the jacket we knew that i told hazel when she sent the tweet out you know how this is going to go yeah like you know that people are going to stomp their feet and how there you have fun in a sport you know again glad he's just one of them dudes that sort of needs something and maybe that's his security blanket maybe that's something that's something he shoots for right if i do well i get to wear that it's cool i have fun it makes the game go by faster it brings out the best Vladimir Guerrero jr and if that's if i'm doing that our team's better our organization's better and fans are happy and they come and watch us like just to sit around and actually think about how bad people don't want the jacket it's just it's just that amazing it's like the clubhouse thing it's just it's like yeah i just don't i don't understand that so good for flatty i'll be in that camp good because i wouldn't care one wear the other if i were on this team if you're lucky enough to be on a good team and somebody else wants to do something you don't like well ignore it don't know you don't have to wear it don't do it it's just rumblings that bow don't like it okay so what the cares if bow does have to wear it that's awkward too but yeah how's it awkward i don't know also like i do that has to be agreed upon before the game but they are it's gonna stand out it's like oh what do you mean what do you mean a great apart i okay it's just gonna be awkward so like Vlad is gonna come to him holding the jacket he's gonna put us he's gonna give him the highs and he's like no no no no for me thank you flatty's jacket okay no i would i would say some other fan of the jacket on the team excuse me will be holding the jacket would have to flatty does something really good i it's only after all runs that's it listen after he gets a homer he's holding the jacket he flatty ain't gonna run over after bow it's a homer and holds the jacket because flatty knows bow don't like the jacket like that's the thing is it's you guys will ever think these things this is about latty this is and i didn't even get my opinion yet if i you well basically you said that flatty needs to ask as permission to use a jacket and and last time i checked flatty's grown man i mean flatty wants to wear a jacket flatty that's what i said like again everybody wants the best out of everybody on this team because it just it makes it i especially do because it makes it easier for me to have a conversation to the players and about the players oh yeah i'm rooting for flatty to wear that jacket 504 times yeah it was then there's the other side of it where well well what if bow doesn't sign off on it or what if george i don't know if george's prayer likes it or not but throw george in or what if george doesn't like it and is having an uproar about flatty really don't go down in the tunnel after flatty hits a homer like it's like they're grown up still get over it is basically i think where flatty's at yes because flatty likes it flatty wants to have fun and we all want to see the flatty we we've we've been yelling and screaming the last couple of years about seeing the best flatty possible if flatty thinks this is it and this will help why why wouldn't you guys be on board with this i am again didn't get my opinion as long as whatever it takes to to have flatty hit his first home homerun before june 23rd i had to go back and and remind myself exactly of the date that was vladimir grayer or jr's first homerun at roger center last season whatever we're a top hat where a cumber bun where like cufflinks i don't care do whatever it takes to have you hit a few more home runs we're nothing at all if that's what it takes and they kind are with the new financial shoes barker we did a bad job look at you we did a bad job not leaving you enough time we have to go thanks buddy yeah you guys set that up terribly but i i thought i built you out with the yeah with the vladys stuff you did you did great i hope you guys enjoy the traffic on the way home thanks no traffic for us we drive the opposite way at nine o'clock so we did nothing bad for us see you barker see you later come barker blarem barker time now for the wake and rake presented by sports interaction your homegrown sports book 19 plus bet responsibly leaves flyers from philadelphia and it is the leaves minus 135 favorites flyers plus 115 the total six Brent under give me the under leaves have no much marner they haven't been scoring their team in flux matthews has just not looked like his right self and hey prove me wrong i'd love to be wrong about this give me the under you get it at plus 115 i know it's six i know you need five but yeah i like the under there so do i flyers the worst power play team in the NHL against one of the worst uh penalty kills in the NHL but i i would give the leaves an advantage considering the players they acquired at the deadline who are going to kill the penalties yeah no much marner i also like the under at plus money that was the wake and rake presented by sports interaction your homegrown sports book 19 plus bet responsibly when we come back lukefox from philie as the fan morning show continues bed and spread gunning sports at 590
