Albert Pujols Is A Liar, Yadier Molina Is A Cheater, And I'd Cut Off My Left Testicle With A Rusty Dull Blade To Have Two Players Just Like Them
Starting 9 is out today and it's a real smooth episode coming out of a nice quality weekend with family. The vibes are honestly through the roof and that's before I tell you that Kevin Gausman joins us Thursday for arguably my favorite baseball conversation of all time. I'm certainly biased but I can still promise you with the upmost conviction that the Kevin Gausman interview in Episode 006 will blow your tits right off your chest.
But that's not until Thursday. For now it's Tuesday and we got a lot of grabass to play and awards to hand out. And as we said when we announced the relaunch, we're doing two different kinds of shows a week. Similar, yes. But ultimately different.
Tuesday is a lighter recap to get everyone caught up out of the weekend series. Big news. Big headlines. Division standings and weekly awards for the guys who go above and beyond. Sprinkle in some Saber Fuckin' Metrics™ and you're off to the races and ready for another week of games. That's Tuesday. So go enjoy the weekends and we'll be here for you when your hangover settles.
Thursday is the interview episode and that's pretty self explanatory. I think the gold standard for any sports pod interviews are my close friends at Spittin Chiclets and I have no problem or hesitation admitting that we're trying to replicate that exact same vibe in the baseball community. And in a strange way it kinda reminds of me this story Kevin Gausman tells in Thursday's episode. He wanted to change his mechanics because they weren't holding up. He was looking for some inspiration when he saw Sean Newcomb throwing one day in Atlanta. He instantly identified with Newcomb's delivery as a perfect fit. So he goes out the next day and starts working on replicating Newcomb's delivery. Seven years after going 4th overall, Kevin Gausman's tucked away on some back field at the Braves spring training facility, rebuilding his mechanics based on how Sean Newcomb throws it. Only problem is Sean's left-handed and Kevin's right.
Needless to say things turned around for Kevin Gausman from there. It was atypical to take inspiration from a lefty but he saw something and it clicked. And this is my roundabout longwinded way of saying thats how I feel watching the Spittin Chiclets guys. Like yeah I'm aware it's a completely different sport with its own culture of idiosyncrasies and customs and oddities. But ultimately at its core, Chiclets is really just a couple of guys with seemingly unlimited perspective that's both relatable and exclusive. It's the casual inside stories mixed with a transcendent level of ball busting that's oddly comforting.
Does it really matter that we cover different sports? Does it matter that Biz & Whit were too Hollywood to make the Dozen Tournament in person? I would say Absolutely Not and then point right back to Kevin Gausman.
If he can mirror his delivery off a troubled and inconsistent lefty, and then grow into one of the game's most dominant starters... who's to say I can't make the same strides watching Chiclets? Not me my friends. This analogy went wayyyyyyyy longer than I originally anticipated and it doesn't even really apply to this episode. Talk about a left turn I didn't see coming in this blog.
But that's my relationship with baseball. It sucks me in and doesn't let go. I'm not complaining I'm just letting you guys know that's going to happen from time to time. I may start on one topic about how much I hate Yadier and Albert but actually never really start there. Next thing you know we're doing Sunday morning dry towel work on a balance beam at a suburban YMCA. Don't put it past me guys. I'll open a pitching clinic tomorrow if you push me far enough.
For now let's hold off on the instructional aspect and just try to enjoy the show. It's out and it's phenomenal. Some of the best baseball talk I've had in a long time. Go subscribe to the page so we can keep it moving. If you think I'm joking then just ask Brandon Walker about Rasslin'.
