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Abner Uribe, WWE Superstar. You see that? That was a little uh Derek Lowe right there, yeah. And he challenged him, too. Take that back. Uh I love it. It stood. They got a little beef going on right now? They got a little I think they do now. They do? Now. Well, of course they do now, but he didn't just do that. Like, they had to have some going on before. There is something There is more to this story. just do You don't just do that. Look at Pat.
It didn't just start there. That's great. MLB according to CC Sabathia Ahmed Farid, have you ever seen anything like that before? Derek Lowe did that to the A's at the end of a playoff series? Like, he definitely end of a series. So, they had already scored. Like, yeah, yeah, yeah. No recourse. End of the series, and he gave them like the It was a playoff series. I'll never forget that. It was hilarious. So, it's weird. Uribe says that the Cardinals were talking some trash. Like, they you
know, I There was something There You're right. There Yeah, he just You don't just show up and just, you know, start doing WWE on the mound. But, the Brewers were not happy about that. Pat Murphy said they were embarrassed. Pat Murphy said we Brewers were Yeah, they said they were embarrassed. He's apologized for it. Did you ever I mean, the So, the Derek Lowe, did you ever have a teammate where you're like, "Come on, bro. No, we don't need to Nah, I mean, I never I like if I don't care, but you know what I'm saying? It's only the people that lose that get mad or get upset I agree. about that type of So, no, I never like I never thought it was too much if teammates did it. I didn't care.
What about the other side? Did you When you were in a game, did you go Yeah. I'm trying to think. Like, no, because like this emotion, like it is what it is. Like, I never got mad when guys hit a homer and walked or threw the bat or like did whatever. Like, it's part of the game. Like, it is what it is. Like, you beat me. If I didn't want you to do that Yeah, I mean if you don't want to see it then just win or get strike them out. You know what I'm saying? Like And then you too could be Abner Doubleday doing exactly that. Uh you never know what you're going to see in a Major League Baseball game including that.
What you're going to see in this podcast is we're about what? 33% of the way through the third of the way through the season. This is where everybody like checks in Memorial Day, right? Like it's like this is Memorial Day. Do players do that, too? No. No, you don't. I mean like I said in the last pod in the last pod I'm always checking standings. I was always checking but there was never really like any checkers. But it was always the All-Star break. I mean the trade deadline. Got it. Yeah, yeah. It's like are we out of it? Are we in it? And what does our front office think? Are we in or out of the playoff was the biggest thing. All right. So we're going to say the teams that are in it right now in the top 10 our power
rankings. Time for that once again. We're going to go through CC's five through one to start. We'll take a break. I'll do put them on my nerd glasses and kind of look at the numbers for my six through 10 Yes. teams to see if you agree with those. But let's just start with We already know Yes. and we established this pod number one that we ever did. Your number one team is the Dodgers. And it's like in stone tablet. locked in. Mookie is back. He went deep twice last night. Look good. I think everybody was making such a big deal out of you know what they going to do with him? Are they going to move him down in the lineup? You know, is he going to be back? Is he getting older?
Hitting two homers last night. I just think that team gets healthy like I said I'm going to say this all year. That team is healthy October 1st. They will win a championship. There's no one else in the conversation. I mean you look at the lineup and it's ridiculous, right? It is top to bottom and the pitching Yeah, I mean it's ridiculous. And then the pitching Yamamoto I like it's there is literally all there. Is there any like if there is there any way like if you were you had to beat them you'd be like, "Hey, you're in the World Series. You have to beat the Dodgers. What is the only chance and they're healthy?"
What do you do? Like what's their weakness? not one. I don't think there's a team in the major leagues right now that can like stack up to them in a seven game series. I don't think there's a team built for it. In stone, they are number one. So, we'll just put that away. They are the number one team, but let's go in reverse order for these other ones. We'll start at number five for you, and this is your only American League team in your top five. five is the Yankees. Um I think they're the best team in the American League. Um I think they have the best pitching staff and I just think they're ahead, you know, shoulders above anybody else in the American League. So, they're the only team I have in my top five. What do
you have more confidence in with the Yankees? The pitching side for them to be at an elite level there all season long or the lineup side? I think it's the lineup side. Um being able to just scratch runs across, I think that's something that they're going to have to like figure out as it gets late. And the bullpen is something I have to figure out, too. Obviously, the starting pitching is the best in the league. We talked about that, but the bullpen, um you know, a bridge to somebody late in the in the back into the bullpen, they're going to need like two or three more arms in that bullpen to be able to get through um the American League playoffs and get to the World Series. 15 to one win last night against the Royals. I thought the Royals were going
to make a little turnaround. I thought everybody in the American League were going to You know what I'm saying? There's a bunch of teams where you're like, "Oh, we thought I thought that team I thought a bunch of teams in the American League West were going to be a lot better than they are." And nobody's kind of running with that. So, it's just it's the American League is just down. You go, "Hey, we're we're as good as Houston." You'll be like, "Yeah, well, they're not good." You know, it's like that. Everyone could be like, "Hey, we're as good as them." It's like, "Yeah, they're not good, though." That's the problem. All right. So, your only American League team in the top five. Number four for you The Milwaukee Brewers.
Milwaukee Brewers cuz you were there and you saw it firsthand. I feel like I got them hot. I was there when they started they swept the Yankees. Um Miss Arraez started that game on Friday night. I mean, you know, the other night he had a start where he threw 57 pitches over a 100 miles an hour. Um just being dominant. I think the more he continues to throw the ball over the plate, the more you're going to see him just be dominant in games, cutting those walks down, and he's just going to be super impressive as the year goes on.
I really like what they can do with as off offensive standpoint. They can bunt, they can play small ball, they can move runners over, they can pop you deep if they need to. They can do everything they need. So, that American League Central is very competitive. It's going to be super tough. But I think that you know, hopefully they can hold on and win that division. And it isn't just Mize Rowalski, it's a Kyle Harrison has pitched really well, Logan Henderson has pitched well for them. How crazy is that? The Cubs have had two 10 or more game win streaks, and they are now last in the division.
Can you help me understand that? I don't Are there numbers that like What are the numbers that are supporting like I don't There's no way there's a They're a good team losing 10 straight. They lost like 13 in a row last year. They lost 10 straight twice. Yeah, but it's like if you're a good team, you're going to figure out a way to not lose. 10 in a row is a lot of That's a lot of losses in a row for a team that's supposed to be good. Like you'll figure out I mean, I can see if you lost, you know, eight out of 10 or something like that, but like 10 straight is That's hard to do for a team that's supposed to be good. To have a pitcher that can't be a stopper, right? Or just a lineup to
get hot for one game. That would worry you more than the 10-game winning streaks we've seen with the Cubs. It does. That worries me way more. And they have the names, right? Like we all we picked the Cubs, and they got hot, and they won 10 straight. And and you know, they have the names. They got Bregman, and you got Dansby Swanson, and all these different guys. And with the other guys with the other teams in the in American in the National League Central, it's like, "Oh, can they hold on?" Because their team is young, right? But I think these teams may just be a little better with having young talent. But it's it's weird. I would love to see what kind of numbers you can dive into to figure out why they are so bad
when they're bad. That's that's crazy to have them right here. Steven's our producer. Steven, why are they so bad? Give me some numbers on what's going on with the Cubs right now. Well, we'll figure that out. Oh, this is from Sam Block right here. Look at that. The Cubs the April stretch, 10 wins, no losses. Then you got no 10 more wins. And then you got 10 I mean it's I bet we've never seen that before. That's that's so hard to do, especially in the first 50-something games of the season, right? Like you can see that through out the whole season, but like we've only played 60 games and they've already had two 10-game winning
streaks and a 10-game losing streak. Like I don't know. It's weird, man. Well, I'll tell you they're not in the top 10 cuz I don't have them in uh in my area of the rankings. So, they're not in your top five right here. No, I mean they got killed by the Pirates last night. All right, your number three team in baseball is the Padres. Um I just think, you know, being out there in the West with the Dodgers, being able to hang with them, um you know, I think, you know, they're one of the better teams in the league. So, we got them at three. So, this is what They did lose last night to Philly. Uh three and a half games back in the West.
Here's the bullish thing. We've talked about the Padres before. Obviously got Mason Miller and you got the bullpen. He's he can shut some guys out and close down games. Their offense is being carried right now from the guys who play regularly, Gavin Sheets and Miguel Andujar. Yeah. That's carrying their offense right now. And but those are two guys that like have offensive talent, right? Like I played with Miggy when he was a rookie. Uh should have won the Rookie of the Year in I think it was '17. Um but if that those guys can have a good year and stay hot all year and then Tatis and Manny and those guys start coming along,
Cronenworth and all those different guys start coming along, then it just adds depth to your lineup. So, um it I mean I love to see when teams are being carried. Like Andy Páez, same thing, right? Like if you can continue that all year, it just adds so much depth to your lineup. Um so, I just think that if those guys can continue to have a good year and then the other guys start to step up, um it's going to make for a good year in San Diego. Because that's what the Dodgers need. More depth to their lineup. They need that lineup to get longer. He is the best player in the lineup right now. He it's and he's been like that throughout points of this 50-game mark that we're seeing so far. Yeah, he's he's been really good.
All right, so your number one team is the Dodgers. Your number two team that will never be number one. So this is the highest honor that you get as a non-Dodger team in the power rankings is Atlanta Braves. Um obvious for obvious reason obvious reasons they've gotten off to a hot start. Um the pitching's been great. Um but just I mean it's just it's the Braves, right? So they're always safe and if they're having a good year, you just feel like they're going to continue it. They're always coached well. It's a great organization and um I look at that batting average just is 260. Um 74 homers. I mean they're doing everything right. Their team ERA is, you know, first in the league and I mean they're right there. If
the Dodgers weren't the Dodgers, they would be the number one team in my power rankings. Yeah, seeing them in person and they've talked about how deep that team is to what Weiss is saying. It's probably the deepest team that he's seen there in his decade, you know, almost decade around the team. Um yeah, and the fact that their offensive numbers are that good is very is very bullish for the Braves because you do have Strider coming back. Bryce Elder's pitching great in May. And Chris Sale Angels wonder. It's been So it's like the same question that I had with you with the Dodgers. Will this team be carried more by the pitching staff you think the Atlanta Braves or do you have
more faith in that lineup continuing to score runs for them? Um I think it's both. I think they're a well-rounded team. I think um I think they'll have a chance to like you said when they continue to get healthy, I think the lineup's going to get better. You got Strider like you said Strider coming back. Um I think it's a little bit of both. I think they may need some bullpen help, too. Um but I think the starters are great. Um Mauricio Duban has been awesome. Playing short, playing center, playing anywhere that they need.
Mike Harris is all the way back. I think last year the first half of last year, you know, people were worried about him. Now he's kind of carrying that team, Atlanta kid, you know, kind of be the face of the franchise. So, I think they're in a good spot. Yeah, cuz you have Michael Harris and you have Matt Olson. And if you look at some of the, you know, the win probability stuff for them, like who shows up in big games and wins you games, Michael Harris and Matt Olson have been basically the top two in Major
League Baseball. When Atlanta wins, more times than not, it's been one of those two guys. Yeah. kids, man. It's really cool to see. It's a fun, well-rounded team. Uh Stephen, I do we got to take a break, right? Cubs, anything with the Cubs? No. Okay, he's going to figure out the Cubs. All right. And then we'll see which teams fall in six through 10 when we get back. We're putting him to task. It's like homework for our producer. Beautiful pass, Hart. ANUNOBY GATHERS AND THROWS it down. Brunson pushes out to Shaman. Takes the three. Sides to another three-pointer. PUTS IT IN. KNICKS are red hot. It's a 20-point lead. Brunson sets up three-pointer.
Anunoby with the follow. It's over. Believe it, Knicks fans. For the first time in 27 years, the New York Knicks are going to the NBA Finals. The dream season continues and hopes of ending a decades-long championship drought are very much alive. New York took over Cleveland. They did. They were all there. You weren't there. I didn't go. I couldn't I can't show up in Cleveland as a Great point. I got to go to Cleveland in a couple of weeks to throw out the first pitch. I can't show up. Great point. to I got to, you know, I got to keep it. But you were rooting against the Cavs, yeah? rooting against the Cavs. You know what's crazy about my basketball? I'm very regional with basketball. Because I am a Raider fan and I do so much
suffering in the wintertime that when it comes basketball season I just picked the best team or whoever I'm closest to. So when I lived in Cleveland it was the Cavs when LeBron was there. When I lived back home I bought season tickets to the Warriors so I watched that whole run. And now I get a chance to be like a Knicks fan. I was like full Knicks geared out the other day. Everybody in my group chat was going crazy but like I do so much suffering with the Raiders that like I get to pick my own basketball team.
You deserve to have a good time. You deserve to be there and cheering. I mean look at all the fans that were having a good time outside Madison Square Garden. out the other night man. It's like it's crazy out there. It's so cool to see like the city turning up and this is a basketball city right? Like this is a basketball town. They just have haven't had anything to be excited about in so many years but this is about like New York City is basketball. Like this is what you know what they're what they love the most and they love their Knicks and it's cool to see every like everybody's a Knicks fan.
Everyone's talking about it right now. And I and thank you for saying that. If you move to an area I like adopt a team. There's nothing wrong with that. There's wrong. I mean you keep one team I'll never I can never get rid get rid of the Raiders as much as I try. Yeah. But I'm basketball I'm very regional. Yeah. It's you can't torture yourself for so long. So all right so the next who knows maybe they're going to be celebrating a championship here. I got six through 10 of teams that I think are in the conversation. it. Of teams that could you know make some deep runs here. Record wise might not show it. So what I did is I looked at the numbers cuz I like doing the nerd stuff and I looked at May. All right so
I was like all right which teams do you not want to play right now in Major League Baseball for one reason or another. You know I'm looking at you know are they missing bats as pitchers are they inducing weak contact are they hitting lasers all over the place at the plate. That was my methodology. So my number six team the Philadelphia Phillies. Right now they have 16 wins in May. We've seen what they do on the mound Christopher Sanchez and all that. Bryce Harper's hitting lasers everywhere. Kyle Schwarber's been doing it all season long. I think if you're a team out there you do not want to play the Phillies right now.
Especially after the coaching change, right? I seen Aaron Nola pitch really well last night. I mean, obviously, like you said, that starting rotation is good top to bottom. And if that lineup can get going, um Trey Turner gets going, I think they'll they'll be great. Yeah, and Zack Wheeler has had a good month and uh Ranger Suárez has had a good month. So, it's like an all-around team where you just like no matter who you have on the mound or you're facing that day in the lineup, you don't want to play them. So, they're number six for me. Number seven, another surprise team. We're going to I'm going to make some people mad here, but It's our pod. If they get mad, you're tough. And you can be mad at me, that's okay.
Uh speak the voice of the fan here. Uh the Arizona Diamondbacks. They have been near top 10 offensively and pitching-wise over the month of May. Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll carrying that lineup. Uh and then, you know, pitching staff, you don't have a whole lot of names, but they're performing in May. Ryne Nelson, uh Soroka, Eduardo Rodríguez. And so, like, they are, like the Phillies, they're playing well right now. Yeah, I love that. And I mean, it's a tough division, too, right? Playing out there, you're playing the I mean, even the Rockies have gotten better. So, you're playing out there in a tough division. And uh they got some young
stars. And uh I love watching Corbin Carroll play. He's such a fun player. It's like I think who would you put as your like number one player? Like, I like to watch him I turn on the TV and it's like I want to see what he does. I want to watch him play. Uh it's Bobby Witt, too, in that same category. Witt. Um but like I'm turning on the TV You know who it is right now for me? It's Corbin Carroll. Like, I want to see what he's going to do. So, I like I'll watch the Pirates. Like, whoever they're playing, they're going to have a good starter on the mound every single night, whether it's Skenes or Bubba Chandler or Ashcraft, whoever it is, they're going to have a good starter. And then, I want to see what they're going to do. Like,
they got so much young talent. So, it's going to be Corbin Carroll for me. We By the way, I have only one American League team in my five here. So, you have one in your five. I only have one in my five. We said that there's like the teams are in the National League. And some of the Corbin Carrolls, some of the most exciting younger players are in the National League. They are. I mean, there's just so much talent accumulating in the National League right now, and I think it's because of what the Dodgers have been able to do. When you're chasing a team that you have to play all the time, right? Like even the Giants like I mean, the Giants haven't been playing well, but the names on that
roster, right? Like you have to load up and try to, you know, make your team better when you play in the Dodgers Now, what is it? 13 times, you know, in the division? So, I just think the talent just has been, you know, unmatched over there in the National League. Another one of the young names is going to be a shock. They've won 14 games in May, though. James Wood, my Washington Nationals. They're hitting the ball. I mean, they're crushing it. You see CJ Abrams, as well, on the batting side. And so, you look at them just offensively, I think that justifies them being here because they can score runs against anybody.
Absolutely. I mean, that I love that young lineup. I mean, Nazier Nunez playing second base. Um, you know, James Wood in the outfield, CJ Abrams. Uh, Ruiz came back off the IL. He's been hitting great. Um, so I think they I mean, they have a chance to be really, really good. They can get some pitching. Um, but I love that lineup top to bottom, and I'm a big James Wood fan. Um, went to the All-Star game last year, hit in the derby. I think he kind of fell off in the second half of last year. Yeah. Do you make that first
All-Star team? It's it's hard. It's it's a long season. Um, so he kind of fell off last year, started slow this year, but right now we're into May, he's got 15 homers. He's so much natural power. You just see him. It's It's like that when went how far, and it seemed like he was only like half speed on some of that stuff, which he's not doing that. Uh, my only American League team in mind is the Chicago White Sox. Oh, no. I love that. White Sox are my number nine team. Again, this is, you know, May. This is more towards May. to give them some love now, right? in May right now, and so you don't want to play the Chicago White Sox. We talked
about how Washington smashed I mean, the White Sox are hitting the ball as well as anyone. You got Meric Comi. You got a lineup with Vargas. It's got to like an OPS of 900 or something like that. Look at that. See, look at that. 312 sports Chicago's with me. And in the division where like nobody's like a clear-cut best team, right? Like they have a chance to kind of make some noise if they can stay hot, you know, start feel you know, start believing it, start feeling it, make some trades, you know, at the trade deadline. I think they have a chance to maybe sneak in and win that division because there is no best team in that division. For sure. Cleveland's separating a bit, but you know, Cleveland's great. They
somehow find ways to win all the time despite If anytime Jose Ramirez goes down, then that division's wide open. Yeah. I agree with that. Davis uh Martin too, by the way, pitcher for the White Sox. It's like under the radar guy. Like swing and miss stuff. He has had such a great month specifically. My last team, we talked about him, Connor Griffin, the Pittsburgh Pirates. You got Skenes, you got Ashcraft in the rotation. You got Bubba Chandler. And then you got guys like Brandon Lowe, Spencer Horwitz. Like offensively, they've been they've had a really good month. The Pirates are not a team you want to play. They're not. And they did a good job of like adding Brandon Lowe, right? And uh Ryan O'Hearn.
Supplemental veterans kind Yeah, to kind of help these younger guys learn how to be a big leaguer, learn how to show up every day, learn how to, you know, win ball games. Um so I think they did a really good job with their roster and adding those vets with with that young talent that they have with the O'Neil Cruzers and the Connor Griffins and, you know, all the young guys that they have. Even Joey Bart. I mean, you know, he's a young guy and playing experience. You know what I'm saying? So um I think they're they're they're on the right track. So there's my there's my top 10. So in our combined rankings here, the teams that probably have the biggest gripe that they're not in there is the team with the best record in the American League,
the Tampa Bay Rays. And I get it. They figure it out. Like I think they're right close. I think that you can make an argument that with the over the White Sox, obviously. But, this just shows you how good the National League is that the second or third best team in the American League is a conversation whether they're in the top 10 in all of baseball. Absolutely. And that's what I said. I mean, those first four teams I think are, you know, head and shoulders better than the best team in the American League, which I think is the Yankees.
Yeah. Cleveland's there, too. Cleveland's good. They're on the cusp, but those are our rankings and it's our podcast. We can do whatever we want. We got to take a break. What's the weirdest thing you've ever seen on a baseball mound? Ooh. CC will answer that question when we come back. As Angel Cervantes takes the mound, he had a great start to the game and you might notice he has a little dinosaur with him on the mound. His name is actually Jerry the dinosaur and Angel keeps him in his back pocket and Jerry will join him in every single time he's pitching on the mound. Just a sense of comfort that he's developed, maybe a little bit of a superstition, but Jerry's always along for the ride.
Let's come into CC's clubhouse. CC wants to talk to you about Jerry. Hey, I So, I thought it was like this big stuffed animal thing or something. Like, that's fine. A little tiny thing. That's fine. When you first heard about it, you were like, "You can't bring like a" You can't bring something out there. I didn't know what it was going to be. But, like, actually that's that's actually pretty cool. Little trinket right there. And I'm sure there's a story behind it.
He probably took it out there when he was a kid, had a good game, somebody gave it to him. I don't know the story, but whatever you Whatever works as a baseball player cuz you play this every day or you play it a lot, you have to do whatever you can. What worked for you? Uh I So, I was always like the days that I pitched, I had like certain shirts that I would wear. Okay. So, like the my first start of spring training, I would get two undershirts and I would put like a G on there. So, those are my game shirts. And I would get the same glove or a glove that I use, that was my game glove. So, like these are the only like I can only use these shirts and this glove on game day. All year? All year. So, I had like a whole section of my
locker of game whether it's long sleeve, short sleeves, or whatever, and the clubbie knew. So, he would only bring out the stuff with the G on it. So, you're putting that on, you're just like, all right, there's your G. if I had something that he brought me a shirt and it didn't have a G on it, like I would freak out. So, if I needed a new shirt or something, like he wouldn't even come down without putting a G on it first, you know what I'm saying? Like, oh, no, you had it in your locker already. I couldn't put on anything new. You go, that G looks different. So, you wanted it to be comfortable you wanted it to be something that you've felt comfortable in before.
Something that I've had success in before. Yes. So, like if I had success in it, like or I feel good in it, then yeah, I mean, I definitely want to keep that out there. After a couple rough starts, does a G shirt get thrown out and replaced with another G shirt? might get thrown out, or the cleats, or like something like that, but the undergarments stay the same. But, it was always like it was always the glove's fault, or maybe like the shoes that I wore, or something like that. Any teammate that you had that had a strange superstition or something that you needed to be careful about messing someone else's routine up? Um man, it was everybody had their stuff.
Like, it's crazy, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, in the clubhouse, like you just see guys doing their thing. Um but I think the biggest one, I guess, was Derek eating a peanut butter sandwich every after BP every day. He would just take one bite and throw it away. Jeter. Yeah. It was one bite. One bite and throw it away. Just odd. But, it's just like he must had a good game, he did that once, and this is what I'm going to do. He just did that my start days, I had chicken sandwich before the game. But, the whole bite? You would eat the whole thing? I'm not 100 lbs heavier than this. Of course, I'm eating maybe two. You go, just one?
Yeah, let's get another one here. Uh Stephen did some digging. Uh he said the Cubs are both. They're both good and bad. So, that's it. That's the final verdict on the Cubs. They just hope that they're good when the playoffs happen, right? to be as good in October. We saw the 2017 Dodgers, the last time we saw something like this. Hey, it almost okay for them. Almost. Over in the trash can. Yeah.
