Tampa Bay Rays, PostSeason - La Maxima - Caminero 2x Walk-Off Home Runs

376 BaseballBiz RaysUp PostSeason

Mark Corbett: [00:00:00] Welcome to BaseballBiz On Deck. I am Mark Corbett, and with me, of course, is Mr. Matt. And the voice that you heard there at the very beginning is the voice of winning, uh, Mr.

Junior Caminero. Welcome, Matt. How you doing, buddy? 

Mat Germain: La Maxima with the Tampa quote. You know? It's, uh, it's a great, , thumbs up to the city and, and letting him know that there's some love, , that he needs to spread around. Love it. 

Mark Corbett: Yeah, he's, he's just one heck of an athlete, and having that walk-off home run and in a game that clinched the position of the Rays to be in the postseason.

And that was just... Man, you talk about icing on the cake, that was double icing at best. I mean, or at least, I should say. It was, it was a great evening to watch the game, and it's just... And then it was amazing, too, the other day. I got to work with the Tampa Baseball Museum, and we went to the Rays game. And there I am, you know, there it is, bottom of the [00:01:00] ninth, crack of that bat.

Oh, who is it? Oh, it's Junior Caminero with a- another home run walk-off, right? Jeez, and Pete. What the heck? If you're not a Rays fan by now, you're gonna have to find a way to come and visit the party, 'cause it's, it's a lot of fun right now, boys and girls. 

Mat Germain: Yeah, it was quite the laser, too. Like, it was an opposite field laser, which normally when you're watching a Rays, you expect that from Yandy Diaz, right?

That kind of line drive that's really power-based, doesn't get high off the ground, but... And he just laid into it, and, and he's got his power stroke going. And, uh, you have to like the confidence that he exudes. ,, Really amps up the lineup. 

Mark Corbett: Well, I have to share with you a little bit about this past week, 'cause Karen and I and our, my brother-in-law, Scott, uh, we all went to the game for the, what was it, Sunday?

Yeah. Pokemon Go Day. Whatever that was, it was insane we loved it. It was great. - But , when you're [00:02:00] there, and you're watching this game, and you're watching the Rays stack run after run after run, and I mean, b- that game ended with a score of 14 to four, and I thought it might end with a score of 14 to zero the way things were going.

And it was just amazing. The energy in that building was just absolutely insane. And as crazy as this crowd was that day, it was even larger, I guess it was Saturday night before, because they had, they had a, uh, giveaway of a Devil Rays hockey jersey, and tha- that filled up to 300 level up there too, I believe.

Or certainly put a pretty good dent in it. And you don't see that happen very often. But one thing P- Karen pointed out to me, and I'd, I'd heard that they had pressure washed the outside of the building, but evidently they had done the same inside. The, the Trop looks really fresh. It looks nice. It's clean Babby and [00:03:00] company have done a lot to make that place, you know, uh, great for just knowing that we're only gonna be there a couple years But as much as I want to talk maybe even a little more deeper on the Rays, Matt, there's a couple other things have gone on this week.

And one of them was from an old, yeah, I know, can you believe it? One of them is that Pete Alonso, homegrown Tampa boy, and I absolutely love the polar bear. He's just amazing to watch. And here we see a young man who had been with the Mets, who had done so much for them, and he and, uh, Scott Boras and the Mets organization couldn't come together on something for him.

And he took a gig with the Orioles. And they love him. They absolutely love him. And my gosh, why shouldn't they? There they are at Citi Field with the Me- Mets, and everybody's waiting for that number 300th home run for Pete. And every game, all kinds of signage from [00:04:00] Mets fans. They're wearing their Mets jerseys, holding up all kinds of signage.

You know, uh, "Come on, uh, Pete. Let's go, Pete. We're right behind you." And there it is, top of the ninth, Pete hits his 300th home run. And that cinches the, that they had to go into extra innings because of that home run on top of it. So, oh gosh. Uh, and it's, it was, it's, it's fans first. You and I talk about this a lot, man.

I think it's really what it has to come down to. And I'm trying to think. I'll bring it up later, something that's, uh, Verducci said. Let's see, what was it? Something along those lines about, you know, the, uh, the fans first. But what I will say is that I was absolutely stunned at the applause as Pete rounded the bases.

You know, and as Pete leaves, he tosses that bat in such a fashion, I felt like it must have gone straight into the Orioles [00:05:00] dugout. Uh, but he, when he completed that and when he came down into the dugout and all his fellow Orioles, they're just loving him and hugging and all that, the crowd noise just continues and c- continues, and it's still building.

And the next thing you know, it's like, "Okay, guess I gotta do it." Pete steps out for a curtain call, man. He steps out of the dugout, you know, take- gives a, well, he didn't have his hat on, but a bit of a nod to all of the fans there who loved him and were crazy about him that night. And it was an exciting night of baseball to watch that.

Mat Germain: Yeah, I'm really happy for Pete, and, , I know it's crushing , for the Mets fans and, , and for the owner that he's not doing it in a Mets uniform. I just wanna go over some of the things, like he hit another homer tonight, so he's up to 37 on the season now. When you're looking at the annual, like w- oh, I'm gonna leave out 2020 because it was a short season.

But, but his home run totals by year are 53, [00:06:00] 37, 40, 46, 34, 38, 37 now. And you know he's probably gonna hit 40 before the season's over. So, like, you're looking at a, at a guy that's gonna have hit 40 or more home runs in, four seasons- Right ... and in 37 usually when he's not hitting that many.

So he's in that ballpark of, of, you know, you talk about consistency, you can't get any more consistent than that. Like, you know what you're gonna get out of Pete. Yeah. And not only that, but the Orioles, if ever they did make it into the playoffs, over the last, uh, uh, 30 games, he has 10 home runs. So he's hitting a home run every third game on average.

Mark Corbett: Damn. 

Mat Germain: Which is pretty like, if you're looking at it over a a year period, , that's pretty awesome. That, that's even better. So it'd be on a, I don't know, a s- close to, uh, 55 or 54 per- it would be a 54 home run pace basically is what he's doing. [00:07:00] So he's hot, and, and I like, everybody likes Pete.

Everybody loves the polar bear. I don't think I've ever seen him in a tussle or, or talked about in a, in a negative way. Uh, so you're seeing him grow into a leadership role now on the Orioles, and they, they finally have an anchor to kinda lean on. So it'll be interesting to see, you know, if they can build something around him.

Now that Adley Rutschman is gone, he can become that face of the, of the O's. 

Mark Corbett: I am so happy to see him do that. I know it was mixed feelings for a lot of Orioles fans, and I was following some of the other feeds about fans, what they had to say. Some of them are very upset with him. You know, "Well, we, we, we would've had him if he hadn't got Scott Boras and tried to twist the arm and all that, and they would- they'd come up with something that was feasible for everybody."

It's like, just settle down. It's his business. And I'm- Mm-hmm ... I love the players. I have to tell you, last night, uh, when I was at the, the Rays game, and Tony, I can't remember your last name for the life of me at the moment, forgive me We were chatting at a table and going back and forth. We [00:08:00] were talking about everything from travel ball and how it's killing the sport.

We were-- And one of the things too is we were talking about this is a game for the fans, and how some people follow players. You know, or their, their allegiance to a team is not so strong as they once were. Sometimes there's fans of the game who just don't-- who have a team, but they're not gonna live and die by them.

And, um, uh, but it's, it's, it was exciting to see Junior do that again. What are we seeing right now? What's the score t- tonight? 

Mat Germain: Score is now 4-3, so it's getting a little slimmer- Mm ... for the Rays. But, uh, they're, they, they still have the lead and like you just said, like they have a lot of, , moxie in the end of games with, with the recent run that they've been on.

, They've figured out ways to pull off wins. So, , I'm not too worried yet, but, , you definitely , don't wanna get, , behind too far with the pen being, semi-effective on, on, on [00:09:00] occasion for the A's. They're having a rough year, Mark. Like you're looking at a roster that, you know, they made a few mistakes, uh, earlier.

Jeff McNeil, who's another ex-Met, is part of their team and he doesn't look... You know, I've always said this about Jeff McNeil. He, he comes across to me defensively as very lackluster and, and nonchalant is the best way that I'll put it. Um, he just, you know, there, there was a point where they could have gotten the runner at second and, and he didn't make it to the bag in time and just held up his hands and said, "No, no, no, don't come to me."

Oh, 

Mark Corbett: gosh. 

Mat Germain: That kind of sign, right? And it's like, uh, you know what, like you're, you're a professional baseball player. You're playing second base. You weren't that far off the bag. Get to the bag. 

Mark Corbett: Amen. 

Mat Germain: Like make the effort to get there, right? Uh, and so the pitcher had to go to first and then sure enough the next person up at bat ended up, I think it was Ryan Vilade, he ended up hitting a single, drove him in and so now that's the run difference that they're looking at from the A's point of view.

So, uh, the, the margins in baseball are [00:10:00] always gonna be slim, Mark. But, uh, the, the Rays w- like you were saying about the crowds, the crowds have been healthy. Yeah. Like there's fans like all over the place. I don't know if people are making the extra effort because they know now that they're sticking around.

You're talking about commitment to a team. Yeah. Commitment to a player. I'm really curious to see now that they're talking about increasing salaries, , increasing, like the, the, how the ballpark looks. 

Mark Corbett: Mm-hmm. 

Mat Germain: The amenities, the food, the, like they're, they're, they're making investments, right?

It'll be interesting to see if the ba- fans buy in next year and that we see that significant increase, you know, back above, I don't know about you, Mark, but I feel like anything above 19,000 and the Trop sounds a lot louder. You know? Like something, you know me, if they can cross 20 on average that would be something.

So I hope it for, I hope for it for you guys. 

Mark Corbett: I, I tell you do, I, I do as well, my friend, and it is just exciting. But, you know, it's still, I still hear, or even last night, [00:11:00] I really hate driving over that damn bridge. It's like, geez, it's, it's like 10 minutes, come on. You know, I mean, it could be a little more, but, uh, s- and there, I, I don't know.

It, it's amazing. To me, I'll, t- I'll share a little bit over the last, uh, few d- days that I've been there. I was mentioning, I think earlier, that how pristine the place looks. You know, it's like they've, they've, they st- what? They've, uh, water press- oh, shit, I can't speak. I did. Water pressure on the exterior and the interior of the building.

Really nice. Now, one thing I missed, and maybe it's 'cause I'm just getting older and deaf, but I missed hearing my guy, my guy going, "Beer, beer, beer, beer, beer." You know? I mean, even you can hear him on TV usually in the background going up and down the stands. I didn't see as many con- concessionaires out going up, up and down, and maybe that's a good thing.

I don't know. But, uh, it was, the, the food was great last night. With the museum, [00:12:00] we, we had a display out there in, in one of the little corridors for people walking through and talking about the history of different Tampa Bay players. And one of the things that was after that, they invited us to a suite to watch the end of the ga- last few innings of the game, and man, did they know how to put out a spread in that suite.

Oh my gosh. Hmm? I, I don't know, it was like a brisket, and then, uh, chicken tenders, uh, hot dogs with sauerkraut, and, uh, what else? What was the other thing? There was, oh yeah, oh, I remember what it was. It was Buffalo chicken spread., All the delicacies, you know? All the five-star restaurants carry these items. But it was a good time, and the fans there, you could tell, were just enjoying themselves so much, and I, I just like that positive energy. And there- Mm-hmm ... let's face it, man, there's nothing like knowing you're in the postseason.

I mean, the last couple years we were, [00:13:00] we have not been able to get there, so there's a joy that's back in the air, and I'm feeling it. I've been wearing my hat with the 2020 postseason, uh, lapel, part on there, the patch on it as well. It's just, but, uh, fun, fun, fun. 

Mat Germain: I have to ask, Mark, have you secured your seat yet?

Mark Corbett: Nope. 

Mat Germain: Nope. So for anybody that doesn't know what I'm talking about, the Tampa Bay Our Movement Is... Our Moment Is Now- 

Mark Corbett: Yep ... 

Mat Germain: , is giving people, , early access to, , the general public for seating. Mm. So for $19.98 you're able to secure your fandom to the new ballpark. And, and the way that, that it...

What it gives you is the ability to select seats and purchase tickets before the general public. It gives you dedicated ticket representative to guide you through the process. 

Mark Corbett: Mm. 

Mat Germain: I'm not sure that's really... [00:14:00] I, I don't think that holds any value. 

Mark Corbett: And 

Mat Germain: then early ac- Heyman. Yeah. Early access to all available inventory.

Yeah. Okay, so, so basically you're, you're, you're paying for access to a broker system to kinda get tickets, right? So, uh, I think it's a good way for them to get a little bit of cash to, to grease some of the wheels of what they need to do. , But it'll be interesting to see how many people sign up. Now they've said that they've secured thousands, but they haven't given specific numbers.

Mark Corbett: Could've been two. 

Mat Germain: So, uh, yeah. But it's interesting, in terms of how much gear up , they'll, they'll have going and, , with the breaking of the ground, you know, happening this month, uh, once that takes place and people know for sure the cement is gonna start being poured and a whole bunch of things are gonna happen that, uh, that kind of make it real.

So you're watching a team right now that knows there's a home coming around the corner for them. [00:15:00] Um, but you're talking about the Trop and, and the, the big question mark is will the Rays win a World Series in the Trop before they move? And if they do, what are they doing with the Trop afterwards? My mo- My mind always goes to the Rowdies.

If I'm the Rowdies and I wanna grow up, like I wanna potentially down the road, you know, join the LS or whatever it might be, and if I wanna increase my fandom to the point where I actually get more people in the seats, can the Trop be reformatted for a soccer stadium? I don't know. Maybe. 

Mark Corbett: Well, why not? I mean, I know St.

Pete wants to do something to generate a revenue- Mm-hmm ... with, uh, that wonderful old building that we love so much that wants the Rays to p- depart. And I, I see that as obviously, you know, very valuable opportunity that you're talking about with the, with the soccer. You know, we got- Mm-hmm ... the Tampa Sun over here in Tampa, the women's soccer, which is amazing.

But yeah, the Rowdies, I mean, they're right [00:16:00] down the street. They're owned by the Rays. You know, them's already got a relationship. The, 

Mat Germain: the, the key there too, Mark, is that they're moving to a winter schedule. So they're gonna want to have, uh, the ability to host games, um, all winter long when it's cooler, et cetera.

And, and have guaranteed games where you know you're, you're not gonna get cancellations as much as possible, right? So- 

Mark Corbett: Yeah ... 

Mat Germain: when you're talking about the timeframe they're looking at, it's the end of hurricane season is when the, the season would essentially start. So it's not gonna be the funnest time if they end up jumping up a level.

I'm not sure exactly how their schedule works at the level that they're at right now. , But I think,, there's a lot of other uses you could think of for the Trop, , including things like permanent, , Cirque du Soleil, uh, host. Uh, a whole bunch of different things you could come up with.

But ,, the good thing is that with the new roof, if they did wanna keep it around long term, I don't think there's much else that needs to [00:17:00] be repaired with the, uh, the stadium itself. 

Mark Corbett: Yeah. No, I, I, I don't either. I mean, walking through it the other night, as I said, I was really impressed about how clean it looked, how they kept things going.

Mm-hmm. Uh, I mean, I got to speak with some of the Rays staff there last night, the front office folks. And I- they, they're proud of what they got there, and they should be too. But- Mm-hmm ... it's, uh, it's exciting times, my friend. Well, I t- it was interesting, too. I told you the night we were there, the Rays won 14 to four.

Mm-hmm. During those type of games, it's not surprising to see that's when you can try something new. And that something new was a gentleman by the name of Brody Hopkins pitching on the mound for the Rays. And I, I always watch, I always love watching anybody with their MLB debut and, and he was there and, you know, there should have been less stress, I guess, because of that, but it's the frigging MLB debut, you know?

Yeah. And he, he had a little bit of a rough start. I think he ended it with a strikeout, but he had a, had a little bit... I think he had a couple [00:18:00] of earned runs maybe on him in that thing. But it was good to see him there, and good to see the speed on that ball. Oh, my gosh, man. You've been talking about Brody for some time.

Mat Germain: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Brody has got a wicked fastball, but it's the curve that gets people talking. , That's the one that buckles knees and gets the swords and, gets, , gets a lot of chatter as one of the best curves in, in, in the game really. At the minor league level. Eventually he'll probably grow to be that at the MLB level as well.

But we remember what that did for, for Charlie Morton, who incidentally also needed an extended period of time before his pitches, , were controllable for him. 

Mark Corbett: Yeah. 

Mat Germain: So I would paint Brody Hopkins a lot in the same light as Charlie Morton, just with way more velocity on the fastball. Um, so when you look at that complementary status of both of them, I don't think the Rays are done with him as a starter at all.

Mark Corbett: Yeah. 

Mat Germain: They sort of probably view him a lot like Griffin Jax. So the plan that they took for Griffin Jax to get him from that relief [00:19:00] role into a starting role, they'll probably use something that's very similar , for Brody Hopkins, and he still has really high potential. 

Mark Corbett: Hmm. Well, we're looking good, brother.

I mean, and when you talked last week about the, the winners, I think, as far as the MVPs in, uh, in our, uh, minor leagues. The AAA minor leagues thing's gonna be held in Vegas here soon too. I don't... and don't think from what you said, it doesn't sound like Durham's gonna be in that operation, so that's, uh, that's too bad.

Well, Durham had a hard time this year. Yeah. Well, that's, you know, th- it's all part of the growing process when you look at your minor league teams, and that's what you gotta remember. And that's hard. I gotta tell you, Matt, I mean, growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, and you would see this great player. Oh, is that Ozzie Smith out there?

Oh, w- wait a minute. He's n- he's not here with us anymore? You know, whoever it was. I mean, some- I'm throwing a name out, but, but you would see a great player, and you would just build a passion with that player and a relationship, and it was more than just a trade deadline. It's [00:20:00] like whenever they want him, they're gonna pick him up and pull him up.

So it is a, a, minor leagues can be a fickle business. They are, they are still basically a farm system. And, but when you're in that town, man, that's your team. 

Mat Germain: I always see it as an opportunity to kind of get a glimpse as to how they built up to where they are. 

Mark Corbett: Mm. 

Mat Germain: Like I remember as a hockey fan, I, I watched, uh, Sidney Crosby when he was playing for the Rimouski Oceanics, and he would come down to Halifax and, and play games there.

And some of the things I saw him do at that level, I'll never see him do in the NHL. There was a play where he was keeping the puck in the zone, and he was going by the blue line, and he was tapping the puck on his stick as he was skating around the other players from the other team and then zoomed back in.

Like, you would never see him do that in the NHL. But I got to see him do it like f- 20 feet away, uh, at the first row of the glass, and, and I'll [00:21:00] always remember that. And I imagine there's countless, you know, times in minor league baseball where people do incredible things. 

Mark Corbett: Yeah. Uh, 

Mat Germain: I remember watching games with Tristan Peters, who's doing a, having a great season with, uh, the Chicago White Sox.

Mark Corbett: Mm-hmm. 

Mat Germain: And when he landed there, I told some of the fans on Blue Sky, I was like, "You're getting a great player. He can really handle center, center field. He's gonna be a huge upgrade over Lewis Brinson." And they're like, "What? What are you talking about?" I said, "Watch." And then sure enough, he's one of the best surprise stories of the, of the year.

Uh, he'll lay out, he'll sacrifice his body, and then he's got speed to spare. Um, I mean, those are the kinds of things you pick up by watching minor league baseball, and I'll always promote it because there's so much that can change when you get to the MLB level. But when you have that faith based on what you saw them do at the minor league level, you understand why the coaches are sticking with that guy and why they're pushing, , the playing time to [00:22:00] the level they are.

'Cause once the player blossoms, then you know you're gonna get, , a significant boost, , on your roster for years. So, I hope people... Like, I see too many empty stands, and I don't know what the solution is. Yeah. I, I don't know if the business is still solid. I don't know how, exactly how it works.

From what I gather, there's a lot of season ticket sales, and even though the people aren't in the seats, they paid for the seats, so the owners are happy. , So I don't know if there's anything that needs to be fixed, but it sure looks bad on TV, and it can't be fun for the players. 

Mark Corbett: Well, you know, you gotta, I gotta tell you though, when we looked at the other night and they did have people up in the 300s- Mm-hmm

and to me that was, that was heartening. It, it wasn't the same, and, you know, as just like last night, didn't see that. But and, and like I said, there was a special giveaway too, but... And of course, when we have t- teams like if the Yankees were coming here, that place would be solid. Uh, [00:23:00] wow. Hey, taking a look across MLB, I'm gonna take a see, pull up here real quickly.

And how many teams have gone ahead and made it confirmed or clinched? We got the American League, we got the Yankees and us, and that's it at the moment. We've got three teams that are completely out. That's the Royals, the Athletics, and the Angels in the American League. And if we look at the National League, who's out?

Nationals, Mets, Br- oh, Reds, , Giants, and Rockies. But who you do have in is the Dodgers and Brewers. And I think at the beginning of the season a, a lot of people may have been looking at the Brewers like we did at the Rays. We thought, "Oh, you know, they'll, they'll be okay. They'll be 500 team. You know, they'll, they'll do well, and probably maybe make the playoffs."

But they have just been astounding to watch. 

Mat Germain: Yeah. They have really strong leadership , on that team. They have excellent, stellar defensive [00:24:00] abilities, and Willam Contreras is one of the best leaders, you know, in the game when it comes to passion and leading by example, and he's just carrying the, the team on his back.

And, , they have probably the best pitcher in the league, who will probably win a Cy Young. , So they, they're a very dangerous team. , But I, I would say, , the races are what I'm looking at. Mm-hmm. And kind of, uh, trying to get a feel for who might, you know, be able to push their way through. A- and I think you can make the case for a lot of different teams, like the, to try to make it in.

But who, who do you think's gonna be left out in the cold, Mark? Like, if you had a hunch right now, and you had to go and, and do what you hate most, just gamble and put some poly market mar- uh, money on it- Oh, 

Mark Corbett: gosh ... 

Mat Germain: to miss the playoffs, who is missing that is currently making the cut? 

Mark Corbett: Ooh. You know, it's, it's interesting.

So I keep looking at the American League Central, 'cause I, today watching the [00:25:00] Twins defeat the Yankees in 13 innings, and I thought, "If I look in the American League Central," 'cause you've got, uh, th- they and the Tigers are 71 and 72. So I, I don't know. I, I don't give them a chance. I see them gone. Uh, but by the same token, you look in the American League West, you've got the Mariners, they're still in it, but they're third in the American League West, and they're with only 70 wins.

So that gets tight. The, the AL East, it looks like everybody, , their 74 is the lowest number. That's the, the Orioles as far as wins. , So I would say I think the Twins are gonna unfortunately be out. Um, I hope the Mariners aren't. Let's see. Then, uh , that's not out at the moment. Well I'm h- r- I'm hoping that our good buddy Lou's Marlins get, make it to the playoffs, but they're, they're, they've got a, a little bit of a hard row to plow.

We'll see how that goes as well. [00:26:00] How about you? 

Mat Germain: I think the, the White Sox, I don't see them making the playoffs. 

Mark Corbett: Ooh. 

Mat Germain: I think they are on the brink of getting passed by the Orioles or the Blue Jays. And probably, you know, I know Shane Baz got hit on the elbow there, um, and, and had to get checked out but the x-rays were negative, so he'll probably, um, be okay.

But the Orioles seem to have some m- momentum going for them. And I feel like the Blue Jays keep faltering. Every time they get momentum, they kind of take a, you know, one step forward, two steps back sort- Yeah ... of approach. Um, so and, and the Rangers are dangerous. So I think one of those three teams is going to pass the White Sox and you're only gonna have one representative from the, uh, AL Central.

And I'll, I'll throw another one at you in the, uh, National League, which is that I, I don't know if the Padres are going to hold onto their seat, and I think the D-backs could surprise and push their way back in. [00:27:00] Hmm. So tho- those would be my two predictions. Would be the D-backs for the Padres and the, um, uh, I'll, I'll go with the Orioles making it in and the, uh, the White Sox being bounced.

Mark Corbett: I like that. I'd, I'd love to see Pete after everything else come in. Mm-hmm. And, but the White Sox were really... I mean, it's amazing to see what they've achieved though this year. I mean, a couple years ago it's like, "Uh, have you j- guys got the shovel, not to build a new stadium, but just to bury yourselves?"

It's- Yeah ... but no, they, they've... I, I can see what you're saying. We'll see how that happens. You bring up the D-backs, and it's funny after that loss today, the Yankees after 13 innings to the Twins, they're gonna be playing the D-backs in Arizona here the next three games for them starting Friday.

So I'll- 

Mat Germain: I'll throw something at you too, Mark. Like, uh, um, do you remember 2018? Um, I know you probably do in some way, shape, or form, but, uh- ... for the Rays, I mean. The Rays [00:28:00] in 2018 won 90 games and did not make the playoffs. 

Mark Corbett: Jeez, 

Mat Germain: Pete. Think about that, right? So 2018, they ma- they win 90 games. There was another team, the Mariners, that won 89.

Neither of those teams made it in. And, and that was how many games above eig- uh, 500? It's 18 games above 500, right? Yeah. This year, you're going to have a team make the playoffs being either at or one or two games above 500. Jeez. That's how much the, the American League has changed. But what I wanna focus on as well for that 2018 team is the Rays, yeah, they didn't make the playoffs.

They were better than what the White Sox are right now. But I have the same kind of feeling about the White Sox about what I did about the Rays in 2018, meaning that even though I know there's still road for the White Sox to go through, I feel like they're headed in the right direction, and they're one or two years away from making good on that and becoming another, , division [00:29:00] winner consistently after that.

, So they're not far and, and they're definitely encouraged, like you said, for what the season they had and, and everything they've done. Uh, Junior Caminero just made a wicked catch there by the By the dugout. But the league overall, the American League, Mark, I mean, it is embarrassing to see your, how bad they've been overall.

Yeah. Like, it really is. The fundamentals have been, like, are just terrible across the board. Uh, you know, that's how the Rays are winning so many games through the margins because other teams are just literally ignoring them and, and saying, "Ah, why bother?" I don't know where that started. 

Mark Corbett: I, I can't, I can't even begin to imagine some of that, Mat.

You see some of those plays, it's like, I'm sorry, this is not Little League. They wouldn't even let you play in Williamsport this year the way you're playing right now. It's, it's insane some of this stuff. Uh, and it, today it still bothers me, even players on our team, run it out when you hit the damn ball, okay?

That guy, that guy can drop it, [00:30:00] he can snow cone it, he, whatever else. And I know people wanna protect themselves and don't wanna have another pulled hamstring and trying to be smart about their energy and what they're doing, but when I don't see a player put it all out there like that, or seeing some dumb mistakes about n- throwing where to throw the ball.

Or how many- Yes ... how many out- yeah. 

Mat Germain: That's the big one. That's the big one. I'll let you run with it, but that is the one that gets me. People don't know where to go with the ball. 

Mark Corbett: Well, yeah, exactly. It's like, didn't you have these strategy sessions in high school? You know, this, this doesn't need... This training shouldn't be happening here on a Major League team And those fundamentals are just gone sometimes and it's like I have no idea what me- must be going through their mind.

It's like, "Oh, you know, yeah, uh, I do have that frozen pizza at home I could have later tonight. Uh, oh, and isn't, isn't Matlock on?" 

Mat Germain: Well, another point I'd make is how many, we watched the Rays, right? How many times have they [00:31:00] forced errors because they're forcing the defenses to make plays and the defenses have no interest in making those plays and they literally zing the ball this way, that way.

They're like, th- it's almost like they're, they're, um, they're being forced out of their comfort zone. 

Mark Corbett: Mm-hmm. 

Mat Germain: Because the Rays are pressuring them and it, it's a, you know, and I wonder how many more years that will work and how many, you know, is next year the correction where the other teams go, "You know what?

We have to start fresh and-" Mm-hmm ... relearn all the fundamentals"? Even if they do, how many of those players will actually listen? You know, it takes a Ron Washington type to get through to some players sometimes. A- and they're not always willing to make those concessions , and put in the extra work, , especially if you're already getting paid no matter what.

I just pointed out because I think the, uh, the throwing the ball around is just so comical. It, in some cases and [00:32:00] embarrassing that you're just like, "Oh, all right. This is, this..." If it was one of those, , when they used to have , the reels that come out, then there's like funky music and then there's like k- Jose Canseco gets the ball on the top of the head and it goes over the wall.

All, all those blooper plays. Like, you're gonna get, have a, a 2026 season full of them to, to make a video with eventually 

Mark Corbett: Yeah, the, uh, there certainly could be a blooper reel each year of this place. It's just, I mean, I mean, Major League Baseball. I don't know, brother. It's, uh, we just hope they all start sharpening up the game.

Fans d- we should demand a lot. It's... Oh, I gotta tell you, as far as demanding a lot, and it was, it was a simple thing. At the Rays game, my brother-in-law, we, we switch who's gonna pay for what, you know, at different times. Okay, he picks up one time, Karen picks up one time, I pick up another time. So w- we went, and it wasn't his choice.

We said, "You know, I just want a hot dog." They had, [00:33:00] uh, I don't know why I'm throwing this in the middle of everything else. They had a hot dog, uh, a cold beverage and, and like a bottled beverage, a s- soda or water, and a small little hardly pack of, of, uh, Lay's potato chips or something, and it was like $15.

And I thought-... I expected to be paying like 30-something for, for such a, you know, luxurious meal. I mean, obviously not, I didn't, wouldn't in the world, but there I w- I was almost surprised. I thought, "Oh my gosh, you got three things and it's 15 bucks? How did this happen?" But, uh- 

Mat Germain: Yeah ... 

Mark Corbett: anyway, coming back to just you know, what we expect from a baseball team, and then sometimes I feel like that's what we're getting.

We're getting just the hot dog and a, a pop, you know, instead of being able to go out and enjoy a full meal with a great team, a team that should be providing us, if metaphorically, a just, a, a extravaganza or a smorgasbord of food, of... And see, here, here [00:34:00] to go back to what you were saying, 'cause when I think of smorgasbord, something that, uh, Brian Anderson said in his commentator, and he was talking about all the variations of the things that the Rays do, whether it be Ben Bunting, whether it being hitting oppo, whether, you know, all the little things that we do, it makes it more difficult because if a team comes in here and they only have three things that they can think about that we're going to do, and we got another seven, it gives us an advantage 

Mat Germain: Well, and it wears them down because they're always, it's almost like, you know, when you're, you're worried about something, you get a little neurotic?

Uh, like if, if the person is driving too close to your bumper, you keep checking in the rear view mirror and then you're more liable to run into somebody in front of you because you were checking the rear view mirror. It's that same kind of feeling where the pitchers on the mound look more nervous that they might bring the third baseman in because they think a bunt is coming or to do the same thing with the first baseman.

That opens up [00:35:00] opportunities beyond that. There's just a lot of, , a lot of things that the, the Rays are forcing other players into , and the camaraderie and , the energy that the Rays have is so positive and relentless, uh, this season that I, I feel like they're a more robust team going into the playoffs than they have been in the past.

Like, they, they have that, , Teflon kind of feeling. Like, yeah, something bad can happen, but you know what? We're gonna figure it out and we'll keep plugging away and, uh, and push for, for the win. And if they do lose, I don't think they're the kind of team that'll carry it over to the next game. 

Mark Corbett: No. 

Mat Germain: Which is another big asset for the playoffs.

So I don't know who they're gonna end up facing in the playoffs. I have a hunch that if they do well in that, , Yankees series, they're going to have home field advantage, which is significant. , The, the one thing I'll also point out, Mark, is health is one of those issues you start to monitor now.

They did put Tyler Wells on the 15-day IL with right forearm tightness [00:36:00] So, , the chances of us seeing him back, I don't know. Uh, it could be during the playoffs, but, uh, Ben Williamson was on a rehab assignment with Durham, so he could come back and improve the bench a little bit. Um, he's a gritty player that you would love to have available for the playoffs.

Mark Corbett: Yeah. 

Mat Germain: And Jake Fraley came back from a 60-day IL, um, which is a left-handed bat that can really help the Rays, uh, spruce things up against right-handed pitching. So they, they brought in Nick Madrigal and, and had that, uh, uh, that boost for the right-handed bat, but, uh, they did... Like Jacob Melton was the guy I was hoping for, but Jacob Melton got put on a 60-day IL and he's, he's got a bad hamstring right now.

Oh. He won't be able to be called on for, uh, for the playoffs either. So, so that's the rundown of the Rays. The... What, what they're talking about right now as well is, is whether or not Griffin Jax will be starting or whether or not they'll use him as a, you know, [00:37:00] after the starter leaves, he jumps in and he puts out some fires and already extends the innings that, that are pitched by the relief rule.

, Either way, he's like a Swiss Army knife on the mound that the Rays have. 

Mark Corbett: Yeah. 

Mat Germain: And that's great to have if you're not able to carry or wanting to carry sometimes as many pitchers 'cause the series are shorter in some cases, right? 

Mark Corbett: How many, uh, s- how many innings did Nick Martinez pitch tonight?

Do you know? 

Mat Germain: Five. 

Mark Corbett: Five. Five. So- Yeah ... the last time I saw we had Kevin Kelly, I think, pitching the last inning. And looks like- Right ... Junior's up now. It's top of the seventh and it's, ooh, it's the ground. Does he get over there in time? And the answer is no. But would Chandler Simpson have beat that? Who knows.

You know, there, the whole talk about, , everything that Junior's been doing, and when I've been to those games, one thing you hear chant- chanted when Junior's up or whenever he makes a play or, or a run, "MVP. MVP." Mm-hmm. And I thought Yordan [00:38:00] Alvarez has been out for a couple of games, but Yordan has so many things going.

I think at the moment Junior may be ahead of him in home runs. Uh, but, uh, I don't know if Yordan- Well- ... Alvarez will still be 

Mat Germain: Would, would you start with the fWAR or bWAR, like in terms of value? Like , where does , the starting point for an MVP, , begin? Um, I don't know. , There's four guys that come to mind when I look at AL MVP.

Uh, there's Bobby Witt Jr., who has the highest fWAR by a good margin. Like, uh, Bobby Witt is at 6.5 fWAR and Yordan Alvarez is at six. Um, so those two, like you just mentioned, are, you know, guys that you definitely look at. And then there's Kevin McGonagal. Like, Kevin McGonagal gets overlooked, but he's exactly 0.1 ahead of Junior Caminero in that fWAR, and we're talking about a rookie.

Like, so you know, you're, you're talking about a [00:39:00] guy that,, is going above and beyond at a very young age a- and playing, you know, a, a huge role on a team that, , had some playoff aspirations, might end up falling short. , So what other ingredients other than offensive or defensive performance do you include, or do you include any other points?

Do you include the team around them and how they, , performed? Because if you do, Bobby Witt Jr. wins by landslide. He's had nobody- 

Mark Corbett: Yeah ... 

Mat Germain: supporting him in that roster, and he's able still to put up the, the highest points. Now, it's not the exact season people were looking for from Bobby Witt. They thought he'd hit more home runs, a little bit more power, et cetera, but it's still an outstanding season.

I get why some people are enamored by the home runs and they kind of want to stick with that because it's, you know, it's 

Mark Corbett: basic. Well, you can only... What else? Your, your WAR, what, your fWAR, and it's wins above replacement. Right. Remind us what all that and g- what all that [00:40:00] measures. 

Mat Germain: Right. So, I mean, I could sit here and talk for an hour and a half and still- Okay, we're not gonna do 

Mark Corbett: that.

Mat Germain: But, but FWAR encompasses everything. This is the, the, the short and layman's te- uh, way of explaining it, is that it, it basically looks at all your statistics- 

Mark Corbett: Yeah ... 

Mat Germain: including offensive and defensive stats, which we know defensive stats are not always perfect, and it puts a monetary value towards it essentially.

And it says, "Okay, if you were gonna be replaced, how much value would you have?" 

Mark Corbett: Mm. 

Mat Germain: And then each WAR above a certain level is, it used to be nine million is what it represented. So, like, a one w- uh, FWAR above zero would be the, the similar as $9 million more than a other player. So there's a monetary value you can associate to it.

But really what it is is a rating system. So if you're a, a, a wicked base stealer and are a really good defender, you'll get [00:41:00] recognized in the FWAR. , So it'll take into account weighted on-base percentage. It'll take on, uh, WRC+, the weighted runs created. It'll take on the offensive and defensive metrics that FanGraphs calculates into the formula, and the formula can be complicated to explain, but it's right in there in the glossary if you want.

If you're interested, go to FanGraphs. They explain it all right there. , Baseball Reference has their own version. 

Mark Corbett: Right. 

Mat Germain: I personally lean more towards the FanGraphs, 'cause when I watch the game, it reflects closer to what I see on the field, and so I'm more, reliant on that one.

But everybody has their own way , of interpreting it. But anything above zero means that you're above average. 

Mark Corbett: Yep. 

Mat Germain: Anything under zero is below average, supposedly. Now, I, I think that if you were , , to be below average, there has to be more than half the league that are below zero. Mm. And I don't see that.

So something is wonky in that [00:42:00] explanation. I would say more like anything above a one is above average. Right. Anything one or below is below average in my opinion, because you would've been able to get the same thing out of a rookie coming up and, and you know, or, or you know, very, without spending much money you would've been able to replace that player.

Mark Corbett: Gotcha. 

Mat Germain: Yeah. So that's the explanation. And, and what I would say is if you wanna compare apples to apples, do it by position because, uh, well, first basemen will never get recognized for their defensive capabilities a- as heavily as a shortstop would. There's not enough- Right ... opportunity. The metrics are not really great yet, uh, for, for defensive abilities.

So do it apples to apples. When you're comparing, you know, F4, compare first baseman to first baseman, second baseman to second baseman, et cetera, and then you get a better representation of where that player stands. L- 

Mark Corbett: let me ask you something. You were talking about Bobby Witt Jr. earlier. [00:43:00] Do, does he have, do you know if he has a multi-year contract or is he still- Uh, 

Mat Germain: yes.

He has- Yeah ... a massive contract. Okay. And then they did what I said the Rays should have done with Junior Caminero last year. Yeah. Right. And now Junior's gonna cost probably more than what Junior Camin- or sorry, than Vladdy Guerrero would cost the Blue Jays. 

Mark Corbett: Oh, yeah. Yeah. 

Mat Germain: I have a hunch that that's going to that level.

Mark Corbett: Yeah. And now I think about Bobby Witt Jr., the reason I ask that, 'cause I think of Mike Trout. I keep think- we've, you and I have talked about this time and again, having such a stellar player on a team with lackluster other players. I mean, they're, they're professionals, they're there for a reason to not take anything away from them, but as a c- bringing them all together, they're not all gonna be the level of a Bobby Witt Jr.

And I, I don't expect that, but I expect it to be enough to elevate him. And so I think they, they get overlooked because of that, so I'm glad you brought Bobby Witt Jr. up and, uh- But 

Mat Germain: I'm gonna tap into what something you just said right there, which [00:44:00] is you look at the amount of players that are great, and they lead the league, and, and their team still has troubles.

Yeah. And for decades, right? Shouldn't the MVP in American League this year be the Rays front office? 

Mark Corbett: Yes, indeed. 

Mat Germain: That's the MVP. That is the MVP in my opinion. 

Mark Corbett: Oh, yeah. 

Mat Germain: A- and it's time that we change that, that definition of an MVP because it's evident that what they're doing- 

Mark Corbett: Yeah ... 

Mat Germain: is, is so brilliant that it needs to be recognized more than it is, right?

Like, it's great to get, , w- accolades and front office speak and yada, yada, yada, but- I think if, if you're able to sit there and recognize and look at their body of work and say, "You know what? The Rays would not be where they are without that front office." That, that is a fact. That, , and it's so, easily contrasted with situations like the [00:45:00] Royals, the, even the Mariners, the number of changes and things that they've tried.

, The Blue Jays, and after having a successful last year, why they've fallen back to the pack. 

Mark Corbett: Oh, yeah. 

Mat Germain: , The amount of money that the Orioles spent in the offseason, and they already had a young core to build around. , There's a lot of situations you could go through, and the Rays front office is just shining like a bright star , and I hope they don't change with all the excess money that Patrick Zalupski is talking about, , spending.

Mark Corbett: Yeah. 

Mat Germain: Uh, because, money changes things. Makes you do some silly stuff sometimes. 

Mark Corbett: They've got a formula that works now. Mm-hmm. And I never had thought of the Rays as, quote, "cheap," unquote, but I, I thought of them as responsible. As if, you know, somebody gave you a budget and you said, "Go out and bu- find the best meal you can build with this."

Going back to the food metaphor. I ha- I already ate. I don't know why I'm so hungry. But, uh, the, the whole idea of, of getting the right ingredients and bringing them all together, and they have done that. You know what? We're gonna have to [00:46:00] craft a BaseballBiz MVP award for front office, and we, we've gotta craft one, and we'll do it for the Rays, 'cause, uh, they- Yeah

they deserve it, like you said. Just seeing all that they've done. And I'll tell you, last night when I was at the Rays organization, I met with three or four of their s- their people for the front office. And I'm talking about people all the way at the director level to people who were just working, uh, taking care of daily business.

And every one of them, they had a positive energy and they made you feel good about their doing, and it makes you understand that this was the most important thing for them, too, with what they were doing. And they understood the fans. It was clear to them. And so we're gonna have to do that, man. We'll craft an award, a BaseballBiz On Dick MVP front office or office award or And we'll do that.

We'll do that. 

Mat Germain: Absolutely. I'll even break it down, like very, very, very specific. I'll give you the moves [00:47:00] and, and why and, and really dig into the, uh, into the actions that ma- that separated them from the rest of the pack. But I think most people nowadays, Mark, they know. They've, they've heard the stories of how the Rays got to where they are.

But I, I th- I still think that there's idiosyncrasies in there that people still don't fully understand because the Rays will make a move and you'll see it all over Blue Sky, Twitter, everything else. Like, they, they'll be, you know, questioning it. Like, "Why is this? Doesn't make sense," you know? And then it's like the Brewers, the same thing.

"Oh, they dealt that guy. They're gonna suck now. They're gonna be terrible." And it's just not the case. If you're, if you know what you have and what you're replacing it with and why, and you get those people to believe in that and carry it forward, you're gonna have success 

Mark Corbett: So what are we looking at here now?

The game is, it is Wednesday. We're looking at the A's and Tampa Bay, and lo and behold, it is the bottom of the eighth. [00:48:00] Rays are leading four to three, one out, and so it's looking good. I mean, it's, it's tight, but, uh- 

Mat Germain: It's... Why do the Rays, you know, go out there and really handle the Astros well, and then they go against the A's, who are missing a ton of players and have all kinds of issues, and they just can't seem to get things going?

Like, it, it, it's pretty... That is so baseball, Mark. 

Mark Corbett: It, it really is. I mean, if you look at the w- year when the White Sox were absolutely in the basement, and we gave them two of the wins they had that year. And it's like, what the, you know, the holy goodness gracious, are you kidding me? Mm. But yeah, there, there's things that just don't make sense.

So I am looking forward to when they g- do... I mean, we still got some games to play here. The last games in this Trop, and, , looks like they're gonna make the most of it. 

Mat Germain: Are you going to go to a playoff game? 

Mark Corbett: Oh, yeah. Oh, [00:49:00] yeah. Yeah? I, I, um, I'm, I'm, I haven't done that. Well, I haven't been able to do it for a couple years.

So yeah. Yeah. I will definitely be there, and- 

Mat Germain: There you go ... 

Mark Corbett: we'll, we'll close down the museum and everything else to boot, and we'll be out there, my friend. We'll- 

Mat Germain: Sounds good. 

Mark Corbett: We gotta get- I hope you're ... you south of the border. 

Mat Germain: Yeah. One day, Mark. One day. Like I said, when the stadium opens or after the, uh, you know, 2028 election, uh, I'll be, I'll be cleared and ready to go.

So I, I have faith in your blue waves, let's just put it that way. 

Mark Corbett: Oh, I hope so, brother. I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm ready to ride it and ready to push for it as much as possible. Um, after this, I got a story to tell you that's not ready for prime time that I think you'll enjoy. I... But, uh, it's, it's good. You were just saying 

Mat Germain: Chandler Simpson just beat out a grounder, like you said.

Yep, he, he just proved that unlike Caminero, he would be able to make it on. Oh, 

Mark Corbett: gosh. That young man is amazing. He's just, it's [00:50:00] stellar to watch him. I do wanna do a personal plug, and I am going to be giving a presentation on a lady from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, a lady by the name of Senaida "Shoo-Shoo" Wirth.

She was a shortstop for the South Bend Blue Sox from 1946 through 1951, and she's an amazing young woman. And first time I discovered her is when I first visited the Tampa Baseball Museum, because there's all these great men baseball players all through there, and there's this one small little plaque talking about her, this woman who stole 89 bases her rookie year.

Now, mind you, there's other players who stole more, but that's still an am- amazing number of bases to be stolen. And while they didn't have a Rookie of the Year per se, the manager says that she w- they- she was the one. And there's, there's, there's all kinds of interesting things about her story. So if you'd like to learn more about her, we're gonna be...

I'm gonna be down there with a lot of [00:51:00] good people and some of the family of Shoo-Shoo. She would be 100 years old if she was still alive on October 4th. So we're kinda celebrating a little centennial about her life and the life of some other women who brought up baseball around here, including Jean Cerra, who we had on the show a while back, uh, who was instrumental in implementing Title IX for the NCAA.

Uh, so some really, really good stuff to talk about. That will be Monday, September, October, what is it? 28th. Can't bring my calendar up, but, uh, two week- a week and a half from now, and it w- yeah. Monday, October 28th from 6:30 to, uh, to 8:30, and that's at the Tampa Baseball Museum. You can get tickets by going to the Tampa Baseball Museum website and put that in there.

So a little shameless self plug here, and but looking forward to that. Hope to see a lot of you guys out there. 

Mat Germain: Awesome, Mark. 

Mark Corbett: Well, let's talk about riding the blue wave. I'm looking about riding this Rays wave riding out here in [00:52:00] Tampa and watching it just crest as the season continues, and looking forward to this postseason.

I'm, I'm excited, Matt. Any- anything else we need to talk about? 

Mat Germain: , Just that , , unfortunately, the low A, , playoffs are over for the Charleston RiverDogs. Oh. They ended up losing both games that, , that they were in the championship series with. , But overall, it's a really great season for those guys who got to test their skills in, in key moments, , with a lot of pressure.

And Cooper Fleming stood out as, as having a lot of success. He hit two home runs, one in each game, , looked really good defensively as well. So, , I think, you know, when you're looking at that team and you see, , Grady Emerson probably getting the, the full-time gig next year. 

Mark Corbett: Yep. 

Mat Germain: Um, Cooper Fleming is, is set to challenge, uh, A+.

So the shortstop position at both minor league, , levels at A and A+ for the Rays is gonna be stellar next year, as nobody ever doubts, really, for this

franchise. But it's [00:53:00] great to see them continue that tradition and, , and I look forward already to seeing, how those guys perform next year and then how they're able to build , on the solid seasons that they had. 

Mark Corbett: Well, it's gonna be fun, my friend. And as always, folks, I tell you, when Matt's talking about the minor leagues, take notes.

I mean- Mm ... there's a lot of the people he's talked to us about over the years who we've seen come up and it's interesting to watch as those careers develop and where they wind up. So I'm looking forward to seeing more of Brody Hopkins too. We'll see here in exciting times, my friend. So I wanna thank everybody for c- coming and visiting with us here today, and I wanna say thank you very much.

Look forward to seeing you again real soon. 

Mat Germain: Ohm. 

Mark Corbett: Hey, and let's leave with one more note, and it's that postseason note we heard at the beginning of the show from our good friend, Mr. Junior Caminero.