Hour 2: Live Dogs (feat. Adnan Virk)
The gang heads to the DenTek Bucket, and after another impressive Laker win last night, Zaslow has a take on how badly LeBron's plan has backfired before making a sucka move. Plus, it's the final edition of the Pitch Clock for the 2025 season. Jeremy and Adnan put a bow on an all-time great World Series, while Ethan tees up a game for Jeremy and Chris that tests how much they learned this Postseason.
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Transcript
Speaker 1 Are you coming off a losing fantasy week? That means you're one week closer to losing your league and that's pretty stressful, which can lead to nighttime teeth grinding.
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Speaker 5 This is the Dan Labator Show with the Stu Gats Podcast.
Speaker 1 The bucket is presented by Dintech's Ultimate Fantasy Football Punishment. Learn more and sign up your league at Dintech.com.
Speaker 4 Here we go, guys.
Speaker 1 You guys realize how many people asked off this Thursday?
Speaker 4 It's a thin cast for us. I didn't put two and two together.
Speaker 1 Wait, hold on, sorry.
Speaker 1 I didn't put two and two together. No, look.
Speaker 1
I took a PTO day day last Thursday. It was my first bye week at this thing.
Okay. But I've been here every week.
This is absurd.
Speaker 1 Where'd he go? I'm missing like four people. Where's Chris? Dude, he's like bucket day? Is he alive? He had a dental procedure.
Speaker 4 A dental procedure?
Speaker 5 Fitting.
Speaker 1 Doesn't have that dentec at night.
Speaker 4 What about the other stuff that happened yesterday?
Speaker 1
That's fine. It is curious.
Didn't report in the chat. No, we didn't.
It was a little backed up. I was out there for the fireworks.
I had to leave the chat. No fireworks.
Wow. Honey, hoodles.
Speaker 1
Hey, Hoodles. Well, let's go into the bucket.
They dentuck bucket there. Yeah.
Speaker 1
Indianapolis Colts. They are six and a half points favorite across the Atlanta Falcons.
I'm not going to do much better than that. Oh, wait.
That's an away. That's an overseas game.
Speaker 1 I don't like overseas. 9.30 start.
Speaker 5 Why don't you like overseas? You've seen a Clubic?
Speaker 1
America First Powell. I like that, actually.
I'll keep it, Bill.
Speaker 1
Indianapolis is America's team right now. Everybody's food and everybody wants him to win.
Let's see. I'm going to do a nice little rummage.
Okay.
Speaker 1 That one right there.
Speaker 1
The Minnesota Vikings. Trader McCarthy look good.
You got
Speaker 1 the Red Hot Baltimore Ravens.
Speaker 1 Coming to town. Four and a half punch dogs at home.
Speaker 1
I was expecting the Ravens to go on this run. I actually like the.
I'm going to put it back, by the way.
Speaker 1
But I like the Vikings as a a home dog. Yeah, that's a live dog.
That's a live dog. I don't want to have a home live dog.
Yeah, I just don't think what is it live dog dog.
Speaker 1 Oh, I've got the fine bucket plus death.
Speaker 1 Are you lost right away?
Speaker 1 This is my first loss of the season.
Speaker 4
Hold on. Is there any money in the fine bucket? Nope.
I can't remember anyone getting fine.
Speaker 1
I was the last one to pull that one. Okay.
Took my own old
Speaker 1 fine.
Speaker 4 Was there anything in there?
Speaker 1
Yeah, that's a good bit of money. Just a lost at the bucket.
Wait, that's all you got. What the hell?
Speaker 4 Yeah, that kind of sucks, man.
Speaker 1
Say a lot of prizes. I had the San Francisco 49ers.
They are playing the Rams are four and a half point dog. Oh, my dog.
So that's not him.
Speaker 1 That's a live dog. Everything else was a live dog.
Speaker 5 Yeah, what is it?
Speaker 1 A live dog.
Speaker 1
I got the Rams. Oh.
Oh,
Speaker 1 completely flipped. Remember the live dog, though.
Speaker 1 You're going up against a live dog. Is it really no money?
Speaker 1 Say it the way that Paul Rhodes says it.
Speaker 1 A live dog.
Speaker 4 When was the last time we heard anyone get fined on the show?
Speaker 1
I thought Dan said that he put like 500 bucks in there. When? Like one time that Jess won and she was complaining about it.
You just make it up. And then Dan was like, yeah, I'll work 500 bucks.
Speaker 1 You just make it up. Dan, give me 50.
Speaker 5
I got the Jaguars. They're at Houston.
They got Jacob Marshall.
Speaker 1
I'm trying to keep it. Yep.
Wow. Davis Mills on the other side.
Just TJ Stroud. Jags Road Face.
One and and a half point square. I also kind of hate that.
Hey, Reaper, you smell really good.
Speaker 4 Like someone finally laundered your cow.
Speaker 1 What is that called?
Speaker 4
Cowl. Cowl.
Like Simon?
Speaker 1
Cowley. Cow.
No, no, that's cowell.
Speaker 1 Even though you don't pronounce the name.
Speaker 1 Simon Cowell.
Speaker 4 Oh, thank you for your service.
Speaker 1
Oh, so you got a service? Army, Navy, Air Force. Nice.
All right, so Army is a seventh-point favorite against Temple.
Speaker 1 Navy is a 26.5-point dog against Notre Dame.
Speaker 1
And Air Force is a five and a half point dog against San Jose. You should take Navy.
San Jose got a good little receiver. Navy only has one loss.
You should take Navy.
Speaker 1 Oh, man.
Speaker 4 If I took them in the one, that would be so awesome.
Speaker 1 You can also get Coast Guard. What are they playing?
Speaker 4 I'm going to bat.
Speaker 4 Citadel.
Speaker 1
Wait, does it have to be football? They're playing the Citadel? Hold on. Football.
Does it have to be football?
Speaker 1 No, I don't know.
Speaker 4 I can't get a basketball.
Speaker 1 You really want to trust them?
Speaker 1 The average walking through our door.
Speaker 4 I went to school with a guy that played the Navy, by the way, high school. He was pretty good.
Speaker 1 I got the Eagles.
Speaker 1 The Eagles are
Speaker 1 on a bar. No, no, no, no,
Speaker 1 no, no, no, no, no, no, fuck
Speaker 1
one and a half-point dog actoring bar. I'm gonna sweat that out.
I also like that. It's a large dog.
That's a live dog. We got a lot of large dogs this week.
What is it? Say it like Paul Rudd.
Speaker 1 Slow down, okay?
Speaker 4 Lock dog, baby.
Speaker 1 There's really no money?
Speaker 4 Thank you, Daddy.
Speaker 1 No money.
Speaker 5 Maybe I'll let you hold a dollar. We'll see on Monday.
Speaker 1 I was gonna say, let me get a couple of your stocks, buddy. We'll see.
Speaker 4
I love all those. I drool a lot, man.
Yeah, I drooled a lot on that one.
Speaker 1 Live dog is hard.
Speaker 4 Every time I spoke.
Speaker 1 There's a live dog, okay?
Speaker 4 I'm gonna be on the camera caught one, I'm sure.
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That means the football games are more important. That means football time should be Miller time.
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Speaker 1 This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. So these days are just getting shorter, right?
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Speaker 6 Don Lebatard.
Speaker 6 And at what this is the Dan Lebatar show with the Stugats
Speaker 4
Zaz. Yeah.
What do you think about LeBron's plan, man?
Speaker 1 Oh, you look,
Speaker 5 I'm all over this.
Speaker 5 When everybody sees what I've been saying, I just want to make sure y'all say props Zazzlo, Zazzlo had it first. You see the Lakers, the Lakers last night won again.
Speaker 5
They beat Wembanyama. That's right.
The Lakers are 7-2 now.
Speaker 5 And ask me how many games LeBron James has played so far this season.
Speaker 4 Yo, Zaz, how many? None.
Speaker 5
He hasn't played in any games. There's seven and two.
LeBron's plan has completely.
Speaker 1 Backfired.
Speaker 5
You know LeBron. This is a silent protest.
He does not have sciatica. It's total bullshit.
He wants there to be this narrative. Oh, you don't want to sign me to a long-term deal.
Speaker 5 Oh, you think that the team is Lucas? Oh, you're not going to allow me to be a part of decisions.
Speaker 4 Hold on, hold on, hold on.
Speaker 7 Time to throw away all your nervous credibility and get reckless. Here is something we like to call reckless speculation.
Speaker 5
You're good. Okay, so again, everything that I just said, and you know that LeBron wants to come back when the Lakers are struggling.
Well, the Lakers are really good without LeBron.
Speaker 5 This is unprecedented in LeBron's career right now, where a team that LeBron is on without LeBron is really good.
Speaker 1 Cooking.
Speaker 5 This is
Speaker 5 exactly the opposite of what LeBron was going for. I don't know if he's ever even going to play for the Lakers.
Speaker 4 He wanted him to fall apart, right?
Speaker 1 Absolutely. When's LeBron going to be back?
Speaker 5 Absolutely.
Speaker 4 And now they're winning games without Austin Reeves.
Speaker 1 That's one issue, 77.
Speaker 4 What about him?
Speaker 1 He's not going to let that happen.
Speaker 1
LeBron's not there. Okay, great.
The issue is usually the team would tank, but now they have a generational player who's there to be like, yeah, that's not going to happen.
Speaker 5 And the Lakers' front office, their MO to start to look past LeBron, to give the keys to Luca. Luca is the guy who they're consulting for decisions, is all proving to be the correct path.
Speaker 5 And you know, LeBron, if you hooked LeBron up to a lie detector right now and asked him, is he happy with the Lakers 7-2 start?
Speaker 5
That little meter is going to be flying all over the place. Nope.
He is definitely not happy. His plan has backfired.
Speaker 4 Man,
Speaker 4
it is kind of like staggering because also Luca was hurt. Luca missed games and they won through that.
They've been winning. They're a good basketball team, man.
Speaker 5 Austin Reeves didn't even play last night.
Speaker 4
Austin Reeves didn't play last night. Groin injury.
God, I hate a groin injury.
Speaker 4 But like Jake Loravia, aka, who's number 12? He played well last night. He's been lighting it up.
Speaker 1 He's been lighting it up.
Speaker 4 He's been shooting well. DeAndre Ayton played well.
Speaker 1 How about that? I was surprised to see that.
Speaker 5 Even Bronnie had a basket.
Speaker 4 Well, okay.
Speaker 1 Everyone's.
Speaker 4 If LeBron leaves, Bronny goes with him, right?
Speaker 4 Like, the obligation extinguishes immediately.
Speaker 1 I don't know. But they had to cut him?
Speaker 1 He's not going to go anywhere. Why would he? Why would you keep him? But why would he leave? Where's that going?
Speaker 4 Three mil? Where's that going?
Speaker 4 I don't know. You got to aggregate.
Speaker 1 You think that he's got to make a call and be like, hey, I need to get traded to...
Speaker 4 Absolutely.
Speaker 1 Wherever the old man is.
Speaker 5 You think the Lakers are all like, yo, LeBron, when are you coming back? Please hurry up.
Speaker 4 No chance.
Speaker 4
No chance. No one's asked him.
No one. No one's asked him.
Speaker 1 Plans backfired.
Speaker 4 He probably watched on the facility talking about. Feeling pretty good.
Speaker 1 He actually, they went to Seams yesterday during the pregame show, and it's like, all right, we got an update on LeBron. He's like, yeah, he's going to start doing five on five in the next week.
Speaker 1
Oh, Oh, he's going to ramp up, even though it felt like late November was when things were going to happen. Now he's already on five on five.
Daniel Sack is bullshit.
Speaker 4
Got to ramp up. Marcus Smart, man.
He's still alive.
Speaker 5 Hey, he's not a good player.
Speaker 1
I'm so happy when he takes a shot. Yep.
Please take all the shots. It's a weird build of a team, right?
Speaker 1 Where it's like, you have like Reeves and Luca who are really good, and then it's like everybody else is kind of like this mismatched pieces of like
Speaker 1
the scraps of DeAndre Atten. Jake Lauren was actually playing good, but then you got Marcus Smart running around there doing God knows what.
Rui Hachimura turning a 17-foot turnaround jumper.
Speaker 4 They got whatever they could get their hands on, right? It's like...
Speaker 5 Who's available?
Speaker 4 Yeah, it's the supermarket shop till you drop. And the first things they got are like Austin Reeves and Luca right here.
Speaker 1
And they're like, oh, this looks good. And just towed on top.
Ayton's kind of big. Wrap it around my neck.
Like a python.
Speaker 5 So it's twofold, this conversation, right? Because you got the Lakers who are LeBron's plan is completely backfired. And the Lakers might be pretty good.
Speaker 5
And last night, you may may have seen the New Orleans Pelicans. Good God.
Now, that team never wins. And they don't even.
Speaker 1 They're two in a row now.
Speaker 5 Yep, both without Zion.
Speaker 1 All right.
Speaker 5 And you know who the New Orleans Pelicans won a road game against last night?
Speaker 5 Luca's former team.
Speaker 5 That's right. The Dallas Mavericks dropped to 2-6.
Speaker 5
So you have the Lakers who are awesome. And Luca, for the most part, looks pretty good.
And you have the Mavericks who were sold.
Speaker 5 the maverick fan was sold by nico harrison that their window to win is right now that team sucks they're two and six and i don't know if anybody could have possibly seen this coming but anthony davis never plays how's cooper looking though he had his best game last night He's been up and down.
Speaker 4 He's been up and down.
Speaker 4 But again, it's one of those things where it's like he's being asked to play a position he's never played in his life.
Speaker 5 But that also wasn't what Nico Harrison sold the Mavericks fan. It's not about Cooper Flag growing and becoming a star, which he will most likely.
Speaker 5 No, it's that their window win is right now, and this trade helps them do that right now. The team sucks, and the guy they traded for is never available.
Speaker 4 Cooper Flag, by the way, last night, he had this quote, which I loved. He says, this is the most I've lost since,
Speaker 4
oh, I think ever. Like, it took him a second to realize, oh, wait, I've never lost this many games in my life.
And that's what happens when you've lived a charmed life.
Speaker 4 He was beating up on little white kids in Maine, and then he gets to Duke, and he's like beating up on college kids, and then you get to the NBA, and it's like six losses in your first three weeks of the season.
Speaker 4 That's more losses than he's probably had his entire basketball.
Speaker 1
And he's not dominating like he would be in any of those levels. It's like, oh, no, this is grown man basketball.
Plus, I get guarded 94 feet, and I have to take the ball up and create
Speaker 1 fine.
Speaker 8 Oh, for sure. He's going to be fine.
Speaker 1 It's going to be good long term.
Speaker 4 Yes, in the long term, this is going to be good for him.
Speaker 4
They made a switch in their starting lineup last night. They benched Clay Thompson.
They started D'Angelo Russell. That is.
Speaker 1 Clay Thompson's been woof.
Speaker 4 Good for him, though. I'm going to be honest with you.
Speaker 1 Why?
Speaker 1 I'm happy for him. Got tired legs.
Speaker 4
Like, last year he wasn't. He was kind of woofish.
This year's been. I mean, like, here's one thing.
It makes me sad that Clay Thompson isn't a warrior. Not a lot of lift.
Speaker 4 But it's like they got out at just the right time and took the money that it would have been owed to him because you respect him.
Speaker 4
And now you take that money and they spent it on 8 billion different guys. They're a much deeper team.
They're a better team.
Speaker 1 Let me ask you, though, if he never sustained the back-to-back injuries, his game would age with grace, right? This is all just a career undone by the widowmaker in that sport.
Speaker 4 The Achilles and the ACL, right? That back-to-back, to get hurt while being hurt sucks. Like, that's awful.
Speaker 5 But you know about that Cardi B?
Speaker 1 Do you? Stephon Dix?
Speaker 4 Yeah, he's got got his.
Speaker 1 He's got his guy.
Speaker 1 Your black female rappers mixed up. What? Who is the one that he's with? Megan the Stallion.
Speaker 1 Oh!
Speaker 5 You know about that Megan the Stallion?
Speaker 4 Megan Thee Stallion and Zazzler the Sucker.
Speaker 1 Yeah.
Speaker 5 That was a sucker move, Michael.
Speaker 1 That was a sucker move by you. Congratulations
Speaker 1 on your Suey nomination, though. I gotta say, that was bad, dude.
Speaker 1
You have good teammates here. We'll lift you.
Thanks. Over your clear and obvious racism.
Thanks.
Speaker 4
I'm going to say this. Zaz, because you won't been in tomorrow.
Great week, but like perhaps your most sucker week ever.
Speaker 1 What? You've been a sucker so many times easily.
Speaker 5 What else do I sucker?
Speaker 1 Braun Strowman? Sucker.
Speaker 5 Nah, I disagree, man. Braun Strowman retweeted me yesterday.
Speaker 1 How could Braun Strowman?
Speaker 5 How could Braun Strowman reteet someone who's a sucker?
Speaker 1 Pity.
Speaker 4 He pities the fool.
Speaker 1 Wow. You know about that whap?
Speaker 5 I like that song.
Speaker 4 What's it stand for?
Speaker 5 You know what it stands for. Let me say it.
Speaker 1 There we go.
Speaker 1 You know about that octopusie?
Speaker 1 Yummy.
Speaker 1 I can't believe he did that.
Speaker 1
I can't believe the Cardi B. I mean, I can't believe he did that.
That's tough.
Speaker 1 I can see where Zaz was going with those Cardi B's been in the news because of Stefan Diggs and them having a kid together.
Speaker 1 Yeah, you should get that hair system because I could see the bead of sweat that formed on your forehead.
Speaker 1 You're bald. There was a brief moment.
Speaker 1
There was a brief moment there where we all knew what happened. And then he knew what happened.
And then there was just a little half a beat like how do we spend this win for the old Jay-Z
Speaker 1 the answer is we don't we don't you just sit in it sucker
Speaker 1 admit it like a sucker
Speaker 1 it's a little bit of a sucker
Speaker 4 pitch clock is next
Speaker 1 with prejudice
Speaker 1
When I think about the holidays, I think about the little moments with my dog, Roma, the ones that make the season feel special. Pull little elf ears on her.
You know the deal.
Speaker 1
Take some selfies, posted for people that have probably seen it too much. I love my dog.
That's what I'm trying to get at.
Speaker 1 That's why I'm joining Chewy Claws, who's out here making pets' wishes come true. From November 4th through December 24th, you can share your pet's wish at chewy.com slash chewy claws.
Speaker 1 It might come true, and it helps others too. Every wish triggers a donation of five meals to shelters and rescues across the country.
Speaker 1
And if you share your pet's wish through the Chewy app, they'll double that donation. That's 10 meals for pets in need just for participating.
I've been using Chewy for years, legitimately.
Speaker 1 They've made my life easier for me and my dog Roma. Food, toys, meds, all of it shows up fast, no stress.
Speaker 1 And being part of something like Chewy Claws, where a small thing like a wish can make a real impact, that's the kind of stuff I care about. Every pet deserves a wish come true.
Speaker 1
Send your pet's wish to chewy.com slash chewyclaws. It might become a reality.
Plus, your wish means Chewy will donate five meals to pets in need.
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Speaker 6 Don Lebatard.
Speaker 5 Can I tell you something? I don't know, maybe like a month ago, and I decided to watch Pitch Clock. And I told Jeremy, Stugats! This is a good show you're doing.
Speaker 6 This is the Don Lebatar Show with the Stugats.
Speaker 1 Na na na na.
Speaker 1 Na na na na.
Speaker 1 Hey, hey, hey.
Speaker 1 Goodbye.
Speaker 1 Hi, everybody.
Speaker 1 Are you sad? It's the last episode. Nah, don't be sad.
Speaker 1
Welcome to the Pitch Clock. Here's The Pitch, a two-part baseball segment combining a nostalgic baseball trivia game and an interview with an expert.
This is the pitch clock.
Speaker 1
It's the final episode of this season of the pitch clock. I already did.
Hi, everybody. Yeah, you did.
In the cold open. That's how anxious we were to get this thing started.
So I've got some news.
Speaker 1
We have the results of the World Series winner. Obviously, that's the Los Angeles Dodgers.
I also have in hand the results of our head-to-head trivia from throughout the year.
Speaker 1 I'm not going to reveal those yet because
Speaker 1 this game might play a factor into what the ultimate head-to-head results are.
Speaker 1 Adnan Virks joining us as a sad Canadian to talk about the Blue Jays losing to the Dodgers. We'll get to that in just a moment.
Speaker 1 But Ethan, what is our apparently new and creative trivia game for our last game of the regular season? And folks, we'll be back to the game. The last game of the regular season, huh? Well, the last.
Speaker 1
Alright. You suck.
Ethan, what is it?
Speaker 1
So, before we get started, I have a number in my head. Okay.
Are we all? Between one and ten.
Speaker 1
Jeremy, take a guess. Seven.
So you could just make it up. Take a guess.
Speaker 1
Four. It is four.
Jeremy, leave the room. Wow.
Speaker 1 What's his game?
Speaker 1
Adnan Verke, now with us as our 2025 MLB expert. The last time I get to say that.
here in 2025. The World Series has ended.
It was maybe the greatest World Series of any of our lifetimes.
Speaker 1
It was spectacular. It was an extra innings game seven showdown and an incredible baseball game that was played.
The Dodgers overcome the Blue Jays. They win the last couple of games on the road.
Speaker 1 Adnan Virk, we're going to put the Canada stuff aside for just a second.
Speaker 1 And I'm just going to ask you, as someone who covers the game of Major League Baseball, as someone who is a fan of Major League Baseball, What was your reaction to this World Series?
Speaker 9 It was unbelievable just watching those games and the ups and the downs and the thrilling cascades of emotion. For the Dodgers, they are the heart of the champion.
Speaker 9 Just incredible resolve and composure to be down 3-2 and to win games six and seven on the road when your offense was sputtering. Yamamoto is nothing short of heroic.
Speaker 9
I don't know about your lovely lady, but my wife is not an avid baseball fan. But even she was glued to game seven and she said, this guy's like Bumgardner.
And I said, yeah, she's a Giants fan.
Speaker 9
Love that. And I said, in some ways, Mad Bum is more impressive.
In some ways, it's less impressive. She goes, what do you mean?
Speaker 9
I said, it's less impressive because Mad Bum pitched more of game seven against the Royals in 2014. He pitched five innings.
But it's less impressive because Yamamoto is doing this on zero days' rest.
Speaker 9 He just pitched game six, and he woke up the next morning, and now he's pitching game seven, two and two thirds in like the highest stakes possible.
Speaker 9
Like it is nothing short of heroic what Yamamoto did for his team. And in terms of great stories, it's why you and I love the sport so much.
We are avid sports fans. Of course, we love basketball.
Speaker 9 and hockey and football.
Speaker 9 But what about baseball makes it the most special is that when you're two away from losing the World Series, it's not Mookie Betts that's the home run or Freddie Freeman or Shohei Otani or Will Smith or Max Muncie, but Miggy Rojas, the number nine hitter who crushes sliders and gets a slider that hangs, and he can be the hero, and he can be the guy who doesn't make a smooth, effortless play at second base.
Speaker 9 He looks staggered like a drunk and double clutches, but someone makes a play as Smith's clique goes up and then goes down.
Speaker 9 And it's the sport in which Andy Pajas, who had done nothing offensively, is in the game ostensibly for his defense and makes one of the greatest catches of all time.
Speaker 9
It's what makes the sport so special. So, full credit to the Dodgers.
This is not a situation.
Speaker 9
I think, Jeremy, where people said if the Dodgers went bad for the sport, I think it was great for the sport. They're a Goliath.
You love them or you hate them. That's three World Series in six years.
Speaker 9 Props to them. They deserved it.
Speaker 1 They really did.
Speaker 1 And like you said, I mean, those stories, right, to have Miguel Rojas, who began his career with the Dodgers, with Don Mattingly as his manager, to end it against Don Mattingly on the other side as the bench coach of the Blue Jays.
Speaker 1 And Rojas, who's really only in the game, because Pajes had been struggling so much and they shuffled around that lineup, he makes a defensive play. Pajes makes a defensive play.
Speaker 1
Obviously, the Mazarowski moment for Rojas, it's so spectacular. And I mean, obviously the fans of this show know I couldn't get enough of it.
It was a perfect World Series.
Speaker 1 And I'm so grateful for everyone who followed along this show this year that they got to have a postseason that looked like this one.
Speaker 1 But now I'm just going to ask you, right, as a Canadian, we talked about what it would mean if on our episode last week we talked about what it would mean if canada was able to bring this world series home i think we all sort of anticipated that they would if not for these heroic efforts really by yamamoto who ends up being the best japanese player on the dodgers in the series despite shohe oitani having the series that he did but as a canadian adnan
Speaker 1 how does this one feel what's your reaction from that standpoint It was awesome, man.
Speaker 9 I mean, the patriotism, the excitement, the numbers are robust, by the way.
Speaker 1 We talked about it. Please brag on it.
Speaker 9 We had 7 million people watching Game One of the World Series for a country of 41 people.
Speaker 9 To extrapolate that to Americans, which are 330 million, that's like 65, 70 million people watching a baseball game. It's unbelievable.
Speaker 9
Game seven in America was 31 million, an average of 27, but it hit 31 million. By comparison, and again, you and I are basketball fans.
I'm not trying to besmirch another sport. No, but please.
Speaker 9
The NBA finals? This was 53% higher. Baseball was 53% higher than the NBA's game seven.
So don't tell me basketball is great.
Speaker 9 Listen, Thunder Pacers, you couldn't even touch Dodgers, Blue Jays. And the rating, you only could count for one of the teams because Nielsen doesn't count the Canadian households.
Speaker 9 So the numbers for Dodgers, for the Blue Jays and Dodgers, was actually the equivalent of Yankees-Dodgers last year. And as Fox said, the biggest thing is the number of games.
Speaker 9
Last year's series was only five games. This year went seven.
15.7 million people on average watch baseball.
Speaker 9
That's a huge win for the sport, and especially when an entire country of Canada was into it. First World Series in 32 years.
The thought was Dodgers starting pitching without pitch the Blue Jays.
Speaker 9
The Blue Jays starting pitching, had a better ERA. The Blue Jays outhit them.
They played great defense, and they still lost the World Series. It's absolutely crushing.
Speaker 9
Good news is Shane Bieber opted in. He could have got a $100 million contract.
He opted in $16 million next year with Toronto. That's great.
I think Bobuchett's probably gone.
Speaker 9
Maybe they can re-sign him, but hell of a season. Trying to focus on the positives.
Springer Dinger in game seven of the ALCS. He has Savage Game 5 World Series.
Speaker 9 Vladi's entire postseason was incredible, but it still hurts.
Speaker 1 So, Cody,
Speaker 1 what we're gonna do is
Speaker 1
we're gonna see how well how much you learned this postseason. So inside that packet, gonna be a sporkle-like game, okay? You have every single packet in front of you.
You can go to anything you want.
Speaker 1 I'm gonna put a five-minute clock on, okay?
Speaker 1 You just throw out names at me, okay?
Speaker 1
And I'm gonna give you get a point each time you get a name. Oh, so this, okay, my bad.
These are all of the games that we played during this postseason. Okay.
Okay.
Speaker 1 So it's, you have like the 2005 Dodgers, the 2005 Blue Jays, the 2001 Cleveland Baseball Team, the 2001 Sean Mariners, and then you have MVPs and the final outs.
Speaker 1
Remember, the pitchers that were the final outs. That's the game we played during game five of the World Series.
So I'll count you in. It'll be a 3-2-1 count.
Speaker 1
You have five minutes to start just throwing things at me. Ready? Three.
Two, one, go. Dodgers.
All right, I forget what year this was, but we're cooking here.
Speaker 1
This is Hesop Troy at first base for the Dodgers. Correct.
You mean to keep cooking? Yep. Jeff Kent at second base.
Yep. Caesar Asturis.
Yep. Shortstop.
John Jose Valentin? Correct. JD Drew.
Yep.
Speaker 1
Right field. Milton Bradley.
Yep.
Speaker 1 Feel free to move between things as you feel.
Speaker 1
Ryan Ludwig, left field. Nope.
Damn, that's what I guessed. I forget who that was.
Ryan Langerhands? Nope. Nope.
Speaker 1
All right, I'm going to move on. Okay.
All right. We're going to Indians now.
Okay. 2001 Indians.
Jim Tomey at first base. Yep.
Speaker 1 Omar Vasquez at short. Yep.
Speaker 1 Kenny Lofton in left. Correct.
Speaker 1
Oh, nope. Nope.
Nope. Not in left.
Speaker 1
Not meant center. Sorry.
I meant, yeah, okay. You're good.
Speaker 1
I'm going to move on. Okay.
Blue Jays. Yep.
Speaker 1 Eric Hinskey, first base. Yes.
Speaker 1 Orlando Hudson? Yep.
Speaker 1
Corey Koski? Yes. Great name.
Greg Zahn.
Speaker 1
Yes. Roy Holliday.
Roy Holiday is on here. Yes.
Vernon Wells.
Speaker 1
Yep. The hell is this left fielder FC? Oh, I'm just going to keep it moving.
Okay. Mariners, 0-1.
Speaker 1
Yep. Ichiro, right field.
Of course. Mike Cameron.
Okay, Mike Cameron, yep. I feel like I got this one wrong at the time.
Raul Libanyez, left field. Not sure.
Rauli Banez, you did get that one wrong.
Speaker 1 Brett Boone, second base, boon is second base. Yep.
Speaker 1 Uh, John Ulrud, John Ulrud, first base base, Jamie Moyer, yes.
Speaker 1 All right, let me go. World Series MVP.
Speaker 1
You have the Hamilton. Oh, 92-08.
Okay.
Speaker 1
Uh, Levon Hernandez. Yes.
You got that one right. Josh Beckett.
Yes.
Speaker 1
I'm like stressing out now. Uh, Big Poppy.
Uh, not on this list. Mike Lowell.
Yes.
Speaker 1 Oh, whoa.
Speaker 1
Big Poppy's on the other list. I'll give it to you because we're Sporkle style.
Yeah, yeah, Sporkle style.
Speaker 1
Paul Canerco. Paul Canerco was not the World Series MVP.
Kurt Schilling. Yes,
Speaker 1
he was one of two for the Diamondbacks. I'll give you both points if you get them right.
Madison Bumgarner. Yes.
In 2014, correct.
Speaker 1
Oh, and you said Madison Bumgarner, and I'll give you two points because he got the last out of the 2014 World Series as as well. All right, let me actually.
All right, Josh Beckett. Yep.
Um.
Speaker 1 Uh,
Speaker 1
Uihara. Uihara, yes, one minute left.
Uh,
Speaker 1
I mean, come on, there's one you gotta carry on Rivera. Of course, that's two.
Uh, Keith Folk, yes, um,
Speaker 1 Darren Erstad.
Speaker 1 No,
Speaker 1
you love that name. You love that name.
Uh,
Speaker 1 Frazier.
Speaker 1
No? Frazier for what? Odd Frazier? I don't know. No, no.
I know what you're thinking. Freeze.
Yes. David Freeze was the World Series MVP in 2011.
Young Young Kim.
Speaker 1 Nope.
Speaker 1 I don't know. All right.
Speaker 1 Five, four.
Speaker 1
Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter. Derek Jeter won a World Series MVP.
I'll give you that point and you're done. Woo!
Speaker 1 All right, let's get to these next couple of questions with some pace here as we're wrapping up the pitch clock because they're pretty simple.
Speaker 1 I want the first one, your takeaways from 2025 Major League Baseball season overall.
Speaker 9
Great year for the sport. Attendance goes up.
Third straight season. National ratings were up on ESPN, on MLB Network, and on Fox.
And just good stories abound.
Speaker 9
Not only the Milwaukee Brewers, 97 wins, the most wins in baseball. Nobody saw that coming.
So you get your smaller markets.
Speaker 9 Detroit's obviously been a great baseball city for a long time to get them back in the playoffs. But also, Cleveland, the way they finished the season was incredible.
Speaker 9 Seattle winning the division for the first time in a long time, getting to within one win of the World Series would have been their first in 50 years. Awesome.
Speaker 9
Obviously, Toronto getting back first time since 93. And in the National League, I mean, listen, sometimes good stories are stories of futility.
The Mets spend all that money. They were 83 and 79.
Speaker 9 It is always fascinating to watch a car crash and figure out what the Mets will do this offseason. The Dodgers ended up winning the World Series, but San Diego had a good year.
Speaker 9
Philadelphia had had a great season. They won 96 games.
The Phillies, as Alex Abila said to me, everyone says, oh, the Phillies window is closing.
Speaker 9
The last seven seasons, their win total has increased every single year. Hope that they can re-sign Kyle Schwarber.
And still the guy who, for me is must-see TV is Paul Skeens.
Speaker 9
What he did this season, sub to ERA and going to win another Cy Young, win his first Cynthia, excuse me. Unbelievable.
Great year for the sport.
Speaker 1
Great year for the sport. We talked about it all year long.
It's a golden era for stars.
Speaker 1 And so many of those teams you just mentioned have those individual stars, like the Big Dumper, people who captivated sports fans to bring them over to major league baseball and then finally let's talk about those people moving forward heading into 2026 we're not going to be gone for too long here with the pitch clock lookout for us to come back in the next you know hopefully few weeks but as we look ahead toward 2026 what are some of the things that you're looking forward to at nan whether that be teams players or just sort of overall in major league baseball Well, I'll be at the winter meetings in Orlando in a month.
Speaker 9 Hopefully you will join me there for special pitch clock edition.
Speaker 1 Let's do it in person.
Speaker 9
Yeah, I look forward to award season in November. I think a hotly contested race is NL Rookie of the Year, Cade Horton versus Drake Baldwin.
Love the Drake.
Speaker 9 For most of the year, Baldwin was the guy, but Horton was incredible in the second half. And, of course, the MVP race, which you mentioned, Judge versus Raleigh.
Speaker 9 In 2012, Miggie won it because of Triple Crown, even though Trout had the better numbers according to war. Very similar race in that Judge's numbers across the board are better.
Speaker 9
If you look at history, you say, oh, Raleigh, first catcher ever, 60 home runs. That time, Miggie won.
I think this time Judge wins MVP. But I'm really curious how the race is going to go down.
Speaker 9
I mentioned Skeens, the fact he doesn't have a winning record. He's going to win the sign, which is amazing.
And yeah, what moves are going to be already the moves are coming down.
Speaker 9
Trevor Story opts in. He's staying with the Red Sox.
Imanaga not re-signed by the Cubs. That's pretty shocking.
Three years, $57 million. He's going to hit the open market.
Speaker 9
I'm genuinely surprised that they're not re-signing Imanaga. They must really like Kate Horton.
Maybe they'll just give Imanaga a qualifying offer.
Speaker 9 But those free agents out there, what's Belinger going to get? What's Bregman going to get? What's Kyle Tucker going to get? Pete Alonzo. Lots of major names to look forward to.
Speaker 1
Yeah, lots of fun, lots of stuff coming up. And that's all before we get back to another really exciting year of Major League Baseball.
Adnan, thank you so much for being our constant superstar here.
Speaker 1 You win the MVP of the pitch clock this year. But you know what? We're also going to find out is who ultimately won the most trivia games between Chris Cody and myself.
Speaker 1 That's what's coming up right now.
Speaker 1
Just let me know when you're ready. I'll count you in.
3-21. How much time are we going to get to? 3-2-1, go.
Okay. Blue Jays, Vernon Wells.
Yep.
Speaker 1
Russ Adams. Roy Halliday.
Yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 1
Cleveland. That's all you have for Toronto.
Kenny Lofton. I'll go back if I need to.
Speaker 1 Roberto Alomar. Yes.
Speaker 1
Dodgers. Okay.
Milton Bradley. Yes.
Speaker 1
I feel good about this. Kesop Troi.
Yes. Derek Lowe.
Yes. Okay.
Let's go 08 to 92. Okay.
Speaker 1 Manny Ramirez. Yes.
Speaker 1
Albert Buos. No.
Oh, shoot. Yeah, it's not.
Um
Speaker 1 Jermaine Jermaine Dye. Yes.
Speaker 1 Jermaine Dye.
Speaker 1 Josh Beckett. Yes.
Speaker 1 Sick of Nirka the first time.
Speaker 1
Randy Johnson. Yes.
He was one of two. You can get the second one for another point.
Kurt Chilling. Yes.
Paul Molliter.
Speaker 1 Yes.
Speaker 1 24-09.
Speaker 1
Or, you know, vice versa. Whatever.
Yep.
Speaker 1 George Springer. Yes.
Speaker 1
first Astros. Yeah.
Um Madison Bumgarner. Yes.
Speaker 1
And you get him for another point as well since you said his name. He got the last out in 2014.
Nice, thank you. Cody Ross.
Should I have saved one? No. No.
Marco Scudero. No.
And LCS MVPs. Oh my god.
Speaker 1 That's why I remember them.
Speaker 1 If you get like three in a row wrong, you should lose a point. No, relax.
Speaker 1
You have three minutes left. No problem.
180 seconds. Yeah, this is...
I don't like this anymore. Coming back to last out brian wilson okay yep um
Speaker 1 madison bumgarner we already got that yep uh bobby janks yes um
Speaker 1 it's not uh it wasn't jason marquee it was somebody else
Speaker 1 yep you did learn a different jm yep oh shoot jason mott that's correct um
Speaker 1 learning it yeah josh beckett yep
Speaker 1
really slow down don't and since you said his name you get him for the world series mvp as well mariano rivera twice I'll be giving two of you. Oh, you did.
Okay. Mariano Rivera twice.
Yes.
Speaker 1 I can't remember the Angels. Jonathan Pablebon?
Speaker 1 For once.
Speaker 1
Yes, yes, yes, yes. The first one.
The first one. Okay.
And you guys both get Mariano Rivera for World Series MVP. Cody or cool.
Speaker 1 Oh, I get one more point. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 Wade Davis? Yes.
Speaker 1
Ichiro Suzuki. Go around the diamonds.
Ichiro. Back on 01 Mariner, sorry.
Yes. Ichiro Suzuki.
Speaker 1
Brett Boone? Yes. Okay.
Is there a question mark there? Yeah, because
Speaker 1 whatever.
Speaker 1 I hate you.
Speaker 1 Jeff Kent on Dodgers? Yes, Jeff Kent was on the Dodgers. Is Omar Vaskell on the Cleveland team? Yes, he was.
Speaker 1 Eric Hinskey on the Blue Jays? Yes.
Speaker 1
Corey Koski on the Blue Jays? Yes. 20 seconds.
I hate stop it.
Speaker 1
Is that Greg Zond behind the plate? Yes. 10.
Stop it, man. 50 seconds.
50 seconds. Oh, you jerk.
Adrian Beltray for the Mariners?
Speaker 1 Third base?
Speaker 1 No.
Speaker 1 Okay.
Speaker 1
Have I gotten other World Series MVPs? Derek Jeter. Yes.
Whoa, how many times are we going to give him credit for Jeter?
Speaker 1 What are you talking about? That's the first time I have him down for Jeter. Yeah, that's the first time I said it.
Speaker 1
There's that other Blue Jays guy. It's not Joe Carter.
Who is it? 25 seconds. Shoot.
The Angels. I didn't actually get that one, but I did.
It's not Garrett Anderson. It is...
Speaker 1 It's not Tim Salmon. Is it Darren Erstad? No.
Speaker 1
Think about that Royals. Outfielder.
No, stop it. Center fielder.
It's
Speaker 1 no big poppy.
Speaker 1
Poppy won in 2016. Poppy Poppy.
2013. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 last guess.
One. All right.
Speaker 1 It was Salvie Perez in 26.
Speaker 1 Oh my God.
Speaker 1 What?
Speaker 1 We have a tie. Oh, my God.
Speaker 1
Yeah, it's 35-35. Did not sound very good.
It's 35-35. No, it's 35-35.
I promise you.
Speaker 1 So what's the tiebreaker? So what is the tiebreaker? I did not consider that there would be a tiebreaker. Cody.
Speaker 1 Who was the World Series MVP in 2023?
Speaker 8 Stupid game.
Speaker 1
I know. Can you tell me who won? No.
The World Series. Don't know.
Speaker 1 The Texas Rangers. The Texas Rangers won the World Series in 2023.
Speaker 1
It's right there. I got this one.
Didn't I get this one earlier? Corey Seeger. Yes.
Yeah, you got it. Yes.
I got it.
Speaker 1
Congrats. On the title.
So I won. Cody, Cody wins.
So who won the season series? The winner
Speaker 1 of the entire series.
Speaker 1
Can I just say that I can tell by Jeremy's vibe? It's Jeremy. Yeah.
It's me by one. Oh,
Speaker 1
even after this one? After that win, it's me by one. I was up by two.
And ready for this? I was up by two. We had three weeks this year where we included someone else in the trivia with us.
Speaker 1 And that person won all three weeks whenever we added someone else. So, what I wonder is what would have happened if
Speaker 1 it had been head to head. Who did better those three weeks?
Speaker 1
Great question. Doesn't really matter.
I won. Did you? I won.
What was the final score? I won. Who did this?
Speaker 1
I don't know. Who tracked this? I won.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 Shout out to Gabe.
Speaker 1 Winner.
Speaker 1 I love that Gabe looking around. He's like afraid to look at me.
Speaker 1
You're dead to Chris. Hey, we'll be back with Pitch Clock pretty soon, hopefully.
See you then.
Speaker 1 And if not,
Speaker 1 you know what's coming. Bye, Rebecca.
Speaker 1 Pitch Clock.
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