Braves Dodgers NLDS Series

0:00Here's where things get dirty for us. The Atlanta Braves against the Los Angeles Dodgers. As far as former Mexican's turned obviously Edwin Diaz with LA, Edwin Diaz was activated from the aisle and pitch well. He threw five or six scoreless innings since coming off the aisle. He has not been the closer. They haven't used him in high leverage spots. So we'll see how David Robert, David Robert wants to use him, but just keep in mind Edwin Diaz was able to lower his ERA from 11.50 to about eight. So there was some progress from Edwin at the end of the regular season. And here's the truth about Edwin Diaz as much as this scares all of us. As bad as that signing was in the regular season for LA, if he goes out and pitches one on the postseason, it was worth every dime. That's the reality. The Dodgers are a playoff team. So regular seasons of Kyle Tucker, regular seasons of Edwin Diaz, regular seasons of whomever. Like you can throw it out come October. Atlanta's got Dom Smith. He got to hit yesterdays.

1:00They've been the designated hitter for Atlanta. Obviously, I think we all liked him when he was here. Did not work out. So you got Dom Smith. You got Edwin Diaz. And let's face it, you got two teams that we hate. A division rival with a long history in Atlanta. And then the evil LA Dodgers. I mean, this is a, bro, this is a pick your poison connoisseur. Yeah. If this is tough for me, because I don't want to see the Dodgers have a three-peat. I really don't. I don't want to see a dynasty. I'm kind of like the only dynasty I want to see is a met's dynasty. We're far away from that. I don't want to see the Dodgers and then be like, especially how they've been in trouble with potential finance, social situations. I don't want them rewarded in any way whatsoever. But I don't know how to root for the Braves either. I don't know if I can. But I feel like the lesser of two evils is the Braves that at least get past his series. So we don't have to deal with the Dodgers at all. Had you root in the Philly Brave Wildcard series?

2:03I hate the Phillies. I was going on Braves. I don't like the Braves either, but I hate the Phillies more. I was too, just for the record. And it was dirty. It's not like I'm sitting there loving Ronald Acunia Jr. It's just I hate the Phillies more. And it was pretty straightforward. They've faced each other in the playoffs a bunch. So this is not like a new experience for us. So I did find myself easily rooting for Atlanta. Atlanta's weird man as much as they've tortured us in our lifetime. Their fans are not the ones that are the enemy. I've had very few interactions with brave fans in my entire life. The Philly fans are the bigger problem. So even though yes, Chipper Jones is the most hated player. John Rocker hated play. They've got so many players that I hate more. When it's a fan base. I think it's easier to say, well, I need these people to shut up. I also think the Philly scenario is fascinating. And I'll tell you why. They decided to just continue to run it back.

3:05They decided that despite getting knocked out the NLCS in 2023 with six and seven at home, despite losing in the division series to us in 24 and the Dodgers in 25, they kept thinking we got to run it back. They were the opposite of what we did. Right? We took a hammer and said we can't run it back. Now obviously the returns were terrible. The bets were awful. The Philly's results were better, but pretty horrible too in its own way. Like, and it leads to this question. If I told you the bets ran at all back and we were the Philly's, we collapsed at the end of the year, barely made the playoffs and lost in a best of three wild card series. And we felt like in this No Man's Land, which is where the Philly's are, would we be happier? And oddly enough, my answer to this is it's twofold. No in the regular season. Like, give me the Philly's any day of the week. Give me the excitement of relevant baseball. Give me the excitement of playoff games,

4:07even if it isn't in my building. So I think my first answer is no, I'd rather be the Philly's, but today, I'd rather be the mess. Once you get to the off season, I have a clean slate. I have the ability to remake my roster. I don't know what they're gonna do. I really don't. I don't know what they're gonna do. So it's odd, like, I'm not saying we're better off, but I do feel more cleansed as a Medfan thinking. All right, we've got a lot more possibilities. It didn't work with our core. I didn't love how we broke it up, but would I rather be stuck like Philadelphia right now? I think the Philly's are stuck. And I don't know what they're gonna do. I mean, their history says they're just gonna run it back with a new manager. And I would tell you, yeah, the results are probably gonna be the same. Cause every year it keeps getting worse from losing in the World Series to losing a heartbreaking link in the NLCS to a team they should not have lost to. To losing in the Division Series, to losing in the Division Series, to not losing in the Wildcards Series, they are trending in the wrong direction. Yeah, I'd still rather be the Philly's today

5:09being in the playoffs, having the run every year, even though they're collapsing in the playoffs, the opportunity that you're there, that's a very yanky thing to say, but that's the reality. I have the feeling that the fact that you're there every year is still something to tip the cap to. Yes, they're trending down. Yes, they have a lot of issues, but at least I know that even if they run it back, again, next year, they're still in a stronger situation than the meta. I know clean slate, but I don't know what that slits gonna look at. And it's gonna be a lot of question marks for what I look at David Stern's in his history. And I am continuing to be intrigued. I'm not a big trade lendor guy. I love Francisco Lendor has been a wonderful met, but I am very intrigued by the fantasy idea of a lendor for Bryce Arbor. I have to admit it because I know, and I get killed by some of my fellow met fans, and it's not an anti-lendor thing at all. I love the guy. Again, I'm not looking to trade him. I would just be open to anything when you're coming off a season like this,

6:10but trade turner can't play shortstop. That's done. Like the Phillies can move him to what, and they're clearly not afraid to move guys to different positions as they did in the middle of the season this year with numerous guys, Bryce going back to right, boom, going to first base, Bryce is not moving around. So they don't give a crap about moving positions. So number one, Phillies can use a shortstop, period. We know that. And Bryce Harper, I think it's done with that GM. And I think that his ability to play first base, which I thought he did reasonably well, fits our team. And here's the other thing, Jefferson Rohaus plays shortstop. So one of the big questions has always been, how do you replace Francisco Lendor? Well, the Met's top prospect right now, split time between third base, shortstop, and I think a little bit of second base. If you believe Jefferson Rohaus is gonna be a star, aren't the Met's better off with Rohaus Harper, than Lendor and whoever the hell they decide to play first base. So I'm just saying, I don't know if anybody would do it.

7:10I'm sure a lot of Met fans will hate me for it. I'm intrigued by the idea of a Harper Lendor swap. Harper's such a guy that I've never liked. Me neither. That's a tough pill to swallow, man. But I will say this much. I sold myself on what the hell's his name? Who was the first baseman that was on the Red Sox Championship team, and then went to Moncavish? Dogman Caves. I hated him with the Red Sox, but I try to sell myself that, hey, you know what, he's our guy now, up I into it. Yeah, Bryce is a fraud. Like when he comes up here and he has the Mr. Met's socks on, it would be a little bit of a, it would be tough. As far as who I'm rooting for is concerned, look, if the Dodgers get to the World Series, I will probably root for the Dodgers. I think the further they go, the more I say just let them win, and hopefully we're the team to knock them off. That's how I kind of felt when we got the Dodgers Blue Jays, like I want to be the ones to knock them off, but I think in the first round, the first real round of the playoffs, get them out.

8:11Get them out so I can enjoy the rest of the playoffs. And I also think the best way to knock off a talent like this is earlier. I think the further that this one goes, the more difficult they are to knock off. So despite hating the Braves, despite all of that, I will hold my nose and root for Atlanta to win this series so we can get a Braves Brewers, nationally championship series. That would be my preference.