The Sweet Spot- BDD; WBC Epic

0:00Every day, excessive delays and denials from big insurers keep patients from accessing the care they need. And when care is urgent, these delays can be disastrous. These practices cost billions in wasteful spending, driving up costs for American families. But while big insurers put up barriers, America's hospitals and health systems are in your corner, navigating endless reviews and appeals to get you the care you need when you need it most. It's time to curb these harmful practices and put the focus back on patients. Brought to you by the Coalition to Strength in America's Health Care. It's the sweet spots, big damn deed of the day, as I look to know the page, as I burn another page, I will try to find a place in the diary of Jane. Sponsors, do you have W security and Gillespie's tabern? Thank you, Connor. I could just listen to E.A. Sing all day. But as the baseball show of record, I'm very proud about the world baseball classic and everything that it's been so far. I know I think with a lot of casuals, it's been, it's been slow to adapt, maybe, and it

1:05kind of just happens during spring training. And it's on Fox Sports 1 for the most part, and I don't think a lot of people are looking for Fox Sports 1. It's not always on at the bar when you walk, you know? Right. Yeah. But last night, the semifinal with USA and the Dominican Republic. Now this was on, like you mentioned, during the Oscars, but this was absolute drama last night. This was, we know the Dominican Republic, they've got some of the best players in Major League Baseball, a very exciting team. They're very passionate, United States, of course, also, but man, the way this was lining up, and Paul Schien's on the mound for the United States, who was appointment watching, throwing over a hundred miles per hour in the game itself was just like every pitch meant something. It's like watching a game seven of the World Series. And I love the dynamic of the Dominicans being the home team and having the crowd be pretty

2:06much 65 to 70% cheering for them in Miami, which I thought that was an interesting dynamic. And as far as like the talent we saw in this one single game, you could argue this is the most talent rich game we've watched in ever, maybe ever. I don't know. I'd have to think about it. But as far as the team US and the World Baseball Classic, this is the most loaded roster they've ever had. And they actually have, like you said, a scheme, they have, they had scoobal earlier. So they actually bring legit pitchers to the table this time while the Dominicans, Tatees Marte, Soto, Vlad Jr., Mani Machado, Jr. Caminero, Perdomo, they do have a white guy named Austin Wells. Kind of funny. Pretty funny. But then you have, I mean, you've got Poohol's as your manager for the Dominicans, which is weird to see him in the dugout with glasses. But so you're expecting fireworks. And I know the final score, if you didn't watch it, you're like, ah, pitchers do it to one game. Well, both bullpins were really good last night, for sure.

3:07But as far as like the plays that were made in this game and in no particular order, Julio Rodriguez robbing judge of a home run at the wall, judge gunning down Tatees at third in the bottom of the third inning. And some of the pitching moments like Luis Severino with huge strikeouts of judge and Shorber in the top of the third dude with guys in scoring position. That was, that was absolutely money right there. And how about the decision to pitch to Aaron judge with a base open? Like, what are you doing here? And it worked out. And it's the pitching scenarios of last night's game. And you run down the lineup for both teams. You mentioned the Dominican Republic, but for the United States, when you have Bobby Whit Jr. leading off and then Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, Gunner Henderson, who homeward last night, Will Smith, who has a ton of World Series experience. Like all of these dudes, there are no breaks in this lineup where, and that's what's great if there's a double or something, or if there's an open base, you're thinking, OK, do we, do we walk this guy because there's, there's a decision after this.

4:09And every single at bat is a high leverage situation when it's a close game. And I think there's something also to this and we're never going to see this in Major League Baseball, but the one game series is so exciting because it doesn't water it down. You're, the pitchers are seeing the hitters for the first time. So they might get through. If they're stretched out, they might see the lineup three times, but you're not going to see them again. This really favors the pitcher where the decisions are like, OK, we can attack someone more because they don't have the scouting report as much. They haven't seen the pitchers about great, but yeah, a seven game series is fun, but when it comes down to one game, when it comes down to nine innings, it's something we're not used to in baseball and regular season and postseason games, but it makes this that much better. And honestly, schemes was so fun. Now he did give up some contact, including a one two slider that he left up to junior Caminero, and he jumps all over and hits a rocket to left field.

5:12And to see the way the Dominican bench just went nuts. And you've seen that with Puerto Rico, Venezuela, all the Latin trees, Italy has been doing espresso shots, but I guess the one gripe we had before last night was man, the US feels tight. There's, there's, there's a lot of pen up like angst here. They're not, you know, being free and easy like some of these other countries are. I thought it was really awesome when David Bednar was out there last night with the runners on second and third and one out and he strikes out Tatees and Marte. And he's just like going full hulk mode on the mountain. That was good to see that emotion, Garrett Whitlock in the eighth inning was just dominant. Then you have Mason Miller in the ninth, trying to protect a one run lead. He puts a runner on and he was, he's able to strike out the final batter on a three two slider, which by the way, his slider is just wicked, considering you're dealing with one, two, one, oh three, I mean, even if it, you know, doesn't like been like he might want it to at times, it's such a great change at moment.

6:13And on three, three, two there, it was low. And if you want a, a strong case for the, the dawn of ABS and the regular season, I think last night and the ninth inning was a great example of why you need it in the world baseball classic. I thought it was an anti climactic way to end the game, not just, not the strikeout, but just where the pitch was. And we're programming our brains where if it's a close call, if it's, if it's out of the strike zone, we're not going to see this in Major League Baseball. If, if a team has challenges left. And I think teams are going to get good enough and cautious with using them that you're going to have at least one challenge left in the ninth inning. That might be the, you know, world baseball classic aside. This should be the last baseball game that is decided by a bad strike call, because in, in the playoffs, we're going to have these an extra innings. You're given an extra challenge. So it was, it was kind of a bummer to see that and it wasn't even close either. Like it wasn't right on the edge. It was clearly low.

7:13Predomo was, if I was Predomo there, I would be losing my mind. He kind of did. Like he was like, I would be, I'd be selling a tantrum like, yeah, I'd be tapping my head like, okay, we have to challenge this. Even if we don't have it, but yeah, other than that, though, like the every inning and it's just, it's a one run game throughout the entire game. And it's like, okay, it felt like the Dominican Republic was, it was, it was just going to take time because they were getting runners on and they just couldn't capitalize. And Tatees earlier going from first to third with two outs, testing air and judge, I don't really know what Tatees is doing there, trying to take third with two outs with air and judge and right feel, but it's like screw it, just go for it. And he just, he wasn't even close. And that's the beauty of this whole tournament is they understand that, you know, the health, health aside, they're letting it all hang out. And that's been so fun and had to go back to what the night before when Venezuela took out Japan. Japan had won 11 straight of these games and the Venezuelans took them out in Miami,

8:17which was, I mean, that atmosphere alone was, was incredible too, as Otani tied the game with a home run, but then the Venezuelans stormed back and they hold off the defending champs. And that's, that's the beauty. Like you said, it's a one game series and, you know, everybody had maybe US and Japan on a collision course, but things are different now with the Italians who are really the story of the tournament taken on Venezuela tonight, as you get Aaron Nola, the Phillies going for the Italians. I don't know what's better, like seeing the stars of Venezuela take on the Americans are just the, I want the rematch, man. The Ragtag story of the Passquatch is in Italy. I want that. I want that swagger they have. They beat US's ass and pull play and they can, and then got them back into that stage by beating, by beating Mexico, yeah. And they're all Americans on the Italian team, right? I think there's 21 or 22 people that play in Major League Baseball and they're Americans, but I want this every year. This is so cool. And it's great for the game too.

9:17Like this grows and we talk about this so much on our show and on Diamond Talk. There's so much star player in Major League Baseball right now that people just don't recognize. Like if you're casual, you might not know all these guys. You probably know Paul Schienz. You don't watch him pitch too much, but every team, it's kind of like the NBA where most NBA teams have a star player now, Major League Baseball is in a really good spot. They have marketable guys, but the sport just doesn't do it. Maybe put this showcases them. Put it on big fox. Sure. Put it on Fox Sports 1. I love having Joe Davis on the call because of the 2023 World Series warm fuzzies. Man, John Smoltz is again, I think he knows what he's talking about. I do think I don't know if he does. I do think he's a good analyst as far as like pitchers go, but he's such a buzzkill in me. Yes, there's times you're just like, do you even like the sport, dude? Like the sport afforded you an incredible life. Do you have any joy in your heart? That's what that's what I find myself asking John Smoltz. So I was thinking because I think back to the 23 run and just how it felt like he was

10:20always talking about the other team in a good way, like this morning, I was going back and listening to stuff we had in Dropbox from the DS series against the Orioles. And he's just saying, you know, if this series is played 10 times, the Orioles are probably going to win at nine times while they got their ass swept. And last night in a mostly neutral game, like it'd be cool to see the US win, but I just was like, okay, maybe he'll talk more fairly on a play of really weird. I've got this here, Connor, on my computer. This was a really weird moment he had when talking about Paul schemes. This was the second or third inning or so. They're talking about schemes as an Air Force Academy guy loves the arm services. That's a, that's a big deal with them. And then what John Smoltz followed up with, I thought was just it a really weird spot. Yeah, all I can think of is what's the tallest guy to be in a cockpit? That was going to be a problem. Back to the tap in Tatsy's schemes is six six two hundred and sixty pounds.

11:24I just hope this young man can stay healthy and defeat the odds of every pitcher in the big leagues that throws like him that usually ends up getting something. An injury, I hope he could say healthy and pits for 10, 12 years and set off all kinds of records. Tatsy with one away takes inside. So one of his third year with the pirates, he'd love to see the pirates build a little more. Come on, pirates. And they made some moves this off season. Like this is the biggest moment of Paul schemes his professional career so far. He's 23 years old. John, John Smoltz is like, he's probably going to get hurt and he's probably not going to be good. I mean, you got to bake that. He plays on a bad team. But with everybody that throws as hard as he does, you're waiting for the elbow to pop at some point. So that's again, when I'm watching again, this was not a regular season game. But if I was a pirates fan or let's say DeGrom was pitching for team USA last night, there be like a moment of like, hey, just stay in one piece, buddy. For 10 years, MGM National Harbor has been the place for unforgettable nights.

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