Can the Cubs get the series to game 5?

Summary

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Dan Bernstein Unfiltered — “Can the Cubs get the series to game 5?”

Podcast: Dan Bernstein Unfiltered
Hosts: Dan Bernstein and Matt Abbatacola
Date: October 9, 2025

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Episode Overview

Dan and Matt break down the Chicago Cubs' chances to extend the NLDS to a game 5, analyze the state of Cubs hitting and pitching, debate baseball narratives from the national broadcast booth, and touch on mental health in sports and the latest with the Bears. They also introduce a new comedic segment, “Is it Smoltz?”, poking fun at broadcaster John Smoltz’s on-air musings. The episode is full of the duo’s straight-shooting takes, classic Cubs agony, sports nerdery, and plenty of Chicago flavor.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Cubs NLDS Survival & Game 5 Outlook

• The State of the Series:

  • The Cubs remain alive, set to face “Fab 5 Freddy” (Freddy Peralta).
  • Both hosts express ongoing skepticism about the Cubs' chances, reflecting typical Cubs fan trauma and realism.
    • “Even when it’s four to one, I’m just like, that’s not enough. Like, four wasn’t enough.” — Matt (04:39)

• Late Game Anxiety:

  • Discussion on Brad Keller’s shaky relief appearance and questionable decisions, like keeping a player with a bad hamstring on as the tying run.
  • "How do you have a guy with a bad hamstring who's the tying run out there?" — Dan (05:13)

• Roster & Hitting Woes:

  • Cubs batters are striking out at an alarming rate: 64 Ks in 178 at-bats so far.
  • Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ, and Dansby Swanson lead in strikeouts.
  • Dan’s take: “Which is fine if you’re hitting home runs… that’s the exchange” (07:32).
  • Matt reads out who has hot (Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, Seiya Suzuki) and cold bats.

• Wrigley Weather Factors:

  • Wind shifting during the previous game noticeably changed play dynamics.
  • “The wind currents in that park really do matter. And pitchers know.” — Dan (08:36)

Freddy Peralta Scouting Report

• Detailed rundown of Peralta’s arsenal:
  • Fastball: 95mph, 53% usage
  • Changeup: 89mph, 21%
  • Curveball and slider mix
• The key for Cubs hitters: “Get to them before they settle in… Don’t chase out of the strike zone. Don’t miss your pitch because you’re not going to get it very often.” — Dan & Matt (10:51-11:10)

Cubs and Velocity: A Deep Dive

• Discussion on the inability of Cubs hitters to catch up to high velocity.
• "It's hard to hit velocity. Yeah, it really is. And that's what pitching is now, in large part, even though people don't want to admit it." — Dan (15:42)
• History of Cubs pitchers hitting 100mph—Jeff Samardzija in 2009 was the last starter to do it.

Game Theory & Roster Construction

• Debate over whether MLB is moving towards reliever-heavy usage, and how this impacts starting pitchers like Paul Skenes.

Brewers’ Position Player Appreciation

• Both hosts spotlight opposing player Sal Frelick for his all-around performance — so good, they “love to hate” him.
  • “He is so tough. He’s so good. That stupid catch he made yesterday…” — Matt (21:10)
• Quick side discussion on another Brewers player, Caleb Durbin, with praise for his WashU economics degree.

“Is it Smoltz?” Game Show (43:00–55:00)

• Matt runs Dan through a quiz of quotes—did John Smoltz actually say them or are they made up?
• The segment highlights the frustration many have with Smoltz’s style and dubious statements.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “He built up this portentous, enormous statement from the mount of baseball wisdom: ‘In my opinion, contact at the right times can help win baseball games.’” — Dan (59:09)
  • “You could check that out, right?” — Matt, on Smoltz’s unchecked claims (57:37)
• Dan loses the game show, missing out on a ‘grand prize’ of sponsor freebies, but the segment is a hit for its humor and podcast chemistry.

Chicago Bears & Tyrique Stevenson’s Redemption (Mid-Episode, 12:36–34:48)

• Dan praises Bears CB Tyrique Stevenson’s vulnerability and openness after a rough professional week.
  • “He has empowered himself by facing something that is almost unfathomably difficult.” — Dan (31:48)
  • “This is also teaching tape… I think it's more important for the job that he's doing off the field and what he's showing.” — Dan (29:46)
• They critique historic Bears’ PR failures and note this is the right way to handle adversity.

Bill Belichick & UNC Football Fiasco (34:48–41:42)

• Breakdown of the rapidly deteriorating situation with Bill Belichick at UNC:
  • PR disasters, poor communication, canceled documentaries.
  • Reasoned speculation about Belichick’s impending (expensive) buyout.
  • “...If you’re the University of North Carolina, you’ve gotta find the easiest way to exit this as cleanly as possible. It's gonna be expensive. Cut that check.” — Dan (38:53)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Classic Cubs Fan Cynicism:
  • “Even when it’s four to one, I’m just like, that’s not enough. Like, four wasn’t enough.” — Matt (04:39)
  • “Until it was over, I didn’t think they were going to win.” — Dan (04:16)
• Analytics Frustration:
  • “He’s still making proclamations about baseball instead of checking out whether they're true.” — Dan on Smoltz (03:13)
• On Sal Frelick:
  • “He is so tough. He’s so good. That stupid catch he made yesterday…” — Matt (21:10)
• On Tyrique Stevenson & Mental Health:
  • “He has empowered himself by facing something that is almost unfathomably difficult… That is something of which your son can be proud.” — Dan (31:48, 33:54)
• On The John Smoltz Experience:
  • “In my opinion, contact at the right times can help win baseball games.” — Dan quoting Smoltz (59:09)
  • “You have a supercomputer in your hand.” — Dan, about checking facts (59:46)
• On Bill Belichick at UNC:
  • “It didn’t work. It’s not working. It’s not going to work.” — Dan (41:11)
  • “Cut that check.” — Dan and Matt (41:34)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:22 — Cubs playoff survival, setup for Game 5
• 04:11 – 08:36 — Cubs’ late-game anxieties, roster decisions, and offense breakdown
• 09:12 – 11:19 — Freddy Peralta scouting report & approach to facing him
• 15:26 – 19:52 — Cubs, velocity, and historical pitching trends
• 21:10 — Sal Frelick appreciation/hate
• 43:00 – 55:00 — “Is it Smoltz?” segment: baseball quote guessing game
• 12:36 – 34:48 — Tyrique Stevenson and mental health/PR discussion
• 34:48 – 41:42 — Bill Belichick/UNC meltdown analysis
• 57:13 – 59:52 — Smoltz’s on-air takes lampooned (e.g., “contact at the right times”)
• 60:03 – End — Cubs rage-texting, closing opinions, and sports banter

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Tone and Style

• Straight-shooting, irreverent, Chicago-centric.
• Banter-heavy, with deep football and baseball knowledge.
• Honest, occasionally sentimental (especially discussing mental health), but always quick to pivot to humor or skepticism.
• Deeply skeptical of official PR narratives—devoted to “telling it straight.”

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is a must-listen for Cubs fans anxious about the NLDS, baseball diehards frustrated with stale broadcast narratives, and Chicago sports fans who appreciate sharp, honest conversation. You’ll come away with a clearer sense of the Cubs’ strengths and weaknesses, why contextual stats matter, and some much-needed laughs at the expense of baseball cliches. Human stories—like Tyrique Stevenson’s redemption—cut through the noise, reminding listeners why sports matter beyond the scoreboard.

Transcript

[A]

Dan Bernstein, unfiltered. Unfiltered on 312 Sports.

[B]

Unfiltered. Dan Bernstein. Matt Abaticola here. Today's show, presented in partnership with my bookie. We will obviously talk about the Cubs remaining alive in the National League Divisional series.

[A]

Yes, sir.

[B]

Game tonight. They have earned their right to face Fab 5 Freddy, and we shall see whether or not it is something they can overcome. I don't know. He's awfully good, and he's been awfully good against them and everybody else. So we also are going to discuss the Bears. I want to expound and expand on something that was discussed yesterday during Forward progress regarding the week of Tyreek Stephenson that we told you was coming. We told you how it was going to set up, what he had to do to play well, to change the narrative. But it's more than that. He's done much more, I think, than play well and deserve some credit for it. There has been, after we talked yesterday about Bill Belichick and the rapidly destabilizing situation in Chapel Hill, believe it or not, it's gotten worse in the last 24 hours, and I'm not sure that they're at a point of return from where it's headed.

[A]

Were you aware of a. Of a documentary series that was gonna come out?

[B]

Yes, that was canceled and apparently it was actually documented. They were doing their job of documenting, and the school or Jordan Hudson or somebody looked at the final cuts of it and said, we're not airing this because it makes us look stupid and out of control.

[A]

Well, stupid is as stupid does.

[B]

And they're doing stupid and it's not going well.

[A]

Yeah. I wasn't even aware that they had a doc series coming out.

[B]

This is the second thing that's been canceled.

[A]

Yeah. And then who did. I. I saw our guy, Rock Momola. John Momola had posted it about the cancellation of the. Of the docu series. So I was like, oh, that's too bad.

[B]

When this is now.

[A]

I'd like to watch that now.

[B]

Two docu series that have been scuttled.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

After Hard Knocks.

[A]

Oh, yeah, that's right.

[B]

This is now 2. Where the results are. Wait a second. We don't like the way this looks. Instead of looking inward and maybe thinking there's something wrong here.

[A]

Right.

[B]

They're blaming the people for document.

[A]

Correct.

[B]

They're blaming the cameras, blaming the microphones.

[A]

It's all your fault.

[B]

And they're looking for leakers. They're following every bit of the playbook now. They're going to Administer the polygraph test for leakers.

[A]

I can't believe that no one had the foresight to think that this could go wrong.

[B]

This might just not work. And also, I don't know anything about this.

[A]

No, you don't.

[B]

So I'm going to stay in the dark on this. But today, here on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered, we're going to play. There's going to be a new game show.

[A]

We have a game show. It's called. Is it Smoltz?

[B]

Oh, no.

[A]

Yeah. So I'm going to.

[B]

I'm going to read quotes to you, bad man.

[A]

I'm going to read quotes. And you have to determine Dan as the first contestant on Is it Smoltz? Was it something John Smoltz said?

[B]

Is this because of our texting last night?

[A]

Yes. Or is it something. Or is it something that was made up?

[B]

I was rage texting. I don't know what I can do this to. I can't bother some of my group chats with this sort of bothering me with it. I figured I could bother you with it. And of course, it's just things that Smoltz says that have me screaming. And poor Joe Davis. I don't know if he doesn't care, doesn't know. Just follow up, follow up on these things that he makes up out of whole cloth because he doesn't realize we're all holding in our hands a supercomputer that has in it the collective intelligence of humankind and all the information. And he's still making proclamations about baseball instead of checking out whether they're true.

[A]

Yeah. I could feel your rage in the text. So, yes, you can bother me with those anytime. Especially since. So now you understand. I can be a penis to you and you can bother me with rage texting. See how that works?

[B]

Fine, I get it. Yes.

[A]

Two way Street.

[B]

I know. I'll absorb some of that.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Some of your, your, your spousal gaslighting. Everything that you're doing. Okay, I got it. Cubs got that win. I, until it was over, I didn't think they were going to win.

[A]

Well, no, I, I, it's, it's so bizarre, Dan, as a, as a lifelong Cubs fan, just to not have the confidence in this series at all at.

[B]

Any point, because, you know, they're not as good.

[A]

Even when it's, when it's four to one, I'm just like, that's not enough. Like four, four wasn't enough.

[B]

I never thought four was going to be enough until it was.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then, But Congrats on four.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And they got it. They are the second time in the playoffs since they won the World Series.

[A]

You get the four and Brad Keller comes in to, you know, close it out, finish it up and you know, the eighth inning and then he, the first guy, he faces four, Four straight balls. Yeah.

[B]

And Kittridge to, you know, the lead off home run and lead off double.

[A]

And you're like. Yeah.

[B]

And it was weird because I thought you got a pinch run for ch. How do you have a guy with a bad hamstring who's the tying run?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Out there. Yeah.

[A]

Because he almost got tagged out at.

[B]

Second and then I'm, but then they didn't pinch, so who did they have? I guess they'd already gone through enough guys and even for defensive purposes. Get him out.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

No, even if you have a, you got to have an emergency athletic pitcher.

[A]

But at that point it's bases loaded, two outs, a single at minimum ties the game with Cheerio at third.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So I guess, you know, maybe it was like.

[B]

Yeah, but when he was at second, I thought the moment, I know the moment.

[A]

The second he always got tagged out.

[B]

And the moment after he doubled, like if you, they used to use Jason Marquis, there always used to be at least some emergency, most athletic, smartest base running pitcher who was probably, you know, the best shortstop on his college team.

[A]

Yeah. I'd have to look and see at their, their roster who would have been left be able to come in and run for me. I know there's a lot of defense.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I don't, I don't know. I don't know. But you know, he, he almost gets tagged out at second and I thought even Ian Happ on the throw wasn't really trying to even get him out. He was just, he was getting the ball in and I wonder if he would have tried.

[B]

Everybody had realized this is Cheerio and he's not running.

[A]

Yeah. It was sort of like Kyle Tucker when he laid down.

[B]

Squared a bunt. Tucker, what are you doing?

[A]

I, I, I was in a fiery rampage, but all the kids were in the living room watching, so I couldn't.

[B]

Swear even when PCA bunted. What are you doing?

[A]

That, that was, I was, I was okay with that.

[B]

Swing it.

[A]

And just a little bit a foot, even a foot further up the line. But, but I know, I know, I get it, I get it.

[B]

Still, you can hit it out of the ballpark.

[A]

I know he's trying. I know they had the lead.

[B]

You can hit it out of the park.

[A]

I know, but there hasn't been much hitting going on. This has just been unbelievable. Dan, of the guys on the roster who have 20 or more at bats so far in this series, so that's nine guys, 20 or more at bats. They're batting. They're 120, 178 at bats. 64ks, 64k.

[B]

Which is fine if you're hitting home runs.

[A]

Right.

[B]

I don't mind if that's the way you're making your outs as long as you're bashing the ball over the fence. That's the exchange.

[A]

Pete Crow, Armstrong, 11 strikeouts. Ian Happ, 11 strikeouts and two hits. Dansby Swanson, 11 strikeouts. He does have four hits. Matt Shaw is still hitless in the series. He does have the four walks though. Look, just looking at OPS, Michael Bush, 11 14. Justin Turner, we won't count him. Number at bats, two. Nico Horner is OPS is 940. Say Suzuki is 897. Okay. Carson Kelly 623. Kyle Tucker with his five hits.

[B]

But hit the ball out of the park and things will be okay in your life. And the wind tonight I believe is going to be. Did you see the wind shifted?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Last night that was really interesting. It started out northeast and then as the game went on it was swinging, swinging, swinging due east.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

And eventually you were getting some help toward the left field corner.

[A]

Yeah, by the end, by the end it was, it was left field was.

[B]

Was some aid and it changes that park. I know you may roll your eyes and we talk about the wind currents in that park really do matter. And pitchers know and they are keeping track of everything and looking at tonight they're seeing winds east southeast at 10 to 15 during the day. South southeast. So you're going to have a very, very different environment tonight. Extremely different. So we'll, we'll see. The problem is Peralta will make your life tough.

[A]

What's, what's he throw? And as far as his, his, his, his speed, he's.

[B]

He sits mid-90s. Let me actually check.

[A]

Yeah, I thought he was like a mid to just slightly above mid-90s which is very hittable though for, but it.

[B]

Creeps on you because of arm angle. Everything comes at you from weird angles. And I guess the, what they always say about starters is get to them before they settle in with their release point.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And their landing foot. Get to them while they're uncomfortable. Early if possible.

[A]

Yeah. And I just, I thought what Quinn Priester was, was throwing last night. I, I have no idea. But being A local kid, a kid who grew up, he was going to Wrigley loving the Cubs. I mean, I don't care what he.

[B]

Grew up in love. He was bad.

[A]

I know he was bad, but I think he was overwhelmed by the situation and clearly it showed in his performance. The way they hit the ball. And then going back to the stats you shared about batting average based on miles per hour. Very, very important, you know, Very important.

[B]

Freddy Peralta throws his fastball at 95 miles an hour 53.5% of the time.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

He will throw his slider at 83.7, 9.4% of the time. He's got a curveball at 78.8. He throws 15.8% of the time. And he has an 88.9 mile an hour change up that he'll throw 21.2% of the time.

[A]

So 95 mile an hour fastball half the time.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

And then a Change up, that's 89.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Change up 20% of the time curve.

[B]

And a rare slider.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So that's what you'll see.

[A]

Yeah, just, I mean, be, you know, get ready to go. Be locked in, be yourself in. Don't chase out of the strike zone. Hopefully it's a, it's a good strike zone.

[B]

Don't miss your pitch. Yeah. Because you're not going to get it.

[A]

You're not going to get very often.

[B]

And you may have to sort of redefine your. When you're looking in your zone for your pitch. He's not going to, he's not going to make a ton of mistakes and you better punish the mistakes he makes.

[A]

Yeah. And just, just be ready to go up and swing. I mean, I just, I need to see the team as a whole to stop chasing out of the strike zone.

[B]

You know the one guy in your group chat that hits a five leg parlay game one and then doesn't shut up about it the rest of the season. Make sure that's you this time around and you can annoy all your friends because that's so much fun. Well, my bookie will help you do it because with college ball, NFL super contest and survivor pools, they make it really easy for you to get started. All you do, you sign up, you put that deposit in and you're going. And you got a special code that, that is going to make your life even easier. They have all the spreads, all the player props, all the in game lines you could want all under one roof. So here is the deal. If you're new to My bookie, which you may be, use our code DBU. And any bet you choose up to $500 is fully covered. So you get that bet in and then if it doesn't hit, you get it right back. Just opt in using the bet back bonus token. So if you've been waiting to do it, there's no better time to jump in. No better place to play with the you football's back. Let's make some money with my bookie.

[A]

Yeah. And if you register an account today and get a deposit in, you can make your first play tonight. You got the Eagles at the Giants.

[B]

Let's talk. It's football tonight.

[A]

It's Thursday already. Week is just going by.

[B]

Oh yeah, we've got a charity event that we're going to tonight, but because of the late start on the Cubs, it actually is going to make things easier.

[A]

What time is your event?

[B]

I think event starts at 6:30.

[A]

Oh, perfect.

[B]

Yeah, so we can, you know, mingle and talk to people and see what the problems are. Depending. Yeah. It's for a great cause too. It's for the Rebecca's Dream foundation where they are destigmatizing and helping with depression and mental illness. This is something. It's right up my alley for everything that has been sort of a theme of this show which we're gonna get to actually in the next subject that we talk about. And they do great work helping educate people about depression and anxiety and even stuff beyond that about how important it is to talk about it, to be open about it, to understand it, and to know that it's okay to not be okay.

[A]

Did you come across this through Zoe's work or is this something on your.

[B]

No. You know, there was a lot of commingling between the organization and its North Shore based. So there are a lot of people with whom I went to high school. There were a lot of people between Deerfield and Highland park and various areas of my. It's amazing how many different connections I've had at the organization. And I see every time I go to one of their events, there seem to be more. And I've been. I've shared my. Beth actually shared her story for one of their events and talked about her ongoing evolution as somebody who suffers from bipolar too. And. And now if they ever want to hear my ongoing story as it's been, I. I've got a story to tell now.

[A]

Do you. Is this like a dress up fancy kind of thing?

[B]

I don't think. Too fancy.

[A]

You're not pulling the tux out no, no, no, no.

[B]

It's not that. I might throw through one of my thrifted blazers on just because they fit me so well. Don't laugh.

[A]

I'm not laughing.

[B]

The thing I was wearing yesterday, thrifted.

[A]

I know I was. And it was so funny what you told me about it, what Jason said, because when I walked in, I saw you. I recognized that it was something I hadn't seen before, so that must be something new. But then I was like, he's probably had that 10, 12 years at least, because it looked like Dan Burns when.

[B]

I put it on. Jason said, if I had, I would have said, that's something you had all your life.

[A]

Yes, 100%. It was. It was. It was meant to be yours.

[B]

Gray, black, quarter, zip, gap fit.

[A]

Yep. Meant to be yours.

[B]

That's what I said. So for $9.95, I'm going to buy it.

[A]

You probably never walked into a Gap store in your life. No.

[B]

Yes. Well, that's not true. That's not true. When I first moved to Chicago, I was there a lot.

[A]

Oh, okay.

[B]

Because it was easy.

[A]

For what?

[B]

Shirts.

[A]

Oh, for clothes.

[B]

I like that. And what was the other place? Structure.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Remember structure? I do remember structure. I liked structure. For some reason, I craved structure in my life.

[A]

Yeah. I don't.

[B]

I had polo shirts or whatever they were. I don't remember.

[A]

I can't see you wearing anything from either store.

[B]

Well, I did. I think I still have stuff. Let's follow up on what we were talking about yesterday, about the Cubs and velocity. When you gave me those strikeout numbers on the Cubs. They can't hit velocity. Yeah. You know, else can't. Nobody. Most people can't.

[A]

Yeah, it's hard. It's hard. It's hard to do. We get it. I mean, you saw that by the batting averages that you put out there.

[B]

Yesterday, it's hard to hit velocity. Yeah, it really is. And that's what pitching is now, in large part, even though people don't want to admit it, it's still about, oh, it's fooling people and upsetting timing. No, it's still about throwing hard. You can do all that stuff. But if you start with throwing hard and then do all that stuff, it makes it a lot easier. So we looked at. We had one emailer to the show, which, by the way, Dan, 312Sports.com matt12sports.com I think there's also. Is there a feedback at 312Sports?

[A]

Sure.

[B]

I don't know. I might have made that up. And tomorrow's going to be feedback Friday.

[A]

Yeah. Because it's already Friday.

[B]

And the top 10 commanders.

[A]

Top 10 commanders on DBU.

[B]

On DBU, yes. Feedback Friday. Tomorrow, top 10 commander star. And I'm going to be on with Sherman and tingle Bernstein at 815 on the Drive. On the Drive. 97. 1. The 971 FM the Drive. Chicago's classic rock. It's so much fun to say. It's so much fun. Here's Easy Top. So, yes, I'm going to be on 8:15 Mondays and Fridays. As you know, tomorrow's Friday. I have fun. Works. Those goofs.

[A]

Yeah, no, they're. They're good. I was just talking to. I was talking to Tingle earlier. I don't envy that morning show, Radio Life. Oh, he's up at like 2. He's out the door at 2:45. He's here at 3:30.

[B]

That's why Foster's always bumping into walls and stuff. He doesn't know what day it is.

[A]

No, he had no idea that it was Thursday, right? Yeah, he thought it was Wednesday. Or do you think it was Friday?

[B]

You know that look.

[A]

Oh, that's right. He was looking for you because he thought you were late.

[B]

Yeah, he's going on. Where's Bernstein? He missed the 8:15. Like, it's Thursday. Chump. Right? Okay. Yeah. So one of the emails said the last time a Cubs starter threw a pitch of 100 miles an hour, it was like the first pitch of Kerry Woods 20 strikeout games, 1998. Not true. That has been debunked.

[A]

Been debunked.

[B]

It has been debunked.

[A]

Now, I actually. So I text my buddy Jason, big, huge Cubs fan, and I gave him that question. He immediately came up with Kyle Farnsworth. And I was like, all right, I'll take a look at Farnsworth. But I forgot how far back that even went. The last time he pitched for the Cubs as a starter was 2000. So I was like, that's still 24 years if he did it.

[B]

The answer to that. When is the last time a Cubs starter threw a 100 mile an hour pitch? Was 2009.

[A]

And it was my guy.

[B]

It was Jeff Samarja.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Through 100.1.

[A]

There you go.

[B]

Was the last time 2009. However, the same friend of the show who sent that information also said, don't get hung up on starters throwing 100 because even now it's mostly relievers. Yeah, no, that.

[A]

That makes sense. I mean, you're not. You're not Going for, you know, four, five, six innings.

[B]

Right. Paul Skeens is sort of the next wave. It's going to change soon and fast.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So as of if we look backward, it's mostly relievers, but I would get. Get used to it. Get used to the fact that 10 years from now, unless they change the ball or change something, you're going to.

[A]

Have starters throwing consistently 100 miles or more.

[B]

Many starters, but how many What's.

[A]

And I'm sure if you can't answer this, but Paul Skeens, what's his average length of start?

[B]

Well, that's dropping everywhere.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I mean, so, I mean, between five and six innings would be my guess.

[A]

All right, well, that's even high because eventually I think it gets to a 3, 4 innings. Starters are throwing 100 plus.

[B]

Right. Starters are going away. Yeah, I think. But Paul Skeens, this year, I don't even know where to. We'd have to just sort of debate.

[A]

I go through and look at it.

[B]

He has a total of 32 starts with 187⅔ innings. So between. Yeah, so right around six.

[A]

All right.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Yeah. But I think that obviously will. Will drop is that, you know, if this is the next. The next wave of starting pitching, that you're not going to have a guy go five or six innings. It's just not going to happen. And you know who hates that is John.

[B]

That's later.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

That's later. We're going to play that game show later. The Cubs will be starting Matthew Boyd now on the normal rest at Wrigley Field.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So we presume he'll be better than he's been. The problem isn't necessarily in his stuff. The problem is in the brewers plan against him, where they may sacrifice a little bit of power to simply barrel up hittable pitches because of velocity.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

When you're already starting a game, having to trick people rather than blow them away. This lineup makes life difficult. And let me just admit something else.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I love Sal Frelich.

[A]

It's funny. I swear, Dan, I. Dan, if he.

[B]

Played, he's got a spot on my team forever.

[A]

So. Right. As right before you said that sentence, I swear to God in my brain, the next opportunity I had to speak, I was going to say, you know what? I fucking hate Sal Freilich. I swear to God, I was.

[B]

No, again, this is like the brewers thing.

[A]

No, I do. I hate him.

[B]

He is so tough.

[A]

He's so good.

[B]

He's so good.

[A]

That stupid catch he made yesterday, but.

[B]

He does That a lot. He wins Gold Gloves. He's fast, he's. Hits the ball fast on the bases, smart baserunner. His name is Sal, but he's also. I think he was like a four sport athlete or something. He's one of those guys. Yeah, he's one of the. He was always the best at everything, always tried hard at everything. And the other guy too, Durbin. The kid from Lake Forest.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know he's got an economics degree from Washington University, St. Louis. Huh.

[A]

Did not know that.

[B]

One of the hardest schools to get into in the entire country.

[A]

Colin Durbin, right? Is it Colin?

[B]

I think it's Caleb Durbin.

[A]

Caleb. Yeah, Caleb. You're right.

[B]

Caleb. Caleb Durbin.

[A]

Yeah. I don't, I have, I don't have any strong feelings about him. It's. I hate Sal Free.

[B]

Like, I mean a lot of these guys, A lot of these guys go to great schools. Like even the guy broadcasting the game, Ron Darling, went to Yale. But an econ degree, it's one thing to have a sociology degree from Duke or something like that where you know, you're in the fake almost, you're in the athlete program, whatever, but there's, there's no backdooring an econ degree at Wash U.

[A]

Well, good for him.

[B]

That's, that's. And then play major league baseball and then I don't know, he'll be a fed governor or something, so.

[A]

Yeah. So you had Quinn Priester from Glendale Heights.

[B]

Bad.

[A]

Yeah. Then you had the land of bad. Yeah. Caleb Durbin, Lake Forest guy who we also don't like up in my neck of the woods.

[B]

You like Lake Forest.

[A]

We don't like Lake Forest.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Big rivalry, Libertyville and Lake Forest.

[B]

Yeah, I guess. But the downtown, so tasteful. Even their McDonald's has like ship lap on it.

[A]

Well, yeah, it's a whole different level.

[B]

They've got it right across from the sunset food.

[A]

This is a different level of money.

[B]

I know, but what they do, even if you're gonna put a gas station there, it can't look like a gas station.

[A]

No.

[B]

Everything's got to blend in.

[A]

Looks like the current White house.

[B]

Patio.

[A]

The Lake Forest kids. And when they would play Libertyville and stuff and they, and they trash talk the student sections. Like Lake Forest kids call Libertyville kids white trash. Yeah, that's where it goes.

[B]

They can though. Yeah. What are you gonna say? Yeah. Well. Yeah.

[A]

Okay, so anywho.

[B]

Anywho. The. The way to start your day, the way to get power through your day and the way to finish it up with your. Everything feeling great and flavorful is protein bar and kitchen. And we know that from experience. I think you said when you said I could eat every meal here, you weren't lying.

[A]

No.

[B]

And I get it. I get it. And they were so nice when we went out there and we got to sample everything right here. Downtown. There's so many places to enjoy protein bar and kitchen because they have 15 locations, mostly in the Chicagoland area. There's one in Northbrook, there's one in Oakbrook, and there are so many downtown. The cool thing is how easy they make everything through their app, too.

[A]

You know, it's great. I walked a different route to. To the office the other day last week from the train station, and I came down Washington. I was a little. I was still further west than I normally. Than I normally start. And I came down and I walked right past a protein bar and kitchen. I didn't know it was on Washington. I normally miss it. So now I've changed my route. So I walk past that every day instead of going to the one on Lake street, which is a few minutes out of the way from the building. So I went there and I went there today. Dan and I got in honor of the Cubs because they've. They've won every guess.

[B]

Let me guess. The Wrigley Peeled.

[A]

Wrigley Peeled. Because every time I've had that in the morning on a game day, they've won that game. And that's organic peanut butter, banana, organic agave, chocolate, whey protein, and almond milk. It's so good. It's so good. So you gotta give it a try.

[B]

With the code DBU50 in the app. So get the PBK app, protein bar and kitchen for 50% off. You open the app and then you hit more and enter promo code. Enter the code, submit it, and then just apply the available offer on the checkout screen. With DBU50, DBU50 can get you 50% off your next visit on orders up to $25. It is exclusive to the Protein Bar and Kitchen app. Now, the fall menu is really, really yummy. Miso salmon bowl, if you like that umami flavor. What they call their Smashing Pumpkin shake and a booberry Halloween shake. And you know that everything at Protein Bar and Kitchen, everything. They have craveable, satisfying flavors, supercharged ingredients, and healthy swaps. Instead of getting a massive $7 milkshake, you can get something that tastes better and you'll feel better throughout the day instead of just filling yourself up with sugar and garbage.

[A]

Yeah, I love the Sign that says there are zero bad choices. That's what they have. And you mentioned the app, too. Download the app. Cause there's things on there that they give you rewards all the time. On Thursdays, it's like $5 drinks, but you have to have the app. And then I'm going through my rewards already on my app, and I have free stuff on there already. I know. So, hey, listen to this. I'm going to stop on the way home to the train and grab dinner. This is what I'm grabbing. What do you think of this? This is their Chicago Med Bowl. It's roasted chicken, crispy chickpeas, cucumber grape tomatoes, pickled red onion, feta romaine red cabbage brown rice, sriracha preserved lemon tahini with a little zahatar sprinkle. Yes. So I'm going to grab. I'm going to grab a couple bowls for dinner tonight.

[B]

Yum. Yeah, Nice little Middle Eastern.

[A]

I can't wait. I'm so excited.

[B]

There it is. Protein bar and kitchen. The code on the app, DBU50.

[A]

Do it.

[B]

I mentioned yesterday on Forward Progress that I felt some new empathy, more empathy now, a year later than I did at the time for Tyreek Stevenson. And I really want to applaud the way he has handled this week and prepared for it. Not talking about football at all. I'm talking about the questions, and I'm talking about how he has apparently rebounded from a professional low. And as I said yesterday, that I've been there. I've been there, I've had, you know, and mine was 30 years worth that then I was sitting, feeling like I was at the bottom of a well to steal a line from Soul Coughing's Mike Doughty that you just. You don't know who's in your corner. You don't know what you're gonna do. It's a terrible, terrible, terrible feeling to know you screwed up and thinking that the way back from that is insurmountable sometimes. And he has been so vulnerable, so open, so honest about his return and about what he went through. And I thought yesterday I credited Dan Weiderer for the wonderful piece that he wrote for the Athletic. And it isn't just that. I thought, okay, well, Weider, you know, got all this good stuff. But Tyreek Stevenson has been open with everybody. You know, Courtney Cronin wrote a terrific piece, our friend. So I hope she wasn't swearing too much. But I wonder, and I don't know this for a fact, but a lot of the stuff that he's doing. If he's doing this without therapy, it's amazing. If he's doing it with therapy, even better. I always say when players and coaches screw up, from a PR perspective, I would say, why haven't you just asked for somebody to help you through this? And I've been really critical of the Bears PR efforts in the past for just being tone deaf, unaware. The previous Bears regime. The previous Bears PR regime was bad at this. They would mishandle a week like this.

[A]

Well, Dan, that goes back all the way to when we first started working together in 03.

[B]

And it got worse over time where it was instead of having just ignorance, it became actively bad. Sort of like with the way the sky do things, which is really a lesson in how not to do public relations, about shielding people from the wrong things, failing to confront things and confronting the wrong things. Like every choice the sky have made from PR has been wrong. And the way the Bears and the way I don't. I want to make sure I give Stevenson his own agency on this. He's been terrific. And for that young man whose job it is to play football, it's not to talk about his feelings. But this is a, this is teaching tape. I want to, I want to give him credit. I want to tell Tyreek Stevenson that as much as his coaches said forever, you're on teaching tape for that mistake, for being a jackass and then for running back and tipping the ball to that guy. This his so far, regardless of how he plays, his handling this week, of being available, of being vulnerable, of being open, of describing exactly how he's felt and why he's felt that way. This is also teaching tape. And I just want to say good game or bad game Outside of football, Tyrek Stevenson, good job. And it's, I think, almost think it's more important for the job that he's doing off the field and what he's showing. It's more meaningful to me because I can't say I've been there in quite the same way, but in some ways I've been there with a lot more having been built up. It was the end of a well established run. I wasn't just a young player starting out who had to deal with this and then had a whole career in front of him. You know, who knows? But I just, when I've been nodding my head and seeing you go, you go like this is. He has empowered himself by facing something that is almost unfathomably difficult. And yeah, he screwed up. It was bad. And I'm not taking away. I'm not delegitimizing the feelings I had at the time or what I said at the time. What the hell is wrong with you? What are you doing? What's the matter? And he talked about how some bad judgments on the field had built up, and this is maybe why he had never quite gotten to his potential. But I'm. To the extent that I'm allowed to be proud of him. I just. I want Tyreek Stevenson to know that he should be proud of himself for the way that he's handling this.

[A]

Well, that's great, because the off the field stuff is so important because his, his playing career is just a fleeting moment in his life overall. And if there were. If there were issues in his character or personal life, whatever, whatever it is that was impacting him as a professional football player, those things were going to linger and continue on to whatever life was after football if he didn't address and correct, which is great. So good for him. I'm glad that it's. It's a valuable thing for you to identify with and have feelings with form. So I think. I think it's important for you as well. A majority of fans are just going to look at him as a football player, and that's. And that's how they're going to do it. And that's fine. That's great.

[B]

That's fine. I want to provide a different perspective.

[A]

But what's important for me is what I hear his coach say about him two days ago. Saying that the football stuff is getting better, that he is working harder, he is preparing better, that he is working in a fashion that's going to lead him to his ceiling, to his potential as an NFL player. And as it stands right now, still, the best interception of this season belongs to Tyreek Stevenson. You won't see a better play, an interception than what he did in that game.

[B]

When Tyreek Stevenson said, when my son grows up, I'll have to explain it to him. Yeah, okay. But you know what? You can also explain to him about how you're handling this week.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, that is probably more important the lesson. The more important lesson for your son isn't about paying attention to when the ball is snapped or making sure you don't run over and tip a Hail Mary. It is when you feel you are at your lowest. Here is a playbook for how to rebuild yourself, rebuild your psyche, rebuild your career. That's more important. That's teaching tape. And that is something of which your son can be proud of. His dad, yeah, 100%.

[A]

And he can, he can teach his son that a character flaw or deficiency or a string of bad decisions or one major significant bad decision that's impacted your life and your character is not something that you can't rebound from. And you can start and start today. And. And those steps that you take are small at first, and then they become larger and the gap and the growth of distance becomes greater and greater with each. Each moment that you move forward. And he has that there in his playbook now. And what having a child does to you, if you allow it to reflect upon yourself and take that mirror and flip it around and just stare at yourself in the mirror and say, what do I need to change? Where do I need to grow? Because I don't want these guys behind me following in that guy's footsteps. There's a new guy I'm going to create and build from where I've come from so that they can follow those footsteps and follow that guy instead.

[B]

Speaking of bad decisions, Bill Belichick, after a.

[A]

Speaking of bad decisions, Bill Belichick, a.

[B]

Poorly veiled, acrimonious departure from his employer of 25 years, or whatever it was, landed him bizarrely in the position of the head coach, the czar of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels football program.

[A]

I never got it. I never understood it.

[B]

And now with all the reporting I mentioned, the fabulous reporting that WRAL TV did, blowing that open yesterday, resulting later in the day in a statement from the university. That is a laughable lie. We are 100% behind Bill Belichick. Like the reporting has already pulled the rug out from underneath that statement. And now we're gonna. Speaking of public relations, that I don't think that they can put this toothpaste back in the tube at this point. That's hard to do when they've got a suspended assistant coach. I've tried for violations. When they have horrible communication with at every level, with donors, with parents, with players, with current players, with former players, and most importantly, with potential players. You may have screwed the pooch on this because once you get to this point, I'm not sure how you unwind where the negative recruiting can go. If you're recruiting against Bill Belichick right now, it could not be easier. And when I say I don't mean recruiting high school kids. I'm talking the important ones. Yeah, I'm talking about the guys at the mid majors, the guys at the non power five, whatever they're calling the group of. Whatever those guys you say. Oh, you don't want to touch that place right now. That place is toxic. And it's clearly objectively toxic, correct? With everything. It's two documentaries they've scuttled. You have no idea what the 24 year old girlfriend is doing, pulling the strings or behind the scenes, perhaps even above and beyond. Trustees, donors, everybody else, we know there's a massive buyout on this contract. You've got a general manage, and Mike Lombardi is pissing everybody off. He's saying, well, this is a rebuild. Apparently Mike Lombardi sent a note to donors saying, well, this is a rebuild. This is a rebuild when the transfers and the players they brought in sold them on immediate success. So they are already trying to rewind a lot of what they've said to players to get them there. And the players are finding out, wait a second. You're telling this group it's a rebuild. You're telling us we got to win now, which is it? Not to mention, part of the reason Bill Belichick was successful as an NFL coach is because he's kind of a dick. And part of the reason that Mike Lombardi was good on the radio and good as an analyst, he's kind of a dick. It's hard to do that in a college football environment when political ability, Small p. Political ability is really important. And even the coaches, I can't stand, even the guys like Dabo Sweeney and these guys who I just resent and I. And I root for them to fail. I admit they've got some political skill. You have to. And Bill Belichick has none. Zero. And Mike Lombardi apparently doesn't care either. So my best estimation of where this stands at the moment is the center can't hold that. You're done. You may not admit it, they may not admit it right now, but you gotta find a way. If you're the University of North Carolina, you've gotta find the easiest way to exit this as cleanly as possible. It's gonna be expensive. It's going to be your cut that check. That's. That is your. Your. Your slogan. It's your cheer from the sidelines. Cut that check. Whatever it's got to be.

[A]

Well, here's what this says. Pro Football Network. Bill Belichick's buyout is currently $10 million, which will drop to 1 million on June 1, 2025. If he is fired before December 31, 2027, N.C. i'm sorry. If he's fired before December 31, 20 27, North Carolina would owe him 26.7 million for the remaining of his contract.

[B]

You negotiate that and you talk to him, you say, listen, you're out. We're not. We can string you along, but we're not. And for one way or another, the moment that date comes, you're gone. And they can do anything within their power to have to decrease his power to try to sideline him and his people until they. We're gonna make your life miserable, basically is the message they're gonna send is we're gonna say this, I say that, and send a message that you're, you're essentially on the outs. We'll keep you employed. If you want to string this along, if you want to get out and go be a broadcaster or be a special advisor to an owner somewhere and start your semi retirement, you got to come in at a different number.

[A]

Well, I saw a story yesterday that said he would.

[B]

It's over.

[A]

That he would pony up the buyout money if he could find a soft landing either coaching somewhere or in broadcasting. But what, what broadcast company wants him?

[B]

I'm not interested.

[A]

What, what. Why would you be interested after, after this? Like, he had it set up even before this. But I mean, but even before this though, he had it set up for the rest of his life if he wanted to. And then he, and he like again, still. I'm not the biggest college football guy and I've watched more so far this year than I have in the last 10 years. But even when he first got that was announced that he was taking the North Carolina, I still didn't understand. I still don't understand, like, why want from Belichick in your, in your college program? This didn't work. What about anything you saw at, at, at New England said, yeah, that's the guy I want on my campus recruiting kids to my school for my football program.

[B]

It didn't work. It's not working. It's not going to work outside of.

[A]

Hanging out with 20 something year olds.

[B]

Like what.

[A]

Why do you want this guy around your campus?

[B]

The amount of heat loss, whatever bump you got, you got whatever attention you got.

[A]

And what bump did they get?

[B]

You got. I don't know what they got with sponsors, I don't know what they got with nil investments. But you're not getting your money's worth.

[A]

They're not good at football.

[B]

You're not getting your money's worth. And it's terrible for public relations. Yeah. So cut that check.

[A]

Cut that check.

[B]

Do it and get out of there. So before we play America's favorite game show I would like to welcome a new sponsor to Dan Bernstein Unfiltered. Because every athlete knows the difference between good enough to sometimes win and game changing. Championship teams don't win by showing up unprepared. And the same applies to your game in the bedroom. Rougiet ready is the three in one ED treatment that actually prepares you for the moment. Rougiet is designed to prime your brain, boost blood flow and start working in as few as 15 minutes. That's not just showing up, that's winning by a huge margin. It's an ED med that primes the brain because apomorphine boosts arousal at the source. That's your brain and combines active ingredients, Sildenafil for fast action, Tadalafil for the long game. It's sublingual, which means it absorbs faster. Works in as few as 15 minutes. It's way faster than most pills. And there's up to a 36 hour active window. So it's ready when you are. And that doesn't just mean in the first quarter. So like an elite athlete, you got to dial in that pregame routine. Nutrition, mental prep, physical readiness. So visit rougiette.com R U G I-E-T.com and get your game plan from a licensed ED doctor. We have a promo code for you at checkout. Make sure you use the promo code DBU at checkout for a special offer treatment ships discreetly to your door. Time to get back in the game with Rougiette. That's rougiette.com and your code is DBU.

[A]

Is it smolt?

[B]

Oh, no.

[A]

What are we doing? Hello, game show friends, and welcome into Is it Smoltz? I am your host, Matt Abaticola. It's America's favorite new game show. Here's how it works.

[B]

It works starting with me rage texting you last night.

[A]

Yes. I am going to read a quote.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And our contestant will have to tell us. Was it something John Smoltz said?

[B]

Who's the contestant?

[A]

Or was it something I made up? That's how is it Smoltz? Who's playing works?

[B]

Who's the contestant?

[A]

Dan?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

That's a great question that you've asked.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And I'm really glad you've asked that question. Okay, let's meet our first contestant on Is it Smoltz? Bring him out. Please welcome Dan from Deerfield.

[B]

Oh, yeah. All right. Hi.

[A]

Hey, Dan. How you doing?

[B]

I'm good. I'm just really excited.

[A]

A little nervous.

[B]

Good.

[A]

Glad to have you Here. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Tell us your name, where you're from.

[B]

My name is Dan Bernstein, and I am from the northwest side of Chicago, North Center, Roscoe Village. And I've got a. I have a wife And I have two children. One is 23 and one is almost 21. And, you know, I don't know. I'm just excited to be here.

[A]

All right, so here's how it works, Dan. I'm going to read you a quote, and you have to tell me if it was something John Smoltz said or if it's something that I made up.

[B]

What do I win?

[A]

Well, that's a great question, too. We'll tell you about that later.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

It's a prize package.

[B]

A prize package?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Cool.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

All right, here's the first one. Do you understand how the game show works?

[B]

You're going to read a quote. I'm going to read a quote, and I just have to tell you if John Smoltz, the Fox broadcaster, the former. The hall of Famer and the former Atlanta Braves. Great.

[A]

If he said this or if I made it up.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Are you ready?

[B]

I hope so. Okay, here we go.

[A]

I had some games when I pitched where the strike zone wasn't the strike zone, so I had to figure out where to throw the ball to have it called a strike. And if I missed those spots, they weren't called strikes. Did John Smoltz say that or did I make that up?

[B]

He said that.

[A]

I'm sorry, Dan, you're incorrect. I made that up. Oh, no.

[B]

Oh, I'm letting my family down. They're all. They're all listening.

[A]

You know? They all listening. Dan, they're here in the green room watching you.

[B]

I know, I know.

[A]

So I'm sorry, you got the first one wrong. I made that up. All right, here's the. The next one.

[B]

Dan. Yeah?

[A]

Did John Smoltz say this or did I make it up?

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I can't tell you the number of throws I made against a brick wall. Did John Smoltz say that or did I make it up?

[B]

He said that.

[A]

That is correct.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

That is something John Smoltz has said. All right, so you're one for one. Nice. Nicely done.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

If being called safe at home is right, then I don't ever want to be wrong.

[B]

You made that up?

[A]

I made that up. Yes. That's it?

[B]

Yeah. That's okay. That what I got.

[A]

All right.

[B]

It's not easy, though.

[A]

I've been to great sporting events. The Super Bowl, Final Four, you Name it. Did John Smoltz say that or did I?

[B]

He said it.

[A]

Make it up. He did say that. Correct. Nicely done. You're three. Correct now, Dan.

[B]

Okay. No, two correct, one wrong. I think.

[A]

I think it was three, but it's fine.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

No, yeah. You have three. Three correct. Okay. The way it is now, 75% of the teams that leave spring training with no chance to win and no chance or desire to win so they can build for the future. Did John Smoltz say that?

[B]

He said that.

[A]

He did say that. Correct. Nicely done. That's four. Correct. Remember, these are taken from broadcasts featuring John Smoltz as the analyst. If a hot dog is a sandwich, then what's a taco? Did John Smoltz say that or did I make that up?

[B]

He said it.

[A]

I made that up. That is incorrect.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I love that you thought he said it, though. All right, here's another one. I love Chicago deep dish pizza. It's like eating lasagna without a fork. You can use your hands. You made that up. That's made up.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Made up. All right. You're doing good, though.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

That's four.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Four correct.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Teachers are the lifeblood of every school. They spend so much time with kids. Did John Smoltz say that? No.

[B]

You made that up. Oh, I don't like this music.

[A]

John Smoltz said that. That is an actual John Smoltz.

[B]

They spend so much time with kids.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

There you go. All right, so that's too wrong.

[B]

Okay. Damn it.

[A]

All right. I don't need all the numbers to tell me if a guy is a good baseball player or not. Does he put in the work and show up at the ballpark when his team needs him? If so, that's a guy I want to go battle with.

[B]

You made that up.

[A]

I made that up. Y.

[B]

That's. That's a hard one. That's. That's a hard one. But the movie said I. We literally will say, I don't care what the numbers say.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

All right. All right. That was a giveaway.

[A]

All right, well, here. Let's see. Let's see if your. If your theory is correct, if numbers don't lie, then why didn't Tony Gwyn ever win a World Series? What? Yeah.

[B]

That. That is so baffling. He had to have said it.

[A]

No, I made that one up.

[B]

Gotcha. You're actually. You're good at this. This reminds me of, like, your old sports minutes.

[A]

That's what I did. I'm on the train this morning. And I harnessed my old sportsman guy.

[B]

That guy's too stupid to find his way out of wherever you put him.

[A]

Yes. All right. I played with guys that when they swing harder, they end up hitting the ball harder and the ball goes farther. Did John Smoltz say that or did I make it up?

[B]

He said it.

[A]

I made that up.

[B]

Because he literally said the other night, he said he can hit a ground ball and it's a hit. And my thought was, yes, because it's hit harder and you can tell by exit velocity whether or not it has a higher likelihood of being hit.

[A]

Don't take numbers. Bring that into my game, mister. All right. Did John Smoltz say this or did I make it up? It's not about winning or losing. It's more about the number of runs you score and the number of runs you allow as a team.

[B]

I'm going to say he said it, and I'm going to tell you why. I think it is his brain trying to understand Pythagorean explanations.

[A]

Incorrect. I made that up.

[B]

I thought it's like somebody explained third order record to him.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And he. And then he's like, well, it's not really about winning and losing. It's about runs. He just sort of would misinterpret it.

[A]

All right. To be enshrined in the hall of Fame just doesn't make sense. Did John Smoltz say that or did I make it up?

[B]

He said it, but it's out of context.

[A]

He said it.

[B]

Okay. Yeah.

[A]

Yes. Very good.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

All right. You're doing well. Here we go. Here we go. People used to ask me, what's it like to play with two of the best pitchers in the game? I said, it's a blast. And it really was. Did John Smoltz say that or did I make it up?

[B]

You made it up.

[A]

John Smoltz said that. You are incorrect.

[B]

So he's talking about Maddox and Glavin. Yes.

[A]

Okay. If a dog is man's best friend and baseball is America's pastime, where does apple pie and grandma's lemonade fall in?

[B]

No, made that up.

[A]

That's made up.

[B]

That's too much there. Yeah. A little too much gilding of the lily on that one.

[A]

I wanted to win a championship. We won one, but we should have won more. He did say that. Yes. I was at his hall of Fame.

[B]

He said it again last night.

[A]

Oh, did he really? Okay, well, there you go.

[B]

I anger watch. I hate watch.

[A]

One time I was told I couldn't do it. I tried and I failed, but they weren't right because I tried again and I failed again, but they still weren't right. I kept trying until I was successful. I had to keep getting up when I fell down, but if I stayed down, I wouldn't have gotten back up.

[B]

You made that up.

[A]

I thought if I carried it too far, it would bring it back around three.

[B]

Rule of 17. Yes. Yes. Okay.

[A]

All right.

[B]

You spent a lot of time with this.

[A]

The train ride.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Challenge me to ice skate. I've never put on ice skates on all of my life, but that's kind of what I'm all about.

[B]

Okay. It probably happened because Glavin was a great hockey player. I'm going to say he said it.

[A]

He did say that. Correct. Nicely done. Good thought process there. If I hadn't become a major league baseball player, I don't know what I would have done. Honestly, I'd probably still be trying to figure it out.

[B]

Said it.

[A]

I made that up.

[B]

Okay. All right.

[A]

Got you again.

[B]

Got me again. That's right. Because he would have said something like, I would have been an orthopedic surgeon.

[A]

When you go into the minor leagues and take a kid out after 75 to 90 pitches, what do you expect him to do in the big leagues?

[B]

Oh, absolutely. Said it.

[A]

Yeah, he said that.

[B]

100%. Yeah, that's right there.

[A]

Everybody wants a piece of paper to work out the issues and how baseball should be played. Everything is a number. Everybody's got the answer.

[B]

Set it.

[A]

He did say that.

[B]

Correct.

[A]

Nicely done.

[B]

Yep. That would have been a really good fake, though.

[A]

Yeah, it was. It was good. It sounded. Sounded like he made it up about himself.

[B]

Yes, they do have. That's the point, though. If they do have answers on those pieces of paper, they actually do read it. Read them. Know that they're there.

[A]

If Tuesday is for tacos and Wednesday is Prince spaghetti night, what are you doing the rest of the week? Did John Smolton say that, or did I make that up?

[B]

I think you made that up.

[A]

I made that up.

[B]

Up. Yeah. All right. All right, Dan.

[A]

No, it's not. It.

[B]

I don't like this music.

[A]

I know, but this is. This is the last one.

[B]

It's scary.

[A]

All right, let me just find this one.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

There's a really good one here. Here we go.

[B]

Okay. Are you ready? By the way, can I just say, I think the train ride is great for this program.

[A]

Why?

[B]

Because it lets your brain go play or. So like, I know there's, like, they put a Like a gas leak on these train cars or something. You're the quiet car, the laughing gas car.

[A]

There's the quiet car, and then. Yeah, then there's the gas car.

[B]

Right. There's the farting car, which I hope there is, where they just encourage that, but. And then there's the weirdo car where you're sitting making this stuff up. Okay.

[A]

All right. This. Dan, that's the music for the final round. Final question.

[B]

Final round.

[A]

Are you ready?

[B]

Oh, I've never been more ready.

[A]

You get this, right? Hold on.

[B]

I'm not ready.

[A]

If you get this right now.

[B]

I'm ready. I win.

[A]

You win the grand prize.

[B]

Is it Carl Castle's voice on my answering machine?

[A]

No, it's. It's a great price.

[B]

It's Daddy Elise. And you're answering.

[A]

No, it's. You win, Dan McNeil. All right, final round.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

I think back to the days of playing the accordion. There was no reason to think I would be a baseball player. You made it up, Dan. I'm sorry. That is an actual John Smoltz quote. You have lost the grand prize package.

[B]

What was it?

[A]

The grand prize? Oh, it was a. It was a great price package from Rugie at Ready. And my bookie.

[B]

Protein bar.

[A]

Protein bar and kitchen.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Yeah. You've lost out. Damn it. Yeah, I'm really sorry to say that.

[B]

Fun, though. Now, can I. Can I read you a couple of things he actually said just last night?

[A]

Well, in a second, we got to close out the game show.

[B]

Sorry.

[A]

All right, well, thank you for being here for. Is it Smoltz? America's favorite new game show. Thanks to our contestant, Dan from Deerfield didn't win Northwest Prize. Northwest side. Whatever. It's fine.

[B]

Matabaticola's wardrobe brought to you by Botany 500.

[A]

All right, tell me some things John Smoltz said last night that made you rage out.

[B]

Stuff I learned last night. He said there are hitters who become better when the man in front of them is intentionally walked. So my response was really, who? Like, if you say something like that, you can't just say something like that and leave that there, because you could.

[A]

Check that out, right?

[B]

We actually would know, because we know when the intentional walks occur, we know who's up next and how that the number of events would compare to their career numbers. So if you've done that work, you can't just say that and then say, well, okay, well, is this one of the guys who's up now? Because I'd like to know. I'm sure the Opposing team would like to know. Because then you can criticize the manager for making that guy better.

[A]

Like, what?

[B]

Tell me you can't just say that.

[A]

Yeah. And if that were true, that's a really easy workaround.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Just don't walk that guy.

[B]

Right. He said, well, we don't want to. This guy, if you put. He goes from a 110 WRC plus up to a 160. If, like, if that's true, if you know that and you state it as a fact, show the work. Because then that helps us understand why certain managerial decisions are made. That's one thing that was actually said. Now the other thing, and I'm not making this up, as the. This entire game devolved into John Smoltz criticizing the Yankees for hitting too many home runs because apparently he would much rather have a team base their offense on the mathematical choice of trying to string outcomes together rather than have a single outcome that scores runs. Because that's bad in his world. He said, in my opinion, contact at the right times can help win baseball games.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

And he said it. He built up this portentous, enormous statement from the mount of baseball wisdom. In my opinion, contact at the right times can help win baseball games. I'm going to write that down because that's what you get when you watch it. And poor. I don't know if Joe Davis can't be like, what? Well, yes, contact is when the ball hits the bat. I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know what you're talking about. It makes no sense to me.

[A]

That's something.

[B]

And it makes me angry. Stop doing it. You have a supercomputer in your hand.

[A]

That's what you texted me? That was the last rage text, I think.

[B]

Well, yeah. I also texted you the picture of Pete Crow Armstrong looking like cornholey.

[A]

Yes. So good.

[B]

Yes, that is. Are you threatening me? He actually looks like him.

[A]

He does. Yeah.

[B]

Because of the blonde hair. All right, well, I lost.

[A]

Good job.

[B]

Thanks.

[A]

This is a good one, though. I like. I like this song. So you can close it out to this tonight.

[B]

Well, I'm not gonna close it out yet. Let this roll. If you're waiting for Sunday to start betting, you're missing half the fun and half the money. College football is already cooking upsets, blowouts, wild covers. And my bookie lets you hit it all. Game lines, player props, and more. Everything you need before the pros even kick off. So when Sunday rolls around, you're already up. My bookie's got it all under one roof. You win big on the NFL super contest and Survivor pools. And this is what's important. If you're new to my bookie, we have a code for you. DBU. Three letters, DBU. Any bet you choose up to 500 is fully covered. So make your play. If it doesn't hit, you get it right back. When you opt in using your bet back bonus token, it's my bookie. Go there, set up your account, make your deposit, and you're off and running and winning. My bookies, where betters win together because bragging's good, cashing in is better. That has been Dan Bernstein unfiltered for this Thursday. We will see when we reconvene tomorrow if the Cubs remain alive in the nlds. This has been brought to you, presented, I should say, in partnership with my bookie.

[A]

Dan Bernstein. Unfiltered.

[B]

Unfiltered on three.

[A]

One, two. Sports.