Diamondbacks Zac Gallen & Merrill Kelly, Joey Chestnut, NBA Free Agency, Hot Seat/Cool Throne Plus Our Annual Dingers Only Fantasy Draft

Summary

Pardon My Take – Episode Summary

Released Date: July 2, 2025
Episode Title: Diamondbacks Zac Gallen & Merrill Kelly, Joey Chestnut, NBA Free Agency, Hot Seat/Cool Throne Plus Our Annual Dingers Only Fantasy Draft

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NBA Free Agency: A Dud Season

The episode kicks off with the hosts, Big Cat and PFT Commenter, diving into the current NBA free agency landscape. Both express disappointment over the lackluster moves and the absence of dramatic team reshuffles that typically characterize the offseason.

Big Cat remarks at [03:50] MM:SS, “NBA free agency has started and it's a dud,” highlighting the general sentiment of underwhelming trades and signings this year.
PFT Commenter adds humorously at [04:11], “If they go into prison...,” referring to the convoluted salary cap restrictions popularly termed the “second apron.”

The discussion deepens as they dissect the impact of CJ McCollum on the league’s parity, debating whether his strategies have fostered a more balanced competition by preventing the formation of super teams. They also humorously criticize NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's terminology, calling for more relatable language in salary cap discussions.

Dingers Only Fantasy Draft: Home Run Havoc

Transitioning seamlessly, the hosts introduce their annual "Dingers Only" fantasy draft, a unique MLB-focused league where the sole statistic is home runs. This segment is filled with lively banter as participants draft their teams, emphasizing strategic picks to maximize HR totals.

Notable Draft Picks:

• Brandon initiates the draft by selecting Shohei Ohtani at DH, acknowledging his dual-threat capabilities.
• Merrill Kelly surprises the league by drafting Ryan Pascantino, capitalizing on his potential despite limited home run data ([138:16]).
• Zach Gallen opts for Jose Altuve, though slight confusion arises over his current position and team status.

Throughout the draft, participants exchange playful jabs and strategize over which players to prioritize, balancing up-and-coming stars with seasoned hitters. The competitive spirit is palpable as they anticipate a slugfest-filled season.

Big Cat quips at [152:10], “Eugenio Suarez. That’s my pick,” showcasing his trust in players' power-hitting prowess despite positioning challenges.

Interviews with Diamondbacks’ Zac Gallen & Merrill Kelly

Midway through the episode, listeners are treated to an insightful interview with Arizona Diamondbacks pitchers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. The conversation delves into their season performances, pitching strategies, and camaraderie within the team.

Zac Gallen discusses his approach to facing formidable hitters, emphasizing adaptability and mental toughness. At [084:16], he shares, “I try to throw it right down the middle and want them to hit it,” illustrating his pitching philosophy during high-stakes moments.

Merrill Kelly reflects on his time abroad pitching in Korea, comparing it to MLB experiences and highlighting the differences in player dynamics and game intensity. At [106:20], he notes, “Once I got a couple games after that under my belt, then the confidence started coming back,” underscoring the importance of resilience and adaptation.

The interview provides fans with a deeper understanding of the pitchers’ mindsets, challenges, and aspirations, fostering a stronger connection between players and listeners.

Joey Chestnut: The King Returns

A special highlight of the episode is the exclusive interview with Joey Chestnut, the legendary competitive eater, as he prepares for his return to the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Sponsored by Netflix, this segment explores Chestnut’s training regimen, mental strategies, and his unwavering dedication to breaking records.

Joey Chestnut candidly shares at [121:30], “Sometimes you're on the wrong side...,” reflecting on his previous year’s experiences and the motivation to come back stronger. He elaborates on his preparation techniques, including his “cleanse” routines and the importance of maintaining peak physical condition.

The hosts engage Chestnut with engaging questions about his favorite competitions, setbacks, and the science behind competitive eating. At [124:50], Chestnut reveals, “Every fifth or sixth day I'm doing practices,” highlighting his disciplined approach to the sport.

Chestnut’s infectious enthusiasm and determination resonate throughout the conversation, inspiring listeners to appreciate the athleticism and dedication required in competitive eating.

Hot Seat/Cool Throne: Player Patter and Shenanigans

The episode features the recurring Hot Seat/Cool Throne segment, where guests discuss current sports topics with a humorous twist. In this instance, PFT Commenter zones in on Malik Beasley, who is under investigation for gambling on games.

Jerry details Beasley’s alleged activities at [37:14], “It's called gambling on games,” emphasizing the seriousness of the issue while maintaining the show’s signature comedic tone.

The hosts navigate sensitive topics with a blend of humor and critical analysis, ensuring engaging content without crossing into inappropriately serious territory.

Conclusion: Wrapping Up the Home Run Extravaganza

As the episode nears its end, the hosts recap the fantasy draft picks, express excitement for the upcoming baseball season, and tease future interviews and segments. They reinforce the camaraderie among participants and their commitment to making the "Dingers Only" league an entertaining and competitive venture.

Big Cat humorously concludes at [205:57], “All right, we did pretty good. Yeah, I think that was a good draft, boys,” encapsulating the episode’s spirited and lighthearted atmosphere.

Listeners are left eagerly anticipating the season’s progression, the performance of their drafted players, and subsequent episodes filled with sports commentary, interviews, and the ever-popular fantasy drafts.

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Notable Quotes:

• Big Cat [03:50]: “NBA free agency has started and it's a dud.”
• Zac Gallen [084:16]: “I try to throw it right down the middle and want them to hit it.”
• Joey Chestnut [121:30]: “Sometimes you're on the wrong side...”
• Big Cat [152:10]: “Eugenio Suarez. That’s my pick.”

This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the "Pardon My Take" episode, highlighting key discussions, interactive segments, and engaging interviews while maintaining a cohesive and informative narrative for both regular listeners and newcomers.

Transcript

[Big Cat]

Hey, pardon my take listeners. You can find every episode on Apple podcasts, Spotify or YouTube Prime. Members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. Folks, it's the foreplay guys. Let's talk Truly Unruly when you spend every day following the countless laws of golf like us, it's refreshing to get a little unruly. Whether that means using the old hand wedge to escape the bunker or just cracking open a hard seltzer that breaks all the rules, few things feel better. Truly Unruly is the first high alk seltzer that actually tastes good. It's hard hitting, but still light and refreshing, making it perfect for everything from the front nine to the clubhouse. Find it near you at trulyhardselter.com Locations. That's trulyhardselter.com Locations Hard Seltzer Beverage Co. Boston, MA Please drink responsibly on today's part of my take it is time we have Dingers Only Draft Max still hasn't done his punishment, but we're doing our Dingers only league for the 2025 MLB season. We have Brandon, we have Stephen, we have Zach, we have Jerry drafting our teams. We also have a great interview with Diamondbacks pitchers Merrill Kelly and Zach Gallen in studio. We also are going to talk to the greatest athlete of all time, Joey Chestnut, before his big return to Nathan's hot dog eating competition on Coney island on July 4th. And we're going to recap some NBA stuff. We're going to talk some NFL trades. We got Hot Seat, Cool Throne, and it's all brought to you by our friends at DraftKings. Nothing says summer like long days, clutch plays and firing off a few bets on the game. All with DraftKings sportsbook. As the season heats up, so do the bets. And DraftKings sportsbook has you covered with live betting, home run, props, odds boost, and more. Whether you're chasing dingers or jumping in mid game, there's always action to be had. Never been on baseball before. It's easy. Pick a guy to go yard, hammer some live odds mid game or just ride with your squad and hope for the best. No spreadsheets, just vibes and dingers. Here's something special for the first timers. New DraftKings customers bet $5 and get 150 in bonus bets instantly. Download the DraftKings sports for Gap, use code TAKE. That's code TAKE for new customers to get 150 in bonus bets instantly. When you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings. The crown is yours. Gambling problem. Call one 800 gambler in New York, call 877-8-HOPENY or text hopeny467-369 In Connecticut, help is available. For problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill casino.

[Joey Chestnut]

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[Big Cat]

Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario, bonus bets expire seven days after issuance. For additional terms on responsible gaming resources, see DKNG Co Audio. Okay, let's go.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Baron M. Take. Welcome to part of my take presented by DraftKings. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app. Use code TAKE. That's code TAKE. For new customers, get 150 in bonus bets instantly when you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings. The crown is yours. Today is Wednesday, July 1st. And boys, I know it's vacation week, but we got to talk some NBA. We have a big show. We have a big baseball show. Dingers only is back. Two great interviews. But NBA free agency has started and it's a dud. I'm going to say right now it's a dude. What?

[PFT Commenter]

You weren't thrilled with like a couple minor pieces moving here and there and then Miles Turner being the big, the big implication. Actually, the biggest news of free agency was that Dame is getting waived and stretched. They're stretching and waving Dame. So I guess he's technically a free agent right now. Ironically, stretching would have prevented this entire thing for Dame to begin with.

[Big Cat]

Exactly. Exactly.

[PFT Commenter]

But I guess Dame might get to go to whatever team he wanted to go to a couple years ago, so that's good for him.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it's. It's been, it's just been not as exciting it has been in years past because the new CBA, a lot of people are saying that CJ, CJ McCollum, our good friend, ruined free agency. I would say he probably did a good job in making the league more parody in the league and teams being able to to get good quicker and not having super teams. But listen, a lot of NBA fans love the offseason drama. I have, I have a, A take PFD I'd like to throw at you because we know Adam Silver listens to everything and we can easily bully him and we'll talk about who's the winners and losers and Dame and all that stuff and LeBron James. All right, two part, take one. They got to get rid of the apron. Word. I'm so sick of it. It makes. Listen, I read. I basically Googled explained the second apron to me as a 5 year old. I found a bunch of posts. I read an article, I watched a video. I think I fully understand it except for the fact that they keep calling it the first apron, the second apron. If they just called it jail in prison, I think it would make a lot more sense because that's really what it is. The second apron is prison. They basically, for people who don't understand what they've done with the, with the, with the salary cap is they used to have all these like rules where if you go over the salary cap, your owner has to just pay extra money. And these guys are really rich and it doesn't matter now they've made it. If you go over the second apron, you lose future draft picks, you lose ability to trade cash, you lose ability to like mid level exception sign. So they, they restrict you, they put you in prison. If they tell you if a team is going into prison in free agency, I understand it a lot easier than the second apron.

[PFT Commenter]

I think instead of jail and prison, it should be jail and hell.

[Big Cat]

Fine. I was second April.

[PFT Commenter]

And it's very confusing that they use the word apron and it's like teams getting under the second, like, it's kind of sexual. It makes, it makes me think that we're, we're getting busy now.

[Big Cat]

It's. I don't know if it's sexual. I, I never thought of it as sexual. That might be a bonk.

[PFT Commenter]

I thought under somebody's apron.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I thought of it more as like you're just wearing an apron in the, in the kitchen and you're getting splashed with oil.

[PFT Commenter]

I want to get under the apron. I want to see what's underneath there.

[Jerry]

They wear two aprons.

[Big Cat]

Pft.

[Jerry]

Like, oh, they, they're getting the second one.

[PFT Commenter]

If you get under the first apron, that's okay. That's like first date shit. If you get under the second apron. Now we're talking like we're moving in.

[Big Cat]

But. But what? You just. But what? You just explained it. Jail and prison makes sense because then you can say your team got out of prison.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, jail and hell. I like jail and hell, but you.

[Big Cat]

But prison is more than jail.

[PFT Commenter]

It is. Yeah, that's true.

[Big Cat]

So it's like first apron, second apron, prison in jail. I mean, I also thought like you just do like a fire, you're in the fire storm or you know, a volcano eruption. I don't, I don't care. They just need to get rid of the apron. Especially because it's hurting guys like My good friend pfd, who's like, getting rock hard every time he sees the word apron. First guy ever, dude.

[PFT Commenter]

No, no, no. It's getting. Getting under the apron is what gets me going. I don't care if there's. I don't care if there's two aprons, but if I'm getting under two aprons, then I'm grinding, man. I'm bumping.

[Big Cat]

But either way. Do you like my idea? Jail? Jail in prison. Explain it to us better.

[PFT Commenter]

No, I. I do like the idea. Just jail and prison. You did it one time. You. You conflated the two. Because jail and prison are so close. Like, they're so similar. That's why I'm thinking jail is first one and hell is the second one. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Wait, what do you mean I conflated the two?

[PFT Commenter]

You switched them up one of the times when you explained it. Because it's confusing because they're so similar.

[Big Cat]

No, prison's always the second apron. Or maybe it's the alligator. Alligator. Alcatraz is the second apron.

[PFT Commenter]

That's fine.

[Big Cat]

That fine, too. So that's the first one. Fix that. Adam Silver. Change the name. I don't care. Just make it so that it's relatable to us. I don't give a. About this apron. First apron, second apron. You sound. You're basically making a bunch of people walk around and sound like nerds when they say it when they go on. Like, well, yeah, the war. Yeah. With boners. The war. Yeah. They're incels. They're nerds who can't get their boners touched. The warriors need to get under the second apron. No, the warriors have to get out of prison. Okay? That's the problem. That's it.

[PFT Commenter]

And you're making America hard.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you're making America hard. All right, here's the other one. Because it's. It's. I miss the days of just chaos. I don't think this should happen every year, but I think it should happen randomly. It could happen during the season. It's essentially. It's video game rules. And Adam Silver just says, for the next hour, salary caps off. It's when you go to the menu in your video games and you turn off salary caps. You could do any trade ever. And. And you have to get it signed. Like, you have to get your players signed in that window. And so everyone would just go crazy. Like, all right, the Nuggets are going to sign Jokic to $1 billion. 10 years, salary caps off for the. But. But it actually has to be signed. The. The legal document has to be signed and you have no idea when it's coming. So you basically have an hour to scramble. Try to get a hold of your. Of your players, try to get a hold of free agents, everything, get the deal done. And then he's like, boom, salary caps back on. And then it would be great because like four years from now you're like, oh, why is. Why is kcp making like $400 million? Oh, that's because they. He was the only guy they could reach during the salary caps off window.

[PFT Commenter]

I like that idea. I also like the idea of designating one guy maybe per roster every two or three years who's allowed to just his individual salary does not count towards the cap.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You have one guy that's immune to the cap.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I mean, sga. We should talk about that. That's. Congrats, Spicy meatball. Congrats. Fleeced. He fleeced the thunder four years.

[PFT Commenter]

$285 million. What is that? 71.25. Is that right? 71.25 mil per year.

[Big Cat]

Someone did the math because it obviously escalates. I think it's in his final year of the contract. He'll be making over $1 million per game.

[Zach Gallen]

So.

[Big Cat]

And he's, he's. He's still not the highest paid player. Jason Tatum still has that, but sga. Pretty nice. Pretty.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank, I have a question for you.

[Jerry]

Yes. PFT.

[PFT Commenter]

With the, with the Dame stretching and waving. Did the thought cross your mind, what if we did that with Tatum?

[Jerry]

No.

[PFT Commenter]

Didn't.

[Big Cat]

You didn't think about waves? No.

[Jerry]

Name's so much older.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, but you didn't even think about it. I know.

[Jerry]

In the gym, Tatum's already grinding.

[Big Cat]

What if you stretched them?

[Jerry]

No, the dame's not waved them.

[Big Cat]

No, no, not wave them. Just stretched them.

[Jerry]

No.

[Big Cat]

You don't even know. You don't even know how to do that.

[Jerry]

We don't need to do that. We're talking. We're talking like a probably 8 to 10 year difference.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Somebody did the math. They said SGA is going to make $106,000 per free throw next season.

[Big Cat]

That's awesome.

[PFT Commenter]

That's pretty good. Good for him.

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

So I'm looking at the calendar right now. It is Bobby Bonilla day. Does that mean that Dame also gets paid on Bobby Bonilla Day?

[Big Cat]

I don't know. I think he gets so. I think his cat, he gets all the money. And then the cap, like the stretching part of it is the next five years the bucks have A count against their cap, like $20 million or whatever it is. So that's the stretching part. And then they waived them. I also don't know. Can you guys explain to me, Chris Haynes, I. That guy's weird. So I, I, he's maybe related. He's maybe married to someone who's related to Giannis. He's also, like, best friends with Dame. So the Bucks. He was the Bucks insider. But then there's the story that he said that Giannis was upset that Dame was stretched and waved. And then Shams had a story that Giannis essentially recruited Miles Turner, and Miles Turner wouldn't have been able to be recruited if it weren't for Dame getting stretched and waved. I don't really understand the situation. I think Giannis probably. I probably am going to agree with Shams here and say that Giannis wanted Miles Turner and was okay with the stretching and waving, but the whole thing. And he also got caught. He did. He tried to act really quick during free agency. I think it was maybe James Harden. He did. No, wait, who was it? Oh, yeah, I think it was James Harden. He. He did AI. No, no, it was someone who changed to the Clippers. He did AI for them in New Jersey, and it spelled the name of the. The town wrong. It was. It was Dallas. That's what it was. It was Dorian Finney Smith, and he said. Or whoever went to Dallas, and he. It was like, D, A, L L, I, E S. Because it was AI. So he's a weirdo. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I think that Giannis just kind of had to tell him that I'm sad that Dame is leaving because he doesn't want to be like, I'm so pumped that he's not gonna be on the team anymore.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You know, like, there's no harm in just him saying, like, I'm. I'm bummed out that he's gone. I think he's probably pumped to have Miles turn. I think he's probably very excited that the Bucks are going to try to remain competitive somehow. Should we talk about LeBron?

[Big Cat]

Yeah. One last thing about the Bucks, though, that does suck for the Pacers, because this is the reality of having Hal Burton get injured, where you can't just run back the team that was in Game seven of the finals. And the Bucks and Pacers hate each other, so that was kind of a double whammy for Pacers fans to have Miles Turner go to the box. But, yeah, we should talk about LeBron.

[PFT Commenter]

I have a question for you.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Is LeBron scaring free agents away from Los Angeles.

[Big Cat]

They don't really have any moves because they've paid everyone a ton of. They paid Luca, LeBron and Bronnie, I think like $90 million. I, I heard someone at them all. He added Bronnie. I was like, that's a great move, I think. And this is. Okay, so we're not experts in the NBA, so I'm just going to throw this out there. I think LeBron thinks he still runs the league and he doesn't run the league anymore. Yeah, I think that's what's happening right now. I think he, he, he did the whole old LeBron of like, I'm taking the money. And listen, no problem with him taking the money. He, he, he's LeBron James. He deserves the money. You shouldn't, I'm not going to sit here and be like, take less money. I mean, if you want to, if you want to maybe win a ring and have flexibility, you should take less money. But that's not. Never, never look at another man's pockets. I think the statement where he was like, I'm be monitoring the situation. He was expecting every team to be like, oh, LeBron, we could trade for LeBron. And everyone's like, why would we want to trade for a one year retirement toward $53 million for a guy who is going to basically like hijack our entire franchise? So I don't think he has the power that he used to have.

[PFT Commenter]

I like to say that people are scared of the lakers because of LeBron, just because it puts more blame directly on LeBron rather than saying like, he's, he's out of his depth right now. I think the reality is that the Lakers didn't really have a whole lot of options. They might try to go after Aiden. He's the other, he's the one like big that's still out there that could potentially sign with them. But he did, when he, when he signed his, his contract, he said like, I'm doing this because I know it's a challenge, but I want the Lakers to remain competitive and build for the future as I'm also on the team. And when I saw that statement, I thought, like, I, I don't know what LeBron's trying to get out of this, but he, surely he must know that it's going to be impossible to build for the future and win now when he's taking that big contract and getting his maximum value.

[Big Cat]

Correct, correct.

[PFT Commenter]

All that's true. He might just be dumb.

[Big Cat]

Well, that could be the case. I Think he also just setting it up, being like, I made it clear I wanted you to build a contender. He's. He's. He's Tim Robinson. You know, we're all trying to find the guy who did. Who. Who made it so we couldn't sign any players because they can't sign any players. But he made it clear they. He wanted them to sign players. So when they don't sign players, you'd be like, wasn't I clear? I said I wanted you to sign. I wanted you to make a championship team for me.

[PFT Commenter]

I just heard Dave McMenamond say on ESPN that he expects the late. The Lakers might get involved with another team that signs a big. Thus making their starting center expendable, and then move that person to the Lakers. So any center in the league right now that's currently on a team is on the table, per Dave McMenamon.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, Wendy had the report. He was like, yeah, everyone was shocked by this. They were like, yeah, we don't want to trade for LeBron. There's no takers right now because obviously it instantly becomes the Cavs. And everyone talks about the Cavs. I feel like the Cavs have kind of moved on from that. Why would they. They had. They had the one seed. I know they got injured and they got bounced in the second round, but why would you want to do that with LeBron again?

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know.

[Jerry]

He doesn't have a million dollars.

[Big Cat]

He doesn't have the poll that he wants.

[Jerry]

If it was. If it was 30, not 50, then it's a lot different.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, right.

[Jerry]

That's where he's just selfish.

[Big Cat]

Right? All right, winners. I had the Nuggets as a winner. Feels like they finally got bench depth, got a real backup center, and that was a good Michael Porter Jr. Trade where they got someone who's half. Half the money and then able to actually get some depth. They got Bruce Brown back, which is nice. I also have the Rockets. The Rockets might be my pick. All right. Like, I know that you don't win championships. July 1. The Rockets are going to be really good. I'm a big. I. I think the Rockets are going to be awesome. They basically have. They have three centers now, and they added Kevin Durant, and I'm a Rockets believer.

[PFT Commenter]

I love what Bruce Brown did, by the way, when he left in free agency after. After telling the Nuggets, like, I'm not going to go anywhere in free agency during the parade. And then waking up the next day be like, oh, yeah, I can make what was it, like $30 million more? 40 or something? 40 somewhere else. Yeah. You know what, I'm actually going to go, but I'm going to be thinking about the Nuggets the whole time. I'll come back as soon as these checks stop coming in. That's a great move. I really, I appreciate what Bruce Brown.

[Big Cat]

Did and he's going to be like, really good again because he's going to play with Jokic. Like, he basically took a sabbatical where he's like, I'm going to make the maximum amount of money. I'm probably not going to enjoy playing basketball way. And then I'll just come back and it will be awesome.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, no, it was a good move. Why do you like the, the Rocket so much? Kd.

[Big Cat]

Kd, their, their depth with like their center depth. They, they have three big, they got Cl. Clint Capella back, obviously. Stephen Adams, Shingoon, like, they're gonna, Stephen Adams can just, he, they can just basically rest everyone all year. I, I think KD is going to be, I think KD's got a little you going tour coming. I, I don't know. I think he's gonna, you tour coming.

[PFT Commenter]

It does feel like a let him know season.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I, I, he's just feeling it in my bones. I think he's got one more of those in him and I think this might be the year and I think the more I thought about, I know we talked about his legacy and all that stuff. The Rockets is perfect for him. Where it was a really good team last year, the two seed and now he can be the old guy who brought the young kids along. I, I think this might be a KD legacy year. I think he might win it all and then be like, now this one counts.

[PFT Commenter]

Is Chris Paul. He's a free agent, right?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So he's still out there.

[Big Cat]

Played 82 games last year.

[PFT Commenter]

82 games as healthy as he's ever been. I, I do think that Katie's got a lot left in the tank for sure. But I really like what the Nuggets did. I think that the Nuggets. Cam Johnson, that's good. Michael Porter Jr. He's been a great player, but his back is just fucked up right now. You can't really count on them. So I like Cam Johnson, whose brother's name is Puff. Did you know that?

[Big Cat]

No. That's great. His name is not great right now.

[PFT Commenter]

Puff Johnson. Well, we don't know true.

[Big Cat]

It's out. We do know four out of five.

[PFT Commenter]

We do know on Four. Do you think there's any chance that on four out of five charges, they're, like, not guilty? But maybe on that one. Yeah, maybe on that one, he is.

[Big Cat]

Maybe. Maybe. I also. The Hawks have done a great job. The Hawks are. The Hawks are going to be good. They've got. They've got. I mean, it goes back to the draft with the pick that they got from the Pelicans. I feel like the Hawks are doing some things. It's all vibe check for me, too. I don't know, like the Celtics. Hank, you lost. Luke Cornett, you've gutted. You. You. You did get out of prison, but you were in prison.

[Jerry]

Yeah. Now we're. It's. It's a sad, sad state of affairs.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's it.

[Jerry]

It's just the championship team is gone. You know, Drew's gone. Horford isn't gone yet, but he's gone. Porzinga's gone.

[Big Cat]

You got Luca Garza, though. Big Ten beast.

[Jerry]

How is that even news? I don't want to be mean, but, like, he doesn't play.

[Big Cat]

But. But I think it's news because that was a news.

[Jerry]

It's like he's not.

[Big Cat]

Did you hear all the reports? It was like. Yeah, they've. They inquired about Luca Garza the last two. Two years, and, like, they were looking at. By the way, I. Breaking moves. Oh, no. Breaking news.

[Jerry]

I don't like this.

[Big Cat]

Halftime. Injury update. Red Panda fell before getting started. Left court, clutching her left wrist.

[Jerry]

Oh, no.

[Big Cat]

Please be okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, my God.

[Big Cat]

Not the Red Panda.

[Jerry]

Does she have an off season, you think?

[Big Cat]

No, no. Dude, come on.

[PFT Commenter]

Halftime of what?

[Big Cat]

Probably the. The Champions Cup. The. The Cup Classic, whatever the NBA does. The world.

[PFT Commenter]

The World cup of Clubs.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah. No, no, the Champions cup for the wnba.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, okay. Got. Got it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jerry]

They have one of those, too?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, the Commissioner's Cup. Commissioner's Cup, But I think it's. Is it the Commissioner's cup in the wnba? Zach, can you look that up for us, please?

[PFT Commenter]

It is actually called.

[Big Cat]

It is. It's still the Christian Cup. Damn. They copy everything. They want to be us so bad.

[PFT Commenter]

Wait, are the course.

[Big Cat]

He's giving us the thumbs up. He's giving us a thumbs up. What'd you say?

[PFT Commenter]

Did they make the course different?

[Big Cat]

I don't think so. It doesn't look different on the.

[Jerry]

No offense.

[Big Cat]

Wait, what'd you say?

[Jerry]

I said, Zach looks like a thumb on the video feed.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he doesn't have, like.

[Jerry]

You can't see his face.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he's not working with the best WI fi. Zach, what's going on there, dude?

[Merrill Kelly]

My bad, guys. If I look like a thumb, that's on me. If the WI fi is coming out. I tried to get as close to router as I could, but I didn't want to. I didn't want you guys to get any background noise, so I was trying to stay on different side of the house.

[Big Cat]

What's. What's.

[Jerry]

You look great.

[Big Cat]

What's behind you?

[Merrill Kelly]

Like a little office?

[Big Cat]

No, but what's on the wall?

[Merrill Kelly]

Oh, my. I'm always. These picture frames that are like. So it's beechwood and a picture frame and then they're like, put together.

[Big Cat]

I'd like one of those. That's.

[Merrill Kelly]

I can get you one of those if you'd like to.

[Big Cat]

Man. Yeah, I would like one of those for the. For the studio. What's that?

[Merrill Kelly]

We got another one over there. Oh, nice little Rascal flats action on the wall there.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Merrill Kelly]

That's Rascal flats melt.

[Big Cat]

Great.

[PFT Commenter]

I like that you're. You're using a laptop right in front of another bigger TV or bigger computer that's right behind you.

[Merrill Kelly]

Yeah, this. That stationary. We already had the one lighting issue. I want to make sure we were mobile for you guys.

[Jerry]

You need the frames for. For. For Rivals.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Merrill Kelly]

Also. Yes, I need all the frames I can get.

[Big Cat]

All right. I have a couple other NBA notes I wanted to throw at you guys. I'm gonna throw a potential trade at you. I wanna. I want to tell you, you gotta say yes or no. If I offered you. You have the one pick in the draft. If I offered you the fourth, fifth, and 10th pick, would you trade for.

[PFT Commenter]

The first overall pick?

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Fourth, fifth, and 10th. It's pretty good.

[PFT Commenter]

Deep draft next year.

[Big Cat]

Deep draft.

[PFT Commenter]

I have no idea if it is or not. I'm just saying that. Yes. Yes.

[Big Cat]

Okay, great. All right. So the Bulls should have Anthony Edwards on their team. That's perfect.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. All right.

[Big Cat]

Because the Bulls have officially completed the trade. They have the. From the 2020 draft. They now have the 4th, 5th, 5th, and 10th pick in terms of players from that draft. Because they have Patrick Williams, they drafted fourth. They got Okoro from the Cavs, who was drafted fifth, and they have Jalen Smith, who was drafted 10th. So kind of stacking the 2020 draft boys.

[PFT Commenter]

That's pretty good.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. The Bulls are incapable of trading for picks. They don't actually don't know how to do it. They traded all their player good players. Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso Lonzo, Ball. The only pick they got back was their own pick. That's it.

[PFT Commenter]

And that was just out of spite, just to get their own pick back.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, they don't know. I, they actually, I don't think that they haven't read that they can do.

[PFT Commenter]

That in their defense. It's a lot harder to trade for nobody to be like, hey, we're going to get nobody back.

[Big Cat]

But it's a good strategy when it's good pick, when you get picks.

[PFT Commenter]

It is the correct strategy. It is the correct strategy to do for sure. But if you're very, if you're a stupid person, it's hard to conceptualize a player that doesn't exist yet.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, but I, I, I do appreciate that they listen, they're going to be bad again and they're, they're run by incompetent losers and owned by incompetent stooges. But if you can stack multiple picks from one draft class, I always will kind of buy in because I'll be like, dude, we had three, three of the top 10 picks one year. Like that's got to be good.

[PFT Commenter]

They probably played McDonald's All American Games together, went to the same camps, familiar with each other.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it's got to be good. All right. I like what the Bucks are doing outside of Miles Turner because they now have 66% of the Gary's in the NBA.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Kind of like that. I really do think that if they, if Giannis wants a trade or the buck season goes sideways, they have to do everything possible to try to get Gary Payton the second on the team. And imagine if the Bucks could, could basically sell tickets being like we have 100 of the Gary's in the NBA.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So there are, I'm guessing three Gary's.

[Big Cat]

Three Gary. There's three Gary's. They, they, they, they already had one and they added another which is significant in Gary news. Like if you add, if you add the second, it's basically, it's basically playing monopoly. They have 2/3 of an entire property now. They just got to get the last Gary and they can charge everyone a ton of rent.

[PFT Commenter]

You want to hear something crazy?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

The Lakers have 100% of the LeBron's in the NBA right now.

[Big Cat]

That's true, that's true.

[PFT Commenter]

Corner the market.

[Big Cat]

They don't have 100% of the Lucas. The Celtics have half of that share.

[PFT Commenter]

What if, what if the Lakers could get a really good player in a trade, but they had to give up, like obviously you had to trade Probably Dalton connect. And then the other team was like, we need Bronnie, or it's a no go.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I think they would. They'd have to do it, right.

[PFT Commenter]

Would you trade your own son away?

[Big Cat]

You'd have to trade him. You'd have to trade him. And you, knowing LeBron, he'd probably make it like a viral moment where he goes up to him in the middle of a game and does the. Well, he probably didn't get to that part in Godfather 2 yet, but he. Someone would tell him, hey, you got to go kiss him like he's Fredo and let him send him on his way.

[PFT Commenter]

What the Lakers should do to see if LeBron is actually committed. They should tell him, we have to trade your son because we're getting this great player. And then once LeBron agrees to it, then they say, that was a test. You get to keep your child.

[Big Cat]

Very. Solomon.

[PFT Commenter]

King Solomon.

[Big Cat]

Solomon. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

King Solomon.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

See if he's willing to sacrifice his own child for the betterment of the team.

[Big Cat]

See if he's the true king.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. And if he. And if he won't do it, then you know he's not the true king to begin with.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Then you rebuild.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

I like that. Make it a whole decision. Make it like a. A deal or no deal. Put Bronnie in a suitcase.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

All right. And then the last thing. Duncan Robinson, our friend, recurring guest, made a ton of money going to the Pistons. I like that. Also crazy, because I didn't know, but he is the leader in Heat franchise history for three pointers made and by like a large margin, which is something that kind of shocked me a little, but also makes sense with how the NBA has gone with the three pointers. But I. Did you guys know that offhand?

[PFT Commenter]

Not offhand. If you had asked me, I probably would have guessed.

[Jerry]

James Jones, Mike Miller.

[Big Cat]

You can't guess number two. You can't guess number two, which is just as shocking because obviously I've revealed that Duncan Robinson is one.

[PFT Commenter]

Tyler hero.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Tyler hero number two.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. You guys has them just. Just out of sheer longevity.

[Big Cat]

You're honest. Has him not, not. Not on the list. Yeah. Dwayne Wade all the way down at number nine. But shout out Duncan Robinson. He has 200 more threes than the second most threes in he history.

[PFT Commenter]

So record's about to be dames.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it might be dames. Well, no, because Dame. No chance. Dame plays enough games. You have to make. Like maybe if he made 600 threes for two years.

[PFT Commenter]

What if he's just so happy to finally be in Miami. It's like, what if Dame was right that he just needed Florida to unlock his. His best potential? He goes down there, just buries threes all day.

[Big Cat]

That'd be. That could happen. Hey, Max, did the Sixers do anything?

[Stephen Che]

No, they lost Yabu and then signed Tyrese Maxey's friend.

[Big Cat]

Oh, okay. Well, that's cool.

[PFT Commenter]

Where'd Yabu go?

[Stephen Che]

I forgot.

[Zach Gallen]

To the next.

[PFT Commenter]

Huh?

[Big Cat]

Oh. Oh, you mean Don Staley's Knicks. Yep. Memes. She's.

[PFT Commenter]

She's a good coach.

[Stephen Che]

She is a good coach.

[PFT Commenter]

Good coach.

[Big Cat]

He's a good coach.

[Stephen Che]

Philly trending Watford was the guy who we signed, by the way. I forgot his name.

[Big Cat]

Do you like what the Knicks did? Memes? Outside of maybe hiring Don Staley?

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

The Knicks are broke, so they got Jordan Clarkson and Yabu on vet minimums.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

That was a nice player, though.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, Yabu's good.

[PFT Commenter]

Jordan Clarkson.

[Big Cat]

There was a clip of Mike Breen roasting him during the game, but I'm.

[PFT Commenter]

Sure it'll be fine. So you're gonna get. You're gonna get Mike Brown as your coach, right? Yeah. Mike Brown's gonna be the guy.

[Big Cat]

Is he? For officially, he's come.

[PFT Commenter]

He's the only guy coming back for a second interview.

[Big Cat]

Oh, okay. Yeah. I guess Rick Brunson, too, is still in the running, right? Yeah. And Dawn. All right. Should we talk a little NFL? We had a trade. These Steelers got. They traded Minka Fitzpatrick to the Dolphins for Jalen Ramsey. They also got John who Smith, which I think was a separate trade, correct?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I think it was.

[Big Cat]

The reporting on all this was a little weird because I don't know how you guys experienced this trade. I experienced it through our good friend Jersey Jerry, who will be on Dingers only with us. He texted me super bowl on and was like, I can't believe this trade. And then the reporting came out that. So I think Jerry thought they just got Jalen Ramsey.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, because the way it came out, it was just. Well, it wasn't even that big cat. The way I found out about it was through Adam Schefter. I have notifications on because I need to know what's going on. So I saw his post about a trade. It said, Jalen Ramsey has been traded from the Miami Dolphins to. And then it was the dot dot dot it cut off right there. I think that Schefter knows exactly how many characters to use to make people actually click through and look at his tweet instead of Just looking at the notification, I think that he's that good. So I saw that, I clicked on that. And then they didn't say what they gave up for it. They didn't say anything about the details of the trade. It just looked like the Steelers were getting Patrick or Jalen Ramsey. And then it did come out. Yeah, it was actually John who Smith was. I believe it was in the same trade. Okay, it was.

[Big Cat]

It makes sense. It was, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Steelers got Ramsey, John who Smith, and they swapped a 20277 rounder for a 2027 5th rounder. So they ended up with a 5th round pick in. In Pittsburgh and Miami ended up with a seventh round pick.

[Big Cat]

Got it. Because if you believe some of the things coming out of the Steelers at the end of last year, there were. There was belief that possibly making Fitzpatrick was the guy who. Remember there was that. There was a weird press conference. It was either. I think it was Cam Hayward. I think TJ Watt said something as well where they're like, it's hard when 10 guys are doing one thing and one guy's doing another. And that some people thought might have been Minka Fitzpatrick. So maybe that maybe that's an addition right there. Just getting him back to the Dolphins. I don't know.

[PFT Commenter]

I thought it was TJ saying that he's the one guy doing the right thing and 10 other guys are all collectively doing the wrong thing. But yeah, Mika is a fine safety, but he does freelance from time to time. Ramsey is still a really, really good cornerback. They have Ramsey and Joey Porter Jr. So I think it's all in all it's good for the Steelers. It feels like this is the Steelers all in season. Right.

[Big Cat]

John who Smith is also like that. He was a really good. He's been a really good tight end the last couple years. So that. That part for their offense I feel like is significant.

[PFT Commenter]

Is he Pittsburgh though?

[Big Cat]

I don't know. Have to worry about that.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know if he's a Pittsburgh tight end.

[Big Cat]

You got to always worry about that.

[PFT Commenter]

Because they got Pat Friarmouth, Pittsburgh tight end. He's a guy that you could easily mistake for Heath Miller and then you got big ass Washington. I'm mostly concerned that Darnell Washington isn't going to be playing as much because whenever he steps on the field, you just look at him and be like, holy, who the fuck is that guy? How is he not the best player in the NFL?

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I mean, you like Darnell Washington and DK Metcalf lining up on the same side Will be like what Bane did to Hines Field. Like, they'll just. It would, it would just completely tilt. But yeah, I don't, I don't know if Darnell Washington can catch the ball. That's the only problem. But I, I do like when he gets on the field. I, I like the John New Smith. He was good last year. He was good. He. He like started to come on. Was it. Was it the end of two years ago? And then last year, Last year he was very good. I feel like he was. He was really good. And then, and then two years ago, I think he like started to. To pop a little as well.

[PFT Commenter]

He had a big season and then the, the Dolphins replaced him by getting Darren Waller from the New York Giants. Darren Waller was retired, and so I think they swapped like a sixth and a seventh round pick with the Giants to get a retired guy that was still on their payroll to come down to Miami and play.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, just don't make him fullback. That's the only thing. Because that clip came out that he, he basically retired when, when the Giants made him be full back in Buffalo for like three, three consecutive plays. He's like, what the am I doing here? The big story, though, is pft. We're officially in football month. There is a football game being played this month. I know it's preseason, but that's really. It just starts to get the. I was, I was walking. I went on a hike with. With my kids today. And I'll. I'll. I'm not ashamed to admit that I started daydreaming about like the first NFL Sunday and I was like, this is going to be awesome. I'm so excited.

[PFT Commenter]

We're pretty much here. Yeah, we're pretty much here. Like, July is. It's great at the start. We got, you know, the Fourth of July. That whole week feels like just a vacation for America. And then, you know, it's hot outside. Still going to be. We're going to be tan from how tan we are right now. We're still going to have that same pantone on our skin once football season kicks off, once we get actual live football played. Yeah, it's the hall of Fame game, but we're going to see all the guys, they're going to be wearing the jerseys, we see the coaches. It's going to be great. And we're pretty much there, so congratulations.

[Big Cat]

It's going to be great. Should we do Hot Seat, Cool Throne, and then we can get to all of our interviews and dingers only?

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

All right. So hot Seat Cool Throne brought to you by our friends at Truly Truly Unruly Lemonade. Combines the high alk fun of Truly unruly with everyone. Favorite lemonade. Lemonade let loose. 8% ABV 100 delicious. Four supercharged lemonade flavors. Bumping blue Raz og original lemonade. Punched up pineapple Wild pink. It's the official hard seltzer. Pardon my take. Level up your lemonade with Truly unruly today. We love. I. I love the wild pink. We were out golfing last week. We had some trulies. It is the best. There's nothing better. When the sun starts beating down, you're like, hey, I need, I need something refreshing. I need something to get me loose. That's truly unruly lemonade. 8% ABV 100 delicious. Level up your lemonade with Truly unruly today. Okay? Hot seat Cool Throne.

[Jerry]

Hank, my hot seat is Malik Beasley.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, yeah.

[Jerry]

He is under investigation for basically. What would you call it?

[Big Cat]

Gambling on games.

[Jerry]

Gambling on games. It's not insider trading, but, like.

[Big Cat]

What was the. What was the hard part of that?

[Jerry]

It's not insider trading. It's.

[Big Cat]

It's called gambling on games.

[Jerry]

Gambling on games. Gambling on games. Player props. The videos that came out after the investigation came out were. Were very bad, to say the least. I don't know if it's one of those things where if you, you could do this for any player. I feel like it's not obviously, but the videos that came out were absurdly obvious that he was probably gambling on games.

[Big Cat]

There.

[PFT Commenter]

There was one where he took the ball the full length of the court with like three and a half, four seconds left to cover the spread. And he was the only one out there trying. And, and you could see, like, the relief hit his face when he got to the other end. There was the other one where. So he, he had also tweeted at Anthony Edwards to hit, what was it, like six threes tonight in a game. There was that one and then there was another one where he was playing defense, where his controller just unplugged.

[Big Cat]

Yep. And.

[PFT Commenter]

And yeah, blue, but I think it was Halliburton blew by him and he didn't move a single one of his feet. Both feet remain firmly planted in the ground. It. I don't think you could do that with every player in the NBA.

[Big Cat]

And not only that, but I'm sure you guys saw there was like, you know, the gambling circles, like, people know and, and gets out there. And there were tweets from, like, January where it's like if you're investigating Terry Rosier, like investigate Malik Beasley, he's the one. And a lot of that stuff where he is still innocent, but there's a lot of smoke.

[Jerry]

Got proven innocent. Yeah, we should say that. So it's like, it's, this might not be, you know, it might not be guilty. And the same thing happened when Terry Rosier, the allegations came out. There was videos and it was like he was clearly gambling. So this could all not be true.

[PFT Commenter]

But would you rather let him have.

[Big Cat]

His day in court?

[Jerry]

Yeah, same.

[PFT Commenter]

Would you rather be accused of betting on your own personal unders when you didn't actually bet on your own personal unders and then being validated and they're like, it turns out you just suck. Or would you rather get investigated and you did bet on them and you made a ton of money betting on them and they found out that you were gambling?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I mean, I just don't think.

[Jerry]

You can make that much that when you look at free agency.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he was about to make money.

[Jerry]

The greatest, like the greatest lottery ticket you can have. Obviously you have to be an NBA player, but it's like they get paid so much money, there's no way you can make enough money gambling that it is worth doing that.

[Big Cat]

It is kind of a compliment to be like you're good enough that you can control the outcome of these things, you know?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. If you told me it's your own overs.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, if you told me like, hey, we're going to play 5 on 5 basketball at the barstool Chicago like office and we're gonna, we're gonna put lines out there and I had. And like I wouldn't be good enough to be able to affect the game, you know.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, that's the total point spread. I, I agree.

[Big Cat]

Maybe I could not make a shot. I could bet. Yeah, you could bet your unders and just not make a shot. But other than that, like you can't. It's, it's basically a comment. Malik Beasley, you are an impactful player. If you were proven guilty.

[PFT Commenter]

On the other hand, I feel bad for NBA players. Sure, they make all this money in free agency, get, you know, any woman they want, but at the end of the day, they don't get to sit on their couch and hit a four leg parlay on an NBA game like I do. And, and they'll never have that joy that makes me sad.

[Big Cat]

Facts. Yeah, he's not going to get signed now. That kind of sucks that he was a free agent.

[Jerry]

Yeah. Crazy Story.

[Big Cat]

How pissed do you think hockey players are right now?

[PFT Commenter]

You got to move your free agent.

[Big Cat]

Extremely.

[PFT Commenter]

If you're hockey, you can't go head to head.

[Big Cat]

What was Luke Cornett's deal? That he's a fine player, but what was his deal?

[Jerry]

I don't know.

[PFT Commenter]

I think he got 40.

[Big Cat]

He got 40 million guaranteed? Yeah. Four for 40, I think. So he's getting paid. Connor McDavid in the money?

[Jerry]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jerry]

I mean, Sam Bennett's. Sam Bennett's contract, it was like this was. Guy was the most important player on the. On the team. He was eight years, eight million.

[Big Cat]

Oh, man. Yeah. By the way, the Panthers are just gonna be good again. They got everyone. Biz might be right about the state income tax.

[Jerry]

I also love. I'm assuming NBA players the same way. But like. And this is more like we were just with the chickless guys last week, but. And like, I love hearing them talk just strictly money when they talk about other players. Like, oh, how much that guy get? Like, how much he make like that they just stalk strictly in like how much they made in their career. Also, when it's all public, it's very funny.

[Big Cat]

Whitney told us a hilarious story about how when he was like two years out from retiring and he talked to his financial advis advisor and his financial advisor was like, all right, so, like, when you retire, like, you'll get a job. And he was like, what do you mean? He's like, I wasn't planning on that. Which is very funny.

[PFT Commenter]

The Knights got better, too.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, they did. But the Panthers brought everyone back, didn't they? Yeah, it's crazy.

[Jerry]

Team dinners.

[Big Cat]

I'm gonna talk about the. Zach, talk about the Panthers for 20 seconds while I turn on the light in this room because I realized that it's just pitch black in here.

[Jerry]

Yeah, this one's going down.

[Big Cat]

So.

[Merrill Kelly]

So I did see the Panthers. They bring all the boys back. They.

[Big Cat]

They're.

[Merrill Kelly]

They repeated that the whole whole game come back. Do you guys think they're going to be this dominant again? Is it going to be that much fun to watch or what do we think?

[PFT Commenter]

I like that. Good question. Great question, Zach.

[Jerry]

They all go to team dinner every night. Like, you can't. You can't get in the way of that.

[PFT Commenter]

I think unless this.

[Jerry]

Their wins are just like, we all went to team dinners together.

[PFT Commenter]

Unless they say into their Dairy Queen budget, I think that we're looking at another championship for the Florida Panthers. Hey, congratulations. It's July 1st. Congratulations, the Florida Panthers on winning the 2026 Lord Stanley's Cup.

[Big Cat]

Hank, I think team dinners can be attributed. We dinner together a bunch.

[Jerry]

I know. I didn't realize it until, like, all the post game interviews. I was like, yeah, this team, team.

[Big Cat]

Dinners, it's gonna force some team that absolutely hates each other to try to do this. And it's going to be so awkward because, like, team dinners work in theory if you like everyone, but if they. If. If you have a team that doesn't like each other, it's gonna tear them apart. All right. Your cool throne.

[Jerry]

My cool throne is WNBA pettiness.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jerry]

Caitlin Clark was voted number one all star team by the fans, number nine by our fellow players.

[Big Cat]

I have some takes.

[PFT Commenter]

Did you have a take on the Caitlin Clark situation?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I have a take.

[PFT Commenter]

I think that it is good for. Good for the league.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Because we're. Because we're talking about the league right now.

[Big Cat]

Okay, I agree. I'm going to piggyback on your take. Tag me in first. This is about this year. Caitlin Clark has missed almost half the games. So, I mean, she's. I, I know that she's incredible, and I think she's one of the best players. And she's also, like, the WNBA just expanded. They're bringing back Detroit, Cleveland, and then what's the other one? Nashville. Nashville got a franchise. The Caitlin Clark defenders are such losers now. Like, what. What do we care that she's the most popular player? What. What should her, like, rivals do? Should they just be like, oh, we love you, Caitlyn. Thank you so much. We, we want to kiss your feet and, like, and. And hope you do just. Of course they don't like her. She's better than them and she's more popular. Like, of course they're petty about it. I think that's good for sports.

[Jerry]

They're trying to hurt her, though.

[Big Cat]

But the hurting part, I agree, that's too far. But, like, this is, like, to be like, this is. I can't believe they don't like her. I can believe they don't like her. She gets all the attention. They're jealous. Who cares? That's good for sports. Caitlin Clark will have a longer career, better career, make more money. She's going to win in the long run. It doesn't have to be like a World War Three. Every single time there's a slight on Caitlin Clark. It just, it loses all of the, like, oomph for me when you're just. When the Caitlin Clark defenders are crying about her constantly.

[PFT Commenter]

When have we ever cared about the. The breakdown of all star vote percentages in the wnba.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

Has that ever happened? We do care now, right? So, yeah. Is. Is she worthy of a higher percentage? Probably, yeah. But she also has been hurt and it's also good that the league hates her this much because it pisses everyone off and it gets more people talking about the WNBA and then she's going to go out there with a chip on her shoulder and she's going to be great, shove it in their faces and prove to them that she's better. And that's going to be great for the league too.

[Big Cat]

Not only that, but what is like one of the, the, the number one complaints we see online about sports, specifically the NBA, specifically basketball, is, well, they. All these guys don't hate each other like they used to. They used to hate each other. They used to like, the Pistons and Bulls hated each other, The Pistons and Celtics hate each other. MJ hated Isaiah. All this stuff like hate was. Was what fueled the league. And now you have that back in the WNBA and you're going to complain about it like, who cares? Her peers don't like her because she is more popular than them. That's just a fact. And she can just be better and win championships and shove it in their face. Like, I just don't. I. I would not be offended if I was a, if I was a Caitlin Clark fan, I would not be going to my pitchforks because she was voted ninth in a season when she's played half the games.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, counterpoint, though. Isn't it also a sign of the growing league that we have this many Caitlin Clark fans that get this pissed off.

[Big Cat]

True.

[PFT Commenter]

Because of perceived slights. Right. This is, this is like the Caitlin Clark defenders that have to show up and, and stick up for their person. I think it's all good. I think. I think what we're going to see though is we're going to see like Caitlin Clark is going to go on a little tear. She's going to be great. The Fever are eventually going to win a championship. She's going to get some players from teams that maybe used to hate her.

[Jerry]

Can win the big one, though.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it's a good question. I. So when she gets like, like clotheslined going through the lane, that's when I'm like, yeah, Caitlin Clark defenders, that's when you need to rally the troops and go after on a fucking vote. Like, Tyrese Halliburton was voted most overrated and then he went to the finals. Who cares?

[PFT Commenter]

You know, I need to see the athletic poll of the WNBA for most overrated player in the league. What do you think? What do you think the result would be?

[Big Cat]

I. I don't know, but I, I just.

[PFT Commenter]

There are 90, 95 Caitlin Clark.

[Big Cat]

There are definitely pitchfork moments for Caitlin Clark that are like, yeah, you have to defend her. A vote that essentially. It basically should have just been a poll to every WNBA player. Do you like Caitlin Clark, yes or no? And they would have voted no because they don't. Because she gets all the attention and she's good for the league and she outshines everyone even if she's only playing half the games.

[PFT Commenter]

The injury aspect is actually a valid point. That's a good point if you're, if you're going to go just by a sports breakdown of it. But yeah, there's the, the difference between the fan vote and the player vote was crazy. It was crazy to see. But again, let's, let's not burn out all of our, our emotion.

[Big Cat]

That's what.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm defending Caitlin Clark right now. There's going to be. There's gonna be play. Listen, you gotta rest up for the playoffs, okay?

[Big Cat]

She also, if she was not in the All Star game, I'd be like, pitchforks do it. She's the captain of the All Star team. This was totally irrelevant. It was a completely irrelevant vote. That just doesn't matter.

[PFT Commenter]

Right. I don't even get mad at the hard fouls because I also like Sophie Cunningham coming to her defense and like, knocking people out. That's also good for the league.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Agree. Well, that is. Yeah. Did you see Sophie Cunningham take a shot at Detroit? That was a little weird.

[PFT Commenter]

What'd you say?

[Big Cat]

She was just like, players don't want, like, why didn't you make a Miami. Players don't want to play in Detroit? It was like, okay, I don't know. Detroit, like, Troy's kind of. Detroit's kind of back in terms of.

[PFT Commenter]

Sports, and now that's going to be on a quote card right before they play against Detroit. A playoff series at some point.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Stephen Che]

Also, the, the other team was Philly, and those teams aren't coming till 20, 30.

[Big Cat]

Okay. So. Yeah. Oh, Philly's the other team, not Nashville.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, she said Nashville.

[Big Cat]

She was like, why didn't you pull in national? Why don't you. She's basically like, why don't you put them in party cities? I don't know. Again, Detroit love their sports.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you. How, how successful do you think a WNBA franchise would be in Miami? Probably not that. They can barely. They can barely get out of bed to watch their Stanley cup champion Panthers.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure Detroit won like three WNBA championships. Right? You fact check that? Like three or four. Weren't they a dynasty?

[PFT Commenter]

What was the name?

[Big Cat]

Beer? The coach. Am I making all of this up?

[Jerry]

I think the Lambert they were Lisa Leslie.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jerry]

No, but Bill Lambert. I remember the NBA when they would do the all star game and it would be like the WNBA player. Yeah, the NBA team.

[Big Cat]

So there's history there. There's big history there. Detroit's back. Scubal. Did you guys watch school on Sunday night?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it was lights out.

[Big Cat]

What a hoss. Detroit shock. Yeah.

[Jerry]

Three time WNBA champions.

[Big Cat]

There you go. I know my WNBA history.

[Jerry]

203, 206, 208.

[Big Cat]

No one's ever said it like that.

[PFT Commenter]

206, 203.

[Big Cat]

Why did you say. All right, PFT. What's your hot seat? Cool throwing.

[PFT Commenter]

My hot seat is Shador Sanders. Yes. So the. The quarterback room in Cleveland right now is Joe Flacco. Can you pick it? Dylan Gabriel Shador. And everyone's kind of looking for Joe Flacco to take on some sort of mentorship position, some sort of leadership role for the young guys. I think Joe Flacco is more concerned about just winning a starting job and keeping his career going. But lucky for Shador Sanders, he found a mentor in Cleveland that's taking him, quote, under his wing. Do you know who that person is?

[Big Cat]

I do.

[PFT Commenter]

It is Deshaun Watson. Deshaun Watson has stepped up to show the young guy the ropes. That's a bad phrase. I should not have used that phrase. He's taken him under his wing to kind of, you know, introduce him to the NFL and what it's like to be a pro. Show them the meaning of being a true professional. So shout out to Shador. Got a good mentor there. Good luck.

[Big Cat]

Good luck.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know if this is like a contractual obligation where they're like, hey, desean, I know you're not really playing right now, but if you could kind of hang out with young guys and. And lead by example.

[Big Cat]

You think this is maybe a situation like, who saved who? Like an old person getting a pet.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it could be who saved you here. It could be like that. That type of responsibility might be good for desean. If Shador is literally under his wing all the time, then he's not going to be getting jacked off in massage parlors because the beds aren't wide enough. So that's good.

[Big Cat]

Well, Shador, but the bed's not Wide.

[PFT Commenter]

Enough for two at a time.

[Big Cat]

Door could go skiing.

[PFT Commenter]

He could. Yeah. Shador. Could be Shadora. Could be the Lucky Pierre in between DeSean Watson and Joe Flacco. Just going to town, Joe, I'll tell you this.

[Big Cat]

I've sh. I've. I've shaken Joe Flacco's hand. I would not want a hand job from him.

[PFT Commenter]

No.

[Big Cat]

Guy's got fucking monster hands.

[PFT Commenter]

No, he's meant to. He's meant to beat off in cold weather. That's why the Steelers. That's why the Steelers and the Ravens wanted him out of college.

[Big Cat]

If Joe Flacco gives you a hand job, he'd just be like, whoops, I broke it.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, this guy's. This guy's got hands that could jack off a Clevelander.

[Big Cat]

Oh, we gotta. We gotta tell Joe that we had this conversation when we see him maybe in Tahoe.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, shake his hand. Shake his hand. Tell me, tell me if. If that could make you come the answer.

[Big Cat]

Mount Rushmore of people you would least like to get your a hand job from. He's Andre the Giant.

[PFT Commenter]

Greg Abbott.

[Big Cat]

No, not Greg Abbott. Jason Pierre Paul. Who's Greg Abbott?

[PFT Commenter]

The pitcher.

[Big Cat]

No, that's the politician, isn't it?

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, Jim Abbott.

[Big Cat]

Jim Abbott.

[PFT Commenter]

Also Greg Abbott. Well, he's probably got some strong arms.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, the guy, that Indian dude with the. With the like hundred year fingernails.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep. Yeah, the ones that curl around.

[Big Cat]

That would suck. That would really suck. All right, you're cool to.

[PFT Commenter]

My cool is the US Men's national team. The lads. Boys, we're. We're in the semifinals now of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Hank is locked in. I know you watch that PK shootout against Costa Rica. The good. The good news is. The good news is we gotta. We got a goalie now. His name's Freeze. He's the Ice Wall.

[Jerry]

That's that actually. That plays.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. The goalie's name is Freeze and he was awesome in pe. He was a beast. What I didn't realize though is once we got rid of Greg because we were a Greg out podcast, we got Greg fired. There's another Burr Halter. His son is on the team, but his son is on the team because I think he just made the team. Not through nepotism, but he also missed a penalty kick. He bought you a penalty kick top left and skyd it. So I don't know, maybe we might be all Burr Halters out now.

[Big Cat]

Was Greg there?

[PFT Commenter]

Greg was in the stands like upper deck. They had him sitting like in the 400 row. And he was watching his son take the penalty kick, and they got the whole reaction. Tough, tough moment for a dad and a family to watch at the same time. But, yeah, listen, I think. I think Greg Burholtzer, way better human being than a soccer coach.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, so.

[PFT Commenter]

So he was in the stands for that. So that means that we beat Costa Rica. We're playing Guatemala in the semifinals tonight. Tonight, Hank, lock the fuck.

[Jerry]

Two teams. Who are the other two teams?

[PFT Commenter]

Mexico and some team that's going to lose to Mexico. So we're going to. What's going to happen? Is this your first CONCACAF Gold Cup, Hank? What's going to happen is not by.

[Jerry]

Not by. Not like, not willingly.

[Big Cat]

You're not. You're not consenting to this.

[Jerry]

No, no, no.

[PFT Commenter]

Let me break it down for you, Hank. Here's how the CONCACAF Gold cup works, all right? The US Is going to play against Mexico in the finals. We're going to beat Mexico in the finals, and we're all going to be like, us, Soccer's back. We're good. And then we're going to blow it again in the next tournament that we.

[Jerry]

Play automatically in the World Cup. Who cares?

[PFT Commenter]

Agreed. It's. It's the pageantry and the spectacle of the Gold Cup, Hank.

[Jerry]

Got it.

[Big Cat]

And Saudi Arabia's in this, so.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, they're a famed CONCACAF member. I think Qatar was in it last time, too.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, we just let anyone in. It just hit.

[PFT Commenter]

The bag's big enough. Yeah.

[Jerry]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

All right. My hot seat. I also had Shador Sanders. I'll. I'll pivot. It's myself. We're not doing a fire fest this week. Reminder, we don't have a show Friday on Fourth of July. This is an extra long show, so if you have to work Friday, save dingers only for yourself. We have two great interviews coming up. Zach Allen and Merrill Kelly in studio, and then Joey Chestnut. Uh, so extra long show, and then we'll be back three times a week, obviously, on Monday. But my fire fest, or sorry, my hot seat is me. I went to dinner with my wife last night, and there was a couple fans. There was, like, a table of young kids that. That were, like, asked me for a picture, and I was like, oh, that's cool. And then there was this table with. With this guy with this big beard and older, and I. And he, like, was like, what's up? Love your podcast. Like, oh, that's sick. And I mentioned my wife. I was like, look at me. Like, we're doing the. The young kids. We're doing the old guys. And she's like, that guy is the exact same age as you. And I had like the moment where I was like, he totally is because he had a beard. I was just like. And I. I had one of those moments where it's like, oh, yeah, I forgot I'm 40. Like, he. He was. He looked exactly the same age.

[PFT Commenter]

That's great.

[Big Cat]

Like, I got the old guys, I got the young guys. So. Yeah, yeah, we're old world. Yeah. Like, I'll see. Like, another guy came and he had like two little kids and he was like, big fan. I was like, oh man. Like, look at this. I'm getting. Getting the older generation. Like, wait, those kids are the exact same age as my kids? What the hell? Yeah, go ahead.

[PFT Commenter]

Anybody older than Hank is. Is old. Yeah, that's the way to look at it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And then my cool throne is dudes. Dudes named Ryan. Because this happened. This happened a few days ago. I think it happened last week. But I. They. ESPN had a article about it. Did you guys see the. The Ryan. Ryan's Day out in Colorado? It was pretty awesome. So the Rockies have three Ryans on the roster. I think they actually have a fourth who's on il. And there's a group of Ryans who just like do meetups around the country. And they tried to break the record for most Ryan's at a baseball game. There was like 500 Ryan's out in the bleachers. And then Ryan McMahon on the Rockies hit a home run for him. And it was just like such a dude's rock moment where they just have. They have. They just basically go around. They did a St. Ryan's Day in Boston. They did another. Another random Ryan's outing. They just get all the Ryans and they all just meet up.

[PFT Commenter]

I like that. That is very cool. Do you think that you said the Rockies have four Ryans?

[Big Cat]

They have three currently on the roster.

[PFT Commenter]

One is on the il. Do you think if two of the other Ryan's go on the il, they'll send Tom Hanks there to pull the last one out and save him?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, they have to. No, they'll send Ryan Day. They'll send Ryan Day out there. But yeah, it was. I mean, I don't know. It's pretty cool. Like. Yeah, World's kind of a cynical place. These people are just hanging out and they actually have. When you go, you have to show your ID to confirm that you're Orion. By the way, our guy Rosillo not invited. It has to be R Y A N. And they also have like. So they have like a notary public guy there who can legally change your name to Ryan if you want to join.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh. If you wanted. If you want to just be part of the festivities. Yeah, that's. I. I like that. But also there should be somebody that. There should be somebody that monitors the Ryan's to make sure that they all go by Ryan.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Because Ryan. Ryan is probably a pretty commonly skipped first name for people that just go by their middle name.

[Big Cat]

That's true. They had a. So they had a St. Ryan's Day in Boston. They had a Ryan rodeo in Austin. They had an all Ryan's game show in San Diego. They just party with just Ryan's. Awesome.

[PFT Commenter]

I like that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right, Zach, finish us off before we get to our interviews.

[Merrill Kelly]

I do, I do have a cool throne for you guys this week.

[Big Cat]

My quilt hot seat.

[Merrill Kelly]

Oh, we can go hot seat first. Yeah, we can do that. So my. My hot seat this week is recently, gentlemen. We all played Dungeons and Dragons. It did come out in the last couple of days. I did see that in the moment while we were playing together. I. I did not realize just how indecisive I may have been in some of the decisions going back and watching the game film. And I would like to say, Hank, I do want to apologize for contributing to messing up your birthday.

[Jerry]

It's okay. It's not your fault.

[Merrill Kelly]

I didn't know just how bad some of that went. And I just want you to know, Hank, I'm sorry. And I hope it was a great birthday after that. Man.

[Jerry]

It was a great birthday and I. I don't want you to. To worry about it for a second. It was funny.

[Merrill Kelly]

And I do have a hot seat as well. Or no, I did think big.

[Jerry]

I was paying you to do that at one point, but that's all right.

[Big Cat]

Was so mad at me.

[Merrill Kelly]

There was no, no hand to hand transactions on that. That was just a misstep.

[PFT Commenter]

Zach, in terms of like watching the YouTube and seeing how the. The costume shopping went for Dungeons and Dragons, any. Any decisions you would have made a little bit differently there. Are you happy the way things turned out?

[Merrill Kelly]

Most of them. You guys didn't have full costumes. That's 100 on me. I dropped the ball.

[Big Cat]

It's okay. We listen. We played Dungeons and Dragons, by the way. Thank you. For everyone who listens to that episode. Shout out Tim Woods. We play it twice a year around our vacations and so you'll have another chance sometime in February. You'll have another chance on the costumes. Yes, on the costumes.

[Merrill Kelly]

I would love a redemption costume, if that's okay with you.

[Stephen Che]

Can we keep our time limit?

[Jerry]

No, no, no, no, no. The time limit starts tomorrow.

[Merrill Kelly]

Yeah, same costume shop.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Merrill Kelly]

Is that cool?

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[Stephen Che]

I think. I think we. We stick to. He gets an hour. He's got to get it done in an hour. He's got to get it done in an hour.

[Big Cat]

I think we also should. Next, Dungeons and Dragons. We should get one of those sand timers for Zach.

[Stephen Che]

Yes. Yes. That's great. We walk in, we get an hour sand timer, and once it starts, that's it.

[Big Cat]

But also in the game too, when we make him make a decision, flip it and just be like, all right, Zach, here we go.

[Merrill Kelly]

I'm gonna become hyper away of time. I promise.

[Big Cat]

Gentlemen. No, I don't want you to change. I don't want you to change.

[Merrill Kelly]

Okay, that too. We can. I can work on that.

[Big Cat]

Pft. You. You. You bounced out for a second. Zach decided that he was going to work on being more decisive than I told him. Don't change. And he's going to also work on that.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. Which one are you going to work on first?

[Merrill Kelly]

The decipher this. I'm gonna. I'm gonna lock that in for you guys.

[PFT Commenter]

But I don't want you.

[Big Cat]

I don't want you to change. Yeah, you're right.

[Merrill Kelly]

No, I got that wrong. I got that wrong. The timing stuff. Yes.

[Big Cat]

That was a.

[Merrill Kelly]

That was a brain fart.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

No, that was good.

[Big Cat]

That was good. Which one are you going to work on first? Yes. Okay. Your cool throne.

[Merrill Kelly]

I do have a cool front for you guys. My cool throne this week goes out to the gentleman at Optic Texas. They defeated the Vancouver Surge or cdo. They are Call of Duty world champions in Call of duty Black Ops 6. Shout out to those guys first ever in history. Back to back champions. I'm not even Optic guy, but you can't deny greatness.

[PFT Commenter]

That's so awesome.

[Merrill Kelly]

Mercules coming up. They did some roster cuts earlier in the season. Another one doing too good. Kenny got dropped. They picked up Mercules, did some shifts around. He wins mvp. Shout out to the young guy. Everybody just frying. It was fantastic. Huck, Shotzi, Dashie, all the boys. Congratulations. Mercury back to back. Never been done.

[PFT Commenter]

Is Mercury's next? Is he. He's. He's the new goat.

[Merrill Kelly]

He's. He's good. I wouldn't say new go. He's got a lot, lot long way to go, but he was a Great contributor to the team.

[Jerry]

Didn't he get dropped from the Stallions?

[PFT Commenter]

He.

[Merrill Kelly]

It is a little bit of a redemption. Yes.

[Big Cat]

Wait.

[Merrill Kelly]

Great ball knowledge there, Hank. Fantastic.

[PFT Commenter]

They get him off the street.

[Merrill Kelly]

He's getting dropped and picked up, but now he's with the boys. Now he's with the hitters. Hex picked him up. Daddy Hex said, look, come over to the green wall. We're going to show you how to do it right. And they might do it again next year.

[Big Cat]

Wait, Mercules that like to Merc someone is to kill them. So that's an incredible nickname, right?

[Merrill Kelly]

Oh, it's awesome. Matchup. Hercules, Merc. Mercules. Fantastic. It's ten.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Yeah, that's. That's a great nickname. Wait, Zach, did you watch it live?

[Merrill Kelly]

I didn't. I wasn't able to catch all of it, but I've watched all the clips since then.

[PFT Commenter]

Yes. Okay, Zach, I got a question for you. In this Call of Duty tournament is, are all the players, like, in relatively.

[Jerry]

This is a Super bowl pfc. Let's just call it a regular tournament, okay?

[Big Cat]

All right.

[PFT Commenter]

World Championship. Are all the players in really good.

[Merrill Kelly]

Shape, mentally or physically?

[PFT Commenter]

Physically. Like, is there. Are there any big boys that are playing?

[Merrill Kelly]

I mean, yeah, there's some big boys at the desk.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank is like, yeah, for sure. Because like, in my day, that's how you identified a gamer. Usually had a little heft to him. And from what I've been seeing, with the advent of, you know, speed and, and ADHD medication, it feels like all the guys are like real thin. And I would like to see some of the bigger boys coming back.

[Merrill Kelly]

I don't think. I think the heftiness isn't going anywhere anytime soon. But maybe some of these guys maybe dial back on the Ritalin a little bit, you know, maybe get some more carbs in them.

[Jerry]

They're all short guys.

[PFT Commenter]

That's pretty cool.

[Merrill Kelly]

Posture's not the best, but those fast twitch muscles. Immaculate.

[PFT Commenter]

Is there. Is there a tall fat guy that we could call Kendrick Merkins?

[Big Cat]

That'd be good.

[Merrill Kelly]

Not on optic, but I can find you the tallest fat guy they got in the CDL right now.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Oh, I had a short king staff for you.

[PFT Commenter]

That's weird because I'm not that short, actually.

[Big Cat]

No, you're not, but I had a staff for you and I saw it and I was like, oh, I'm gonna save this. I don't think I have it, but I. Oh, no, I have it. Here it is. Jose Altuve. 242 career home runs. Every other player listed five, six or shorter since integration. 241 home runs.

[PFT Commenter]

So he's. He's lapped the crew.

[Big Cat]

He's literally the pound for pound greatest.

[PFT Commenter]

He stands head and shoulders above the crew.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. Everyone else combined.241. He had 242.

[PFT Commenter]

Good for him.

[Big Cat]

Pretty sick. Okay, let's get to our interviews. Merrill Kelly, Zach Gallen, Joey Chestnut, and then our dingers only draft, which I'll just say it, not our. Never our best work, but still, it's baseball season.

[PFT Commenter]

It was actually way better than last year's.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I called some of the players, too.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, we got some of the players on the phone. And also last year, we had a lot. We drafted a lot more players that had already been taken, and we drafted a lot more players that were already injured, like on the disabled list.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

So I'd say, like, in terms of getting it right, for the most part, I'd say we hit like 80%.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And also, Zach realizing his decisiveness might be an issue. We did tape this last week before he realized that, so might still be an issue in this draft. I. And. And as of right now, we're all live, so all the. All the teams are live. I've been watching my guys being pissed off every time they hit a home run, being like, save it, save it.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

But it's officially live, and we'll update it every single week. Okay, let's get to the interviews. Okay. Before we get to our interview with Zach Gallen and Merrill Kelly in studio, I want to talk to you guys about one of the biggest fights coming up on Netflix. With two of the most dynamic and fierce female athletes in the world facing off, all eyes are on Katie Taylor seeking ultimate glory, while Amanda Serrano is fighting for redemption and revenge. Stakes have never been higher for women's sports as we await for one of the most highly anticipated rivalries to unfold. And first ever women's boxing trilogy fight, who will win? Well, the fight is accessible globally and included as part of your Netflix subscription. No expensive pay per view fees. I've actually seen both of these women fight in person. They will not disappoint. This is going to be all action from start to finish. It's giving the big cat guarantee that this fight is going to be worth it. And guess what? If you're like me, you already have Netflix. You already use Netflix all the time. You have this fight ready to go with just a click of a button. So sit down. Watch Katie Taylor versus Amanda Serrano. Friday, July 11th at 8pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific Standard Time, live on Netflix. And I'm telling you, this fight is going to deliver. We're also brought to you by our friends at Chevy. You grind all year. Early mornings, late nights, fantasy drafts, hustle mode on. But when summer hits, it's time to chill, and Chevy Silverado makes that possible. We're talking towing the boat to the lake, off roading into the woods like a legend and still having room for the squad and all your gear. Inside, Silverado is comfy, like a recliner. Outside, built like a linebacker. Chevy Silverado, work hard, chill harder. Football guy approved. We know this firsthand. We've been able to drive the Chevy Silverado a bunch of our trips. It's super comfortable inside, and it can get the job done. Long road trips, hauling stuff, moving stuff, boats, everything. Chevy Silverado. So head to chevy.com to check out more about the Chevy Silverado today. Chill harder with the Chevy Silverado. The best truck in the world. If you're thinking about being a truck person. Chevy Silverado. Tell them Big Cat sent you with the Chevy Silverado. Okay, here they are. Zach Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Okay. We now welcome on two very special guests from the Arizona Diamondbacks. It's Zach Gallen, Merrill Kelly, best friends. Let's start there. I was reading that you guys are best friends. Are you both saying that the other one's your best friend?

[Max]

Yeah, sure. I would say so.

[Big Cat]

I mean, Meryl said that a lot faster than you, Zach.

[Zach Gallen]

Well, I don't want to talk over them.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Yeah, that's best.

[Zach Gallen]

That's a best friend trait. It's like you don't want to talk over.

[Max]

Are we talking best friends on the team or best friends in life?

[Big Cat]

Let's talk best friends in life. Oh.

[Max]

I mean, I feel like we both have circles outside of baseball. Trump, but.

[Zach Gallen]

But on the team, for sure.

[Big Cat]

Best friends on the team.

[Max]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We've been in their longest. We both been here since 2019, so.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Zach Gallen]

It's been a long time.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

So if we played the Newlywed Game right now, you guys be really good at it.

[Zach Gallen]

That's a good question.

[Max]

That's a good question.

[Big Cat]

Good question.

[Zach Gallen]

If it was the baseball, like a baseball version of that, I think we'd be all right.

[Big Cat]

All right.

[Max]

So what, golf or golf?

[Big Cat]

What? What's Merl's favorite pitch?

[Zach Gallen]

Zach, change it.

[Big Cat]

Okay. What's Zach's favorite?

[Max]

Kerbal.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Is that right?

[Big Cat]

Sounds like you guys are good so far.

[PFT Commenter]

What's What's Zach's favorite movie?

[Max]

Oh, Zach's favorite movie. Yeah, that one would probably stump me.

[Zach Gallen]

I don't even know if I know the answer to my favorite movie.

[PFT Commenter]

That's perfect. You guys are in sync.

[Big Cat]

There you go. Meryl, who's the guy that absolutely owns.

[Max]

Zach in the league.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. There.

[Zach Gallen]

I. I don't know if you get this. It'd be. It would be impressive, actually.

[Big Cat]

Oh, so someone we're not thinking.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah, I'll give you a hint. They're not active. That's the thing.

[Max]

Oh, they're not ever.

[Big Cat]

They retired some guy on the Savannah Bananas.

[Zach Gallen]

I might hang them up if that was the case. I don't know if they're retired, but they're just not in the majors anymore.

[Big Cat]

Got it.

[Zach Gallen]

We used to play them a lot in division. Yeah.

[Max]

Charlie Blackman.

[Zach Gallen]

No. Who is it, Rhyme? El Tapia.

[Big Cat]

And what was the reason?

[Max]

I should have known that.

[Zach Gallen]

I think last time I faced him was 20, 23, maybe in Milwaukee. And I. I swear to you, I think it was like, he's hitting.600 off me, like 12 for, like, 20. Like, whatever that math comes out to be. 10 for 19. And I'm like, oh, at least I never give up a home run to him. Give up a home run to him that day.

[Big Cat]

So. But what.

[Max]

What is that guy killed us.

[Big Cat]

Is it in your. Is it in your head? Or is it something he just figured out?

[Zach Gallen]

I think it's just something that he does. Like, he just.

[Big Cat]

10 for 18 with a home run and two RBIS and 19 plate appearances. That's gallon.

[Max]

That's pretty damn good.

[Big Cat]

And if you do the AI. The AI overview says Ryel Tapia has had considerable success against Zach Callan and considerable.

[Zach Gallen]

Considerable is an understatement, I think, if you ask me.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

Like, here comes this.

[Big Cat]

All right, so who. Who.

[Max]

I would imagine if you looked up his numbers against the Diamondbacks in general, they'd probably.

[Big Cat]

Who owns Merrill?

[Zach Gallen]

We were just talking about this. We were just talking about this.

[Max]

Someone who's still in the big league.

[Zach Gallen]

I know. We just played him, too, right? You can guess.

[Max]

You can guess the team. The team should be pretty obvious.

[Zach Gallen]

You just said it. You're like, I don't understand. I'm drawing a blank.

[Max]

No, you're thinking of the guy that I think shouldn't be me that does all the time.

[Big Cat]

Oh, who's that?

[Max]

But the guy who owns me is different than that guy.

[Big Cat]

Wait, who's. Who.

[Zach Gallen]

Who shouldn't.

[Big Cat]

Who's the first one that's better.

[Max]

Last night, we put this guy on blast.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Max]

Jacob Stallings.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

That's right.

[Zach Gallen]

I don't know. I can't think.

[Max]

He's been elite for a while, and.

[Big Cat]

So when he gets you, you' like, this is.

[Max]

Gosh, damn it. This guy got me again. Every single time I watch him, I'm like, there's no way this guy's getting hit off me. And every single time he does, he'll drop one in for a 2 RBI blooper over the second baseman's head. Knock me out of the game sometimes, but yeah.

[Big Cat]

All right. So who's. Who's the answer to who owns you?

[Zach Gallen]

I can't think of who it is.

[Max]

La.

[Zach Gallen]

Freddie, Mookie close.

[Max]

Freddie probably does, too, but Muncie. Muncie, I wouldn't guess. We went on a family vacation with my wife's family, and her uncle's pretty funny. He puts together, like, these gift bags for everybody, but in there, there's like a. A dark joke for everyone, right? Like, and he literally hand typed a letter from Max Muncie to me and the Dodgers, thanking me for my services against the Dodgers. But I think Muncie's probably hitting, I would guess, 500 off me. Something like that.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. And Meryl, what's what barstool sports employee has the most unhealthy obsession with Zach?

[Max]

That's a good question.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you know Zach?

[Max]

Yeah, I'm not the one to ask about that.

[Big Cat]

There's.

[Zach Gallen]

There's a few teammates that would get this right. I don't know that he would know this.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, okay.

[Zach Gallen]

But there's a handful of guys that would, right off the bat would be like, I know exactly who you're talking.

[PFT Commenter]

And who's that guy?

[Zach Gallen]

That'd be Rico.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So. So this is a real topic we have to talk about, because, Zach, I obviously was busting your balls when we were walking in, being like, oh, I'd love to see in a Cubs uniform. I won't. I won't push any rumors, but you are in a contract year, so it's got to be like. It's got to be in your head a little bit. Do you think if Scott Boris walks in is like, hey, Zach, we're ready to get a new contract, but this guy Rico, he's bringing us down, and teams are going to see this relationship, and they're going to be like, you know what? The price went down. I mean, you have to. Have to. You have to cut him loose because he does. It is bad for. For You. How much he rides for you, and he. He turtles when you have a bad game.

[Zach Gallen]

Does he really?

[Big Cat]

Yes. That was the big.

[Zach Gallen]

Well, I respect that at least. I mean, he's just so ride or die. He's so ride or die.

[Big Cat]

I don't think, you know, he would kill. He would literally murder you for Nate oats. So you don't mean anything in the grand scheme.

[Zach Gallen]

In the grand scheme of it, yeah. This is a good point. And I never thought that I would be over NATO, so I'm fine with that.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, So I. I don't think he actually rides as hard for you as you think that he does. I think that this season he's kind of gotten off because.

[Zach Gallen]

Oh, he's definitely gotten off.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So.

[Zach Gallen]

Because I'm probably losing the money this year, so we're being frank about it.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, first start of the year, March 27th. Happy Gallon Day to all who celebrate. That's what he posted. Then your next start. Happy Gallon Day to all who celebrate. Your next start. Happy Gallon Day to all who celebrate. He hasn't done that since April 7th.

[Big Cat]

Oh, no.

[Zach Gallen]

Well, I haven't pitched good since April 7th, so that's probably why. He's probably like, I'm losing money every time this guy's out here.

[Big Cat]

No more Happy Gallon Day.

[Zach Gallen]

To be fair, he was. He was at least riding for whatever it was.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it was a long time. And we love Rico.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. We gotta bust this ball. But it was. I think it was the NLCS where I think game one where you got touched up a little.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And then he. He went silent. And then he. When you guys won game three three, he went after Max and it was like, dude, where were you? Game one, He. He does that. He goes silent on Twitter when things go. Don't go his way.

[Zach Gallen]

And then game seven was good, too.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Are you guys. I mean, that did Max.

[Zach Gallen]

Game seven.

[Big Cat]

I mean, he. That was an all time meltdown.

[PFT Commenter]

He looked ridiculous.

[Big Cat]

You guys, I've heard you talk about Merrill because you grew up a little bit in the area, but, like the. Max was just convinced that the bank was going to win that series. He was like, they can't go and win two at the bank.

[Max]

There's no way we're pitching against the crowd.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That. That is how he thinks.

[Zach Gallen]

I think it actually would have been easier to pitch against the crowd, if we're being honest.

[Max]

Some guys that are yelling at us who bring him down into the box and see how it goes.

[Big Cat]

I don't know, dude. He Was the Matt Stairs of the CAA baseball Hofstra. So he could probably take one off you guys.

[Max]

Maybe we should make that happen.

[Big Cat]

We should make that happen.

[Joey Chestnut]

But you played.

[Max]

You bring you Eric Sim out and we'll make a whole thing out of it.

[PFT Commenter]

He does have to pitch against. Against a college lineup at some point.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Because he lost our fantasy baseball league last year. Do you have any advice for him? Pitcher to pitcher, how should he approach that lineup?

[Zach Gallen]

What line of beef? Who are you facing?

[PFT Commenter]

We don't know yet because Max keeps putting the punishment off.

[Stephen Che]

It was supposed to be. It was supposed to be Tennessee. And then we had a couple. And then we had a couple rain outs. And then I broke my foot on a. Whatever. We don't have to get into how.

[Big Cat]

I broke my foot. He broke his foot being drunk.

[Stephen Che]

Just walking. Just walking home.

[Max]

That sounds a little intentional.

[Stephen Che]

It sounds like you're trying to get out. No, I mean, maybe.

[Max]

Do you have any pitching background?

[Stephen Che]

No, no. I, I, I, we, we got a radar gun out. I think I was topping out at like 62 at the moment.

[Zach Gallen]

That might actually be good for you.

[Stephen Che]

Yeah, I know that's below the hit. That's what scubal said.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

You threw like 85. I'd be like, they would love you. Might want to wear 85.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. PFT. Did it against UIC baseball. Only give up. What, two earned runs.

[PFT Commenter]

Two. Yeah, earned runs. Asterisks. I balked a lot.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I had like four balls.

[Max]

How many innings?

[PFT Commenter]

Two innings.

[Max]

Two innings.

[Brandon]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Struck a guy out. Big cat threw out the strike at it first.

[Big Cat]

I dropped the third strike, but still threw him out at first.

[PFT Commenter]

So it's like we both got a strikeout.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

Which is this stupidest rule in baseball of all time.

[Big Cat]

I love it. I love it.

[Zach Gallen]

It's so stupid.

[Big Cat]

Really? You think that's the.

[Zach Gallen]

You swing in a pitch that's that bad? That, that is. Yes, that bad. And then just because the ball, like bounced away, you get to go to first base.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta.

[Zach Gallen]

Catch it like a participation trophy.

[Big Cat]

That's what I thought.

[Max]

Like, I literally made you swing at a pitch that didn't even make it to the plate. It was that bad. And you get to run to first base.

[Big Cat]

It still counts as a K though, for you.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Max]

If we get them.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah. So you could get. Think about it this way. You could get unlimited K's in a game.

[Zach Gallen]

That is a good.

[Big Cat]

Think about the positive way.

[Zach Gallen]

I've made that joke before. I'm like, you just wanted me to get another strikeout.

[Max]

Right?

[Zach Gallen]

That's why you missed that one.

[Big Cat]

Four punches in the end when you guys like. So, Zach, was it. When. When did you have your 13 strikeout game against the Yankees? Was it last year? No.

[Zach Gallen]

This year? Yeah. In April.

[Big Cat]

Did you.

[Max]

That was probably right after that guy stopped. Right before that guy stopped tweeting.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Rico, when you. When, like, do you know when you have it like that on a given day or how fast during the game are you like, oh, it's. It's different today.

[Zach Gallen]

Yes and no. I mean, there's been games where I've. I go back, there was a game against the Dodgers where in the bullpen, I felt like I'm like. Like, well, see what's gonna happen today? And then wound up punching on, like, 12 or 13 that day. So, like, you don't really know until the game's going on. And in that Yankees game, I didn't know that I had 13Ks. Like, stuff was just moving how I wanted it to. They were swinging at pitches that I wanted them to. So it kind of worked out. But I'd say, like, probably by, like, the third inning, you're like, okay. Like, everything's kind of working how I wanted to. Like, you've been through the lineup, like, one time, you're like, all right, I got a pretty good idea of what's going on.

[Big Cat]

Do you think the rec specs help you? Because you do look like a nerd and, like, guys don't take you as seriously.

[Zach Gallen]

It's like an opposite. Intimidation.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Right. No way can this nerd strike me out.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah, that's probably. Probably how I was doing.

[Max]

The long hair.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah, the long hair. Yeah, it's. Yeah, the. The astigmatism, that's. That's what I'm chalking it up to.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah. Maybe it's a reverse kind of intimidation thing.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Have you guys noticed the stitches on the ball being any different this year?

[Zach Gallen]

I just talked about this the other day.

[Big Cat]

The.

[Zach Gallen]

The drag. You seen that?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I don't drag Set four.

[Big Cat]

You guys have to say you don't notice it.

[Max]

Yeah, I honestly haven't noticed it, to be honest.

[Zach Gallen]

I give him some far home runs this year, so I must be using different balls. They must just have the ones specifically for when I'm pitching. And the other low drag ones, I.

[Max]

Mean, I will say the last couple years, I mean, I'll get balls back that are. Exit vila. Like 73 miles an hour. And the whole half of it is just Dented. Like, the whole half is just lopsided when you get it back.

[Big Cat]

Huh.

[Max]

And balls that aren't even, like, scorched, it'll be like a little jam shot, pop up, and I'll get it back, and the whole half will just be, like, cut off.

[PFT Commenter]

The other thing I'm interested in with, like, how they prepare the balls is the mud that gets put on them. So do you have, like, a specific way that you guys like to have your balls handled?

[Max]

We actually give our bull. We actually give our bullpen catchers a lot of for this because they're the ones in charge of rubbing our balls up.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Max]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

Some days they don't rubber balls that good. Yeah.

[Max]

And some days they're a little dry.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

We tell them to get a little bit more moisture on the balls. Yeah. It's a little bit better, but I like that.

[Jerry]

Yeah, yeah.

[Max]

If you pull one out and it's a little chalky, it's like, come on. Come on, man.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

Take some more time rubbing those balls, please.

[Big Cat]

What that mouth do? Wait, so, Meryl, you. You. You were the. I think you're the only pitcher to pitch in the World Series, in the Korean World Series. Is that correct?

[Max]

I think I saw that somewhere.

[Big Cat]

That's crazy.

[Zach Gallen]

That's wild.

[Max]

Yeah, it was fun.

[Big Cat]

So what was it like pitching in Korea?

[Max]

Awesome.

[Big Cat]

Like, is it just the same game? Like, is it the talent?

[Max]

Pretty much, yeah. The talent level is getting there. When I was there, it's. It was still to be desired a little bit. Like, there were guys that could play in the big leagues all the way to guys that probably wouldn't even sniff the field on my junior college team.

[Big Cat]

Really?

[Max]

And anywhere in between that, the game pretty much is the same. Right. Once you get in between the white lines, it's the same. There's a smoke break after the fifth inning. They do a fifth inning break rather than a seventh inning break because obviously Koreans just pound cigarettes.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

So the fifth inning break is funny. All the starters will come off and they'll go pound their cigarette, and all the bench guys and the relievers will go out in the field and stretch and run around and warm up and stuff, and then we'll come back out and resume the game.

[Big Cat]

That's. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And you were on the. The wyverns, right?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you know what is a wyvern?

[Max]

It's like a mythical dragon.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Max]

So best way to describe it, I.

[PFT Commenter]

Think we play dungeon and dragons a couple times a year and.

[Max]

A couple times a year?

[Merrill Kelly]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

Whenever you're feeling risky, we do it on the show.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Max]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

And our dungeon master, Tim woods, is obsessed with wyverns at the wyvern is actually the purest form of the dragon. Something to do with, like, the wings and the legs.

[Zach Gallen]

Fan or what?

[Big Cat]

Maybe.

[Max]

Maybe we need to get him a SK jersey.

[PFT Commenter]

Get him.

[Max]

I don't know if they make them anymore. They sold. They said it's a different team now, but.

[PFT Commenter]

So when you're playing in Korea and you're going up against a guy that you said, like, probably wouldn't even play junior college ball, do you have to, like, lock yourself in more when you're facing that guy? Because you're like, I. I can't. I can't let up a hit to this guy. That sucks.

[Max]

Honestly, I just try to throw it right down the middle and want them to hit it because they're pesky over there. They'll just foul off until they die. So I would rather just. Here's a first pitch fastball. If you hit it the best you can, it might make it to the outfielder and otherwise it's going to just bloop into somebody's glove. So I'm just going to give you a first pitch heater and hopefully move on.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

And then focus back on the guys that actually. Yeah, basically.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Max]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Do you guys miss batting? Were you still.

[Zach Gallen]

No.

[Big Cat]

No, batting was the best.

[Max]

No, batting was so worse.

[Big Cat]

No, but home runs, like, by a pitcher was so cool. So cool.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

It was.

[Zach Gallen]

The only time that the pitcher hitting was good was they'd come up with, like, bases loaded, one out, and like a big spot, and you're like, oh, thank God. I can either get a strike out here or a double play. Unless you're facing, like, the couple of guys that could hit. But for the most part, like my dad used to get, he would be like, swing the bat. I'm like, dad, they don't pay me any more or less if I'm getting hit.

[Max]

I remember you, and all I could.

[Zach Gallen]

Do is get hurt.

[Max]

I remember. I remember you and Bum got into it that one day at bp.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Max]

Because that's his argument. Like, they don't pay me to hit. And you know, mad Bum was a good hitter. He liked to hit homer. So he, like, really took pride in it. So the fact that he said that, like, really offended.

[Big Cat]

He got mad at you?

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah, he got mad because it's like.

[Max]

No, they literally do pay you to hit.

[Zach Gallen]

This is when they were, like, negotiating between the DH or no dh, whatever. They were doing, and I just was like, all. All you can do out there is get hurt. Like, I just saw the total downside of it, and I, like, was a decent hitter. I could bunch. Like, I was fine. It was just more of like, this seems like an occupational hazard. That.

[Max]

And you did. You ended up breaking your arms.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah, I had a hairline fracture in my elbow. Wait for bunting from taking BP in the cage. Like, one of the first weeks in, like, spring training. I was like, oh, this doesn't feel right. They couldn't figure out what it was. And I finally got an mri, and they were like, you have a tiny hairline fracture in your elbow, so you're.

[PFT Commenter]

Never gonna take BP again.

[Zach Gallen]

I haven't. Oh. I. I took it that year because we were hitting, but, like, I had to be, like, I had to bond the first, like, two months of that season because they didn't want me to swing. It was like a. Yeah, it was a whole thing.

[Max]

Wait, was hitting sucked?

[Big Cat]

Was Bumgarner, like, was he actually pissed? Because that's a guy you don't want to have pissed at you.

[Zach Gallen]

I'm not sure. I think he's like. I think he was, like, 60, 40. I think he was trying to give me, like, the young guy, like, rookie, like, kind of hazing type of deal, but also was like, I want to keep hitting.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

Yeah. He was upset. He loved it.

[Big Cat]

What is the rookie hazing in. In major league Baseball? I feel like it's just, like, wear a weird costume.

[Zach Gallen]

We don't really do that.

[Max]

Yeah. Nowadays it's nothing, really.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Damn.

[Max]

How society's gone. It's like.

[Big Cat]

It's gone.

[Max]

Yeah. You can't really do that much anymore.

[Zach Gallen]

Like, the last probably thing is, like, have. Bring beers on the bus, Would you say?

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Oh, man, that's real.

[Max]

Every once in a while.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah, exactly.

[Max]

Every once in a while, somebody might get up there and sing. We might, you know, have somebody get up there and tell their life story and sing. But even there's a couple guys that don't really like that either, so it doesn't really much. Yeah, there's not really much of that that goes on anymore, at least in our organization. That's the only organization I've been with, so I can't speak for other teams. I don't know what they do, but as far as we go, we. There's not really much.

[Big Cat]

You should just have Rico come on the road with you and be like, the hazing is. You have to stay in a room with him. Sleep talks. He, like, screams in his sleep. Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

Yes, I've seen some of that from surviving.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that would be awesome.

[Max]

You're with Rico about what are the night terror?

[Big Cat]

He screams.

[PFT Commenter]

So he sleeps with the lights on. He screams in the middle of the night, and he plays show tunes on his speakerphone.

[Max]

Yeah, there's no way that's how he sleeps every night.

[Zach Gallen]

He falls asleep to show it to you.

[PFT Commenter]

He had the rent soundtrack. I had to share a room with him for a couple nights, and I. I couldn't believe anything.

[Zach Gallen]

So random.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, no, I didn't have a sleep mask on or anything. It was just like this is this can't real.

[Max]

Just raw dog, like, people raw dog flights. You were just raw dogging sleep.

[PFT Commenter]

I was raw dogging Rico.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And. And trying to fall asleep in that environment is miserable. It's challenging. It's like you can't believe that this is real human being. That's no wonder. He's crazy and I love him, but he's. He's nuts because he stays up all night screaming and listening to show tunes.

[Zach Gallen]

Does Rico know the rent soundtrack, like, by heart?

[Big Cat]

Probably.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know. It's probably absorbed into his brain.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, right.

[Zach Gallen]

Like. Like, what is it, Osmosis? Yeah, just kind of.

[Big Cat]

He probably, like, if. Yeah, if, like, he went to see Rent and like, the, you know, the lead got sick, he could like, jump on and just be like, I got, I got it. I got.

[Zach Gallen]

I'll handle it.

[PFT Commenter]

In Korea, did you ever get to see the bunting derby?

[Max]

I was a part of it.

[PFT Commenter]

You were part of it.

[Max]

That's to me that there's some YouTube out there somewhere. I don't know.

[PFT Commenter]

But MLB needs to incorporate the bunt derby into the all star.

[Max]

Draw a crowd.

[PFT Commenter]

I love watching it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So what was that like?

[Big Cat]

What.

[PFT Commenter]

What did they have you do doing that?

[Max]

It was cool because my. I flew my brother over. My brother came over for the all star game, so he's the one actually threw to me. But yeah, they just have these three targets set up. One to the left side, one of the, like, down the first base side, and then one right in the middle. And you just. Yeah, just like it sounds. You just bond. You try to get it in the target as much as you can.

[PFT Commenter]

How'd you do?

[Max]

I did all right. I didn't win. My brother was a little amped up. Was firing him in there a little bit, a little too hard. He was a little excited. And then we. We do it. Then we watch the next guys Come up and like, they're literally just like lobbing these balls in there. And these guys are just like softly tapping, placing them in there.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

We didn't, we didn't talk strategy before that.

[PFT Commenter]

They got to bring that to Major League Baseball.

[Zach Gallen]

It used to be in Triple A derby.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

In the AAA All Star game, they would do it in 18. I was in it.

[Max]

Really?

[Zach Gallen]

And I was like, this is. Yeah, it was to your point. Like the BP was coming in too fast. I'm like, they're. You can't stop this.

[Big Cat]

No, it's.

[Zach Gallen]

It doesn't. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, I just think it would be the most electric thing to gamble on.

[Max]

Yeah, I could see that. I could definitely see that. Because then you're trying to look up stats of like, all right, is this guy actually a good bunter in like the games?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Max]

You take that into the bunting derby.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Every time you make contact, like, I'm watching to see where the ball is going to land. You have a good like five, six second rush of adrenaline, watching on tv, being like, oh, that's going up. It'd be great.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. How much of your guys success as pitchers do you owe to Dan Heron? And is it all.

[Max]

Why do you laugh at that?

[Zach Gallen]

No, I, I was just, I was surprised it took this long to get it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I mean, we give it. We give, we give him all this, all the credit. You tell me if that's wrong, but he is a genius.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah. I talk to Dan a lot.

[Big Cat]

What does he do? Actually? Because I actually don't like in real. Honestly, I don't think he does anything.

[Max]

He puts together. He writes up all of our scouting reports. Okay, so all the starting pitcher scouting reports. Dan is the one behind about the other lineup.

[Zach Gallen]

Yes.

[Big Cat]

And he's really good at that. Yeah, that's pretty sick. Yeah, he's an awesome dude.

[Zach Gallen]

He's the best.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, he's.

[Zach Gallen]

He. He puts good reports together. Sometimes too good.

[Big Cat]

What does that mean?

[Zach Gallen]

Like, there's so much information on there that like. Yeah, I'm like, Dan, how did you. How did you find this number? Yeah, like, and then I gotta go look at it and be like, like, damn, he found. I don't know how I found that number.

[Big Cat]

Does he come out, like every now and then and like, actually, like, talk to you guys about pitching? Because I know he still lives in California, so he was just in.

[Max]

Yeah, he was just with us.

[Zach Gallen]

Colorado.

[Max]

In Colorado.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Does he give you like, tips? Because Dan's career is like, fascinating because he basically, he Was such a stud and then obviously got hurt with his back, but then continued to, you know, be, in the end, a really long time. Yeah. Where he basically pitched two different ways.

[Max]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

So he kind of knows everything about pitching. It would seem like. Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

The cool thing about Dan is that he always is, like, it's. No, I'm. He never wants to bring, like, make it about him. He's like, I'm not gonna talk about, like, what I did.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

Like, if you got questions he's got. He'll try and answer them.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

Which I think is cool, because people who play a long time could be like, you know, me, me, me. I did this, I did that. And it's like. He's like, do your thing if you need questions. Like, I'll answer questions if you want me to.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. That's why we give him a lot of credit.

[PFT Commenter]

All the credit.

[Big Cat]

Because we know it makes him uncomfortable. He's not that type of guy.

[Max]

He's not that type of guy at all.

[Big Cat]

So we like to really give him.

[Zach Gallen]

A lot of credit.

[Big Cat]

So much credit. You guys should give him a lot of credit just to make him uncomfortable.

[Max]

We do. We do give him a lot of credit.

[Big Cat]

Like, you wouldn't be here without him right now.

[Zach Gallen]

Give you so much credit.

[Big Cat]

I haven't said it in a while. I love you, man.

[PFT Commenter]

Just want to say thank you for all you've done for me.

[Big Cat]

He'll get uncomfortable.

[Max]

Yeah, he'll definitely get uncomfortable.

[PFT Commenter]

Ask him how his pug's doing, too.

[Max]

I'll say, he's got a cool pug.

[PFT Commenter]

Marrow rip, Bernie, right?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

And the PMT boys give you so.

[PFT Commenter]

Much credit, so it's great.

[Big Cat]

He's gonna hate listening to this because he just gets so.

[Max]

He doesn't want any of it. He doesn't want any of it. He stays in the. He stays in the shadows.

[Zach Gallen]

He'll expect. Because I told him we were coming.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

He's like, I know something's gonna come out of this.

[Big Cat]

Well, I asked him. I was like, hey, if you got any good questions for Merrill or Zach, let me know they're coming in. And he just hearted the message. I was like, thanks, dad. Thanks for nothing.

[Max]

He was looking after.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

If I was a starting pitcher, you.

[Max]

Wouldn'T give me a full report, sport.

[Big Cat]

But he didn't give me no.

[Max]

Good for him.

[Zach Gallen]

See, I respect. I've gone on other podcasts where, like, they've been like, we know you eat this for breakfast. And I'm like, who is your source? Who are you?

[Max]

Talking to.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Max]

You call your dad.

[Zach Gallen]

So dad.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

The Source was actually kind of a, like, out of the blue. I was like, wow.

[Jerry]

Really?

[Max]

Like, there was actually.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Wait, Mary, what does he eat for breakfast?

[Max]

Yeah, I saw him at Kith the other day in. In Toronto eating French toast, so.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, that's kind of heavy.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah, I got a French. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

What do you eat for breakfast?

[Zach Gallen]

No, that, like, most of the time it's like, either French toast. I like chicken and waffles, or eggs Benedict are, like, most of the time.

[Big Cat]

A French toast is kind of crazy. So that is worth the question being like, what do you have? No, I wouldn't say French toast.

[Zach Gallen]

No, I wouldn't say every time. Most of the time is eggs Benedict. That's what I go with. That's my go to just feel like.

[Big Cat]

I start every day with French toast. Yeah, that is a crazy move.

[Zach Gallen]

Admittedly, I'm not even kids that if.

[Max]

You want to pitch in the big.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

Eggs Benedict, though, is a theme, though. It's my favorite, too.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you eat differently on days that you start?

[Zach Gallen]

Not really. Like, I try to keep it the same, like, which is not the same every day. Like, just eat breakfast, you know, go about my day.

[PFT Commenter]

Like, just try to keep your body off balance a little bit.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah. Keep it on its toes. Like, make sure.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you lose track of what day of the week it is?

[Zach Gallen]

Yes.

[Max]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Zach Gallen]

All the time.

[PFT Commenter]

I would imagine that would be something that would be. That would be different about baseball players.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

I mean, we're in our third city in a week and a half. Third time zone. Week and a half.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Every.

[Max]

Yeah. You don't know what days. You know, what day you're pitching. And then after that, it's like, I.

[Zach Gallen]

Don'T know, you kind of know by, like, what time the game is. You're like, all right, it's a day game. It's probably Sunday or Wednesday or Thursday. Anything else, you know it ends in what we know it ends in. Yeah, Like. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Quick break from Zach Gallen and Merrill Kelly to talk to you guys about Friday, July 11. Netflix and most Valuable Promotions brings you two of the fiercest female athletes on the planet. One ring, one final chapter. Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano's last fight on Netflix was the most watched women's sporting event in history. And this is the third fight in the historic trilogy. There's nothing like a boxing trilogy. Katie Taylor is chasing ultimate glory. Amanda Serrano is fighting for redemption and revenge. I'm telling you right now, you need to be sitting on your couch on Friday, July 11, and watching this fight because it will not disappoint. Watch Katie Taylor versus Amanda Serrano, Friday, July 11th at 8:00pm Eastern, 5:00pm Pacific Standard Time, live on Netflix. If you already have a Netflix subscription, guess what? You already have this fight. So there's no reason not to be watching because it's going to be that good. I'm telling you, it's giving the big cat guarantee. If you don't like it, you can complain to me on Twitter. This is going to deliver. This is going to be an incredible fight. Katie Taylor going up against Amanda Serrano for the trilogy on Netflix. Friday, Friday, July 11, at 8pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific Standard Time, live on Netflix. Okay, let's get back to Zach Gallen and Merrill Kelly. What's your. What's your favorite day of, like, the five day, you know, like, starting and then the, like, what's the day? Because I, I always. This is very sad and pathetic that, like, I'm not motivated, but I always daydream of being a pitcher the day after I had a start, because I feel like that would rock, just being, like, walking around the dugout being like, all right, boys, I took care of business yesterday. Up to you.

[Max]

That's if you took care of business.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. If you took care of business. Yeah. Well, in my, in my dream, I always take care of business.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. They call those dig me days.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Max]

Spa days.

[Zach Gallen]

Your spa day. Oh, like, look at me, like, dig me day. I was like, I got to pro ball. I'm like, dig. What is that? And they're. That. They explain it to me.

[Big Cat]

But does it. It's got to feel good. Right. Even if you're not trying to look for it, like, being like, I, I had a gem, or I, I pitched great deep into the game, and then the next day, you just kind of could chill.

[Max]

Yeah. There's definitely something to be said knowing that you just pitch really well and walking into the stadium the next day knowing that there's absolutely zero way that you're going to contribute to that game.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Max]

Other than cheering on the boys and, you know, doing whatever in the dugout. Like, there's no way that I'm gonna enter the. The field of play today.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

It's got to be great. Like a little mini vacation that you're on.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you guys get butterflies when you have to pitch?

[Max]

Yeah, I would say so. Not as much as when I was younger, but it's. They're. They're still There because.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah, it's more like an anxious, like, let's go, let's play like the game. Sometimes I'm like, I wish this game would start.

[Max]

So you must love especially wait five days.

[Big Cat]

Do you like pitch clock or no? Oh, no. Yes.

[Max]

And as a, as a fan watching the game. Yes. Pitching in the game, there's times that I would love for the game to slow down a little bit.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

Like sometimes you're out there and you're just like this. It's five seconds already.

[Max]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

Like, what are we doing?

[Max]

Like, you just turned around and it's three seconds. You have to throw the ball.

[Zach Gallen]

But to your point, you're watching the game and it's over in two hours and 30 minutes. You're like, this is pretty nice invention of all.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, Pretty nice.

[Max]

I thought I was gonna hate it, but I don't. I don't mind it.

[PFT Commenter]

How do we feel about the robot arms?

[Max]

Tough question for. I feel like, for us to answer because we haven't experienced them yet.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Max]

The guys in AAA have done the whole ABS system and they've seen what it does. I like the idea of the challenge system a lot better.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

I think it kind of brings everything together. It's like, because in my opinion, the pitches that are missed throughout the game. Right. Like, if you miss a pitch in the first inning, like, is that really going to make a difference in the ninth innings? But I go back to the World Series, that strike three that Moreno got called out on, that was this far off the plate, you know, if he taps his head right there to ball four, he's going to first and the game changes in a big way. So I think the abs, I think, is a little bit much. I don't know how you make that consistent over 30 stadiums.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Max]

But I like the idea of the challenge system.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

What about pitching on short rest? You guys both done it. Is it. Is it brutal?

[Max]

I don't think I've ever done it. I don't know if I've ever done it.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah, I don't think.

[Max]

I don't think I've ever.

[Big Cat]

Because that's one of those things where from a fan's perspective, I'm like, yeah, why not just go pitch on short rest? Like, just suck it up, dude. I would do it.

[Max]

Take a couple anti inflams and just run out there.

[Big Cat]

When does your arms start to feel good again? Is it really. Does it take the full four days off?

[Max]

Probably depends on the guy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

In theory, you probably could, like, most Guys could probably pitch on short rest, like, one day, but over a period of the season, like, the compounding factor would be, like, a problem, I think. But yeah, you could do it. Like, I mean, you see guys do it in the playoffs all the time. Yeah, you get the adrenaline boost. Like, it works out, but probably not the safest way to go about.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

How sore are you after a game? Let's say you go eight innings. How sore are you when you wake up the next day?

[Zach Gallen]

Pretty sore for the most part. If it's. Except like, if we're in Colorado, you're like, extra sore just from, like, the elevation, the lack of oxygen, all that stuff. So, like, you get super sore. I would say I get sore on day two. For me, that's when I'm like. Like day one, I'm like, all right. Like, my body's sore. Like, I feel like I pitched eight innings, but, like, my arm is sore on day two. Like, trying to play catch and move and, you know, you get that delayed.

[Max]

Onset or whatever, something called doms. Yeah, Delayed onset muscle soreness.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

I wouldn't know about that. Ye. What. Where's your least favorite place to. To pitch? Not Colorado. Not taking out Colorado, because that's an easy answer, obviously in division for you guys. But what's. And maybe it's like, time of day too. Shadows or whatever. But what's the place? You're like, man, this sucks regularly when.

[Zach Gallen]

The wind's blowing out.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's. Yeah, that. That one is not fair. Yeah. We were just talking before the.

[Brandon]

The.

[Big Cat]

The game you guys played against the Cubs this year where it's. I think it was 16 runs in an inning and a half, which just. You guys aren't even, are you? Like, what do you. What's even. Your strategy in that?

[Max]

Try to keep it on the ground.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

Throw some.

[Big Cat]

Throw a sinker for the first time.

[Max]

Sinkers and change ups and cutters and try to get them to hit it on the ground.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

It's not good for me because the. For me, I induce pop ups, fly balls, like, whatever. So I'm like, this is tough.

[Big Cat]

Everything's going.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Is there another one, though, that you're like, oh, this is a tough place to pitch. Or it's like, so bad because of the.

[Jerry]

Yeah, well, I got it.

[Zach Gallen]

I got another one.

[Max]

I'm gonna do a two part. Is it because of the team that you face in that stadium or is it the stadium itself? I got. This place just sucks pitching in.

[Big Cat]

Give me both.

[Max]

For me. I love pitching in the LA Stadium. But I get absolutely shellacked there.

[Big Cat]

So I. Yeah.

[Max]

Don't like pitching there because the. Because the Dodgers just light me up.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. The lineup's not fun to pitch against. Yeah.

[Max]

But the atmosphere is my. Probably my favorite place to play.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Joey Chestnut]

League.

[Max]

They're either. There a Petco.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

Cincinnati's tough.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[Zach Gallen]

That's what I was gonna say.

[Max]

Cincinnati's pretty brutal.

[Big Cat]

Ball flies out there.

[Max]

Ball flies in the mound. I know we. I know they're supposed to have regulations on how high the mound is, but whatever they're doing, they're cheating for sure.

[Big Cat]

What do you mean?

[Max]

It's way lower.

[Zach Gallen]

That mound is so flat.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, you have to look into that.

[Zach Gallen]

Look into it.

[Big Cat]

That's crazy.

[Max]

Like, our mound at home feels like a mountain compared to Cincinnati.

[Big Cat]

And you can notice right away when.

[Zach Gallen]

You stand on it, you can notice it from. You're like, that's a flat. That mountain is flat.

[PFT Commenter]

Why would they do that?

[Zach Gallen]

My guess is, like, maybe their pitchers.

[PFT Commenter]

Are like, this sucks. I have to pitch here all the time.

[Zach Gallen]

Well, if you think about, like, they could then try to acquire the pitches. Pitchers that, like, pitch best on that type of mound, like sinker ballers or whatever it is that works on that mound.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

They'd be like, all right, we're gonna stick with these guys because it benefits them, but it's really worked out. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

That's crazy. What's the highest mount? I don't know.

[Max]

I feel like ours is pretty big.

[Zach Gallen]

Ours is pretty big. I feel like. Is San Francisco kind of high?

[Big Cat]

San Francisco.

[Zach Gallen]

I never even thought Miami's high. I think Miami high. Mountain. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Because it is supposed to be all the same, right?

[Max]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah. You would think, but I don't know that there's a. I don't know. There's a rule on the. The angle of the slope. Like, it just has to be like, whatever it is. 10 inches high. Like. But I don't know that it says, like. Okay, well, then where you land has to be 4 inches high.

[Big Cat]

Right. Right.

[Zach Gallen]

I don't know if there's a rule with that.

[Max]

You're right.

[Zach Gallen]

Throw that out and.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, but they can make it 10 inches and then just have it be like, 10 inches across instead of. Yeah. Right.

[Zach Gallen]

You guys have been operating with this thing the whole time.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

No idea.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, we got Max back there.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I notice you didn't say the. The bank.

[Max]

What about the bank?

[PFT Commenter]

Not a tough place to play.

[Max]

Yeah, it's definitely. I mean, it's. That Those games in the playoffs were the most hostile.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Max]

Sporting event that I've ever been a part of, hands down, for sure. But I. I don't know. It also makes it fun for us, you know, it's like.

[Big Cat]

That's feed off it.

[Max]

Like Covid. One of the reasons why playing in Covid sucks so much is because it was silent. You know, it's like you pump in the crowd noise and you see cardboard cutouts in the stands and it's just quiet. Like.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Max]

For us, baseball's fun with fans. I mean, that's one reason. That's one of the reasons.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Max]

Why we play. You know, it's like when it's that.

[Zach Gallen]

Loud, it's like white noise. Like, you don't really. You don't really hear it at that point, I suppose. Like I played New Orleans where there was like 30 people at each game and you'd hear that like one idiot like in the corner being like, boss ball. And you're like, that's way worse than just like 45, 000 people just screaming the whole time.

[Max]

Because whether they're screaming for you against you, at least. It's like, it brings energy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Max]

It's fun.

[Big Cat]

What was it like, Meryl, being called the worst pitcher in the league by your own coach? He actually said that?

[Max]

Yeah, he said, I'm not gonna lie to you.

[Big Cat]

I said.

[Max]

He said, since the All Star break, you are the worst statistical starting pitcher in the big league. In the big leagues.

[Big Cat]

You. You should have reversed it. You've been like, well, you're the worst coach for putting me out there. Like you more on. Yeah.

[Max]

And then my ass would have for sure been in the bullpen. I was trying to avoid the bullpen at all costs. I literally went to age to avoid the bullpen. I wasn't gonna try to do it here.

[Big Cat]

Wait, you didn't like the bullpen that much?

[Max]

I mean, that's. Yes and no. My. My role in Tampa was like, what that. What's called the swingman.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

Like I was a long relief and then if somebody got hurt, I would start. And then when that guy came back, it didn't matter how good I did. I could be the best starter for six straight starts in the rotation. But if that guy came back, I was going to. I was the guy that went back to the bullpen.

[Big Cat]

That'd be frustrating. And I just.

[Max]

Yeah, I hated it. Yeah, it wasn't fun. That. That nine game stretch was probably the lowest point of my career.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

I couldn't get past If I made it to the fifth inning, it was a miracle.

[Big Cat]

So how did you get out of that?

[Max]

Honestly, my back was against. Just against the wall. I didn't really have a choice. It was like I. I tried some different mechanical stuff and I just. I started doing like a Felix Hernandez turn and just started letting the ball absolutely fly. And it worked. Stuff started ticking up. The velo ticked up. Stuff started moving again. And then once I got a couple games after that under my belt, then the confidence started coming back, and after that, it kind of just took off.

[PFT Commenter]

Open pitchers, that's got to be just a complete mind not being able to prepare like the same way every single time, not knowing if you're going to get into the game. How do you manage? I understand it sucks. And that's why you, you know, you're like, it. I'll go pitch in Korea.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I hated it.

[PFT Commenter]

But, like, what's that. What's that, like, day to day?

[Max]

I mean, one of the reasons I like starting is what you said. Like, I know what day I am pitching. I know what days I have to do, but that's how my brain works. Some guys. Some guys don't like that. Some guys can't handle knowing when they're pitching. Some guys, they work way better in the bullpen because it's just. They turn their brain off and then once the phone rings and their name calls, then they turn it back on.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

It's a different mentality just because you're never. Unless. For me, I was a long guy. If I threw three innings or four innings in a game, I knew the next couple days I was down. But for normal bullpen guys, like, they're pretty much on call every single day.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

So the thought of not being able to turn your brain off is different than, like I said that day one, it's like, I know. 100. I'm not getting in the game for those guys. They never have that feeling. And that's. I didn't. I didn't enjoy that.

[Big Cat]

Who's the best hitter on your team? You got some All Stars coming up.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

You got to get some guys in the All Star game.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah. I think for. I mean, for sure.

[Max]

My guess would be, I think it's leading.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Max]

Second base voting right now.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

Corbin's probably up there, too.

[Big Cat]

Gino.

[Zach Gallen]

Gino. And then Perdomo and even Naylor. Sneaky, like nails. Having a good year. Eat something. Ops.

[Max]

Yeah. 300.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah. So, I mean, offense. Our offense is so good.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

Like, it's. It's Honestly, incredible.

[Max]

Yeah, dude. It's been our strength. If you guys, in my opinion, our best overall hitter is. My mind. Got to be Cato.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. He's an absolute switch hitter.

[Max]

Hits for power, hits for average.

[Big Cat]

Does he talk to his bat? Was that. Was that that clip? Yeah, yeah, it was. He does talk to his bat, right? What does he say to his bat?

[Max]

I couldn't tell you.

[Zach Gallen]

It's in Spanish.

[Big Cat]

He's just. He's just. Is he like. Well, tell me this. Is it. Is he angry at his bat or is he, like, happy with it?

[Max]

I think in that clip, he was probably angry with him. Yeah, I think he was telling him. I can't remember when it was. There was a clip of him sitting there talking to him.

[Big Cat]

He was, like, having a full conversation with his bat.

[Max]

Yeah. Did the bat talk, Marty?

[Big Cat]

I don't know. I just. But I saw it, and I was just like, oh, seems like the bat did something here.

[Max]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Marty's. Marty's funny. Marty's got all kinds of stuff going on.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I. I read that you guys had a. Was it officially a players only meeting?

[Max]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

What happened?

[PFT Commenter]

What happens in a players only meeting?

[Zach Gallen]

For starters, it's players only.

[Big Cat]

Well, pretend we're playing. We're in here. Yeah, We.

[PFT Commenter]

We struck out uic.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Max]

You struck out usc, uic.

[Zach Gallen]

I'm. I don't talk in the media. I'm not a very vocal leader.

[Big Cat]

I'm just like, Are you snitch?

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah, I'm a snitch. I just dry snitch. I run.

[Joey Chestnut]

Right. Just recording.

[Max]

He's got a recording out on the back. He's got his phone. It's more just like. It's try to. It's basically try to nip whatever's going.

[Big Cat]

On in the bud.

[Max]

Like. Right. If anybody's got something to say, say it now. If. If you got something against, you know, if. If you don't like what a teammate's doing, if you don't like what the manager's doing, if you don't like how whatever you don't like or whatever you think is going on at that time, it's just a. It's a. Just a come to Jesus meeting and try to figure it out. Most of the time, it doesn't always work. You know, it's like. It's kind of a thing that we just feel like. I feel like it gets to the point where you feel like you have to do something.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Max]

Right. Somebody needs to say something because it's just gotten to the. Just that bad. But, yeah, it's just kind of like, air it out. If you got something to say, say it. Pick your stuff, pick your up, and let's go.

[Big Cat]

All right, Very important question. If Dan Heron was in town, he.

[Max]

Would not be running that meeting.

[Big Cat]

Would you. Would you invite him to the players only? No, he would. What if he was like, please, guys.

[Joey Chestnut]

He wouldn't.

[Max]

He would never.

[Big Cat]

If he was just like, please, guys. I just. I want to feel like a player again for. For one second.

[Max]

Probably not.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I can imagine, like, maybe 10 of the time, a players only meeting works really well, and the other 90, it just turns into, like, just an argument.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

Honestly not. No, because the players only meeting happens, and it's like, all right, the. A veteran calls the meeting, and then it's like that veteran who calls it talks, and then there's probably, like, two or three other veterans that talk. And then it always. The question is kind of if any young guys want to say anything, get up and say something. And then no one.

[Max]

It's like, unless it's Perdomo.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah. Like, so it's one of those things of just like, all right, let's talk about this.

[Big Cat]

I guess.

[Zach Gallen]

I don't know. But it's not.

[Max]

Yeah, it's a weird thing.

[Zach Gallen]

It is a weird thing.

[Big Cat]

Zach, is it true when you were five years old, you refused to play T ball so that you could play Little League?

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah, I didn't want to play.

[Big Cat]

So you just like, I'm not doing this well.

[Zach Gallen]

I just thought it was like, okay, well, because. Okay, so my brother's a few years older than me, so I kind of knew, like, the lay of the land, of how it worked. And I was like, every game ends in a tie. Everyone gets, like, a dollar at this. Now I'm like, that sounds terrible. And my dad coached the seven, eight, nine, year old team, so I was like, why would I go play T ball when I could go play real baseball?

[Max]

That's so funny. That was you at five. Yeah, It's. That's like. It fits perfect.

[Zach Gallen]

I'm like, I want no part.

[Big Cat]

That's so fun. I'm not a baby, exactly.

[Zach Gallen]

Even though I was like, I was, like, this tall, and, like, the grass was taller than me in my field. It was. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Did your brother play baseball, like, continue playing baseball?

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah, my brother played all the way up until college, through college, and then just was. He was a good player. He was just undersized.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

Like, just. He was. If Dustin Pedro would have came A few years earlier, maybe he would have had a little different career, but that's good. Yeah, the undersized guy wasn't getting any love then.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So when you're five years old and you start playing with seven year olds.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah, seven, eight, nine.

[PFT Commenter]

How were you? Like you were facing off against nine year olds as a fighter?

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah, I didn't get a hit the first, like when I was five. Like, I didn't get a hit.

[Big Cat]

Like, I was just up there the entire year.

[Zach Gallen]

The entire year. Like. And the funny part, all the nine.

[Max]

Year olds are saying, there's no way.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah, look at this guy. Like, there's no chance.

[PFT Commenter]

I would have drilled you if you're like a five year old and I'm nine. So like, who is this exactly?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

I had to wear like a. I think they, I forget if it was like five and six or whatever. You had to wear like a vest, like if you got hit with a ball, like, because like you could stop your horror or whatever. Yeah, wear that with like the face mask, like batting helmet. It was a, it was tough, but I never got a hit. So I'd come back to the dugout and be like upset, like cry, like, because I want to be good. So I get to six and I struck out at six and like the first at bat I came back and my dad was like, no more crying. Like, we're not doing that shit anymore.

[Big Cat]

And I was like, all right.

[Zach Gallen]

And then I got a hit and I was like, all right, all is well is good. So. Yeah, but yeah, he was like, we're not doing that anymore.

[PFT Commenter]

Dan here needs to include that in your write ups. Like, hey, no more crying.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

I see your dad saying that too.

[Zach Gallen]

He didn't actually curse, but he was like, we're not doing that anymore. Like, that was five year old stuff. This is six year old.

[Big Cat]

This is big, this big league stuff.

[Max]

See, I could have seen him. I could have seen him cussing at.

[Zach Gallen]

You, but it was good. And yeah, they made my dad draft me like in the, in the town draft. My dad was like, let me just give him a uniform, put him. I'm gonna put him in right field. Like he's gonna play like once every other game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

And the commissioner was our next door neighbor. He was like, he's like, you gotta draft him. My dad's like, I gotta draft a five year old and my dad gives my brother credit. He's like, listen, he's like, take him with you. Got to take him in like the third round or whatever. He's like, take him in the third round. He's like, because next year you're gonna take him in the first round. He's like, so if you take him to third this year, you'll get your first round pick next year too.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

So my, my brother GM'd it and it worked out.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. That's incredible. I love that.

[PFT Commenter]

I think that's fair.

[Max]

GM and Little League gm.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I think that's fair to make your guy draft you. Like.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah.

[Max]

If you want him to play at 5. If you don't want to play T ball, you got to do what you got to do.

[PFT Commenter]

This five year old's not gonna be somebody else's problem.

[Big Cat]

You have to take.

[Zach Gallen]

You have to take them. Yeah, it's your problem. Imagine if I get drafted by. If I got drafted by somebody else. Somebody else's dad was like, no, no.

[Max]

I want, I want the five year old.

[Big Cat]

Give me the five year old.

[Jerry]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Well, this has been awesome, guys. I got one last question. Roback question. R b.com promo code. Take 20% off your first purchase. Q zips, polos, hoodies, joggers, shorts. Roback.com promo code. Take. I pitch this to every pitcher, but es. Come on, just once.

[Zach Gallen]

Honestly, what's. So I think about just like the one position. Players go out there and pitch.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

And they, they get everybody out. Sometimes when I'm like getting hit.

[Max]

Hernandez, the best pitcher in the league.

[Zach Gallen]

Maybe I should just throw an EFIS up there.

[Big Cat]

It would screw them up, you know, they would be like, what the hell was that?

[Max]

Maybe I'll mix a palm ball in there from time to time.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah. You actually have one that's like a real pitch. I would be throwing like a Just.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

Rookie of the year.

[Zach Gallen]

Oh yeah. Rookie of the year. Like.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Just floated in. Are you guys. Do you guys get pissed when someone pimps a home run?

[Zach Gallen]

Not.

[Max]

Not so much anymore.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah. You just gotta pimp a strikeout back.

[Max]

Yeah, yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

If it's directed like at you like some sort of. Yeah, something like that. But like, if you want to do a cartwheel like around third base, like, whatever. Like cool. Like it's. It's just the game now. Yeah, it is what it is.

[Max]

Yeah. It kind of goes back to the rookie stuff. Like that stuff is acceptable. No, it's not. Like, oh, you watched it for a half a second too long. Now I'm gonna drill the next guy in the head. Like that just doesn't. Doesn't happen anymore.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You sound upset about that, though. I'd be upset about that.

[Max]

Yeah. I mean, I don't love it, but, I mean, what are you gonna do, you know?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Don't give up the home run.

[Max]

Don't give up the home run.

[Big Cat]

Have you guys been kicked out of games before?

[Max]

I've gotten tossed twice.

[Big Cat]

What'd you do?

[Max]

Yelled. And both of them are the same way. It was a check swing. Happened this year. Check swing, no call, walk.

[Zach Gallen]

I forgot. You got tossed this year.

[Max]

Check swing. And it was like a. Like, blatant. Blatant swing. Like. And it was last check swings.

[Big Cat]

By the way, we agree the umps are just guessing. Yeah.

[Max]

And they're not. They're not paying attention. They're not paying attention. There's no total guess because this swing was, like, almost. If he hit it, it would have been a double.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

So no call. Last Diaz at first base, and no call. Next pitch, walk him. And I think I got taken out of the game after that, and I just turned around and told him, as you were walking. As I was. And the two times I've gotten thrown out in my career actually are funny. It's because. Because I've been leaving the game, so it's like, all right, cool, buddy. Like, I'm literally walking to the clubhouse right now, and you're gonna toss me. It's like, what does that do?

[Big Cat]

You should just make that your thing.

[Zach Gallen]

That's the good thing about being a pitcher.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

Like, you could. You're out, and you're like, I'm just gonna get.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you should make that your thing. Every time you get pulled from a.

[Max]

Game, just yell at the Empire for no reason. Start chirping at him.

[Zach Gallen]

Did you get fined for the last one?

[Max]

I don't know. Honestly, I have no idea. I think it comes out of the check. I think it's only. I think it's like, 500 bucks, something like that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

There's been times on check swings, I've seen the umpire, like, they're just, like, looking in the stand.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

It's like, no, they're not.

[Big Cat]

They're always just the games. Yeah.

[Max]

Some of the calls, they miss. It's like, dude, I don't know how you didn't see that. It was right in front of you. You have one job. In that moment, you're supposed to be looking right at it. And you missed it, by the way.

[Big Cat]

I. I didn't mention this, but. Meryl, do you know that you're the only Merrill in MLB history? Which is kind of crazy. I didn't I feel like 100 years ago, there had to be merrill just walking everywhere.

[Max]

Yeah, right.

[Big Cat]

You know, and you're actually Zach. You're the only. The second Zach spelled Zac.

[Zach Gallen]

There was one before me.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, there was. Hold on, I'll find it.

[Zach Gallen]

That's crazy.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, we gotta. We got a Zach of our own. That's cac.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Really?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

See, I thought Zac was just, like, very uncommon. It is, but there's more people now that I've with Zac.

[PFT Commenter]

Do people think that your name is Zach Allen a lot?

[Zach Gallen]

What's funny about that is that there was the. The guy that plays for the Broncos now.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

My dad's watching the game back when he's the Cardinals, and he's like, Zach Allen with the sack. And my dad was like, huh, like, is he playing football now? Like, not realizing that there was another play, like, so a little bit of a confusion there.

[Big Cat]

But Zach Curtis, who debuted for the Diamondbacks in 2016, he hasn't been in the league. His last appearances in 2018, when I.

[Zach Gallen]

Was in Double A, there was a. There was a bench clearing brawl that I think he was involved in at one point in time.

[Big Cat]

Zach on Zach crime.

[Zach Gallen]

I was not.

[Max]

I was on.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah. But I think there was something that happened where, like, the bench is cleared for some reason. I do remember that name. Yeah. You got called out from, like, high A. I remember exactly. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you guys have a move ready to go if somebody charges at you?

[Zach Gallen]

No, you gotta throw the glove, I think.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

That's the disorientation a little bit.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah. It's really.

[Max]

Or just try to get the ball back as fast as possible and act like I'm gonna throw to them.

[Big Cat]

We gave Cal Raleigh the tip that, like, what catcher should start doing is just. Just like. Just throw your leg out there and triple. Because if you get tripped and you fall on your face, you're not.

[Zach Gallen]

You're not gonna.

[Big Cat]

You just kick their foot. It's over.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

You just tell your catchers to do that.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah. Just stick your foot.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Right.

[Max]

You ever seen.

[Big Cat]

It's done.

[Max]

You guys ever seen the video of the guy, like, judo kicking the catcher in the chest before?

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yes. Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

That was pretty gnarly.

[Big Cat]

Have you guys been charged before? No.

[Zach Gallen]

No. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

I mean, you would have him up.

[Max]

Most of the time. I try to hit somebody, I miss.

[Zach Gallen]

Honestly, that's like the worst thing.

[Max]

It's way harder than. It's way harder than.

[Zach Gallen]

Way harder than it looks like intentionally trying to hit somebody.

[Big Cat]

It's the.

[Zach Gallen]

It's just a terrible part of the game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. The only thing you can't do is just run. If you run, then it's bad.

[Zach Gallen]

You have to just the what the infielders tell you is like, just give us enough time to get there.

[Big Cat]

Right. So you kind of like hold them off.

[Zach Gallen]

So you got to throw the glove to like stun him a little bit. And then just, you know, if you want to get a punch in, throw.

[Max]

The rosin bag out.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Ros bag. Pick up some dirt. Throw it in their eyes.

[Max]

Gladiators just try not to get hurt.

[Big Cat]

Hurt.

[Zach Gallen]

I think.

[Max]

Yeah.

[Zach Gallen]

Basically don't get hurt.

[Max]

I think the movie like what's his name? Granky.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Max]

Broken collarbones.

[Zach Gallen]

Collarbones.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

You do like a little side step to the left and then you swing after he runs a little bit past you and then by that time the shortstop should be there.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Max]

I can see Jay Naylor getting over there and tackling somebody for us for sure.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right, well, thanks so much, boys. We appreciate it. It was awesome having you guys here and best of luck of the season.

[Max]

Appreciate you guys.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah, it's fun.

[Big Cat]

Cool.

[PFT Commenter]

Before we get to Joey Chestnut is brought to you by great friends at Netflix. Big news. Friday, July 11th. Netflix and most valuable promotions bring you the fight the world's been waiting for. Katie Taylor, the Bray Bomber. She's from Ireland going up against Amanda Serrano, the real deal from Puerto Rico. We've seen the first two parts of this trilogy before. I'm going off the script right now because this is whenever they get together. It's my favorite fight to watch of the year. An awesome fight. Great matchup of styles between Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor. Katie is seeking the ultimate glory against Amanda Serrano who is fighting for redemption. It's the final bout of their history making trilogy. If you like watching people punch each other in the face, this fight is for you. Great matchup. I'm going to be watching it. Friday, July 11 on Netflix. Katie Taylor versus Amanda Serrano. 8pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific Standard Time live on Netflix. Check it out. And now here's our great friend, Joey Chestnut.

[Big Cat]

Okay. We now welcome on a very special guest, recurring guest, the greatest athlete of all time, which we have said for many years on this show. It is Joey Chestnut ahead of his return to the Nathan's hot dog eating contest on fourth of July, Coney Island. Joey is back. So let's start with that. Joey, how good does it feel to be back? And are we feeling like this is. Hey, this is Going to be a special one. You got to. You got to prove, hey, whatever happened last year, there's an asterisk there. The king is back.

[Joey Chestnut]

Oh, yeah. It feels really good. It's. Last year, things didn't go as I wanted, but we. We worked it out, and. Yeah, I'm hungry. This is. This is what I love doing. It's Fourth of July hot dogs competition.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

How did it feel last year not being a part of Nathan's? Did. Did you feel like an absence? Did it feel unusual for you?

[Joey Chestnut]

It was very. It was weird, the watching the guys eat and, like, I. Yeah, I told people I didn't watch, but I watched. And then I went off to do my own little event. But, yeah, so, yeah, it was weird watching them and, like, oh, man, I could. It's. It just. That's the way that's life sometimes. Sometimes you're. You're on the wrong side.

[Big Cat]

That.

[PFT Commenter]

When you were watching it last year, did that make you hungrier?

[Joey Chestnut]

Yeah, it made it easy. So last year, I was. I was at a military base, Fort Bliss in Texas, eating against some soldiers where they were awesome. And it was the group of five versus me. I ended up almost beating their being what Pat did, and in five minutes.

[Big Cat]

Wow.

[Joey Chestnut]

It made it. It was. Yeah, it was. It motivates you to see people when you're not there.

[PFT Commenter]

I. I have a question that you probably get a lot, but I. I'm genuinely curious how you break this down. How much further can you push yourself? How much further is within the realm of human possibility to go when it comes to eating hot dogs? Because every year I see you eat, and I'm like, well, he'll never beat that. That's insane. How do you. How do you approach that?

[Joey Chestnut]

Yeah, the last record, 76 in 10 minutes, is a tough record to beat. It's gonna be a hard one. It totally take perfect conditions, like, not too hot, not too windy. If it's. If it's windy, the hot dogs get cold, but if we have enough warmth, like 78 degrees, 75. And then it's. It's. If it's. If it's kind of dry outside, the buns get. The buns get stale. So you need to have, like, fast buns, warm dogs, and not too hot, because, dude, I'm getting older. I'm a little bit fat, so I'm sweating. Once I start sweating really hard, I'm in trouble.

[Big Cat]

I like that the wind comes into play like an under in football, where it's like, oh, they're not Gonna be able to pass the ball today. The wind is gonna, is gonna really dry out the buns and we're gonna have problems and they're gonna get cold.

[Joey Chestnut]

Yeah, the wind affects. Everybody has special their water temperature that they like for drinking water for dunking. This year, I'm thinking I did that event with Netflix last year when that was a no dunking event. And I learned that like towards the end of the contest, it's actually a little bit easier to not dunk. There's less movement involved. So, so I'm, I'm trying to plan it out so I'll make, make the switch because sometimes I slow down bad when I'm dunking.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, so you're tinkering. I like that. So what like you know how marathon runners they'll, you know, a couple weeks before they'll try to run 20 miles? What is the lead up like? What is there a lead up where a week before or two weeks before you're do you're pushing yourself as hard as you can to see where you're at or have you done that yet?

[Joey Chestnut]

Oh, yeah. Every, every fifth or sixth day I'm doing practices and so I'm in the cycle, I call it. Before every practice there's a cleanse. After every practice there's a recovery period where it's super high fiber food trying to get back to normal. And then there's one, one day of normal eating. Then there's the cleanse again, then another practice. Last two practices, this is it. It's go time. It's close to breaking records. So it's, I, I would have one. I don't need to break the record necessarily in practice in the last two practices, but would, it would help. But it's, it's. There's been years where I, I smashed the record in my last practice and then, then didn't get to get the record in the finals. But we'll, we'll see. We'll see. I'm, I'm feeling good.

[PFT Commenter]

So can you describe your ideal setup? Like if you were to plan the weather for, for a day or two leading up to the event and the event itself, what, what are the perfect conditions for slamming hot dogs?

[Joey Chestnut]

Oh, perfect conditions. 75 degrees, a little bit of cloud cover. Not, not, not completely, but sunny and then not, not windy and not, not, not too humid. A little humidity is good. But, but, but if it's, if it, because if it's too dry, the buns get stale real fast. And then yeah, maybe rains the night before.

[PFT Commenter]

Like a Golf course, like, soften. Soften the air up a little bit.

[Joey Chestnut]

A little bit? Yeah, yeah. Soften the air up.

[PFT Commenter]

So you were talking about your training regimen. What's the most that you've ever eaten in training, like, outside of competition?

[Joey Chestnut]

Oh, I said, so what? Oh, yeah, for the Fourth of July contest, I want to say was, geez, I think. I think I hit up to 82 in practice one time. And that.

[Big Cat]

That was just perfect.

[Joey Chestnut]

Eating in. Well, that's eating indoors, fresh, perfect hot dogs, and that's just not realistic when. Fourth of July, everything's cooked ahead of time, everything's sitting for a little bit, and you got those outdoor conditions.

[Brandon]

So.

[Joey Chestnut]

So it's. I've learned, actually, I've been eating outside in Indiana, so it's hot right now.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Joey Chestnut]

And I'm. Last practice, I was sweating so bad numbers went down a lot. But I'm hoping I can. Yeah, it's. I'll be all right.

[Big Cat]

All right. So we have this debate in football. Kurt Warner always says that football should be played in a dome in perfect conditions. Do you think that hot dogs eating should be an outdoor sport, or do you think it should go to dome and we should be playing this in a dome home?

[Joey Chestnut]

I. I think it's. Well, when there's history involved in Coney island, it's got to keep it outside.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Joey Chestnut]

But I think for a lot of other events, like I did the Netflix event, that was indoors, they wanted a record, so they made fresh hot dogs and really fresh hot dogs. Indoors, we. We smashed. I. I did 83 that day, and they're a little bit smaller than on the 4th of July, so the different records. But indoors, you're seeing some massive numbers.

[Big Cat]

So when you get there on the 4th of July, are you. Are you even thinking about anyone else? Are you just going against yourself? Because, like, it's. It's crazy how much further you are than everyone else in terms of the hot dog eating. And like, the winter last year had 58. I don't think. I mean, you. I don't think you've had a Fourth of July where you've been under 60. Right. So are you. Or maybe like 10 years ago, 12 years ago. But are you. Are you even thinking about the competition? Or you're just like, it's me versus myself.

[Joey Chestnut]

Yeah, it's.

[Big Cat]

I think.

[Joey Chestnut]

I think that's the best anybody in this kind of. Yeah. In this kind of competition, you need. You need just really.

[Big Cat]

You're going against yourself.

[Joey Chestnut]

If you worry about other people, you're You're. You're not focusing on your training, your numbers. You've hit the things. If I'm worried about what anybody else is doing, it's taking away from what I'm doing. So it's. I'm really just trying to go back to good practices. And, yeah, I'm not. If I. If I. If I'm doing. If I'm doing okay, I should blow everybody else away.

[PFT Commenter]

Are you in your prime right now for eating?

[Joey Chestnut]

Oh, I mean, there's different primes. There's like my physical prime. Shit, that was probably. That was like 35. I was. I was a beast. I could get away with. With doing less practice. I. I could recover quickly. My body was just an animal. But. But. And I know my body's so much better now, It's. It's ridiculous. I, like, I. I can I. I make a choice if I, like, all right, if I'm breaking my diet, I know what. I'm gaining weight. I know what it takes to lose weight. But. And I also. I know. I know how to train muscles in my throat and to make. To make them stronger so I can just keep swallowing the meat.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

It's like sports science at this point. Yeah. I. I hate to ask the question, but is retirement on the horizon anywhere for you right now?

[Joey Chestnut]

I don't know. Retirement would be death. I'm doing this thing until the wheels fall off, baby.

[PFT Commenter]

Actually, yeah, no, you can't. If you retire from eating, you do die.

[Joey Chestnut]

Yeah, either, or somebody knocks me off, and if they knock me off once, they'll have to do it again because I'm gonna come back. But, you know, it's.

[Big Cat]

I.

[Joey Chestnut]

To be the man, you got to beat the man. And I'm not going to. I'm not going to walk away.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Well, this is. I don't think I've ever asked this, but is there one record or competition that you did that you can think of and be like, I would never do that again because it was so disgusting. There was.

[Joey Chestnut]

I did crab cakes in Delaware and this casino, they did us dirty. They had them all sitting out there, and they were. As soon as we got on stage, it was. You could smell fish. And, like, people got sick during the contest. I. I got sick right after the contest. I almost. It was the closest I've ever been to getting disqualified, and. And it turned me off to the food for, like, two years. And so I. It's weird because, like, it was the grossest contest, but now. Now that. Now that I'm eating crab cakes Again, I was like, all right, I really want, I want to make a crab cake record. This is. I want it now.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. What? What? How many did you eat that day?

[Joey Chestnut]

Oh, I did 39. And Sonia Thomas. This is like my first year in eating and competitive eating 20 years ago. Yeah, so I did 39. I think she did 42 or 41.

[Big Cat]

Oh, wow.

[Joey Chestnut]

There's nothing worse than eating knowing you're gonna get sick and not winning. It's just, it's just painful.

[Big Cat]

What about you? Have you ate 141 hard boiled eggs in eight minutes one time? Time. That had to be gross.

[Joey Chestnut]

No, it was actually really good. I liked Harbor Day. Perfect weather, dude. So it was, it was weird. So like this weather, like it was perfect for this food. So they were like, we were in Kentucky and it had this downpour. It was like raining on us and all the hardware legs were like slippery and like they were sliding down. It was like. And, and it was like, oh, yeah. And I smelled like sulfur for two days.

[Big Cat]

Oh, God.

[PFT Commenter]

Is there a record that you've attempted or a competition that you've done where the aftermath of it is especially bad? Like I'm talking about, you know, the toilet situation afterwards. Is there one that was so gross that you're like, I'm not doing that again?

[Joey Chestnut]

There's, there's a couple that, like, I know going in, they're gonna be rough. Like anything with bratwurst. Bratwurst, man, they add extra fat in there and it's, it's running through you. It's. You're not in control. It's, there's, there's accidents bound to happen.

[PFT Commenter]

This slides right out. What about a food that you've, you've never competed with that you would like, try?

[Joey Chestnut]

Yeah, I want to go to Alaska, eat king crab. Yeah, they have the big, big ass legs and they cut them in half with a saw, with like a, a circular saw. So that'd be rad. To get it like a thousand dollar rack up a thousand dollar bill at a restaurant.

[PFT Commenter]

They should put you on the deadliest catch. Like as a punishment you have to go on, on one of the guys ships and then you eat the crab as they bring it in. So you deduct from their total points on the season. Yeah, that would rock.

[Big Cat]

So if you win on 4th of July, that would be your 17th title, which is incredible. Will it be the most gratifying one because of the one year ban last year, or is there one that you look back at and you're like, no, this One was the one that I always think about, like, that was special.

[Joey Chestnut]

Oh, man, they're all, they're all special in a weird ways. Like, it doesn't have to be records or just different, different parts of my life. Like the year I, the year I.

[Big Cat]

Had the, the protester, I was there, I was competing. Yeah.

[Joey Chestnut]

Oh, you know, that was your year.

[Big Cat]

I got covered in multiple years of protesters. Yeah.

[Joey Chestnut]

Yeah, the first one was rad. That was a long ass time ago.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it was like 10. It was almost 10 years ago. Yeah.

[Joey Chestnut]

They got you with paint.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, they got me with paint. And I was next to. I was next to the guy who. I can't remember who he was. He's like kind of a hippie guy. He only ate one dog. He was like. He said he was going crazy. Yeah, he said he was going back in time to the first Coney island hot dog eating competition. He was going to want eat one single dog.

[Joey Chestnut]

Yeah. Yeah, he's definitely a hippie. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that was wild. Yeah, that one was crazy.

[Joey Chestnut]

But yeah, there's. There's some special ones, like, and there's. Oh, the first time I beat Kobayashi or even the next time, the overtime year. So it's weird. Like, this is my 20th year going, so it's. There's a lot of weird memories, a lot of history.

[Big Cat]

It's awesome that. I mean, 20 years, 17, hopefully getting 17 this year is going to be. It's going to be special. I'm excited. It didn't feel like the 4th of July without you in it. I'll say that. I think we said it on the show, but it did not feel like I kind of canceled Fourth of July in my mind last year.

[Joey Chestnut]

Fourth of July is always going to go on. I was eating hot dogs somewhere, but it is good to be back on Coney island and thank you so much. Yeah, you guys are awesome.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So a couple last questions. People don't know this, but, like, how quickly after you finish the contest are you drinking beer? Because you go out that night a little bit late.

[Joey Chestnut]

Yeah. Usually my goal is to try to make it out right. Right after fireworks. Sometimes I, I get out of the hotel room and I'm, oh, yeah, fireworks are still on. It's a good recovery. It depends on the year. Some years, if it's super hot, then, then I'm not gonna do anything, but it takes longer to recover. But yeah, right around 10pm I'm on a liquid diet and things. Things are. I'm trying, I'm trying to get there.

[Big Cat]

How Many beers do you drink after eating 70 hot dogs?

[Joey Chestnut]

I don't think we should say this.

[Big Cat]

No, you can say it. I mean, how are you having, it's not gonna make it.

[Joey Chestnut]

I, I, I end up time traveling one time where I woke up and I was like, yeah, I think I'm, I'm in like the green room for the today's show.

[Big Cat]

Incredible.

[PFT Commenter]

There are a few haters out there of the entire sport of competitive eating. I don't like to give them the time of day. I don't like to give them any, any mental energy of mine. But do you have a case that you can make to any of the haters out there that might have in the past not watched the Nathan's hot dog eating contest? Do you have a case that you can make to be like, hey, this is actually a competitive environment. It's athletics, this is sports and we're pushing our body to the, the fullest limit.

[Joey Chestnut]

It's, yeah, people, it's really easy to be negative. I, I, I can't think of offhand of anybody I've had a conversation with, but it's been a while. But yeah, there's people who are always gonna be negative. They're gonna say, I remember there's people who used to say golf wasn't a real sport. And there's people who just knocked and knocked and knocked. WNBA for years and years. And now it's people, eventually they, they eat their words. And while I'm still eating.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right, my last question is The Roback question. Rhobac.com promo code take 20% off your first purchase. Q zips, polos, hoodies, joggers, shorts. Roback.com promo code take so we were, we were texting. I was going to try to get you up here for the first day that we opened our ice cream machine. So we have a full soft serve ice cream machine in the office. We're still going to do it. Man versus machine. How many ice creams do you think you can eat? Do you think you put the machine out of business with, with the amount of ice cream you can eat?

[Joey Chestnut]

I want to try. It's, it depends like some ice cream machines that it comes out super frozen and hard. Some of it's a little bit more.

[Big Cat]

Not ours. Not ours. We're soupy. We're soupy.

[Joey Chestnut]

Oh, a little bit soup. Oh, soup and cream. I like it. Yeah, I, I would, I'm thinking close, close to 2 gallons worth.

[Big Cat]

Like.

[Joey Chestnut]

So I did an ice cream contest and after the contest I was like shivering. It was like everything was cold. So I, I think close to 2 gallons would be in about 8 minutes. It'd be close to.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Okay, maybe that's what we'll do. We'll fill the machine up with 2 gallons and be like, have at it.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean it would be awesome if you broke the machine. Like, this is John Henry. This is the story of John Henry against the steam powered driller. You could do this.

[Joey Chestnut]

I wonder if it does it slow down? Yeah.

[Big Cat]

If I hit, the machine starts shaking.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. That's when you know you've got it. Yeah. You've got to beat.

[Big Cat]

Oh man. Well, Joey, we're so pumped for you to have you back. Want to say a number you're going for? I mean you're going, Are you going for the record? Are we going to get a record?

[Joey Chestnut]

I'm trying to hit that record. 77 be perfect. The last, anything above 70 is really, really, really tough. So. But yeah, if, if it's, if it's good conditions, I'm, I'll be feeling good.

[PFT Commenter]

Is there a, is there like a minute mark where we, we should look for you to be at a specific number to make 77 possible.

[Joey Chestnut]

Oh man. Should I say it?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Joey Chestnut]

If I, if I'm at 50 hot dogs in, in five minutes, that, that's almost a lock. That means I have five minutes left. All I have to do is average just, just over five hot dogs a minute. Five, five and a half hot dogs a minute. And then, then I'm there.

[PFT Commenter]

Is, is 100 possible. Will we live to see 100 hot dogs?

[Joey Chestnut]

Probably not by me, but yeah, it's, I think competition. I, I, I'm a little bummed out. There's nobody pushing me. Yeah, that's the best way for me to get 77. Like last year when I, when I did the contest against Kobayashi, I, we like, all right. I didn't know what he's capable of, so, so I, I was willing to really just go all out. No holding back and not worried about like on the 4th of July. I'm a little bit worried like if I, if I have a bad burp, it might look like a barf. So, so especially towards the end. So I, I have to be really careful to make sure I, I don't have those burps.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Joey Chestnut]

So, so it's oh, seven. Yeah. 100, 100. Be up there like the most I've ever like even eating after the 10 minutes. The most I've ever gone up to is 90.

[Big Cat]

Okay, we're gonna Push ourselves.

[PFT Commenter]

You. You eat after the 10 minutes. Like you're not full yet.

[Joey Chestnut]

No, you have to. So I, I do the 10 minute practice, and then I take a breather, and then I, then I start eating. I try to convince myself, all right, let's eat like you did. Like, like you did in the beginning. And then, so you have to practice eating fast while you're full so then you convince yourself to. That you can do it again.

[Big Cat]

That's, that's.

[PFT Commenter]

You're a monster.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah, Absolutely.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm so glad that you're back on the 4th of July at Nathan's. We're all gonna be rooting for you.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Let's set some records.

[Big Cat]

Yes. Greatest athlete of all time. Greatest athlete of all time. We'll be, we'll be saying on 4th of July.

[Joey Chestnut]

Thank you.

[Big Cat]

All right. Thanks so much, Joey.

[PFT Commenter]

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[Big Cat]

Okay, it's time. Dingers only league third year in a row. For anyone who's not familiar with this, we do this. So this is a third year. Dingers only. It's our fantasy baseball draft that we do halfway through the season and the only stat is home runs. That's it. Every team has to draft a nine positions. Every position on the field obviously DH instead of pitcher. And home runs is it. Whoever has most home runs wins. Whoever has the least home runs loses and has to get six outs against a college baseball team. Like PFT did. Like Max oh did.

[Brandon]

Oh, wow.

[Stephen Che]

Oh, Attempted to do.

[PFT Commenter]

Attempted to do.

[Stephen Che]

Did you get that to do Twice. And then there was an unfortunate accident that prohibited that up until baseball season.

[PFT Commenter]

Whose fault was the accident?

[Stephen Che]

Mine. Hand up accountability.

[Big Cat]

Why don't you explain to people what happened?

[Stephen Che]

I was actually. No, I was overserved.

[Big Cat]

Oh, so the bartender saw issue.

[Stephen Che]

I don't have to shout out the exact.

[PFT Commenter]

That's also on you because you should just be able to drink more.

[Stephen Che]

I was overserved.

[PFT Commenter]

There's no such thing as me being overserved.

[Brandon]

You also could have not drank anything because you were in training for the baseball.

[Stephen Che]

Yeah, well, whatever, Brandon.

[Big Cat]

Oh, by the way, I don't know.

[Stephen Che]

Why I said it like that.

[Big Cat]

Brandon was in it last year. He's in it again. Jerry was in it last year. He's in it again. Zach is a new entry and Stephen Che is a new entry who was a commissioner last year. Are we worried at all about Stephen Che being the commissioner and also participating?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I am. I'd just like to say I am.

[Big Cat]

I would. I. You know what? I'm gonna match.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Because not really. I'm not. But if he wins somehow.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm gonna be very, very concerned.

[Big Cat]

Would anyone like to double the concern?

[Brandon]

I'll sign off on that. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

All right, so we got mad match.

[Jerry]

I'll match Jerry's double.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Stephen Che]

I trust even I'll say it.

[Brandon]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

If Steven wins, I'm gonna be going like this.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Stephen Che]

Remember. Remember, we trusted you, by the way.

[Big Cat]

So, Max, are you going to do this ever?

[Stephen Che]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Because it kind of ruins dingers only.

[PFT Commenter]

No, we're gonna, like, imagine that you're in a fantasy football league.

[Big Cat]

League.

[PFT Commenter]

And the person who finishes in last, they don't do their punishment for your friend's fantasy football league until after the draft for next season. What do you think should happen to that person?

[Stephen Che]

I'm. I'm willing to take last pick. Although that'll make things more confusing.

[Big Cat]

No. And also, it's Snake draft. Yeah.

[Brandon]

So you kind of just gave yourself another.

[Big Cat]

That was a terrible.

[Jerry]

Are you going to do it?

[Stephen Che]

Yes.

[Big Cat]

The. How are you going to do it?

[PFT Commenter]

What steps have you taken recently to advance ourselves into doing this?

[Big Cat]

Where are you gonna put it?

[Stephen Che]

What do you mean?

[Big Cat]

What. What.

[PFT Commenter]

Where do you want it?

[Stephen Che]

Probably out on YouTube.

[Max]

We'll probably.

[Stephen Che]

We'll probably film it, record it, and put.

[PFT Commenter]

Is that what they call your butthole?

[Stephen Che]

When do we start talking about butts?

[PFT Commenter]

When is this happening?

[Stephen Che]

It's happening maybe after grit week.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so maybe.

[PFT Commenter]

Maybe two months from now. That's what you're. That's where you're telling the awls.

[Big Cat]

Well, yeah, the awls are upset. I think they have every. Rightfully. Rightfully so.

[Stephen Che]

And they have every right to be. But we had two dates set. Two dates got rained out, and then I broke my foot. And then the college baseball season started, and teams aren't going to do that in the middle of. In the middle of the season. Okay, so it's not like I just didn't try for a year. There was ample amount of trying.

[Big Cat]

There was a lot of trying.

[PFT Commenter]

I think you should have to do four innings.

[Stephen Che]

Three.

[PFT Commenter]

I think you should double it.

[Stephen Che]

Three.

[PFT Commenter]

You've. You've waited the whole year.

[Stephen Che]

This is a negotiation test.

[Big Cat]

Three. No deal for three.

[PFT Commenter]

Four.

[Big Cat]

Two. No, he's going backwards. Two, get three. Get three. Get three. Two.

[PFT Commenter]

College baseball and then two.

[Big Cat]

Softball.

[PFT Commenter]

Women's softball. Two innings.

[Big Cat]

But that will make it so hard to plan Two innings.

[Stephen Che]

Two, One, and one.

[Big Cat]

Okay, how about three plus you have to Wear one. What you got to get beaned with what? A baseball. By a pitcher. All of us. What? You have to get to throw one at you?

[Stephen Che]

No deal.

[Big Cat]

Why? We can't throw that one all. Yeah, yeah. Not at the same time. One, four.

[Stephen Che]

One.

[Big Cat]

The. The.

[Stephen Che]

The winner of.

[PFT Commenter]

No, that's the winner of this.

[Stephen Che]

I know. Because then that would just be buying myself more time.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I think about getting hit by a pitch for the next year.

[Big Cat]

Three innings, two, one. Two people, one.

[Stephen Che]

Three innings, one.

[PFT Commenter]

None of us can throw hard.

[Stephen Che]

I try. It's not. If I went through this entire year and was like. And. And just didn't do a single thing about it, I would be more.

[Jerry]

Well, this year, 20, 25.

[Stephen Che]

Yes. The teams were playing. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Three innings, one guy get. One of us gets to be in you. But it has, like. They get multiple pitches till they hit you.

[Stephen Che]

Five pitches.

[Big Cat]

You can't duck it, though.

[Brandon]

It should be.

[Big Cat]

You got to stand in the box. You can't, like, jump around and shit.

[Stephen Che]

No, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Big Cat]

That's fine.

[Stephen Che]

All right, deal.

[Big Cat]

All right. Everyone good with that?

[Stephen Che]

Deal.

[Big Cat]

All right. So three innings. You're going to pitch three innings. Okay. All right.

[Stephen Che]

Good, good, good.

[Big Cat]

All right.

[Stephen Che]

Good, good. Negotiation.

[Big Cat]

Should we get to the draft? Anyone got a question about the rules? Zach, you got a question about the rules? Stephen, you got a question about the rules?

[Zach]

We discussed outfield. As long as they've played that position, left field, center field, right field, at least 10 games, we're good. And they can be in that position.

[Brandon]

You said it.

[PFT Commenter]

You do get a drop, right? You get one drop if your player's accused of pedophilia. Pedophilia.

[Big Cat]

That's the what's his name rule. I had Wander Franco. I had to drop him.

[PFT Commenter]

Had to take a stand for what's right.

[Brandon]

You also get an injury, right.

[Big Cat]

You have one injury.

[PFT Commenter]

One injury, slash pedophilia. But you have to specify if you're dropping the person for injury or for pedophilia.

[Big Cat]

Okay, but it's only one injury. So if you drop someone and then another guy gets injured, you can't.

[Brandon]

If another guy gets pedophilia, it's also one pedophilia. Okay.

[Big Cat]

You know, those are separate.

[Brandon]

All right.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. You have to keep the second pedophile.

[Brandon]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

All right. Exactly.

[Brandon]

So if you draft two pedophiles, you're just out of luck.

[Big Cat]

You're in a sh. You just hope that they don't get caught. Okay, but you do hope they get caught eventually.

[PFT Commenter]

I hope they get caught.

[Big Cat]

You don't want them to just not ever get caught. You just don't want them to get caught while they're on your team. Where's Wander Franco these days?

[Brandon]

I think he.

[PFT Commenter]

Jail.

[Brandon]

Did he do it?

[Big Cat]

I think he went home.

[Brandon]

Did he do a DUI recently? I think he did something else. I think he added something onto his charges.

[Big Cat]

Went home, Tampa. No, that wasn't what I was talking about. Talking about. That's not where he's in court.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, the smartest thing he could do is to get another charge. And then everyone's like, wander Fraga. Is that the guy that got.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, Wander Franco. He's from the Dominican Republic. I think he went. Oh, yeah. Prosecutors seek five year prison term for Franco.

[PFT Commenter]

At least he blew above.

[Big Cat]

Oh, that was 42 minutes ago. He's in court literally right now. Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Hey.

[Jerry]

He's currently on Major League Baseball's restricted list after initially being placed on administrative leave. Okay, so he's restricted.

[Big Cat]

But for the record, I dropped him before MLB acted.

[PFT Commenter]

That's true. You were the first person to speak out.

[Big Cat]

Credit to me.

[PFT Commenter]

Did you hear about Juan DeFranco? At least he blew above 0.18 this time.

[Big Cat]

That's the jokes that would happen if you got a dui. All right, we're ready to go. Let's do it, boys. Let's get some juice in here. The Dingers only league. All right, Jerry, you have the first pick in the Dingers only league draft. And we're going around the round. The horn here. Snake draft. So Stephen will have the eighth and the ninth pick and then coming back around?

[PFT Commenter]

Yes, sir.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

All right. My first pick. Tough one. But looking at the at bats right now, blows everybody else out the water without at bats. I'm going to Shohei Otani.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Stephen Che]

Why'd you say that was tough one like that.

[Big Cat]

Well, well, because.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you have an extra judge? You know, judges. Judges there, too. Best player.

[Big Cat]

Someone in the.

[Brandon]

I got you. I got you. I got you.

[Big Cat]

Nice.

[PFT Commenter]

I wanted to pick my guy judge.

[Big Cat]

I'm gonna cross off.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm gonna say Jerry for a few.

[Big Cat]

Minutes, and then I'm gonna stop.

[PFT Commenter]

You blew that first pick.

[Brandon]

Just absolutely blue.

[PFT Commenter]

You blew that first pick.

[Big Cat]

How?

[PFT Commenter]

People are gonna be studying this draft for years to come, and they're gonna look at your first.

[Big Cat]

That's.

[PFT Commenter]

That's like dark. Oh, Milichick going in.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

He's got 27 home, 26 home runs.

[Big Cat]

Good, good.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Brandon]

Was that the Otani draft?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

What position does he play?

[Big Cat]

Dh.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Interesting.

[Big Cat]

Positional value. Zach, you're right.

[Stephen Che]

I think that's pretty good positional value, to be honest with you.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Merrill Kelly]

I would like to take Aaron Judge as my first pick in this draft.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Is that a bad pick? No, it's great pick.

[Brandon]

That's an awesome, great pick.

[Big Cat]

Great pick.

[Zach]

So I have him as a right fielder?

[Brandon]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Okay.

[Brandon]

Because he plays right field.

[Big Cat]

That would be where he points. Okay.

[Brandon]

So I am going to. Once again, I was rewarded with nothing. I won dingers only in a route last year. What?

[Stephen Che]

That's how all of winning means nothing.

[Brandon]

Max, shut the fuck up. Saying I am simply talking.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Go ahead.

[Brandon]

A member of my team I got in the eighth round last year. I'm getting him in the first round this year.

[Big Cat]

Don't.

[Brandon]

I am doing it. Why wouldn't I do it?

[Big Cat]

I'll try to do it. I have to do trade with you.

[Brandon]

It's so he's so far above everybody else position.

[Big Cat]

I wanted to call him.

[Brandon]

You can't call him.

[Big Cat]

I had him last year. I had him the year before.

[Brandon]

I know, but I had him last year.

[Big Cat]

I'll try. I'll make a trade for you.

[Brandon]

How are you gonna trade?

[Big Cat]

When we come back around, I'll let you pick in front of me.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't think that we can take.

[Stephen Che]

His whole second round.

[Jerry]

Stephen.

[Stephen Che]

Make it. Make him skip his second round.

[Zach]

Traps allowed. Trades are allowed in drafts.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, trades are.

[Brandon]

So I get your first round pick and your second round pick.

[Big Cat]

No, no. You get to jump in front of me. I'll let you jump in front of me the two times. Two times in a row that it comes back around. So you move up twice.

[Brandon]

Yeah, but I won't be able to get anybody this good. I can't.

[Big Cat]

Why do you get to just three times. I'll let you.

[PFT Commenter]

I'll just give you my second round pick. Not even a pick swap. Just give it to you for this guy.

[Big Cat]

This guy.

[Joey Chestnut]

What are you guys doing? How come?

[Stephen Che]

Yeah, Good deal. That's a pretty good deal from pfd.

[Big Cat]

I'll give you my second round pick.

[PFT Commenter]

My second round.

[Big Cat]

Take him.

[Brandon]

Just take him to Cal Raleigh.

[Big Cat]

Fuck.

[Brandon]

It's stupid. I couldn't. I couldn't not take him.

[PFT Commenter]

No, he's 1 1.

[Brandon]

Yeah, I know. I am a little worried he's hit too many home runs so far.

[Jerry]

Yeah, it's gonna be tough to keep the pace up, but.

[Big Cat]

Correct.

[Brandon]

What are you doing?

[Big Cat]

Ask him to be on your team.

[Brandon]

He's probably at the ballpark or something already.

[PFT Commenter]

It's probably pooping.

[Big Cat]

It's big.

[Brandon]

Might be pooping.

[Big Cat]

If he doesn't pick up for Brandon, then he's.

[Brandon]

This is your phone.

[Big Cat]

He's back on the waiver wire. He's back on the waiver wire.

[Brandon]

He's not answering.

[Big Cat]

He's back on the waiver wire.

[Brandon]

No, because that's your phone. Cal Raleigh catcher.

[Big Cat]

All right. It's got 31 home runs. I know. He said that was the 11 pick. The second best catcher.

[Brandon]

Second best catcher at 17?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he's a catcher.

[PFT Commenter]

There's Logan. Logan O' Hope is good, too.

[Big Cat]

All right.

[PFT Commenter]

Adam Lance last year.

[Big Cat]

I'll take. I'll take my guy. Kyle Schwarber, then. Oh.

[Zach]

DH Right.

[Big Cat]

Left field. Yeah.

[Brandon]

What'd you all for?

[Big Cat]

Wait.

[PFT Commenter]

Because I was gonna pick him.

[Big Cat]

Schwarz played more than 10 games.

[Stephen Che]

Definitely was coming back to you.

[Jerry]

Left field. On how many games?

[Big Cat]

Kyle sure played left field, Max. He's played left field a bunch.

[Brandon]

That's why the little squirrel.

[Stephen Che]

I think you would prefer him at dh.

[Big Cat]

You think so?

[Brandon]

I don't know, Max.

[Stephen Che]

I think for sure. There's so many left fields.

[Big Cat]

Are there so many pH.

[Brandon]

They're about the same.

[Big Cat]

Okay. PFT. You're up. Okay. So I guess he's my DH.

[PFT Commenter]

I gotta take my guy. I gotta take James Wood, Mr. National Left Field hitter of the highest pop flies you've ever seen. James Wood, 22 years old.

[Big Cat]

Love that.

[PFT Commenter]

Future face of this league.

[Big Cat]

Good pick.

[Brandon]

That's. That's beautiful.

[Jerry]

Jay.

[Big Cat]

Woody.

[Stephen Che]

I will be taking.

[Big Cat]

This is where it gets really boring. For the list.

[Stephen Che]

I know. You know what? You know what?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, What?

[Stephen Che]

I will be taking PCA Yep.

[Big Cat]

It's a good pick.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

It's a good pick. It's a great pick.

[PFT Commenter]

Inside the park, runs count too.

[Big Cat]

It's a great pick.

[PFT Commenter]

Who's that guy?

[Big Cat]

Max. And Steven was going to take him.

[Zach]

I was.

[Big Cat]

I wanted to take him bad. Good pick.

[Stephen Che]

Center field. A good positional value.

[Big Cat]

Yep. Yep. All right.

[Jerry]

I'm gonna go. Positional value. I'm up in the air. I guess I will go with Eugenio Suarez of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Third base. He's got 25.

[Brandon]

Not even close to how you say his name.

[Big Cat]

Good.

[Jerry]

How do you pronounce it?

[Big Cat]

Brandon. You.

[PFT Commenter]

Eugenio.

[Brandon]

A. Eugenio.

[Jerry]

Okay. That was way off. A huenio suares. That's my pick. 25 dongs. 19. Second place. So that's good positional value.

[Brandon]

It's a lot of dogs.

[Big Cat]

Nice.

[Zach]

Did he say he's third base?

[Jerry]

He's third base.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Steven you have two.

[Zach]

I am going with New York Met Pete Alonso.

[Big Cat]

Okay. No, I think it did. I think we said it counts as.

[PFT Commenter]

One if you win.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. You get counts as one home run if you win.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Zach]

Oh, sick.

[Big Cat]

Okay. I think we did make that rule. Very dumb rule.

[Zach]

And then I am also going positional value. I'm going. Logan Ohabi.

[PFT Commenter]

Great pick.

[Big Cat]

Steven, great pick.

[PFT Commenter]

Great pick.

[Big Cat]

You guys are picking well right now.

[Brandon]

Yeah, a lot of good picks.

[Jerry]

All right, my next pick. We won last year. We were doing a Stella Blue thing at the Cubs game. We were there during BP and I watched this guy legitimately hit 15 straight home runs during BP and I was like, big head. Who the is that guy? His name? Sayak Suzuki.

[PFT Commenter]

Pat Sajak.

[Jerry]

Say. Yeah. Wiz Khalifa. Left field. Say Yas Suzuki.

[Zach]

So you can do left field or dh. You choose left field.

[Jerry]

I choose left field.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Good pick. I guess I'm just gonna say. I'm gonna say good pick for. Yeah, yeah.

[Brandon]

You've said good pick for every player.

[Big Cat]

Just about. I think your pick was bad.

[Brandon]

You wanted my pick tremendously.

[Big Cat]

Very badly.

[Brandon]

We'll still talk.

[PFT Commenter]

Zach, how do you think this is.

[Big Cat]

Going to make a post?

[Stephen Che]

I. I think it's going great for my pick.

[PFT Commenter]

It's going great.

[Merrill Kelly]

It's going all right.

[Brandon]

All right.

[Merrill Kelly]

A couple of missteps, but I am.

[Stephen Che]

Going to make my second pick with shortstop from the Cincinnati Reds, Ali De La Cruz.

[Big Cat]

Good pass. That's a great. That's a great.

[Jerry]

That's a fun pick. Is fun right now.

[PFT Commenter]

I want them so bad. That's fine. I'm gonna go with Mr. National World Series champion, Juan Soto, right field.

[Big Cat]

I will go with. I need him. I'll do Kyle Tucker, right field. You say good pick.

[Brandon]

Damn good pick.

[Zach]

Hopefully they resign him.

[Brandon]

I will take a right fielder as well. He's way down the board as far as home run list, but this is a future list. Ronald Acuna Jr. Ooh, that's a good value.

[PFT Commenter]

Good pick, Brandon.

[Big Cat]

Good value, Brandon.

[Brandon]

Yep. All his home runs are ahead of him.

[Big Cat]

Zach. Zach.

[Merrill Kelly]

I would like to go with that. Salvador Perez.

[Brandon]

Ah.

[Zach]

What position is he?

[Big Cat]

Catcher. Run on catcher.

[Stephen Che]

He has not caught this year.

[Brandon]

Oh, boy.

[Big Cat]

Wow, Max, he hit you with that one.

[Stephen Che]

I'm pretty sure that most of it. Check, check it, check that. But I'm pretty sure they switch him to DH this year.

[Big Cat]

Wow, he got you on that one, Shane. He did. All right, you're back up.

[Zach]

So he's dh.

[Brandon]

Are you picked.

[Stephen Che]

Did you, did you get any stats on that?

[Big Cat]

Shane. According to Shane, he said he's caught 40 times. Oh. Oh, okay. Okay. I might be wrong.

[Brandon]

Yeah. He is one of the most.

[Stephen Che]

I know. I remember there was a.

[Big Cat]

A story that should be a fourth inning for that mistake. There.

[PFT Commenter]

There was a story that he hadn't caught at all this year.

[Brandon]

If he wasn't gonna catch.

[Big Cat]

I don't think.

[Stephen Che]

Didn't we talk about it on PMT that he. That he switched it?

[Big Cat]

All right. No.

[PFT Commenter]

Salvador Perez.

[Big Cat]

No. Okay.

[Stephen Che]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

[PFT Commenter]

He was on the same head express. He's a great player.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Jerry.

[PFT Commenter]

Yes. I will go with first baseman Spencer Torkelson.

[Big Cat]

Yep. Tigers. Good yak. Gauntlet time. No. Bad yacht. Gauntlet time. Okay. And you have another pick.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, okay, perfect. I will go with.

[Big Cat]

I surprised you.

[PFT Commenter]

I have DH and I have first base. Next up, I will take shortstop. Francisco.

[Big Cat]

Good pick.

[Jerry]

It's a good pick.

[Zach]

Pick.

[Big Cat]

Really good. Great book.

[PFT Commenter]

Thank you, guys.

[Big Cat]

Thank you. Wow. Dude.

[PFT Commenter]

How do we feel about taking. How do you feel about taking meds?

[Big Cat]

It's the worst food. It's the worst podcast. We do every year.

[PFT Commenter]

How do we feel about taking meds knowing that Frank the Tech is going to scream about how much they suck for the entire season?

[Stephen Che]

Won't do it.

[Big Cat]

Will not just. I might just take a.

[PFT Commenter]

Not do it. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Who's up? Zach?

[Merrill Kelly]

I would like Brandon Lowe. Second base.

[Brandon]

Lao.

[Merrill Kelly]

Brandon Lau. Correction.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Zach]

First. Second baseman. Off the board.

[Big Cat]

Good pick.

[PFT Commenter]

How do you feel about that pick, Zach?

[Stephen Che]

It was a good pick.

[Merrill Kelly]

Feel decent about it.

[Stephen Che]

I'm sorry about the Salvador press thing.

[Merrill Kelly]

Oh, good man. I appreciate all the information.

[Big Cat]

It's huge.

[PFT Commenter]

All the information.

[Big Cat]

Someone took Junior Caminaro.

[Brandon]

No.

[Big Cat]

Yes. Brandon.

[Brandon]

I'm working on two guys.

[Jerry]

That's normal.

[Big Cat]

That's so hot.

[PFT Commenter]

You going skiing?

[Brandon]

I gotta keep my Mississippi State boys together. He was also on the team last year. He's gonna get hot again. DH Brent Rooker.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Nice.

[Brandon]

A little early for him, but I want him.

[Big Cat]

And.

[Jerry]

That feels like a reach.

[Brandon]

He hit 38 home runs last year.

[Jerry]

Hank, we're in 20, 25, man.

[PFT Commenter]

He said it felt like reach.

[Big Cat]

I know what I'm gonna take. Center fielder Brian Buxton.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Byron Buxton. Sorry.

[PFT Commenter]

Bucks D. I'm gonna go with friend of PMT Atlanta. Brave first baseman.

[Big Cat]

Good pick.

[PFT Commenter]

Matt Olson. I feel great about that. I feel really good about that pick.

[Big Cat]

Pft.

[PFT Commenter]

Good guy. First team all good guy, too.

[Big Cat]

Shout out everyone who's listening right now. Trudging through.

[PFT Commenter]

Voted least likely to be a pedophile.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Amongst his peers in the athletic.

[Big Cat]

We are putting Joey Chestnut and Zach Gallon and Merrill Kelly in this show. So it's not. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. This wasn't a total loss of a show. Even though listening to us just say names over and over is.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't think I saved Matt Olson's number. Big Cat, can you call him real quick?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I just want to tell him because when I got a chance to talk to him in Milwaukee, I said, I'm looking at you for Dingers only.

[Big Cat]

I'm gonna say, made a case. I'm gonna say I got. I got your coach on the line.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Like they do in the drafts.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Hold on one sec. We're over one on these.

[PFT Commenter]

Is he playing right now?

[Stephen Che]

It is pretty close to game time.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it is.

[Big Cat]

Which is also. I don't think I've ever called him.

[PFT Commenter]

He's got three hours playing the Mets.

[Zach Gallen]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

I don't think.

[Stephen Che]

I don't think he's going to have his phone.

[Big Cat]

Hello, Matt, Big Cat from the Dingers Only league. I'm going to put you on right now with. With the manager that drafted you.

[PFT Commenter]

Hey, Matt Olson, this is PFT commenter. I just took you in the Dingers Only draft. Want to say we're excited to have you as part of the program. Let's give him hell this year, buddy.

[Big Cat]

It means a lot.

[Brandon]

Happy to be a part of this program.

[PFT Commenter]

And part of being a part of the program is you get unlimited ice cream at the office. Whenever you want to stop in, I'll send you a card.

[Big Cat]

I did notice that it worked for somebody recently.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

There you go. Cal Raleigh. So anytime you want, 24, 7, you're in Chicago, let us know and you get the ice cream machine.

[Big Cat]

Can we, like, move it to the clubhouse for a series? No, I'm here for the cream team.

[PFT Commenter]

That we can't. We can't do that. But you do get access to it on site here at Parcel Sports.

[Max]

Okay, sounds like a deal.

[PFT Commenter]

All right. Glad to have you part of the program. Give him hell.

[Big Cat]

All right.

[Max]

Thanks, coach.

[PFT Commenter]

God bless.

[Big Cat]

All right.

[Brandon]

That was nice.

[PFT Commenter]

See you, Matt.

[Big Cat]

Thanks.

[Brandon]

That was a nice moment.

[PFT Commenter]

Dingers only.

[Big Cat]

Steven has a lot of phone numbers of baseball players, so he will have to call anyone who drafts.

[Zach]

Okay, that's fair.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Great pick, Max. That's your name.

[Stephen Che]

I'm going to go with second baseman Cattell Marte.

[Big Cat]

Good one.

[Stephen Che]

Is that how you pronounce his name?

[Big Cat]

Brandon? Good one.

[PFT Commenter]

It's a really good pick.

[Brandon]

Yeah, sure.

[Big Cat]

Really good pick.

[Jerry]

All right, I'm gonna go with the guy.

[Big Cat]

He.

[Jerry]

He missed. He missed a lot of the beginning of the year, but he's back now. I think he's gonna make a. Going to tear to end the year. We're going. Right fielder Mike Trout.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Brandon]

He's just looking up his stuff.

[PFT Commenter]

All right.

[Big Cat]

Stephen, would you like to call. I knew that was coming. That's why I said that beforehand.

[Zach]

Yeah, I mean, I can call him.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, give him a call.

[Stephen Che]

You don't have to call him.

[Zach]

Oh, okay. No, I thought. I thought I had an outstanding Text him. I do not.

[PFT Commenter]

So, yeah, an outstanding text. What do you think he's doing right now? You think he's reading like Eagles playing?

[Brandon]

He's been playing.

[Stephen Che]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

He came back recently, got 12 homers.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm sure that's. That'll continue.

[Zach]

All right, here we go.

[Big Cat]

You gotta tell him he's live or he's on there.

[Zach]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

Is he gonna pick up, you think? I don't know.

[Zach]

We've talked on the phone a couple times.

[Big Cat]

There's a lot of pressure on you.

[PFT Commenter]

Love to be a fly on the wall.

[Zach]

I mean, we've.

[Big Cat]

I knew my Trout was gonna get picked and I knew Stephen would have to call him. Please don't answer. Please don't answer.

[Zach]

Probably not.

[PFT Commenter]

Your call has been.

[Big Cat]

All right, take a picture of Hank and send him a text saying, hank just drafted you in. Dingers only. Let us know if he gets back to you. Okay.

[Zach]

All right, I'm disoriented now. Let's go with Corbin. Carroll is injured, so I'm not going to go with him. I'm going to go with right fielder. La Dodger Te. Oscar Hernandez.

[Big Cat]

The Oscar.

[Brandon]

That's not really how you say his name. Steven Tay.

[Zach]

Oscar Hernandez.

[Brandon]

That's not it.

[Zach]

How is it?

[Brandon]

It's the Oscar Hernandez.

[Big Cat]

The Oscar Hernandez.

[Brandon]

This whole draft was leading up to me picking the Oscar Hernandez. You're a real.

[Big Cat]

All right. You have another one.

[Zach]

Share his birth birthday with my son.

[Big Cat]

Oh, great.

[PFT Commenter]

Wow.

[Big Cat]

I'm sure he's so excited about that. Who do you share a birthday with?

[Zach]

Stephen Elmo.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[Zach]

Perpetually three and a half years old. I'm going shortstop.

[PFT Commenter]

Spanish for the mo.

[Zach]

Shortstop Dansby Swanson.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Good pick, good flow, good pick.

[Zach]

Thanks.

[Jerry]

All right, this might be a reach, probably, but I'm gonna go first baseman, local kid, South Shore. Cohasset, Mass. He is a New York Yankee that goes by the name of Ben Rice.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Brandon]

Sure. You have the name, right?

[PFT Commenter]

We Say local kid. You meant local to you specifically?

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[Jerry]

Okay. Yeah.

[Zach]

What position?

[Jerry]

See, first base.

[PFT Commenter]

Southy co op.

[Jerry]

Donnie's. Donnie's. Donnie's.

[PFT Commenter]

Southy. They call that Southy Coho in Boston.

[Jerry]

He's a. He's a skip.

[PFT Commenter]

He's wicked strong.

[Jerry]

Clipper skipper. I forget what their mascot was in high school.

[Big Cat]

Okay, you're up.

[Stephen Che]

I am going to go with outfielder, Specifically right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Oh, good pick.

[Brandon]

A fine pick.

[PFT Commenter]

A lot of aura.

[Big Cat]

Yep. So I'm going for.

[Stephen Che]

I'm going for aura on this.

[PFT Commenter]

So much aura.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's a good pick. All right, you're up, Skip.

[PFT Commenter]

Really glad this guy fell to me. Colorado, Rocky first. Rocky, positional value. Hunter Goodman, catcher, playing at altitude.

[Big Cat]

All right, I'm gonna. I'm gonna play a little defense on myself here. Let's see if I can.

[PFT Commenter]

Or any of these guys hurt?

[Stephen Che]

No, I don't think so.

[Zach]

Quite possible.

[Big Cat]

Possibly.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I'd say it's a high probability.

[Big Cat]

Definitely. Definitely some hurt guys. You're trying to. You're trying to get my pick before I get my pick.

[Brandon]

You have the pick before me. What would. What value would it be to me?

[Big Cat]

What if I. I lose my time on the clock?

[Brandon]

You're running the clock.

[Big Cat]

All right. I'm taking friend of the program, Christian Yellich.

[Brandon]

That made sense.

[Big Cat]

See right field, left field.

[Brandon]

Okay, so I'm going to take a risky pick here. This guy is hurt. I think he's coming back within a week, two weeks, three weeks, I don't know, whenever he's coming back. Yeah, I'm doing it, Max.

[Stephen Che]

God damn it. I thought no one was.

[Brandon]

Of course I'm doing it. I was looking at you like you should do it. Well, you had plenty of time to do it.

[Stephen Che]

I know, I know, I understand.

[Brandon]

But I think I'm getting great value if he gets back healthy. Bryce Harper, first baseman.

[Big Cat]

Oh, that's great value, Brandon. Great value.

[PFT Commenter]

You really love Philly, huh?

[Big Cat]

Great value.

[Brandon]

That's my first Philly. Yeah, I do.

[PFT Commenter]

It's important.

[Big Cat]

Philly, great value.

[PFT Commenter]

Unlike Max.

[Big Cat]

How we feeling?

[Merrill Kelly]

Okay, If. If it's possible, still on the board, I would like to go with the junior commonero from the Tampa Bay third base.

[Brandon]

Oh, they. They just cut him.

[Merrill Kelly]

That I. That's terrible. We're confirmed. Okay, well, I'm not going to go. Okay. I'm to going with him.

[Big Cat]

Zach, how. How would you feel pitching against the team, a college team.

[Merrill Kelly]

Headgear or no.

[Big Cat]

Headgear, you could have a net in front of You. If you wanted.

[Merrill Kelly]

I just don't. I. I don't know if I can keep it. Strike zone. I might hit him with the ball. I wouldn't want to do that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Merrill Kelly]

I. I don't throw too fast, but I wouldn't want to hit anybody.

[Big Cat]

Okay, but you could do it.

[Brandon]

You're worried about them?

[Merrill Kelly]

I'm not too nice on the mound.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Merrill Kelly]

I don't want anybody with a ball.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right, Jerry, you're up. Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm gonna go with. He's on my squad. Last year, I believe. Yes, he was third base. Jose Ramirez.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Brandon]

It's a damn fine pick.

[Big Cat]

Good pick.

[PFT Commenter]

Thank you so much. And I believe I have another pick. Correct.

[Big Cat]

O.

[PFT Commenter]

I will go center field.

[Big Cat]

O' Neill.

[PFT Commenter]

Cruz. Damn.

[Big Cat]

Good. Good one. Thanks, guys.

[PFT Commenter]

Fun player.

[Big Cat]

Great. That's an aura pick, too.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it is a great pick.

[Jerry]

I had my board.

[Big Cat]

I had him on my board as well.

[Brandon]

I think he was on my board.

[Big Cat]

Everyone had him on the board. Okay, we're about to get to the portion where we start picking guys who've already been picking. Picked.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And super hurt guys.

[Brandon]

Just like really hurt guys. Some guys might not be alive.

[Big Cat]

Okay, you're up.

[Merrill Kelly]

Is it possible to go Byron Buxton, center field?

[Big Cat]

I picked him two rounds ago.

[Merrill Kelly]

Oh, that's terrible.

[Big Cat]

My bad. Sorry.

[Merrill Kelly]

Okay, I'll go Trent Grisham.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Hasn't been picked.

[Zach]

What's. Position him?

[Jerry]

What position is that?

[Merrill Kelly]

Trin. He's a center fielder.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Zach]

Back to back, center fielders.

[PFT Commenter]

It's about that time. You better believe it.

[Big Cat]

Yep, it is about that time.

[Brandon]

Brandon, let me call this guy.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah.

[Brandon]

All right.

[Big Cat]

Got him.

[PFT Commenter]

Whose number does Brandon have?

[Big Cat]

Mississippi State guy.

[Brandon]

All right.

[Big Cat]

Uhhuh.

[Brandon]

Let me just. Okay, just call him right now. Sorry, guys. Just.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you got this.

[Brandon]

I had to look it up.

[Big Cat]

Who's he calling? Who do we think he's calling?

[Brandon]

I'm calling my guy.

[Big Cat]

Who do we think he's calling? Oh, is this not Stowers? Oh, no. Is it? That's an Oriole. Mississippi State.

[Brandon]

Checking Bobby Witt Jr. Oh, shortstop doesn't have that many home runs yet, but he's gonna get hot.

[Big Cat]

He will get hot.

[Jerry]

BW Bobby Witt Jr takes BW hot.

[Big Cat]

All right, I'll go. Wait. Let me make sure he's not shortstop. I'll go third baseman. Manny Machado.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Aura.

[Jerry]

Fun to watch.

[Big Cat]

Big time.

[PFT Commenter]

All the Padres.

[Big Cat]

Big time. Aura.

[Jerry]

Potheads.

[Big Cat]

All right. Pft.

[PFT Commenter]

All right. I'm gonna go center fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. Jackson Churio.

[Big Cat]

Oh, nice pick.

[PFT Commenter]

Fun name to say, too.

[Jerry]

Chip.

[Big Cat]

Chip, Nice pick.

[Stephen Che]

I, I, I have a guy that I'm struggling with position.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Stephen Che]

Raphael Devers is the pick that I would like to make.

[Zach]

He's struggling with his position listed as a dh.

[Stephen Che]

How many games has he.

[Zach]

How we clarified before.

[Big Cat]

Shane just said all of them.

[Zach]

He's been a dh.

[Big Cat]

All of them. He's been a dh.

[Brandon]

That was the thing.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Stephen Che]

Okay, fine. I'll keep him at dh.

[Big Cat]

That's fine.

[Zach]

Wait, he's listed as third base in baseball.

[PFT Commenter]

In his own words, he said I am a third baseman. Right, Hank?

[Jerry]

Yeah, but he hasn't played third.

[Big Cat]

But he said for the rules of this. He said.

[Stephen Che]

I just said I'm fine with keeping him.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right.

[PFT Commenter]

It should be up to him. Would you think he'd want to dh, or do you think he'd rather.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you might have, you might have a clubhouse cancer.

[Stephen Che]

That's fine.

[Big Cat]

That's tough.

[Jerry]

All right. Similar to Mike Trout, this guy missed a big chunk of the season. He is, I think he made his return on. He's had six at bats this year. But he hits bombs. He's going to hit a lot of bombs. No, he's had 19 at bats, zero home runs.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Jerry]

Giancarlo Stanton.

[PFT Commenter]

All right. Oh, battling back from double elbow to the nightis. I didn't know he was played baseball still. Yeah.

[Zach]

What position is he?

[Jerry]

Dh.

[PFT Commenter]

He'll probably stay healthy.

[Zach]

Did he go by Mike now?

[Brandon]

No, Been eight years.

[PFT Commenter]

The opposite.

[Zach]

He, that's him, though.

[Brandon]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

All right.

[Brandon]

You looked him up and it still says Mike Stanton.

[Zach]

No, my, My memory reference bank.

[Big Cat]

Your memory reference bank?

[Brandon]

Your, your brain?

[Zach]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

All right.

[Zach]

It's on me.

[Brandon]

Is anybody.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah. Memory reference bank.

[Zach]

Let's go, center field. Have I taken that?

[Big Cat]

Nope.

[Zach]

Let's go, Andy Pages.

[Jerry]

That's a reach.

[Big Cat]

Big time reach. Really bad pick.

[Zach]

Is he hurt?

[Big Cat]

No.

[Zach]

Back to back. All right, let's go. Center fields off the board. Right field's also off the board.

[PFT Commenter]

I love my squad right now.

[Big Cat]

I do, too.

[Zach]

Let's go, third base. Isaac Paridis. You suck, Esok. Hopefully he doesn't suck Cub for life.

[Big Cat]

He's in the Cubs last year.

[Zach]

Oh, hell yeah.

[Jerry]

All right. I'm gonna, I'm gonna keep, I'm, I'm going for just sex appeal. I'm just going for a lineup that, that pops off the lineup card. I'm gonna go. Mookie Bats, shortstop. He's, he's had some injuries.

[Big Cat]

I'm just looking at him. He's nine. Nine home runs this year.

[Jerry]

He lost a lot of toe injury, but he's back. He's playing, but he.

[Big Cat]

I was looking at it, I was looking it up because I was about to maybe take him, but then I looked at it and I was like, oh, maybe it's because he didn't hit home runs when he lost all his weight. He only hit one home run this last month.

[Jerry]

He's had a tone, he's battling, but he's, he's, he's again, like, these are all big time players that are gonna, you know, have to contribute going down.

[PFT Commenter]

The stretch and, and live up to their names.

[Jerry]

Yeah.

[Stephen Che]

I'm also gonna go with.

[Jerry]

I mean, Mookie Mike, Stan. Mike Trout.

[Big Cat]

That's.

[Jerry]

That's a. That's a power.

[PFT Commenter]

You just interrupted Max.

[Stephen Che]

It's okay. I'm also gonna go for a vibes guy.

[Big Cat]

I.

[Stephen Che]

Again, I'm struggling with his position, but I'm available at both of his positions right now. I will be going with Vladdy Jr.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Stephen Che]

I believe he's a first baseman now, not a third baseman anymore.

[Big Cat]

How many homers does he have?

[Stephen Che]

Not, not. Not as many as you would think, or 10. But, you know, you gotta, you gotta go for talent at this. At this.

[Big Cat]

That's fact. Yeah. You got to go for upside.

[Stephen Che]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

You're drafting for upside right now. 100%.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm gonna go with a saber metric pick. I got deep into the math on this. Ideally, you want your players to get as many opportunities to hit home runs as possible. Yes. Why not take a guy that hits. Lead off shortstop C.J. abrams. He's going to get like four more bats than some of your guys. Clowns.

[Jerry]

That's good. Saber metrics.

[Big Cat]

Why would you say clowns?

[PFT Commenter]

Because you guys got a bunch of clowns on your team.

[Brandon]

He's right.

[PFT Commenter]

It's true.

[Big Cat]

I will go with shortstop Jeremy Pena from the Houston Astros.

[PFT Commenter]

Spanish for pineapple.

[Zach]

Seven of eight teams right now have a short stop.

[PFT Commenter]

It's a big swinger.

[Big Cat]

Oh, that was a mistake. Then.

[Brandon]

I'm going.

[Big Cat]

I knew that. Where you could wait on, but just. No idea.

[Brandon]

I'm going to go.

[Big Cat]

Whoever doesn't have a short stop.

[Brandon]

Don't I have a pick Them. That's me.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Brandon]

No, I got Bobby, left fielder.

[Zach]

Okay.

[Brandon]

Has anybody picked Taylor Ward?

[Big Cat]

No.

[Brandon]

Then I've. I'm. I'm picking Taylor.

[PFT Commenter]

Who does he play for?

[Brandon]

The Angels.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, that's a bad pick. Taylor Ward. That is. That is generic player number 45.

[Big Cat]

Can I change my pick.

[Brandon]

This is just called dingers only, right? We're just hitting dingers. I'm not worried about sex appeal. Yeah, I'm not worried about.

[PFT Commenter]

I have. I'm drafting player. First name, last name.

[Brandon]

If you met a girl named Taylor Ward, she's hot as fuck.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. If she's a chick.

[Brandon]

Yeah. How do you know mine isn't a chick?

[Big Cat]

Can I switch my pick? If the person picks up, yes.

[Stephen Che]

No, if the person picks up, he's gonna get his next pick.

[Big Cat]

No. What are you talking about? But he's shortstop. Everyone else has a short stop.

[Brandon]

Who are you throwing back?

[Big Cat]

I would have rather had Gunner Henderson just because I could root for him instead of Jeremy Pena. Oh, can I just do that?

[Stephen Che]

You have to call him.

[Brandon]

I'm actually. Pick up. I'm actually fine with that.

[Big Cat]

I mean, everyone has a short stop.

[Stephen Che]

I know, but I just wanted to see him pick up.

[Big Cat]

All right, fine, fine, fine. If he picks up. Otherwise I'm keeping Jeremy Pena.

[Brandon]

And whoever doesn't have a short stop, just pick Gunner Haron whenever you want.

[Zach]

Gunner hasn't responded to me since I asked him to go on his bachelor.

[Brandon]

Well, you're not Dan. Well, since you.

[Big Cat]

What?

[Zach]

You guys made me ask him that.

[Big Cat]

He's not gonna pick up. Damn it. All right, I guess I got Jeremy Pena.

[PFT Commenter]

He's a fine player.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I know. I just wanted to root for Gunner Henderson. I was stupid. I don't know why I did that. He's. He's only hit eight home runs, so I didn't see him on the board.

[Brandon]

Oh, that's a strong message.

[Big Cat]

All right, Jeremy Pena, be a hero.

[PFT Commenter]

Hey, it's me, Gunner Henderson. But you already knew that.

[Big Cat]

He's gonna be so mad when he finds out he didn't get drafted.

[Max]

Oh, one person still.

[Zach]

Yeah, he might still.

[Big Cat]

Who still needs a shortstop?

[Brandon]

Does anybody know?

[Big Cat]

Okay, don't draft him right now, but you know what? If you draft Gunner, I'll trade you Jeremy Pena.

[Merrill Kelly]

Can't think about it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I'll say. Awesome. All right, all right. What'd you decide?

[Merrill Kelly]

I'm going next, right?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, but what'd you decide about the trade right now?

[Merrill Kelly]

Oh, you feel good about Pena this year?

[Big Cat]

I mean, he's got 11 brothers.

[Brandon]

Obviously doesn't feel good about him. Zach.

[Big Cat]

No, it's literally, I do feel good about him, but I just would rather have Gunner Henderson. But it's fine. You don't have to.

[Merrill Kelly]

Is it cool if I keep. If can we think about mid season? Maybe a swat? Can we Table it till now and I. I go.

[Big Cat]

Gun deal is now officially off the table.

[Merrill Kelly]

Okay, that's fine.

[Big Cat]

Okay. All right.

[Merrill Kelly]

We won't trade in.

[Big Cat]

All right, Go ahead, make your pick.

[Merrill Kelly]

I got you. Sorry about that. I'm going to go with. Has. Has Ezekiel to been taken?

[Big Cat]

Nope.

[Merrill Kelly]

I would like to take Ezekiel to.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Zach]

What position is that, young man?

[Merrill Kelly]

Shortstop.

[Zach Gallen]

Wait.

[Big Cat]

And you also take his shirts off when you didn't need to. Everyone else already had just had this conversation.

[Stephen Che]

Three home runs. Why are you taking him?

[Merrill Kelly]

I was just keep trying to get. Keep track of who was taken, who wasn't taken. I know he was on the non taken board and Ezekiel sounds like a strong name. I was really going off first name.

[Stephen Che]

I thought you like were like friends with.

[Merrill Kelly]

No, I don't have too many guys. I don't know too many guys in mlb, but I feel like you might.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Merrill Kelly]

He might be a stick later in the season.

[Big Cat]

Terrible pick.

[Merrill Kelly]

That's fair.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Okay. Jerry, you're up.

[PFT Commenter]

All right. I need a second baseman. I will go.

[Big Cat]

Oh, okay.

[PFT Commenter]

I will go with Jackson Holiday.

[Brandon]

You.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I'll go with him. Yeah, I like him. It's a good pick.

[Big Cat]

Good pick.

[Stephen Che]

Good pick.

[PFT Commenter]

And then this is gonna be a.

[Big Cat]

Reach because I don't think this guy.

[PFT Commenter]

Has zero home runs this year.

[Big Cat]

Okay. He plays left. Oh, right fielder with zero home runs is hard to do.

[PFT Commenter]

Jordan Alvarez.

[Brandon]

Oh, that's pretty, pretty.

[Jerry]

I see.

[Brandon]

Is he hurt?

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

He is hurt. He is returning sometime the next two months. A month.

[Jerry]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Okay. That's good. He hits home runs. Yeah. Yeah. Astros. Jordan Alvarez. No progress.

[Stephen Che]

Pretty sure they found the fracture.

[PFT Commenter]

I think I drafted him last year right when he went on the start of like a 60 day deal. Yeah, he's a great player when he plays.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he's coming.

[PFT Commenter]

He's returning though.

[Big Cat]

They said.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, that's what they said last year. What is the last update?

[Big Cat]

No problem.

[PFT Commenter]

No progress.

[Stephen Che]

We'll see.

[PFT Commenter]

I read a different report. We'll see.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, we'll see. I mean, listen, if he.

[PFT Commenter]

We don't know, nobody knows. Yeah, I know. He was supposed to. I think he was a setback.

[Stephen Che]

Yeah, we'll see.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, but we're good. No, well, no progress means no bad progress either.

[Big Cat]

True. All right, back up, Zach.

[Brandon]

All right.

[Merrill Kelly]

Would it be possible to take Brent Rooker or has Brent Rooker been drafted?

[Brandon]

He's been on my team for about 45 minutes.

[Merrill Kelly]

That's fair. I missed that one on the lineup. That's why it won't happen again. Sorry about that Brandon Ezekiel won't do that again.

[Big Cat]

He's just picking guys that no one would have drafted.

[Merrill Kelly]

Ian Hap of the Cubs. He available?

[Big Cat]

Great.

[PFT Commenter]

Great pick.

[Big Cat]

Very much.

[Merrill Kelly]

I'll take Ian.

[Big Cat]

That's a great pick.

[Zach]

It's red hot right now.

[Big Cat]

Two home runs on Friday, which if you're listening to this right now, was like two weeks ago.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Brandon]

Center fielder of the Seattle Mariners, Julio Rodriguez.

[Big Cat]

Ooh, Good one.

[Brandon]

Has 10 home runs but is averaging 29 over the last three years.

[PFT Commenter]

JROD.

[Big Cat]

Good one. Good one. All right, I'll take Michael Bush, first baseman.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. I'm gonna go with Matt Chapman, third baseman, Giants. Good pick. Pft.

[Stephen Che]

Has anyone taken Riley Green, left fielder for the Tigers yet?

[PFT Commenter]

That's a hot sounding name.

[Brandon]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

That chick has got click on the only fans just to see how much.

[PFT Commenter]

Super shiny lip gloss.

[Zach]

50. Who did just take third?

[PFT Commenter]

Took Matt Chapman.

[Zach]

Okay, thanks.

[Jerry]

I feel like this person's been taken from the Colorado Rockies. Catcher Hunter Goodman.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep. A long time ago.

[Jerry]

It felt like. It felt like that was true.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Good. Good intuition. How does he play into really good.

[PFT Commenter]

Intuition, your aura, team Hank.

[Jerry]

He didn't. He just was high up on the board, which is why he had been taken already.

[Brandon]

All right.

[Jerry]

Oh, man, this is tough now. All right, I'm gonna go just because I loved his walk up song in 2016. Javi Baez.

[Big Cat]

Nice.

[Jerry]

I'm in love with.

[Big Cat]

He's back.

[Zach]

What's his position?

[Jerry]

He's a center fielder for the Tigers.

[Big Cat]

Good pick.

[Zach]

Oh, he. He got traded for pca, right?

[Jerry]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Correct.

[Zach]

I am going with.

[Big Cat]

It's great, like being around Steven because his baseball knowledge literally started this year.

[Zach]

I am going with. What's his left field? New York Mets. Brandon Nimmo.

[Big Cat]

Okay, thanks. Frank's gonna be mad about that one.

[Zach]

And then I will go with designated hitter. I believe that's his position. Let me double check.

[PFT Commenter]

We should give Frank a team. Andy Diaz and have it be all Mets. Yeah, he just gets all the Mets.

[Jerry]

This is gonna be analytics. Analytics pick. Short. Short porch in right field. Jazz Chisholm. Second base.

[Brandon]

That's just a real solid pick. Good value, solid pick.

[Stephen Che]

I will be taking catcher. Not to be confused with actor Will Smith.

[Brandon]

Which one are you taking?

[Big Cat]

The.

[Stephen Che]

The catcher. Not. Not the actor.

[Brandon]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

The actor also hits. So I'm up.

[Jerry]

We're only taking, right?

[PFT Commenter]

I gotta pick a DH here. Actually, my favorite part of this Dingers only draft is when they do the team that we didn't draft.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

That we should have.

[Big Cat]

Shane, are you working on that or memes.

[PFT Commenter]

It's memes, right?

[Stephen Che]

Shane just tried to talk. Mike anywhere near.

[Big Cat]

I can. Okay. Do it right now.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, so I'm up and I am going to be taking. Has anybody took Wilmer Flores yet?

[Brandon]

I have not heard his name.

[PFT Commenter]

Designated hitter, Wilmer Flores.

[Brandon]

You sure he's still in the league?

[PFT Commenter]

He's hit 11 home runs this year. Yeah, and the 11 is red, which I think means good. Good. Also, fun fact about him, Wilmer Flores bio. He is the brother of Wilmer Flores.

[Brandon]

I'll be goddamn.

[Big Cat]

Wow.

[PFT Commenter]

So there are two. Wilmer Flores.

[Big Cat]

That's sick.

[Brandon]

Which one did you take?

[PFT Commenter]

I took Wilmer Flores.

[Brandon]

Cool.

[Big Cat]

Has anyone taken Mr. October? Tommy Edmond.

[PFT Commenter]

I have not. Dodger.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Yeah, he's good. I'm gonna take him. Great pick, Mr. October.

[Brandon]

I have. I have an issue.

[Big Cat]

By the way, this. By the way, just so we're all clear, the official first day of this league is July 2, Wednesday, July.

[PFT Commenter]

So these home runs don't count?

[Big Cat]

No, home runs count for the next eight days.

[Brandon]

Last year y' all did the same thing. And then you started text message saying, should we just start now?

[Big Cat]

No.

[Brandon]

You're gonna do that again?

[Big Cat]

No.

[Brandon]

Just depends on how many home runs. Yes. Yeah, I think last year was like, should we just start today?

[Big Cat]

Should we just start today?

[Brandon]

No. Whatever.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Brandon]

I have a.

[Big Cat]

Doesn't really matter.

[Brandon]

I have a guy who I would like, vote yes.

[Big Cat]

If you'd like to start today.

[Brandon]

What's today?

[Big Cat]

Today.

[Brandon]

Today. Today or today when it comes out? Today. Tomorrow.

[Big Cat]

Today.

[Brandon]

Today.

[Big Cat]

Today. This day?

[Brandon]

No, it should start July 2nd.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Brandon]

Whenever.

[Zach]

Bryce Harper, what position is your second baseman?

[Big Cat]

Okay, tell me, who'd you say? Mr. October.

[Brandon]

I have a problem. I have a guy that has almost assuredly been picked, but I haven't heard him be picked and I haven't scratched him off. So I'm going to ask. And he's definitely been picked. So just tell me. He's been picked.

[Jerry]

Okay.

[Brandon]

Who's got Jose Altuve?

[Zach]

He's not been picked.

[Big Cat]

Not been picked.

[Brandon]

I'd like to pick Jose Altuve, second baseman, for the good pick. Houston. Houston.

[Big Cat]

Not as good as Tommy Edmond. He has way more home runs than Tommy Edmond.

[Brandon]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Are you sure about that?

[Brandon]

No, because Tommy Edmond's not even on my second base list.

[Big Cat]

How many home runs does Jose Altuve have?

[Brandon]

12.

[Big Cat]

Tommy even has 10. Not way more. Few more.

[Brandon]

Yeah, Zach.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Merrill Kelly]

Has anyone drafted a Ben Rice from the New York. I got my list swapped.

[Big Cat]

It was my kid, local kid.

[Merrill Kelly]

Yandy Diaz.

[Zach]

Taken.

[Merrill Kelly]

Also Been taken. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Jose Altuve still been playing all second bases. He's been playing left field.

[Brandon]

It said second base on. On the thing that I googled.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, but he's been playing left field.

[Brandon]

I think he's enough second base that he should be a second baseman. Still correct.

[Big Cat]

Shane?

[Zach]

I'm looking.

[Brandon]

All right. Can you all look okay?

[Big Cat]

It all right?

[Brandon]

Okay, we're good.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. That's why I was more upset at myself because I didn't see him on my second basement list.

[Merrill Kelly]

Vinnie Pascantino.

[Brandon]

Who's that?

[Merrill Kelly]

First base.

[Big Cat]

Royals.

[Merrill Kelly]

That is correct.

[Big Cat]

Yep. Pick him.

[Merrill Kelly]

That's who we're picking.

[Big Cat]

All right, Jerry.

[PFT Commenter]

Perfect.

[Big Cat]

I will.

[PFT Commenter]

Do I need a cash?

[Big Cat]

This is the last round or not? Not this one more round.

[PFT Commenter]

I need a catcher.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it.

[PFT Commenter]

Let's go with.

[Big Cat]

Let's go with Wells.

[Jerry]

God damn it.

[PFT Commenter]

Austin Wells.

[Jerry]

God damn it.

[Big Cat]

He wasn't going to make it to you, Hank.

[PFT Commenter]

Austin Wells. Let's go with him.

[Jerry]

Damn it.

[PFT Commenter]

Catcher. Okay, now I need a. Oh.

[Big Cat]

Oh my.

[PFT Commenter]

Ray field there right fielder. Okay, I will go.

[Big Cat]

Man.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know much about this guy, but the name sounds like he hits home runs. I remember a couple postseasons ago he was hitting home runs. Nick Castell. Castellanos.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Stephen Che]

He's had a good year and his power numbers have been a little bit down.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, I'll go with him. I reckon there. Perfect.

[Zach]

Zach, you need a Dharma.

[Merrill Kelly]

Is Saya Suzuki available?

[PFT Commenter]

No.

[Brandon]

No.

[Jerry]

You're just looking at my draft.

[Big Cat]

I think he was a second round pick. Was he a second round pick?

[Brandon]

Third or fourth? Yeah.

[Merrill Kelly]

Great pick.

[Zach]

10Th overall.

[PFT Commenter]

Solid pick.

[Big Cat]

10Th overall. Great value.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean that would have been an awesome pick if you got it.

[Merrill Kelly]

I'll go. Jonathan Arata.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Merrill Kelly]

Doesn't it hit her? 10 bay Dover raise.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, just the raise now.

[Merrill Kelly]

10 bay raise.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Zach]

Brandon needs a third baseman.

[PFT Commenter]

Eight years ago. Eight, maybe more.

[Brandon]

Another injury guy coming back. Jordan Westburg. Baltimore Orioles. Third base.

[Zach]

Where'd he go to school?

[Brandon]

Mississippi State.

[Big Cat]

All right. I'm going to take a injured player, but he's got a lot of pop. He's only. He's got 10 home runs in how many bats? 200 bats. Shay Langal.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

The A's. He should be back. I just googled it. He should be back in the next week or two. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So Jackson Holiday. We've ruled him as a shortstop.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Stephen Che]

No, someone already picked him.

[PFT Commenter]

I picked him.

[Brandon]

Second basement, right?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Zach]

You need a second basement.

[PFT Commenter]

I need a second basement. Yep. So I will be going with at second Base. Ozzy Albius.

[Stephen Che]

That's a good pick.

[PFT Commenter]

Atlanta Brave.

[Big Cat]

Good pick. That's a good pick. Thanks. Mostly because it's a name I recognize.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, same. That's. That's my.

[Stephen Che]

I guess this is the. In the injured round here where someone takes someone who is going to be off of injury soon, I will be taking third baseman Alex Bregman.

[Zach]

Good pick, great pick.

[Big Cat]

Would you like to call him? Check.

[Brandon]

Damn, I should have done that.

[Zach]

Bregman. Yeah.

[Stephen Che]

Please don't answer.

[Zach]

He'd be likely to pick up every.

[PFT Commenter]

Article about Ozzy Albies is about how bad this current slump.

[Brandon]

He has been awful. But he's gonna be better.

[PFT Commenter]

He should be better.

[Brandon]

He only has six home runs, no outstanding tax. He's gonna hit 25.

[PFT Commenter]

I think getting drafted on this team is the spark that he Knew.

[Brandon]

He's betting 100 for June.

[Jerry]

All right, I'm gonna go. Recurring guest, friend of the program. Catcher for the Seattle Mariners, Cal Raleigh.

[PFT Commenter]

Great pick.

[Big Cat]

Great pick.

[Zach]

Oh, Bregman's calling back.

[Big Cat]

Oh, there we go.

[Jerry]

Nice.

[Big Cat]

Hand it to Max. Tell them we're doing the drink.

[Zach]

Alex, what's up, buddy? Yeah, we are doing. You are on part of my. Pardon my take right now. I'm gonna pass you to Max. You've just been drafted in the Dingers only league.

[Stephen Che]

Hey, Alex, pleasure to. Pleasure to speak with you right now. I just want you to know that you've been drafted by team Max to the Dingers only league and part of my take. Do you accept?

[Big Cat]

I don't even know what that is.

[Stephen Che]

All right.

[Big Cat]

All right.

[Stephen Che]

That's cool. It is a fantasy baseball league between the members of part of my take plus a few more and it's just a fantasy baseball league. Homers only.

[Big Cat]

All right.

[Stephen Che]

How's your health? You feeling good? He'll be back soon. I love that. Love that. Thanks for joining my team. Have a good one.

[Brandon]

I don't know if he did join your team.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't think he accepted.

[Big Cat]

You're too nervous, Max.

[Stephen Che]

I was nervous.

[Brandon]

You couldn't wait to get off the phone.

[Max]

I was nervous.

[Stephen Che]

I was nervous.

[Big Cat]

Damn, dude. Maybe send him a follow up text chain. Be like, sorry for Max. He's a loser.

[Stephen Che]

I felt like that was pretty.

[Big Cat]

I thought.

[Stephen Che]

I thought that went pretty.

[Big Cat]

You blew that.

[Stephen Che]

I thought that went pretty smoothly.

[Big Cat]

Zach, what do you think?

[Brandon]

You were so fast.

[Merrill Kelly]

I thought it was de. On our first interaction with somebody. I feel like it went pretty decent.

[Stephen Che]

I was pretty. Yeah. I don't know why, like, I don't know.

[Big Cat]

Clean. That Up. There's something about a.

[Stephen Che]

There's something about a phone call.

[Big Cat]

That's max. Look at it. Clean that up. I don't want Bre to hate us. Sorry if that was a thumbs up or what.

[Zach]

Yeah, your thumb is completely blocking your face.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Zach]

All right.

[Jerry]

All right.

[Big Cat]

Steven Bregman's been drafted.

[Brandon]

Wait, who did you.

[Zach]

Wait, who'd you take.

[Brandon]

What are you doing?

[Jerry]

I thought it was. We thought we're gonna move on. Has anyone taken Austin Ramirez of the Miami Marlins?

[Big Cat]

No.

[Jerry]

All right, I'll take him.

[Big Cat]

Good pick.

[PFT Commenter]

Great pick, Hank.

[Big Cat]

Oh, I had him on my board.

[PFT Commenter]

He's actually better than Cal Raleigh.

[Big Cat]

Steven, last pick, Mr. Irrelevant.

[Zach]

Mr. Irrelevant. I'm just checking to make sure this guy is healthy. He's got an absolutely dynamite name. Oh, Yep.

[Big Cat]

He's hitting like 150.

[Brandon]

This could be anybody.

[Zach]

He might be second baseman, Arizona Diamondbacks Tim Tower.

[PFT Commenter]

Dynamite.

[Brandon]

That's a dynamite name to you.

[Zach]

Tim Tower.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Okay, I feel like we left a lot.

[Zach]

Wait, who's your.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jerry]

Augustin Ramirez.

[Brandon]

I don't want to say third place.

[Big Cat]

We.

[Brandon]

We left a couple guys.

[Big Cat]

Well, Corbin Carroll.

[Brandon]

Corbin.

[Big Cat]

Carol's out there, but he's hurt.

[Brandon]

How hurt, though?

[Big Cat]

I don't know. He think he's getting an MRI, but he is. Has 20 home runs.

[PFT Commenter]

I think I drafted all guys from the National League. How is that possible?

[Brandon]

Yeah, entirely National League.

[Big Cat]

Every.

[PFT Commenter]

Everybody on my team is in the National League.

[Big Cat]

Corbin Carol is a big mess.

[Jerry]

Big mess.

[Big Cat]

Big.

[Brandon]

They think something stash him.

[Big Cat]

He. Well, you can't stash him. We don't have any. Oh, you're saying stash him?

[Brandon]

Just eat his non. Home runs until.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Brandon]

So it's a race to see who's right fielder gets hurt first.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Memes. Who'd we miss?

[Big Cat]

Anybody? Take Freddie Freeman.

[Brandon]

No.

[PFT Commenter]

Nope.

[Brandon]

Yeah, first base. Soderstrom is a really good hitter too.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Who else?

[Zach Gallen]

Want me to go down the list right now?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Sean Murphy, catcher.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Max]

Braves, Tommy Edmond.

[Big Cat]

No.

[Stephen Che]

No.

[Big Cat]

Got him. Yes. That feels good.

[PFT Commenter]

Sean Murphy might not be the best hitting catcher on that team.

[Big Cat]

That feels really good knowing that I got a pick that the baseball guys knew.

[PFT Commenter]

Daniel Schneemann, the Guardians for second base base. Zach Netto for shortstop. Yeah. Austin Riley, third base.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Brandon]

It's not a bad year.

[PFT Commenter]

Tyler Soderstrom, centerfield. Joe o' Dell. And then right field, Corbin Carroll.

[Big Cat]

Okay. I think we did pretty good. Yeah, I think that was a good draft, boys.

[Jerry]

I love my team. My team pops off.

[PFT Commenter]

I love my team.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Stephen Che]

Hanks, you Said something earlier of, like.

[Jerry]

If you posted this lineup card.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Stephen Che]

That you wanted, like, a star power, and that's what I, I, I kind of went.

[Big Cat]

Read your, Read your team real quick.

[Jerry]

Eugenio Suarez.

[Brandon]

Nailed it.

[Jerry]

Sia Suzuki, Mike Trout, Ben Rice. Drew and Carlos Stanton. Mookie Betts, Javi Baez. Jazz Chisholm.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Jerry]

Augustine Ramirez.

[Stephen Che]

Everyone. Everyone say their name.

[Big Cat]

So you want to say all of our. Everyone.

[Brandon]

I mean, I think I'm Brandon.

[PFT Commenter]

No, I, I actually think if you put my lineup player's name next to Hank, I think mine pops. Pops with or just as.

[Brandon]

I think better.

[Stephen Che]

More as well.

[Big Cat]

I think doing a pop off. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Let's pop off.

[Stephen Che]

Let's pop off.

[Big Cat]

Pop off.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank, you listen to this. Tell me guy for guy. James Wood. Juan Soto. Matt Olson. Matt Olson. Hunter Goodman. Jackson Churo, C.J. abrams. Matt Chapman. Wilmer Flores. Ozzy Alvis.

[Jerry]

Yeah. There's no the end of there.

[Brandon]

I'm popping so harder than y' all.

[Stephen Che]

No, I'm popping harder. I'm popping hard.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Stephen Che]

Let's you pop. You pop first, and then I pop. Has to eat the Cal Riley. Pops.

[Brandon]

Ronald Acuna.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Brandon]

Bryce Harper.

[Big Cat]

Pops.

[Brandon]

Julio Rodriguez.

[Jerry]

Yeah.

[Brandon]

Bobby Witt Jr. Yeah. Jose Altuve.

[Big Cat]

Pops.

[Stephen Che]

Yeah.

[Brandon]

Now I go. Brent Rooker, Taylor Ward, Jordan Westbrook. I didn't pop Taylor Ward.

[Stephen Che]

All right, so can I pop?

[Jerry]

I mean, I'm popping better.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Stephen Che]

I'm Will Smith.

[Jerry]

Nah, nah.

[Stephen Che]

Vladi Jr. A little Martel Bregman.

[Jerry]

Pops.

[Big Cat]

Ellie Bregman doesn't pops.

[Jerry]

Bregman Pops.

[Big Cat]

Bregman hurts.

[Stephen Che]

Bregman.

[Big Cat]

Pops.

[Stephen Che]

Ellie De La Cruz. Riley Greene. PCA Tatis Devers.

[Jerry]

All right, that's a good pop.

[Big Cat]

Pretty good.

[Jerry]

That's a good pop.

[Big Cat]

You want to hear my pop?

[Stephen Che]

A lot of pop in there.

[Big Cat]

All right. My start. I'll just throw this. Shaylan Gleers. Whatever. Michael Bush is good. Tommy Edmond. Gunner Henderson.

[Stephen Che]

Pop.

[Zach]

Oh, wait. Did you make that trade?

[Big Cat]

No.

[Stephen Che]

Oh, wait. Oh, yeah.

[Big Cat]

Fuck. Jeremy Pena, Manny Machado, Christian Yellich.

[Jerry]

Pops.

[Big Cat]

Kyle Tucker.

[Stephen Che]

Pops.

[Big Cat]

Kyle Schwaber.

[Jerry]

Pops.

[Big Cat]

Byron Buxton. All right. Decent pop in my outfit. I mean, I have two I, I have the Kyle guys. I think this Kyle Schrober and Kyle Tucker.

[PFT Commenter]

This is gonna be the most competitive year of Dingers only ever.

[Big Cat]

You want to pop, Jerry?

[PFT Commenter]

I'll pop a little bit.

[Brandon]

Pop it off.

[PFT Commenter]

First base, Spencer torkelson.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Wow.

[PFT Commenter]

D.H. otani.

[Brandon]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Shortstop.

[PFT Commenter]

Lindor. Center field, O' Neill Cruz. Third base, Jose Ramirez. Second base, Jackson Holiday.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Could pop left field, Jordan Alvarez.

[Brandon]

Well, he's dead.

[Stephen Che]

I don't think he's gonna play for the rest of the year.

[PFT Commenter]

The Pop was actually.

[Stephen Che]

The name is Pop, though.

[PFT Commenter]

So the name is Pop.

[Big Cat]

The name is Pop. Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

And right fielder. Castellanos.

[Big Cat]

That's Pop.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, Pop.

[Big Cat]

What do you got? Steven.

[Zach]

Catcher. Logano. Hoppy. Sick name.

[PFT Commenter]

Your definition for sick name.

[Zach]

Logan. Oh, Hoppy.

[Brandon]

It's just names.

[Big Cat]

Really weird.

[Zach]

Well, it's a cool name. Pete Alonzo. First base. Second base.

[PFT Commenter]

That Pops.

[Stephen Che]

Yeah.

[Zach]

Tim Tawa. That's a cool name.

[Brandon]

How could that be the coolest?

[Zach]

Tim Tower. Shortstop. Dansby Swanson. Swag.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, God.

[Zach]

Third base. Ice.

[Brandon]

Esok. Paredes.

[Zach]

Esop. Paredes.

[Jerry]

No, Pop.

[Zach]

The left field, Brandon Nimmo.

[Stephen Che]

This is the least amount of pop. Do we agree that this team.

[Big Cat]

Well, we haven't heard.

[Zach]

Center field, Andy Pahes.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Zach]

Right field. The Oscar Hernandez.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Stephen Che]

Incredible amount of non, you know, sex appeal.

[Brandon]

You don't know 90 of your team.

[Zach]

No, I. I 9. No. Yeah, absolutely do. Pete Alonzo. Logano.

[Brandon]

Hoppy.

[Zach]

And the Oscar. And Dansby. I know also those guys. If you were to make Brandon nimble.

[PFT Commenter]

I've heard of a team logo for your squad. It would just be beige. Yeah, beige and gray.

[Brandon]

Toby Flanderson.

[Big Cat]

Zach End us with a pop.

[Merrill Kelly]

Aaron Judge.

[PFT Commenter]

Pop.

[Merrill Kelly]

Salvador Perez.

[Big Cat]

Pop.

[Merrill Kelly]

Brandon Lowe.

[Big Cat]

Pop.

[Brandon]

Wow.

[Merrill Kelly]

Junior Camino. Trent Grisham.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Merrill Kelly]

Ezekiel Tover.

[Big Cat]

Pop.

[Merrill Kelly]

Ian Hap. Vinnie Paskin. Pascanitino. Pascantino.

[PFT Commenter]

I think if you said it like the right with the Italian hands, it pops. Vinnie Pascatino.

[Merrill Kelly]

Pascanatino.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Merrill Kelly]

And Jonathan Arata.

[Brandon]

Why didn't you take Gunner Henderson?

[Merrill Kelly]

It was a mix up.

[PFT Commenter]

Memes. Do you and Shane, do you have any, like, grades? Like which team? Which team Pops the hardest?

[Big Cat]

Give Max an A. Let's go give Brandon an A. Yeah, Brandon's really good.

[Stephen Che]

Why don't you say I was really good?

[Zach Gallen]

Max, yours is really good too.

[Stephen Che]

All right, thanks.

[Big Cat]

I like big cat and PFTs.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, you do.

[Brandon]

Wow. Hank, you're not gonna pop.

[Big Cat]

No. Hanks was good.

[PFT Commenter]

No, it wasn't. You don't mean that.

[Stephen Che]

So who. Who's bad? That's a better question.

[Big Cat]

Unfortunately, my man, my man Zach had. Had had a tough time. Lot of ball left.

[Zach]

We also last year picked pitcher. Tiebreaker.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, we're not doing that. Okay, that was. Oh, it was just tiebreaker.

[Brandon]

It was just. It was strike.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah, yeah, we could do that, I guess. Okay, tiebreaker.

[Zach]

Just go same one through eight.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

And it's strikeouts.

[Big Cat]

It's just strikeouts. Most strikeouts purely Tiebreaker for last place.

[Brandon]

Correct. And last year we just. We just spoke up.

[Big Cat]

So Paul Skins.

[Brandon]

Give me. Give me Garrett Crochet.

[Stephen Che]

What are we doing?

[Big Cat]

We just spoke up.

[Stephen Che]

Cy Young.

[Brandon]

Just. Just take it. Oh, give me Scuba.

[Stephen Che]

What?

[Zach]

Wait.

[Big Cat]

All right, fine. Go in order. I'll take that.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, well, I don't know his name. It's the agent.

[Stephen Che]

Wait, no, it should be going back.

[PFT Commenter]

Ohtani.

[Big Cat]

No, no, the last pick. No, I did. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Zach]

All right. Paul schemes.

[Stephen Che]

Wait, what is this? What are we talking about?

[Big Cat]

It's not gonna happen.

[Zach]

Paul Skins from me.

[PFT Commenter]

Good pick, Hank.

[Jerry]

Yeah, sorry. I'm looking for any pitcher that's hit a home run this year.

[Zach]

No, no, it's just hit anymore. It's only in the event.

[Brandon]

Search for that.

[PFT Commenter]

They're all dhs, Hank.

[Stephen Che]

Oh, man, Otani would be a great pick.

[Jerry]

All right, I'll. Give me Scubal.

[PFT Commenter]

Good pick. Nice. Good pick. It's a great pick.

[Stephen Che]

Crochet. Brandon. Brandon was the one. Actually. No, give me Zach Wheeler. Zach Wheeler.

[PFT Commenter]

McKenzie Gore.

[Big Cat]

Why can't I. Why can't I get this for. For strikeouts? Where are the strikeouts? Oh, let me see, let me see.

[PFT Commenter]

Let me see, let me see.

[Big Cat]

Crochet. Chris Sale.

[Brandon]

Oh, hurt.

[Big Cat]

Thank you.

[Zach]

What?

[Brandon]

Didn't he hurt? He got hurt the other night.

[Big Cat]

Logan Web.

[Brandon]

Hunter Brown. I don't know who that is.

[Big Cat]

I think we up too, because so many games got thrown around.

[Brandon]

Crochet is picked Max.

[Stephen Che]

No, no, he was not.

[Big Cat]

We both made up. There's so many names thrown around. Take Crochet, Matt or Zach.

[Merrill Kelly]

I'll take Crochet.

[Big Cat]

There you go.

[PFT Commenter]

We got Chris Seal. Fractured rib cage.

[Brandon]

Yeah.

[Stephen Che]

That stinks.

[Brandon]

He got it doing a diving play with two outs on the ninth of a shutout.

[Stephen Che]

I just wanted a fill. And it's not going to matter unless it does matter.

[Zach]

Good.

[Big Cat]

You got to pick there, Jerry. I can't.

[PFT Commenter]

I can't find him.

[Big Cat]

The Asian guy on the Jodgers.

[PFT Commenter]

Yamamoto. That's the name, right?

[Big Cat]

Yep, yep.

[PFT Commenter]

Take it.

[Brandon]

There's definitely like five Asian guys.

[Big Cat]

I'm pretty sure he's talking about. Yeah.

[Stephen Che]

Then they have another guy that just got hurt, right?

[Zach Gallen]

Sasaki.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, no, I'm not thinking of that. He's talking about Yamamoto, right?

[Brandon]

The guy with my strikeouts.

[Jerry]

Yo.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep, him.

[Stephen Che]

It's like the. Whatever. That's like the one team. Like, you can't. That you can't.

[Big Cat]

Can't say Asian guy.

[PFT Commenter]

Are they just filled with Asian players?

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I don't know.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't watch baseball.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All Right. Good job, boys.

[Brandon]

All right.

[PFT Commenter]

That was a great draft. I think this is guy for guy. The best draft yet.

[Jerry]

Yeah, except it's gonna be a slug fest in the league this year. Year.

[Big Cat]

It's going to be. It's going to be scenes. Who. Who do we think does the pitching challenge first? The loser of this year or Max?

[Brandon]

Loser of this year.

[PFT Commenter]

I think Zach's going to do before Max does.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Stephen Che]

You are saying Zach's going to lose?

[PFT Commenter]

I was making a joke.

[Big Cat]

Ezekiel.

[PFT Commenter]

He's going to lose.

[Merrill Kelly]

We haven't even gotten to the second yet.

[Jerry]

All right.

[Big Cat]

Okay. That was our show. Reminder, no Show Friday. Numbers 3. No show Friday for the 4th of July.

[Jerry]

99.

[Big Cat]

I'll be back on Sunday night or show on Monday, and then it's chill week.

[Jerry]

You got one there? Memes.

[Big Cat]

Did you get in there? Memes? Yeah.

[Jerry]

One for one for four.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Wait, no, I got it.

[Jerry]

No, I know.

[Big Cat]

Before. Yeah.

[Jerry]

Out of the four we just did.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. Says it so quick.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm gonna go with 59.

[Big Cat]

Oh.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, that's not gonna hit.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

That's terrible. Terrible number.

[Stephen Che]

I'll take 11.

[Big Cat]

What did you guess? Last memes last.

[PFT Commenter]

59.

[Big Cat]

9. 21. All right, I'll do 21.

[PFT Commenter]

Is wrong with you? 59.

[Merrill Kelly]

27.

[PFT Commenter]

Come on. 27. 71.

[Big Cat]

71.

[Jerry]

Meaning to take 71.

[Big Cat]

Love you guys.

[Brandon]

It.