Which of these players would you go and attend their HOF speech ?

Summary

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Episode Overview

Main Theme:
The July 27, 2026 episode of "Payne & Pendergast" centers on a fun, spirited debate: Which Houston sports figures would be most deserving—and most enticing—for fans to attend their Hall of Fame induction speeches? With Jeff Kent and Carlos Beltran recently inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, hosts Sean Pendergast (with Brandon Scott filling in for Seth Payne) discuss which current or former Houston athletes would warrant a “must-go” trip to their own ceremonies. They sort possible future Hall of Famers into categories, reminisce about Houston sports legends, and candidly examine why some stars are less universally embraced.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Hall of Fame Induction Recap

• Jeff Kent & Carlos Beltran: Both have ties to the Astros; Kent is most associated with the Giants, Beltran with the Royals and Mets.
  • [03:19] Sean: "Jeff Kent, to me, is most associated with Giant. ... Carlos Beltran is an interesting one ... probably the best version of himself as a New York Met."

2. The “Must-Go” Bucket: Non-Negotiable Inductions

• Sean’s Must-Gos:
  • Jose Altuve (Astros legend)
  • J.J. Watt (Texans icon)

  [05:35] Sean: “Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt. Those are the two non-negotiable, must-go.”

• Brandon Agrees: These are “pretty safe” must-attends for any Houston sports fan.
  • [05:42] Brandon: "They are non-negotiable. ... If I rule the world ... these would be the top of my list."

3. Serious Consideration Bucket

• Names Discussed:
  • Justin Verlander: Acknowledged as the second-most impactful Astro after Altuve.
  • Danielle Hunter: Surging status and local Katy-area roots highlighted.

  [07:31] Brandon: "There used to be a Verlander day ... In 2022, when he won the Cy Young, I'd just go park my fanny ... and just watch him do his thing."
  [07:50] Sean: "He's the second most meaningful player of that stretch behind Jose Altuve, to me."

• Why They Matter: Both have elevated Houston teams in big ways, and Hunter is “solidifying himself as one of the all-time great Texans in a short amount of time.”

  [06:51] Brandon: "Like, I think he's always had, and it has only extended and made better a low key kind of quiet Hall of Fame career ..."

4. “If I’m In the Area” Bucket

• Who’s here?
  • DeAndre Hopkins: Iconic Texan, but not quite “must-travel.”
  • Zack Greinke: Remarkable career; his unique, likely entertaining personality noted as a draw for his speech.
  • James Harden: A lightning rod for debate; see below.
  • Chris Paul & Honey Badger (Tyrann Mathieu): Both contributed meaningfully—Mathieu’s “redemption story” speech anticipated to be memorable.

  [10:29] Sean: "I also feel like [Honey Badger's] speech would be memorable. ... He's a redemption story too."

5. The James Harden Debate

• Should Be Non-Negotiable, But...
  • Accomplishment-wise, Harden deserves universal admiration, but his style, playoff letdowns, and dramatic exit from Houston tarnished his “must-go” status.

  [11:03] Sean: "I think so, but accomplishment-wise, he 100% should be." [11:07] Brandon: "But it's his own fault ... The playoff shortcomings ... how he left. The Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul trade happens because of you to begin with ... Well, no bleep, Sherlock."

• Generational Divide: Younger fans idolize him; older fans’ feelings are mixed.

6. “No Way” & “Too Early to Tell” Buckets

• No Effing Way Candidates: Sean and Brandon say they wouldn’t bother for:

  • Gerrit Cole
  • Russell Westbrook
  • Framber Valdez (unless he changes fan perception)

  [12:46] Brandon: "You already know for me. [Valdez] is in the definitive. Hell no."

• Too Early to Tell, But Worth Watching

  • Will Anderson Jr.: Both hosts believe he has the talent; they'd go if he keeps developing.
  • Yordan Alvarez: Possible future “best Astro of all time.”

  [14:57] Sean: "If they continue to do things ... [Anderson and Alvarez] would be into the non-negotiable must-go."
  [15:07] Brandon: "I think he's got a shot to be the best Astro of all time."

7. Underappreciated/Borderline Hall of Famers

• Danielle Hunter: Would have more hype if he weren't so quiet or if he played in a bigger market.

  [13:37] Sean: "If he did what he has done in his career in New York, he’d be a surefire thing."

• DeAndre Hopkins: Will likely make the Hall, but wide receiver “logjam” may complicate his path.

  [13:28] Brandon: "[Hopkins] is going to get in at some point ... Wide receiver's one of the more tricky ones to try to predict."

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [05:35] Sean (on must-see inductions):
  "Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt. Those are the two non-negotiable, must-go."
• [11:07] Brandon (on Harden's complicated legacy):
  "The playoff shortcomings. It's hard to kind of like, divorce yourself from that ... But certainly since he's been in Houston. And then, of course, how he left."
• [13:37] Sean (on Danielle Hunter’s low profile):
  "If he did what he has done in his career in New York, he'd be a surefire thing."
• [14:39] Brandon (on Will Anderson Jr.):
  "I don't have a lot in my savings, but I would bet every dollar of it on Will Anderson Jr. making it."
• [15:07] Brandon (on Yordan Alvarez):
  "I think he's got a shot to be the best Astro of all time. We'll just, we'll see how it goes."

---

Segment Timestamps

• [03:19] Hall of Fame weekend recap: Jeff Kent and Carlos Beltran
• [05:35] Hosts’ “must-go” induction speeches: Altuve, Watt
• [06:41] “Serious Consideration” candidates: Verlander, Hunter
• [08:10] “If I’m in the Area”: Hopkins, Grienke, Harden, Chris Paul, Honey Badger, Kevin Durant
• [10:57] Harden debate begins
• [12:34] “No Way” bucket and strong opinions on Westbrook and Valdez
• [13:24] Underappreciated potential Hall of Famers: Hopkins, Danielle Hunter
• [14:39] “Too Early to Tell” stars: Will Anderson Jr., Yordan Alvarez

---

Final Thoughts

This episode is both a walk down Houston sports memory lane and a peek at the future, delivered in the show’s signature mix of banter and insider perspective. Fans will enjoy hearing whose speeches the hosts would drop everything for—and why some local legends stir up complex emotions despite their accolades. If you’re a Houston sports fan, these “buckets” might help you decide which induction you’d book a flight for, and which you’d just catch on YouTube.

---

Transcript

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Sports Radio 610 presents live from the West Point Lincoln and West Point Lincoln of Sugarland Studios. Here's Payne and Pendergast. All right, good to be with you on a Monday. Hope you had a great weekend. Sean Pendergast. Brandon Scott in for Seth Pain. Seth will be back on Wednesday, which just so happens to also be the first day of Texans training camp. I think the fellas are all back in the building tomorrow and then practice first practices on. Is on Wednesday.

[C]

Yeah, man. It'll be all hands on deck coming Wednesday, man. The team, the. The Texans actual team, our radio team. It's going to be lit. Yep.

[D]

Gonna be great. And just keep it tuned here to Sports Radio 6 10. And then like halfway through training camp, all of a sudden, poof. We'll be 95. 7 the fan. So we got some exciting times coming up here. Yeah. If you missed it, if you're on vacation last week, we should probably talk about it almost every segment. But you probably hear the promos running. We are moving to an FM stick, as they say. 95. 7 the fan station will still run on 6 10. It'll be 610 the fan over here. But we still get texts from people. Like, is 610 still going to be around? Because people, they like nostalgia, some of them. Some of them enjoy nostalgia and may have a fetish for light static.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Might turn them on. Yeah.

[C]

But their own. To each their own. I will say, though, this is not quite like, like, you know, Sean, some people who still like to listen to their music on a record player.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

But that's a little comeback. But that's a little bit different. Like, there is a charm in the different sound on the record player.

[D]

Someone say the record's better. Yeah.

[C]

That's much different from the AM vs FM dial. But it reminds me of the same type of feel. I remember back when it used to sound like this.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

Versus how it sounds now.

[D]

We can all agree the worst was cassette tapes.

[C]

Yes.

[D]

That was the worst sounding of all of them. It was just more portable.

[C]

That's not just the worst sounding, but could also make the most of a mess. Like the biggest mess. If you were to. If the tape was to.

[D]

Tape got stuck.

[C]

Oh, my God. So glad we're past that.

[D]

Bad times.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

All right. So Jeff Kent and Carlos Beltran went into the Baseball hall of Fame this weekend. Definite ties to the Astros. I don't know which cap each of them is wearing or, you know, which cap is going to be on their plaque for. I. I didn't bother to look up, I would think. I think Jeff Kent, to me, is most associated with Giant. He's a giant.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Him and Barry Bonds. Yeah. Yeah.

[C]

That's a Giant.

[D]

He's a Giant. Carlos Beltran is an interesting one because he rose to prominence as a Kansas City royal.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

And. But he was probably the best version of himself as a New York met.

[C]

Yeah. He's a man.

[D]

Or he might have been. You know, those early years, he was like a 40, 40 guy.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

In, In Kansas City.

[C]

That Astro run, too, though, was pretty damn good. Well, it was as short as.

[D]

It was very short.

[E]

It was short.

[D]

It was crazy productive.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

The 2004 one, 2017 was just a different flavor.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

It was just different flavors. Here is a leader and things like that. But I, you know, I, I get the sense that Astro fans are happy for both guys. You know, I, I don't know what the sign stealing scandal did for Carlos Beltran's Q rating here in Houston. What I got to thinking, though, was I, I have never been to a Hall of Fame induction ceremony before. We thought, Amy and I thought about going to Andres Andre Johnson's ceremony up in Canton a couple years ago.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

It just didn't work out because the Texans were playing in the hall of Fame game. I had to Stay back here to do some duties here. It just didn't make sense to travel. The one I'm really sad that I'd missed was Jeff Bagwell's. Yeah. Because I, I mean, I told you this last week. You know, Jeff Bagwell played sports in the same conference that my school was in back in high school. So I've known about Bagwell since he was a 36 goal scorer in soccer back.

[C]

Played soccer against your brother?

[D]

Against my brother, yeah. So. So I was, I was really mad at myself for not going to that one. And I told myself, man, if someone is at that level going into the hall of Fame, you know, career guy icon, I said, I'm going to go. Whoever it is, I'm going to go. So I've got two non negotiable must gos that I will be at. One way or the other, I will find a way to be there. And if I need to be back on Monday for, for work, I'll be back on Monday for work.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Jose Altuve, J.J. watt.

[C]

Yeah, I think those are pretty safe.

[D]

Those are the two non negotiable, must go.

[C]

They, that for you also, they, they are non negotiable. Now I'm not in the same position. I'm not even sure if I'll be allowed to negotiate. Like in a perfect world, let's just, let's just make this fun and say in the perfect world, if I'm, if I rule the world, if I can make it non negotiable, these would be the two on the top of my list. I will say though that a number, another name that's about to. That's not a non negotiable should be a non negotiable. But it's his own. It's not our fault. It's his own fault. I think that he's not a non negotiable. Okay. He should be far more revered by the Houston sports fan base than he is. But he's lower on this list and I think it's his own doing.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

Okay, we'll get there.

[D]

Okay, we'll get there. So I've got these in, in different buckets.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Okay. So the first bucket is non negotiable. Must go. Jose Altuve and J.J. watt. And admittedly it's easy for me to say that my kids are all grown up. I don't have to. You know what I mean? Like there's, I get it for people, like life happens. I know that.

[E]

Exactly.

[D]

Serious consideration is the next category. These are for me, serious Consideration. Curious what you think, B. Scott, Justin Verlander, Daniel Hunter.

[C]

I like the Neil Hunt. Daniel Hunter is kind of a late ad for me because, like, I think he's always had, and it has only extended and made better a low key kind of quiet hall of Fame career, so to speak, or hall of Fame resume, I should say. But I wouldn't have necessarily put him on this list before last year. And he's really sort of just like solidifying himself as one of the all time great Texans in a really short amount of time. So I, I'm good with both of these guys.

[D]

And he's from here, too.

[C]

From here. From the Katy area. Morton Ranch.

[D]

Yep.

[C]

Yeah, I'm with that, I'm with both

[D]

of these that you see. You're with. Yeah, Verlander is one. You know, I, I, it's, that's, he's.

[C]

Well, Sean, there used to be a Verlander day, like when he, yeah, like we called it that. I understand Hunter Brown's the ace now. And we've had other really good pitchers, great pitchers here, but Verlander, specifically Verlander day. And in 2022, when he won the Cy Young, I made a habit to just go park my fanny right there in the Crawford boxes and just watch him do his thing.

[D]

He's the second most meaningful player of that stretch behind Jose Altuveta. Me, you can argue Alex Bregman, you can probably argue George Springer, Carlos Correa, Jordan a little bit later on. No one's more meaningful than Jose Altuveta. That run, nobody. And Justin Verlander's number two.

[C]

I think that's accurate.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

All right. If I'm in the area, this is the third bucket. These are ones I would go to if I happen to be in upstate New York.

[C]

Why does if I'm in the area feel passive?

[D]

Does it feel, does it feel a little dismissive?

[C]

Feels a little dismissive. A little bit.

[D]

Well, I'm not going out of my way to buy a thousand dollar airline.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Or anything.

[D]

You know what I mean?

[C]

Like, I get the.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

The gist of it.

[D]

Better than no. Which is the next category if I'm in the area. Deandre Hopkins. Have we gotten to the one yet that you teased?

[C]

Not yet. We're getting here.

[D]

We're getting Zach Granke.

[C]

I like this one because I think

[D]

the speech would be incredible. James Harden.

[C]

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. Okay, there's the one.

[D]

Okay. I mean, let me finish up this bucket and then we'll go to Harden Chris Paul.

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[D]

Honey badger. Yeah, I know it's just one year, but I like the honey badger.

[C]

I love the Honey badger.

[D]

Yeah, I would go if I would. If I happen to be in the. In the Greater Cleveland and Canton area in the last first week of August, first weekend in August, I'd make an effort to go watch him go in.

[C]

I also feel like his speech would be memorable. I would want to be thousand percent. I wouldn't want to be there for it.

[D]

Well, he's a. He's a redemption story too. So there's probably a lot of very interesting nuggets of his upbringing that he would sight in that speech 100%. Kevin Durant's the last one. I would go to Kevin Durant's. I know people feel a certain kind of way about Durant these days. I would go to his hall of Fame speech if I happen to be in Springfield, Massachusetts. Okay, circling back, your tease on James Harden, which has now been revealed was what?

[C]

Dude, James Harden should be one of

[D]

those guys should be on the Altuve Watt level.

[C]

I think so. But.

[D]

But accomplishment wise, he 100% should be.

[C]

But it's his own fault. I think it's a couple of things. It's the style of play, which I think Rockets fans, a lot of Them had to negotiate themselves into rooting for, especially the ones that weren't children when he was playing. Like, there are a lot of people that are adults now that were kids when James Harden got here and view him as like some kind of godly figure. So they're not in this bucket. But all of us who were adults when James Harden got here and had to kind of like, adjust and decide that we were okay with this style of play, those people feel a certain way. The playoff shortcomings. It's hard to kind of like, divorce yourself from that. As if it's not a part of the James Harden story and narrative overall. But certainly since he's been in Houston. And then, of course, how he left.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

The fact that he left in sort of a hissy fit with sort of a disregard to the fact that the Rockets were in that position that they were in in large part because they were trying to. To placate him, you know, so it's like this. A lot of this was your doing the Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul trade happens because of you to begin with, and now we're just not good enough. Well, no bleep, Sherlock. It's because of you.

[D]

Texter agrees with you. Says Harden's done so much for the community and single moms.

[C]

That's great.

[D]

No, it is great. These are sports fans we're talking about. I am a sports fan. I do not like the way he left either.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

I'm saying I would go. He's not in the next bucket, which is no effing way. Which would be Garrett Cole, Russell Westbrook, and if he keeps putting a few good years together. From Valdez.

[C]

From Valdez. You already know for me. Is in the definitive. Hell no. He is. He is in. He's definitely in the. Can't say it on the radio. Fcc.

[E]

No.

[C]

Yes version for me, for sure. I ain't going. I won't be there.

[D]

Too early to tell if there's a conversation to be had about them like this, because I don't. None of these. Well, the only ones that are surefire hall of Famers are Altuve, A Watt, Verlander, Granky, Harden. And Paul. Like Tyron Matthews. Borderline Oh. Kevin Durant. Also like DeAndre Hopkins. If I had to bet, I would say DeAndre Hopkins might not get in in my lifetime. I have no idea. You know, I.

[C]

You're. So the lifetime part is the key because he's going to get in at some point.

[D]

Some point. Yeah. Better in his committee.

[C]

And it's a log jam. At that position. Wide receivers one of the more tricky ones to try to predict. But hey, look, I think if you really look at it, Daniel Hunter.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Like he's got to be. He's got a low key like easy hall of Fame.

[D]

If he did what he has done in his career in New York, he'd be in. He'd be a surefire thing.

[C]

Or if he just talked a little.

[D]

Well, it's a combination of a soft spoken personality with playing in Minnesota which you know, for a lot of the people that vote on these things that follow the NFL might or that, that that drive the narrative on these things because ultimately it's 50 people in a room that decide that probably no Minnesota better. But the narratives for segments like this. Minnesota might as well be Manitoba. Yeah.

[C]

By the time he gets his shot at it, I don't know if McClain will still be around doing this sort of thing. But whoever is that version of, you know, the next generation's version of John McClain. Hell, it could be me. I don't know. But whoever's doing that needs to make sure that they go out of their way to make this case. Neil Hunter, because he's not going to make the case for himself.

[D]

Too early to tell if there's a combo to be had. But I can tell you right now, I would be front and center at Will Anderson Jr's induction.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

If he keeps doing this for another eight years or whatever it is.

[C]

Yeah. I don't have a lot in my savings, but I would bet every dollar of it on Will Anderson Jr. Making

[D]

it the two that it's too early to tell if they are going to be hall of Famers. But if they continue to do things the way they are, stay healthy, et cetera, that I would put into the non negotiable. Must go Will Anderson Jr. Jordan Alvarez.

[C]

Agreed.

[D]

Yep. Agreed. Those are non negotiables.

[C]

100%.

[D]

Two of my favorite players.

[C]

I think by the time it's all said and done, Jordan Alvarez has a chance to be the best at. I know right now it's Jose Altuve.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I think he's got a shot to be the best Astro of all time. We'll just, we'll see how it goes. Gotta stay healthy, but he's got a shot.

[D]

He's the best hitter I've ever seen. The conversation you're talking about. I know. Factors more into what does the total body of work look like. Yeah.

[C]

And team success.

[D]

I've never seen a better hitter than him. Yeah.

[C]

But, but like if they can reinvent themselves as a squad and, like, let's say, make a couple of more runs at it. And Jordan's already a part of the previous era. Yeah, he's. He's in that conversation.

[D]

We'll find out what the guy's got going on on in the Loop. What's the question of the day here on a Monday on Sports Radio 6 10? As long as we're talking about nostalgia and Jeff Kent and Carlos Beltran going into the hall of Fame, there was some interesting nostalgia with the Astros going on this weekend, kind of the other type of nostalgia that we'll get to. We'll set up this series that they've got going on with with the Angels over the next few days. We'll do all of that.

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