PTI with Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon

Episode: Blue Jays-Dodgers Series Heats Up!
Date: October 28, 2025

Episode Overview

The episode centers around the marathon World Series game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers, with a hard look at Shohei Ohtani’s legendary performance, bullpen management after such a long game, and how the series is shaping up. Conversations then pivot to the NFL—highlighting the Kansas City Chiefs’ return to dominance—and feature a deep “Five Good Minutes” chat with ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday on quarterback and running back injuries and the state of the MVP race. The show wraps with a rapid-fire round covering key developments in the NHL and NBA.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. World Series Epic: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays

(Starts ~00:32)

• Insane Durability and Drama
  • The game lasted 18 innings, finishing at 2:50 am Eastern, with Freddie Freeman hitting a walk-off homer.
  • Both teams emptied their bullpens: Dodgers used 10 pitchers, Jays 9, with 44 players participating (01:05).
• Shohei Ohtani’s Historic Night
  • Ohtani reached base 9 times: 4 unintentional walks, 4 extra-base hits including 2 home runs (01:05).
  • Wilbon: “Ohtani just—there are no words. The home runs, double on base, the walks… I lived for the drama of baseball like you.” (01:47)
• Generational Divide in Viewership
  • Wilbon raises concerns about whether such marathon games engage younger generations (01:47).
• Base-running Blunders & Drama
  • Toronto “got so many people thrown out on the base paths... It was just one gasp after another, the drama of it, you know.” (01:47)
• Bullpen Management & Unsung Heroes
  • Kornheiser highlights Dave Roberts’ strategic juggling, the critical use of “circle of trust” bullpen arms, and the emergence of pitchers like Will Klein (03:02).
    • “Will Klein, I’ve never heard of him. ... The last two years he pitched 22⅔ innings… He went four last night. He’d never gone four. It was remarkable.” (03:02)
  • The Dodgers’ bullpen “went 13 innings and gave up nothing.” (03:02)
• Implications for Next Games
  • Both teams “used everybody last night… you not only have a game tonight, Mike, you have a game tomorrow night as well.” (05:04)
  • Kornheiser: “That’s the subtext that’s the most interesting to me.” (05:04)
• Shohei Ohtani: Center of Attention
  • Ohtani expected to pitch the next game after his offensive explosion; both hosts discuss whether he’ll see any pitches to hit with his current postseason stats (.458 BA, 1.9+ OPS, 6 HR) (05:04).

Notable Quotes

• Mike Wilbon [01:47]: “The very thing that made this game irresistible for old dogs like you and me makes it unwatchable for two generations of people.”
• Tony Kornheiser [03:02]: “That was everything you wanted. Okay? There was scoring opportunities all over... It was just so extraordinary.”

2. Series Stakes: Who Needs It More?

(Starts ~06:48)

• Which Team Is Desperate?
  • Kornheiser initiates a “toss-up”: Who needs the next game more—Toronto (risking a 3–1 deficit) or LA (bullpen running on fumes)? (06:51)
  • Wilbon sides with Toronto: “It’s a narrow call for me, Tone, but it’s Toronto… I’m gonna play a hunch.” (07:06)

3. NFL Spotlight: Chiefs Dominate, Commanders Falter

(Starts ~07:23)

• Chiefs are “Becoming the Chiefs Again”
  • Kansas City beat Washington 28-7, with Patrick Mahomes throwing 3 second-half TDs and going 15/17 in the half (07:23).
  • Wilbon: “The Chiefs are in the process of becoming the Chiefs again. And it takes a while… It can take nine weeks, 11 weeks, 13 weeks, 17 weeks.” (07:46)
  • Kornheiser: “They are a reliable, dependable commodity. They are like the bread that you go to the store to buy because you like the bread and it never disappoints you.” (08:39)
• Commanders Falling Short Without Jaden Daniels
  • Kornheiser: “Were they just lucky because Jaden Daniels had this fabulous rookie season… now he’s missed all or parts of three games and they’ve fallen like a rock?” (08:39)
• Tough Road Ahead for Chiefs
  • Next three games: at Buffalo, at Denver, Indianapolis at home—combined record 18–5. “That’s a gauntlet.” (09:54)
• Mahomes is THE Best
  • Wilbon: “When I hear this conversation out there about who’s the best in his category as quarterback. Shut up, please. Because the answer is no.” (09:54)
  • Kornheiser: “It doesn’t make him the MVP every year. But he’s the best football player. He’s the best.” (10:08)

Notable Quotes

• Tony Kornheiser [08:39]: “They are like the bread that you go to the store to buy… because you like the bread and it never disappoints you.”

4. Five Good Minutes: NFL Insights with Jeff Saturday

(Starts ~12:11)

• Protecting a Quarterback Returning from Injury
  Lamar Jackson’s hamstring and offensive line adjustments:
  • Jeff Saturday: “If [Jackson’s] 100%, that athlete’s going to go athlete... you do more of trying to squelch his want and desire to get outside the pocket… It’s the D cell... that’s really where they end up pulling up lane more often.” (12:32)
• The Running Back MVP Debate
  • Jonathan Taylor’s huge year and MVP chants:
    • Jeff Saturday: “He should clearly be in the MVP conversation and we should stop making it a quarterback award only… Let’s stop taking it off the table for other players except for quarterbacks.” (13:54)
    • “This is not just he’s being carried. This is a benefit for both offensive line and running back.” (13:54)
• Impact of Gruesome Injuries
  • On Cam Scatterboo: “It is hard not to look away because not only are you seeing your friend in pain, you’re seeing what could potentially happen to you… But they’ve conditioned you as coaches and organizations—injuries are part of the game; we got to continue to move on.” (15:49)
• Center “Frozen” on the Ball—NFL Rule Weirdness
  • Jeff Saturday on Zach Frazier: “I would go put my hand on the ball and there’d be times…I’d be down in my stance for, you know, dang near 40 seconds… That he couldn’t get up and go walk in the huddle just made it look like a spectacle. And I absolutely loved it because we shined in on a great center.” (17:18)

Notable Quotes

• Jeff Saturday [13:54]: “He should clearly be in the MVP conversation and we should stop making it a quarterback award only… Let’s stop taking it off the table for other players except for quarterbacks.”
• Jeff Saturday [17:18]: “That he couldn’t get up and go walk in the huddle just made it look like a spectacle. And I absolutely loved it.”

5. Around the Horn: NHL & NBA Notes, Milestones & Performances

(Starts ~21:46)

• Jack Eichel’s Contract Extension
  • Kornheiser details Eichel’s $108 million contract—factoring into NHL Olympics participation debate (21:46).
• NBA Anniversaries & Records
  • Harden’s anniversary of trade to Houston, “Harden is the last American-born MVP” (23:37).
  • Wembanyama’s performance: “24 points and 15 rebounds... spurs’ fourth straight win to start the season... Shohei. That’s it. Shohei. Wembanyama. Those two deserve the entire marquee until someone else proves otherwise.” (24:24, 24:42)
• Rapid Fire:
  • Lauri Markkanen’s 51-point game (24:42).
  • Vikings QB injuries; Saints starting rookie QB.
  • Frozen Frenzy: All NHL teams in action (25:22).
  • Knicks/Bucks vs. Clippers/Warriors: Wilbon picks Clippers/Warriors (25:32).

Notable Quotes

• Mike Wilbon [24:42]: “Shohei. Wembanyama. Those two deserve the entire marquee until someone else proves otherwise.”

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• Wilbon’s Nostalgia for Old-School Baseball Drama:
  “For me, baseball is my first sporting love and it was the World Series and it was crazy things that seemingly could only happen in the World Series. And that was last night.” (01:47)
• Kornheiser’s Baseball ‘Love Letter’:
  “That was, that was everything you wanted… It was a stunningly competitive game considering they didn’t score for hours.” (03:02)
• Saturday on MVP Fairness:
  “He should clearly be in the MVP conversation and we should stop making it a quarterback award only.” (13:54)
• Bread Metaphor for Chiefs:
  “They are like the bread that you go to the store to buy because you like the bread and it never disappoints you.” (08:39)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:32 — Opening, World Series marathon breakdown
• 03:02 — Key moments & bullpen management
• 05:04 — Ohtani analysis & series implications
• 06:48 — “Which team needs it more?” toss-up
• 07:23 — Chiefs-Commanders recap & NFL talk
• 12:11 — “Five Good Minutes” with Jeff Saturday (Lamar, Taylor, Scatterboo, Frazier)
• 21:46 — NHL: Jack Eichel contract, Olympics discussion
• 23:37 — NBA: Harden anniversary, Wembanyama, Markkanen’s 51 points
• 25:22 — NHL Frozen Frenzy, quick NBA/NFL items

Tone & Style

Conversational, witty, and insightful, marked by Wilbon and Kornheiser’s mutual ribbing, reverence for old-school sports, and deep context. Warm anecdotes mix with sharp (at times playful) criticism and analysis, particularly when chronicling Ohtani’s performance, Kansas City’s steadiness, and the oddities/tensions in NFL rules and MVP traditions.

For the New Listener

This episode captures the essence of PTI: rapid, informed debate on the biggest sports stories, always with context, humor, and a little nostalgia. The dramatic Dodgers/Blue Jays World Series marathon, Shohei Ohtani’s sensational performance, and the NFL’s evolving narratives are dissected with passion and authority—making this a can’t-miss recap for sports fans eager to catch up on the day’s top stories.