Hour 1: The Hotel Expert (feat. Tim Kurkjian)

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 1: The Hotel Expert (feat. Tim Kurkjian)
Date: October 16, 2025
Location: The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

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Episode Overview

In this lively hour, Dan Le Batard and Stugotz welcome Hall of Fame baseball writer and ESPN analyst Tim Kurkjian for a characteristically humorous, wide-ranging conversation. The group dives into quirky travel tips, the unpredictability of the 2025 MLB season, remarkable baseball stats, and the delightful weirdness that makes the sport special. There’s plenty of laughter, classic “Does X look like…” riffs, and inside stories on players and managers across the sports landscape.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Travel Expertise: Tim Kurkjian’s Veteran Habits

• Two Beds in Hotels:
  • Tim “requests two beds at a hotel” for practicality: "I put my suitcase on there if I need to." (02:23)
• Printed Boarding Passes:
  • Despite years of travel, Tim still insists on a paper boarding pass. "Being 68 years old, I have to have a printed boarding pass in order to get on the plane. Otherwise, I would be that poor doddering little old man who can't find the code… I just want a piece of paper in my pocket so I can hand it to the gate agent." (02:55)
  • Traveling companions Eduardo Perez and Carl Ravitch are much more nonchalant: "Eddie doesn't even need a boarding pass. He just gets on the airplane and they let him whether he has a pass or not." (02:55)
• Eduardo Perez’s Contrasts:
  • Helicopter from JFK to Manhattan: "Instead he paid $260 and took a seven minute helicopter ride into Manhattan. ...The next day, he walks around with his suitcase looking for a laundromat...for $7.50, does his laundry." (04:37)
  • Tim nearly got lost on NYC subways, saved by travel companions: “Otherwise, I would have gotten on the wrong subway train, and instead of going to the Bronx, I would have gone, you know, to Long Island or something.” (04:38)

2. Baseball as the Unexpected: Why the 2025 Season Was Wild

• Unpredictability Defined:
  • Tim calls it “the most unpredictable season” he’s covered:
    "Just when you think you understand the game, you realize you don't...You look at [a team] and say, this team stinks. And then they win eight games in a row, and then you say this team is really good and then they lose seven games in a row. That's the unpredictable nature that I'm talking about." (08:11)
• Favorite Stat Lines from the Season:
  • Shohei Ohtani: "He struck out 187 times...he is the record holder at 189...the two greatest strikeout seasons during an MVP year are both held by Shohei Ohtani." (09:39)
  • Three-Homer Games: "We have 19 three homer games this year...Hank Aaron had one three-homer game in his career...Gary Sheffield, David Ortiz, Rafael Palmero had none." (10:30)
  • Strikeout Era: "We will have more 100 strikeout guys this year than from 1900 to 1963 combined." (11:45)

3. Quirky Baseball Anecdotes & “Look Like” Jokes

• Max Muncy Coincidence:
  • "There are two Max Muncys playing in the major leagues right now...not related...and they both share the same birthday." (07:21)
• Look-like Riffing (Various):
  • E.g., "Does Max Muncy look like the guy who comes out of the restroom and says, 'I wouldn't go in there if I were you?'" (07:10);
  • "Does Freddie Freeman look like the neighbor who always waves first and means it?" (12:07)
  • "Adam Silver looks like lone French fry in a bag of onion rings." (21:02)
  • "Does Dan Marino look like the third place finisher in a David Hasselhoff lookalike contest?" (26:59)
  • Kurkjian on Cal Raleigh (The “Big Dumper”): “He looks like the guy who comes over to your house to fix your air conditioner or comes over to fix your plumbing. He looks like the rest of us...but he just happens to be a great baseball player.” (27:15)

4. Baseball Randomness That Delights the Experts

• Ernie Clement’s eBay Glove:
  • “Ernie Clement is wearing a baseball glove in the game that he bought on eBay. Several months ago he bought a glove on eBay and now it is his game glove in the major league.” (12:16, 13:41)
• Unprecedented Double Play - “400 Ft. Grand Slam Turned Double Play”:
  • "That play has never happened in the history of baseball...a 400 foot grounded into double play when the ball essentially never hit the ground." (28:38)
  • “This is why we go to the games, Dan, because something might happen at a major league game that's never happened or we've never seen before." (30:33)

5. Deep-Dive: Defensive Excellence and Pitching Feats

• Cal Raleigh’s Defensive Stats:
  • First catcher since Johnny Bench (1975) to catch 120+ games without a passed ball. “Stunning. Absolutely stunning...with this violent stuff that we see today. I don't know how there aren't pass balls like three per game because guys are throwing so hard.” (22:20)
• Max Scherzer, Postseason Outlook & Competitive Fire:
  • "He's Mad Max and he's one of the great competitors we've ever seen...he is a complete lunatic, and that is a compliment." (17:30)
  • Sixth different franchise as postseason starter—a major league record. (18:40, 19:41)
  • Scherzer’s basketball challenge to teammates: “We had to play by the Max rules…after like five buckets…you have to shoot free throws because you never know how good a free throw shooter you are until you shoot them when you are fatigued.” (18:30)

6. Team Building and What Makes a Superteam

• 2025 Dodgers: Best Roster Ever?
  • “When I called [a member of the Dodgers] and said, tell me about your team, he said, ‘We have the greatest roster in the history of baseball.’” (25:29)
  • Historic rotation feat: “Blake Snell just finished two straight starts in which he pitched six innings and allowed one hit or less...No pitcher’s ever done that twice in their postseason career.” (25:29)
  • Only weakness: bullpen depth. (25:29)

7. Sports Media Moments (Football Side-Trip)

• Kirk Herbstreit vs. Pat McAfee On-Air Phone Call:
  • Discussion of an ESPN segment where Bill Belichick calls Herbstreit during a live show.
  • Stugotz: "Pat McAfee does exactly what you have to do... But there's no way Kirk Herbstreit didn’t talk to him about this afterward." (35:18-37:24)

8. Coaching Legacies: Bill Belichick

• Current State & NFL Prospects:
  • “There’s simply no circumstance under which Bill Belichick could have imagined that his present day legacy is so harmed...that he cannot get any of the jobs that he would want right now.” (39:00)
  • Dan disagrees that doors are closed forever: “There’s always going to be an owner...drawn to all the success that he had.” (40:10)
  • Conversation about which jobs Belichick actually tried to get, Atlanta and potentially Dallas/Giants situations. (41:11)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tim Kurkjian on Travel:

  "I just want a piece of paper in my pocket so I can hand it to the gate agent...I just can’t afford to be running through an airport at my age." (02:55)

• On this unpredictable MLB season:

  "The lesson that we learned from 2025 is just when you think you understand the game, you realize that you don't." (08:11)

• On Shohei Ohtani’s MVP-level strikeouts:

  "He's the most remarkable player anyone has ever seen, and yet he strikes out all the time. Proving again that the stuff that we see in the big leagues right now is unbelievably good." (09:39)

• On Ernie Clement’s eBay glove:

  “…he bought a glove on eBay and now he uses it as a potential Gold Glove infielder. Only in baseball could this happen." (13:41)

• On Max Scherzer’s competitive edge:

  “He's Mad Max and he's one of the great competitors we've ever seen. In fact...after like five buckets of the pickup game, you have to shoot free throws because you never know how good a free throw shooter you are until you shoot them when you are fatigued.” (17:30, 18:30)

• On the never-before-seen double play:

  "That play has never happened in the history of baseball...This is why we go to the games, Dan, because something might happen at a major league game that's never happened or we've never seen before." (28:38, 30:33)

• On the Dodgers’ all-time great roster:

  "We have the greatest roster in the history of baseball." (25:29, attributed to a Dodgers staffer via Kurkjian)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:44 | Tim Kurkjian joins, intro as hotel expert and travel veteran | | 02:23 | Kurkjian’s hotel and boarding pass philosophy | | 04:37 | Eduardo Perez’s helicopter, subway, laundromat travel tales | | 07:21 | Max Muncy name/birthday coincidence | | 08:11 | Unpredictable 2025 MLB season, Tim’s favorite stat lines | | 09:39 | Shohei Ohtani’s MVP and strikeouts / Home run trivia | | 10:30 | Era of strikeouts & power: “100 strikeout guys” stat | | 12:16 | Ernie Clement, eBay glove, Gold Glove odds, Boone family story | | 17:30 | Max Scherzer’s competitive quirks, basketball games, “Mad Max” | | 22:20 | Cal Raleigh (“Big Dumper”) and the passing-ball feat | | 25:29 | Dodgers as potentially the best roster in MLB history | | 28:38 | 400 foot grand slam double play - “never seen before” moment | | 35:18 | On-air ESPN moment: Belichick calls Herbstreit while live | | 39:00 | Bill Belichick’s coaching legacy & employment prospects |

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Overall Tone and Feel

The episode is signature Le Batard and Stugotz: loose, funny, irreverent, but peppered with genuine insight. Tim Kurkjian’s blend of humility, encyclopedia-like baseball knowledge, and self-deprecation makes for both earnest nostalgia and delightful, oddball storytelling. The “look like” jokes pepper the show with familiar levity, and discussions on sports unpredictability and legacy never get too self-serious.

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For Listeners Who Missed It:

This episode is a must-listen for baseball fans and those who love sports oddities. You'll hear from one of the game’s best storytellers in Tim Kurkjian, who balances humility with expert insight. From eBay gloves to the ever-increasing strikeout rates and a Dodgers team potentially better than any before, the hour is filled with memorable moments, statistical marvels, and the charming wisecracks that have made the Le Batard Show a standout in sports podcasting.

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stugats]

Cuervo? Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up.

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stugats]

Sweet, delicious Cuervo.

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stugats]

Cuervo.

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stugats]

Cuervo.

[Tim Kurkjian]

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[Stugats]

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[Tim Kurkjian]

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[Stugats]

It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone.

[Tim Kurkjian]

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[Stugats]

Look who's there everybody.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Who's there.

[Stugats]

Look at him. He is in the middle of peak October. He is in the middle of baseball. This is his happiest time. And and he got a double play for the ages the other day. The thing that makes Tim more excited than anything in world is when he goes to the ballpark and sees something that no one's ever seen before. Because that can happen in baseball. He's everyone's favorite. He's the hall of Fame baseball writer Tim Kirk, analyst, reporter for Baseball Tonight and the host of a great podcast with his son Jeff. Is this a great game or what? It is really wonderful to watch him do this and see this do him, see him do this with his son.

[Tim Kurkjian]

And he's also a hotel expert because he knows you get the two beds so you can sleep in one and have the, you know, the storage on the other bed. Right? Tim, you request Two beds at a hotel? I do. And being as small as I am, I don't need a king size bed. Anything is fine. So the two beds works better for me because just I put my suitcase on there if I need to. So yes, I'm good in hotels.

[Stugats]

What other veteran travel tips do you have for us as someone who has, you know, been all over the globe following baseball players?

[Tim Kurkjian]

Well, I get in a lot of trouble for this, Dan, but I need a printed boarding pass to get on the airplane. And Eduardo Perez and Carl Ravitch, who I travel with, that they. Eddie doesn't even need a boarding pass. He just gets on the airplane and they let him whether he has a pass or not. I, being 68 years old, have to have a printed boarding pass in order to get on the plane. Otherwise I would be that poor doddering little old man who can't find the code or whatever that thing is called on my phone. I just want a piece of paper in my pocket so I can hand it to the gate agent so I can get on the plane. That's, that's my number one rule when it comes to traveling. Take a printed boarding pass. What happens if they change the gate after you get through security? Well, I still have a printed boarding pass. I just have to look and find out where the gate, the gate gets changed all the time. But you got just. You go to the big boards to see or do you get the mobile notification board? No, I go to the boards. I'd much rather talk to a person, look at a board, print a boarding pass in my pocket. That's just the way it worked to me. I don't put anybody else through this. I don't make people go to the airport four hours before my flight like I do. I don't ever. It's just me that is part of all this ridiculous anxiety that I have at the airport. Even though I've been traveling for 45 years, I just can't afford to be running through an airport at my age. I'm more interested in Eduardo Perez just having free reign in airports and airplanes. Like, does he get to go in the cockpit mid flight? He's unbelievable. You know what he did in New York? He took a helicopter from JFK into downtown Manhattan.

[Stugats]

Good move.

[Tim Kurkjian]

He checked it out. It was going to be an hour and a half uber ride for $120. Instead he paid $260 and took a seven minute helicopter ride into Manhattan. I could just get a helicopter. He took a helicopter. And if you think that makes him Some pretentious diva, because that's what he does. He's the opposite of that, because the next day, he went and took his clothing to a laundromat in Manhattan. So one day he takes a helicopter into the city, and the next day he walks around with his suitcase looking for a Laundromat, and then for $7.50, does his laundry the next day. If you travel with Eduardo Perez, nothing bad can possibly happen. When we were in New York, this was so bad, I almost got on the wrong subway train going to Yankee Stadium. And if I had, I would have been lost forever. I would have missed the game. I would have been some sad little old man in Schenectady because I would have never found my way back. Eduardo and Ravi saved me. Otherwise, I would have gotten on the wrong subway train, and instead of going to the Bronx, I would have gone, you know, to Long island or something.

[Stugats]

Tim, I love you, okay? But when I ask you for a tip, a veteran tip of travel, after 45 years of travel, you can't, say, print your boarding pass like that. You're not giving anybody any wisdom with that. Like, you've got 45 years of experience traveling. How is that the best travel tip you can give people? When Chris is saluting you on, yes, two beds. Get two beds, so you can just throw your junk on one of them.

[Tim Kurkjian]

And this is the printed boarding pass. We talked about this on our podcast the other day, and at least a dozen people responded to me saying, I have to have a printed boarding pass. Also, Dan, I don't need anything to travel. I'm really simple. I don't check into a hotel and say, hey, I need this. Hey, I need that. I have no tips. My only tip is get to the airport early so you don't miss the flight. And I'm a member of the Admirals Club for American Airlines. That's my tip. You have to have a place to go, get something to eat, get something to drink, someplace to relax, someplace to go work. Especially when you get to the airport as early as I do.

[Stugats]

Does Max Muncie. Does Max Muncie look like the guy who comes out of the restroom and says, I wouldn't go in there if I were you.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Dad. Do you know that Max Muncie. There are two Max Muncies playing in the major leagues right now? They have the same name. They are not related. Max Muncie is not exactly the most popular name in the world. And there are two guys in the major leagues named Max Muncie. The one for the Dodgers and a rookie for the, for the A's and they both get this share of the same birthday. I mean, what, what, what are the chances of that happening? I say zero percent.

[Stugats]

What? Well, clearly not zero percent. What, what is the stat that you would look to from the regular that you would say is your favorite stat of this season? And I want to ask you the follow up question of. You've called this the most unpredictable season You've covered in 45 years. How is that possible?

[Tim Kurkjian]

Well, I believe it is, Dan, for this reason. Just when you. This season, I counted the Blue Jays out multiple times and then they won the division. I counted the Mariners out multiple times and then they won their division. I every team that made the playoffs in the American League this year, at one point, at least privately, I said they're not going to make the playoffs. And then six of them did. The lesson that we learned from 2025 is just when you think you understand the game, you realize that you don't. Because a team, you look at them and say, this team stinks. And then they win eight games in a row and then you say this team is really good and then they lose seven games in a row. That's the unpredictable nature that I'm talking about. I like to think I understand what I'm watching, but I've been wrong. We've all been wrong so many times this year. It has been ridiculous with the Mets, with the Yankees, with just about every team you look at and say, I missed on them. That's why this has been such an interesting season.

[Stugats]

Does Hunter Pence look like the Pirate forced to walk the plank after a failed mutiny against his captain, Jeff Samarja? What is your favorite stat from the regular season? Do you have a favorite? I know you've got so many of them in the bank, it's hard to ask you for just one.

[Tim Kurkjian]

All right, so I'm going to give you. I'm going to give you two. Okay? Shohei Ohtani is going to win the MVP again this year. He struck out 187 times. So he's going to have the second most strikeouts ever in an MVP season with 187. And he is the record holder at 189. So the two greatest strikeout seasons during an MVP year are both held by Shohei Ohtani, who is the best player in the National League. He's going to win the the unanimous MVP again this year. He's the most remarkable player anyone has ever seen, and yet he strikes out all the time. Proving again that the stuff that we see in the big leagues right now is unbelievably good. I mean, there's. These guys have no shot against the pitching that we see today unless a gu misses location. So that's one stat. And it's just showing you what the strikeout rate is like. The other thing is we hit home runs at an outrageous rate. We have 19 three homer games, individual three homer games this year. 19. And it's not even the record. The record is 21 three homer seasons. Keep in mind that Hank Aaron had one three homer season game, three homer gamer game. What one three homer game in his career. Gary Sheffield, David Ortiz, Rafael Palmero had no three individual three homer games in their career. And 19 different guys had a three homer game. And three of those had a four homer game this year. The point is, this is what we play today. You hit the ball out of the ballpark or you strike out and there's not much in between. Now we're getting a little closer to the game we used to play 40 years ago, where balls in play, more guys are stealing bases. The brewers and the Blue Jays run all over the place and make somebody stop them. That's a good sign. But we're still in an era where the strikeout rate is ridiculous. We will have more 100 strikeout guys this year than from 1900 to 1963 combined. That's what we look at these days. And everyone seems to be okay with Everybody striking out 100 times and everybody just trying to hit home runs. But I would like to see us go back to a different game, the game that we played 40 years ago.

[Stugats]

Does Freddie Freeman look like the neighbor who always waves first and means it?

[Tim Kurkjian]

Speaking of. Looks like the. You got it. You got to look this up, Dan. Ernie Clement is an infielder for the Blue Jays and a really good one. Okay? He's. He made the Gold Glove finalists as a third baseman and as a util. So there's a chance he could win the Gold Glove at third base and win the Gold Glove as utility player, which I find ridiculous. But Ernie Clement looks exactly like Aaron Boone, a younger Aaron Boone, who is the manager of the Yankees. And we got a text the other day from Brett Boone, Aaron's brother, watching the game on TV while we're doing it on the radio. And he said, he looks exactly like my brother. So then we called up the picture of Ray Boone, who is of course Aaron's grandfather, who played in the major leagues. He looks exactly like Aaron, therefore he looks exactly like Ernie Clements. So they are. The Blue Jays knock the Yankees out of the playoffs and their second basement third baseman looks exactly like the manager of the Yankees. And get this, get this. I'm sorry to belabor this, but Ernie, Ernie Clement is wearing a baseball glove in the game that he bought on ebay. Several months ago he bought a glove on ebay and now it is his game glove in the major league.

[Stugats]

Like 10 hits in the last series.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Didn't he had nine hits in the Yankee series?

[Stugats]

Nine.

[Tim Kurkjian]

He had 12 hits now in the postseason he's a good major league player and he's a great defender at at every position. And he bought a glove on ebay and now he has to wear a batting glove underneath his glove because as he explained to me, there's no padding in this glove because it's so old, but it fits him perfectly. He bought a glove on ebay and now he uses it as a potential Gold Glove infielder. Only in baseball could this happen. What does Zinn give you? Not just smoke free nicotine satisfaction, but real freedom. Freedom to do what you love and choose your rewards. With Zinn Rewards, you can redeem points for premium tech, outdoor gear and gift cards to your favorite retailers. Find your Zen and keep finding rewards that fit your [e-mail] rewards. Warning. This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Tim Kurkjian]

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[Dan Le Batard]

Purchase because I keep those things in the cart.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Then I see it. That beautiful glowing purple shop pay button.

[Dan Le Batard]

Boom, checkout's done.

[Tim Kurkjian]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Tim Kurkjian]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Tim Kurkjian]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Tim Kurkjian]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Tim Kurkjian]

Payments, inventory analytics, marketing. It goes on and on, and it's all in one place. If you want to see less carts being abandoned, it's time for you to head over to Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com batard go to shopify.com shopify.com batard Don LeBatard. I thought that we were past the Lightning. Well, thought that we were better than the Lightning. And we didn't give the Lightning any mind. This is loser mentality.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, no. Last year's shirt was World War three.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

Our group chat has a good feeling about this.

[Tim Kurkjian]

The pants, the Lightning. The Lightning aren't shit to me. I'm just gonna come right out and tell you right now, we have surpassed the Lightning. They're not a formidable foe. They're a joke.

[Dan Le Batard]

Stugats.

[Tim Kurkjian]

I don't take them seriously at all. Strike me by lightning. I don't care. Nothing's gonna happen to me. Lightning or Saw, I'm not giving them any mind. I'm not paying attention to them this series. On to the next round. This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats. Tim, what's realistic best case scenario for Scherzer tonight? That's a good question. He had a five point ERA during the regular season and in his last five postseason starts, he has a 7.71 ERA. What he does have going for him is he's Max Scherzer and he is a complete lunatic, and that is a compliment. He's Mad Max and he's one of the great competitors we've ever seen. In fact, I was talking to Chris Bassett of the Blue Jays the other day. Chris Bassett is a pitcher and was a really good high school football player and a great high school basketball player. So he's a new teammate this year with Max Scherzer. And Scherzer finds out that Chris Bassett loves basketball and is really good. So Max, typically being Max, goes to Chris Bassett and said, I want to play one on one against is. And we're playing full court, one on one. That's. That's who Max Scherzer is. We had Ryan Zimmerman on our podcast last year, the greatest Washington national ever. And he said that he used to play pickup basketball with Max and this is how Max would do it. He Zimmerman said we had to play by the Max rules. And I said, what exactly does that mean? Even though I can figure it out myself. So after like five buckets of the pickup game, you have to shoot free throws because you never know how good a free throw shooter you are until you shoot them when you are fatigued. And then when the pickup game is over, first, first team to 12, then you have to shoot free throws again because now you're really fatigued after a game. That's how Max Scherzer does everything in his life. And it's one reason why I think he's got a chance to be really good tonight. But the numbers suggest he might struggle tonight. And by the way, he is. This will be the sixth different franchise for which he has started a postseason game that will be the most of any pitcher in major league history. David Wells started a game for five different franchise tonight. Max Scherzer will make it six.

[Stugats]

Put it on the poll, please. Juju. Does Max Scherzer look as crazy as his eyes? Look at Le Batard show. Also, Tim, I want to ask you a handful of questions here. Does Jalen Brunson look like the valet driver who lost your keys? Does Brett Venables look like the small town sheriff in a movie that ends up being corrupt after you spent the whole movie telling your wife he's obviously corrupt? Does Michael Smith look like the high school teacher who motivates his students by sitting in a chair backwards?

[Tim Kurkjian]

Is that Michael Smith the media guy?

[Stugats]

Yes, yes, that's right. Yes, he does look like that. That's right. He's substitute teach inner city school and he's trying to make everyone more comfortable. He's trying to get Them fired up. That's right.

[Dan Le Batard]

What type of school.

[Stugats]

Does Adam Silver.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Adam Silver looks like lone French fry in a bag of onion rings.

[Stugats]

You didn't let me finish. Does Adam Silver.

[Tim Kurkjian]

He's the commissioner of the NBA. You need to leave him alone.

[Stugats]

Does Adam Silver.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Sorry.

[Stugats]

Does Adam Silver look like the last lonely lollipop in the jar at the doctor's office?

[Tim Kurkjian]

What did that mean? Adam Silver looks like a three wood.

[Stugats]

Tim, I want you to put a couple of things in context for me, because I couldn't believe the stat the other day. I'm sure it's now common in baseball circles, but it was new to me. Big Dumper having his first passed ball in. In. In a postseason game when he didn't have one in a regular season game makes no sense to me. I don't have any earthly idea how possible that is. So explain to with the context of baseball that you have better than almost anybody I know you find that stat stunning. That makes no sense with the way pitchers are throwing today.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Stunning. Absolutely stunning. So he is the first catcher since Johnny Bench, the greatest catcher of all time. In 1975. Johnny Bench caught 1002 innings and did not have a pass ball. So. So the big dumper is the. Is the first catcher since Johnny bench in 75 to catch at least 120 games and not have a passed ball. Now, interestingly, in the series against the Tigers, Dylan Dingler, the catcher for Detroit, had caught 118 games this year without a pass ball. So two catchers in the same postseason series had caught at least 118 games this year and not had a pass ball. And then Cal Raleigh had a pass ball in the postseason. And Dan, your point is well made with this violent stuff that we see today. I don't know how there aren't pass balls like three per game because guys are throwing so hard.

[Stugats]

No. And that. And the way that team pitches. Like he's got to be the best defensive catcher there's ever been. Tim, I don't. That's probably blasphemy with Johnny Bench to you. But how can it not be, given what that staff stuff is, right?

[Tim Kurkjian]

That stuff, the stuff on that staff is so ungodly good. Wait till you see Luis Castillo throw tonight. I mean, nobody can hit him. He was so good in a playoff game three years ago that Manny Acta, who is a coach for the Mariners, told me after the game, after Castillo shoved for seven innings against the Blue Jays, he said, we have to move the mound back two feet because it's not fair to the hitters. That's the kind of stuff Luis Castillo has. And for Cal Raleigh to catch him and all of that stack without a pass ball is just remarkable to me. Now he's an elite defensive catcher, even though he didn't finish in the top three for the Gold Glove finalists this year in the American League, which I was astonished by. Johnny Bench is the greatest defensive catcher of all. He's greatest catcher ever. He's the greatest defensive catcher ever. But Cal Raleigh is really good. And Dan, not to get too inside baseball here, but we've changed the way that catchers are supposed to catch. Catching on one leg now instead of being on two and blocking a ball and. And receiving a ball is harder, I believe, than it's ever been. And he still didn't have a pass ball this year in a season in which he hit 60 home runs. It's stunning.

[Stugats]

I was saying earlier this week, and I don't want to be prisoner of the moment about this, but I'm interested in your historical context on this. I believe that the Dodgers have the best roster ever assembled, and I believe the Dodgers have the only baseball team I've ever uniquely built for the playoffs because of the number of ways that they can beat you, and because Glass now is their fourth ace and they can get an ace performance like they've gotten against a really good brewers team from any of their starters. Do I have anything wrong there?

[Tim Kurkjian]

I don't think you do. Now, the guy I spoke to is a little bit biased because he's a member of the Dodgers, but when I called him before I started to do the playoffs this year, I did the Reds and the Dodgers on the radio for espn. When I called this guy and said, tell me about your team, he said, we have the greatest roster in the history of baseball. That's what he said. And I'm not sure I believed it at the time, but the more you look at it, the Dodgers roster is ridiculously good, which, you know, you can do that when you spend this kind of money. They're starting pitching right now is so preposterously overpowering. I don't know how anybody gets a hit off of them. Blake Snell just finished two straight starts in which he pitched six innings and allowed one hit or less. Okay. No pitcher's ever done that twice in their postseason career. He did it in back to back starts. And then Yamamoto, who is incredibly good, came out and threw a complete game. And. And you know, Tyler Glass. Now, nobody can hit him when he's right and that's just the starting pitching. The lineup is tremendous. The only issue is they have a bullpen problem. But they're going to use their excess starters, including Sasaki, to do what they have to do. And yes, they are built for the postseason. They are built to win the World Series. And it's just incredible. They're playing their best baseball right now.

[Stugats]

Does Dan Marino look like the third place finisher in a David Hasselhoff lookalike contest? Does the big dumper look like a likable dad who started a YouTube cooking channel sharing easy crock pot recipes you can make at home?

[Tim Kurkjian]

Home. So Jerry Depot, the general manager of of the Mariners, told me, you know, a couple weeks ago, he said the reason everybody loves Cal Raleigh is he looks like the guy who comes over to your house to fix your air conditioner or comes over to fix your plumbing. He looks like the rest of us, but he just happens to be a great baseball player. But that's one reason that he has become a folk hero in the great Northwest is in some ways he look looks like us, but he's different than us. He's different than everyone. Dan, no switch hitter had ever hit 20 homers in a season from each side of the plate until he came along. Of course, no switch hitter had ever hit 55. He had 60. No catcher had ever hit 50. He hit 60. No Mariner had ever hit more than Ken Griffey Jr. He did that. And he looks like the air conditioner repair man.

[Stugats]

Does Mike McDaniel look like the barista who asks if you've ever tried journaling while making your oat milk latte? The double play the other day in the Dodgers game where you had, and I can't believe I'm saying this particular sentence, a 400 foot grand slam that turned into a ground ball double play.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Yeah, Dan, that play has never happened in the history of baseball. I'm pretty certain about that. Now Jason Stark did all of this research and project score sheet and all these people got involved. It's, I just cannot understand how that play could have happened. It was a 400 foot grounded into double play when the ball essentially never hit the ground. Now this is all because te Oscar Hernandez, runner at third, did not recognize that you have to tag up on that play. A 12 year old knows the when the ball goes up in the air and you're at third base, you first thing you do is stand on third base until the ball is called or until it hits the ground. And as soon as it hits Sal Frehlick's glove in center field. Now you can tag up, but he, he went halfway, then he went back to third base. And then by the time he got home, he was forced at the plate on an out on a ball that was hit 400ft. And then, of course, the only person who seemed to understand what was going on was William Contreras, the catcher, who then alertly ran to third base and tagged it. Because a force play is still, still in play. Bases loaded. A ball is hit that doesn't go over the fence and is not caught. That means there is a force play at every base. I've never seen anything like that. I will never see anything like that again. I was on a flight from Toronto to Seattle with a bunch. I was on there with an umpire and a bunch of scouts. I asked them all, have you ever seen anything like this? And all of them said, never seen anything like this. Like it. Because it's never happened before. This is why we go to the games, Dan, because something might happen at a major league game that's never happened or we've never seen before. And that is the perfect example.

[Stugats]

Does Rob Palenka look like a courthouse sketch of Tom Brady? Does Adam Silver look like a newly opened chapstick?

[Tim Kurkjian]

Yeah.

[Stugats]

It's too bad the zoom doesn't work on his laugh, otherwise you wouldn't be getting that silence. Tim, thank you for everything. You always help us with. It's nice seeing you, especially this time of year.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Thank you, Dan. Thank you guys again.

[Stugats]

Is this a great game or what is the podcast he does with his son? And also at espn, he's an analyst reporter for Baseball Tonight. He's a Hall of Fame baseball writer. He's been at ESPN a ton of time and he's keeping baseball alive at espn.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hey, audience, I got a special treat for you because I want to talk to you about Miller Light, but I want to talk to you about Miller Light with my good friend Rose. Hey, Rose. Hi, everybody. When we hang out, and we hang out often, we're friends. I consider us friends.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Yeah, me too.

[Dan Le Batard]

We're often toasting the good times. And what am I toasting with?

[Stugats]

With Miller Light.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's right. Miller Light. Whether you're hanging out with your dear friend Rose or at game day, it just hits different when you got a Miller Light in your hand. From jaw dropping touchdowns to fantasy harp breaks, it's a beer that has been there for every moment. 50 years of great taste, simple ingredients and that iconic golden color that you can spot across the room. And it's just not the color of the beer, which is brilliant. That beautiful white can. How beautiful is that? Is that you doing the sound of a can opening? Is that your favorite sound?

[Tim Kurkjian]

No, it is a horsey.

[Dan Le Batard]

A horsey. All right, well, stop doing that. And here's a kicker. Miller Lite is just 96 calories, 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. The original light beer since 1975. That's right. And still hitting different five decades later. You're so good at this, Rose.

[Tim Kurkjian]

I know.

[Dan Le Batard]

So whatever your game day looks like, remember, Miller Time is always a good time. Look at us. We're a great tag team. High five again. Can you do that? That beer sound one more time? And the horse sound one more time. Regret asking you about that one, but the Miller light sound is good. Miller Lite, great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com shan to find a link delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Light pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsively. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wiscon 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounce. No, it says.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Oh says every October, my pets get just as excited as the rest of the family. Which sounds cute until you realize that means I need costumes that actually fit. Toys don't fall apart in instantly, and treats they won't just sniff and walk away from. Luckily, Chewy has it all. Fast delivery, great deals, everything in one place. Dopey's happy, Izzy's happy. I look like I know what I'm doing. They've got food, treats, toys, even flea meds. All shipped to my door in a day or two. And if I have questions like which flea treatment's best or if my dogs can actually pull off a taco costume, SOMA to Chewy's there 24,7 plus with 100% satisfaction guarantee guarantee I can return anything within a year. Finding costumes for bigger dogs is usually impossible, but Chewy has sizes for everyone. This Halloween, make your pets be part of the celebration. Shop costumes, toys and treats with CHEWY. Go to chewpanions.chewy.com levitardshow to get $20 off your first order. That's chupanions.chewy.comlevitardshow to get twenty dollars off your first order. Chupanions Chew chewy.com Leotard Show Get Nutty with Hampton Farm, the official peanut of bowl season, bringing you the ultimate game day snack. There's nothing like the roar of the crowd, the thrill of the play and the satisfying crack of fresh in shell peanuts. From the first kickoff to the final whistle, Hampton Farms peanuts keeps your energy high and your taste buds happy. Join the celebration of college football with every delicious crunch. Purchase for sharing with friends, tailgating outside the stadium or cheering from the couch. Grab a bag from the produce aisle of your local grocery store and savor the game one peanut at a time. Don Lee. Well, Charlie sent. Charlie had this. Charlie as far as I know. So just Charlie's title in my.

[Stugats]

How. How familiar were you at the time with Chewbacca? Like how your upbringing. How had. How had how much Chewbacca in it?

[Tim Kurkjian]

This is the Dan Levitar show with the stugats.

[Stugats]

Speaking of espn, a story we did not get to earlier this week. And I'm surprised we didn't get to it because it was such a great moment of television. I. I don't know how you guys reacted to this, but I imagine that Kirk Herb street got mad at Pat McAfee.

[Tim Kurkjian]

You know, he's got a dog.

[Stugats]

I imagine that Kirk Herbstreet got mad at Pat McAfee because they're on the set talking about Bill Belichick and Kirk Herbstreet shows only Saban and the crew that Bill Belichick is calling on his phone right now. And what Pat McAfee does is exactly what you have to do do. But it's not what I would have wanted him to do only if I were Kirk Herb Street. So watch this and tell me what you guys think of it.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Is to understand that he is completely bought into what's happening with this team and with this program and him leaving or the idea. Answer that.

[Stugats]

I can't but answer that. He has to be watching right now.

[Tim Kurkjian]

That's literally Bill Belichick calling Kirk Herbs. He probably has something to do the same. Yeah, he probably does. You know, every coach needs to have the opportunity to establish his culture.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Stugats]

And also to recruit Nick Saban went straight into. I got to do television here.

[Dan Le Batard]

You guys could have just played the Saban clip for me. Oh, that's good stuff.

[Stugats]

I want to play it again. They're talking about Bill Belichick. Bill Belichick calls Herb Street. Herb street shows his phone to only Sabin and. And Pat McAfee. They're talking about Belichick while Belichick's calling. And Pat McAfee does the good television thing there. He does something better than what ma. What Kirk Herbstreet was doing. But there's no way Kirk Herb street didn't talk to him about this afterward.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Is to understand that he is completely bought into what's happening with this team and with this program and him leaving.

[Dan Le Batard]

Or the idea him leaving.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Anthony, answer that.

[Stugats]

I can't but answer that.

[Tim Kurkjian]

He has to be watching right now. That's literally Bill Belichick calling Kirk Herbs. He probably has something to say. Yeah, he probably does. You know, every coach needs to have the opportunity to establish his culture and also to recruit his kind of player.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, can we play the saving part again?

[Tim Kurkjian]

Like, how does that go? If he answers it, like, puts him on speaker. Like, oh.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean, that's why he's calling. Right. Belichick is calling to be put on the air in that spot, which is kind of.

[Tim Kurkjian]

You can't call Herbie in that spot and then be like, what are you doing putting me on air? Like, you're calling him while the show's going.

[Stugats]

Well, let me ask you guys this question because Diana Rossini went on Nick Wright show yesterday and said of Belichick and Unc, quote, they tell me this is the happiest they've seen Bill in years. He feels like the students are actually buying into what he's doing. Doing.

[Tim Kurkjian]

I mean, I think he's probably the happiest he's been in years because he doesn't care.

[Dan Le Batard]

I think he's the happiest he's ever been because he's dating a very young woman.

[Stugats]

The report from Diana Rossini, quote, they tell me this is the happiest they've seen Bill in years. He feels like the students are actually buying into what he's doing.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Well, how did we go from. And look, I mean, there are bad reports out there all the time, but how did we go from last week where he. He's already looking for other jobs and they are. And the school is actively trying to figure out how to get rid of him with a small buyout to now he's so happy and the kids are buying in.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean, it could be spin, but I do think he's happy. He has to be happy to still be in this relationship. It has to be well worth it for him given all the negative publicity given to. Given the tarnish that it's probably put around his post coach career. Well, he's coaching now, although very little evidence of that. I think he's very clearly happy for Bill Belichick. He's not outwardly happy.

[Stugats]

Well, let me do this, though. When you say tarnished cuz I saw Bill Simmons came to the vigorous defense of the idea that Bill Belichick's Legacy will not in any way be damaged by what is happening now. And I happen to agree with the fact that when history looks back at all of this stuff, we don't remember the punctuations. But the place that I don't agree with, with Bill Simmons is that there's simply no circumstance under will under which Bill Belichick could have imagined that his present day legacy is so harmed his present day right now, that he cannot get any of the jobs that he would want right now. That he has zero access to anything that he wants, pros or college, because of what's happened in five weeks, like, and probably the weeks before that as well. So we can say right now while we're in it, that his legacy won't be impacted down the line, but it's being impacted right now because he cannot, with his legacy, get any job. Like there's not a job right now that he can get better than the one he has.

[Dan Le Batard]

I don't think the doors close on him in the NFL. There's always going to be an owner that is going to be drawn to all the success that he had. He's. He's going to, to be given opportunities to interview for jobs if he wants. Yeah, but that's not because of who he is.

[Stugats]

But Mike, given the opportunity to interview for jobs is not something Belichick thought that would be the high point of whatever he was doing five years ago.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Why do you believe that?

[Dan Le Batard]

You know how Brian Billick was like, I'm here, I still want to coach. I have a Super bowl and no one thinks of me. I don't think that that's going to happen to Bill Belichick despite the circus around him. And I do think that you look at these NFL franchises and owners going to think that the smart thing to do is go to a proven winner. I mean, I told you he had an opportunity if he really wanted the Atlanta job to go for it, like he had it. There were things about Atlanta that he didn't want to do in Atlanta.

[Stugats]

Yeah, but it's worse now than it was when he was interviewing for those jobs.

[Tim Kurkjian]

I agree, but, well, jobs. Am I not remembering him interviewing for more than the Falcons?

[Dan Le Batard]

I happen to know that when the Cowboys thing became available, he stopped talking to staffers over there. There. I, I don't doubt that that size.

[Tim Kurkjian]

Oh my God. He knows. He happens to know.

[Dan Le Batard]

Come, everyone come and listen.

[Tim Kurkjian]

He happens to know. Well informed.

[Dan Le Batard]

He's got his eyes on what's happening with the New York Giants too. People that have been around North Carolina.

[Tim Kurkjian]

You think he would follow Parcels? Like, I don't. I don't know that. I mean follow parcels, but like parcels did what he did there. I don't know, man.

[Dan Le Batard]

He often tells people, you know, I'm just so many wins away from the NFL, all time wins record. It's important to him and I think he'll try to make it happen.

[Tim Kurkjian]

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[Dan Le Batard]

Now's a good time to remember where tequila's story truly began. In 1795, Cuervo invented tequila. Cuervo, what are you doing here?

[Stugats]

Cuervo? Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, I do know that to be true. But even during ad reads like Cuervo, I think he could lay out especially for one of our great partners.

[Stugats]

Sweet, delicious Cuervo.

[Dan Le Batard]

Since then, Cuervo has stayed true to its roots. The same family, the same land, the same passion.

[Stugats]

Cuervo.

[Dan Le Batard]

So enjoy the tequila that started it all. Cuervo, Cuervo, the tequila that invented tequila. Proximo Cuervo.com, please drink responsibly.

[Stugats]

Cuervo.