Hunter Pence Loves A Strange Batting Stance | Hour 2

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show – “Hunter Pence Loves A Strange Batting Stance” | Hour 2

Date: July 10, 2026
Live from the Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode blends sports conversation with irreverent cultural commentary—the hallmark of the Dan Le Batard Show. The focus shifts between the absurdities of sports fandom, anticipation for upcoming sporting events (especially the Home Run Derby and big fights), cinematic debates, and a deep-dive with special guest and MLB veteran Hunter Pence. Pence, known for both his quirky persona and his unique batting stance, joins to discuss MLB rule changes, nerd culture in baseball, and the intricacies and drama of hitting.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Upcoming Sports Events & Spectacle (01:38–04:02)

• UFC 329: Big fight hype for McGregor vs. Holloway, with panelists bantering about McGregor's return, image rehabilitation, and his antics at the press conference. (02:14–02:44)
  • Quote: “He’s like he’s trying to portray himself that he’s back, right?” — Dan Le Batard (01:59)
  • Quote: “He’s trying to clean up his image by walking up to Max Holloway and ripping his sunglasses off.” — Louis Riddick (02:25)
  • Quote: “That’s actually fine... you pay to see that with Conor McGregor.” — Dave Damaschek (02:30)
• International Sports Day: The panel notes Saturday as an “incredible sports day,” including World Cup matches and marquee baseball pitching duels.

2. The Stanley Cup’s Grotesque Owner Flex (04:29–07:01)

• Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon's family’s names on the Stanley Cup is debated. The crew rants about rich owners sullying the trophy with their kids’ names, comparing it unfavorably to the supposed dignity of other pro sports trophies.
  • Quote: “As I always say, it’s the grotesquely wealthy against the rest of us. Where are the rules?” — Mike Ryan (05:24)
  • Quote: “Etching a kindergartner’s name into the Stanley Cup ... dirty by a kindergartner’s name.” — Dave Damaschek (05:24–06:31)
  • Discussion of what trophies “look right,” landing on the conclusion the World Cup trophy looks like roll-on deodorant.
  • Quote: “Does the World Cup trophy look like roll on deodorant?” — Dan Le Batard (07:57)

3. Viral Video: The Teenage Sports Memory Prodigy (08:41–12:12)

• The panel is wowed by a viral video of a teenager memorizing NFL team schedules and records. They react with awe and affection.
  • Quote: “Unbelievable. Now clearly like, it’s like a Rain Man type of deal…like scrolling through a camera roll.” — Dan Le Batard / Jeremy Saslow (11:17–11:51)
  • Discussion about what it’s like for non-athletes to get their moments of “cheers” and how that compares to sports achievements.

4. Moviegoing Culture: Opening Nights, Directors & Accents (14:18–25:14)

• Opening Night Experiences: The crew swaps stories about the thrill and social meaning of going to movie premieres—especially superhero movies and Christopher Nolan films.
  • “If there’s a movie coming out you really want to see and you don’t go on opening night, you’re a huge loser.” — Dan Le Batard (14:22)
  • “Nolan, Tarantino... there are filmmakers that, no matter what, you’re going to be in the theater.” — Dave Damaschek (19:09)
• Odyssey Hype and Controversies: They discuss the pending Christopher Nolan “Odyssey” film, touching on pre-release criticisms, casting diversity, and the contrivance of British accents in historical epics.
  • “People are upset about Elliot Page... or that they're speaking proper English instead of the English that was written in Homer’s the Odyssey.” — Dan Le Batard (23:02)
  • “It is just an accent that talks like this and we’re just to accept that in 300.” — Dave Damaschek (23:50)
  • “Aphrodite is played by a black woman... it's Lupita Nyong’o. She’s a really good actress.” — Dan Le Batard (24:52–25:02)

5. Interview with Hunter Pence (27:05–41:53)

Introduction & Nerd Culture (27:05–29:31)

• Pence describes himself as a proud nerd: PC gamer (Dark and Darker, Magic the Gathering), occasional Dungeons & Dragons player, but not an anime-watcher.
  • Quote: “I am a pickle ball playing video game playing absolute dun... Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering, ultimate nerd for sure.” — Hunter Pence (28:30)
  • Panel laughs at the idea of Magic the Gathering drafts on team flights.

Home Run Derby Preview & Rule Change (29:31–31:32)

• New Format: First round is 20 swings per hitter (not timed), restoring drama and precision, and shifting the Derby away from being a mere endurance contest.
  • Quote: “This brings it back... the precision, the focus, the drama... not like an endurance contest and just swing as fast as you can.” — Hunter Pence (29:51)
  • Quote: “I like to watch how far they hit it... baseball is like, it's a drama. It's a buildup. It's focus.” — Hunter Pence (31:02–31:15)

The Science (and Joy) of Weird Batting Stances (31:32–34:10)

• Pence reminisces about past and present odd batting stances—his own and others (Julio Franco, Kevin Youkilis, Craig Counsell, etc.).

  • Quote: “When he gets two strikes, he turns into, like, a fighting mongoose, man.” — Hunter Pence on Luis Arraez (32:26)

• Mike Ryan calls out Pence’s notorious high socks look:

  • Quote: “What was with the socks, man? Up above the knee—explain yourself.” — Mike Ryan (33:11)
  • Pence’s Reason: “I had two bloody knees... I rolled it above my knee... this kind of feels like a wide receiver. The relief of, like, the bloody knees, and... it was mainly just functional and comfortable.” (33:11–34:10)

The Human Element in Umpiring and Hitting (34:48–38:27)

• Should MLB automate the strike zone? Pence argues there’s drama, skill, and even entertainment in the umpire-player dynamic.

  • “There’s drama in that... when I’m calling a game and you’re watching these umpires beat the players or the players beat the umpires, it’s a story, it’s fun...” — Hunter Pence (35:25)

• On the difficulty of hitting fast pitches:

  • Pence describes pitch recognition like “anticipation, preparation... your eyes are a muscle. Eventually, start to slow [the pitch] down if you train it properly... you’re hunting a window for that ball to start and knowing where it’s going to finish.” (36:38–38:27)
  • Quote: “A thinking mind is a heavy bat.” — Hunter Pence (36:38)
  • “Statistically... hitting a baseball and saving a penalty kick are the lowest percentage success rates [in sports].” — Hunter Pence (38:30)

Pence’s Nephew: The Next Big Thing? (39:16–39:44)

• His nephew Stryker is a high school senior, 6’6”, throws 101 mph.
  • “He’s a bit of a freak... He’s going into his senior year in high school, he throws 101 miles an hour, so it’s pretty exciting.” — Hunter Pence (39:44)
  • Panel jokes about the name Stryker and familial rivalry.

Marlins, MLB Labor and More (39:44–41:45)

• Pence on the Miami Marlins’ rise: Cites arms, youth, lineup depth.
  • “Their lineup is just deep, deep. And their arms, it’s just a lot of disgusting arms.” (39:57)
• On MLB salary cap rumors: Pence is diplomatically noncommittal, but hopes for labor peace.

Closing (41:50–42:01)

• Hunter Pence talks about his broadcast crew playing dominoes and cribbage rather than Magic these days.
• Panel’s reactions: Big fans of Pence—“He was very good.” “I want him to come back on the show all the time.” (42:01)

6. Wrap-up, Miscellaneous (49:12–54:26)

• LeBron Rumors: Dan believes LeBron is signaling a return to the Cavaliers, correcting a viral cupcake shop rumor that resurfaced from the past (49:12–50:27).
• Cupcake Overhype: Discussion on the overrated nature of cupcakes (50:42).
• Laundry Science: Dan’s dubious assertion that running kids' clothes in the dryer kills germs—met with disbelief (51:28).
• Jaylen Brown and Internet Stars: Features a soundbite of Jaylen Brown talking to streamer iShowSpeed at the World Cup and perceived generational miscommunication (52:01–54:07).
  • “There is no loyalty in basketball” — Jaylen Brown, via Dave Damaschek (53:04)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• "Does the World Cup trophy look like roll on deodorant?" — Dan Le Batard (07:57)
• “A thinking mind is a heavy bat.” — Hunter Pence (36:38)
• “Unbelievable. Now clearly like, it’s like a Rain Man type of deal…like scrolling through a camera roll.” — Dan Le Batard / Jeremy Saslow (11:17–11:51)
• “People have tried to tackle this book and the IP…it’s famously difficult with mixed results. People are going to this because it’s Christopher Nolan.” — Dave Damaschek (16:41)
• “How did we skip past the fact that his name is Stryker?” — Jeremy Saslow, on Hunter Pence’s nephew (43:30)
• “He’s a bit of a freak…throws 101 miles an hour and he’s 6’6”—pretty exciting.” — Hunter Pence (39:44)
• “For many, many years now, what goes on at the Cannes Film Festival when they give 20 minute standing ovations—who has the time for that?” — Dave Damaschek (13:07)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment / Key Topic | |---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:59 | McGregor/Holloway press conference antics | | 04:29 | Stanley Cup owner name controversy | | 08:41 | Teen NFL schedule savant viral video | | 14:18 | Moviegoing, midnight openings, and Nolan vs. Tarantino | | 23:02 | Nolan's “Odyssey” film & controversies | | 27:05 | Hunter Pence joins, nerd culture, Magic the Gathering | | 29:31 | Home Run Derby rule changes explained | | 31:32 | Iconic/strange batting stances debate | | 33:11 | Hunter Pence’s high socks origin story | | 34:48 | Robot umps? The aesthetics and drama of human umpires | | 36:38 | The science and art of pitch recognition at the plate | | 39:16 | Pence’s nephew Stryker, the next baseball phenom | | 39:57 | Miami Marlins’ breakout, Pence’s take | | 40:55 | MLB salary cap labor discussions | | 49:12 | LeBron-to-Cleveland rumors, cupcake shop correction | | 52:01 | Jaylen Brown, iShowSpeed, and Hasbullah/celebrity encounters |

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Additional Memorable Exchanges

• Hunter Pence on being a nerdy athlete:
  “I'm a pickle ball playing video game playing absolute dun…I've even played Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering…ultimate nerd for sure.” (28:30)
• On Home Run Derby’s drama:
  “Baseball is like, it's a drama. It's a buildup. It's focus...I’m excited that we’re bringing that back.” —Hunter Pence (31:15)
• Dan’s tongue-in-cheek “science” on laundry:
  “The heat gets rid of the germs and the clothes are cleaner if you run them in the dryer. Everybody knows this.” (51:28)
• Panel on quirky movie accents:
  “It's not of a region at all. It's not an English accent. It is just an accent that talks like this.” —Dave Damaschek (23:50)

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Overall Tone

The hour is classic Le Batard: quick-witted, skeptical, often veering into joyful absurdity—whether making fun of sports owners, reminiscing about odd sports phenomena, or passionately debating pop culture. Hunter Pence fits right into that ethos, blending deep baseball insight with endearing self-awareness and enthusiastically participating in the show’s running gags. The episode is a perfect mix for listeners who crave both serious sports talk and irreverent, pop-culture-savvy banter.

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For listeners new and old, this episode delivers a blend of nostalgia, sports nerdery, anti-authoritarian rants (see: Stanley Cup), meta-debates about what “really” matters in sports and movies, and reveals the delightfully nerdy sides of both pro athletes and the show’s panel.

Transcript

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[Dave Damaschek]

You are listening to the Dan Lebatar show in partnership with the DraftKings Sports

[Dan Le Batard]

App, now live in all 50 states.

[Louis Riddick]

Las Vegas Listen up. Don't miss UFC 329 tomorrow night. Join Tony and Lewis live from stadium swim at Circa as MMA hangout covers Conor McGregor versus Max Holloway. Catch them at 8 free Fremont street or watch it live on the LeBatard Show YouTube channel starting at 9pm Eastern, 6pm Vegas time.

[Dan Le Batard]

I think I have to watch this tomorrow. I saw yesterday you had the press conference the stare down. I guess today will be weigh ins but yesterday you had the press conference and Conor McGregor, he's. He's like he's trying to portray himself that he's back, right?

[Dave Damaschek]

Yeah, he's trying to portray himself like many who have gone through the things that he's gone through try to clean up their image after the fact and we'll see if he still has it in the ring. Tomorrow's an incredible sports day.

[Louis Riddick]

Yeah, he's trying to clean up his image by walking up to Max Holloway and ripping his sunglasses off.

[Dave Damaschek]

That's. That, that's actually fine. Like you, you pay to see that with Conor McGregor trying to clear up

[Dan Le Batard]

his image by fighting in a cage.

[Dave Damaschek]

No I'm saying by being religious and you. You wonder, you know, the motivations behind that.

[Louis Riddick]

You know, look at him right here walking up, getting his face.

[Dave Damaschek]

Yeah, yeah, that's. That's. That's what you want to see with Conor McGregor. That's part of the appeal. And so we'll see if he still has it. Patty the baddy, I think, is on the same card. So naturally.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, I like him. He's fun.

[Dave Damaschek]

Naturally. You know, even if McGregor loses, so. So as long as he doesn't embarrass himself out there.

[Louis Riddick]

You guys want to see the angle from the. The glasses here?

[Dan Le Batard]

I do.

[Louis Riddick]

This is the glasses.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's scary.

[Louis Riddick]

The last thing cocaine sees.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's scary. Yeah. So. So Max, always wearing the glasses. Why is he wearing a bulletproof vest? Is that a bulletproof vest?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right.

[Louis Riddick]

You never know.

[Dan Le Batard]

You got to be safe. Everybody. Everybody likes safety. Yeah. Tomorrow's a great sports day. We got the two World cup games. You got the MMA. You'll check out Tony on the Levitar Show YouTube channel tomorrow. And Louis, let's get the football already.

[Mike Ryan]

You know, I'm chopping it the bit. This has been great. The World cup has been a pleasant distraction for me. We do have Mizorowski and Skeens on Sunday, too. Mike Ryan, even. I'm into reason to even be interested.

[Dave Damaschek]

12:15 on Peacock, where our show is found on Peacocking. Really excited about checking that out because Sunday, no World cup matches, and you want to see two names. I know Skeens is not up to snuff right this season, but he's still appointment television, especially with who he's going up against and the fact that they're just going to be throwing gas.

[Dan Le Batard]

Dave, I want to.

[Mike Ryan]

I thought Tashay was shout something from the roof.

[Jeremy Saslow]

I was. I was visually pointing at Mike, like, go on, man. This is. This is great.

[Dave Damaschek]

Yay, baseball. It's the same cue as a. Hey, yeah, that's on me.

[Jeremy Saslow]

I should have made eye contact.

[Dave Damaschek]

I mean, rare. The occasion where you don't. So I naturally assume.

[Jeremy Saslow]

I was just. I was just flabbergasted by the fact.

[Dave Damaschek]

Would you like to talk more Marlins?

[Dan Le Batard]

I would, but I'll remind me to get to that. So I will. I'll come back to you in a moment for that.

[Mike Ryan]

Bad for baseball.

[Dan Le Batard]

Dave, I do. I do want to get your opinion on something we talked about yesterday. I don't know if you saw this. The Carolina Hurricanes, they won the Stanley Cup. You know, it sounds like you know the direction. I'm going in. So we talked about this yesterday, where they're at the point now in the summer where the players are going to get their days with the cup because the names have all been engraved. They've done that for the 20, 26 Stanley cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. And the top two lines on the Stanley cup with names is the owner, Tom Dundon, who also very famously now owns the Portland Trailblazers and is a world renowned cheapskate when it comes to his professional sports teams. And it's Tom Dundon, it's his wife, and then the names of his five children all take up the top two lines on the Stanley Cup. Did you see this, Dave Damaschek?

[Mike Ryan]

Of course I did. And of course I'm disgusted by it. As I always say, it's the grotesquely wealthy against the rest of us. Where are the rules? This is as bad as anything. James Dolan, did you know Charles Oakley and all of that. Etching a kindergartner's name into the Stanley cup into the greatest trophy ever known. The man, way better than that dumb World cup trophy. It's challenged only by the Heisman Trophy. And even that's a reach. It bears the names or. And Lemieux, which by the way, if you translate the word Lemieux, it equals the best. That's what it. That's what it translates into. And that's in fact true. It was sullied by the word devils and, and furthermore by the word lightning. But this is a new low for the, for the Gloria Stanley cup, which by the way, in Pittsburgh, as I mentioned, and I pointed out to my kids the other day, that's the bar where the Stanley cup made its entrance at closing time one time. And we drank Iron City out of it and we picked it up over our heads. They couldn't have given a shit about it. But still, it's a glorious trophy. And now dirty by, by a kindergartner's name.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's disgusting. It really is disgusting. And before, again, before people say Zaslow, the previous two years the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup. Vinnie Viola's name is on it and so are his three sons. Yeah, you know what? They're alternate governors of the team. They work for the team. They have titles. They're actual employees of the Florida Panthers. So of course, and correct me if I'm wrong, I'm pretty certain the seven year old Dundon does not work for the team. It's a disgrace.

[Mike Ryan]

Disgrace.

[Dave Damaschek]

No one's grace.

[Dan Le Batard]

Good.

[Dave Damaschek]

All right. And I won't correct Dave on his World cup trophy take. It's a terrible trophy.

[Louis Riddick]

Is it?

[Mike Ryan]

Well, among the many things it looks like. It looks like Rolo candy wrapper, like bunched up at the bottom. And also the scale. Yeah, right. There you go. It looks like a deodorant. Like a roll. Like a. Like a rolly antiperspirant. The scale of it, it's a. It's the size of a brick of like the original mobile phone. That's about the size.

[Dave Damaschek]

That's not great. Out every four years and you're. It should be immense in size. I don't know if you saw the club World cup trophy that's hanging out in the Oval Office like that meets the moment. This one's pretty small and laughable.

[Louis Riddick]

Is there a chance round up top? Is there a chance that Messi demanded it be small so it doesn't look.

[Dave Damaschek]

No, you idiot.

[Mike Ryan]

It.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's been around longer between the.

[Louis Riddick]

Maybe the new one.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean between the Heat, Hornets and now this comment from you. Boy, my goodness, you're having a banner last few minutes. Put it on the poll. Juju. Does the World cup trophy look like roll on deodorant?

[Dave Damaschek]

Fake Joe Zagaki is furious that you trampled his flat earth. Joke.

[Dan Le Batard]

I have to show this video to you guys that I've been trying to get to. Where's the other guy now?

[Sponsor Voice]

He's.

[Dan Le Batard]

He's. He's in Vegas. I have to get to this video.

[Mike Ryan]

You guys should be way more esteemed as a sports town that you are. The Miami Hurricanes and your rival hockey team stole your favorite college football team's name. It's outrageous. Get the clip. I'm offended on your behalf.

[Dan Le Batard]

You've done this bit already, so I

[Mike Ryan]

know I've done a bit. Life's not a bit zaslow.

[Dan Le Batard]

So a few days I've been trying to get to this video.

[Dave Damaschek]

They don't have Hurricanes in Tulsa.

[Dan Le Batard]

There is this play by play camp for teenagers. All right. Guess it takes place over the summer. And there is this video that circulated around this week. I don't know if you've seen this Dave Damasch.

[Commercial Announcer]

Where.

[Dan Le Batard]

Where one of the campers looks like he's maybe 14 or 15 years old. He's standing up in front of the room. And for the audio audience, the room, the classroom is filled with all the students who are encapsulated by what is happening in front of them with this student, who behind this student is a projection screen. And it has. I think it's maybe the Bengals. It has the Bengals schedule from Pro Football reference from like 2009. Because this kid has claimed that he can name every team, schedule, win, loss, per week, their record since the year 2009, going back to 2009, any team. And give him any week, he will tell you who that team played any year, and if they won or lost the game. Maybe trying to guess 17 years ago, maybe. Yeah, he looks like he's maybe around that age. So they. They're. They're putting them to the test. They put him up in front of the class, and behind him is the screen projecting whatever team. They're now going to ask him the questions and have him say who they played that week, that year and if they won. Give this a listen and watch. Lost to the jets, week two. They lost to the Texans, week three. Okay, hold up. Give me a sec.

[Sponsor Legal Disclaimer]

I'm not forgetting.

[Dan Le Batard]

I just need to remind myself.

[Sponsor Legal Disclaimer]

Oh, they watched the pets before they

[Dan Le Batard]

watched the dolphin team.

[Sponsor Legal Disclaimer]

5 they had to buy.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay, Okay, okay.

[Sponsor Legal Disclaimer]

Oh, we take. They lost the charger.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[Jeremy Saslow]

Seven.

[Hunter Pence]

Why is it highlighting.

[Sponsor Legal Disclaimer]

Oh, we seven. They walked to the car. They walked to the ground.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's unbelievable.

[Jeremy Saslow]

Kids are going nuts too. Like, every one of them has their phone out recording. Knowing the moment that's happening in front of me.

[Dan Le Batard]

Unbelievable. Now clearly like, it. It's like you're. It's like a Rain man type of deal, you know? And this kid, his brain clearly works in. In a much different, like, a more advanced way than all of our brains work.

[Jeremy Saslow]

We think it's photographic memory. I like it almost felt like at one point when he said, like, no, no, I just got to remind myself it was like he was like scrolling back in the recesses of his mind looking for photos. You know what I mean? Like scrolling through a camera roll.

[Louis Riddick]

Like, no, no, no.

[Jeremy Saslow]

I'm going to find it.

[Louis Riddick]

When was that?

[Jeremy Saslow]

When did I see that one? It's unbelievable, like, to be able to recall all of that. And it is so cool for that kid to get that moment where everyone is, like, losing their mind.

[Mike Ryan]

So cool.

[Dan Le Batard]

And like NFL analysts and media personalities over the last few days, all are all retweeting and in comments. The best thing you'll see today is kids. Amazing Dave.

[Sponsor Voice]

How cool.

[Dan Le Batard]

Have you seen that yet?

[Mike Ryan]

I sincerely. No, that's the first I've seen of it. And that is great. What he is doing is getting as best as he's going to get. The reflected sort of the cheers of people and everything else. Good for him. He's probably not going to be a professional Athlete, and neither am I. So I can relate to that as a, As a nerd. That's wonderful stuff. And like we talked about on Football America upcoming today, that's better than the guy who starts the wave at a game. Or do we agree that that guy, he gets some attention and he feels proud of himself, but it's misplaced. If that's an achievement in your life, there's something wrong with your life that you, that you got a wave going. Right?

[Dan Le Batard]

Chris Cody has mentioned he takes pride in being that guy who gets the wave.

[Mike Ryan]

You started multiple waves.

[Louis Riddick]

Have you usually take two or three cracks. You never get it the first time.

[Mike Ryan]

Do you tell your friends? Well, apparently you do brag about it after the fact.

[Jeremy Saslow]

But starting a chance at a game is better than starting a wave, right? In terms of the, the feeling like if you start the let's go xyz,

[Louis Riddick]

not starting a chant like on third down, though, if you're the first one in your section to stand up and

[Dan Le Batard]

get everybody up, like, oh, you then tell everybody to get up.

[Mike Ryan]

Oh, you're the one. Now you're making it about you. Anybody who starts, no, I'm helping the team anywhere is celebrating themselves as much as they are the person that they are allegedly cheering for. It's like, look at me, I'm a better human being because I'm raising to my feet to applaud for you. And as I've talked about for many, many years now, what goes on at the Khan Film Festival when they give 20 minute standing ovations, who has the time for that 20 minutes? And then I used to question it. Well, that's not real. They're exaggerating. And then I've now seen video 20 minutes for Brendan Frazier because he, because he gained some weight and put on a fat suit. Now, what did I mean? He has to weep because he's so touched by it. Standing ovations. Fat.

[Dan Le Batard]

Supposed to be a really good movie, though. The Whale, right? I never saw it. Yeah, whatever.

[Mike Ryan]

Wasn't for me, he'd got there. I'm excited for the Odyssey. Those as.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, don't ever get me. Don't even get me started yet on the Odyssey. All right, I'm seeing the Odyssey next week. I said, don't get me started. I'm seeing the Odyssey next week. Obviously, I'm going opening night. I always see a movie on opening night. If you, if, if there's a movie coming out that you really want to see and you don't go on opening night, you're a Huge loser. You've got to go. Opening nights. I got my seats all ready for opening night. Of course I'm seeing it, Mike Ryan. I'm seeing it on the 70 millimeter screen because that's how it was meant to be seen, right?

[Dave Damaschek]

You're going to the. The museum? Imax?

[Dan Le Batard]

No, no. I guess the local theater by me has One of the 70 millimeter screens.

[Dave Damaschek]

Living a really fancy zip code.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm trying. I told you. Come on, man. I'm trying.

[Dave Damaschek]

Here's a mansion.

[Mike Ryan]

Best movie on opening night. To seas as in the history of your life, which was the most satisfying. I'm glad I saw this before. Before anything. Like, I'm here on Friday night surrounded by people.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, that's always going to be a superhero movie because you don't want the movie spoiled for you, right? That's. That's why you got to see that right away. Because otherwise, you know, you find that all like take, for instance, Avengers, Infinity War. You wait a couple weeks. See, it's like, oh, man, Thanos won. He snapped. Everyone. You're gonna. You're gonna find that out if you don't go right away. So it's the superhero movies you gotta see immediately.

[Mike Ryan]

I. Well, what I was looking for was because when you said that you got to be there on opening night, I did that with Pulp Fiction, and thank goodness. I really. Because, yeah, the open in the diner and then those words.

[Dan Le Batard]

And you didn't want the gimp scene

[Mike Ryan]

spoiled for you, right? Well, but the.

[Hunter Pence]

But.

[Mike Ryan]

But it was more just the. The Pulp Fiction dropping down in that font like it did. You knew it was just a different movie right out of the gate. And I'm glad I didn't hear any hype about it in advance. It was. It was a singularly great experience. I think that's the number one movie that I saw.

[Dan Le Batard]

My favorite movie.

[Dave Damaschek]

It harkens back to. It harkens back to what's playing out right now with Christopher Nolan in that.

[Dan Le Batard]

Why are people panning this movie before it's come out?

[Dave Damaschek]

Well, because of the Elliot Page stuff. But. But I think right now, all the big midnight releases and all the excitement over big box office blockbusters are usually because something has existing ip. It's usually a comic book movie or a sequel or a remake of some sort.

[Dan Le Batard]

This does Odyssey, right?

[Dave Damaschek]

No, I know it has existing Odyssey, but the draw here is not the Odyssey. People have tried to tackle this book and the IP that it comes from, it's famously difficult with mixed results. People are going to this because it's Christopher Nolan.

[Louis Riddick]

Yeah.

[Dave Damaschek]

People are going to this because they trust this filmmaker in ways they don't trust other filmmakers. It's him. It's Tarantino. Although the box office success of Christopher Nolan certainly surpasses now. He definitely dipped his hand into superhero lore, and that's how he kind of helped build his name.

[Dan Le Batard]

But it wasn't really a superhero movie.

[Dave Damaschek]

Right. But he is now the draw. It's not the actors in the film. Correct. It's not even what the film is about. You'll see whatever time with Christopher Nolan, non superhero movies, we don't know what it's about. Sometimes with Tenet, we still don't know what it's about.

[Dan Le Batard]

Movie sucks. I don't want to hear anyone's worst film.

[Dave Damaschek]

It's his worst film.

[Dan Le Batard]

Terrible movie.

[Dave Damaschek]

But Inception, you're like, I trust the guy. Leo was a draw there. Christopher Nolan, different story arc. But now everyone understands. He's recognized. He. He's won Academy Awards. I am going to see this movie because of the filmmaker. That doesn't happen.

[Jeremy Saslow]

Ironically, when you asked the question, like, the Dark Knight was my experience, where I still feel like going. Opening night is the best opening night experience I've ever seen.

[Dan Le Batard]

The Dark Knight Rises. No, no. The Dark. Yeah. Dark Knight Rises for me was one of my favorite moviegoing experiences.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

Like, as far as just the now

[Mike Ryan]

is not the time for fear, brother.

[Dan Le Batard]

The crowd and everyone enjoying it together. Dark Knight Rise.

[Jeremy Saslow]

Maybe that's because of, like, the hype that was going into it after the Dark Knight. Like, for me, I was still. I was still in middle school when the Dark Knight came out. And so I was like, I believe going into eighth grade and over the summer, going to see it with friends. Not really being a superhero movie kid at that moment, and then experiencing that Heath Ledger performance and just being mesmerized by everything that movie was. So then, yes, when you get to high school now, it's like, oh, my God, the Dark Knight Rises is coming. I can't wait. There's all the posters everywhere. I remember I took a picture next to a Cardmore cutout of Batman. It was incredible. And like every Christopher Nolan movie, to Mike's point, like, those are ones that you want to go see in the theater and on opening night because, you know, everyone's hyped about.

[Dave Damaschek]

There are filmmakers that, no matter what, you're going to be in the theater. Because I want to respect this filmmaker for what he does. I trust the art.

[Dan Le Batard]

Who else is it? It's Nolan.

[Dave Damaschek]

It's Nolan, Quinton, Spielberg, Anderson. Well, Spielberg, I'll do that. P.T. anderson, no doubt. But no one to the box success and scale that Christopher Nolan does. Christopher Nolan, I think is the biggest director in cinema right now. He is the chief draw.

[Mike Ryan]

Whereas we did it on Football America with Zaz and Amin, Mike Ryan, how say you? One, two, three. Paul Thomas Anderson, Chris Nolan, Quentin Tarantino. You can only watch number one choice. You can watch his movies whenever you want. The second choice, you can watch his movies once every year. Once a year. The other one, never his movies again.

[Dave Damaschek]

I think I. So this is like the f, marry, kill type of game for. So I think the one that you go to to be able to rewatch whenever you want is Quentin Tarantino because of the writing and the quotables and the fact that I have watched those movies multiple times and I never get sick of them. Nolan is the one that I want to watch occasionally. P.T. anderson, great filmmaker, but that'd be the one that I'm killing off.

[Mike Ryan]

Oh my God. Goodbye Boogie Nights Forever.

[Dave Damaschek]

Yep.

[Mike Ryan]

Shame the Devil.

[Dave Damaschek]

Look, it's not an easy choice. There are a couple of filmmakers that I trust. Ari Aster, Robert Eggers, Quentin Tarantino, no doubt. But no one does it like Nolan. No one does it like I have to see this Nolan picture. I have to see it in the theaters. I have to catch it as soon as I possibly can. No one is doing it like him.

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Jeremy Saslow]

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[Dan Le Batard]

to chime.com disclosures Dan Levitar can I tell you something? I don't know, maybe like a month ago and I decided to watch Pitch Clock and I told Jeremy Jonathan Saslow this is a good show you're doing. This is the Dan Levatar show. I saw. People are upset. And who hasn't come out yet? Like Tom Holland is, is tweeting back and forth with the Elon Musk, you know, like can we please let the movie come out before we, you know, critique it? But so people are upset about Elliot Page. Right? And people are upset oh that, that they're speaking proper English instead of the English that was written in Homer's the Odyssey. Right. You know, making the movie so that I can understand it.

[Sponsor Legal Disclaimer]

Right.

[Dave Damaschek]

Oh don't you? Dave, do you always get confused as to how these, these kind of Mediterranean period pieces that tap into Greek mythology, they all have the same made up, uh, in Troy, Brad Pitt's accent. What is that now you know who you're fighting, and everyone talks like that, and it's just assumed it's not of a region at all. It's not an English accent. It is just an accent that talks like this. And we're just to accept that in 300, even though Butler did a terrible job of masking his own accent in that, like always, they all talk like, we are warriors. We have to fight.

[Sponsor Legal Disclaimer]

Who.

[Dave Damaschek]

What part of the world is this accent from?

[Mike Ryan]

Costner's Robin Hood. The range of accents of all the actors, and that is maybe the funniest one of all. But, yeah, you're right. And I like that, you know, whatever region, as long as it's outside these United States, everybody traditionally just has an English accent. Inexplicably, no matter where they are located in Europe, it's an English accent. They always have.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

It's what people are upset about, Zaz, is that Aphrodite is played by a black woman.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, it's Lupita and Young'. Oh, right.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. That's what they're upset.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean, come on. Gives a. She's a really good actress.

[Dave Damaschek]

Look, I don't care if it's not Achilles. In my mind, it's Achilles. That person.

[Sponsor Voice]

What?

[Dave Damaschek]

I don't do pronouns. This is based in that one. You know, the one that I'm talking about. It's Achilles.

[Jeremy Saslow]

This is based in Greece, right?

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Jeremy Saslow]

I mean, I feel like the Greek person that we all know is black. And Giannis.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, I see what you did there.

[Jeremy Saslow]

I mean, but I mean, like, I just don't understand, like, everyone in America

[Dan Le Batard]

being like, oh, my God, a black woman playing a Greek person. Do you think he's in the movie?

[Jeremy Saslow]

Yeah, I think Giannis is in the movie for sure.

[Dave Damaschek]

Travis Scott's in the movie.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, that's right.

[Mike Ryan]

He is.

[Jeremy Saslow]

Really?

[Dan Le Batard]

Yes, he is. Mike's been serious. He is awesome. Yeah, he's like a background character.

[Dave Damaschek]

Sean Avery. Christopher Nolan always cast Sean Avery in his films.

[Dan Le Batard]

I can't tell if you're being serious.

[Dave Damaschek]

No, you don't know that. Sean Avery's been in, I think, multiple.

[Dan Le Batard]

The hockey player.

[Dave Damaschek]

Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

Get out of here.

[Dave Damaschek]

What?

[Dan Le Batard]

What?

[Dave Damaschek]

Gaslighting me? Yeah. Sean Avery.

[Dan Le Batard]

Are you gaslighting me?

[Dave Damaschek]

Sean Avery's in movie. He was in Oppenheimer. There was a scene, and I. I know Dave Damaschek, who is both a cinephile and a puckhead, recognized one scene. Like, wait a second. Is that Shawn Avery?

[Mike Ryan]

It's bizarre. Yeah. Aaron Rodgers was also in Game of Thrones. That's another rando cameo.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, but wasn't he under. Was he under a mask? Aaron Rodgers in Game of Thrones? I don't remember this.

[Mike Ryan]

What, Aaron Rodgers or Sean Avery?

[Dan Le Batard]

Both.

[Dave Damaschek]

Sean Avery is indeed in the Odyssey.

[Mike Ryan]

You know what I watch? You know what was on last night? I'm glad. I love when, when cable channels work the same way as my brain. You know what was on last night? Victory. One of the great under regarded sports movies of all time. Set in. In Nazi Germany. The. Or actually it's in. I think they play the game in somewhere in Germany. The Nazi scourge puts together a soccer team and plays allied prisoners. Michael Caine, Sly Stallone. It's a gem of a movie. If you've not seen it, have you seen that one? Max von Sydow is a Nazi, A Nazi officer's ass. Have you seen it?

[Dan Le Batard]

No, I haven't. And Hunter Pence is joining us. Okay. Four time all star, two time World Series champion. He is on the broadcast on Netflix for the Home run derby on July 13th.

[Mike Ryan]

And.

[Dan Le Batard]

And he was just smiling because he must be wondering what the hell are we talking about? So I'm going to ask Hunter Pence to start here. Number one, are you going to see Christopher Nolan's the Odyssey when it comes out next week? That's the first question. Go ahead.

[Hunter Pence]

You know what if I have time that it sounds like actually a movie I would love to see. And I was actually really remembering that Aaron Rodgers was, I think he. Was he in the scene when Khaleesi like burned everyone.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes. 800 pence.

[Hunter Pence]

I remember that. Yeah. I'm a Game of Thrones. Enthusiastic.

[Mike Ryan]

He got torched, right? He actually.

[Hunter Pence]

I think so. I think he gets torched.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's amazing. I mean I watch Game of Thrones also. I don't remember that. But did. Are you also aware. Because I didn't know this either. Sean Avery, former hockey player that he's been in now three Christopher Nolan movies. Are you aware of this?

[Hunter Pence]

No idea. Not. Yes. Not aware.

[Mike Ryan]

Pele is in Victory. That was my point. Okay, back to baseball.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah. All right, there you go. So Hunter Pence joining us here. He's in his fourth season as analyst on NBC Sports Bay, of course, with the San Francisco Giants. It's a very nerdy conversation. You just entered with us, Hunter Pence. What is the nerdiest thing that you do in your life?

[Hunter Pence]

Oh, I'm an avid like PC gamer. Like Dark and Darker and Hunger, which hasn't come out yet. Just had an open beta, but I am a pickle ball playing video game playing absolute dun. I played. I've even played. What is it? Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering. I am a big, big ultimate nerd for sure.

[Dan Le Batard]

Proudly so. Was there ever anyone in your clubhouse that you were able to play these nerd games with?

[Hunter Pence]

Never did Dungeons and Dragons with any teammates, but we definitely played a lot of Magic the Gathering on flights and things because it was just like super fun to just do a draft. I know most people are playing poker and gambling. That wasn't. Wasn't my thing. We opened packs and played magic together. I remember boats walking by like, what the hell is this?

[Dan Le Batard]

That is funny, man.

[Louis Riddick]

Lince seems like a Magic the Gathering kind of.

[Commercial Announcer]

Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

Lince come into that.

[Hunter Pence]

I. No, Lince comes like a FIFA, FIFA, PlayStation guy.

[Dan Le Batard]

Like, are you watching anime also? Are you into that stuff?

[Hunter Pence]

I don't watch anime, unfortunately.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's Tuner.

[Hunter Pence]

I'm more of a. Yeah, I'm like sports and I live to play, so I'm playing. I'm playing games usually.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, you're. You're on the broadcast on Netflix July 3rd 13th for the home Run Derby. They're. They're changing the rules a little bit this year for the Home Run Derby. Right. There's not going to be a clock anymore. Do I have that right?

[Hunter Pence]

Absolutely. We're bringing it back. It's going to be the first rounds. 20 swings for all eight contestants. They haven't announced all eight, but we've announced quite a few of them. And for me, I'm very excited. This brings it back to like, when they're, you know, the precision, the. The focus, the drama. And also just. Yeah, not like a endurance contest and just swing as fast as you can. Hope. You know, I. Hopefully they're not taking like, pitches or whatever the case may be, but I do remember back watching Pujols like laser focus and some of those home run derbies back in the day and just really being in awe of the precision of the skill. And so, yeah, 20 swings. The last swing, though, if you hit a home run, you keep going until. Until you don't. And then the second round, I believe is going to be 15 swings in the final round. 15 swings as well.

[Dan Le Batard]

I like that they're taking the clock out of it. Hunter, because what, what, what. What's happened over the last few years with the clock? You would have the split screen and like, it's just swing, swing, swing. And like, I, I can't really.

[Louis Riddick]

It's like dangerous for the Kids out there, because they're, like, throwing the next pitch when they're, like, tracking the.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, the balls are flying everywhere.

[Hunter Pence]

Like, exactly. Like, I like to watch how far they hit it.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[Hunter Pence]

They're just like, like, that's not baseball. That's not even like. I mean, no offense. Like, I still love the home run derbies and everything, but. Yeah. No, we don't need balls flying after balls and, like, not getting to sit there and see.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Hunter Pence]

The launch that they have. And like, baseball is like, it's a drama. It's a buildup. It's. It's. It's a focus. And so that's. I'm excited that we're bringing that back and we're going to get to actually watch the home runs that they hit. And there's going to be a lot of pressure on each of these swings. You know, they gotta. They do have to lock in. It's going to be a good contest.

[Dan Le Batard]

We were mentioning earlier in the show, we were. We were reminiscing about cool batting stances, and I feel like. Like, I feel like I remember you had a good look in batting stance, and it feels like today we. We don't get the different batting stances anymore.

[Hunter Pence]

You know, I. I feel like there's still some very weird ones out there. I mean, shoot, I'm going over some of the swings. I'm looking at Byron Beckston, and he's kind of got the straight front leg like Bo Jackson back in the day, which doesn't make any sense to me. You know, there's. Who was. There was a guy that was, like, standing facing the pitcher. Yeah. You know, a couple years ago. I'm not sure. I can't even remember who hit, like, a bunch of homers for the Rockies. I'm drawing a blank right now, but there's still a lot of, like, wild stances. Like, you watch Luis arise. Like, his at bats right now for the Giants are hilarious. And especially when he gets two strikes, he turns into, like, a fighting mongoose, man. He just does not want to strike out.

[Mike Ryan]

He's.

[Hunter Pence]

He's exciting. So.

[Sponsor Voice]

Ah.

[Hunter Pence]

You know, like Julio Franco and, you know, was it Batista had a crazy one. Yeah. Kevin Eucalyptus. Yeah, you're right. Mickey Tattleton is one.

[Dan Le Batard]

Craig Counsel. Craig Council's batting stance was so ugly, Right?

[Hunter Pence]

Yeah. I don't know. I have no idea what the heck they were doing. You know, there's. I swear I just saw one that was really weird, and I'm like, why the heck is he doing that and they continue to get to the, to the zone every time. But no, no, we have to.

[Mike Ryan]

If Hunter Pence is going to go on and on and critiquing other people the way they stand in the batter's box, I'm going to address the 800 pound gorilla in the room. What, what, what was with this, with the socks, man? You know, up, up above the knee. Explain yourself.

[Hunter Pence]

Oh, yeah, that's a good question. So actually it happened in a game where back in the day, the pants that had this like thick rubber band and I always just like to have them up because it was more comfortable and both of my knees were bloody from sliding into bases. And so I had two bloody knees in this. These like rubber bands just gripping at the. The flesh. And it was like extremely painful and I was like, I just need a relief. So I like rolled it above my knee and like kind of tried to put it down. I was like, oh, this kind of feels like a wide receiver. And the relief of like A, the bloody knees. And then B, when I started running around, I was like, this is more comfortable. This feels way better. And so I started just joking around that I was like basically a wide receiver and I had to wear my pants like a wide receiver. And, and really it was mainly just functional and comfortable is why I wore it. And then I had no idea that it would ever turn into something where other people did it or a fashion statement. But it definitely felt a lot to play like that.

[Mike Ryan]

I didn't care for it, but I think you really did make it okay for NFL punters to go with that look with the pant. You know, their pants are very short these days.

[Hunter Pence]

I mean, the punters. Are they even like really like a football player? You know, like, are we touching their uniform? No offense, but I mean, they're. They. They have a lot to do, but they're not like, yeah, they're important. Yeah, punters are important.

[Dan Le Batard]

Good save.

[Jeremy Saslow]

Is the current batting stance you were thinking of Jacob Wilson.

[Hunter Pence]

No, that was not awkward.

[Louis Riddick]

Jeremy. Damn it.

[Jeremy Saslow]

Raphael Devers.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right.

[Hunter Pence]

But he's twitchy. Jacob Wilson is twitchy and fun. There's a lot of super weird, you know. Yeah, definitely.

[Mike Ryan]

Hunter. We talk about again, esthetics at the plate. And we were talking about when I was growing up, there was no score bug or anything else. And now if you look back at it, the screen looks empty. Is the primary reason that Major League Baseball doesn't do away with the home plate umpire aesthetics that it would be too jarring for our eyes to just see a batter and a catcher back there. Because I contend that 10 years from now we're going to look back at this weird era and say, why were we deferring to the opinion of whether or not that was a ball or a strike of the guy standing back there when the evidence is in front of all of our eyes in real time, whether or not it is actually a ball or a strike?

[Hunter Pence]

Yeah, I mean, do you still need them back there for, you know, foul tip calls? You need them back there for, you know, the out and safe at home plate. So I think even if we do get to an automated strike zone, I think it's kind of fun to, to like actually challenge the hitters and the catchers on, like, how well do you know the strike zone? And you only have so many challenges. I think there's drama in that. I think there's a human skill. I also think, you know, when I'm calling a game and you're watching these umpires beat the players or the players beat the umpires, it's a story, it's fun and it hasn't taken too long. Whereas, like, everyone's kind of enjoying how good are you at knowing the strikes on there? There's reasons to add value to players or take away value if you're terrible at it. These are opportunities to showcase skill, which is part of the fun.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hunter Pence is on the broadcast with Netflix for the home run Derby July 13th. That's coming up next week, of course. Can you, can you describe to us, you know, you're saying, you know, hitters identifying balls or strikes. Can, can you describe to us what the process is of trying to identify the pitch as it leaves the pitcher's hand and obviously that finite amount of time until it gets across the plate?

[Hunter Pence]

Yeah, I mean, it's happening extremely quick. And there's a, an old saying, thinking mind is a heavy bat. So a lot of it is anticipation, preparation, your homework that you've done. And you got to remember, you know, whenever you're playing, you've been, you know, facing this velocity year in and year out. Every day you're setting up the machines to kind of over train. There's different eye training drills I would do. I would shoot tennis balls at my, at myself. 120 miles an hour. So your eyes are a muscle. That's that eventually like start to slow it down if you train it properly. So for, for the big league players, they're in rhythm with it and so like you're looking at the miles per hour to gauge, like, the, the amount of time you have. But even that isn't exact because sometimes the extension, like, you know what, how hard they're throwing is perceived different. But you have, like, basically an idea there, and then you're looking for certain tunnels. So you're. You're following their release point. I'm getting super nerdy on you here.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's okay.

[Hunter Pence]

And where, where is he Letting it go is kind of what I'm watching from. From the film. The film also. And the metrics will show you how much each ball is moving, and you can kind of have a guess there. So let's just say some righty has this big sinker. So the. I'm gonna watch that sinker on film and I'm gonna be like, all right, it's gonna be a ball if it starts here, it's gonna be a strike if it starts here. If I'm approaching that pitch, I need it to be. And you kind of get like a window. Like, imagine the box that you're looking at for the home plate. You're taking his, his, like, release point and timing his rhythm of like, his up and down with, like, your swing. And then you're hunting, like, a window for that ball to start and knowing where it's going to finish, because it, it'll look like it's in one place, but it's in another. And if you've done your homework, you know what that's going to be. And so, and let's just say it's a. I'm approaching a slider or a change up, it's going to have a different window. Like, I need this one to start over here on the left. Now, if the fastball starts where I'm looking for the slider, it can be dangerous. So that's kind of the thing is you have to recognize it as fast as you can. And for me, I was just approaching those windows.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean, hitting a baseball has to be the hardest thing in professional sports, right?

[Hunter Pence]

I believe statistically it's like that. And like saving a penalty kick is like the two lowest, like, percentage success rates. So you have to be a little mental to be a hitter in general. And punting, Punting very difficult.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hunter, you have a. You have a nephew who is the number one prospect in the country right now.

[Hunter Pence]

I wouldn't, I don't know the rankings of, of the prospect, but, you know, he definitely has done a lot of work. It's pretty. He's pretty remarkable. He's definite gifted as well. But yeah, he's he's throwing the ball really hard. He's. He's hitting the ball really far, and he's. He's a absolute kind of. He's a bit of a freak. He's 6, 6 2, like 20, and. And he's going into his senior year in high school, and he throws 101 miles an hour, so it's pretty exciting.

[Dan Le Batard]

Six foot six. Are you worried that he's going to wind up being the best in the family?

[Hunter Pence]

No, I would love for that to happen. I'm very proud. I'm so proud of him. And his younger brothers are both going to be very good players as well. But, like, just how much this kid is, like, you know, shown up, like, and how much he loves it and follows it. I feel like he knows the history of baseball more than I do, just through, like, always playing mlb, the show and reading all these books, and he knows all the old players, and it's just intrinsic with him. He loves it.

[Jeremy Saslow]

Hunter, we're down here in Miami. I may or may not happen to be a part of the Marlins broadcast, and I'm just wondering, how do you think that they've been able to turn into the best. Best team in baseball since the start of June? What do you think of this Marlins team?

[Hunter Pence]

Well, I think they got some really good arms. You know, obviously, like, Otto Lopez has had a tremendous first half and all up and down your lineup, man, it is a young, athletic. They. They have good at bats. Towers is so fun to watch hit, you know, just. Just coming off the. The. The series that I saw them play. Their lineup is just deep, deep. And their arms, it's just a lot of disgusting arms. And, and watching some of the starters turn into, you know, who they're turning into. It's just, I. I've actually felt like the Marlins have been, you know, on the cusp of this breakout year for a while. We'll see how it goes in the second half. But I'm a believer that. That they're real and they're really good as well.

[Jeremy Saslow]

Hunter Pence believes they're real. All right, that's us.

[Dan Le Batard]

I hope he. I hope he's right. You know, I like the Marlins. Obviously. I live here. Come on. I hope he's correct, Hunter. There's talk about lockout or a strike, cba, that whole deal is. Is a salary cap ever going to be something the players entertain?

[Hunter Pence]

You know, I'm. I'm definitely not the one to be asking about that in particular. Just no idea. You know, I would. I would. I would say whenever I was a player that this wasn't something that they were willing to entertain and it was something that was fought for from all the players before to, you know, continue to give everyone an opportunity to, you know, get their. Their value, like what you're being paid, what you're worth, and what you bring to the table. So who knows? And, you know, I just. I just want both these sides. The baseball's in such a good place. I'm hoping that we just continue to have baseball because I love the game and I hope they all. They look to take care of each other and, you know, we'll see.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hunter will be on the broadcast Home run Derby Netflix, July 13 Any other broadcast mates play magic the Gathering?

[Hunter Pence]

I haven't played magic in a while, but no, I haven't.

[Jeremy Saslow]

We're.

[Hunter Pence]

We're getting into dominoes. That's the, you know, dominoes and crib is where we're at today.

[Dan Le Batard]

Good job, Hunter. Thanks for hanging out with us.

[Hunter Pence]

Thank you, Dan. Appreciate y' all having me.

[Dan Le Batard]

There you go. Yes, my name is Dan. Did I make him uncomfortable with the salary cap question?

[Louis Riddick]

I liked him. He was great.

[Dan Le Batard]

He was. He was very good.

[Jeremy Saslow]

I love him and I want him to come back on the show all the time and talk baseball and tell me how the Marlins are as good as I think they are.

[Dave Damaschek]

I think you did a great job, Dan.

[Jeremy Saslow]

Way to go, Dan.

[Dan Le Batard]

Sean Avery, huh? Third Christopher Nolan film. Which other ones?

[Dave Damaschek]

Tenet. Oppenheimer.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, I wouldn't remember 10X. That movie sucks. Who was he in Oppenheimer? Was he Oppenheimer?

[Dave Damaschek]

No, he wasn't Oppenheimer. Nick, go ahead. Name someone that is an Albert Einstein or Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer. He was one of the others.

[Mike Ryan]

All right.

[Dan Le Batard]

He wasn't Oppenheimer.

[Mike Ryan]

The Raiders. The Raiders pass rusher. I think the Raiders probably have the most players in movie history. John Matuszak was in caveman.

[Dave Damaschek]

Carl Weathers.

[Mike Ryan]

Carl Weathers, of course, yes. The. The late, great Apollo Creed. The Count of Monte Fisto. Hunter Pence, though I, you know, call a spade a spade. He was great.

[Dan Le Batard]

He was.

[Mike Ryan]

But I don't buy it for a second. I don't buy it for a second that he hopes his. His nephew is better than he is fat.

[Dave Damaschek]

Come on.

[Mike Ryan]

Don't. Don't come on here and jive us. Don't jive yourself. More importantly, Hunter, you don't want your nephew to be better than you. You're a major league bay ball player. A rare thing to be among Fellow human beings. You want someone in your own family to best you? Come on.

[Jeremy Saslow]

How did we skip the pass that his name is Stryker? Yeah. How do we skip the pass? I don't even know what my brain did there. How do we. How did we skip past the fact that his name is. Yeah, I didn't.

[Dan Le Batard]

The kid's name is Striker. You were saying?

[Jeremy Saslow]

I don't know, man. How did we skip the pass?

[Dan Le Batard]

What does that sentence mean? How did we.

[Jeremy Saslow]

How did we skip past the fact that his name is.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, no, no. But you said, how did we skip the past?

[Jeremy Saslow]

My brain was working faster than my mouth was.

[Dan Le Batard]

What does that mean?

[Jeremy Saslow]

What do you want from me?

[Mike Ryan]

Come on, man. Take it easy.

[Dan Le Batard]

So I'm going to see Odyssey next week. Later this month, I'm going to see Spider Man. But the big question is, at the end of the year, in December, obviously, I'm going to see Dune 3. New trailer just came out. Holy shit. Take my money. Dune 3 is coming out the same day as Avengers. Doomsday. So what are we doing there? It's Dooons day. You remember Barbenheimer? Same thing. This is Dooons day. So the question is, do I see both movies the same day? Opening day? Do I just spend a day at the theater? Dave, I think that's got to be the move, right?

[Mike Ryan]

Well, it's fortuitous. It's serendipity. That I mentioned the underrated sports movie Victory, that I encourage you, nay, demand that you go and view as soon as possible. Sly Stallone plays the Allied Prisoner team's goalkeeper in. In that movie. And also is. Is going to. Was also, of course, Rocky. I would like to be your Mickey Goldsmith. I will get on a plane and I will train you because I don't think you're ready for this. I think we have to go through some conditioning drills for several months. I'm going to run you on the beach and otherwise have you eat popcorn so that you can do a double feature of this length and magnitude.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean, I don't want to be like little Alex with the ultra violence where I'm sitting there with, like, my eyes propped open. You know what I'm talking about, right?

[Mike Ryan]

I do. I do. But that. That's. That's. That's on the table. I want you to do this.

[Dan Le Batard]

I don't know, dudes.

[Dave Damaschek]

For 22 years on this show, we've debated the greatest athletes of all time. Who's the goat in football? Who's the goat in soccer? Who's the goat in hoops? One thing that we all know is Dan's the goat of finding the worst possible take. But there's another kind of MVP go note that doesn't get enough credit. The friend who knows to show up with enough Miller Lights plus extra ice because they just know the one who already has seats at the bar when you walk up. That is a Miller Time nvp. I've been on this show long enough to know that Dan is going to make everything about his feelings and Jeremy is going to push back on whatever I just said. But here's something nobody on this show will argue with. Miller Lite is the summer beer. The original light beer since 1975. This summer, recognize your MVPs. We all have that one friend who makes every game better. Now it's time to give them their moment. Head over to Miller Lite's social media pages to learn more about being a Miller Time mvp. You can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller Time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces

[Jeremy Saslow]

hey friends, it is a difficult time to manage your finances. There is so much going on financially in this country and so many people need to make sure they're saving money the right way. And Chime is changing the way people bank. And it matters because there are a lot of people still dealing with fees that do not need to be there. Overdraft fees, monthly fees, even paying to get access to your own money. Chime is fee free banking built for everyday people, not the old system. With Chime you're upgrading to a smarter way to manage your money. With direct deposit you unlock access to up to 1150 in annual rewards and they're rated five stars by USA Today for customer service because they have real people available 247 you can get up to $500 of your paycheck when you need it. With MyPay SpotMe lets you overdraft up to $200 fee for you can earn 5% cash back on your Chime card and savings grow with 3.75% APY. Someone I know would benefit from this. Chime is not just smarter banking. It is the most rewarding way to bank join the millions who are already banking fee free today. Head to chime.com dan that's chime.com dan it only takes a few minutes to sign up.

[Sponsor Legal Disclaimer]

Chime is a fintech not a bank. Banking services from Mypay and Chimecard provided by Chime's bank partners, optional products and services may have fees or charges, stated annual percentage yield and cash back for Chime prime only. No minimum balance required. For more information on APY rates, my pay spot me and travel perks, go to chime.com disclosures Tony, you know that

[Dave Damaschek]

moment at a party or at a tailgate where everything just sort of clicks?

[Mike Ryan]

I know it well.

[Jeremy Saslow]

It's usually when I show up, everybody goes crazy.

[Dave Damaschek]

Yeah. You usually take all the credit for it, but it's because Tony usually walks in with Cuervo. Walking like this. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cuervo is a thing that turns hanging out into this is the night. It has that effect on people.

[Mike Ryan]

It does.

[Dave Damaschek]

You usually take the credit for it, but again, it's the Cuervo effect. It's like that moment in a big game where everyone in the crowd just starts standing up, hootin and hollerin'. Keep it Cuervo.

[Mike Ryan]

Keep it Cuervo, baby.

[Dan Le Batard]

Down, Levitar. I've never stepped foot on that campus. If you told me right now, your life depends on it, go to Santa Fe University and just take a picture. Jonathan Saslow. I would die. I don't know where it is. This is the Dan Levatar show,

[Commercial Announcer]

So

[Dan Le Batard]

I do have to give a quick update here. I changed my mind. Yes. Well, I changed my mind. It's just. It's just a feeling. I. I think all signs are pointing to LeBron signing with the Cavaliers. Do I think it's going to happen this weekend? No, it's going to happen during the week where everybody's talking about. And you got the regular TV shows. It's not going up in this weekend, but I'm thinking it's going to be Cleveland. When, you know, we find out, I think it's. I don't get to be Miami anymore, and that's a little bit disappointing, but it's whatever. I do want to give a correction where earlier in the show I mentioned how that. That cupcakes shop in Canton, Ohio, broke the story 12 years ago about LeBron leaving Miami for Cleveland. And they posted about he's coming back to Cleveland out and he's bringing Draymond with him. The cupcake shop has since updated that Instagram post telling everyone this was an old post. It's not a recent post.

[Hunter Pence]

Oh, boy.

[Dan Le Batard]

They put an edit there saying this is a story from years ago. It was like. It was like one of the memories, you know, like an anniversary of a tweet or a post. And they made that clear with an Edit on the Instagram.

[Mike Ryan]

So all that means is that they

[Jeremy Saslow]

got that wrong, too.

[Dan Le Batard]

That would be correct. Yes.

[Jeremy Saslow]

They have to completely disregard their journalistic credentials, unlike Mike in the way that he was able to figure out that LeBron was either in the Caribbean or Miami.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's right. The cupcake shop. Dave Damaschek loses a little bit of journalistic credentials. Yes.

[Mike Ryan]

Two points on that one. Cupcakes are terribly overrated. Didn't get the whole phenomenon when it happened. The tops versus the bottom. I don't care about. About the whole thing. And you changed. But just to update, no word from your son on whether or not he was able to change his underpants or otherwise before he went off to camp.

[Dan Le Batard]

Today he's at camp. Like he's there. So stinking up the joint. I assume he's clothed. I don't think he showed up. No clothes. So he's there and I am. I'm not looking forward to hear from my wife because not only are my boys snitches, but everyone who works at my wife's school, they're also snitches and they're. They're going to tell her what I just talked about here earlier today that I did not.

[Mike Ryan]

He put his clothes. He put. He put his child's clothes in the dryer as though that was going to somehow clean them.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's science, Dave. Everybody knows the heat gets rid of the germs and the clothes are cleaner if you run them in the dryer. Everybody knows this. All right.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay.

[Sponsor Legal Disclaimer]

Okay.

[Dan Le Batard]

Everybody calm down. Mike Ryan. What is this? Dan, what is this video? What is this video I saw of Jaylen Brown yesterday? Jay, if there's a camera, Jaylen Brown runs to it these last couple of weeks. What's the. What's the new thing with Jaylen Brown?

[Dave Damaschek]

IShowSpeed is one of the biggest content creators on the Internet.

[Dan Le Batard]

I don't get. I don't get it.

[Dave Damaschek]

He's had unprecedented access for streamer at the World Cup. Probably will never get as good a seats as he got for Egypt. Argentina might have caused Messi to miss that. He is a noted Messi hater. A Ronaldo. Stan. But these. If you have a second screen experience, I like to put iShowSpeed's live stream on there because he has. People are super excited to meet him. He gets incredible access to watch Ronaldo be super excited to meet. Ishowspeed is pretty wild, but Ishowspeed caught up with Jaylen Brown. This is an exclusive. This is the first person that Isn't Jaylen Brown. To get Jaylen Brown's thoughts on the matter, here is the interaction between Jaylen Brown and I Show speed at the World cup match.

[Louis Riddick]

Pull up, man.

[Commercial Announcer]

Pull up to Philly, Lebron.

[Mike Ryan]

Pull up to Philly.

[Sponsor Voice]

Think about it.

[Louis Riddick]

LeBron.

[Dan Le Batard]

Jaylen Brown.

[Mike Ryan]

DJ13.

[Jeremy Saslow]

He's gone.

[Mike Ryan]

He's gone.

[Commercial Announcer]

He's gone, bro.

[Mike Ryan]

He's gone.

[Dave Damaschek]

He also go. He also goes on to tell Ishowspeed, hey, man, never play basketball because there is no loyalty in basketball, which made me think. Reported guy who thinks he's the smartest guy in the room. I think he thinks ishowspeed is 14 years old.

[Dan Le Batard]

Right.

[Dave Damaschek]

I don't think he knows that. Ishowspeed is 21 and, and this is his job, at least on a trajectory, to be just as wealthy and successful as Jaylen Brown. He's only six years younger. Yeah, but he was like, give it. He was talking to, he was kind of sunning him and giving him life advice. Like, man, never grow up to be a, a, a basketball player. Like, speed grew up.

[Dan Le Batard]

He's an adult.

[Dave Damaschek]

He's, he's, he's a grown man. He's 21 years old.

[Dan Le Batard]

This reminds me. I, I, I feel like it's like when Mike told Mike Tyson met, met, met Hasbullah years ago, you know, the little guy. And, and, and Mike Tyson thought he was a, I mean, he looks like a toddler. Mike Tyson thought he was a toddler. And you could see her in the video, like, he's kissing him.

[Dave Damaschek]

I think he turned 24 years old.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, look, he's, he's kissing Hasbullah doing

[Louis Riddick]

a thing where you like, blowing his ear like.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, he thinks he's a toddler, right? When he has.

[Jeremy Saslow]

I don't know how you watch this as the guy who gets so much secondhand embarrassment. This one, really, Really.

[Dan Le Batard]

I love this.

[Jeremy Saslow]

I can't watch it.

[Mike Ryan]

I love it.

[Jeremy Saslow]

The idea of him, like, just like blowing raspberries.

[Dan Le Batard]

He thinks he's a, he thinks he's a toddler.

[Jeremy Saslow]

That's insane.

[Dan Le Batard]

Let me use some kisses. He's an adult.