Local Hour: And His Name Is LeBron James (feat. Tommy Hutton)

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Local Hour: And His Name Is LeBron James (feat. Tommy Hutton)
March 20, 2026
Summary

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Episode Overview

This "Local Hour" episode, recorded at the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, kicks off by riffing on "looks like" jokes before diving deep into NBA storylines—focusing on the Miami Heat’s recent loss to the Lakers (with an electrifying performance from LeBron James and Luka Dončić), the perennial LeBron versus Michael Jordan debate, and the meaning of international fan cultures at Miami sporting events. Marlins broadcasting legend Tommy Hutton then joins for a heartfelt, nostalgic segment about his career and the state of baseball in Miami.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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March Madness & "Looks Like" Banter

Timestamps: 00:00–01:45

• The show opens with the crew making rapid-fire sports/culture "looks like" jokes in their signature local hour tone, riffing about Kirk Cousins, Adam Silver, and more.
• Quick references to March Madness, Northwestern’s tournament exit, and upsets set an irreverent mood.

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Heat, Lakers, and LeBron in Miami

Timestamps: 02:02–09:00

• Dan Le Batard ribs Jeremy Tashay for being enraptured by LeBron James during the Lakers’ visit to Miami, even as the Heat struggle in a tough stretch.
• Jeremy Tashay reminisces on witnessing LeBron’s decision to come to Miami as a 15-year-old, explaining his enduring admiration:
  "Pardon me if at 30... when I got to be on the first broadcast I’ve been on where he tied the record for the most games played... If I thought that was pretty cool." (02:50)
• The hosts debate whether LeBron will remain with the Lakers, considering his role as third-best player and defense.
  Dan: "Why would the Lakers not want LeBron to be their third-best player? Because that’s what he is." (03:25)
• Jonathan Zaslow points out that LeBron as "third best" is still a problem due to defensive decline.

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Semantics, Legacy, and LeBron vs. MJ

Timestamps: 03:37–08:00

• The group teases each other about semantics before plunging into the MJ vs. LeBron debate.
• Mike Ryan predicts LeBron still craves being "the man" and questions whether he’ll accept a lesser role—
  "He wants to be the man." (06:34)
• Dave Damashek responds:
  "I think we should accept the fact that LeBron might be willing to do that... what LeBron is doing at his age so far outstrips anything Jordan accomplished in the real world.” (06:49) "The final scoreboard says LeBron vs Michael Jordan: It’s a tie." (07:00)
• The oddity of Heat fans (and large Slovenian contingent) chanting MVP for Luka Dončić at a Miami home game is dissected.
  Dan explains: "Major Slovenian audience when he’s here. I remember after one of the games... maybe half the lower level was completely packed with Luka fans—waiting and chanting." (08:05–09:25)

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LeBron’s Role, Lakers Legacy, and Miami’s International Flavor

Timestamps: 09:25–14:15

• More debate on whether Miami is an "international city" and how fan energy for big stars is a Miami staple.
• Mike Ryan: "LeBron still wants the superstar treatment and the recognition... He’s not the face of the Lakers right now. He might even be co-face of the Lakers." (14:44)
• LeBron’s complicated relationship with LA—
  Zaslow: "Was he ever really accepted by LA? Like he’s always been chasing that like, like the LA ‘please guys like me’..." (15:50)
• Mike Ryan notes that the Lakers’ 2020 title happened with zero fan connection:
  “They had zero title celebration with the people of LA.” (17:54)
• Dave Damashek:
  "LeBron is the most underappreciated, I feel like on some level, superstar of the last quarter century... why is there such disdain and arm's length appreciation for what LeBron’s done?" (16:41, 17:30)

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Game Analysis: LeBron & Luka’s Dominance

Timestamps: 18:11–22:14

• Jeremy Tashay on LeBron’s triple-double and Luka’s 60-point performance:
  “If you asked me midway through the fourth quarter who the best player on the floor was last night, I would have said LeBron. He was in complete control—startling—because he's playing on the second night of a back-to-back at 41...” (20:35)
• Discussion of LeBron’s off-ball offensive value:
  Jeremy: “He’s now playing completely off the ball... basically Draymond Green, but excellent.” (21:18)

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Tommy Hutton: Marlins Broadcasting Legend

Timestamps: 23:05–38:18

• Dan welcomes Tommy Hutton, who is retiring after 60+ years in baseball.
  Tommy: “Every once in a while in your brain, something just says... it’s time. I’ve enjoyed every minute.” (23:27)
• On his favorite moments:
  “I love the no-hitters... I remember Kevin Brown’s in ‘97 in San Francisco, AJ Burnett’s no-hitter where he walked nine, hit two... those calls were fun.” (26:31) “The ‘And his name is Dan Uggla’—that really was spontaneous. Some night it just happened…” (28:01)
• Tommy on long-term Marlins connection:
  “I think it took eight or ten years, really, to have a real connection… My oldest granddaughter can name quite a few players on the Marlins team.” (25:25)
• Reflects on working with legendary play-by-play partners and the camaraderie off-air.
  “I’ve always gotten along with the guys I worked with. I still stay in touch with all of them and it’s been a blessing for me and it’s made me a better broadcaster too.” (29:57)
• On baseball’s changes:
  “What I like about the game now is the pace, mainly because of the pitch clock… What I don’t like is starting pitchers going four or five innings… I don’t like all the swing and miss.” (31:09)
• Hutton’s story of being scouted by Tommy Lasorda:
  “He used to love to tell people… I signed that young man for $210,000. I gave him 10,000 cash and $200,000 worth of advice.” (34:01)

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Marlins Memories, Modern Baseball, and MLB Culture

Timestamps: 38:31–40:10

• Discussion shifts to favorite Tommy Hutton moments, like his raw reactions to on-field incidents (e.g., Giancarlo Stanton being hit).
• Reflecting on the energy at Marlins games versus the World Baseball Classic.
  Dave Damashek: "How do you transfer the energy that was in that exact same place into Marlins games? MLB has now exceeded the NBA in popularity or is about to—how say you guys?" (39:19)

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Notable Quotes

• Jeremy Tashay (on LeBron’s Miami impact, 02:50):
  “Pardon me if at 30... If I thought that was pretty cool.”
• Mike Ryan (on LeBron’s ego, 14:44):
  “LeBron deserves some credit…he is not the main guy right now. But I think…LeBron still wants the superstar treatment and the recognition.”
• Dave Damashek (on LeBron vs. MJ, 06:49):
  “The final scoreboard says LeBron vs Michael Jordan: It’s a tie. …so fundamentally different in the arcs of their two careers.”
• Tommy Hutton (on retirement, 23:27):
  “Every once in a while in your brain, something just says, you know, it’s time.”
• Tommy Hutton (on being scouted, 34:01):
  “Tommy [Lasorda] used to love to tell people…I signed that young man for $210,000. …$10,000 cash and $200,000 worth of advice.”

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Memorable Moments & Timestamps

• Lookalike Song/Jokes: 00:00–01:45
• Heat vs. Lakers/LeBron Nostalgia: 02:02–03:50
• LeBron vs. MJ – “It’s a tie!”: 06:49
• Miami’s international crowds for Luka: 08:05–09:25
• LeBron triple-double & Luka 60 points debate: 20:35
• Tommy Hutton’s Marlins broadcast lore and stories: 23:05–36:31
• Tommy Lasorda $200,000 advice story: 34:01

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Tone & Style Notes

• The tone is casual, irreverent, fast-paced, with long stretches of jokey banter.
• Emphasis on nostalgia—Miami sports history, appreciation for legendary figures like LeBron and Hutton.
• Willingness to mix “serious” sports debate (LeBron's legacy, baseball culture) with off-the-cuff storytelling and affectionate ribbing.

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Closing

The episode blends classic Le Batard Show banter, surprisingly poignant discussions about sports legacy and culture, and a warm salute to Tommy Hutton's extraordinary broadcast career. Listeners are treated to a unique Miami-centric conversation, equally at home with March Madness antics, nuanced NBA takes, and deep Marlins history.

Transcript

[Mike Ryan]

Purdue was a number one seed as

[Tommy Hutton]

Kirk cousin look like JCPenney looks like,

[Stugats]

looks like, looks like his back, Jack. It's bracket time, so make a chart. Does Jeff and Gundy look just like the queen of Hearts? Does Adam Silver look like a torpedo bat? Let's get Martin sent his back on track. Looks like his back, Jack. When the donuts are in front of you, does Annie Reef say, don't mind if I do. Adam Silver looks like a cute kid thing or frying a bag of onion

[Dan LeBatard]

ring

[Stugats]

When Timmy laughs until he has that's how you know that looks like his back, Jack. Let me hear you say looks love, looks, love, looks love. Looks like his back, Jack. Let's keep on doing it every year. So Antbur says Piston. Welcome to Tanjir. Jeff Fisher looks like shotgunning beers at a NASCAR track. If you say this game's the best, I'll say the gag. Looks like his back, Jack.

[Ad]

Northwestern is gone from the tournament.

[Tommy Hutton]

Jim Harbaugh looks like a casket salesman.

[Mike Ryan]

Fairly Dickinson 16 seed repped by Mike McDaniel.

[Tommy Hutton]

Look like a college student on the full ride scholarship for esports.

[Mike Ryan]

What a run.

[Stugats]

Looks like it's back, Jack.

[Dan LeBatard]

Oh, we got a lot to get to today. It is a Friday. You guys know how we do here on a Friday. Let's say hello to Dave Damaschek out there on the West Coast.

[Stugats]

Hello, Dave.

[Dave Damashek]

What's happening, fellas?

[Dan LeBatard]

We got a lot of tournament talk. We had madness already. We didn't even get through half the day yesterday, and the madness was already in full gear. But we start with last night. We start with last night at Kaseya Center. Jeremy Tashay just on LeBron's tip the entire night. I mean, my God, like, the Heat need a win. All right. They're trying to avoid a losing streak here. The Heat lose last night to the Lakers. They are 03 so far in this very pivotal seven game stretch. And you, Jeremy, you're just on LeBron's tip the entire night. My goodness. I mean, have a little bit of character as a Heat fan.

[Jeremy Tashay]

I'm sorry for experiencing joy.

[Dan LeBatard]

Come on, experience. Enjoy. You're not lost. You're not four years old. You remember LeBron when he played for the Heat? Come on.

[Jeremy Tashay]

I was 15 years old when LeBron made the decision. I was at a sports bar in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. I was watching the decision on a TV with no volume. There's closed captioning, and I'm with my brother who's nine years old, and we look at the TV and we say south beach and sprinted through this sports bar back to the table where our parents were sitting. We got LeBron James. So pardon me if at 30, when I got to be on the first broadcast I've been on where he was playing in the game where he tied the record for the most games played. If I thought that was pretty cool.

[Dan LeBatard]

Are we sure that LeBron is not going to play for the Lakers next year? Like what? Like why? Why would the lakers not want LeBron to be their third best player? Because that's what he is.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Yeah, but the problem is that he's their third best player and also they're like ninth best defender. So like, just because they've won 11 in a row doesn't mean that they still don't have the defensive. But yeah, I thought they won 10 out of the last 11. This would make it 11 of the last 12.

[Dan LeBatard]

Okay, but you, but you said 11 in a row. That's not 11 in a row.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Whatever. Semantics. You want to do semantics with me?

[Dan LeBatard]

That's not semantics.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Right or wrong.

[Jeremy Tashay]

I'm anti semantics.

[Mike Ryan]

That sounds semantic.

[Dan LeBatard]

That's not how semantics work.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

The point being, the point being Jonathan Zaslow is that LeBron is still 41 years old and he still has his deficiencies in areas that the Lakers need to be better at. And just because he's been great the last couple of games doesn't mean that, that all of a sudden next year. Let's just run it back.

[Dan LeBatard]

I gotta be, I gotta be a grown up here, Mike. You know, I spent a lot of time on the show yesterday saying I can't see a scenario where LeBron plays. And it's. Look, it's a second day of a back to back. He did the. Oh, my elbow hurts, you know, so it gives him an out that he, he doesn't have to play tonight. And then in the middle of the day yesterday he was listed. He, Doncic and Austin Reeves were all listed as questionable, which to me meant they were not going to play.

[Jeremy Tashay]

We all thought they weren't going to play.

[Dan LeBatard]

Like, wouldn't that be what you think questionable means?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, well, I logic and just following the NBA and how stars handle this stretch of games where it's congested. We all anticipated. And also LeBron's proclivity to purposefully skip out on Miami games. We all expected LeBron to not play. I came away so impressed with, with the LA Lakers last night. I am. They're a bit of a strange team, right? It's an odd roster construction. We Know that Luca's weight has fluctuated this season, about 20 pounds. He started the season skinny, got bloated. He's skinny again. There seems to be a correlation between how awesome he is and his weight. There was every reason for the Lakers to pack it in early last night. He came out pretty strong.

[Dan LeBatard]

It looked like the Heat were going to blow him out.

[Mike Ryan]

It did. And it looked like, you know, like they're an older team, the Lakers, LeBron probably. All right, let me, let me give this one a rest.

[Dan LeBatard]

And they got here, by the way, because the time like traveling west to east second avid back to back back is very tough.

[Mike Ryan]

They got here 5am I came away so impressed with the Lakers, LeBron and Luca. Their ability to climb back into that game and then assert their will in the second half. Luka was just unbelievable late in the fourth quarter. That's my takeaway. I have no. He takes for you that. That was just an amazing performance by a really great player.

[Jeremy Tashay]

Similar to how once Zaz traded Bam, he changed his entire season. Once Dan said that the Lakers fans were abandoning Luka. They've been the best team in the sport.

[Dan LeBatard]

I also said I don't believe that the Lakers are going to win a playoff game. Yeah, you did get playoff series, playoff game.

[Jeremy Tashay]

You said they might playoff. I think they will.

[Mike Ryan]

I like, I like their chances there. But to your original question about are we sure if LeBron's not going to return to the Lakers?

[Dan LeBatard]

Right.

[Mike Ryan]

He's not the man, dude. And I think he. Everything that we've ever said on this show about LeBron is he's going to want the retirement tour, he's going to want the attention. I don't think he's going to do that, Dave, as an ancillary piece on an LA Lakers team. He wants to be the man.

[Dave Damashek]

I get what you're saying here, but I think what we have to acknowledge is, and this is one of the most unsatisfying conclusions I can come up with. But in the rolling debate of LeBron versus Michael Jordan, they're two very different human beings. And whereas Michael Jordan be the 1A or the number two option, definitely not. I think we should accept the fact that LeBron might be willing to do that. And at the end of it all, what LeBron is doing at his age so far outstrips anything Jordan accomplished in the real world. That I think the, the final scoreboard says LeBron vs. Michael Jordan. It's a tie. I don't, I don't know how you would evaluate one versus the other at this point. Cuz they're so fundamentally different in the arcs of their two careers. Are so. But I disagree with you, Mike Ryan. I think that LeBron is wired to play the number two. Did you see him on the bench last night? And before you answer that, I just have to say talk about questionable. Is that guy questionable? Here's what's questionable. The behavior of the entire arena. Your. Your fans, Miami Heat fans were chanting MVP at Luke. It's one thing to applaud a visiting players performance. It's another thing to chant mvp.

[Dan LeBatard]

Okay, all right, hold on. Humiliating. Okay, hold on. Okay, hold on a second. And this is okay, that you acknowledge that you, you notice this and you don't actually understand what's going on there because you're out in Los Angeles. This has been going on for years here when Luca, he plays at the Dallas Mavericks. Major Slovenian contingent at these games.

[Jeremy Tashay]

That's right.

[Dan LeBatard]

I remember. And a lot of it, you know, because Gordon Dragic played for the Heat all those years. I remember there was one game when I was still on the Heat broadcast. All right. I don't know if you know that, Dave. I was on the Heat radio broadcast for 12 seasons. I had two champions. I'm a two time champion broadcaster. And after one of the games, there was all the Slovenian fans who came there to see Luca. They all came downstairs to the lower level. And I would say that maybe half the lower level was completely packed with Luca fans waiting. Not just waiting for him to come out after the game, but they're singing and chanting the entire time during my postgame show. They're singing and chanting. Luca finally had to come out and acknowledge everyone. He took the microphone. He was talking to all them like. So it may seem weird to you that the Heat fan is chanting Luka mvp. Major Slovenian audience when he's here.

[Dave Damashek]

Where was Luca playing? Who was he playing? The Miami Heat.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yeah.

[Dave Damashek]

And this is, this is where we've arrived. As Mike Ryan said. I believe it was Mike who said that a couple of minutes ago. The Heat needed a win and the fans for in the Heat arena were chanting and cheering for the opponent. Fat International city.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Miami's international city.

[Mike Ryan]

There's people from all over the place

[Jonathan Zaslow]

that don't come with the Miami.

[Dan LeBatard]

It was la.

[Dave Damashek]

Please.

[Mike Ryan]

It wasn't. It was a Miami. He. Heat fans doing that. It was Slovenian fans. And the Lakers are an established.

[Jeremy Tashay]

Also LeBron fans.

[Dan LeBatard]

I'm with Dave.

[Mike Ryan]

Hey, Roy, buddy.

[Tommy Hutton]

Yo.

[Mike Ryan]

You know that energy shift when the game gets good and everybody all together in unison knows to stand up on their feet.

[Tommy Hutton]

Oh, absolutely.

[Mike Ryan]

Mike.

[Tommy Hutton]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

You've been at many big time sporting events. You know that moment quite well. That's what it's like when you take your first sip of Cuervo.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Oh, delicious.

[Mike Ryan]

It's the signal that says, we're not checking the time anymore, pal. It's when small talk turns into stories. Cuervo, man. It's that high five. A random stranger effect. That's right. The game is popping. You're hugging people you never met before. That's the kind of energy that Cuervo brings. It's so smooth, so delicious. That's the Cuervo effect. Keep it Cuervo.

[Dan LeBatard]

Guys. Hear that? That's the sound of my calendar flipping over to March. Yes, I know March is more than halfway over. Don't bog me down with details. Just stick with me here. Because March means one thing. It means college basketball insanity. DraftKings Sportsbook, the number one sportsbook for live betting is built for March. The tournament is unpredictable. You kind of like me. But the rewards are guaranteed. And DraftKings is delivering some of the most generous rewards on the market. Are you new to DraftKings? Bet just $5 and get $200 in bonus bets instantly. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app now and use code DAN that's code D A N, to turn five bucks into 200 in bonus bets instantly. In partnership with DraftKings. The Crown is yours. Hey, who wants to hear me do that crazy noise again?

[Jeremy Tashay]

I do.

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[Jeremy Tashay]

LeBatard it sounds to me like everybody could use a hug, because a hug is always the right size.

[Mike Ryan]

Stugats All I have put in my body today is three cups of coffee

[Jeremy Tashay]

and an entire cup of honey.

[Dave Damashek]

Don't let him fool you.

[Unknown]

He said in the break that he's jittery.

[Dan LeBatard]

This is Levatar show with the stugats.

[Dave Damashek]

I get.

[Mike Ryan]

If you don't have the background knowledge of all the seasons where Slovenians make at least one big field trip to Miami to support their stars. I get what he's saying, but those weren't Heat fans, Dave.

[Jeremy Tashay]

This was just an event, right? Because these people all bought tickets in advance when they saw, oh, the Lakers are playing in Miami. Which is why, going back to the fact that LeBron and Luka and Austin Reeves were questionable, I was like mortified as I walked into the arena and at about 6 o', clock, the lower bowl is full of all of these fans wearing Luka Doncic jerseys. Whether it's Mavs jerseys, whether it's Lakers jerseys. You had those, you had LeBron. They're all waiting for the warmup. And I'm looking around, I'm like, oh, my God, this is.

[Dan LeBatard]

None of them are gonna play.

[Jeremy Tashay]

Such a bad example for the NBA. This is gonna be a disaster. And instead, when I walk into Reddick's press conference before the game and he gets asked like, all right, you know, are these guys gonna play? It seems like a formality. And he goes, yeah, Reeves is, is questionable. He's a game time decision. LeBron and Luca are in. And there was like a hush over the room. It was, it was really cool. And it completely changed what the atmosphere felt like in there. LeBron got a nice ovation before the game. Luka as he's exploding for a 60 point performance, which a 60 point performance, by the way, for Luka Doncic in a Lakers jersey. Pretty disrespectful to Kobe Bryant. He should have missed that last free throw so that he didn't tie Kobe's record in the final game he ever played. It. It really is a. A disrespect to the legacy of a Laker great and one of the greats of this game, that he would go out there in a game that was already decided in the final seconds and take a. To tie that record. But that's besides the point.

[Dan LeBatard]

I do, I do want to address what Dave said in regards to Mike's comments about LeBron wanting to be the man. I, I'm with Dave. I disagree with you as well, Mike. I, I think LeBron likes that, likes what's going on now, where he's really not number two, he's number three. Like, didn't we feel like for years LeBron wanted Anthony Davis to. To take over and be the number one guy, and he never did.

[Mike Ryan]

Look, I think LeBron also deserves some credit because whether he asked for it or not, he is not the main guy right now. And I probably shouldn't hypothesize that LeBron doesn't like doing that when he's actively doing that. But I think it's a little bit different because Luca is a superstar. Okay. I think LeBron would actually prefer that he not be the best player on his team. That he's paired with someone who is actually in their prime, who is a superstar. But in terms of star power, in terms of people knowing that that's LeBron's team, that is the face of that team. He's not the face of the Lakers right now. He's just not. He is a face of the Lakers. He might even be co face of the Lakers. But I think that LeBron still wants the superstar treatment and the recognition, the recognition from sports fans everywhere that. No, that that's the guy for that franchise. He does not have that right now with the Lakers. And it goes just beyond Luca. He's with a historic franchise and he's always going to be chasing Kobe's ghost. I think that, you know, maybe go back to Cleveland where I'm unquestionably the man there.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I think too, it's like legacy wise, was he ever really accepted by la? Like it feels like he's always been chasing that like the la please guys like me, like, I know I'm not Kobe, I know I'm not Kareem, I know I'm not Magic, I. But I'm LeBron. And everybody's like, no, not really, like,

[Jeremy Tashay]

I think we're good.

[Mike Ryan]

He did win a title, but you can't. But you can't over. I don't think it was an asterisk, but you can't overlook that he didn't get to celebrate that title with the people. He didn't make that run in that arena. There is no photos of him going on top the scorers table, lifting a trophy, celebrating with his fans. They don't have that connection with LeBron. They were just watching on TV, totally disconnected.

[Dan LeBatard]

Did they even have a parade where we do in parades?

[Mike Ryan]

I think they did a parade. I think L. A did two parades during that.

[Dan LeBatard]

Everybody was like, it was one of those where they're just driving by the home, I mean driving by the screens.

[Mike Ryan]

We have someone based out in L. A. Dave. They had a parade, right? It was like a. Like a double decker bus situation.

[Dave Damashek]

Maybe it was a half a parade because like all titles won during the COVID stretch, it is only worth half of a real title. And I. People want to debate that. Have at it. The thing that is fascinating to me is. And Mike Ryan is kind of doing it even though he's voicing support for LeBron while he's doing it. But the, you know, LeBron emerges in the, in the digital age where it feels almost like he's an empty vessel, where we're, where we're filling him up with what we want him to be. We have. LeBron is the most underappreciated, I feel like on some level superstar of the last quarter century. I don't. That sounds hyperbolic and empty itself to say, but why is there such sort of disdain and arm's length appreciation for what LeBron's done? He's a 40 year old man that he would be deferential to. Like you say a superstar is admirable stuff. Right? And by the way, that's the deal he's made with the devil at this point. You want to play this late in your career and still win, you can't by definition be the number one option. The fact that he can accept that suggests a certain professional maturity that Michael Jordan never achieved. Right.

[Mike Ryan]

And to clean up something that I said before, the Lakers actually had zero title celebration with the people of la. Even the Dodgers during lockdown did like a drive thru thing at Dodger Stadium. So there was zero connection to that title. So he doesn't even have that emotion attached to his title.

[Dan LeBatard]

So. So Jeremy, last night LeBron look triple double eight to 12 from the floor a night after he shot 90% and had 30 points. So really a terrific game from LeBron. And here was Jeremy after the game. Ask before the game. Excuse me. This is Jeremy before the game asking coach Spo just about LeBron's performance of

[Jeremy Tashay]

late Spo last night LeBron goes 1314 from the field which tied his previous record from the field which actually started during the 27 game win streak.

[Dave Damashek]

Here.

[Jeremy Tashay]

What runs through your mind when you think of 41 year old LeBron James getting to his same career high and field goal percentage in a game that he was at in his physical peak at 28.

[Dan LeBatard]

I mean he's giving father time hell.

[Jeremy Tashay]

That is a very so long context, brother. This is a pre game conversation where we're talking about the fact what happened. Why not bring you 55 seconds. Your energy is so awkward. My energy is awkward.

[Mike Ryan]

If you think that you're family, if

[Unknown]

you think you're family energy, you guys

[Jeremy Tashay]

are not going to take my joy today. I got to ask Eric Spoelstra about LeBron James as he set the tied the record for the most games ever played. And I could relate it back to the 27 game win streak you're not going to take this from me.

[Ad]

Spoke to him.

[Jeremy Tashay]

This was cool.

[Dave Damashek]

We're in a library.

[Jeremy Tashay]

Yeah, it's silent in there. There's a microphone right up on me.

[Dan LeBatard]

I mean, I did the coaches show with Eric Bolster every game for 12 years. I talk like a normal person that's

[Jeremy Tashay]

in a big ring.

[Mike Ryan]

Everyone knows Jonathan Zazzle talks like a normal person.

[Dan LeBatard]

What do you know about me is that I talk like a normal person.

[Dave Damashek]

You guys talk weird.

[Dan LeBatard]

I text my son after the game last night because I, I bought my son tickets for this game a couple of months ago. He's a huge LeBron fan. He wanted to go see LeBron and the Lakers. So I bought him tickets for his birthday a couple months ago, right next to the Laker bench. Very expensive tickets. But, but knowing at the time he may not play. Like this is, this is the way it works, you know. And of course he did end up playing. I text my son after the game as he's on his way home and I'm like, triple double for LeBron. 60 points for Luca. I think you got your money's worth, dude. Like, that was the best possible. I mean, maybe it would have been better if the Heat won, I don't know.

[Jeremy Tashay]

But if you would have asked me even maybe midway through the fourth quarter when Luca already had 40 plus points, who the best player on the floor was last night, I would have said LeBron. He was in complete control of that game from the very jump. In a way that was startling because he's playing on the second night of a back to back as a 41 year old man and he was, I mean, the entire night flirting with that triple double. Gets to it. I think he had 15 rebounds. He was dominant. And the thing about what has made the Lakers great over these last. What, Tony, you said 11 of 12.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yeah, it was 11 of 12 in a row. It was eight in a row.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

11 of 12 lost to the Denver Nuggets, somewhere in between. But again, semantics argument, right?

[Jeremy Tashay]

And that was like by a few points.

[Mike Ryan]

7.

[Jeremy Tashay]

LeBron's excellence is that he's now playing completely off the ball. He is offensively cutting throughout the game, allowing Luca to be a half court player that has vision with a guy who is intelligent, knows when to cut, has a feel for the game. He's rebounding, he's running off of rebounds. So that he did, you know, LeBron James leads the NBA in fast break points.

[Dan LeBatard]

It's a little bit of a cherry picker. Can we be at a little contest Even if you want to call it that.

[Jeremy Tashay]

He's 41. To be able to cherry pick, it's spectacular. And the fact that he is willing from an ego perspective to go, I'm going to go off ball. I'm just going to be the guy that helps connect everything. I'm just going to be basically Draymond Green, but excellent.

[Mike Ryan]

It's.

[Jeremy Tashay]

I've been as impressed with him watching that as I was watching him as a 28 year old flying through the air.

[Dan LeBatard]

All right.

[Dave Damashek]

I'm impressed with Tashay's take. I would just prefer him do it in the intimate voice.

[Dan LeBatard]

It would.

[Dave Damashek]

It would.

[Jeremy Tashay]

Do you know how great LeBron James is? Pretty amazing to watch him do this at this age.

[Tommy Hutton]

Don LeBatard, you don't remember the idea?

[Unknown]

I was probably like, that kind of thing. Something.

[Stugats]

Okay. No, the home run call was that kind of swing. That kind of thing.

[Mike Ryan]

Stugats. Oh, it's a good call.

[Stugats]

Thank you. And plus, it doesn't matter who's hitting it.

[Tommy Hutton]

Like, you're not tailoring it to a particular name. You know, all that jazz, you know, you don't got to do that. Oh, that would be a great call.

[Stugats]

Swing, that kind of thing.

[Dan LeBatard]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats.

Foreign.

We got a lot going on here today. It is a Friday show. We got the tournament going on. Canes and Gators play tonight. But let's bring aboard Tommy Hutton, Legendary Marlins broadcaster Tommy Hutton stopping by this show. Tommy, great to see you. Why are you leaving us, Tommy? You're leaving us this year. Why are you leaving?

[Tommy Hutton]

Oh, it's. You know, it's. Every once in a while in your brain, something just says, you know, it's. It's time. So it's. It's time to. To just pack it in. I've had over 60 years in the game. I've enjoyed every minute, with exception of a couple years, I guess, but I. I've enjoyed every minute and it's just time. And, hey, you want to go out on top, that's what you want to do.

[Dan LeBatard]

Was this the first off season that you thought, hey, maybe it's time that I'm done? Because I feel like as a player, if a player starts to think about retiring, it's probably time to retire.

[Tommy Hutton]

Yeah, I actually thought about it at the end of last season, but you don't want to make that decision at the end of a season. So then I thought about it, talked about it with my. My wife, my family, and we just decided this A good time to do it.

[Dan LeBatard]

Expectations for what will be your last season with the team.

[Tommy Hutton]

My expectations for myself. I hope I make it through 60 games that I have on home games. I hope I survive Jeremy Teshe when he's at the ballpark. One of the expectations. Expectations as a team. I expect. I hope. I should say I hope because baseball is a game where unless you have a long track record, it's hard to expect. So I hope to see improvement from various guys, like a, like an Augustine Ramirez, like a Jacob Marcy, like a Kyle Stowers, the guys up the middle. I'm really happy about the guys up the middle and Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards, but I would like to see improvement along those lines in quite a number of players.

[Dan LeBatard]

Did you have, you know, you've been with the team for decades now. Did you have a moment early in your Marlins broadcast career where you, you finally felt like, yeah, this is my team, I'm a Marlins broadcaster. Was there an individual moment where you felt that connection?

[Tommy Hutton]

Yeah, that's a great question. You know, early on, of course, my first year, 1997, they won the World Series, but it's hard to get that connection right then. Did have a great connection with Jim Leland, though. That's a terrific guy. Hall of Fame manager. I think it took eight or 10 years, really, to have a real connection. You know, I've, I've lived in South Florida for over 40 years, so even when I was broadcasting with other ball clubs and when I was with espn, I, I still followed the Marlins, and that's why I really enjoyed it when they, they became a ball Club in 1993, it, it gave me a team to follow. So I have a connection. It's, it's fun to see now my, my grown adult sons, even my granddaughters have a connection to the Marlins, and my oldest granddaughter can name quite a few players on the Marlins team. So that's kind of fun to see.

[Dan LeBatard]

Your favorite. Not, not yet. Your favorite call. I do want to get to that. I think everybody wants to hear what your favorite calls have been. But do you have a favorite moment, a favorite play, when you were on the call?

[Tommy Hutton]

Ah, boy, that's a good one. You know, I think in, in, in the years that they, they clinched to go to the playoffs, those calls were great. Now, you have to remember, once it got into playoffs, we weren't involved because national TV takes over. I do remember in 03, though, Len Casper and I got to do some pre and post game stuff on the radio. So that was Fun. Favorite calls. I. I love the no hitters. I remember Kevin Brown's back in 97 in San Francisco. I remember A.J. burnett's no hitter, where he walked nine and hit two. And about the fifth inning, I looked over at my partner, Dave O', Brien, and I said, Obi, because he had guys on base every inning. So you didn't think there was a no hitter. I said, obi, this guy's got a no hitter going. All of a sudden, he threw a no hitter in San Diego after walking nine and hitting two. That was kind of fun. So the no hitters were fun. Andy Ball, Sanchez, his no hitter. So those calls were always fun. And I know you're going to get to. And this, this really was spontaneous. Rich Waltz and I never came up with and sat down before a game and said, hey, let's say his name is Dan Ugla. Let's do that. Some night it just happened. And I guess it happened because people used to ask us other broadcasters, how does this guy pronounce his last name? Who is he? He's a Rule 5 guy. Who is this guy? And then one night we just let it fly.

[Dan LeBatard]

What was the weirdest pronunciation you heard for Dan Ogler?

[Tommy Hutton]

Oh, guys would say oogla. And not so much pronunciation, but also because he was a Rule 5 guy, nobody knew who he was. You know, they said, who is this guy? And so we had to make sure that everybody knew who Dan Ogle was.

[Dan LeBatard]

Okay, so what of all your famous moments that Marlins fans have loved over the years? What's. What's the one that when you run into Marlin's fans, your everyday life, that they reminisce with you the most about?

[Tommy Hutton]

Well, there's. There's that they always bring up the. The Dan Uglas. One of the fun things about that we had one night, Mike Hill, Marlin's GM at the time, was on the air with us talking about, you know, Marlins organization, and all of a sudden, Uggs went deep, hit a home run, and Mike Hill got right in with us and said, and his name is Dan Uglass. We thought that was cool. And I guess the other one people always talk to me about is my going off the. Off the walls, off the rails, on the play at home plate with Jeff Mathis. Shortly after, they'd instituted the rule about blocking the plate, which was just ridiculous. And that was. That's one people always remember.

[Dan LeBatard]

I feel like the chastising the Mets fans is always one that the Marlins fan loves.

[Tommy Hutton]

Yeah, I remember. I think it was at, at Pro Player Stadium. Yeah, they were leaving and, and I made, made some comments about yeah, but at least they came and that's good. You know, we're just happy that they come. We'd like to see them maybe have their kids become Marlins fans. But deep down I know that's probably not going to happen.

[Dan LeBatard]

So you mentioned Dave o', Brien, you mentioned Led Casper. I mean, yes, you've been doing Marlin's games for a long time, but like Tommy, you work next to some incredible play by play guys.

[Tommy Hutton]

Well, yeah, and don't Forget I was 11 years with Rich Waltz. Paul Severino was fantastic. And, and I, and I love kidding Kyle seal off who I work with now. I kidded Kyle the other day. I said, well Kyle, look at it this way. If, if you ever get fired by the Marlins, you can go on and work WBC baseball games because both Rich and Paul did a lot of WBC games this year. So hey, I've been blessed with great partners. I know broadcasters who, people find this hard to believe who don't really get along that much off the air. They survive on the air and make it work. But I've always gotten along with the guys I worked with. I still stay in touch with all of them and it's been a blessing for me and it's made me a better broadcaster too.

[Dan LeBatard]

Rich Waltz is the absolute greatest. Everybody knows that. It's a shame. No disrespect to anyone who does play by play now, of course, but it's a shame that Rich not still doing the Marlins games. Everybody knows that. That's neither here nor there. As far as the, the, the game today, Tommy, what do you like about the game today compared to years ago, maybe when you first start on Marlin's broadcast. And what do you not like about the game today?

[Tommy Hutton]

Oh man, you're coming up with some really good stuff.

[Dan LeBatard]

I'm great at questions, Tommy. I ask great questions.

[Tommy Hutton]

I guarantee this is good stuff. What I, what I like about the game now I think is the pace mainly because of the pitch clock. The, the pace is better and I think fans like that better because you go back to the 70s, 60s, 70s, 80s, the pace of the game was pretty good. Then it really started to slow down with all the bullpen changes. What I don't like about the game is starting pitchers going four and five innings. I grew up all the guys that seemed like I always roomed with, with pitchers, starting pitchers and their goal when they started the game was to go nine innings and now it's just go as hard as you can, as long as you can. If it's four innings. Okay, let's burn out a bullpen. So that part I don't like. I don't like games being in the hands of bullpen guys every night instead of, instead of that starting pitcher who, who started the game and should go a little bit longer, I guess. I don't like, I don't like all the swing and miss. But on the other hand, guys throw a lot harder today, so there's going to be more swing and miss and less putting the ball in play. So those are a couple things.

[Dan LeBatard]

How do you expect the ABS challenge system to go?

[Tommy Hutton]

I think it'll be all right from what I've seen in spring training, because we've had an opportunity to see it. We had a televised game the other day and Kyle and I'll be on the air Sunday for a Marlins Mets game. And it, it doesn't slow. I thought it might slow things up, but it happens real fast. Within 10 seconds, you have the. Have the answer. I think we'll see spring training. We, we see it used. I think differently than we'll see during the season. I think managers are wanting their players to be careful when to challenge because you don't want to lose those challenges late in the game.

[Unknown]

Tommy, I was told that you, Jeremy and the other broadcasting team had a dinner recently, and I kind of want to, I want you to just kind of assess Jeremy. How was he at a restaurant? Did he embarrass himself at all?

[Tommy Hutton]

No, he was good. And that's why they set him next to me.

[Dave Damashek]

That's right.

[Tommy Hutton]

They wanted him, they wanted that veteran leadership to be, to be with him. And I thought he handled himself very well. I thought, I cut him off after six drinks and wanted to make, wanted to make sure he took an Uber homes.

[Jeremy Tashay]

Well, while we were having too many drinks. Tommy, you told me a story about how you were first discovered as a player by Tommy Lasorda. Like, people don't realize that, that you have forgotten more about baseball than anyone listening to this will ever know. Can, can you share that story about being discovered by Tommy Lasorda?

[Tommy Hutton]

That was, it's a great story. I was, I was playing baseball in high school, South Pasadena High School in Southern California, right outside Los Angeles. And a friend of mine, a classmate, had a summer job at Dodger Stadium working in a parking lot. And he said one day this guy came in and wanted to park in his area. And my, my buddy said, no, this this space for cars is for the executives. You're a scout, so the scouts have to park over there. And the scout was very persistent. Finally, my buddy said, okay, I'll tell you what, I'll let you park here if you're only going to be five, ten minutes. I'll let you park here if you go scout. My friend at South Pasadena High School, Tommy Hutton, and that scout was Tommy Lasorda. So he started following me playing in high school and, and then in 1964, I, I signed with the Dodgers. This was before the draft. And Tommy used to love to. I didn't tell you this part, Jeremy. Tommy used to love to tell people. Keep in mind, 1964, he used to love to tell people. I signed that young man out of South Pasadena high school for $210,000. And people would pause and they'd say, that's a lot of money. He goes, yep, I gave him 10,000 cash and $200,000 worth of advice.

[Dan LeBatard]

It's a good story. Tommy, before we let you go here, Tommy Hutton, of course, going into his final season of his incredible career as a Marlins broadcaster, your favorite Marlin everyday player and favorite Marlin pitcher to watch over these years has been, duh.

[Tommy Hutton]

Well, you put me on the spot. I, we've mentioned it before. I'm going to have to say Dan Ugly, I loved, loved watching him play. His, his grit, played hard, played every day. And my favorite, a lot of pitchers. But I think the guy who really brought energy every time he went to the mound and the fans could feed off that was Jose Fernandez.

[Dan LeBatard]

Excellent answers. Tommy. Tommy, have a great season. Have a lot of fun. And all Marlins fans appreciate all the joy you've given us over.

[Unknown]

I love you, Tommy.

[Tommy Hutton]

Thanks for having me, guys. Thank you very much.

[Dan LeBatard]

There you go. Tommy Hutton right there. Jeremy, you embarrass yourself at dinner the other night.

[Jeremy Tashay]

No, you said I handled myself six drinks.

[Tommy Hutton]

That liquor.

[Jeremy Tashay]

Six Shirley Temples.

[Dan LeBatard]

Didn't realize.

[Jeremy Tashay]

Six Shirley Temples, that's right.

[Dan LeBatard]

Six drinks. My God.

[Mike Ryan]

Some laugh.

[Jeremy Tashay]

Yeah, well, you know, some laugh because.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Revisit that, Mike.

[Jeremy Tashay]

You can revisit it.

[Mike Ryan]

Write that down for me. No, it's written down. It's already relayed. We're grabbing that.

[Dan LeBatard]

Do you have a, so, so do you have a favorite Tommy Hutton like moment? Because I, I, I especially love, you know, I brought up, hey, the Mets fans making fun of the Mets fans. But if you remember the game, I think it was at Milwaukee, right, where Giancarlo Stan took the pitch to the face and he ended up missing like the rest of the season. And another player right after Stanton maybe almost got hit. And there was going to be a huge brawl because the Marlins, understandably, were super angry. And Tommy was angry, too. He's like, you know, you may not done on purpose, but enough's enough. Eventually you gotta. You gotta stand up. And that was. That was like my favorite where it looks. He. Tommy's nodding. All right. He knows. He remembers. All right. He remember. You remember what I'm talking about there, Tommy?

[Tommy Hutton]

Yeah, yeah, I do. I do. That was an awful call. I mean, they call a strike. Stan got hit in the face, and because he turned. They called it a strike. Yeah, they actually called it a strike.

[Dave Damashek]

Yeah.

[Dan LeBatard]

And I forget who was the third baseman for the Marlins that year was especially angry. I. I forget his name. He had a really good season for the Marlins that year.

[Tommy Hutton]

Was it Cantu? Jorge Cantu?

[Dan LeBatard]

No, no, it wasn't Cantu. I forget his name. He played here for like a year, but he was super angry.

[Tommy Hutton]

Wes Elms.

[Dan LeBatard]

No. Yeah, we could play this game.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dan LeBatard]

Dave Mackin. Anyway, yeah, that was. That was my favorite.

[Jeremy Tashay]

Casey McGee.

[Dan LeBatard]

Yes. Casey McGee. It was Casey McGee.

[Tommy Hutton]

McGee.

[Dan LeBatard]

That's right. That's right. All right, we've. Tommy, you said it all. Excellent job. So there you go. That was my favorite Chris, though.

[Tommy Hutton]

All right, guys, I gotta go. I gotta go. I'll see you.

[Dan LeBatard]

See you, Tommy.

[Jeremy Tashay]

Bye, Tommy.

[Tommy Hutton]

All right, take care.

[Dan LeBatard]

Chris, you. You mentioned recently, like a few days ago, that you're super excited for the start of this marlin season.

[Unknown]

Actually, I actually think that the Marlins. This is as good as I felt about a marlin season going into it in a long time. And I'm not saying that they're gonna win the division. I just think that they're gonna be in the hunt for the wild card. I like the top two starters if Yuri Perez and Sandy stay healthy. I just think you actually have like. Like what he mentioned up the middle. Like, they actually have some guys now, and it's just. It's the best I've felt going into a season. Dave.

[Dave Damashek]

I know you guys have been talking about the World Baseball Classic, but I was also interested in Tommy's opinion, but now he's gone, so I turned to Jeremy and the rest of the gang. How do you transfer the energy that was in that exact same place into Marlins games? Because, man, the.

[Stugats]

The.

[Dave Damashek]

The sharp difference between the two is going to be pretty striking, I suspect, come April. Right? I mean, but. But how do you get that same energy? Because that was everything. That's what baseball needs. And a lot of people are now talking about that. MLB has now exceeded the NBA in popularity or is about to how, say you guys?

[Jeremy Tashay]

I think it's tough to duplicate what rooting for your nation's team does. Right. Like this would be like asking New York City FC if that that's what they're called. Right. New York City FC to have the same energy.

[Dave Damashek]

Interrupt you Tashay. But Tashay, that's exactly what we're talking about at with the Heat fans or the Heat arena chanting MVP at Luca. The international flavor is what made it great. And so now pick up on. I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I think you can have it both ways. Yeah, it's a great pointing what we saw there.

[Jeremy Tashay]

That's right. And you can have both. But they've, they've tried over the years of specific pandering to certain demographics to try to get them to care in a different way. It doesn't matter. They got to build a winner and they can get get an atmosphere, a consistent winner. But it's going to be difficult to get anything that feels quite like what you saw in the wbc. And if you really expect that to happen, you'll probably get a laugh that sounds like this.