Local Hour: Dan Le Batard Says "Jeter Stinks"

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Local Hour: Dan Le Batard Says "Jeter Stinks"

March 18, 2026

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Episode Overview

Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, the crew dives into a classic Local Hour, blending sports, pop culture, irreverent Miami banter, and insider-y observations. The focus this episode is on the Miami Dolphins' roster overhaul, the significance of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), and a truly polarizing take on Derek Jeter's post-playing career and his statements about international baseball. Along the way, the gang revels in cruise stories, tournament fun, and a typically chaotic “who’s the worst?” spitball session.

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Key Discussions and Insights

Greg Cody’s Post-Vacation Exhaustion and Cruise Antics

• Greg Cody is notably “playing hurt” after a 10-day Caribbean cruise, which the crew mercilessly roasts. He describes marathon drinking sessions and vacation etiquette:
  • “The drinking starts with Bloody Mary in the morning… You pound two three Bloody Marys get a little kickstart.” — Greg Cody [02:20]
  • Cody acknowledges his health struggles but insists: “We did… have a wonderful time.” [08:28]
  • Cruise lore: The group discusses "pineapple on the cabin door" signaling "swinger" status—Greg claims ignorance, leading to ribbing and jokes about cruise hedonism. [09:01-10:00]

Dolphins Dramatics: Waddle Trade and Miami Overhaul

• The crew pivots to the surprise Jalen Waddle trade and the Dolphins’ decision to start over:
  • “That was the beginning… that started it. And yeah, they're in a complete reboot right now… And now the new regime is probably going to be given too much time to turn it around. I'd give them a few years.” — Greg Cody [10:29]
  • Is Miami getting value for Waddle?
    • “Let’s not retrofit Jalen Waddle. He’s a good wide receiver two... He had one great season… four or so injury margins.” — Greg Cody [11:00]
    • Mike Ryan and Zaslow push back: Waddle ranked 11th in receiving yards since entering the league, which sparks debate on player development and wasted window:
      • “If you draft him that high, that needs to star for you for eight years. That needs to get through second contract. The amount of money this team is spending in dead space… they’re just janitors in there cleaning up.” — Mike Ryan [13:13-13:47]
    • “If they didn't have the hundred million dollar albatross of the curse of Tua, they would not have traded Jalen Waddle.” — Greg Cody [14:49]
• Malik Willis as QB and the depleted roster draw bleak, sardonic commentary: “Right now it's easily the worst wide receiver room in the entire NFL.” — Mike Ryan [13:52]

Looks-Like’s and Tournament Antics

• This episode’s "Looks Like" segments rear up—comparisons of coaches, players, and others for comedic effect, including:
  • "Jim Harbaugh looks like a casket Salesman.” — Greg Cody [07:03]
  • “McDaniel look like a college student on the full ride scholarship for esports.” — Greg Cody [07:10]

World Baseball Classic: Is This Bigger Than the World Series?

• The group details the emotional stakes and highlights of the WBC, especially Venezuela’s win over the U.S.:
  • “Baseball’s great. Baseball’s funny… That’s why the fourth best team in the tournament is the world champion.” — Greg Cody [23:35]
• Venezuelan passion and the difference in Latin player dynamics are celebrated:
  • “The Latin players, they have fun, man”… “This is what caring looks like. This is what you want your basketball all Star game to look like. These athletes caring about what they're doing.” — Mike Ryan [38:02, 39:44]
• Notable player quotes on what the WBC win means:
  • Eugenio Suarez on Venezuela’s WBC championship:
    • “God is good. All the glory is Barlow Jesus. He was with us the whole time. We have to glorify… And nobody believe in Venezuela. But now we win the championship today… We are family here. That's why we play with passion, with love, because we feel the jersey, we feel our country in front of us.” [40:00-41:08]
  • Eduardo Rodriguez on WBC vs. the World Series:
    • “I win the World Series a couple years ago, and there's nothing that I can compare with this, you know, like, this is the greatest moment I ever got on the mound... I can't compare this moment to nothing.” [41:44-42:11]

MLB Control and Limits on WBC Play

• The crew unpacks how MLB clubs restrict their pitchers’ use in the WBC, impacting the authenticity of the “best on best” format:
  • “Are we playing for real or not?” — Mike Ryan [29:16]
  • “This is not a serious competition if you’re putting limits on some of the best players.” — Jon [33:17]

Derek Jeter, Passion, and Allegiance Debates

• The namesake moment: The team dissects Derek Jeter’s dismissive commentary about the WBC compared to the World Series. Jeter says only people who haven’t played in a World Series call the WBC “bigger.”
  • “Derek Jean, I think the people that said it's bigger than the World Series never played in the World Series.” — Jeter (as quoted on air) [41:30]
• The crew is openly critical, calling Jeter dismissive, joyless, and boring as a TV persona:
  • Memorable barbs:
    • “He stinks.” — Mike Ryan [43:38]
    • “You like him. Then you sit there and you like him. You’re like, oh, yeah, he's got some great stuff to say. He says nothing.” — Kenny [44:22]
    • “What was he worse at: Broadcasting or being a president of the Marlins?” — Greg Cody [44:27]
    • “He's equally bad at everything. Not being shortstop.” — Mike Ryan [44:40]
    • “Lebatard says Jeter stinks.” — Show Producer, joking about potential headlines [43:47]
  • Jeter’s lack of empathy toward the emotional resonance for foreign-born players is criticized. The show suggests he’s speaking only from “regional” Yankees pride and disconnected from international patriotism:
    • “Jeter doesn't have anything like that on his resume.” — Jonathan Zaslow [47:10]

Closing on Patriotism and Sports

• The panel argues that nothing beats national pride layered onto sports competition:
  • “There’s nothing better in sports than patriotism, country pride around your flag. Like, everybody understands it. It crosses all the languages.” — Jonathan Zaslow [46:19]
  • “Let me feel not under threat, and let me feel like I'm better than America. For a day, I'm better than America.” — Mike Ryan [46:53]

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Notable Quotes & Moments With Timestamps

• Greg Cody on cruise binge:
  “The drinking starts with Bloody Mary in the morning… You pound two three Bloody Marys get a little kickstart.” [02:20]

• Mike Ryan on Dolphins’ trade logic:
  “If you draft him that high, that needs to star for you for eight years. That needs to get through second contract. The amount of money this team is spending in dead space… they’re janitors in there cleaning up.” [13:13-13:47]

• On Club vs. Country in WBC:
  “Are we playing for real or not?” — Mike Ryan [29:16]
  “This is not a serious competition if you’re putting limits on some of the best players.” — Jon [33:17]

• Eugenio Suarez (Venezuela WBC hero):
  “We are together, the whole time. We not just teammates, we are family… we feel our country in front of us.” [40:41]

• Eduardo Rodriguez (on WBC vs. World Series):
  “This is the greatest moment I ever got on the mound… I can't compare this moment to nothing.” [41:44-42:11]

• Derek Jeter and “stinks” debate:
  “Derek Jean, I think the people that said it's bigger than the World Series never played in the World Series.” [41:30]
  “He stinks.” — Mike Ryan [43:38]

• Patriotism in Sports:
  “There’s nothing better in sports than patriotism, country pride around your flag. Like, everybody understands it. It crosses all the languages.” — Jonathan Zaslow [46:19]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:20] Greg Cody’s cruise routine and jokes about cruise “swinger” culture
• [10:29] Dolphins management overhaul & Waddle trade debate
• [13:13] Mike Ryan on draft picks and Dolphins’ mismanagement
• [23:33] Start of World Baseball Classic talk: Venezuela vs. US
• [29:16] MLB constraints on pitchers in the WBC
• [40:00] Suarez emotional interview post-championship
• [41:30] Jeter’s dismissive World Series/WBC take
• [43:38] “Jeter stinks” segment
• [46:19] Sports patriotism and why WBC atmospheres beat regular baseball
• [47:10] Comparing Jeter’s legacy and resume to WBC moments

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Flow and Tone

True to form, the show skips seamlessly between hilarious personal stories, sharp sports commentary, inside jokes, and moments that spin out of friendly chaos. The tone is loose, mercilessly playful, often irreverent, but turns sincere when discussing the power of international sports and the euphoria of national pride.

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For New Listeners

This is a classic Local Hour: a blend of Miami flavor, inside jokes, and national debates. In between Dolphins hand-wringing, personal roasts, and wildly off-the-cuff tournament analysis, you’ll catch the heart of the show—a loving, disorderly celebration of sports as a vessel for both joy and argument, patriotism and parody. And, on this day at least, absolutely no love for Derek Jeter’s pundit skills.

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Greg Cody]

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[Mike Ryan]

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[Jonathan Zaslow]

Chris Cody said to me just minutes ago, oof, my dad is playing hurt. He's playing through it. Greg Cody needs a vacation from his vacation because he goes hard on vacation. And so I zaslow am worried that Cody will not have the stamina to do today and tomorrow.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, when did you get back from vacation?

[Greg Cody]

Very early Monday morning.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

But you have to understand, if I know Greg Cody, if I know my friend of a lifetime, here's what's happening. Okay? That drink package is expensive. He's gonna get his money's worth.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, hello. You got that right.

[Mike Ryan]

At what point do you feel after how many drinks? First of all, what time do you start the drinking? And after how many drinks do you feel like, all right, the rest of these because of what I paid, is like bonus drinks.

[Greg Cody]

The drinking starts with Bloody Mary in the morning, which isn't really a drink, you know, so you pound two three Bloody Marys get a little kickstart.

[Mike Ryan]

Three Marys to start the day.

[Greg Cody]

Trouble is, they're filling. The tomato juice is very filling.

[Mike Ryan]

So that's your breakfast.

[Greg Cody]

That's breakfast.

[Mike Ryan]

Breakfast can't be that filling at 3.

Put it on the poll at Leonard show is 3 bloody marys for breakfast.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

The breakfast of champions.

[Greg Cody]

It really is. You got to have them spicy, too. Who? They do some good jobs.

[Tony]

Father like son. I'm with them.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Answer his question.

[Mike Ryan]

So, like, how many drinks, like, at what point in the day do you feel like, all right, I've paid for this now, like, this is just free drinks.

[Greg Cody]

The professional drinkers don't count. Their wives count. Like, Earlene could probably tell you about how many drinks I consume in a day. But, you know, you do like to get your money's worth. You're on board all day, and then when you're on a thing, on an excursion on land, they have drinks, too.

[Mike Ryan]

Although Jeremy just whispered to me, he sounds like hell, yeah, I kill.

[Tony]

I feel like he did cover WBC last night.

[Greg Cody]

He did look ridiculous.

[Mike Ryan]

He looks like he's been battered by the sea.

[Greg Cody]

Yes, thank you, wbc. As a matter of fact.

[Chris]

I mean, I can't Stutter Island.

[Greg Cody]

I can't catch a break. I come home from vacation the next morning. I'm getting ready to relax all day to go to the wbc. Then the dolphins trade waddle. So I got to write a column on that. I tell you, they're working me, man. I'm like a donkey with a pack on trotting around the landscape.

[Jon]

Or is that on the catchphrase rank?

[Greg Cody]

Although I thought of a new catchphrase on the way in. Today and early. Christopher.

[Tony]

Wow, you are. This is going to be a day.

[Mike Ryan]

Wait till tomorrow. Wait till tomorrow. Tomorrow. Tomorrow's the one I'm worried about.

[Jon]

Yeah, he's got thoughts on Cuba later.

[Greg Cody]

I do.

[Kenny]

Oh, I'm excited.

[Greg Cody]

I know it could be construed as a pro trump sentiment, which is unusual for me. Okay, not there's anything wrong with that.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Let Greg Cody cook.

[Mike Ryan]

What do you mean there's not? What do you mean there's not anything wrong with that?

[Greg Cody]

Well, I'm being facetious, but I think

[Mike Ryan]

you're just saying things.

[Greg Cody]

No, I'm not just saying things.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Like, chris, we're in trouble.

[Dan Le Batard]

Excited.

[Mike Ryan]

We're in trouble.

[Jon]

You want to join us on the high live stream?

[Greg Cody]

I revealed a catchphrase today that Christopher claims he'd never heard of.

[Tony]

You never said it before.

[Greg Cody]

I've been saying it my whole life.

[Jon]

Donkey with a pack on.

[Greg Cody]

No.

[Kenny]

It's like you got briars anywhere or.

[Greg Cody]

No, it was cold this morning, right?

[Tony]

We were walking across the street. It was like 68 degrees.

[Mike Ryan]

Asking him if it was no, he said something.

[Greg Cody]

I'm verifying because it was cold out and. And I'm battling the elements. So I said to him, it's like a packing house in here. There should be hams hanging from hooks.

[Tony]

And he's like, I should add this to my list. I'm like, I've never heard you say it before.

[Greg Cody]

I've seen that my entire life. Anyway, I digress. Christopher also claims I always say that I had a great time on my vacation even when I didn't, which is ridiculous.

[Tony]

Fantastic. We had a fantastic time.

[Greg Cody]

We did.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Your glasses are foggy.

[Greg Cody]

I know.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Purdue was the number one seed as

[Greg Cody]

Kirk Cousins look like JCPenney looks like.

[Mike Ryan]

Looks like,

[LeBatard Show Producer]

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

[Mike Ryan]

thing

[LeBatard Show Producer]

or flying a a bag of onion rings? When Timmy laughs until he ha. That's how you know that looks like his back, Jack. Let me hear you say looks like looks like his back, Jack. Let's keep on doing it every year though, Ed. Dan Burke says Pista Bond. Welcome to Tangier. Jim Fisher looks like shotgunning bears at a as car track. If you say this game's the best, I'll say the gag looks like his back.

[Mike Ryan]

Northwestern is gone from the tournament.

[Greg Cody]

Jim Harbaugh looks like a casket Salesman.

[Mike Ryan]

Fairly Dickinson, 16 seed repped by Mike

[Greg Cody]

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

[Mike Ryan]

What a run.

[LeBatard Show Producer]

Looks like he's back, Jack.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Zaz, I need some editorial judgment from you here because Schefter's reporting about sharks circling the dolphins facility wanting all the players. Achan's not available and normally what's happening around the dolphins is something that we would ride into the sky. However, during the shadow show and I'm sorry if you missed it, you didn't hear the shadow show. You missed what Jeremy's already describing today as an all time Greg Cody performance and there were bets in the back at when he's going to peter out.

[Mike Ryan]

Will it be tomorrow or will it be by hour two today because he just blew a gasket.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

This show requires, if you've missed it for a while, getting back in the seat. There's some rustiness involved for all of us. It's that no one is immune from this.

[Mike Ryan]

Greg Cody has just spent 10 days having three Bloody Marys.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

The breakfast of champions. For breakfast.

[Mike Ryan]

10 straight days.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

He's exhausted, he's sick, and usually you want to ride that into the sky. So choose dolphins or Cody.

[Mike Ryan]

I think I'd like to continue to explore Cody's vacation. How many days were you there?

[Greg Cody]

We. It was a 10 day cruise. Boy.

[Mike Ryan]

Tens of.

[Greg Cody]

Across the. Across the Caribbean, Tortola, St. Lucia, Barbados, Nevison, Saint Kitts. And I don't care if he mocks me. We did have a wonderful time. We were there with.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Your mouth sounds dry though.

[Jon]

And the tongue is very heavy.

[Greg Cody]

Very heavy. We were there with two great friends of ours.

[Tony]

People thought you were swinging with them.

[Greg Cody]

Well, they can think what they want.

[Jon]

That's not a denial.

[Mike Ryan]

You know about that pineapple on the door.

[Greg Cody]

I do. People also tell me the pinky ring implies something, but I've never heard that before.

[Kenny]

Yeah, I've said that many a times.

[Eugenio Suarez]

Yeah.

[Jon]

Black wedding band on the right hand too.

[Greg Cody]

Really?

[Jon]

Yeah, Chris told me that one.

[Greg Cody]

Wow.

[Jon]

Which actually kind of starting to make sense.

[Greg Cody]

You learn that kind of thing.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Put it on the poll at Lebatard show. Do you know about the pineapple on. I. I'm hearing this for the first time. My brother was on cruises all the time. You guys are saying pineapple on the door means upside down. Means what?

[Tony]

The magnet. You have these magnets and if you see a pineapple, you walk by upside down.

[Jon]

Surely you walk past like all these cabins with pineapples on the door wondering, oh, wow. I guess they're really into the Caribbean fruit of choice.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah. You do a little knock knock when you see that. Exactly right. Greg Cody.

[Jon]

Cruise lines are often a haven, a safe haven. That's true for those that like to indulge in hedonism.

[Mike Ryan]

It's exciting to talk about swinging in front of your son.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Put it on the pol. Are cruises swinging Hedonisms Are cruises swinging hedonisms.

[Greg Cody]

I would agree with that. Everybody lets loose, man. You know, nobody's looking at you, nobody's filming you.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Okay. Not true necessarily, but 10 straight days. Greg Cody does this.

[Mike Ryan]

He missed.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

What is the greatest fumigation in the history of the dolphins facility? Correct.

[Greg Cody]

You mean when they. When they let TUA go and they're signing Malik all Of it.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

All of it.

[Mike Ryan]

The greatest fumigation in the history of the Miami Dolphins.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

They've cleared out the building.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, well, that began when they, when they fired, quote, unquote, mutually agreed to part with longtime GM Chris Greer. I mean, that had to happen. And that was the beginning. That was the first domino. The other domino didn't topple for a while, but that started it. And yeah, they're in a complete reboot right now, rebuild whatever you want to call it. And it's a long time coming. And now the new regime is probably going to be given too much time to turn it around. I'd give them a few years and see where it goes from here, but I think they've done the right things so far. Waddle, let's not retrofit Jalen Waddle. He's a good wide receiver too. He had one great season with the Dolphins and four or so injury margins.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Where would you think he ranked if I told you, since he came into league. Give me a number. Take a yards.

[Greg Cody]

Just since he came into the league.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Yeah, just rank in the entirety of the league.

[Greg Cody]

20ish.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Because he's 11 and 11 usually makes you number one. Like there are 30 there.

[Mike Ryan]

There aren't that many number one receivers in the league. If I tell you that somebody who's been in the league since Waddle has

[Jonathan Zaslow]

been in the league is 11th in

[Mike Ryan]

yards, you're usually looking at that person and saying, that's a number one.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

We're not going to give him any

[Mike Ryan]

credit for passing offense being distorted because 11th.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Yeah, since he came into the league.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Feels high.

[Greg Cody]

It does feel high.

[Tony]

Tony's going to double check that.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, it feels high. That's why, I guess 20. Well, he was overshadowed by Tyreek Hill for most of that time. And like I say, he had one really good season. He had 1300 plus yards. He didn't replicate that. He was injury prone toward the end, battling. You know, we loved him for a minute. You know, we all loved the little penguin, Waddle. We loved it. It was cute. And then he became just another receiver. I think they got a good deal for him. Now, when you say they got a first and a third, there's an asterisk there because that's the 30th pick, which is tantamount to an early second round pick. But still getting a first and a third for him I thought was fair. Get back.

[Mike Ryan]

Look, I don't think it's tantamount to an early second. I think it's tantamount to a First, it's a first round pick, very late first.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Look, I'll just.

[Tony]

At what pick does that late first become tantamount to a second?

[Mike Ryan]

Can I just put it you guys tell me this.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Okay, me this part.

[Mike Ryan]

If you draft someone in the top 10 and you win no playoff games

[Jonathan Zaslow]

with them and then you trade that

[Mike Ryan]

pick for something 20 picks later, where the Broncos don't think they could get somebody as good as jalen waddle at 30, you've wasted all of that. Yeah, that's all been wasted. They're just trying to get pennies on the dollar where they can. And they got good value for Waddle. They don't have many things worth anything but the experience, the entirety of it. You draft him that high, that needs to star for you for eight years.

Yes. That needs to get through second contract.

That needs to be something. Well, it got to us.

No get through.

Yeah, he got to a bigger contract, though. They gave him money, man. The amount of money that this team is spending in dead space for players who aren't going to play for them next year. Like, it's confusing now to see Malik Willis in the uniform because they might, you know, win a few games here and there and draft well, but this is a dump. Like, they're just simply, they're janitors in there cleaning up 99 million here. We got to send 5 million over there because we got to get everybody out of here.

What must Malik Willis be thinking? Because I don't know. They must.

[Tony]

I'm rich.

[Mike Ryan]

No, but is he thinking, oh, okay, I probably could have went to Arizona and Arizona's got really good receivers. All right, I, I don't, I don't know. Like, he looks at that wide receiver room right now, it's easily, right now, who knows what they're gonna do, but right now it's easily the worst wide receiver room in the entire NFL. And yeah, you got, you gotta have somebody to throw to if you're Malik Willis to get some type of gauge if he's going to be a guy for you. So I'm a little bit confused.

You understand what I'm saying though, Greg, when I'm saying you take someone that high and what you get for him year, years later is a 30. You've just wasted all of that like you've done nothing with it.

Well, you can say that about a handful of players who just got rid

[Greg Cody]

of, but you're still at least getting a first round pick for him with an asterisk. I mean, it's not nothing. I thought they got a fair deal for him they were forced to make. I really apologize for my throat.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Take care of that and I'll carry it from here.

[Greg Cody]

Can I just say they were forced to make that trade. That's plain. Okay. Because battling. Because Miami and Denver are in exact opposite situations. Denver has a short window where they think they're good enough to get to the Super Bowl. They want to give Bo Nix another weapon to see how good he is. And the Dolphins are in the complete opposite situation. If they didn't have the hundred million dollar albatross of the curse of Tua, they would not have traded Jalen Waddle. That's plain and clear.

[Jon]

Good job carrying that, Dan.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

My point on Waddle and how teams are built.

[Tony]

Drink some more milk.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Is that when you draft a player like that, an organization that functions develops that player into something that becomes the

[Mike Ryan]

franchise's face and leads your team into

[Jonathan Zaslow]

so it can connect to kids and generations of kids.

[Mike Ryan]

Because you have a team that matters and players that people care about. And fandom is emotional. It's not just all negative emotion. You hit on that pick, you now have wasted everything around it so much that you just have to get rid of it and start so completely over that a player you're supposed to develop around and build you have to get rid of. Because everything's been so mismanaged. They got the pick right. Like maybe he's not as good as you want him to be. Fine, he had way too many drops, but he's good enough that Denver thinks he's a final piece. And that's the kind of player with that draft pick that you teach your kids to love for 10 years.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, I might argue that they nailed that pick. I think given where they chose him, he was a marginally satisfactory pick. Looking back on it, I don't think he was a great player. I don't want to retrofit it now and say that they're losing a perennial all star who was a young Tyreek Hill. He wasn't that. And Denver's getting them because they do think they're one or two pieces away and he could be that piece. The Dolphins are building around Devon Hn, the running back and that's silly.

[Jon]

Well, I mean they're going to have Malik Willis. They got the deep threat for what he does best. You gotta somebody with two, two Atwell. That's what Malik Willis does best. We don't have a lot of tape or stats to suggest intermediate short stuff. He's trusted all that much to do that so maybe receivers aren't that important to what they're trying to do. Just deep target men are important to what he's trying to do. This is going to be a run game based offense both at the quarterback position and in the backfield, and I can understand if you want to get insight as to whether or not Malik Willis is a good quarterback. A good solid running game is helpful in that regard.

[Miller Lite Announcer]

Quick break to tell you about a special Miller time I had with my good buddy Mochetta. Mochetta texted me the other day. He said, hey, what are you doing for the game? I said, I'm just on my couch right now doing nothing, enjoying it. He's like, hey, do you want some company? I said, from you, Mochetta? Absolutely.

[Jon]

Mochetta comes over to the house and I pull out the Miller Light Miller Lite Made that casual hang a memorable

[Miller Lite Announcer]

good Miller time with my good friend Mocheta because Miller Lite brought us together. We took that first sip after we toasted our beers and we knew we made the right call. We watched a game.

[Jon]

All of a sudden we're standing up on our feet, big threes are being

[Miller Lite Announcer]

drained and white cans are being clanged.

[Jon]

See times like these.

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[Tony]

Oh folks, look at me. I'm in my 30s, which is old enough to know better and somehow still young enough to ignore that information pretty regularly. Like you know me. I'll have a couple drinks, normal adult behavior, nothing crazy. And then the next morning, my body reacts like I have made a series of terrible decisions. With no supervision, my sleep score tanks. I wake up confused. Suddenly even replying to one text feels like a full task. But that is why I have discovered and gotten into Cheers Restore. Alcohol hits differently now. It affects your brain, your sleep, your liver, all of it. And Cheers Restore is made for that. It's a dual action after alcohol aid designed to support your brain and your liver after drinking. And the origin story is wild. It started with a Princeton student researching dhm which is this compound tied to alcohol related effects in the body. It's in Walgreens CVS 7 11, basically everywhere. It was on Shark Tank. All I do is take three capsules after my last drink or before bed. And the next morning is way less dramatic. Same night out, way better morning with Cheers. For a limited time, our listeners are getting 20% off your entire order by using code [e-mail] just head to cheershealth.com and use code dan for 20 off. After your purchase they will ask you where you heard about them. Please support our show and tell them the Dan Levitard show sent you.

[Mike Ryan]

Don LeBatard.

[Greg Cody]

Quiet man. Yes. You know I'm a married man. I don't cheat on my wife. Despite that gratuitous line in back in my stugats, I wish you were here. My wife. I really miss her. No, I don't. That's the thing about being married, you know, you're not allowed to say, I don't miss my wife. I've been gone two days. I haven't been gone long enough to miss my wife. I'm sorry. I call her. I'm just going with her. 30 seconds. You know, what am I? Hello? All right, all right, we'll see you. All right. And then you know, I'm gonna see her in two days. I was jumping Charlie. Good.

[Mike Ryan]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugach.

[Kenny]

I didn't hate Malik Washington as like a. As like a discount Number four as

[Mike Ryan]

I get up before.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah. You know, he's the best receiver they have, but he's. He's tough. He's better right now as a kickoff returner than he is as a receiver. Let's see him. All right. In a WR1.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Look, my number one receiver.

[Mike Ryan]

He's tough. Is the blind date.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

He's got. She's got a good personality.

[Kenny]

He's tough.

[Mike Ryan]

Like, he's tough.

[Kenny]

He'll catch a good bubble screen and turn up field.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

All right. Unless you're Anquan Bolden.

[Mike Ryan]

The tough is not what I need.

[Kenny]

It's half of half.

[Jon]

How about Fast Smith?

[Miller Lite Announcer]

Heinz Ward, Good catcher.

[Chris]

Ooh, Heinz Ward.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Is Heinz Ward a good R B singer's name?

[Greg Cody]

Yeah.

[Miller Lite Announcer]

Callback.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

So, for last night's baseball fans, I want to get to what was a fun game. Let me just put the question in front of the group. Venezuela, the best team.

[Mike Ryan]

You sure about that?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

They're the best team because they.

[Tony]

I thought one game samples. Yes.

[Mike Ryan]

I thought the U.S. was the best team.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

I thought the US was the best team. And they got shut down by an Arizona pitcher who's had an ERA of 5 for the last two seasons.

[Jon]

Imagine my surprise to see Rodriguez dealing. I'm like. I was watching baseball.

[Mike Ryan]

He came off the mound and the announcers. First of all, John Smoltz yelled, what the hell is going on? And then I heard the best performance from him in years.

[Jon]

I was like, is this.

[Mike Ryan]

It was four and a third. It was four to third. He said, any area that guy's existed to be pelted for the last few years. And the US Loses to them and didn't get a base runner past first base until the eighth inning.

[Greg Cody]

His. His World Baseball Classic era going into last night's start was 10.13. The the US has only had three hits or fewer in a. In a WBC game once in 2006.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Baseball's great. Baseball's funny.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah. That's why the fourth best team in the tournament is the world champion.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Why'd you say it?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. Why do you do that? Like that? Like this is why we play games.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah. No, I didn't mean to imply anything by that.

[Mike Ryan]

You did.

Yeah, right.

You threw your hands up in the air and you said, world funny boys.

[Greg Cody]

I give all the credit in the world to Venezuela, particularly with what that country's gone through in their political turmoil. I give them credit. I was happy for them when I heard them singing their national anthem after the game while the US Players were accepting the silver medals they didn't want and immediately took off their necks. I was happy for Venezuela, but am I going to say based on one result, that they're a better team than Japan?

[Mike Ryan]

That's how baseball does. It was one inning between the Dodgers and Blue Jays. It was one inning.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah.

[Kenny]

Half inning.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Like it was.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, that's how we do it at the end of the season.

[Greg Cody]

No, I get that. But look, in a seven game series, you're going to have a fluky champion less often than you are in a one game winner takeover.

[Mike Ryan]

But let me get through some because

[Jonathan Zaslow]

you may notice on some of the televisions here, we do not think all Latin players are Venezuelan. We are playing an assortment of highlights from the tournament because Zaslo came in

[Mike Ryan]

today and I was proud and happy to see it happen. He got here late, but Zaz comes in today and he says Latin players are fun.

I'm on the team.

[Greg Cody]

It's over.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm on the team with you guys now.

Yeah, you missed the thing, though. The thing? The thing ended last night.

I didn't miss anything. The Major League baseball season is starting.

[Kenny]

No, no, no, no, no. You said major League. You missed the world baseball class.

[Mike Ryan]

These guys are going back to prison. Like that spring training they're going to get. They're not allowed to do any of this and they got to respect everybody.

But why not? Why can't they do it like this was fun. And you know, you know what was actually the turning point for me, Zaz,

[Jon]

in your defense, Mark derosa thinks game two starts tonight.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, you the turning point for me when Bryce Harper. And by the way, I know I'm not supposed to like Bryce Harper because, you know, he's Philadelphia, but boy.

Yeah, that was a great moment last night.

He is so awesome.

No, look, the. The United States did not have a better moment in this tournament than Bryce Harper getting to third base, saluting a flag I don't think was there, and then pointing to the flag on his arm.

He is so awesome.

He was the young guy they hated at the beginning who had too much personality. Now he's an old veteran and he pales in the shadow of these Latin players.

Bo, baseball, we hated him here. Remember when, when, when, when Ozzy Guillen was the manager of the Marlins and Bryce Harper, he waved his bat in front of his pelvis like, you know, it's a penis. He's waving at him as Marlin fans like, oh, how dare you do that. You know, Bryce Harper's awesome. But anyway, it was the moment last night where he hits the home run Harper. And oh, my God, he threw that bat so high to his dog out. And I'm like, look, you even have the American players who hate that kind of stuff.

[Chris]

American player.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay, but. Well, I don't know. No one in his dugout seemed to think it was a bad thing. But look how much fun they're having playing like the Latin players. Why don't we do this?

[Greg Cody]

Yes, I agree totally. And when he was. Bryce Harper did a Latin home run trot. And I mean that as a compliment to him. He took forever to round the bases. And you saw. You saw Aaron Judson, slippery slope behind the. Behind the plate forever going like this. Going like this with a smile on his face. Meaning, take your time, enjoy yourself. And that's what Bryce Harper was doing. It was the moment of the game for me.

[Mike Ryan]

I like how they play. I'm on. I'm on team Latin players.

Now, wait, it can't be the moment of the game. It can't be the moment of the game when they lost the game except for him.

[Greg Cody]

It was a moment of the game for the U.S. and they're one third of the crowd.

[Chris]

He's an American, Jack.

[Greg Cody]

That's right.

[Mike Ryan]

But what do you mean it was the moment of the game for you? When? In the next half inning, Venezuela won.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, that's true. That was a good hit by Suarez.

[Kenny]

Had a shot in the gap.

[Mike Ryan]

That was a good hit by.

[Kenny]

Fell to his knees, prayed in the

[Greg Cody]

middle of second base.

[Mike Ryan]

Egoism at its best here. All right, so a couple of things. Last night, you mentioned DeRosa, Garrett Whitlock instead of Mason Miller.

[Greg Cody]

Huh?

[Mike Ryan]

You got. Mason Miller's got an. In nine innings, he's got. He's on pace for 22 and a half strikeouts per nine innings. He's unhittable. Unhittable. We need to fire Deros again.

[Chris]

This is the weirdest situation, because what he said after the game is he was honoring the Padres request that Mason Miller only pitch with a chance for a save, with a chance to win. Except when you go into the ninth inning in a tie game, you will never have the lead again unless you've won. That's correct. So that is essentially a save situation.

[Tony]

But this stuff is negotiated. So, like, I know, I get your point of there's no difference there, but if one thing was negotiated, maybe his hands were.

[Chris]

Yeah, I get it. But also, that situation is essentially a save, and it's really. It's crushing. And he was. I mean, Mason Miller was infuriated. He's ripping off the silver medal. Afterward, he wanted to pitch. You know, he wanted to pitch.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

So the game. Forgive me for not knowing the name of the closer for Venezuela. It is escaping me. He plays for the Cubs. And they had to call the Cubs before the game. The Cubs were not going to allow

[Mike Ryan]

him to pitch because he pitched in their last game. And they didn't want one of their pitchers throwing two games in a row.

Palencia.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Thank you, Palencia.

[Mike Ryan]

They had to call the Cubs and say it's for his country. Yeah, please, please. And they said, okay, only under one condition. If he's pitching for the save in the ninth inning and they allowed him to go out there, are we playing for real or for not? Like, are we playing?

[Tony]

I believe there were negotiations like that for every pitcher before every day. Like, they had to call their teams and be like, what are their availabilities? That's why doing this in March.

[Mike Ryan]

No, but what I'm saying is that Venezuela got the Cubs off of their position. They negotiated something. He wasn't supposed to pitch. The Cubs did not want him to pitch.

Can I ask you something? And what, like, what if he wasn't allowed to pitch last night? And the manager's like, I'm trying to win for Venezuela and he wants to pitch.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

So, no, you can't do that.

[Mike Ryan]

What happens?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Because if you blow out his arm, if his.

[Mike Ryan]

If he blows out his elbow and you defied an order from the organization, they could sue you.

[Chris]

This also isn't really fix, right? Like, this is. This is run by Major League Baseball. So it's a different thing than it being an independent event from Major League Baseball and going out Manfred's handing out the best choices. Exactly.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, but imagine, Imagine that you defy the order of the big league club and a guy blows out his elbow.

[Chris]

Mason Miller in particular, by the way, who's like, we've said 280 pitches now he's thrown without allowing a hit.

[Greg Cody]

But the. The player should have a say in that, too. It shouldn't just be the club. The player should go to his club and say, this is my national team. I'm trying to win a World Baseball Classic. If they want me to pitch in the ninth inning on one day's rest, I'm going to do that.

[Tony]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

And then what happens? Like what? Like, what does the club then say to that player?

[Jon]

I mean, if you want this thing to be special, it's like Inter Miami calling up Argentina in the World cup and being like, you know, can you limit just 70 minutes guy to like 30 minutes a little soft jogging in a knockout game. Like, I get that this thing is still growing. I understand the economy of these arms,

[Tony]

the timing of the arms.

[Jon]

Their arms aren't ready and the timing. Yeah, I mean, soccer season's like the off season's like four weeks long. I mean, I get what you're saying, but I miss me with that. I don't like this for international competition. I get it. I'm glad that it exists. And if Major League Baseball is the one that made this exist and is the one governing it, that, that's also a different story. It's not an independent governing body like FIFA is, but I don't know, I don't like it.

[Greg Cody]

Well, at least one player from each of the finalist teams last went on the record saying this is bigger than the World Series. Okay. And that's the first time that's ever been said about the World Baseball Classic. If that's true.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

It's not the first time it's been said that, but it's also not true.

[Jon]

It's not true.

[Greg Cody]

I know, but if it, if it has a chance to be true, they

[Jon]

can blow out their arms in the World Series and people understand.

[Greg Cody]

If it has a chance to be true though, you have to put your best team forward and try at all costs to win that championship.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Let me extend though a little bit of what Mike is saying. Where it is the consumer, the customer, the person to be entertained. Taine gets boxed out here when he says, miss me with that. Well, no, not exactly. Because these organizations have to protect their assets and you are seeing in basketball

[Mike Ryan]

that the human body is not meant

[Jonathan Zaslow]

for how they're presently playing the game. Same for baseball, same for pitchers in baseball. Like. Yeah, no, I know, but when I

[Mike Ryan]

say that an organization, if it's already a risky bet to give these guys non salary cap guaranteed money of $200 million and you don't know if they're going to miss the next, next 15 months. It's got to be on your time and on your dime. It can't be, it can't be playing for anybody else. You guys can't have part time jobs here where you put in peril. This job here, I get it.

[Jon]

But that's why statements like this is more important than the World Series. Even though this is a player's perspective and he's probably, you know, drunk with the emotion.

[Mike Ryan]

What is the player's perspective?

[Jon]

Yeah, I mean, I get it, but it's not true because, because like Paul Skeens is not being told, hey, you can only pitch twice in this postseason.

[Mike Ryan]

No, you're right.

[Jon]

I like there's just a disconnect here. We're not going to agree. Like this is a great exhibition. I love international competition. Look how fun this stuff is. But this is not a serious competition if you're putting limits on on some of the best players. If Yamamoto can only pitch twice, that's not, that's not the truly best on best.

[Chris]

Yeah, except I will say, like Major League Baseball. Steven Strasberg is a wonderful example. The Nationals limited his innings as they were chasing a play spot for the first time in a long time. Teams do this folks.

[Tony]

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[Jonathan Zaslow]

LeBatard, you don't remember the idea?

[Tony]

I was probably like, that kind of thing.

[Mike Ryan]

Something.

[Greg Cody]

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

[Mike Ryan]

Stugats.

[Jon]

Oh, it's a good call.

[Greg Cody]

Thank you. And plus, it doesn't matter who's hitting it. Like, you're not tailoring it to a particular name. You know, all that jazz, you know, you don't gotta do that. You just, oh, that would be a great call. Swing.

[LeBatard Show Producer]

That kind of thing.

[Mike Ryan]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats.

[Tony]

Now you have me longing for a world podcasting classic where we all do podcast based off where we were born, me and the whole Pat McAfee crew. Who are you guys with?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Could I be like Prasada and just play for the Italians?

[Greg Cody]

Yep.

[Mike Ryan]

Mike's right, though.

If the team making the salad would be the name of the pod.

[Jon]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, he said. Mike's right, though.

[Mike Ryan]

If the teams that are competing for the World Series are in charge of what's happening in the World Baseball Classic and they're saying do or don't, then, then the World Series inherently is more important.

[Eugenio Suarez]

Right.

[Jon]

In international soccer, for an example, which is the gold standard of international compet, sometimes a player has a soft tissue injury that the club is weary of, and they can collaborate with the Football association and depending on the gravity of the game, be it friendly or if it's a qualifier, sometimes the football association of the country agrees we're going to rest him this time. He won't be out there. But I mean, if it's A knockout stage or World cup or an international competition. On that level, the club's just crossing their fingers. Their investment doesn't get ruined. Ruined.

[Mike Ryan]

Dan, look at these clips. You see how excited these play. The Latin players, they have fun, man.

They're so excited.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

These aren't the Venezuelans. The best game of the tournament was Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. That was the best crowd, without a doubt.

[Mike Ryan]

That was the.

[Kenny]

The best energy, people dancing in the side.

[Mike Ryan]

This is an interesting thing to me,

[Jonathan Zaslow]

right, we're going to talk about again the fall of Cuba, because Greg Cody has opinions, and I don't know what they are, but when we talk about how homogenized the Brian McCanns of the world could make baseball and make difficult baseball environments for the Latin player, the difference between this tournament is that it's run by the Latin guys playing the way they do over in Mexico, when

[Mike Ryan]

they're allowed to be themselves.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

And what happens is they get here to spring training, and now the business falls on them. So that.

[Mike Ryan]

That 50 spring training innings, the way you guys have to understand, these athletes right now are machines. There aren't fat baseball players anymore. Like, these players are physical machines. And there are only so many pitches in an arm. So throwing 50 in spring training is not the same as throwing 35 here, because 35 here, he's all juiced up, trying to throw the ball 104 miles an hour. Spring training. He's just trying to get his body right for. For three months from now. But this is what caring looks like. This is what you want your basketball all Star game to look like. This is what you want the athletes caring about what they're doing. The Latin players do care. They love baseball. It's the business that beats them out of it and beats it out of them. And America, like America beats it out of them. Soto is joyless in a Mets uniform. He makes more than anybody here. He's running around second base. He's go at this in the sky guy. He's like, yeah, I can be myself. It's amazing to watch for two games.

[Jon]

Yeah, just for a couple, I can be myself.

[Kenny]

But just over two games, six at bats starting tomorrow.

[Greg Cody]

Don't do that.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Look at the excitement here and listen to it from Eugenio Suarez when he's talking about what it feels like to win this for him.

[Mike Ryan]

Can you describe what this means for your country?

[Eugenio Suarez]

I mean, what can I say about this?

[Mike Ryan]

It's amazing.

[Eugenio Suarez]

God is good. All the glory is Barlow Jesus. He was with us the whole time. We have to glorify put his name in front everything. And nobody believe in Venezuela. But now we win the championship today. And this is the celebration for all the Venezuelan countries.

[Mike Ryan]

They'll go ahead, double in the ninth inning.

What were you thinking when you were

standing on second base?

[Eugenio Suarez]

I just prayed at the time, going to my family out there. They was happy for me. I mean, God is good, man. God is good.

[Mike Ryan]

Eugenio, what made this team so special?

[Eugenio Suarez]

The union. We are together the whole time. We not just teammates, we are family. This team is awesome. We are family here. That's why we play with passion, with love, because we feel the jersey, we feel our country in front of us. That's why this is a lot for us as a players, as a people, as a human being, and as a Venezuela. Now we are the champion.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

And so pair that against multi time champion Derek Jeter, legend of American baseball, saying from his perch atop championship baseball. Yeah, what you just won there, that silly thing, don't talk to me about it.

[Mike Ryan]

Passion's been unbelievable. And we've heard a lot of players

say, bigger than a World Series, Bigger

[Jon]

than a World Series. Derek Jean, I think the people that

[Eugenio Suarez]

said it's bigger than the World Series

[Mike Ryan]

never played in the World Series.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Let's go to Eduardo Rodriguez, who has played in World Series.

[Mike Ryan]

Gentlemen, congratulations from all of us.

[Greg Cody]

Is that the greatest moment of your baseball career, what you were able to do on the mound tonight?

[Q]

I mean, I tell you what, like, I win the World Series a couple years ago, and there's nothing that I can compare with this, you know, like, this is the greatest moment I ever got on the mound. People like that in front of the front, almost like our home crowd, you know, like the whole Venezuela was here. And I know our country back then was. Everybody was there too, you know, So I can't compare this moment to nothing. Be on the mountain like that and have the whole crowd, like, on us all the time is just something that I can. I can't even tell you how I feel right now.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

It's not a home game for him. Like, it felt like it because of the crowd.

[Kenny]

And all of Doral was there.

[TurboTax Announcer]

Dan?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Yeah, like, I mean, that they, they packed the place.

[Mike Ryan]

I was surprised, actually, I was legitimately surprised at how loud a noise the US Made because I thought it was going to be even more Venezuelans in that ballpark. That part's interesting, though. Don't you find interesting what happened there with Jeter, where he's sort of dismissing the emotion of the moment?

No, him, it's, it's the opposite of interesting to me, actually, the. What would make it interesting is if Jeter sitting up there would listen to what other people are saying, including Aaron Judge, who started this narrative a couple of days ago, saying it's bigger than the World Series. He played in the World Series two years ago. But Jeter, it doesn't matter what other people are saying. Like he has this one train thought where, no, this is the way it is. And it doesn't matter what other people are saying and what their experience. Like, he's. I'm not going to say he's a nothing.

[Kenny]

I'm very close. I'm very close to saying.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm not going to say it's enough. I'm not going to say he's a nothing because I mean, that's a multi time World Series champion. All right. You know, I'm not gonna say he's enough. He had some great teams, but he's, he's like really close to being a nothing.

[Kenny]

He's very close to being another.

[Mike Ryan]

Very close.

[LeBatard Show Producer]

He's.

[Kenny]

He's got nothing to say.

[Mike Ryan]

He's got nothing.

[Kenny]

He never has anything to say. He sits up there and he's like, yeah, you know, Alex and Big Poppy are having fun. They're joking each other. And he's there like you guys are making

[Greg Cody]

a name that's all Big name with a shell around him.

[Mike Ryan]

He stinks.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

No, I agree.

[Kenny]

I agree he does.

[Greg Cody]

He.

[Kenny]

He does. I watch it on mute. I watch it on mute. There's nothing. There's nothing for him to say.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm going to get aggregated.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Lebatard says Jeter stinks.

[LeBatard Show Producer]

No.

[Greg Cody]

Why you say that?

[Mike Ryan]

No, no.

Jonathan Zaslo says you're stinks. Don't aggravate ler just like that.

Understand what?

[Jon]

That I love to see. Transcribe what you said.

[Mike Ryan]

You were trying to nail the dick there and you just slurred that. No, Jeter stinks was clear as day. No, it was a shit streak. It was one word.

I'm going say it again. John the Zaslo since year six. No aggregation.

[LeBatard Show Producer]

What?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

What?

[Greg Cody]

What?

[Mike Ryan]

He doesn't stink?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

No.

[Mike Ryan]

You're good.

[Kenny]

You like him.

[Mike Ryan]

Then you sit there and you like him.

[Kenny]

You're like, oh, yeah, he's got some great stuff to say. He says nothing.

[Greg Cody]

What was he worse at? Broadcasting or, or being a president of the, of the Marlins?

[Mike Ryan]

Do I like him is the question. Listen to me. You can't come on here and say that Jeter stinks.

He's equally bad at everything. Not Being shortstop.

[Greg Cody]

Fair.

[Chris]

That's fair.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

All right, put on the poll.

[Mike Ryan]

Is Jeter equally bad at everything? Not being shortstop?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

That game was fun. That tournament is fun. And now you are in agreement that we will go back to the regular rhythms of starched baseball?

[Mike Ryan]

Not feeling like that until the Dodgers

[Jonathan Zaslow]

and the Blue Jays are playing the extra innings in game six. Right, like that.

[Mike Ryan]

That baseball can't reach this point. You'll have walk off homers, you'll have exciting moments. But baseball has no way during the next 162 games plus spring training to,

[Jonathan Zaslow]

to recreate any of this.

[Jon]

It. I mean, opening day always gets crowds, but through the monotony of the regular season, you can have the most passionate, ardent fans attend the game. It's still not a packed house. You need a packed house to get close to that atmosphere. And baseball does not kind of juice where night in, night out on a Tuesday evening or a getaway day, you're not going to match that energy. You're not going to come close.

[Greg Cody]

And, and, and what you say is accentuated when the championship game and a lot of the big games are at the Marlin Stadium, where a month from now, on a Tuesday against the Padres, they're going to have the usual 11,000 fans.

[Tony]

I do love the idea of Manfred sending out an email to the MLB right now of like, hey, hey, mandated fun. I need it every homer. Like, just. And now at all these, like, spring training, meaningless games. You got guys like, let's go.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, but the, the other element of

[Jonathan Zaslow]

this, we're not even talking about this, right? Because the reason all of this is seismic is because there's nothing better in sports than patriotism, country pride around your flag.

[Mike Ryan]

Like, everybody understands it.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

It crosses all the languages.

[Mike Ryan]

And now add to that the US Is an overwhelming favorite while randomly bombing

[Jonathan Zaslow]

boats in Venezuela as the regime is taken over.

[Mike Ryan]

And we've forgotten about that one because

[Jonathan Zaslow]

we're off to Cuba and we're off to Iran and the world is in

[Mike Ryan]

disrepair, wounded, everyone bleeding, exhausted and wheezing.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

And in the middle of it, you

[Mike Ryan]

throw the politics of all that, hey, let me feel good about my country for a second. Let me feel not under threat, and let me feel like I'm better than America. For a day. For a day I'm better than America. They came in with all the big guns, and for a day, I'm better than America.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Jeter doesn't have anything like that on his resume.

[Mike Ryan]

He's playing for New York and he takes the pride. That's a regional pride. That is not a national pride that lives in his heart for New York. And he came down here and he did a bunch of things here, trying to recreate that. But there is nothing like what sports, patriotism, politics can mix when you throw the passion in there.

[Chris]

Jeter did play in the 2001 World Series.

[Jon]

That's important. Important. It's an important point.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

Fair enough.

[Chris]

And that probably felt the. Like the patriotism that you see from these guys right now. Right. Right after 9, 11 coming back, playing in that game against the Mets and then playing in that World Series representing New York, ultimately not winning, but that had to have felt for him similar to what he's seeing here.

[Kenny]

Okay, then say that.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

A good correction then say that.

[Kenny]

If you're Jeter, if you're sitting at the desk being like, hey, you know what?

[Mike Ryan]

That's what I'm saying.

[Kenny]

Hey, I played in 2001. 911 happened.

[TurboTax Announcer]

It's a captain.

[Jon]

Okay, but it's implied.

[Tony]

It was also a bar. He dropped a bar, too. Like, that was kind of a bar.

[Jon]

No, it wasn't. Like, do you remember Jeter's heroics in that World Series? Sure, but he doesn't have to explain his.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes, he does. There's people that were born in 2007

that have no idea experience on the world stage here. I don't have to explain.

[Tony]

You could tell.

[Mike Ryan]

Are you saying he's an oldie?

[Tony]

You could tell the way Kevin Burkhart tossed that up to him. He said it in the pre show meeting. He's like, hey, hey. Everyone saying the World Series cheater. Biggest thing in the World Series. Like, it was a. That was a setup.

[Jon]

You're suggesting this is Outkast's? Hey, Realizing that it's a classic now. Older than that, and it's got to explain where it was in the charts.

[Tony]

He said it before the show. And then Burkhart's like, I'm gonna tee up.

[Kenny]

Did a bad job setting it up.

[Jon]

You know what? I'm hearing this new data point. Maybe you're right. Maybe Derek Jeter needs to explain to a baseball audience what he's done in his career. Maybe I hadn't considered that.

[Jonathan Zaslow]

No, you know what?

[Mike Ryan]

What?

[Jonathan Zaslow]

No, I think I'm with Mike now.

[Mike Ryan]

You've brought me all the way over because. No, that is the captain saying that. And everyone who's listening to him knows exactly who's saying that. That he's saying it next to Ortiz and that Ortiz doesn't get to do shit because of how Jeter dragged them for several years before Ortiz got to feel like the Latin guy. Once. Once, he got to feel it.

[Jon]

He's Mr. November, please.

[Kenny]

He's at nothing.

[Mike Ryan]

He's really close.

[Kenny]

He's a nothing.

[Tony]

I'm gonna say, I guess you're all or nothing, huh?

[Greg Cody]

Semi nothing.

[Mike Ryan]

He can't be a nothing. What are you doing? What are you doing?

[Greg Cody]

Near nothing.

[Tony]

Mike, you know I have one rule to live by, right?

[Jon]

Don't place parlays on multiple long shots. Don't say a game is won when it hasn't hit triple zero.

[Tony]

Always drink your Jagermeister ice cold. That's the rule. Everything else is merely a suggestion.

[Jon]

Everything else?

[Tony]

Everything else?

[Miller Lite Announcer]

Wearing clean underwear every day, well, that's

[Tony]

just a personal decision. Brushing your teeth, obviously smart, but not a rule.

[Miller Lite Announcer]

Never pee pee on an electric fence.

[Tony]

Okay, maybe there are two rules. But the one that is a hundred percent that I insist on completely, Jagermeister must be drank ice cold or don't drink it at all.

[Chris]

Damn, that's cold.

[Tony]

Exactly. You're finally starting to get it.

[Jon]

Drink responsibly.

[Miller Lite Announcer]

Jagermeister liqueur, 35 alcohol by volume. Imported by Mass Jagermeister, US White Plains, New York.