Postgame Show: The Pitch Clock Goes Under the Knife (feat. JuJu Gotti and Jane Leavy)

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show Postgame Show

Episode: The Pitch Clock Goes Under the Knife
Date: September 25, 2025
Guests: JuJu Gotti, Jane Leavy

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Episode Overview

This episode of "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" is a lively, multilayered postgame show, blending sports banter, comedic poll updates, fantasy football, and a special focus on baseball. Broadcasting from Miami's Elser Hotel, the group highlights the regular season finale of their "Pitch Clock" baseball segment, featuring nostalgia-driven trivia and an in-depth interview with acclaimed baseball writer Jane Leavy. The show captures the crew’s quirky perspective on current sports narratives, along with thoughtful insights on baseball’s past, present, and future.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Fantasy Football & Thursday Night Hype

starts at 00:41

• JuJu Gotti’s Thursday Night Bets:
  • Picks: Over 6.5 catches for Jackson Smith-Njigba, over 3.5 for Marvin Harrison Jr., Seahawks -1.5 spread.
  • Tone: Confident, humorous—"Maserati Marvin more looking like a Honda Accord, Marv. But I like that Miata, Marv." (Juju, 01:54)
• Debate on Marvin Harrison Jr.’s Performance:
  • Crew reflects on player expectations and media pressure.
• NFC West Analysis:
  • Tony lauds Arizona’s uniforms and division rivalry authenticity.
  • "I love football. I'll watch a bad football game over starting a new show." (Tony, 02:55)
  • Jeremy and Juju riff on streaming shows vs. live sports.

2. Ray Hudson Segment Fan Feedback

starts at 04:00

• JuJu relays enthusiastic audience requests for more animated reactions during Ray Hudson segments.
  • "When that Ray Hudson come on, we need to see some fist pumping. We need to see some break dancing." (Juju, 04:00)

3. Lightning Round: Audience Poll Results

starts at 04:38

• Work When Sick: 73% say stay home (Juju, 04:38)

• Buster Posey Poll: 60% say “Buster Posey ruined baseball.”

• Valet-Car-Stealing Hypothetical: 78% say it isn't stealing.

• Pointing Culture Poll: 94% say pointing is rude in some cultures.

• Famous Eyebrows: Eugene Levy wins over Anthony Davis.

  Juju supports Jeremy’s Marlins board work and nudges for more sports/boxing literacy:

  • "Just be reminded we're giving you that patience and that grace. Learn who Terence Crawford is." (Juju, 07:04)

4. Baseball Talk—The Pitch Clock Regular Season Finale

starts at 08:10

• MLB Playoff Race Rundown (Jeremy, 08:12):

  • AL Wild Card: Tigers, Astros, Guardians, Mariners

  • NL Wild Card: Mets, Diamondbacks, Reds, Cardinals, Marlins ("technically alive")

  • MVP Debates: AL - Cal Raleigh ("should win MVP over Aaron Judge"), NL - Shohei Ohtani, but praise for Kyle Schwarber.

  • "What he's done with the Phillies has been really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really amazing." (Jeremy, 08:32)

• Preview of the Pitch Clock Segment:

  • Mix of trivia (postseason home run leaders since 2000) and an extended Jane Leavy interview.

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Baseball Trivia Game: Postseason Home Run Leaders (since 2000)

starts at 11:15

• Hosts and Ethan compete to match top players with postseason HR totals and teams.

• Notable exchanges:

  • "Jose Altuve is the number one postseason home run hitter since 2000. A remarkable 27 home runners." (Ethan, 21:26)
  • Jeremy and Chris jockeying over players like David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Kyle Schwarber, Freddie Freeman, and more.

• Unexpected names that stumped: Jason Werth, Kike Hernandez, Justin Turner, Nelson Cruz.

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Jane Leavy Interview Highlights

starts at 13:34; key content through 34:22

Baseball’s State & Teams Worth Watching

• Jane reflects on her fandom:
  • NOT rooting for Yankees ("How do you start a season without a third baseman?"), nor the Mets.
  • "His last words to me ... were, Oy. The Mets." (Jane Leavy, 15:35)
• Praises Guardians and Brewers for their attention to fundamentals and team play.
  • "Their teams, they play like teams. And I don't think you can accuse the Mets of that this year." (Jane, 17:07)

On Defensive Brilliance

• Raves about Nationals' Jacob Young:
  • Miracle outfield catch—kick-save into glove.
  • Pushes back against “Savannah Banana” showmanship comparisons:
    "That's a major league play. That's what happens when you don't give up on a ball ... that's the skill and the craft of the game that I grew up loving." (Jane, 19:07)

The Koufax Ethos

• Shares stories about Sandy Koufax’s integrity and humility:
  • Refused All-Century Team honor unless Spahn also included.
  • "He waited for Warren and gave him his arm and helped him up the dugout steps and they walked arm in arm up the ramp." (Jane, 25:41)
  • "He's as good a human being as he was a pitcher." (Jane, 26:54)

Advice for New Postseason Baseball Viewers

• Jane’s advice: Emphasize details—catcher framing, base running, defense.
  • Critique of modern opener usage:
    "If any manager starts a World Series game with an opener ever again, he should be banned from baseball." (Jane, 28:07)
  • Highlights subtle, high-leverage moments:
    "Look for the guy who knows how to play the ball off the wall, make that throw. Look for the catcher who knows how to frame pitches." (Jane, 29:17)

Top 5 Greatest Ballplayers—Jane Leavy’s List

• Babe Ruth—"Invented the home run and the power game that is now way out of hand."
• Hank Aaron—"Did it with extraordinary class, forbearance and grace."
• Mickey Mantle—"He generated that expectation ... was he going to injure himself yet again?"
• Sandy Koufax—"The ball came out of his hand differently than anybody else."
• Mariano Rivera—"One pitch, you know, I don't know, could he pitch today? ... that's been obviated by the way pitching is now aligned."
  • "Quality, not quantity." (Jane, 34:03)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 01:54 | JuJu | "Maserati Marvin more looking like a Honda Accord, Marv. But I like that Miata, Marv." | | 02:55 | Tony | "I love football. I'll watch a bad football game over starting a new show." | | 04:00 | JuJu | "When that Ray Hudson come on, we need to see some fist pumping. We need to see some break dancing." | | 15:35 | Jane Leavy | "His last words to me ... were, Oy. The Mets." | | 19:07 | Jane Leavy | "That's a major league play. That's what happens when you don't give up on a ball ... that's the skill and the craft of the game that I grew up loving." | | 25:41 | Jane Leavy | "He waited for Warren and gave him his arm and helped him up the dugout steps and they walked arm in arm up the ramp." | | 28:07 | Jane Leavy | "If any manager starts a World Series game with an opener ever again, he should be banned from baseball." | | 29:17 | Jane Leavy | "Look for the guy who knows how to play the ball off the wall, make that throw. Look for the catcher who knows how to frame pitches." | | 34:03 | Jane Leavy | "Quality, not quantity." |

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Episode Structure & Timestamps

• 00:41 – Fantasy Football, Thursday Night Game
• 04:00 – Ray Hudson Segment Audience Feedback
• 04:38 – Lightning Round Poll Results
• 08:10 – Pitch Clock Introduction & MLB Rundown
• 11:15 – Postseason Home Run Leaders Trivia Game
• 13:34 – Jane Leavy Interview (baseball state, stories, advice)
• 34:22 – Post-interview trivia wrap-up & full list reveal

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Takeaways & Tone

This episode blends the show’s trademark irreverence with heartfelt, affectionate baseball discourse. Jane Leavy’s contributions evoke the timeless grandeur and subtlety of baseball, while the panel’s polling, trivia, and comedic banter ensure the show remains distinctly Le Batard: a place for sports, humor, and genuine insight.

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Perfect for listeners seeking:

• An entertaining snapshot of sports opinion and analysis
• Accessible but deep baseball wisdom from Jane Leavy
• Fun, low-stakes trivia and game-play
• Reflections on fandom, memory, and the quirks of modern sport

Transcript

[Jane Levy]

When did making plans get this complicated?

[Jeremy]

It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans. Send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom, 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Learn [e-mail] that's right, it's Thursday thunder and it's presented by DraftKings. DraftKings. The crown is yours, Juju.

[Juju]

What up, what up, my brother? Thursday night Football tonight and you know we gotta lock in a couple of bets. You feel me? First leg, the most. The most used fantasy football team name racially motivated at time was neither here nor there. Jackson Smith in Jigba. We're going over 6.5 catches for my boy tonight against the Cardinals. Second leg. I'm going with my brother Marvin Harrison Jr. To pick up the pace. He been having a slow couple weeks, man. Hearing it from the media, hearing it from the fans. I think he gonna be hearing it from Kyler Murray tonight in the form of receptions over 3.5 catches for my boy Marvin Harrison Jr. Ton and the last leg, I'm taking the Seahawks in the spread. Seahawks 1.5 minus 1.5. Lock it in. They're gonna win.

[Jeremy]

I don't understand what Marvin Harrison Jr. Like, he is supposed to be awesome and I understand it's only his second year and it's only the fourth game of his second season tonight, but I don't know, going to the draft last year, this was supposed to be a stud immediately, right?

[Juju]

Yes, sir. Maserati, Marvin more looking like a Honda Accord, Marv. But I like that Miata, Marv. I like that one.

[Jeremy]

I'm confused with this game tonight. I feel like this is a good game tonight. It's the weakest of the Thursday night games. Don't be fooled by Murray. Don't do it.

[Tony]

Don't do it. Have you seen the uniforms? Uniforms are dope for Arizona. They actually have one of the better rivalry uniforms. I love this division, man. It's always awesome. I love the nfc.

[Juju]

I love their feel, man. The end zone is painted so good tonight, man. You wait till you see that sun.

[Tony]

Oh, we're going to get a great color clash. I'll tell you what.

[Jeremy]

How you feel about the quarterback play in this NFC West? I like it.

[Tony]

I mean, I don't. I don't know how to satiate Dan there. Like he, he likes the the offense having unfair rules. I guess that, that's cool. I like defense. And you got. You got one of the better, more brilliant defensive minds coaching Seattle today. Kyler Murray presents a unique set of skills for defense, can break him down. I actually think he's going to air it out a little bit, especially with the injury to James Conner. I love football. I'll watch a bad football game over start or over starting a new show. I can get out of here with binge watching. I'm sure that that Jude Law, Jason Bateman show seems great.

[Jeremy]

It's a show or a movie.

[Tony]

It's a show. It seems great. I've heard great things and I can't. I only have so much time while my daughter's not watching Bluey that I gotta be able to get these games.

[Jeremy]

And because I love ball.

[Juju]

Yeah. I watched the Black Rabbit, by the way, and yeah, you can get to it whenever you feel like getting to it. You're not missing anything. Mind blowing. It's a great show, but come on.

[Tony]

What's mind blowing? The NFC West.

[Jeremy]

Yeah.

[Juju]

Also there we go.

[Tony]

No slouch on defense. Mike McDonald's got the Seattle defense. That's what I say. Steve Morton. But to be honest with you, I kind of forgot you said Jonathan Gannon. No, I didn't say any names.

[Juju]

Oh, I got a note for the room from the audience. The audience is in love right now. They are in so much love with the Ray Hudson track segment and playing the Ray Hudson. But a note from the audience today, brothers. When that Ray Hudson come on, we need to see some fist pumping. We need to see some break dancing. I think my boy Mike had it right that he was throwing knives. My boy Tony, you gotta lock in, man. You be checking your text message anytime. Text. When the Ray Hudson on, we need you to step up.

[Jeremy]

My bad.

[Tony]

I thought it got longer this time.

[Jeremy]

Is that.

[Juju]

Ah, it's perfect.

[Jane Levy]

Really?

[Tony]

I thought it got longer this time. It was longer.

[Juju]

Even if it plays for 20 minutes, we need to see 20 minutes.

[Jeremy]

How's Pat doing? I can make a 20 minute version. How's Pat doing today?

[Tony]

As you can see here, I hit him twice.

[Jeremy]

Oh, wow.

[Juju]

Nice.

[Tony]

Right there in the neck.

[Jeremy]

I don't like it. That. That's right in the carotid.

[Juju]

Sniper.

[Jeremy]

He's gonna have to go under the knife to fix that. Okay, juju, let's update some polls, man.

[Juju]

What do we got? Yes, sir. First poll. I put this poll up because it was a debate in the beginning of the show and I just wanted to throw it out to the audience. If you're sick, what's the more honorable thing to do? Still go to work or stay your ass at the house? 73% of the audience says you should stay home. Billy. Sorry about that. Trust me, I know. I know. And I agree. Because I got sick down there in Miami one time. I came to the studio, somebody gave me Covid and admitted it and everything and was just like, whoops, my bad. Worst three weeks of my life. The next three weeks.

[Jeremy]

But, you know, Juju, the thing is.

[Juju]

I think that people don't believe it. So you make an appearance, they're like.

[Jeremy]

Oh, yeah, this person really is sick. And then you're like, like, okay, now be the honorable person. Disappear for a little bit, you know?

[Juju]

Yeah, the Buster posey ruined baseball. 60% of the audience says, yes, he did.

[Jane Levy]

Yeah.

[Tony]

Juju, who do you think is better, Cal Raleigh or Buster Posey?

[Jeremy]

The very.

[Tony]

Yeah, you think? I mean, I'm a little surprised by that WAR number.

[Juju]

Yeah, his war. And it's a little worse than Aaron judges for that MVP race. But I'm still back in California. In order to embed a hunting knife into the wall, do you throw it by the blade? Big Poll. 78% of the audience says, yes, you do?

[Jeremy]

Yep.

[Juju]

Tony, you are right. Take a victory. If someone tosses you their car keys while thinking that you're the valet, is it stealing if you take their car?

[Jeremy]

No. Good show.

[Juju]

Today, 78 of the audience says, no, it's not. That's right. That's right.

[Jeremy]

That's a gift. Is not binding. It probably is illegal for everyone out there.

[Juju]

You feel me? Also, too, to comment on your. The guy, the actor gets shot and then doesn't realize it. Chris, she was like, how do you not know that? How do you not feel that? Back in my young. I'm talking about young teenage days, I was stabbed, and it took me about 10 minutes to realize I had been stabbed.

[Jeremy]

The adrenaline, like that.

[Juju]

Yeah, Adrenaline.

[Jeremy]

Yeah.

[Juju]

It's actually real. Is pointing at someone considered rude in some cultures. 94 of the audience says, yes, it is.

[Jeremy]

Yeah, I could see that.

[Tony]

Again, I'm more of the US of A, baby. All dudes hit one of these and everybody loves it.

[Juju]

Right? Also, Jeremy, I love what you're doing with the Marlins playoffs. You feel me? Like, great board work. I like it a lot. Just be reminded we're giving you that patience and that grace. Learn who Terence Crawford is. Just in your free time, you know.

[Jeremy]

Who Bud Crawford was? Sorry, who?

[Juju]

Okay, see, here we Go.

[Jeremy]

Tomorrow, that board will just say eliminated. Yeah, it will.

[Juju]

More likely than not, more famous eyebrows. Eugene Levy or Anthony Davis.

[Jeremy]

It's Eugene Levy.

[Juju]

Right in the shocker, 78% of the audience says Eugene Levy.

[Jeremy]

And I wonder, Peter Gallagher would like a word.

[Juju]

Is next year going to be the Summer of Bluey? Oh, lock in. 59 of the audience says, yes, it is. And the last poll is Casanova Frankenstein. A good name very early in the proceedings. But 74 of the audience says, yes, it is. And those are your polls.

[Jeremy]

Thanks, juju.

[Juju]

Pitch Clock next.

[Jeremy]

Yeah, Pitch Clock is coming at you right here. One of my very favorite episodes that we have maybe ever recorded. We have the incomparable Jane Levy as our guest. We have a really great game of trivia between Chris Cody and myself. It's going to be a lot of fun, but we also don't dive that deep into what's happening right now today in Major League Baseball. So I'm going to explain it as quick as I possibly can. You have a crazy AL wild card race where now it's the Tigers as the final team in the wild card race. Sitting in that final spot, you got the Astros just a game behind them that's alternating back and forth as the Guardians and the Mariners have ended up taking the lead in their divisions. The Mariners have clinched a playoff berth. They're so fun. You got Cal Raleigh over there. In my view, he's the player who should win the mvp. I'm telling you right now, that's what I believe. He should win the MVP over Aaron Judge. That's not to say that Aaron Judge isn't amazing. Then you've got the National League where there are still five teams fighting for the final wild card spot. You got the Mets in control at the moment, but the Diamondbacks and the Reds just a game behind them. The Cardinals are still alive. Hey, the Marlins are still alive technically, for now, but we'll see what happens. As of tonight, you got four games left in each league. I'm doing this as quick as I can. You obviously have on the National League side as well, an MVP race that's going on. It's probably going to be Shohei Ohtani. I'm the belief it should be Kyle Schwarber because what he's done with the Phillies has been really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really amazing. Anyway, that's what's going on in Major League Baseball. All ready. We're gonna have a lot of fun on the pitch clock right now as we get to some trivia with Chris and an incredible interview with Jane Levy of which went actually an hour. We're gonna post the full interview as well. So you get your clips here in this episode of the Pitch Clock and you will get the full interview with Jane levy on our YouTube playlist. So be sure to go check that out. If you're just listening on the audio side. It's incredible. She's incredible. What a joy. And yeah. Hey, baseball. Coming at you now. Welcome to the Pitch Clock. Here's the Pitch, a tour two part baseball segment combining a nostalgic baseball trivia game and an interview with an expert. This is the Pitch Clock. The Pitch Clock is back for the final episode of the regular season. Hi, everybody. Yeah, baseball. Bye, everybody. Yeah, we're getting close. I mean, we're going to be here for the postseason. Don't you worry about that. We will be here throughout today. We have a very special guest that I will tell you. The fans of the Pitch Clock and just of the Levitard show in general have been clamoring for. Wow. That is not necessarily the man who is about to dish out our trivia, but we are very happy to have him here. Ethan is delivering our trivia today and.

[Ethan]

I was like, the fans want me.

[Jeremy]

They don't clamoring.

[Ethan]

I don't believe.

[Jeremy]

Good job. Ethan, you're here. Ethan, you're here. You show up, you do the job. And that's what's happening right now. Wearing a San Francisco Giants hat, hoping for a wild card run from them. Maybe we'll get into that with our guest. But I'm going to tell you this. We probably won't. That's a hint. Ethan, tell us what our trivia game is. Today.

[Ethan]

I'm going to test you guys on the postseason home run leaders since 2000. In front of you, there are logos and a total. You have to tell me the player and you have to match the player to the total. So there's a bunch of the same team on here. You have to tell me which player from that team is in which spot. And also, just so you know, some of these players have played in multiple postseasons with multiple teams.

[Jeremy]

Yeah.

[Ethan]

The team that their logo is is the team. They have the most home runs.

[Jeremy]

Gotcha. I love this idea. I love where your head's at. There is a zero percent chance that we are going to be able to do this without just throwing out names and you letting us know where they go. Maybe bonus points if we do. Yeah, sure. So you get a bonus. You get two. You get A bonus. I have a half.

[Ethan]

I was gonna do this as a three strike category. A three strike?

[Jeremy]

Yeah. I like three strikes. I like three strikes. I like three strikes.

[Ethan]

How about if you get it in the exact spot and you have a strike, you can take a strike off the board.

[Jeremy]

Oh, I like that. You get confusing at all. No, no, no, no. You give yourself a bonus strike. So. Yeah. So if you can. If you can nail it. But, but here's the risk. Let's turn into a Billy game. Hold on. Here's the risk. If you guess what spot it's in and you get the player right, but the spot wrong, it's a strike. You see what I'm saying? They're right. Yes. Let's go ahead and do this. Chris, do you want to take the first?

[Ethan]

Yeah, I'm gonna have Cody T. Off here.

[Jeremy]

Sure. Hi, everyone. I'm gonna do Bryce Harper.

[Ethan]

Bryce Harper is Philly. I would have guessed 17.

[Jeremy]

I would have guessed 21. So good thing. I'm gonna go ahead and give one that I know is on this list. It's George Springer. Yes.

[Ethan]

George springer is the third Astro on this list with 19.

[Jeremy]

Albert Puos. Yes.

[Ethan]

Albert Pujols is the Cardinal that is on this list.

[Jeremy]

I should have saved it. I knew that was. Yeah, it's remembering the fact that, that this is actually since 2000. That is going to be the. The big one here. And that actually helped me think of another one which is 100% on this list is David Ortiz.

[Ethan]

He is the red sock was 17.

[Jeremy]

It is now my absolute pleasure to welcome in this guest to the Pitch Clock, seemingly everyone's favorite baseball guest we've like ever had on the show. My opinion, the most delightful guest had all of the calendar year of 2025. And now she's here on the Pitch Clock. Jane Levy joins us here on the Pitch Clock. Jane, welcome to the show and thank you so much for taking some time to chat with me about some baseball boy.

[Jane Levy]

Oh, you're. No, you're my now number one favorite bro. So.

[Jeremy]

Number one favorite bro. I'm putting it. I'm putting it in my Twitter bio. Jane Levy's number one favorite bro. So thank you for that, Jane. I'm so pumped to dive into some baseball stuff with you here. So with the postseason approaching, we're just, you know, four games away from this regular season coming to an end. I just wanted to see what teams in, in modern baseball here in this season that have brought you some joy watching them this year. Who are some of the teams that stand out that you'd maybe like to see make a run.

[Jane Levy]

Not my teams. Let's put it that way. It's not the Yankees, because how do you start a season without a third baseman? If you start a season without a third baseman, you deserve whatever you get. And it's not the Mets, who were really my team, briefly, when my father was still alive. My father was a New York Giants fan who transferred his love to the Mets. And when he was dying and he was in a considerable amount of pain, the only thing I could think of to distract him was to read him game stories from the New York papers, the tabs and the Times, whatever. So this was in 2003, and it was not a great Mets year. No, not as bad as this year, but it was not a great year. And literally his last words to me before he went to have the surgery, that he would. He would. Not really. That he wouldn't recover from, were. Oy. The Mets.

[Jeremy]

No. Oh, man. If they. You could put that on a T shirt, first of all. And second of all, what. What a. What an almost fitting story that's in some ways very beautiful.

[Jane Levy]

You know, it's so interesting. People are. I imag thrilled that this mega team with a $765 million man in right field is playing terrible baseball. You know, I. I can't help but, you know. You know that I confab with Buck Showalter a lot, and it feel. I understood why, you know, David Stern's general manager, new guy in town, wanted his own manager, blah, blah, blah. But do you think they'd be playing that sloppy if Buck was still in charge?

[Jeremy]

Never.

[Jane Levy]

I don't. I mean, what's missing, and I would say it's equally true of my Yankees and my dad's Mets, is the lack of attention to fundamentals, the inability to do the basic things I was taught. You know, guys, let's start over. Remember, when a ground ball is coming at you, even if it's a wiffle ball, you bend your knees, you put your hands down on the ground, and you wait for the ball to come to you, Right? They can't do it. They just can't do it. And contrast them with the two teams that I find I'm watching and rooting for. The Brewers.

[Jeremy]

Yes.

[Jane Levy]

The Guardians.

[Jeremy]

Yes.

[Jane Levy]

Guardians are stunningly now leading the Central Division, and the brewers have the best record in baseball. So what's different about them? You know, other than that they don't have the money to spend on whoever they want? Their teams, they play like teams. And I don't think you can accuse the Mets of that this year.

[Jeremy]

Certainly not.

[Jane Levy]

No. Yeah. So I'm really liking the Brewers.

[Jeremy]

I couldn't agree with you more. And watching teams that do all of the little things, the Guardians the other night when they beat the Tigers, laid down three bunts that allowed them to be able to score some runs and, and, and get to an ultimate victory. That, that's propelled them into a place where they control their own destiny in the division. And as someone who covers the Marlins, it's been a joy for me to actually watch the coaches teaching their young players throughout the year. Pregame, they're working on ground balls. Post game, they're having conversations about those things. And it's one of the only reasons that team has overachieved the way that they have to, to technically, as of today, still be alive for a potential post.

[Jane Levy]

I was going to say, I saw a story yesterday going, and the Marlins are still alive.

[Jeremy]

Crazy. It makes makes no sense in the world, but here they are with potentially playing the spoilers with the Mets down here in Miami this weekend. But, but let's get into some other stuff here because I know there's a player you want to highlight here. And I've been referring to this as a bit of a, a golden era for stardom and baseball starting to return, because you do, despite the fact that, you know, team wise, we're looking at sort of three results in the walk, the strikeout and the home run. There have been some really great stars of all sorts of different sizes, skills and shapes in the league. And I wanted to sort of pick your brain on, on a player who stands out to you as someone that has had a really great year or again, has maybe been a joy to watch.

[Jane Levy]

Well, Jacob Young, the center fielder for the Wobegon Nationals, a team that, that spends no money on anybody or anything and who was injured much of the year. So he's only. I wrote this down somewhere for you, Jeremy. He's got. He's only had 319at bats because he was out injured. He stuck a pitchfork in the Mets the other night with two catches at Citi Field that were miraculous. But what was most astonishing, the catch where he brought back a home run, the ball was in his glove that fell out of his glove as he fell to the field and he kicked it with his spike back into his glove for the out. What was both really instructive and kind of disturbing was that people who looked at it and said, oh, that's a savannah Banana play. And I'm like, no, that's a major league play. That's what happens when you don't give up on a ball. That's what happens when defense is your game. Because God knows this guy can't really hit too much. But he's got, let's see, he had 20 outs, above average, 20 last year and 14 so far this year with only, you know, being out injured twice and only 319 at bats. So, you know, there's a case of paying a guy, probably not much, I don't know what his salary is, to do something that has value in two ways. What the bananas comment means is, oh, it was entertaining. Yes. It wasn't a home run. It wasn't a strikeout. It was a part of the game that is woefully unappreciated these days. So it's the. It's the skill and the craft of the game that, you know, I grew up loving and. And miss.

[Jeremy]

Now, Chris, there are 1, 2, 3, 4.

[Ethan]

There are 20 names on this list.

[Jeremy]

Okay, so there are 16 slots left. Jose Altuve.

[Ethan]

Jose Altuve is the number one postseason home run hitter since 2000. A remarkable 27 home runners.

[Jeremy]

That's why when I first flipped this over, I was like, oh, he's putting their jersey numbers.

[Juju]

Yeah.

[Jeremy]

That's also pretty crazy to think about, considering he's like five foot six. Yeah. So there's a player that I want to go with, but I'm. I'm a little bit afraid of the Yankees ones right now. I'm so avoidable. I guess I'll go ahead. I'll stick with the Red Sox. I'll go Manny Ramirez. Yes.

[Ethan]

Manny Ramirez is the other Red Sox on this list with 16 homer runs in the postseason.

[Jeremy]

I'll go Kyle Schwarber. Yeah, he's probably 20.

[Ethan]

Kyle Schwarber has 21 home runs in the postseason since 2000. Unbelievable.

[Jeremy]

Flip flopped. I thought Bryce would have had 21 and Schwarber had the 17. All right, I know some. Somewhere on this list with the Dodgers has to be Freddie Freeman. Yes.

[Ethan]

Freddie Freeman has 14 postseason home runs since 2000.

[Jeremy]

Just had a name pop into my head. Don't know if this guy. I know he's played for the Astros. Don't know. I feel like he's hit a lot of home runs. Jordan Alvarez. Yeah, he's definitely here. No, first strike. Wow. Okay.

[Ethan]

Ward on.

[Jeremy]

I'm trying to think of the guys who were on. Oh, is one of these Bernie Williams?

[Ethan]

Bernie Williams is not me, man.

[Jeremy]

I do. I got too trigger happy there, there. I'll go. Mookie bets. Yeah, good one.

[Ethan]

Mookie bets.

[Jeremy]

Well, okay. No, I'm just gonna get on the board. Alex Bregman has to be on this list.

[Ethan]

Alex Breadman. I have listed as that second Astro with 19 home runs.

[Jeremy]

Terrific. Chris has two strikes. I have one strike. So we are headed into, I believe, our seventh round. And so, Chris, look, if you. If you get this wrong and I get it right, then this game is over. So if I say a name and I get to the wrong spot, I don't get a strike. I just don't get to subtract a strike. So for what it's worth, I'm. I'm happy. I'm happy to make this pivot. I'm happy to make this pivot. I'm happy to make this pivot, but I want. I want everyone to know because we had it in there. If you get a player that's on the board but you get the spot wrong, it would be a strike. That was a bad rule when you said it. It wasn't a bad rule. It was a really good. Now that I'm thinking about it, it was. Was kind of a bad rule because you still get credit for getting the guy that. Who side are we taking here? The 16, not the 18 with the Astros is Carlos Correa.

[Ethan]

Should have done it the other way around.

[Jane Levy]

18.

[Ethan]

So I'll give you. We changed the rule. So I will give you that. Correa is on there.

[Jeremy]

I could have won. Jane, you and I are. Are sharing in that. We celebrated Russ Hashanah this week. L to you, New Year. And you literally wrote the book on the greatest Jewish baseball player of all time, Sandy Koufax. I'm fascinated by both the pitcher and the human being. Sandy Koufax. For. For a multitude of reasons. And I can only imagine some of the things that. That you learned about him and with him sort of resonate today. And so I would just really love to sort of hear some of your favorite Sandy Koufax anecdotes or. Or stories.

[Jane Levy]

Oh, we need a year for that. Jeremy.

[Jeremy]

We could talk.

[Jane Levy]

Okay, so here's one that. Why did it occur to me? I think it was in the context of teamwork and. And respect. Sandy was named the left handed pitcher, the pitcher for. In 1999 for the 20th century All Star team. Right. That meant leaving off Warren Spahn. And Sandy said, I'm not going if he's not going. So they had to change the rule about how many pitchers were being named in order to accommodate that? And, you know, he was mindful, as he ought to have been, that he won 165 games in his attenuated career. And Warren spun 363 wins in 21 seasons.

[Jeremy]

Correct.

[Jane Levy]

One of the last being that game against Marichal at the stick in. In 62, which was, you know, nothing, nothing until Willie Mays hit a home run in the bottom of the 16th inning. Spahn was pretty fragile. And this was before Truest Park. So this is, you know, the other Braves home. And Sandy waited. Sandy was announced, and he didn't pop out of the dugout. He waited for Warren and gave him his arm and helped him up the dugout steps and they walked arm in arm up the ramp. And that kind of respect. If I had to pick my favorite pitcher of all time, I probably should pick Mariano Rivera, be the last fabulous closer. But. But the ball came out of Koufax's hand differently than anybody else's. And no, he didn't do it as long in many games, as many innings as Warren Spahn. But if you're talking about pure quality and the ability to do what was intended and to execute a plan with that 12 to 6 curveball and fastball that, you know, came out of the exactly the same now they called it tunnel. You know, he's an extraordinary human being. He's. I. I like to say he's as good a human being as he is a pitch, as he was a pitcher.

[Jeremy]

We've got a lot of fans here with the Pitch Clock who have really just been following the game through our show, getting their three or four storylines each week, you know, playing some old nostalgic baseball trivia with us and going from there and, you know, have done their best. I've spoken to a lot of people who have said, hey, I've started watching more games here and there, you know, turning on Sunday night baseball, you know, following the season and being excited for the postseason, which to me is. Has made. Made my year knowing that we've had even one person who has decided they're going to watch more baseball. But these are some casual fans who are trying to get deeper into it, and we've got the major League postseason coming up. So, as someone who is in love with this game, what would be maybe the advice that you could give to someone who's going to be viewing baseball through that postseason lens on a consistent basis for the very first time as a viewer?

[Jane Levy]

Well, I'm going to start with the acerbic if any manager starts a World Series game with an opener ever again, he should be banned from baseball for less.

[Jeremy]

I, I couldn't agree with you more. I. Strong agree. Strong, strong agree.

[Jane Levy]

Thank you. The thing about the postseason, you know, to say that everything is heightened is a ridiculous cliche. Obviously true. But a lot of the silly stuff that particularly old timers complain about during regular season games, you know, what they consider breaking the unwritten rules of baseball and showboating, that tends to go away in the postseason. You're getting, you know, the best of what the best have to offer, and that includes plays that obviate what you know, my old never loving baseball friends used to say, which is, nothing happens. It's so slow. Now it is true that before the pitch clock, it had devolved into a Bergman movie. You know, pacing wise, four and a half hour movies. Yeah, exactly. But you don't, you don't see that so much in, in the postseason. You see no nonsense in the postseason and efforts to make plays that maybe they don't make in 162. So every time somebody says to you, baseball is so slow, look how fast it happens when a guy, you know, goes first to third and the, and the collision between the ball, the cleat and the, and the glove. Yes, that's not slow. That's, you know, milliseconds worth of action. And you really have to look at it. So my advice would be, you know, you want to go see home runs, you're sure to see them. You know, don't look down because there'll be another one. Look for the guy who knows how to play the ball off the wall, make that throw. Look for the catcher who knows how to frame pitches. Right. You will see the little things at work, and you see them much more in the postseason than you do day by day.

[Jeremy]

That's such a great point. And, and specifically, like when you talk about stealing strikes, right? Like this might be one of those final postseasons that we get to watch that happen as the ABS comes into to play. And it's important in terms of framing things as a baseball fan when, when there are several strikes on the outside corner or the inside corner for a team that get called incorrectly, there shouldn't be a level of frustration with the umpire. These umpires are tremendous. There should be a compliment paid to the catcher, one of the other things to pay attention to, because this is a space where oftentimes some starting pitchers, the best of the best, can go deeper and deeper into the game and see time. You Know, a third or maybe fourth time through the lineup. Watch how pitchers set up hitters for later at bats. Watch what the pitch sequencing is against the best hitter in the lineup the first time they go through. If it's a lot of fastballs, if it's a lot of sliders, if it's a lot of sweepers, and the way that that goes in the second time around, because then you might be able to start predicting the third time through. If I'm the hitter, what am I looking for and being able to balance off of that. And so let's wrap right here. I asked you for your top five baseball players in the history of the game.

[Jane Levy]

Here we go.

[Jeremy]

You've told me there's a list. Let's get to it.

[Jane Levy]

Let me see. I did this. Okay. And this is gonna sound, this is very idiosyncratic, but I know you expect nothing less of me. Babe Ruth, he invented the home run and the power game that is now way out of hand. And actually his mechanics and his swing and his use of leverage with his 52 ounce bat before he switched to a 34 ounce bat are really quite modern. Okay. Hank Aaron, because he broke the Babe's record when much of America didn't want him to do so. And he did it with, with extraordinary class, forbearance and grace.

[Jeremy]

That's right.

[Jane Levy]

Mickey Mantle, because he generated that expectation. You know what was going to happen when he came to the plate? Was he going to injure himself yet again in such a graphic and horrible and defining way that he'd never be the same? I was at one of those games and it was horrible, wonderful, exciting to see the one where he tore his adductor bone muscle off the bone in 62. Koufax, like I said before, because the ball came out of his hand differently than anybody else. And, and I would have put Mariano, because, you know, one pitch, you know, I don't know, could he pitch today? I don't know if he could pitch today. It'd be interesting to know. But you know, that's another that's been obviated by the way pitching is now aligned.

[Jeremy]

Yeah.

[Jane Levy]

You know, there were. Remember when they were called firemen?

[Jeremy]

Yeah, right. But to your point, to be able to have Mariano Rivera, a guy who only threw one pitch, be the all time saves leader and come up clutch in a million different moments. I love that we have a closer on this list. I love that we have two players who careers were cut short, but their excellence stood out in a way that was necessary. And of Course, two of the greatest players to ever play the game and compile stats that are unmatchable without, you know, performance enhancing drugs.

[Jane Levy]

Quality, not quantity.

[Jeremy]

Absolutely. Speaking of quality, this has been a really quality conversation. Jane, thank you so much for joining. I love you, boy.

[Jane Levy]

Oh, God.

[Jeremy]

Love you too. The best. This is awesome. Thank you so much. We really appreciate it.

[Jane Levy]

It great. I'll talk to you again.

[Jeremy]

Absolutely.

[Jane Levy]

Take care.

[Jeremy]

Why are the Yankees so confusing? It's just like, is it possible? All right, Derek Jeter.

[Ethan]

Yeah, Derek Jeter is on this list.

[Jeremy]

Of course.

[Ethan]

He had 16 career postseason homes.

[Jeremy]

I'm gonna go with 18. Yankee. Oh, you're trying to gain a strike. Alex Rodriguez. That.

[Ethan]

That is three strikes and you are out.

[Jeremy]

Is there any world where that last Philly is? Ryan Howard. No. Who is. You guys are going to love this name.

[Ethan]

It's Jason Worth.

[Juju]

Wow.

[Ethan]

So, yeah, so I'll fill in the blanks here. So The Dodger with 19 is two time World Series MVP with the Dodgers and the Rangers. Corey Seeger.

[Jane Levy]

Oh, wow.

[Jeremy]

I almost said 18. Justin Turner on here. I almost said Justin.

[Ethan]

Justin Turner is 13.

[Jeremy]

He's at the bottom.

[Ethan]

Him with 13.

[Jeremy]

Oh, man, ginger supremacy.

[Ethan]

So Giancarlo Stanton has 18. Good for the Rangers is Nelson Cruz.

[Jeremy]

Oh, should have known that.

[Ethan]

Sixteen with the Yankees. Can't believe you guys didn't say this name. Judge, Aaron Judge still has 16 career.

[Jeremy]

That was my, that, that was also my, like, I don't know. The Astro was 16.

[Ethan]

Carlos Beltron had 16 career postseason home.

[Jeremy]

Where he was someone I, I thought.

[Ethan]

About because remember he had that crazy early with the Mets and then he had a couple with the astros in like 0405. And then later in his career with the astros.

[Jeremy]

So there's two more Dodgers here.

[Ethan]

Kike Hernandez with 15 because he's had some great postseasons with the Dodgers and the Red Sox. And then Max Muncie with 13.

[Jeremy]

Justin Turner. Wow.

[Ethan]

Justin Turner to round it out with 13.

[Jeremy]

The Philly with Jason was Jason Worth. And you know what? I'll tell you it was worth it having Ethan do this because I feel real good about getting a W. Hey, at the start of next week's episode, I'm gonna reveal who won more games between the two of us. Who won my Tony Reilly camp. You missed just like you missed all those names. Winner.

[Tony]

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