The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

The Big Suey: The Eric Gregg Game

Date: March 16, 2026
Recording Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Episode Overview

This episode of The Big Suey dives into the controversial ending of the most recent World Baseball Classic semifinal between the United States and the Dominican Republic, dissecting the pivotal final pitch call, the complexities of officiating under pressure, and the emotional aftermath among players and fans. The Le Batard crew also revisits the infamous “Eric Gregg Game,” weighs in on NCAA tournament matchups, discusses looming NBA expansion, and explores high-stakes labor negotiations in the WNBA.

World Baseball Classic Controversy

Setting the Stage

• The U.S. beats the Dominican Republic in a dramatically controversial finish. The final pitch—a called strike three—was widely seen as a ball, sparking outcry from fans, players, and commentators alike.

[02:10] Stugotz:

“The World Baseball Classic last night ended in controversy... The last pitch was not a strike. If they were still using replay, they would have overturned that as a strike.”

Was It Really a Strike?

• [04:06] Dan Le Batard attempts to contextualize the call:

  “That’s not why the DR lost... when you're playing the USA in the semifinals, you best be swinging. You cannot be caught looking because MLB would like the USA to advance.”

• [04:24] Stugotz insists the call was decisive:

  “It is why they lost. They had a runner on third. ... It should have been a walk. It was not a strike. It was a ball.”

Commentary on Umpiring

• [04:56] Sampson tempers the reaction:

  “I saw the video and... it’s not even close to as egregious as I thought based on the conversation online.”

• [05:27] Stugotz holds firm:

  “It wasn’t a strike. ... The game would have continued if that was called correctly.”

The Philosophical Divide

• Should hitters protect the plate on close pitches when the game's on the line, or should umpires be expected to make the perfect call?
• [06:44] Jonathan Zaslow calls out perceived bias:

  “If this was reversed... America First, Samson and Zaslow would be freaking the f*** out right now.”

• [07:45] Stugotz:

  “America would be making the opposite argument if this had happened to the American [team].”

Preparation and Managerial Decisions

• [08:02] Dan on approaching umpiring in big international games:

  “You meet with your players before a game to talk to them about the circumstances of the game. ... You’ve got to change your approach.”

• [08:38] Stugotz:

  “Like you meet with your players and you tell them, hey, look... you gotta swing at the end of the game, even if it's out of the strike zone.”

Fan & Player Reactions (Kid Mero & Carl Anthony Towns)

• [10:01] Audio drop of Kid Mero and crew reacting live to the call:
  • “NO!”
  • “That is down!”
  • “That is a terrible goddamn call. You cannot call that.”
• [13:09] Carl Anthony Towns, watching as a Dominican fan:

  “Hell yeah, that was a ball, man. Some bulls***... Bro, come on, bro. That was a ball as hell.”

Umpiring Nationality and Bias

• [13:25] Stugotz:

  “So that’s what it comes down to... the ump is from Denver.”

• [13:41] Trista:

  “If I’m h*** in that situation, that’s more of the argument for [why] you gotta swing... We got Denver, Colorado behind the plate.”

Final Assessment

• The hosts circle back repeatedly to the hitter's challenge: Should you trust the ump or swing at anything close?
• [18:56] Stugotz offers a key perspective:

  “You guys sitting here saying, you gotta swing the bat... Do you realize how much easier it is to be the critic in this spot...? I knew it was a ball. It is a ball forever.”

The Eric Gregg Game Parallel

• The episode title is referenced as the crew revisits the notorious 1997 NLCS "Eric Gregg Game," where umpire Eric Gregg's wide strike zone helped Liván Hernández to 15 strikeouts.
• [19:50] Stugotz:

  “Eric Gregg was calling strikes that were in the opposite batter’s box... Levon Hernandez struck out 15 batters in this game, at least in part because the strike zone was the most ridiculous thing.”

• [20:54] Sampson:

  “If you have not watched it recently, it’s... even worse than you remember it being. The calls are so egregious. That’s what I thought I was waking up to this morning.”

• The discussion highlights both the frustration and enduring storytelling power of controversial umpiring moments in baseball.

NCAA Tournament Preview

Top First-Round Matchups with Trista

[32:17] Trista’s Top 5 Games (First Round)

1. UConn vs. Furman:
   • “Spicy matchup... This is upset alert for me.”
2. Wisconsin vs. High Point:
   • “High Point are monsters. They force turnovers... Not just a mid-major hoping for a miracle.”
3. TCU vs. Ohio State:
   • “One of the spicier matchups... If TCU wins, chaos sets up against an injured Duke team.”
4. Vanderbilt vs. McNeese:
   • “Vanderbilt just beat Florida by 17... may be one of the hottest teams in the country right now.”
5. Miami vs. Missouri (in Missouri):
   • “Unfair... Miami is the more talented team on paper, but they’re playing in Missouri’s backyard. That always matters in the tournament setting.”

NBA Expansion and European Ambitions

Vegas and Seattle Expansion

• [36:52] Stugotz:

  “The NBA is holding a vote... to explore adding expansion teams in Vegas and Seattle. ... I’m assuming teams will be in Las Vegas and Seattle in short order.”

• [37:29] Sampson on overexpansion:

  “The regular season kind of stinks in the NBA and now we’re going to add more teams... It’s obvious it’s going to be Vegas and Seattle, but it’s not very exciting to me.”

Conference Realignment and Europe

• [37:42] David explains:

  “Shams has alluded to the Grizzlies and Timberwolves moving to the Eastern Conference... hopefully... When Europe gets into the equation, they just do away with conferences entirely... Every team in the league just plays twice...”

• [38:06] Zaslow is skeptical about Europe:

  “I don’t know that these European teams are going to allow that really to happen.”

Ownership Shuffle & Civic Lessons

• [38:37] Dan:

  “You call it exploring relocation because you don’t have ownership groups yet... There’s a fight going on behind the scenes about who’s going to get the Vegas team... The city of Seattle, you paid more to get your team back than you would have to have kept your team.”

• The hosts use the Seattle/Oklahoma City example as a warning to cities about losing and regaining franchises.

WNBA Labor Dispute

• [41:39] David prompts Dan to update on the WNBA’s tense CBA talks, with another deadline looming.
• [42:06] Dan:

  “There was a possibility where the owners would say, you guys are way too greedy. But they came off their initial positions and they'll get a deal done.”

• [42:40] Zaslow on fair revenue share:

  “It cannot be 15 or 18. It has to be in the low 20s at least. ... Revenue is gross by nature. Net revenue changes the entire meaning of the word.”

• [43:21] Dan channels ownership’s logic:

  “Then go fight somewhere else. That's what Dana [White] would say, and he's not wrong. Go fight somewhere else... If you can play in Korea or Tokyo and make as much money as you're making here, then go do it.”

Notable Quotes & Moments

• [10:03] Dan Le Batard on the final call:

  “That is a terrible goddamn call. You cannot call that.”

• [18:56] Stugotz on critic vs. player:

  “Do you realize how much easier it is to be the critic in this spot, to be the guy than to be the guy who actually swings the bat at a pitch? That wasn’t close? He said afterward. I knew it was a ball. It is a ball forever.”

• [20:54] Sampson comparing old and new controversies:

  “I thought I was waking up and I was going to watch the replay. I thought I was going to see Eric Gregg back behind home plate.”

• [28:06] Stugotz on championship luck:

  “The Raptors won because Durant and Klay Thompson were hurt. ... In sports, championships aren’t won alone, they’re won with the right people around you.”

• [43:47] Dan Le Batard (chuckling at himself as ‘the man’):

  “I don’t want to be that, Trist. I don’t want to be that to you.”

Time-Stamped Key Segments

• 02:10–14:00: World Baseball Classic controversy, final pitch debate, umpiring philosophy, fan reactions
• 19:50–22:59: Revisiting the Eric Gregg Game and the mythos of infamous umpire calls
• 32:17–36:52: NCAA Tournament first round, “top five games to watch” analysis
• 36:52–41:39: NBA expansion, realignment, and what it signals for the league’s global ambitions
• 41:39–44:14: WNBA labor negotiations and economic realities of women's professional sports

Tone & Signature Style

• The conversation is lively, argumentative, and loaded with tongue-in-cheek jabs.
• Banter blends sports analysis with cultural observation, humor, and self-deprecation.
• Frequent interruptions, playful accusations of bias, and storytelling about infamous sports incidents create a “barbershop” vibe.
• The tone is accessible, passionate, and keeps alive the show’s tradition of entertaining group debate.

Summary prepared for quick catch-up, retaining the show’s unique blend of sports debate, cultural humor, and personal insight.