The Windup: Starkville | Oct 8, 2025

ESPN Analysts Tim Kurkjian & Eduardo Pérez on How the Divisional Series Are Shaping Up

Overview

In this electrifying early-October episode of Starkville, hosts Jayson Stark and Doug Glanville (joined by ESPN legends Tim Kurkjian and Eduardo Pérez) deliver a deep-dive into all four MLB Divisional Series. The show is a blend of sharp analysis, behind-the-scenes stories, memorable postseason moments, and plenty of camaraderie and laughs—from helicopter tales to the quirkiest rules of baseball in action. Listeners walk away with fresh insights on emerging young stars, endlessly inventive strategy, and the state of baseball coverage itself.

Major Themes and Key Discussion Points

1. Life on the Postseason Grind

• Sleep Deprivation and the Baseball Beat
  • Jayson Stark and Doug Glanville open with relatable tales of October exhaustion, joking about “National Sleep Deprivation Month.”
    • “If you’re sleep deprived, it’s not a nightmare really, but you’re living in some sort of in-between space between awake and asleep, whatever that is.” – Doug Glanville (05:31)
    • “If you read the stuff I write, it reads like delirium.” – Jayson Stark (05:44)
• Both reflect on the joy (and delirium) of consuming wall-to-wall baseball during the postseason.

2. Helicopters, AI, and All-Time Teammates

• Eduardo Pérez’s Helicopter Commute & Expense Math (07:07–09:36)
  • Eduardo recounts sidestepping New York traffic by flying in via “Uber Heli,” finding it both exhilarating and worth every penny/time saved.
• Tim Kurkjian’s Brush with AI Fakery (10:09)
  • Kurkjian shares how Eduardo saved him from falling for an AI-generated rumor about a player, underscoring new tech challenges in sports media:
    • “If it wasn’t for him, dopey, naive, 68-year-old, poor pop-up would have, I would have made a mistake. He said, Tim, that’s AI. It’s not real.” – Tim Kurkjian (11:04)

3. Best (and Coolest) Things Seen in October Baseball (11:13–17:02)

• Tim Kurkjian: The Blue Jays’ Elite Defense
  • “The Blue Jays defense is great. It’s not good. It’s great. They throw out nine plus defenders on a really good day... If you have a good defensive team, you always have a chance.” (11:38)
• Eduardo Pérez: Fearless Young Pitching Talent
  • Highlights the composure and poise of young arms, specifically Cam Schlitler and Trey Savage, handling high-pressure postseason innings:
    • “It just tells you you don’t have to go to an SEC or an ACC school or Power 5 school... you can come out of Northeastern and still be developed by an organization like the Yankees.” (14:05)
• Discussion: Why are young arms so ready today?
  • Doug and Eduardo discuss the modern developmental pipeline, shortened clubhouse hazing, and increased integration between minors and MLB:
    • “They’re in environments now where they’re much more familiar and connected to the big leagues... the talent is indisputable.” – Doug (17:02)

4. Dodgers-Phillies: Heavyweights and Strategy Wars (20:42–25:04)

• Jayson posits Dodgers vs. Phillies is the “heavyweight championship” of the playoffs, questioning the best-of-five format for such titans.
• Kurkjian: Dodgers Have MLB’s Best Roster When Healthy
  • “The Phillies are really good. They can come back and win this series. But... they have turned the corner... They have beaten everybody badly since then.” (22:58)
• Eduardo: Phillies Missing Key Arms is a Real Problem
  • “The Phillies are missing two key pieces. One is Zach Wheeler... and [the other] is Alvarado... it’s a major disadvantage when you cannot cut the game shorter, especially in the postseason.” (25:04)
• Changing Gamesmanship: Dodgers starters doubling as bullpen aces; Brewers using surprise openers (“maximizers”), causing strategic headaches for opponents.

5. Brewers & Blue Jays: Chaos Agents and “Maximizers” (27:16–31:28)

• Doug:
  • “The Brewers are maximizers... if there is a percentage of skill set and ability and making the most of it, it’s the Milwaukee Brewers.” (27:53)
  • Details how the Brewers’ relentless, unorthodox play disrupts standard strategies, drawing the analogy to “playing tennis against a player with weird spins and lobs.” (30:03)
• Kurkjian:
  • Blue Jays as “AL Brewers” — contact skills, running game, and relentless pressure:
    • “They had 33 at bats without a strikeout in this series. They have more homers than strikeouts... It’s impossible. That’s who the Blue Jays are.” (31:08)

6. Tigers’ Postseason: Collapse or Not? (33:39–35:45)

• The panel debates whether Detroit’s near-miss at a historic collapse is erased by making the playoffs and continuing to win.
  • “Here they are playing a game three at home against the Mariners. No, it can’t be the biggest collapse because they are still playing in October.” – Kurkjian (35:45)

7. Baseball’s Future at ESPN & The Bonds of Baseball (35:50–41:11)

• Eduardo:
  • Nostalgic tribute to 36 years of Sunday Night Baseball, but “baseball will continue strong with the ESPN family.”
  • “It will be good news... we’re going to do our best to continue to cover it with the respect and honor and love that we’ve always had for this game.” (36:15)
• Doug Glanville:
  • The friendship, mentorship, and baseball’s role as “a shining beacon”—far more than a game for those who live it:
    • “All of us share that real organic love for the sport where we can just talk about it forever... baseball became the shining beacon.” (40:24)

8. Memorable Anecdotes & Lighter Moments

• Mistaken Identity:
  • Kurkjian tells of being mistaken for Carl Ravich, and being “Buster” for some fans in Toronto. “So for four minutes, I had to be Carl Ravich…It was quite an honor because nobody, but nobody has represented baseball at our company better than him for the last 32 years.” (41:11)

Standout Quotes & Notable Moments

• Eduardo on helicopter commutes:
  • “Time is money, is what they say, and I truly believe that, Tim.” (09:07)
• Doug, on the Brewers:
  • “If you give them an inch, they take a mile.” (29:24)

Strangest But Truest Baseball Moment

(48:59–56:34)

• Segment introduces what the hosts call one of the wildest rules-bending moments in postseason history:
  • Dodgers reliever Alex Vessia officially records a strikeout against a batter he never actually throws a pitch to (due to an in-at-bat pitching change and pinch-hitter swap).
    • “A guy struck out a hitter that he never pitched to... this is going to be like a bunch of teleportations and, like, Calling of the Dead and reanimation and all these things.” – Doug (52:34)
    • “Should we fix it, Doug? Or should we just say, this is awesome?” – Jayson
    • “You have to recognize the awesomeness of this. Baseball is baseball, but it’s also magic…” – Doug (55:18)

Listener Call-In Segment: “Call to the Bullpen” (57:01–62:43)

• Recap and follow-up from a listener named Mary (Seattle), who jokingly called Doug “Rob” in a prior call—much amusement ensues.
  • “I just want to tell you, Doug, I’m so tickled that you guys answered my voicemail and it just made my day, Doug.” – Mary (59:31)
• Doug frames the name mix-up as a kind of cosmic baseball coincidence, and the hosts riff on “Rob Glanville” and famous Robs.

Important Segment Timestamps

• (03:07–05:55): Opening, Red-eye policies, covering the postseason grind
• (07:07–09:36): Eduardo’s helicopter tale
• (10:09–11:04): AI and media rumor
• (11:13–17:02): Best things seen this postseason (defense, young pitching)
• (20:42–25:04): Dodgers-Phillies, roster strengths, Phillies’ injuries
• (27:16–31:28): Brewers’ strategy, “chaos team” analogies
• (33:39–35:45): Tigers’ “collapse” debate
• (35:50–41:11): Baseball’s future at ESPN, friendship
• (48:59–56:34): “Strangest But Truest” moment: the strikeout anomaly
• (57:01–62:43): Listener calls, “Rob” Glanville, and community

Conclusion & Tone

Throughout, the show blends expertise and warmth, never shying from baseball’s weird magic or the quirks that keep longtime lifers hooked. The tone is conversational, funny, deeply passionate, and welcoming—making it as valuable for the hardcore stat-head as for the sentimental fan. Guests Tim Kurkjian and Eduardo Pérez add gravitas, heart, and humor, with stories ranging from the dugout to the sky (literally), leaving listeners with the feeling they’re part of baseball’s extended family.

For more baseball musings, strange-but-true tales, or to call in your own question, reach out via Starkville's hotline (267-227-9867), email, or just subscribe and keep riding the October magic!