PMT DB
PMT DB
AJ Pierzynski on Cubs Rivalries, Mark Buehrle, and Being Hated
Big Cat and PFT are live from Miami for the MLB All-Star Game, though things haven't exactly gone smoothly. Between a ghost in the hotel room that only communicates through loud electronic Latin music and a guest who simply refused to check out of their booked room, the show is officially operating under "we are doomed" status. The humidity in Miami is reaching levels that might have actually ended careers before they could get to the ballpark.
Big CatChris Berman retired from ESPN because he knew the All-Star Game was in Miami and he'd sweat too much
Chris Berman retired from the All-Star game and ESPN last winter... I think maybe Chris Berman was like, oh, fuck. The home run derby is going to be in Miami. I think he was. They don't make a sweatshirt that's dark enough to cover up the stains that Berman would be sweating through.
Mount Rushmore of Ways to Stay Cool
With the Florida sun melting everyone in sight, the guys sat down for a Mount Rushmore of ways to stay cool in the summer. Hank decided to take the prompt in a very literal, and then very metaphorical, direction that left everyone else confused.
HankMeditating is a top-four way to cool down in the summer
My last one is just meditating. Meditate... when I said meditating, I meant cool down like when you get hot in an argument. Like when you ever get in a really big argument. You need to take a deep breath.
While Hank was busy meditating his way through arguments, Big Cat leaned into the more physical sensations of a summer bender.
Big CatLaying on the bathroom floor is the greatest feeling when you have the spins
This is actually more for when you have the spins, but it still is the greatest thing in the world. Just laying down on the bathroom floor... There's actually no better feeling in the world. It's great. When you're hot, when you're drunk, when you have the spins.
Who's Back and the Face of MLB
James Harden is back after signing a contract so massive that the math starts to break the brain. While the numbers are staggering, PFT is more concerned with the logistics of actually spending that kind of cash in a city where the cost of living doesn't exactly match a half-billion-dollar portfolio.
PFT CommenterNBA players shouldn't be allowed to spend their entire contract in Houston because everything is too cheap
The nice thing about [James Harden's] contract is I don't think it's possible to spend this much money in one lifetime in Houston, Texas. Everything there is, like, really cheap.
PFT CommenterAaron Rodgers loves to get angry at other athletes' contracts
This is like the Aaron Rodgers specialty. Aaron Rodgers loves to get pissed off at other quarterbacks' contracts. That's like his thing. I want him to start jumping into other sports too and getting pissed off and be like, hey, I'm a better quarterback than James Harden is a shooting guard. How come I'm not getting paid?
As the All-Star festivities kick off, the conversation naturally turned to the state of baseball and who truly owns the spotlight. Big Cat has a theory that market size eventually dictates everything when a superstar emerges in the Bronx.
Big CatA good Yankee player will always eventually be the face of Major League Baseball
You have Aaron Judge, Yankees, big market. People forget if there's a good Yankee, he's going to be the face.
Big CatEvery great pitcher needs to have a streak of being an asshole
I think every pitcher, if they're going to be a really good pitcher, they need to have a streak of being an asshole.
AJ Pierzynski
Former White Sox and Braves catcher AJ Pierzynski joined the show and immediately leaned into the friction, admitting he doesn't like Big Cat any more than Big Cat likes him. They got into the nitty-gritty of being the "most hated man in baseball" and the transition to the media side where he now gets to decide who earns that title next. AJ gave some incredible insight into catching Mark Buehrle’s perfect game, noting that while Buehrle never shook off a sign, the pressure on the catcher to not put down the wrong finger is immense.
AJ PierzynskiCatchers and calling the game are more important than hitting or throwing
Number one is catching and calling a game no matter what. You have to be able to call a game, know the right pitch, know your pitching staff, know when to call and what to call at certain times... throwing would have to be last, and probably hitting and then throwing is last.
AJ PierzynskiStarting pitchers deserve 100% of the credit for no-hitters, but catchers deserve more recognition
The pitchers deserve most of the credit. Look, it's their ball and it's their game at the end of the day. But I wish the catcher would get a little bit more credit.
AJ also defended his old friend Hawk Harrelson against Big Cat's accusations of extreme homerism, though he did admit Hawk lives just around the corner from him and they're basically family at this point.
AJ PierzynskiHawk Harrelson is the best announcer in baseball
Every time [Hawk Harrelson] calls me, it's a great feeling to know that the best announcer in the game is calling me.
Before letting him go, AJ played along with some Headline Grab, weighing in on the legends of the game and some current players trying to find their way on the diamond.
AJ PierzynskiShoeless Joe Jackson belongs in the Hall of Fame
You think Joe Jackson should be a Hall of Famer?... Yes, I do... He had a pretty good World Series for someone trying to throw it.
AJ PierzynskiTim Tebow should 'go for it' in baseball even if he doesn't make it
Why not? Go for it. I mean, hey, if someone wants to give you a job to play professional sports and you want to try it, why would you say no?... If you don't make it, you don't make it, and you can always go back to ESPN and do the SEC.
Mike Greenberg's Dumb Rules and Drunk Ideas
The show wrapped up with a salute to Mike Greenberg’s favorite pastime: inventing unnecessary rules for the All-Star Game. Big Cat wants to see a "Freaky Friday" fifth inning where pitchers play the field and position players pitch, or perhaps just utilizing the fastest man in Atlanta.
Big CatGroundskeeper 'The Freeze' should be an all-time pinch runner in the All-Star Game
The freeze is hot, right? Hilarious... So pinch runner, all-time runner, the freeze. So he just stands behind the catcher, and as soon as the ball's in play, he's running.
Finally, Big Cat shared some of his "Drunk Ideas" from the weekend, which included a revolutionary way to handle your daily hygiene and fitness goals while sitting in traffic.
Big CatWe should have portable gyms in trucks so people can work out during their commute
We need to have portable gyms. So instead of your commute, you get in the back of a truck and you work out while you're commuting to your job. No one likes to commute. No one likes to go to the gym. Get them both out of the way at once.
Big CatDentist offices should be installed on airplanes to save time
I'm also the guy who has the idea that we should start having dentist offices in planes so we can, you know, kill two birds with one stone... obviously we're gonna have to get through some of these hurdles [like turbulence].
If you see a U-Haul with a treadmill and a shower in the back stuck on the I-95, just know the future has arrived.
