PMT DB
PMT DB
Dallas Braden on MLB Labor War and the Steroid Era
Big Cat and PFT are coming off a weekend spent watching the highly anticipated Long Gone Summer documentary, and to say they were underwhelmed would be an understatement. The film, which was supposed to be a definitive look at the 1998 home run race, felt more like a collection of clips you could find on YouTube with some Bob Costas commentary sprinkled in for dramatic effect.
PFT CommenterESPN's 'Long Gone Summer' documentary stunk because it taught us nothing new
The long-gone summer stunk. It was impressive in the fact that it was a two hour long documentary that taught me absolutely nothing new. It will have—that's a—I've never sat down and watch which should be like a detailed look at an era where they—there were no new facts. It was a YouTube compilation with some Radio Calls.
Big Cat was particularly annoyed by how the film treated Sammy Sosa, who felt like an afterthought compared to Mark McGwire. Even though Sosa won the MVP that year and was just as electric, he was relegated to a supporting role in what was marketed as a dual look at the summer that saved baseball.
Big CatThe 'Long Gone Summer' documentary was really just a Mark McGwire film with Sammy Sosa in a supporting role
Other than that it was the Mark McGwire documentary with a small part supporting role of Sammy Sosa which was weird because Sammy was equally as electric obviously.
Speaking of that era, the conversation naturally shifted to the Hall of Fame. While the documentary spent the final fifteen minutes hand-wringing over the morality of steroids, Big Cat remains steadfast that the history of the game shouldn't be erased. The numbers from the late 90s were insane, and whether they were fueled by juice or not, those guys defined an entire generation of baseball fans.
Big CatBarry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Roger Clemens should all be in the Hall of Fame
Everyone was doing it one, you can't tell me that Barry Bonds isn't a fucking Hall of Famer or Sammy Sosa isn't a fucking Hall of Famer, Roger [Clemens]—like all these guys should be in the Hall of Fame.
Dallas Braden joined the show to give a player's perspective on the steroid era and the current mess between the MLB owners and the union. Having entered the league just as the Mitchell Report was coming out, Dallas saw firsthand how the culture was shifting. He offered a surprisingly pragmatic view on why players chose to use during that time, framing it not as a moral failing but as a cold calculation.
Dallas BradenFor many players, using steroids was simply a 'business decision'
This is a business decision and you've got to—you got to—you got to think about a few things here... am I okay with being able to look the man in the mirror... look my friends, family, fans, whatever. Can I look them in the eye and be okay with making that decision? And if at the end of the day, you can check all three of those boxes, that's a business decision regardless of who's in front of you.
Turning to the current state of baseball, Dallas isn't optimistic about the owners' intentions. With the 2020 season hanging in the balance, it feels like a game of chicken where the owners are trying to minimize their losses at the expense of the product on the field. Dallas believes we are headed for a severely truncated schedule designed solely to satisfy television contracts.
Dallas BradenMLB owners are stalling to play the smallest amount of games possible in 2020
We're going to play games so that we can get the TV money, but we're going to play the smallest amount possible. Because this is all about a business decision from the owners' perspective. So we're going to play the minimum available. 50 games.
If we do get a 50-game sprint, the strategy of the game is going to change completely. Every game becomes a must-win, and the traditional way of managing a pitching staff goes out the window. Dallas expects a chaotic environment where managers have to be much more aggressive with their bullpens.
Dallas BradenManaging will be more important than ever in a 50-game season
This will be interesting because this will probably be the hardest season for a manager and the most that managing will come into play a game to game because like you said, first sign of trouble we got to win this game. It's not going to be like a Sunday in the middle of July where you hey, we can let's get the fuck out of Cincinnati we can lose this game and recoup tomorrow.
Beyond the strategy, Dallas thinks the shortened season could lead to some historic, albeit weird, statistical anomalies. If a player is smart enough to pivot their approach to the specific circumstances of a 50-game window, we might see a number we haven't seen in decades.
Dallas BradenA player could hit .400 in a shortened 50-game season if they just practiced bunting every day
You need to shitcan BP and you need to just be wearing out the left side, like just play pepper all day long. You hit .400. You want to hit .400 in this 50-game season? That's how you hit .400, bro. You wear out the left side.
Who's Back featured the return of Reggie Bush to USC's good graces, and PFT checking in on the Mayan calendar's potential mistake. While everyone thought the world was supposed to end in 2012, new calculations suggest we might have a little more time left. PFT has already circled a new date on his calendar for the grand finale.
PFT CommenterThe world will end on February 10, 2045
The world's going to end—January? No, it's going to be after the Super Bowl, February 10th. When? 2045. Okay, that's my prediction... on my 80th birthday. 2045, I'm gonna go out with a prostitute and a bad batch of heroin. Boom.
To wrap things up, the crew performed a Mount Flushmore of things chicks dig, which quickly devolved into Big Cat and Hank geeking out over the latest celebrity dating news. After weeks of watching Outer Banks, Big Cat found himself genuinely invested in the real-life romance of the show's stars.
Big CatI'm genuinely happy that Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline from 'Outer Banks' are dating in real life
John B and Sarah Cameron dating in real life. Yes. Fuck. Yes. That is so hot. That's awesome. Oh fuck. Yes. All right. I need all the Deets on that... Chase Stokes and Maddie in real life. According to—get stoked—Ria's already—Ria's where's my heart is about to burst.
With Stool Streams on the horizon, Big Cat is putting his faith in PFT to finally get over the hump and take down Hank in ping-pong. It’s a mountain PFT has been trying to climb for a long time, and the vibes are finally starting to feel right for an upset.
Just remember, if a three-pound African bullfrog with teeth shows up in the office next week, blame Billy.
