PMT DB
PMT DB
Jeff Passan on MLB Preview, Oakland A's Disgrace, and the Rise of Mr. Pear
The vibes are high after an incredible Monday night of women's hoops. Caitlin Clark got her revenge on LSU, and while everyone was locked into that matchup, Big Cat is already looking ahead to the next superstar showdown.
Big CatPaige Bueckers might be my women's basketball GOAT
Paige Bueckers might be my goat. Yeah. We love women more than any other podcast in America.
Big Cat and PFT spent some time breaking down why the women's tournament is hitting different this year. Beyond the star power, the actual flow of the games feels superior to the men's side. Between the quarters and the foul rules, it feels like a more polished product than the whistle-fest we sometimes get on the men's side.
PFT CommenterQuarters are a better format for basketball than halves
I think I like the format of the women's game better. The quarters. I like the quarters. fouls reset... my one knock against the NCAA tournament on the men's side, is that down the stretch... it just turns into a foul fest.
Looking ahead to the Final Four, Big Cat isn't necessarily riding the Iowa hype train to a title. He thinks the coaching disparity between Kim Mulkey and the rest of the field was exposed, and a certain legendary coach in Storrs is going to have the defensive answer for number 22.
Big CatUConn will beat Iowa because Gino Auriemma has a better game plan for Caitlin Clark
I actually, I think UConn's gonna beat [Iowa] though, because I think Gino, like, if you watch the second game, Gino had a game plan for Juju Watkins that Kim Mulkey just didn't have for Caitlin.
The Disgrace in Oakland
The situation with the Oakland A's has officially reached a boiling point. Big Cat and PFT are already four and one on their strategy of betting against the A's every single day, but it's not even about the money anymore. It's about John Fisher being a world-class piece of shit. Between the team ghosting local fan groups like Last Dive Bar and allegedly punishing players for wearing protest bracelets, the ownership has reached a new low. PFT isn't holding back on how the league should handle this move to Vegas.
PFT CommenterMoving the Oakland A's to Las Vegas should be illegal
It should be illegal. What he's doing, he's, he's taking away joy from an entire city... He's taking away the community because he wants to make a little bit more money. Even though this, this guy, he's, he's a fail son.
Jeff Passan Joins the Show
ESPN's Jeff Passan joined the show for a massive baseball preview that covered everything from the Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal to the next major frontier in analytics. Passan broke down why we shouldn't expect a quick resolution to the Ohtani situation, as the MLB has to play second fiddle to the federal government.
Jeff PassanThe Shohei Ohtani investigation will take a long time to resolve because of federal involvement
I think it's gonna be a long time... This is such a tiny little speck of a much larger investigation that's going on right now into this alleged illegal gambling ring in Southern California.
They moved into a discussion about the current state of the game, where the expanded playoffs have essentially turned the regular season into a qualifying round. Passan noted that while the Dodgers and Yankees look like juggernauts, the modern format rewards teams that simply "catch a heater" in October.
Jeff PassanOctober baseball is a complete crapshoot
October baseball is a complete crapshoot... What that suggests to teams is October baseball is a complete crapshoot... You don't have to be great, right? You just have to be competitive and get to October and then once October comes, anything really can happen.
Speaking of the AL East, Passan isn't fully sold on the Bronx Bombers being the kings of the division just yet. Even with Juan Soto looking like a perfect fit, he's still leaning toward the young core in Baltimore.
Jeff PassanThe Orioles are a better team than the Yankees
I picked the Orioles in the American League East and honestly I still think the Orioles are a better team than the Yankees.
Passan also dropped some knowledge on the next "Moneyball" evolution. While everyone is looking at launch angles and spin rates, the real value lies in the trainer's room. The first team that figures out how to keep a rotation from falling apart will have a massive competitive advantage.
Jeff PassanThe next 'Moneyball' is figuring out how to keep pitchers healthy
Figuring out how to keep pitchers healthy is the holy grail of Major League baseball. And the first team that can truly figure out how to do it is going to win championships because of it. Now the problem is, I don't know if that's an achievable goal.
Before letting him go, the guys asked Passan about his Hall of Fame vote boycott. Passan was firm that the Hall should be a museum of history, not a morality play, and that excluding the greatest hitters to ever live is a disservice to the sport.
Jeff PassanSteroid users like Barry Bonds belong in the Hall of Fame
Barry Bonds is the best hitter I have ever seen. It's honestly, it's not even close... The Hall of Fame especially is not [sacred]. The Hall of Fame is a museum that should celebrate the good, bad, and ugly of the sport.
Hot Seat/Cool Throne and Mr. Pear
Hank is officially on the Hot Seat with the new Fanatics MLB jerseys. Between the tiny font and the fact that players are sweating through them like they’re wearing wet paper towels, the quality has become a league-wide joke.
HankFanatics MLB jerseys are complete pieces of shit
It's starting to bother me now that I'm watching a little more baseball. Just like not being able to read the pitcher's jersey. And it seems like every single night there's a new example of the jerseys just being pieces of shit.
Big Cat's Hot Seat featured Russell Westbrook, who continues his career-long mission of fighting every fan who breathes in his direction. This time, it was a Hornets fan in a literal balloon hat.
Big CatRussell Westbrook looks foolish for arguing with a fan in a balloon hat
Never get in a fight with someone who has nothing to lose. Yeah. That guy has zero to lose in life. He's a diehard Hornets fan in a balloon hat... Russell Westbrook looks like a much bigger fool than the balloon hat guy.
To wrap up the show, the guys addressed the need for a new gambling animal in the Chicago studio. While Larry the Goldfish is a legend, the maintenance was a nightmare. Enter: Mr. Pear. The guys are officially getting a gambling turtle who will make picks by choosing between different slices of pears.
Big CatI'm getting a gambling turtle named Mr. Pear to make picks on the show
I like it done. Mr. Pear. Mr. Pear... we'll stamp the slices of pears with the different logos. Yeah. And that will be, that will be how he picks his games. Which pair Mr. Pear. And we should never discipline him. Never.
If the turtle hits at 60 percent, we might have to let him run the entire company.
