Takes

The Yankees changed their facial hair policy specifically for Juan Soto

This might have been part of Juan Soto's contract. What's the free agent class coming up? Maybe there's something there.

Removing human umpires from baseball takes away 50% of the reason to watch

I do worry as always that when you take away umps, you, you take away like 50% of the conversations guys can have with each other. And that goes for refs and, and everything in sports. If you can't complain about the calls, what are we gonna talk about? It'd basically be like putting a ban on no discussion about the weather.

Baseball is the worst of the four major North American sports

I'm not a ball guy. Slow game. Bottom, bottom of the four major sports for sure. Hockey, football, then to throw the NBA. And then we gotta drop to MLB.

The MLB must fire any umpire who shares a gambling account

The MLB had to fire a ref because he was umpire sharing — sorry, umpire. He was sharing a gambling account with another gambler who was gambling on baseball... even if the MLB was like, we don't even care about the whole betting part or the baseball thing, we can't have people employed by us who think it's okay to share a gambling account.

Rickey Henderson is the best lead-off hitter of all time

Rickey Henderson... was such a awesome, awesome baseball player to watch. All his base stealing records are just insane... Best lead off hitter of all time.

The pinnacle of pitching is winning a World Series ring

I just wanna win. I think the best thing in sports is winning. It cures everything. Individually, Triple Crown, Cy Young, obviously you wanna do that again. But it all wouldn't mean as much if I don't have a ring. If not multiple. That's why you play. At least that's why I play the game is to win World Series rings and go perform on that stage.

Grabbing Mookie Betts' glove was the best use of $5,000 by a fan of all time

You go to that game and I saw people clowning 'em online saying you spent $5,000 for front row seats just to get kicked out. No, that's, that's maybe the most well spent $5,000 of all time for those guys. Yeah, they're, they're heroes.

The two Yankees fans who interfered with Mookie Betts are responsible for the Yankees winning Game 4

Those guys sparked the Yankees. Like I believe that those guys are responsible for this win in those bats waking up because basically the, all the Yankee fans sitting in, in Yankee stadium tonight were like, do something. And the Capobianco brothers are like, you know what? We'll do something.

Aaron Judge is a regular season merchant who doesn't show up in the playoffs

The Yankees are just like Aaron Judge is a regular season merchant. All he does is hit home runs in the regular season, doesn't show up in the playoffs. Like that's a and and if there's one fanbase that will not tolerate that, it's the New York Yankees.

The Phillies are in a downhill spiral and their window is closed

Philly's lost the game. They looked like shit. It's exact same thing that went on from 2009 to 2011 of the Phillies... and then what I am saying, yes, it is the same thing. Like it is just a downhill spiral with no World Series. There's no hope. There's no hope. And the window's closed for every team.

Aaron Judge is not a true Yankee because he doesn't perform in October

I don't think he's a true Yankee, Big Cat, which is so funny to say because he's objectively one of the best hitters of his entire generation... but not a true Yankee because true Yankees, they get it done in October.

Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame

I'm a believer that he [Pete Rose] should be in the Hall of Fame because I think the Hall of Fame should have everyone in it... Tell the whole story of baseball steroids, guys. Pete Rose, everything. He should have been in the Hall of Fame.

Shohei Ohtani is a better global superstar and better at his sport than anyone ever

Do you remember when I came on the show and you guys relentlessly tortured me for saying McDavid was better at his sport than anyone else in the world. I've now switched it to Ohtani. And I'm like obsessed with watching this guy play baseball. And it might be Travis Hunter. No, Tani... nobody's done consistently offense and defense in the NFL... it's not, it's insane watching this guy.

Shohei Ohtani is the best baseball player of all time

I'd say that this, he is the best baseball player of all time. Whether or not he'll have the best career of all time is kind of up for grabs. But we've never seen anybody that's doing what he's doing.

The feeling of hitting a home run like Barry Bonds is the best sports superpower

Hitting like Barry Bonds is the like, I mean throwing, throwing like Paul Skenes would be pretty sick. No, the feeling of hitting a home run, like if you just got that feeling 700 whatever times, that's the best. That's awesome.

The MLB challenge system is better than using full robot umpires

I really, I do like the human part of the game... I think if we're gonna go any anywhere with it, the challenge system, but I think it's, I think full on robot strike zones is, it kind of just removes the purpose of a catcher a little bit.

Clubhouse chemistry matters more than individual talent for winning championships

I think the Yankees have proved you can have all the best players, but If, you don't have the chemistry. It doesn't matter. You know, you gotta, you gotta gimme a, gimme a, a group of guys that might not be the best players, but they get along and they're all moving in the right direction and we'll go win.

The Home Run Derby is officially dead

The Home Run Derby is officially dead. And here's why... the Home Run Derby has lost its luster. The Juice Ball Home Run Derby. The way the format was set, the Home Run Derby is dead because all it took was one horrific national anthem to steal the night.

MVP Baseball 2005 is the greatest baseball game ever created

MVP Baseball 2005 was the greatest baseball player—was MVP Baseball? Yeah. The greatest baseball game. I think '04 as well was very good... those two versions were so, so elite.

Taking $30,000 is better than playing one week in the MLB

Would you rather get handed 30 K right now or play a week in the big leagues? 30 k all day... If you put me on an MLB team for a week, I think it'd be the most miserable week of your life. Every single play just being a disaster for you.

Andy Pettitte is the best big-game pitcher I have ever seen

Andy Pettitte's probably the best big game pitcher I've ever seen, you know, in my career. He just, that guy just, he knew how to win.

I wish I had used steroids during my MLB career

I look back now, I go, fuck, I wish I would've done 'em. Yeah. To be honest with you. I wish I would've because I, I don't think I would've, I I think I would've gained velocity. You know, I, I, I think in that aspect, so with my ability to throw strikes, I think it would've made me a lot better.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred hates baseball and is trying to mess it up

Rob Manfred. I just, I think he hates baseball. So he's just screwing it up while his tenure's still going. And he's gonna see how much he could fuck it up. So wait, what? What guy? Guy, they had a, they should have booted him years ago.

MLB should fire all analytic guys and get rid of the pitch clock

I would get rid of the clock. Okay. I get, I'd get every analytic guy outta there. All the nerds. Drop 'em off in the middle of the lake and let 'em swim in... they're the guys that are making all, all the, all the calls and everything... a computer doesn't tell you it doesn't have a heartbeat.

Baseball has the highest amount of celebratory ass slaps in sports

Baseball for sure. Football probably second... baseball, that's how they shake hands.

Pete Alonzo is the biggest loser in sports during the Home Run Derby

Pete Alonzo with the home run Derby is the worst. He is the biggest loser in sports when the Home Run Derby comes around. ... He, dude, he gets laser focused. He meditates backstage. He goes into like a little panic room by himself in between rounds and just focuses and visualize home runs. And the home run derby isn't even that fun anymore.

The World Series trophy is the worst trophy in sports

There is no worse trophy than the World Series. That trophy stinks. That trophy's just literally like, Hey, how can we make a trophy that looks like it's gonna break at any moment? ... It really is. It's, it's really a blowout when you go from like the Stanley Cup to the World Series. ... The problem with it is, it, it looks cool if it's in a glass container, but to actually celebrate with it, you can't celebrate with it.

The MLB playoffs are stupid because too many bad teams are alive for the wild card

The Major League baseball completely fucked up the playoffs with this wild card. It's so stupid because now everyone's alive... I don't like that they did this in the NBA either. I think that there should be a rule where if you're beneath 500, you shouldn't even be listed in the wild card possibilities.

Ippei Mizuhara is the greatest Fall Guy Hall of Famer of all time

Ippei is came out and he's guilty or he's admitted guilt... If he is a fall guy, I think he is the best fall guy of all time. Ever. Fall Guy Hall of Fame.

Major League Baseball is only integrating Negro League stats to make themselves look like the good guy

The weird part to me is MLB segregated the black players. Told them they cannot play in the M lb. Yes. Created, like, made them create their own leagues because like you cannot play. We're keeping you out. And now 80 years later, they're basically inheriting their statistics and putting them on the MLB website and almost erasing it. Like the Negro Leagues being like Oh. yeah. It's all part of MLB. ... It feels like they're just kind of patting the Negro Leagues on the head being like, these are ours now.

Major League Baseball should get rid of all stats from the pre-integration era

I actually think you should just get rid of all old stats pre-integration because that was ma the major league stats are also tainted. You kept out because you kept out some of the best players. You've deliberately kept them out. You shouldn't be able to count those as those the like the number one stats.

I will no longer praise the food at Guaranteed Rate Field because Jerry Reinsdorf is a bad owner

I'm no longer gonna say that [the food is good] because that's what Jerry Reinsdorf wants you to say... It doesn't matter what happens on the field. We got great food, we got great beer... I can no longer say that I'm gonna stand with White Sox fans. I will no longer plug the fact that going to a game there is actually fun.

Nestor Cortes' fake pitch is awesome because of how much it bothers baseball traditionalists

I'm Now on Cortez's side. All right. I Now think it's an awesome pitch. I didn't [know] it made people that mad. So, I mean, there's no way this is actually like a strategy that could like [work]... I Now think it's an awesome pitch. If it makes people mad, that rules.

Moving 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.

I am officially over no-hitters

I'm so over no hitters. Remember when no hitters used to be like you, they'd even go to bonus coverage... I became over no hitters at right at opening Day 2023.

October 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.

The 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.

Babe Ruth would stink if he played in the MLB today

If you had Babe Ruth playing baseball today right now, he would stink... I think if you gave Babe Ruth this guy with immense physical talent, the ability to adjust, then he would be a really good baseball player. But if you took 1927 Babe Ruth and dropped him into the big leagues today, he'd be down in AAA.

Steroid 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.

MLB will avoid banning Shohei Ohtani because he is too valuable to the league's revenue

It seems to me like baseball, given how much money they stand to make from Ohtani, really does not want to have to treat Ohtani like they would anyone. Can you imagine if it was a utility player that paid off four and a half million dollars? How fast would that guy be banned for baseball for life?

I definitely would have made it to the major leagues in baseball

I miss baseball so much and, and I, I truly believe that me not playing baseball did not allow me to achieve certain athletic movements on the football field that I was when I was playing baseball every single day. ... I do believe that I would, I would've made it to the show. ... At the end of Florida State I was top nine at 98 [MPH].

Every MLB free agent contract is technically an overpay but it doesn't matter without a salary cap

If the roles were reversed, you would be so over the moon about this. And yes, every contract free agent contract in MLB history is an overpay because you're paying for past accomplishments and who cares? There's no salary cap. It's not your money.

Gary Sheffield had the most intimidating and unique sound off the bat in baseball

I coached third when Sheffield was with San Diego. This is back what, 93, 94. And oh my goodness, the sound of coming off his bat. It's just different. And you know, those guys, the elite players, you, you, you can tell when that ball's hit who, who's hitting sometimes.

Jose Altuve is the most clutch baseball player since David Ortiz

Altuve might be the most clutch guy since Big Papi. Every big moment he comes up huge.

The Braves are soft and complainers after their playoff exit

This series [we learned] Braves kind of soft, kind of complainers. If you're a Braves fan, you won a World Series a couple years ago, you'd be happy with that. But now you seem pretty soft. This postseason between the complaining about a reporter tweeting out an accurate statement from the clubhouse... gimme a fucking break.

Bryce Harper embodies the city of Philadelphia more than any superstar

I'm so jealous of Philly fans because you got a player that is a superstar potential Hall of Famer someday. And he's such a dirtbag—like Phillies fans. He is one of them. When he signed his deal, he was like 13 years, I don't want any opt-outs, I want to die here. Bury me in Philly. He embodies everything that fan base is all about.

The Astros have proven they never needed to cheat to be successful

What they've proven to me—and should be to a lot of people—is that they never had to cheat in the first place. Whether or not they would've won in 2017, that remains to be seen... but as far as getting there seven straight [ALCSs], I don't think that they needed to cheat to do that. They were talented all along.

I only enjoy watching baseball when my team is on offense

What I said was... I like when my team is on offense, and I don't like when my team is on defense. [It's because] in the short series, every [pitch] is so important. You lose one and you're just back that much.

You would always rather give up a solo home run than a walk in the 9th

Top of the ninth, up 3-1. First batter. Would you rather give up a walk or a solo shot? I'd rather give up a solo shot. [Because with a walk] all of a sudden the tying run is on base and it's just all the nerves. Tension. I texted Dan Haren and he said 'no question you'd rather give up a solo shot.'

The Phillies losing Game 2 was a 'better way to lose' than a bad loss because they showed fight

I would much rather see go down like that than if they were to roll over. It's not a good loss. It was a bad loss... but the team showed enough fight to win that game. The Braves just played better in the ninth. I would rather see [that].