Takes

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.

Ryan Mountcastle will have a massive second half because he's over his vertigo

Ryan Mountcastle. He seems to be over the vertigos, but yeah, he does hit a lot of homers. So he's been saving them. He, this is what he told me. He's been saving them for the second half. And I got him having a big second half.

The Phillies are a lock to reach the NLCS

The Phillies would have to really fuck up not to be in at least the NLCS because the NL is trash... they will be in big playoff games... there's no way that they're not gonna be in big playoff games... the Phillies will be in the NLCS. It would be you. I don't know if they'll win the NLCS. Yeah, that's gonna be a tough series... but the way the NL is set up. I think they will be in the NLCS.

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.

Playing in the MLB London Series means you won't win the World Series

Haven't every single team that's lost a London game has not won, gone on to win the World Series. I think that's a fact. That's a fact. Right. Playing in the London series means you won't win the World Series.

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.

MLB will fix the uniform lettering and sweat-wicking issues by the 2025 season

There was a report that came out that basically said Nike fucked up the uniforms. We're working to fix 'em. We're gonna get the bigger names in the back of the jerseys and everything should be fixed at the latest, at the start of the 2025 season.

Barry Bonds belongs in the Hall of Fame and needs a 'Reggie Bush' style pressure campaign

We need to now focus all of our energy because I I did say right after it happened, it's like a dog chasing a car. You catch it and you're like, what do we do now? Barry Bonds Hall of Fame. Easy. Barry Bonds Hall of Fame should be all the energy of the sports world. Right that wrong. Barry Bonds, the best baseball player of all time is not in the Hall of Fame. ... We can do anything with mob mentality. We can do anything.

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.

Shohei Ohtani was likely gambling and is using Ippei Mizuhara as a cover

I think he was gambling... I think they just want the chaos. But I think that's crazy to accuse unless like they did a full investigation and he's clear.

The obsession with velocity is destroying MLB pitchers' arms

Everyone's obsessed with velocity... everyone just looking at the numbers being like, you gotta throw a hundred, you gotta throw a hundred. And arms are just getting pushed to this max at a early age and everyone's destroying their arms.

I will pay for John Fisher's hair restoration if he appears on the podcast

John Fisher because you're a bald fuck. Big Cat will pay for your hair restoration for one appearance on Pardon My Take. Because he is bald. Take it. You bald bitch.

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.

Fanatics 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.

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.

The Shohei Ohtani investigation will take a long time to resolve

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... Major League baseball doesn't wanna step on the toes of federal investigators.

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.

The Yankees have already won the World Series after their opening sweep of Houston

I'd just like to be the first to congratulate Jake's New York Yankees on winning the World Series. Yeah. Four game sweep in Houston. Congrats. Jake. Juan Soto got his pinstripes. New era.

The Phillies hanging a banner for losing the NLCS is pathetic loser behavior

They didn't even win the division. They were like, they won nothing. They hung like, I don't know what, like... it's the most pathetic thing I've ever seen. I am. I might go, go to Citizen's Bank Park, scale that poll and take it down myself. All right.

The MLB will eventually sweep the Shohei Ohtani gambling investigation under the rug

I do think the MLB's just gonna sweep it under the rug. Of course they [will]. It's like, it's almost done. I'm telling you. I think it might be done. They're gonna reinstate Pete Rose and they'll be like under the new rules Shohei did very little wrong.

A first-time World Series winner will be crowned in 2024

I have a future that I put in DraftKings that I liked a lot. First time World Series winner. Okay. So either the Rockies, Brewers, Padres, Mariners or Rays... it's pods and rays.

The Rangers will beat the Dodgers in the World Series

I'll go Rangers over Dodgers.

I am betting against the Oakland Athletics -1.5 in every game of the 2024 season

Big Cat and I have decided to fade the athletics every single game. Yep. So we're putting a unit on the athletics every time they play 162 times a year, we're betting against them. Wake up. Bet against the athletics, sleep, profit, repeat. Minus one and a half every single game.

I believe Shohei Ohtani's story about Ippei Mizuhara stealing his money

Shohei, I believe him. I don't know why... but I just think like, I'm gonna believe him until they do the forensic accounting. I'm waiting for the forensic accounting to come out.

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'm betting $100,000 total against the Oakland Athletics this season

I think I'm gonna bet a hundred thousand dollars total against either the Athletics or the Chicago White Sox every single game this season... officially decided I'm betting a hundred thousand dollars against the Athletics.

MLB's transparent pants are a clever way for the league to stay relevant

This was smart by the MLB. 'Cause we're talking about him. Way to stay relevant baseball. Just make some shitty uniforms that have everyone's balls showing.

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].

Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers is not more impactful than Jackie Robinson

Ben Verlander... said that Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers is the most important signing in Dodgers history... Jackie Robinson? ... Pretty impactful. The word impactful was really interesting to us. Most important, most impactful.

Shohei Ohtani's contract is actually a natural progression from Aaron Judge's, valued around $460 million in real dollars

This is a 450-460 million dollar contract because of inflation and interest... If you actually think about it, this is a natural progression of contracts. Shohei Ohtani signed for 10 years, 460 million. That's a natural progression from Aaron Judge's nine for 360.

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.

The Blue Jays should be eliminated from the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes for leaking their meeting

It came out that Shhe... visiting with the Blue Jays. And I think by Sho Hays rules, the blue Jay should be eliminated. See you buddy. See you. Blue Jays. What?

The MLB pitch clock has significantly improved the game for everyone

The biggest is the clock, no question about it. And I, I think it has really worked out well. I love it personally. Keeps the game moving action. They took the shift away. So I think it's a better game. No doubt about it. They're shorter, they're crisper.

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.

Craig Counsell to the Cubs is a sign the team is ready to spend and compete for World Series titles again

I also think this is the sign that the Cubs are ready to start spending and start competing for World Series again. Because you're not Craig Counsell... you don't go to the Cubs, your rival... unless you have a deal in place from Jed and Tom Ricketts being like, 'Hey, we're going for this.'

Signing Will Smith is the best investment for any MLB team

Will Smith... is a three time World Series champion. First player to ever win three consecutive world series on three different teams. I think his salary this year was $1.5 million. Best investment of all time. Go, go. Every, every team should try to go sign him.

The MLB Wild Card format is great because it allows long shots like the Diamondbacks to make the World Series

So for everybody that's saying, I mean, Dodgers fans that are saying that the new wild card format is [bullshit], that they should go back. Well, one of the, one of the teams got to the World Series... because I love, I love long shots. If your team's not in it, it's hard to, to not root for a long shot and an underdog.

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 Houston Astros are going to win the ALCS against the Texas Rangers

The Astros are, I mean, they're gonna win the series, right?