April 18, 2023
The Porch Is Live - BYE HEXTALL - The Buccos are STILL Hot
The Pens are out, but something good happens... HEXTALL is shown the door.
The Buccos split in St. Louis... and... it's almost draft day for the Steelers... rumors of a trade? What???
Season 3
NHL Pittsburgh Pengunins
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Pittsburgh Penguins
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Pittsburgh Pirates,
The Pens are out, but something good happens... HEXTALL is shown the door.
The Buccos split in St. Louis... and... it's almost draft day for the Steelers... rumors of a trade? What???
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Transcript
I don't know. There we go. The music is over. I don't know when the music is going to stop but I promise you it will. That's because I mess with the music every single time. I can't help myself. Um alright, listen. Welcome to the Sports Porch Pittsburgh. We are so fantastically ridiculously happy that you're here and the first thing I want to do is thank you for listening on American Busker iHeartRadio with over 150 million registered users, 2000 devices, 260 platforms and I want to let you know that you can always get us on The Porch is Live.
com. The Porch is Live dot com. The Porch Is Live. com. You got it right there and catch the Sports Porch Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast or anywhere you get your podcast. Google's got a podcast. Google's got lots of podcasts. They've got lots of things. Google's pretty big. Google Rules the world. Mm hmm. Yeah and I I always you know, I'll say that for later.
We're still trying to figure stuff out here. We are still trying to figure stuff out here. It's a good one though. Uh oh yeah and I keep forgetting this every Sunday on a American Busker iHeartRadio at 4 PM. You can hear this week's show. Let's go. I just listened to us yesterday and I just turned it on and there it was.
We know you're doing the laundry at 4 PM. Yes. Just turn us on. There you go. That's exactly right. Um okay, I'm messing with your microphone stuff here because I'm not sure that let me just do that there. That might be better. Give me a test. One of these days our technical will have it all figured out. I do have it all figured out.
I actually do. There'll be no pauses. Okay. So, what do we do the sports here. Well, I'm I'm going to change things up in the beginning a little bit because I think we're on so many different platforms that if you're listening to us on iHeart or if you're listening to the podcast, you may not be aware of the fact that we are currently live on social media and when I say social media, I mean like all social media, almost all social media.
We don't do the TikTok around here. Yeah, we're not TikTokers. Yeah. We need we need to get a youngin to do that. Yeah, we need a youngin of obviously we are not and but so when we're live on social media, when we're doing these shows, we have a lot of people that like to watch, thank god. Yeah. And they comment, we put their comments up.
So, you know, if you want to hop on the social media and and watch us every Monday night at 7 thirty, you know, you can be part of the crowd. That's right. That's why we're here. We're here to we're crowd pleasers. That's right. Well, you're compared to last week, you are very, after what happened to the Penguins, you are very very, well, I know why you're very accommodating right now.
Yeah, pretty calm because I have to be but you know, if playoff hockey was on right now, I would not be so calm and relaxed but. Right. This is the first time in 16 years I haven't experienced it so. Right. It's a new experience for me. Right. Yeah. Well, you know, I mean, a new old experience. Yeah. I guess I just.
Yeah. I've been through stretches where the Penguins don't have it make the playoffs and it wasn't surprising. This is the first time in a while where it's like surprising they didn't make the playoffs. Yeah and that the Of course, look, what do we do here? We talk about sports. This is a Pittsburgh-based sports show and I just I'm just going to launch right into the the Let's do it.
Topic du jour. Um. I don't even know what it is. You know what it is. This is so exciting. We hung it up behind you. We hung it up at poorly but we hung it up behind you. So, after last week in which Schwabber said he thought that it was highly likely that the Penguins would win both games against Chicago and and and the Blue Jackets and you said you were nervous I was very nervous I had a really bad feeling I I just had a really bad feeling yeah when they got the help they needed it seemed too easy to make the playoffs at that point I know and it was too easy it was yeah see now you're starting to like your sound of your voice in your in your in your headphones so I you know I was I I think for me the the fact that right after the Blue Jackets lost within twenty-four hours they they got rid of the Hextall team and they're moving on and we'll talk about that in a second I think that was that was obviously obvious you know they had to do it they just had to do it Hextall was a train wreck he was a train wreck in Philly he was he was kind of left with a train wreck here because Rutherford quit and there were some other things going on but he he created a train wreck and now he's gone and so the first name I hear is the guy that's up in Toronto that doesn't have a contract.
Do you know anything about that guy? No, I do know that he's a mover and a shaker like he's a guy who will who who will just take this over and make it his own. Right. Like he won't be a yes man for whatever they want to do. Like he will have ideas and he'll want to shake things up. Right. So the question is is how much can he shake up with the way the contracts are are set up.
You know what I mean? Right right. Like that going to be the big problem for the Penguins no matter who the GM is. It's basically what can they actually do with the team. So so I don't that's all I know about him. Um he actually I believe Toronto does actually want to sign him but there's been grumblings like he might he might want to just see what else is out there.
Yeah. Just because. Yeah. Toronto's gotta be the hardest market to to to be a GM in. And like unless they make it to the Eastern Conference Finals if they're out in the first round again against Tampa again they probably wouldn't want them back anyway. Well that's the knock on that whole situation. You know and it was kind of going there here you know for last four years first round exit from the playoffs or was the last five.
Too many. It doesn't matter right? Since they won the cup. Right. It would been nothing but first round exits and even if you include the the Montreal COVID play in game really. Right. I mean that they weren't even technically in the playoffs yet. Yeah yeah so I and of course this is that's a rumor mill. It has it has no basis in fact I just this is again I give credit to the radio crowd sometimes they bring this stuff up and we just end up talking about it yeah I mean there are couple other guys I mean you can go back to the well and Jason Botterol was was assistant GM here for a while under GMJR and he went up to Buffalo and failed up there and now he's with Ruthford as assistant GM out in Vancouver so there's another name for you that I think would be okay but it's kind of like he's a familiar face so I think if he comes in like you're not going to see too many changes he's certainly you know going to stick with the big three the big three are going to stay no matter what the question is is what what are they going to do are they going to change the system how vulnerable will Sully be that those are the big changes that I think somebody like Dumas would make right and you know I the question and I keep and they were talking they were talking about this on the radio again, okay? And I don't.
It's a big topic. It is a huge topic because we we we talked about this in the past and and the question that I I have for you as like as hockey Jesus, okay? And we'll we'll get to your playoff stuff in a bit in a bit. Right.
The question I have for you really it is something I started thinking about they they're talking and talking and talking the press is going on about Hextall and the contracts and he he like it looked like he was kind of doing a good job because he freed up $5 million dollars worth of Cavs space at the trade deadline but then he put Granlin in there and that was like everybody knew that was just a complete bone headed move and you know here we are sitting on the outside looking in we had great years from you know our three best players we had great years the goaltending sucks.
We'll get to that in a minute. I'll give you my opinion as a somewhat hockey fan now because I'm getting a little bit more you know every year. Thanks to the hockey Jesus who is converted. 82 sessions with the hockey Jesus will get you far. Listen dude. I mean I can't even tell you like the dedication that took and for you it was easy. It was easy.
I love it. Yeah. Yeah. Just like the playoffs spectacular. I know. 25 minutes of piece of 30 minutes. It was 3029 minutes then a couple commercials. So My question to you Hockey Jesus paid for those commercials. Um once we start pulling a profit. Oh. I'm going to cut that one.
So if you want to help us pull apart. Prophet my Sharon like us on everything right now. My Venmo account is and so listen these these stars Malcolm Crosby Gentzel okay LaTang they're inked to long term deals right? No Gentzel is not in fact he only has one more year left on his deal. Okay but so that's something the new GM will have to address. But Malcon is and Malcolm yes signed last year.
Crosby. Crosby two more years. Two more years. Okay. If I'm four more years. Right. Okay. So if I'm the Penguins right now. Looking at what they have to do to like move **** around. You know and and that double mandate that we've talked about so much that was a **** mandate this whole time. Yeah. You know win now and prepare for the future. Okay well you can't prepare for the you can't win now and prepare for the future if your guys are old.
Okay they're still good look I I kept thinking to myself I don't care who the new GM is you got one more you got a last dance at the ball break the bank win now look if if Crosby gets another Stanley Cup that's four for him okay that's big that's four for Malcolm yes that's four for LaTang double what Mario Lemieux got right right what are we doing win now yeah screw the future you had 16 straight years of playoffs which never happens it's never happened in the history of professional sports in this country and so I'm going to dovetail that onto I've talked about how Steelers fans are spoiled and not anymore we're going into a downswing now but we were spoiled for many years right Penguins fans have been spoiled I don't care you didn't it you know oh we couldn't get out of the first round of the playoffs for four years well Jesus you know you had you had three cup victories in four finals in those 16 years yeah you know but you still have the the core of that team together and they are still playing at a high level what do you gotta do to win now right now screw the future what do you say first let me address the spoiled fans syndrome you always do this I have to because I just can't let that go while it is true the fans are spoiled when I was doing the hockey previews I would struck by how many teams good teams actually lose in the first round of the playoffs like I thought it was just the Penguins literally I I you get so wrapped in your own team where it's like you feel like only your team loses in the first round.
Guess what? There are a lot of teams that lose in the first round. More teams. Shut your mouth.
Thanks Mark. You're welcome. Just out of nowhere. Yeah in case you guys haven't noticed. Mark is not here. He is here in spirit. Why don't you shut your mouth? But he is he is on vacation so we wish you a happy vacation. Grand Swabini. So so yeah. Um so the so that's what I was that's what I was thinking about is I was thinking about our our first round exits.
It's just that we are always like favored to win and that's what makes it harder. When you're favored to win you lose the first round it feels worse. Right. So that that aside what does it take for the Penguins to win now it's actually simpler than you think they only need a really good goal I I knew you were going to say that I agree with you and and that's that but unfortunately Hextall's taking us backwards so badly and not they just don't need that now they have to buy out some of these contracts like like what you said about Grandland is absolutely true it boggles the mind that you could get first of all a boggled to mind about Kaepenan.
Yeah. Signing him for 2 years. Yeah. And the thing is like when you and of course before that Carter right? So if you can get Carter to retire and still pay him off the cap space. And if you can buy out Granlin you can only buy out two contracts. So then you probably also either want to buy out Petrie or Ruta. So my guess is you buy out Petrie also and then you go another defenseman and you go get you go get a goalie.
Now here's the thing.
I don't actually think that Crosby Malkin can play like they did last year again next year. Now if they do that that's great. Because then what you do is you plug in a guy like Nylander up with Malkin and hope he can learn to play. Because he can definitely skate with them. That's not going to be a problem. Right. So you gotta bring some of your young guys and they got a few young guys taking do it.
But you probably have to go out and get somebody who's not going to play on a team and maybe even get rid of a ruta or a somebody who will take on that contract that needs that veteran presence in their defense and you gotta let guys like Ty Smith play that they got last year that that Sullivan doesn't want to play so here in lies the rub like if you want to make big changes like that you may actually have to change the coach also because you're going to have to bring in a coach who's going to trust young talent to make mistakes and be okay with that and let them grow throughout the year so by the time mid season comes around they actually are a better faster team I just don't know Sullivan's willingness to do that and if they bring in somebody like Boderall he's not going to replace Sullivan so you're going to run into that problem next year yeah if that's the case if you don't find the right chemistry with your with your management and and how your how your team's coached yeah and DG's in the house as always DG what's up and he he agrees with you from the put some young talented speed around the big three and that's as good as it could get for any team I mean I I I agree as well but but there is a dynamic there and that that question will not and cannot be answered until they decide who the GM's going to be and then at that point at that point it would not surprise me even though they have Sully signed to a longer term contract it wouldn't surprise me for them to make a change and They've always been pretty good about changing coaches.
No, they. Of course, it's a new ownership group now so. It it is and they're the ones who actually gave them the the extra contract. So, I I don't I don't I don't really know where that's going to go. I don't really know where that's going to go but I think you have to get the GM in place first. Once you get the GM in place, let them make the decision and the the first question anybody's going to ask the new GM is, what are you going to do with your head coach? Right.
You Right? That's going to be the first thing. I mean it's going to be the first thing. Yeah you're right. And then they might say something like well we have to sign some players first and once we get the personnel on the in the room then we'll make a discussion about the about the about the head coach. Yeah. Or they'll say we're going to give Sullivan the the players that he needs to be able to coach so that so he can get back to the playoffs and so we can win another Stanley Cup or they'll say some platitude like that.
Yeah. So it depending on who it is it'll be interest to hear what they say though because I believe it will make sense for what the future will be for the Penguins at least the short term future in the off season yeah and I I think that the fact that we've gotta wait for all of that you know as as fans you want to have your answers now and I don't see anything like that happening until after the playoffs.
Well at least they won't have the problem they had with Jim Rutherford which was midseason Just left. Yeah. He quit. And so I'm okay with waiting until the playoffs are over because then you've got all the teams to be able to pick from another GM. Yeah. So I'm I'm good with that. I just I think it'll be interesting to see if they'll have enough time to be able to put together a half decent draft.
Hey you know by the way they have a 1. 5% of getting Bernards. I was I was going to ask you excuse me. I was going to ask you that question like every team do the teams that make the playoffs? No. That they are not in the lottery. Correct. But every team that's out gets a certain number of balls. Yep right. Yep. And your balls equal your percent.
Your balls equal. I think a 1. 5% equals one ball. Well if you base it on the number of children you have then I've got some big balls. You don't. You don't.
Why don't you shut your mouth? Exactly what I was thinking. Oh my god. That's hilarious. Um Okay, last thing I'm going to say is I hundred percent agree with you on the goalie. I I think Jari has one of the best goalie names of all time in hockey. I mean, who wouldn't want a goalie named Jari. Jari, yeah. But let's just face it. First of all, the guy's injured. Second of all, I I just I don't think he does it. I don't think he does it. I think it's time and and his contract is up, right? Yeah.
Yeah. He's he does not have a contract. Do not bring him back. That's my advice for the Penguins as if they would listen. Yeah, I agree and and a lot of people are saying that and here's the problem I think with him. He's he's He's an okay regular season goalie but he's gets hurt way too much and actually that somebody asked him this in the exit you know all the presses there where they're getting their stuff and they said hey is this injury that you have something you can just get surgery and it'll be fixed and he said no.
So. What does that mean? Right. It means it's probably some soft tissue maybe back injury where who knows if it ever gets fixed. Yeah I like and you know I hope it does for him but as far as your performance and being able to fill that role no way.
No and and you've become an unreliable goalie at that point. Nobody wants a goalie who can't play you know 40 to 50 games. And that's the problem. The good thing about getting a goalie is there are a lot of goalies out there. Yes. So it's just finding one that would fit in your system. Boston's got two pretty good goalies. Yeah they're not giving up. And Carter Hart wants out of Philly too. Yeah I love to get that guy. But I don't think Phillies he's signed through next year. Yeah but you don't you don't think I mean his his performance has gone down. I mean he's not. No no no. He was. No he's still very good. He is. He's just surrounded by trash and I mean when you're in Philadelphia you're always surrounded.
Okay.
You know what that means. Why don't you shut your mouth? Yeah that's exactly what that means. I can hear that. We've lived in Philadelphia for 5 years. We know it's true. We did live there. Yeah. But I look it's a beautiful city. It's a beautiful city. It is a beautiful city. I love Philadelphia. Yes. But it is surrounded by traffic. Yes. Yeah. On and off the ice.
So many so many horribly politically incorrect. Anyway anyway anyway the the Carter Hart situations that they're never going to trade in the to us. That that would never happen. I don't know. But There are three goalies. If you listen to my spectacular, you know this. I did listen to your spectacular. There are three goalies. Three young goalies in Vegas. I'd love to get one of those guys. Yeah.
Yeah. Well, you know. I mean, it's possible. There's a there's a new there's a new sheriff in town. We just don't know who he is yet. Let's make some trades. Let's get a goalie here that is better than Jari and can play and I actually think they get they keep the Smith as a backup. I think he's a really good backup goalie. I did. He's just a backup goalie.
I did hear something where they well his his save percentage is the same as Jarres overall right but like you said but remember he had some really good games and he had some really trash game so yes his variability is much bigger than Jarry's right right right so he he's exactly what you said he's the kind of backup goalie that you bring him in for a game he's lights out if you gotta bring him in for two but once you get pass that second game you're going to have some problems yeah sorry I'm distracted by the Carolina game.
Can we get an update on the score? Uh looks like it's still one nothing but it's something happened at the end and I missed it. Okay so. And they're at the end of the first period. I gotta give some serious props to Steve here and as you can see if you're watching this on social media Hockey Jesus Preaches on the podcast the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you get your podcast.
Steve we started this podcast about three years ago. Believe it or not. It's been three years. Yeah. Now we a little bit of break during COVID but we we tried. We our Last show in COVID we should replay that because we were like making fun of it. We were like we were like this is ridiculous. Nobody's out here. They're going to get sick. Yeah and I think the title of it was like corona and some limes.
And then we had this huge pandemic and everybody got locked down. That was kind of embarrassing. But now so maybe we shouldn't replay that. So we just embarrassed ourselves enough. I don't think you needed that. Yeah. Yeah. But we could never embarrass ourselves enough.
Mm. Or maybe. Well that's why we continue to do this. So yeah I agree. Maybe it should be we have embarrassed ourselves enough. We just refuse to quit.
Is that did I nail it? I think there's nothing else to say after you. Okay. Drop the mic. I'll unscrew the boom. So no 82 games. Three years ago you know things are going well and Steve steps up to the plate. Hockey Jesus is born and eighty-two after every game analysis and now Hockey Jesus is preaching on the playoffs. Now he's going to do one for each round unless he feels some sort of inspiration.
Yeah unless there's a super game seven coming up or something crazy happens. You never know when you're going to hear the hockey Jesus up there. Well after your performance there are no expectations here. Let's just put it that way because you've already exceeded. Well my my rookie season is over now. Yeah. So you know you you can only hope for better, more, you know, improved performance. Well, you're finding yourself, Jesus.
You're finding yourself. Yes, I'm starting to you know, experience this as a third person. Quite interesting. You really are and DG says that you're spectacular was 27 plus minutes of insightful enlightening entertainment and as always, we thank you DG for that and it was. I listened to now. I listened to it in two shots. I listened to the first 15 minutes and then I pulled into my driveway and then I went out later on and I finished up listening.
Well, you know, you can do that because you do the Eastern Conference first. Yup. So, if you want to only listen to the Eastern Conference, you don't care about the Western Conference yet. It's the first 15 minutes. If you just want to go right to the fifteen-minute mark and listen to the Western Conference, that's why I do it. Yup. That's exactly right and as fate would have it, I actually have the Hockey Jesus episode up here and what we're going to do is we're going to pop in comments right now.
So, this this episode of Hockey Jesus on the Porch Is Live. com and the Sports Sports Podcast is available it is the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs and he makes his predictions and if you're a hockey fan trust me you don't want to miss this so congratulations on a superior season and finding your voice yes like I I totally enjoyed every second yes except for when the Penguins got eliminated that That last one.
That one hurt a little bit. Oh it had to. Columbus. Yes. Come on man. Well I mean they they were over before that. I did one right before that. It was called the end of an era or some **** like that. Yeah Chicago. Yeah. Yeah. Once once the Islanders won I had to jump on. Um but hey the Islanders are losing so. Oh yeah the Islanders. They'll be out in the first round.
So Chuck at Islander. There you go.
Alright. Alright. Thanks for being here. Listen to American Busker. American Busker iHeartRadio, a hundred 50 million registered users, 2000 devices, 260 platforms. You can always catch us on The Porches Live. com. The Porch is Live. com. The Porches Live. com. And every Sunday on American Busker iHeartRadio or replay of our shows at 4 PM Eastern Time and please subscribe to the podcast on iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcast, or anywhere you get your podcast.
Follow the show. Share it with your friends. Leave a review. That would be incredible. Now, we're going to move on to Steve's current favorite subject. Oh no. Uh and that would say it. The Pirates. The Buccos. The Pirates. Not the Suckos. Not the Suckos yet. Not not yet. Um you say there the Buccos are still hot. I'm not so sure about that. Yeah well listen I we promised we promised this year that we would at least give the Pirates the benefit of the doubt and do a little bit of it during the year.
Um and then I went out on a limb and I said I thought I and I really do believe this that they're going to be a little better I I did think however their pitching was going to be bad but I think with the additions of Santana and McCutcheon and Reynolds is a baller you know he plays for sure and then Cruz unfortunately injured now I I mean I just thought they had a better lineup they were they were going to you know and with with the new rules the pitch clock I mean there's guys that are there's guys that have stolen 3 bases already that that only stole two all of year.
Yeah. So, it's having a difference. So, recapping the buyers and what I've done is I've decided to listen to em on the radio. I I love listening to baseball on the radio. Two things. First, I'm driving so I'm captured and it's easy to listen to. Right. And second, I that means I don't have to sit down on my couch and watch boring baseball games.
Smart. Because the Pirates may or may not be good. Now, if we knew they were going to be great, you know, you're going to watch more games. So, currently nine and seven, second, in the NL Central okay Reynolds is batting 317 with five home runs and fifteen RBIs Cutch is back he's got a what's his his 426 on base percentage batting 298 with three spot three stolen bases I believe he's been in the three spot yes that's where he was batting and first here the team however is only batting 34 with a 315 on base percentage I think that's what I I I my notes say right there however the pitching Johan Oviedo $245 ERA.
He did lose one to nothing. Well, he didn't end up getting the loss but no, he did get the loss. He lost one to nothing but this kid Oviedo, he pitched in the seventh inning the other night. He was throwing 9899 miles an hour and and his pitches had they had movement on him, okay? Uh Mitch Keller, 25 strikeouts so far. Um Bednar who I think is hilarious.
Did you watch Bednar? You promised me you're going to win. Yeah. He's he's a reliever. I I watched him. I think he's hilarious. Man, I don't know. I didn't see the hilarity in it. And the and the T ERA is 429 which you know we don't want to compare them to the Phillies but in our in our sports Philadelphia show the Phillies team ERA is 548 and they were in the you know they they arguably have a much better pitching staff and it's earlier in the season right so it's actually the opposite of what I thought right now I thought the pitching would be dreadful and the hitting would be great and really the pitching is is doing very well And the hitting is so so but the guys that you would expect Reynolds and Kutch they're hitting the ball.
They're getting on base. Yeah. And then you got Bai. You know the the the Korean kid. Right right. But I mean what a spark plug he is. Bae. He's my best friend. Thank you. He's your best friend. Yeah. Bae, your bae? He's my bae.
I'm not going to use the sound effect. No. No. I think he's everybody's bay right now just because you know he's he's he's kind of outshining what everybody thought he was going to do which was nothing. Nobody knew that this kid was even going to play. Right. So you know that's what's kind of nice about this team. Like there are always two or three guys where it's like you can get to know them and like them because you don't know anything about them.
Right. Like they come with no history and. Right. You just figure they're a hard worker and they they got to where they are. They're finally getting the chance and they're doing well. Um I don't know if that true or not but. Right. Um but it's fun. It's fun to do on a team like the Pirates because you really don't have anything else to do except hope that one of these guys is going to be the next all-star playing for the New York Yankees.
You're not going to hop off that bandwagon for a while. I know and I know when you'll hop off when nothing sells a team. That's exactly what. DG says they're off to a good start but they're slowly settling into the rightfully slightly sub 500 perennial position. I mean, anything is anything is possible right now and absolutely and I just want to say that DG also thinks Bednar is both good and hilarious so thank you I guess I'm just not watching enough Bednar I I it's just something about him that that that makes me laugh I don't know I'm sorry I hope he doesn't hear me say that because there's nothing about what he would do to me that would make me laugh if he took offense to that he's a big guy he's a big guy in the way he I just think he's hilarious.
So I I he's no Kent Tikolvey. He's no I mean now that was hilarious. Listen there is nobody who is Kent TiColvey. Yeah. Except Kentecolve. Yeah and I mean the name the way he threw. You can't get more hilarious than that. The glasses. And so this is what I'm comparing it. The stature. Yeah. Yeah. I mean he was like 160 pounds soaking wet. I know. I know. He was like six foot two.
Uh that's hilarious.
Yeah. If you don't know them and they start doing well you know that they'll be sold off for a few bucks and used and a used bad machine. Yeah, you you know. Free soda. Yeah, whatever. Free soda. Free pop. Remember, we're in Pittsburgh. Oh, yeah. How did you, how did you miss that? I don't drink that kind of beverage. Are you tired tonight? You seem tired tonight.
I am very tired. I can tell. Yeah. I can tell. I had a rough weekend. I had some friends in. Oh. My my my daughter surprised us with a visit. Yeah. It it was a it was a rough weekend. I had a little too much drink Saturday. Um And then you know had to meet up with Marcy and Jeff for brunch.
Oh no. But I did not have a drink there. Thank God. Yeah. You probably should've. I probably should've. Yeah. That would've just laid me out for the rest of the afternoon. Yeah. I you know I I I should've known when when when Scott was coming into town. I I should've we didn't even take a car out. We just Ubered over to the restaurant.
Yeah why would you not? Yeah. I mean the funny thing is is I texted my daughter because she was around like hey you want to be our Uber tonight? Come pick a She was like no. No she did. She didn't have anything else to do. Okay. She was done with dinner with her boyfriend. Yeah well. And their family. Yeah I can tell you.
Yeah I can totally tell that you were you so you were hungover all day yesterday weren't you? Mm three quarters of the day. Yeah I started feeling good around seven o'clock after watching Netflix for about three hours. I do not yeah that's funny. I do I do not miss that feeling I'll tell you that. Yeah no it's it's it's a terrible feeling.
It is. It's a horrible feeling. Yeah. It you know what like I wear this this whoop device now and it it it keeps track of like sleep and stuff like that. Does it tell you when you're going to die? Yeah and it said I almost died. Yeah. Saturday night. I had like a recovery rate of you know you can go up to like ninety-nine or whatever.
It's like the highest at a recovery rate of thirteen. Oh really? Yeah. Seriously? Yeah. So it was like you're pretty close to never recovering. Well there there you can get a recovery rate of one. Right. And I've Had that happen before. Oh. Only after drinking. Maybe we need to have a talk, Steve. I mean, because you know. No, it's actually kind of a status like when you when you have a recovery rate of one, they like send you something at the end of the year.
Congratulations. You made the one club. Really? No kidding.
Seriously? It's true. But wait a minute, Steve. And so it's it's hard to do on the on the downside. Just like it's hard to do on the, you know, get in the 90s all the time. But what is this device for? It's for working out and heart rate and kind of stuff. Yeah but it it's also a sleep tracker. Cuz you know sleep is important. You need to recover your body if you're going then out the next day.
Well to me it's kind of like if they're sending you like a certificate of accomplishment for like having a recovery rate of one. It's kind of like is this your like drinking bracelet? Uh no. No. No. No. That's not what it's meant. It's just it's kind of like it's it's kind of like a sarcastic accolade if you will. There you go. I like that. You know. I like that phrase.
Yeah. Sarcastic accolade. See ya. I can always make something of it. Yeah. Yeah. I I think you did just make that. Oh yeah. I'm I'm very good at making. You are. Just to ask. You're good at anybody I know. Yeah you're good at words. What was that? I gotta start writing them down. Okay so. Don't worry you can clip them. They'll be they'll be on there with Mark one. Oh yeah well yeah I'm I'm getting the hang of it.
I'm getting the hang of it. So okay let's move on let's move on to the Steelers. Oh by the way Bruins up one nothing. Bruins up one nothing. Jesus looks like he's going to go two and oh in the first Yeah well you well it's after one game. But you one game's important. One it is important. Especially if you're a home team and you hold start. Yeah. Any surprises so far in the first round? I mean it's so early.
No I mean these are the first two games. Yeah. So there's really nothing you can really talk about. And that was a really dumb question. So the surprises are none. Okay. Uh draft day. Um apparently Schwabber's favorite day of the whole year. Who knew that? I didn't surprise at all. It didn't surprise me at all but it's it's not this Thursday but next Thursday. 10 days from today. Okay so I'm going to put it on your calendar.
I'm going to lay I'm going to lay a couple scenarios on you because I want to I want to please not talk about Joey Porter Junior. No I don't want to I actually don't want to talk about Joey Porter Junior. Thank you. I know. I know. Um. It made me feel much better. So everybody heard the rumors about the Steelers supposedly contacting the Bears sending the seventeenth and the 49th pick for the ninth for the ninth pick in the draft.
And so then the rumors started of course that they're looking at maybe Skeronski or Paris Johnson you know and I mean I think they should go for Paris Johnson agree but today again credit to the radio crowd they started talking about Jalen Carter and here's what I want to ask you how you how you feel about this look don't start shaking your head yet just just just give me a second give me a second put aside the the the off field issues because in my opinion the off field issue aren't as big as everybody's making them to be.
Now, the fact that he wasn't in great shape, you know, I think he had a I think he had a bad summer or a bad, I'm sorry, a bad winter and a bad spring, okay? Um why not when you've got a guy like TJ Watt okay and then you've got a guy like Lial and and what's his name what's his name Hayward okay Hayward's nearing the end of his career okay Lial is new and I think has a lot of promise Highsmith is a guy that he is an above average edge rusher who needs somebody else to take a little pressure off and then that makes him almost great okay why not add a guy like Jaylen Carter so that he can learn from TJ Watt who is guaranteed to miss four games next year if not more and every time Watt is out their defense goes from being good to sub par why not do that Tomlin is a defensive coach Jaylen Carter two years ago when Georgia had three number one potentials on their defensive line all of the scouts all the professionals out there said of all of those guys Carter by far the best still why not take a flyer on that I think it's just too much of a luxury personal drink.
I I I do. Kinda like all that bourbon you had on on Saturday night. Too much of a luxury. No I was drinking not top shelf stuff. Okay. This was not a luxury drink. Really in the gutter. This was just whatever you had. I don't remember who was in. Lots of it. Yeah. Yeah. He doesn't drink bourbon though does he? No. No.
He's a wine drink. He's a wine drink. That's right. That's right. Beer beer and wine. Beer and wine. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He hasn't come to the dark side yet but he will someday. Okay. Jaylen Carter. I just don't I just don't like that pick because they've invested. They would have to trade. So is it worth trading you're saying no no I don't even think it's worth taking where they are now okay so you you you're out like they're they're saying that he's dropping like yeah what what I consider him if he drop to the pick that we're that we're picking at right maybe but dude they need a quarterback more than they need a defensive lineman like a quarterback does the same thing that you're saying like the reason TJ Watt when he goes out they stink so much is because they can't cover so if they could cover when T Watt wasn't around then it it would be the same benefit you know and and just hope that you know you can get enough pressure on the quarterback with whoever else you put in like I don't think a rookie first of all the Steelers don't like to play rookies so he would only play if he got injured so he's not going to play that much yeah but you know TJ Watt's going to get injured he will but my point is when you draft a first round pick as high as the Steelers going to draft you want to play him ever game.
Right. And the way you do that is by drafting a quarterback or an offensive lineman. Okay. They will play every game and they'll be much more beneficial to the defense than Jaylen Carter would be coming in to fill in for TJ Watt whenever he gets hurt. Right. That's just that's the way I feel about it. Right. And so therefore I think it think of it as a luxury pick. Okay. And to trade up for it. Now you're not even going to get that second round pick.
That high second round pick. Right.
And you're going to lose out on another guy who could potentially be just as good enough to fill in for TJ if you wanted to draft at that position or if you wanted to say go light into the cornerback position yeah you know I wouldn't do that I would probably look more at like linebacker or something like that or maybe even a skilled position I guess I would be okay with another wide receiver at at that two pick but I would rather that be the two pick their reggae their two pick not their trick they got from from the Bears.
I don't I have no like last year I can say and you know hindsight's twenty twenty. Last year I was I called Kenny Pickett all the way. Okay and and the reason for that I could go into it but it doesn't matter. That's who they picked. This year I have absolutely no gut feeling on this at all because I really believe as a team they're in flux. Mm hmm. Which is again stating the obvious. But there needs are many.
Mm hmm. And you know, I hate to say it because he's such a fan favorite but not even Najay Harris is necessarily the answer. This is his year, okay? He either busted out and starts breaking through the secondary, okay? And finding the holes when they because we watched him last year, there were holes last year more than the year before. He didn't seem to like finding the holes glad Schwab's not here there.
I don't know why my my mind you know the way my mind works. Uh they'd rather hope they'd rather hope for Bud Dupree's price to drop to bargain basement level. Well he signed with the Falcons. He did. He sucks. And I'm glad. I'm glad because I don't think that would have been a good signing. Nope. Terrible. And I think the Steelers because the way that you know the Steelers when it was a traditional 34 defense you know and and they were known as the linebacking the linebacker you know linebacker university.
Right. Well you could do that. But now because the way defenses have changed and linebackers are more like hybrid edge rushers and they really like to I mean I I think you've got us kind of swing away from that which is why I was like you know maybe the Jaylen Carter thing that kind of make sense but I think they give up too much.
I think it's important in this draft to keep picks. Yeah they gotta they gotta keep their first three picks. Yeah. I and they actually have to hit on all three if they want to start filling those positions that they need to fill in. Yeah. Yeah and it's going to be it'll be interesting but we will have on Monday and next week we'll have enough information that I think we can make some predictions.
What do you think? Uh yeah. Yeah. We should definitely make some predictions next week. I mean it's it's fun to make predictions. Yeah. Cuz they're usually wrong but you know you can say I00% guarantee something. Yes. And maybe not. Then we can make fun of you. We can we can say things to you like. Why don't you shut your mouth? Right. That's exactly right.
So. That's only when I talk about Burrough. You guys love that. I just need to add more clips in there so I can have fun with them. Alright I'm going to Reach down here now from last part of the show. I'm going to show everybody who's watching. What this is? It's The Binder. This is this is Chris Klein's Charlie Brown nineteen eighties baseball card book binder.
Um if you're watching on social media. That is actually my writing in in like nineteen eighty-six. Yep. And. It looks like a girl's writing actually. Um I mighta had a girl write it. Oh you know what? I think that's my sister's writing. There you go. God bless her. God rest her soul. I knew it. I think that's my sister's writing. I never would've guessed your sister but.
Yep. So be it. Okay so I am going to here's what I'm going to do. We we we're doing this for the next couple. Here it goes. Let me give you a page. I want page number seven. Okay. The right side. Page seven right side. The middle card. Okay so is each one a page? I don't know. You just decided one23 Three, four, five, six, 7.
The right side, the middle one. Right side, middle card. Here you go. Alright. Alright, don't don't say anything. I'm not going to say. Okay, now then just pick my page for me. Oh, that would be page number three. Okay. You get the bottom right. Bottom right? Mm hmm. Okay. So, what we're going to do, one, two, there's nothing in so I'll move to page.
There's nothing in the bottom right so I'll move to here. The very first page that has a card. On the bottom right. Bottom right. Okay so do this. This is the Topps 1990 set Major League Baseball cards. They're actually nice looking card. They are and they are in mint condition so don't mess them up. Uh. This one's already messed up. It's out off center.
It's got a little blemish on the top right corner.
I graded 7.
five. It could be okay Steve. Tell me who who who's your player? I have Rick Leach okay and I I recognize that name show us the card here okay Rick Leach the card is where where am I you yes you got it Rick Leach of the Giants of the Giants okay so what were his best pretty pretty good card you know this is the doesn't look like there were any fans in the stands when they took this picture I guess it was probably batting practice well it was also the the Giants back then well let's see Rick Leach I was thinking he actually played for the Orioles but I was completely wrong on that yeah he played for the Tigers for three years he played for the Blue for 245 years and his last year he played for the Rangers yeah so he must be that would be 89 because these we don't know if he played further so we don't so he must have actually got traded from the Rangers at this point he's he's a he's a vagabond guy he's an outfielder and he has a 265 average for his career not bad 409 hits only sixteen home runs he doesn't hit for power no his best year looks like thirty-nine RBIs four thirty-five slugging percentage he did bet 309 that year oh no not bad how many games that he played 110 games okay decent year yeah so that's that's probably his best year that would have been 1986 Rick Rick Leach what what what position did he play I missed that outfield outfield okay I have bats left throws left I have Mike Blowers Mike Blowers no clue who Mike Blowers is wearing pinstripes so as a Yankee you would think that he would have turned into somebody anyway well as it has it 1989 was not even his rookie year because he only played 13 games for the Yankees in 1989, which is the last year of record on this card that's terrible and in those thirteen games he had three RBIs he batted 263 with 13 strikeouts in 38 at bats and no home runs his best year.
He played for Indianapolis which is either double A or triple A and he did bat 267 with 14 home runs. He also played for West Palm Beach DG. Uh maybe you'll remember him although you might not have been in West Palm Beach in 1987. Uh Mike Blowers played third base briefly for the Yankees. He was acquired via trade in August of eighty9. That was a bad trade.
He was born in Vertzburg, Germany.
There's something you don't hear every day. Yeah. Got a Major League player. A German baseball player playing for the Yankees. Named Mike Blowers. They trade for him. They like the German. He was drafted by Jeff Police's Montreal Expos in 19eighty-six. Mike Blowers ladies and gentlemen. The 1990 tops edition mint card bidding starts now or as they say in the Meekham Auto auctions and the bidding goes on.
So who do you think was the better player? I think clearly Rick Leach had a baseball career and Rick Blowers. Mike Blowers. He failed. He failed. He failed. He didn't make it. He wasn't quite as good as another third baseman they had in not not that long. Yeah. Maybe Greg Nettles. Or or Alex I was thinking Greg Nettles. Yeah. Or Alex Alex Cora. No. No. Come on man.
You you're screwing with me now.
Rodriguez. Oh yeah. Oh A Rod A Rod. I guess he did play that left side of the field. Yeah he did. He tried anyway. Well he juiced up and did it but that's oh hey he's a hall of famer say that.
Yep yes and we gotta get one more. Shut your mouth. Why don't you shut your mouth. That's right. I don't think he was a he was a fan of A Rod. Who? Mark? No. He he thinks that Barry Bonds doesn't belong in the hall of fame. He doesn't think that anybody who took any drugs ever loans in the Hall of Fame. Yep and Jeff you just I I don't know if I don't know if Jeff caught on to that expo's reference.
You'll have to be able to watch it. Yep. And DG says he was in Palm Beach. Um they played on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard in a cool stadium. I knew they had grounds. There you go. Of course DG. You know everybody. Of course. You know everybody. Okay listen. The mayor of West Palm Beach. Ladies and gentlemen. The mayor of West Palm Beach. One time oh Jeff did. So one time I was in Bloomfield for the and and and for those of you listening who are not familiar with Pittsburgh Bloomfield is a section of the city.
It's Little Italy but there's a big Polish. I had dinner there on Friday night. Um and you remember it. Well that was before the drinking. So the the Pittsburgh Marathon runs right up Liberty Avenue and there there was a bar there called Aussie's which is now called Lot seventeen. Aussie's that was the name that I couldn't remember. Yeah. We were talking about that. Listen if you're ever in still rocks by the way.
Yeah. Well, they yeah. It was crazy. Yeah. Well, Aussie's rocked and then it became Lot 17. Yeah. And if you're ever in Bloomfield and you have questions, just send me a text. You know what? I love that place. I I live that drink on. I was I was in a guest. I don't feel like talking to Chris right now.
So, anyway, long story short, the marathon is running by. They're having a party at Aussie's on Liberty Avenue or Main Street in Bloomfield as they call it and I'm I'm this is the first time I was Aussie's for the marathon. I just moved to Bloomfield. So, I'm kind of getting the lay of the land. I'm meeting people in the neighborhood and all of a sudden. On his 10th drink. That's right.
That's when you meet him and on all of a sudden at the top of the stairway, remember how he had to go up the stairs to go the bathroom. We were talking about the stairway. This little old man comes out up there. I swear to god, I thought the guy was going to fall down the stairs. He was like, yeah, typical old Pittsburgh guy. Right. And somebody in the crowd screams, ladies and gentlemen, the mayor of Lawrenceville and I looked up and the entire place started clapping and going crazy and then I started asking everybody if there really was a mayor of Lawrenceville.
I was new to Pittsburgh. I didn't know. I so anyway welcome to Pittsburgh let's see Robin Vivio says DG from Bloomfield dumped me on Valentine's Day you gotta bring us down now DG after she took the flowers and chocolates great times and Daniel I would have taken them too Daniel Rupert says Ozzy's was the best no it's Aussies A U S S I E S it was a I know you know what I'm talking about Daniel you spelled the name wrong he did they did have the best wings in Pittsburgh at the time though yeah they were excellent wings there all the time all the time all the time.
I watched the Giants tie the Redskins there one Monday night. We were we were watching Westbrook. We were watching the Jordan game where he was lighting up Utah. That's right. At that bar. Yep. That was incredible. Great place. Incredible. Okay, guys. Well, listen. I want to thank everybody for listening to us on American Busker iHeartRadio and you can catch us on American Busker iHeartRadio every Sunday at 4 PM replay of the show.
Please tune in. It's on the iHeartRadio app. Just look for the station American Busker. You can also catch us on the Porch Is Live. com. The Porch Is Live. com. The Porch Is Live. com. We got that one down pretty good. And The Hockey Jesus preaches on the podcast after well next year maybe. Yeah you going to coming back. Are we going to resign? Oh yeah. Okay. I'm definitely down. Uh this week you want to watch the Toronto Tampa Bay Series.
Okay. I will actually be watching the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers. So if you miss anything there I got you covered. There you go. So, Hockey Jesus is preaching on the podcast after every round of the playoffs right now and you can catch the Sports Porch Podcast on iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcast, or anywhere you get your podcast and we do have a YouTube channel, The Sports Porch.
Make sure you give us a follow there and Schwabber will be back next week and with that, my good friend. We're out of here. I think we are out of here.
Absolutely. I'm not sure why I don't hear the music.
I don't really care. It's in your head. I'm pretty sure everything else is always in your head. Here's the music. Alright guys.
You want to know why I didn't? You want to know why I don't hear the music? Cuz I didn't.
There you go.
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