00:00I want you to take a listen to what Paul, to what Tariq Skubal had to say.
00:05You know, I would love to pitch again, obviously, for Team USA,
00:09but there's some stuff that factors into it, routine, timing.
00:13The finals day itself kind of impacts opening day for the Tigers as well,
00:17so, you know, I had a lot of conversations with the club, my agent,
00:22you know, teammates here, teammates that are still in Lakeland,
00:25you know, and the resounding kind of message was to kind of be done,
00:33but still be around the team as much as I can.
00:35My spring training start days were scripted out in January
00:39with the original plan being starting and then, you know, being done,
00:44and obviously when I got here, my emotions kind of changed a little bit,
00:48my thought process changed a little bit, and tried to make it work,
00:52but I just couldn't, you know, and I hate it, but it's all right.
00:59You know, I'll be the first to sign up for the 28 Olympics
01:01or, you know, whenever the next WBC is,
01:03I'll be the first to sign up for that one too.
01:05I think the guys on the field,
01:06I feel like I've been teammates with them for months already
01:08and we've known each other for a week or whatever,
01:10and just the guys they brought in to talk,
01:14and it just makes you really proud to be an American,
01:17and that's, it's hard to walk away from, very hard.
01:21And I don't think I'm walking away.
01:23I mean, I guess I am, but I'll be back with the club
01:26for the semifinals and the finals.
01:28I'm going to make sure to be there
01:29and enjoy the moment with those guys,
01:30but it's just, it makes it difficult, you know,
01:33when you get to be teammates with all these guys.
01:36Listen, I've got such a problem with that.
01:39I will never rip a player for not participating,
01:41a professional player for not participating in Team USA or the Olympics.
01:46I mean, that's just the way I roll, whether it's hockey,
01:50whether it's basketball, whether it's the WBC,
01:53our guy Bellinger didn't want to play, fine.
01:55Everyone, you know, goes about their way differently
01:58and everyone gets ready for a season
02:01or for the basketball players,
02:02deals with an off-season differently
02:04or for hockey players, deals with a mid-season differently.
02:08You handle your business.
02:09I will never get involved in that.
02:11But for Skubal, this is pretty crystal clear.
02:15This is all about money.
02:17And that bothered me.
02:18Absolutely bothered me.
02:20Because if you wanted to be there helping Team USA,
02:22you could be there.
02:23Skubal's the second-best pitcher in baseball, right?
02:26You could argue he's number one.
02:27Skubal's skiing. Skiing's Skubal.
02:29And obviously, for Team USA, that's great.
02:31You know, he tried to play the whole,
02:33woe is me, with regards to,
02:36oh, I wish I could be there.
02:38This was the plan.
02:39He's in a contract here.
02:40So whether this is him, his agent, A.J. Hinch, the Tigers,
02:45I mean, this is garbage, okay?
02:47Let's call it like it is with regards to Skubal.
02:50If you don't want to be there, don't show up.
02:52Don't do this halfway.
02:54And don't play, oh, I wish I could be there,
02:56wish I could help the team.
02:58It's the lying that really bothers me
03:01when it comes to Tariq Skubal.
03:02I thought that was amateur hour.
03:04Look, you don't want to be part of this amazing event.
03:06That's on you.
03:07You don't want to be part of this amazing team.
03:09That's on you.
03:10That is a terrible job with the commentary
03:13from Tariq Skubal on the WBC.
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