00:00No one left that game because it was too close of a game.
00:02The funny thing was I was watching on my couch,
00:04and I fell asleep midway through the seventh inning,
00:07and I woke up in the bottom of the ninth as the inning started
00:11and watched it all unfold, and I was like,
00:14oh, this is some good timing.
00:16Yeah, definitely.
00:17It was crazy.
00:19Speaking of that inning, there was a point in that inning
00:21before Dom Smith's at his home run,
00:23and I can't remember what it was,
00:25but it was like one of those in-stadium,
00:27like everybody clap your hands or like one of those things,
00:29and I was like, hmm, close game.
00:31Can't do this, man.
00:33I was like, got to stay locked in,
00:35but it was a really, really epic ending to that game.
00:38Shout out to their closer for just letting things slide,
00:41and even going into yesterday,
00:42and I think Walt Weiss, this is what he's kind of talking about
00:45in his interviews, like I feel really good about this offense.
00:48I felt like there was three balls that off the bat yesterday
00:51I thought were leaving the yard.
00:52Acuna hit one, Michael Harris hit one,
00:55and I'm trying to remember who the third was,
00:56but all warning track power.
00:58Acuna hit one, Michael Harris hit one.
01:00And Matt Olsen.
01:01And Matt Olsen, okay.
01:02Matt Olsen was the third one.
01:04It just felt like it wasn't flying out for whatever reason,
01:07and feel really good about where this offense is as well.
01:11They pulled the dead ball out for the Braves.
01:12They gave them to the live ball the first two games,
01:14and the third game they pulled out the dead ball.
01:16I don't know.
01:17See, I have a, actually, I don't want to be that guy
01:19because I'm the Optimus Braves fan,
01:21but I am a little bit not as all in on the offense.
01:27I mean, they scored zero runs in two games
01:31against starters for the Royals.
01:34They didn't, I mean, and that's a little bit concerning.
01:39Yeah.
01:39You know, if it wasn't for late inning home runs
01:44and a little bit of erratic pitching,
01:47you lose two of three.
01:51So I thought the pitching was actually better
01:54than I kind of expected.
01:56I love what Walt Weiss did.
01:57Two things I loved is he had Ozzie in third,
02:00bat in third on opening night with the lefty in there.
02:03So he went lefty, righty, lefty matchup.
02:05I like that.
02:06That ended up a good night.
02:08Ozzie played pretty good.
02:10He's hit well.
02:11He's actually been probably the brightest spot.
02:13Acuna's had a slow start.
02:15He was 0 for 5 opening night.
02:17But I like that Walt Weiss pulls Grant after 5 yesterday
02:21and puts Didier in and lets him go the rest of the way.
02:24You got 13 straight games.
02:27That is, to me, an excellent management of the bullpen
02:31in a game that was still close
02:34of not allowing too many arms to go over the weekend.
02:37I love the usage there.
02:39Yeah, I'm with you on that.
02:41I thought the Ozzie thing was really cool.
02:42And you're right, he's sandwiched in between two lefties.
02:45He did the same thing yesterday, just further down in the order.
02:47It guarantees you that Ozzie will get that good at bat
02:51from the right-handed side if and when the other team
02:54has to go to the bullpen as well.
02:55So I think that's something you kind of like to see.
02:58I thought the base running was more aggressive.
03:00I did.
03:01There was a couple things from Walt Weiss' angle,
03:04and I think he had a great weekend.
03:05But there was a couple things.
03:07Like Jorge Mateo at shortstop yesterday, I'm good on that.
03:11Like there was a play where he, you know, tried to make a play in the hole
03:14and then overthrew or like side through Matt Olsen by, I mean,
03:18pulled Matt Olsen off the base 20 feet and allowed a runner to go from first to third.
03:22The next batter up is Bobby Witt, who then knocks him in on a single.
03:26And it was just like, dude, that was unnecessary.
03:28You didn't have to make that stupid throw all the way across the infield.
03:31I realize that it's, you know, kind of a split thing at shortstop right now.
03:35But, like, do we really need a day off on day three?
03:38You know, so we'll see how that goes.
03:40Also, what's the game plan for the challenges?
03:44Yeah.
03:45Like, what's the game plan for the challenges?
03:46Because we missed one.
03:47Like, we got to cross our –
03:48Missed, like, we were out of challenges in the first inning on Saturday.
03:51Well, you need to tell Ronnie he's not allowed to –
03:53Everybody else can challenge when they want, but Acuna can't
03:58because he's just – he did not do a good job of managing them.
04:01But that's what Walt said.
04:02He said he's going to let guys go.
04:03He said there's no plan.
04:05They can challenge on free will.
04:08And then I've imagined that they're going to have to –
04:10this will be a kangaroo court issue.
04:13If you're over – if you're abusing the challenges and losing too much,
04:17that's where the clubhouse has to run that.
04:20That's where leadership steps in.
04:22And, all right, kangaroo court, you're overusing your ABS challenges.
04:26I mean, it's worked out for some players in the league.
04:28I like – I've learned a lot about ABS this weekend.
04:32Yeah, I think it's tough to do it as a locker room thing.
04:36Like, as a – because the minute – let's just say Matt Olsen's like,
04:39all right, guys, we've got to come together.
04:41The minute Matt Olsen challenges one and it doesn't go his way,
04:44he's going to look – he's going to look like an idiot.
04:47Well, Chris Sell has to be the guy that does it to me.
04:50He's the veteran on – he's a veteran on the team.
04:52He's the one that has openly said he's not going to do it.
04:56He's never going to do it.
04:57So, I think – and he's probably the most respected voice in that clubhouse.
05:02Yeah.
05:02You know, not of a player-wise.
05:04I – yeah.
05:07I can see that happening.
05:09I don't know.
05:09If I was a hitter, it'd be tough to listen to a pitcher about that kind of thing.
05:12But you're right.
05:12He is a respected voice.
05:13You don't think so?
05:14I think a pitcher would – I think a pitcher has probably as much knowledge of a strike as anyone.
05:20Well, I mean, that's true.
05:21But it's kind of like if you were the Falcons and a lot – you know,
05:23Caden Ellis walks into the offensive, you know, huddle and is like,
05:26hey, y'all got to be able to run the ball better.
05:27It's like, eh, you know, I don't know.
05:30I think, though, his point is that he's objective because he's not going to call.
05:34Because he's not going to do it.
05:34Yeah.
05:34If there was somebody that was going to do it,
05:36that would definitely make the most sense from what I'm talking about.
05:38It's like, dude, like if you're Matt Olsen or Austin Riley or Ozzie or anybody else
05:42and you're trying to uphold that flag in the locker room,
05:45that's kind of hard to do.
05:46Because the minute you do it and miss one, it's like, oh, look at this guy.
05:48It's not like Bradley Pinion walking into the secondary room
05:51and telling A.J. his technique is off.
05:53I mean, the guy – Chris Sale knows a ball and a strike.
05:57And he's – and to Allie's point, that's exactly what I mean.
05:59He's objective.
06:00He understands.
06:01He's not going to do it.
06:02So he's like, look, we've got to be – you know, we've got to be conservative with these.
06:06We only get two.
06:07Now, when you get them right, you keep getting them
06:10because the Reds showed that this weekend.
06:13So – but I think you need a leader in the locker room that's going to be objective.
06:18But you just got to pick – you got to pick and choose.
06:21And I just really didn't realize how pinpoint they were going to be.
06:26I mean, if that ball – they're doing it the way that I think would have not affected the game
06:32years ago
06:33because if it just touches the black – the entire ball can be out of the zone.
06:38But if it just touches the black of the plate, strike.
06:42And I like that.
06:43I think that's the way to do it.
06:45Well, I thought it was interesting that the Royals still had their two challenges Saturday night in the ninth inning.
06:51And so they just called one just to see.
06:54And it overturned from ball to strike.
06:57Why not?
06:57So there's a whole different game within the game that's happening.
07:00Did you – I know the fear was that it was going to take up too much time.
07:03Did you feel like it took up too much time?
07:06I would love to know what the average number is per game.
07:08Like, it's not really the amount of time just for one or two.
07:11But when you start getting on these games where you have like six or whatever it may be,
07:15that gets a little like, all right, dude, we got to keep things moving here.
07:19But I'd love to know how much like each game averaged, you know, throughout this opening weekend.
07:23Because it was making waves on socials, obviously, for big reasons.
07:28It's new.
07:28Everybody's figuring it out.
07:29Everybody's kind of looking.
07:30Everybody – and you're right.
07:31We got the C.B. Buckner stuff coming up in the halftime.
07:34But I don't know.
07:36It didn't bother me as much as it probably did some other people.
07:39Well, I can tell you that game yesterday was like two and a half hours.
07:42I'm pretty sure it started at 1.30.
07:46And it ended about around 4, if I'm not mistaken.
07:50I mean, the race started, which started around 3.35,
07:55and that started in like the bottom of the seventh of the Braves game.
07:58That was a quick game.
08:00That was a very quick game on Sunday, so.
08:03It does seem like the ABS system is extremely efficient.
08:08I think the replay challenges take a lot longer than just checking a pitch.
08:13For sure.
08:13Yeah, because the ABS is just like in tennis,
08:16where all they do is get a computer image of the ball,
08:19and if it touched the line, it's in.
08:21If it didn't, it's out.
08:22Boom.
08:22Also, there's just something that feels like cheating to me,
08:26where we're umpires.
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