00:00All right, what we got tomorrow, our 1,500th show?
00:03Yes.
00:03Oh, is that tomorrow?
00:041,500 editions of The Drive.
00:07How about that?
00:08What the hell?
00:09Where's the party at, man?
00:10Well, it's not today yet.
00:11Do you think he's going to make it 1,500?
00:14Me?
00:15All of us together?
00:18I didn't think I would.
00:22That's some genuine.
00:24And neither did the two of you.
00:26Oh, no.
00:28I didn't know.
00:29No, I would not have voted on that.
00:31I would have set out.
00:33I didn't know.
00:35You didn't know?
00:36You wouldn't have guessed?
00:37Yeah, no, I didn't know.
00:38That could be tricky.
00:39I thought at one point you would be exhausted and just say, I can't.
00:43I'm out.
00:45I did think that at one point.
00:47I don't know that it's ever gotten to me where I think the decision would be for the company.
00:53My ear's to the ground pretty good, too.
00:55You thought one of us.
00:57Joe, I don't think you've ever been close for them to choose to let you go.
01:01But did I ever think that, boy, Ryan, boy, I'll show.
01:04He's about had enough of this.
01:05You thought I might walk.
01:06Yeah, I thought Joe might walk.
01:09Ah, man.
01:10It's been good.
01:11Good.
01:111,500 tomorrow.
01:12Start managing them properties my in-laws got.
01:16They're looking around.
01:171,500, baby.
01:18Hey, you know, it's a radio thing, man.
01:19Let me get that landlord, man.
01:22Oh, man, we have a good time.
01:23We have a good time out here.
01:241,500 tomorrow.
01:25So it should be a fun time.
01:28All right.
01:28I want to play this.
01:31Ken Rosenthal, he was on MLB Network earlier today talking about the Astros and their injury situation.
01:39I want to play what he's got to say, and I've got a thought off of this that I think
01:42we should discuss coming up
01:44because I'm wondering, are we putting too much on the Astros' injuries this year?
01:49Are we putting too much upon that being the reason why they're sitting here where they are?
01:54But here is Ken Rosenthal, MLB Network, talking about the Astros.
02:00Major League leading 14 players on the injured list.
02:0314.
02:04And now they've lost Correa.
02:05Pena is still out.
02:06We all talked about their infield glut all spring and into the early part of the season.
02:11Guess what?
02:12They don't have an infield glut anymore because they've lost Correa for the season.
02:16And this is a team that, in my mind, would have contended with the Mariners for the AL West title
02:22if they had stayed healthy, if they had any semblance of health.
02:25But they're not there.
02:26And the rotation is an absolute mess.
02:29They're going to bring Tatsuya Amai back to the rotation next week,
02:33even though on his rehab assignment, he hasn't been very good.
02:36So it's just an unfortunate turn of events for the Astros.
02:40What can they do?
02:41All they can do is keep playing, which is what they will intend to do, of course.
02:46But at the same time, with so many players out, I believe it's four members of their opening day lineup,
02:52not including Pena, who was not in the opening day lineup.
02:55It's just a hard way to go about it.
02:57And the Astros right now are really compromised physically.
03:01All right.
03:02There he is really putting into the injury.
03:04And I think he is stating that the injuries are why the Astros sit here at 15 and 23 or
03:10whatever the hell they are.
03:11One of the worst teams in the American League.
03:14And I would throw this out to you all.
03:16Do you think we're putting too much on the injuries in terms of why the Astros are where they are?
03:22And they've got some big guys out.
03:23You know it.
03:24They've got some important pieces out.
03:25They're ace.
03:26Now they're third baseman or shortstop and shortstop in Correa and Pena.
03:32They're catcher and so on and so on.
03:34But, see, Clint, last year they were one game out of the playoffs.
03:38I think eventually that's what they finished one game out of.
03:41Missed by one game.
03:42They were leading late before Seattle tracked them down.
03:46And you can look at it.
03:47All right, man, Jordan missed over 100 ballgames, right?
03:50We see how important he is and how good he can be and can carry a lineup.
03:54And they had many pitching injuries.
03:56I was talking to Tyler earlier.
03:58They lost two starters in back-to-back starts for the season.
04:02With arm injuries.
04:05Many injuries last year.
04:07I feel like you could look at last year and say, well, hell, man.
04:10If they could have just had two of those guys.
04:12But Josh Hader missed the last month.
04:13They could just have a couple of those guys back.
04:16They would have made the postseason.
04:18Clint, I'm not saying injuries didn't play a role just like I don't think Fred Van Fleet not being there
04:24didn't play a role for the Rockets.
04:26But it doesn't feel like to me that the injury thing is as much of a factor as last year.
04:32I think they would be better.
04:34But I still think they would be really finding issues with their pitching right now.
04:39Yeah, I believe the injuries are a major reason why.
04:45And I believe it's okay to lean into it.
04:48Now, I don't think anything that Ken Rosenthal mentioned in terms of being the position players, like you mentioned, four
04:54guys plus Pena that weren't in the starting lineup.
04:57I mean, you know, the best one of the bunch is Carlos Correa and you could replace him.
05:02And, you know, we're talking about Jake Myers.
05:06His replacement has been decent no matter who they throw out to.
05:10But we've got to have a conversation about Bryce Matthews who essentially has taken over at the center.
05:13Diaz, Diaz, it's an upgrade with the backup plan.
05:17I mean, so you're really not talking about, you know, a whole hell of a lot once you get Pena
05:22back.
05:23So that's not the part.
05:25It's the pitching, though.
05:26I mean, I said this yesterday.
05:28I mean, they've lost, you know, four of the top six.
05:33Six, if you're going to go a six-man rotation, four of those six are injured.
05:39And five, if you count Wisneski, by the way, who was a part of that Kyle Tucker trade, I believe.
05:45So, I mean, I don't know anybody surviving that.
05:48I mean, you're talking, you're down four or five starters.
05:52You're down four of your top six or five of your top seven starters, including the tip of the spear
05:57in Hunter Brown.
05:58I mean, it is, as we're seeing, it is really difficult to overcome that.
06:06Even when you've got one of the top three lineups hitting ball clubs in baseball, it's just damn near impossible
06:13to overcome that.
06:13So, I don't think, I think if talking about the injuries as it pertains to the position players and hitters,
06:21I think that may be a little rich.
06:22I think that may be a little over-exaggerated.
06:25But when you start talking about that start and rotation, man, that's – because that impacts your bullpen, which was
06:32already suspect.
06:34You know, so you've got a bullpen problem.
06:36Well, all of a sudden, that problem becomes your starter problem because half those guys are starting games and pitching
06:41early in games.
06:41So, the pitching has been an absolute reason why you're watching the Astros at the bottom of a division.
06:47Yeah, I think, obviously, Hunter and Hayter would make a difference.
06:52I just think, like, they still got to find the other four.
06:55Right?
06:55Like, I mean, and to be honest, you almost would say whatever the hell has happened with Emai and the
07:01injury to Javier has probably been a blessing to disguise because they found Spencer,
07:05Eric Getty, and Pete Lambert, what he's bringing to the table.
07:08But Lance would still be in here doing whatever Lance is doing.
07:11Mike Burroughs would still be in here doing this.
07:13And I'm – I'm hope – I would be hopeful that Brian Abreu would be pitching better if Hayter was
07:20there.
07:20But, I mean, I can't – I can't guarantee that.
07:23We're in back-to-back bullpen game territory.
07:25Bullpen.
07:26Yeah.
07:26I mean, so, it's just, like, even if – honestly, I agree with you.
07:29Those guys, what was Christian Javier bringing to the table?
07:31What was Emai bringing?
07:32I know, it's probably – it's probably –
07:33But, man, I mean, we're at a point now where if – hell, if just half of those guys that
07:37are injured were here,
07:38and just half of that time they were bringing decent starts to the table,
07:43then you at least don't have the bullpen problem that's magnified to where now you've got a starter problem
07:48and you've got a bullpen that's taxed every – like, every single week the bullpen is taxed in one way
07:53or another.
07:54And so, the pitching is absolutely 100% an excuse to lean into of why the Astros are where they
08:00are right now.
08:01And it's a – to me, it's a reason why you can look at it and say,
08:06well, you get some guys healthy, maybe you can turn this thing around.
08:12No, we'll see.
08:13And that will, I think, tell the story of this.
08:16I just – right now, I watch this team.
08:18And like you said, man, we were talking about it earlier, Tyler.
08:23They are – I mean, they're one and two in every offensive category in the American League.
08:28And a lot of them won.
08:31No, offensively.
08:32And that's without having pain you, you know, some of the way and still having some guys maybe not swinging
08:38the bat that you want to.
08:39So, their offense is really not, you know, a major issue.
08:43But then the flip side.
08:44Yeah, the flip side.
08:45That pitching is just terrific.
08:4629th and 30th in every category.
08:48Someone texted in, Ronel Blanco and Wisneski could help this team right now.
08:52Yeah, they could.
08:53But I think we all knew they weren't going to be able to help them at least early.
08:57Like, we knew walking into the door that those two weren't going to be a part of it.
09:02I mean, they thought Emai and Christian Javier were going to be a part of this thing.
09:07And them getting injured has probably been the better thing.
09:09And now they're going to, you know, fire Emai back into it next week.
09:12And we'll see what that is.
09:14I just – it just feels a little different to me.
09:17And I see somebody text in, well, the AL is not real strong.
09:20And I think that's a fair point.
09:21There are only two teams that are above .500 in the AL.
09:25So, you know, you're still kind of open in there.
09:27But this feels different than last year.
09:30Last year, you could look at them and you're like, man, they're still playing well.
09:34They're still winning games.
09:36They're still atop the division.
09:37They're above .500.
09:39It's just like – and they're doing this.
09:41And if they could just hang on before they get some of these dudes back that just, you know, never
09:45would come back.
09:47This one, I'm like, God, man, I know Hunter Brown gets to pitch one of these days.
09:50Damn, we still got to figure out the next four.
09:55Like, you know, and again, we'll see.
09:57Like you said, when Hunter gets back, what does that look like with him and Spencer pitching the way he
10:02is?
10:02And if Pete Lambert can continue to pitch that way, what does that look like?
10:05But I don't know, boy.
10:06It's just the injury stuff to me is a big deal.
10:09But I wonder if it's that effective to this particular team.
10:17I mean, Clint thinks Emai needs a friend.
10:20Oh, he needs one, all right.
10:22Somebody needs to tell his ass, man.
10:24Quit explaining yourself, man.
10:25We tried to.
10:27We tried to, man.
10:28I mean, quit talking about how hard it is to play baseball in America.
10:31I mean, you're making $18 million, man.
10:33And understand there is a transition there.
10:35And I hope you navigate it better than you have to date.
10:38But, man, somebody needs to help my man out.
10:40Just be a friend.
10:40Hey, man, stop explaining what the hell is going on.
10:43Find you a few more excuses.
10:44I mean, he fires all the ones that could be potential friends.
10:47Well, it's gone from the mound and the meals to the way that we approach,
10:52the way the Astros and ultimately Major League Baseball in America,
10:56the way they approach hitters by attacking their weakness
10:58instead of the pitcher using his strengths.
11:01Like, even if that's – and if that's true, then I get it.
11:05But, like, quit voicing stuff, man.
11:07After you walk five people, nobody wants to hear about, man,
11:10we're attacking weaknesses instead of dealing with my strengths.
11:13Your ass can't throw a strike.
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