- 6 months ago
RJ Choppy opened up some Diamond Calves and recapped the final game of the Rangers/Astros series. They discussed the team’s defensive meltdown against Houston, the lopsided series loss, struggles with first-inning home runs, and more.
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00:00How can you not be romantic about the greatest giveaway in sports history?
00:06Seven and a half.
00:08Good.
00:09All right.
00:10We'll get to that in a second, but Rangers do fall 5-1 to the Houston Astros last night
00:17at the Globe.
00:1911 home runs allowed in the four-game series.
00:23They lose three of four to Houston, and they now find themselves in a position where they're
00:29still, because the division is so bad, so bad, just two and a half backs there.
00:34One point, Houston had four hits and five runs, and that was still way more than enough.
00:40Avaldi this time gets beat up in the first inning.
00:42Sean McFarlane with the numbers.
00:43The Rangers have now allowed 19 first-inning home runs this year.
00:4819.
00:49That's seven more than the next closest in baseball.
00:53Wow.
00:53There's so many numbers from this series that are nuts.
00:58So the Astros had more RBIs in this series than any two visiting teams have against the
01:05Rangers all year.
01:06So, like, for the entire season, all these three-game series they've played, you can't
01:10combine any two teams that have come to Texas and scored more runs than Houston just did
01:13in four games.
01:14Two others combined?
01:15Yeah.
01:16Because you had 13 RBIs from the Athletics in their three-game series and 10 from the
01:21Diamondbacks.
01:21So combined, that's 23.
01:22The Astros got out of here with 24 RBIs, and they had 25 runs scored.
01:25So you can't even combine two teams that have scored that much as Houston just did in this
01:29four-game series.
01:30And then they hit more Astros batters in the last four games than they had hit all other
01:38teams combined heading into this series at home.
01:41They've hit four opponents at home this year all year leading into this, and they hit five
01:47Astros during this four-game series.
01:50So 19 home runs in the first inning they've allowed?
01:53Is that what you said?
01:53Yes.
01:55Bobby, if you took out the eight runs they scored in the first inning the other day, have
01:59the Rangers scored 19 first-inning runs all year?
02:03Have the Rangers scored 19 runs this year either?
02:05No, I'm saying have they scored 19 runs.
02:07There's no way they've scored 19 first-inning runs.
02:09Especially because what?
02:10Sandler had the number that they infrequently score first, and if they score first, they
02:16usually win.
02:17And Skip was not there last night attending his son's high school graduation in California.
02:23His son Brody committed to play next season for TCU Baseball.
02:27Very cool.
02:28That is very cool.
02:29For now.
02:29He's got to be a good player.
02:31Because, you know, they're not giving a ton of D1, major D1 scholarships to true freshmen.
02:37Oh.
02:38Just because, you know, you go to JUCO, you go to the portal, you start at JUCO, then you
02:45go to, like, you know, UTSA, and then you get your third and fourth year at your big-time
02:53schools.
02:54He's got to be a special player.
02:55Boy, they, TCU, they clean up due to just family relationships here locally.
03:00Skip's here, so they get his son to commit.
03:03He had the, when the Cavender twins ended up here because of Jake Ferguson, that's the
03:09way.
03:09You've got to get people who have jobs here and then recruit their family.
03:13SMU and TCU really need to, like, utilize DFD.
03:15Like, that's like they're in.
03:17Like, most of these colleges are in, like, these small towns, not in, like, a major,
03:22major city or two different major cities, two top ten population, you know, epicenters.
03:27So, Rangers lose three of four to Houston.
03:30Today, they have the Kansas City Royals in town.
03:34And tonight is Nolan Ryan Texas Demigod Night.
03:40Demigod?
03:41Demigod.
03:42And that is, they are the, I think it's the coolest giveaway.
03:46It is a replica jersey with the blood on it.
03:51Oh.
03:53And that photo, there's a cool article on ESPN about.
03:58Would you rather have that or a Ventura bobblehead?
04:01Oh, where Nolan's beating him up and then the bobblehead is Ventura's head inside of
04:06his arm?
04:07Yeah.
04:07Ooh, that could be cool, too.
04:08If I could move the Nolan arm into bobbling Ventura's head, I'd definitely want that.
04:14That was, that's the bobble is the punch?
04:16Yeah, it's like you're able to just, like, tap the arm and then it bobbles his head.
04:20And that's cool.
04:20That's cool.
04:21This is, this is obviously something that you could wear around, but, you know, there
04:26was, obviously, the photo that happened from, you know, May 29th of, what was it, 1990.
04:33And it was a Bo Jackson line drive.
04:36It was a, Bo had already hit a home run off him.
04:39Nolan was pumping fastball after, no off speed.
04:43It was just strength on strength.
04:44That's how you should do it, by the way.
04:46Power hitter and power pitcher.
04:47It's the most masculine way.
04:48It is the most masculine way.
04:49You asked me to define masculinity, fastballs.
04:52That's how I'm defining it.
04:52Nolan Ryan and Bo Jackson.
04:53Nolan Ryan and Bo Jackson.
04:54That's masculinity.
04:55And then, you know, you know, Bo hits a one hopper that catches Ryan in the lip and
05:02it's just, the blood is everywhere.
05:04Well.
05:04Make your mic.
05:05I know, right?
05:05My mic's everywhere, too.
05:07So, he stays in the game.
05:09He's like, my lip's still connected.
05:10I'm staying in the game.
05:11Between innings, he goes in and he changes his jersey.
05:16Well, in the clubhouse, all right, they've got the clubhouse attendant.
05:22And that guy's still there, by the way.
05:24He said he never would have done this today.
05:27But back then, he cleaned the blood off the jersey between innings.
05:33And today, he goes, that would have been stamped with an authentication stamp, sent to Cooperstown,
05:39sold at auction, whatever.
05:41But in 1990, that wasn't the case.
05:44In 1990, Nolan needed another jersey.
05:47Because Nolan Ryan, in the heat at Arlington Stadium, would change jerseys two or three times a game.
05:54Wow.
05:55See?
05:56Jerry Seinfeld's bit is expired.
05:58The whole bit about, like, who's worried about getting blood out of a shirt with detergent?
06:03Who's bleeding?
06:04And going, I've got to get this out.
06:05Well, Nolan Ryan was.
06:06Nolan Ryan was.
06:07And that was when you were doing that bit.
06:08So it showed, even then, your bit wasn't right.
06:10And the camera.
06:11I don't know when Seinfeld ticket giveaways here this week.
06:14Right.
06:14The freelance photographer who took this photo was a woman named Linda Kay.
06:19Now, Linda passed away in 07.
06:21She had cancer.
06:22But Nolan and her became very, very close friends.
06:25She was all over the place.
06:27Dan Jenkins.
06:28Dan Jenkins, the Sports Illustrated guy.
06:29Yep.
06:30You know, said that she's as much TCU as Stadium Drive.
06:33She was very, she was always dressed in purple.
06:36But she was one of the first photographers, really, to humanize athletes.
06:39She would go on the TCU bus, take photos of them on the bus.
06:44Not just, or take photos of them on the sideline.
06:47You know, with their hands and their face.
06:50Sweat dripping.
06:50Trying to humanize them.
06:51As opposed to just taking pictures.
06:53Yeah.
06:53And she would apparently, like, yell at the players to look like an athlete so I'd get a photo of
06:58you.
06:58You know, start acting like an athlete.
07:00So, really, really cool back story.
07:03It's on ESPN.
07:03I thought it was really, really awesome.
07:05And it's Nolan, Ryan, Demi.
07:07I'll be there tonight.
07:08You're going to the game?
07:09Going to the game.
07:10I'm going back to back.
07:10Wow.
07:11Yeah.
07:11It's, so, my son's high school is Colleyville.
07:15And then Bobby Jr. played there.
07:18So, the whole team's going to go.
07:20And they're going to get a picture with him before the game.
07:22Nice.
07:23So, it'll be kind of cool.
07:24So, let's pay homage to Nolan with some recent strikeout dominance.
07:28Yeah, let's do it.
07:29Also, I went and found that stat really quick.
07:31Y'all were asking about the Rangers' runs scored in the first inning.
07:34Before the eight-run outburst, they had scored 18 runs in the first inning this year.
07:38That was what they were at.
07:39So, they've allowed more home runs in the first inning this year than they've scored.
07:43That's pretty pathetic.
07:45Maybe they need a strikeout pitcher like Paul Skeens or Jacob Mizorowski.
07:49That'd be great.
07:50Yeah, all Skeens, Skeens, Skeens, Skeens.
07:51I saw this the other day on Reddit, and I could not.
07:56This is now the most insane stat to me that exists in sports.
08:00So, Jacob Mizorowski had another awesome performance, struck out a bunch of guys, and he became the 10th leading strikeout
08:08pitcher in his first 25 games in MLB history.
08:12So, you take the first 25 games in MLB history and the strikeout leaders on the board there.
08:18And you would think, all right, that's got to be a great indicator for the guy.
08:22He's one of the top strikeout guys in the first 25 games of a career.
08:25Paul Skeens is as well.
08:26Paul Skeens was seventh on this list.
08:28And you go, okay, that's got to be a good indicator, right?
08:31No.
08:32This is like a greatest hits compilation of every pitcher that blew out.
08:38All of them.
08:39This is the top 20.
09:06Like 15 of those guys have had significant arm.
09:10Arm or shoulder injuries.
09:11And all of them.
09:12They're all going to blow it out.
09:14And all of them, even the ones who weren't healthy, all of them flamed out.
09:17All of them peaked in that, like, first early window.
09:21But there's not one Hall of Famer in the top 20 strikeout leaders in the first 25 appearances of a
09:27career.
09:27That's shocking.
09:28This is really stunning to me.
09:30Now, do you know how many of these were elbow versus shoulder?
09:35No.
09:35So, like, I know, I think Senga was shoulder instead of arm.
09:39It's usually worse, I think, right?
09:41Yeah.
09:41The shoulder's usually worse than the elbow.
09:42It just, like, some of these, Pryor, I think, had both.
09:45I mean, Pryor was hurt all the time.
09:47But, I mean, all those guys.
09:48I remember thinking Kerry Wood was going to go to the Hall of Fame.
09:50Of course.
09:50I remember thinking Mark Pryor.
09:51Yeah.
09:51Hugh Darvish.
09:52Matt Harvey.
09:53I'm young, so I don't remember Doc Gooden the way you guys do.
09:56Doc Gooden, obviously, was derailed by other things.
09:59Where's your ice pack?
10:00But Doc Gooden was...
10:01Yesterday he goes, oh, I really should have brought my ice pack today.
10:04I should have.
10:04Doc Gooden was obviously derailed by other things.
10:07Right.
10:07But Doc Gooden had injuries, too, that started piling up.
10:09And even a guy like Jose Fernandez, who had the tragic passing away in the boat accident,
10:14Jose Fernandez had already had Tommy John surgery that early in his career.
10:18He had already dealt with that.
10:20So, this really is, like, if you are a high strikeout pitcher, you are pretty much, it looks
10:25like, destined to...
10:26You're exerting way too much energy and potentially going to burn your arm out.
10:29Let me give props to the guy that did it to us to start off the season.
10:33Christopher Sanchez finishes off his scoreless month.
10:39Yeah.
10:39He joins Oral Hershiser as the only two pitchers to go an entire calendar month without giving
10:45up a damn run since 1913, minimum 30 innings pitched.
10:51No runs given up for Sanchez.
10:54That's pretty remarkable.
10:55Oral went, like, 88 innings or something like that.
10:58And then, 88...
10:5955...
11:00It was, like, 55 and a third or something.
11:01It was 55 and a third.
11:02Why did I think 88?
11:03I don't know.
11:03It was 1988?
11:041988, that's what it was.
11:05Yeah, and 55 was his number?
11:06So, Bobby may be wrong, too?
11:08No, no, I'm going to look it up.
11:09Yeah, I think you're right.
11:10It was 1988 that he did it.
11:12Don't question my spectrum brain.
11:13But look, I mean, he did it against, you know, San Diego.
11:16Not a bad offense.
11:17Cleveland, you know, not a bad offense, right?
11:2059 innings is where he went.
11:2159.
11:22See, you were wrong.
11:23It's closer.
11:24You know, Pittsburgh's been hitting the ball fairly decent.
11:26And the Athletics, pretty good offense.
11:30Like, this is not cupcakes he's doing this against.
11:33Pepe has our final one in Diamond Cavs on your home of the Rangers.
11:36Guys, this story is insane.
11:37I sent it to you guys a couple days ago.
11:39So, everyone's dream when you go to a ballpark, a baseball game,
11:41is to catch either a home run ball or a foul ball.
11:43Wherever you sit, you want to catch one or the other.
11:45And sometimes you go to a million games and you never come close to one.
11:47Well, this couple accidentally showed up to a game in the Giants and Diamondbacks game
11:51with tickets to the next night's game.
11:53So, they arrived at the stadium in Arizona, in Phoenix,
11:55and they were like, well, we're already here.
11:57We might as well buy tickets to tonight's game.
11:58So, they bought two more tickets to that game, the current game,
12:01and ended up catching Willie Adamas' home run ball that game.
12:05You know, pretty cool.
12:05They weren't supposed to be there.
12:06They caught the home run ball.
12:07Then they came back the next night with the original tickets
12:10sitting nearly in the exact same spot as the night before.
12:13Then Adamas hit another home run, and they caught it again.
12:15They caught two home run balls from the same exact player in the same exact spot.
12:19You can't make this up.
12:20What are the percentages on that improbability?
12:23Well, not zero.
12:25All right.
12:26If RJ Choppy's presence doesn't inspire the Texas Rangers tonight, someone else will.
12:30Look, we get people on the fan text all the time during star season who are like,
12:35man, the Jake Reitma energy is just so infectious and so contagious.
12:40And I think we're running out of options for the Rangers,
12:43trying to understand how they can fix this offense.
12:46So, you know, last night after the game, we don't have Coach Ballsack anymore.
12:50He's got to be professional.
12:51He's got to be on TV.
12:52But what the Rangers do have now is Jake Ra-Ra-Reitma.
12:56Yo, baby.
12:57All right, guys.
12:58I know you've had dirt kicked in your teeth.
13:00You feel like the season's already over, and it's still May.
13:04But guess what?
13:04I'm here to tell you, we got a lot of baseball in front of us,
13:08and it's time.
13:09The buck stops here.
13:10You got to dig deep in your gut because you know what?
13:13If there's one thing I know, it's adversity.
13:16Adversity is going to strike, and it doesn't just build character.
13:21It reveals it.
13:23And I know the manager doesn't even come to the games anymore, for goodness sakes.
13:26But that's why I'm here.
13:28And I know I don't have a tattoo sleeve,
13:30and I might not be as cool as him to wear Air Jordans and everything like that.
13:34But I'm here to tell you, you got to want it more.
13:36And you know what?
13:37Don't do it for me.
13:38You got to do it for the people who have gone before us.
13:41Do it for Coach Rima.
13:42Do it for Bobby's mom.
13:44Do it for R.J. Choppy's dad.
13:46But most importantly, do it for Skip Schumacher's son.
13:49All I'm asking for is two hits and one run against this tough Royals pitching staff.
13:53Does that sound like something we can do?
13:55Of course it does.
13:57All right, we can do it.
13:58Everybody bring it in for a prayer.
14:00Our Father, who art in Arlington, Rangers, baseball be thy name.
14:04Thy kingdom come.
14:06Baseball games won in a nice air-conditioned stadium.
14:09And do it for our fearless leader, Chris Young.
14:13Amen.
14:14All right, guys.
14:15Dingers.
14:16Dingers.
14:16Ra-ra-ritma.
14:17Ra-ra-ritma.
14:18He was treating it like it was an SNL skit.
14:20He was like, hey, did I make the cut?
14:22Did I make the edit cut?
14:23Did I make the edit cut?