What are we expecting these next couple weeks? How long is it going to take him to ramp?

Mike, it's a great question.

I think he'll be ready relatively soon.

I realize that He's been off for a long time.

Aaron Judge has a swing that works.

He always has.

It's not a slump-proof swing because no one has one of those except maybe Tony Gwynn or Ichiro in his prime.

I guess the positive side is something's awakened both Tommy Edmond and Teoscar Hernandez.

But your thoughts on Michigan's stunning narrow victory against a directional Michigan school.

My goodness, so much to get into there.

I want to begin by saying, no matter what the result of the game was, Western Michigan emerged last night with a lot of cred, a lot of positive reviews in the industry, both in how their coaching staff responded, how their players responded.

Today their president, Russ Cavaluna, came out and said there was nothing unfair with them, with the way that the final play was awarded.

So I think the graciousness that Western Michigan has shown today to me, is carrying the day.

They have responded, I think, in all of the best ways.

That's number one.

Terrific.

Anybody give you any insights as to what they're seeing with him?

Mechanics not good.

Velocity obviously is not what it's been.

And I think that we all have to acknowledge that he's just not in sync.

He's not himself right now.

Now, is it enough for him to be on the injured list? I mean, that's obviously a matter for him and for the organization there.

But there's also no question that in the big picture here, he's one of the faces of the game.

the

Anybody give you any insights as to what they're seeing with him?

Mechanics not good.

Velocity obviously is not what it's been.

And I think that we all have to acknowledge that he's just not in sync.

He's not himself right now.

Now, is it enough for him to be on the injured list? I mean, that's obviously a matter for him and for the organization there.

But there's also no question that in the big picture here, he's one of the faces of the game.

the knee

Right

... from your offensive attack.

But I just think the depth, the way they play...

And, and I fully agree that you look at last year and the way it played out, I applauded the way they handled the, the, the bowl game decision.

They should've been a playoff team.

It was unfair the way that played out.

Uh, they're gonna get a, I think a good test to begin on, on Sunday.

I, I, I don't, how do, how do, how does our legal system allow some random judge to overplay the desires of the NCAA, these conferences, and stand in their way of enforcing some kind of rules that would disallow these players of coming back?

And given this new, the third wild card and everything like that, how much do you think, how difficult a decision do you think this was for Scott Harris to trade away Tarek Skugel and Casey Mize? And did you believe, do you believe that he believed this team could stay in the race without those two?

So many fascinating questions, Tony.

And it's difficult to know the full calculus behind the scenes.

Although what I will say, based on the press availability that Scott gave on the actual deadline day, which probably will remain for at least a while, the most expansive explanation that we get on this was that particular day.

Two things stand out to me from that conversation.

Number one, that he really, truly made that decision after that final game against Baltimore, which on some level is it's hard to believe that a decision of that import would hinge on the inability to protect a 7-0 lead with Scooble still on the mound.

He was a pitch away from getting out of that inning at any number of times, right? And then the game just spiraled out of control.

If you

[laughs]

But he, he does.

He loves his routines.

Um, my mom is a, a retired occupational therapist, so she was helping healing hands and helping those that, that needed the help, uh, in, in that regard, just to, to be able to, to live their daily lives and, and use their hands, use their sort of, their basic faculties, uh, those that have been through health struggles.

So just really blessed to have a very, very supportive family life.

My, my grandfather, my dad's dad, great baseball fan.

He was, uh, a- actually a, a Pearl Harbor veteran.

Wow

For Team USA, uh, uh, a Team USA team that's been fantastic at these events over the past couple years.

So much to talk about with Henry, and I, I thought it was interesting, Hunter, I, I interviewed him after Hunter had watched Henry play one of the games at the showcase, and he made a great point, which was he thought that Henry's game was, was more physical and a little harder than a lot of the other players around him.

Uh, and, and as Hunter said, you're always looking for the type of player that you don't already have.

And, and this is gonna be a very crowded American defensive group, especially on the right side, which is maybe unfortunate from, from Henry's standpoint in terms of making the team and making his role there because, uh, obviously Chase Reid has gotta be a lock at this point.

Uh, top five round, top five or six selections of, in the entire draft this past year, was really good on the team last year at World Juniors, as was Asher Barnett.

Chase Reid's gonna play at Michigan State, Barnett's gonna play at Michigan.

Um, Belisle, I would imagine, has a really good case to make this team too.

And you know what? It's like, how do you have a next step when you were just the MVP last year?

And by the way, speaking of fame, what pitcher's name is more famous than Tommy John? Explain to me why Tommy John is not in the Hall of Fame.

Stephen, VJ, good afternoon.

And, and it is very sad news indeed.

A beloved member of, of the baseball family and someone who I believe, I agree with you, should be in Cooperstown and should have his name in the plaque gallery.

And, and the sad part is he should have had the chance over the last decades of his life to be able to spend that time in Cooperstown and be in the company of, of the greats of that time.

If you look at his resume, how different is he now really from the likes of Jim Kaat, Bert Blyleven? In the case of Blyleven, the, the highest strikeout total, higher than John.

Obviously, Kaat had all the, the Gold Gloves.

Really?

What are the odds he can maintain this for any extended period of time? Are you as worried as I am that at some point, that long arm of his is just absolutely gonna give out trying to throw the ball over 100 miles an hour constantly? The body wasn't meant to do that.

that.This is a fascinating question, Steve and BJ, and thanks as always for the opportunity to be on the show.

The, the reality is this.

No one has been able to do what he is doing in quite this fashion.

Remember, he's already in the pitch tracking era, which encapsulates this velocity-fueled time in the history of our game.

He has set a record for the number of pitches at least 100 miles an hour in, in a season.

Uh, A- Adam McCalvy has talked about this at MLB.com. 66 pitches at 100-plus.

How do we explain that?

What went wrong?

It's a good question, Jonas, because I, I think when you look at the, the relationship between Skubal and the Tigers, uh, it, it...

There's not one particular moment that, that took the relationship off track.

But it's reached the point to where it's not even worth Skubal trying to pretend like he's about to sign long term there or, or say that.

Say, "Hey, I wanna finish my career here.

I wanna retire as a Tiger." All that stuff that you sometimes hear players say when they're looking for a, for a long-term relationship with a team.

It just...

Mm

What do you expect from USMNT?

Buck and Jason, first of all, uh, happy 4th of July.

Happy 250.

Uh, great to be with you today.

I expect the U.S. to win that game.

Uh, and it, it is a combination of reasons.

I think, number one, the, the news or the most likely news is that it will be Ricardo Pepi stepping in for Balogun's place.

Yeah

to be the cool

one at school.

My dad told me he's going to the Dodgers.

Dad, what should I say? What should I say? So a couple things on that.

They do expect to get Verlander back this weekend as well, which is unique and an interesting storyline too.

But we all realize that time is short.

for the Detroit Tigers to move up the playoff rankings and the hierarchy.

We are in the midst right now of what could be the greatest chase for a reward in baseball in the National League Cy Young Award.

What were your thoughts on the Knicks' incredible run to their first championship in 53 years?

Well, Steve and BJ, first of all, my friends, it is great to be with you as always.

And as sports fans, we want moments and we want moments.

those indelible where-were-you things that happen in sports.

And to me, the Knicks' comeback in Game 4 and the way that game ended give you exactly that.

And that's going to be one of those moments that you talk about forever.

You share with your family members, your friends, where were you? Let's relive this moment.

Should there be doubt? I mean, is there a chance the Canes close out to win their second Stanley Cup championship? Or are we definitely heading to a Game 7? What are your thoughts on tonight's matchup?

So what language are you perfecting and what team are you adopting?

Working on Spanish, of course, that is the most broadly adaptable language that you can speak when covering the World Cup.

I am planning on getting to some games in person, which is going to be a lot of fun.

I tell you what, this country is ready for it.

To be honest, if you're someone that enjoys social media, and you've probably noticed the last few days, the number of fans from around the world and also teams from around the world that are being based in unique and small American cities, that is the essence of what is going on here.

Smaller towns, I know Lawrence, Kansas, has a team from the Middle East.

You've got Spain is in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

and meet the moment, and it's going to be a great success.

So what language are you perfecting and what team are you adopting? Yeah.

Working on Spanish, of course, that is the most broadly adaptable language that you can speak when covering the World Cup.

I am planning on getting to some games in person, which is going to be a lot of fun.

I tell you what, this country is ready for it.

And to be honest, if you're someone that enjoys social media and you've probably noticed the last few days, the number of fans from around the world and then also teams around the world that are being based in unique and small American cities.

That is the essence of what is going on here.

Smaller towns, Lawrence, Kansas, has a team from the Middle East.

And or does it make you like we're going to have a terrible time if we lost the way we lost to Germany?

How important is tonight's game for the Pistons?

To me, it's a difference between is it a good season or a great season.

You make it to the Eastern Conference Final, and obviously, who knows what would happen at that point.

But i- if you lose a Game 7 at home after being the number one seed, that would be a disappointment.

I- it, it would be, as much as winning a playoff series and coming back from 3-1 down to Orlando was a major achievement, they're at a moment now where, where there's no participation medals here, uh, in the playoffs, especially when you very clearly have a Cade Cunningham in his prime.

And, and I think they were, they were reminded of that and how much they're dependent upon him when he missed the time due to injury in the second half.

They weren't quite the same team.

So is it still on the table? There, is there still a possibility that, A, Scoobell is gonna be traded? And what are the chances that the Dodgers would be the ones to step up and make a deal to get Tarik Skubal from the Tigers?

I- is it, is it done? Are the Tigers gonna unload Skubal? And if they do, does thisprocedure that he just have have any impact on his marketability?

It's a great question.

I, I think it could have an impact, but it, it...

To be honest, Steve, it's a little early to say definitively that it will.

Obviously, any time you have a surgery in the middle of the season, it's not ideal.

There, there's no question about that.

It could actually make a greater impact, though, on the Tigers' chances to win this World Series this year than it does Skubal's long-term earning potential, as long as he returns and pitches well down the stretch.

But how, how far away are the Pistons from representing the Eastern Conference in an NBA Finals?

Can you explain what you're doing and the troublesome situation that you and your friends of yours, I should say, have found themselves in, and friends of mine have found themselves in as well?

Right.

Thank you, Shep, for the opportunity to talk about it.

So tomorrow at the Pretzel Bell in Ann Arbor, so if you've been to town, you're certainly familiar with where that is, right at the at the heart of Main Street there in Ann Arbor at the Pretzel Bell, 4 until 6.30 tomorrow is the Mullets for Miles fundraiser for the Miles Jeffrey Roberts Foundation.

And tragically, my friends Jeff and Kristen Roberts lost their son Miles.

They died by suicide in May of 2017 at the age of 15.

And so this is an issue that, to your point, Jeff, youth mental health and youth suicide is a cause that is really becoming something that's a concern for, and has been a concern for our society for a very, very long time.

Why do you think it's so prevalent now?

Yep.

So we got some more, some more UCLA ties there.

But it, it's, it is to me the, just the, the way of college athletics now.

It, it's almost as though i- if you had a, a baseball team that won because they made a big trade deadline move or signed someone in free agency that it in some way diminished your joy of, of experiencing that.

I- it may be on some level a little bit more gratifying if, if the whole lineup is homegrown, so to speak, on a, on a, on a Major League Baseball team.

But free agency is part of Major League Baseball and all of pro sports.

Uh, uh, contracts being purchased are part of pro sports in, in European soccer.

Is this working, and where do we go from here? Can you actually see a day when balls and strikes will be done 100% of the time by an automated system?

make

a ton of changes.

They did bring back Bellinger, which is important.

They brought back Grisham, which was important.

if they have a healthy year and if they get off to a good start – now here's why I think a good start for the Yankees is paramount.

They will get better as the year goes along just organically, in my view, with Cole and Rodon.

So internally, their rotation will improve.

They got to get right.

I- is this one of those events that maybe baseball can capitalize off of as well?

You know, Brady, it, it's a great point, and it, it absolutely is.

Uh, I, I was very honored.

My, my parents were able to fly down from Michigan to, uh, to watch some of the games here in Houston.

And, and, you know, they've been watching sports their whole lives.

They've seen a lot of great sporting events.

And just to see their eyes light up at what this atmosphere is like, and, and they were meeting fans from Mexico that were sitting all around them during the US-Mexico game, and they had such a, a great experience spending time with them.

So with that being said, why is it only every three years? Why wouldn't they want to work this into the rotation more, and has that been a discussion?

I- is this one of those events that maybe baseball can capitalize off of as well?

You know, Brady, it, it's a great point, and it, it absolutely is.

Uh, I, I, I was very honored.

My, my parents were able to fly down from Michigan to, uh, to watch some of the games here in Houston.

And, and, you know, they've been watching sports their whole lives.

They've seen a lot of great sporting events.

And just to see their eyes light up at what this atmosphere is like, and, and they were meeting fans from Mexico that were sitting all around them during the US-Mexico game, where they had such a, a great experience spending time with them, and, and that is the essence of this tournament.

So with that being said, why is it only every three years? Why wouldn't they want to work this into the rotation more, and has that been a discussion?

What do you make of what's going on with Belichick now, comparing it to what you guys had to go through last week with the voting for Beltran?

Well, it is really interesting.

And, of course, the NFL Hall of Fame, that process, what I do know about it is it is much more opaque than ours in baseball.

There's not a lot of transparency at all.

There is the room and the announcement emerges, and we don't quite have the same amount of transparency that we have with baseball.

And so that adds to the intrigue in what's happening there.

But it does...

How big is the gap between where the Dodgers are in terms of the perception versus reality?

So, Mike, do you believe those with some years remaining that we've changed the electorate enough that we're going to start seeing some more guys with some of these past misdeeds maybe be forgiven altogether?

Well, so, for our listeners who are maybe not aware, Andy Pettit did admit after he was named in the Mitchell Report to some limited PED use is the way that it's been described.

And so he did not...

He did not fail a test.

He was not suspended by MLB.

And so I put him in the same classification as Bonds and Clemens, both of whom I voted for.

And actually, I voted for Petter for the first time this year.

What would you say to them?