Shohei Ohtani is MLB's biggest superstar since?? | Baseball Today

INTRO it is Thursday August 29th 2024 this is another edition of baseball today presented to you by 5 Hour Energy that is my man Trevor PLO I'm Chris Rose producer Dan along for the ride as well if my voice sounds a little froggy that's because I got up at 25 this morning to take my beautiful fur baby Sydney outside not once but twice so I only went back to bed from like 6:20 to 8:00 a.m. or something so uh if I don't have that real range we can blame the dog today you kind of sound like a rock star right now I like it Chris yeah yeah and you get that little that gravel in your voice if you will I'm also not feeling great so me and Sydney are like on the same uh wavelength here oh [ __ ] no but let me correct this you might feel like [ __ ] she feels fine she just wanted to go outside and bark for 10 minutes while I stood out there in my underwear it's the best feeling ever it was great okay not not ideal not ideal anyway way you know what is ideal if you need a little you know boost of energy mhm Today's Show is brought to you by Five Hour Energy 5 Hour Energy shots they help you feel alert and energized it's packed with vitamins nutrients and about as much caffeine as the leading premium coffee and here's the nice thing contain zero sugar so you'll drink it in seconds you'll feel it in minutes it'll last for hours all you have to do is head on over to 5our energy.com use that number 5our energy.com and the code is johnboy to save 20% on your first order so if your dog got you up in the middle of the night and you need something to get you through the rest of the day like some people around here go get your Five Hour Energy and don't forget about getting your Five Hour Energy question of the weekend by tonight so we can use it on Friday show okay uh we're going to start Tip of the cap off with the tip of the cap well well well Chicago White Socks I don't I don't know how you do it but you got done in by by Travis Janowski who may may have given us the catch of the year on Wednesday the one two that's in the air left field that's trouble Jankowski back and EV maged catch oh my goodness what a grab took a walk-off Homer away from Andrew vaugh so I suppose the tip of the cap to the Champs but man oh man you want to pull your hat over your eyes if you're the wh socks a walkoff home or getting that taken away from me that's a career highlight that just all of a sudden is an out you know a negative on your batting average and your Ops and all that stuff so it's tough but that was uh those catches sometimes outfiters make him look easy but think about how far that ball traveled and you're talking about 340 feet 350 feet high in the air you're running you're timing it perfectly you're jumping up onto a fence that has two different materials uh you know padding and then chain link and then getting up there and everything has to be perfect uh and he made it I mean that was that was something man yeah the reactions of everybody from Andrew Chaffin to guys in the Rangers dugouts to fans there on the a few beers yeah he does that's what they said on the broadcast and that is accurate all right Shohei Ohtani bobblehead night we're gonna get it going with a guy we talk about a lot but there was another chapter in the amazing journey of shi Otani it was shohi Bobble head day but not only with just shoh but his dog decoy so fans were lined up in some cases 11 or 12 hours before first pitch I was reading you can see it ran like thousands Deep by the time the Dodgers players were showing up look at this look at this crowd that wanted these bobbleheads we understand it we saw it earlier this year when they released one of just Shi now we got Shi and decoy his world famous dog not only that Decoy had a chance to throw out the first pitch so we were wondering how's this going to work a cute little dog is out there on the mound sh shows him he grabs the ball and runs it all the way to show he at home played apparently it took the dog three weeks to learn how to do this it would take me three years to figure out how to do that that is great work oh and by the way when Shi stepped to the plate in the first inning the stretch another one true to Otani he Launches on the right field it sends San bear back sh Otani meeting the moment reading the room and leaving the yard meeting the moment reading the room and the yard um pretty good yeah that's damn good Joe Davis by the way was it like ass out throwing his Bat at it typically I would say dang he's got that good Japanese wood but I don't I think what does he swing he swings is it maruchi or is it Chan dude you're asking a wrong guy they sound different dude I'm sorry those thing that sounds like a freaking shotgun going off and yeah I don't know who else in the big leagues can swing like that and then send the ball over the fence he's he's just strong man he's a big strong um person who can manipulate you know that Force into his Barrel like nobody else can so yeah it was he's he's something else yeah so he joined A-Rod as the only guys in history with 42 homers 42 Steel will yes go ahead we have to say this Los Angeles Dodgers the organization do not make everybody line up like that that's ridiculous I'm sorry like that that's not an enjoyable experience I get it like those people you have I believe you have to usually buy a ticket package to get the bobblehead now I don't know if that's the case here if they were just giving it to the first whatever fans it was it was the first 40,000 and and the Place SE stop make 60,000 of them and everybody gets one so you don't have this is ridiculous people probably had to call off work to get down there I'm I don't like that at all now what they've been doing is they've been adding like two or three gold additions to these things like rare like that's great do that that's awesome that makes people want to come but don't why limit it what's 40,000 or 60,000 like you got it yeah you got it yeah so I think actually there were 2,000 gold Shi and decoy bobbleheads that were available whatever it is dude I'm just saying don't make people line up like this like it's ridiculous so producer Dan did we ever find out like what one of those is going for on eBay or anything okay he's going to look right now in the meantime we'll continue the discussion uh you can just throw it in the chat Dan um so shohi is obviously the most popular player we've Shohei MLB's biggest superstar since? got going in this sport because of his Global reach and everything else I I don't think other people are lining up fans are lining up like this for a different kind of bobblehead and I don't remember it in recent times like so he is the most famous player in this sport since I think the easy answer is icho because because he was famous in the US and in Japan so you know he had the multinational thing going on um but I I think I have a better answer then I kind of want to talk about a little bit more I think Mark Maguire and Sammy Sosa like that was the Pinnacle of baseball I think in the US like that summer of 98 when they were chasing the Home Run Record everybody knew it it was like stoping your tracks cut in on pretty much any TV uh to go to these at bats and I don't think we've seen anything like that since I don't even think sh is there and the other point I wanted to make is I don't think shohi can get there we're a different Society now there like cell phones were like not a thing back then the internet was basically not a thing back then people were still getting all of their you know entertainment from the television or you know the movie screens or the radio so like there was just less going on now we have so much going on I think it's impossible for Shi to reach those Heights he's just it's impossible like there's too much going on there's too many things to look at now um so I don't think he'll really I don't think he'll ever reach that level of like National prominence here I hope he does that'd be great for our game um but I guess I think that's my answer I think it's since I think it's since Mark McGuire Sammy Sosa yeah I think that's probably pretty accurate um from this standpoint when the Home Run Chase of 98 was going on the world was stopping to watch and see you know could somebody get past 61 and then how high Could It Go and I remember that it was actually the the home run that Maguire hit against Steve traxel I believe 1998 that was a game that was picked up by big fox it was a Tuesday night and everybody cleared the schedule it felt like the entire world was watching well these days you don't have to stop what you're doing you can just take this wherever you want and if you want to tune in for two minutes five minutes to an important thing the thing is is that shi's popularity is more than a moment and I think that's where we are with him like he is as popular as it goes and you know we talked with Vinnie pasquantino when he was a member of Team Italy last year in the World Baseball Classic he had a chance to play in Japan against Japan in the quarterfinals I guess it was and he was like I've never seen anything like it he said you can't go three feet over there without being inundated by something of shohi so what however big we think it is is here it is eon's bigger over there yeah I I agree I think he's I think he's a massive star there's no doubt about it I guess I you in Japan yes it's different I was more speaking you know on you know a US level yes I I just don't know if anybody's ever going to get to that level of stardom again I really don't uh as far as the bobbleheads go Dan did a little quick research uh regular one going for 3 to 400 the gold one though 12 to 1500 some listings as high as s grand for a gold one one of my neighbors got the first time go around he got one of the special ones as well great ones yeah yeah I don't know I'm just telling Dodgers what are we doing come on man what is you doing baby like make 60,000 yeah they're whatever the cost difference is between the 40 and 60 they're doing just fine you know what sh should do just ball out and be like hey I I'll pay for the extra 20 oh and just I mean make yourself endeared to a fan base let me get make sure everybody gets one how much could that cost for real let's just say it's 20 you have to do another 20,000 yeah and just say those things cost them at that large of scale I don't know even if it's 10 bucks MH what is that 200 that's 200 200,000 yeah I I'm with you dude yeah I don't know what they cost 10 15 20 who knows what they are but it's probably like five and I guess the more you order more it goes down don't get mad at me Dodgers I'm just spitting facts over here yes you are yes you are all right Have we forgotten how good Yordan Alvarez is? um let's move on to the Houston Astros they salvaged something Spencer erti took a no hitter into the eighth why you shaking your head no he's I mean the turn go go on I'm sorry that's all right I was just going to say the turnaround from some of these guys with the Astros is amazing yeah he's and he's really been at the top of the list there's no question about it uh career high in strikeouts but as far as the guy who supplied the power display a familiar face Chazzy Fizz followed up by yordon with a smash to Center three in a row the big man is on fire three straight home runs laser beam over the wall in Center that was like a four iron to dead Central so he's got 28 homers on the year Ops around 960 I don't know have we forgotten how good yordon is because I feel like we've barely mentioned him this season I mean I don't think anyone's forgotten how good he is I think he was a victim of the slow start syndrome that a lot of the Astros had Yer Diaz um you know since June has been crazy but before that wasn't very good the Astros you know June 18th 10 games back of the Seattle Mariners so like we kind of put him back in our rear view and then they started making noise and then everyone was like okay like obviously they're going to be in contention and now they're you know have a a decent sized lead in that division but I think that's kind of what it was you know he didn't get off to a great start either at the end of May 792 Ops which is a dang good Ops for most people not for yordon he's a he's a career mid n's guy and then since June 1st C Rosie up until August 28th they've gone 42 and 25 in those games uh he's 346 444 671 for the one. one so he is he's having a year on par with all of the rest of his year so I um I guess I don't know why we haven't talked about him more I I could tell you why tell me I don't know I think it's because he makes the extraordinary feel ordinary like he he is so consistent yeah yeah and consistency in this sport will get you to Cooper's town but sometimes it doesn't get you a ton of headlines like he has not hit 40 homers in a year yet he's driven in 100 runs one time so not that that's a huge stat anymore but sometimes it is fun when you go to baseball reference and you see that a guy's had over a 10year span 100 100 100 it's still fun to see I don't care what anybody says in terms of the importance it's it's visually pleasing um he just is so solid when he gets to the plate lefties righties it does not matter what you throw up there because he's going to hit it and he's going to hit it hard but we just once you expect something out of somebody like when Aaron judge hits it it's still remarkable because how hard he freaking hits everything on the screws and with yordon we did see it last night but sometimes we just I don't know you're like okay yeah he had another two or three hit night or in the case of Wednesday four I used to say that about Mike Trout all the time playing against him you'd be like this guy's this guy's the greatest player ever like I I I guess I just don't get it but then when you looked at his season at the end of the year you're like oh my God those numbers are insane and yon like you mentioned it's very true same kind of way um he hasn't had more than eight homers in a month um hasn't had more than 19 is his most runs driven in in a month but he's consistently right there right and again when you look up at the end of the year and you've put together you know um six you know seven Homer months that gets you to to 40 like that's kind of what trout used to do just consistent consistent consistent over over and over kind of made you like you mentioned just okay and then like I said at the end of the year you're like I can't believe that that's the kind of season he had it's a little bit like the um being baseball's version of Tim Duncan who was so great I mean one of the great players in NBA history but his his nickname was incredible the big fundamental because he just did everything so well right he could shoot a jumper he didn't shoot three-pointers back in the day that's not the way the the game was played by big men at that point but he could pass he could rebound he was a great Defender but he made everything look effortless so it just felt the same way when yordon is at the plate I'm up something real quick yeah oh my God what he got well you know I was gonna say to me he's a guy that you can rely on 100% in the postseason I didn't know the numbers but I feel I feel like he's like the guy uh career 949 Ops in the postseason that's no joke how many homers does he have 12 12 and 58 games is a menace dude absolute Menace he is you know what though I gotta dog him a little bit I can't dog him I'm that guy dog three World Series 692 Ops okay well let's go yordon yeah whatever hey do you want to be a tailgate Champion win 10 grand for the ultimate football tailgate all you have to do is enter the 5H Hour Energy tailgate championship sweep Stakes you could have a chance to win $10,000 toward your tailgate you'll find out more at five that's the number five he win.com once again we told you earlier about Five Hour Energy it is quick it is simple it is effective you'll drink it in seconds feel it in minutes and have it last for hours it's got zero sugar but it is packed with B vitamins and amino acid so it provides a feeling of alertness and energy right away shots are portable they're convenient they're on the go and they'll give you that feeling of energy whenever you need it plus a wide range of flavors so learn more at five he win.com there's no purchase necessary but this ends on October so that is October 31st of 2024 see full official rules for details how to enter without purchase at 5he win.com and shop now at 5 Hour energy.com to find your favorite flavor today and get that little pickme up as well Chris S Surprised by how dominant Chris Sale has been? has been picking up the Atlanta Braves all season long sorry plof they continue to take it to your Minnesota Twins I believe 51 was the final in this one picked up his 15th win so how surprised are you that Chris S now in his mid-30s has rekindled the magic I'm watching these highlights right now it's very difficult you and I are on the same page right now we're just looking at our team going what's going on guys this is about Chris S let's make it about Chris S I'm sorry uh how surprised am I considering that you know he's like fully healthy this year I'm probably not as surprised as many other people because I've just seen this guy dominate when he's healthy and you know since what 2019 um he hasn't been healthy necessarily you know he went through the Tommy John he had other stuff going on um he's a different breed dude he just isn't like any other pitcher in all of baseball although I just read an article about how Shawn manah is trying to like copy Chris Sale and that's why he's been so good which is awesome but I'm not I'm honestly not that surprised you give a guy like this a full bill of health um he's he's one of our generation's most dominant pitchers my generation's most dominant pitch you're a different generation Chris one of my Generations most dominant pitcher so I'm not I'm not that surprised and then the thing that I'll go back to is guys like him um you want to see them you want to see them make adjustments at the end of their career usually it's because the v's gone his V's actually back up to where it had been so that helps but you know he starts to change you know how he throws he's finally starting to throw his slider a little bit more than his for seam fast ball which is new for him you know he found a new change up so he's tinkering and given like his body type and the way he throws and how different it is when you mix those things together like he has the ability continue to do this for quite some time I think Atlanta was I think Atlanta saw that and was obviously very smart to not only you know trade for him but then extend him right away as well they're they're reaping the benefits I mean this guy's triple crowning it right now Chris it's it's been awesome I'm not that surprised to be honest with you I am pleasantly surprised for him because I thought that one of two things was going to happen with him either he wouldn't be able to get through a full season which was probably number one on the list and number two he hadn't been good in a full season since 2018 since he was the last man standing on the mound and helping the Red Sox knock off the Dodgers in the World Series it's like that was the last time that he there were there have been spurts where he's been good but certainly not in a full season so you're talking about a long time not talking about 18 months or even two years we're talking about six years it had been since he was kind of at the top of his game on a consistent healthy basis so for him to do this man that is impressive we talked a few weeks ago about Hall of Fame and we both think that he'll be there um as long as the writers are willing to kind of adjust some of the big numbers that you usually look at with starting pitchers but he is he's the biggest reason why they have the Braves have you know stuck around in the Wild Card Chase and now are trying to solidify themselves is the number three wild card he had a torn UCL a right rib stress fracture fracture left pinky finger that's his throwing a hand and then he broke his wrist on a on a bike I remember that now y so like you know I don't know he's just different to me he's not he's not like those regular parents he's a cool parent I kind of like that he's a cool parent that's kind of cute uh in the Bigger win for Arizona or bigger loss for the Mets? meantime the Arizona Diamondbacks whose hat I am Dawning they continued their second half surge they got a grandiose performance from one Corbin Carroll second foro at first Corbin hits it high in the air it's a Fly ball to right field and it's gone he did it again you got that right Steve berum he did it again he had homered earlier in the game he's on a he's on a homer hot streak right now so was that a bigger swing for the Arizona Diamondbacks or a bigger Miss for Edwin Diaz and the Mets so I think it's a bigger swing for the Diamondbacks because I I believe they have their sight set on The Division I don't think they care about the wild card I think they really want to go out and win that division they want to get ahead and top the Dodgers and you know have the the flag waving in the Outfield all those things because you know they swept him last year in the playoffs but I think a lot of people are you know saying oh that's a you know a one-time thing the Diamondbacks don't believe that so I think keeping Pace with the Dodgers is very important for them so I think it was big for them and the Mets are like going through this very difficult you know 10 game uh part of their schedule is Baltimore um who was it Baltimore San Diego and now Arizona and they're sitting right now five and four like if they've already secured you know an even split right there I think they're happy with that because now that after that they're scheduling lightens up they go to Chicago for three Boston Cincy Toronto like I think they can turn the Jets on make up some games at that point but when they're looking at this 10 game set sure do they want to win it and they had the chance to do that today go six and four in it I think that they understand that they're not going to go clean through all these games so I I'll go bigger swing for Arizona as they try to keep Pace with the Dodgers well we're going to talk much more uh extensively about the Arizona Diamondbacks on tomorrow's show because they open up a four gamer at home against a Los Angeles Dodgers and that could end up being a blast really really fun boy isn't this the second time where Edwin Diaz has gotten his teeth kicked in late in a game uh recently you can't when you're now they're now four out of the Wild Card chase you cannot have this happen you just cannot and if my Mets are going to get back in this thing they did such a good job crawling back right after I had proclaimed them DOA on May 29th and they crawled all the way back and I took a lot of crap on social media and certainly I deserved it because they held a playoff spot ever since then they've been sinking just a little bit just a little bit and the Diamond Backs and the Padres were playing out of their gourd to begin the second half and that's pretty much continued and then the Braves whom we were worried my God are they even going to make it well they start a series with the Phillies tonight and they're only five back back in the division so yeah I think I love it I want these races to be tight I think the Mets just want to keep it close with the bravs because they do have the three- game set second to last series against them with a chance to you know basically make her break their playoff chances yeah but you don't want to have to treat those ex as playoff no what I'm saying is is that um you don't want to be down four with two series to go no but like I said their schedule opens up a little bit this going going six and four in these 10 games if you asked Mets fans or even the Mets clubhous you guys want that they'd be like yes we will take six and four and then we'll go and play the Chicago White Socks they will love that okay so I gotta win today yeah it's a rough one metsis I didn't even check in on Jolly after that one that's re that's where uh living on the east coast is a real kick in the you know what not because listen you think he was sleeping no would you no he's a grown ass man and he loves his Mets and so late though man those I mean that's you're talking about that's like a midnight thing I know that's what makes it worse is that you you pour that much time and energy into a game that you've been leading the whole you know well most of the way you come back and take a and then all of a sudden that happens you're like I stayed up all night I cost myself sleep to watch that then you go have nightmares about it I love that it's perfect for Jolly I wonder who got less sleep last night Chris Rose or Jolly Olive I have to text him see how he's doing on that I don't know I don't know the answer I would like to find out all MLB teams and fantasy football right before we get out of here this is kind of fun Phillies decided their Fantasy Football Draft order at the bank everybody gets golf shots closest to the pin and since they didn't have a pin available they they used their team therapist dressed in Catcher Garb to be the guy out there JT ra Muto who apparently is an outstanding golfer will pick first in that draft but recently the Oakland A's did kind of a cool one as well where they all went up into the bleachers and threw a baseball closest to the Target there that's all pretty good which one of those is a better way to decide your fantasy football draft order uh I don't know I don't really like either of them i' like to participate in both of them that seems fun but I feel like you can get a little bit more creative than that the the golf one kind of um makes me feel a little awkward because I think baseball players have just terrible golf swings and I know I do too when I watch my golf swing I get so upset with myself like why do you look like that it's such a baseball looking swing all those guys have it so when I saw those swings even jts by the way um you're just like dang come on guys like the tempo's not there that's just the tempo's out and then the other I guess I'll go with the A's I like the A's better because I like the fact that they climbed up Mount Davis and did that whole thing I like that yeah that's kind of fun I saw one online um they determined it by who ran the fastest 40 yard yeah I like stuff like that obviously they really can't do that maybe I don't know no you can't do that in with professional be fun to do like uh like uh who can finish a crossword puzzle the fastest or something to use your brain a little bit yeah instead of a random yeah yeah I kind of like that although some of the dumb guys like no way bro no way that's actually a good idea crossword but then we have to send it see like all of our people live all over the country how many leagues are you in I know I went to the draft I'm in two I'm yeah you're not allowed at the draft what no why well it was supposed to be like just the guys but I brought you and then they think I won the league because of you did you win I did hold on and Brady Rose didn't get a cut of that huh Brady Rose did not get a cut of your plof what does he want I barely want any money this league is just not like a big money League what does he want like five what do you mean there's a bunch of big ballers in that League I I want it to be worth more they don't do it dude I can't I can't believe it so wait a second I've been banned and Brady we kept texting Brady to see who we should take and he kept telling us some guys and you were like oh that's stupid but apparently it helped out a little bit so had some tough picks we had some tough picks now I want to say that right now I know there were so now you're not gonna help out a starving college kid I will I'll send Brady whatever I'll send uh Brady a ball alcohol I'm don't do that please no we're not doing that laundry money bro laundry money laundry money is fine find some Chipotle money you know what how about this everybody leave a comment what should Trevor ploof send my son who is a freshman in college as a thank you for helping him win the Le I first of all I I believe I did talk to you and Brady after I won the whole thing you acted surprised like you didn't know well this is what happens first of all I've got foggy brain this morning because I barely slept but I also tend to um forget things that are outstanding in my life and just remember the nightmares I'm in two leagues I don't want to be in any League I'm I'm I have the fantasy football like I'm out on it I'm only in one league with my family that's it and I stink at it I'm so bad last year I won the first three and then I lost everyone until the last week I'm so bad at this stuff I'm an idiot all right we are back at it again on Friday do not forget to get your Five Hour Energy question of the weekend by OUTRO tonight so we can make somebody famous on Friday show we'll uh break down I'm sure Phillies Braves get you set for diamond backs and Dodgers lot of good stuff getting ready to roll this weekend for our one-of aind producer Dan roor The youber Talented Trevor plof I am Chris Rose we will see you Friday here on baseball today presented to you by Five Hour Energy