Transcript of Postgame Show: Billy, I Love You (feat. JuJu Gotti)

We've got pitch clock coming up here. We've also got some Juju Gatti coming up here, but we've got to do Thursday Thunder here, and we've got to do it quickly, and we've got to win this week. It's time to start winning people some money. Let's win people some money. I still don't think that in all the time that Juju has been doing this, maybe I'm wrong. If he has ever gotten zero right, I don't think. One right is very rare, but two right out of three That's his wheelhouse. So just selectively, if you don't want to bet them together, bet them individually. But together is the big payout. Give us the Thursday thunder this week, Juju.

Yes, sir. Since I'm so successful at those two out of threes, this week, I'm going with a four-piece, baby. First of all, I'm going with Tee Higgins for over five reception yards in the first quarter. First quarter, Tee Higgins, lock it in. Secondly, I'm sticking with T. Higgins, and I'm going with him for over three catches tonight. Scooby Snacks. Scooby Snacks. Joe Flacko in the building. Uncle, I see you. Next leg, I'm going with my brother Noah Fant. You know, Mike Gusecki, he's out. He's on the IR. And that tight-end Drew Sample isn't the same as tossing the pill to Noah Fant. Over 3. 5 catches tonight for my brother. And lastly, but not leastly, Jamar Chase for over six catches from Joe Flacko tonight. Lock it in.

Excellent job, Juju. Juju, I got to I want to ask you, have you seen Paul Pierce's recent comments on Club Cheche? Have you seen what he said about LeBron?

Yes, sir. And I wanted to understand or know what you guys feel about it. Mike, Mike for sure, but you as well, Zaz. What do you see? This was Paul Pierce's quote.

Hey, that's my gimmick. Yeah. Just to shorten it for everyone listening who doesn't know, he went on Club Sheshe, and he said that if he were younger, all of those years that LeBron was sunning him with the Miami heat, if he were younger, LeBron would have no rings.

It made no sense. It made no sense because he had a lot of his career without LeBron to even worry about, and he didn't do much when and there.

I mean, we could play this game forever. I could then just come back and say, Yeah, if Kevin McHale and Danny Ainge weren't good friends and corroborated to send Kevin Garnett to Celtics, you wouldn't want shit. We could do this forever.

I love Paul pierce, I think. Post-retirement, Paul pierce. He just seems crazy in a good time.

Yeah, I believe it. Also, yeah, if Pat McAfee didn't think of having Aaron Rodgers and stuff on, I would have did that. So I feel Paul pierce.

It's ridiculous. I guess it had been a little while since Paul pierce said something that only he believes.

No, he fell asleep last week, if you remember correctly.

Oh, that's right. Just in the middle of- Traffic. Yeah, I love that one. Just in the middle of traffic. You know what it's like to be stuck in traffic for 45 minutes? And no, Paul, tell me. That's never happened to anybody.

Yeah, I agree with you also, not to change the subject too quick. But when you said, Tua is potentially becoming unlikable, and you point it back to to show me the money. Oh, my. I forgot all about that, bro. That was the most embarrassing thing he's ever done. So I agree with his ass.

Cringe AF, right, Juju? Cringe AF?

Cringe AF.

Not as much as you saying Cringe AF.

Come on.

There we go. Now you're back.

Juju, you got some polls for us to update? What do we got here?

Yes, sir. Also, too, Billy, I love you. Before we get to the post, Billy, I love you so much, bro. People don't understand you a great guy. You're hilarious on the show, and you be playing your role. But when I first got to this company, I was fresh out the streets, so I don't understand a lot of what's going on. You feel me? And he helped me understand a lot of what was going on, took the time, talked to me for hours on the phone. Like, bro, we're grown folks, and people don't use the phone no more. My boy Billy took a time out of his life, two kids to talk to me. You You feel me? So I always appreciate you. I always appreciate the time we spent together. And I love you, brother.

Thank you, Juju.

Love you.

Yes, sir. Do you like it when there are two Monday night football games?

I'm in on this.

67% of the audience says, No, they do not.

People are just looking for things to complain about.

I don't understand. You're telling me- What?

Here? In American general.

You're telling me a Monday night football game will end, and it'll end at 10: 00 PM Eastern Time, also known as Lord's Time Zone. The game will end on Monday, and you'll be like, damn, I wish there wasn't another game on right now.

I like it when it's staggered by an hour. I don't love the 7: 10 thing. I like that better. I like the 7: 00 and 8: 15. That's where it's at.

I It got better.

I like that better. I like the 7: 10. It's like, give me something to stay up for. It's like basketball season. I'm used to staying up so late because LeBron and them, they don't come on to 10: 00, 1,000 Eastern time. So I'm used to staying up late. I like it. I'm either here or there. Who is cooler? A person who scores baseball games or a person who has sex? Oh, big. This is big. 63% of the audience says a person who has sex.

What they don't know is that if you do the first, you do the second more than if you don't do the first.

Hello. Is Max Scherzer as crazy as his eyes look? 90% of the audience says, Yes, he is. In the last poll, was the Pope talking trash. 96% of the audience says, Yes, he was. And those are your polls.

That Pope was spitting. Thanks, Juju.

Thank you all.

Pitch clock, next.

Yes, sir.

Dan Levatard. Can I tell you something? I don't know, maybe like a month ago, and I decided to watch Pitch Clock, and I told Jeremy, Stugatz. This is a good show you're doing. This is the Dan Levatard show with the Stugatz.

I've decided that since I did so well last week, I'm not going to change, and I'm going to wear the same clothes this week. What's your excuse?

I've been in the lab studying all baseball statistics for a week straight. I haven't changed, and I'm ready to win, maybe. I don't know. I don't feel any confidence in this anymore. Hi, everybody.

Welcome to the Pitch Clock.

Here's the pitch, a two-part baseball segment combining a nostalgic baseball trivia game and an interview with an expert. This is the pitch clock. So you already high everybody.

Yeah, I did. Oh, I did that. Oh, that's right. I'm supposed to do that here. I did in the cold open.

You did.

Don't tell me when to high everybody.

It's the playoffs. We're doing the pitch clock, and we are back for another week. We will have our baseball analyst with us momentarily to dive into everything that's going on. Ethan, what is our game for today?

So in front of you, there's a sheet of logos. Those are the World Series champions every year since 2009. You are going to tell me the World Series MVP for each of these seasons. It's three strikes and you're out. And there are teams with multiple on here. You have to get the year right. You cannot just throw out a name and hope they're on this list. You have to point me to the right year.

So the Dodgers would be 2024. Correct. Going back to the Yankees at the bottom right would be-In 2009.

Correct. Last week, Cody won. So he is going to have the honor this week.

He hit a big grand slam. I'm going to go Freddie Freeman 2024.

That is correct. Freddie Freeman was last year's one.

I knew you would... I knew you would...

He hit three big home runs, I believe, in that series. Of course, most famously, the Grand Slam off of Nestor Cortés.

Okay. I'm going to go with... Here's a fun one. I'm going to go with It's three, two. 2021, Atlanta Braves, Jorge Soler.

That is correct. We all remember that big home run he hit in Houston.

We all remember it, right?

We all remember it, right, Cody?

Yeah. Damn. That's where I was trying. I was trying to figure out where are the ones that Chris definitely knows. But I think I just got to get myself on the board on these.

So one, one after one. Oh, boy.

All right. Dodgers, 2020, Muki, Betz?

That is incorrect. And I'm not going to give you the right answer. Yeah, thank you. Because if Jeremy wants to take that one, he can't. So thank you. Hody has the first strike.

This is not going to be good for Chris.

But he was there. Oh, God. Okay, Okay. There's one that I know for sure, but I don't know which year.

I'm intrigued by who you're thinking. You know what that means.

Oh, my God.

I just thought I know one.

I like one. Well, here, I'm just going to go here. 23, it's Cory with the Rangers, correct?

That is correct. Yes. Cory Seeger had a great series for the Texas Rangers as they defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks. That was a fun World Series.

Yeah, man. That was a great World Series. Our ALCS and NLCS expert is with us now, and it's my new best friend and the author of Make Me, Commissioner: I know what's wrong with Baseball and how to Fix It. You can also check out her big piece coming out in the New York Times right before the World Series. Jane Levie, back with us on the pitch clock. Jane, thank you so much for taking the time to join me today.

For you, boy toy, anything.

All right. Well, let's dive right into the ALCS. Last night, it's the Mariners and the Blue Jays, and those Jays bats finally looked like the Jays bats we saw against the Yankees. A huge third ending breaks the game open. They pile on five homers in Seattle, which is the toughest place to hit home runs. So Jane, what changed last night, either in terms of the Blue Jays' offensive approach or the Mariner's pitching staff's execution that really flipped the script in this one?

The Jays to have looked so bad at home and then flip the script and have the Mariner's look so bad at home. It makes you wonder whether these teams that haven't had playoff games to really talk about for a long time, we're a little tight. And sometimes getting away from home is a really good thing. I doubt that the Mariners will be as brain-cramped as they were. I mean, they got Castillo going, and he seems... What's the opposite of flappable? Unflappable.

Unflappable. And he seems unflappable.

And, interestingly, unless it's changing, though I've been checking this morning, the Blue Jays have decided to go with Max Scherzer, the wily vet. They're now calling him the Wily Vet, as opposed to the future Hall of Famer. In terms of grit and experience, you can't do better than Mad Max. But Mad Max hasn't pitched since September 24th, and He's 41. Maybe they're not expecting much more than a couple of it. Maybe they're going to treat him like an opener for all we know. But it's a very strange choice in my view. I I mean, Chris Bassett's available. Why not Chris Bassett?

It's fascinating to see Scherzer take the hill. And I think you're right, that experience is paramount here. When you're looking at a moment like this, it's probably one time through the order and get into that bullpen or even a piggyback situation where you have Scherzer go early and you have Bassett go through the order from there, so they have to game plan. But now that the Blue Jays did get this one game and we saw those bats wake up, what should we expect here for the rest of this series? All of a sudden, this goes from a foregone conclusion to some real pressure on the Mariners at home in game four.

Well, the pressure is okay. Pressure is what professional athletes and even some amateurs, if there are such things anymore, that's what they should thrive on. What's it Billy Jean King says? Pressure is a privilege. And if they can't do it, then so be it. They can't do it. But I think they'll be more relaxed tonight. And remember, they have two more games at home. It's not one. They have two more chances to end this at home. And I was really rooting for a Mariner's Brewers series just to be able to see what the network television people did.

I don't even want to say what team it is because I feel like if I make you thinking about it, you're going to think of it, too.

I think I'm on to what you're thinking here, Coach.

Can I just say a last name?

Can you say a I know his position.

I know his team. I know his last name, I think. Just the first name is like it begins with an A, I think.

Oh, I know who you're thinking about. I'm thinking of the 2011 Cardinal. Oh, I already- Third basement So that's the one that what you're thinking about is what I... Hold on. No reaction from you. But you can't get his name. No reaction from you. I know who you're thinking about, and I just had the same thought process that you did. Mind you, while you go ahead and let yourself think, I am going to go for the audio audience. I'll go through each year here since we haven't yet. Good call. So we obviously got the 24 Dodgers, 23 Rangers. For those of you who don't remember, in 2022, it's the Houston Astros, '21, it's the Braves. '2020 was the Dodgers. '19 is the Washington Nationals, 18 Red Sox, 17 Houston Astros. That's a very famous team. 16, the Chicago Cubs, another very famous team. 15, the Royals, 14, the Giants, 13, the Red Sox, 12, the Giants, 11, the Cardinals, 10, the Giants, and 2009 was the New York Yankees.

2019 Nationals, Trey Turner.

No, he did have a great postseason, but he was not the World Series MVP that year. So that is two strikes for Cody.

That's two strikes?

Yeah, I got the dodger. I guess Muki Betz. You don't know who that Cardinal is?

I know who you're thinking of. It's not him? But I don't know. So here's the thing.

I don't know if you have the right name, Cody.

I know for sure Their third basement hit a bunch of home runs.

So I know who it is, but I'm trying to-100 % he was the MVP. I'm helping you.

100 %. Okay.

I don't have any strikes yet, right?

You are not on the board with any strikes, Jer.

2011 Cardinals. David Fries.

It's David Fries.

I shouldn't have told you. So the reason I wasn't sure... No, you didn't. The reason I wasn't sure about David Fries was because I couldn't remember. Did the dominance start? And I helped you.

It was like a thousand % he's the MVP.

Did the dominance You have to help me on one now. No, I was willing to go on it.

You have to help me on one now.

That was a willingness to get a strike.

Hold on. I want to hear what Jeremy has to say here.

What I wasn't totally sure of was that dominance starting in the NLCS? Was that dominance Starting in the NLCS? And thus, in turn, I think of him as the World Series MVP. But I now remember that big double off the wall that was over the head of Nelson Cruz.

Two strikes in the ninth meeting. You have to help me on one. That was game six of the 2011 World Series, one of the greatest baseball games ever played. And then, of course, he hit the walk off in game 6. And then in game 7, they had to come back again. And I think he had another big hit in seven.

How many pitchers did the Los Angeles Dodgers use in the 1963 World Series?

Oh, my goodness. I don't want to go too low because that defeats the purpose of the game. So I'll say seven. Four. Oh, my gosh. In the entire World Series.

Parenowski relieved Johnny Padres. And other than that, it was Complete Games.

These are the names that we look for. And speaking of Complete Games, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He just threw one for the Dodgers. Blake Snell went eight innings himself. It required two more pitchers, and Trinen and Rocky Sasaki to finish that out. So we're already at four pitchers despite 17 combined innings from the starting pitching. But Jane, it's been all about that starting pitching. And as you just laid out, you're a historian of this game, particularly with Dodgers pitching. Go buy her Sandy Kofax book as well. Can you please put into perspective how impressive this starting pitching has been for the Dodgers, particularly in a modern game where going that deep into the game is so rare?

So it's like being back in 1963. It's the game that people used to like to see. It's the game that people expected it from the Dodgers. And I hope it turns a whole generation of new baseball fans on to see what the game can be when guys who are that good are allowed to find out how good they can be. They're preempted in modern baseball. Okay, here's my next step for you. How many pitchers did the Dodgers use during total during the 2025 season?

During this season because they dealt with a lot of injuries. No kidding. Gosh, I would say near 20?

I'll try 48.

Shut up.

48? Shut up. 48. And the Mets were 47.

Good Lord. I mean, that just shows that for them to now be healthy, to have these guys ready to go. Dan's talked about it on the show for a while. It's one of the first teams he's seen that's in basketball or in football where it's like, Hey, as long as you're healthy by the playoffs, it's all going to be okay. And that's what this Dodgers team has been like.

I saw a game in Baltimore. I was talking with Dave Roberts before and giving him a hard time, again, about having how many times he has removed starters from no hitters and perfect games. And that night, he allowed Yamamoto to go back out. He was pitching a no hitter for the ninth inning. And so what happens? Jackson Halladay hits a wall scraper home home run in Camden Yards, and they lose the game, and certainly the no hitter. And people are like, Oh, no, that's terrible. He shouldn't let him go back out. No, it was the perfect thing to do. It's a glimpse of what the guy could do and what baseball can be when it's played the way it was meant to be played. Absolutely. So he lost the game. Big deal. It was a great baseball moment. And I thought that was a turning point.

Let's talk about tonight night's game and moving forward in this series. If you're trying to be an optimist for the Brewers fans watching this or just the baseball fans who maybe don't want to see the giant payroll LA Dodgers back in the World Series, although I think that's what's good for baseball if it's them against the Blue Jays or the Mariners. Why is that good for baseball? I do think it's always fun when there's a giant that can be toppled. I think that element in any sport is something that's fun to watch, whether it was the Warriors or the Big Three heat in basketball, when there's a giant that can be toppled, the Patriots or the Chiefs in football over the last 20 years, it's always intriguing to see if that upstart team can do it. The Mariners would be the best example. But let's talk about this. What can the brewers do in tonight's game and potentially moving forward to get back into this series? What has to happen and what would give you any inkling that it's possible?

Well, Glass now has a A history of disappearing in the moment.

The face that you made is basically what happens. Right.

And they have to be themselves. But look, the other thing that starting pitching the Dodgers has masked What's wrong with Ohtani?

Yeah. He'll theoretically be there for game four.

Yeah, but he's not hitting.

Right. Oh, he's been a disaster offensively.

And I can't help but wonder. I know it's not a popular thing to say, but I looked at stats the other day, yesterday, of how he does in games when he pitches, and it's not good.

No.

And it's really lousy. And he's a pedestrian at the plate in games that he pitches. And you can't help but wonder, even though they have been careful in how many innings they've allowed him to go. And that's another question. If it's a game where they can win it all, are they going to be careful in how much they let him pitch? Is he going to have a pitch limit? Is he going to have an innings limit? If I were Shoheya O'Tani, I'm not sure I'd be willing to pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Wow. Look, 48 pitchers. 48. And there is an argument that their lives would be easier. I mean, they have to build everything around his starts. And In terms of having people available to pick up the extra innings, which they certainly haven't had, and in terms of worrying about his offensive potential and his production. Not my potential, his production. And it The man has had two Tommy John surgeries, not one of the official Tommy John and one Tommy John redux. Right.

Well, look, when we talk about this Dodgers team, it'll be whether or not Ohtani can wake up those bats, whether or not the Dodgers can get it done against a bullpen game. We'll see if history here, which is just last night, repeats itself and the road team continues to win all of these games in this series. Lots of great baseball coming up. Jane, you love it as much as anyone. Thank you so much for being back with us. Again, everybody, go check out her book, Make Me Commissioner. I know what's wrong with baseball and how to fix it. Nothing wrong about baseball tonight. We're going to enjoy it together. Jane, thank you so much. There is a lot right about baseball. There is a lot right about baseball. I can't wait to watch it. Thank you again for joining us. Here's how I'll help you.

I don't need your help. I got an answer. All right. 2012, Giants, Madison Bumgarner.

Oh, you're so close, Cope.

Was it But you're out.

Yes, he was. That was the year where he came in. It's so funny. He pitched game five, and then he came in in game seven and pitched from the fifth-I just was like, it has to be the middle one.

It has to be the middle one. It's so funny. It's so funny you do that because what I was going to say to you is There is a player where you're going to have a 33% chance of getting it right no matter what. Just pick that.

That was going to be your help for me? That was my help. I mean, that was obvious.

See, my help was going to be- You didn't help me?

I gave you the answer. I had the answer.

You can't handle the truth.

You can't handle the truth.

Can I go through with the rest and just see what I can get? Okay, so tell me 2010 since I clearly didn't get it. Is that Pussy? Edgar Renteria. There is the- He hit the big home run in game five against Texas that gave them the lead.

It was a nothing-nothing ball game, and he gave them the lead, and they went on to win the World Series.

Who wanted for the Yankees in '09?

Hedecky Matsui was the World Series MVP.

That was one that I had sitting there. Alex Gordon for the Royals?

No, Salvie Paris. Chris.

Oh, he was. It was Salvi Paris. I couldn't remember because I remember Alex Gordon. It was such a big deal because he had such a great postseason, and he was the life long, royal. I remember seeing Eric Hosmer at Publix a few days after they won the World Series in Western comments.

I'm a sore loser. Do I have to sit here for this?

Yeah. Okay.

Yeah. We're going to talk this out. I actually thought that Zobris was the World Series MVP because he was the World Series MVP the next year. And I could have sworn that he was a back-to-back World Series MVP.

He was the one for the Cubs.

He, of course, had the big hit in game seven that delivered the lead in the 10th.

Which one was Jose Altuve?

Jose Altuve has never won a World Series MVP. It's Springer.

He was Rael Wright in 17.

It was Springer in 17. And then Álvarez? And then Alvarez? And Peña in 2022. He was a rookie. He had an amazing postseason, Jeremy Peña. So I'll go through all of them just for everybody.

It's not Soto, is it, in 19?

No, it was Steven Schrasberg.

There's no world where Will Smith won it in 2020, right?

No, it was Cory Seager.

It was also Seager, right?

Seager is a two-time military's MVP. Steve pierce won in 2018. As crazy as that sounds. Moving on. Out of nowhere, Steve pierce had a crazy postseason.

I don't even think, honestly, maybe that's why we didn't know.

I don't even think Steve pierce remembers that.

David Ortiz, one in 2013. Yeah, it's dumb. And Pablo Sandoval, the Panda, of course, one in 2012. He had a three home run game in the first game of that World Series, I believe.

Good parade. Next week, I'm changing clothes.