Transcript of Guys Naming Dudes | Pitch Clock New

Chris. Sorry.

No, I was asking you to start talking to me for the cold open.

Hi everybody.

Nope. Damn it.

Let's start the show. Fuck.

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.

The Pitch Clock.

Is back. What's up? Okay, um, this has been an inauspicious— We're off to a flier, guys. Inauspicious start. Let's do it. We're going to play. I don't even remember if I won last week. Did I win last week? Do you know?

Last week was a disaster and Chris Cody came out on top.

I saw a lot of positive feedback about that game on the internet.

Yeah, and I saw mostly— I've— this show almost always gets positive feedback. I have never only received negative feedback.

Yeah. And if only we didn't have a good downloads week for a lot of people to see the annoying game.

Yeah. So I want to take a second here.

That's a really good point.

Yeah.

I didn't even think about that. They'll all be back.

Xavier Nady. I screwed up.

I screwed up, Chris Cote. You saved it with that Xavier Nady pull. It was unbelievable. I screwed up. I made a bad game. Thank you. Okay. This week we're getting back to the basics. We're getting back to the good stuff, guys. I have 40 cards in my hand. Okay. First to 15 or the most after we get to 40 is going to be the winner. Okay, you know how this works.

So you're just flipping them over?

It's the team on the card, dude. It's the team on the card. You got to tell me.

And you're just saying the name?

Just for your guys to recall your knowledge, it's the end of the 2004 season.

Yep.

Because this is the Topps preseason set for 2005. All right, I'm saying a name, you're telling me the team. Chris Cody, you won last week. You're our reigning champion as well in who he played for.

Am I in the lead for the season? Oh, we don't know.

Oh, we don't know. We'll figure that out eventually. Chris Cody. Yeah, it would be nice to know. Chris Cody, you're going to go first. And your first name is Braden Looper.

Okay. Where did he play after?

Boom.

Nailed it. Found it.

Cardinals.

That is wrong.

Damn it.

Jeremy Taché, would you like to steal?

Marlins.

Not the Marlins. He was a New York Met at this point.

You know, he was a Cardinal at one point, I believe.

I don't know. So neither team. Jeremy. Ty Wigginton.

Mets.

That is incorrect. Chris, would you like to steal?

Pirates.

That's correct. Ross Glode.

Hmm, this is just going to be a guess. Uh, White Sox.

That is correct.

Wow, nice pull.

Great pull.

I was going to go there. Giants.

2-nothing.

Great pull. Jeremy. Yep. Marlon Byrd.

Ooh, Marlon Byrd. It's 1 of 2.

I'm in my—

I'm going Cubs. Not a Cub.

Marlon Byrd.

Yeah.

I know the other one, I think.

Mets. No, incorrect. Nope. He was a Philly. All right. Chris Cody, this one's to you.

1.5.

2-0.

It's 2-0.

Yes.

Pokey Reese.

Pokey Reese.

This was before or after he disappeared from the Marlins? This was probably before that. Pokey Reese. We're going to say Cincinnati Reds.

That is incorrect. Oh, Jeremy, would you like to steal?

That's what I thought, too. Yeah. Red Sox.

That is correct. Jeremy, you're on the board.

All right. Just go red. You're like, no, I know what it's worth. Okay.

That's the team I would think of. Pokey Reese.

Good.

Thank you for adding that in.

I'm glad.

Yeah, you're welcome.

Impact there.

One of my favorite Pitch Clock guests is here. Happy to have him back. We said we would. And here is his triumphant return. June Lee joins us as our 2026 MLB expert. Since the last time we spoke, June, you covered the World Cup and now you're back to baseball. So, sir, welcome to putting this cap back on. We're about 6 weeks from the end of the season and things are really starting to take shape. And there's a couple of teams that we have not mentioned mentioned much here on the Pitch Clock that I think deserve some love because of the way that they've played. So where we'll start is in the National League, where basically since the All-Star break it's been both the Padres and the Diamondbacks that have been playing the best ball around those wildcard spots. Um, but the Diamondbacks have really been as good as anyone. They hold that final wildcard spot at the time of this recording, uh, being tied with the Philadelphia Phillies. And really what I want to know is like what's made this Diamondbacks team, June, as good as they've been after hovering around .500 for most of June and July?

Well, I think you have to give a lot of credit to Torrey Lovullo being this like steadying presence for this team. If you go back to before the All-Star break, there was a quote that Lovullo gave that was basically just like, the best is yet to come with this group, which is like sometimes you get this like manager speak where they're always trying to be positive and keep the vibes up and all that stuff. But Lovullo is a guy who does have the credibility and he has gone to the playoffs many times. And I think this team in particular, this organization in particular with Lovullo at the helm has always kind of overperformed, has always been greater than the sum of its parts. And I think that sweeping the Dodgers going into the All-Star break was kind of a reminder that like, oh, this team actually does have a bunch of talent on it, even if Corbin Carroll is kind of the only guy that really kind of transcends the Diamondbacks in terms of being that superstar level guy. But I think one of the interesting things with this group heading into the second half now and into the kind of the heat of the wildcard race is that you don't have Zach Gallen and you don't have Corbin Burns yet.

Those guys are still coming back from injuries. And given that this team has been playing better and you're seeing guys like Kendall Marte playing better and you're seeing this team, I think, just like gel together in a way that it wasn't at the beginning of the season. If you have two guys who have been kind of up and down over the course of the last few years, but when they are pitching well, are two legit top-of-the-rotation-ish starters, that's a team that with the experience that it has on the roster is going to be able to handle the pressures of what a wildcard race entails.

It's a great point. Having a steady manager and that experience as you go toward it, both in the lineup and on the mound, is always a big piece of all of this. And ironically, that, that kind of leads us well toward a team in the American League that's been around the wildcard the last couple of years but has some interchangeable parts. So when you look at the wildcard right now, the Rangers Rangers actually own a wildcard spot. They've been playing well, but it's the Detroit Tigers that intrigue me the most because I think most fans listening, because of this Tarik Skubal trade, probably assume that the Tigers are 7 or 8 games out of the playoffs. No, they're a game and a half back at the time of this recording of that final wildcard spot. They've been playing out of their minds basically since they traded away Tarik Skubal and really had started playing ball a little better than that beforehand, and they're a team like we've mentioned. I mean, I want to talk about these, these Tigers with you, June, like with adding Jackson Joe back to the mix coming off injury, Troy Melton being as good as he's been on the mound.

Should Tigers fans just expect to do this again and maybe be that final wildcard team in the AL?

I mean, they don't have as much to climb back from that they had to the previous time around because from what I remember, at least I think there was a 0.2% chance in 2024. And they were able to come all the way back and not just win a series, but really give a run for their money to kind of make an even deeper run in the postseason. And I think that the Schubel thing kind of speaks to the nature of baseball where it's like easy to kind of look at the star players and be like, you know, that is the center of the team and, you know, trading away the biggest guy there. If you build a team in baseball with depth, as we've seen time and time again, you're going to have an opportunity to win. And the Tigers do have depth, even if they don't have that top end. Pitching talent in the same way that they did before with Scoble, who, you know, also has mentioned like still want to come back to Detroit. We'll see if that actually, you know, manifests itself because it's— that'd be so insane to put the money on the table, which is on the ownership group there.

I mean, I guess kind of also ties into the looming lockout CBA situation as well. But we're kind of in this weird place where, again, you look at a manager like AJ Hinch, who has been there before. He's won a World Series, been there with the Houston Astros. Obviously, there's that whole asterisk in the bangy and everything else. But this is a guy who has been in high-pressure situations and has managed this team to get to the wildcard spot after having a poor start in the past. And so I think that having that leadership there is something that is really hard to understate in baseball because when you're— Jeremy, you know this— like when you're there for 162 games, it is such a marathon and such a grind. And like there's almost this like coping, I feel like, that people go through to just like try to like numb out the ups and downs of the season. And having a manager who is experienced, who is able to ride the ups and downs of a season is a huge advantage that I think in the day and age where managers are just making less decisions when it comes to lineup and strategy and all that stuff in the front office is taking advantage of more of that.

Like the main job of the manager now is to set the tone and the culture in the clubhouse. And AJ Hinch is a guy who has the experience, who has been able to lead teams to the World Series.

In the past. Uh, Jeremy, this is yours.

Yep.

Cliff Floyd.

Oh boy, Mets.

That's correct. Yeah, tied. All right, Chris Cody.

Yeah, yes.

This is a name both of you are just gonna love. Scott Kazmir.

Scott Kazmir. Now he keeps doing this thing he has yet to do. I feel like most of these guys are not on the team you kind of expected them to be on. Scott Kazimir obviously clearly started his career with one team. I'm trying to think who went after there, but I can't really think of it, so I'm just going to go with the obvious. Rays.

Yeah, correct.

Yeah. Okay. I was hoping you would talk yourself out of the Rays.

This appears to be his rookie season. All right, Jeremy. Aaron Harang.

Aaron Harang was the Cincinnati Reds.

That is correct. Yeah, we are on fire.

What's the score?

3-3. We're rolling now.

When did he catch up to me?

How did he gain 2 on me? He gained 2. He stole one.

I stole yours and then got the next one.

Jerk.

It's crazy.

Jeremy, uh, Chris Cody. Jeremy Bernitz.

Ooh.

Ooh-hoo-hoo.

It's a tough one.

There's a lot of teams here. I've got two teams in my mind at this time.

Same.

I've got two. Yeah, probably the same. Mets.

Incorrect.

Brewers.

Incorrect as well.

Pirates.

He was a Chicago Cub.

Oh, I did not have the Cubs.

Did you have Mets and Brewers too? Yes.

Yeah.

Okay.

Those are the two that came to mind.

All right.

Jeremy. Another Jeremy.

Jeremy Affeld.

I only know like one team he played for.

I don't, I don't think I know any teams that he played for, which is crazy because you'd think I know where every Jeremy played.

There better be a Chris on this list.

Reds.

Nope, incorrect.

Royals.

That is correct. Chris Cody.

I didn't remember. I didn't even remember that guy, honestly.

Chris Cody. Ted Lilly.

How, how happy is that kid? Ted Lilly. This is a good one. Hey, we're back. Good job, Ethan.

Yeah.

Cubs.

Incorrect. Jeremy.

Phillies.

Incorrect. The Blue Jays and this look that they should go back to.

I know that. I know that.

The black and gray. A player from last week's terrible game. Kyle Loesch.

Philly.

No, incorrect.

What were we talking about? I was doing something.

Kyle Loesch.

Damn, I feel like I had a team. Minnesota Twins.

That's correct.

I hate you.

Oh God, I hate you.

Chris is at 5. 5-3.

I hate you.

Chris Cody, this one's back to you. Chris Capuano.

Brewers.

That's correct.

6-3.

Opening some gaps.

How many names have we done?

Oh, a good amount. It looks like 13. We have 9 correct and 4 in the scrap pile.

We got 27 more to go.

I want to really highlight that moment. So, Gabe, can you please go back to the interview? I want to go ahead and jump to our Star of the Week before we wrap up with a different question that I'm excited to get to with you. So I gave you a few different potential options for Star of the Week before we got to this on the show. And there are 3 of the guys who over the last month or so have been near the top of baseball in home run hitters. So some of the other ones we've mentioned before. So I wanted to give some guys a shout out here. So CJ Abrams, obviously a guy who's come up before but is one of the best hitters in baseball. He's been tearing the COVID off the ball. Jaxson Merrill, who's helped power those Padres, got off to a dreadful start this year and he's been great. And how about down here, Griffin Cohn, 8 homers in the last month. He's been a really fun piece for the Marlins recently. Of those 3, who would you like to highlight here, June?

I think Griffin Cohn is just a great story, in part because like this is one of the few nepo babies who kind of has like an interesting journey that's not typical of many nepo babies.

I mean, right.

Speaking to it better than I could. But like the fact that this is a guy, obviously the son of Marlins great Jeff Conine, but also, you know, had to grind his way to the major leagues. I mean, I feel like we've seen a couple of these kinds of stories. I think Kobe Clemens, you know, that's the one that comes to mind. Yep. As well. But this is a guy who I think, I believe, made his major league debut at 25 and has kind of gone up and down and has been injured and dealt with a bunch of stuff and is now starting to like seemingly have a little bit of a breakthrough at 27. I mean, you could speak much more personally to this than I can, but it's just a really— it's a really nice story because like in a day and age where so many players are losing opportunities after coming from the minor leagues at like 23, 24 and kind of getting written off, like a guy being 27 and having this kind of streak, I think is just a great story for me. What's crazy is an epo baby.

Yeah, well, what's crazy is so Griffin actually born in '97, now 29 years old. And that's the thing that's crazy is that you don't often often see guys like Griffin Coney that it takes so long to break through and to get that opportunity. Wasn't even originally drafted by the Marlins, ends up here, and now comes up and ironically has a 2-home run game on a day, of course, where they're wearing teal. And so it's fun to see that Coney name on that jersey and see him having success at a time, by the way, where the Marlins desperately needed it. Their offense had kind of sputtered, and, and he's been a huge piece of what sort of kept them afloat offensively. So that's been a lot of fun. And here's where I want to end with you, June. It's Field of Dreams Game Week. And so I want to talk— it came up on the show actually while I wasn't in on Monday, but I want your top 5 baseball movies and we'll see if I agree with you.

Okay.

The Sandlot, which is like— I feel like a classic '90s movie. I feel like it's aged so well. I think just really captures something about playing sports with your friends as a kid at the sandlot growing up, which I think many people around the country have had the experience of doing. So there's that. I would say Moneyball is one of my favorite sports movies, let alone baseball movies. Brad Pitt's performance in that movie is incredible, but it really captures, I think, the human element behind the sport. And I think in many ways it's like kind of this like weird arthouse mirror to the moment that we're in, because if you look at scene in that movie where Brad Pitt is yelling at the scouts. Like, we're basically in the complete opposite moment of that right now, not just in baseball but across sports. So there's that. Um, there's the— I believe this was an indie movie, Sugar, of the, uh, the, the Caribbean pitcher coming up and, and working his way up through the minor leagues.

That is a great call.

The lang—

the, the language barrier. And it's just, I think it really captures, from what I understand, the experience of being a player not from the United stage, trying to navigate the minor league system and how just like fish out of water you feel. So there's that.

The Rookie.

I feel like The Rookie is—

I love The Rookie. I'm so happy you included The Rookie. The Rookie is one of my favorites.

My last one, and I will argue that this is a sports movie, is Twilight. The baseball sequence.

Yes, I love it. I love this.

It's ridiculous. It's so ridiculous.

With a supermassive black hole. Are you kidding me? I love this discussion. Is Twilight a baseball movie? I think we are going to decide here on the Pitch Clock that indeed Twilight is a baseball movie, because if you have not, do yourself a favor, go to YouTube right now. After you finish watching this on YouTube, go and search Twilight baseball scene, because ladies and gentlemen, you will be delighted. And it's always delightful.

I feel like it also sets the foundation for like how ridiculous Robert Pattinson has become. Yes. Over the course of the last few years, like you can really see where all of that germinated from.

Now I need Robert Pattinson in some other baseball movie. So the next time we have you on here, I'll pitch you on whatever baseball story it is that we're going to have Robert Pattinson star in. But June, thank you so much as always for joining me. I love the list. Well, we'll get that out there and see how the people feel about it. Let's find out if Twilight's a baseball movie. June, hopefully on social media. Oh, I'm making sure we put it on social media. Come on. Are you kidding me?

Now?

Now we have I'll, I'll co-sign it. Okay. Twilight is indeed a baseball movie. June, thank you.

Thank you so much.

Bring it on.

Yeah, they're going to— well, the heat that you might see from pitcher Robert Pattinson as a vampire. June, thanks, man, as always.

All right, Jeremy. Marcus Giles.

Marcus Giles. Oh, boy.

Correct.

Tough because I'm going to confuse it with Brian Giles. Yeah. So I'm gonna say a team name and I think I'm gonna be wrong. I'm going Padres.

That's incorrect.

Braves.

Yes, that's correct. Chris Cody.

Mark Grudzalonic. It's 7-3?

It is 7-3. Mark Grudzalonic.

Take me back to that name.

Dodgers.

Nope, incorrect. Jeremy.

Pirates?

No, also incorrect. He was a Chicago Cub. Jeremy. Latroy Hawkins.

Latroy Hawkins was a Cub.

That's correct. Nice.

Isn't he famous for playing on like the most teams ever?

Him and Edwin Jackson.

Latroy Hawkins was a Cub at that time.

Chris Cody. Miguel Tejada. What's the score?

Oh, I know.

Uh, 7 to 4.

Okay.

I know where Miguel Tejada played.

So do I. Yep.

Yeah.

Where?

You're doing the thing.

Yeah, I'm doing the thing.

Give me a name.

Give me a team.

5.

I know what it is.

Yeah. 3.

Oriel.

That's correct.

Yeah. I'm so mad at you for knowing. I really thought you— that was going to be my moment back in. 8-4.

Jason Kendall.

Uh-oh. Come on.

Yeah.

I mean, he was a Pirate.

Yes. Don't—

the come on.

It did help.

Get out of here with the come on.

Chris Cody, another name from last week's terrible game. Carlos Lee, where was he in '05?

White Sox.

Yes, that's correct.

Nice call.

You see this, Olivia?

Jeremy, Tino Martinez.

Yankee?

Yeah, of course. Chone Figgins.

Fun.

Oh, come on.

Oh, okay.

Angels.

Yeah.

Thank you. All right. We got the come on.

There we go.

That's what I needed.

All right. 10-6.

Kenny Lofton.

Kenny Lofton was a Cub.

Incorrect. Chris Cody, would you like to try and steal?

I know one thing is he was very brave.

Yeah.

But he was a Red at the time.

No. Incorrect. He was a Philadelphia Phillie.

Nah. So both of us, neither of them were right.

Chris Cody. Jermaine Dye.

White Sox.

Yes.

Yeah, 11-6.

11-6.

Yeah.

Jeremy, Carlos Beltrán.

Oh, he only played for 12 teams.

This is like such a trick because this is rare to have a Hall of Famer in this game, and this is also right around the time of the trade. He was in Houston though.

Final answer?

Oh boy.

The first time he's asked someone.

No, I, I didn't know, like I didn't, I didn't, I couldn't tell if you were talking to yourself or if you were giving me an answer.

I clearly stated that.

That's incorrect. Yeah. Chris Cody, you loser.

God, that's a terrible pun. You should have clearly punted on that.

Yeah, but what am I supposed to do?

I wasn't going to cheat. I genuinely didn't, couldn't tell if he was talking to himself. He was a mess.

Yeah, obviously.

This is fun.

I don't like this.

We are having fun.

Yeah, we are.

Chris Cody, Another Jeremy. Jeremy Bonderman.

Oh, come on.

Tiger.

Yes.

Come on. 13-6.

Jeremy, here's a name that you and I talked about the other day. It is. It's a rout right now. Jason Isringhausen.

Cardinal.

Yes. Chris Cody. Where was Rafael Palmeiro at this point in his career?

Prison. Steroids. No, Rangers.

Nope.

Jeremy. I'm leaving the door open.

Door open. Door's open here.

If you were good at this, you could get back in it.

Orioles.

That's correct. All right.

Don't patronize me.

Took one step in.

What's the score?

Chris Cody, 13-7.

And it's my turn.

13-8.

And it's my turn.

And it is your turn. Carl Everett.

You get this one. You're feeling good. You're feeling back. Red Sox?

Yeah. Incorrect.

I'll say Rangers then.

That's also incorrect.

I have no idea where he was.

He was Ranger. A Ranger. Yes, but he was a White Sox. At this point.

Oh, okay. All right. All right. All right.

Chris Cody.

Damn. All right, I'm gonna stop playing with my food.

Mark Bellhorn.

What?

Mark Bellhorn.

Cubs?

Nope.

Jeremy, door's open.

Bellhorn.

What a weird name.

Brewers.

No, come on guys. 2005 Red Sox, dude. He was on the World Series champions.

He wasn't a starter.

Here's a name. Are you guys ready for this one? Jeremy is 13-8. Jason LaRue.

Ooh, Jason LaRue.

I only know one team he played for.

Brewer.

Nope.

Pirate.

No, he was a Pirate at one point though. I'm pretty sure he was a Red at this point.

Nah, I didn't— that wasn't a classic of mine.

NL Central guy. Yeah.

Chris Cody, you're 2 away. Yep.

I can't get one right though.

It's 13-8.

Yep.

Chris, I've had 13 for like 4 or 5 guesses.

Yep.

Marquise Grissom.

Giants.

Yes.

Damn it. Jeremy.

Jerry Harrison Jr. Another guy that played for 48 teams.

No, not a Ranger.

Not at this point.

I'm telling you, I could name 7 teams.

100%. Yeah. Which one do you think it was at this point?

Yes, correctly.

And that is the win for Chris Cody.

That's a good win. You know what, Ethan? Good job, man.

Yeah, we had to go back to the basics.

I mean, I learned from all the last teams, but we had to go back to the basics.

Star of the day was Ethan.

Thank you. And Chris, go back to the basics.

Good job. And Olivia.

Sometimes solid.

Yeah, no, I'm not I'm not feeling pretty good about myself at all.