Steve Perrault on the 2021 Boston Red Sox

Craig D'Alessandro: 0:24

On this episode of missing the point, we're joined by the co host of the section 10 podcast, Steve Perrault will talk with Steve about the 2021 Boston Red Sox. The adjustments needed to make sure this team remains a contender why Xander Bogaerts doesn't get the respect he deserves around Major League Baseball, who the Red Sox should take the number four pick in this year's draft and some of his favorite stories Red Sox yesteryear. This is missing the point, Episode 59 but it's all relative.

Joe Malkin: 1:06

Welcome into missing the point My name is Joe Malkin. I'm here with the real BK Bob Kelly Rayshawn Buchanan Craig D'Alessandro our EP and joining us on this episode of MTP, we have the host and producer of the Section 10 podcast presented by Barstool Sports with Jared Carrabis Coley Mick. He's a senior programmer for the Bleacher Report after the last five and a half years. That's a long time to work for Bleacher Report and he's the host of the live BP show on web every Saturday with Rob Bradford from four to 6pm. Formerly he worked for ESPN, New Hampshire nessen and Comcast. Sportsnet, a graduate of Endicott College in Beverly Massachusetts, Steve Perrault. Steve, how are you?

Steve Perrault: 1:43

I am swell that was an incredible intro. I don't think you could have a better I also was great at wiffle ball if we want to throw that in there. I don't know if that was on my resume or not. But no, that was great. I'm happy to be here. Let's do this.

Joe Malkin: 1:54

I've been looking for a wiffle ball league I keep finding all these wiffle ball leagues around on Tick Tock so if you no one in the Boston area, I know you're a North Shore guy. So that's a little far away from the Worcester area.

Steve Perrault: 2:03

I know I went to college in the North Shore, but I live in the south shore now. I mean, hang on for the time being. But no, I mean, it's tough. Like I see. It's one of the things I'm most jealous about. If I'm being honest, when I see well, football leagues, I'm like, I wish I had the time to do that. And like also like these, I was gonna say the time and the funds. I'm telling you, some of these leagues are pricey as hell, just to play wiffle ball. I was like, I didn't know it was gonna be like this. But yeah, I would love to get back into it. I used to play with wall all the time in high school. So I don't know maybe one of these days.

Rob Kelly: 2:31

I was actually in one of those leagues. And I don't know if you guys know this, but like, when you get to like a week that knows what they're doing. These kids are no joke throwing that ball like some of the sliders and fast balls are thrown at you like you don't even see him coming half the time. It's unbelievable. It kind

Steve Perrault: 2:47

of takes away the fun, doesn't it? The best part of wiffle ball was that we all agreed we're not going to be gunning them in there. Like at least you can have a little zip on it. Throw your curve, whatever. We're trying to have fun. I see some of these leagues to your point. 100 miles an hour from like, 20 feet away. I'm not trying to do that.

Joe Malkin: 3:01

Yeah, well, arguably, we wouldn't have had Jason Varitek if it wasn't for wiffle ball because that's how he learned how to hit switch hit was playing wiffle ball with his brothers as a kid so hey, we may not have had him catch for four no hitters for the Boston Red Sox, you know, most all time for any Catcher in them and still

Steve Perrault: 3:17

still it plays a big role with the team now and he does him in play like he I believe got the card thing going on dugout so I

Joe Malkin: 3:25

always love seeing those giant binders that he had on every single hitter in the Al and probably the NL two guy was a he's a mastermind he knows how to read hitters better than anybody. But hey, so actually, you know what, I'm gonna I'm gonna lead off with this question because I we're gonna get into the Red Sox here. But speaking of catchers, Steve Who the hell knew that the Christian Vazquez could hit?

Steve Perrault: 3:46

Yeah, honestly, I think what was it 2017 I believe he had the second highest home batting average in baseball next Adrian Bell tre. So he's shown in the past that he can do this. He obviously started very hot this season. Then he cooled off a little bit. I like how he initially was saying he felt very sexy at the plate. And then immediately when he hit the slump, he's like, I feel less sexy. I'm not as sexy right now. So basically, I kind of want every player to describe how they're feeling at the plate is sexy or not sexy. And that's it. That's the only analysis we need to get in those postgame press conferences. But I love Christian Vazquez ideally, he's here for longer. I know his contracts coming up and he's a guy that the pitcher's trust that the team loves, and he's an energy guy too. I feel like we talked about the Red Sox a lot obviously on section 10. And the lack of energy heading into the season at least they didn't have a lot of characters a lot of personality. Christian Vasquez doesn't get enough credit for that. Like I feel like he's one of the core guys. Not just because he's been here, what second longest next, Xander. But he's somebody that that they actually look to bring the energy every night and bring the passion. He does it on social media, too. He's pretty underrated. And we don't really talk about Vasquez that much. But like if he wasn't here, we'd say that we want a guy like that.

Joe Malkin: 4:54

Right? Absolutely. And you look at the energy that you just mentioned, and Christian Vazquez being one of those guys, but having Alex quarterback after a abysmal 2020 season with Ron radnicki, who I thought was going to be much better but I think that when that issue went a lot deeper than Ron radnicki, but it's nice to have Alex quarterback because I think he's bringing that out of not only every player on the team, but moreso the Hispanic players on the team and it kind of shows

Steve Perrault: 5:20

and that's a huge aspect of it. Absolutely. You can tell that these guys love playing for him. I think that's something that I've noticed 1819 obviously we don't talk about 2019 as much it was a forgettable year but you can just tell that these guys feel very comfortable around them even last night when Marlin comes back it's it's all a body language thing right when these guys are around core they seem like it's one of their guys. It's not to your point with Ron radnicki it's like your grandfather's the coach of the team, like it felt like they were they had nothing in common with Ron rennick he especially if you get to the younger guys like Devers even you know, still a bow guard. So that was like one of those conversations like with those guys, but now core is a huge part of this team. Obviously, I think we always try to gauge the impact the manager has and I don't know if we really know we can always act like oh, because he's here they're gonna play better in Oh 2013 wasn't feral. It was the Boston strat we don't really know we don't know exactly what goes on behind closed doors. But one thing that we do know from hearing the players is that they love playing for him and that's something that you can't really you can't really swap that out especially over the course of 162 you want a guy that you actually want to go when foreign cars that guy

Joe Malkin: 6:26

yeah, the suspension of Cora came at the absolute perfect time during a COVID shortened season and that definitely helped on the comeback trail as well. So speaking of the leadership and this team plan is as well as they are and you know guys seem seemingly having more fun the Red Sox sitting number one in the power rankings. Do you believe they're the best team in baseball right now?

Steve Perrault: 6:47

Yeah, I had this conversation with Rob Bradford on the live BP show on AI and we basically brought up because he keeps bringing it I think Rob keeps bringing the question up because he wants me just to address it. He's like, are they the best date like answer this question because deep down I don't think any of us really believe they're the best roster in baseball I think that would be a little bit insane. I mean, the starting rotation for the most part has done their job but not going deep into games of sucks and you know, that exposes their biggest weakness, the bullpen especially getting to Matt Barnes is a problem right now. It's been a problem all season long and it's going to continue to be a problem. So when that's the case, it's hard for me to sit here and say they're the best team in baseball if they had more bullpen arms I relied on and that core relied on then maybe but the Dodgers are inevitably going to come back into the you know top of the standings overall in baseball, Cody Ballenger is coming back losing Dustin may is big that hurts them a lot. Mookie Betts is obviously going to turn it on. I fully expect I mean that lineups loaded that's a powerhouse American League lineup in the National League. And there's no way especially with their rotation, even losing May, that there are going to be a team that's, you know, not second or third best eventually baseball when it's all said and done. So Red Sox right now are the best. I just don't think long term. I'd be stunned. I'd be genuinely stunned if they at the end of the year at the best record in baseball,

Joe Malkin: 8:01

you bring up the Dodgers who have arguably the best rotation in baseball. And they they not only that they have some of the best prospects pitching prospects in baseball. So how come? Hi inbloom didn't get an arm from LA? this offseason?

Steve Perrault: 8:19

But he just he's Shut up. Right, exactly. Why but we never know. We never know what's going on with these deals, though. I mean, why didn't Haim bloom get every free agent on the market? This guy sucks. Like, I feel like we never really know, you know, what the dealings are what teams want them to give up? Obviously, Red Sox don't have the luxury of Hey, we'll give you these prospects for that guy. We don't have those prospects. I mean, yes, he's building up the farm system so to speak. But you look at watching the woof socks and even tristin cassis had a bomb tonight. There's not a ton of guys in the farm that are realistically going to make an impact very soon. jarren Duran is obviously the big name Tanner Hulk, it sucks that he had a setback. But realistically, there's not a lot of guys that I think are going to come up and make a huge impact in the near future outside of Iran and who knows what hope so it's hard to it's hard to really gauge like what Haim should or shouldn't have done, but at least now, you know, you need more guys in the bullpen. This bullpens not going to do anything significant. Once you get to September, October, I was about to say November who knows how long the season goes. But you just don't know. You don't know. You know how this team is going to get to that point with this bullpen. He knows it's not gonna that's not going to work. So obviously, they're going to have to get more guys. And that's what's going to matter. You know, moving forward here

Rayshawn Buchanan: 9:31

quicker with that, right, I think is a guy that shared earlier, but do you believe that Craig kimbrel is someone that could come back? I don't I hope not. Honestly, but I mean, I just like my heart. You see, I'm a big catch up. I'm a big guy Steve like I can't my heart cannot take great people.

Rob Kelly: 9:49

We don't need Mr. Heart Attack back. Yeah,

Rayshawn Buchanan: 9:51

I know. I can't do it.

Steve Perrault: 9:53

I know the second so Jared mentioned that on section 10 knows like a lot of people are not gonna like this. But no, he. I mean, kimbro has been dealing I think he's only given up he gave up one hit in April. Last time I checked, that's really good. And he gave up a bomb. I think that's about it. He has like a weight era. So obviously I think from his perspective and the Cubs perspective, I think they're gonna want to part ways because I don't see the Cubs long term competing this year. They have a lot of contracts are going to try to dump kimbrel would be one of them. They overpaid for him as is I mean, he didn't have a lot of competition. All of a sudden It was like, let's pay this man the bag like I don't know why they did that they probably could have gotten for cheaper but i don't know i don't really see how I'm making that move and bring it on that salary when you could probably get guys that are similarly effective for way cheaper. I'm just gonna say it does

Rob Kelly: 10:40

Barnes struggled like bars not struggling enough for you to give up that much to go get him right like it wouldn't be that much of an upgrade from Barnes to cambro the way they're pitching at the moment and Barnes has been pretty good so far this year.

Steve Perrault: 10:53

Really good. I mean, you could make the argument Barnes is the best closer in baseball, which is insane. And why is all these words I never thought

Unknown: 11:00

Yeah,

Steve Perrault: 11:00

I know. I've always been reppin Matty backpacks and all of a sudden it's like now he's the best coaster in baseball and I can't really say anything about it. Like I know Chapman has been really good you go down a line and so the guys that are performing well but he knows it too, which is good like I'm glad that he's carrying himself like I'm the guy cuz like there's a witness such a difference between being the closer like because you were placed in that role and actually being a closer and Barnes is proving that he's a closer which is blowing my mind I always thought it was just gonna be that he was named the guy but you never felt good when he came out of there and out of the bullpen and save situations but yeah, he has zero era when save situations so you can't really get much better than that. And to that point too, why would the Red Sox go out of their way to give up pieces they probably don't think they need to give up for a closer when they have a closer now if you really want to go all in and say kimbrel is your eighth inning guy because right now auto vino cannot be the eighth inning guy my God he's an absolute mess he walks guys all over the place same with Darwin's in Darwin's and can't find the plate so maybe if they wanted to go like all in all in and have kyprolis the eighth inning guy how bizarre would that be by the way that your former closer comes back as the eighth inning guy when he has an O seven era but I don't see it happening. Yeah, I know. I was gonna say whatever gets the job done. They're gonna have to add pieces to the bullpen. I just don't think it's going to be Campbell,

Rob Kelly: 12:15

your former World Series winning closer to

Steve Perrault: 12:18

I know. I know even though that let you know my god that postseason And like every

Rob Kelly: 12:23

game, the Yankees game was the one that was the scariest game in my entire life that was up there.

Steve Perrault: 12:28

I snuck into Yankee Stadium for that I should have just gotten tickets but like hanging with my buddies and I was like alright, the Red Sox are about to beat the Yankees in the playoffs. I have to go to this I was like 20 minutes away. I'm like let's do it over to Yankee Stadium. Get in there. I'm just peeing my pants this guy is just the worst like he's given up Gary Sanchez almost at a home run that thing barely barely Miss going out. I think I don't know if it was judged somebody else wanted the warning track. I was like, end this game. And then the ending was was crap.

Rob Kelly: 12:53

It was john Carlo that gave them that game. I don't know if you remember, but kimbrel couldn't find the plate. And john Carlos swung at two sliders that weren't even close. And it's like if I was his head coach. I'd be sitting there in the dugout like, bro, that Bad's not leaving your shoulder like I don't Yeah.

Joe Malkin: 13:12

I don't think Boone had the balls to tell him that.

Rob Kelly: 13:14

Well, yeah, no, no, it

Rayshawn Buchanan: 13:16

was the Bregman game. It was game four against Houston that year. That's the game they got me. Oh

Unknown: 13:20

my god.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 13:22

Yeah, Brett. Yeah, Bregman was up. I was like, Oh my god, like I was like, please like I just knew that Bregman was gonna hit a Grand Slam. And I was gonna be yelling f bombs in my house for the rest of

Steve Perrault: 13:32

the night. It was a guarantee that he was going to make good contact. There was no way Bregman was like striking out there. And Bregman did himself no favors. By the way. Post, he had that Igy video or the AIG story, whatever they posted when they went back to Houston of him like rockin ivaldi, or whoever it was, and they obviously saw the sock saw that and that's all you needed to see in the series ends in Houston. But yeah, that Benny catch was incredible. And now I wish Benny was still here.

Joe Malkin: 13:55

Did you say you snuck into Yankee Stadium?

Steve Perrault: 13:58

Yeah, it was a hell of a process. It was a hell of a process I and I just liked I liked the sound of it, too, was like I snuck in there. See the Red Sox beat the Yankees in the playoffs? It sounded cool. But no more of a middle finger. You know,

Rob Kelly: 14:10

it's like I know

Steve Perrault: 14:10

seriously. Yeah. Yeah. And I was all under covered in F sock stuff on or anything. So it looked like I could have been like, you know, on the staff or something there at Yankee Stadium. But no, it was it was like basically, it was incredible, right? Because so many people are leaving dejected Yankee fans because the Red Sox are about to knock them out of the playoffs. And so naturally, they have the gates open, but they still have security people that are kind of like you know, they're in the mode of like, we're three outs away from my I can go home and not have to worry about this stupid team anymore because they have to work all year obviously. And so I just kind of slipped you know, slid in found my way in the first try was a failure. I bumped into this kid that couldn't be any older than four years old. And his dad was ready to kill me. He was just like, you want to go buddy, you want to go? I'm like, sorry, there was no way I want to fight. That's literally the last thing I want to do. I'm trying to get in to see my team win this series is no I also

Unknown: 14:56

run over your four year old on.

Steve Perrault: 14:58

I know it's because they had a flood of people coming out and all of a sudden I'm like, I was trying to be sneaky in that I went right into this kid. But now you know, find a way to get in there. And then the kimberling happened and it was the ending of that game was so weird, right? Because they have the ground out to what's his face Nunez. He falls over when he throws it and like they barely got him out. They had to check the replay. But whatever they got to Yankee Stadium with the win, that's all it matters. And you got into Yankee Stadium to see the wins. So that's exactly, exactly it's a win win.

Joe Malkin: 15:23

So we talk about About the bullpen this year is bullpen and on on section 10, Episode 391 that came out on Tuesday, you guys mentioned Danny Santana, Chris sail who's thrown off a mountain now, are those? Do you think Chris Hill comes back in as effective in 2021?

Steve Perrault: 15:40

My gut says no. And I thought that since the season started, the thing that I hate are the updates where it's like, he's throwing from 60 feet he's throwing from, I don't care, let me know when he's actually gonna pitch real games to the Red Sox, or might be on the path to it being let's say two to three weeks away until that happens, I really don't care. And it's the same with brasier to the pitching off a mound, you know, the simulated batters. When the K literally just stands there, it doesn't do anything like that really gets you're ready for the big leagues if you're just facing mannequins. So I don't know why no one couldn't do it.

Rob Kelly: 16:12

Oh, you tiny birds out of my mouth.

Steve Perrault: 16:15

That is true. That is true. But like, seriously, I figured it out. You figured it out. And I'm hoping that sale actually comes back and contributes now if the Red Sox, you know, keep this pace up. And you know, they're ready to win the ALS and potentially compete in American League playoffs for a spot in the World Series, then yes, I would assume they would make sure that Chris sale is a part of it. But as of now I anything I've heard they'll talk to some of the reporters and people that actually know what's going on. And I'm hearing that it's nothing before August 1. So like it wouldn't people are saying, oh, it might be June. It's not July. It might happen in August. My gut tells me September. So we'll see what actually goes down

Joe Malkin: 16:49

and staying on the bullpen and the starting rotation. If you had to personally drive one pitcher to the airport and put him on a plane. who would it be and why is it Austin brace?

Steve Perrault: 17:03

I was gonna say, I hope you're close with Bryce. please wrap this with Austin price. My God is he trashed? I know Josh Taylor, Taylor's given them a run for his money. Josh Taylor comes in there and he's got the shoulders slump and he's just hanging his head and it's like, dude, you can't suck and also have the worst body language on the planet. Like at least come in and make me think you're gonna have a good outing. Like that's, that's what sucks,

Joe Malkin: 17:28

especially when you're on a good baseball team.

Steve Perrault: 17:30

Like the best team in the league. It's like, what are we doing

Rob Kelly: 17:32

the only pitcher I've ever seen that had just as bad body language. My dad told me about him growing up and I watched all these videos Bob Stanley, Bob Stanley for that for back in the day. The same type thing was just like as soon as he walked out on the mound, you're like, Dude, this. He's about to fuck this up. I know. I know what's about to happen. And there's no doubt

Joe Malkin: 17:51

we've watched enough baseball in our lives. We know when pitchers are about to just absolutely blow

Steve Perrault: 17:56

they give you the science right? Like it's you can tell before it happens that it's about to be a nightmare. You don't need the basis to be loaded. It could be nobody on and you're like this is about to be awful. Josh Taylor the other day, I think he faced four batters. He was behind in the count on all of them, walked two of them, and luckily got a double play in a strikeout. And he's terrible. He's obviously not built for this level. And that's with it being a subpar bullpen. So he's really showing himself amongst a non impressive bullpen he's showing that he's even worse than a subpar bullpen. So I would say it's Austin Bryce, but Josh Taylor's really close to Austin Bryce,

Joe Malkin: 18:32

what's good about the at least the starting rotation, especially a liquid like Garrett Richards, who kind of figured it out in his last start. These guys have all been able to put in quality starts recently. You know, they're going six seven innings which is great because they if the offense is on like they have been the at least the bullpen doesn't have to do much before we get to Matt Barnes who is clearly the best pitcher in the bullpen for the Boston Red Sox right now. We're still only in May. But if you're sitting in the GMC, where are you looking to improve this team going forward? If there is an area to improve? I know, we know the bullpen is but what area would you improve?

Steve Perrault: 19:14

I think Haim is targeting the bullpen. I'd be stunned if he's not trying to add pieces that could realistically put them in a solid position to get to Barnes because I know the rotation has been good I think recently there's times where we go off for like a five or six start span and we're like rotations been really good like it's been good. It's been good these guys we don't expect them to do a ton and they go I think it was the most starter innings in baseball which is kind of stunning it's because none of them really get crushed early. They're not we haven't had a couple of any starts where the guy on the you know gets taken out like what's his face Lucas g Alito on patriots day went like whatever he got three outs. So they haven't had a start yet where somebody gets absolutely destroyed in the first couple of innings, Martine Perez and we talk about pres day all the time. I'm going to need Martine to go a little deeper in the games he hasn't gone through six yet so yeah, Richards has figured it out to a certain degree at least as much as I think he's going to figure it out. And to that point, I just think they're going to need guys you know they're going to need more bullpen arms they're going to need to get to Matt Barnes and have Alex score be comfortable with the guys he's bringing in because you see in the postgame presser he'll go out of his way to be like oh so are more like anytime of reliever has a decent outing people like he will Really good to know because he's trying to get their confidence up which I don't even blame them for it's like these guys have to have very low confidence considering everyone's talking about them right now is the weak point of the team which they are so it's got to be the bullpen if you're I'm and then hopefully Tanner How is healthy man because like if that's a serious issue and he even when he comes back if he's getting rocked and what's there like that's trouble because you don't have a lot of depth of rotation.

Rob Kelly: 20:48

What do you think even more of the bullpen to because I mean, in my opinion, the Red Sox in their starting rotation they have a bunch of solid threes they have a bunch of natural the rotation guys that that you know, you know what you're going to get? Five to six, two runs every single time. But like you said, there's no bridge there absolutely isn't and what blows my mind? I don't know if maybe you think it's a pitching coach. Problem is every issue it seems, is control. Whenever the Red Sox lose their way whether they're on the mound, it's because they're walking to three guys that are netting so what do you think is contributing to that?

Steve Perrault: 21:20

It's my god auto vino, I don't know what it was recently. I checked out like how many times he lets the first guy get on base and I think it was like eight out of 12 Apparently, it was terrible. And he did it again. And so it's like you can't be the eighth inning guy and essentially start the ending like it's almost like extra inning rules like alright, you're gonna have a guy on first base because I'm either gonna hit him or I'm gonna walk them and now what he's always trying to hold what like a one or two run lead you don't see auto veto and blowouts so obviously Cora wants to use them in tight situations. And you just can't trust them if he's gonna keep putting guys on so Darwin's and was Oh, that was rough to watch I and you could tell to he's doing the this is one of my least favorite things that pitchers do when they like give you the onpoint the extra five second look when it's like Dude, that was half a foot off the plate that was not a strike. This is you. You're the reason why guys are being walked. It's not because you're getting squeezed. So he has to figure that out core is also got to tell him to stop doing that because he's done it way too often. He has the least control of anybody on the staff are in the bullpen, so yeah, the bullpens a problem and hopefully they address it because this bullpen is not going to do it.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 22:23

Yeah, I mean, the last part on that for me see, I don't know to me I look at sarcoma, and I feel like to me, I feel like he's the guy that should be that guy that can be that it's gonna got to me, I look at his stuff. And I think that man like he reminds me a little bit of coaching. But what he told me those harder, I mean, obviously, we're in the same number as well. So I do think he's someone that can be really good later on. I don't remember coaching being great all year, but I just remember being dominoed Yeah, same here. You know, I just remember him getting there. And I'm like, man, by the time we got to the playoffs, he was like South so

Steve Perrault: 22:54

of course you could pitch so much coach. He was he did not wear down. He had a rubber arm. So yeah, see if Sal amaura wears down. The splitter is filthy. He can touch 97 which is awesome. Obviously throws harder than Cody does. Cody was like 50 years old when he was threats. But no, he I know it was insane. I looked at his baseball reference. I'm like he was 39. His lip

Rob Kelly: 23:14

his web that year was like unspeakable. He did. I think it was like point four or something. It was unbelievable.

Steve Perrault: 23:20

And especially considering is the third. He was the third option for closer that year. But yeah, I think so. And more if you were to ask Cora, who's the guy realistically that you trust the most in the bullpen is not Matt Barnes he would probably say that it's so and more. I mean, I don't count Whitlock because he's in his own little, like I the Whitlock situation is very interesting, because every three or four days is kind of killing me. When you have this weapon. Yes, he had a couple of bumps in the road there. But for the most part, he's been incredible this year. It's funny though, when I talk about the bullpen, I don't even count Garrett Whitlock because he's in his own little like, he's not a starter. He's not really a bullpen. He's like a bullpen starter. And you also can't do anything with him because he's a rule five guys. So if they send him down because he's had a bad a few bad days, he just goes back to New York. So you got to keep them up here and just let them work through it. You are kind of cornered and even to that point that's, you know, would lend itself to why core is spreading them out more. You want to make sure you're not risking injury and overusing them, but it's still tough. I mean, he has a 156 era and he's so reliable, the changeup is incredible and he looks like he's gonna throw gas every time. That's the thing like he has a great changeup but he also has a great changeup in terms of his body language like it looks like he's about to Hammad at you and then that thing dies making guys like he probably makes batters look as silly as anybody on the Red Sox which is saying a lot considering as a rule five guy but yeah, outside of Whitlock, I think it's our Maura is the guy that Cora would trust the most that's not Matt Barnes and he also just doesn't seem like rattled by the moment. He goes out there. He's like, Yeah, whatever. Like I you know, I've probably waited for a while. That's what you need. That's what you need. So especially in the eighth inning albinos out there I'm looking at him. I'm like, I don't think he's gonna get the job done here.

Rob Kelly: 24:54

Yeah, he's growing. Yeah, you want them? Yeah, you can.

Steve Perrault: 24:58

He is your problem. It's like always the northeastern guy who can't

Rob Kelly: 25:01

get I can't keep be good in the eighth inning for you guys. It did.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 25:05

It did backfire at first, but he was he was pushing Well, at first I was like, Wow, I can't believe they just get into it. But let me let me know that I knew that they were going to be this good. And then obviously now we started referring back to what he was towards the end of his time in New York, but like, early on, I was okay, like maybe we might have something here with him. But you know, hopefully he He gets back to that so when he was at the beginning of the year going forward

Steve Perrault: 25:28

yeah between the slider between his slider and Whitlock change I think those are the two best pitches the Red Sox have that slider if he can spot that slider it looks like it's gonna hit you and then it's a strike but he can't that's the thing he'll occasionally spotted. But then you know, half the time. It's never even a strike. It's way out of the zone. It's in the dirt. Vasquez looking at him like what are we doing here? So I just yeah, I wish and I feel like a clown because before the season started, I kept saying like auto vino should be the closer I mean, it should be the closer and it's like now he definitely shouldn't considering what we've seen so far. So yeah, the bullpen continues to be an issue. Hopefully it isn't tonight, but who knows? I mean, it's cool. If you ask Cory, he would say the bullpens gonna be a problem basically every night and he's gonna have to figure it out.

Joe Malkin: 26:07

Well, you know, we've talked about being a Northeastern guy. I mean, I don't even know if everyone around here. I mean, obviously, the five of us know that they have a baseball program, but it's not like saying he's a Vandy guy, which I have three quick topics for you one. I'm going to start with the worst one Franchy Cordero. How do we get him out of Boston?

Unknown: 26:25

Oh my god, Franchy.

Rob Kelly: 26:27

It's unbelievable, man. It's he's so not to take your win. But I have made this comparison earlier. He is a worse Willie mo Pena, and that is possibly the worst person that you could be the worst person of.

Unknown: 26:40

I'm telling you when the season started, everyone did the Willie Mo Pena thing. And yeah, I wish he was was Willie Mo Pena. Like, I'd be pumped if he actually hit bombs. Like, that's the thing that sucks. If you told me that Franchy, she was going to come in. And whatever his career average was probably in like the 240s or 230s. If you told me he was gonna hit like .225 blast bombs all season and play a decent left. That'd be like, okay, that's fine. Because Benny's no guarantee. I still think Benny has he's got the revenge summer coming up here. And I think he's really gonna be a huge part of the Royals team that's fading fast right now. But yeah, Franchy has just been a mess. Man. His body language is terrible. You expect him to strike out every time he's up there. The amount of people in my mentions when he had that 345 game like that meant anything like oh, you I bet you wish you didn't say that negative stuff about Frenchy it's like no, I don't I don't I don't take that back at all. He sucks is one for his last 52 I think he's one for as low as 52 if you take the key k game out and a game that he didn't even think it was going to play in which to Loomer alone his point he had mentioned on the radio I fully agree with them that like if you're in this kind of a slump This is a monumental slump. By the way. I don't know if the minor started when the major league season started. Obviously he would still not be getting at bats right now. But if you take if you're in that kind of a slump, and you just get thrown into a game you don't have time to think about if you're in the lineup or not. I totally understand how that would make it easier for you to succeed because very clearly a lot of its mental forum, and he's not making any adjustments. That's what sucks he's missing pitches by miles. His body language in the field is weird. He gets strange jumps on balls anytime he catches it. It's a snow cone even though it's right to him. I hate Franchy, he's thanks

Joe Malkin: 28:20

Well, that was how Devers was at the beginning not as bad I'm not gonna compare Devers to francy right now at least Evers is like a you know MVP caliber back he made the adjustments like he was making bad throws too first, he started off slow with the plate. And then he kind of figured everything out all at once and Franchy he just he just isn't gonna figure it out.

Steve Perrault: 28:38

It's not gonna he looks like a guy and there's there are people that slump that figure it out he looks like a guy that it's just not gonna work. I don't I think this is a hell of a move by date and more in Kansas City getting and obviously we don't know the players name. You know, everyone loves bringing that up, but they could be crap too.

Rob Kelly: 28:54

So one for 51 for 52 is monumental. That is a slump. I've never even heard of

Rayshawn Buchanan: 29:01

like, I could do that right now.

Unknown: 29:02

I'm telling you. A lot of times people are like, Oh, I could do that we could all do

Rayshawn Buchanan: 29:08

is if we wanted every time we're getting like, run into a hit once. It's almost like they try to sell a soul trying to sell to us that he was going to be like Adam Dunn type guy. Yes, it's like, bro, like, Adam Dunn like said was gonna hit 40 home runs and hit it to the river. Hit it on December 1 Stadium anymore. I'm gonna get it getting old San Riverfront stadium but whatever it's called. Daddy now Great American ballpark.

Unknown: 29:32

Yeah,

Rayshawn Buchanan: 29:32

yeah, there you go. Yeah. Yeah, so yeah, man. It's like, even if he was that just half the time, but it's like he's not mad. So, I mean, I said Vinny wasn't better. By the time we left here. Like, I know, we still hold on to 2018. And we hold on to the cash. He managed Tampa Bay, his rookie year like, I get it right, you know, hold on to the cast he made and Houston but it's just like, yo, like, I mean, it was the right move. But that just wasn't the right guy to bring back in return. That was the problem. And we all knew that without even looking at him. It was ridiculous.

Steve Perrault: 30:01

the tough part is that a lot of people love like, saying, Oh, it's not fair to compare Franchy and Benny. Yes, it is. How is it not you traded a left fielder for a left fielder. What are we what else are we gonna do? Like I understand that there's the, again, the players to be named later. I get it. I understand all of that. And we still don't know you know what the full return is going to be. But it's may and the only guys playing Are the left field have you traded in the left field? You got Of course we're going to compare their stats like but what that'd be stupid not

Joe Malkin: 30:30

unusually, the players to be named later are like three guys doing the podcast and they just happen to like run them into Kansas City and throw them in a uniform somewhere in the minor leagues. Yeah Are you upset anymore about the monkey bet straight speaking of trades,

Steve Perrault: 30:44

I yeah, there's always going to be paying there. I think in terms of Section 10 coli, we'll find a way to bring it up every podcast and even when when we're not talking about it at all, we could be talking about like a hot Fenway Frank so like the best food at Fenway is like they really traded Mookie didn't they like Colin amyx because it you know, at a certain point, and we had Chaim on and he was really good. I think he gave us a lot of great answers. He was accountable. We got to talk to him like off the record, which is always a dandy and he was really a he's like we had we had to make the move. Like in his eyes, they had to make the move. And I love when people rip him as if he didn't know that he was gonna get ripped for that. Like, I was like, what I know it's maybe not fully his call, but like, what a move that trade, you know, a style like Mookie Betts It's like he knew everything he knows more than obviously more than we know about the behind the scenes stuff. And so yeah, we love acting like we know they should have done this that the other thing like I came into this situation, I don't want to say his hand was forced because technically everything is his decision, but the trade is what it is. It's something that I'm always going to try to have to defend. Just because I like the boss the Red Sox, but like, it's it does suck every time I'm up at whatever it is midnight and Mookie goes deep again. Granted right now it doesn't hurt his back because he said what 260 in the Dodgers are slumping, but come this summer, when he has another three Homer game and a couple steals and he Rob's a home or it'll sting forever

Rob Kelly: 32:09

Mookie is Mookie, and he always goes on those hot streaks and he did it. He did it by

Joe Malkin: 32:15

Steve. Isn't it the best though, now that we're past 2020. And you can lay in bed at 1130 at night and you can throw on the MLB network regional coverage. And you can watch all these West Coast teams again, it's counted. I actually probably watched more West Coast baseball than I watched Red Sox baseball at this point.

Steve Perrault: 32:32

Absolutely. I'm telling you, I'm paying more attention to MLB network this year than I ever have. Like I want to be more educated on all the teams we spent so much time with the AL East that like you forget that there's 25 other teams outside the elite. So I mean, obviously the American League, you know, you keep an eye on who's competing with the Sox for a potential wildcard spot even though that was my childhood. How funny is it by the way that this wild card game has been around for eight years, and the Red Sox haven't played in it. That's kind of insane. I mean, I keep saying they're due to be in the game, but like, I don't want them to be in the game. So hopefully it doesn't happen. But even though this year, you could argue that it might But yeah, I just think it's great to have, you know, fans back at the park. It's great to have 25% at Fenway, allegedly, it's going to be 100% by August 1, we'll see if that actually happens. But it's been nice to be at Fenway but in all honesty, it has felt very awkward. Like I've only been there so far, you know, when it's 12% capacity, and it's a hecklers, you know, dream, because they get all their stupid trash that that, like, if you're going to be a heckler, at least, like go into it with a plan. That's my issue. A lot of times guys will start yelling, and they realize, Oh, I really do have everyone's attention. I have no idea what I'm going to say right now. So they just like, ramble off some nonsense and then just shut up. But yeah, it's been interesting at Fenway to say the least,

Joe Malkin: 33:45

the first one's good, but yeah, that atmosphere, it's kind of equated to a rain delay. And then everybody leaves and they start back up at 1030 at night and that, you know, the guys that are drunk and have nowhere to go stay in the ballpark and watch the last three innings

Steve Perrault: 33:59

Yeah, all of April was rain delay with the drunk guys. That's what it was. Yeah,

Joe Malkin: 34:04

I think we should start a new podcast and call it rain delay with the drunk guy.

Rob Kelly: 34:09

That sounds like my kind of game right? Yeah,

Joe Malkin: 34:11

it's your Yeah, it's your kind of podcast you're you're about to bed actually

Steve Perrault: 34:14

has some sizzle to it. I would I would listen to rain delay with a drunk.

Unknown: 34:18

Alright, guys, we're

Joe Malkin: 34:19

changing the name again. We're not. So

Craig D'Alessandro: 34:25

I can't go through that again.

Joe Malkin: 34:28

Yeah, wewere on the air for nine months. We've changed our name already. But that's another story for another time. So. So Steve, looking at the MLB draft speaking of pitchers, so right now the MLB draft which is coming up it is in June this year again, right. I believe it's a month away. Yeah. So we're looking at two very good pitchers out of Vanderbilt, which is pretty typical for Vanderbilt, they always get those really good arms in jack Leiter al Leiter son and then Kumar Rocker, and then the top four picks in the draft, which the Red Sox sit at for Jordan Lawler is projected to go one to the pirates Marcello Mayer, shortstop out of East Lake High School in California is projected to go three to the Tigers Leiter to to the Rangers, and then the Red Sox are projected to get Kumar rocker at number four. And granted when we talk about the MLB draft, it's nothing like any of the other drafts right. It's the closest one you could equate it to is the NHL because guys kind of sit Sit down in Providence for a little while. But in terms of this I mean what if you bring in a guy like Rocker? Does that change your minor league system that much for the Boston Red Sox, at least in terms of pitching?

Steve Perrault: 35:36

I mean, it should. I think there's times where we forget when these drafts happen and we get all hyped about the guy that it takes a while for them to get up here like we had Tristian Casas on section 10 and 2018 and I remember he had just been drafted the day before we thought we're getting pumped because he immediately was like, just like the cockiest dude on the planet he was like I can't wait to go to Yankee Stadium and shut everybody up I was like what the hell the kids like 17 or 18 years old and like pump the brakes chief like this is a little we literally had to like double check to make sure we weren't getting like pranked on the show. So I mean there's been a lot of Kumar rocker talk obviously Jack Leiter that was those two names made last year worth it I guess I mean, it still wasn't worth it because watching all those games was a pain in the ass. I don't love that everybody has the Red Sox getting Kumar Rocker I would like if some of them had them at three some had them at five it's like just mix it up a little bit because I feel like anytime everybody projects you to get somebody as long as you're not the one pick I mean the Jaguars is a whole different story with Lawerence but like as long as you're not the obvious number one I don't love when all the projections say you're gonna get the guy so hopefully some people start saying the Red Sox won't get Kumar rocker because I've actually watched a lot of his thoughts very dominant pitcher has the presence that seems like he could actually fit in to a major league roster sooner rather than later. So ideally they do draft them but again, I want some more of the mock drafts and not have them go into the Red Sox. We'll see if that happens.

Rob Kelly: 36:58

Plus, he has the best name possible for Boston. Kumar. Kumar, rocker guy come on. Yeah. kukulkan Kumar, rockers on the hill tonight.

Steve Perrault: 37:05

Yeah, it's a new Noma. Yeah, Kumar.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 37:08

I need that just for that. He could go he could be like john briquettes like oh three and I'll be okay with that now, but because he's on the team. Like Kumar is on him. I'm here for you know, I can see the church right now.

Steve Perrault: 37:20

I have not heard the name john for a guy who was I liked him though. He I thought he was for what he was. I thought he was good for what you expect them john Burke, right. Yeah, I ever knew if it was Berkut abrecan. I was just I don't know. I took a guess it depends

Rayshawn Buchanan: 37:35

on what Joe buck wanted to say that night.

Joe Malkin: 37:37

Yeah, yeah. Depends on in Boston to you know, we just pronounce Ryan's getting named.

Steve Perrault: 37:43

nationally. It's like whatever you got that or and I was pronouncing your name right, please,

Joe Malkin: 37:46

is that the worst part about sports being back in Boston is hearing all the terrible pronunciations of man's on the two sports radio stations here in Boston.

Steve Perrault: 37:54

It's tough. It's tough. I'm glad I'm on EEI now so because I don't think I missed the names up but one thing I realized which I'm very upset, no one told me I've been saying Eovaldi for like three years now and no one said a damn thing until Rob was like, You know what? It's Eovaldi it's not evolving. I'm like, dude, I've been doing shows with you for three years like I've been doing you know, section 10 since 2015. No one mentioned this. Why is the one saying like I felt like I had something in my teeth for three years and no one said anything like maybe everybody

Joe Malkin: 38:25

thought that you were saying it right and they were starting to question the way they were saying it

Steve Perrault: 38:29

well that's a good point because I think TC says he Eovaldi

Joe Malkin: 38:32

I think he does

Unknown: 38:33

Yeah, TC is

Rob Kelly: 38:34

allowed to do that though. He's one of those guys were like no one's ever gonna correct you saying no. I met him

Joe Malkin: 38:43

on the show the first time

Steve Perrault: 38:46

Oh, t season Oh, gee this season. That's like

Unknown: 38:49

Tommy heinsohn bro he

Steve Perrault: 38:50

can say whatever he wants. We had cc on section chana I felt like Okay, we got like we needed him on the show. We got him on the show. We got to do it actually in Section 10 which is really cool. TC is the best he also understands like how to evolve I more people in this field especially some of these reporters holy hell need to realize that they can't just keep doing the same like alright, question answered a core type up my thing. And I'm done. You have to engage with the people that that pay attention to your stuff. And TC does a great job of that.

Joe Malkin: 39:18

Yeah, he does. Yeah, he's been phenomenal. So speaking of TC being, you know, gee, how the game has changed in the last 20 years. Because we talk about all these new stats, these new metrics, the war has been around for a long time. But now we're talking about launch angle and velocity and all this other crap, I guess it How much is the game change in 20 years since the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years? And what do you think? I know obviously, the five of us watch the game. We love it. But what can be done to the game to make it better and bring in these younger fans that are behind us and really don't pay attention?

Steve Perrault: 39:52

I was so ready to be a smartass. And be like WAR has been around for a while. I don't know why my brain process that is like we've been that was for like, so long, but no, I love I love war initially. Here's the thing with a lot of these stats initially, you're like, who's this guy that just walked in? Who is this guy who will let this guy and I don't know who this guy is in my bar. And then once you realize what the stat really means, how significant it is how accurate it is at depicting the best players in the game. Then you're okay with it so war can stay I love going by Oh PS for trying to talk offensive guys but overall I mean I don't like getting too much into the you know I call it the forbore absorb like I feel like when we go too far down the road of like his you know always see a percentage fielding hitting percent it's like we're doing too much also I just don't know all these stats like that's another thing I don't want to get shown up by a little Billy that's like 13 he's like have you looked at is like fP fP fP I'm like, I haven't Billy and you're showing me up and I don't like that you're doing that because was Xander I got an all these arguments about Xander Bogart over the weekend. Sometimes it's like, Am I gonna go with the trolls this weekend? It's like Alright, let's actually do this. And everybody that goes Xander is fielding, I think takes it a little too far. And then sure enough, he's like terrible on the field. The last three games I'm like, you could not have picked the worst time to decide to be awful that played that triple was not a triple. Let's be honest, that Mullians that should have been gonna bring that up.

Joe Malkin: 41:20

I watched that after I listened to Section 10 this week, and I was like, Alright, I gotta see what this is because I didn't see the play. I think I agree with you. I think it's an error.

Steve Perrault: 41:30

That has to be I mean, that falls in his club. Also the the scores are getting so soft, literally anything that will benefit the home team they are giving to them last night Michael chavis has he hits it right back to the pitcher, bobbles the ball, boots it all over the place. And it was a single. And I'm like, What is an error anymore? If we're going to call that a single This is a side rant. But yeah, the stats I if there's simple enough that I'm down, if you have to, like have eight letters, to sum up what it means and they all have a different word. I can't do that. I think if we're talking about the style of game, it's changed a lot since Oh, four since we've, you know, grown up watching the Red Sox and you know, oh 304 the teams I really think of in terms of like, dominated my childhood and the reason why, you know, we couldn't sleep. But I just think the games the game is different now. And I think there is a line with the whole let the kids play. Like, I look at it as let the kids play to a certain degree. Once we're doing what Amir Garrett was doing a couple weeks ago to Anthony Rizzo who's a teddy bear, like Mark and Adam and flex and in verse, Odin, do a damn thing. It's like, what do you relax, dude, that's where I draw the line. I think Marcus Stroman is done some things over the years that I just can't stand because he's like, what the guys do backflips. It's like, that doesn't mean you can curse out the dugout. Like, those aren't level Trevor Bauer. Don't get me started on Bauer. He's such a he's such a goof man. I know he leans into it, but so there are certain guys that I think take it a little too far. But for the most part, I mean, it's just the sexy game Tatis. akuna Soto trout isn't as sexy but every night he's gonna hit a homer basically. And Xander Bogaerts, I think deserves a little more credit in terms of the swagger game, too. So I do like where we're at right now. But I say let the kids play with a little Asterix on the back. Like they can't do literally anything you want to do. You gotta

Joe Malkin: 43:14

there's got to be rules. I mean, you know, when casting Thanos did in the first week of the season, I even thought that was fine. I thought that was a little bit of getting

Steve Perrault: 43:22

thrown at so I don't have a problem with it. Right? If you're gonna throw at him, but like I said, The funny thing is, and this normally is what happens is you see the you see the last thing you don't see the first thing so I thought he was just doing that out of nowhere. I'm like, relax to it. That was a little bit. A little bit

Unknown: 43:42

like a fifth inning.

Steve Perrault: 43:44

I know. You're in Cincinnati, like a little bit but but no, once I saw they were plunking him it's like oh yeah, that's fair game. That's fair game. You're gonna you're gonna throw at me then I'm gonna I'm gonna flex on you a little bit. That's fine.

Rob Kelly: 43:55

Real quick on x. So beginning of the season me Ray Craig and Joe all went absolutely apeshit when we saw these shortstop top 10 rankings, everyone was ranking. And almost every single one of them left Xander out or had them like eight 910. Like he wasn't in that top five upper echelon shortstops. That's like, we're not crazy for thinking that's absolute fucking blasphemy, right?

Steve Perrault: 44:22

Oh, it's insane. Yeah, no, it's the same. But he's doing what he can to prove he deserves to be in the discussion. And this a lot of times, this is the year around late 20s is when you really cement like, Am I going to be a guy that had a handful of good seasons? And then maybe tails off? Or am I going to be one of the best at this position that you've seen this century? And I think Xander's at that point right now, where I expect he's going to go towards the latter there. I expect that he's going to be at the end of the day, the best shortstop and Red Sox history and you know, the biggest, Nomar fan of all time, but obviously it's tough when Nomar was here for six years so Xander is not necessarily going to get all the attention. Tatis is going to get even Trevor story for some reason with how bad the Rockies are. I still hear Trevor story more than I hear Xander Bogaerts, and it's like, you can't tell me Trevor story has more swagger than Xander Bogaerts like that. So that's where that argument gets a little weird where it's like, well, Todd, he's gets the attention cuz he backflips Trevor story. He's good. He's really good. But you can't tell me Trevor stories like a flashy player because he's not

Rob Kelly: 45:20

so Trevor story and his name is Xander Bogaerts

Joe Malkin: 45:26

Trevor story was put on the map by Nolan arenado. And DJ LeMay. Who like when those guys were there, and he was coming up like those are the guys that put him on the map. So right of course, then he grows up around that. And he's a very good shortstop. You're absolutely right. But when you talk about swagger, I mean, there's no yeah, I'm with Bobby Xander Bogaerts sounds much sexier than Trevor stone.

Steve Perrault: 45:44

And it's not even close. Also, Xander is probably the best looking dude on the team if we want to go down that route there. Also he I think he can finally be the face of the team. And with last year is such a you're not going to have a face of a team when you're the fourth first team in baseball, so you don't count that but if you look at it from an overall standpoint, he grew up under like David Ortiz, his wing like he he helped him out. And then Xander was a guy that helped out Mookie Betts and then help now is helping out Rafael Devers in terms of feeling comfortable Xanders, finally, the guy in the face of the Red Sox, and by default, if you're the face of the Red Sox, I mean, look over the years, you're gonna get national attention, there's no way you can be the face this team and not be on the cover of video games and have your name mentioned with some of the best in the game. So I think we talk a lot. It's funny because like, we say, we don't talk about Xander Bogaerts a lot. But then in doing that, we're talking about Xander Bogaerts, so it's a little bit of like a catch 22 or whatever the hell but I think he will finally get more national attention this year, but defensive, I'm telling you, I defended him defensively, and then his boot and everything, so maybe just like, clean that up a little bit.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 46:47

Right. So no, that makes perfect sense. But between him and JD though, like it says, I'm a JD Martinez guy, like, you know, these guys know like, before the show, I was like, Wait, how are we not we have to talk about JT so is he the MVP? Could I might just do this absolutely raking. He's in pure 2018 form right now. Even though 2018 I felt like he was kind of slowing in by June and he went on a rampage. But like in your mind, like zando or JD was the MVP of the team right now. Or maybe a baseball?

Steve Perrault: 47:14

Yeah, we talk a lot on section 10. About how defense doesn't matter. We just do that to benefit our own arguments, because then it makes the Xander look better. It makes some of these other guys look a lot better. So I think personally, Xander Bogaerts is the MVP of the team because of everything that he means on both ends as he's the unofficial captain. He's going to be here more likely than not for the majority of his career. I think he's the guy and production wise. He has I don't know if he still has the most hits in baseball. He probably doesn't because he's been tailing off. JD he probably has more now. So I would go with Xander, but I think it's very tight. I think you have a fair case for JD I mean, he's been we that was the biggest thing we talked about. JD Martinez had a slow start. Everyone would have destroyed his ass he would have been roasted for all the Oh, you didn't have you know the iPad and you didn't know when the season was gonna start. He had every excuse in the book and to his credit, those excuses can actually count if you go out and have an MVP caliber season, which he has so I don't think can go wrong with either one. I would lead Xander a little bit but lately JT hasn't had a slump. See that's the thing. Xander isn't a current mini slump right now. JD has been hot the whole season. So yeah, that's probably your best case.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 48:20

Right and that's but that's my thing to see. And I think but this is this is the same thing we're we're teasing a marriage right? Because we would always go back if it was better like big Papi. Manny, see what me the reason why I go JD now. See, they're walking JD to get to Xander why so my thing is your that means you're the guy you're the guy that they'll walk you say Hey, I got to put you on base because you might hit one insert right center or you might hit one you know you might hit one over the monster or you're off whoever so to me that's why I put JD just slightly above Xander right now like the perfect example I think about it was might have been last week when they were I can't believe they lost three out of Florida to that Texas Rangers team started looking at it Kenny was looking like fucking normal Nolan Nolan Ryan out there but I feel okay they walk them they want JD and then they has ended with the bases loaded and then I want okay James is gonna he's gonna he's gonna come through is gonna break through and have to heal he like grounded out it's like the third baseman I was just like oh, I was like no like I feel like in other years he might have gotten that hit but like you said he's in that slump right now so hopefully it comes out of it but right now to me that I just put I put JB just just like maybe this right here because you're walking that guy to get to Xander that means that he's the guy that everyone fears right now.

Steve Perrault: 49:29

Yeah it's also tough to you can't really walk Xander either because then you have to face Devers so like that's I mean we had a lengthy Convo about is the core of this line of if you go two through five is this like the best the Red Sox have had in a long time and I mean, there's other ones right up there with it like oh 708 comes to mind both of those lineups were filthy. Oh three ad probably the best overall lineup the Red Sox have had all century but either way you can't go wrong between Xander and JD. And I just want to again, it's I'm upset just because like, I was like, Okay, this weekend. I'm gonna I'm gonna rip everybody on Twitter that's ripping Xander. And then now he's on the biggest slump of the season. So naturally, you're getting tagged left and right. Did you see this plight? Did you see that? I saw the play. I watch all the games.

Joe Malkin: 50:12

In your defense, it's the same thing with Frankie, right? Like he goes into five one day like guys are expected to go into slumps. I mean, we saw it all the time. You talked about that lineup from oh three we remember those lineups from Oh 304 and Kevin Millar, Kevin Millar. Millar was one of the streakiness hitters of that time for Boston and he would have one for 21 for 25. I remember he went over like 22 at one point and down the stretch and it was like alright, well, while he sucks, and then he turned it around. So it's the same day. I'll defend you on that bogarted steak all day.

Steve Perrault: 50:45

Yeah, it's We'll see. I mean, the from now until I always think it was talking to my dad about this. Like, when can you actually take a team seriously for the long haul? Like when can you think they're actually going to make a legitimate run in a playoff spot and beyond? I say July 1, I feel like that's when you have a good feel. He was saying August 1, August versus like, kind of a no brainer to me because it's post deadline. You only have two months left. That's when you really really know in 2018 that's probably when we knew they had a damn good shot of winning the World Series. I'd say before that but once they sweet the Yankees in the four game or it's like, okay, I mean, this is obviously the best thing in baseball. So we'll see Xander is gonna have to heat up a little bit. Now that is cooled off. JD is going to have to stay hot, which is asking a lot of him I know it's nice that he can just focus on hitting core is trying to not use him in the field, which is good because he's one of the funkiest fielders I've ever seen in my life, but it's keep them at the plate just keep him as the DH Yeah, that luxury. Just lean into that. So hopefully, you know, hopefully the lineup stays well, specifically, hopefully the bottom of the lineup can actually pick it up a little bit. Renfro has done his part marwin a little bit Bobby's gotten a good amount of time off here. I don't know if that's just the reset. Um, but yeah, Franchy is going to suck we know that the one guarantee Franchy is terrible. We can all agree on that.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 51:54

Right? I think I might. I might have to agree with your dad. Dad, dad might be he might be scarred from 2011 could remember that 2011 team from June to August or really from May to August, September. Yeah, September that was the best team in baseball they was smacking everybody and I was running around with you know, with Adrian Gonzalez MVP

Rob Kelly: 52:18

are amazing. But like, there was always those weird that you don't wanna be there's those bottom when

Rayshawn Buchanan: 52:23

we say that now. He was special.

Joe Malkin: 52:29

I there was more off about that 2012 team, but

Steve Perrault: 52:33

really, everything was off about the 2012. Speaking of

Joe Malkin: 52:36

that, 2012 team, did everybody else see that? Bobby Valentine is running for mayor of Stamford, Connecticut.

Steve Perrault: 52:42

I hope he gets it the inventor of the wrap. I hope he gets Connecticut mayor.

Joe Malkin: 52:48

Yeah, right. Well, we'll see if he can he can get elected down there. And Stanford. I know some people from the area that will not be voting for him but to pay. So Steve, I don't know if you know, but that kid you were talking about the 13 year old that was throwing all the stats at you this hypothetical kid. He was actually that four year old that you ran over?

Steve Perrault: 53:04

It was the same guy. It was just new when you back he somehow grew up nine years and three years. I knew he was going to do it. He told me he was gonna do it when he was on the ground looking at me. I still have I'm not kidding. Like, I guess I picked it. It's one of these like, pick this store, pick that door like what's behind this store? I picked the wrong door. It was a swarm of Yankee fans coming down and this dad's holding on to his four year old and I just plummet right into him. I just plowed them. And everyone's looking at me like I'm some devil. I'm like, I'm not trying to hit a four year old. Obviously. I'm not trying to kick this kid. It couldn't have been any taller than like three feet. I'm like, I couldn't see. But no, I ran out of there as fast as I could. And I was like, Alright, at that point, I kind of thought like, Is this just not going to work? But I was like, No, this is who knows when else I'm going to see the Red Sox knocked the Yankees out of the playoffs? Like I mean, there was the longest gap in the world right? Yeah, from oh four to 18 they hadn't played in the playoffs so you never know when it's gonna happen again, but

Rob Kelly: 53:59

hopefully it happens is your Boston accent man is always on point. You've had a lot of practice with that over the years. I can tell I can tell you that a lot of practice from

Joe Malkin: 54:07

the North Shore even though he doesn't have one naturally.

Steve Perrault: 54:09

Yeah, naturally, it's always in there. It's got to be if it's not in there then you're lying if you're around these people long enough if you're around this area long enough so yeah, it's definitely got to be a part of the repertoire for sure.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 54:20

Alright, so I have one final question for you Steve. So yeah, good. We had Dan Shaughnessy on our show a while back and I asked him the same question so got x on the baseball guys so if you could come up with a what all time Red Sox starting nine would you have on it

Steve Perrault: 54:34

an all time Red Sox starting nine on the spot I like this pitching is obviously Pedro I got to have first base my guy move on second base podria short would be Nomar let's see third. I got to get somebody on this team I'm going to put Devers on there if I'm just like avoiding this team that's a bad idea. left field may centerfield centerfield actually heads here by the way, I always go with guys I've seen so like Ted Williams will he's he's in right but like I'm going with guys I watch because I'm not gonna be like, oh, Bobby Doerr like Yeah, no, I know I've tried he had because like we did a drafter on the quarantine of like, all time Red Sox. My dad was like, oh, Steven, you're forgetting all these guys. I'm like, Yeah, they played in the 50s I didn't I don't know. I don't even know if they had footage. But Sarah go, Ah center. That's the only one I'm Stumbling on because I would have I'd have Varitek a catcher, and manager would be Francona. And then Wendell Kim's my third base coach. Which, by the way, way, way, way,

Rayshawn Buchanan: 55:31

way, way, way, way.

Steve Perrault: 55:34

Way back was done in the bullpen. Yeah, I love it. Let's go but no centerfield. I'll just mess around with Darrin Lewis and center Neil. Aaron Lewis was my guy. Yeah, we always call them hit it to the wrong guy. Deron Lewis caught the ball every time I don't remember him, seeing him make an error ever realistically, I'd have Jacoby out there. It's so funny how Red Sox fans treat Jacoby it's like Isn't this the perfect world where he gave you his best years and did nothing for the Yankees? Like we looked at him it's like oh god what a balmy sound with the Yankees it's like no he made them waste endless money on a guy that did nothing for them. That's like Coc love and anyway

Rayshawn Buchanan: 56:11

I love what about rightfield rightfield

Steve Perrault: 56:15

Teddy ballgame yeah and so yeah, again if this was guys I watched right field would be what would have to be movie right if it's guys if the guys that I watched don't have to be monkey bats but yeah, centerfield is gonna want to mess around a little bit. I would it was either. Yeah, Jacoby, Coco. I can't do Jackie cuz he couldn't hit for shit. And then I mean, Damon says

Rayshawn Buchanan: 56:37

defense defenses to his defense from all time. All time Yeah, enough for me. I'm sorry. Like that play.

Steve Perrault: 56:42

What's the best centerfielder glove that we've seen on the road?

Rayshawn Buchanan: 56:44

Oh, yeah. Hands down. And I know just people from another era that may say your Franklin, I get it or do I evidence once again I get it because those guys that that was one of the best I feel we've been very blessed in the city to outfield from every each decade honestly,

Steve Perrault: 56:58

all time outfielders. Yeah. You

Rayshawn Buchanan: 56:59

know. So this is like, that's one thing. We've been very blessed in the city. But I'm like, you know, I think I want to say he picked Dwight Evans. I want to say Dan, pick the words I get But yeah, I mean, monkey has to be on a list. Like I'm sorry. I think he had left many off there. But he was talking about like the steroid thing. But am I look man,

Steve Perrault: 57:14

you can't tell me Manny Ramirez is one of the best hitters

Rayshawn Buchanan: 57:16

of all time and he is. And I know we've talked about polos recently off there, but I said, Man, he's the best right handed hitters I've ever seen. I'm sorry. Like, I'm maybe I'm biased. He was here for eight years. And I was crying like a little kid even at 17x rated to the Dodgers in 2008. It would run to the LCS like I was like I have but the tears are probably my mini shirt in my closet right now. But

Steve Perrault: 57:38

yeah, I'm telling you, Manny Manny would hurt Manny would hurt that that cut deep. Everyone had the 99 Jersey. I'm like he's our

Unknown: 57:46

guy. He had it.

Steve Perrault: 57:52

Yeah, right. You guys see the games early. You suck. Like that's all I was saying to air but no, I I miss Manny man. He was the best. And I remember the best thing that he like we got to talk to Curt Schilling a couple times. And he would always praise how many prepared his preparation was better than anybody Curt Schilling in the bigs for a long time. And he saw a lot of really good players. He said Manny, prepared better than anybody he had ever seen. And then a story that Manny had mentioned, that I thought was so classic Manny, he said, he intentionally in early in the count would swing and miss it a pitch to make the pitcher think that he couldn't get to it or that it wasn't going to hit it so that when he had a two strike count, he would just crushed that pitch. And I'm like, I've never you got to be a next level kind of like hitting savant to like think like that. But Manny did. I feel like he benefited from people thinking he was stupid. He wasn't dumb. Oh, for sure. For sure. Yeah, he was very smart.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 58:46

Yep. Yeah, I mean, the one that comes to mind or the bad that comes to mind Well, there's two but the one I think about is the game 207 Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, yeah, I mean, we don't care I was nasty when he got ours. Yeah, you know, this is notice before he kind of fell off in the walker like he was still the guy and man he did do that. That's assuming that didn't seem and many lost it. And I was just like, I was just saying it was time to say let's go Yeah, exactly. I if you just say I'm the guy with the towel now.

Unknown: 59:18

There it is.

Steve Perrault: 59:21

I've never my favorite games I've ever been to this one is actually second place. You would think this would have been the I got grounded for a month for skipping school to go to that game. But I mean, that's my top 13 game to win. Slam against Oh my gosh. Oh.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 59:38

Awesome. I fell off my bed like yeah, I fell off my bed. I'm saying that edge and I'm like, he has said that you hear Jobling? How many times can I say how many times can you go to the well, it's like, wow, it's unbelievable.

Steve Perrault: 59:49

It felt too perfect. Like I've never heard Fenway that loud. Like it was first that was the main one and then it was that but it almost was too cute. Right? I'm with my buddy Mike. And I'm like, Yeah, a Grand Slam ties it but like come on David Ortiz gonna come up and hit a Grand Slam.

Unknown: 1:00:05

Like, oh my god.

Steve Perrault: 1:00:07

It's I mean, and then you just see you know, the Torii hunter die and the bullpen cop lives. Yeah.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 1:00:13

I'm not gonna lie though, because I'm gonna tell you how to obviously one of the best outfielders legend in general. Yeah, for sure. Probably should definitely be a Hall of Famer In my opinion, like, yeah, as he's going back. I said, Hi, Fox. He's going to keep going He's going to catch this and then but I'm just like, you know and then you know are choosing not doing that then that well on Ben wall and his career at that moment, okay? We need a moment like this is, as you said, this is our fucking city. This is our time I know are teens he was the guy who got there and I said Victor, you know go close them out later on in that series but man that was about to go back and watch that this weekend.

Steve Perrault: 1:00:47

That was the best in the quarantine was watching that run back the third yeah run because in the postseason, they hit like less than 200 but they just had timely hit Napoli solo bomb off of Verlander, like you mentioned the victory. No grand slam the Johnny Gomez home run in St. Louis. So yeah, right, right. There were not many big moments, but they had enough to line it all.

Rayshawn Buchanan: 1:01:06

Exactly. Yeah. For cheese fries. Yep. Yeah, it's all that. Well,

Joe Malkin: 1:01:10

now that we've relived too close to 20 years of Red Sox history. We've beaten the crap out of the bullpen of our current Boston Red Sox. Steve here. Steve is the host and producer. Well, I screwed that exit out.

Unknown: 1:01:26

Not at all. Not at all. Wow, we're

Joe Malkin: 1:01:28

getting say let's start that exit out here. So you've got to make that good first impression. I already did the intro. Right.

Unknown: 1:01:35

You nailed the intro.

Joe Malkin: 1:01:36

Thank you. Yeah, that I pride myself on intros and interviews and they you know, the first one

Steve Perrault: 1:01:45

they brought a human I think, I don't know.

Joe Malkin: 1:01:49

He says he's from the North Shore.

Steve Perrault: 1:01:52

Even from the States we don't know.

Joe Malkin: 1:01:55

28 we don't exist. This guy

Steve Perrault: 1:01:58

lives in Portugal at some

Joe Malkin: 1:02:03

South Shore. I was actually there on on Sunday and South Shore well in Boston, but then I had to drive through Quinsey, that was hell. But anyway, so joining us tonight on MTP is Steve Perrault. He is the host and producer of the section 10 podcast presented by barstool sports with Jared Carrabis and Coley Mick and you guys are sponsored by Coors Light, which we are not but we were very envious of that because yet, because we do drink a lot of Coors Light in and around the podcast so you know, maybe we'll fit Dan,

Steve Perrault: 1:02:32

I'm telling you, you got it. You got to suck one. Yeah, no, it's a gorgeous lights, the best scores lights the best. Also Gosling's gassings is a great sponsor to send us a lot of rum. dark and stormy is my new favorite drink. Got to confirm

Joe Malkin: 1:02:47

all because of Gosling's.

Steve Perrault: 1:02:48

All because the goslings without that I don't think I've ever I don't think I ever had one and I was like how did I not have one of these before the age of like 28 What am I doing while

Joe Malkin: 1:02:56

you're drinking darkened stories with Gosling's and also drinking Coors lights, do you happen to eat a lot of stop and shop tangerines?

Steve Perrault: 1:03:04

I eat five pounds of stopping shot. Someone actually sent the picture. That's awesome. That was awesome. I was so excited because we used to that was our wheelhouse in 2018, we would request the photo of someone in a section texture, we'd have it the next day. And I'm trying to get back to that because I mean, it's easier to get back to it because a the team's really good. And B you can go to places again breaking news. So that definitely is great. But yeah, the one that will never be topped is 2018 when I was like I want a guy on the jaws ride at Universal what the shark coming out and a section 10 shirt had it the next day. I was like that is nuts. you need you need luck there too. You also need to have been on that ride like 20 times and know exactly where to stand on the boat. You know didn't get

Rob Kelly: 1:03:51

there that was the best were like listening to the pod at the park or do you think like they heard it and they're like shit, we got to go to Yeah, or so

Steve Perrault: 1:03:58

if they were there though it make it even cooler. If it's like oh, go right to the jaws, right, get the photo, upload it and then bang like that. I think that would prefer that more honestly, in the long run.

Joe Malkin: 1:04:07

Well, you guys do have a pretty good national following. It's amazing how many Red Sox fans are out there. And how many people listen to you're just looking through the Twitter, your Twitter through the section 10 podcast, Twitter. It's a pretty wide range of people that pay attention to you guys, which is great because you guys do a great job. So just throwing that out there. Give me a little pat on the back. I appreciate it. Pumpkin tires here towards the end. It's all about that's it. So, section 10 podcasts. You can find it on Apple podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts. He's also on web I every Saturday with Rob Bradford for the live BP show four to 6pm and check out the Bleacher Report app because it's one of my favorite apps. So just to know that Steve is working on it means you're going to get your information so before the real BK Bob Kelly ratio, McCain and Craig D'Alessandro, Steve Where can we find you on social media and everywhere else?

Steve Perrault: 1:04:57

Yeah, just add Steve underscore, Perrault. That is that is the handle and you'll see a lot of informative tweets also a lot of ballpark kicks. I've been retweeting that a lot lately those are I love when people send those pictures in so yeah, hopefully it looks like the socks are down four to one not great, but hopefully they find a rhythm here and when the least we're hoping to do

Joe Malkin: 1:05:16

that's what Yeah, they got a two game lead right now. So hopefully they can extend that down the stretch. They're only six ahead of the Orioles. That's not enough.

Steve Perrault: 1:05:22

Yeah, that needs to be like it was in 20 1816 right, yeah, I got to get to 60.

Joe Malkin: 1:05:27

Well, they're on the Trey Mancini tour now that he's back playing, which is a great story, but so we got to

Steve Perrault: 1:05:34

want him to crush other teams, not the Red Sox.

Joe Malkin: 1:05:37

Right, exactly. And then lose to everyone else in the division and Exactly. Well, Steve, thank you very much for joining us here. I'm missing the point. We appreciate you coming in and talking baseball with us and everybody, go listen to Section 10 podcast two episodes a week. And follow that Steve and section 10 on Twitter and Instagram. And Steve will talk to you soon.