The Andy Poland show on ESPN six thirty the sports capital. Yeah. I got Tony coming up at 11. Yeah,
I know it's a Thursday, but he's adjusted his schedule a bit this week. So he's doing Thursday
and not tomorrow. We are now what four years removed from the next winning the World Series
2019. So this is 2023. If this were baseball thirty five years ago, most of those guys would
still be nationals, right? We'd still have the stars of that team. Trey Turner would be the short
stop. Anthony Rendon would be playing first base, Max Scherzer, even though he's in his 40s,
would still be pitching for the team. You know, they would have had a team that in 2023 that
resembled the one that won the World Series and virtually everybody is gone from that team.
Yeah, they've got the Patrick Corbin contract, which they're saddled with. He's going to pitch
today as a matter of fact. Stephen Strasburg will probably never pitch again, but by and large,
everybody's gone. Victor Robles is having a nice year now. And well, the way this team is
constructed now, could he be a if he keeps this up be a trade deadline deal and they get rid of
the last of the World Series players? And you know, you just look at it and go, well, that's
the way baseball operates in 2023. Not a whole lot. You can do about it. And you can grumble and say,
well, why did they do that? They blew up a World Series team, etc, etc. Well, the money is a factor
here. And Anthony Rendon was in a position after the World Series to cash in, which he did. He got
a seven year $245 million contract from the Angels. I don't know what the Nationals offer.
They may have offered in the ballpark. But the other thing is he never really liked playing here.
That's that was my impression that he's broken Houston was not really comfortable here. And even
though he's in the Los Angeles area, he's really in the secondary market there in Anaheim playing
for the Angels. So it's a little bit different. Well, he was terrible in 2021 and 2022.
He combined for only 11 home runs in those years and managed to play in just 105 games
across those two seasons. And his his batting average was putrid 2022. He hit 229 in 2021. He
hit 240. And and now his he's up a little bit. He's hitting 250. Got a 374 on base percentage.
But his his powers down. He's he has not hit any home runs this year. And he only three of his 18
hits have gone for extra bases. He does have more walks than strikeouts. But he's a cleanup hitter
who's not hitting for any power. That doesn't make any sense. He's also 32 years old.
And not that that's old for baseball player, but guys aged differently,
and depending on how they take care of themselves and that sort of thing, his power
eventually gone. And you know, remember in the World Series here, he had 34 home runs.
And they're paying him $38 million for this season and an additional three years after that. And all
the baseball money is guaranteed as you know. So you know, you look back and you go, well, that's,
that's one that it's a good thing. They didn't do it. It's not just the money that they'd be
saddled with, but it's a guy who's a 245 hitter, cleanup hitter who who's not hitting with any
power. So you'd have to play him. It wouldn't just be the money, but you'd have to keep him in the
lineup. And he'd actually be hurting you. You're better off with somebody else playing third base.
Great player during those years, he was here, superstar player and a big contributor to the
World Series. But you look back and you go, well, that's probably the right move, not to resign him.
And so far, he hasn't found himself in Anaheim. And he also is a guy. This is another thing about
about athletes. When they start talking about retiring, they're retired. And he would talk about
openly, like how he didn't want to play all that long. I'm sure when if the Angels release
him, you know, let's say he doesn't, he performs even worse over the course of the next four years,
they may even release him before that and just eat the money. But if he finishes out the contract,
I would think that's going to be it for him. He just, you know, at this point in his life,
he's got all the money he needs. And he probably doesn't love baseball as much as, you know,
see, maybe he should. I don't know. Max Scherzer does love baseball, loves pitching. And maybe his
career is coming down the slope. He was back last night after his 10 game suspension for using too
much Rossin. And he got lit up by his former team in Detroit. He used to play there, played there
before coming here, gave up six runs on eight hits in three and a third in an eight one loss as
Detroit swept the Mets. And he just, you know, he said some bad outings this year. That's,
that's one of the worst outings he's had in years. And he was facing the Tigers for the third time
since leaving them after the 2014 season. In the first of those starts, he had 20 strikeouts,
the game in May of 2016. Remember that? Then he fanned 14 more over eight innings in his return
to Comerica Park. But he just, he just did not have it last night, walked the first batter
to start the game. And, and just has not, not looked good at all. And he, you know, he was
asked about being checked for the sticky substances that it was a normal routine check. And Buck
Show Walter trying to downplay it. You know, he said, we were hoping for a little better results,
but I think his command was just off just a little outside. That's what happens with pitchers. I'm
sure he'll be better the next time out. And maybe he will be. But, you know, those are two of the
key players from the World Series of four years ago. And they are, as Jo Namath said to Susie
copper struggling.