Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo Discusses What The Mets Need To Do This Offseason | The Show Ep. 178

Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo Discusses What The Mets Need To Do This Offseason | The Show Ep. 178

And this is what drives me crazy. We made such a big deal about that dopey home run, the 253rd home run. And the Yankee, he’s passing Deaggio across town and nobody says so. And Bara, and nobody says a word, and the Mets basically putting statues up on Alonzo, and then three months later, they’re going to let him walk because of finances. Oh, come on. We’ve got a special show for you today. It’s not special because Joel Sherman isn’t here. That’s unfortunate. He gets one week off a year and this is it. Uh, I’m here John Hayman and I will have on Christopher Mad Dog Russo. We’ve had on before. He’s a big draw. He is the funniest guy in broadcasting with Total Recall. I love having him on. I’m really looking forward to it. Uh, Chris Russo, of course, famous for the Mike and the Mad Dog Show, which is probably the greatest and best known sports talk show ever. Now he’s doing Mad Dog Radio, named after him, channel 82, 3-6. and really looking forward to seeing Christopher Mad Dog Russo talking about the Hall of Fame, talking about Pete Alonzo, what the Mets are going to do, that great World Series, the potential of a labor worth stoppage, and everything else coming back at you with Christopher Russo. [Music] It is my distinct pleasure to welcome in my favorite my very favorite broadcaster. I was on the Mike and the Mad Dog show with him for I don’t know about a decade or so. Uh he is the king of sports talk radio. Uh the Mike and the Mad Dog Show, the most popular show of all time. Don’t dispute that. That is true. You know that. Uh now certainly uh doing great with Mad Dog Sports Radio channel 82. And that here is Christopher Mad Dog Russo. How are you doing, Christopher? Johnny, how are you big guy? Things good? How’s that daughter of yours playing tennis? She’s still playing. What’s going on with that? She’s okay. We got to get her playing you. Uh yeah, that’ll be the key. She’s too good for me. Uh she’s But playing you I think will be good because you I know you probably work at a country club and you probably pretty good at this point. I’m decent. I I did play the other day on a hardcore indoors and I’ve had some arthritis of my left leg. I didn’t move as well as I would have liked and I play Mike Lupa’s kid a lot. Christopher Lupa who’s good. Yeah. He’s a young kid. He’s like 37 38 years of age. So I play with him a lot. I play as much as I possibly can. Not as much in the winter time. Not as much as the winter. Understand? Well, you’re very youthful, so I get you’re paying a 37y old. My daughter’s 19, so good luck with that. Yes. All right, let’s get to baseball cuz I think that’s your favorite sport, but you know every sport. You have total recall on everything, which amazes me. You can tell me what happened. We’re about the same age. Yeah, you can remember what happened in the 1971 World Series. I I have I have no recall of anything like that. I remember Reggie’s home run in the All-Star game. That’s a bit about it from 71. But let’s start with the World Series. I mean, it was a great World Series since you’ve seen them all from my probably 1968 on. Where does this one rank? Well, you know, John, you had three incredible games. You know, game three for 12 innings was a tremendous game. One of the great games you’re ever going to see. It kind of fell apart after that a little bit because Toronto had nobody in their lineup because they had pinched runs so much. That hurted a little bit the last five or six innings, but boy, the 12 innings, you had outs at third base at home plate. Yeah, I mean, it was really an Kershaw getting a big out to get out of that one inning on a 3-2 pitch. Game six was tremendous. A lot of pressure on LA, the double play to end the game, which is phenomenal. Bets’s big two-run single. And then game seven is, you know, here’s the way I would look at it. On November, what was that date? the 1st, the 2nd of November, whatever the date it was at 12:00 at night, game seven on November 2nd on a season that began on March 27th, you did not know who was going to win a World Series. In game seven at midnight, 6 months in, you still did not know who was going to win a World Series. And again, even off the Rojas home run, you figure the uh Blue Jays in the bottom of the ninth, the play at the plate with IKF, the kid makes the great catch in left in left center. What a job by Dave Roberts. Then, of course, even Guerrero gets on. I mean, in the bottom of the uh 11th inning to try to tie the game up. Dodgers don’t score in the top of the 10th, too. I mean, it really was incredibly dramafilled. reminded me a little bit of game s uh seven and six with the Reds and the Red Sox in 75 when Perez down three nothing in game seven after they won game lost game six but in game seven they hit the big home run against Bill Lee reminded me a little bit about all the home runs the Dodgers hit when they trailed in that game after the Bette home run but it was one of those games where you went to bed at night not being able to sleep because you’re thinking about all the plays a big home run for baseball great ratings Um, everybody at the water cooler, I’m sure your water coolers at work, my water coolers at SiriusXM, that game was discussed for a long period of time. That game is Saturday night and on Monday at 3:00 at le 36 hours later. It was an alltimer. It was an alltimer. John couldn’t tell you how much I enjoyed it. I went to the first game, thank God it had a little bit of everything. I feel bad for the Blue Jays, you know. You got to feel bad for the feel bad for Mattingly. Uh but it was really a tremendous it was a big home run for the sport. They needed it. They had a great postseason. I think it was 53 possible postseason games and they had 46. They had a lot of game threes in the wild card. They had a lot of game fives in the divisional. They had a game seven in the NL champ in the American League Championship series. And then they had a game seven in the World Series. So they almost maxed out with the amount of games that they could have in a postseason scenario. They had 46 and they had a great game seven of the World Series and they had a great game seven of the American League Championship Series and they had a great five game five of Seattle Detroit. That was a great game 14 great game four Dodgers Phillies. There’s a lot of highlights in this year’s postseason. No question. Yeah, you mentioned you feel bad for the Blue Jays. I I was actually in that clubhouse. I went there first before I went on the field to uh greet the Dodgers. But uh I’ve never seen a clubhouse that broken up. I mean Oh, really? Really? The the Yankee World Series against the Diamondbacks 2001. Uh that Yankee team had already won three straight. They were in shock. They were they were stunned, but they weren’t like crying in this one. And I get it. I mean, this was a rough one because I mean, you mentioned how we didn’t know who’s going to win at midnight. I mean, we all thought the Blue Jays were going to win all through it, right? with a B mashed home run the lead of 4 to1. Then it was 4 to2. Then it was 4 to3. Uh Miguel Rojas up. What are they going to do with Otani? We’re not even paying attention to that. But I’ve never seen a clubhouse that broken up. And and I get it. So where do you rank that World Series? Uh who what are your top three World Series? Give me a ranking. And where do you see that Rojos home run? Where does that rank? That’s right up there. Who is the go-to guy? Who’s the go-to guy for you for the media after that game seven in the Blue Jay locker room? Sure. Sherzer and he’s coming back. Uh, you know, he he’s he’s great. He started the game, so that made some sense. He wears it on his sleeve. You know, he’ll tell you exactly what he thinks. You know, he’ll argue. You you know him. You’ve dealt with him. He was in New York for a while. Uh, you know, if he disagrees, he’ll tell you. Uh, you know, he said he’s coming back. He’s 41. We believe him. Uh, he was fantastic. Mattingley was, you know, he was very disappointed but very calm. He’s a pro. Uh but you know, it was it was very broken up. Uh and you can understand why. They thought they had it. And great I mean ranked with the 88 Dodgers and the 69 Mets for fantastic World Series upsets. But where does this series rank for you and where’s that Rojas home run rank? Well, if you look at the series, the Yankee Diamondback series was tremendous. the Brave Twins series in 901. I’m sure you covered that. That was tremendous. Now, the one thing, two things about that series, really one thing for both. Nobody won a road game. Everybody won the home games, right? So, to me, when I talk about a series in any of the best of sevens, I want to see a road team win a game. And in this particular situation, the Dodgers won three or four in Toronto and the Blue Jays won two of three at Dodger Stadium, which to me adds an element to it that I like a lot. Uh the game seven Red Sox Reds, that’s an all-time classic, too. The one problem I have about that series historically, and I remember it, you remember it probably too. I was 7 16 years old. Is the idea that the greatest game in that series in game six the losing team won. So the fisk home run to me historically is a little overrated because the Red Sox didn’t win the World Series, right? It’ be like the Dodgers making that great play to end game six but then losing game seven. You kind of forget about the great play they made, the double play at second base. So when you have a great game like that in this sixth game, you want to see the team that made the great play win this seventh game. And then you had game three in all time classic with Freeman’s home run and the Dodgers won that too. So that’s what I like about this World Series is that the three gigantic moments in this World Series plus game two was a big game too with Yamamoto 1-1 top seven. So I like that aspect of it. road team wins and the big moments that were in this World Series. Obviously, look at the Yankees Diamondbacks. Jeter’s Jeter’s homer, Tino’s homer, Brochious’s homer, but the Yankees lost the World Series. The big moments in this series, Roas’s homer, Hernandez’s double play, Freeman’s home run, Will Smith’s home runs, the Dodgers won the series. So, I like that aspect of it a lot. No, I didn’t see it. Uh, you know, that’s 60 World Series. I’ve had a lot of people tell me Ernie Aorsy was a huge Yankee fan, giant ring of honor, longtime general manager. I talked to him a lot and he’s a huge baseball fan. He thought this was the second best game seven he’s ever seen. Now, he put the game seven Yankees Pirates first because that had a lot of back and forth. the Mazerowski walk-off. The Giants, the the Yankees trail, took the lead, Pirates trail, bottom of the eighth, came back, Yankees tied it in the ninth, and then the home run by Mazerowski. He thought that game is the best game he’s ever seen. And the Yankees lost, and he was a Yankee fan. So, I I didn’t see it, nor do you. So, it’s hard to get a gauge there. But, this has got to be what, top three, top four World Series of all time. And I don’t know if I’ve seen a better game in a game seven. Now I always thought there John that the Yankee Red Sack game in 78 in Fenway in my lifetime that has always been one of the great it capped the regular season first to 100. It sort of symbolized the whole year. Red Sox the big lead, Red Sox to lead in the in the playoff game. Dan hits a home run. Yankees come back, take the lead, and then they got to withstand a Red Sox rally in the bottom of the ninth, eighth. Same kind of thing happened in the regular season was symbolized in that game. So, I always thought that one was the best game ever. But this is a game that is historically going to rank top two or three that you and I have ever seen. You want to put it three, you want to put it two, I dealer’s choice on that, but it’s top two or three games we’ve ever seen. And as far as the Rojas home run is concerned, I think the thing about it is the improbability of it. It’s me. Go Rojas. I mean I can it we had D we had Raj Davis. There have been a few like that but they have. Now D remember the Cubs the Indians lost. So the Davis home run out of Chapman was incredible. An incredible moment but the go Indians lost that game. Right. You’re right. Bohas won the game essentially. So that’s why I would put this one better. That’s a good one. I hadn’t thought of Joe Davis. I was in a ballpark for that. The whole world thought uh that look at this. The Guardians are finally going to win a World Series and beat the Cubs who hadn’t won him for 100 years. But this Rohouse home run was as good as you’re ever going to see. And I tell you, I’m I’m mad at Hoffman. Do you have to three with with Otani up next? Throw a 3-2 fast ball 97 98 miles an hour. Let him hit it. Don’t throw a slider there where if you leave it over the middle of the plate, he might hit the ball out of the ballpark. That pitch selection really bothered me by Hoffman in the top of the ninth. Yeah, I Yeah, I’m with you. Amazing recall on everything. A 16 World Series. No, I didn’t see that. I’m with you. Uh right just before I was born, but uh looking at it all, you know, routes by the Yankees three games and then uh they lost four close games. So that’s pretty spectacular. I’m with you. 91 World Series to me until this one was was the winner. Uh for me, this one might be the winner. Baseball is doing great right now. What do you think about all this talk about in a year we’re going to have a work stoppage now? Shouldn’t we be celebrating baseball and not worrying about a work stoppage? 100%. Um, listen, uh, I think I have confidence in Manford. He’s been in charge here since 95. He They have never had a work They have never lost games. They’ve had some stoppages obviously with lockouts and all but they have never they have never played less than 162 so you got to give him credit for that you know 90 right the pandemic right yeah I can’t count the pandemic right but other than the strike I mean they may have started a little later than they could have but other than that they h he’s never lost games I don’t think he wants to be the commissioner you know with the stellar career that he’s had in in labor law I don’t think he wants to go out and he’s gonna go out in 29 I don’t think he wants to go out a couple years before he retires with a major work stoppage on his hands. So, I think there’d be a lot of rattle, you know, there’ be a lot of, you know, saber rattling. I definitely think that’s the case. I think next winter will be a mess. I think you and me, I’ll be talking about it. You’ll be writing about it. I think, you know, you’ll probably miss summer spring training. Uh, you know, who knows when that deadline is. Probably be around what, March 10th. you know, they can’t start it March 15th. But I think at the end of the day, I still believe that both sides realize, you know, we got something good going here. Let’s figure out the competitive aspect of the sport and let’s see if we can make this work. So, I do think I think it’ll be touchandgo. And I understand the small market teams, the Dodgers winning all the time. I get that. You know, 79% of the teams in the last 30 years who have won a World Series are big market teams. and 80% of them will make the playoffs to big market teams. So, I think they’d like to figure that out. But I don’t know how you feel about it, John. I do think that at the end of the day, there will not be missed games in 2027. I hope not. I’m with you. I know Manford hasn’t lost any games in 30 years, so he’s got a good record going in. So, we feel good about that. Uh, I I think we should just cut to the chase and not just give up the the idea of the cap and then the the union give up the idea of changing a free agency from six game six years to five and yeah, that’s not going to happen. Yeah, I mean these certain things are non-starters. Let’s just keep where we’re going with what we have right now and and move on from there. But it’s not going to be as easy as I make it. Uh, it will be very difficult and I think it’ll be harder than the one a few years ago when that was a major problem. This will be a harder one than that. So, But I have confidence. I I I do have confidence. Now, listen, you know, Tony Clark, who knows, uh, his right-hand man there, who knows? They got this FBI investigation going on right now. Who knows how that works itself out, but at the end of the day, I do think that both sides want to play the 162 and I think you’ll see a season being played. I really do. That’s the way I feel about it. Well, I feel better about it now. Now, we have an off season being played and what are your thoughts going into this off season? We have no Otani. Uh we have no Juan Sodto. We’re not going to have a record deal. But we have Kyle Tucker and people talking about a $500 million deal or $400 million deal. We have Pete Alonzo out there as a free agent again redoing it. Bregman. So we have some very good uh free agents. Uh what are you expecting uh this winter? Well, you you’re the expert on that. Much better than me uh with uh how you follow it. But I think the big story to me, you know, Tucker will go somewhere. Bashette, see what the Blue Jays do with him. Bellinger of course with the Mets. To me, Yankees, I think the most Bellinger Yankees or Mets could. Yeah, Yankees and Mets, right? I I think the big thing to me is going to be what’s what are the Tigers going to do with Scoo. You wrote a lot about it last week at the GM meetings. I read you every day. And I don’t know. The Tigers are in a very tricky spot. They have been burned with big contracts. You know, they gave Zimmerman 100 million. He was a mess. They gave Prince Fielder 225 million. That was one of the worst contracts. He turned out to do nothing for him. So the Illich family has been somewhat smacked around with these free. Now that’s the way it goes. Sometimes you’re going to get them right. Sometimes you’re going to get them wrong. Monet have splurged. At times they’ve gotten them wrong. He doesn’t want to spend as much money. He knows he’s in a division where he doesn’t have to and they can still win the division. But I think the school thing to me is really interesting, John. Um they’re never going to resign him. They’re not going to pay him $330 million. Uh, you know, I could see the Dodgers doing it. I can see the Mets doing it. Do you trade him or not trade him? It’s a very They’re not going to get a lot for him at the deadline. They’re going to be in a pen race anyway, so they can’t trade them. Not division. They’re going to be in a penet race. Do you lose them for draft picks or do you see if you can move them now? You only can move them to a couple of teams because, you know, why would you give up a lot to get them if you don’t have a chance to resign them? So, you know, that leaves the Dodgers, Mets, you know, those kind of teams. But I think that’s a very interesting question. Free agents are going to be free agents. We’ll find out. You know, Bregman, as you mentioned, was, you know, as we’ll follow that as it goes along, but what the Tigers do, and it’s a very tough call, and you wrote a lot about it. You’ve been on top of it. What the Tigers do with him is going to be, and I was down on him in game uh in game five against Seattle. You cannot take yourself out of that game after 98 pitches. It’s game five. I know he’s a free agent to be. He’s pitching for his life and the team’s life. He’s got a lead in the game. He takes himself out and Finnegan comes in and immediately gives up the tying run in the seventh inning and the Tigers lose the game in the 14th inning. That to me, if you’re school, you got to you got to handle your clothes in the ninth inning. That’s me. That’s old school. That’s Kofax. That’s me. I know Yamamoto’s got his contract signed. So for him, if he pitches a lot, he knows he’s going to get his 320 main and Scuba doesn’t know that. So I do understand the economic of it, but to me, you have to pitch more than six innings of that kind of game. But I know he’s great and I know the Tigers have a very interesting course. So that’s question number one for me. What’s going to happen with Scubble? You would have the answer to that a lot better than me. Go ahead. Well, it’s interesting you brought up Kofax and he’s arguably the greatest pitcher over the last, I don’t know, 75 years or whatever. You can make a case for Randy Johnson or Kershaw, some others, but uh let’s not forget his career did end at age, right? And uh Scooble is 28 at this point. It’s it’s kind of a repeat for AJ Hinch, right? He was very careful with uh Cole as as a free agent. Uh you know, they were playoff team. They almost won the World Series. Cole then became a free agent and left. And uh so we shall see. I I I think uh you’re I’m with you. There’s no chance they’re going to be able to resign him or very little chance. It’s interesting you brought up the Tiger history. Miguel Cabrera is another one they gave big bucks to, not as a free agent. Uh so yeah, that was a mistake. Yeah, they shouldn’t have done that, right? Yeah, they wanted to keep him, but it ended up being too much. They did well with Maggie Ordonz and Pudge Rodriguez. It wasn’t quite the same amount of money. What would you do? What would you do? Would you I would have to trade him. You would trade him? Wow. Now, the problem with it is that fan base there is going to go crazy. You know, that’s a big market, Detroit. It’s supposed to be. And these are the Tigers, the English D, Tai Cob going back 150 years. This is a big franchise. You know, Tiger Stadium, you know, that they’re one of the originals, this this franchise. And, you know, to run them like to run the Pirates is is a little rough. I got a nice ballpark. It’s a big city. The Lions are good. The Pistons are good. The Red Wings have won a million championships. same family. You hate to see it, but if you’re not gonna sign him, and they’re not going to, and you have the you’re gonna get more value from him now than you’re gonna get them. They’re not going to trade him at the deadline because they’re going to be in a pen race. Who’s going to run away and hide in the American League Central? Nobody. Well, what the Twins are going to have a 10ame lead. So, the Tigers are going to No. So, as a result, if you’re g Now, listen, you want to tell me that next year you’re gonna win a championship and then you let him and then he leaves, it puts you in a tricky spot. I think I would I it’s a tough Listen, I’m not saying it’s an easy decision. And I don’t think they will. You would know better than me if they will or they won’t, but I can if they do, I can certainly understand it. I have some Tiger fans who call me and that my little show there, and I’ve been surprised. A lot of them don’t have a problem if the franchise trades him, which I’m surprised about. Well, I think they’re going to investigate and ultimately I’ll be surprised if they trade him. Not going to be shocked. Uh we’ve seen big players traded before. He only has one year to go. As you mentioned, it is a tough and interesting call. Before we move on to the Hall of Fame, we’re going to take a little break after this, but move on and talk about the Hall of Fame and couple other things. Uh you are a New Yorker like myself, a Long Islander. uh Mets. Uh nobody saw this coming. I think last time you were on the show. Uh you’ve you said that there was no way the Reds were going to beat him out. I felt the same. Nobody nobody thought this could happen. It did happen. What do the Mets need to do? Uh certainly you got Allonzo and Diaz who’ve opted out. What do you do with them? And what else do you do to ensure this does not happen again? Because this was 83 wins was a disaster for this team. Yeah, I mean that’s a very good question. Um, I think they’re gonna keep Diaz. I can’t see them letting I know Diaz was quoted, you know, 5050 a coin flip this week, but I think I don’t see Cohen letting Diaz go. And, you know, there’s going to come a point where Cohen’s going to have to step in with Allonzo. And this is what drives me crazy. We made such a big deal about that dopey home run, the 253rd home run, and the Yankee. He’s passing Deaggio across town and nobody says so. and Bara and nobody says a word and the Mets basically putting statues up on Alonzo and then three months later they’re going to let him walk because of finances. Oh, come on. I mean, if it was that big a deal to home run to celebrate the next day, well then you got to make them lifetime M. So, I think probably at the end of the day both will come back. You know better than me, especially with the Allonzo one. Um, but the Mets need a big picture. I mean, you know, I mean, they they tried to get by for two years with the, you know, underachieving pitcher with he with the with the pitching coach and catch a little lightning in a bottle. It worked the first year with Maniah Canana. It didn’t work last year. And I was down on the Mets for firing their whole coaching staff. That’s weak. I mean, they fired every I mean, they fired, you know, Glenn Sherlock takes a walk. I’m sure they want him out. Obviously, the pitching coach goes, I mean, the whole coaching staff departs. I mean, really. So, we’re going to make them the skate goes here. But the fact that they had Frankie Montas, they gave him $34 million. I don’t think they’re going to make that mistake again. They do have McClean there. The Yam the other kid, S the other kid who’s always hurt. They’re going to have to hope for and Maniah will come back, but they need a big pitcher. Where they get one? Is there a free agent pitcher that we don’t know that that I don’t need to know about? Is there a big free agent pitcher? Well, there there are several that are very good. There’s anybody I mean, if Robert Valdez is out there, Dylan Cece, there’s Emi uh from Japan who neither of us have ever really seen in person, but he’s ranked up there with those two. You’ve got Ranger Suarez. You got you’ve got a list of a lot of number two type starters, I think, more than any really. Yeah, I wouldn’t go near Dylan CE. I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him. I would not in a big game. Uh I would not go near Dylan CE. Um they need a big and there’s pressure on Sterns because he likes to run a team with a sort of a mid-market mentality. Yet he’s got an owner who’s like George Steinber. So the Mets are trying to split the baby in half, run the team economically properly, but they have an owner who wants who wants to have another Rembrandt in his bathroom. So it makes it a very tricky line. You got to walk whether you go economical and play it like the Brewers play it or you go all in and sign as many big players as you possibly can. Hopefully you hit on enough of them where you win some championships. It’s a tricky call there. Really is. Yeah. I mean this is I I you’re exactly right, but I this isn’t the Brewers. This is a big city. I think the fans are with the owner on this one and particularly I agree. I agree. Very disappointing season. I think that uh you know whether David Sterns wants to play long-term or not, I I think that’s kind of off the table at this point. And I’m with you on Diaz and Alonzo. I I don’t see how they go. Uh sure, in free agency, anything can happen. I know he said 50/50. I think they’re already willing to do an extra year. You know, publicly it’s come out that he would like three extra years. I think they’ll probably compromise and give him the two years extra. Give him an 80 million for four or something like that. Alonzo, it’s going to be hard to harder to know exactly where the money’s going with him. I I certainly will do better than he did last time. No qualifying offer. Had a much better overall season. He’s now the all-time home run champion. I know it’s not Babe Ruth, uh but he is for the Mets. Uh so I I think they started off very very well. They’re very productive, very positive meeting. I think that there’s a good chance uh they put their best foot forward and and do what they can to keep Alonzo as well. Um yeah, you think the Mets do you think the Mets call the Tigers and see if they can get Scoo? I’m sure there’s a lot of teams calling. Uh the question is, are they going to pick up the phone? You know, I think Detroit’s going to listen. You know, I think they’re not a afraid to listen and have it out there that uh you know, they’re listening, but uh ultimately it’s difficult because you’re right about that division, right? I they’re the favorite going in. They’ve made the playoffs uh two years in a row. I I I I’m going to be surprised if they I’m not going to be shocked. I’ll be surprised if they do trade him. But that is the number one pitcher, right? These free agent pitchers are good. I I think Cece I I get what you’re saying, but he is the only pitcher who’s struck out 200 batters five straight years. He’s very durable, and I think teams appreciate that now, particularly. Well, here’s what I want here’s what I want the people who want to see on their team. We’re in the postseason. Go watch game a couple games last year against the Dodgers. Start with game four, two games to one up against the Dodger bullpen and he started that game and got lit up. He couldn’t get out of the fourth or fifth inning against the Cubs in a scenario. Was that game three this year in Wrigley Field? I’d be careful. I would be careful. I just don’t trust him in a big game. And if you’re going to sign him, you want him in pitching in big games. Yeah. I mean, I don’t care what he does in June. I don’t care if he know hits the nationals. I’m not interested. I’m interested in what they do in September and October when the money’s on the line. That’s where Yamamoto showed me a lot. I don’t care if Yamamoto wins eight games. Look what he did. I mean, look what Yamamoto did. The guy the son of a gun. He pitched game two. He pitched game six. He pitched game seven. That’s what the great and he bounced back after game two against game three against the Phillies. He pitched great against Milwaukee. That’s what I want my pitchers if I’m going to pay him $300 million. That’s what they’re getting paid for. the seven or eight postseason starts where I need him to go eight, nine innings to help me win a championship. That’s what I need. And I don’t trust CE to do that. That’s what that’s why I asked you back on the show and that’s why you’re the uh the one who draws the biggest audience. No, don’t give me that. That’s an easy one. No, the Scoo thing is a tough call because you’re right. They know with Scoo, they got a good chance to be in October and then all bets are off. They could win it. I I’m just gonna say I was actually covering that series where he he actually volunteered to pitch that game four on short rest. So I’m gonna get even though he got lit up and was facing a bullpen game by the Dodgers and they lost seven to nothing. I I was actually there and he did volunteer. They should have told him no, we’ll give you regular rest and you still got game five to me. I know we’ve seen guys do this before. Josh Beckett, it worked out. That short rest is not a great idea. But he also was bad earlier in that series in game one. got lit up. Let’s not forget that either. Fair enough. You’re good. This is what I I knew you were dangerous. It’s that total recall that I don’t even though I was at the series. No, you you you No, no, no, no, no, no, no. You got I just scream at the top of my lungs. You talk to people. You talk to you talk to these folks. I don’t. You talk to them. So, you go ahead. You don’t miss a beat and you don’t forget a thing. It’s amazing. All right. It’s great. You’ve been amazing. We’re going to bring you back uh in a few minutes here uh to talk about the Hall of Fame, which is a specialty of yours, and do a hit or error. I’m interested to see how you go with that. Joel and I specialize in errors more than hits, but we’ll see how you do. Uh we’ll be right back on the show with Mad Dog Russo and John Haymon. [Music] We’re back with Mad Dog Russo, and we’re going to talk about one of his specialties, uh the Hall of Fame. We’ve got two ballots now. We have the regular ballot where the guys wait five years or they’re still on the ballot after not being voted in for a few years. And we’ve got some good players on that whether it be Beltron or Andrew Jones. The first timers, not a huge uh number of uh real honest to goodness Hall of Fame candidates. So, we’re going to start with the veterans ballot, which includes these eight guys. And my I don’t have total recall like Chris, so I’m going to read it. Mattingley, Murphy, Delgado, Kent, Bonds, Clemens, Sheffield, and Valenuela. Uh I think everyone can vote for three. I’m not on the committee, but uh can you pick three out there you think should be in the Hall of Fame? Yeah, I would. Um well, you know, I’m going to leave Bonds and Clemens out for the for the reasons that we know. I’m going to be consistent with that. I know they they were great Hall of Famers prior to Steroids, but I’m going to be consistent with that. And I don’t think they have a chance to get in because I don’t think the committee wants to do that and get involved in that kind of controversy. So I don’t think they’re going to get the votes. The one guy to me that I cannot understand is Kent. I’ve gone through this a thousand times. He hit 290 in his career. He’s got 300, was he 80 home runs, 70 home run, whatever that number is. He’s got the most home runs of any second baseman in the sport. He’s got multiple, it’s either seven or eight 100 RBI seasons. Um, he won an MVP, which is something else that I distinguish. And I know the metrics and I know everybody who says, “Well, his defensive metrics, you’re talking to me now.” And I watched every game that he played for the Giants from 1997, which is the guts of his career through 2002. So that’s 97, 98, 99, 2000, 2001. That is six years. I sat up here at three o’clock in the morning watching Giant games on on Direct TV. I am telling you right now, I can’t recall any games where I said, “Boy, his defense killed us in this game. Wow, he couldn’t reach that ball. His range stinks.” I don’t recall it. I mean, the idea that somehow, well, they would, and I saw the games, they didn’t. The people who say this, they didn’t stay up at 2:00 in the morning watching Giant games and the West Coast. I did, you know, who flew out to San Francisco to see the games against the Marlins in the postseason in 97 when he hit two home runs in game three and we got beat because Devon White hit a grand slam. Who went to Anna who went to San Francisco for the first two games of the D of the World Series with the Angels who went to who saw the Mets series and saw him get the only hit against Bobby Jones in game four when we got one hit down two games to one. I was at all these games and watched them. So the idea that his defense could keep him out of the Hall of Fame is nonsense. He won an MVP legitimately. He deserved that over Bonds in 2000. He’s a better player than Bio. I know Bio’s got the 3,000 hits, but he’s a better player than Bio and I know he played a couple of positions. I understand. But to me, Kent’s a Hall of Famer. Now, Maddingly to me, and I love Don, he’s only had five great years, so I wouldn’t put him in the Hall of Fame. Murphy, the years are not as consistent. I know he’s got the two MVPs and I love Dale Murphy. He’s got six or seven Hall of Fame years. I like to see between eight and 10. So, I wouldn’t put him in. Uh you Clemens and Bonds, you mention Clemens and Bonds, you mentioned. I got to look at Delgato a little more carefully. He’s a prolific home run hitter. Um you know, he’s a he’s a DH if that bothers you. But boy, he hit what 40 homers a year for seven or eight years there. John, you would know better than me. You might have right in front of you. He’s a great he’s a great home run hitter. 929 OPS in his career. So, I mean, he he was knocked off the ballot. I’m not in favor of knocking anyone off the ballot because we’ve knocked people off the ballot like Keith Hernandez and I mean there’s a long list of Richie Dick Allen uh who are certainly worthy of more than one or two years of consideration. So, I’m glad that he’s on this uh Delgado. Uh yeah, I mean you convinced me on Kent. I I didn’t vote for him at the beginning. I I heard I’ve heard you discuss it. you are the expert on the Giants. Uh I would put Kent in. I did always vote for Mattingly and Murphy. And again, you know, people say all the writers, they pick the guys they like, they won’t vote for the guys they don’t like. Look, look, I Jeff Kent was a pain. And then you know what? I’m voting for him. I voted for Kurt Schilling every year but one that one year that he had that really bad tweet. I I deferred that year, but otherwise felt that Schilling was a Hall of Famer. I kind of split the baby on Bonds and Clemens. I was convinced Bonds was a Hall of Famer before the steroids. I agree. Clemens is a little more borderline for me, but I think you he probably was, but probably doesn’t do it for me. So, I did vote for Bonds. I am with you. I don’t think they can put Bonds and Clemens in and reject these guys who only bought brought honor to the game even if they weren’t the players that Bonds and Clemens. What do you do with Sheffield? He’s got 512 home runs, but he’s got the steroid link. What do you do with him? Yeah, he’s got a steroid link. I I mean I’d much rather see Bonser Clemens go in or all-time great. To me, Sheffield did the steroids. I don’t care what he says. He sent He sent cash to Balco. You don’t send cash to I didn’t send any cash to Victor Ki. Did you send it? You didn’t send any cash to him, right? So, I mean, he’s as guilty to me as Bonds or Clemens is. It just weren’t as effective for him. So, I’m not even sure. I mean, I think they do a good job. I like these names generally. I don’t think Sheffield should be on this list. I would rather have seen a Johan Santana or somebody else or Dwight Evans, Lou Whitaker, somebody else who only brought honor to the game. I I never Who do you think Who do you think they’re going to Who you think they’re going to play? I think it’s going to be Mattingly and Murphy uh who get in. I do. I think they’re going to look at the character and all that and and Mattingly was a tremendous player for five, six years. And who doesn’t like Donnie? And he’s a great first baseman, but the back cost him. And to make a long story short, yeah, you see that those two are going to get in. Not Ken. Right. Right. Um, yeah. I I think that’s probably right. I’m more of a peak guy. So, I I like Matting Le and Murphy. I get it. You’re a little tougher. You’re looking at the whole career. I understand you’re What do you think about Valenuela? The last one I’m going to ask you about. It’s an interesting one because it is called the Hall of Fame. He is He had that amazing season that he dominated. Uh, and it was and a great big game and a great big game pitcher. Absolutely. I mean, he’s an interesting case. Uh, I wouldn’t be opposed. I really would. And Dusty Baker told me a story once, and you’ll like this one on Fernando. Uh, I did him on the 93 Giants about two years ago. He told me this is that the Dodgers players beg Lorta in game in the playoff game against Houston to settle the division in 80. Remember the Astros went to LA three-game lead. Dodgers swept them to tie at the end of the year. They had to play a playoff game to see who would play the Phillies. Joe Nikro pitched for Houston and the Dodger players begged Lorta to start Fernando who had come up in September. Lord didn’t do it. He started Dave Golds instead and goats got bombed. And that is why Dusty went to Solomon Torres in the last game of 93 instead of Scott Sanderson because he thought that Torres had that Fernando thing in him and he started and he started Solomon Torres who got bombed and got knocked out in the third inning. But because Lord went gold instead of Fernando and he should have gone Fernando, Dusty said, “Well, I said Fernando then let me go the young pitcher now.” So, it didn’t work for him and it didn’t work for Lord and they both went the same thing. One went the veteran and one went the young pitcher. Uh, so Fernando was a great big game pitcher. You remember game it’s it’s one of the great games you’ve ever seen as far as guts are concerned. How about game three against the Yankees in the 81 World Series when he won 54 when he won 54. What a performance that was when he was Dodgers were down 20. He he got banged around and he had the guts to throw about 160 pitches, whatever it was, and went nine innings. I love Fernando. I’m with you. I don’t think he’s a Hall of Famer, but if you voted for him, maybe he gets a little bump because of his passing. Who knows? If you vote for him, I wouldn’t have a major if he gets in, I wouldn’t have a major problem with it. Yeah, I knew you’d be good on the Hall of Fame. You are tough. You’re tough. You’re a tough grader, but uh I I you’re fair with your with your uh criteria, so I I appreciate that. It’s interesting. You don’t think Kent’s gonna get in? I’m interested. That’s interesting. Well, my guess would be Mattingly and Murphy. Seems to be some buzz or I you know, I don’t know. I don’t even know who’s on the committee, so I don’t know where the buzz is coming from, but Well, it’s 16. It’s 16 guys. You got to get 12 votes. Is that what it is? Yes. Uh right. And uh you know, it I like the fact they have the committee. Parker got in, who I always voted for. McGriff got in, who I always voted for. Obviously, they have a couple bad one. Not bad, but you know, well, Harold Baines is the is the one. I don’t you know, you you said it. Uh they occasionally uh somebody who’s got a good personal relationship with somebody on the committee will get a bump. Well, Ryan’s Doran Ryan’s Dorf and Tony got Baines in. They were on the committee the year they got in and I screamed about that at the winter meetings and it was on the MLB network and they walked right by the H the high heat set and they gave me the worst day of looks you could never imagine from you. Uh you know and you you didn’t like it either. You didn’t like it either. Let me be the small guy. You didn’t like it either. I didn’t vote for Harold Baines. Then again, I didn’t vote for Keith Hernandez and I’m advocating for him now. But I I didn’t vote for Harold Baines. Yeah, I think he’s below the border, but he’s a better king. Well, it’s better than we give him credit for, but I’ll buy that. I’ll buy that. He had 2,800 hits. You know, you and I did get 2900. You got to give him some credit for that. So, anyway, I enjoyed that Hall of Fame talk with Christopher Russo. We’re going next to Hiter Error, a regular spot on the show with John Haymon, Joel Sherman, who’s not here today, and Christopher Russo. All right, I’m going to put you on the spot now with a uh we do Joel and I every week we do a segment of a hit or an error. Uh so I I’m going to ask you, do you have a hit or an error for me? Something that’s either Yeah, I’ll give you an error. I’ll give you an error. I know the players associ association will never agree to this, but there needs to be a time limit on the free agency period. Baseball should shut down after the winter meetings. But you need an off season in all sports. Football free agency is in March. You get ready for the draft. But at least you have three months. You got nothing going on. And then when training camp starts in August, everybody’s all revved up with football. NBA the finals, the NBA free agency July 1st. They get these things done in three days and then they and they go away for a couple of months, three months until they open up camp in late September. Baseball needs to sign when when when you’re at the winter meetings in Orlando breaking stories with all your little buddies there, Rosenthal and what have you. By the time that end, by the time that week ends, we should not hear anything about baseball until the first day of spring training and after the Super Bowl. give this board a couple of months to sort of go away. It wets everybody’s appetite. Free agent, you know, decisions, you know, into spring training. Harper and Machado a few years ago, waiting until late January to get these guys signed, you know, news the drips and the drips and the what’s the word? The drips. The drips and the whatever the word is with drips. What’s it? Dabs. Dabs. Yeah. the drips and dabs of information. You know, you get a day, oh, he’s going to go here, then a week later, he’s going to go there, and it’s January 20th, and it’s in the NFL clause. I don’t want to hear about baseball right now. Let me hear about baseball when the football is over, February 15th. Okay, we’re going to go spring training season starts in four weeks. We know who’s on what team. Everybody is signed. We don’t got to wait until, you know, first day of spring training to see what free agent signs play. I think they they’re never going to do it. I understand that. This is Polyiana. I get it. The union would never agree because they don’t want a timeline. They think that puts the pressure on the player association to get these guys signed. At the end of the day, a deadline helps the owners. I get it. But if you’re looking at it from a fan’s perspective to close up shop of the sport two weeks before Christmas and to disappear for 3 months and say open up on February 20th, that’d be good for the sport. That really would. That’s the hit error for me. All right. Well, I mean, you summarized that perfectly. I’m going to give my head. I’m going to go off the board here and give my head to you for that because I’m with you 100%. And you’re right, it is never going to happen. The union will never go for it. You’re right. The deadline would help the management side. Uh but it would certainly help uh not only me, uh you know, the fans. Well, you get a month off. You get the month of January off for coming. I’m with you. You get a hit. you get a hit for coming on this show for going about 20 minutes overtime after I told you it’d be 20 minutes and going on with me for 40 minutes. You get a hit for that and I agree with you. Uh I’d like to see that deadline. Like I said, it’s never going to happen. It certainly I kind of agree that it would be an advantage to the management. So I they’re not going to agree to it. But anyway, uh that was a that was a great uh suggestion. I love it. Very good. Thank you so much for coming. All right, Johnny. You keep it going. I’ll redraw the time, pal. Keep it going. All right. I watch you all the time on channel 82 3-6. Is that right? I think that is correct. Yes. 82 3-6. Be out here in a little bit. Looking forward to it. Sports talk. Still fun. Still fun. Well, you’re the best. So, thank you to Mad Dog. Thank you to Tommy Hogan, our great great producer. Get the show on Apple. Get it on Spotify, a New York Post YouTube page, read new yorkpost.com, or even pick up a newspaper like I do. I go out and I was in Las Vegas. It took me uh you know 2 miles on the strip to find a newspaper, but go ahead and do that if you can. Uh we’ll be back at you next week. Maybe Joel Sherman will even be back with me. And uh it’s been my pleasure and thanks again to Mad Dog.

On a new episode of “The Show,” Jon Heyman is joined by legendary sports media personality Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo. Mad Dog discusses where this World Series ranks all-time, what he believes the Mets should do this offseason and takes a look at the Hall of Fame ballot.

0:00 Intro
1:19 Where Does World Series Rank All-Time?
13:17 Will There Be A Work Stoppage?
16:22 Biggest Storylines Of The Offseason
22:16 What Should The Mets Do This Offseason?
30:29 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot
40:37 Hit or Error

#mlb #worldseries #maddog #newyorkmets

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