Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
All right, welcome back to Blair and Barker on the Sportsnet Radio Network and Sportsnet. Kevin Barker has been dispatched to help rescue the TV folks today. So you've got me for the last hour of the show.
Chapter 2: What insights did Jayson Stark share about Jacob Misiorowski's pitching?
And a reminder that first pitch tonight is 7.07. The Astros are in town to take on the Blue Jays tomorrow's game. A 4-0-7 first pitch. The Jays making the schedule change, or I should say the change in the start time because of the World Cup match that will be in Toronto. So keep that in mind. 4-0-7 tomorrow.
Adjust your, one, travel schedule accordingly if you're going to the game, and two, viewing schedule accordingly if you're watching it or listening schedule if you're listening to it on the radio. I think I covered just about everything there. Let's bring in Jason Stark of The Athletic. We can't bring in Jason Stark of The Athletic. Oh, okay.
Well, we'll wait for a while until we can get Jason Stark. Lots of talk to Jason. But he did a terrific piece, an interview with Nolan Ryan last week. And... Interesting getting Nolan's thoughts on Jacob Mizorowski in particular. And we've spent a lot of time talking about Jacob Mizorowski in 104 miles an hour.
Just, you know, the heights, the new heights he seems to be reaching in terms of velocity, in terms of sustained velocity. I mean, it's one thing to flirt with. Those numbers. It's another thing to stay at those numbers. It's another thing to throw a 103-mile-an-hour pitch to strike somebody out in the ninth inning of a game. I mean, the things that Jacob Mizorowski is doing are –
I mean, even in a sport that's sort of become used to everything that Shohei Ohtani's done, what Jacob Mizorowski has been able to do is even more remarkable. And it really has. As someone who remembers, who watched Nolan Ryan, I've often wondered, you know...
The technology that we have now, the technology that was there when Nolan Ryan was lighting up the radar gun, I've often wondered if we wouldn't get more accurate readings with Nolan Ryan. I've often wondered how fast Nolan Ryan actually threw. What would be his top, top, top velo? It would be fascinating. It'd be fascinating to see that. Jason's article in 1974. Oh, let's bring Jason in.
Jason Stark of The Athletic joining us. Jason, I was just talking about, we've got a lot to get there. I was just talking about your article in Nolan Ryan. And I was saying that part of me really thinks that if we had the technology then that we have now, I don't know if Nolan Ryan would be hitting 103 and 104. But... I mean, wouldn't you like to know?
Like, I know that the Angels, I'm reading your article in 74, they had some engineers from Rockwell International aim a primitive radar gun, and it was 100.8 miles an hour. Nolan Ryan must have thrown 103 the odd time, don't you think?
I honestly have no way of knowing. But it's fun to think of that, isn't it? Look, the one thing that we definitely know is that Nolan Ryan threw so much harder than everybody else. You know, I talked to Mike Petriello about this a little bit because he's done so much work on how we measure velocity now. And he said, listen... Let's say no one was legitimately throwing 100 then.
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Chapter 3: What did Nolan Ryan say about Jacob Misiorowski's velocity?
Is anybody doing that again? He basically said, I don't know if this guy would even want to do that. I said, the other thing is, everybody today, they all get hurt. He said, We weren't allowed to get hurt, which was totally true. Which was really true. Never changed tone. Not at all.
What did he, I mean, I want people to read the articles. I don't want to give it all away. But what does he think of Mizorowski? What does Nolan Ryan, in air quotes, think of Mizorowski and what he's doing?
Yeah, he's a big fan. I mean, he said to me multiple times, he has a gift. He's special. And he really admired the strike throwing. Jeff, because he couldn't do it. You know, he was averaging seven walks per nine innings when he was Jacob Mizorowski's age.
And in that game that the Miz pitched against the Phillies, not only did he not walk anybody on the way to 95-pitch Maddox, he never had a three-ball count. He only had one 2-0 count. He thought that was special, and he mentioned that a bunch of times. He just, I could not drag him into getting into the debate about who threw harder.
Yeah, it is remarkable just the, you know, looking at Mizorowski's games and the ability, like you say, the strike throwing, but also, I mean, it's not like, he's not flirting with 102 or 103. He's there, you know, which is the thing that amazes me.
And we were – I don't know if I was talking to you about – I think maybe I was talking to you – we were talking to you about this the other week. The other thing is I watch guys, some guys throw hard, and I find myself kind of subconsciously worrying that they're going to throw their arm out. And for whatever reason, I don't with this guy. I don't know what it is.
I mean, I'm not an expert in mechanics, obviously. But I watch this guy pitch, Jason, and I – I just don't get, you know, knock on wood because I hope it never happens. But, man, I don't find myself worrying about him the way I worry about some other guys.
That's interesting to me, Jeff. You know, the one thing about him is he's got a huge lower half now.
Yeah.
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Chapter 4: How did Bryce Harper achieve hitting for the cycle?
But I know the answer. No, I Googled it. You Googled it? You really did? You didn't know it off the top of your head? No, no, I'm just joking. Because we tell people not to Google. We have a way of finding out if people Google answers. Well, I didn't Google. I promise you. Okay. That's all right. How you doing? I'm good. I'm good. It's they just opened the roof.
So it's it's we were just talking to Joe is spotted down there. And and he was wondering if the if the roof would be open and would it be too chilly to play a baseball game? Guys from Texas, what do you expect? I don't know where he's from. I think he's I know he's Puerto Rican. He lived in Florida for a long time.
He was my he was actually my manager with with the Greensboro Grasshoppers or not my manager, my my my my hitting coach with the Greensboro Grasshoppers. So I know him pretty well, and he's tough, but that was a surprising comment from him. Well, I mean, hopefully, I'm sure they've got long sleeves. The Astros will find some long sleeves for him if they need it.
Hey, are you surprised at all at the move today? You know, first of all, bringing Luis Urias in, although I think John Schneider explained what the Jays see in him, and obviously they want that right-handed bat to give them a little... You know, give him a little bounce in the infield. But sending Pignango down, were you surprised at all that he was the odd man out? Well...
I mean, that's baseball. That's a numbers game. That's a guy with options. You're not going to lose him if you want to send him down. Look, I love Yohendrik Pinyongo. I think he's a fantastic player. I think he's going to be a Major League Baseball player for a long time. Just the approach, the swing, all that stuff. Even the confidence in that batter's box.
But I think John Schneider and Ross Atkins want to shore up their defense just a little bit. We've seen... We've seen some questionable plays out in the outfield. Pinyongo has had a couple, and Jesus Sanchez, and I think utmost importance right now is playing a clean style of baseball, and the Blue Jays have done that over the last couple of years.
Unfortunately, maybe the last month and a half hasn't been so friendly to them with at least on the defensive side. So I think they want to clean that up. They want to bring in a guy who can potentially play in the infield. And obviously, the bat plays.
It's not as, in my opinion, as not as strong of a bat as Johendrik Pignongo, but I think they just wanted to shore up the defensive side of the baseball. Yeah, and as you well know, being a pitcher, one of the issues with bad outfield defense is that it's not a single you're giving up. It's a double or a triple or something that's
If there's an error or misplay made in the outfield, it's usually calamitous more often than not compared to the infield. I'll just ask you, how do the Jays... I mean, you can only hide Jesus Sanchez's defense so many places on the field. How does John Schneider go about managing this and finding that balance between the potential in that bat, which I think we can all see...
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