Chapter 1: What baseball insights does Adnan Virk share?
It's time to chat with Adnan. It's Adnan Berkey's on the show. We're gonna talk some baseball and take a trip to the silver screen. That's right, it's time for Adnan. Yes, Adnan Berkey joins us now. We'll head out to the ball game and talk about all the films he's seen.
7.05 on a Thursday. Happy Thursday, everybody. Halford Brough, Sportsnet 650. Halford and Brough for the morning is brought to you by Sands & Associates. They're open seven days a week and open late to help you get debt-free with no judgment or upfront fees. Visit them today at sands-trustee.com. We're in hour two of the program.
As the music suggests, Adnan Virk is going to join us in just a moment here. Hour two of this program is brought to you by Jason Hominok at jason.mortgage. If you love giving the banks more of your money, then don't let Jason shop around to find the perfect mortgage for you. Visit him online at jason.mortgage.
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Let's go now to the Able Auctions hotline. Our next guest is a presentation of Angry Otter Liquor from MLB Network. Adnan Virk joins us now on the Halford & Brough Show on Sportsnet 650. Morning, Adnan. How are you? Mike and James, you've always talked about the challenge of being in this business, focusing ostensibly on your job and then trying to do what you really care about.
So last night, I worked with Albert Poole. He's one of the top five right-handed hitters of all time. I worked with Kevin Kiermaier, former Blue Giant.
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Chapter 2: How did the Red Sox's ownership changes impact the team?
All I want to do is watch Flyers-Penguins. So we got through the first two periods multitasking. I'm on set, and I'm like, oh, God, just don't tell me what's going to happen. Got to my office, though, with five minutes left, and thank God. Cam York comes through. Great celebration, by the way. Throwing the stick in the ice. And how about Porter Martone?
God, I was losing it if he didn't score that goal with three minutes left in that first overtime. I said, oh my God, this is it. That was our chance. But thankfully, Cam York came through. So, crisis averted. We're all good.
You just named the only two exciting plays from that hockey game. So...
I did not care for that.
I watched the whole thing and I chose that because it was an elimination game. I chose that over Montreal, Tampa as my main focus. I flipped back and forth a few times, but man, that was a grind and I'm happy for you. I'm happy for you. Cause I know you're, you're, you're, you're, you're a long suffering person.
flyers fan and that was their first non-bubble playoff win since 2012 and that was that's a long time ago now um so i'm happy for you but um what i mean that that game you have to admit like i i'm almost jealous that you could kind of like you had other obligations during that game where you could actually chat with albert pool holes or something
Yeah, it's funny because, as you said, ultimately, as long as your team wins, it's fine, and that's what really you care about. But it is true it was not a Picasso. And in terms of the best series, like I think Vegas-Utah, again, you guys might have seen more of this series than the East Coast people are going to bed.
They're not watching as much of it, but it's been a really fun, entertaining series. I think Habs-Lightning collectively has been great, right? Five games decided by one goal, three of them to overtime. And, of course, it's expected Minnesota-Dallas has been good.
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Chapter 3: What are the implications of the CFL's new playoff format?
But Philly-Pittsburgh, I'm like, this is just a lack of quality offensive chances. And lastly, you could tell ā Jay, the Flyers are playing tight. They're well aware of the fact. If you lose this game, now you're on a graphic. Right now, a team is to come back from 3-0. A team is to blow 3-0 lead. Like, oh, my God. So there's a big difference in playing to win and playing not to lose.
And for much of the game, the Flyers were like that. And the Pittsburgh wasn't doing much of a chance either. I'm still just blown away by Dan Bladar. I was hoping he'd be a finalist for the Vesna. Didn't quite make it as they announced the guys yesterday, Sorokin, Swayman, and Vasilevsky ahead of him. But 42 saves last night. I mean, Dan Bladar we trust. What a win.
Okay. Now, in our previous hits, we talked about the Red Sox and how they were off to a rough start to the season and how the fan base was a little frustrated. And when I say a little, I mean a lot frustrated with ownership.
Yeah.
And, you know, we're the Red Sox. We should be the big spending teams out there. We shouldn't be trading players like Mookie Betts away because we don't want to pay them. We shouldn't care about things like luxury tax or whatever. We're the Red Sox. Yeah.
What did you make of all that happened this week from the Red Sox with ownership clearinghouse of the coaching staff and in some ways not holding themselves to account?
Yeah.
So Saturday night, I'm working at MLB Network, and a researcher comes in, Max, great guy, he goes, I got bad news for you.
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Chapter 4: How does the new CFL playoff structure affect team dynamics?
And I said, what? He goes, your buddy just got fired. And I go, what? He goes, Alex Cora. I go, what? And having been fired, I know that the most important thing is to get a hold of a guy right away. So I texted him. Hey, buddy, just heard the news. Hope you're okay. And he wrote back, I'm in a great place. And I said, okay, I'll call you tomorrow. We'll go through it.
I have to go on live television and say you're out of a job, and I still can't believe the Red Sox have fired Alex Cora. So Jared Karabas, who does a great job covering the Red Sox, he also does similar reacts to me. He's calling it the Red Wedding. I mean, this doesn't happen, Jay, in April. Managers just don't get gas this early in the season. And
I thought there's an interesting perspective by Joe Maddon, longtime Rays, Cubs manager. He said they must have been talking about this in spring training. Because think about it. If you're optimistic in spring training and the season begins, and all of a sudden, you know, things don't go well, you look at the season in terms of thirds.
Let's just get to, for us, Victoria Day and American Memorial Day, June 1st, and then we'll kind of decide. And then maybe June you make a move, and then July you still have half the season. I mean, April firing? Shocking. Especially a guy who is ā
generally as well-liked and well-decorated as Alex Cora, former manager of the year, won a World Series in 2018, his first year in Boston, obviously won the World Series with the Astros. So I guess there's some frustration if you just look at Alex's career short-term and say, well, through the last four years, they didn't make the playoffs.
And I would argue, but yeah, last year they did make the playoffs, 89 wins with a roster many thought couldn't compete.
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Chapter 5: What challenges does the CFL face in growing revenue?
So long story short, I call AC. I'm like, did you feel it coming a little bit? He's like, yeah. He said, I was you could tell we were on the same page. And quite simply, he goes, they just think the roster is better than I think it is. Right. Like he goes, if I look at this team, I said, we need some pieces here. Like he would tell us, hey, we need this. We need to focus on this a little more.
And instead, they felt like this team was was competitive as constructed. And I would completely argue that point. I can't imagine in what universe, Jay, I look at this Red Sox team and go, yeah, that's 95 wins. I'm like, what? And the biggest issue is a complete lack of power. I mean, Wilson Contreras is our only guy that's hitting home runs.
But when you think of the Red Sox, even when we were kids, you always think of the Red Sox as what? A great offense. They're going to pound the green monster, whether it's Jim Rice. Or David Ortiz, like, oh, the Red Sox, they're going to hit. And this team doesn't hit. Like, they don't have power. It's wild.
And as far as their young players are concerned, like, Roman Anthony should be perhaps their Aaron Judge, their great young star. But so far, he's been okay. Like, he's been underwhelming offensively. Then he was hurt. And Marcelo Maher was hitting 260 in the minors. That means what he's going to do, hit 330 in the majors? They look like they missed on Christian Campbell.
They gave this guy $60 million.
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Chapter 6: How are Canadian athletes performing in the CFL compared to the past?
He can't play. He's in the minors. And then pitching-wise, and this is the only thing that kind of shocked Alex, he goes, all right, so you're going to gas me, the bench coach, the hitting coach, fine. Meantime, the pitching coach says, like, if you look at the strength of this Red Sox team, what was it supposed to be? Starting pitching. And yet, Garrett Crochet's got an ERA of 6'3".
Suarez has either been great or pedestrian. And Brian Bale has an ERA north of 9. And he's supposed to be a number three starter. And they bring in Johan Oviedo, these other guys, and they haven't done well at all. So to your point about the ownership, I just thought it was more than head-scratching that you essentially blame AC, the hitter, the bench coach, but the benching is fine, okay?
Which tells me that eventually you want Andrew Bailey to be your manager because he's got a good reputation as well, like that Craig Bresla, et cetera, pitching guy himself. But it's a mess right now, no question about it. And as your buddy has said to you, you're right. In the past, they cared about winning more than anything. And what happens when you win one World Series, two, three, four?
Well, now you become a corporation. Then you become a conglomerate. Now you're not just John Henry, you're Fenway Sports Group, FSG. Once you get an acronym, I'm like, oh, no, now we're in trouble. Now we're no longer mom and pop shop, right? Now we're looking at other things. Now it's what's our stocks looking like? How much more can we invest in Liverpool? How is the soccer team doing?
And I remember AC telling me, once they started focusing on soccer more than what's happening at Fenway, you knew that was a change in the guard. So it's a mess right now in Boston. I don't think they're going to get back in it. And just to further the point on AC, I said to him, you're going to get the Phillies job in a couple weeks, or maybe two days. And that is exactly what happened.
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Chapter 7: What is the future of CFL broadcasting rights?
As they offered him the job, they fired, of course, fellow Canadian Rob Thompson immediately. Offered it to AC because, you know what, I'm making good bank. You can look at the number. I think he's making $7 million this year and I believe next year as well. He's got twin 7-year-old boys.
No reason to jump in and go be the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, who right now are the worst team in baseball along with the New York Mets. So he'll come out fine. Boston, not so much.
So that notion that... John Henry is almost using the Red Sox as, you know, a cash generator to invest in Liverpool. That made its way all the way to the players and the coaching staff, right?
Right, absolutely. And I think that's kind of what the sense is. And I'm not saying that ownership has to have the voice of the players in every decision. Like, I get the fact that all of us are employees. At the end of the day, you know, you tell me what you want to do and I'll do the best job I can and away we go. But there is that...
collective sense that there used to be nothing more important to the boston red sox than the boston red sox and it was about giving fans the best possible experience and winning every possible game and winning championships and now that's just no longer the feeling and like you said it's not something that's tangible it doesn't have to be outspoken you can just feel it it's a vibe you walk in a room and go okay before all they care about was winning and all they care about is
anything but also making money and making other interests and doing a good job okay so if once something no longer becomes your single focus i'm not saying you can't multitask i'm not saying you can't be successful in other ventures perhaps sean henry can have a successful soccer team and a successful boston red sox team but i like your chances a lot more when you're single-minded and devoted to one thing and it doesn't matter if it's current players or former players former players have said this too they go it's different now in boston they used to only care about winning and now it's running a corporation so it's different
And you're seeing the results of the team. Like they should be one of the top heroes in baseball. They aren't. They're no longer the Dodgers in the match of the Yankees. Like now they're content to be a top 10 team and Fedman will sell out no matter what. They've got a great fan base, but there are ways away.
Like even if this somehow engineers a turnaround and, and good luck to Chad Tracy, you know, AAA manager getting his chance, but I, I just don't see it. It's a flawed roster. No doubt about it.
Yeah, and it's funny, you know, when we talk about locker rooms and chemistry and camaraderie, with the amount of... It's a 40-man roster in baseball, yet one singular player can be so vital to the whole thing.
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Chapter 8: What are the overall reactions to the CFL's recent changes?
And then, boom, he's on his way to Chicago. And it just feels like everything fell apart after that.
It's like we're a run suppression team now.
And then you hear all this stuff now about how he kept the room together and he was really in support of Cora. And it just feels like that one move that Breslow made to kind of walk on Bregman really, really started the collapse of the camaraderie and chemistry in the room, especially. And as you said, Mike, it wasn't about money. Normally, if it's about money, I'm like, I get it.
If the other guy gave you $50 million more, we're not going to be competitive. But they gave Bregman a year ago, three years, 120, which felt high to me. But you're like, well, he can opt out after a year. And he did. And for $40 million, you go, it's not just on the field. It's also the intangibles. He really was that veteran leader. And as you said, I think he got six years, 170 from the Cubs.
It was a competitive offer from Boston, whatever it was, with similar numbers. But as you said, it was just a no trade clause, which I get it. Once a guy's in his early 30s, he doesn't want to go anywhere. The fact that that was the issue that broke Campbell's back is surprising to me. And leadership is important.
Again, when you look at this Boston team, you can't tell me Roman Anthony is the face that is in the second season for God's sake. How the hell can he be the leader of a team? You need a guy who's been there who can be a veteran. Wilson Contreras just got signed. He just got to Boston. He hasn't been there.
Trevor Story, you could argue maybe he's been there like four years, but he's been entry-prone for much of his career, especially in Boston. He was a great player with the Rockies and hasn't been that way. Last year was healthy and productive, but And by the way, you can never have a pitcher be leader of the team.
So if you said, well, Garrett Crochet is their best player, I can't have a pitcher who's not the leaders of the team. You need a position player who can carry them by the bootstrap. So they certainly missed Bregman's void, but it's going to be a challenge, I think, at Fenway. No doubt about it. We're speaking to Adnan Virk from MLB Network here on the Halford & Brough Show on Sportsnet 650.
You mentioned how rare managerial dismissals are in April. We've had two now because the Phillies, as you mentioned, got rid of Rob Thompson after losing 11-12. Don Mattingly in as interim manager. Aside from losing 11 of 12, what led to Thompson's dismissal? So this is one which is even more frustrating because with the Boston Red Sox, you go, I don't think they're that good a team.
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