Tim Kurkjian Loves Baseball More Than You | Hour 2
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Before we get to Tim Kirkshin here, and he'll be on with us in seconds, can you just give me the stat of the day music to preview today's giant game between England and Argentina?
Start of the day, start of the day, it is the start of the day. Start of the day, start of the day, it is the start of the day.
At the 2026 World Cup, that's this one, the 39-year-old Lionel Messi ranks either the top or tied for the top for goals, eight, shots, 33, chances created, 21, big chances created, six, successful crosses, 17, through balls, 15.
This is the first time he's ever played England. Crazy.
His team stinks. It's the weakest of the four that were in the semifinals. It's the slowest of the four in the semifinals. And he is somehow still nuts. That stat is courtesy of OptaJoe.
Mike, who would be better, this Argentina team or if you put Messi on Cape Verde?
I mean, this Argentina team, but Cape Verde, I'm looking at them in a whole new light after seeing what Spain did to France yesterday, no doubt.
Tim Kirkson is everyone's favorite. He's the Hall of Fame baseball writer, ESPN's MLB analyst, reporter for Baseball Tonight, and the host of Is This a Great Game or What, the podcast he does with his son Jeff. It is always nice to see him. Rob, I'm curious what you have to think about a couple of different things. Rob Manfred, first of all, saying that the payroll disparity and why the league wants a salary cap, he says, quote, the gap is $441 million. It defies human experience to ask a fan to think that the bottom end of that gap has the same opportunity to win as the top end of the gap. Now, he said to us that the bottom end did have a chance when I was challenging him on some of this stuff. But what do you think is going to happen there as it regards, Tim?
And thank you for being with us as it regards the salary cap.
Well, as I've told you, Dan, I covered the 81 strike. 81 was 45 years ago, and we're still talking about very similar things, and we haven't gotten a whole lot closer to any solution. So I just don't see at this point the union accepting a salary cap because they've been against that since the days of Marvin Miller, who screamed at me in Washington one day in 1981 because of something I had incorrectly written because I didn't know what I was doing back then. Not sure I know what I'm doing today when it comes to labor, but we're in a bad spot and something has to happen here because these two sides are really, really far apart.
Speaking of a bad spot, Buster Olney on Get Up was talking about All-Stars not playing in the All-Star game. And he says, quote, I think the Midsummer Classic is in a fragile state. I don't want to be negative. I love baseball, but I'm not tuning into a game to watch my favorite players strike out and not be able to hit the ball, Tim.
Yeah, we had 27 strikeouts in the game last night. That's the most in any nine-inning All-Star game ever. And again, the high road to take, which I almost always take, is that the stuff that these guys see today We've never seen this before. It's the hardest hitting environment in Major League history. And the secondary stuff that these guys have to go with 98 to 105 miles an hour is it's just too much. And it's just another reminder last night that when really good pitchers with great stuff locate that great stuff, the hitters have absolutely no chance. Even the best hitters on the face of the earth have no chance. Dan, we had 22 players strike out 100 times by the All-Star break. 22 have struck out 100 times or more.
Hank Aaron never struck out 100 times in any season. Tony Gwynn had one. Again, different time, different era, different players. But it's an issue when... We have this many strikeouts and this many homers and not enough in between. And it's an issue that, you know, Paul Skeens and Jacob Mizorowski and Shohei Otani didn't pitch last night. Unfortunately, I would love to have seen that.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–10:20
2
What does Tim Kurkjian say about the proposed MLB salary cap and payroll disparity?
10:20–15:28
3
How does Tim reflect on the All‑Star Game strikeout surge and hitter struggles?
15:28–28:23
4
Why did Zach Wheeler skip playing at the All‑Star Game and what does that say about player priorities?
28:23–32:57
5
Will MLB players be required to participate in the Los Angeles Olympics and what are union concerns?
32:57–37:26
6
Who does Tim rank as the greatest players to wear number 8 and where does Carl Yastrzemski fit?
37:26–38:44
Speakers
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