(This is the audio-only podcast version of Thurdays’s MartyTimeTV / Section 1904 joint venture. You can find and subscribe to this podcast on Apple and Spotify and right here on Substack by clicking the button below. To watch this episode on YouTube, click here)
The Padres are hovering around .500 and the Trade Deadline Clock is ticking. On Thursday, we were joined by MLB.Com's AJ Cassavell, who discussed whether postgame manager press conferences actually matter or if they’re simply part of the daily baseball theater. We also touched on the Padres’ biggest trade deadline questions: Buyers or Sellers? Is it more likely Preller trades Ethan Salas or Mason Miller? (Probably neither but roll with us)
And with the club fighting to stay relevant at home and in the standings, what’s really at stake over the next few weeks as the deadline approaches? Are we really looking forward to a Padres vs Marlins series? Why does Cassavell think the Padres have a better chance of making the postseason than Fangraphs…
…or BaseballReference.Com?
There’s also some World Cup talk! We discussed the USMNT’s disappointing exit against Belgium and the subsequent criticism of Christian Pulisic. Is the scrutiny actually a sign that soccer has reached a new level in the American sports landscape? If the nation’s best player is being analyzed like an NFL quarterback or NBA superstar, does that mean the sport has finally broken through? We have certainly come a long way since 2014.
Also, a look at what actually went wrong for the U.S. and whether the attention surrounding this World Cup represents real growth for soccer in America. We closed with a few thoughts on the quarterfinals, Messi, Salah and how much VAR - and maybe all replay in sports - is ruining the most important moments.
