It’s that time again. Fred and the Fantastics on Believe and on Podclips, anything and everything in sports and more. And believe me, it’s going to be more with Laura, with Art, with our sports historian Matthew DiBiase. You can email us at [email protected], [email protected]. And of course, folks, we’re taping this Monday afternoon, around, Thursday afternoon, around 1 o’clock. And Don Mattingly leaves Toronto. I think there were two major league openings. Still. Don Mattingly is so close to his first World Series victory, he didn’t get it in Toronto. Now he may be a manager. I don’t even know, I can’t even keep track of which two openings there still are.

I got it; I know.

Matthew, who are they?

I know, I know there’s talk about New York reaching out to him, but hey, here’s the thing. Philadelphia, they heard on the Philadelphia internet thing, Facebook thing. They seem to be talking to Mattingly, asking him to be bench coach under Thompson. And I’m going to say this. If that happens and if he becomes the Phillies’ bench coach, that’s a message to Thompson: If you don’t win the World Series title next season, guess what?

He’s gonna be the manager.

And Mattingly is his replacement. That’s my call. Okay,

Now, Art, you are in the state of Pennsylvania. I think Matthew makes a lot of sense. What do you think?

I completely agree. And you know, the great thing about it is, you know, for years, the argument for Don Mattingly was he didn’t know how to do the double switch in the National League. Well, he got to learn that by being the Dodgers’ manager. But, you know, the interesting thing is that, you know, the Veterans committee. He’s actually one of the seven or the eight guys that are going to be voted on for the Hall of Fame. Barry Bonds, Don Mattingly, Roger Clemens. One of my favorites, Dale Murphy Delgado, the first baseman for Toronto. Kent, Jeff Kent, what a great guy he is. Fernando Valenzuela and Gary Sheffield. You know, in all of them, other than, you know, I look at this. They all have a little bit of something other than Murphy and Mattingly. And it takes 75% of the vote to get them in. Are there any of those players that you think might get in with the baggage that they all have?

Laura, which ones do you think might get in? Again, as Artie indicated, most of them are touched with the drug situation. So, Laura, who do you think?

Well, I think Fernando is going to get in for sure. What, Mattingly? I don’t see why he wouldn’t get in. Did he, does he have a drug issue?

I never heard anything.

No.

I never heard that about him.

And Dale Murphy, Dale Murphy was a great, great player for the Atlanta Braves,

Yeah, a class act.

When they were, when they were, really, really. And you know, the only thing that he had going for him is because they had WTBS, The Super Station, Channel 17 when Ted Turner owned the team. And I got to tell you, I tuned in every night to watch The Murph. And he was, you know, Bob Horner. They had some interesting players in those days. But I don’t think any of those guys that were tainted, like your Sheffields, your Clemons, your Bonds. I just don’t think they’re going to be able to get the mustard to get through.

What about Kent? Was he clean? Was he ever implicated, Kent? Jeff Kent, I would go, I would go, I would go with Mattingly, Murphy, Kent, and Fernando for my, for my vote.

Did you see Kent play second base?

Oh my God,

Did you see him play second base? I think,

No,

I think, no offense,

No.

He’s not a Hall of Fame defensive player, is what you’re saying? Right, Fred?

I thought I was a better second baseman.

Well, was Jim Tomey ever a defensive player? And he got, he got in. Jim Tomey, he was just a pure DH, so you know,

What a hammer he was.

I mean, I played second base, I played second base in our firm picnic, and I saved one of the senior partners from getting hit in the head with the ball, so.

Betcha that was good for your career.

That was definitely Murphy, 398 home runs. Definitely Murphy and Mattingly, definitely those two.

I’d like to see those two guys there because, you know, Mattingly, prior to him hurting his back, Matthew, he was on his way to one of the great careers of all time. And what were you, the one year? What did he hit, 390 or?

I don’t know something like that, but you know, with Murphy, though, even off the field, very devout Mormon. Even in those off seasons, he played like those, those missionaries and all that, he would be like a host family, helping kids out on their missions and all that. Very,

Like we talked about a class act, that’s a class act.

Yeah,

I got to tell you, I watched Gary Sheffield take batting practice, and I also got to see Richie “Don’t call me Dick” Allen take batting practice. Very similar in their, the way they cocked the bat and the sound of the ball coming off those bats. I never realized that. Gary Sheffield hit 509 home runs in his career. And he basically was a shortstop. I mean, he played later in his career at third base, but that’s pretty incredible when you think of a shortstop hitting over 500 home runs.

Yeah.

All right, we’re going to take a break on Fred and the Fantastics with Art, with Laura, with Matthew. We’ll come back with more on Fred and the Fantastics right after this.

Hey everybody, welcome back to Fred and the Fantastics with Art, with Laura, with Matthew. And you can email us at [email protected], [email protected].

So Fred, I got to ask you a question.

Yeah,

I’m watching what’s going on in California high school football. A high school down in San Juan Capistrano, a private Catholic high school, is offering $200,000 for a head high school football coach.

Right?

Did you ever, in your wildest imagination?

No.

Think that any high school coach? I mean, I’m thinking to myself, what the heck is going on? I mean, I know high school is important.

Well, if it’s Texas, I would believe it. If it’s Texas, yeah, I mean, yeah.

But California High School, I mean, $200,000 to coach football? Man, I definitely went in the wrong direction.

Someone’s gonna be pretty rich, man.

All right, tonight, tonight, again, folks, we’re taping this Thursday with the Raiders,

Raiders in Denver.

Raiders, an eight and a half point underdog at Denver. Laura, you’re a big Raider fan, you going to watch it? Or are you going to just not watch it because you know what’s going to happen?

I’m going to watch it, but I’m surprised that it’s only eight-and-a-half points. I thought it would be a lot more.

You know what’s funny? That spread opened at like 10, Fred. And they call them out, the smarts in Vegas, the guys that really know, they bet this thing down to eight-and-a-half. And I’m thinking to myself, Wow, well, here’s what it is. Denver finds a way to win, but it’s usually in the second half, coming from way behind. And I looked at the over-unders at 41-and-a-half. You know, I’m inclined to take the Raiders on the points tonight just because of what happened last week with their tight end coming back. Bowers had 12 catches for 129 yards, and God only knows Geno Smith is due for one good game this year.

Denver leads the world, though in defensive, I think interceptions and fumble recovers and things like this, they’re right near the top.

Do you think Geno leads the league in throwing interceptions? I mean, he’s thrown a lot.

I don’t know, but I will tell you this, the one guy that’s done the greatest with quarterbacks, I mean. And I watched it last week when Minnesota went in and beat Detroit, this O’Connell coach from Minnesota, what he did with Sam Darnold, it’s just unbelievable. He even made Carson Wentz look halfway decent with no left shoulder. I mean, and now, with this quarterback that he has now, I just could not believe how the consistency of performance in the NFL varies from week to week, you guys. I can’t get an idea, I can’t put a finger on it, but I will tell you this. If they do keep Aaron Glenn with the Jets, they’ve got some cachet of draft collateral for the next couple of years. I mean, I looked, four number ones, four number twos, I mean, if they can make the right choices, given what they already have on that team. And it comes down to quarterbacks, it always does with the Jets. If they can find the right quarterback, I think the Jets are going to be in position in that AFC in the next three or four years.

You know, I listen to WFAN all the time in the mornings, and they’re basically saying the same thing. Probably give them at least a B plus as far as picking up all those draft picks, and we’ll see what happens next April as far as that is concerned. But another team that’s making changes, Kyle Murray, will never play for Arizona again. And the Cardinals, 2-5; it’s the Seahawks, 6-2, and it’s only, I think, a touchdown. I think it should be more than that. But Art, what do you think? Seahawks at home against the Cardinals? And again, Murray’s done there, so somebody’s going to pick him up at the end of the season.

You know, I’ve always been a huge Jacoby Brissett fan, I always have. I think the guy has never really gotten the true opportunity that he deserved. And he went into Dallas and played a great game on Monday night. I couldn’t believe how poorly Dallas played. And then again, you know, then I heard about Kneeland. What happened to the 24-year-old defensive end, who scored his only touchdown of his career? And then he gets in a police chase, and, you know, they called it a suicide. But I mean, it’s just so sad to see these things happen to young guys with great futures. And I just wonder, I wonder what’s really going on on a deeper level in the Dallas franchise because they’ve got talent. I mean, Zach Prescott signed one of the largest contracts in NFL history. And I mean, he just doesn’t look like he’s hitting on all cylinders. Pickens and, you know, CeeDee Lamb. I just don’t see how could they score 17 points, you know, and I know Arizona has improved, but that just really set me back. So I don’t know. I think it’s really sad that Kyler Murray is kind of going to be done. But I still think the guy would have been a great second baseman in the major leagues. Altuve-like

Laura, what do you think? You watch the Cowboys often, and if you do, what’s wrong with them at this point in time?

I think they’re dispirited by the trade of Micah Parsons. I don’t know, it seems like they’re just,

That could be, you know what? You hit it right on the head. I got to agree with you on that.

That’s like a psychic blow. Sometimes it happens. A departure of a player can really sap your spirits, like when Dandy Don Meredith left the Cowboys after 1968. I remember Pete Golenbock saying he said, We wish we had Dandy Don here, he could have helped us through the thing like the 1970 season when they were just 5-4 and all that.

Matthew, can I tell you a story about him?

It’s like that trade. It’s like ownership didn’t care about the players.

I wonder if Micah just wanted out because it’s like what you said, the poison. It was sapping his spirit; he needed to get out and get some air where he could really breathe.

If you recall, Don Meredith used to do the Rose Bowl,

Yes.

On NBC for years. And I actually got to spend some time with him a couple times. And then, years later, when he was living in Santa Fe, we went to a bagel shop together once. And I was doing an interview for KOA Radio, and he talked exactly about what you said. He said that Tom Landry knew that he had Craig Morton and he had Roger Staubach, and he wanted to make the transference into the newer, younger guys. And he looked back, and he told him years later that that was a big mistake he made. Because Don Meredith had such a great relationship with the players like Bob Lilly and the old, the older guard, because they’ve been through so much against the Packers in those Championship games. He came so close to winning it all. But yeah, there is something about that. Fred, and I think, I think Laura hit it right on the head, I think Micah Parsons. That really kind of devastated a lot of the young guys on that team.

Yeah, yeah,

Let’s talk about one more NFL game this weekend. Rams, 6-2; at the 49ers, 6-3. The Rams are about a three, three-and-a-half point favorite. The 49ers are still beaten up. Nacua is back. But now they say he could have hurt himself in the last game last Sunday, too. But I think he’s going to play again. The Rams, 6-2; 49ers, 6-3. Laura, who do you like in that one?

I like the 49ers. They just seem to be a team that is blessed. I don’t know.

They find a way.

They find a way to win.

I’m not a big Rams fan, I try to become a Rams fan because they’re in my hometown. But, you know, it’s just doesn’t work.

And Mac and Cheese, Mac and Cheese Jones, I’m telling you the kid is a winner.

Yeah,

Everybody dogged him for all those years in New England. And you know, I mean, I’m looking at the top three quarterbacks in the league based on the numbers, you know, they call quarterback efficiency. Darnold, Drake May and, and then you go right to Mac Jones. All he does is win,

Yeah.

Is there a problem as far as Purdy is concerned? I think some of the 49er people think that he can be playing, but he’s not playing with the big contract. Art. Did you know players that didn’t want to play?

Actually? I actually have heard that. One of the things is they want him to get completely healthy. He’s got a very similar turf toe that Joe Burrow has. And, you know, people think, Oh, it’s your toe, it can’t be that bad. Let me tell you something. I’ve had turf toe, planting my foot on AstroTurf and kicking, and it is something that’s devastating. It’s almost, you know, like that, that pressure you get on the bottom of your feet. What do they call it?

Fasciitis,

Plantar fasciitis.

Plantar fasciitis. Oh my God. It’s the most painful thing of all time.

Yeah, yeah. Happens in basketball, too.

I also think that Kyle Shanahan is going with the hot hand because, I think, for some reason, Mac makes the rest of the cast a little bit better. And you know, what’s amazing to me is they spent $300 million on Brock Purdy now. And isn’t this the way the world works? I mean, and now the other kid comes along and he’s playing out of his mind. And I just hope that Brock Purdy gets a chance to come back eventually. But that’s going to be a great game, I’m taking the 49ers. And I think it’s going to be a very, very seesaw game. And the only reason I like the 49ers is they’re playing in Santa Clara.

All right, Laura, give us 30 seconds. Your thoughts about the world of sports now that the Dodgers have won the World Series?.

Well, I was obviously ecstatic about the Dodgers. I sort of feel hungover, I mean, I sort of miss baseball. I’m just watching so much baseball, I’m like, Where is the game? Are we going to watch baseball tonight? You know,

God, I know I felt the same way.

Yeah, now it’s time to switch to really becoming serious about watching football. And of course, NBA is happening too, so it’s just as usual, a great sports weekend coming up.

Matthew. We’ve got the NBA. Any comments?

Oh, I don’t know about the NBA, but just about Dave Roberts. Now I can finish my chapter on Dave Roberts. I know you never cared much for him, Fred. But when my baseball book comes out next April, God willing, as long as the government can reopen again and I can get to working again. You’re going to be surprised about how high I rate Dave Roberts in my final calculations, okay. I’ll say no more, but stay tuned, folks. First week, April, “Patriarchs of the Dugout – Baseball’s Greatest Managers.”

Get the book at your independent bookstore.

That’s right, to heck with this Barnes & Noble stuff,

Get it on Amazon. It’ll be on Amazon.

Amazon.

At Amazon. Online and Amazon, kay,

Let me just say this about the World Series. How ironic, or mysterious, or magical it was! Dave Roberts knows that Edmund is not a great center fielder. He’s basically an infielder, but he can get to anything. But he doesn’t have the world’s greatest arms. He makes the switch to Pages, but Dean has been the guy. The rookie, 20-year-old rookie has been playing in late innings for the Dodgers because of his defense. He doesn’t go to Dean; he goes to Pages, and Pages just makes a Willie Mays-type World Series catch. Art. Any comments?

It was unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable, and I mean, it just showed me kind of, you know, some things might be predestined, but this Dodger team and I’m going to tell you something, you guys, you know, they were talking about Pat Riley and the three-peat. This ball club is coming back pretty much the way it is. They’re going to have to figure out what they want to do with a couple of free agents along the way. You know, is Muncy worth a .211 batting average with 30 home runs? I don’t know. You know, I look at the free agents out there. You put Schwarber in left field on that team and forget about it. I mean, that would be the guy I would go get to go with the rest of those right-handed bats in that lineup. You put Freeman and him together. I just love the Dodgers. And to go back to your world of sports, Fred, I mean, I always talk about this. But again, a great weekend of sports. You got the NBA, you know, you’ve got college football finally getting to the point where we’re going to have the playoff. The parity in the NFL: 7-2, the best record in the NFL. I mean, you could pick 8, 10, 12, 14 teams that have a legitimate chance to be there in the Super Bowl. So, you know, I think it’s great. I’m looking forward to it, it’s going to be fun, and I’m fantastically excited.

I think the Raiders are going to win the Super Bowl. Okay, for Matthew, for Art, for Laura,

In 2094?

For Matthew, and Laura, and Art. Thank you, guys and gals for making an appearance again on Fred and the Fantastics. And stay tuned for more soon on…