Hey, it’s that time again, folks. Fred and the Fantastics on BLEAV, on PodClips, and everywhere else around the world. Of course, with Laura, with Art, and with Mark, and we’ll discuss this, that, anything in sports. And you can email us at [email protected], [email protected]. We’re taping this at one o’clock Friday afternoon, one day in front of the Kentucky Derby, and you’re listening to somebody who grew up loving horse racing beyond belief. My parents, my mother more than my dad, they took me to Hollywood Park when I was like five or six years of age. I fell in love with it. I begged them to take me. When they couldn’t take me, I begged my Aunt Sally to take me. When I got my license, I still couldn’t bet. Sometimes I did, but legally I couldn’t, so I had to bring my aunt or my mom or my dad to the track, and again, my mom more the sports fan than my dad, actually, but it was an interesting thing. And then I was at Hollywood Park the day that Secretariat ran the all-time greatest race I’ve ever seen, won by 31 lengths. Then I found out how they treated the horses, so the Kentucky Derby does not mean as much to me as it has meant to many. I even changed my classes around so I could go to Hollywood Park and Santa Anita. But Art, I know you’re a horse racing guy. Your comments about the Kentucky Derby or about?

The 152nd Kentucky Derby? The favorite is in the number one slot. Nobody’s won there since 1890, so that’s a tough draw. I got a couple picks for everybody out there. I love Further Adieu. My long shot is a Baffert horse. Hey, how do you like that? A long shot and Baffert, that doesn’t go together. His name is Potente, and then there’s a Japanese horse who I like at 20 to 1. Potente’s a 15 to 1 choice. Dan and Bourbon out of Japan. Got a lot of speed. Now, you know, does he travel well? That’s a long flight for a horse. But I usually stick with the Arkansas Derby, the Florida Derby, and, of course, the Santa Anita Handicap Horses, and I’ve done pretty good over the years. But Fred, yeah, other than the three great majors, I don’t really watch horse racing like I used to. And I loved it for many, many years.

Laura, they’re thinking about spreading out the Preakness to three weeks after the Kentucky Derby because a lot of horses, even if you win the Kentucky Derby, will not run in the next race. They need that extra week. Laura, your comments about the possibility of moving the Preakness back one more week?

Well, anything they can do to help with the health of the horses has got my vote.

Me too.

As you all know, I think it should be abolished. I think it’s animal abuse, and I don’t think it should be allowed to be. I don’t think it’s a sport. I think it should go the way of dog racing. But if they’re going to have it, then having an extra couple of weeks, I think, makes so much sense. Then you can get maybe a potential Triple Crown winner.

Yeah, a lot easier. Okay, Mark, I know you’re a very religious guy. Do you follow the Kentucky Derby and horse racing at all?

I’ve had a friend go to Churchill Downs, and he said, Mark, I think they take all the beautiful women out of the 50 states and bring them down there for a weekend. I thought about it, and I said, Oh, shoot, I’m married, man. He said. It’s the most beautiful setting down there, and I’ve never been down there. But he said, It’s just,

Opening day at Del Mar ain’t bad, either.

Yeah, he said. The hats they wear and everything, it’s something out of like, you know, going with the wind.

Hey, it’s the run for the Roses, you guys, 152 different times they’ve had this race.

Have you been down there?

I’ve been lucky enough to go one time, and I had a good time. I don’t remember much of it.

Were you in the stands? Were you walking around, or were you in the stands?

I was in the bar, Fred.

Mile and a quarter, then, of course, they go down to a mile and three-sixteenths.

I had a few mint juleps deep as I was coming around the back turn.

Belmont’s a mile and a half, so Kentucky Derby on Saturday. If you have any comments, folk,

Who do you like, Fred. Come on, you still watch it.

No, you know what? Again, this year I didn’t even really look. Although I’ll tell you this, one of the favorites has the inside post position. I don’t like that inside post position.

Yeah, four-to-one Renegade, and all the Steeler fans, they love the name. I mean, the Renegade, are you kidding me?

I’m going to give you the field, and I’m going to take the Baffert.

Yeah, that’s what I looked at, too.

Let’s talk about the National Basketball Association.

Ooh, some big game sixes tonight.

Let’s talk about a game last night, on Thursday night.

When one team beats another team by 61 points, there’s something wrong in the NBA. Just a personal opinion. Laura, what’s wrong with the NBA? They win by 61 points. Comment.

What’s right with it?

I didn’t see the game, but I read about it this morning. And it’s almost like when a team gets so far ahead, then the other team just kind of tanks. I mean, there’s nothing you can do. If you’re up, if you’re down by 15, 20, 30 points at the half, you’re not going to come back from that.

How about the Lakers? Are they going to hang you there in Game Six tonight? Even if Durant doesn’t play, which it looks like he’s not going to play.

I was really surprised that they didn’t win that last game. I mean, you know, it’s interesting. We were talking about that because Reaves came back. He didn’t start. He started the second half, but he didn’t start the game. And you know, the team, as you know, especially Art, team sports, it’s a rhythm when you’re playing together.

It is.

And they kind of got off their rhythm. When he came back in the game. It was almost like he, even though he played great individually, I’m not so sure that it really helped the team all that much. And we’ll see. I think, you know, they’ve got to win.

In the past, they’ve always been able to look to, to rely on LeBron in big games. And I think that’s going to be the key tonight, if LeBron can get them off to a good start. And I mean, the first two games of the series with the young kids, they looked fantastic, guys. And then you look at what, you look what happened with Minnesota and Denver? I mean, Denver. Minnesota lost two key players, yet they wound up beating Jokic and the Nuggets pretty easily. So, I mean,

This is, this is a sport, and maybe we’ll get back in the time machine. It reminds me of the ’70s, when nobody really watched it. There was a tape delay at 11:30 with Dick Stockton and Bill Russell.

And even Musburger at that time. I remember those.

I hate to say it, but it’s, it’s, it’s not the ’80s, it’s not the ’90s. And, and, and who’s watching this? You know, there’s an unwritten rule in sports.

International.

Yeah. But you know, there’s an unwritten rule in sports. You don’t take three pointers when you’re up by 40-something points. Like, you don’t steal bases when you’re up by 10 runs.

I’ve seen a lot of it happening lately, though. Mark, I’m telling you.

And they’re trying to get back to that Piston thing and they can’t copy it. And now we’ve got routs. I haven’t watched one minute of the Denver, Minnesota, or the Oklahoma.

How about, how about the Sixers giving the Celtics everything they can handle. We’re going to go to Game Seven. I believe it’s on Saturday night, if I’m not mistaken. You know, there’s a lot of things going on in the NBA right now.

The NBA has got to pray. It’s going to be the Celtics and Lakers, or I think it’s just going to be on a respirator.

Nobody’s going to beat OKC.

But, you know, but yeah, I agree with Art. I think it’s, I don’t think the Lakers or the, or the Celtics,

Orlando giving Detroit a run for their money. I mean, there, there’s a lot of, I mean, there’s a lot of parity in the, in the mid-level of the playoffs.

The winner,

I still say that. Go ahead.

I don’t think the Lakers or the Rockets can beat OKC.

The winner will be either OKC or San Antonio. I don’t think it’s going to matter.

I agree. Wembanyama amazes me, Fred, what he can do.

Yeah. How many steps he takes before they call him.

Five steps. Would you call that the Galaxy Step? Not the International Step.

I don’t know. Do they ever call traveling anymore?

No.

Pretty soon, the guy’s going to catch the ball at the free throw, I mean, at the half-court line. Then go all the way down and never even hit the floor with one return ball.

Let me, let me tell you, I’m going to throw something out there, and they were interviewing Pat Riley. He’s not really showing his cards. He’s going to stay down there.

Eighty-six years old. He’s going to stay this present.

And they will get the Greek freak in Miami, I bet you.

That would be a great pickup.

Yeah. He always seems to get these things.

By the way, if you’re a local TV announcer, how do you feel with all these games going nationally? None of the local guys televising. And if you’re a sports fan, like in Los Angeles, a lot of people really like Bill McDonald. And he is not doing the games. Bill McDonald, and the bottom line, I think it hurts the listening audience.

In the old days, Fred, I would, I would turn down the national Marv Albert, and I’d put Chickie on. And, you know, there was about a two or three-second delay, but it always looked like Chick was calling shots from, like, when they’re in the air. It was kind of neat.

But it, but it, hasn’t that been true for a long time, that they, once they, once they’re in the post season, that they go to a national broadcast?

Not every one.

In the old days in baseball, they used to allow Curt Gowdy and Tony Kubek, they would bring in, but they bring in. you know, like the Gunner in Pittsburgh, or Al Michaels, or some of the local announcers, like the Orioles had a guy named Thompson, Chuck Thompson. Then you get to get a little bit of that flavor of, of, you know, the, the home field announcer. I thought that was a great way to introduce broadcasters to different areas of the country. But that’s just me.

Hey, let’s take a break and come back with more on Fred and the Fantastics on BLEAV and on PodClips, all straight away.

Hey, back on Fred and the Fantastics with Art, with Laura, with Mark, and with you. You can email us, [email protected], [email protected]. All right. I’m going to ask you three people a question. It’s Wednesday afternoon, the Dodgers are playing Miami, and it’s a three-two Miami in the bottom of the ninth. All right. Wait a minute. First, two guys get on base, so it’s first and second and no out. But Freeland, the ninth batter in the lineup, is hitting. And after that, it’d be Ohtani and Freeman. And okay, Art. What would you do at that point? First and second, no out. You’re down by one run. Freeland,

Get the runners to second and third by laying a butt down toward third base so the third baseman has to come in and field it. And you know, that’s what I would do.

But hang on, hang on, hang on, because I want to see what Laura says. Laura, do you agree with Mark?

I think that’s exactly what Dave Roberts did was, had, had, Freeland sacrifice. And the point was that they ended up walking Ohtani, but they had one out. And then they, I think they ended the game with a double play.

So Freddie Freeman hit it into a double play. That’s great managing by Schumacher.

Hang on, hang on, hang on.

That’s great managing by an ex-Dodger third base coach, Schumacher.

But hang on, Mark. Do you agree with Laura and with Art that that was the right play?

No, I don’t think it was the right play.

Okay. Then do you agree with Art that it was the right play, Mark, or Laura, that it wasn’t? You disagree with Art and agree with Laura. What do you think?

Well, I agree with Art on that one. I love Laura, but I agree with Art.

All right. Bottom line is, in my opinion,

I’m not insulted.

In my opinion. Are you ready? In my opinion, you’re better off with Freeland striking out. Why? Because then Ohtani hits. You automatically forced him.

In other words, because there’s nowhere to put him. Because there’s nowhere to put him.

Right. So now you’re going to walk Ohtani. So to me, it was the dumbest call I’ve seen this year. And I’ve seen some dumb ones.

So let me ask you a question.

Oh, wow.

If you had one out most of the season and the bases were loaded, would you feel pretty confident about having Freddie Freeman batting?

These days, something’s wrong with him. He is just not playing.

How about he’s 37 years old? He’s got a young child that has a lot of physical problems. I mean, maybe he’s done, you guys.

But he’s still playing great defense. I mean, he’s had some great plays at first base. So I haven’t seen any decline in his defensive play. But I think he’s like 2 for 30 or something?

Well, you know, what people don’t realize is Miami is beating the Dodgers. They haven’t lost out here since 2010.

Miami’s got a good ball club.

And they should have swept that series. They blew it.

And they could have lost all. And they should have lost all three.

Yeah.

I really like their manager, who’s out of the Dodgers system, Schumacher. I think he’s really, really good. And on the other end of the spectrum, Don Mattingly has won his first three games in Philly in a miraculous way. And, you know, his son is the actual general manager of the team. And I wonder if Rob Thompson, when they, when Dabrowski told him that, you know, Don Mattingly’s going to be your bench coach, if he didn’t look around and go, Wow, we better get off to a good start.

Well, they’re saying, tonight in Anaheim, paid admission, you get a bag, so nobody recognizes you’re there with the Angels and Mets playing.

By the way, talk to me about that, Mark. Folks, are you ready for this? There is a rat infestation at Angel Stadium.

Oh, yeah.

So is that worse? Is rat infestation worse than the bullpen infestation? What’s worse, Mark? The bullpen infestation or rat infestation at Angel Stadium?

All I got to say is Kenley Jansen isn’t the answer for the Tigers either.

Three times over the last week, he’s given up the lead.

That’s what I’m saying. I mean, we’ve talked about it for five years. Fred. With his heart murmur and everything, he might be done. Well, I think he is done. But I will say this. Watching Alvarez have the year he’s having, along with Murakami for the White Sox, Alvarez of Houston, what a ball player. He reminds me of Willie Stargell, Mark Mancini. That’s who he reminds me of.

Willie Stargell.

Well, home runs as we speak, Friday afternoon. Art, at 128 years of age, you come off very sharp here on this show. Why? What legal medicinal products must you take at 128 years of age?

I love the professional formula of Prevagen. And there’s another one. This is a sublingual thing called Brain and Memory.

Wow.

And if I don’t forget to buy it, I usually do pretty good.

Oh, boy.

What has Jackie taken?

Laura.

Lots of me.

Laura. Wind the weekend up in 30 seconds. What’s going on in the world of sports and elsewhere?

Well, there’s a lot happening in the world of sports. It’s also May Day, which is a big day for us leftists. And I’ll be going to a demonstration later.

The Communist United States of America. Wow. Here we go.

Where are you going? In Culver City?

I’m going to Culver City.

I wish I was still living in Culver City. Worst decision I ever made. We sold that house, my parents’ house. Much rather live in Culver City versus where we live now.

You feel like you’re on the outskirts now, Fred? Is that what it is?

Well, just monetarily. The house we have is worth less than half of what it would be in Culver City. Culver City has gone to a point now where everything is like gold. Gold.

Wow.

And we didn’t know that. I had no idea.

It’s the Newport Beach of LA.

It’s the Newport Beach of LA now. Everything is going on in Culver City, California. This is interesting. I’ll let you guys go. In the middle of the night, I was listening to another network. And I really enjoy this show. I’m not going to mention this show. But the producer is really good. Her name is Addy. Addy Bates. She’s very, very good.

I was going to think of Abby Labar.

No, no. So, anyway, I was listening. The play where the pitcher, Michael Wacha, against the A’s, went to his chain. It fell off his neck, and he tried to put it in his front pocket. He put it in his back pocket. And from then, he threw the pitch. And the batter did not have enough time because he didn’t know the pitch was coming. And there was screaming from the dugout. And the umpire got rid of the hitting coach for screaming at him. But the bottom line is, Addy called it a balk. And I called that show in the middle of the night. The first time in 50 years I ever put a phone call in. And I said, you can’t have a balk with nobody on base. So Fred, in the middle of the night, was actually calling another show.

Can they charge you a ball, though, right?

They can charge you a ball. But they cannot charge you a balk.

That’s what I thought the rule was, too. That’s amazing, though. These guys with all the bling. Major League Baseball with the bling and the diamond bracelets. A nice gold chain is one thing. But let’s not get carried away. And Ronald Acuña, he could probably steal another 10 bases if he took off half that gold.

All right. For Mark, for Laura, for Art, and for Mario, who put the show together, I am Fred. Stay tuned for more all year long on Fred and the Fantastics, on BLEAV, and on PodClips. Bye everybody.