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Beck and Dash discuss the film Major League (1989), including its Cleveland setting, baseball culture and superstitions, misogyny and racism (including Chief Wahoo), key characters and scenes (Vaughn’s glasses, Serrano’s Jobu rituals, the owner’s sabotage, and the team’s turnaround), and basic baseball questions about teams, rivalries, season length, and the Yankees. Beck connects the movie to grief, PTSD, and earlier therapy experiences. A mock sponsor segment celebrates Appalachian bootleggers as mutual aid. The episode ends with an Appalachian “noun of interest,” the Grafton Monster, plus brief talk about broken apartment AC, podcast recommendations, and choosing “word game/trivia” for next week’s wheel segment.

Welcome to Queernecks, the podcast that puts the Yeehaw in y'all means all.

2

I'm your host, Beck,

3

Dash: and I'm your host.

4

Dash.

5

Welcome to today's episode.

6

Took my glasses off and immediately

I was like, "Why can't I see?"

7

Beck: I know.

8

I put mine on and I'm like, "Wow,

everything's so sharp and clear."

9

Dash: The first, You know

who Nick Swardson is?

10

He's a comedian.

11

Beck: Yeah

12

Dash: Have you seen, he has this

13

I don't know what it's called,

but he's wearing, like, the

14

gingham short-sleeve shirt.

15

uh, he has the, he has several

bits in it that I quote still,

16

like, I think about a lot.

17

There's one bit about his grandmother

and how he's like, he feels bad about

18

asking her how she's doing k- every day.

19

You know, he sees her, he's like,

"Hey, Grandma, how you doing?"

20

She, goes, Well, I woke up today."

21

Beck: My dad always said, "Can't

complain 'cause nobody'll listen."

22

Dash: But he, he does this bit about

quitting smoking weed, he was like,

23

"The first, like, month I thought

I was psychic like, "I had b- been

24

accustomed to for my keys when I

went out the door, and so just out of

25

habit I would go, 'Where are my keys?

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Oh, they're in my pocket.'

27

How did I know that?

28

I have superpowers."

29

and so like you put on your glasses

and you're like, "I have super vision.

30

Oh, no, I can just see

like everybody else now."

31

Beck: Shanna is convinced that she

has some kind of eye problem because

32

she's unable to see, and I keep

saying, "You are 43 now, darling.

33

Dash: You are

34

on a lady's age like that.

35

Beck: Well, she's younger than me, so

36

Dash: can't just say

it out loud like that.

37

Beck: Yeah.

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Dash: Has she had a eye exam?

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Beck: Yes, and she wears glasses.

40

But I mean, as you go through

your 40s, you get bifocals.

41

I was prescribed them the last time I went

42

Dash: But yeah, these are

progressives, so it's like

43

Beck: Yeah.

44

Dash: the new bifocal.

45

and I'm like, "Oh, okay.

46

I've arrived."

47

It was…

48

And it's, you know, it's like the eye

doctor, they will do this to you more

49

than any other doctor I have encountered.

50

They'll say that, Well,

you're not 19 anymore," shit,

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Beck: Yeah

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Dash: it's time to…

53

Like, I- you don't have to tell me that.

54

You can just simply say, "It's

time to update your prescription,"

55

just like a normal doctor would

56

Beck: Well, they already

have you sweating bullets.

57

Which one is better, A or B?

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A or B?

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A or B?

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A or B?

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A or B?

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I don't know.

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I get so stressed out during that test.

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Dash: sound like words anymore.

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What is A?

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What is B?

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I here?

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Beck: And I can't tell a difference.

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Dash: Yeah.

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And I'm, I'm

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I, I'll be real quiet and I'll

be like, "Can you do it again?"

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But this last time she was like, "Yeah,

you're blind up front and cl- away.

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Like, you, you need both

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Beck: I, uh, the last time I

went he said it was a neat trick.

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My, uh, distance vision was 20/20,

but my up-close vision I needed,

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definitely need glasses for that.

77

He said, "That's a neat trick."

78

Dash: That's not so bad.

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I mean, you only have to wear them

when you wanna see in front of you

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Beck: Exactly.

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I find that it does help with

driving and stuff though, so.

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Dash: Well,

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you don't have to, like,

squint as much, you know?

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It's like it makes concentrating easier.

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If you…

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know.

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Driving's already stressful

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Beck: Amen.

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Are you guys dealing with the wildfires?

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Dash: Well, yeah, to,

to a manageable degree.

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Beck: Toledo has the second worst

air quality in the world right now.

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Second worst in the world.

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Dash: I saw people

posting online about it.

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I saw the pictures of the

sky being, like, orange

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Beck: Yeah

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Dash: and looking like a fucking

nuclear bomb has dropped.

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Beck: It's wild out there.

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Dash: Have you been outside?

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Does it, can you, like,

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Beck: you can, it's, I have my portable

air c- 'cause they're coming Monday

101

to fix my air conditioning finally.

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But we have this portable air

conditioner, and it's just

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pumping air straight in here.

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You can, you can s- like,

taste it in the, my apartment.

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You go outside and, like, y- it feels

hot, like the house next door is on fire.

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Like, you can just feel it, and the

smoke is choking and it's like, it

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looked like 7:00 in the morning at,

like, 5:00 in the afternoon yesterday.

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'Cause of the fog and stuff like that,

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Dash: Dude, no, we don't

have it like that at all.

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I mean, we, we have like a

moderate air quality warning, but

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I can't, uh, see it or taste it.

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I, I noticed like when I went

for my run last night, it…

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I was struggling.

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Like I- it was not easy to breathe,

but it wasn't even bad enough that

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I could put it together what it was

until later I looked and saw that

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there was an air quality warning

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Beck: Yeah.

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you know the number they assign to it?

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Like 200 is, India I saw was

like 167 or something like that.

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Our area is like at 800 right now.

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Dash: What?

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I didn't even know that was a thing

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Beck: Yeah.

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Ross Ellett is a meteorologist

here in Toledo, and he's

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been posting a lot about it.

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That's one of the ways they

rank different air qualities

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Dash: I get, I have, you know, in the,

in the iPhone app that for weather

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and stuff, they have the AQI there.

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And ours is not bad at all.

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It's like, it's down in the good actually

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Beck: Ours is in the extremely bad.

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Like, like Amazon is not

delivering right now.

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Dash: Yeah, I, I'm blame him.

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Good

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Beck: Yeah, no, I agree, but like

Amazon doesn't stop for anything

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Dash: Right?

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Like,

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I wonder about the post office.

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You know, they say no, uh, w- whether

rain or sleet or snow or apocalypse,

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Beck: It took a while.

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We got DoorDash last night and it took

a while to get one assigned to my order.

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Dash: Oh,

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Beck: Yeah, I added an extra $2.

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I was like, "Come on

now, go get my tacos."

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Dash: I mean, if, if they're taking

it, then they need the money, so

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Beck: Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Yes.

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Dash: we are, we are codependents

in this capitalist hellscape."

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I went to the grocery store this morning

in my pajamas like a real Appalachian.

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I haven't

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Beck: Way to go.

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That's fantastic

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Dash: I had, I realized I needed

something and I had just a sliver of time

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Beck: I have, you know how Facebook shows

you your memories every day or whatever?

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The other day apparently I had

had … I have a lot of issues with

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ingrown toenails 'cause the way

my toenails grow, like staples.

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And I, I, I put one time I was

like, "The number of toe-ec- toenail

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ectomies you have is directly

proportional to the number of times

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your cat will step directly on your

toe in the immediate aftermath."

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So it's pretty universal.

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Dash: too.

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Beck: Yeah.

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Yeah.

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I miss having a cat so much.

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My favorite professor from undergrad,

we're friends on Facebook, she just

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adopted three kittens from the same

litter, and I'm like, "I'm so jealous.

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Not of the litter boxes,

but I'm so jealous.

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I want three kittens."

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Dash: You know, ever since…

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I was thinking this yesterday while I

was, you know, cleaning the cat's box.

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Like, this setup I have now, I never

thought I coulda had it so good because,

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you know, and I was having trouble

because the robot, Ziggy, she would

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poop in it but not pee in it, and she

would pee in random places in the house.

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And so I knew that that was the problem,

but I didn't wanna go back to scooping.

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I looked at, like, different kinds of

boxes, and they make these ones that

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are like stainless steel, and they

don't, stink the way the plastic ones do

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'cause the plastic ones grow bacteria.

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Uh, and it can't grow on stainless

steel, and it's super easy to scoop.

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It's just like psh.

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Nothing ever…

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There's no, like, chiseling

at it, you know, when it gets

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Beck: Yehaw.

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Dash: And, and it…

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She's so happy now.

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it's totally worth it, and it's

really not that much worse.

187

So I feel bad that I'm, I made

her, live like that for so long,

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Beck: Yeah.

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We were talking about how

Ted was the perfect cat.

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He always used the bathroom.

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If there were any kind of issues,

like their water was low or his box

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need changed, he would helpfully and

polite you, guide you to the problem

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Dash: Aww

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Beck: head off until you listened to him

195

Dash: One time…

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for the longest time it

was just Oscar and Felix.

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For like 10 years it was just them.

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And Felix is stupid but he tries

really hard, and he's very sweet.

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he's honestly…

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he might be my favorite.

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He's, he's definitely one of my favorites.

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but he has always had a terrible

time figuring out how to

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communicate his needs or wants.

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And he's very quiet and

anxious, and so I don't know.

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Sometimes, he just seemed

kinda sad sometimes.

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But whenever there was something

like an emergency, like

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he, he could figure it out.

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And Oscar's the bad one.

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He's always trying to get away with shit.

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He loves annoying me when

he's annoyed at me, you know?

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Like if I've done something to annoy him,

he'll, he'll find a way to pay me back.

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So I had a, a balcony on the that,

that apartment I lived in there in

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Bowling Green, and would open the door.

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Like say if I was cooking or something

and it got really smoky, I would,

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that's how I would air the apartment

out, ' and it was wintertime.

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There was feet of snow,

like there always is there.

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And I just opened it and left it open

because I figured, you know, whatever.

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The cats won't go out 'cause

there's feet of snow out there.

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Well, Oscar tunneled his way out there

apparently, and I didn't know it,

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and just shut the door him out there.

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And I don't know how

long he was out there.

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Like, it was a while.

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I noticed, I just kept doing

what I was doing, I was cooking,

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and Felix was losing his shit.

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Like he was screaming at me.

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He was like on the counters,

which he never does.

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He always tries to be a good boy, and

he doesn't know what that means, so he

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just tries to do as little as possible.

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And he was just like out of

his mind going everywhere.

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And, and I was like, "What is going on?"

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Like, I thought he was

sick or hurt or something.

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And then I heard like a-

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And I look over at the

patio door and Oscar is like

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And I was like, "You fucking dumbass."

235

Beck: We call that move transercising

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Dash: he

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Beck: Bless his heart

238

Dash: No.

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I was like, "Did we learn anything?

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No.

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You're just gonna, you're

gonna do this shit again.

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You'd do it again right

this second if you could."

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Beck: That's funny

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Dash: Have you seen Jimothy?

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Beck: Yes, I just saw him.

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The raccoon?

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Dash: Isn't he amazing?

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Beck: Yes, he's amazing.

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I follow another little dog called

something the Loaf and they have the

250

same spinal issue, so they're just a

little back and some legs and a head.

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Th- it's the cutest little

loaf you've ever seen

252

Dash: uh, it looks like you

know like the panorama glitches?

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Like people who have tried to take

panorama photos of their animals

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Beck: Pita, I want to hug

you, but you're gonna bite me.

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Dash: You saw what I posted on Facebook

about my Adderall-caffeine combo.

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Beck: Yeah.

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That's funny.

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Dash: I don't know what happened.

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I do…

260

This is my morning routine every day.

261

Maybe I'm dehydrated or was dehydrated,

all of a sudden I realize, like, my

262

heart's kinda beating, not fast, but hard,

and I feel like I can see the future.

263

And sometimes that's like,

can be mania or something.

264

So I was like, "What did I do?"

265

And then I thought about it.

266

I had just like kind of slammed two

cups of coffee maybe a half hour

267

after taking my Adderall and I was

like, "I think I have just like

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speed-balled myself or something."

269

It, it could be mania, but I'm

not actually that prone to mania.

270

Anybody could have that.

271

You don't have to be bipolar to, to

have a manic episode I don't think.

272

But no, I think I'm just high

I just saw my therapist too,

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Beck: Mine, I saw mine the other day.

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The, uh, 'cause I see

two different people.

275

I see the person that does

my meds, and then I see the

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person that I actually talk to.

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And I saw my med lady the other

day, and she's, we decided that

278

my meds are fine where they are.

279

She said, "You sound hopeful.

280

You sound looking forward to the future."

281

And I was like, "I do, don't I?

282

That's fantastic.

283

Go me."

284

It's, it's been a long road.

285

I've been with my therapist for four

years, and I've been with the lady

286

that does my meds for six years, and

that is so rare that you get to stick

287

with somebody for that long in this…

288

It, and I don't, I don't know

where I would be without my lady.

289

Like, her name's Kim, and she's wonderful.

290

Dash: Mm-hmm.

291

Beck: she's always on

my ass for, for things.

292

One thing she really goes hard on

me about is not eating at Five Guys,

293

'cause she says it's too expensive.

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Dash: Wait, she, she doesn't

want you to eat at Five Guys

295

Beck: She wants me to start saving money,

296

Dash: Oh,

297

Beck: more.

298

And I mentioned we ate at Five

Guys, and she's like, "Do you

299

know how expensive that is?"

300

And I was like, "Yes, I do."

301

Dash: Yeah, I was there.

302

I know how expensive it is.

303

Like,

304

Beck: Yeah

305

Dash: fucking blow my soft-earned

money on garbage food, know,

306

let me suffer the consequences.

307

You don't have to

308

Beck: Yeah.

309

Dash: I don't need you to

310

Beck: W-

311

Dash: them to me

312

Beck: the good thing about Five Guys is

that they give you, like, a bag of fries.

313

Have you ever eaten there before?

314

Dash: haven't.

315

Beck: Their burgers are really good, and

their, their fries are fresh cut potatoes.

316

Dash: Mm.

317

Beck: I, I got a bacon, b- I had nothing

but meat and, like, the hamburger patty

318

and the bacon, and it was delicious.

319

I forgot to order cheese on it.

320

Uh, but they, they give

you, like, they give you…

321

If you order a fry, they give you the

bag of fries, which is big, but then

322

they take another scoop of fries and

just throw them in there on top of them.

323

So Shanda and I both get our own

burger, and then we split a fry.

324

There's plenty for both of us

325

Dash: I had heard about

a place that did that.

326

I didn't know what it was called, and I've

327

Beck: Yeah.

328

Dash: life.

329

I think I saw it in

330

Beck: Yeah

331

Dash: maybe heard

somebody talking about it

332

Beck: Yeah, that's Five Guys.

333

They have up on the wall they'll even list

the farm where they got their potatoes.

334

It's so, like, fresh.

335

Like, it's interesting.

336

It's expen- it w- it was like

$31 for two burgers and one fry.

337

So yeah.

338

Dash: Oh, yeah.

339

Beck: But that's why

it's a sometimes treat,

340

Dash: that's

341

we know for a fact that

treats have positive, right?

342

Like, of course they can become

maladaptive and, and they can become

343

less incentive and more coping

but like, we do, we do need ways

344

to, to have little reinforcements

for ourselves And those cost money

345

Beck: They do

346

Dash: Well, so we, we watched a movie.

347

the Wheel of What Have You had us

pick a movie to watch, and we chose…

348

Is this one of your favorite movies?

349

I know it's one of the

350

Beck: It is.

351

Dash: most often.

352

Okay

353

Beck: is.

354

The, and a little side note, I don't

think I mentioned this before, but it

355

was also one of my mom's favorite movies,

and when she was in hospice, I had read

356

that when people are in hospice you

should, like, play music and movies and

357

things like that that are comforting,

'cause all they can do is hear.

358

So I played Major League at a

high volume and let it play while,

359

while she was in hospice laying

there when she was unresponsive.

360

Dash: is

361

love that

362

Beck: yeah, but that was the, this is the

first time I've watched it since then.

363

Dash: Oh, okay.

364

Beck: I had a good little cry.

365

It was all right.

366

But,

367

Dash: all right

368

Beck: but it made me happy.

369

This movie makes me happy

370

Dash: That's awesome.

371

I mean, I guess sorry but

also glad that you cried.

372

And

373

Beck: The only way to get through

grief is to go through it, man.

374

You gotta feel it and let it wash over you

and let it get going out of you, you know?

375

'Cause if you hold it in, it'll bottle

up and you're gonna break at some point.

376

Dash: Yehaw

377

Beck: I have learned.

378

You gotta let it out

379

Dash: I think that's how I wound up, d-

struggling really hard with PTSD, uh,

380

sh- like short, maybe two or three years

after I moved up there to BGSU, 'cause

381

it was so soon after David was killed,

it wasn't just that he, he died, it was

382

that, it was the way that he died, right?

383

It was being killed in war overseas

that, the whole politicia- I

384

don't know, all that stuff.

385

Like, similar to, you know, like your

brother dying of a, an epidemic that then

386

became part of a narrative that defined

a place, and the place is always…

387

You know, like that, it, it wasn't

simply people, someone passing away.

388

It's, it's bad enough

that somebody dies young.

389

But murder, he was murdered, you know?

390

I mean, in a way.

391

So I didn't deal with it at all, and

then it was just like coming out all ends

392

after a couple years of bottling it up.

393

Beck: Yeah

394

Dash: therapists, man, one of

them saved my fucking life there.

395

Uh, just happened to be somebody who was

independently licensed who did part-time

396

hours for, I think, specific kinds of

the treatment at the student counseling

397

center that I could see because she was

independently licensed, 'cause I was

398

staff, and I didn't know what to do.

399

And so that day I

realized I was in trouble.

400

like, "I'm just gonna walk over

there and see if they can help me."

401

And so they did intake and they're

like, "We'll see if we can find…

402

W- like th- we have

contractors who come here."

403

And so they fixed me up with

this woman, her name was Diane.

404

I was to have a kid I would name it Diane.

405

Like she

406

Beck: That's my middle name.

407

Dash: Is it?

408

Beck: Yep.

409

Dash: Well, there's another reason

410

Beck: I'm named after my aunt

411

Dash: Yeah.

412

And that was…

413

God, I cried in that woman's office.

414

And she was like, "Thank you for,

for crying in here and trusting me."

415

And I was like, "Does it look

like I'm doing this willingly?

416

Like, I have no control over h-

how my body's working right now."

417

Like, I, I would even try to

mentally prepare myself and be

418

like, "Okay, we're not gonna ugly

cry and hyperventilate today."

419

Nope.

420

The second she made eye

contact with me, it was over.

421

Like, it was so bad.

422

When I first started seeing

her, we met three times a week.

423

Beck: Oh.

424

Dash: Yeah.

425

She,

426

Beck: Yeah.

427

Dash: put time into me

428

Beck: That's awesome.

429

Dash: Yeah.

430

I hope that she's…

431

I think she, she left actually and

went private practice fully, and I hope

432

she's retired and living a blissful,

like, life wherever she wants to now

433

Beck: Yeah.

434

Shanna had one of those counselors,

and where I go is where Shanna has

435

gone since we've lived up here.

436

And they take her insurance, but

they want to have out-of-pocket.

437

It's like $180 copay for the doctor

she sees 'cause he's out of network,

438

and she's like, "Fuck that."

439

And then she tried to see a counselor,

and they charged her $80 for that,

440

and she's like, "I'm not paying $80

for every s- counseling session."

441

So, and she needs to be in therapy.

442

She has a lot of trauma

she needs to unpack.

443

But she found this one lady that she

really bonded to um, is in private

444

practice and that they take our insurance.

445

So she called and asked if

she would be able to see her.

446

So

447

Dash: Wow.

448

Let's, well, let's

449

out.

450

Yeah.

451

Beck: yeah, me t- I really hope it does.

452

lady's awesome, though.

453

She, she's trying to get me to finish

my dissertation, stop spending so

454

much money, and to realize that grief

is okay, that, that it'll be okay.

455

she looks like Li- Liz

Cheney is who she looks like.

456

Dash: Okay.

457

Beck: But she's very liberal.

458

You can tell she's very liberal.

459

Dash: I imagine.

460

Well, and so the movie, I don't

think we said the name of it.

461

It was Major League, so this is, ' 89,

462

Beck: Mm-hmm.

463

It got 80,

464

83% on Rotten Tomatoes, so it's a pretty

well-received film, and not just for me.

465

But yeah, like it's de-

definitely a movie of its time

466

Dash: Sure.

467

I, so I don't know anything about

baseball in particular, like

468

both the game and its culture.

469

So I wrote down baseball

dummy questions to ask you.

470

I could

471

Beck: Okay.

472

Dash: them, but I just wanted to ask you.

473

Beck: Sure

474

Dash: And, and I don't think I'll do

them all at once 'cause there's actually

475

quite a long list, but there's some that

could help us out before we get into it.

476

So are all of the teams in this

movie that are mentioned real teams?

477

Beck: Yes

478

Dash: Okay.

479

is

480

Beck: know how they talk about

moving the team to Miami?

481

Miami has its own team now, so it

wouldn't, it would be out of sync for now.

482

Miami, the Marlins they're

the team for down there, so.

483

And Tampa Bay.

484

There's two in Florida

485

Dash: So, like, there was

some like, verisimilitude to

486

this idea that, that, that

487

Beck: Yes.

488

Dash: Okay.

489

So, and, and has…

490

Was Cleveland actually that bad?

491

Beck: They were pretty bad.

492

Yeah, they were pretty, they're,

they're pretty well known for it.

493

It's like, do you know the, the

Browns are known for being pretty bad?

494

Dash: Mm-hmm.

495

Beck: of the, uh, the,

the Cavs are pretty good.

496

Their basketball team is good, but

their baseball and football teams have

497

been notoriously bad for a long time.

498

They went, like, 30 years

without winning the division

499

Dash: Okay.

500

'Cause I'd heard jokes about, like, the

Cubs being really bad for a long time.

501

But, and I- that's just from watching

movies where people made that joke.

502

I didn't know

503

Beck: Yeah.

504

Dash: it

505

Beck: Well, they're in different leagues.

506

There has to be a shitty team

for each, and it was basically

507

Cleveland for the American League

and the Cubs for the National League

508

Dash: Okay.

509

very Midwestern.

510

Beck: Yeah.

511

Dash: Hmm

512

Beck: But a lot of people love the,

they both also had their come up.

513

The Indians or the Guardians

who, who they are now made it to

514

the World Series a couple years

ago, so they made it all the way

515

Dash: Yeah, the, the mascot was shocking.

516

I, I knew it, you know?

517

It's not that I was, I didn't

know that, but like, I hadn't

518

spent a lot of time looking at it,

wasn't super familiar with it, and

519

Beck: His name is Chief Wahoo,

520

Dash: way he's drawn was so…

521

Well, I mean, it was like, it

was caricature, but it was also

522

a little minstrel, you know?

523

Like,

524

Beck: Yeah

525

Dash: it wasn't only caricature

of like indigenous people.

526

There was elements of blackface

in it, too, especially 'cause…

527

So at the very beginning when this

thing opens, we have a really cool, I

528

love when movies do this, the montage

thing throughout history, and there's a

529

snippet in a newspaper of a cartoon of

the Chief Wahoo being beat over the head

530

with a baseball bat by the mascot of

whatever team they lost to, and it was

531

from like the '50s, the '40s or something

like that, '50s, and it was egregious.

532

So like even, like the eight- the movie

version, like the contemporary of Chief

533

Wahoo, was toned down from what had been

534

Beck: Yeah.

535

Before they were the Indians,

they were the, uh, Cleveland Naps,

536

which was short for Napoleons

because their coach was short.

537

Though if they were the Cleveland

Naps now, I would change allegiance.

538

I would be the biggest fan

of Naps that there, there is.

539

That you couldn't have a bigger fan.

540

And before they were the

Naps, they were the Spiders

541

Dash: My, they have really

downgraded a few times.

542

Beck: Yeah.

543

Yeah.

544

Dash: Okay.

545

So, so baseball is, so you…

546

There, there's turf wars in states,

547

Beck: Mm-hmm

548

Dash: between Cleveland, Cincinnati.

549

It's not, that's not as common in, in

the, the professional sports I watch.

550

Uh, it's not…

551

First of all, there aren't a

lot of, say, NFL franchises that

552

are in the same state as another

553

Beck: Right

554

Dash: but so the last question I

had about, like, just how baseball

555

works before we get going is are

there really 162 games in a season?

556

Beck: I think it's 163 now.

557

I think they changed it.

558

But yes.

559

Dash: Goddamn

560

Beck: Yeah, it's a long season.

561

It starts in April and ends in October

562

Dash: S- th- but so like they

must play multiple times a week

563

Beck: Oh yeah, so most series they

play three or four games per team.

564

So say Cincinnati hosts the Cubs,

you might play three games, and then

565

in, in the next three days the St.

566

Louis Cardinals will come in, and

then the, the Reds go to New York and

567

play the Mets for three games there.

568

It's…

569

They ba- you could go

all over the country.

570

Like, they try to put them in, like…

571

So when you go to, like, California,

you're gonna play the Athletics, and

572

you're gonna pay, play the Giants,

and you're gonna play the Dodgers.

573

You're gonna play all of those coasts so

that you're not crisscrossing the country.

574

So they kinda have it laid out that way.

575

Uh, but it- on the other side of

the country you could go from, from

576

Chicago to Florida to New York to

Arizona to, you know what I mean?

577

Like, wherever they wanna,

wherever your games are.

578

There are some days off.

579

Y- it's usually seven days off

or seven days between an off day.

580

Sometimes it's a little less, sometimes

it's a little more based on how

581

Based on how, uh, the, the stuff is going.

582

You brought up that,

uh, the, the rivalries.

583

One thing I wanna say that, that the

general rule is that every t- every

584

pl- every fan can dislike three teams.

585

One, their division rival.

586

So the Cincinnati Reds, our

division rival is the St.

587

Louis Cardinals for the,

or the Pirates or the Cubs.

588

Could be any of them, but my, for my,

for my dollar it's the, the Cardinals.

589

I also don't like the Pirates.

590

So you're allowed to

dislike one of those, right?

591

Then you also dislike a team that beat

you in the last division whatever, right?

592

And then everybody hates the

Yankees except Yankees fans.

593

So

594

Dash: Yeah.

595

Okay.

596

Well, and, and that will help us, uh,

answer a question I have for later

597

once we get to that part of the story.

598

okay, thank you f- thank you, Dr.

599

Baseball.

600

Beck: Yes

601

Dash: uh, hope- and hopefully

that, uh, helped some of our

602

non-baseball listeners as well.

603

I'd never seen this movie, which was one

of the reasons why I wanted to watch it.

604

I love you know, I wanna see every movie

in the world, even the really shitty ones.

605

But I especially wanna see the ones that

are meaningful to the people I care about.

606

and this is so outside

of, you know, my family.

607

We didn't, Even when we rented movies,

we didn't really do sports movies.

608

the sports movie, like, that's a genre.

609

That's its own genre,

610

Beck: Yeah, sure

611

Dash: in sports movies about

various sports, like, they differ.

612

They have their own

conventions and things.

613

Baseball is always s- very superstitious.

614

It is, uh, like, in, in the

baseball cinematic universe, it's

615

not just spirit- it's not just

superstitious, it's spiritual.

616

There are ghosts.

617

God plays baseball sometimes.

618

You know?

619

Like, th- th- football ain't about that.

620

Football movies are not doing that,

621

Beck: did you catch the line

where he says, "Are you saying

622

that Jesus Christ can't hit a ho-

a cur- can't hit a curve ball?"

623

Dash: Yes, I wrote that down.

624

Like, I wasn't expecting that

to be in there, this whole,

625

Beck: Yeah.

626

Dash: war.

627

Beck: It's got a little

something for everybody

628

Dash: Well, yeah, there were these lines

of social commentary it, and it made me

629

think about your research actually, the

fact that baseball is such an American

630

institution that it is kind of America.

631

Beck: Yeah, it's a mirror.

632

Dash: yeah.

633

w- it opens up and we're, we get

a little bit about Cleveland.

634

It we're looking at…

635

At first I thought, like,

"Okay, what are, what are we…"

636

We're…

637

S- the establishing shots of the, the

opening montage are of Cleveland's

638

skyline, of k- kind of industry of, you

know, uh, like the whatever factories

639

and stuff are there, of construction

going on, of things being built,

640

but also dereliction, like abandoned

structures and rusty structures,

641

and we go down into a neighborhood.

642

We, we come, it's, we sort of come

from above, literally above, look on

643

the way down at all these different

pieces, and we wind up in a neighborhood

644

with some kids playing stickball

645

Beck: Did you notice the nun

with the Indian jacket on?

646

Dash: I loved that.

647

That was actually, I was like,

"Okay, so God is an Indians fan."

648

Love it.

649

Beck: Yeah, yeah

650

Dash: S- I don't know, I, so I thought

that was a pretty cool, like, I, to

651

me that kinda goes along with your

thesis that baseball is a religion

652

Beck: Mm-hmm.

653

the, the thing that there was an article

that really kinda tuned me into the

654

way I wanted to go with my research,

and it was called, uh, the, a shortened

655

version of the title was Coca-Cola and

the Church of Baseball talking about

656

American culture, and the, and the church

of baseball is a very common phrase.

657

So yeah, for sure.

658

Because think about it.

659

Everybody c- comes together they're al-

it's like a Sunday afternoon game, right?

660

There's music, there's camaraderie

there's a belief in a, in a team.

661

There are the rules that

everybody has to follow.

662

There are the traditions.

663

There's part- particular kind

of clothing that you wear.

664

There's officials, like the, the…

665

And a lot of people think that

baseball is a masculine sport,

666

and it is, for sure, right?

667

But what you have to remember is

that women have been part of baseball

668

since the game was literally invented,

and we like to push women out.

669

But they have been fans, uh,

a- and players for as long

670

as they could be remembered.

671

There was a girl who, who, uh,

struck out both Lou Gehrig and,

672

and Babe Ruth on the same day.

673

They're notoriously famous baseball

players, and she struck them out

674

back to back on the same day.

675

Like, she was like a 15-year-old girl.

676

My point what is my point?

677

What were we just talking about?

678

Dash: baseball hates women,

but women love baseball

679

Beck: Oh, what I was gonna say

is that people think of baseball

680

and they think men, right?

681

But before, before TV we had radio,

and games, we didn't have night games

682

because there were no lights, right,

before the '30s and things like that.

683

So and they, there was no television,

so women would listen to the radio, and,

684

and during the day they had two choices,

basically: soap operas or baseball.

685

And just as many women that were listening

to the soap operas were listening to the

686

baseball games, and there are generations

of female fans out there that grew up

687

listening to them that it was passed

down by their mother or their grandmother

688

or their great-aunt or their sister.

689

There's lots of, of people who got

baseball from a, from a woman in their

690

family, and we like to overlook that

691

Dash: and one of the things I was talking

to therapy bro about this morning was,

692

like, even pat- patriarchy wishes we

thought of femininity and masculinity

693

as very discreet, but we don't.

694

There's a

695

Beck: No.

696

Dash: of overlap.

697

something, you know, I was

thinking about is, like, 'cause

698

this movie is very misogynist.

699

Beck: Yes

700

Dash: you know, like, the, the racism

is there, and w- everybody knows about

701

the racism or, or at least is aware.

702

Like, most of us are not gonna be

shocked to, uh, or, or even argue

703

necessarily with the, uh statement,

"This mascot is fucked up," you know?

704

But the, misogyny plays out over,

and over, and over again with…

705

I counted three different women at least.

706

There was one woman I can remember

thinking, like, "Oh, that's a good

707

char- That's an empowered person."

708

We didn't get to see her face.

709

We saw her outline and her side boob.

710

She was the woman who came up to Wild

Thing in the bar and was like, "I

711

think you're hot, and you look sad.

712

Do you wanna…"

713

Uh, I liked her, but, So yeah, after

this setting the stage of Cleveland,

714

th- then we get the snippets of how

terrible the, the Indians are, and we're

715

introduced to our villain, kind of.

716

She's a villain.

717

There's a couple of

718

Beck: Yeah.

719

Dash: story, but this,

720

Beck: Yeah.

721

Dash: woman, and I didn't catch her name.

722

What was her name?

723

Beck: Uh, you asked me too fast.

724

Uh,

725

Dash: Sorry.

726

Let me pull up the Wikipedia.

727

I forgot to pull up my

728

Beck: Yeah.

729

Why can't I think of her name?

730

That is not in my files today

731

Dash: Uh,

732

Beck: through.

733

Jessica Phelps.

734

Dash: Yeah.

735

Beck: Yep

736

Dash: So we're introduced to

her through a headline, right?

737

the ends on a, a newspaper headline,

says something like, " Retired

738

Vegas showgirl takes ownership of

the, the Indians," or something.

739

So I was like, "Okay, now that's

a way to introduce somebody."

740

Beck: Yeah.

741

Dash: And that's

742

we get to know about her

743

Beck: Oh no, she has a little

dog, and she has a little dog too

744

Dash: And sh- and she wears furs.

745

And so, like, right after that headline

dissolves from the screen, we see

746

her walking into this boardroom,

and it is kind of a cool scene.

747

You know?

748

Like, she's, very, like, glamorous, and

she's wearing this, like, power suit

749

with a, with a mink s- something or

other around her neck, and she walks

750

into this room and just, like, stands

above these dudes in suits at a table,

751

and it's like, okay, that's kinda cool.

752

But, uh, the movie doesn't

want us to think that's cool.

753

The movie wants us to hate her, you know?

754

Beck: Yehaw.

755

Dash: And we're, Is that

when she tells us her plot?

756

No, it's later.

757

Beck: Yeah, later.

758

Dash: This is when she's introducing

the roster, the people she wants

759

to bring to spring training

760

Beck: Right

761

Did you catch the Toledo

Mud Hens shout out in there?

762

I had never caught that before.

763

Dash: and that's what, that's why I

asked you if they're all real teams.

764

Beck: Yeah

765

Dash: 'cause, know, that's a cool

name a, for a te- Like, I would

766

totally be a Mud Hens supporter.

767

Beck: Oh yeah, the, there's this,

they have the stadium downtown and

768

Mud Hens are, it's a big Toledo thing

769

Dash: Yeah.

770

Yeah, that was cool because

they were like, "This coach,

771

yeah, he, he's at the Mud Hens."

772

Lou Brown, I think was his name.

773

Beck: Yehaw.

774

Dash: He was a character.

775

His voice was so gravelly,

this, the actor who

776

Beck: If you get a wild

hair, watch Major League II.

777

It's just as good as the first one.

778

And he's in that movie too.

779

So

780

Dash: I th- I think I will

watch Major League II.

781

Beck: Third one isn't terrible

and you get Scott Bakula.

782

Dash: Interesting.

783

Beck: B- yeah

784

Dash: don't hate s- I don't

know why I made that face.

785

I think it's because I didn't

expect you to say that.

786

Beck: Yeah.

787

I, I wouldn't, I wouldn't be like,

"Yeah, you definitely need to see number

788

three," but you need to see number two.

789

And then if you get curious,

you can watch number three.

790

But two is good, too

791

Dash: Well, and I, I don't

like Charlie Sheen, you know?

792

Beck: Yeah

793

Dash: w- the, from the, the kind of

the moment is I don't like Charlie

794

Sheen, I don't like Tom Berenger.

795

And im- immediately, like, those are our

two main guys, and I was just like, "Oh,

796

I don't know if I can root for these two."

797

But, you know, they did

eventually enter the characters.

798

It, it stopped being Sheen at kind of

the height of his celebrity on screen

799

eventually, and it became Rick Vaughn.

800

And I wasn't s- I'm surprised

that he was able to do that.

801

I never thought he was a very good actor.

802

He wasn't trying to be.

803

He's an A-lister.

804

They don't act.

805

An A-lister's job is to show up

and be a celebrity on screen.

806

Beck: And his pitching looked good

because he was literally throwing heat.

807

He, he was really doing it

808

Dash: I was gonna ask you that because

I, I do, I could at least tell, like,

809

he actually knows how to do that.

810

Like, maybe he's not hitting the target

every time, but his form is right.

811

He's, you know, he's

really throwing that thing.

812

the other guy, the older, which this

worked, but the guy who played, you

813

know, he was not doing the greatest job

814

Beck: Yeah

815

Dash: but they didn't have body doubles?

816

I mean, they only used stunt

doubles for things that the

817

actors could be hurt doing.

818

They didn't make, they didn't have,

you know, some pro come in there and

819

throw the ball, and then cut, you

know, cut it into the actor's face.

820

So that was pretty cool.

821

There were some re- uh,

other real baseball things

822

in here, like the announcer.

823

Beck: Bob

824

Dash: Yeah, Bob

825

Beck: Uecker?

826

Dash: a real announcer dude

827

Beck: Yeah, the … He was an

announcer, uh, for Pittsburgh,

828

I think, for a long time.

829

And then he was on the TV show Mr.

830

Belvedere.

831

He played the dad on Mr.

832

Belvedere.

833

And then he became … That's when he

… After he was a voice actor, or before he

834

was … After he was a voi- the announcer

for the baseball team, he became an actor,

835

and then he acted in this movie, and

it he stayed a, uh, color commentator,

836

I guess you would, you would call it.

837

Yeah, he's hilarious.

838

So, so my favorite lines are

from, "Just a bit outside."

839

Dash: Yeah, like him

coping so hard for like…

840

I mean, this team is dreadful.

841

And, and there's, it's such a cool thing

too, like just from a media perspective.

842

He's trying to relay what's

hap- what he's seeing to people

843

who aren't seeing it, right?

844

He's the radio, he's the radio guy.

845

And so he's trying to like

s- he soften the blow of.

846

Like, "Okay, it's not really that bad."

847

And, and that's so interesting

because that would, that's

848

just a labor of love, you know?

849

You're like,

850

Beck: Right.

851

Dash: I'm so glad you guys

aren't here to see this."

852

Which is, that's the, the kind of core of

the film is nobody's coming to the games.

853

Beck: Right

854

Dash: And they don't…

855

D- I mean, did you feel like

they weren't coming to the games

856

because of the losing or because…

857

Were there other things?

858

Beck: Well, baseball as, as a

whole now I, I believe viewership

859

is down for a couple of reasons.

860

Number one, they make it very hard

to watch Major League baseball.

861

It used to be it was streamed on

ABC or NBC, or it'd be on ESPN

862

or whatever, your local games.

863

Now you have to subscribe to something

and pay $150 a, a year to, to do it.

864

Yeah.

865

So it's expensive to watch.

866

Number two, the games, uh, in the '70s

took, like, two hours, and by the,

867

by the last couple of years they were

taking upwards of three and a half hours

868

because they would waste so much time.

869

They initiated a sho- a, a, a bat

clock and that really sped things up,

870

so it's back down to about two and a

half hours per game, so that's good.

871

But people get bored.

872

They don't wanna sit out in the

sun for four hours at a time.

873

There's less involvement in, like,

Little League and things like that.

874

A lot of Black kids are not, in

particular, are not introduced to,

875

uh, childhood sports like that.

876

They don't have the room for the fields

or the money or the interest, uh, not

877

from the kids, the corporate interest

to put those kinds of things in.

878

Though the Reds have

a really good program.

879

They work with, uh, the,

all around Cincinnati.

880

I have a friend that Shannon went to

art school with who works with them.

881

He does murals all over the place,

uh, for the Cincinnati Reds, and

882

it's a child- it's a kids program.

883

He goes into the schools and

does murals and things like that.

884

So they have a lot of…

885

They, they rebuild parks all the time.

886

They redo fields for kids all the time.

887

They do scholarships.

888

There's all kinds of

good stuff that they do

889

Dash: Baseball, baseball became

the institution it did because

890

it was in neighborhoods.

891

and, you know, th- they, we,

it, we were shown stickball

892

at the beginning of the movie.

893

It, it gr- it grew out o- of, of, uh, a

game kids played in streets or whatever.

894

kids don't play in the street anymore

895

Beck: Right.

896

The, it was based on a game

called rounders, which was a

897

girls' game in Britain originally.

898

And that's one of the reasons

the masculinity, it has the

899

masculinity problem that it has.

900

The found- one of the major founders

of the game of baseball in American

901

culture is Albert Spalding and

he wanted baseball to be manly.

902

He said, "Baseball is war."

903

And he was, that's the reason he chose

Abner Doubleday to be the one that they

904

penned the, the writing of the rules on.

905

He wasn't even near Cooperstown

when those rules were written down.

906

It w- he didn't have

anything to do with it.

907

But because he was a s- a, a colonel

or something they wanted to, to have

908

a military man behind it, right?

909

So, the game was then spread

through the Civil War particularly

910

because from, from troops.

911

They, as they went from town to town, they

would play ball when they were bored, and

912

that's how a lot of baseball got spread,

was through the war and the troops.

913

And then it became a, a

phenomenon everywhere.

914

Like, the box store, box score in the

newspaper became an instant thing, so

915

Dash: Hmm.

916

So like the Well, I don't know.

917

It's, it's hard to really even say,

like, whether the, the treatment of

918

women in the film was from the '80s or

from baseball culture, so maybe it's

919

not even worth trying to figure out

920

Beck: C- I mean, g- go into any comment

section where women are mentioned with

921

baseball, be it the Jen Powell, the first,

uh, Major League umpire that was a woman

922

or this new professional women's league

or whatever you wanna say about a woman,

923

read the comment section and you will

need a shower afterwards 'cause it is bad.

924

It is really bad

925

Dash: Like reading about a trans athlete.

926

Beck: yeah.

927

Exactly

928

The next thing is Jake, they,

they, they find him in Mexico.

929

That was a little crazy.

930

Dash: I wrote down Tom Barrager at home.

931

Beck: And then, uh, Willie

Mays Hayes comes up.

932

Did you notice the, the Rolls

Royce chassis on the VW Bug

933

body was what he was driving?

934

Dash: I could tell something was off, but

I didn't put together that's what it was

935

Beck: Yeah, it was a VW Bug chassis,

like the bottom and the, and the lights

936

and all that, and then on top of it

he had put the hood of a Rolls Royce,

937

Dash: That's

938

Hayes, played by Wesley Snipes,

who, uh, I w- it's not that he's

939

unrecognizable because he's clearly

Wesley Snipes, but he looked…

940

The way he was playing that character,

the way he was embodying that character,

941

he looked smaller than he actually is.

942

He's not a small dude.

943

I mean, and he, and he wasn't, like, less

muscular than he normally is in this.

944

But he, the character kind of took

over and, and kind of packed down

945

into this guy who was just trying to,

to make something happen, you know?

946

He w-

947

Beck: Right

948

Dash: he wasn't super confident

necessarily, but he knew that he had

949

something to offer, and I just, I loved

seeing him play a character like this.

950

And he

951

Beck: Yeah.

952

Dash: too.

953

He had some

954

Beck: Yeah.

955

I liked when he won the foot race,

when they, when they took him out.

956

Why would they take him out in

the middle of the night like that?

957

I still don't know.

958

That's one of the biggest

plot holes in the whole movie.

959

Why they just carried him, bed and

all, out the, out into the field.

960

Um, But the foot race he gets in

barefoot and he still kicks their

961

ass was pretty, was pretty good.

962

Dash: the stadium.

963

Yeah, he

964

Beck: Yeah

965

Dash: So, like, they, they come in, they

realize that he has snuck his way in,

966

they send what looks like military police.

967

I don't know who these dudes

were who came and picked his…

968

They, they dismantled

the, the what's it called?

969

Beck: The bug pen.

970

Dash: bunk

971

Beck: Bug

972

Dash: Just carried him outside,

like you said, but they were

973

wearing these uniforms and helmets.

974

Like, I don't know what they

were prepared for, but yeah.

975

And they just…

976

And so not only did they just carry

him out in the middle of the night,

977

but they just dropped him, the bed,

out in the parking lot, I think, right

978

outside the, the fence to the thing.

979

And he woke up and he was like,

"Damn, I've been cut already."

980

But he realizes that they're doing, you

know, timed, their time trials for, you

981

know, foot races or whatever, the 440s.

982

And he jumps up, and then we cut to the

two guys who are already down, you know,

983

in the middle of their race, and he

just, vroom, comes right out between them

984

Beck: And Usain Bolt's him.

985

Dash: yeah, uh, Lou Brown is like, "All

right, get him a uniform, I guess."

986

Beck: Yeah I like Lou a lot.

987

He's one of my favorite characters.

988

And, and around that same time, uh, they

show Vaughn throwing and he hits 96,

989

and that was impressive back in 1989.

990

Now pitchers are hitting

that on the regular.

991

There's a guy named Aroldis

Chapman who throws over 100.

992

That's his regular speed.

993

Dash: I remember there was this

other movie I saw where it was…

994

Was it Rookie of the Year?

995

It's a dumbass movie where

this kid can throw really fast.

996

Beck: Yeah.

997

From a f- arm surgery

998

Dash: you know?

999

The whole plot of, of him throwing 100

miles an hour, that's where most of

00:42:48,071 --> 00:42:49,811

my knowledge about that comes from.

00:42:50,511 --> 00:42:53,481

But yeah, he, he can throw

really, really, really fast.

00:42:54,351 --> 00:42:59,381

They assume that they can train

him to have better aim and so

00:42:59,381 --> 00:43:00,691

they, they let him on the team.

00:43:01,261 --> 00:43:04,041

And then we learn each of the

players has their quirk, you know?

00:43:04,041 --> 00:43:04,191

So,

00:43:04,324 --> 00:43:04,744

Beck: Yeah.

00:43:04,851 --> 00:43:08,161

Dash: pretty boy who doesn't

want to, to field a grounder

00:43:08,161 --> 00:43:10,241

because he might mess his face up.

00:43:10,694 --> 00:43:13,054

Beck: Lew Pease on his

contract, which I liked.

00:43:14,933 --> 00:43:15,853

Dash: you can't make me do that.

00:43:15,853 --> 00:43:16,873

My contract says this.

00:43:16,873 --> 00:43:17,613

What do you think of that?"

00:43:18,652 --> 00:43:19,512

Here's what I think.

00:43:19,904 --> 00:43:20,244

Beck: Zip.

00:43:20,292 --> 00:43:23,102

Dash: Uh, there's the Cuban guy, Serrano,

00:43:23,334 --> 00:43:23,854

Beck: Pedro.

00:43:24,004 --> 00:43:24,324

Yeah

00:43:24,832 --> 00:43:29,042

Dash: has come for religious

freedom, which was so fascinating.

00:43:29,052 --> 00:43:31,872

And the way they introduce his

character is, you know, he's…

00:43:31,932 --> 00:43:38,022

It's a slow motion silent shot of him

walking in this incredible outfit.

00:43:38,032 --> 00:43:42,282

He's a tall dude, this actor,

I think it's Dennis Haysbert.

00:43:42,722 --> 00:43:43,112

Yeah.

00:43:43,852 --> 00:43:48,212

He's a very, very tall dude, and he

was, I wouldn't say, like, jacked.

00:43:48,212 --> 00:43:50,252

He wasn't, like, super muscular.

00:43:50,952 --> 00:43:54,152

Well, no, he, he looked very, very

strong, but it was more like the way he

00:43:54,152 --> 00:43:56,802

was just kind of moving and his presence.

00:43:56,802 --> 00:43:59,342

He was a really striking character.

00:43:59,832 --> 00:44:03,492

And so they're kinda describing all

of these, these guys as they come

00:44:03,492 --> 00:44:05,872

through, and they're like, "Yeah, he

came here for the religious freedom."

00:44:06,216 --> 00:44:08,716

Beck: You re- you realize that's

the State Farm guy, right?

00:44:09,142 --> 00:44:09,752

Dash: Yeah.

00:44:10,032 --> 00:44:10,552

I, I looked

00:44:10,992 --> 00:44:13,042

was like, "Uh, who is this guy?"

00:44:13,332 --> 00:44:14,402

Yeah, he's been in a lot of things.

00:44:14,402 --> 00:44:16,482

He played, like, God on Lucifer.

00:44:17,118 --> 00:44:17,288

Beck: Yeah

00:44:17,988 --> 00:44:20,518

Dash: yeah, the super, super fun…

00:44:20,898 --> 00:44:23,308

His character's interesting though,

because this is where this religious

00:44:23,308 --> 00:44:25,928

tension comes through, and I think

he even, doesn't he convert to

00:44:25,928 --> 00:44:28,208

Christianity or s- he at least repents

00:44:28,457 --> 00:44:31,147

Beck: d- he does the sign of the

cross when they're on the airplane.

00:44:31,486 --> 00:44:36,176

Dash: And but he also like repent,

he like rebukes his god of, of

00:44:36,367 --> 00:44:37,517

Beck: Mm-hmm

00:44:37,706 --> 00:44:39,736

Dash: and I don't think that's the

name of the religion, but, you know,

00:44:39,736 --> 00:44:41,586

for this, the movie calls it that.

00:44:41,969 --> 00:44:43,149

Beck: I wrote down what he said.

00:44:43,469 --> 00:44:46,149

I wrote down so many lines from

this movie, it's ridiculous

00:44:51,937 --> 00:44:55,867

Dash: But yeah, so he, he's, he wants to

practice his religion freely, which is

00:44:55,897 --> 00:45:00,647

interesting because it's like, baseball

being very patriotic and, you know,

00:45:00,647 --> 00:45:04,707

America, yada, yada, that is something

Americans like to pride themselves on.

00:45:04,707 --> 00:45:08,417

But it's also something Christian

nationalists hate about America,

00:45:09,277 --> 00:45:12,587

is that people have the freedom to

practice whatever religion they want.

00:45:13,347 --> 00:45:19,257

So this was a very interesting thing

to introduce Uh, and I don't know the

00:45:19,257 --> 00:45:22,897

other pitcher's name, the older one who's

like the, he's always wanting to pray

00:45:23,597 --> 00:45:24,847

Uh, Ed Harris.

00:45:24,857 --> 00:45:25,787

His name was Harris.

00:45:26,274 --> 00:45:26,664

Beck: Okay

00:45:27,141 --> 00:45:30,211

Dash: But he's, like, He wants them

to have prayers and things like that,

00:45:30,211 --> 00:45:34,731

and he's very, I think, creeped out

and effe- he tells uh, Serrano that

00:45:34,731 --> 00:45:38,331

he should convert or he should accept

Jesus as his savior or whatever.

00:45:38,796 --> 00:45:38,946

Beck: Mm-hmm.

00:45:39,011 --> 00:45:39,681

Dash: the rest of the…

00:45:39,711 --> 00:45:42,581

While he's doing, like, a, a

little service or whatever, and

00:45:42,581 --> 00:45:45,731

the rest, most of the guys are

like, "Oh my God, leave him alone."

00:45:46,431 --> 00:45:50,291

I w- uh, when they, I thought, like,

"What are they gonna do with this?

00:45:50,651 --> 00:45:51,471

Where's this going?

00:45:51,471 --> 00:45:52,291

Why is this here?"

00:45:52,991 --> 00:45:56,271

Beck: I, I l- I think everybody

needed a quirk, and I think, you know,

00:45:56,271 --> 00:45:57,981

that was one they hadn't used yet.

00:45:57,981 --> 00:46:00,161

I- but like you said, it's very

interesting that they do that

00:46:00,451 --> 00:46:04,531

especially with the religious

freedom issues of the late '80s.

00:46:04,821 --> 00:46:09,631

It was something like the, the Muslim

infl- influx was really starting and,

00:46:09,681 --> 00:46:11,711

you know, the, there was a tension there.

00:46:11,711 --> 00:46:15,801

So, uh, maybe they're just commenting

because baseball is a mirror of

00:46:15,801 --> 00:46:18,501

American culture, and I'm sure there

are plenty of guys with different

00:46:18,501 --> 00:46:22,201

religions in the game 'cause it's

an international game now, right?

00:46:22,549 --> 00:46:23,129

Dash: Right

00:46:23,381 --> 00:46:25,341

Beck: every team has a

Japanese player at this point

00:46:26,041 --> 00:46:26,421

Dash: Right.

00:46:27,071 --> 00:46:30,461

That was in there too, like

the, the, the, those two guys

00:46:30,461 --> 00:46:32,151

who were the groundskeepers,

00:46:32,408 --> 00:46:33,038

Beck: They're shitty.

00:46:33,791 --> 00:46:34,641

Dash: they're shitty.

00:46:35,011 --> 00:46:36,421

They're not so shitty anymore.

00:46:36,431 --> 00:46:39,811

Like, they're knowledgeable,

their commentary on it

00:46:39,851 --> 00:46:41,291

they care, they work there.

00:46:41,941 --> 00:46:44,231

But they were also kind of othered.

00:46:44,988 --> 00:46:45,308

Beck: Yeah

00:46:45,311 --> 00:46:47,721

Dash: You never saw them

as part of, like, a group.

00:46:47,721 --> 00:46:51,121

They I don't know, I thought

that was significant as well.

00:46:51,121 --> 00:46:55,111

Like, they didn't, like, go whole

hog on a lot of these commentaries.

00:46:55,111 --> 00:46:56,301

They just kinda introduced them.

00:46:56,541 --> 00:46:59,531

They left them there if you wanted

to, to pick it up and think about it.

00:47:00,231 --> 00:47:03,501

Beck: That's when it says, uh, you think

Jesus Christ can't hit a curve ball

00:47:03,615 --> 00:47:08,625

Dash: I think after spring training or

they, uh, they go, they find out who's on

00:47:08,625 --> 00:47:13,095

the team and who's not, who makes it and

who doesn't, and they go to Cleveland.

00:47:13,795 --> 00:47:20,495

And Jake and Willie and Rick go out

to a fancy French restaurant, and

00:47:20,495 --> 00:47:25,046

um, that's where we're introduced

to Lynn's character, played by

00:47:26,370 --> 00:47:27,640

Beck: Yeah, it's the

worst part of the movie

00:47:28,130 --> 00:47:28,590

Dash: What do you mean?

00:47:28,590 --> 00:47:29,310

Why you say that?

00:47:29,988 --> 00:47:33,938

Beck: I just think that the romantic

interlude was unnecessary and put

00:47:33,938 --> 00:47:36,438

there just to, for women or something.

00:47:36,448 --> 00:47:37,398

That was the idea.

00:47:37,666 --> 00:47:39,656

Dash: and not for, that

was my question too.

00:47:39,666 --> 00:47:40,626

Like, I had the same thought.

00:47:40,636 --> 00:47:41,566

Who's this for?

00:47:42,138 --> 00:47:42,508

Beck: Yeah

00:47:42,686 --> 00:47:48,326

Dash: Are women really watching this

woman get fucking harassed until she

00:47:48,336 --> 00:47:54,436

gives in, breaks up with her fiance,

and, and out with this love bomber again?

00:47:54,852 --> 00:47:56,062

I don't think women are…

00:47:56,322 --> 00:47:57,612

I think it's there for men.

00:47:57,801 --> 00:47:58,161

Beck: Yeah.

00:47:58,402 --> 00:47:58,712

Dash: I think

00:47:59,212 --> 00:48:04,778

wanted to see this washed up

loser pull a beautiful woman,

00:48:04,874 --> 00:48:05,294

Beck: Right

00:48:05,719 --> 00:48:08,959

Dash: even after he had fucked up so

bad, like we don't know what he…

00:48:09,209 --> 00:48:10,559

Well, we do know some

of the things he did.

00:48:10,559 --> 00:48:14,739

He talks about like, they both talk about

the fact that he cheated on her constantly

00:48:14,739 --> 00:48:17,469

and yada, yada, and treated her like shit.

00:48:17,729 --> 00:48:20,219

I think he had substance use problems.

00:48:20,219 --> 00:48:22,069

He was a drinker, partier, whatever.

00:48:22,629 --> 00:48:27,869

The movie gives us no reason to think

that he's changed or that he should…

00:48:28,709 --> 00:48:32,183

if he did change, you know,

hoo-rah, good for him.

00:48:32,193 --> 00:48:33,703

That doesn't mean you are owed a

00:48:34,046 --> 00:48:34,436

Beck: Right.

00:48:35,399 --> 00:48:38,969

Dash: are entitled to just go to

a fucking restaurant and harass

00:48:38,979 --> 00:48:40,739

your ex until she takes you back.

00:48:40,756 --> 00:48:41,216

Beck: Right.

00:48:42,249 --> 00:48:44,739

Dash: he spent talking to her,

I was screaming at the TV.

00:48:46,668 --> 00:48:47,968

Beck: And then he follows her home

00:48:48,799 --> 00:48:51,459

Dash: Everything he did is, I,

I wanted her to call the cops

00:48:51,986 --> 00:48:52,536

Beck: Right?

00:48:53,182 --> 00:48:54,372

Moby Dick of all books

00:48:55,368 --> 00:48:58,498

Dash: Her character was so interesting.

00:48:58,538 --> 00:49:02,908

I wrote down some of the things about

her too, 'cause he follows her…

00:49:03,338 --> 00:49:04,908

First, how did he find

out where she worked?

00:49:05,278 --> 00:49:05,998

He f- okay.

00:49:06,028 --> 00:49:07,468

Wait, let's finish what we

were talking about, right?

00:49:07,468 --> 00:49:11,768

So he sees her with a dude you know,

presumably on a date at this fancy

00:49:11,768 --> 00:49:19,711

restaurant, and calls the hostess

telephone and asks for them to go get her.

00:49:20,111 --> 00:49:22,441

And so they go get her, and they're like,

"Hey, you have a phone call up here."

00:49:22,441 --> 00:49:23,451

And she's like, "Well, that's weird."

00:49:24,151 --> 00:49:27,831

And it's him, and so he's

like, "Hee, hee, I'm cute.

00:49:28,121 --> 00:49:28,871

I'm adorable.

00:49:28,911 --> 00:49:29,881

I'm back in town."

00:49:29,931 --> 00:49:33,291

And he comes down and talks to her,

and just immediately invalidates every

00:49:33,291 --> 00:49:35,031

boundary she tries to set, you know?

00:49:35,114 --> 00:49:35,424

Beck: Right?

00:49:35,921 --> 00:49:37,781

Dash: Uh, and he's like, "You

gotta give me your number.

00:49:37,801 --> 00:49:38,571

Give me your number."

00:49:38,771 --> 00:49:42,411

And she gives him a number

that turns out to be fake.

00:49:42,721 --> 00:49:42,971

Who…

00:49:43,451 --> 00:49:45,581

I don't remember who

it was she had him call

00:49:46,281 --> 00:49:47,101

Beck: I don't think they say

00:49:47,801 --> 00:49:51,251

Dash: He, it was something, in

my mind it was like a, an auto

00:49:51,251 --> 00:49:52,931

mechanic shop or something like that.

00:49:53,631 --> 00:49:55,051

Some, or a factory, I don't know.

00:49:55,051 --> 00:49:57,641

'Cause he was like, "Do you have

somebody named Lynn working there?"

00:49:58,451 --> 00:50:03,801

So she gave him a fake number, and

he just decides to still stalk her

00:50:03,801 --> 00:50:08,001

and track her down and be like, "You

gave me a fake number, you scallywag."

00:50:09,671 --> 00:50:11,461

And she was like, "Well,

let's, let's talk in my office.

00:50:11,461 --> 00:50:12,121

I don't wanna do this here."

00:50:12,151 --> 00:50:14,831

And he's like, "I don't wanna talk in

your office," and follows her around her

00:50:14,841 --> 00:50:17,591

job berating her for not taking him back.

00:50:18,236 --> 00:50:19,586

Beck: Just because he came back in town.

00:50:19,596 --> 00:50:20,566

That's the only reason

00:50:21,266 --> 00:50:22,056

Dash: I'm back.

00:50:22,756 --> 00:50:29,556

Give me your parts now It, it was just

so, I was like, surely to God this is

00:50:29,556 --> 00:50:33,206

gonna, maybe they'll, this'll end in

a way that will redeem this somehow.

00:50:33,848 --> 00:50:34,638

Beck: Yeah, no.

00:50:35,086 --> 00:50:37,066

Dash: it's not a spoiler

to say that it does not.

00:50:40,241 --> 00:50:42,091

But so anyway, we gotta move past that.

00:50:42,091 --> 00:50:43,721

We gotta accept that

for what it is, right?

00:50:43,721 --> 00:50:43,911

It's a

00:50:44,021 --> 00:50:44,531

Beck: Yes.

00:50:44,821 --> 00:50:48,971

Dash: from a misogynist uh, sport context

in a misogynist time period in America.

00:50:49,511 --> 00:50:50,051

Beck: Yes

00:50:50,341 --> 00:50:51,931

Dash: And just laugh at it from now on.

00:50:52,631 --> 00:50:55,621

Beck: Like that Serrano gets

more elaborate as he goes.

00:50:55,951 --> 00:51:00,361

Like, he starts out with just the, the

fireball or whatever, and then he adds

00:51:00,381 --> 00:51:03,541

the rum, and then he adds the smoke,

and then he adds the live chicken,

00:51:03,541 --> 00:51:05,071

and he wants the live t- the snake.

00:51:05,111 --> 00:51:06,691

Yeah, the snake's funny

00:51:07,376 --> 00:51:11,936

Dash: He s- he like literally like sets

off the sprinkler system with a fire.

00:51:12,636 --> 00:51:17,019

And that, I think also it, that

wasn't just about, religion,

00:51:17,029 --> 00:51:18,429

it was also about superstition.

00:51:18,439 --> 00:51:20,289

Like baseball is superstitious

00:51:20,325 --> 00:51:21,225

Beck: Oh, yeah

00:51:21,419 --> 00:51:25,469

Dash: above all, I don't know all other

sports, but like to take it back to

00:51:25,469 --> 00:51:27,959

other maybe comparable sports like NFL.

00:51:28,759 --> 00:51:31,609

Baseball, these, these dudes are wackos

00:51:32,309 --> 00:51:35,159

Beck: Well, you're playing 163

games a year, you know what I mean?

00:51:35,189 --> 00:51:37,909

And where football players

play, what, 13 games, I think.

00:51:38,319 --> 00:51:41,019

So there's a lot more r- there's

a lot more ritual, there's a

00:51:41,019 --> 00:51:43,849

lot more, uh, repetitiveness.

00:51:44,129 --> 00:51:47,349

So you realize that you won last

night, so I'm not gonna wash my socks.

00:51:47,579 --> 00:51:49,659

And then we win again, so

I'm not gonna wash my socks.

00:51:49,659 --> 00:51:51,699

So we won again, I'm

not gonna wash my socks.

00:51:51,939 --> 00:51:55,399

And then you have a really stinky

team i- if you keep winning, you know?

00:51:55,619 --> 00:51:58,529

I'm not gonna cut my hair, or

some people freeze in place.

00:51:58,529 --> 00:52:00,689

If somebody gets a home run and

they were bending over to pick

00:52:00,689 --> 00:52:02,869

something up, they have to just

stand there and wait till it's over.

00:52:02,869 --> 00:52:06,169

Like, people have all kinds of,

of quirks when it comes to b- like

00:52:06,189 --> 00:52:07,979

superstitions when it comes to baseball.

00:52:08,430 --> 00:52:08,970

For sure

00:52:09,080 --> 00:52:11,060

Dash: uh, and they didn't

talk about that much.

00:52:11,060 --> 00:52:12,180

I think they showed it.

00:52:12,290 --> 00:52:16,710

There was the scene where somebody, there

was a home run or something good happened,

00:52:16,710 --> 00:52:23,132

and they showed a whole bullpen this,

like, choreographed stomp, clap, hey

00:52:23,162 --> 00:52:25,152

thing, cross their legs a certain way.

00:52:25,882 --> 00:52:27,352

at first I was like, "What in the hell?"

00:52:27,352 --> 00:52:30,792

And then I remembered the

superstition of baseball.

00:52:31,652 --> 00:52:37,458

So this, like, r- religious war that's

going on between Harris and Serrano,

00:52:38,358 --> 00:52:42,408

i- it's really no, not that, not that

different than somebody not washing

00:52:42,408 --> 00:52:47,948

their socks, because both of them