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5 min readHour 2 - Tuckered Out
Kyle Tucker, the Dodgers' $15.5 million-per-year outfielder, is off to a miserable start in Los Angeles. When asked about it, he didn't deflect or get defensive. He said, "It can work for one at bat or two at bats or something, but just got to make it consistent." That light self-deprecation became the jumping-off point for Ben Maller's second hour, which also covered a Yankees pest getting on MLB's radar, a Brewers prospect's big-money debut, and a spirited debate about whether cinnamon rolls count as donuts.
The Art of Self-Deprecation
Maller argued that Tucker's willingness to poke fun at his own struggles is actually a smart move—what he called "the sports equivalent of a preemptive strike." By acknowledging he's playing poorly, Tucker disarms critics before they can pile on. "If you're willing to crack a few jokes about your own lousy play, then what you have done is you have de-escalated the opposition," Maller said. "You have taken away their ammunition."
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What you'll learn
- 1 (03:06) **Hour 2 Kickoff & Topic Tease** - Ben Maller introduces the hour's topics: Kyle Tucker's self-deprecating humor, MLB's crackdown on Jose Caballero's pitch-clock routine, and Cooper Pratt's Brewers debut.
- 2 (07:25) **Kyle Tucker's Self-Deprecating Humor** - Maller analyzes Tucker's comments on his poor start with the Dodgers, arguing self-deprecation is a smart PR move.
- 3 (13:53) **MLB vs. Jose Caballero's Pitch Clock Gamesmanship** - The league is cracking down on the Yankees' utility man for his deliberate, late-engagement routine at the plate.
- 4 (19:37) **Cooper Pratt's Brewers Debut & The "Wholesale Hope" Contract** - The 21-year-old shortstop went 0-for-3 with an error in his MLB debut after signing a massive pre-debut extension.
- 5 (28:56) **Listener Mailbag & Foxy Tribute** - Maller reads listener texts, including a joke about Pete Crow-Armstrong, a defense of Cooper Pratt, and a note on Kyle Tucker's deferred money.
- 6 (32:44) **Caller: Trent on Donuts & NBA Finals** - A caller from Wichita sparks a debate on whether cinnamon rolls and apple fritters are donuts, then pivots to the NBA Finals.
- 7 (39:13) **Foxy Tribute & Insta Trivia** - Knicks fans buy Aaron Fox jerseys as a "F U" to De'Aaron Fox. Maller poses the trivia question: who is the only other pitcher to be the first to 10 wins, all in relief?
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Ben Maller talks about Dodgers OF Kyle Tucker using some light self-depreciating humor about his season so far, MLB looking to stop the Yankees' Jose Caballero's pitch-clock routine, the odds that Cooper Pratt becomes a star for the Brewers, Maller to the Third Degree, and more!
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