The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: Smokin' Dope and Bad Mouthin' His Country
Thu, 01 May 2025
Greg Cote agrees with Stugotz that Joe Mauer should not have been a first ballot Hall of Famer even though he voted for him to be a first ballot Hall of Famer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What is the significance of statues in sports and who deserves one?
It's a fair question, though. It didn't sound condescending at all. It's a fair question.
Is it? Yeah.
Looking out for Bill. You're real concerned about him, are you? I'm real concerned, yeah. I really am. A third of his age?
Wait a minute, but why wouldn't you look out for her? Why are you looking out for him? What about her?
She can handle herself.
He can't? Not yet. What's your vibe? I don't like this. The last 30 seconds, weird.
I'll tell you what his vibe is. Too many statues on Don Staley. Don Staley gets a statue, and all of a sudden, Cody's like, too many statues in sports.
Too many statues in sports. I think it's a fact. There are certain players who deserve a statue. Kobe Bryant, Lou Gehrig, of that stature.
People that you say deserve them. You should be the statue guardian.
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Chapter 2: How do the hosts differentiate between types of Hall of Famers?
Well, you have the Clippers Pacers series for the championship, and you have the Clippers winning, so that's where you're giving the third kind of a record.
I gave Kawhi an extra championship I shouldn't have. I want to ask all of you this question because I don't feel that I've ever heard this word used before Hall of Famer. Mere Hall of Famer. I thought that, and he's not entirely wrong.
Dan, there are Hall of Famers, and then there are Hall of Famers. Thank you. It's a big difference.
I think you just said the same thing. No, no. He's right. He said it in a different way. That's well put by Stugan.
Thank you.
Do it again. Teach me, please.
Dan, there are Hall of Famers, and then there are Hall of Famers. Exactly. Yes.
Lou Gehrig is a Hall of Famer. Yes. Joe Maurer, Hall of Famer.
Zygacki.
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Chapter 3: Why is Joe Mauer's Hall of Fame status debated?
To Greg's point, though, if you're still coaching, you can't have a statue, right? Did she quit? No, she's still coaching. She's still coaching. So you can't give her a statue while she's still coaching. Once she's done and then time has passed, like Greg says, maybe she wins four, five, six.
Put this on the poll as well at Levitard Show. Should we be giving living people of any kind statues?
I have confirmed that my dad did vote for Joe Maurer in 2023. What?
On the first ballot?
Well, he got in on the first ballot, so it's the only ballot he was on.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
No, wait a minute. Just eat the L. What's the caveat? I want to hear the caveat. I'll hear it. I'll allow the hearing of it, and it's fine. But before he gets to the caveat, can you just admit?
that you're wrong about your recollection yeah i was wrong can you admit that you're wrong in having a hall of fame boat that you treat with so little regard that this is not an indictment of your memory but it's an indictment in general of how it is that you do these things that you don't actually care whether someone's first ballot or not because you can't remember whether you voted someone first ballot or not i cherish my hall of fame vote enough to have kept it for a long time unlike yourself who was stripped of his vote for malfeasance and in some cases perhaps
For integrity, not for... Okay, that's what they call it. Tomato potato. But the point I want to make is each ballot allows you a maximum of 10 votes. Occasionally I vote for all 10, more commonly I'll vote for 7 or 8, only the ones who I think are deserving. But let's say I vote for all 10. The one or two at the top, no-brainer, first ballot guys.
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Chapter 4: What are the voting nuances and controversies in Hall of Fame selections?
Chapter 5: How do the hosts discuss the legacy and recognition of sports figures like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade?
Yes. And not on the first ballot, that's for sure. Oh, brother. Thank you. I didn't vote for him on the first ballot, I don't believe. Who would?
You don't believe? You would know. Well, did you get forgetful? Well, who keeps track?
You know, I fill out a ballot every year. They pile up. But... Who keeps track? You probably do. When you're talking about legendary athletes, okay? And this is no disrespect meant to Dwayne Wade, who had an epic career for the Miami Heat. Deserves to have his number raised in the rafters. Deserves to have his number retired. All that stuff. Deserves to have a night at the arena. But a statue...
To me, you reserve, and I don't think the Heat have anyone who merits a statue right now except Pat Riley, and all they did was give him his name on the court.
Well, all they did yesterday was take his job away and fire him all over television.
Well, and fans have been doing that for a couple of years now. Not really. I've seen a lot on social media that makes me go, really?
A few fans, and social media is not representative of an entire fan base, but this is the loudest it's ever been around Pat Riley. This is that, but it doesn't mean that there are a lot of people.
I'm curious, Greg. LeBron James is a bigger player, historically better player, than Dwyane Wade. Obviously won a couple championships here, made it to four finals. Would LeBron getting a statue in front of Miami's arena be okay with you? It matters the person, not the place?
That's a fair question, and I don't know that there's an easy answer for that. LeBron's career... deserves a statue, okay? Like Michael Jordan, LeBron.
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Chapter 6: What role do personal biases and memory play in Hall of Fame voting?
You should be ashamed of yourself.
No, wait a minute. Just eat the L. What's the caveat? I want to hear the caveat. I'll hear it. I'll allow the hearing of it, and it's fine. But before he gets to the caveat, can you just admit?
that you're wrong about your recollection yeah i was wrong can you admit that you're wrong in having a hall of fame boat that you treat with so little regard that this is not an indictment of your memory but it's an indictment in general of how it is that you do these things that you don't actually care whether someone's first ballot or not because you can't remember whether you voted someone first ballot or not i cherish my hall of fame vote enough to have kept it for a long time unlike yourself who was stripped of his vote for malfeasance and in some cases perhaps
For integrity, not for... Okay, that's what they call it. Tomato potato. But the point I want to make is each ballot allows you a maximum of 10 votes. Occasionally I vote for all 10, more commonly I'll vote for 7 or 8, only the ones who I think are deserving. But let's say I vote for all 10. The one or two at the top, no-brainer, first ballot guys.
You know, I mean, Derek Jeter, you know, there's no doubt about it.
No statue for Jeter, by the way. There is one for Ruth. Yeah, there should be.
But the 10th guy on my ballot... Should there be one for Jeter or no? In New York, there should be.
I wasn't putting it in the same parking lot with LeBron. In New York, there should be was an odd way to respond to that.
Did he want it in Iowa?
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Chapter 7: What humorous exchanges happen when discussing potential statues for journalists?
Okay. All right. This is a matter of fact, Jack. If you give Joe Maurer's exact career statistics to a center fielder, to a shortstop, that's not first ballot.
So he's not a first ballot Hall of Famer.
He was because he's a catcher.
Separate wing, Dan. Catcher Hall of Fame, different.
So he is a first ballot Hall of Famer. It's absolutely a different standard.
So he is a first ballot Hall of Famer. Yeah. But he's not.
He is, literally. Whether or not he should have been is marginal.
Okay, should have been, but when you had a choice on should, you said he was.
I gave him my seventh and last vote that year. Had to use it.
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