Jessica Kleinschmidt Andy McNamara interview: Rays in seven

In the Jessica Kleinschmidt Andy McNamara interview on Last Call with Andy McNamara, Kleinschmidt picked the Tampa Bay Rays to beat the Cleveland Guardians in seven games. She also credited Guardians manager Stephen Vogt’s bullpen decisions, argued that the Milwaukee Brewers were playing for Bob Uecker, and recalled attending a 2019 World Series game between the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros.

Why did Jessica Kleinschmidt pick the Tampa Bay Rays over the Cleveland Guardians?

Jessica Kleinschmidt picked the Tampa Bay Rays to beat the Cleveland Guardians in seven games, though she expected a close series. She praised both teams’ pitching and the Guardians’ bullpen management under Stephen Vogt, while pointing to the Rays’ defense, their ability to avoid walks and the contributions of their trade-deadline acquisitions.

Stephen Vogt’s bullpen decisions

Kleinschmidt gave Vogt substantial credit for Cleveland’s run. She cited Cade Smith’s seven appearances in eight games as an example of how heavily a manager may need to use trusted pitchers in the postseason. In her view, the usual rhythm of a pitching staff gives way to using its best options when they are needed.

Kleinschmidt put her assessment of Vogt plainly:

I think how a manager can be made or broken is how they manage the bullpen and he's done a phenomenal job

She also warned against overlooking Steven Kwan and praised José Ramírez’s approach at the plate. Having watched Vogt’s work firsthand, Kleinschmidt said she understood why he had been discussed as a Manager of the Year candidate.

Why the Rays got her pick

McNamara noted that Kleinschmidt had previously expected the Rays to do well. She clarified that she had anticipated a strong run but had not made as precise a prediction as people later credited her with making. Looking at this matchup, she liked the Rays’ defense and their reluctance to issue walks, two qualities she considered especially important in the postseason.

She saw useful experience alongside younger contributors on both clubs and thought their smaller budgets could give them a competitive edge. Although she agreed with McNamara that the series could go seven games, they split on the winner: he chose Cleveland, while she chose Tampa Bay.

What did Jessica Kleinschmidt say about the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers?

Jessica Kleinschmidt said she did not expect the Milwaukee Brewers to sweep the Los Angeles Dodgers. She felt Shohei Ohtani’s lack of hitting mattered, though she would not put the result on one player. Her stronger impression was of a Brewers team producing at the plate and, she believed, playing with Bob Uecker in mind.

What surprised her about the Dodgers

McNamara raised the contrast between the Brewers’ smaller-market reputation and the Dodgers’ much larger payroll. Kleinschmidt said she did not think anyone had expected a sweep. She noted that the Dodgers had the pitching to compete, but Blake Snell had not performed as well as she expected, and Ohtani had not been hitting.

She also observed that sustained success and a large payroll can make a team one that other fans want to see lose. That reaction, she suggested, comes with the Dodgers’ position rather than explaining the series by itself.

Bob Uecker and Pat Murphy

For Kleinschmidt, the Brewers’ motivation had a personal dimension. She said she believed they were playing for Uecker and connected that feeling to Christian Yelich’s emotion after a previous elimination. That was her interpretation of what drove the team, not something she claimed to know from its players.

She praised manager Pat Murphy’s emphasis on dependable competitors and described how often Milwaukee seemed to be getting hits as she watched. Facing a team of the Dodgers’ caliber made that production stand out to her. Kleinschmidt said she was happy for the Brewers and felt their success was deserved.

What is Jessica Kleinschmidt’s favorite 2019 World Series memory?

Jessica Kleinschmidt’s favorite World Series memory is attending a 2019 game between the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros. She had never expected to attend a World Series, and she remembers both the game and an improbable exchange in a suite: Jamaal Charles had to get her attention while Rob Friedman tried to hand her a beer.

Andy McNamara’s Toronto Blue Jays memory

McNamara introduced the subject with his own favorite: watching Joe Carter’s home run for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series. He recalled being 12, sitting with his father and seeing the reaction of nearby Phillies fans. Those details were McNamara’s memory, not Kleinschmidt’s.

Kleinschmidt had a separate Joe Carter story. She met him at the College World Series while there for social media work, and he helped her with her swing. She said she had a photo of the moment to send McNamara.

The Nationals–Astros game and a suite encounter

At the 2019 World Series, Kleinschmidt was with Friedman, known as Pitching Ninja, when Charles tapped her shoulder to tell her Friedman was trying to get her attention. She also remembered an ice cream cart in the suite and making her own sundae. The mix of baseball and unexpected company made it her favorite World Series experience.

She summed up what attending meant to her: “I never thought I'd ever be at a World Series.” She also came away with an Instagram photo that remains one of her favorites.

What did Jessica Kleinschmidt say about Diet Coke and coffee?

Jessica Kleinschmidt said Diet Coke is her favorite drink, but coffee comes first each morning. She prefers a hot cup even when the weather is very warm, usually waits until around 11 o’clock for Diet Coke, and insists that Diet Coke and Coke Zero are not interchangeable when she orders one.

Asked what she was drinking, Kleinschmidt spoke enthusiastically about the sound of opening a Diet Coke and its carbonation. A large McDonald’s Diet Coke is a particular favorite. She would rather drink it without lemon or lime, while acknowledging that other people can make their own choice.

Her morning routine is different: she starts with hot coffee regardless of the temperature outside. She said she might drink Diet Coke earlier if she woke up to some left on her bedside table, because she does not want to waste it. Otherwise, late morning is the earliest she normally reaches for one.

What is Jessica Kleinschmidt working on with MILLIONS?

Jessica Kleinschmidt said she was still hosting Short and to the Point on MILLIONS and enjoying the interviews. She also had other work in progress for the next baseball season, but did not identify the projects or give announcement dates. For now, her continuing show was the specific place she directed viewers to find her.

McNamara asked about her work as their conversation ended. Kleinschmidt pointed viewers to MILLIONS, described the interviews for Short and to the Point as fun, and said to watch for future announcements. She offered no further details about the planned baseball-season work.

What fantasy football advice did Andy McNamara give after Jessica Kleinschmidt left?

After Kleinschmidt left, Andy McNamara turned to fantasy football. He urged managers to check game-day injury reports, discussed quarterback options for two-quarterback leagues and identified Tyler Huntley as a possible pickup. He also warned that injuries had made running-back choices especially difficult, including for managers weighing Cleveland Browns options.

Quarterback options and Tyler Huntley

McNamara used his own two-quarterback league to explain the problem of finding a replacement when a starter is unavailable. He discussed Tanner McKee as the option left to him, but said he would explore other choices if he had them. With Lamar Jackson ruled out in the situation he was discussing, McNamara favored considering Huntley.

He cited Huntley’s previous outing against the Atlanta Falcons: 201 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, 20 rushing yards and a rushing score. McNamara thought that production made Huntley worth considering against an injury-hit Browns defense, while stressing the need to monitor availability.

Running-back decisions

At running back, McNamara mentioned Josh Jacobs as eligible to return for the Green Bay Packers the following week, while saying he did not know whether rust would be a factor. He also discussed Browns alternatives if Quinshon Judkins could not play and leaned toward Jaleel McLaughlin as a possible flex choice.

None of those options sounded comfortable to him. His practical advice was to keep checking reports close to game time and act quickly on the waiver wire if a roster still needed help.

Who is Jessica Kleinschmidt?

Jessica Kleinschmidt is a baseball multimedia journalist, Oakland Athletics broadcaster and Baseball America contributor. Her work includes baseball analysis, features and on-air coverage.