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Speaker 1: Cincy three sixty about Cincinnati from Cincinnati, sponsored in part

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Speaker 1: by Skyline Chili. Stop by Skyline Chili for a three

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Speaker 1: way or cheese cony today. Feeling good, It's Skyline time.

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Speaker 1: This is ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.

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Speaker 2: Hi, Hello, welcome in. It's a Friday edition of Cincy

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Speaker 2: three sixty right here on the home of the Bengals,

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Speaker 2: ESPN fifteen thirty. Happy to be here with you. As

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Speaker 2: of now, the sun is actually shining. Supposed to get

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Speaker 2: up to seventy five degrees today if you're in temperature

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Speaker 2: sixty three on your Severe Weather station ESPN fifteen thirty.

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Speaker 2: Excited to be with you, know Tony today. Tony hopefully

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Speaker 2: back on Monday. But in the meantime, it is you

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Speaker 2: and me Sea, My guy Drew Wester. Heidi has stepped

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Speaker 2: into the big chair down the hall to fill in

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Speaker 2: on my side of things so that I can sit

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Speaker 2: in here and talk. I'm thankful for Drew doing. That's

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Speaker 2: a long day for me personally. I've got this twelve

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Speaker 2: to three stretch and then I'm back on from six

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Speaker 2: to nine tonight on seven hundred WLWN for Lance McAllister.

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Speaker 2: So a lot of talking, a lot of things to do,

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Speaker 2: a lot of things to discuss. It is obviously a

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Speaker 2: huge college basketball weekend in the area. Tonight the Miami

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Speaker 2: RedHawks go for a perfect regular season. The students at

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Speaker 2: Ohio University began spring break I believe today or yesterday,

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Speaker 2: and so many of them are sticking around for tonight,

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Speaker 2: and I'm sure they have been pregaming tonight's nine pm

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Speaker 2: tip off since last night. It will be a racous

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Speaker 2: crowd in Athens for Miami in Ohio, the Battle of

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Speaker 2: the Bricks, the best rivalry in the MAC, a chance

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Speaker 2: perfection on the line tonight. Obviously big games for UC

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Speaker 2: and Ohio State. Xavier plays as well, Drew. Who do

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Speaker 2: the Flyers? Got Flyers play tonight? Don't they Flyers play tonight?

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Speaker 3: You see, fans are gonna want to tune in and

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Speaker 3: root for the Flyers because they play VCU ahead of

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Speaker 3: you see on many tournament projections. It is time for

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Speaker 3: Cincinnati and Dayton to lay down arms and support one

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Speaker 3: another as the Flyers go up against one of their

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Speaker 3: biggest rivals, VCU at home tonight at seven pm.

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Speaker 2: It's like that the meme of the the Bloods and

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Speaker 2: the Crips outside the Burger King where they're they're joining. Fore,

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Speaker 2: it's incredible, so obviously a big week into college basketball.

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Speaker 2: We'll talk about all of that as the show goes along.

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Speaker 2: We have our typical Friday guest. One o'clock, Charlie Goldsmith

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Speaker 2: is going to join me. I have a list of

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Speaker 2: questions for Charlie about Hunter Green. I don't know if

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Speaker 2: he'll be able to answer them, but I have a

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Speaker 2: list of questions Charlie about Hunter Green. At two o'clock,

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Speaker 2: Tom Glad, the voice of FC Cincinnati, is gonna join

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Speaker 2: us big one for the Orange and Blue. They are

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Speaker 2: on Sunday Night Soccer this weekend, which is the spotlight game.

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Speaker 2: The epicenter of the MLS universe, will be at TQL

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Speaker 2: Stadium Sunday night when FC Cincinnati takes on Toronto. It

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Speaker 2: is Evander Bobblehead Night. Looks like Evander will be able

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Speaker 2: to play. Don't know if he will, but it looks

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Speaker 2: like he will be able to play coming off of

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Speaker 2: that hamstring injury. For FC Cincinnati, Chad Brindle is in

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Speaker 2: for Moe this afternoon. We'll talk to him for quick

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Speaker 2: Hits as well. But to me, the story continues to

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Speaker 2: be what direction are the Reds actually going to go

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Speaker 2: this season? Because if you look at the last few games,

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Speaker 2: and I understand the Cuban national team is not a

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Speaker 2: very good team, that's a minor league caliber baseball team,

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Speaker 2: but the team that they played yesterday in Goodyear is

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Speaker 2: the reigning world champions and they don't have show Hey

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Speaker 2: O Toni in the lineup. And I'm not putting too

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Speaker 2: much stock into spring training baseball, but once again the

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Speaker 2: Reds belt it out double digit runs, this time fourteen

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Speaker 2: of them on thirteen hits. They scored four runs in

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Speaker 2: the first, two runs in the second, four runs in

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Speaker 2: the fifth, and another four runs in the ninth, including

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Speaker 2: a walk off home run by Rhese Hines. Matt McClain

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Speaker 2: went deep, Elie de la Cruz went deep. There seems

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Speaker 2: to be tangible evidence of adjustment and improvement to the

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Speaker 2: most important players on the Reds team. Offensively, hell, even

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Speaker 2: Key Brian Hayes continues to look like a guy who

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Speaker 2: is going to be an offensive contributor. I'm not saying

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Speaker 2: he's a juggernaut. I'm not saying he's show Heo Toni,

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Speaker 2: but Key Brian Hayes at least not an automatic out spencer. Steer,

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Speaker 2: by the way, continues to have good played appearances. Walked

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Speaker 2: twice yesterday. And that's my big thing with the like

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Speaker 2: We've spent a lot of time over the last couple

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Speaker 2: of years going on and on and on about Chris Valaika, right,

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Speaker 2: and his approach to being the hitting coach. And I'll

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Speaker 2: tell you, I just feel like it. And I'm not,

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Speaker 2: again not putting too much stock into what's going on

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Speaker 2: in spring training, but it just feels like the Reds

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Speaker 2: are having better, more professional, more competitive at bats. They

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Speaker 2: are walking a lot more than they are striking out.

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Speaker 2: They are hitting the ball out of the ballpark. Now,

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Speaker 2: yesterday there was a nasty wind blowing out in Goodyear.

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Speaker 2: This game this afternoon they play in Scottsdale, which is

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Speaker 2: a bit of a road trip from Goodyear to take

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Speaker 2: on the San Francisco Giants. But the Reds continue to

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Speaker 2: produce offensively. And if the Reds continue to produce offensively,

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Speaker 2: and they are at any any way consistent, a lot

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Speaker 2: more consistent than they were a year ago, well then

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Speaker 2: the Reds are going to have an opportunity to overcome

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Speaker 2: whatever the diagnosis is. On Hunter Green. That's what I'm

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Speaker 2: most interested in seeing over the course of the season.

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Speaker 2: Earlier today, the Reds announced a handful of transactions. They

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Speaker 2: have reassigned to minor league camp right hander Darren mcackin.

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Speaker 2: They have also reassigned to minor league camp and optioned

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Speaker 2: to Triple A Louisville right hander Julian Aggie are. He

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Speaker 2: was one of those guys vying for the fifth spot

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Speaker 2: infielder Edwin Arroyo, right hander Jose Franco, and outfielder Hector Rodriguez. Additionally,

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Speaker 2: the Reds have reassigned to minor league camp and optioned

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Speaker 2: to Double A Chattanooga infielder Leo Balcazar. There are now

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Speaker 2: forty five players remaining in the Reds major league camp.

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Speaker 2: You know, I was thinking a little bit last night

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Speaker 2: as getting ready for the show, and it just feels

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Speaker 2: like there are expectations for this team in this city

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Speaker 2: that do not match the external expectations of this club.

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Speaker 2: I mean, what was it earlier this week or the

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Speaker 2: week before. We talked to Joe Daniman and he said

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Speaker 2: he needs help being talked off the ninety win ledge

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Speaker 2: and I get it, especially the way they've they've gone offensively,

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Speaker 2: and now the Hunter Green thing obviously affects things a

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Speaker 2: little bit. But even before people knew that the line

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Speaker 2: was eighty one and a half, eighty two and a

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Speaker 2: half maybe eighty three and a half from the outside sources,

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Speaker 2: there's not really a lot of belief in the Reds.

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Speaker 2: And I'm just curious what you think of that. Five one, three, seven,

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Speaker 2: four nine fifteen thirty hour one is the time to

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Speaker 2: get your phone calls in. If you're going to get

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Speaker 2: your phone calls in, because we obviously have a stacked

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Speaker 2: show the rest of the way. What is a realistic

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Speaker 2: expectation in your mind? And maybe not even a realistic expectation,

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Speaker 2: what's a fair expectation? Because I look at some of

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Speaker 2: these projections, whether it's fan graphs or ESPN or whatever

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Speaker 2: data model or plug in it, and they're all kind of,

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Speaker 2: you know, maxing out maybe at eighty five wins for

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Speaker 2: the Reds. And the answer to that question to me is, yeah,

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Speaker 2: that's about right. There are a lot of guys who,

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Speaker 2: as Joe Daneman would say, have the IF pedigree. They

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Speaker 2: absolutely do, but they haven't produced enough at the major

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Speaker 2: league level. And until they do, how are you realistically

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Speaker 2: going to expect them to hang with the Dodgers and

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Speaker 2: the Mets and the Giants and the whoever else is

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Speaker 2: of the world that are going to be competing for

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Speaker 2: World Series championships. It's okay that nobody believes in them.

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Speaker 2: There's data to suggest you probably shouldn't. But I also

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Speaker 2: think the potential and the if pedigree, which has become

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Speaker 2: my favorite term, thank you Joe, does have this team

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Speaker 2: with a very, very high ceiling. It's just can you

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Speaker 2: actually reach that mark or not this season that I

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Speaker 2: find interesting. Other headlines from across the world of sports,

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Speaker 2: sad news yesterday that the great Bob Harlan passed away

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Speaker 2: at the age of eighty nine. Bob Harlan has one

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Speaker 2: of the most incredible stories in the history of professional football.

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Speaker 2: He is one of the most impactful people in the

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Speaker 2: history of professional football. I personally think he should be

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Speaker 2: a Pro Football Hall of Famer. I know he's a

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Speaker 2: Packers Hall of Famer. His story starting with the Packers

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Speaker 2: in the seventies leading up to eventually becoming the president

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Speaker 2: and CEO, the person who revitalized that franchise both on

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Speaker 2: and off the field, and you hear and see the

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Speaker 2: tribute so over the last couple of days, really over

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Speaker 2: the last twenty four hours about Bob Harlan, and you

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Speaker 2: just get to understand and how much of an impact

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Speaker 2: he had, not only on the Green Bay Packers, but

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Speaker 2: on people across football. And it's cool to see the

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Speaker 2: Packers released tribute yesterday. And I mean everybody spoke Ron Wolf,

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Speaker 2: Brian Goodakunz, the current general manager, ed Policy, the CEO,

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Speaker 2: Mike Holmgren, Brett Farve, Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy, I mean everybody,

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Speaker 2: Roger Goodell, Peter King, I mean everybody giving statements on

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Speaker 2: Bob Harlan. And there was a something written about Bob

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Speaker 2: that I think is so incredible and actually applicable to

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Speaker 2: the Bengals. We'll get into that a little bit later on.

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Speaker 2: And I think there need to be more Bob Harlan's

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Speaker 2: in the world, and it's it's a shame that he's

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Speaker 2: no longer with us. Rest in peace to him. Jason Tatum,

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Speaker 2: the great hooper for the Boston Celtics coming back. Would

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Speaker 2: you consider Jason Tatum a guard or a forward? For

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Speaker 2: a four word? Okay, I was gonna say forward, but

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Speaker 2: I had a mental block there. Jason Tatum, ten months

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Speaker 2: after rupturing his achilles is coming back tonight for the

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Speaker 2: Boston Celtics. Pretty incredible when you really think about it.

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Speaker 2: And there was also this quote that I have to

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Speaker 2: ask Drew about because Drew is our resident Cleveland Browns fan,

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Speaker 2: and we're looking for fewer and fewer of those each

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Speaker 2: and every day. But the interim MLB Players Association Executive

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Speaker 2: director Bruce Meyer was meeting with the players yesterday morning

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Speaker 2: or yeah, yesterday morning, and he was talking about salary

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Speaker 2: caps and this is his quote about salary caps. Quote.

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Speaker 2: Salary caps certainly don't guarantee competitive balance. You're very much

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Speaker 2: better off being a Cleveland Guardians fan over the last

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Speaker 2: any number of years than a Cleveland Browns fan. Drew

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Speaker 2: your reaction, He's right, He's very right. Actually he bought

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Speaker 2: on right now.

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Speaker 3: If you ask, you know, the die hard Guardian fan

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Speaker 3: their opinion on this, they would say, well, they don't

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Speaker 3: think the Guardians have gone far enough. They've done what

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Speaker 3: they've done well. Their ownership has spent less than the

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Speaker 3: Reds have. Sure, and you know they went to the

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Speaker 3: ALCS what two years ago, and they did nothing to

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Speaker 3: improve the roster going into last season, they started horrible,

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Speaker 3: and then obviously they rattle off the crazy September they

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Speaker 3: come back from I think it was fourteen and a

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Speaker 3: half games to win the division, to make the playoffs

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Speaker 3: yet again, and then it's kind of just the same

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Speaker 3: old thing every year. You know, the Guardians make the playoffs,

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Speaker 3: and then the ownership doesn't really do a whole lot

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Speaker 3: to improve the team to take them.

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Speaker 2: To that next step.

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Speaker 3: So, you know, what the guy is saying is true,

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Speaker 3: You're probably better off because you know you're gonna you

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Speaker 3: see more sustained success from the Cleveland Guardians than the

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Speaker 3: Cleveland Browns.

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Speaker 2: But yeah, I mean, just because you have a salary

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Speaker 2: cap and just because it might be a league that's

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Speaker 2: more conducive to markets like Cleveland in the NFL doesn't

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Speaker 2: necessarily mean that your execution is going to be correct.

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Speaker 2: But he also used maybe the worst example, because just

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Speaker 2: because there's a salary cap in baseball certainly doesn't mean

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Speaker 2: that Cleveland Guardians are going to be the type of

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Speaker 2: team to spend up to the cap. They would be

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Speaker 2: the argument for a salary floor, if nothing else. So

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Speaker 2: there's a lot of different layers to this, and we're

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Speaker 2: continuing down that path of these two sides negotiating. And

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Speaker 2: I've said it a couple of times. I think Rob

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Speaker 2: Manfred said that they normally don't start negotiating until after

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Speaker 2: the start of the season, which, okay, they seem very

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Speaker 2: far away, but that's what Bruce Meyer, the interim MLBPA

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Speaker 2: executive director said, and I've said it, you know, when

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Speaker 2: me and Tony talked about it previously. I don't know

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Speaker 2: that salary caps are really the answer. The issue is

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Speaker 2: that there is nothing that incentivizes winning, and that there

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Speaker 2: is not a fair and reasonable revenue share for television rights.

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Speaker 2: And I don't know based off RSNS, how you can

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Speaker 2: do that, but I do know there are leagues with

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Speaker 2: heavy RSNS, like the NHL and the NBA that are

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Speaker 2: finding ways to do this correctly. I don't know what

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Speaker 2: the difference is between Baseball and those I'm sure there

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Speaker 2: are differences, especially when there's uh double the amount of

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Speaker 2: games that those two that those leagues play compared to

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Speaker 2: the reds or compared to Major League Baseball, but uh

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Speaker 2: still interesting to see how those things will shake up.

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Speaker 2: Five point three, seven, four, nine, fifteen thirty is the

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Speaker 2: phone number if you want to call in. What's your

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Speaker 2: expectation for the Reds? What's a realistic, fair expectation for

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Speaker 2: the Reds? And also, what was your reaction, speaking of

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Speaker 2: what's the word I want to look for, execution competence.

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Speaker 2: What was your reaction yesterday when Santiago Spinol was among

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Speaker 2: those hitting dingers for the Los Angeles Dodgers. First of all,

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Speaker 2: hilarious troll job by Dave what's that guy's name, the

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Speaker 2: manager of the Dave Roberts. Troll job by Dave Roberts

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Speaker 2: to bat Santiago Espinal in the cleanup spot against the

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Speaker 2: Reds yesterday and that spin All goes off. How about

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Speaker 2: Santiago Espinal and Nixon Zell both hitting home runs against

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Speaker 2: the Reds yesterday and goodyear, that is just chef's kiss

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Speaker 2: right there. I love it so much.

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Speaker 3: Espinall hit two more home runs yesterday than he did

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Speaker 3: in one hundred and sixty three games for.

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Speaker 2: The Reds last It's incredible. And I remember I was

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Speaker 2: talking to Mike in LA yesterday and I was like, Dude,

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Speaker 2: Santiago Espinal stunk because he's over there talking him up

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Speaker 2: now that he's a Dodger and I said, santiasgo Espinal

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Speaker 2: stunk last year for the Reds. And you know Mike

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Speaker 2: of course took offense to this and boom, SB goes

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Speaker 2: out and hits two homes. Let's just say, now, I

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Speaker 2: gotta I gotta eat, I gotta eat the crow. It

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Speaker 2: was he got a hold of a couple of those

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Speaker 2: bad boys. Though you'll hear one of the home runs

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Speaker 2: the red shit when we get back. This is since

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Speaker 2: he three sixty ESPN fifteen thirty.

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Speaker 4: It's like ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports station.

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Speaker 2: Breaking that doll.

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Speaker 5: Here's a drive into center field Ellie dayla Cruise, over

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Speaker 5: the batter's eye and out of here with a two

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Speaker 5: run home run, a no doubt or the center field.

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Speaker 5: In fact, the center fielder Siani took one step back.

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Speaker 2: And said to get about.

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Speaker 6: Look, I don't folks, I don't know how big that

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Speaker 6: wall is in center field, but it cleared it by

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Speaker 6: about five feet dead center. Oh my goodness, that was

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Speaker 6: a bomb. Second right handed too.

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Speaker 2: Another right handed homer for Ella Zardo de la Cruise.

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Speaker 2: Oh and this one was launched. I believe they said

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Speaker 2: four hundred and sixty three feet or four hundred and

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Speaker 2: sixty eight feet. I think it went a lot further

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Speaker 2: than that. I mean he got up into the jet

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Speaker 2: stream out there in Goodyear and well over the batter's eye.

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Speaker 2: And anytime you hear a reaction like that from the Cowboy,

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Speaker 2: you know somebody got a hold of one. And Ellie did.

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Speaker 2: He wasn't the only Red to get a hold of one. Yesterday.

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Speaker 2: Will Benson went deep, Matt McClain went deep. Nathaniel Lowe

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Speaker 2: launched one himself. There was also a walk off home

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Speaker 2: run by Reese Hines, a three run walk off home

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Speaker 2: run at the bottom of the ninth for the Reds

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Speaker 2: to knock off the Dodgers in Cactus League action. Yesterday,

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Speaker 2: Will Benson I feel like, is gonna make this ball club.

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Speaker 2: Reese Hines and Blake Dunn are making a case. They

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Speaker 2: really are. Makes me wonder what the future of one

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Speaker 2: JJ Bledah is going to be. JJ Blade yesterday did

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Speaker 2: have one of the worst throws I've ever seen from

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Speaker 2: right field to home plate. But he's been good this

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Speaker 2: spring too. They've all been good, I mean offensively. You

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Speaker 2: can't complain about anything. Uh, let's go to the phones.

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Speaker 2: Five on three, seven, four, nine, fifteen thirty, looking for legitimate,

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Speaker 2: realistic fair expectations for the Reds because you look at

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Speaker 2: the projections across Major League Baseball and it's eighty one,

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Speaker 2: eighty two, eighty three. I was just looking. USA today

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Speaker 2: has the Reds at eighty three and seventy nine. That

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Speaker 2: has them third in the National League Central, behind Chicago

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Speaker 2: and behind Milwaukee. What say you? Five on three, seven, four, nine,

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Speaker 2: fifteen thirty. Let's go to Ian in Cincinnati. Ian, what

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Speaker 2: do you think?

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Speaker 7: All right, here's my theory.

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Speaker 2: Okay, kind of goofy, but it makes.

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Speaker 7: Sense to me, and that is.

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Speaker 8: You have your manager in its second year, got the field.

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Speaker 8: You can see it kind of shaping over the season

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Speaker 8: last year. Okay, Now you take my goofy part of

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Speaker 8: my theory. I sometimes will buy for my wife five

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Speaker 8: to ten five dollars scratch off kickets, okay, and when

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Speaker 8: you stack enough, one of them will hit. Sometimes it

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Speaker 8: takes time for that to happen. And that's how I

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Speaker 8: kind of look at the Reds with their offense, needing

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Speaker 8: guys in the outfield left her of dudes times Suarez,

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Speaker 8: we know that he can hit.

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Speaker 7: But here's where it all ties together. If they could

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Speaker 7: just have an average health because we know how it goes.

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Speaker 7: There's always some injuries. Green we already got it started early.

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Speaker 8: And I don't want to say fools Gold or anything,

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Speaker 8: but my positive mind thinks, if we could just keep

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Speaker 8: the average and.

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Speaker 7: You have enough dudes that actually could.

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Speaker 8: Hit in the real season like this, and it's not

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Speaker 8: fools Gold times.

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Speaker 7: This is the kicker, and this is my question to

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Speaker 7: you to end it.

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Speaker 8: I think that the Reds pitching coach and their development

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Speaker 8: has got to be probably one of.

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Speaker 7: The best, if not the best, in the league. I

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Speaker 7: equate it to like Joe Burrow. He's got the stuff.

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Speaker 8: We just need an average defense on the Bengals. I

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Speaker 8: think the same thing with the Reds in that way.

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Speaker 7: With the coaching staff, with the pit I'm very bullish.

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Speaker 7: So if we could just keep average health between.

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Speaker 8: Pitching and guys out in the field, because you know,

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Speaker 8: Steers have beat.

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Speaker 7: These guys at the core, we know who they are.

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Speaker 8: But that's that's my theory, man, And I think this

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Speaker 8: year might be that that fifth five dollars lottery ticket

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Speaker 8: where me and my wife actually hit and won like

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Speaker 8: a hundred dollars.

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Speaker 2: Okay, So who's like, who's that guy, who's the lottery ticket,

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Speaker 2: who's the scratch off? You think that needs to hit

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Speaker 2: for this team. As far as hitting, yeah, like or

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Speaker 2: it could be pitching. It doesn't matter, like which one

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Speaker 2: do you think can be the one to put them

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Speaker 2: over the top and get you back in the green?

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Speaker 8: All right? My opinion on pitching, I'm very bullish, almost

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Speaker 8: extremely arrogant. I think that you have multiple guys turns

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Speaker 8: louder that if they just stay healthy.

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Speaker 7: I mean, I think we're stacked, man.

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Speaker 8: And as far as hitting, h I really believe that

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Speaker 8: Matt McClain really could be coming into form and we all.

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Speaker 7: Want to doubt him and everything. It's just something about

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Speaker 7: that guy, you know what I'm saying.

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Speaker 8: And he's kind of the noto between the table, and

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Speaker 8: you got your veteran there Suarez to really influence these guys.

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Speaker 7: Vibe wise, so that you know, I'm just very optimistic.

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Speaker 7: What else do I have to be. We live in

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Speaker 7: Cincinnati to kind of be crazy?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I hear you, Ian, thank you for the phone call.

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Speaker 2: I appreciate it.

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Speaker 9: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: So I mean I don't hate that at all, Like

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Speaker 2: I don't think there's anything wrong with being optimistic, because

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Speaker 2: when you do look at it on paper, there is

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Speaker 2: every reason to feel like this team could be really good.

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Speaker 2: But because like Ian said, we're kinda used to and

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Speaker 2: always waiting for the other shoot to drop, you kind

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Speaker 2: of wait for something bad to happen, or you adjust

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Speaker 2: your expectations internally to say, Okay, well, so and so

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Speaker 2: is going to get hurt, or so and so is

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Speaker 2: going to go in a slump and they won't be

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Speaker 2: able to beat the Pirates again, or they won't be

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Speaker 2: able to beat the Brewers again, whatever it might be.

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Speaker 2: And so you temper your expectations because you're used to

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Speaker 2: getting hurt so often by the way that the team underperforms.

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Speaker 2: But on the flip side of that, there is still

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Speaker 2: so much to look at and say, gosh, if this

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Speaker 2: could just happen, if he could just get that thing

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Speaker 2: that clicks for him offensively, or if he can just

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Speaker 2: nail that third pitch, or if Graham Ashcraft could just

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Speaker 2: stop freaking walking. Guys when he comes into the game

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Speaker 2: like little stuff like that. And you know, I've given

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Speaker 2: Joe Danaman a hard time about the if pedigree, but

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Speaker 2: he's right like that, You look at the Matt McClain

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Speaker 2: that we saw for twenty twenty three. You look at

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Speaker 2: the Matt McClain that we've seen so far through camp.

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Speaker 2: You look at the Ellie de la Cruz that you

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Speaker 2: saw last year prior to his quad injury, and you're like, damn, Like,

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Speaker 2: there's there's legit stuff here. Spencer Steer after he got

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Speaker 2: one hundred percent after that shoulder, another twenty home run season.

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Speaker 2: He keeps doing that like there is plenty to get

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Speaker 2: excited about. In hell, those young pitchers, I mean, the

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Speaker 2: way that Louder performs, the way that Burns is performing.

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Speaker 2: Like I feel really good about them being able to

402
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Speaker 2: withstand whatever it is is wrong with Hunter Green if

403
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Speaker 2: they are just mildly consistent on offense. But again, not

404
00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:07,600
Speaker 2: a very sexy topic is the depth. Well, we just

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Speaker 2: started talking about how maybe JJ Blede is the odd

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Speaker 2: man out because of how good the depth is. All

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Speaker 2: of a sudden, Nathaniel Lowe is going to make this

408
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Speaker 2: team left handed pop that they've been looking for for

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Speaker 2: quite some time. Will Benson the versatility in the outfield.

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Speaker 2: He continues to be a much different player than he

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Speaker 2: was a year ago. Reese Hines, is you want to

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Speaker 2: talk about tangible evidence of improvement. Reese Hines is not

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Speaker 2: chasing that darting away down and away breaking pitch anymore.

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Speaker 2: He's walking less frequently, he's making more contact. He's one

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Speaker 2: of the fastest players in the organization and defensively has

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Speaker 2: taken a step forward. And you can say all the

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Speaker 2: same stuff I just said about Reesehigins for Blake Dunn.

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Speaker 2: There's development that's happening, but it is time to change

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Speaker 2: the IF pedigree into reality. That's what gets them into

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Speaker 2: the next step. At the end of the day, it's

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Speaker 2: all about the execution and not the potential. And it's

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Speaker 2: I think hard for me, and maybe it's hard for

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Speaker 2: you as a fan to look around and say, yeah,

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Speaker 2: they're gonna this is it, this is gonna be the year.

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Speaker 2: And even if you do feel like they'll be good

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Speaker 2: and they'll be competitive, it is always kind of hanging

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Speaker 2: in the back of your head that, well, the Dodgers

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Speaker 2: are still here, or the Mets still spend a bunch

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Speaker 2: of money, the Phillies have redone their I mean, they're

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Speaker 2: still really good. It's it's what sucks about being a

431
00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,560
Speaker 2: baseball fan is that you feel like even as good,

432
00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:37,840
Speaker 2: or even if you reach your ceiling, you may not

433
00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:40,480
Speaker 2: be able to get past the evil empires that are

434
00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:44,720
Speaker 2: the teams on the coast. But I don't know how

435
00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:46,960
Speaker 2: you don't look at this team and think, man, if

436
00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,719
Speaker 2: they could just put it all together one time, it

437
00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:52,240
Speaker 2: could be a special run. That's kind of how I feel.

438
00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,200
Speaker 2: I want to know what you think. Five on three, seven, four, nine,

439
00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:58,960
Speaker 2: fifteen thirty. Let's go to Eddie in Green Township. What's up, Eduardo?

440
00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:02,160
Speaker 4: Not a whole lot, Austin. How do you guys going today?

441
00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:04,360
Speaker 2: I'm doing well. What's on your mind?

442
00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:06,879
Speaker 4: I'm doing great too. We got twenty more days to

443
00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:10,640
Speaker 4: opening Day. Yes, what I got for you guys is

444
00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:14,879
Speaker 4: my expectations. I feel this has to be the season

445
00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:20,320
Speaker 4: the Reds get to the postseason, and when a postseason

446
00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:22,679
Speaker 4: series at the very least, I think anything less than

447
00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:23,920
Speaker 4: is considered a disappointment.

448
00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:28,160
Speaker 2: Right, I agree? He agreed? Yeah, I agree one hundred percent.

449
00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:29,840
Speaker 2: I think that's more than fair. They have way too

450
00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:32,879
Speaker 2: much talent and they've been building towards this for the

451
00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:37,040
Speaker 2: last couple of years. The bare minimum is a series

452
00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:38,480
Speaker 2: victory in the postseason.

453
00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:42,080
Speaker 4: Yes, this kind of feels like I want to say

454
00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:45,600
Speaker 4: twenty twelve season coming up. But I'm with you, guys.

455
00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:47,199
Speaker 4: I feel like this is the team that's like on

456
00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:49,320
Speaker 4: the cuss now finally putting it all together. We would

457
00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:51,680
Speaker 4: talking about the team like three or four years ago, like, hey,

458
00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:52,920
Speaker 4: the window is supposed.

459
00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:54,480
Speaker 9: To be twenty twenty five, twenty.

460
00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:54,800
Speaker 7: Six and beyond.

461
00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:57,119
Speaker 4: Well we're here now, right, this is year two of

462
00:26:57,200 --> 00:26:59,320
Speaker 4: care for Antona. These guys have been there for three

463
00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:01,800
Speaker 4: or four years now. Als just here, Eli de Lapruz, Maut,

464
00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:05,960
Speaker 4: McClean looks great so far. The Hunter Green news not

465
00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:07,760
Speaker 4: ideal to start the season off. I didn't want to

466
00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:10,120
Speaker 4: put our pitching depths, you know, to the test right

467
00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:11,720
Speaker 4: away round the bay, but you know, it.

468
00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:12,359
Speaker 9: Is what it is.

469
00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:15,000
Speaker 4: Let's just hopefully he doesn't have the best significant time,

470
00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:17,719
Speaker 4: maybe a month or two at the worst. But our rotation,

471
00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:20,040
Speaker 4: like I said Austin, is still pretty good. I mean,

472
00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:23,639
Speaker 4: if you've got a rotation of Nickelodolo, Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer,

473
00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:25,919
Speaker 4: Rhet Louder and Chase Burns and stuff the season off,

474
00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:28,240
Speaker 4: that's still not a bad rotation. Many teams would take

475
00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:30,160
Speaker 4: that rotation start the season, you know.

476
00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,960
Speaker 2: I mean, especially as nasty as Lodolo has been at times.

477
00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:38,680
Speaker 2: I think it's fair to like have some pause because

478
00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:41,399
Speaker 2: he's one of those dudes that's been injured too. And

479
00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:44,600
Speaker 2: once you get past Brandon Williamson, there's really not a

480
00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:47,399
Speaker 2: lot of starting pitching depths inside the organization. Now the

481
00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:51,000
Speaker 2: Reds have said they haven't gone and started considering some

482
00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:54,240
Speaker 2: of those potential guys. Maybe they will depending on the

483
00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:56,600
Speaker 2: news they get from Hunter Green. But you're exactly right,

484
00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:59,320
Speaker 2: like there is it's as of now they're built to

485
00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:02,359
Speaker 2: withstand that injury. It could get hairy quickly with the

486
00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:06,160
Speaker 2: starting rotation. But the other dudes have big league experience,

487
00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:08,400
Speaker 2: and they've added some veterans in to kind of help

488
00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:11,399
Speaker 2: with the young guys, and you've got Terry Francona. I

489
00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:12,679
Speaker 2: think they're out of excuses.

490
00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:16,160
Speaker 4: Yeah, the hitting looks great so far in spring training.

491
00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:18,720
Speaker 4: Like you said, the pitching is my little concern because

492
00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:21,719
Speaker 4: you have three guys that are coming back from season

493
00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:27,120
Speaker 4: long injuries Brandon Williamson, RTT Louder and UH Julian Aguilar,

494
00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:30,720
Speaker 4: and the pitching has to look too good in spring training. Grant,

495
00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:32,480
Speaker 4: this spring training, you know you can't put to his

496
00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:35,240
Speaker 4: stock in the spring training hitting and pitching. But you

497
00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:37,119
Speaker 4: know they're working on things and stuff, but the pitching

498
00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:39,440
Speaker 4: so far is a little concerning. If they're a pitching

499
00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:41,360
Speaker 4: like this the end of spring training, like Pegan and

500
00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:43,840
Speaker 4: Stanton and the main guys are the of team still

501
00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:46,040
Speaker 4: continue to struggle, I'm gonna be a little concern with

502
00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:48,680
Speaker 4: the bullpen and the rotations. You know that being tested.

503
00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:51,600
Speaker 4: But look to pick. Can you know ex seed expectations

504
00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:53,240
Speaker 4: and the experts that they're gonna win eighty two eight

505
00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:55,360
Speaker 4: three games and go up there and just make the

506
00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:57,560
Speaker 4: postseason for the first time in back to back season

507
00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:01,160
Speaker 4: since twenty twelve twenty thirteen, and we'll get past the

508
00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:04,040
Speaker 4: first round because god dang it, I've never seen the

509
00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:06,240
Speaker 4: rest on a playoff set in my life. You want

510
00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:06,600
Speaker 4: to see it?

511
00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:09,040
Speaker 2: You and thanks for you and me both. Eddie, thank

512
00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:10,840
Speaker 2: you for the phone call. Good to hear from you.

513
00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:16,120
Speaker 2: I mean, technically I was like five months old, but

514
00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:20,000
Speaker 2: that doesn't count. We all agree that doesn't count. I

515
00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:22,000
Speaker 2: like this conversation. Let's keep it going. Let's talk to

516
00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:24,960
Speaker 2: Paul and Price Hill and John Michael next on ESPN

517
00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:25,720
Speaker 2: fifteen thirty.

518
00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:30,360
Speaker 1: You're listening to Tony Pike sincey three sixty on ESPN

519
00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:36,280
Speaker 1: fifteen thirty.

520
00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:38,800
Speaker 2: Going out to Goodyear talking to Charlie Goldsmith twenty five

521
00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:42,720
Speaker 2: minutes from right now. Chuck actually probably on his way

522
00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:45,160
Speaker 2: to Scottsdale to watch the Reds where they played the

523
00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:48,960
Speaker 2: San Francisco Giants this afternoon. It's a three zero five

524
00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:50,920
Speaker 2: first pitch. We'll give you the Red lineup coming up

525
00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:54,080
Speaker 2: later on in the show, but right now we're looking

526
00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:58,600
Speaker 2: for realistic fair expectations for the twenty twenty six Reds

527
00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:02,320
Speaker 2: now less than three weeks way until opening day. Welcome in.

528
00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:04,800
Speaker 2: This is since he three sixty. I'm Austin Elmore. Let's

529
00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:08,680
Speaker 2: go to Price Hill and talk to Paul. What's up, Paul, Hey,

530
00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:10,000
Speaker 2: good to talk to you.

531
00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:16,320
Speaker 10: Likewise, I am, I've got the Reds. I'm cautiously optimistic. Okay,

532
00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:20,520
Speaker 10: eighty six right in there. But the whole thing I

533
00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:23,840
Speaker 10: wanted to talk about was I really think that all

534
00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:26,680
Speaker 10: this comes down to, and I'm not always a manager guy.

535
00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:29,280
Speaker 10: With I don't think they make that much of a difference,

536
00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:33,040
Speaker 10: but I think with Francona, how everybody respects him and I,

537
00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:35,960
Speaker 10: you know, I think I respect him. He's a great personality.

538
00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:38,479
Speaker 10: But I think it's the question is going to be

539
00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:42,280
Speaker 10: all those what if guys Let's say, you know, maybe

540
00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:44,120
Speaker 10: three or four of them will come through, but there'll

541
00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:47,320
Speaker 10: be some that don't. How soon will he move on

542
00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:49,960
Speaker 10: from them? Because you talked about all that depth, he

543
00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:52,760
Speaker 10: will have like three or four guys in Triple A

544
00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:55,360
Speaker 10: that you know. I think he needs to pull the

545
00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:58,360
Speaker 10: trigger sooner on the guys that aren't, you know, like

546
00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:00,560
Speaker 10: keep Brian Hayes would be one example.

547
00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:03,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a good point, Paul, because I think there

548
00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:06,640
Speaker 2: was times last year where he held on to Santiago

549
00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:09,840
Speaker 2: espanall too long, and he held on to Matt McClain

550
00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:13,360
Speaker 2: too long, and then it just kind of caused a

551
00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:17,840
Speaker 2: hole in the lineup or it caused an issue and offensively,

552
00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:20,040
Speaker 2: And I don't know if that was because they didn't

553
00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:22,960
Speaker 2: really have the dudes to lean on then that they

554
00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:25,040
Speaker 2: do now and you're just kind of forcing it to happen.

555
00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:26,520
Speaker 2: But I agree with you. I think there were some

556
00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:29,680
Speaker 2: times last year where it's like, Okay, this isn't working,

557
00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:31,800
Speaker 2: let's shake it up. And he was a little more

558
00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:33,240
Speaker 2: patient than I expected.

559
00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:36,000
Speaker 10: Yeah, And I don't know whose decision it was. I

560
00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:38,600
Speaker 10: don't remember. There was a three week period where they

561
00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:41,080
Speaker 10: carried Austin Win as a third catcher and he got

562
00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:41,960
Speaker 10: like two at bats.

563
00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:44,760
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, he was hit the ball pretty good.

564
00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:46,920
Speaker 10: I thought it was when I was watching a major

565
00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:48,440
Speaker 10: college team and he was a walk on.

566
00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:51,520
Speaker 9: I mean, it just didn't Yeah.

567
00:31:51,640 --> 00:31:53,280
Speaker 10: I don't know if that was a management or if

568
00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:55,760
Speaker 10: that was Francona, but you know, you know, if the

569
00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:58,160
Speaker 10: team was winning every game, that'd be great. Let him

570
00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:01,400
Speaker 10: sit so that, you know, just a little stuff. And

571
00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:06,480
Speaker 10: I do think, you know, between McLain and Ali data

572
00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:09,680
Speaker 10: Cruz and all that stuff, he's talked about resting the

573
00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:15,760
Speaker 10: guy or you know, sitting them down when they aren't performing, right.

574
00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:18,360
Speaker 10: I hope he applies it to the other players too.

575
00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:21,080
Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree with you one hundred percent, Paul, Thank

576
00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:24,520
Speaker 2: you for the phone call. And yeah, that's that's the thing. Like,

577
00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:28,000
Speaker 2: and Francona was asked about this yesterday when they were

578
00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:31,400
Speaker 2: on ESPN. He's been asked about it throughout spring training,

579
00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:34,280
Speaker 2: like what was your message to the team this year?

580
00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:37,680
Speaker 2: How did it differ from a year ago? And and

581
00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:39,880
Speaker 2: the players have talked about this, and Tino has talked

582
00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:43,960
Speaker 2: about this is that it's time, like there's no more

583
00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:46,800
Speaker 2: waiting around. You got to taste the champagne at the

584
00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:49,360
Speaker 2: end of last season, you got to go and experience

585
00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:52,120
Speaker 2: the playoffs, you went up and up against the best

586
00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:55,760
Speaker 2: player on the planet. Like you've experienced all that. Now

587
00:32:55,800 --> 00:33:00,960
Speaker 2: it's time to go. And I think that that sometimes

588
00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:03,240
Speaker 2: is a message that can be too much for a

589
00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:07,640
Speaker 2: team to handle, especially a young team. But when you've

590
00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:11,920
Speaker 2: propped up the young team with veterans, guys like Pagan,

591
00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:16,360
Speaker 2: guys like Key Brian Hayes, guys like Jose Travino, you

592
00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:22,960
Speaker 2: add in pieces like like Nathaniel Lowe, like maybe JJ Bledah,

593
00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:26,200
Speaker 2: whatever it might be. I think that can be the

594
00:33:26,280 --> 00:33:29,040
Speaker 2: right mix, that can be the right concoction. And he

595
00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:31,960
Speaker 2: does have a deeper bench, and I would hope that

596
00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:37,760
Speaker 2: he is less patient and that there are some lessons

597
00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:40,480
Speaker 2: learned from Terry Francona. And I think one of the

598
00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:42,960
Speaker 2: things about Tito is he always sees the good in guys.

599
00:33:43,560 --> 00:33:43,720
Speaker 9: Right.

600
00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:46,400
Speaker 2: He doesn't want to be the guy that has to

601
00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:48,719
Speaker 2: tell you no, doesn't want to be the guy who

602
00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:53,080
Speaker 2: has to to be responsible for taking you out of

603
00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:57,080
Speaker 2: the game. And maybe last year that was just he

604
00:33:57,120 --> 00:33:58,880
Speaker 2: was he was back in the swing of things and

605
00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:03,000
Speaker 2: just was looking at everything glass at full Well. Then

606
00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:06,360
Speaker 2: the season ends and you realize, gosh, we really underperformed

607
00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:08,279
Speaker 2: and we didn't do well enough, and now you have

608
00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:11,359
Speaker 2: a better team and the pressure has been turned up,

609
00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:15,600
Speaker 2: not only externally but internally as well. Then I'm curious

610
00:34:15,640 --> 00:34:18,920
Speaker 2: to see how those decisions will now differ because of that.

611
00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:21,520
Speaker 2: Let's go out to our old friend John Michael, who

612
00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:23,399
Speaker 2: wants to talk a little bit about the rest. Hi. John,

613
00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:23,959
Speaker 2: how are you.

614
00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:26,160
Speaker 9: Hey, Austin?

615
00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:26,799
Speaker 6: How you going?

616
00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:29,520
Speaker 2: It's it's been a long time since I've heard your voice.

617
00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:31,319
Speaker 2: Is everything? Well? How's your mom?

618
00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:33,799
Speaker 5: Wow?

619
00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:34,560
Speaker 8: Mom's good.

620
00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:34,799
Speaker 2: Uh.

621
00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:36,880
Speaker 9: We did BEANNGO on Wednesday.

622
00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:41,280
Speaker 8: I think she won like a mug in fourteen dollars,

623
00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:42,439
Speaker 8: so that was pretty cool.

624
00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:43,840
Speaker 9: I'm getting a haircut.

625
00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:45,200
Speaker 2: Is she a big coffee drinker?

626
00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:47,160
Speaker 9: Mom?

627
00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:50,560
Speaker 8: No, she just gets those mugs because I got a

628
00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:52,680
Speaker 8: cricket at home and I'll do decals on it.

629
00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:54,719
Speaker 9: It says world's best mom. She probably got like one

630
00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:55,799
Speaker 9: hundred and ten of them.

631
00:34:55,960 --> 00:34:57,880
Speaker 2: Wow, that's pretty cool. I didn't know you were a

632
00:34:57,880 --> 00:34:59,240
Speaker 2: cricket profession.

633
00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:02,520
Speaker 9: Oh, you have no idea.

634
00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:08,680
Speaker 8: I'm I'm a wizard, but uh no, talking about the Reds. Yeah,

635
00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:11,960
Speaker 8: you know, if people keep on banging about to Brian Hayes,

636
00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:14,520
Speaker 8: we'll see a lifetime two fifty hitter. Let's get him

637
00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:17,840
Speaker 8: up to two fifty and with him playing third base,

638
00:35:18,239 --> 00:35:20,000
Speaker 8: that's gonna cut they need to cut.

639
00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:20,560
Speaker 9: The airs down.

640
00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:24,600
Speaker 8: And him playing third base next to the next to Ellie,

641
00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:28,840
Speaker 8: that that diminishes Ellie going to his right in the

642
00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:31,000
Speaker 8: hole because he's got a third base and that can

643
00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:31,480
Speaker 8: go to his.

644
00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:34,320
Speaker 9: Left and get everything. That's gonna cut down on airs

645
00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:34,880
Speaker 9: right there.

646
00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:40,279
Speaker 7: So the two biggest the two biggest question marks besides

647
00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:44,840
Speaker 7: that is can South Stewart be a poor man's Nick Kerts?

648
00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:47,640
Speaker 8: Can he hit twenty five home runs drive in seventy

649
00:35:47,640 --> 00:35:52,440
Speaker 8: five to eighty And Matt McClain obviously the biggest question

650
00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:55,279
Speaker 8: mark on the team. If Matt McClain can be the

651
00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:58,680
Speaker 8: guy they drafted, which he's shown in spring training. But

652
00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:02,200
Speaker 8: last time I checked David Seplet he hit like seven

653
00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:07,480
Speaker 8: hundred and fifty one year in spring training. Yeah, you know, so,

654
00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:11,160
Speaker 8: I mean with that being said, and the pitching, that's fine.

655
00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:14,440
Speaker 8: Their biggest issue is the seventh and the eighth inning.

656
00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:16,600
Speaker 9: YEP, so if they can cut that.

657
00:36:16,680 --> 00:36:18,360
Speaker 8: Down, they'll be fine.

658
00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:21,759
Speaker 9: So I don't you know, and Tito Francona, look at

659
00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:22,960
Speaker 9: his track record.

660
00:36:22,920 --> 00:36:26,880
Speaker 8: Pretty good in the second year, figure out except for Philadelphia.

661
00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:28,440
Speaker 4: But I don't know.

662
00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:31,279
Speaker 9: I'm all big spaceball guy. I'm just you know, I'm

663
00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:32,160
Speaker 9: on the privy button.

664
00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:34,960
Speaker 2: Right, You're clearly not a very big baseball guy to

665
00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:37,880
Speaker 2: drop a poor man's Nick Kurtz in the in the

666
00:36:37,880 --> 00:36:38,960
Speaker 2: the spiel you just gave.

667
00:36:40,680 --> 00:36:43,560
Speaker 9: Well, I do spaceball cards because they's popular. I could

668
00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:47,280
Speaker 9: go fifty of him. Yeah, I got thirty six dollars

669
00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:47,799
Speaker 9: on e Bay.

670
00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:50,120
Speaker 7: But yeah, I mean, like, just.

671
00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:51,240
Speaker 4: Keep Brian Hayes.

672
00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:52,279
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a good point.

673
00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:53,520
Speaker 9: Even if he's not hitting.

674
00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:56,480
Speaker 4: Wow, he's gonna cut down on Ellie's.

675
00:36:55,840 --> 00:36:58,040
Speaker 2: On Elle's range, You're exactly right.

676
00:36:58,000 --> 00:36:58,800
Speaker 9: To go up the middle.

677
00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:02,799
Speaker 8: There's thrown across his body as much and he's not,

678
00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:05,680
Speaker 8: you know, And that's whyt's work on your hamstring too,

679
00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:09,240
Speaker 8: last time I checked. Never played baseball day in my life,

680
00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:11,200
Speaker 8: but I play a lot of the show. What about

681
00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:12,800
Speaker 8: a Hunter Green getting that diamond?

682
00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:13,080
Speaker 5: Brow?

683
00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:16,040
Speaker 2: Did he get a diamond? I didn't see the ratings

684
00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:16,880
Speaker 2: come out.

685
00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:19,399
Speaker 8: Yeah, man, he got one.

686
00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:20,879
Speaker 7: I thought I was.

687
00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:24,839
Speaker 2: Looking on an X now somebody, Yes, somebody told me

688
00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:27,400
Speaker 2: that they're doing a special red diamond this year. Is

689
00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:29,960
Speaker 2: that true? That?

690
00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:34,680
Speaker 9: I have no idea? Man? And how about Tyler Stevenson?

691
00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:36,200
Speaker 9: How about Tyler Stevenson? Do well?

692
00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:38,640
Speaker 8: I mean, we haven't had an all starry catcher since

693
00:37:38,760 --> 00:37:43,560
Speaker 8: Mesa Roco and then he got that hip thing, Kyla Stevenson.

694
00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:44,160
Speaker 4: Let's just do.

695
00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:48,080
Speaker 2: Well, Okay, John, thank you for the phone call. You

696
00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:50,319
Speaker 2: know what I'm gonna say, I love you too. I

697
00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:56,560
Speaker 2: love you so he's the best I want. I do

698
00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:58,799
Speaker 2: want to say this. Mode. Mode did a whole thing

699
00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:00,719
Speaker 2: about this the other day, and he's exactly right. And

700
00:38:00,719 --> 00:38:02,319
Speaker 2: it's kind of in the same vein as what John

701
00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:05,520
Speaker 2: Michael is talking about, which is as much as we

702
00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:08,640
Speaker 2: say it's time for the ifs to turn into certainties

703
00:38:08,960 --> 00:38:13,319
Speaker 2: this season, like we forget about how bad the defense was,

704
00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:17,000
Speaker 2: and specifically defensively for Ellie de la Cruz. I have

705
00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:22,160
Speaker 2: always said that he makes the impossible look routine, and

706
00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:25,840
Speaker 2: the routine look impossible. Ellie has got to clean it

707
00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:28,719
Speaker 2: up consistently. And I do think the key Brian Hayes thing,

708
00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:30,799
Speaker 2: and I don't want to ask Charlie about this is

709
00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:36,120
Speaker 2: it's part of the part of the reason Key Brian

710
00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:40,080
Speaker 2: Hayes is here is because of what's going on with

711
00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:42,400
Speaker 2: Ellie de la Cruz and to make him a better defender.

712
00:38:42,440 --> 00:38:45,279
Speaker 2: That is a poignant point from John Michael, and he's

713
00:38:45,280 --> 00:38:48,720
Speaker 2: one hundred percent correct. If you are a better defensive team,

714
00:38:49,280 --> 00:38:51,840
Speaker 2: you're going to help yourself in every other facet of

715
00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:52,160
Speaker 2: the game.

716
00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:55,400
Speaker 3: Drew, you were going to say something, I just you know,

717
00:38:55,440 --> 00:38:57,840
Speaker 3: he brought up if the name escapes me now, but

718
00:38:57,880 --> 00:38:59,640
Speaker 3: he talks about the guy who hit like seven point

719
00:38:59,600 --> 00:39:03,080
Speaker 3: fifty in spring training. And my thing when I watch

720
00:39:03,320 --> 00:39:05,440
Speaker 3: you know, Red spring training or anybody in spring training

721
00:39:05,440 --> 00:39:07,799
Speaker 3: for that matter, is is like, are you what is

722
00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:08,520
Speaker 3: your process?

723
00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:10,600
Speaker 2: Like? Like what like what is your Do you have

724
00:39:10,640 --> 00:39:11,839
Speaker 2: a plan when you go up to the plate?

725
00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:13,640
Speaker 3: And when I watched McClain in this spring and I've

726
00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:16,400
Speaker 3: watched it very closely because as many people have stated

727
00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:19,160
Speaker 3: on this radio station today and days before, he kind

728
00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:22,279
Speaker 3: of is the lynchpin for how this offense is gonna go.

729
00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:25,239
Speaker 3: And I really just wanted to watch, like what is

730
00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:27,800
Speaker 3: his process going up to the plate? Is he swinging

731
00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:30,440
Speaker 3: and missing at bad pitches? Is he you know, is

732
00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:34,160
Speaker 3: he taking tough pitches, is he making pitchers pay for mistakes?

733
00:39:34,719 --> 00:39:36,760
Speaker 3: And is he going the other way when the opportunity

734
00:39:36,760 --> 00:39:39,480
Speaker 3: presents itself. And he has done all of those things right.

735
00:39:39,719 --> 00:39:42,480
Speaker 3: And that is why I'm bullish about him going into

736
00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:44,759
Speaker 3: the season. It has nothing to do with the raw

737
00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:47,840
Speaker 3: numbers that he has in spring training. Even if you know,

738
00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:49,560
Speaker 3: if he was hitting it right to guys, I would

739
00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:52,520
Speaker 3: still feel pretty good because, like, you know, the process

740
00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:55,640
Speaker 3: is there. And yesterday alone, he had one where he

741
00:39:56,080 --> 00:39:58,239
Speaker 3: balls on the outside part of the plate, a pitch

742
00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:00,560
Speaker 3: that he struggled with last year. Ye this was a

743
00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:02,759
Speaker 3: two strike pitch, I believe, and took it, you know,

744
00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:04,520
Speaker 3: just kind of served it the other way for a single.

745
00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:07,280
Speaker 3: And then on his homer, the pitcher hung a breaking

746
00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:09,600
Speaker 3: ball you know about chest high, right in the middle

747
00:40:09,600 --> 00:40:10,839
Speaker 3: of the middle of the z own.

748
00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:13,400
Speaker 2: You know what they say about hanging it. You're not

749
00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:15,520
Speaker 2: going to see it anymore. You hang it, we bang

750
00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:16,160
Speaker 2: it correct.

751
00:40:16,239 --> 00:40:20,600
Speaker 3: Yeah, And so like that is why I'm bullish about

752
00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:24,560
Speaker 3: Matt McClean is because his process has looked so much

753
00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:28,560
Speaker 3: better this season as it did last and I ultimately

754
00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:31,640
Speaker 3: think if he can solidify that two hole and my

755
00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:34,160
Speaker 3: expectation for the Reds this year has been the same

756
00:40:34,239 --> 00:40:37,319
Speaker 3: since the beginning of camp. It's play a home playoff game.

757
00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:40,520
Speaker 3: It doesn't make the playoffs. It isn't you know, interesting

758
00:40:40,719 --> 00:40:43,400
Speaker 3: whichever way you want to do it. Either if you

759
00:40:43,480 --> 00:40:45,480
Speaker 3: are a wildcard team, then get out of the wildcard,

760
00:40:45,680 --> 00:40:47,520
Speaker 3: or have one of those records where you don't have

761
00:40:47,520 --> 00:40:49,440
Speaker 3: to play in the wildcard with the division, play a

762
00:40:49,520 --> 00:40:51,680
Speaker 3: home playoff game. That is what I want the Reds

763
00:40:51,719 --> 00:40:51,920
Speaker 3: to do.

764
00:40:52,040 --> 00:40:54,200
Speaker 2: That's a good point. And the other part too, you

765
00:40:54,239 --> 00:40:57,000
Speaker 2: mentioned is the ability to have the two hole guy.

766
00:40:57,160 --> 00:41:00,879
Speaker 2: I mean, I wouldn't imagine anyone else has a better

767
00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:04,040
Speaker 2: chance than Matt McClain is right now to be the guy,

768
00:41:04,200 --> 00:41:07,440
Speaker 2: much like he was last year. The trickle down effect

769
00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:11,640
Speaker 2: of the rest of that lineup, obviously friedel Is Pennsylvan

770
00:41:11,760 --> 00:41:13,239
Speaker 2: is the two hole guy. You can write him in

771
00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:15,960
Speaker 2: sharpie or as the leadoff guy. You put him in sharpie,

772
00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:19,319
Speaker 2: and then if you have the next McLain de la

773
00:41:19,400 --> 00:41:24,080
Speaker 2: Cruz Suarez Steer however you want to like that right

774
00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:27,640
Speaker 2: there is a really just life as hell for a pitcher,

775
00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:33,640
Speaker 2: and the protection that Ellie offers McClain that Suarez offers

776
00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:37,879
Speaker 2: Ellie and down the line can make this team offensively

777
00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:41,480
Speaker 2: a weapon. We'll take a break, we'll come back. We'll

778
00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:43,840
Speaker 2: wrap up our number one next on the Home of

779
00:41:43,880 --> 00:41:45,560
Speaker 2: the Bengals, ESPN fifteen thirty.

780
00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:51,920
Speaker 1: See continues now on ESPN fifteen thirty.

781
00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:53,400
Speaker 2: Have you ever bonked anybody?

782
00:41:53,520 --> 00:41:53,719
Speaker 7: Drew?

783
00:41:54,360 --> 00:41:56,320
Speaker 2: I've been to the Falling Warehouse a couple of times.

784
00:41:57,080 --> 00:41:58,839
Speaker 2: I need to go. It's pretty fun.

785
00:41:59,040 --> 00:42:03,000
Speaker 3: A little price, but if you get a big group together,

786
00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:05,120
Speaker 3: it kind of drives the cost down a little bit

787
00:42:05,400 --> 00:42:06,439
Speaker 3: and it is quite a good time.

788
00:42:06,680 --> 00:42:11,040
Speaker 2: Yeah, do some bunking sho Otani bunked one out of

789
00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:15,720
Speaker 2: the ballpark last night. It was a thirteen to nothing,

790
00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:22,120
Speaker 2: just a drubbing from Japan over Chinese Taipei in the

791
00:42:22,160 --> 00:42:27,280
Speaker 2: World Baseball Classic pool play. It was a grand slam

792
00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:30,479
Speaker 2: from Otani. Taipei had just one hit in the game.

793
00:42:30,520 --> 00:42:33,040
Speaker 2: They were playing that game at the Tokyo Dome. It

794
00:42:33,200 --> 00:42:38,440
Speaker 2: was ridiculous. Yoshiomo Yoshinobu Yamamoto with the victory for Japan,

795
00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:40,480
Speaker 2: and that only played seven innings. Of course, due to

796
00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:44,480
Speaker 2: the run rule. There is World Baseball Classic action on

797
00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:49,360
Speaker 2: as we speak Cuba. I don't know how this is possible.

798
00:42:50,120 --> 00:42:52,719
Speaker 2: Cuba is up three to nothing in the sixth inning

799
00:42:53,320 --> 00:42:57,400
Speaker 2: over Panama right now in game one of their pool

800
00:42:57,400 --> 00:43:01,520
Speaker 2: play game. Meanwhile, bottom of the second Venezuela is up

801
00:43:01,600 --> 00:43:04,960
Speaker 2: to one over the Netherlands and getting ready to get

802
00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:08,239
Speaker 2: started here in just a few minutes, will be Mexico

803
00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:11,919
Speaker 2: and Great Britain. Later tonight at six o'clock it's Puerto

804
00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:16,800
Speaker 2: Rico and Columbia, and then at seven pm it'll be

805
00:43:16,880 --> 00:43:20,680
Speaker 2: Nicaragua up against the Dominican Republic. And at eight o'clock

806
00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:27,360
Speaker 2: tonight the United States taking on Brazil from Daycon Park

807
00:43:27,560 --> 00:43:32,120
Speaker 2: in Houston. And then meanwhile, game two in the Tokyo

808
00:43:32,200 --> 00:43:36,560
Speaker 2: Dome for TYPEI, they will take on Chechia. That's at

809
00:43:36,640 --> 00:43:39,040
Speaker 2: ten pm tonight. So that's what's crazy about that. So

810
00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:41,759
Speaker 2: that game was at five o'clock this morning, and then

811
00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:44,960
Speaker 2: they all go to sleep and then play another game

812
00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:47,319
Speaker 2: while we're all still away. It's you know how time

813
00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:49,720
Speaker 2: time zoned time zones are wild man times. It's logan

814
00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:53,040
Speaker 2: web By by the way right hand or starting for

815
00:43:53,120 --> 00:43:55,480
Speaker 2: the United States tonight, I'm going to check in here

816
00:43:55,560 --> 00:43:58,400
Speaker 2: really quick click on this and see if au A

817
00:43:58,440 --> 00:44:02,719
Speaker 2: and e O Suarez has done anything for Venezuela, but

818
00:44:02,800 --> 00:44:05,400
Speaker 2: I don't believe he has. I don't believe he is

819
00:44:05,520 --> 00:44:11,040
Speaker 2: in the starting lineup today for the Venezuelan national team.

820
00:44:11,040 --> 00:44:14,680
Speaker 2: They are playing those games down in Miami, all right,

821
00:44:14,840 --> 00:44:17,719
Speaker 2: So that puts a rap on Hour number one. We

822
00:44:17,760 --> 00:44:21,560
Speaker 2: didn't talk as much about Hunter Green because I have

823
00:44:21,600 --> 00:44:24,480
Speaker 2: a bunch of Hunter Green questions for Charlie Goldsmith, And

824
00:44:24,560 --> 00:44:27,760
Speaker 2: as we all know, Charlie is over in Goodyear covering

825
00:44:27,800 --> 00:44:30,920
Speaker 2: the Reds and I'm sure has a lot of information

826
00:44:31,040 --> 00:44:33,040
Speaker 2: maybe that we haven't had a chance to get to yet.

827
00:44:33,160 --> 00:44:35,880
Speaker 2: Charlie did report that Hunter Green had an injection in

828
00:44:35,960 --> 00:44:39,320
Speaker 2: his elbow on October the twenty eighth, which was about

829
00:44:39,360 --> 00:44:43,319
Speaker 2: one month exactly after that playoff start against the Los

830
00:44:43,360 --> 00:44:47,280
Speaker 2: Angeles Dodgers. I have questions about that, and hopefully Charlie

831
00:44:47,640 --> 00:44:49,759
Speaker 2: has the answers. We'll talk to him next as we

832
00:44:49,800 --> 00:44:51,920
Speaker 2: start hour two of since he three to sixty right

833
00:44:51,920 --> 00:44:54,360
Speaker 2: here on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati