1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Okay, So I don't have a show on Thursday. I'm 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: taking the day off load Management season two point zero, 3 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: and I'm off on Friday because we have Bengals pep 4 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: Rally and we're back next week Tony and Moo Football 5 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: show on Monday. There's so much going on right now. 6 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:20,440 Speaker 1: By the time I'm back on the air, the Nick 7 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: Krawl comments about Ellie Dela Cruz probably going to be 8 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: old news, but I want to spend some time on them, 9 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: So here we are. Ellie Dela Cruz did not have 10 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: a very good twenty twenty five and Nick Krawl was 11 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 1: talking about this, I guess on The Red's Hot Stove 12 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 1: League show and made an allusion to the quad injury 13 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,840 Speaker 1: that was referred to a few times during the summer 14 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,879 Speaker 1: last year. But I guess Nick said, well, he was 15 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: playing with a partial tear. Now he has since and 16 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: I read this on Cincinnati dot Com. He has since 17 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: clarified this, backtracked a little bit and said I meant strain, 18 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: And we do these interviews with medical pros from Morthos 19 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: since the every week. 20 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 2: I get it. 21 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: A partial tear is often considered a strain, so kind 22 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: of a semantics thing here. Ellie did not have surgery, 23 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: didn't need surgery. He's still rehabbing, which is kind of 24 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:25,399 Speaker 1: alarming because the season ended like seven eight weeks ago. 25 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:26,040 Speaker 2: But whatever. 26 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 1: Everybody seems to think Ellie's going to be okay for 27 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: the start of spring training. Ellie's gonna be okay for 28 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 1: opening day. Hopefully Ellie has a great year. But I 29 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: come back to last summer, when you know, you would say, like, 30 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: Ellie's not looking very good at the plate right now, 31 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: and he's having a hard time in the field, and 32 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: you would hear, well, you know he's hurt, and you'd go, okay, well, 33 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: maybe give him a day off, and it was, well, 34 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: you can't because he wants to play one hundred and 35 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: sixty two games. He wants to play every day, Like 36 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: all right, well, but he's really struggling, he's not helping 37 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: the team. Well, yeah, because he's hurt. Okay, can you 38 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: like occasionally d h em Well, no, because Ellie wants 39 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 1: to play every game in the field, Okay, Well he's 40 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: struggling in the field and at the plate. Well, because 41 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: he's hurt, Okay, then how about we put him on 42 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:19,920 Speaker 1: the injured list, if for no other reason then he 43 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: gets a chance to rest. 44 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 2: Well. 45 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:23,399 Speaker 1: But but Ellie doesn't want to go in the injured list. 46 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 1: He wants to play every single day. Well, okay, but 47 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 1: he's not being very productive. Well it's because he's hurt. Okay, Well, then, 48 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: you know, can we just figure out a way to 49 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 1: not play him every game, every inning? Put him at shortstop? Like, 50 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 1: can we come up with something else? No, because Ellie 51 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: wants to play every single day. 52 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 2: Well, he's not. 53 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 1: Being very helpful to the team right now. He's really struggling. 54 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: He doesn't look at the plate, never hits for power. Well, 55 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: it's because he's hurt. 56 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 2: Okay. Well, can we just occasionally d HM, maybe. 57 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: Like one day off a homestand are we sure you 58 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:00,399 Speaker 1: don't put him on the injured list? Well, you can't 59 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: because he wants to play every day. And it just 60 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: it went on and on and on. It's just never ending, 61 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: like circle of this same conversation. And I feel like 62 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:15,640 Speaker 1: there's a lot of folks who didn't really want to 63 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 1: talk about this because you know, we all love Elie 64 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:19,919 Speaker 1: Dela Cruz, or maybe because the Reds were in the 65 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: playoff playoff hunt and you know, wanted to focus on 66 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: the positives of that. But that entire time, I was wondering, 67 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: is somebody gonna be the adult in the room? Like 68 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: Nick Krawl, president of Baseball Operations, Did it ever occur 69 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 1: to him that maybe the best thing for Ellie would 70 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: be to not have him play shortstop and bat third 71 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: every single day? And okay, not Nick Krawl, what about 72 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: the manager, Tito? Like you hired Terry Francona because of 73 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: his resume and he's a beloved figure, but also like, 74 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: this is a guy who has pull, heft, gravitas cashe, 75 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 1: this is a guy who can throw his weight around, 76 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: and so a guy like that should have the ability 77 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: to raise his hand and go, Guys, are we sure? 78 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 2: Are we sure that playing Ellie every single day at shortstop? 79 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 2: Makes sense? Is that really what's best for him? Is 80 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:32,040 Speaker 2: that really what's best for the team? Did he never 81 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 2: do that? And so we can't go back in time? 82 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,919 Speaker 2: But I wonder moving forward because Ellie is not a 83 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 2: finished product, wonderfully talented, capable of doing awesome things, easy 84 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:48,159 Speaker 2: guy to root for. You admire the fact that he 85 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 2: wants to play every day, but you know he can 86 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 2: still be an adventure in shortstop, and that's putting it mildly. 87 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:59,679 Speaker 2: So if that continues, the more it continues, the more people, 88 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:03,720 Speaker 2: people smarter than me, are gonna wonder, why don't you 89 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 2: put him in center field? Why not the outfield? 90 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:08,719 Speaker 1: Now, maybe Ellie has a great year at shortstop and 91 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: we stop doing that. But let's say the adventures at 92 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 1: shortstop continue. Is is anybody gonna say to Ellie, dude, 93 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 1: you've you've got to You've got to go work out 94 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: in centerfield. 95 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 2: We've got to try you out there. 96 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: And the guy in the organization who I believe should 97 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: have enough weight and enough poll to do that is 98 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: the manager. Is he unwilling to do that? Is he 99 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: unwilling to tell Ellie you're not gonna bat third every day? 100 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: If the production doesn't dictate he hits there is Tito 101 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 1: gonna have have the ability to tell him, or the 102 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,840 Speaker 1: willingness to tell him, Ellie, we're not gonna play you 103 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:57,160 Speaker 1: every single game. It makes sense, you know, when you 104 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 1: play every game. Maybe there's this law of finishing returns 105 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: thing in play here, So maybe we get the most 106 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:05,800 Speaker 1: out of you if we get just a little bit 107 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: less of you, and you take the occasional day off 108 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 1: or you date occasionally, and you know what if you 109 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 1: if you suffer an injury, we put you on the 110 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 1: injured list, and you rest and you recuperate and you 111 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 1: get better and somebody else plays and you come back 112 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 1: healthier and more capable of helping the team. 113 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 2: Like that's that's what I want to know moving forward. 114 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,680 Speaker 1: Elie dela Cruz is one of the foundational pieces of 115 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: this franchise. And you know, I understand we all want 116 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 1: the need to be here forever, but it doesn't mean 117 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: that you can't tell him no. It doesn't mean that 118 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 1: he gets to just do whatever he wants without anybody 119 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: getting in his way. 120 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 2: And again to me that that person is Tito. 121 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:56,440 Speaker 1: And look, Terry Francona, by all accounts, did a terrific 122 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: job with last year's team, finished second in the National 123 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,279 Speaker 1: League Manager of the Year voting. We're all thrilled that 124 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:05,599 Speaker 1: he's here. It's awesome that he's here. But one of 125 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:08,719 Speaker 1: the reasons why you hired him, I thought, was to 126 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: be able to look at a guy like Elie Delacruz 127 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 1: and be the adult and tell him no, and tell 128 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 1: him why you're telling him no, and explain, explain that 129 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: what you're doing is in his best interest and in 130 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: the team's best interest, because what they did with Ellie 131 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 1: Delacruz last year certainly did not feel like was with 132 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 1: his best interests in mind, and it didn't feel like 133 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 1: it what was best for the team either. So I 134 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 1: wonder was everybody last year just totally unwilling to tell 135 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: him no? 136 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 2: And is that going to continue this year? I hope 137 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 2: not