WEBVTT - 8-18 Around The Park with Dave Flemming ft. Tom Hamilton

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<v Speaker 1>It's around the park with Dave Fleming.

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<v Speaker 2>Our guest today, the great Hall of Fame voice of

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<v Speaker 2>the Guardians, Tom Hamilton. We'll talk to Tom right after this.

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<v Speaker 2>It's around the park with Dave Fleming. We're here in Cleveland,

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<v Speaker 2>which means we get a chance to say hi to

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<v Speaker 2>one of the greats. Tom Hamilton, Baseball Hall of Famer,

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<v Speaker 2>broadcaster for the Guardians for many, many years, one of

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<v Speaker 2>my favorite guys in the league. It's been first of all,

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<v Speaker 2>it's great to see you on a beautiful summer day

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<v Speaker 2>in Cleveland.

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<v Speaker 1>It has not been a totally normal year for the Guardians,

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<v Speaker 1>has it been.

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<v Speaker 3>No great to have you folks here too as well, Dave.

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<v Speaker 3>And it's kind of puzzling, you know. They just since

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<v Speaker 3>the All Star Break. They went into the All Star

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<v Speaker 3>Break sweeping Miami down there, and then at the deadline

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<v Speaker 3>thought that they really did some terrific things adding four

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<v Speaker 3>key guys, and so you kind of thought, okay, and

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<v Speaker 3>they're three and nine since the trades, they're nine to nineteen.

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<v Speaker 3>Since the All Star Break, they haven't won two in

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<v Speaker 3>a row day in a month, and yet because of

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<v Speaker 3>the crazy American League. Oh yeah, they're one of six

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<v Speaker 3>teams a game out of the final wildcard spot. So

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<v Speaker 3>I don't know they're a hardball club to explain other

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<v Speaker 3>than they're not consistent.

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<v Speaker 2>One game out despite the record. Do you get a

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<v Speaker 2>sense when you're down there in the locker room with

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<v Speaker 2>those guys, do you get a sense that they're energized

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<v Speaker 2>by the fact that they still are.

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<v Speaker 1>In this race? Yeah? I think so.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, it's not a real vociferous group other than

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<v Speaker 3>Austin Hedges, you know, but yeah, they I think they're

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<v Speaker 3>flustered too. And now they've had a tough stretch schedule wise.

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<v Speaker 1>And I sure don't mean.

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<v Speaker 3>To demean anybody by this, but their next twelve games

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<v Speaker 3>are against the Giants, Colorado, Anaheim. I don't care what

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<v Speaker 3>they say, Anaheim, and Kansas City. And if they can't

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<v Speaker 3>make a run in those twelve games, Dave, then I

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<v Speaker 3>don't think they will.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, Giants are sure struggling right now. Now.

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<v Speaker 2>One of the many things that's happened to the Giants

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<v Speaker 2>this year, Patrick Bailey's gone. And look, the Giants got

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<v Speaker 2>a really great pitcher in the draft that they love,

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<v Speaker 2>and a kid who might make his debut here from

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<v Speaker 2>your club in exchange for Patrick Bailey. They do miss

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<v Speaker 2>the gold Glover though.

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<v Speaker 3>How's Patrick ben for you guys, Well, he's been as advertised,

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<v Speaker 3>and you folks know how good he is defensively. He's

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<v Speaker 3>a marvel back there. We have two really good defensive catchers.

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<v Speaker 3>That's what this organization's all about. Whatever you give them

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<v Speaker 3>offensively as a catcher as a bonus, it's all about

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<v Speaker 3>that pitching staff. It's why we're a contender usually year

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<v Speaker 3>and in, year out because of the pitching. And he's

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<v Speaker 3>gotten better offensively, and I think he needed a change

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<v Speaker 3>of scenery. I think this ballpark obviously is a lot

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<v Speaker 3>easier to hit in than the one in San Francisco.

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<v Speaker 3>So he's been terrific. You've got him for the next

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<v Speaker 3>three years. He'll be your number one catcher at least

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<v Speaker 3>for the next three years. So I think the way

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<v Speaker 3>it should be, Dave, it was a win win for

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<v Speaker 3>both ball clubs.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, we're wording for Patrick, that's for sure.

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<v Speaker 2>Final question, the other guy on your roster. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>there are a lot of interesting players, but the other

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<v Speaker 2>guy that I think Northern California people care a lot

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<v Speaker 2>about is Stephen Kwan.

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<v Speaker 1>Grew up in the Bay Area.

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<v Speaker 2>Grew up as a huge Giants fan, and you look

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<v Speaker 2>at the numbers and I guess they're a little bit better.

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<v Speaker 2>But you following him throughout the year, it just doesn't.

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<v Speaker 1>Seem like the normal Stephen Kuan.

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<v Speaker 3>He has in the past been phenomenal in the first half,

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<v Speaker 3>scuffled in the second half.

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<v Speaker 1>It was polar opposite. This year.

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<v Speaker 3>He was batting two twelve at the end of June.

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<v Speaker 3>He's batted close to three ninety since July first. He's

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<v Speaker 3>had no ps over nine hundred since July first. He's

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<v Speaker 3>playing a lot more center field now to try to

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<v Speaker 3>get a bat in the lineup. Look, he's elite in

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<v Speaker 3>left field, Dave, there's nobody better in the game defensively

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<v Speaker 3>in left field. He's a good center fielder. But now

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<v Speaker 3>he's having a typical Stephen Kwan year. Once he got

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<v Speaker 3>back to not trying to pull everything and hitting line

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<v Speaker 3>drives the other way, he makes this club go. The

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<v Speaker 3>problem has been offensively. This has been one of the

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<v Speaker 3>worst teams in baseball for the second year in a row.

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<v Speaker 3>There is never any margin for error on a given

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<v Speaker 3>night with this ball club, and that's why they are

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<v Speaker 3>where they are.

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<v Speaker 2>Always great to see you same here. Thanks for having

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<v Speaker 2>me Dave. That's Tom Hambleton. Will keep going with the

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<v Speaker 2>pregame right after this