Speaker 1: It's around the park with Dave Fleming.
Speaker 2: Our guest today, the great Hall of Fame voice of
Speaker 2: the Guardians, Tom Hamilton. We'll talk to Tom right after this.
Speaker 2: It's around the park with Dave Fleming. We're here in Cleveland,
Speaker 2: which means we get a chance to say hi to
Speaker 2: one of the greats. Tom Hamilton, Baseball Hall of Famer,
Speaker 2: broadcaster for the Guardians for many, many years, one of
Speaker 2: my favorite guys in the league. It's been first of all,
Speaker 2: it's great to see you on a beautiful summer day
Speaker 2: in Cleveland.
Speaker 1: It has not been a totally normal year for the Guardians,
Speaker 1: has it been.
Speaker 3: No great to have you folks here too as well, Dave.
Speaker 3: And it's kind of puzzling, you know. They just since
Speaker 3: the All Star Break. They went into the All Star
Speaker 3: Break sweeping Miami down there, and then at the deadline
Speaker 3: thought that they really did some terrific things adding four
Speaker 3: key guys, and so you kind of thought, okay, and
Speaker 3: they're three and nine since the trades, they're nine to nineteen.
Speaker 3: Since the All Star Break, they haven't won two in
Speaker 3: a row day in a month, and yet because of
Speaker 3: the crazy American League. Oh yeah, they're one of six
Speaker 3: teams a game out of the final wildcard spot. So
Speaker 3: I don't know they're a hardball club to explain other
Speaker 3: than they're not consistent.
Speaker 2: One game out despite the record. Do you get a
Speaker 2: sense when you're down there in the locker room with
Speaker 2: those guys, do you get a sense that they're energized
Speaker 2: by the fact that they still are.
Speaker 1: In this race? Yeah? I think so.
Speaker 3: You know, it's not a real vociferous group other than
Speaker 3: Austin Hedges, you know, but yeah, they I think they're
Speaker 3: flustered too. And now they've had a tough stretch schedule wise.
Speaker 1: And I sure don't mean.
Speaker 3: To demean anybody by this, but their next twelve games
Speaker 3: are against the Giants, Colorado, Anaheim. I don't care what
Speaker 3: they say, Anaheim, and Kansas City. And if they can't
Speaker 3: make a run in those twelve games, Dave, then I
Speaker 3: don't think they will.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Giants are sure struggling right now. Now.
Speaker 2: One of the many things that's happened to the Giants
Speaker 2: this year, Patrick Bailey's gone. And look, the Giants got
Speaker 2: a really great pitcher in the draft that they love,
Speaker 2: and a kid who might make his debut here from
Speaker 2: your club in exchange for Patrick Bailey. They do miss
Speaker 2: the gold Glover though.
Speaker 3: How's Patrick ben for you guys, Well, he's been as advertised,
Speaker 3: and you folks know how good he is defensively. He's
Speaker 3: a marvel back there. We have two really good defensive catchers.
Speaker 3: That's what this organization's all about. Whatever you give them
Speaker 3: offensively as a catcher as a bonus, it's all about
Speaker 3: that pitching staff. It's why we're a contender usually year
Speaker 3: and in, year out because of the pitching. And he's
Speaker 3: gotten better offensively, and I think he needed a change
Speaker 3: of scenery. I think this ballpark obviously is a lot
Speaker 3: easier to hit in than the one in San Francisco.
Speaker 3: So he's been terrific. You've got him for the next
Speaker 3: three years. He'll be your number one catcher at least
Speaker 3: for the next three years. So I think the way
Speaker 3: it should be, Dave, it was a win win for
Speaker 3: both ball clubs.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we're wording for Patrick, that's for sure.
Speaker 2: Final question, the other guy on your roster. I mean,
Speaker 2: there are a lot of interesting players, but the other
Speaker 2: guy that I think Northern California people care a lot
Speaker 2: about is Stephen Kwan.
Speaker 1: Grew up in the Bay Area.
Speaker 2: Grew up as a huge Giants fan, and you look
Speaker 2: at the numbers and I guess they're a little bit better.
Speaker 2: But you following him throughout the year, it just doesn't.
Speaker 1: Seem like the normal Stephen Kuan.
Speaker 3: He has in the past been phenomenal in the first half,
Speaker 3: scuffled in the second half.
Speaker 1: It was polar opposite. This year.
Speaker 3: He was batting two twelve at the end of June.
Speaker 3: He's batted close to three ninety since July first. He's
Speaker 3: had no ps over nine hundred since July first. He's
Speaker 3: playing a lot more center field now to try to
Speaker 3: get a bat in the lineup. Look, he's elite in
Speaker 3: left field, Dave, there's nobody better in the game defensively
Speaker 3: in left field. He's a good center fielder. But now
Speaker 3: he's having a typical Stephen Kwan year. Once he got
Speaker 3: back to not trying to pull everything and hitting line
Speaker 3: drives the other way, he makes this club go. The
Speaker 3: problem has been offensively. This has been one of the
Speaker 3: worst teams in baseball for the second year in a row.
Speaker 3: There is never any margin for error on a given
Speaker 3: night with this ball club, and that's why they are
Speaker 3: where they are.
Speaker 2: Always great to see you same here. Thanks for having
Speaker 2: me Dave. That's Tom Hambleton. Will keep going with the
Speaker 2: pregame right after this