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Speaker 1: Hello everyone, and welcome to a Ball with eric Os.

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Speaker 1: I am eric Os, and it is good to have

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Speaker 1: you with us. On what is episode number fourteen is?

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Speaker 1: This week we'll be talking with one of the lumber

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Speaker 1: Kings starting pitchers, Jake Walters. They have been so sharp

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Speaker 1: as of late. In fact, the entire lumber Kings team

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Speaker 1: has been so sharp. They're now the hottest team in

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Speaker 1: the Midwest League. The single affiliate of the Miami Marlins,

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Speaker 1: have won six straight games. New faces that we have

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Speaker 1: been kind of touching on now. When we last talk

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Speaker 1: to you though out in Wisconsin, the team was really

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Speaker 1: struggling to begin the second half. They had lost their

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Speaker 1: first three games against the Wisconsin tim Ratlers, the Single

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Speaker 1: A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They would win the

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Speaker 1: final game of that series, which would turn out to

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Speaker 1: be their only win at Neuroscience Group Field all season long.

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Speaker 1: They'd begun oh to six out in Wisconsin, and then

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Speaker 1: that would touch off a winning streak. They would win

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Speaker 1: four straight against the Peeria Chiefs, the single A affiliate

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Speaker 1: of the Saint Louis Cardinals. That was a series at

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Speaker 1: home in Clinton from June twenty fifth through the twenty eighth.

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Speaker 1: It turned out to be the first four game series

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Speaker 1: sweep by the lumber Kings against the Chiefs in Clinton

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Speaker 1: ever they've been playing since nineteen eighty three. It's how

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Speaker 1: hot the team has been lately, and it's been because

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Speaker 1: the offense has continued to pick things up in addition

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Speaker 1: to the pitching being so sharp. Now the new face

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Speaker 1: is that we had touched on in particular in Peyton Burdick,

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Speaker 1: who was selected by the Miami Marlins in this year's

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Speaker 1: draft in the third round out of Wright Straight and

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Speaker 1: also the new first baseman hearing Clinton, Evan Edwards, who

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Speaker 1: was selected in the next round, the fourth round, out

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Speaker 1: of NC State in this year's draft by the Miami Marlins.

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Speaker 1: They've been in the middle of some very big rallies

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Speaker 1: for the lumber Kings as of late, in particular runs

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Speaker 1: in the first innings. They put up ten runs just

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Speaker 1: a couple of days ago on the twenty eighth of June.

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Speaker 1: That was back on Friday. It was the largest rally

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Speaker 1: in a single inning of the season. Obviously, it was

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Speaker 1: just three off the longest largest rally rather of franchise history.

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Speaker 1: They've scored thirteen runs in an inning only twice in

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Speaker 1: the last time being done in nineteen ninety seven. We

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Speaker 1: were able to look back in the shat portal and

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Speaker 1: we could not find one that was bigger than the

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Speaker 1: ten runs in the first against the Peoria Chiefs. All

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Speaker 1: since two thousand and three, so it's been quite a

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Speaker 1: while since lumber Kings had the breakout performance like they

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Speaker 1: did against Peoria. Was part of that series sweep that

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Speaker 1: was then followed by a win against the Quad Cities

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Speaker 1: River Bendits on the twenty ninth, and then the rains

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Speaker 1: found us again. So you'll hear Jake Walters talk about

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Speaker 1: winning two as we record this on a very hot Monday,

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Speaker 1: July first in the beginning of July baseball here in Clinton,

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Speaker 1: but trying to get too because well, a contest on

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Speaker 1: Sunday was not very fun to be a part of.

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Speaker 2: It.

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Speaker 1: Rained for about an hour, we were delayed for two

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Speaker 1: and a half. It took another hour to get the

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Speaker 1: field ready. We then played got through seven innings of

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Speaker 1: dominant pitching from Tanna Andrews, who you heard on the

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Speaker 1: podcast just about a month ago. He went seven innings

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Speaker 1: for a professional career high. Got a no decision because

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Speaker 1: the score was tied at two or tied at nothing,

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Speaker 1: rather with two out and nobody on in the bottom

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Speaker 1: of the seven. So that will be picked up as

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Speaker 1: we record this on Monday, July first, and then a

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Speaker 1: nine inning contest that will follows. That is what you'll

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Speaker 1: hear from Jake Walters. But lumber Kings have a lot

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Speaker 1: of new faces to go over, lots of moving parts.

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Speaker 1: It's really been a theme since the second half has begun.

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Speaker 1: The wins have placed them into third place in the

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Speaker 1: Western Division. They're currently a game back of the wild

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Speaker 1: card in first place, currently occupied by the Kane County

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Speaker 1: Cougar Single, a affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and those

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Speaker 1: Wisconsin tim Bratlers. They've begun the second half seven and two,

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Speaker 1: while the lumber Kings, after dropping three straight, they've won

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Speaker 1: six in a row. They have now won seven straight

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Speaker 1: games at home as well. Now, there've been some long

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Speaker 1: games here and there, as the offense that the lumber

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Speaker 1: Kings have had will typically take some time to do so,

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Speaker 1: but it has also become a very patient team. Lumber

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Speaker 1: Kings had drawn six walks the other day against the

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Speaker 1: Quad City's River Bend. It's a very good team, as

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Speaker 1: you well know, because we've been talking about them being

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Speaker 1: the best team in the Midwest League all season long.

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Speaker 1: They were the first half division champions in the West

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Speaker 1: and they were really running away with it with how

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Speaker 1: sharp they had been. Now, the lumber Kings win against

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Speaker 1: them in Clinton back on the twenty ninth of June

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Speaker 1: was their first against Quad Cities this season. So it

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Speaker 1: has been a team that has been very tough against

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Speaker 1: lumber Kings, in particular in Clinton. But that theme had

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Speaker 1: come to an end thanks to home runs from Christopher Torres,

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Speaker 1: his third of the season. It went into the lumber Lounge.

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Speaker 1: He is really beginning to heat up, folks. He's now

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Speaker 1: over fifty walks on the season as well, So don't

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Speaker 1: look at the average that is sub two hundred for

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Speaker 1: Christopher Torres because it only tells about half the story.

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Speaker 1: Chris batting one point eighty one on the twenty ninth

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Speaker 1: of June, but with an on base percentage of three

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Speaker 1: forty six, and it's because of those now over fifty walks,

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Speaker 1: it's tied for the Midwest League lead in walks, which

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Speaker 1: has made all the more impressive when you think about

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Speaker 1: the way tour season has gone just given the fact

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Speaker 1: that he was on the injured list for the final

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Speaker 1: week of April. It was his third home run of

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Speaker 1: the year, and then two innings later in the third

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Speaker 1: on the twenty ninth of June, at Peyton Burdick, who

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Speaker 1: was taken again by the Miami Martins in the third

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Speaker 1: round of this year's draft out of Wright State, he

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Speaker 1: had his second home run of his professional career, his

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Speaker 1: first as a lumber King, and we are happy to

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Speaker 1: report that the baseball it was retrieved. Now the ball,

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Speaker 1: if you've ever been out here to Clinton, it was

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Speaker 1: hit very far, but will give you some kind of

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Speaker 1: perspective on how well it was hit. It went out

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Speaker 1: onto the berm in left field in Clinton, which is

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Speaker 1: above the three hundred and thirty five foot side. It

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Speaker 1: cleared the berm. It was at the very top of

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Speaker 1: the Defan went to make the catch, he dropped it.

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Speaker 1: He was unable to pick it up. He tossed it

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Speaker 1: right back into the bull bend because he knew it

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Speaker 1: was the first home run for Peyton Burdick, so he

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Speaker 1: did get his first home run as a lumber King.

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Speaker 1: The offense would then go on from there to score

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Speaker 1: a run in the fifth and four and the sixth

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Speaker 1: and walk to a seven to two win over the

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Speaker 1: Quad City's River Bandits. But it also has meant that

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Speaker 1: the lumber King's pitching staff, which has been sharp in

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Speaker 1: the respective not giving up a whole lot of runs,

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Speaker 1: they've run into quite a bit of offense that they

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Speaker 1: have allowed. There's been a lot of hits against them.

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Speaker 1: That win against Quad Cities, which you'd think was a

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Speaker 1: game where the lumber Kings, in such a convincing seven

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Speaker 1: to two win, would have really outscored their opponents and

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Speaker 1: maybe doing so on the hits. That was not the case.

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Speaker 1: Squad Cities out hit them twelve to nine, and so

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Speaker 1: the lumber Kings over a six game winning streak, had

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Speaker 1: allowed fifty five hits by their pitching staff. That's a

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Speaker 1: three twenty average, which is pretty high considering the lumber

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Speaker 1: Kings had won all six of those games. So there

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Speaker 1: have been some difficulties for the lumber Kings pitching staff,

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Speaker 1: but they have been able to sort of clamp down

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Speaker 1: when they've needed to. Big in eensies, we will hear

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Speaker 1: from Jake Walters, who is going four and a third

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Speaker 1: against the Bureya Chiefs backed by a lot of offense.

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Speaker 1: He would have qualified for the win, but had allowed

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Speaker 1: ten hits during his time out. Walters will be joining

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Speaker 1: us next. He made his professional debut with the Clinton

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Speaker 1: lumber Kings here after a professional career that had to

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Speaker 1: be postponed for the better part of his season after

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Speaker 1: he was drafted out of the u University of Alabama

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Speaker 1: in the ninth round. Jake Walters will be joining us

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Speaker 1: next talking about that journey here to Clinton and all

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Speaker 1: the development that goes into the University of Alabama product.

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Speaker 1: Who is kind enough to take some time on a

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Speaker 1: hot July first day in Clinton. Jake Walters joins us

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Speaker 1: next on a Ball. Welcome back on a Ball with

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Speaker 1: Eric Elsho are now joined by one of the lumber

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Speaker 1: Kings starting pitchers. Jake Walters. Thanks for taking some time

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Speaker 1: to talk with us on some hot days here in Clinton.

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Speaker 2: Of course, Eric, thanks for having me.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it's great to talk with you because the lumber

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Speaker 1: King's pitching staff has changed so much in the second half.

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Speaker 1: You were in that piggyback role with Tanner Andrews in

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Speaker 1: the first half and now you got your own spot.

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Speaker 1: Does that change at all? And just being a starter

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Speaker 1: and not having that piggyback performance seems like you're stretched

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Speaker 1: out a little bit more now.

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Speaker 2: Uh yeah, it it's definitely a little change, but a

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Speaker 2: little more consistency between starts. You don't have to worry

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Speaker 2: about coming out of the pen or anything. But definitely

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Speaker 2: the pitch count's gonna start getting up there, getting more

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Speaker 2: more innings and uh the lower my pitchcount is mornings

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Speaker 2: I get.

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Speaker 1: So yeah, well, let's see how this works too, because

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Speaker 1: it's not just you that's changed the role. We've seen

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Speaker 1: the piggyback role now with Tyler Jones, who has also

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Speaker 1: moved from the bullpen into the starting rotation. What is

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Speaker 1: this rotation like because the pictures it seemed like all

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Speaker 1: the Lupper Kings here in twenty nineteen seem like they

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Speaker 1: get along pretty well, and that usually starters are always

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Speaker 1: talk about the very competitive nature with one another. If

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Speaker 1: you have a good start, then Tanner might want to

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Speaker 1: go out there and best that seven and need to start.

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Speaker 1: Now you can really do that because you've got your

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Speaker 1: own spot in that rotation. So how does that competition

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Speaker 1: factor now change here in the second half?

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Speaker 2: Oh yeah, we're really close as a team and even

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Speaker 2: closer as the staff. We're always trying to push each other.

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Speaker 2: We want the best out of everyone every day, and

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Speaker 2: me and Tanner being that piggyback role, we probably talk

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Speaker 2: a little more than I do with Soriano or Guerrero,

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Speaker 2: but we're always pushing each other and we're glad to

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Speaker 2: see each other having success. And yeah, I'm pretty sure

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Speaker 2: most of the staffs just in the Marlins, we're on

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Speaker 2: a six men rotation, so you always got that one

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Speaker 2: guy piggyback them the other no matter what. And once

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Speaker 2: one guy moves up, someone else is gonna come in

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Speaker 2: and I guess getting that piggyback role. But but yeah,

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Speaker 2: it's good to see all the guys doing well.

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Speaker 1: How have you felt the twenty nineteen season is shaped

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Speaker 1: up for you because this is your first professional baseball

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Speaker 1: season where you're getting actually the need to pitch despite

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Speaker 1: being drafted in twenty eighteen.

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Speaker 2: Well, it's definitely an eye opener. I got to pinch

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Speaker 2: myself every day I'm playing professional baseball and this is

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Speaker 2: what I've trained for my entire young life. But I mean,

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Speaker 2: always looking back, you wish you could have done better,

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Speaker 2: no matter what. If someone throws a no hitter. They

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Speaker 2: always wish they could have done a perfect game. You know,

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Speaker 2: pitchers there, they're a little bit perfectionists. But I mean,

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Speaker 2: looking back, I gotta be satisfied, and I just got

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Speaker 2: to keep working to get better every day.

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Speaker 1: Well, we touched on it very briefly. It seems like

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Speaker 1: half of the podcasts are weather reports here in the

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Speaker 1: Midwest because at the beginning of the season it was

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Speaker 1: really cold, it was snowing, it was so cold out.

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Speaker 1: That is not the case anymore. It has been red hot.

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Speaker 1: It has been a summer really feeling like in the

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Speaker 1: last couple of days where it's ninety degrees, it feels

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Speaker 1: like one hundred and five. Though, how does that affect

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Speaker 1: the pitching side of things, because sometimes pitchers will say

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Speaker 1: they don't like to pitch in the cold, they can't

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Speaker 1: feel the baseball. But does the heat at least help

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Speaker 1: a little bit? I guess that in that vein, even

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Speaker 1: though maybe it's done to excess as of late.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I can go both ways. Heating. I mean, having

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Speaker 2: it really hot outside definitely helps you warm up a

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Speaker 2: little quicker. Probably the uh, I guess the flow, like

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Speaker 2: the blood flow and the adrenaliness a little higher when

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Speaker 2: it's warmer. But I don't mind pitching the cold just

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Speaker 2: because I know I won't have a lot of sweat

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Speaker 2: on my hands and I can fill the grip of

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Speaker 2: the ball, and I feel I'm a little more consistent

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Speaker 2: with the move men stuff. But definitely the villa is

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Speaker 2: up every time it's hot, so you can pick a

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Speaker 2: choose right now. I love that Vilo and been wearing

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Speaker 2: sleeves a lot lately just to catch a sweat going

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Speaker 2: on my arms.

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Speaker 1: So we thought that was just some toughness too on

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Speaker 1: your part that you didn't. You can put sleeves on.

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Speaker 1: This heat doesn't affect you at all, but it's just

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Speaker 1: for this the sweat management, I suppose.

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Speaker 2: Then, well, the next day I made a bold move

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Speaker 2: in a war sweatshirt and it was about one hundred

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Speaker 2: and seven heat in decks, so that was definitely a

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Speaker 2: bad idea.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, that's pretty bold. I'm talking about the heat here

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Speaker 1: with one of the lumber Kings starting pitchers and Jake Walters,

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Speaker 1: and we appreciate you coming on here to talk with

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Speaker 1: us about this weather and also the Clint lumber Kings,

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Speaker 1: which are the hottest team right now in the Midwest League.

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Speaker 1: They've won six straight games as we record this on Monday,

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Speaker 1: July first, so the end of June. Baseball the second

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Speaker 1: half did not get off to a particularly good start.

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Speaker 1: They dropped three straight, but then six straight wins. How

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Speaker 1: do you explain the success that has come? Because the

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Speaker 1: pitching has been so sharp and now it seems like

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Speaker 1: the offense is getting there to match with. You guys,

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Speaker 1: some new faces that have come here. I know you're

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Speaker 1: on the pitching side of thing, and maybe you don't

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Speaker 1: like seeing a whole lot of offense, but at least

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Speaker 1: when it comes for the lumber Kings, it must be

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Speaker 1: pretty nice to be part of all the wins that

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Speaker 1: have come over a week now.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, run support on any day of the

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Speaker 2: week is good pitching. I mean we're not throwing shutouts,

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Speaker 2: but anytime the team can put up in a consistent

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Speaker 2: five to six runs, I feel like we have a

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Speaker 2: great chance to win. And uh, we're competing out there

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Speaker 2: on the mound, and I see our guys are doing

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Speaker 2: their Uh they're doing their share in the box as well.

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Speaker 1: And it seems too just speaking of we're looking at

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Speaker 1: batting practice right now here at Nelson court Field and Clinton.

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Speaker 1: We saw you in the cage not too long ago.

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Speaker 1: It seemed like the pitchers were getting some hacks. Are

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Speaker 1: you a pitcher that can rake?

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Speaker 2: Uh? I? My last home room was in Cooperstown.

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Speaker 1: Oh wow, I was four shotow.

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Speaker 2: I was twelve years old. So yeah, I don't think

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Speaker 2: you'll be seeing many bombs out of this guy right here,

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Speaker 2: but uh I was. I was an Enfield singles guy

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Speaker 2: in high school. I had a decent average. But yeah,

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Speaker 2: they let the the starters hit the day after they throw,

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Speaker 2: and that's what you got to see.

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Speaker 1: That's pretty fun too because we even saw Mike Jacobs,

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Speaker 1: who is a former Major leaguer who was in the

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Speaker 1: cage too, So it's nice to see that everyone got

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Speaker 1: into the fun. I think even Tyler, who is the

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Speaker 1: director of operations for the lumber Kings that take in

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Speaker 1: some swings, so everyone is ready to go if their

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Speaker 1: number is called, so to speak. Lumber Kings two, as

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Speaker 1: we mentioned, with their six straight wins, it was a

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Speaker 1: four game series sweep against the Puria Chiefs that you

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Speaker 1: were a part of that last time out. What was

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Speaker 1: working for you out of the starting rotation for the

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Speaker 1: lumber Kings against the chief team, which we should say

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Speaker 1: the single a affiliate of the Saint Louis Cardinals.

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Speaker 2: Well, our offense came out hot, i think every game

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Speaker 2: of the series. And as a pitcher that that definitely

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Speaker 2: makes you feel like you can just throw the ball

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Speaker 2: down the middle and they'll get out. Because you know baseball,

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Speaker 2: you get out seven times out of ten, you're doing well.

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Speaker 2: But that's seven times out of ten's looking great as

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Speaker 2: a pitcher. So you just have to fill up the

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Speaker 2: strike zone. And I feel like we threw a lot

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Speaker 2: of strikes, whether they put it in a player or not,

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Speaker 2: for my sake, just having a lot of guys behind us.

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Speaker 1: Well, it's kind of interesting when we talked to you

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Speaker 1: on the pregame show, you're mentioning your pitch types, and

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Speaker 1: one of them was a cutter, because when we had

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Speaker 1: talked to the pitching coach, Mark de Felice here in Clinton,

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Speaker 1: you mentioned the cutter being a pitch that you typically

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Speaker 1: throw later on in your career. He called it a

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Speaker 1: career saver for some guys like a John Lester or

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Speaker 1: a CC Sabathia because you get the movement on the

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Speaker 1: fastball even though you're starting to lose that velocity, you're

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Speaker 1: down at the low A levels and you've already got

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Speaker 1: a cutter. So what goes into that development? Is that

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Speaker 1: a pitch you've had for quite a while now.

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Speaker 2: Uh yeah, it's been a pitch I kind of developed,

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Speaker 2: and I feel like I got a lot better in college.

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Speaker 2: I wasn't a guy who's gonna throw ninety five to

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Speaker 2: one hundred, so I had to find other ways to

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Speaker 2: get guys out. And that's just locating the fastball and

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Speaker 2: getting a little deception deception on it either to seam

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Speaker 2: or getting the cut So I feel like create a

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Speaker 2: lot of weak contact just trying to miss the center

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Speaker 2: of the barrel. And yeah, and.

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Speaker 1: What other pitches work off that cutter for you? Because

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Speaker 1: the cutter is a fastball of sorts, but it does

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Speaker 1: have that movement.

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Speaker 2: Uh So you got the fastball and the cutter, then

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Speaker 2: off of that. If you're tubing, is what they call it,

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Speaker 2: just working the slider in the same slide and it

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Speaker 2: drops off. You can also work the change up. We're

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Speaker 2: it's gonna drop the opposite away the slider. For me,

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Speaker 2: they're about the same velo. So it's kind of camera

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Speaker 2: image mirror image of each other, and then yeah, you

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Speaker 2: get the two seam the cutter and then one going

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Speaker 2: each way, and then the change up in the slider

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Speaker 2: going opposite but a little lower.

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Speaker 1: So why does it take a little bit longer to

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Speaker 1: develop that cutter? Why is it usually a pitch that

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Speaker 1: some guys find later on in their careers.

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Speaker 2: Well, a lot of people actually find it by accident.

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Speaker 2: Oh okay, they're four same turns into a cutter and

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Speaker 2: then you just have to kind of accept it. But

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Speaker 2: I don't know, it's cool to see. I know when

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Speaker 2: I was younger, I tried to mirror myself after Greg

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Speaker 2: Maddix just because I felt like he was a wizard

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Speaker 2: out there and he could throw the ball where he

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Speaker 2: wanted with movement, and I mean he had a great

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Speaker 2: career obviously, So if anyone can get as close to that,

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Speaker 2: I think they're gonna do pretty good.

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Speaker 1: So you're a Maddox guy, Does that make you a

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Speaker 1: Braves fan? Growing up? We know you're from the South,

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Speaker 1: so that's usually the team of the South too. The

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Speaker 1: Braves also very successful during that period as well, with

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Speaker 1: the great pitching steps, So good guy is to model

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Speaker 1: yourself after?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, they were the local team for us in Birmingham.

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Speaker 2: A lot of Braves fans grew up around and kind

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Speaker 2: of the game I'd go to if I want to

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Speaker 2: go to MLB game.

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Speaker 1: So he had so many great guys in that rotation.

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Speaker 1: You mentioned Maddox who what you mentioned Cooper'stown earlier. He's

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Speaker 1: in Cooperstown right now. He's a Hall of Famer. They

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Speaker 1: always said that he was one of the best pitchers

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Speaker 1: of just locating pitches. And then you've also got an

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Speaker 1: entire embarrassment of riches for that Brave's pitching staff with

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Speaker 1: the likes of Tom Glavin, John Smolts were mentioning just

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Speaker 1: Hall of famers right now, and then John Avery of course,

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Speaker 1: who was coming out in the back end of that rotation.

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Speaker 1: What did you feel like that did in just getting

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Speaker 1: with you thinking about pitching right away, because those were

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Speaker 1: the big hitters, so to speak for the Braves growing

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Speaker 1: up as a baseball fan, I.

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Speaker 2: Was really young back then, and I was probably more

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Speaker 2: of an offensive guy. But looking back at their careers,

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Speaker 2: it's easy to just try to model after that. They

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Speaker 2: feel like they played the game the right way and

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Speaker 2: they came out they were prepared and they did a

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Speaker 2: lot of the mental stuff that I think a lot

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Speaker 2: of people are taking for granted these days, but they're definitely, uh,

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Speaker 2: one of the best to ever do it.

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Speaker 1: So well, you mentioned you're from the South. Birmingham originally

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Speaker 1: born in Brandon, Mississippi, and that was where your dad

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Speaker 1: had some roots, right Mississippi State. And then of course

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Speaker 1: you go to the University of Alabama. So I was

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Speaker 1: wondering if you could take us through just growing up

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Speaker 1: from the baseball side of things in that career, blossoming

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Speaker 1: in the South, and then of course going out to

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Speaker 1: the University of Alabama. Your dad, I'm sure was okay

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Speaker 1: with it, even though he didn't go to his alma mater.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so looking back way back, my my grandfather played

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Speaker 2: Mississippi State. He was a lieutenant pitcher. That's probably where

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Speaker 2: the throwing gene came. But my dad, he's from Pederal, Mississippi.

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Speaker 2: It's right there around Hattiesburg. But he he went to

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Speaker 2: Mississippi State, played with Palmrrow and Will Clark, that little group.

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Speaker 2: It's it's cool to talk about. But so I was

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Speaker 2: born in Mississippi when I was two or three, barely

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Speaker 2: even hadding the memories he moved to Birmingham and uh

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Speaker 2: we always went over to Starkboo for games. He being

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Speaker 2: in Alumni, we got a lot of tickets. And I

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Speaker 2: grew up a bulldog. So the recruiting trail kind of

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Speaker 2: came on to me a little late because I wasn't

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Speaker 2: a heart thrower. Uh just found ways to get outs

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Speaker 2: in high school, so didn't get early offers. I got

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Speaker 2: my first sec offer by Alabama and I took a

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Speaker 2: couple of weeks and they called me asking what's taken

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Speaker 2: so long to commit? And I just said the money.

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Speaker 2: And so they offered me a little little boost. They said,

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Speaker 2: but you have an hour to decide or we're taking

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Speaker 2: it away. Yeah, big business part on Alabama. They said,

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Speaker 2: you got an hour, we're taking it away. And just

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Speaker 2: a couple of days later, I was head to Starkwell

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Speaker 2: for a possible offer. But I committed Alabama right away.

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Speaker 1: So it's interesting too, because I mean, you give an hour,

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Speaker 1: that's that's no time at all. What was that hour

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Speaker 1: like that?

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Speaker 2: It was the happiest and most stressful hour in my life. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: Was it the parents that were telling you to maybe

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Speaker 1: just take it right away? That leaned win way? How

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Speaker 1: did you get to that decision to go to Alabama?

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Speaker 2: Well, being from Birmingham, I went to tusclose with my

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Speaker 2: fair share on the weekend and stuff in high school.

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Speaker 2: But you know, I had a lot of familiar faces

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Speaker 2: at the University of Alabama, a lot of older guys.

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Speaker 2: My brother's two years older than I am, and a

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Speaker 2: lot of familiar faces that he played with with. I

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Speaker 2: knew we're already on the roster, and that kind of

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Speaker 2: made me feel more at home. Just the city. Loved Tuscaloosa.

435
00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:09,840
Speaker 2: I live there now in the offseason, so that's worked

436
00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:13,280
Speaker 2: out well. But yeah, it was just kind of a

437
00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:16,080
Speaker 2: spur of the moment thing, and I wouldn't change anything.

438
00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:19,159
Speaker 1: So you get to Alabama, what was the coaching like,

439
00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:22,000
Speaker 1: what was the culture like? I've seen the facility once before.

440
00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:23,880
Speaker 1: We're driving through a cross country when I was going

441
00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:26,640
Speaker 1: out to Kannapolis and we were stopping at different baseball

442
00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:29,160
Speaker 1: fields and we get to Alabama and everyone was wanting

443
00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:30,880
Speaker 1: to see the football field, of course, and I took

444
00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:32,720
Speaker 1: a left and I went to the baseball field. So

445
00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:35,040
Speaker 1: it's a beautiful facility, as I guess you'd expect. But

446
00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:37,320
Speaker 1: what was the culture like in Alabama. That helped you

447
00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:38,360
Speaker 1: in your baseball development.

448
00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:41,639
Speaker 2: It's a championship and culture. No matter what sport you

449
00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:44,359
Speaker 2: play over there, they expect the best. We're considered an

450
00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:47,280
Speaker 2: elite university just because all the success football is brought

451
00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:50,119
Speaker 2: in and some of the other sports. So going in

452
00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:53,800
Speaker 2: we had very high expectations. Work our tails off. I

453
00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:56,000
Speaker 2: got my butt kicked that first year coming out of

454
00:19:56,080 --> 00:20:01,159
Speaker 2: high school. They just they I've never worked harder trying

455
00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:04,320
Speaker 2: to earn earn a spot on the team. And the

456
00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:07,080
Speaker 2: facilities there. My first year, we actually didn't have a stadium.

457
00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:10,120
Speaker 2: They were they were rebuilding it, and so we played

458
00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:12,120
Speaker 2: in Hoover, alban which was an hour way. So every

459
00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:15,840
Speaker 2: game we played away. Basically we had a fifty six

460
00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:18,440
Speaker 2: away games. That's the way we look at it. But yeah,

461
00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:22,399
Speaker 2: that stadium now, it's unbelievable. Forty two million dollars, I believe,

462
00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:25,680
Speaker 2: And I mean you got Brian Denny the football stadium

463
00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,680
Speaker 2: as well. So football season's fun and the whole atmosphere.

464
00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:31,119
Speaker 2: We get even closer in the fall and then in

465
00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:34,919
Speaker 2: the spring we're all best friends and brothers, and uh,

466
00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:38,560
Speaker 2: I miss it. It's definitely some four of the greatest

467
00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:43,399
Speaker 2: years of my life so far, and uh, and I

468
00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:45,400
Speaker 2: feel like I grew a lot, not only as a player,

469
00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:47,840
Speaker 2: but as a man, and I learned a lot of discipline.

470
00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:50,360
Speaker 2: Definitely learned a lot of discipline. And I think it's

471
00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:52,000
Speaker 2: it's made meeting to the guy am right now.

472
00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:54,520
Speaker 1: So those growing pains, I guess that first season you

473
00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:57,080
Speaker 1: mentioned getting kicked around a little bit. What was was

474
00:20:57,119 --> 00:20:58,840
Speaker 1: that the first time that you felt like you were

475
00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:01,560
Speaker 1: really being challenged baseball, that maybe things were going so

476
00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:03,680
Speaker 1: well before and you get to that level and kind

477
00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:05,720
Speaker 1: of had that eyes wide open experience like, oh, this

478
00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:07,480
Speaker 1: is gonna be a little bit different than it was before.

479
00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:09,399
Speaker 1: So what was the hard work that you had mentioned

480
00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:12,040
Speaker 1: that went into coming back and then having a very

481
00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:13,600
Speaker 1: successful career in Alabama?

482
00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:17,040
Speaker 2: Uh? Yeah, anyone going to Alabama from high school is

483
00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:19,280
Speaker 2: definitely the best under team. So everyone has success. And

484
00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:21,840
Speaker 2: then you get to Alabama and you you play in

485
00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:24,120
Speaker 2: the in the fall scrimmages and stuff, and you get

486
00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:27,720
Speaker 2: kicked around by all the veterans and stuff, and they, uh,

487
00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:31,040
Speaker 2: they push you in workouts. But uh, those first couple

488
00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:34,080
Speaker 2: outings and uh in the spring, actually my first outing

489
00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:36,600
Speaker 2: was against the number three team, Houston came up with

490
00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:40,240
Speaker 2: the basis load in the eighth and I was shaking,

491
00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:44,360
Speaker 2: just just shaking a little bit, but uh, I got

492
00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:46,200
Speaker 2: a double play and I was like, ah, it's baseball.

493
00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:50,520
Speaker 2: It's not so hard. But I just I tried to

494
00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:52,560
Speaker 2: just keep my head level and just remind myself that

495
00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,679
Speaker 2: it was again, same game of baseball, and had a

496
00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:57,919
Speaker 2: little success and things worked out and I got a

497
00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:02,040
Speaker 2: roll and tried to stakes and I ended up starting

498
00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:05,119
Speaker 2: on the weekends for every year pretty much, and.

499
00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:08,880
Speaker 1: Which makes you the one of the aces. That's usually

500
00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:11,280
Speaker 1: how it works right in college, because usually it's just

501
00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:13,119
Speaker 1: like one game I think during the week, and then

502
00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:14,760
Speaker 1: you have if you do have that, and then of

503
00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:17,159
Speaker 1: course the weekends, which makes you the big starter. You

504
00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:19,000
Speaker 1: have that built in off time, which you do not

505
00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:22,159
Speaker 1: have here at THELA level. Sounds so nice to have

506
00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:24,160
Speaker 1: built in a couple of days off during the week.

507
00:22:24,359 --> 00:22:26,159
Speaker 1: How is that getting a custom? Now that you're in

508
00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:28,840
Speaker 1: the professional ranks and you know as a fan, maybe

509
00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:31,040
Speaker 1: as a Braves fan, early on, you think, well, this

510
00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:32,800
Speaker 1: is a big deal. I see baseball all the time

511
00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:34,760
Speaker 1: on TV. And then when you get into that grind

512
00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:37,240
Speaker 1: of every day, it's a whole different beast, and imagine

513
00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:39,800
Speaker 1: that has to deal with the preparation just because you know,

514
00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:41,880
Speaker 1: you mentally have to deal with the fact that you're

515
00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:43,840
Speaker 1: reporting every day for work like it's a job. That's

516
00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,320
Speaker 1: why it's the pros. What is that like to I

517
00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:48,240
Speaker 1: get accustomed to coming from the college ranks.

518
00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:51,159
Speaker 2: So in college, I'm sure some people know, not a

519
00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:53,160
Speaker 2: lot of people do you pitch one game a week?

520
00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:55,320
Speaker 2: I mean, if you're a starter, So say I would

521
00:22:55,359 --> 00:22:59,520
Speaker 2: pitch every Friday, so Saturday, I'd have my routine, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday,

522
00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:01,840
Speaker 2: every day up to Thursday, and then Friday game day.

523
00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:05,800
Speaker 2: You know what to expect. It wouldn't change, whereas here

524
00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:09,600
Speaker 2: every five days. So you gottadjust for traveling a lot more.

525
00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:13,320
Speaker 2: You gotta find days to lift. Everywhere you go on

526
00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:16,480
Speaker 2: the road, you're not available to lift, and it's a

527
00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:18,639
Speaker 2: little bit a little bit more of a challenge. But

528
00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:21,320
Speaker 2: in college, if say you have a bat outing, you

529
00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:24,400
Speaker 2: have to wait seven days, whereas here five days. So

530
00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:26,560
Speaker 2: it's just it's a little better on that end, but

531
00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:29,760
Speaker 2: you definitely got to prepare in between because those extra

532
00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:32,240
Speaker 2: two days, it'll it'll let your body just regenerate in

533
00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:35,879
Speaker 2: your arms, not as hanging as much. But here you

534
00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:38,200
Speaker 2: get a lot more reps on the mound every five days,

535
00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:42,680
Speaker 2: so you'll see generally pitchers have bigger records. You got

536
00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:46,240
Speaker 2: more starts, more reliefs, more appearances, just a lot more

537
00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:47,760
Speaker 2: games in general. I mean, we got one hundred and

538
00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:50,440
Speaker 2: forty compared to the fifty six to seventy we played

539
00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:55,720
Speaker 2: in college. But uh, yeah, it's it's more. It's a

540
00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:57,960
Speaker 2: lot more of a job here in college. I mean

541
00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:00,240
Speaker 2: you got more off time, you got friends, and you've

542
00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:03,840
Speaker 2: got classes, which that makes time fly by. Not really,

543
00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:09,840
Speaker 2: but yeah, school is another thing that humbled me. It

544
00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:11,919
Speaker 2: was a good escape. You know, you had classes, you

545
00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:14,480
Speaker 2: had to study finals. It took your mind off the game.

546
00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:17,119
Speaker 2: Where it's here, it's all baseball. It's all baseball. You

547
00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:19,879
Speaker 2: actually have to find something outside of baseball, just to

548
00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:23,199
Speaker 2: keep in mind fresh. I'm a big movie guy. I

549
00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:27,200
Speaker 2: like to relax. I push my body really well up here,

550
00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:29,600
Speaker 2: so I try to just kick back when I get home.

551
00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:33,480
Speaker 2: And this is my first year, so I'm just a

552
00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:36,080
Speaker 2: guinea pig right now. I'm trying to figure out how

553
00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:39,240
Speaker 2: to go about this whole routine thing. And I'm sure

554
00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:41,160
Speaker 2: it'll just a little bit next year just to make

555
00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:43,200
Speaker 2: my body a little more healthy. But right now I

556
00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:46,240
Speaker 2: feel pretty good, so I've been going at it the

557
00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:46,760
Speaker 2: right way.

558
00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:49,200
Speaker 1: Let's go over that final season for you in Alabama,

559
00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,199
Speaker 1: because that was a large body of work. You mentioned

560
00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:53,960
Speaker 1: being a weekend starter on Fridays, eighty two innings of

561
00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:55,800
Speaker 1: work for you as a four and five record at

562
00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:58,440
Speaker 1: three point seven three, earned an average. Then you get drafted,

563
00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:00,639
Speaker 1: so you're taking in the ninth round by the Miami

564
00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:03,800
Speaker 1: Marlins in twenty eighteen. That moment must have been cool,

565
00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:05,800
Speaker 1: but I'm sure very common for a lot of guys

566
00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:08,080
Speaker 1: in Alabama right because it's such a successful program. But

567
00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:10,399
Speaker 1: how excited were you the family and all that, because

568
00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:12,320
Speaker 1: you mentioned, you know, you come in the first season

569
00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:14,480
Speaker 1: in Alabama and you're thinking, Wow, this is gonna be

570
00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:17,040
Speaker 1: really tough, and then you flash forward three four years later,

571
00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:19,400
Speaker 1: depending how it works out, and there you are. You're

572
00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:21,800
Speaker 1: drafted early, I mean top ten rounds, that's usually how

573
00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:24,560
Speaker 1: they describe it. So that's quite an accomplishment right there.

574
00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:27,320
Speaker 1: And speaking to that development that went into the University

575
00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,359
Speaker 1: of Alabama. But you find out that you had some problems,

576
00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:33,480
Speaker 1: I guess with MRI. So then you make your professional

577
00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:35,480
Speaker 1: debut with the lumber Kings this season. So what is

578
00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:37,399
Speaker 1: that like just in a span of what is that

579
00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:40,720
Speaker 1: like eighteen months? Maybe two years right there? Maybe a

580
00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:43,480
Speaker 1: little bit less like because that professional career had to

581
00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:45,600
Speaker 1: be delayed a little bit after what was a very

582
00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:48,520
Speaker 1: impressive senior season for you at the University of Alabama.

583
00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:51,320
Speaker 2: Well, going to the University of Alabama, you know, you

584
00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:54,840
Speaker 2: have a great opportunity to play at the next level.

585
00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:58,080
Speaker 2: Every year we got say an average five guys getting drafted,

586
00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:02,480
Speaker 2: and that's quite the accomplishment I think, I mean any

587
00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:05,400
Speaker 2: SEC team for the most part. But I can tell

588
00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:07,600
Speaker 2: you where I was when I got the call. I

589
00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:10,479
Speaker 2: was worried, trying not to focus on it. But uh,

590
00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:12,960
Speaker 2: I mean every guy that's getting drafted, they're they're worried

591
00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,399
Speaker 2: about it, and it's it's very stressful. If you're not

592
00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:16,200
Speaker 2: in the first round.

593
00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:16,880
Speaker 1: It's bess exciting.

594
00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:20,000
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it's Uh, it was one of the most

595
00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:24,360
Speaker 2: memorable experiences. But definitely when I reported down to Jupiter,

596
00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:28,600
Speaker 2: like most of the guys, uh, they make it's they

597
00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:30,680
Speaker 2: make every picture get in Tomri, they make every catcher

598
00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:33,000
Speaker 2: get in Mari on their knees, so pictures on their

599
00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:37,960
Speaker 2: arms and elbows, and mine wasn't wasn't the most game ready,

600
00:26:38,119 --> 00:26:42,600
Speaker 2: so they shut me down. Just I in Albama. I

601
00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:46,280
Speaker 2: actually had the hold the record for starts in a career,

602
00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:49,880
Speaker 2: So that might kind of partay to my my elbow.

603
00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:52,840
Speaker 1: Yeah, it make it a little bit more cautious. Yeah.

604
00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:56,600
Speaker 2: I pushed through some discomfort in college because I was

605
00:26:56,680 --> 00:26:58,680
Speaker 2: a competitor, I want to say, and I didn't want

606
00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:04,200
Speaker 2: to leave let my eyes down, but I didn't really

607
00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:07,760
Speaker 2: feel any type of energy injury. I mean I was

608
00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:09,840
Speaker 2: still my velo was up and I was competing and

609
00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:12,880
Speaker 2: I was doing well. My last start went really well.

610
00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:17,280
Speaker 2: But yeah, so I got here, and it's just protocol

611
00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:20,040
Speaker 2: just to shut me down. And looking back at it,

612
00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:22,199
Speaker 2: I'm glad it happened when in the moment, I'm like,

613
00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:23,679
Speaker 2: I want to play. I want to play. Just come

614
00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:26,439
Speaker 2: down to college. So I feel like we did a

615
00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:28,920
Speaker 2: really good job and I feel great right now.

616
00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:31,359
Speaker 1: So and your debut, it had come in Clinton in

617
00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:32,920
Speaker 1: front of a hometown crowd. That must have been a

618
00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:34,399
Speaker 1: pretty big moment for you too. I mean that was

619
00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:36,679
Speaker 1: the beginning of your professional career. So were there a

620
00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:38,479
Speaker 1: lot of thoughts going through your head when you went

621
00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:39,240
Speaker 1: out to the mound there.

622
00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:42,359
Speaker 2: Well, I've gotten a lot of reps down in Jupiter

623
00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:44,840
Speaker 2: just to kind of get me game ready and come

624
00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:49,720
Speaker 2: up here. And it's actually it was like a celebratory night.

625
00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:53,320
Speaker 2: We had the cool jerseys, the firefighter red jerseys, which

626
00:27:53,359 --> 00:27:56,840
Speaker 2: actually went on auction, and so we had a great crowd.

627
00:27:56,840 --> 00:27:58,200
Speaker 2: I heard it was like one of the best crowds

628
00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:01,399
Speaker 2: we've had so far. And I had no idea, but

629
00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:04,600
Speaker 2: the adrenaline when I got out there was a lot

630
00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:07,520
Speaker 2: what I expected. It was really high. My last adding

631
00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:11,200
Speaker 2: was in May of twenty eighteen, so it's been quite

632
00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:16,119
Speaker 2: a while, but I feel like I did what I

633
00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:18,840
Speaker 2: wanted to that night, and the rest has been kind

634
00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:21,679
Speaker 2: of flying by. But it was good to get that

635
00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:24,640
Speaker 2: first one out of the way and trying to get

636
00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,760
Speaker 2: back to what I know and that's just done.

637
00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:30,680
Speaker 1: Strikes Boy, you said it flying by. We're in July now.

638
00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:32,480
Speaker 1: It's kind of hard to think about that we just

639
00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:34,560
Speaker 1: got started just a couple of months ago. It seems

640
00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:36,600
Speaker 1: like yesterday. We try to let everyone go with a

641
00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:38,720
Speaker 1: light hearted question and we didn't have you here for

642
00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:40,960
Speaker 1: the beginning of the season, so we didn't have you

643
00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:43,200
Speaker 1: fill out the questionnaire, so we were unable to find

644
00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:46,360
Speaker 1: out who Jake Walter's celebrity crushes were, who the best

645
00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:49,000
Speaker 1: pranksters were. But I guess we'll start with this because

646
00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:50,800
Speaker 1: you said you're a big movie guy. What is your

647
00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:53,120
Speaker 1: all time favorite movie? And is there a genre that

648
00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:55,240
Speaker 1: you tend to lean towards If you had to pick

649
00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:57,680
Speaker 1: one that you're putting a movie on, it's an action,

650
00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:00,760
Speaker 1: it's a comedy. What is the Jake Walters typical.

651
00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:04,680
Speaker 2: Pick Ah, that's the hardest question for me. What's your

652
00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:07,080
Speaker 2: favorite what's your favorite song? Movie?

653
00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:10,480
Speaker 1: That's right, I guess it. What is your favorite action

654
00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:12,400
Speaker 1: type of movie? Do you have one of those? If

655
00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:13,600
Speaker 1: we narrow it a little.

656
00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:18,720
Speaker 2: Bit, action movie? Next question?

657
00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:21,600
Speaker 1: Next question, okay, well, what was the What was a

658
00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:25,520
Speaker 1: movie that you've watched recently that you've really enjoyed recently?

659
00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:30,240
Speaker 2: Well, there's a movie I have on my laptop I

660
00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:32,600
Speaker 2: always go back to. It's just real positive vibes. I

661
00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:36,920
Speaker 2: feel like whenever I'm feeling down and I just remember

662
00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:38,440
Speaker 2: the first the people I watched it with the very

663
00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:41,000
Speaker 2: first time it's called We Are Your Friends. It's uh

664
00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:45,040
Speaker 2: Zac efron Is in that movie. I'm a really big

665
00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:48,920
Speaker 2: music guy and it's about music in southern California.

666
00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:51,520
Speaker 1: So do you play music at all, any instruments?

667
00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:56,280
Speaker 2: No, I don't play any. My mother's side they're huge musicians.

668
00:29:56,400 --> 00:29:58,800
Speaker 2: Everyone on my mom's I plays a plays an instrument,

669
00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:01,880
Speaker 2: and my grandfather's actually in the band Director's Hall of Fame.

670
00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:05,719
Speaker 2: It's a long story, but yeah, we're a big musical

671
00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:09,480
Speaker 2: family and we've always been really into listening. So I

672
00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:11,080
Speaker 2: feel like it's one of the things that helps me

673
00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:12,480
Speaker 2: escape as well from the game.

674
00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:14,840
Speaker 1: So this is Jake Walters. Thanks again for taking the

675
00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:16,560
Speaker 1: time you're to talk with us on a hot day

676
00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:19,120
Speaker 1: here in Clinton, and we will of course update everyone

677
00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:21,200
Speaker 1: when we do find out that favorite movie from Jake

678
00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:23,640
Speaker 1: Walters later on on the podcast. Thanks again for taking

679
00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:23,880
Speaker 1: the time.

680
00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:25,200
Speaker 2: Thank you. Let's get two wins today.

681
00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:55,160
Speaker 1: Absolutely, that's right, and welcome back to a ball with

682
00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:56,960
Speaker 1: Eric Hills. She had just heard from one of the

683
00:30:57,080 --> 00:31:00,440
Speaker 1: lumber Kings, Jarny Bitcher's Jake Walters, talking about it is

684
00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:03,520
Speaker 1: a very interesting path. The very interesting guy, Walters. I mean,

685
00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:06,400
Speaker 1: he's got talent, all over the family, a family that

686
00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:09,840
Speaker 1: was sending everyone to become a bulldog at Mississippi State.

687
00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:12,320
Speaker 1: He of course goes to his own beat of the

688
00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:14,880
Speaker 1: drum and goes to the University of Alabama. But kind

689
00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:18,080
Speaker 1: of interesting to hear about the musically gifted side of

690
00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:21,040
Speaker 1: Jake Walters family. Of course, the adversity he had to

691
00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:24,480
Speaker 1: overcome at the University of Alabama, then that development leading

692
00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:26,840
Speaker 1: him to a ninth round selection by the Miami Marlins.

693
00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:28,920
Speaker 1: We thank him before taking the time to talk with

694
00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:31,320
Speaker 1: us on a ball here. For the lumber Kings, a

695
00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:33,680
Speaker 1: single a affiliate of the Miami Marlins, it has been

696
00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:37,160
Speaker 1: good times as of late. Six straight wins against the

697
00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:40,360
Speaker 1: Wisconsin timber Ratlers, the Peoria Chiefs, and now the Quad

698
00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:43,440
Speaker 1: City's River Bandits, their longest winning streak of this season,

699
00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:47,280
Speaker 1: has catapulted them into the playoff discussion with a six

700
00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:50,040
Speaker 1: and three record in the second half in third place,

701
00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:52,480
Speaker 1: a game back of the Wisconsin timber Ratlers and the

702
00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:55,120
Speaker 1: Kane County Cougars, who are currently tied for first with

703
00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:57,640
Speaker 1: a seven and two mark on the second half of

704
00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:00,640
Speaker 1: the twenty nineteen season. Here in the Midwest League, a

705
00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:03,000
Speaker 1: team that has really changed as of late now, the

706
00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:06,160
Speaker 1: lumber Kings also saw in addition to the coaching staff here.

707
00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:10,680
Speaker 1: The lumber Kings currently have four outfielders on the roster,

708
00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:14,880
Speaker 1: Davis Bradshaw, Peyton Burdick, Thomas Jones and Connor Scott, and

709
00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:17,320
Speaker 1: they will now have a new coach that is primarily

710
00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:21,360
Speaker 1: here to work on the new defensive players that are

711
00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:24,600
Speaker 1: in the outfield. You've got Nathan Michaels who has now

712
00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:26,760
Speaker 1: been assigned to Clinton. He had begun this season with

713
00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:30,400
Speaker 1: the Batavia Munckdogs. He'll primarily be serving as an outfield

714
00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:32,600
Speaker 1: defensive coach. In the past, he had worked with the

715
00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:36,240
Speaker 1: GCL Marlins. He's only twenty five years of age and GCL.

716
00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:39,360
Speaker 1: He was a defensive, bunting and base running coach for

717
00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:42,040
Speaker 1: the GCL Marlins. He was in his playing career with

718
00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:45,480
Speaker 1: the New York Yankees, a third round selection in twenty twelve.

719
00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:47,800
Speaker 1: Very young coach that has now made this a four

720
00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:50,480
Speaker 1: man coaching staff for the lumber Kings. So just one

721
00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:52,960
Speaker 1: of those things to consenter. But he's from this part

722
00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,640
Speaker 1: of the woods. He's from Kenosha, Wisconsin. So it's good

723
00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:58,200
Speaker 1: to see Nathan and Michaels now with the Clinton lumber Kings.

724
00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:00,640
Speaker 1: He also has been serving as the first space coach

725
00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:02,400
Speaker 1: in the first couple of games that we've been seen

726
00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:04,960
Speaker 1: here in Clinton, but he is just one of many

727
00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,640
Speaker 1: new faces to get accustomed to. Over the last couple

728
00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:10,440
Speaker 1: of days, we've seen our fair share of roster moves.

729
00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:14,280
Speaker 1: Of course, the new arrivals of the twenty nineteen draft

730
00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:16,920
Speaker 1: class in Peyton Burdick and also in Evan Edwards. But

731
00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:19,960
Speaker 1: since lumber Kings have returned here to Clinton, starting with

732
00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:24,000
Speaker 1: their series against the Peoria Chiefs on Tuesday, June twenty fifth,

733
00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:26,240
Speaker 1: we have seen in that time lumber Kings make four

734
00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:29,080
Speaker 1: roster moves. One of them came on the thirtieth of June.

735
00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:31,400
Speaker 1: Right handed arm that was not here for very long

736
00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:34,360
Speaker 1: casein Sharrod. We were able to talk with him on

737
00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:37,000
Speaker 1: our pregame show, but he was earning a promotion very

738
00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:40,720
Speaker 1: quickly up to the High A Jupiter Hammerheads, following just

739
00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:43,240
Speaker 1: four appearances hearing Clinton in which he did not allow

740
00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:46,720
Speaker 1: a run only surrendered two. Hitch Rod very hard right

741
00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:49,600
Speaker 1: thrower from the text from Texas A and M. Selected

742
00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:52,720
Speaker 1: in the seventh round of the twenty eighteen draft. He

743
00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:54,720
Speaker 1: was fun to talk with on that pregame show. He

744
00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:57,800
Speaker 1: was also telling us about the hearing problem that he

745
00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:00,880
Speaker 1: had had as he was born a couple of week's premature,

746
00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:03,600
Speaker 1: and then he came right back out the next downing.

747
00:34:03,640 --> 00:34:05,680
Speaker 1: He worked to save for the Clinton lumber Kings through

748
00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:07,680
Speaker 1: two shutout innings and what turned out to be his

749
00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:09,799
Speaker 1: final outing. It was part of a win against the

750
00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:12,479
Speaker 1: Pureya Chiefs. So we wish our best luck to case

751
00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:15,799
Speaker 1: In Shirod who was up to the High A Jupiter Hammerheads,

752
00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:19,279
Speaker 1: joining several lumber Kings that are now up in High A. Now,

753
00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:21,759
Speaker 1: the lumber Kings did see some bad news. I guess

754
00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:23,759
Speaker 1: Connor Grant, who he had talked about a little bit

755
00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:26,359
Speaker 1: not too long ago, is joining the lumber Kings. He

756
00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:29,880
Speaker 1: has been placed on the voluntarily retired list, so his

757
00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:32,279
Speaker 1: baseball career has come to an end. What that had

758
00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:35,160
Speaker 1: meant for the lumber Kings, though, with Charont's promotion and

759
00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:39,239
Speaker 1: Grant placed on the temporarily retired list, is that the

760
00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:41,120
Speaker 1: lumber Kings were down two men. They were down to

761
00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:43,640
Speaker 1: twenty three active men when they had last played on

762
00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:47,319
Speaker 1: June thirtieth against the Quantity's River Bendits. They have now

763
00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:50,840
Speaker 1: received some reinforcements, so new pictures that will be available

764
00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:53,160
Speaker 1: for Mike Jacobs out of the Bullpendal. A couple of

765
00:34:53,200 --> 00:34:57,000
Speaker 1: right handers, Bryce Howe and Jeremy Ovel who selector who

766
00:34:57,080 --> 00:34:59,480
Speaker 1: were sent here from Batavia, so they had earned promotion

767
00:34:59,560 --> 00:35:01,840
Speaker 1: from the Dogs out of the New York Penn League

768
00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:04,440
Speaker 1: and that has made it an active roster of twenty

769
00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:08,000
Speaker 1: five men. That is how the lumber Kings current roster sits,

770
00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:11,080
Speaker 1: and they have been playing some pretty good baseball as

771
00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:13,400
Speaker 1: of late. To look to continue that theme with a

772
00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:16,480
Speaker 1: roster that we have mentioned has been changing, as has

773
00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:18,520
Speaker 1: the pitching rotation. We touched on it a bit with

774
00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:21,720
Speaker 1: Jake Walters. Alberto Guerrero is now the number one starter

775
00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:24,640
Speaker 1: for the Clinton lumber Kings. George Soriano he had picked

776
00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:27,440
Speaker 1: up his first win as a lumber King, and that

777
00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:31,200
Speaker 1: needed to be a while ago, but Soriato he certainly

778
00:35:31,239 --> 00:35:33,879
Speaker 1: deserved it. He deserved his last two times out. In fact,

779
00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:37,800
Speaker 1: he had an eight incomplete game assignment against the seedar

780
00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:39,960
Speaker 1: Rapids Colonels. He got the loss for that, but his

781
00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:43,120
Speaker 1: win was finally earned on June twenty seventh. That's when

782
00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:45,640
Speaker 1: the lumber Kings scored four runs in the first inning,

783
00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:49,600
Speaker 1: with the first five batters collecting hits. Soriano went five innings,

784
00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:52,240
Speaker 1: allowing two runs on five hits, walk three, and struck

785
00:35:52,239 --> 00:35:54,319
Speaker 1: out three for his first win of the season. Now

786
00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:56,680
Speaker 1: the lumber Kings number two starter here in the second

787
00:35:56,719 --> 00:35:59,239
Speaker 1: half Jake Walters. He is the number three starter. You

788
00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:02,440
Speaker 1: can next see him when this episode comes out On Wednesday,

789
00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:05,000
Speaker 1: the day before the fourth of July. Walters set to

790
00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:07,839
Speaker 1: take the ball against the Beloit Snappers in what will

791
00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:10,680
Speaker 1: be his third start of the second half. Lumber Kings then,

792
00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:13,719
Speaker 1: in the fourth spot of their rotation have a piggyback

793
00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:18,480
Speaker 1: start between Tyler Jones and Tyler Mitzel. Mitzell having worked

794
00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:20,520
Speaker 1: a win his last time out for five innings of

795
00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:23,080
Speaker 1: work that was his first start of his professional career.

796
00:36:23,200 --> 00:36:26,040
Speaker 1: Tyler Jones, of course, had begun this season in the bullpen.

797
00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:28,600
Speaker 1: We had mentioned that in the Walters interview and is

798
00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:30,520
Speaker 1: now going to make a start on the fourth of

799
00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:33,560
Speaker 1: July against the Period Chiefs when the lumber Kings return

800
00:36:33,640 --> 00:36:36,360
Speaker 1: home for those festivities. The number five starter for the

801
00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:39,160
Speaker 1: Clinton lumber Kings is now Andrews, who was just coming

802
00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:42,960
Speaker 1: off a seven inning masterful performance against the Quad Cities

803
00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:45,839
Speaker 1: River Bandits in which he allowed no runs, only one hit,

804
00:36:45,920 --> 00:36:48,400
Speaker 1: walk to batteran struck out two, and then the rains

805
00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:50,359
Speaker 1: came and suspended us, which is why you heard Jake

806
00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:54,280
Speaker 1: Walters mentioning winning two when we recorded this on July first.

807
00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:56,520
Speaker 1: For what was the kind of sorted double header with

808
00:36:56,520 --> 00:36:59,120
Speaker 1: the Quad Cities River Bandits from the hottest team in

809
00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:01,840
Speaker 1: the Midwest League. That's gonna do it for this episode.

810
00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:04,839
Speaker 1: But before we go, we'd like to shamelessly plug the

811
00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:07,560
Speaker 1: broadcast side of things, because of course, you can listen

812
00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:11,120
Speaker 1: to all lumber Kings games in twenty nineteen with yours

813
00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:14,080
Speaker 1: truly on the call Eric Ohs on one hundred point

814
00:37:14,120 --> 00:37:17,400
Speaker 1: three FMWCCI for those of you in the broadcast range.

815
00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:19,640
Speaker 1: For those of you outside, of course, you can listen

816
00:37:19,680 --> 00:37:22,919
Speaker 1: to all the lumber Kings action this season online via

817
00:37:22,920 --> 00:37:26,040
Speaker 1: the tune in radio app at Lumberkings dot com. Well

818
00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:28,680
Speaker 1: to thank everyone for listening to this episode, and of

819
00:37:28,719 --> 00:37:31,319
Speaker 1: course a special thanks to our guest Jake Walters for

820
00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:34,280
Speaker 1: taking some time to talk with us on episode number

821
00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:36,880
Speaker 1: fourteen of a Ball. Hopefully we'll see you out at

822
00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:39,440
Speaker 1: the Ballpark. Some point this season, maybe we'll have you

823
00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:41,759
Speaker 1: on the broadcast, and of course we hope to have

824
00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:43,879
Speaker 1: you back next week. We're not sure who we'll talk

825
00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:46,200
Speaker 1: to you, but this broadcaster, he's gonna be on assignment,

826
00:37:46,280 --> 00:37:48,960
Speaker 1: so we're thinking Frank Moore, the hitting coach, will be

827
00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:51,680
Speaker 1: joining us, maybe out in Beloit to give us the

828
00:37:51,760 --> 00:37:55,120
Speaker 1: insight on the offensive explosion for the lumber Kings. As

829
00:37:55,160 --> 00:37:59,000
Speaker 1: of late, Frank will likely be our episode number fifteen

830
00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:02,680
Speaker 1: of A Ball with Eric Ohs. Until then next episode

831
00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:05,279
Speaker 1: of A Ball. Thanks again everyone for listening, take care,

832
00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:06,839
Speaker 1: and we will see you next week.