WEBVTT - New Padres manager Craig Stammen 0:00:02.759 --> 0:00:04.600 Hey, we're ready for our next guest. He is the 0:00:04.680 --> 0:00:07.560 new manager of the San Diego Padres, Craig Stammon, joining 0:00:07.640 --> 0:00:09.920 us right now on foul Territory for the first time. 0:00:10.000 --> 0:00:11.280 Craig, great to have you on here. 0:00:11.320 --> 0:00:15.480 Congratulations on getting the role, and how has the off 0:00:15.520 --> 0:00:19.360 season really your life changed over the past month and change? 0:00:20.440 --> 0:00:23.360 Yeah, thanks a lot. Yeah, it's been definitely been a 0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:28.480 life change. I'm a lot busier here in November, December 0:00:28.520 --> 0:00:32.279 and January leading up the spring training and planning, you know, 0:00:32.640 --> 0:00:34.600 everything in the off season and planning what we're going 0:00:34.640 --> 0:00:36.840 to do in spring training. So it's been a fun 0:00:36.920 --> 0:00:40.479 change though exciting put in a leadership role and testing 0:00:40.520 --> 0:00:41.720 my leadership abilities. 0:00:42.440 --> 0:00:43.320 So far, so good. 0:00:44.280 --> 0:00:46.800 I'm just glad you didn't big league me, okay, because 0:00:46.800 --> 0:00:49.440 I saw you at winter meetings and we talked, and 0:00:49.520 --> 0:00:51.240 your family came up to mind and we have mutual 0:00:51.400 --> 0:00:55.160 friends and family friends, and I text you. I had 0:00:55.160 --> 0:00:57.880 to dig through my doldrums of my rolodecks to try 0:00:57.880 --> 0:00:59.480 to figure out a way to get your phone number. 0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:01.720 Got your phone number and you said that you would 0:01:01.760 --> 0:01:04.319 come on after the holidays. So I am just here 0:01:04.400 --> 0:01:07.520 saying thank you, thank you, for coming on. We appreciate it, 0:01:07.720 --> 0:01:08.960 and we were not going to ask you how to 0:01:09.000 --> 0:01:09.679 split the atom. 0:01:09.680 --> 0:01:10.880 Okay, we might talk a little. 0:01:10.720 --> 0:01:14.560 Bullpen or platoon advantages, but other than that, it's going 0:01:14.640 --> 0:01:15.920 to be all ball and hopefully you get to have 0:01:16.000 --> 0:01:16.479 a good time. 0:01:16.520 --> 0:01:17.040 So thank you. 0:01:18.120 --> 0:01:18.919 Yeah, you're welcome. 0:01:18.959 --> 0:01:22.480 Hopefully that's you know, a foreshadow of the future that 0:01:22.520 --> 0:01:25.400 I'm a man of my word. You know, good managers 0:01:25.440 --> 0:01:28.320 are usually a man other word. And I'm glad we 0:01:28.360 --> 0:01:29.920 could make it work that we get on the show. Sorry, 0:01:29.920 --> 0:01:32.840 I couldn't make it happen in winter meetings, but all good. 0:01:32.959 --> 0:01:40.120 Now, all right, so let's first get into the transition 0:01:40.200 --> 0:01:43.319 period and the conversation that you've probably already had a 0:01:43.360 --> 0:01:47.280 million times with others, but that one moment where all 0:01:47.280 --> 0:01:51.640 of a sudden it switched from I'm interviewing people to 0:01:52.440 --> 0:01:54.200 I'm one of them being interviewed. 0:01:57.080 --> 0:02:00.520 Yeah, I think you know, aj I should have probably 0:02:01.000 --> 0:02:04.640 gotten the tune the message a little earlier in the 0:02:04.680 --> 0:02:07.560 off season, but he kept prying, and without really saying 0:02:07.600 --> 0:02:09.840 it that he wanted me to be a candidate, just 0:02:09.960 --> 0:02:11.960 kept asking, you know, do you want to do more? 0:02:12.280 --> 0:02:14.360 You know, are you tired of being a special assistant, 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:17.720 and my wife and I had just talked about it, 0:02:17.760 --> 0:02:19.600 you know, over the last few off seasons, because there's 0:02:19.600 --> 0:02:21.920 definitely been a you know, a desire to stay in 0:02:21.960 --> 0:02:24.040 the game and be a part of it in some capacity, 0:02:24.080 --> 0:02:27.320 and the special assistant role felt comfortable with my family 0:02:27.320 --> 0:02:29.280 and the situation that we were in with young kids 0:02:29.320 --> 0:02:31.720 and just being able to get them into school and 0:02:31.760 --> 0:02:34.440 get them situated back home, get them into sports, all 0:02:34.480 --> 0:02:36.639 that kind of stuff, and so we just had a 0:02:36.720 --> 0:02:38.840 lot going on and it was kind of just a no, 0:02:39.000 --> 0:02:41.440 a casual note between me and my wife and like, 0:02:41.520 --> 0:02:44.560 this just isn't going to work. And then when AJ said, no, 0:02:44.680 --> 0:02:46.840 I really need you to think about this, and if 0:02:46.880 --> 0:02:48.840 it takes me flying out to come see your wife 0:02:48.840 --> 0:02:51.120 and answer all the questions and stuff like that, he goes, 0:02:51.120 --> 0:02:52.000 I'm willing to do that. 0:02:52.680 --> 0:02:54.440 And that's what I knew. He was really serious. 0:02:54.800 --> 0:02:56.560 And when he was really serious, then I had to 0:02:56.560 --> 0:02:58.720 start thinking about it and get really serious about it too. 0:02:58.840 --> 0:03:02.800 And I guess, just like sitting down and actually like 0:03:02.919 --> 0:03:04.320 mapping it out and thinking about it. 0:03:04.360 --> 0:03:05.640 Do I really want to do this? 0:03:05.560 --> 0:03:09.000 This is this an opportunity I want to pursue hadn't 0:03:09.040 --> 0:03:11.160 really you know, I'd lightly thought about it, but not 0:03:11.639 --> 0:03:16.480 seriously considered it until after those interviews. So odd timing, 0:03:16.560 --> 0:03:19.320 I guess on that end. But I'd spent so much 0:03:19.360 --> 0:03:22.680 time with AJ and Josh and most of the Padrey's 0:03:22.720 --> 0:03:24.240 front office the last two years. 0:03:24.680 --> 0:03:26.440 It was like they've been interviewing me for the last 0:03:26.480 --> 0:03:27.040 few years. 0:03:27.040 --> 0:03:30.960 So the interview process probably started back when I signed 0:03:30.960 --> 0:03:33.240 as a minor league free agent back in twenty seventeen. 0:03:34.400 --> 0:03:35.760 Did you feel like you had the answest to the 0:03:35.800 --> 0:03:38.440 test already when they started interviewing you, because you you've 0:03:38.440 --> 0:03:40.640 been through this, so you've sat in those interviews and 0:03:40.680 --> 0:03:42.960 you've know what they like when Preller by the way, 0:03:42.960 --> 0:03:44.840 we call him Preller because there's only one AJ on 0:03:44.880 --> 0:03:47.760 the show, so don't anything with him, all right, And 0:03:47.800 --> 0:03:50.520 by the way, I addressed way better also, but that's 0:03:50.560 --> 0:03:53.440 a whole different topic. Did you feel like you had 0:03:53.480 --> 0:03:55.800 the innswest to the test when they started asking you questions? 0:03:55.800 --> 0:03:57.720 When they're coming up to you and they're saying, Craig, 0:03:57.720 --> 0:04:00.400 well this, what would you do in this situation? You're like, remember, 0:04:00.440 --> 0:04:03.480 three interviews ago, we had disc candidates. We didn't like 0:04:03.520 --> 0:04:05.680 that answer, so I'm gonna go with the opposite answer. 0:04:06.200 --> 0:04:08.200 How does that work? Because it seems like you already 0:04:08.200 --> 0:04:08.800 know what to say. 0:04:09.960 --> 0:04:11.480 Yeah, I could see how you could think that way. 0:04:11.520 --> 0:04:13.560 I think I had the you could say I had 0:04:13.560 --> 0:04:15.480 the answers to the test because I've been watching a 0:04:15.520 --> 0:04:17.960 bunch of games with AJ and Josh and a lot 0:04:18.000 --> 0:04:20.359 of the front office guys, and we think baseball. I 0:04:20.360 --> 0:04:22.040 think that's why they hired me, as we think about 0:04:22.040 --> 0:04:23.600 baseball in a very similar manner. 0:04:24.800 --> 0:04:26.880 They hadn't you not much to do with the rest 0:04:26.920 --> 0:04:27.600 of the candidates. 0:04:27.600 --> 0:04:30.000 I think we're all good baseball men that were on 0:04:30.160 --> 0:04:33.200 all those interviews, and everybody had a lot of good ideas, 0:04:33.240 --> 0:04:35.359 and I thought like I had some good ideas that 0:04:35.400 --> 0:04:37.120 I brought to the table, two that were unique and 0:04:37.160 --> 0:04:40.520 different and thoughts that I had even that I'd probably 0:04:40.560 --> 0:04:43.679 told AJ and Josh already from you know, just trying 0:04:43.680 --> 0:04:46.040 to you know, navigate the last two seasons and help 0:04:46.080 --> 0:04:48.720 our team be the best that they can be, So 0:04:49.480 --> 0:04:50.800 you know, it wasn't an advantage. 0:04:50.839 --> 0:04:51.240 I don't know. 0:04:51.279 --> 0:04:53.560 I've sat on a bunch of interviews, you know, for 0:04:53.720 --> 0:04:56.720 different roles, and in fact, like the very first year 0:04:56.760 --> 0:04:58.159 out of being an off season. 0:04:57.839 --> 0:04:59.080 Interviewed for being the bench coach. 0:04:59.200 --> 0:05:02.080 So I just try to be myself, be as genuine 0:05:02.120 --> 0:05:05.800 as possible, be a man of integrity, and you know, 0:05:05.839 --> 0:05:08.279 hopefully that shines through on those interview processes. 0:05:08.360 --> 0:05:10.800 And and you know, I am who I am. 0:05:11.000 --> 0:05:15.400 You know, it's it's my character hopefully speaks for itself. 0:05:15.440 --> 0:05:17.000 And that's, you know, kind of what I tried to 0:05:17.000 --> 0:05:18.240 put out in those interviews. 0:05:19.200 --> 0:05:20.960 All Right, you've been in it for two years and 0:05:21.400 --> 0:05:24.080 you know, special assistant role. One of the things we 0:05:24.120 --> 0:05:27.560 hear about Preller is he could be tough. He can 0:05:27.640 --> 0:05:30.200 be tough to work with. Do you have a little 0:05:30.200 --> 0:05:34.800 bit of like an insight into say, I get it, Aja, 0:05:35.320 --> 0:05:37.440 Like he's calls you and I get it. You're gonna 0:05:37.440 --> 0:05:40.520 be pissed about this, But let's relax. You know, we 0:05:40.640 --> 0:05:43.400 set this ahead. You know, is there are you the 0:05:43.480 --> 0:05:45.080 Are you the Preller Whisperer? 0:05:46.640 --> 0:05:48.320 I'm not a Preller whisperer. 0:05:48.520 --> 0:05:48.640 Uh. 0:05:48.720 --> 0:05:49.360 That's funny. 0:05:50.240 --> 0:05:52.240 I think that we we build a relationship when I 0:05:52.279 --> 0:05:54.800 was playing, we build a relationship with me as a 0:05:54.839 --> 0:05:56.880 special assistant. Obviously it's going to be a you know, 0:05:57.000 --> 0:06:00.479 slightly different relationship with me as the manager. But so far, 0:06:00.520 --> 0:06:02.880 it's been great to work with AJ. I've loved playing 0:06:02.880 --> 0:06:05.280 for him. I love being a special assistant for him. 0:06:05.400 --> 0:06:07.160 The one thing that it boils down to is he 0:06:07.200 --> 0:06:09.280 wants to win and he's going to go for it, 0:06:09.839 --> 0:06:12.159 and anybody that wants to go for it, I'm all 0:06:12.200 --> 0:06:13.760 in on that too, because I want to go for it. 0:06:13.680 --> 0:06:14.320 To you know. 0:06:14.400 --> 0:06:16.599 That's you know, us as former players, that's all we 0:06:16.680 --> 0:06:18.320 ever wanted every year, we wanted to show up to 0:06:18.320 --> 0:06:21.400 spring training, but the chance to compete for the World Series. 0:06:21.800 --> 0:06:24.599 And sometimes we've fooled ourselves into believing that when we're 0:06:24.600 --> 0:06:25.359 on teams that you. 0:06:25.360 --> 0:06:26.920 Know, weren't quite ready. 0:06:28.240 --> 0:06:30.719 But you know, working for AJ, playing for AJ, and 0:06:30.760 --> 0:06:33.039 now being a manager with AJ, you know, I don't 0:06:33.080 --> 0:06:33.960 have to worry about that anymore. 0:06:33.960 --> 0:06:35.120 We're going to show up the spring. 0:06:34.880 --> 0:06:37.680 Training with a chance to compete, chance and win a division, 0:06:37.800 --> 0:06:39.880 chance to make it to the playoffs. And you know 0:06:39.920 --> 0:06:42.919 what more can you ask for from somebody that is 0:06:42.960 --> 0:06:45.039 your boss and that has a you know, been a 0:06:45.040 --> 0:06:46.600 great GM and is always going for it. 0:06:48.160 --> 0:06:50.599 Hey make good eats at home part of your twenty 0:06:50.680 --> 0:06:54.320 twenty six New Year's resolution, Hello Fresh, is what we're 0:06:54.320 --> 0:06:55.080 talking about. 0:06:54.839 --> 0:06:58.359 Here, steaks, seafood, whatever options you want to have, stone 0:06:58.440 --> 0:07:00.560 fruit to corner the cops. 0:07:00.560 --> 0:07:02.560 God, I know you're a big stone fruit fan. Hey, 0:07:02.560 --> 0:07:03.680 you've eaten it all I have. 0:07:03.800 --> 0:07:06.320 I've tried a lot of things, but HelloFresh always delivers. 0:07:06.320 --> 0:07:11.000 They're fresh, delicious meals that you get to cook so 0:07:11.080 --> 0:07:13.120 you feel like you actually accomplish something when you get 0:07:13.160 --> 0:07:14.280 eat them after you're done. 0:07:14.080 --> 0:07:17.840 Cooking over one hundred mouth watering recipes each week. It's 0:07:17.840 --> 0:07:21.280 made with wholesome ingredients like one hundred percent antibiotic and 0:07:21.440 --> 0:07:25.360 hormone free chicken. Because when dinner tastes this good, nothing 0:07:25.480 --> 0:07:29.000 hits like home cooking. Go to HelloFresh dot com slash 0:07:29.240 --> 0:07:33.240 ft ten FM to get ten free meals plus a 0:07:33.320 --> 0:07:36.000 freeze willing knife, a one hundred and forty four to 0:07:36.080 --> 0:07:38.360 ninety nine value on your third box. 0:07:38.640 --> 0:07:40.400 Offer valid while supplies last. 0:07:40.720 --> 0:07:44.880 Free meals applied as discount on first box new subscribers only. 0:07:45.160 --> 0:07:48.560 Varies by a plan. Get America's number one meal kit, 0:07:48.680 --> 0:07:49.320 Hello Fresh. 0:07:50.280 --> 0:07:53.800 Five minutes of your interview here, I've gleaned the words, integrity, 0:07:54.520 --> 0:07:59.960 the relationships, all that stuff anytime before you became the man. 0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:03.400 Because we hear about you're respected by the current players 0:08:04.080 --> 0:08:06.240 as a player, and then as your role in the 0:08:06.240 --> 0:08:10.000 front office, you're respected by preler. You mentioned Josh too. 0:08:10.800 --> 0:08:12.640 Any time was there a moment in the last two 0:08:12.680 --> 0:08:16.280 years where you were like, as a manager, I would 0:08:16.280 --> 0:08:19.080 have done this differently? Or did anybody come to you 0:08:19.120 --> 0:08:21.760 and say, hey, as a manager, would you have done 0:08:21.760 --> 0:08:22.720 this differently? 0:08:23.000 --> 0:08:26.400 Or as a bench coach would you have done this differently? 0:08:28.680 --> 0:08:30.520 I think we all have our own ideas of how 0:08:30.520 --> 0:08:33.040 we would do things differently. I think the last two 0:08:33.120 --> 0:08:35.400 years in this role, Mike Shields have been our manager, 0:08:35.520 --> 0:08:39.240 and he's a great manager. His track record speaks for himself, 0:08:40.200 --> 0:08:42.760 you know, back to back ninety win seasons and before 0:08:42.800 --> 0:08:45.719 that with Cardinals, same thing, always taking his teams to 0:08:45.760 --> 0:08:48.319 the playoffs. So I think more so I learned a 0:08:48.360 --> 0:08:51.040 lot from him on how to navigate through the season, 0:08:51.120 --> 0:08:53.040 how to navigate a spring training, how to get your 0:08:53.040 --> 0:08:55.360 team ready to play and get off to the fast start. 0:08:55.520 --> 0:08:58.160 So I you know, I've. 0:08:58.280 --> 0:09:03.719 Talked with him pretty regularly year since he retired, and uh, 0:09:03.760 --> 0:09:05.480 he's giving me some great advice and he's kind of 0:09:05.480 --> 0:09:07.560 helped me through this offseason and looking forward to my 0:09:07.600 --> 0:09:10.040 next phone call with him to you know, pick his 0:09:10.080 --> 0:09:12.280 brain some more, and you know, asking, hey, what should 0:09:12.280 --> 0:09:14.440 I be thinking about right now? You know, three four 0:09:14.440 --> 0:09:16.760 weeks before spring training? And you know what do I 0:09:16.760 --> 0:09:18.320 got to get their guys ready for? What I got 0:09:18.360 --> 0:09:21.640 to get the coaches ready for? So you know, there's 0:09:21.640 --> 0:09:24.880 a there's you know, you could do little things here 0:09:24.880 --> 0:09:26.960 and there differently, but overall, like our team has been 0:09:27.000 --> 0:09:28.560 in a good spot for the last couple of years 0:09:28.559 --> 0:09:30.600 and now it's just trying to get over that hump, 0:09:30.679 --> 0:09:33.360 get hot at the right time and and hopefully get 0:09:33.360 --> 0:09:35.680 to the playoffs and be the hottest team at that point. 0:09:36.600 --> 0:09:38.000 All right, I have to ask you because this is 0:09:37.960 --> 0:09:39.760 the one thing that when people people have asked me, 0:09:39.800 --> 0:09:40.480 do you want to manage? 0:09:40.600 --> 0:09:42.240 This? The one thing I always think about. 0:09:42.280 --> 0:09:43.960 And you sat in the bullpend board a lot of 0:09:44.160 --> 0:09:45.920 a lot of your time as a big league player. 0:09:46.360 --> 0:09:48.840 But when you're in let's say, let's see you guys 0:09:48.840 --> 0:09:52.920 training Peoria and you have to drive to I don't know, Mesa, okay, 0:09:52.960 --> 0:09:56.920 and watch a Padres Athletics game and you're in the 0:09:57.000 --> 0:09:59.959 seventh inning and it's the first week of spring third 0:10:00.040 --> 0:10:02.640 week of spring training, and you have all number eighty 0:10:02.760 --> 0:10:05.840 nine's out there all over the field. Are you going 0:10:05.920 --> 0:10:08.600 to be bored? Because that's what I think about, Like 0:10:08.679 --> 0:10:11.280 I'm thinner thinking like you know, as a former player, 0:10:11.320 --> 0:10:13.760 like you were a former big leaguer pitcher, you pitching 0:10:13.800 --> 0:10:15.440 the fifth inning, they'd be like, okay, great, go ahead 0:10:15.440 --> 0:10:17.840 and go home. Right, So I'd play six or seven innings. 0:10:17.840 --> 0:10:19.440 They're like, all right, go ahead and go home. But 0:10:19.520 --> 0:10:20.320 now you're the manager. 0:10:20.320 --> 0:10:20.920 You have to stay. 0:10:20.920 --> 0:10:22.440 You have to take all the buses, you have to 0:10:22.480 --> 0:10:24.760 do all these things. Get back to the field. It's 0:10:24.840 --> 0:10:25.439 late at nine. 0:10:25.480 --> 0:10:27.679 Then you have to have the lineups ready, Like are 0:10:27.720 --> 0:10:29.160 you going to get bored? Or are you worried about? 0:10:29.200 --> 0:10:30.640 Because that's the one thing that I always thought like 0:10:30.720 --> 0:10:33.080 that would be boring sometimes. 0:10:34.240 --> 0:10:36.760 You know, you know, everybody doesn't know those eighty ninees 0:10:36.760 --> 0:10:38.240 and eighty eights and eighty seven's. 0:10:38.320 --> 0:10:40.560 But unfortunate, you know, not Unfortunately. 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:43.000 Fortunately, the role that I had the last few years 0:10:43.120 --> 0:10:45.640 was was a lot with the player development, and I 0:10:45.679 --> 0:10:47.240 was able to go down to all those minor league 0:10:47.240 --> 0:10:49.280 affiliates and see those guys and try to be a 0:10:49.320 --> 0:10:51.640 mentor to them and somebody that they could count on. 0:10:51.720 --> 0:10:54.520 And so I know those eighty sevens, eighty nine's and nineties, 0:10:54.960 --> 0:10:56.400 and when they're in the game, I'm gonna be root 0:10:56.480 --> 0:10:58.160 for them because this is their chance to prove that 0:10:58.200 --> 0:11:01.120 they can be big leaguers. And to me, that's exciting 0:11:01.160 --> 0:11:03.679 because we've been pushing, you know, those guys to get 0:11:03.720 --> 0:11:05.880 better at their game, do this, do that, you know, 0:11:05.920 --> 0:11:08.760 to make it to the next level. And you know, 0:11:08.840 --> 0:11:11.360 finally they get their chance to prove it as a 0:11:11.360 --> 0:11:12.800 as an eighty nine and a ninety. 0:11:13.400 --> 0:11:15.040 And it's still a big league game. 0:11:15.080 --> 0:11:17.400 It's still a big league stadium, a big league atmosphere, 0:11:17.440 --> 0:11:19.559 and you know, be able to pat those guys on 0:11:19.600 --> 0:11:21.240 the back, tell them they're doing a good job. And 0:11:22.320 --> 0:11:24.120 you know, that's something I look forward to. It's gonna 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:25.600 be a fun. End of the game. 0:11:25.920 --> 0:11:26.720 Will be different. 0:11:26.800 --> 0:11:29.080 Yeah, you know, usually you're not staying for a full 0:11:29.120 --> 0:11:31.560 game and spring training as a player and able to 0:11:31.559 --> 0:11:33.920 sneak out of there and get eighteen holes around golf 0:11:33.960 --> 0:11:36.360 in in the afternoon. I think as a manager, my 0:11:36.400 --> 0:11:38.439 golf game is going to suffer in that respect for 0:11:39.080 --> 0:11:39.760 spring training. 0:11:40.440 --> 0:11:42.240 All right, Well, what Craig just said, and what he 0:11:42.320 --> 0:11:45.120 really meant to say was AJ, you were a superstar 0:11:45.880 --> 0:11:49.720 and you weren't a superstar, so you appreciate the little people. 0:11:50.000 --> 0:11:52.480 AJ can't respond right now. So that's good. That's why 0:11:52.520 --> 0:11:55.440 I said it. But that's why AJ would have hated it. 0:11:55.480 --> 0:11:57.240 So that's why you're going to be a great manager. 0:11:57.440 --> 0:11:59.480 Except yeah, I feel like I was pitching. 0:11:59.640 --> 0:12:01.960 I was pitching in those seventh, eighth, nine games in 0:12:02.040 --> 0:12:03.440 Mesa against the A's. 0:12:03.520 --> 0:12:04.920 You know, I was like, that was like my jam. 0:12:05.000 --> 0:12:06.800 I was trying to get out the eighty nines in 0:12:06.840 --> 0:12:08.440 the nineties. 0:12:08.160 --> 0:12:10.240 You were you were trying to prove it. You were 0:12:10.280 --> 0:12:12.840 hanging on, you were grinding. AJ doesn't know about being 0:12:12.840 --> 0:12:14.559 a grinder. It's okay, correct. 0:12:15.760 --> 0:12:17.600 He already had six years in the big leagues by 0:12:17.640 --> 0:12:19.480 the time you first got called up to the big 0:12:19.559 --> 0:12:22.960 leagues at twenty five years old. So that's where he 0:12:23.040 --> 0:12:26.559 doesn't connect. But you and I we connect, except on 0:12:26.600 --> 0:12:30.880 this part. Can a pitcher, let alone a relief pitcher, 0:12:31.280 --> 0:12:32.200 be a good manager. 0:12:34.920 --> 0:12:38.439 We're gonna find out, you know, That's that's gonna be 0:12:38.480 --> 0:12:41.400 the cool part about it. You know, us relievers were 0:12:41.480 --> 0:12:44.480 usually you know, thrown over there, thrown out in the outfield, 0:12:44.480 --> 0:12:47.720 in the bullpen, we're separate from the dugout, but we've 0:12:47.720 --> 0:12:51.400 got our own team chemistry out there too, and we've 0:12:51.440 --> 0:12:52.719 got to be a tight unit out there. 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:54.040 We've got to be a unit. 0:12:53.800 --> 0:12:56.720 That picks each other up, you know, holds those inherited 0:12:56.800 --> 0:13:00.040 runners on the board and you know they't usually the 0:13:00.040 --> 0:13:01.960 The only thing a reliever gets on Sports Center for 0:13:02.200 --> 0:13:05.200 is when you give up a home run. So that's 0:13:05.200 --> 0:13:09.400 how managers get on get on ESPN or or on TV. 0:13:09.480 --> 0:13:11.360 Also is if they make a bad decision. So I'll 0:13:11.400 --> 0:13:12.000 be used to that. 0:13:12.720 --> 0:13:15.880 I'll have to have a quick memory, you know, forget 0:13:15.880 --> 0:13:17.959 about the tough times and move on to the next 0:13:18.000 --> 0:13:20.120 day and be the best. So I think being a 0:13:20.160 --> 0:13:23.680 reliver reliever has shaped me for this position. It's not 0:13:23.840 --> 0:13:25.880 common in our game, but there's been pitchers that have 0:13:26.160 --> 0:13:28.079 that have been in this position. The Brian Price is 0:13:28.120 --> 0:13:31.079 Bud Blacks, Roger Craig's of the world off the top 0:13:31.120 --> 0:13:32.840 of my head. So hopefully I can carry on their 0:13:32.880 --> 0:13:36.079 legacy and make all those pitchers and especially the relief 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:36.840 pitchers proud. 0:13:38.120 --> 0:13:40.280 Okay, do you think you have an advantage running a 0:13:40.320 --> 0:13:43.080 bullpen because you're a bullpen guy? You think that there 0:13:43.080 --> 0:13:45.840 will be an advantage to you of matchups and when 0:13:45.920 --> 0:13:48.600 to bring guys in and who's fresh, because as a 0:13:48.640 --> 0:13:52.600 former bullpen guy, unvailable Skip I could pitch I've done 0:13:52.600 --> 0:13:53.160 four days. 0:13:53.000 --> 0:13:54.760 In a row, but I'm ready for that fit Dake. 0:13:54.840 --> 0:13:57.439 Come on, do you think you'll have a better understanding 0:13:57.800 --> 0:13:59.880 of the Bullpen's not only psyche, but when do you 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:01.240 use guys at certain times? 0:14:02.400 --> 0:14:05.160 I should if I paid attention, you know, and and 0:14:05.280 --> 0:14:06.880 note how knew how I feel? 0:14:06.880 --> 0:14:11.079 And you know we dry hunt from Buck Craig. Although 0:14:11.280 --> 0:14:12.440 Crats wants to bang on me. 0:14:12.559 --> 0:14:14.360 I also know what you guys did because I used 0:14:14.360 --> 0:14:16.400 to have to go out to the bullpen one days 0:14:16.400 --> 0:14:18.800 I didn't start and catch, and I know those stupid 0:14:18.800 --> 0:14:20.600 reindeer games you guys play out there. 0:14:20.640 --> 0:14:23.280 Okay, we're flicking seeds and we're trying to see you 0:14:23.360 --> 0:14:24.320 can get it in the cup. 0:14:24.680 --> 0:14:27.440 Oh look look at that funny looking fella in the 0:14:27.520 --> 0:14:30.080 hat up there behind me. Like you guys aren't always 0:14:30.080 --> 0:14:33.960 paying attention, So that's just you know you should, But 0:14:34.080 --> 0:14:36.040 I mean I would think you know roles and how 0:14:36.040 --> 0:14:36.520 to define. 0:14:37.560 --> 0:14:40.000 Yeah, well, you know you know you were catching behind 0:14:40.000 --> 0:14:41.960 no play? Were you paying attention all the time too. 0:14:41.960 --> 0:14:44.320 I'm sure when you were walking looking to the dugout, 0:14:44.360 --> 0:14:46.240 you know, checking out who's sitting in the front or 0:14:46.680 --> 0:14:48.880 front row, third row. You know that kind of stuff 0:14:48.920 --> 0:14:51.000 that's baseball. You know, baseball is supposed to be fun. 0:14:51.040 --> 0:14:52.760 Those reindeer games are kind of part of it. 0:14:53.720 --> 0:14:53.880 You know. 0:14:53.920 --> 0:14:56.160 Hopefully in the dugout, we're playing the game like ten 0:14:56.280 --> 0:14:58.360 year olds and we're playing it the same way with 0:14:58.440 --> 0:15:02.040 the same energy and enthusiasm that we had as little leaguers. 0:15:02.200 --> 0:15:04.480 And you know, that stuff's all fun, and we've got 0:15:04.480 --> 0:15:06.160 to be able to do that to bring some light 0:15:06.240 --> 0:15:09.360 to the situation over one hundred and sixty two game seasons. 0:15:09.360 --> 0:15:11.080 So maybe I can bring some of those reindeer games 0:15:11.120 --> 0:15:13.040 of the dugout, but also be ready to lock it 0:15:13.080 --> 0:15:15.080 in and focus when we need. 0:15:14.960 --> 0:15:19.240 To position players. They love reindeer games too. Don't don't 0:15:19.320 --> 0:15:21.440 let them. Don't let them get it twisted. You guys 0:15:21.560 --> 0:15:23.960 just pitch in an area. But are you gonna have 0:15:24.040 --> 0:15:27.200 Mason Miller in the bullpen? Or was it your or 0:15:27.280 --> 0:15:31.320 is it would it be your objective to say, Mason, 0:15:32.200 --> 0:15:34.200 can you start some games for us this year? Can 0:15:34.240 --> 0:15:37.200 you be a starter? Because we see value in what 0:15:37.240 --> 0:15:39.320 you could bring every five days. 0:15:40.840 --> 0:15:42.400 Yeah, I'm not gonna put a limit on what he 0:15:42.440 --> 0:15:43.280 can and can't do. 0:15:43.480 --> 0:15:46.920 I just know that he's the best in the entire 0:15:46.960 --> 0:15:50.200 world coming out of the bullpen. And when you're the best, 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:52.680 you know, it's hard to take somebody away from being 0:15:52.720 --> 0:15:54.800 the best at what they're what they're already good at, 0:15:54.840 --> 0:15:57.400 and we're looking forward to putting them in the game. 0:15:58.960 --> 0:16:01.200 You know, got the back in for us in San 0:16:01.240 --> 0:16:03.480 Diego because he's going to be dominant, just like he 0:16:03.600 --> 0:16:06.680 was when we traded for him last year. And you know, 0:16:06.680 --> 0:16:08.360 you got the picture of him, you know, getting ready 0:16:08.400 --> 0:16:09.400 to pitch for the. 0:16:09.200 --> 0:16:10.280 USA and WBC. 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:12.560 I think DeRos is pretty excited to have him too 0:16:13.120 --> 0:16:13.880 on that squad. 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:16.040 But you know we couldn't. 0:16:16.320 --> 0:16:17.840 You know, if you're making a phone call down the 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:22.000 bullpen saying get Mason Miller ready, that's a good phone call. 0:16:22.240 --> 0:16:25.280 You are an ex player. You understand value, You understand 0:16:25.320 --> 0:16:28.560 the length of a career. If Mason came to you 0:16:28.600 --> 0:16:30.760 and said, yes, I want to do what's best for 0:16:30.800 --> 0:16:34.680 the team. But Craig, I'm seeing what guys are making 0:16:34.720 --> 0:16:37.440 as starting pitchers and seeing what guys are making as closers, 0:16:38.120 --> 0:16:40.680 please give me a shot to start. How tough of 0:16:40.720 --> 0:16:44.040 a decision is that because you were an ex player? 0:16:45.480 --> 0:16:46.360 Yeah, I think, you know what. 0:16:46.400 --> 0:16:49.520 I think it makes it an easier decision, honestly, because 0:16:49.560 --> 0:16:51.440