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Speaker 1: Good morning everybody, and welcome to foul Territory. I'm Alana

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Speaker 1: Rizzo in for my guys, Scott Brown, of course, Eric

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Speaker 1: Kratz is blow me in the monitor and AJ Pierszinski

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Speaker 1: once again continuing his tour, the Spring training Tour, brought

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Speaker 1: to you by Fast and All. AJ, good to see you.

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Speaker 1: We are at Pirates camp today, not the best day

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Speaker 1: to be there.

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Speaker 2: What's going on?

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Speaker 3: Well, it is cold.

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Speaker 4: It is like fifty seven degrees here and as we

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Speaker 4: all know, I'll be crowds to it. Floridians are soft

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Speaker 4: when it comes to the weather. But I will say this,

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Speaker 4: even some of the northern guys that are on the

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Speaker 4: Pirates have complained about when they walk out here how

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Speaker 4: cold it is. And also Mark, I mean we normally

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Speaker 4: have a tent, which we have, but Mark, our fearless leader,

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Speaker 4: has put me not only in a wind tunnel, but

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Speaker 4: also where there's absolutely zero sun, so I can't even

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Speaker 4: go to the sun.

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Speaker 5: Hey, hold on.

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Speaker 4: One second, We're just gonna have someone say hi, Yeah, hi,

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Speaker 4: Brandon Law, one of the just here of Buckdowns.

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Speaker 3: We can see your pretty Yeah, just wait, how are things?

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Speaker 6: Yeah?

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Speaker 3: You're always ready to go?

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Speaker 4: I agreed, agreed. Sorry, special guest appearance. But yeah, it's freezing.

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Speaker 4: It's freezing here.

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Speaker 2: Okay, well I know.

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Speaker 6: No, I was just gonna say, I think it's good

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Speaker 6: that's freezing because they're gonna be going up north to

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Speaker 6: Pittsburgh for the players, not for aj. Aj needs to

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Speaker 6: have his seventy two degrees and sunny. But for the players.

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Speaker 6: You're going up to Pittsburgh. If you go from like

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Speaker 6: constant eighty degrees, oh so hot, suntaye ocean, you get

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Speaker 6: to Pittsburgh, they're spray painting the brown spots of the

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Speaker 6: grass like it's it's dark and cold. The winter is

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Speaker 6: not coming up in Pittsburgh.

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Speaker 5: It is.

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Speaker 6: It is there, It is already there.

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Speaker 2: It is free.

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Speaker 1: But you know what, you can get some foul Territory

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Speaker 1: gear to make yourself warm, guys.

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Speaker 2: You can just go to foul Territory shop dot com.

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Speaker 1: Buy the gear, buy a sweatshirt, buy a hat, buy

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Speaker 1: all the things, buy a mug for coffee.

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Speaker 2: I don't know, all right, a lot.

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Speaker 3: On. I don't even have a beanie on him, Mark

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Speaker 3: one on today.

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Speaker 5: I'm not touching that thing.

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Speaker 3: You just threw it at me. That thing's been on

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Speaker 3: his head. I don't know where that head has been.

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Speaker 2: Great guests coming up for you guys.

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Speaker 1: While you guys figure out your clothing situation, let us

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Speaker 1: charge the mounds, Charging about all right, presented by Fox One.

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Speaker 1: We're psyched that they're a part of the program. USA

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Speaker 1: versus Venezuela. The final is this evening. Congrats to the

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Speaker 1: Venezuelan team, of course, getting past the Italians of Venezuela

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Speaker 1: and left hander Eduardo Rodriguez. Eric Kratz versus the United

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Speaker 1: States and the writing Nolan McClain of the New York

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Speaker 1: Mets team USA won a coin flip earlier. USA will

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Speaker 1: be the home team. What are you looking forward to

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Speaker 1: the most, k I'm looking.

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Speaker 6: Forward to just like nine innings of back and forth

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Speaker 6: playoff style baseball. I'm not saying it's as important as

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Speaker 6: the playoffs. I'm saying it's playoff style baseball where Nolan

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Speaker 6: mcclan gets in a little bit of an issue. He

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Speaker 6: gets in a jam early two runners on, he's gone,

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Speaker 6: you know. Unfortunately, Yes, the Mets want him to get

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Speaker 6: his pitch count up. The reality is he pitches well,

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Speaker 6: he's gonna go as long as he can. But they

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Speaker 6: got some dudes in the pen, and Venezuela wants to

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Speaker 6: do the same thing. But I don't know how many

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Speaker 6: of those guys they actually have that they can use.

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Speaker 4: That's the biggest question. Who's available, who's not. We're here,

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Speaker 4: Mason Miller might not be available. Bednar might not be available.

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Speaker 4: This guy might not be available. This guy, I mean,

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Speaker 4: there's one dude that I don't know if he's available. Plasio,

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Speaker 4: the closer for Venezuela. If they have a lead, he's available,

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Speaker 4: would he tell us on our show he would die

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Speaker 4: for his team, and that was the Cubs know what

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Speaker 4: he would do for Venezuela if he gets the opportunity.

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Speaker 4: They have a wondering league going to the night and

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Speaker 4: Omar Lopez calls down there and says, hey, mister Plentia,

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Speaker 4: you're not available. He'll run on the field by himself

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Speaker 4: and just whoever's out there probably tackle them and take

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Speaker 4: the ball. That's the kind of passion that we're gonna

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Speaker 4: see tonight. We're gonna see that for nine innings. The

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Speaker 4: crowd's gonna be insane. Let's not forget. Venezuela had Usa.

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Speaker 4: I don't want to say beat, but they had him

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Speaker 4: down late in the game in the semifinals at twenty

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Speaker 4: twenty three until Trey Turner came up with that Grand Slam.

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Speaker 4: So they know what it's like to play against the US.

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Speaker 4: They're not afraid of the US tonight. I expect listen

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Speaker 4: to stars to shine, right, it's a showcase for baseball

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Speaker 4: on the biggest stage that we have in the spring

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Speaker 4: training and in the offseason. So I expect the stars

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Speaker 4: to shine. And yes, I don't think Nolan McClain's gonna

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Speaker 4: have a very long lease because Joe Ryan's there right

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Speaker 4: and they have a bunch of relievers that need to throw.

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Speaker 4: So I expect Mark de Rosa to have a short lease,

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Speaker 4: and I expect Omar Lopez to have a short leave

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Speaker 4: in Venezuela.

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Speaker 3: But it's gonna be epic. I can't wait to watch

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Speaker 3: this game.

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Speaker 1: Well, what you're hoping is that the USA can put

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Speaker 1: up some decent numbers in terms of offense against Venezuela guys,

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Speaker 1: because if, in fact, Mason Miller isn't available, that obviously

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Speaker 1: shortens your pen quite a bit. Ken Rosenthal, of course,

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Speaker 1: wrote on the fact that Team USA closer may not

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Speaker 1: be available to pitch in the World Baseball Classic Final

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Speaker 1: because Padrey's manager, Craig Stammon said on Monday yesterday that

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Speaker 1: he's been in touch with Mason Miller about the usage

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Speaker 1: in the tournament and a decision will be made on

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Speaker 1: his availability for tonight's WBC final depending on how he

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Speaker 1: feels ahead of the game.

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Speaker 2: I mean, big blow guys.

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Speaker 1: Or not, or we shouldn't worry about it.

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Speaker 4: It's a big blow for the By the way, Sorry Plancia,

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Speaker 4: I know I'm frozen. My brain is not working, so

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Speaker 4: I apologize. And I thought Joe Ryan was there. He

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Speaker 4: was there one time, but apparently he got called back

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Speaker 4: to the whole place, so the Twins won in him back.

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Speaker 4: So I apologize for that where everyone kills me on Twitter,

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Speaker 4: I apologize. We all make mistakes. But yes, this is

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Speaker 4: the big deal of the back end of the bullpen

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Speaker 4: for the US is not there because they need these

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Speaker 4: guys to do what they've done, which is absolutely shoving

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Speaker 4: get out a huge situation. Sim Miller hasn't given up

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Speaker 4: the hit. He just punches out the world and it's

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Speaker 4: a big deal. So they would love it. But they

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Speaker 4: also have like nine other guys that can go on

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Speaker 4: and close the game. But I apologize for me being cold.

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Speaker 2: That's okay.

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Speaker 1: We we forgive you Eric who picks up the slack.

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Speaker 1: If Mason Miller isn't there, Joe Ryan, who who else?

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Speaker 7: Uh?

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Speaker 6: I mean obviously without Joe Ryan. And if if Mason

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Speaker 6: Miller it's not it's it depends how he wakes up

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Speaker 6: this morning. So if somebody has Mason Miller's phone number,

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Speaker 6: they can ask him, Ay, Mason, how you feeling. I

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Speaker 6: have a hard time if it's based on Mason Miller

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Speaker 6: that he's going to be like, No, I'm a little

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Speaker 6: too sore. I think. I think if it sounds like

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Speaker 6: it's in his court, he'll pitch. But I'm gonna say

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Speaker 6: the guys they just added. You saw Rogers came in

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Speaker 6: the other day and I guess that was two days ago.

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Speaker 2: Now, well, Garrett he got.

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Speaker 6: Two quick outs. Obviously the standard guys Whitlock and most

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Speaker 6: likely Bednar, but Whitlock is a very But they added

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Speaker 6: will Vest. You have Tim Hill, who's gonna be able

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Speaker 6: to throw a sinker from the left side. They have

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Speaker 6: other options. Yes, Is it always better to have a

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Speaker 6: dude that pumps one hundred and three On March seventeenth

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Speaker 6: in a game. Absolutely, but they have availability and I

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Speaker 6: think they're better set up than what Venezuela is, like

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Speaker 6: I said before, because unfortunately it went down to the

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Speaker 6: fact that their side of the bracket has to play

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Speaker 6: without the off day, and that off day allows even

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Speaker 6: if it allows one US pitcher to pitch again, because

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Speaker 6: if the game had been yesterday, all the dudes that

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Speaker 6: pitched in that game are not available. And so I'm

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Speaker 6: assuming it's very similar for run as well.

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Speaker 4: Uh oh, someone's calling somebody, you know what that was?

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Speaker 4: That was Mark de Rosa trying to figure out his

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Speaker 4: lineup talking to all thirty teams because what does he

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Speaker 4: do with Catcher?

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Speaker 8: Right?

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Speaker 4: Does he play Bregnant just because of Regez is starting?

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Speaker 4: Does he play cal Rawally? Does he play Will Smith

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Speaker 4: with the lefty righty? Does Peaker Armstrong play center? Or

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Speaker 4: does he put Yron Bucks in out there? These are

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Speaker 4: the decisions to me that are also gonna matter the

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Speaker 4: bullpenal figure itself out, but the who's he starting to

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Speaker 4: line up? Because no matter who, does he play Bryce

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Speaker 4: or does he play Paul Goldschmidt? Right, There's there's all

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Speaker 4: these things that Mark de ross has to figure out

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Speaker 4: the bullpenal figure itself out because of the game situations.

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Speaker 4: And by the way, if you haven't seen Whitlock pitch

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Speaker 4: until last the other day against dr that dude is

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Speaker 4: filthy coming out of the bullpen. He was one of

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Speaker 4: the best relievers in baseball last year for the Red Sox.

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Speaker 4: That's why he's on this team because he is absolutely filthy.

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Speaker 1: All right, AJ, so put your managerial hat on. You're

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Speaker 1: talking about Durosa having to figure out who's in the lineup.

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Speaker 1: Don't you put team A out there regardless? I'm I'm

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Speaker 1: putting Harper over Goldschmidt. I'm doing probably as much as

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Speaker 1: I whatever to say it. I'm playing cal Rawly over

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Speaker 1: Will Smith in terms of the offensive side of things. Right,

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Speaker 1: so tell me who are you playing? Are you playing Bregman?

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Speaker 1: Are you playing somebody else? Are you playing Harper? Are

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Speaker 1: you playing somebody else?

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Speaker 3: It's hard. I'm playing Harper. No offense to Goldie, but

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Speaker 3: I'm playing Harper.

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Speaker 4: I know a lot of This is the first time

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Speaker 4: ever in your life you haven't shown Dodger bias. I

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Speaker 4: love cal Rawley to death, but he hasn't got a hit,

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Speaker 4: and Will Smith has been having unbelievable at bat. So

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Speaker 4: I almost wonder I feel like I lean towards Will

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Speaker 4: Smith as much as we love Alex Bregman and Gunnar Henderson.

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Speaker 4: Gunnar Henderson has been hot in this tournament. I don't

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Speaker 4: care lefty or righty. I'm probably gonna run him out

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Speaker 4: there too, So I'm willing with the team that got

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Speaker 4: me there, which is in the semifinals, which was Gunner

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Speaker 4: and Will Now pcavers Buckston is a little bit different.

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Speaker 3: But it's not an easy choice. That's why people say, oh,

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Speaker 3: Mark dorros is just the whoever out there.

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Speaker 4: This is not an easy choice, man, I'm leaning towards

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Speaker 4: certain guys, but then again, I'm alsto going off recency bias.

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Speaker 4: I mean, yes, do you have an easy choice between

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Speaker 4: cal Raley, will Smith? Do you have an easy choice

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Speaker 4: Gunner Henderson or Alex Bregman, Pca or Byron Buckson?

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Speaker 3: Are you kidding me?

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Speaker 4: These are not tough to choices. Flip a coin if

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Speaker 4: you have, dude, They're both unbelieve Both of these guys

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Speaker 4: at every position are unbelievable. You can't go wrong.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, but it will be critiqued. And that's the beauty

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Speaker 6: of having the position at d ros In. Because I'm

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Speaker 6: even gonna go against what AJ said. Alex Bregman is

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Speaker 6: his career numbers. I should know he's offhand. He's got

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Speaker 6: three dangers, eight stakes. He's got a ops plus of

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Speaker 6: eleven hundred three thirty three nine for twenty seven against

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Speaker 6: against EDWARDO Doriguez. Gunner's been doing much better. Maybe Gunner's

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Speaker 6: ready for a pinch hit, you know, some kind of

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Speaker 6: that that makes that left right matchup a little bit different.

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Speaker 6: But to me, I gotta put Bregman in. To me,

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Speaker 6: I gotta have Harper in the lineup. I get it's

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Speaker 6: left on left, but I'm gonna flip flop. I might

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Speaker 6: even put Bregman hitting second, just because of his stats

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Speaker 6: against EDWARDO Ariguez. Seems like he's ease him well, and

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Speaker 6: I move Harper down a little bit so that we

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Speaker 6: still can keep can keep the right left. You know,

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Speaker 6: I wouldn't be afraid of putting Terrang in this in

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Speaker 6: the second spot, or give Ernie Clement a start, if

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Speaker 6: you're really worried about those those matchups. But to me,

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Speaker 6: I would say, I'd keep trag in there. I would

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Speaker 6: have Bragman in there, and behind a dish, I'd go

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Speaker 6: Will Smith.

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Speaker 2: Does the US have their hands full?

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Speaker 6: Yes?

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Speaker 3: Absolutely they do.

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Speaker 4: Yes, they do this is a big league line up, Alana,

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Speaker 4: This is a big league line up with big league

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Speaker 4: players and big league pitchers, And yes, they have their

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Speaker 4: hands full. Yes have you again if you haven't been

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Speaker 4: to one of these games and seen the atmosphere when

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Speaker 4: every time they get to two strikes, every Venezuelan in

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Speaker 4: the crowd, which say what you want. I was at

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Speaker 4: that semi final in twenty twenty three when Venezuela almost

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Speaker 4: beat the US.

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Speaker 3: Every two strikes, every.

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Speaker 4: Paunch it, paunch it, paunch it, every every hitter, and

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Speaker 4: the way they cheer and the way they danced, it

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Speaker 4: just gets the Venezuela's going. And if they get a lead,

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Speaker 4: if they get an early lead, the pressure will start

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Speaker 4: mounting on the US, And every inning that goes by

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Speaker 4: that they're behind, it's more and more pressure on the

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Speaker 4: US to figure it out. So if I'm in the US,

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Speaker 4: I want to lead early and I want to try

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Speaker 4: to continue to lead. Easier said than done. But yes,

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Speaker 4: are they are? They up against it? Can they win?

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Speaker 4: One hundred percent? But is this a tough game?

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Speaker 5: Yes?

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Speaker 4: It is because Venezuel's never won one of these and

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Speaker 4: they are a baseball crazy country.

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Speaker 6: And they've made some really good moves. They made some

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Speaker 6: good moves last night to put Andre Semenez in. I

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Speaker 6: think Omar Lopez has been in games that's the manager

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Speaker 6: for Venezuela. If people don't know, he's been in games

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Speaker 6: where it's like, hey, I understand what we need in

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Speaker 6: this spot, pinch running Andre Semenez for Glabor Torres. Like

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Speaker 6: you sit there and you go, okay, this is this

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Speaker 6: is what the US is up against. Does US have

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Speaker 6: an advantage, Yeah, they have an advantage because Venezuela is

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Speaker 6: not going to have all their bullpen guys who really

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Speaker 6: got them through that game last night after cater Montero

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Speaker 6: was walking too many guys. It was a little erratic

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Speaker 6: that bullpen put them in the spot to be able

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Speaker 6: to come back, which they finally did. And I think

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Speaker 6: I think you people are people put the Team USA

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Speaker 6: up on this pedestal like they have so many superstars.

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Speaker 6: You go, you go down Venezuela's lineup and you're like,

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Speaker 6: oh wait, there's a dude that hit forty nine home

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Speaker 6: runs in there, Ronald LeCun. You's got envy an MVP,

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Speaker 6: could have had another m v P. You have. You

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Speaker 6: have guys that play ridiculous defense. You have that the

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Speaker 6: team they have Jackson Curio hitting ninth, and Venezuela like,

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Speaker 6: it is a star studded lineup and they're gonna have

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Speaker 6: it's gonna be It's gonna be one on the margins,

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Speaker 6: Which team base runs better, which team doesn't walk as

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Speaker 6: many guys? Which team doesn't chase out of the zone.

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Speaker 6: So to me, that's where the game is gonna be won.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, don't forget about Willia or Bray you he wants

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Speaker 1: to be added to that list of stars as well. Guys,

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Speaker 1: don't forget to tune in tonight to our postgame show

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Speaker 1: after the USA versus Venezuela game on the Foul Territory

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Speaker 1: YouTube channel. And this episode is brought to you by

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Speaker 1: Fox One. Fox one is now live stream all your

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Speaker 1: Fox favorites together in one place, from Major League Baseball

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00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:23,440
Speaker 1: postseason to NFL on Fox to Big Nude Saturdays with

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Speaker 1: Fox One. You get it all live. Start your seven

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00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:29,360
Speaker 1: day free trial today offers our subject to change. Go

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00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:32,400
Speaker 1: to Fox one for complete terms and conditions. Fox one

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Speaker 1: streaming now. Since we are at Pirates Camp today, Eric,

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Speaker 1: let's go through some of their stats heading into the

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty six season. Just as far as win projections

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Speaker 1: are concerned in the National League Central, some may find

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Speaker 1: this a little bit hard to believe, but according to fangraphs,

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Speaker 1: I believe it looks like the Cubs are set at

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Speaker 1: eighty six wins, but it's the Bucos ek at eighty

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Speaker 1: three and a third, their second in the division.

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Speaker 6: What say you? It's just so hard to increase your

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Speaker 6: win total that much. But I go to one thing.

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Speaker 6: I go to the stat that Paul Skeins would be

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Speaker 6: and I know this is his career, and so I

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Speaker 6: don't know exactly what it would be from last year.

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Speaker 6: He'd be forty three to one to start his career

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Speaker 6: if they scored three or more runs in every one

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Speaker 6: of his starts. So it's hard to say a team

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Speaker 6: is going to improve their win total that much. But

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Speaker 6: when you delve into it and you go, Okay, this

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Speaker 6: team did play good defense last year. Yes, they don't

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Speaker 6: have key Brian Hayes for any part of the year

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Speaker 6: this year, but they still played good defense. They added

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Speaker 6: so much offense, which was something that they were really

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Speaker 6: really struggling with last year. They had some spurts where

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Speaker 6: they would score some runs, but in general they would

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Speaker 6: score three, two, then they'd break out for a four

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Speaker 6: run game. And to me, this year, the fact that

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Speaker 6: they added offense and Brandon Lao in Ryan O'Hearn in

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Speaker 6: Marcelo Zuna, three guys that are really going to be

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Speaker 6: major pieces to this lineup, and I think twenty plus

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Speaker 6: home runs each of them would have led the team

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Speaker 6: in home runs last year had they been on the team.

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Speaker 6: I think that numbers not as crazy. I think they're

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Speaker 6: more of a five hundred team this year. But eighty

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Speaker 6: three puts them in the puts them in the conversation

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Speaker 6: for making a playoff, making a playoff push.

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Speaker 1: All right, you mentioned the additional offense, You mentioned Ryan O'Hearn.

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Speaker 1: Of course, you mentioned Marcelo Zuna. We got Gregory Soto,

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Speaker 1: Jose Rikiti, which I know, whatever, it's not offense. But

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Speaker 1: Brandon law Password when you think about I can never

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Speaker 1: say his name right, but it's like just just Snixton Garcia.

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Speaker 1: Of course I will get that right at some point

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Speaker 1: in my life. And hissus trabe, so so is the

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Speaker 1: is the addition bigger than the subtraction? Because let me

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Speaker 1: talk to you Eka about the losses obviously Andrew McCutcheon,

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Speaker 1: Tommy Famm, Johann Obeedo, Mike Burrows, Chase Shoegart, and Jack Sowinski.

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Speaker 1: I do think the addition is bigger than the subtraction.

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Speaker 2: Is that fair to say?

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Speaker 8: I do?

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Speaker 6: I totally do. I think the only issue is they

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Speaker 6: traded away some of that pitching to get some of

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Speaker 6: this offense. And you see the best teams in the league.

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Speaker 6: You see the fact that the Phillies are like, ah,

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Speaker 6: we might need to add somebody else. We only have

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Speaker 6: six starters. The Dodgers are like, hey, we'll run in

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Speaker 6: the season with eight nine starters. The Greats, every one

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Speaker 6: of these teams that have playoff aspirations go, we're fine

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Speaker 6: with extra. The Blue Jays just picked up Max Schurzer,

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Speaker 6: and it's like, well, did you really need them? They're

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Speaker 6: fine with extra because every team knows they're going to

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Speaker 6: go through a decent amount of starting pitching. So I

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Speaker 6: think that would be where the additions would even remotely

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Speaker 6: come close to the subtractions. But I still believe that

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Speaker 6: the additions were way way olex out exceed the subtractions.

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Speaker 6: But the subtractions of losing some starting pitching death may

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Speaker 6: may come back to hurt them in a full one

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Speaker 6: hundred and sixty two game season.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, according to Baseball Reference, it's Joe Stinson Garcia.

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Speaker 2: We call him the past fard.

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Speaker 6: Obviously easy, it's so easy, especially when you see it.

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Speaker 6: When you see it written, You're like, I'm not seeing

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Speaker 6: just now.

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Speaker 1: And I should and I should know better. I should

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Speaker 1: know better. I was did a little bit of the

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Speaker 1: stuff covering the Red Sox last year. I will get better.

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Speaker 1: I promise you that, all right. So, in terms of

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Speaker 1: their Pittsburgh playoff odds, Eric, you talk about the winning

398
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Speaker 1: the division twenty five point seven percent, I think it's

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00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:42,399
Speaker 1: probably fair to say, as we get into the season,

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Speaker 1: we're probably thinking the Cubs are going to lead the

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00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:48,440
Speaker 1: NL Central, So clinching the division seven point two percent,

402
00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:51,160
Speaker 1: clinching the World or the wild card rather nineteen point

403
00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:55,520
Speaker 1: three percent, and making the postseason just under fifty percent

404
00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:58,560
Speaker 1: at forty five percent, winning the division twenty five point

405
00:19:58,680 --> 00:19:59,880
Speaker 1: seven too low?

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00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:06,399
Speaker 6: Too high? Again, it feels like it's too high. It

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Speaker 6: feels like you have a team that's perennially hated in

408
00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:13,800
Speaker 6: the Brewers with these predictions, and yet they went out

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Speaker 6: and won the most games last year. Then they get

410
00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:17,880
Speaker 6: rid of Freddy Perulton, You're like, oh, no chance they're

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Speaker 6: gonna do it. So I have a hard time saying

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Speaker 6: that twenty five percent is too high. So I'm going

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Speaker 6: to say I'm going to say I'm saying it's too

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00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:30,480
Speaker 6: it's too low. I feel like it's too high. I

415
00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:33,440
Speaker 6: feel like twenty five percent chance. To me, I think

416
00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:36,240
Speaker 6: it is a It's a two horse race in the

417
00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:38,680
Speaker 6: NL Central and I would give the Pirates more of

418
00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:41,479
Speaker 6: like a ten or fifteen percent chance to win a division.

419
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Speaker 6: It doesn't mean they're out of the playoff contention, but

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Speaker 6: just to win the division. I think the other teams

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Speaker 6: are a little bit deeper.

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Speaker 1: It's funny that you say that you see them as

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00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:52,280
Speaker 1: a five hundred team, because that would be eighty one

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00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:54,399
Speaker 1: and eighty one. Now, Fangrafs is the one that has

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00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:57,240
Speaker 1: them at eighty three point three, but bet MGM has

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00:20:57,320 --> 00:20:59,280
Speaker 1: them at seventy eight and a half. So is bet

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00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:01,720
Speaker 1: MGM two low. I mean, it's so funny because it's

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00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:04,000
Speaker 1: like they're so close on either side of the line.

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Speaker 1: What do you think about that?

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Speaker 6: I would love the over on that one, So I

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Speaker 6: appreciate you bet MGM for helping me all out on that.

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Speaker 6: I do like I do like the over. I feel

433
00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:19,160
Speaker 6: like to say they're a three games, you know, three

434
00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:22,000
Speaker 6: games below five hundred. Actually yeah, technically it'd be a

435
00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:25,560
Speaker 6: little bit, but it's to me. I take the over

436
00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:28,400
Speaker 6: there because I think there is a chance and they're

437
00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:30,840
Speaker 6: playing in the NL Central. I think there's a lot

438
00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:34,159
Speaker 6: of wins to be had. From the fact that the

439
00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:36,480
Speaker 6: Reds are losing Hunter Green but they're still going to

440
00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:40,040
Speaker 6: be good. The fact that the Cardinals. I think that's

441
00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:42,520
Speaker 6: where teams are gonna The teams that have finish above

442
00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,560
Speaker 6: five hundred in the division are the ones that are

443
00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:48,800
Speaker 6: gonna be able to take two of three every time.

444
00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:52,440
Speaker 6: From the Cardinals take this thirteen games, you know, win

445
00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:54,359
Speaker 6: ten of those. That could be the difference in the

446
00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:57,800
Speaker 6: division is how do you beat up the Cardinals Because

447
00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:01,959
Speaker 6: everybody else, everybody else in the vision is good. Are

448
00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:02,600
Speaker 6: they elite?

449
00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:03,000
Speaker 8: No?

450
00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:04,639
Speaker 6: I don't even I mean, I think the Cubs had

451
00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:07,320
Speaker 6: a chance to be elite, but you know, they made

452
00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:09,840
Speaker 6: their moves and you know they're gonna go. They're gonna

453
00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:11,160
Speaker 6: go with the team that they have, and I think

454
00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:13,520
Speaker 6: they're a little bit above average, but everybody else is

455
00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:14,960
Speaker 6: good besides the Cardinals.

456
00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:29,720
Speaker 3: I think we have the whole NL central in that

457
00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:33,119
Speaker 3: front end. But no Don Kelly, manager of the Pirates.

458
00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:33,760
Speaker 5: What's up with that?

459
00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:34,240
Speaker 3: You know what?

460
00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:36,080
Speaker 8: I haven't been doing it long enough I think to

461
00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:38,440
Speaker 8: make the make the clip. But maybe next year you

462
00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:40,359
Speaker 8: guys can get me on there. You've had a great second.

463
00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:41,479
Speaker 3: What do you mean we did?

464
00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:43,320
Speaker 5: We did better, but I haven't earned that yet. I

465
00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:43,720
Speaker 5: don't think.

466
00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:45,800
Speaker 3: What do you think it takes to earn forty five

467
00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:47,200
Speaker 3: year forty like council at.

468
00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:50,040
Speaker 5: The end, I don't you know what. I don't know

469
00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:51,000
Speaker 5: what it takes there in that.

470
00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:54,240
Speaker 8: We're working through that right now in camp and we'll

471
00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:55,120
Speaker 8: hopefully next year.

472
00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:58,040
Speaker 4: I'll make it today because I walked by you earlier

473
00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:00,840
Speaker 4: and talked to you and Ben Charrington and it's one

474
00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:02,960
Speaker 4: of those days in camp that as a man, this

475
00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:05,320
Speaker 4: is your first time really having to do the cut,

476
00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:06,439
Speaker 4: so that send downs.

477
00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:08,600
Speaker 3: What is that like? Because I've never really asked a

478
00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:09,520
Speaker 3: manager what that's like.

479
00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:12,160
Speaker 8: It's hard, you know, I think that it's it's being

480
00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:15,000
Speaker 8: a player. You know, when you're coming up through and

481
00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:16,600
Speaker 8: you get to big Ley camp, you get sent down

482
00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:18,000
Speaker 8: for the first time. It's hard to be a player

483
00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:20,200
Speaker 8: in those settings. And I think that days like today,

484
00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:23,000
Speaker 8: I feel fortunate that I was on the other end

485
00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:25,680
Speaker 8: and understand, you know, we might not know exactly what

486
00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:27,560
Speaker 8: these guys are going through, but we're in the ballpark

487
00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:29,960
Speaker 8: and understand how hard it is for them to be

488
00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:32,720
Speaker 8: in camp. You have goals of making the club and

489
00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:34,600
Speaker 8: then to be told that you're not going to be

490
00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:37,919
Speaker 8: on the opening day roster, and as we know, it's

491
00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:40,520
Speaker 8: going to take more than the twenty six guys that

492
00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:42,840
Speaker 8: start off on the big league club on opening Day.

493
00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:44,320
Speaker 8: It's going to take a lot more than that. So

494
00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:48,119
Speaker 8: I think that looking back on my career, having been

495
00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:51,680
Speaker 8: sent down a lot, dfaid and you know, different things

496
00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:54,159
Speaker 8: that happened in the game that we talked about earlier.

497
00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:56,520
Speaker 8: You know, you feel fortunate that you've gone through some

498
00:23:56,720 --> 00:23:58,960
Speaker 8: of the downs as well as some of the ups.

499
00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:03,280
Speaker 6: What's tougher talking to them or knowing that you guys

500
00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:06,480
Speaker 6: already had the meeting that ah man, you know, like,

501
00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:08,359
Speaker 6: I think we're gonna cut him. Because as a player,

502
00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,440
Speaker 6: you walk in on Mondays or Tuesdays, whatever payday is,

503
00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:14,200
Speaker 6: and you're like I know people are getting cut today,

504
00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:16,720
Speaker 6: so you like avoid eye contact with the bench coach

505
00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:20,080
Speaker 6: and the manager. But you as a manager and even coaches,

506
00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:23,200
Speaker 6: you guys know a little bit ahead of time. It's

507
00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:25,920
Speaker 6: not like they walk in and like, oh he looks cuttable.

508
00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:29,920
Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, it does. It makes it. You try to

509
00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:33,360
Speaker 5: keep everything as smooth and consistent as possible.

510
00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:35,960
Speaker 8: Whenever you're you're sitting there and you see a guy

511
00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:39,680
Speaker 8: saying hi, talking to them, you know, on a daily basis,

512
00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:41,280
Speaker 8: try to keep it the same end. You do know

513
00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:44,399
Speaker 8: deep down that you've had the conversations and they're always

514
00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:47,480
Speaker 8: going on, you know, as far as how the team's

515
00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,680
Speaker 8: gonna shake out and who may or may not get cut,

516
00:24:51,119 --> 00:24:52,919
Speaker 8: And it doesn't make it any easier when you call

517
00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:55,959
Speaker 8: them into the office to have that conversation that they

518
00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:56,600
Speaker 8: are going down.

519
00:24:56,840 --> 00:24:59,760
Speaker 3: Are you a don Kelly's going out there type of

520
00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:00,280
Speaker 3: man measure?

521
00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:03,160
Speaker 4: You send Christopher to gron your bench coach out there, yeah,

522
00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:06,160
Speaker 4: and then the pitching coach out How does that which

523
00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:07,920
Speaker 4: one of the because I've seen both. I've seen where

524
00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:10,439
Speaker 4: managers walk around and then I've seen also where they

525
00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:12,240
Speaker 4: send the bench coach or the yeah.

526
00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:16,320
Speaker 8: And the grown has been, Yeah he does. He's got

527
00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:19,119
Speaker 8: his own office and uh he's earning that right now,

528
00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:22,120
Speaker 8: going out and grabbing the guys. And you're right cratzy.

529
00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:26,000
Speaker 8: The eye contact, guys don't wanna. Guys don't want to

530
00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:28,720
Speaker 8: make eye contact whenever they know the cuts are coming

531
00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:30,879
Speaker 8: and you want to. Sometimes it's hard to find guys too.

532
00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:33,960
Speaker 8: I've I've done my fairs air of hiding myself.

533
00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:37,720
Speaker 1: Done along those same lines. Good to be with you,

534
00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:41,760
Speaker 1: I'm Alana Rizzo, along those same lines. How much does

535
00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:45,639
Speaker 1: communication a part of this? I think guys can appreciate

536
00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:50,120
Speaker 1: open door policies, the level of communication, just being honest

537
00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:52,520
Speaker 1: with them so perhaps they know where they stand in

538
00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:54,600
Speaker 1: the long run and in the in the plan of

539
00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:55,920
Speaker 1: the organization as a whole.

540
00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:58,920
Speaker 8: Yeah, that's a that's a big part of it, you know,

541
00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,040
Speaker 8: when you're sitting there and you're talking to guys as

542
00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:03,840
Speaker 8: camp goes and just trying to be as open and

543
00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:07,720
Speaker 8: as transparent as you can. I think Leland has been

544
00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:09,639
Speaker 8: such a mentor for me as a player and then

545
00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:12,359
Speaker 8: getting onto this side and managing as well. And the

546
00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:14,920
Speaker 8: one thing that he's always said is you have to

547
00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:17,120
Speaker 8: tell the players the truth. If you tell them the truth.

548
00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:19,360
Speaker 8: They're gonna hate you for a day. If you lie

549
00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:21,800
Speaker 8: to them, they're gonna hate you forever. And something that

550
00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:24,639
Speaker 8: we try to take into account and be truthful with

551
00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:27,000
Speaker 8: these guys when we're talking about the roster or playing

552
00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:29,760
Speaker 8: time or anything that goes on on a day to

553
00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:31,920
Speaker 8: day basis, and that communication is a big part of it.

554
00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:35,640
Speaker 6: Do you miss planning spring training? Last year we hung

555
00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:38,679
Speaker 6: out for like thirty minutes talking about, you know, catching

556
00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:41,560
Speaker 6: up with family stuff, but also the fact that you

557
00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:43,879
Speaker 6: have to plan spring training. You had to plan it

558
00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:44,640
Speaker 6: all out.

559
00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:48,119
Speaker 5: And now you don't write I do not I do

560
00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:49,280
Speaker 5: not miss it either.

561
00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:51,200
Speaker 3: At all.

562
00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:55,280
Speaker 5: You know the guys that not just here that are

563
00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:57,119
Speaker 5: planning it, but around the league it is.

564
00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:00,120
Speaker 8: There's a lot that goes into spring There's a lot

565
00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:02,080
Speaker 8: of moving parts, not just on the big league side,

566
00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:04,480
Speaker 8: like you talk about the minor league side when we're

567
00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:07,639
Speaker 8: throwing curveballs over there that we need backup pitchers, we

568
00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:11,520
Speaker 8: need backup players, and we're adjusting their lineups their rosters

569
00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:14,320
Speaker 8: on a given day. So the field coordinators bench coaches

570
00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:16,320
Speaker 8: in the big leagues and then the minor league field

571
00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:18,560
Speaker 8: coordinators as well, that they're dealing with a lot.

572
00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:20,440
Speaker 5: More moving parts on that side.

573
00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:23,800
Speaker 8: So the uh, those guys, they earn their paychecks and

574
00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:25,960
Speaker 8: spring for sure, and I don't miss that part of

575
00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:26,359
Speaker 8: it at all.

576
00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:30,280
Speaker 4: What about you mentioned guys getting sent down? Guys, I'm

577
00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:32,440
Speaker 4: gonna ask you the name, what are we doing? What

578
00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:34,600
Speaker 4: are we doing a shortstop with some guy? I think

579
00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:38,040
Speaker 4: his name's Connor griff Connery. You've heard of him a

580
00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:39,639
Speaker 4: little bit, yeah, I think I've heard a little bit

581
00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:40,160
Speaker 4: about it all.

582
00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:42,240
Speaker 8: For those of you that haven't him in the office today,

583
00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:45,480
Speaker 8: we did not, and you know, not sure how that's

584
00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:47,720
Speaker 8: going to shake out. I'm just the I don't know

585
00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:49,159
Speaker 8: if you've had a chance to talk to him yet.

586
00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:53,480
Speaker 8: He is unbelievable mature, nineteen years old. And I think

587
00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:55,320
Speaker 8: that's the thing that, at least for me trying to

588
00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:58,640
Speaker 8: keep in mind is as a nineteen year old, what's

589
00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:01,200
Speaker 8: that like? You know, when I was team I'm sophomore

590
00:28:01,240 --> 00:28:04,720
Speaker 8: in college trying to, you know, figure out how to

591
00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:07,919
Speaker 8: get better. And here he is fighting for to make

592
00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:11,040
Speaker 8: a major league team. And the talent's there, the maturity

593
00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:13,440
Speaker 8: levels there, the work ethic is there. How do we

594
00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:18,080
Speaker 8: develop Connor Griffin at a rate that we know. Take

595
00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:20,480
Speaker 8: into account he's nineteen, he's only had a handful of

596
00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:22,560
Speaker 8: games at Double A. He has not played at Triple

597
00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:25,720
Speaker 8: A yet, and balance all of that for what's what's

598
00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:26,360
Speaker 8: best for him.

599
00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:27,200
Speaker 3: He's already proven.

600
00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:29,600
Speaker 4: I mean, he's he's sitting four hundred and fifty foot

601
00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:32,720
Speaker 4: bombs in spring training off big league got what what's

602
00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:33,399
Speaker 4: there for him to?

603
00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:34,760
Speaker 5: What do you look for?

604
00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:36,520
Speaker 3: I mean, I get the maturity side of it.

605
00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:38,120
Speaker 4: But every time I've talked to him, and I've talked

606
00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:40,960
Speaker 4: to him a few times, even talk to him today, he's.

607
00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:43,920
Speaker 3: Just there and you can tell he's different than you

608
00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:46,440
Speaker 3: or I or crack wait different.

609
00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:48,720
Speaker 5: Well, I'll tell you what. When nineteen when I.

610
00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:51,120
Speaker 8: Started off the first press conference when we were talking

611
00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:53,200
Speaker 8: about the team and they asked me about Connor Griffin,

612
00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:54,680
Speaker 8: and I told one of my buddies back home, I

613
00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:56,800
Speaker 8: was like, man, I didn't look like that like that

614
00:28:56,920 --> 00:28:58,480
Speaker 8: when I was nineteen, And I paused, I was like,

615
00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:00,000
Speaker 8: you know what, I never looked like.

616
00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:03,520
Speaker 5: That as far as this kid goes.

617
00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:07,320
Speaker 8: And when him coming up, he never really played shortstop

618
00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:10,320
Speaker 8: until last year. So the the bat and the at

619
00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:13,000
Speaker 8: bats are one thing. The development at shortstop is a

620
00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:15,880
Speaker 8: is another thing, and not saying he's handled himself really

621
00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:19,320
Speaker 8: well and there's still room for him to continue.

622
00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:19,880
Speaker 5: To get better and develop.

623
00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:22,040
Speaker 8: And I think as we take everything into account on

624
00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:24,680
Speaker 8: a whole, how do we put him in the best

625
00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:29,160
Speaker 8: position to have the best career longest best career.

626
00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:31,080
Speaker 3: If he's making the team, just give me a.

627
00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:35,880
Speaker 5: You can stop in the middle, just.

628
00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:39,239
Speaker 6: Blink, Just blink one time if he's going to make

629
00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:41,160
Speaker 6: the team, Okay, during the rest of this interview, just

630
00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:43,760
Speaker 6: blink one time. That's the only answer we need. But

631
00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:45,520
Speaker 6: my question on that is.

632
00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:51,800
Speaker 5: What it's windy, He's trying really hard.

633
00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:55,480
Speaker 6: Hey, it's just it's just truth. It's just truth. But

634
00:29:56,840 --> 00:30:00,200
Speaker 6: what is like what you guys are built to win? Now,

635
00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:02,840
Speaker 6: all the talk of the offseason, you guys made moves

636
00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:04,440
Speaker 6: to win. You guys have done it. You guys are

637
00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:06,640
Speaker 6: built to win. You have Paul Schemes, Mitch Keller, all

638
00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:09,720
Speaker 6: those guys in the pitching staff. Do you when you

639
00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:14,440
Speaker 6: have conversations about Connor Griffin and obviously conversations about a

640
00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:18,320
Speaker 6: forty man roster, conversations about the fact that he's young,

641
00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:21,440
Speaker 6: conversations about that, you know, who do we have behind him.

642
00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:25,640
Speaker 6: Does it ever get brought up that, well, what if

643
00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:27,480
Speaker 6: we don't have him for the first month and we

644
00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:30,920
Speaker 6: missed the playoffs by a game. Is that harder to

645
00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:33,240
Speaker 6: make that decision now or would it be harder to

646
00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:35,640
Speaker 6: live with it at the end of the season if

647
00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:37,240
Speaker 6: you would miss the playoffs by one game.

648
00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:41,400
Speaker 8: Yeah, that's fair, And I think that I don't think

649
00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:43,640
Speaker 8: any of us have all the answers in regards to

650
00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:47,720
Speaker 8: any of you know, roster decisions making the blast, just

651
00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:50,360
Speaker 8: putting ourselves in the best position to be able to

652
00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:52,320
Speaker 8: win as many games as we possibly can, and at

653
00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:55,520
Speaker 8: the same time, taking every single player, whether it's Connor

654
00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:57,600
Speaker 8: Griffin or anybody else.

655
00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:00,000
Speaker 5: When you're talking about Ashcraft.

656
00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:03,560
Speaker 8: Chin or Jared Jones coming back off of injury, how

657
00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:06,720
Speaker 8: do we put them in the best position individually to

658
00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:10,160
Speaker 8: have the most success not only this year but over

659
00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:12,760
Speaker 8: the longevity of their career. And I think that, you know,

660
00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:14,600
Speaker 8: it takes me back to last year when we were

661
00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:17,400
Speaker 8: talking about Greg Brown is our play by play guy,

662
00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:19,560
Speaker 8: and he asked me an interesting question going into the

663
00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:23,040
Speaker 8: last game or Paul Sken's his last start last year,

664
00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:24,920
Speaker 8: and he asked me if he pitches three and two

665
00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:26,040
Speaker 8: thirds are you're going to take him out of the

666
00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:28,320
Speaker 8: game because he was going to have a sub two era.

667
00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:32,040
Speaker 5: Taught me off guard because I did not figure that out.

668
00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:34,200
Speaker 8: Because to me, our number one goal is to keep

669
00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:37,600
Speaker 8: every player healthy, safe, and develop them as best we can.

670
00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:40,440
Speaker 5: Number two goal is to win the game. And then

671
00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:41,440
Speaker 5: the third thing that we.

672
00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:45,280
Speaker 8: Can accomplish as players that hopefully our guys appreciate too,

673
00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:48,680
Speaker 8: is we want them to accomplish any individual things that

674
00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:52,640
Speaker 8: they possibly can, which sub two era is fantastic. Well,

675
00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:55,800
Speaker 8: if we can keep Paul Skins healthy and he's at

676
00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:59,280
Speaker 8: a good pitch count and he gives us, which there's

677
00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:00,880
Speaker 8: no doubt he gives us the best.

678
00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:02,680
Speaker 5: Chance to win, I can't.

679
00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:04,959
Speaker 8: I'm not taking him out of a game even at

680
00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:08,320
Speaker 8: three and two thirds to accomplish at two sub two era,

681
00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:11,240
Speaker 8: and he ended up going out and earning even better

682
00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:12,840
Speaker 8: and had a one nine seven. So I think in

683
00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:16,160
Speaker 8: taking all of that into account, keeping guys healthy safe,

684
00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:18,720
Speaker 8: developed them at the pace that they need to to

685
00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:22,280
Speaker 8: win games, and have them accomplish personal accolades, you know,

686
00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:25,000
Speaker 8: is something that personally and I think as an organization

687
00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:27,920
Speaker 8: that we try to place value in don when.

688
00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:30,320
Speaker 1: You're looking at the whole Connor Griffin situation, and you're

689
00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:32,960
Speaker 1: also thinking about Joey Bart, who had somewhat of a

690
00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:35,280
Speaker 1: meteoric rise to the big leagues as well. Drafted in

691
00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:37,840
Speaker 1: twenty eighteen, he's making his debut a couple of years later.

692
00:32:38,080 --> 00:32:41,880
Speaker 1: Is that beneficial to perhaps have those guys talk Joey Bart,

693
00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:44,240
Speaker 1: you know, with all of the expectations that came upon

694
00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:47,120
Speaker 1: him getting into the big leagues so quickly, perhaps talking

695
00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:50,000
Speaker 1: about the pitfalls of what could happen or maybe how

696
00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:51,040
Speaker 1: to handle that situation.

697
00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:52,520
Speaker 2: Is that Does that make sense?

698
00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:53,640
Speaker 5: Yeah?

699
00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:56,880
Speaker 8: I mean there's there's value in all kinds and experience

700
00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:59,680
Speaker 8: from other players all the time. You know, when you

701
00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:02,080
Speaker 8: said there and you talk about things that, like I

702
00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:05,200
Speaker 8: referenced earlier in an interview today, like I have a

703
00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:08,040
Speaker 8: lot of experience in a lot of different areas being

704
00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:10,560
Speaker 8: a bench guy. Come you know, Cratzy and I can

705
00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:13,120
Speaker 8: relate on a journey to the big leagues and a

706
00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:16,520
Speaker 8: lot of guys don't make it when they're especially nineteen.

707
00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:18,800
Speaker 8: But when you're talking about even twenty one, twenty two,

708
00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:20,560
Speaker 8: twenty three years old to get.

709
00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:22,200
Speaker 5: Up there with that pressure, I can't relate to that.

710
00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:25,360
Speaker 8: So to have guys around that can that can help

711
00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:29,400
Speaker 8: with that experience and be able to give back is

712
00:33:29,480 --> 00:33:32,400
Speaker 8: something that you know is hugely valuable, not just from

713
00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:34,480
Speaker 8: Joey Bart, from a lot of guys on our team.

714
00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:37,080
Speaker 3: How have you relaxed today a little bit?

715
00:33:37,360 --> 00:33:37,560
Speaker 6: Have I?

716
00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:40,600
Speaker 4: Yeah? Well, O, Neil Cruz is back from WBC. He's healthy.

717
00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:43,920
Speaker 4: Skeemes made it through healthy as far. I mean looks

718
00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:45,800
Speaker 4: like I mean he was throwing a hundred against dr

719
00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:48,440
Speaker 4: the other night. Have you relaxed as a manager now

720
00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:50,880
Speaker 4: that are all your guys back? Is there someone on

721
00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:51,960
Speaker 4: Venezuela that I'm missing?

722
00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:54,440
Speaker 5: No, I believe all of our guys are are back.

723
00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:54,640
Speaker 6: Well.

724
00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:57,640
Speaker 8: Skeins isn't back yet, but he's done pitching and that

725
00:33:57,760 --> 00:33:58,720
Speaker 8: was fun to watch, wasn't it?

726
00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:00,120
Speaker 5: My goodness? What do you what?

727
00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:01,360
Speaker 3: Racking? That is that there?

728
00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:03,760
Speaker 4: As a manager, when your best pitcher, one of your

729
00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:06,720
Speaker 4: best players is out there playing, you guys leave camp,

730
00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:08,920
Speaker 4: they go there is that nerve right and now they're

731
00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:11,440
Speaker 4: back and healthy or not back but done in healthy?

732
00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:12,640
Speaker 5: Yeah? I guess so.

733
00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:17,000
Speaker 8: I knowing Paul and our guys like, there's nobody that

734
00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:19,640
Speaker 8: works harder, is more prepared and does the things like

735
00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:22,480
Speaker 8: his in between his starts is so impressive, how he

736
00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:25,400
Speaker 8: goes about it, the work that he puts in, so

737
00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:27,640
Speaker 8: you know that he's taking care of himself and I

738
00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:29,480
Speaker 8: and all of our guys do the same thing.

739
00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:31,600
Speaker 5: And to your point, I really.

740
00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:34,640
Speaker 8: Hadn't thought of that end, but yes, you know, really

741
00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:37,960
Speaker 8: glad to have them back and Cruise he's in there today.

742
00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:41,040
Speaker 8: Good to have him back in center field, and just

743
00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:44,440
Speaker 8: really impressive what he was able to do on on

744
00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:46,920
Speaker 8: that stage. I'm really looking forward to a great year

745
00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:47,279
Speaker 8: from him.

746
00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:49,080
Speaker 3: I think he can carry that over to the season.

747
00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:51,560
Speaker 5: I think he can't, and I don't think it's necessarily

748
00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:52,320
Speaker 5: from the WBC.

749
00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:54,960
Speaker 8: His offseason was so good and he challenged himself in

750
00:34:55,040 --> 00:34:58,680
Speaker 8: a way that helped him prepare for the twenty sixth season.

751
00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:02,320
Speaker 8: And he came into camp ready to ready to compete,

752
00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:04,160
Speaker 8: ready to go. And I think that he showed that

753
00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:06,319
Speaker 8: here before he left. And then the biggest dude I've

754
00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:08,920
Speaker 8: ever seen, Oh my goodness, it's crazy, isn't it. You

755
00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:11,000
Speaker 8: got a lot of them with him, and schemes and

756
00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:14,000
Speaker 8: and Connor Griffin playing shortstop at that size, were used

757
00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:17,600
Speaker 8: to seeing schemes and some of the pictures, but I'm

758
00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:20,040
Speaker 8: not used to seeing a center fielder that I say, oh,

759
00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:22,759
Speaker 8: I feel like Ken Rosenthal talking to schemes the other

760
00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:25,120
Speaker 8: and I'm like, oh my god, it's.

761
00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:26,919
Speaker 3: Crazy, isn't it. How about he used to play short

762
00:35:27,040 --> 00:35:28,600
Speaker 3: I know, insane, insane.

763
00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:32,600
Speaker 1: Dondie, what's your in your opinion, the biggest question mark

764
00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:33,680
Speaker 1: going into camp is it?

765
00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:35,440
Speaker 2: Is it the starting catching spot?

766
00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:35,960
Speaker 5: Is it?

767
00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:37,520
Speaker 2: You know, what do you think it is?

768
00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:39,040
Speaker 1: I mean, what do you need to see the final

769
00:35:39,239 --> 00:35:42,640
Speaker 1: nine days of the spring to Derman, who breaks camp

770
00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:43,960
Speaker 1: for the most part, I know a lot of your

771
00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:46,840
Speaker 1: positions are set, but is it the catching spot?

772
00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:48,000
Speaker 2: What's the biggest question mark?

773
00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:52,320
Speaker 8: Yeah, I would say, well catching, you know, having Henry

774
00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:55,439
Speaker 8: and Joey competing there, and I would say third base

775
00:35:55,640 --> 00:36:00,680
Speaker 8: as well with York Yorknsalez Triolo and bringing to Callahan

776
00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:04,160
Speaker 8: in is another spot that we still have competition at

777
00:36:04,239 --> 00:36:06,280
Speaker 8: and and I think that that's going to be fluid

778
00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:08,920
Speaker 8: through the year and how how guys are playing. And

779
00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:11,480
Speaker 8: I think that the guys have embraced that, They've embraced

780
00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:14,400
Speaker 8: that competition aspect of it, which has been fun to

781
00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:19,440
Speaker 8: see because you know, we haven't had that at at

782
00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:21,840
Speaker 8: times here with the Pirates, and I think it's exciting

783
00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:24,480
Speaker 8: because when you have that competition, there may be somebody

784
00:36:24,560 --> 00:36:27,560
Speaker 8: that goes to Triple A that that maybe deserves to

785
00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:30,960
Speaker 8: make the team and somebody was just playing better at

786
00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:33,480
Speaker 8: that time. So I think it's really exciting for where

787
00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:36,160
Speaker 8: we're at right now and you know what's to come

788
00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:36,480
Speaker 8: for us.

789
00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:41,440
Speaker 6: In twenty six you mentioned your manager Jimmy Leland. Who's

790
00:36:41,480 --> 00:36:45,760
Speaker 6: your Don Kelly to his Jimmy Leland, You're Jimmy Leland

791
00:36:45,960 --> 00:36:49,160
Speaker 6: and you're Don. You're Don Kelly on this team, not

792
00:36:49,280 --> 00:36:51,640
Speaker 6: necessarily the utility guy that can do all things, but

793
00:36:51,760 --> 00:36:54,000
Speaker 6: the guy that you're like, the way that Jim Leland

794
00:36:54,080 --> 00:36:56,640
Speaker 6: talked about you, the guy like I think you even

795
00:36:56,680 --> 00:36:59,600
Speaker 6: made him cry one time. Just a type of person,

796
00:37:00,239 --> 00:37:02,640
Speaker 6: the person that you are. But who's that guy on

797
00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:05,440
Speaker 6: this on this roster that could even go to Triple

798
00:37:05,520 --> 00:37:05,799
Speaker 6: A too?

799
00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:09,560
Speaker 5: Yeah, the I think that may or may not have happened.

800
00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:12,040
Speaker 8: I'm not sure, but I saw that bat impersonator guy

801
00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:14,839
Speaker 8: in person, which was pretty funny when he was doing

802
00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:17,759
Speaker 8: Leland for me. And it's a short period of time

803
00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:19,759
Speaker 8: that I've gotten to know him. But Jake Mangum is

804
00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:21,680
Speaker 8: that type of dude. I don't know if you guys

805
00:37:21,719 --> 00:37:24,000
Speaker 8: have spent much time with him, but talking about a

806
00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:26,239
Speaker 8: guy that's willing to do anything to help the team win.

807
00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:30,719
Speaker 8: Fourth outfielder, fifth outfielder, pinch run, start game, switch it,

808
00:37:31,640 --> 00:37:33,680
Speaker 8: laying it all out there every single day, and just

809
00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:36,320
Speaker 8: the way that he's approached camp and the conversations that

810
00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:39,360
Speaker 8: I've had, He's he's a he's a grinder man. He

811
00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:41,120
Speaker 8: brings it every single day and he's willing to do

812
00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:42,279
Speaker 8: whatever to help the team win.

813
00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:45,399
Speaker 3: Is Leland the guy you fashion your game most after

814
00:37:45,560 --> 00:37:46,280
Speaker 3: as a manager.

815
00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:49,520
Speaker 8: I mean, I respect the crap out of him, playing

816
00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:53,719
Speaker 8: for him and everything. That's how he treated me, you know.

817
00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:56,239
Speaker 8: And you know the teams that I was a party, we.

818
00:37:56,239 --> 00:37:56,920
Speaker 3: Compete against you.

819
00:37:57,040 --> 00:37:59,640
Speaker 4: I told him time that I told him the story

820
00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:03,239
Speaker 4: of the BBWAA where when I was doing TV, we

821
00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:06,000
Speaker 4: had the Tigers in the postseason and you get the

822
00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:07,560
Speaker 4: manager meeting for fifteen minutes.

823
00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:09,960
Speaker 3: You go in there and Leland was talking about Don.

824
00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:12,920
Speaker 4: You were hot one series and it was a lefty starting,

825
00:38:13,239 --> 00:38:16,400
Speaker 4: and I think someone asked Leland, why isn't Don Kelly starting?

826
00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:21,399
Speaker 3: Cigarette his voice Don Kelly couldn't.

827
00:38:21,080 --> 00:38:22,640
Speaker 4: Hit a lefty with a boot, or you think I'm

828
00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:24,000
Speaker 4: gonna play him against a lefty?

829
00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:26,680
Speaker 3: And I said, Jim, you know that I still play

830
00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:29,080
Speaker 3: in your division. He goes, Oh, You're so freaking stupid.

831
00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:31,480
Speaker 3: You won't remember this tomorrow. Anyways, We'll be fine. And

832
00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:33,480
Speaker 3: just I'm like, okay, Jim, Well, at least I know

833
00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:34,360
Speaker 3: where I stand with you.

834
00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:36,520
Speaker 4: And so I mean, do you sit there after the

835
00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:39,200
Speaker 4: game and he'll remember He would eat his food and

836
00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:43,279
Speaker 4: just se out and answer to the media as he's eating.

837
00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:44,560
Speaker 3: Is that is that going to be your style?

838
00:38:44,680 --> 00:38:47,000
Speaker 8: Well, no, I haven't had a cigarette in a while.

839
00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:53,480
Speaker 8: I don't say the uh the one thing that you

840
00:38:53,560 --> 00:38:55,359
Speaker 8: all you knew where you stood with them. I knew

841
00:38:55,400 --> 00:38:57,680
Speaker 8: I wasn't gonna face a lefty, although we were talking

842
00:38:57,719 --> 00:38:59,799
Speaker 8: about it the other day that there was one time

843
00:38:59,880 --> 00:39:02,160
Speaker 8: he caught me off guard in the playoffs against the Yankees.

844
00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:04,880
Speaker 8: He put me in as a defensive replacement to go

845
00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:06,720
Speaker 8: in for into right field for Maglio.

846
00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:09,320
Speaker 5: Maglio was leading off the next inning against C. C.

847
00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:14,400
Speaker 8: Sabathia and had it was I came down, I Leland

848
00:39:14,440 --> 00:39:16,680
Speaker 8: came walking down the dugout and he was like, hey,

849
00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:18,400
Speaker 8: can you bunt? And that he mumbled it and there

850
00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:19,840
Speaker 8: was so much going on. I was like, I was

851
00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:24,320
Speaker 8: like what and he goes, can you bleep bunch? And

852
00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:26,759
Speaker 8: I was like, I was like, well, we're gonna find out.

853
00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:29,560
Speaker 8: And I went up and laid down a bunt actually

854
00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:31,880
Speaker 8: got a base head off of it. And so that

855
00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:35,719
Speaker 8: was just the way his his magic was being able

856
00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:38,239
Speaker 8: to communicate and be clear on it and tell you

857
00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:39,200
Speaker 8: the truth all the time.

858
00:39:39,239 --> 00:39:41,560
Speaker 5: And I think so hopefully our.

859
00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:43,719
Speaker 8: Guys would say that about me that I would like

860
00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:45,880
Speaker 8: to take over into this minus a cigarette.

861
00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:46,400
Speaker 3: I won't you.

862
00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:51,600
Speaker 4: Because in Chicago, the people that don't know in Chicago,

863
00:39:51,719 --> 00:39:54,320
Speaker 4: the cages, the busy and cages were in the basically

864
00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:56,359
Speaker 4: in the home club out So at the time Jim

865
00:39:56,440 --> 00:39:59,320
Speaker 4: had a son who was trying to play, and Leland

866
00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:01,960
Speaker 4: would come over shirtless and just in his sliding shorts

867
00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:04,040
Speaker 4: and throwing VP in the cages.

868
00:40:04,080 --> 00:40:05,839
Speaker 3: So we'd walk in there, and I think he did

869
00:40:05,880 --> 00:40:08,160
Speaker 3: it to distract us and ruin our day. So he

870
00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:09,680
Speaker 3: is that is that what?

871
00:40:10,360 --> 00:40:13,640
Speaker 5: Won't be doing that? No, but I wouldn't put it

872
00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:14,919
Speaker 5: past him doing that for sure.

873
00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:17,879
Speaker 4: Hold on, Thank you very much for joining us good

874
00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:20,160
Speaker 4: luck this year, have a great team at Pittsburgh and

875
00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:21,360
Speaker 4: we'll be right back on Balta.

876
00:40:21,840 --> 00:40:22,120
Speaker 5: Thank you.