1 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:04,960 Speaker 1: Hey, welcome to big Fish, Small Pod. I'm Andrew Werdahl. 2 00:00:05,720 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: Today is June twenty fourth, and the Marlins have just 3 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 1: finished a sweep of the Colorado Rockies and are getting 4 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: ready to face the New York match. This is big 5 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:22,959 Speaker 1: Fish Small Pod kind of throwing a dart in the 6 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 1: middle of just whatever else is happening in the Marlins 7 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: baseball world. So what I've like really come to the 8 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 1: conclusion of today is that John Birdie is the hero 9 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: of Camp Day for Miami, for all the campers, all 10 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: the kids in the stands, a bigger than normal crowd 11 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: today Camp Day, and like an early afternoon summertime time 12 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 1: of day. So it's always a bit of like a 13 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: flashbulb moment for me personally. During the Marlins season, I 14 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:19,279 Speaker 1: can recall like back in the day, I was looking 15 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: specifically to like kind of rehash some old memories, finding 16 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 1: like twenty twelve of like a seven to one loss 17 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: to the Atlanta Braves with the Marlins getting three hits, 18 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 1: featuring like a like a top of the lineup of 19 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: like Donovan Solano, Carlos le Jose Reyes. What we saw 20 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: today was nothing other than like the absolute ascension of 21 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: John Birdie into this Camp Day hero. He had the 22 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: funniest play of the game when he was on first 23 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: base and played like a bit of a like a 24 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: delayed steal of second really like feigned like he wasn't 25 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: going or wasn't gonna make like any significant movements, and 26 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: then just went for the bass. The catcher was caught 27 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: off guard. He threw the ball like right at the picture. 28 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 1: The pitcher had to just like dive right to the ground, 29 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: and John Birdie was, you know in there at second 30 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: with the stolen base, how about burd goes. Look out, now, 31 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,920 Speaker 1: what happened there? Freeland had to hit the deck on 32 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: the throw from Diaz. It was almost a delayed steal. 33 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: Looked like Bertie, you see him get off, and it 34 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 1: was a delayed steal. I'll tell you what it was. 35 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: It would have taken off Freeland's head. But seriously, John 36 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: Birdie gave like the Camp Day performance with like like 37 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: a record set today the consecutive stolen base streak really 38 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 1: for the Miami Marlins, well the mar organization as a whole. 39 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: And that's like a really great list. There's some like 40 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: great bass dealers on there, like he got but like 41 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: Luis Castillo, Emilia, Bono Fassio, Juan Pierre like inarguably like 42 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: speedster type company, and like John Birdie is currently leading 43 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: the league in stolen bases. It's almost as like a 44 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 1: sort of like nugget of a thing in a season, 45 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: but it like really truly isn't He's been like a 46 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: good baseball player this year just outright in line with 47 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: like his sort of career numbers. It's hard to like 48 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: really get like a good track of John Bertie over 49 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: the years. He has about five thousand professional plate appearances, 50 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: from like like college to like minor leagues to the 51 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: main just and in college he was really this like 52 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: kind of above it all hit or he hit like 53 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: a like a three fifty batting average. Just he could 54 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: hit a eighteenth round draft pick, and it's hard to 55 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: really say exactly what that means. Going like from the 56 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 1: draft to from like college or like high school or 57 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 1: like a junior college type of situation into the major 58 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:32,480 Speaker 1: leagues through the draft, you really like are set up 59 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,720 Speaker 1: for one to be really like dependent on what you 60 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: get as your bonus in that draft process and also 61 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:49,280 Speaker 1: what your organization does to support you as like a player, 62 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: developing into like a like a like an often teenager too, 63 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:59,359 Speaker 1: like a young adult. It's like a really like important 64 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: period for like physical growth as a like an athlete, 65 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:09,279 Speaker 1: but also just like personal growth as a person, really 66 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:14,720 Speaker 1: like formative formative years that John Birdie riz is like 67 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:17,919 Speaker 1: grounded out for like, it wasn't till he was like 68 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: twenty eight that he made his first like major league appearance, 69 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 1: a solid seven years after he was drafted, and it 70 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: wasn't like it's like tough stuff to talk about, just 71 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 1: that like what he did in that like bit of 72 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 1: time was impactful for the game. He got up, he 73 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 1: got some hits, he got an extra base hit a 74 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: stolen base, had some RBIs, he did impact. Like the 75 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 1: four games he played for Toronto in twenty eighteen made 76 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: that like major league salary after probably not much of 77 00:05:56,240 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: a bonus. But he's continued to really like grind, and 78 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 1: now he's in a position that I think is something 79 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: of like an all star caliber player. I hear like 80 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:12,720 Speaker 1: Jazz is like leading for second base. I've heard like 81 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,720 Speaker 1: Hazey's acular is also like the number two. I'll get 82 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:20,039 Speaker 1: her at like about like sixty nine thousand votes, But 83 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 1: I really do think like John Birdie is like deserving 84 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,840 Speaker 1: of the ballot. There he like leads the league and 85 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 1: steals and is getting on base at like a three 86 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,599 Speaker 1: eighty clip right now, playing every day, and it's hard 87 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 1: to like keep that focused on the person that he is. 88 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:42,839 Speaker 1: He's been a Marlin since his time as a Blue Jay. 89 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: He was called up, made what I estimate was probably 90 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:50,239 Speaker 1: fifteen thousand dollars for his contributions to the Blue Jays. 91 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: Then he was let go without those like additional protections 92 00:06:56,440 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: on a forty man roster, found a job with the 93 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:03,919 Speaker 1: Marlins minor league job, got his way to the majors, 94 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 1: and he's been there really since then thirty two now, 95 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 1: and I'm playing every day for like what feels like 96 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 1: the first time that he's been doing it with such 97 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: a strength since the twenty twenty season, and it feels 98 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: like he's finally getting that like recognition that he deserves 99 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: at least to like the baseball fan I out there 100 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 1: even like like fantasy Baseball aware of person out there's 101 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 1: just following the league now more aware of John Birdie. 102 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 1: And we've seen what he's done today and he was 103 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 1: like a true hero on some days that have been 104 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: like the most like dire as like sinking ship in 105 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 1: July type of like feeling to like a lost campaign. 106 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: But to set it off, can't they sweep of the 107 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 1: Rockies with John Birdie coming out looking like an All Star? Who, 108 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: let's face it, John Birdie was already probably or maybe 109 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: probably your dad's favorite player, So like kind of weekly 110 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 1: campaigning for John Birdie for the All Star Game. But 111 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 1: more than that, it's important to just appreciate where we're 112 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 1: at in this street. John Birdie is still just like 113 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: a couple of games to go left in June and 114 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: still could get the title for most steals in a 115 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: month for any Marlins player. Still like a subplot in 116 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 1: a season with many ongoing threads and a matchup tomorrow night, 117 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 1: Sandy going up again. The MAT's at lone Depot Park sixty. 118 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 1: That'll give you even more to talk about before the game. 119 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:12,000 Speaker 1: Fish Strips Live will be with you, giving you more 120 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: of a broad coverage of this day in Marlin's Baseball. 121 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:20,959 Speaker 1: But for the podcast, I've been Andrew Ridal, thank you 122 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,760 Speaker 1: for listening. I'll be with you next week.