WEBVTT - THE RAYS ARE BACK IN THE PLAYOFFS 0:00:13.060 --> 0:00:16.540 It's time to raise the roof for our latest regular 0:00:16.560 --> 0:00:19.360 season episode. And this one, a little bit delayed. We 0:00:19.380 --> 0:00:22.040 do apologize for that. But this will be the first 0:00:22.060 --> 0:00:24.740 of five straight podcasts and five straight days that we're 0:00:24.760 --> 0:00:28.120 going to be doing as we get into the postseason. 0:00:28.140 --> 0:00:31.180 Because the postseason is only a couple weeks away. And guys, 0:00:31.260 --> 0:00:33.800 for the first time since 2023, the Tampa Bay Rays 0:00:34.020 --> 0:00:38.610 are in the playoffs. They clinched a playoff berth on 0:00:38.770 --> 0:00:43.210 Friday via Junior Caminero's walk-off two-run bomb in the ninth 0:00:43.270 --> 0:00:47.570 inning against the Houston Astros. Absolutely incredible scenes at Tropicana 0:00:47.590 --> 0:00:52.530 Field that night and all weekend long as the Rays 0:00:53.070 --> 0:00:57.670 recorded their 15th sweep of the season. 15 different teams 0:00:57.710 --> 0:01:00.889 that the Rays have swept. Half of baseball the Rays 0:01:00.910 --> 0:01:05.080 have swept. Really, really impressive stuff from this team, and 0:01:05.230 --> 0:01:09.699 we've become accustomed to seeing this over the course of 0:01:09.760 --> 0:01:13.110 the season. I will say this hand up. I am 0:01:13.230 --> 0:01:16.520 completely wrong. I was completely wrong. A bunch of people 0:01:16.560 --> 0:01:19.980 were completely wrong on our pod. Me, Gibby, and Evan 0:01:20.000 --> 0:01:22.440 were all completely wrong about where we thought this team 0:01:22.459 --> 0:01:24.319 was going to be. And I am so glad. I've 0:01:24.340 --> 0:01:27.460 never been happier to be wrong about this team. I 0:01:27.500 --> 0:01:29.720 didn't know how good this team was going to be. 0:01:29.780 --> 0:01:32.720 And now they've won 90 games. They are within reach 0:01:32.860 --> 0:01:35.429 of clinching their fifth AL East title. This is already 0:01:35.470 --> 0:01:38.090 their 10th playoff appearance, which is pretty impressive for a 0:01:38.110 --> 0:01:40.470 team that didn't have a winning season in their first 0:01:40.510 --> 0:01:45.580 decade of their existence. This episode will include interviews from 0:01:45.600 --> 0:01:50.400 the postgame celebrations for the Rays on Friday. That includes 0:01:50.440 --> 0:01:53.480 Junior Caminero, the man of the hour on that night 0:01:53.520 --> 0:01:59.220 with the walk-off bomb from him. We have closer Brian Baker. 0:01:59.720 --> 0:02:04.030 We have Yandy Diaz. We have Kevin Cash. We have 0:02:04.050 --> 0:02:09.350 Eric Neander, Ken Babby, and Drew Rasmussen, all of them 0:02:10.220 --> 0:02:13.850 We're spoken to post-game. Shout out to Chris Tilley, as always, 0:02:13.930 --> 0:02:17.589 for doing what he does in the locker room. Just 0:02:17.610 --> 0:02:20.770 fantastic stuff. But all seven of them in order. It 0:02:20.810 --> 0:02:26.609 will be Junior, Drew, Yandy, Brian Baker, Kevin, Cash, Neander, 0:02:26.669 --> 0:02:31.090 and Babby in that order. We'll all have their interviews. 0:02:31.690 --> 0:02:34.500 A lot of just excitement around the Tampa Bay era. 0:02:34.540 --> 0:02:35.860 I mean, the race hasn't been in the playoffs since 2023. 0:02:35.860 --> 0:02:38.650 And now we're back at this point. But we're going 0:02:38.669 --> 0:02:41.690 to take a quick break so you guys can grab 0:02:41.710 --> 0:02:44.910 your popcorn and get ready because the interviews are coming up. 0:02:44.930 --> 0:02:46.990 So stay tuned. We'll be right back in this latest 0:02:47.030 --> 0:02:48.230 episode of Raise the Roof. 0:02:54.070 --> 0:02:57.530 I thought that was the moment right there where I 0:02:57.550 --> 0:03:00.050 could really, really elevate myself to be a superstar in 0:03:00.090 --> 0:03:00.470 this game. 0:03:00.510 --> 0:03:02.049 And I looked at Cash because. 0:03:02.070 --> 0:03:03.570 You know, he gives me a lot of confidence and 0:03:03.590 --> 0:03:04.430 a lot of motivation. 0:03:05.169 --> 0:03:06.340 What does this moment mean to you? 0:03:06.400 --> 0:03:09.220 I mean, 40th home run, sending your team to the postseason, 0:03:09.280 --> 0:03:11.060 first walk-off in the big leagues. 0:03:11.080 --> 0:03:11.940 Gracias, Dios. Gracias, Dios. 0:03:12.020 --> 0:03:16.160 El tiempo dio perfecto. Dios me dio esta oportunidad. Mi 0:03:16.180 --> 0:03:20.020 primer walk-off. De verdad que algo increíble. 0:03:21.080 --> 0:03:21.940 Yeah, thank you to God. 0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:24.519 He's given me this opportunity, and, you know, he's given 0:03:24.560 --> 0:03:26.880 me the talent. And to be in this position, it's 0:03:26.900 --> 0:03:29.540 all because of God. And, again, it was a great swing, 0:03:29.580 --> 0:03:30.600 and I was able to send it out. 0:03:30.620 --> 0:03:32.100 Junior, did you. 0:03:31.860 --> 0:03:35.370 Say you looked at cash before you hit or after? After. 0:03:35.790 --> 0:03:38.610 When I hit it, yeah. To know that the team 0:03:38.690 --> 0:03:40.410 is in the playoffs, what does that mean to you? 0:03:40.450 --> 0:03:40.720 No, no. 0:03:41.530 --> 0:03:42.090 We're not done. 0:03:42.110 --> 0:03:43.110 We have to keep going. 0:03:43.130 --> 0:03:44.170 We're not done. 0:03:44.190 --> 0:03:45.770 We really have to keep going to win the division now. 0:03:45.810 --> 0:03:47.280 Look, we're not done. 0:03:47.420 --> 0:03:48.120 We got to keep going. 0:03:48.140 --> 0:03:49.220 We're not done by any means. 0:03:49.280 --> 0:03:52.320 So now the next objective is just win the division. 0:03:54.560 --> 0:03:54.880 Thank you. 0:03:55.340 --> 0:03:57.030 You've been saying for a while you really want to 0:03:57.040 --> 0:03:57.890 get to October. 0:03:58.290 --> 0:03:59.770 How excited are you now that that's kind of. 0:03:59.770 --> 0:04:00.170 Real for you? 0:04:00.250 --> 0:04:02.950 It feels good to be back in October after three years. 0:04:03.030 --> 0:04:05.170 I did a great job on the 23rd when I 0:04:05.190 --> 0:04:05.610 was a rookie. 0:04:06.870 --> 0:04:17.370 Yeah, it feels great. 0:04:17.450 --> 0:04:19.529 It feels great to be back there, and I tasted 0:04:19.550 --> 0:04:21.290 it a little bit as a rookie, and, you know, 0:04:21.310 --> 0:04:23.130 we haven't made the postseason in the last two years, 0:04:23.170 --> 0:04:24.969 so it feels. 0:04:24.810 --> 0:04:26.770 Great to be back, and it's just such a great feeling. 0:04:26.810 --> 0:04:28.850 Again, this group is so special in what we've been 0:04:28.890 --> 0:04:29.610 able to do this year. 0:04:30.150 --> 0:04:32.920 I know it's secondary tonight, but to get to 40 0:04:32.920 --> 0:04:34.860 holders again, no Ray has ever done that twice. 0:04:35.529 --> 0:04:36.450 Thank God for everything. 0:04:36.970 --> 0:04:37.550 God's the best. 0:04:38.750 --> 0:04:42.120 Thank you, Junior. 0:04:44.000 --> 0:04:47.659 You know, it's one of those things that getting the 0:04:47.700 --> 0:04:50.280 opportunity to play postseason baseball never gets old. I mean, 0:04:50.300 --> 0:04:54.150 it's so much fun. And I'm really just happy for 0:04:54.170 --> 0:04:58.860 the guys who haven't experienced it yet. Eric said before 0:04:58.900 --> 0:05:01.140 the season, and apparently Cash said it here tonight, they 0:05:01.700 --> 0:05:03.100 believed in you guys. 0:05:03.160 --> 0:05:04.120 How much did you kind. 0:05:04.000 --> 0:05:06.120 Of see this developing throughout the course of the season, 0:05:06.200 --> 0:05:07.980 and how crazy is this going. 0:05:07.890 --> 0:05:08.410 To happen now? 0:05:08.670 --> 0:05:11.029 Yeah, they prefaced it with the athleticism we were going 0:05:11.050 --> 0:05:14.229 to have defensively, the ability we were going to have 0:05:14.310 --> 0:05:18.910 on the mound. And honestly, when you have athleticism defensively, 0:05:18.930 --> 0:05:22.110 you also have it offensively. And so we knew from 0:05:22.150 --> 0:05:23.620 day one that it wasn't going to be the most 0:05:23.650 --> 0:05:26.380 conventional way to score runs. However, we were going to 0:05:26.420 --> 0:05:30.140 have the opportunity to do it. And I mean, shoot, 0:05:30.560 --> 0:05:33.580 it's one of those things that it's unfolded the exact 0:05:33.660 --> 0:05:37.020 way that they were talking about day one. Where were 0:05:37.060 --> 0:05:38.190 you when Junior hit the ball? 0:05:38.230 --> 0:05:39.989 And what's your reaction in that moment? 0:05:41.210 --> 0:05:47.070 I was watching the live feed in the trainer's office. And, 0:05:47.089 --> 0:05:50.110 I mean, as soon as– I thought Johnny got his 0:05:50.570 --> 0:05:55.110 watching the live feed with the high home. But when 0:05:55.170 --> 0:05:58.570 Junior got his, it's just one of those things. You know, 0:05:58.589 --> 0:06:01.230 in the seventh inning, when I finished, I told Junior 0:06:01.270 --> 0:06:06.270 that he was going to hit a homer tonight. Selfishly, 0:06:06.330 --> 0:06:08.740 I was hoping it would be in the seventh inning 0:06:08.750 --> 0:06:11.700 when he came up, but– No, it's one of those 0:06:11.740 --> 0:06:13.560 things that I just said, look, man, like you're built 0:06:13.580 --> 0:06:16.660 for the moment. This is who you are. You're that 0:06:16.720 --> 0:06:19.920 special of a talent. And I mean, when he hit 0:06:19.960 --> 0:06:23.360 it in the ninth, you know, we couldn't have been happier. Me, Wellesley, 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:28.070 Bake was here in the clubhouse. We were all celebrating 0:06:28.089 --> 0:06:31.710 because this is really hard to come by. It doesn't 0:06:31.770 --> 0:06:35.530 come every year. You know, you sacrifice day in and 0:06:35.570 --> 0:06:39.789 day out. And just the opportunity to play postseason baseball 0:06:39.810 --> 0:06:48.460 is special. I thought it was really bad tonight, in 0:06:48.540 --> 0:06:52.980 all honesty. I mean, shoot, every time I looked at 0:06:53.000 --> 0:06:54.680 the scoreboard, it was a 2-0 count. 0:06:57.040 --> 0:06:57.640 I mean, it's just. 0:06:59.170 --> 0:07:01.590 I told, you know, I told Nick, Hey man, like, 0:07:01.670 --> 0:07:03.950 I don't know. I, in like the fourth or fifth inning, 0:07:03.990 --> 0:07:06.230 I told him, I don't know what's going on, but, uh, 0:07:06.390 --> 0:07:10.460 luck's luck's on our side. And, uh, I thought command 0:07:10.480 --> 0:07:14.120 was pretty bad. And then, you know, the opportunity to 0:07:14.220 --> 0:07:16.880 keep us in the game, it truly was a blessing. 0:07:16.940 --> 0:07:20.490 I mean, that entire effort goes to our defense, uh, 0:07:21.140 --> 0:07:23.570 I mean, I can think of Cedric running some balls 0:07:23.610 --> 0:07:27.570 down in center. I can think of our infield being phenomenal. 0:07:29.090 --> 0:07:31.510 But ultimately, their efforts are what won this game. 0:07:32.390 --> 0:07:32.930 Thank you. 0:07:33.150 --> 0:07:34.910 Congrats. Thank you, guys. 0:07:43.300 --> 0:07:46.200 What does it feel like to know you're going back 0:07:46.220 --> 0:07:46.980 to the playoffs? 0:07:55.000 --> 0:07:57.520 After these two years, I think I'm more than happy. 0:07:57.560 --> 0:07:59.720 Thanks to God, we were able to qualify. 0:07:59.800 --> 0:08:01.000 And you know, we're going to move. 0:08:00.900 --> 0:08:04.040 Forward to win the division. Yeah, really, really happy. 0:08:04.080 --> 0:08:05.660 This feels a lot more special than some of the 0:08:05.720 --> 0:08:07.620 other ones just because of everything that we've gone through. 0:08:07.660 --> 0:08:09.320 So, look, the job's not finished, right? 0:08:09.360 --> 0:08:10.920 We still have a big title in mind with winning 0:08:10.940 --> 0:08:13.700 the division. And yeah, we'll flip the page after tomorrow 0:08:13.720 --> 0:08:14.290 and get back to it. 0:08:14.300 --> 0:08:16.700 You've said since the beginning of the season this team 0:08:16.750 --> 0:08:17.370 was special. 0:08:17.430 --> 0:08:19.070 What makes this group so special to you? 0:08:19.090 --> 0:08:21.690 You've said since the beginning of the season that this 0:08:21.710 --> 0:08:22.650 group wasn't special. 0:08:22.670 --> 0:08:24.190 Who made it special in your mind? 0:08:24.550 --> 0:08:25.010 That's it. 0:08:25.670 --> 0:08:28.810 Win the division, play hard, have a positive mind, and 0:08:28.830 --> 0:08:30.190 things will turn out the way they came out. 0:08:30.890 --> 0:08:32.550 This, just this. I mean, look around. 0:08:32.570 --> 0:08:35.170 I think, too, just if I take a second to 0:08:35.220 --> 0:08:38.200 look back, just a positive mindset, too, and playing really hard. 0:08:38.240 --> 0:08:39.900 We've done that from the beginning of the season, so 0:08:40.179 --> 0:08:41.660 that's been the two key things to this group. 0:08:42.580 --> 0:08:45.660 What did you see? Where were you standing, and what 0:08:45.700 --> 0:08:47.219 did you see when Junior took that swing? 0:08:48.040 --> 0:08:50.260 Where were you standing in the dugout, and what did 0:08:50.280 --> 0:08:51.420 you see when Junior took the swing? 0:08:51.440 --> 0:08:53.140 No, I was in here, trying to see if we 0:08:53.200 --> 0:08:55.100 could leave him on the ground, and it looks like 0:08:55.160 --> 0:08:56.179 he accompanied me there. 0:08:59.660 --> 0:09:00.820 I was in here, actually. 0:09:01.120 --> 0:09:02.800 I was in here just trying to get ready for 0:09:02.840 --> 0:09:05.280 potentially to go back onto the field for our next at-bat, 0:09:05.580 --> 0:09:07.359 but I was also doing some bicep curls just to 0:09:07.380 --> 0:09:07.840 stay ready. 0:09:08.140 --> 0:09:08.780 Doing some what? 0:09:08.820 --> 0:09:10.179 Some bicep curls to stay ready. 0:09:10.600 --> 0:09:11.800 Oh. 0:09:11.860 --> 0:09:13.880 So you knew it was gone when you saw it 0:09:13.920 --> 0:09:14.179 on TV? 0:09:14.260 --> 0:09:15.350 Yes, of course. 0:09:15.380 --> 0:09:16.870 I was watching it on TV. 0:09:16.900 --> 0:09:18.490 I just saw the fly and went outside. 0:09:21.370 --> 0:09:22.910 Yeah, I saw it on the TV, and once I 0:09:22.950 --> 0:09:24.290 saw it was in the air, I knew it was gone. 0:09:24.309 --> 0:09:27.150 Winning the division, you guys, that's the next goal? Hold off, 0:09:27.210 --> 0:09:40.140 the Yankees win the division. Yeah, that's the most important. 0:09:40.260 --> 0:09:42.620 We'll enjoy tonight, but tomorrow's a new day, and tomorrow 0:09:42.640 --> 0:09:45.109 we've got to face that challenge and hopefully put ourselves 0:09:45.160 --> 0:09:47.170 again in a position to win the division. 0:09:50.030 --> 0:09:52.130 But tomorrow's a new day and tomorrow we gotta face 0:09:52.170 --> 0:09:55.250 that challenge and hopefully put ourselves again in a position 0:09:55.270 --> 0:09:55.880 to win the division. 0:09:58.500 --> 0:10:06.440 Yeah, I was pretty fired up. Nothing out of the 0:10:06.480 --> 0:10:10.809 ordinary in terms of that. But yeah, obviously, I was 0:10:11.010 --> 0:10:15.530 pretty unaware of the circumstances until very late in the day. Um, 0:10:16.090 --> 0:10:18.570 but then like knowing that and then going into the 0:10:18.610 --> 0:10:20.929 inning and, and being able to work out a little 0:10:21.070 --> 0:10:23.770 out of a little bit of trouble. Um, I was 0:10:23.809 --> 0:10:25.960 pretty fired up just to have a clean inning and 0:10:26.000 --> 0:10:28.420 be feeling good again, uh, to be honest. And then 0:10:29.140 --> 0:10:31.600 you add in the repercussions for the team as well. 0:10:31.640 --> 0:10:35.540 And I was extra fired up. So, um, I really 0:10:35.580 --> 0:10:37.780 like coming into the dugout and spreading energy and I 0:10:37.820 --> 0:10:41.280 like to take a, like a 2% credit for, uh, uh, 0:10:41.300 --> 0:10:45.760 scoring after. And, uh, Yeah, just us being us, and 0:10:46.240 --> 0:10:51.000 Junior being Junior, and another gritty win, and. 0:10:52.559 --> 0:10:53.570 It's a pretty special one. 0:10:54.440 --> 0:10:54.880 Where were you? 0:10:54.900 --> 0:10:56.740 Were you still in the dugout when he hit the homer? 0:10:57.040 --> 0:11:01.670 I was not, so I'm a very superstitious individual. I 0:11:02.070 --> 0:11:10.030 was inside here, dodging the already being set up boundaries 0:11:10.130 --> 0:11:13.810 for our celebrations, I So I was late to get 0:11:13.870 --> 0:11:17.949 out there, unfortunately. But I heard the, let's just say 0:11:18.010 --> 0:11:20.480 I heard the celebrations from the bathroom. 0:11:20.510 --> 0:11:22.840 You didn't actually see it on TV. 0:11:22.860 --> 0:11:26.420 You were a little occupied. 0:11:26.520 --> 0:11:27.400 I had no idea. 0:11:27.420 --> 0:11:30.040 Like I said, I'm very superstitious. 0:11:30.100 --> 0:11:32.620 I can't watch a lot of the times, especially when 0:11:33.450 --> 0:11:35.410 I'm done. So I usually go to a place where 0:11:35.470 --> 0:11:38.829 I can't see the TV at all. and I just wait, 0:11:38.950 --> 0:11:42.429 I hear somebody celebrating or not. That's basically what happened. 0:11:42.450 --> 0:11:45.930 So after I heard celebrations, I knew what was going on, 0:11:45.970 --> 0:11:47.410 and I really had to change and do a lot 0:11:47.429 --> 0:11:49.250 of things quickly in order to join the guys out there. 0:11:49.330 --> 0:11:51.530 When you said you were late in the game, when 0:11:51.570 --> 0:11:53.590 did you realize the guys could clinch if you won? 0:11:54.150 --> 0:11:56.970 I think it was on MLB Network or something. 0:11:58.450 --> 0:11:59.270 Yeah, it was late. 0:11:59.330 --> 0:12:02.950 It was right before the game. I honestly try not 0:12:02.970 --> 0:12:04.600 to pay attention to that stuff and just treat every 0:12:04.620 --> 0:12:07.620 game like the same. Obviously tough to do in these 0:12:07.640 --> 0:12:11.300 scenarios when you got stuff on the line, but it 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:20.160 turned out to be a good day. Yeah, I mean, 0:12:20.440 --> 0:12:22.459 it's been there from day one, I would say. I 0:12:22.500 --> 0:12:25.540 think we showed up in spring training and we had 0:12:25.559 --> 0:12:27.140 a lot of new pieces and a lot of guys 0:12:27.160 --> 0:12:28.370 that didn't know each other. 0:12:29.610 --> 0:12:30.670 To be able to mesh. 0:12:30.470 --> 0:12:34.370 Really quickly and understand the quality of players that we 0:12:34.410 --> 0:12:38.099 have in this building, it happened really fast. So I 0:12:38.140 --> 0:12:44.620 think in some ways we've outperformed expectations, and we don't 0:12:44.640 --> 0:12:45.640 really pay attention to that stuff. 0:12:45.660 --> 0:12:46.340 We just play. 0:12:46.679 --> 0:12:49.090 And it's such a good group at the clubhouse, and 0:12:49.110 --> 0:12:52.329 it makes showing up to the clubhouse fun every day. 0:12:52.470 --> 0:12:55.290 So I'm really blessed to be a part. 0:12:55.270 --> 0:12:55.790 Of this group. 0:12:55.830 --> 0:12:58.170 Pretty fitting that Junior gets to walk off with the 0:12:58.290 --> 0:12:59.290 40th homer in the playoffs. 0:13:01.700 --> 0:13:04.380 Yeah, I mean, sometimes things just work out the way 0:13:04.400 --> 0:13:07.880 they're supposed to. So I think this is a perfect 0:13:07.900 --> 0:13:10.570 example of the caliber of a player that he is 0:13:10.730 --> 0:13:12.309 and what he means. 0:13:12.130 --> 0:13:13.589 To this team, this organization. 0:13:14.290 --> 0:13:15.990 And it's come down to that. 0:13:16.370 --> 0:13:19.380 Like I said, I didn't even know what happened until 0:13:20.420 --> 0:13:23.700 literally 20 minutes after he already hit the homer. 0:13:23.780 --> 0:13:24.740 I was like, how did we win? 0:13:26.360 --> 0:13:28.880 Um but you were busy paving up. 0:13:28.860 --> 0:13:30.500 The lot yeah i was all over the place and 0:13:30.520 --> 0:13:33.689 uh honestly not shocked to hear that though so yeah 0:13:33.730 --> 0:13:36.709 that that type of player um it's been special to 0:13:36.730 --> 0:13:39.010 be his teammate and yeah it's a pretty pretty fitting 0:13:39.270 --> 0:13:41.990 ending to uh to the game tonight are. 0:13:41.670 --> 0:13:44.880 You looking forward to seeing him in october man um 0:13:45.220 --> 0:13:49.390 if he isn't already electric enough you know um With 0:13:49.429 --> 0:13:52.020 a little more at stake, I think he's probably one 0:13:52.040 --> 0:13:53.660 of the most electric players we have in the game. 0:13:53.679 --> 0:13:55.860 So, yeah, I'm going to have a front row seat. 0:13:55.900 --> 0:13:56.970 I'm going to enjoy it. 0:14:04.210 --> 0:14:07.600 Very excited, very impressed and proud and encouraged. 0:14:07.640 --> 0:14:08.220 With this group. 0:14:08.260 --> 0:14:11.020 I think it's been pretty consistent all season long how 0:14:11.260 --> 0:14:13.880 special we thought this group was, and they've just gone 0:14:13.920 --> 0:14:15.800 out on the field night after night and backed it up. 0:14:15.840 --> 0:14:17.960 So the guys are pumped in there, rightfully so. 0:14:18.320 --> 0:14:18.800 We're in. 0:14:18.840 --> 0:14:21.180 I think they all acknowledge we want to continue this, 0:14:21.260 --> 0:14:22.710 but we're going to celebrate the heck out. 0:14:22.690 --> 0:14:23.110 Of it tonight. 0:14:23.330 --> 0:14:24.430 Cammy loves the big moments. 0:14:24.570 --> 0:14:25.690 Add another chapter to the runs. 0:14:25.710 --> 0:14:26.790 He's come up big in those times. 0:14:26.890 --> 0:14:28.950 Yeah, I mean, the best sign for me, I mean, look, 0:14:29.730 --> 0:14:31.310 the Elizabeth bats are going to come a lot here 0:14:31.350 --> 0:14:34.040 in October. And, I mean, we want a lot of 0:14:34.100 --> 0:14:36.960 our guys hitting, but Cammy, to get that accomplished, come 0:14:37.000 --> 0:14:38.780 through in such a big way, and the way he 0:14:39.100 --> 0:14:42.619 acted and the team acted afterward was pretty spectacular. And 0:14:42.660 --> 0:14:44.680 then just the way that Drew pitched and the bullpen, 0:14:44.720 --> 0:14:47.580 especially Bake, holding it down there to set up the heroics. Yeah, 0:14:47.620 --> 0:14:49.680 I mean, Rass, look, early on, I didn't think he 0:14:49.700 --> 0:14:51.620 was that sharp. He was falling behind hitters, but that 0:14:51.640 --> 0:14:53.920 just speaks to how good he is, that he's able 0:14:53.940 --> 0:14:56.180 to fall behind 1-0, 2-0, whatever it is, come back 0:14:56.240 --> 0:14:56.860 and make pitches. 0:14:56.880 --> 0:14:59.370 That offense has been rolling over there, and he was pretty, 0:14:59.500 --> 0:15:00.260 you know, kept them quiet. 0:15:00.870 --> 0:15:02.210 What was your message. 0:15:02.070 --> 0:15:02.550 To the guys? 0:15:04.170 --> 0:15:06.760 I just reiterated what Eric said at the beginning of 0:15:06.780 --> 0:15:11.400 the season, the belief that we had, he had, and 0:15:12.140 --> 0:15:13.780 really commended the guys. 0:15:13.540 --> 0:15:15.360 For buying into that. 0:15:15.220 --> 0:15:17.160 And going back at it up and just to enjoy 0:15:17.180 --> 0:15:18.350 the heck out of it tonight. 0:15:18.370 --> 0:15:19.330 This is not easy to do. 0:15:19.710 --> 0:15:21.310 What is your reaction as that ball goes out on 0:15:21.330 --> 0:15:21.650 Junior's bat? 0:15:22.070 --> 0:15:23.530 I just asked somebody where did it land. 0:15:23.550 --> 0:15:25.830 I know he crushed it, but my reaction, I knew 0:15:25.850 --> 0:15:27.950 it was gone, so I just started watching and hugging 0:15:27.970 --> 0:15:28.530 everybody else. 0:15:29.360 --> 0:15:36.660 Yeah, I mean, I was starting to call them the 0:15:36.760 --> 0:15:40.300 little pequeños, so I was happy that they both came through. 0:15:42.480 --> 0:15:47.300 Yeah, he has been a big part of this team, 0:15:47.340 --> 0:15:49.440 and he's seeing the ball right now in a big way, 0:15:49.480 --> 0:15:50.140 and look. 0:15:50.160 --> 0:15:52.100 They're pitching, they bullpen, they matched up, they did a 0:15:52.120 --> 0:15:52.540 good job. 0:15:52.580 --> 0:15:55.130 Mesa connected on one, got us tied, so bought us 0:15:55.170 --> 0:15:57.300 a little bit of time, but he's been playing really, 0:15:57.340 --> 0:15:58.100 really well lately. 0:15:58.520 --> 0:16:01.760 Have you thought about the next two weeks, rest for players, 0:16:02.470 --> 0:16:03.650 space guys out a little bit? 0:16:03.670 --> 0:16:05.290 I have not given one bit of thought to that, 0:16:05.330 --> 0:16:06.710 and I don't think there's anybody in that. 0:16:06.670 --> 0:16:08.070 Room that wants to rest. 0:16:08.530 --> 0:16:10.720 We want to continue winning games. 0:16:12.110 --> 0:16:14.410 Knowing the division title is something you guys have talked 0:16:14.580 --> 0:16:15.250 a lot about. 0:16:15.290 --> 0:16:17.760 How good do you feel about how this team responded 0:16:17.800 --> 0:16:20.880 through this? Really good, really good. 0:16:20.920 --> 0:16:22.940 I mean, there's a lot of season left, but to 0:16:22.980 --> 0:16:24.540 say that we're in, I think we're the first team 0:16:24.580 --> 0:16:27.500 or second team to get in, that's really impressive by 0:16:27.520 --> 0:16:29.800 the guys in that clubhouse right now. But I would 0:16:29.830 --> 0:16:32.729 expect they'll continue to respond like they have all season long. 0:16:33.530 --> 0:16:33.850 Thank you. 0:16:34.070 --> 0:16:35.270 Okay, all right, all right. 0:16:35.290 --> 0:16:36.030 Thank you, thank you. 0:16:43.200 --> 0:16:46.780 These guys pour themselves into this day after day after day. 0:16:46.820 --> 0:16:49.220 They're with each other every single day of February on. 0:16:49.340 --> 0:16:51.600 It's a hell of a lot more fun when everybody 0:16:51.760 --> 0:16:54.080 enjoys each other, comes together the way they have, but 0:16:54.620 --> 0:16:55.850 it's special any time you can do it. 0:16:55.980 --> 0:16:57.540 What was your view of Junior's home run, and how 0:16:57.560 --> 0:16:58.920 just electrifying. 0:16:58.360 --> 0:16:59.940 Was that ball? Oh, I don't even know where it landed. 0:16:59.960 --> 0:17:01.979 As soon as he hit it, I sent a congrats 0:17:02.000 --> 0:17:04.800 to our staff, and off we go. 0:17:04.859 --> 0:17:06.500 Did you have a check in draft? 0:17:06.770 --> 0:17:09.439 No, you don't want to jinx anything. That ball, when 0:17:09.460 --> 0:17:11.250 it went up, I had enough time before it came 0:17:11.290 --> 0:17:14.139 down to, you know, at least pass something off to 0:17:14.180 --> 0:17:16.560 congratulate our staff that deserves every bit of it as well. 0:17:16.820 --> 0:17:17.300 How fitting? 0:17:17.320 --> 0:17:19.260 I mean, anyone hitting it, you would have been happy. 0:17:19.280 --> 0:17:20.820 How fitting? It's Junior, it's. 0:17:20.800 --> 0:17:21.660 His 40th homer. 0:17:21.859 --> 0:17:22.640 Yeah, it's pretty cool. 0:17:22.700 --> 0:17:25.620 I was taking a nervous pee in like the eighth 0:17:26.300 --> 0:17:28.360 and thinking about the game. And somehow I had like 0:17:28.480 --> 0:17:30.899 Andy's voice in my mind going back to Longo's homer 0:17:30.940 --> 0:17:33.540 that walked it off and sent us to the postseason. 0:17:33.619 --> 0:17:36.649 And that was a little bit deeper in the year. But, 0:17:36.660 --> 0:17:38.960 you know, to have Cammie come up, have that kind 0:17:38.980 --> 0:17:42.379 of moment, first walk off, I'm not mistaken. Yeah, you 0:17:42.390 --> 0:17:43.980 couldn't write it better. I think he got on the mic. 0:17:44.000 --> 0:17:47.200 Did I hear him? I love it. Look, this group, 0:17:48.160 --> 0:17:50.360 they're a blast to be around. They're a blast to follow. 0:17:50.440 --> 0:17:53.720 I hope our fans are proud of them, and we're 0:17:53.740 --> 0:17:56.340 just getting started here, and let's go. We got eight 0:17:56.359 --> 0:17:58.300 more home games. Let's pack them, and then we got 0:17:59.080 --> 0:18:00.460 planning to have some more home games after that. 0:18:00.680 --> 0:18:02.869 Are we surprised by the level of success? 0:18:05.070 --> 0:18:05.369 No. 0:18:08.070 --> 0:18:10.270 You can ask them. It's one lead to get in. 0:18:10.850 --> 0:18:11.770 Yeah. 0:18:11.810 --> 0:18:14.609 No, they played their ass off. I mean, they played 0:18:14.690 --> 0:18:17.270 unbelievably well. You know, I think we talk about it. 0:18:17.290 --> 0:18:19.469 You go back to spring, the opening press conference, like, hey, 0:18:19.490 --> 0:18:21.710 we got three guys at the top of the lineup 0:18:21.750 --> 0:18:24.090 that are as good offensive players as there are in 0:18:24.130 --> 0:18:25.810 this game. And you got a lot of guys that 0:18:25.830 --> 0:18:27.250 can do a lot of different things to help you win. 0:18:27.270 --> 0:18:29.820 And I think that's exactly how this season played out. 0:18:29.970 --> 0:18:38.700